As 2013 gets closer by the hour, the harsh reality of tax hikes and slashed spending is getting more and more real. President Obama said today a deal to avoid going over the Fiscal Cliff is in sight, but not finalized. As the the federal government’s great game of chicken barrels towards its midnight, January 1 deadline, who will receive the blame if we go over the cliff? Also, now that the Tribune Company has emerged from bankruptcy, what will happen at the Los Angeles Times? All that and more on the last AirTalk of 2012.
Fiscal cliff watch
In the realm of political theatre, the Fiscal Cliff is no mere plot device. The harsh reality of tax hikes and slashed spending is now mere hours away. President Obama said today a deal to avoid going over the Fiscal Cliff is in sight, but not finalized. As the the federal government’s great game of chicken barrels towards its midnight, January 1 deadline, who will receive the blame if we go over the cliff? Why is the pending compromise reported by the President so narrow in scope? Why can’t the Congress strike what the President called a “Grand Bargain” to deal with deficit reduction and taxes at once?
Guest:
Kitty Felde, Washington Correspondent, KPCC News
Steven Dennis, White House Correspondent, Roll Call
Tribune out of bankruptcy; what’s next for the L.A. Times?
After four tumultuous years, it looks like the Tribune Company is finally out of the financial woods. The media conglomerate emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy today and is said to be a leaner, cleaner, more financially sound version of its former self, having shaken off around $12 billion of its nearly $13 billion total debt. Tribune currently owns 23 television stations, eight daily newspapers and a number of digital media outlets. But with a new board of directors made up mostly of Hollywood entertainment executives, Tribune will probably be looking to shed its newspaper holdings, which have been less than profitable as readership and ad revenue has slowed in major markets.
The Los Angeles Times has long been rumored to be up for sale; among the suitors expressing interest are Rupert Murdoch, owner of News Corp., and the owners of the Orange County Register and the San Diego Union Tribune. And closer to home, venture capitalist Austin Beutner has hinted at forming an investment group to buy the paper. The Los Angeles Times has undergone several rounds of layoffs in the past few years.
Could a new owner turn things around? Will dismantling the behemoth Tribune company and returning hometown ownership to its struggling dailies improve their outlook? Does print media have a future?
Guest:
David Folkenflik, NPR's media correspondent
Tim Rutten, columnist for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, formerly with the Los Angeles Times
My New Year's resolutions for the high & mighty
Forget your 2013 plans for a thinner waistline, more savings in the bank and better internal character. Those are not the only failings of the past year. When you look outside of yourself, where do you demand improvement? Do you long for the storyline on "Homeland" to make more sense? Do you want Washington to solve problems rather than cause problems? Do you have a resolution or two for your beloved sports team? If you could recommend resolutions for just about anyone or anything to make 2013 a golden year, what would be top of the list?
Chinese elderly can sue their children for lack of visits
As the holidays wind down in America, some family members may find themselves relieved to escape the presence of their parents. Here in the United States, and other Western countries, we are free to engage with our parents as much or as little as we want. However, a recently amended law in China does not grant its citizens such leeway.
Elderly Chinese parents are now legally allowed to sue their own children if they don’t come to visit them. This is another obstacle in the country’s challenge to care for its elderly, as economic reforms have splintered the traditional family unit. There is a severe lack of alternatives such as retirement homes or care facilities, and thus some parents become neglected, abused or even exploited in their old age. Across the board, it appears as if Chinese citizens have become suspicious of its elderly sect. There have been a string of incidents over the past few years in which elderly people have fallen and injured themselves, and then went on to blame and sue the good Samaritans which stopped to help them.
Why has it come to this in China? Is it simply a lack of resources and the fact that so many people are living longer these days? How does this issue translate to America? Do we need a law like this? What would you do if you were required by law to visit your parents? There’s definitely a grey area here about how to handle the drastically growing elderly population, but what is the best solution for both sides?
Guest:
Dr. Laura Mosqueda M.D., Chair and Professor of Family Medicine at the UC Irvine School of Medicine
Neil Armstrong’s famous phrase called into question
It might have been one small step for man, but Neil Armstrong’s historic quote is causing a giant stir over forty years after the fact. That’s because in a recent documentary for the BBC, Armstrong’s brother reveals that the phrase, which the astronaut always claimed was improvised, was actually prepared days in advance. In fact, Dean Armstrong says his brother slipped him a written note with his first draft during a game of Risk. This is an added layer to the aspect that the quote, according to its originator, was intended to be, “One small step for a man,” but the “a” was lost in the transmission.
So, why all this attention paid to a short, simple phrase? Is it just because it was said on the Moon? Or because of the historic importance of the moment itself? What’s your take on this?
Guest:
Christopher Riley, director of the BBC documentary “Neil Armstrong - First Man on the Moon,” lecturer in science and media at the University of Lincoln
What if superheroes could be held legally responsible for their actions?
Invoking suspension of disbelief allows us to enjoy superhero and supervillain sagas without worrying about whether or not these fictional characters are liable for the legal repercussions of their actions; however, what if Lex Luthor could sue Superman for assault? Would Superman be held accountable and be forced to retain legal representation?
Authors James Daily and Ryan Davidson closely explore the legal reality of super fiction in their new book, “The Law of Superheroes.” The book simultaneously serves as an analysis of basic legal theory and an entertaining exploration of the fictional world of comic book characters. Daily and Davidson explain that some comic books do attempt to incorporate legal realism. For example, in the DC comic universe, there is a fictitious Twelfth Amendment , which allows masked superheroes to legally avoid revealing their secret identities. Listen in as authors James Daily and Ryan Davidson put the modern legal system to the superhero test.
Guests:
James Daily, Co-Author, “The Law of Superheroes,” Attorney and co-founder of Lawandthemultiverse.com; specializes in intellectual property law
Ryan Davidson, Co-Author, “The Law of Superheroes,” Attorney and co-founder of Lawandthemultiverse.com; specializing in insurance litigation.