Immigrant Crime Debunk; Bad Loan Bailout; Hey, They Took My Laptop!; "L.A. Outlaws"
Immigrant Crime Debunk
A new study from the Public Policy Institute of California seems to contradict a pillar of the argument for a tighter border--that immigrants bring crime. The study shows that foreign-born residents make up 35 percent of the state's overall population but only 17 percent of the adult prison population. And non-citizen men from Mexico are many times less likely to be in prison than the general population. The study did not, however, look at visa-status of immigrants, so there are no conclusions about undocumented immigrants. Still, the report authors say the results have strong implications for the immigration debate. Larry talks to Hans Johnson, Associate Director and Senior Fellow at the PPIC and KPCC's listeners about the results.
Bad Loan Bailout
Home values continue to drop amidst the subprime loan debacle. Under a new proposal to be part of the Foreclosure Prevention Act, judges would be allowed to ease the terms of mortgages during bankruptcy proceedings. But lenders argue that the measure, which may be debated in the Senate today, could force them to raise mortgage rates across the board to cover losses from defaulters. Supporters argue that banks aren't doing a good enough job helping people stay in their homes. Larry asks KPCC's listeners what should take priority--stopping the wave of foreclosures or avoiding passing on the costs to the general public. Larry also talks with Eric Stein, Senior Vice President at the Center for Responsible Lending, and Scott Talbott, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for the Financial Services Roundtable.
Hey, They Took My Laptop!
Frequent search-and-seizures of electronic devices at U.S. borders have prompted protests and a lawsuit from civil liberties groups. The Electronic Frontier Foundation and Asian Law Caucus plan to file the suit to force the government to disclose search policies. Larry Mantle speaks with Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post reporter, David D. Cole, professor of constitutional law at Georgetown University Law Center, and author, most recently, of "Less Safe, Less Free: Why America Is Losing the War on Terror," and Mark D. Rasch, J.D., Managing Director of Technology with F T I Consulting which is a technology and evidence consulting company, about the issues surrounding airport and border inspection of electronic devices.
"L.A. Outlaws"
Award winning novelist T. Jefferson Parker joins Larry Mantle to talk about his new book which raises question about modern-day folk heroes and our obsession with celebrity. In "L.A. Outlaws" Parkers' main character is a Southern California teacher and mother of three whose alternate identity dons a mask and wig, steals expensive cars, and robs fast food joints but gives most of her loot to charity to court favor with media and establish her identity as a genuine folk hero.