The Pentagon announced military spending cuts that would decrease spending to 2001 levels. Are military spending cuts appropriate? A new proposal by LA City Councilman Bernard Parks would pass the cost of retrofitting apartment buildings on to tenants. Should tenants be responsible for retrofitting costs? Later, Dave Itzkoff talks about his new book "Mad as Hell."
Pentagon announces deep military spending cuts
A proposal from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will shrink the United States Army and eliminate a class of Air Force attack jets in the first Pentagon budget to step away from war footing since 2001.
The new U.S. Army would be smaller than it has been since World War II -- Pentagon officials describe the proposed forces as capable of defeating any adversary, but too small for prolonged occupation. Hagel’s proposal is based on fiscal and political logistics in line with military spending cuts and President Obama’s pledge to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But some critics fear that a smaller army could be risky -- there could be more casualties, success might take longer, and adversaries might be more keen to attack. Pentagon officials says that the smaller forces will be prepared, but that the Defense Department should be sized according to current military needs.
Are the cuts to military spending appropriate? How should the armed forces handle their budget and size?
Guests:
William Hartung, Director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy. He is the author of Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military-Industrial Complex
Mackenzie Eaglen, Resident Fellow at the Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies at the American Enterprise Institute
Obama administration proposes Medicare advantage cuts
The Obama administration has proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage plans for next year.
Medicare Advantage is a private insurance option to Medicare. According to the AP, about 16 million people are currently enrolled in these programs, some 30 percent of over Medicare users. Medicare Advantage offers lower out-of-pocket costs and a wider range of benefits, but with more limited choices.
The proposed cuts Friday set off immediate criticism from Republicans, who attribute the cuts as a direct result of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky told the AP, “the best solution would be to recognize ObamaCare for the historic mistake that it is, repeal it, and replace it with commonsense reforms that will protect America’s seniors and families from the seemingly never-ending consequences of this terrible law.”
What are the political implications of these cuts as we head into the midterm elections? Are fears and anger toward the cuts overblown? How would these cuts affect seniors?
Guests:
Chad Terhune, Healthcare reporter at LA Times
Avik Roy, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Policy Institute; In 2012, Roy was a health care policy advisor to Mitt Romney
Shana Lavarreda, Director of Health Insurance Studies, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
Tenants may pay for earthquake retrofitting under new proposal
The city of Los Angeles is considering a proposal from Councilman Bernard Parks that would pass the cost of retrofitting apartment buildings on to tenants. Currently, only 50% of major renovation costs may be passed along to tenants, with landlords and building owners paying the cost of retrofitting.
Parks’ proposal is intended to incentivize retrofitting by allowing landlords and would make it legal for tenants to pay the whole cost of rehabilitation over a “reasonable period of time.”
Tenants rights advocates say that placing the burden of retrofitting costs on renters would exacerbate income inequality and force people out of their homes. The council is already exploring a state bond measure that would help owners pay to rehabilitate their properties, but Parks is encouraging the city to evaluate simpler solutions.
Should tenants pay to retrofit buildings? Who should carry the burden of rehabilitation?
Guests:
Larry Gross, executive director of The Coalition for Economic Survival, a tenants rights groups
Councilman Bernard Parks, Councilmember, 8th District, which includes Baldwin Hills, Crenshaw, West Adams, and other parts of South Los Angeles
Supreme Court takes a deeper look at restitution for child porn victims
Should a person convicted of possession of child pornography be held liable for full restitution for a specific child who is harmed, even if the convicted individual was not involved in the production or distribution of the image? Even if there are other individuals in possession of the same image?
The Supreme Court is looking to decide just that in a recent appeal case, Paroline v. United States, in which Doyle Randall Paroline was found guilty of having a collection of illegal pornographic images, including two of a woman who goes by the name of Amy in court documents.
Paroline is currently being held liable for $3.4 million - the total damages claimed - for what "Amy"s attorneys call his contribution to the aggregate harm suffered by the woman who was only eight years old when her uncle started raping her and seventeen when she found out the sex acts had gone viral.
The Violence Against Women Act provides that people whose images are used in child pornography can sue those found in possession of that pornography, in addition to the producers and distributors. This case is one of more than 3,200 criminal cases in the United States that involves Amy’s image.
Paroline's attorneys argue in his appeal that there is no proof that he alone caused her harm.
Another case decided on January 27 could now impact the final ruling in Paroline v. United States. In Burrage vs. United States, the federal law at issue is that which makes it a crime to sell heroin, but then also adds to the punishment if the person who used the drug dies.
In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court decided that the enhanced punishment may only be imposed if prosecutors prove that the one drug which was sold was the actual cause of death, when the person actually had used several drugs. In response to this ruling, Paroline's Houston attorney Stanley G. Schneider, now seeks a new brief in his case, arguing that Paroline should only be assessed for his share of the crime.
To recover restitution, must a victim establish a causal relationship between the defendant's conduct and the victim's harm or damages? Can the victim be awarded full restitution from one defendant even if thousands of other current or future defendants may exist?
Guest:
Lisa McElroy, Associate Professor of Law, Drexel University
Is your teen at risk for depression? A cheek swab could find out
The first genetic biomarkers - or biological indicators - for depression have been discovered by researchers in the UK. Brain scientists have found that people with high levels of the stress hormone cortisol who also showed signs of mild depression were up to 14 times more likely to suffer from clinical depression later in life.
The breakthrough could lead to a simple saliva test to determine who is most likely to suffer from clinical depression. The test has so far only proven to be effective for teenage boys. The research suggests that teenagers could be easily screened to assess their risk level for developing clinical depression.
Early detection could lead to better treatments but how will the teens and their parents react to finding out they have a high risk for depression?
As a parent, would you want to know if your child was likely to suffer depression? Could this lead to stigmatization of those deemed to be a higher risk?
Guest:
Dr. Paul Schneider, MD, president of the Southern California Bioethics Committee Consortium
'Mad as Hell' recounts the making of the iconic and prophetic film, ‘Network’
New York Times culture reporter Dave Itzkoff’s “Mad As Hell” takes readers behind the scenes of “Network,” screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky’s Oscar-winning masterpiece.
Nearly 40 years ago, Chayefsky’s script imagined the future of television news as a grimy industry, hell-bent on profits and prone to sensationalism. Using the screenwriter’s personal papers, interviews, and film logs, Itkoff delves deeply into the greatness of one of Hollywood’s most literary writers.
Itzkoff reveals just how Chayefsky’s satire was able to predict the troubling changes in journalism in the decades that would follow.
“Network”--directed by Sidney Lumet--inspired Academy Award winning performances from Faye Dunaway and Peter Finch, as TV anchorman Howard Beale.
What went into the making of “Network”? What does Chayefsky’s satire say about modern media?
Itzkoff will be in conversation with Aaron Sorkin! Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 25 at 7pm at The Paley Center for Media.
Guest:
Dave Itzkoff, Author, “Mad as Hell: The Making of ‘Network’ and the Fateful Vision of the Angriest Man in Movies;” Culture Reporter, The New York Times; Previous books are “Cocaine’s Son” and “Lads.”