Jada Pinkett Smith & Spike Lee say they will not attend the Academy Awards because it lacks diversity; Tips on how to safely navigate through rain & why some advocates want to see "Arts" added to the popular STEM acronym.
‘40 White Actors In 2 Years And No Flava At All’ Hollywood reacts to Oscars boycott
Actress Jada Pinkett Smith released a video yesterday announcing her intention to boycott the Academy Awards on February 28th following the second year in a row in which no black actors (or any non-white actors at all) were nominated for an award.
Filmmaker Spike Lee joined the protest, writing on Instagram,“We Cannot Support It And Mean No Disrespect To My Friends, Host Chris Rock and Producer Reggie Hudlin, President Isaacs And The Academy.
But, How Is It Possible For The 2nd Consecutive Year All 20 Contenders Under The Actor Category Are White.” Smith had to be disappointed that her husband Will wasn't nominated for his starring performance in "Concussion." Lee likely wasn't surprised that his movie "Chi-Raq" didn't get any nominations. It got strong reviews, but few people saw it. He received an honorary Oscar last November.
The question now is whether other industry leaders might join the boycott. Ironically, this year's host is Chris Rock and Reginald Hudlin is producing the show. Both are Black. Would they consider boycotting? Will advertisers boycott? Do you feel pressure to boycott the Oscars this year?
We especially want to hear from people of color who work in Hollywood -- do you feel pressure to join this boycott? You can also join the conversation on Twitter under the hashtag #OscarsBoycott
Guest:
Jim Rainey, Senior Film Reporter, Variety; he’s been covering Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett Smith’s boycott of the Academy Awards. He tweets from
How to deal with bad drivers in the rain? Some say lower the speed limit
When driving in Southern California, two things are almost guaranteed: first, there will be traffic, and second, it’s probably not going to rain.
This has been especially true over the last year as the Southland and the entire state of California deal with drought conditions. But winter is here, and with it comes El Niño. With El Niño comes rain, and with rain comes bad driving.
In a recent L.A. Times op-ed, The Atlantic staff writer Conor Friedersdorf tackles what he sees as drivers’ complete loss of all common sense once precipitation starts to fall from the skies. Most of us have probably seen motorists who don’t change anything about their driving habits, even when it’s raining or snowing.
What do we do about these drivers? Friedersdorf proposes a simple solution: lower speed limits in the five SoCal counties so that drivers are required by law to go 10 miles per hour slower in rain or snow than when driving conditions are ideal.
Do you think lower speed limits in inclement weather will make a difference in the number of traffic accidents and fatalities that happen during those kind of conditions? If not, is there another way? How do you change your driving habits when it starts to rain?
Guests:
Megan McCarty, KPCC reporter covering transportation and mobility; read Meghan's article on L.A. drivers in the rain here
Conor Friedersdorf, staff writer at The Atlantic and a contributing writer to the Los Angeles Times’ Opinion section; his latest piece is titled “When it rains, L.A.’s drivers lose all common sense”
Who had the best weather app?
It’s our first El Nino post-smart phones, so Californians are likely grappling with the issue for the first time ever: How do you find the most accurate weather app?
In a recent unscientific survey, AirTalk staff discovered their three different apps had significantly different forecasts for the same area. How does this happen?
Part of the answer is where the data comes from.
Guest:
Mark Jackson, who heads the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Los Angeles Weather Forecast Office in Oxnard, Calif.
Attorneys argue the case for, against President Obama’s executive action on immigration
(Mark Sherman | AP) The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to an election-year review of President Barack Obama's executive order to allow up to 5 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally to "come out of the shadows" and work legally in the United States.
The justices said they will consider undoing lower court orders that blocked the plan from taking effect in the midst of a presidential campaign that already roiled by the issue.
The case, United States v. Texas will be argued in April and decided by late June, about a month before both parties' gather for their nominating conventions. The immigrants who would benefit from the administration's plan are mainly the parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. Texas is leading 26 mainly Republican-dominated states in challenging the Democratic administration's immigration plan.
What factors will justices be considering in this hearing? What impact will this ruling have on the 2016 election?
Read more on this story here.
Guests:
Karen Tumlin, managing attorney at the National Immigration Law Center, which filed an amicus brief
Dan Stein, President of Federation for American Immigration Reform, a DC-based nonprofit working to tighten immigration. The group has filed an amicus brief in support of the state of Texas
Calif. arts-education deficit emboldens advocates to turn STEM into STEAM
Arts educators in California are joining forces to demand that schools recognize arts classes as not just optional but integral to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) learning.
The original intent of STEM education was to increase U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace of workers.
Teachers from various disciplines including reading, athletics, and the arts have tried to argue their respective subjects can enhance STEM learning and, therefore, should be included in the funding priorities.
While mechanical engineer Norman Fortenberry says integrating different subjects can bolster learning, he says that's not the real issue. "The real issue is money, and whether the funding exists to expand beyond the four main subjects," explains Fortenberry who heads the American Society for Engineering Education. Or as was articulated in "Education Week," "How can you focus on other subjects (such as art) without losing the mission of STEM or watering down its primary purpose?"
Education professor David Drew of Claremont Graduate School has been working for decades to broaden STEM and make it more inclusive.
He says STEAM funding is inevitable and will likely come from industry, such as Boeing aerospace company which has been creating collaborations between its arts and STEM education donation recipients.
While incorporating the arts into STEM is hardly controversial, does the funding exist and will it avoid watering down the original intent?
Guest:
Norman Fortenberry, Executive Director, American Society for Engineering Education; Fortenberry is a mechanical engineer
David Drew, Former Joseph B. Platt Chair and Professor of Education, Claremont Graduate University
Maintaining a healthy relationship despite having mismatched sleep schedules
Getting enough sleep is one of the most important things a person can do for their own well-being, but with more than sixty percent of couples sharing a bed with their partner, how can opposing sleep patterns affect your relationship?
It’s not uncommon for one partner to wake up at sunrise, while the other rises at sunset. Research has found that even with conflicting sleep schedules, achieving relationship satisfaction is still possible.
Wendy Troxel, a clinical psychologist, behavioral and social scientist at Rand Corp. has found that healthy relationships can be achieved, but solutions must be tailored to your individual relationship.
How are some ways you cope with your partner’s sleep pattern? What has worked and what hasn’t?
Guest:
Wendy Troxel, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, behavioral and social scientist at RAND Corp.