A bill announced on Thursday that would require soft drinks and other sugary beverages sold in California to carry a warning label similar to those placed on cigarette cartons. Should sugary drinks have warning labels? How is technology impacting your relationship? It's Filmweek and we're discussing Robocop, Endless Love and more!
Should sugary drinks have warning labels?
Medical experts and a state lawmaker proposed a bill this Thursday that would require soft drinks and other sugary beverages sold in California to carry a warning label similar to those placed on cigarette cartons. The proposal cites studies linking soda to obesity and other health risks, including diabetes and tooth decay.
The labels would be placed on bottles and cans of drinks with added sugar or with more than 75 calories per 12 ounces. In restaurants, warnings might be placed on menus, counters, or drink dispensers, and would read: "STATE OF CALIFORNIA SAFETY WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay."
The bill’s proponents, including the California Medical Association, argue that the label would give Californians valuable, crucial information about their health.
Critics, like CalBev, the state’s chapter of the American Beverage Association, say that the legislation unfairly singles out one type of product. If passed, the bill, SB 1000, would take effect in July 2015.
Should sugary drinks have warning labels attached? Do Californians need explicit warnings, or do they already understand the risks associated with soft drinks? Is this bill unfair to beverage groups -- should all sugary or unhealthy foods carry warnings? If passed, could SB 1000 be a model for the rest of the country?
Guest:
Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel), State senator representing district 17 which stretches from Santa Cruz to San Luis Obispo.
Bob Achermann, executive director of the California/ Nevada Soft Drink Association
LA restaurateur adds health care surcharge to customer bills (Poll)
A hot new French restaurant in Hancock Park serves up rich dishes, delicate pastries and a surprise when the bill comes around. Republique servers explain to customers that a 3% surcharge called the “Healthy LA” tax pays for workers’ health care.
RELATED: Healthcare surcharge riles customers at top LA eatery
Managing partner Bill Chait told KPCC’s Ben Bergman, “We knew that we wanted to offer the opportunity to get everybody into the health insurance pool....The problem is the structure for health care really makes it very difficult to insure part-time people... [W]e concluded that the most transparent and effective way to do it was to have a charge that basically was illuminated to the guest as opposed to one that is buried inside of the cost of the food.”
Under Obamacare, businesses like Republique with more than 50 full-time employees have to offer affordable health care benefits or pay fines. (This week, that mandate was delayed again, to 2016.)
However, Taylor Parsons, Republique’s sommelier and beverage director, says he doesn’t see the surcharge as “political at all; it’s a pragmatic decision.”
Taylor continues, “I don't even think about it in the context of health care, I just think about it in the context of having worked in restaurants for the better part of a decade and seeing how broken the existing system is."
Still, some customers perceive it as political and others as just too much information. What do you think? Do you see it as political? Do consumers want to know about a business’ overhead? If you’re a business owner, how much information do you share with your patrons about the cost of doing business?
Poll: What do you think about the surcharge? Let us know:
Guest:
Ben Bergman, KPCC Business Reporter
How do you and your significant other negotiate the use of technology?
A new study from the Pew Research Center on technology usage of American couples finds that over a quarter of internet users in a marriage or committed relationship share an email account with each other, and that more than half of them have shared the password to one or more of their online accounts.
The report also finds that technology both creates tension and offers support in a relationship. Nine percent of respondents say that they have resolved an argument with their partner online or by text message, and 25% of people say they have felt that their spouse or partner was distracted by their smart phones when they were together.
Call in and share how technology impacts your relationship.
And Happy Valentine’s Day - if that’s your thing.
Guest:
Jessica Carbino, PhD. candidate in sociology at UCLA whose research focuses on online dating and she hosts and produces a weekly radio show on UCLA Radio called "Hook up With Dr. Jess"
Filmweek: RoboCop, About Last Night, Endless Love and more
Larry and KPCC film critics Alynda Wheat and Lael Loewenstein review this week’s releases, including RoboCop, About Last Night, Endless Love and more. TGI-Filmweek!
RoboCop
About Last Night
Endless Love
Guests:
Alynda Wheat, film critic for KPCC and People
Lael Loewenstein, film critic for KPCC