We look at the possibility of former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's run for president; academics has long been the central focus of college applications, but Harvard argues that extracurricular activities should be emphasized; and we hear from political analysts about what we should be looking for in presidential hopefuls
The winners & losers of a potential Michael Bloomberg run
Billionaire and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is considering a run for the presidency, spurred by Donald Trump’s unsubsiding momentum and Hillary Clinton’s weakening position, according to the New York Times.
Citing unnamed sources, the paper reports that Bloomberg has told his inner circle that he would foot the bill for the run at up to $1 billion of his own money.
Citing unnamed sources, the paper reports that Bloomberg has told his inner circle that he would foot the bill for the run at up to $1 billion of his own money.
How likely is a Bloomberg run? How would it impact the rest of the field?
Guests:
Chris Smith, a contributing editor at New York Magazine who reports on New York politics; He tweets from
Dan Schnur, Director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at USC and adjunct faculty at USC Annenberg School
National Taxi union rep pushes back on LA City Council proposal to prevent racism
Tomorrow the L.A. City Council is set to vote on proposed tightened penalties for taxicab drivers at LAX who discriminate against riders based on race.
This, after a recent undercover investigation by two black officers who were denied taxi rides 20 percent of the time at LAX. That investigation was spurred by an essay written by ESPN analyst Doug Glanville, "Why I Still Get Shunned by Taxi Drivers." What has your cab-catching experience been like at LAX? Have you ever felt that you were discriminated against by an LAX cab driver?
Do you agree with adopting tightened penalties, or is this an overreach?
Guests:
Bob Blumenfield, the LA City Councilman who proposed the tightened penalties
Biju Mathew, secretary of the National Taxi Workers Alliance of the AFLCIO. He’s also an associate professor of business at Rider University and author of “Taxi! Cabs and Capitalism in New York City”
Harvard report wants college admissions process to rely less on test scores, more on other qualities
A recent report put out by Making Caring Common, a project looking at reforming the college admissions process at Harvard University, wants schools to put more emphasis on an applicant's commitment to doing a greater societal good, rather than on his or her standardized test scores.
Over 50 admissions deans and educators, including those from MIT and the University of Virginia, have thrown their support behind the report and have pledged to make changes in their own admissions process. Yale, for instance, is adding an essay question in next year’s application asking applicants to detail their involvement with their communities.
What do you think of the report and its recommendations? Can they be achieve? realistically? One of the stated goals is to reduce the stress of applicants applying to college, would these recommendations help?
Guests:
Richard Weissbourd, a senior lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and co-director of Making Caring Common, which has put out the report
Steve Cohen, co-author of “Getting In,” about the college admissions process. He is a contributor to Forbes magazine, writing about college admissions and public policy
AirTalk Elections coverage 2016: One week to Iowa
This week on AirTalk’s political roundtable: It’s countdown to the Iowa caucuses!
Candidates are jockeying across the state trying to drum up final votes and reacting to a potential run by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg .
As Californians, it’s difficult to watch the action knowing our own primary isn’t until June, but we can still get a piece of the action with some local analysis.
We hear from two analysts about what to watch for in these final days.
Guests:
Lynn Vavreck, Professor of Political Science, UCLA; she tweets from
Steven Shepard, campaigns and elections editor at POLITICO; he tweets from
How a Coastal Commission shakeup could change the future of California’s coast
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The powerful California agency that manages development along the state's fabled coastline may oust its top executive soon, setting up a battlefront between environmentalists and developers who frequently clash over projects large and small.
The potential shake-up at the California Coastal Commission raises questions about the direction of an agency often caught in the friction between property owners and conservation along the 1,100-mile coast - large stretches of it prized for pristine beaches edged by jutting cliffs.
Guests:
Sara Wan, Former Commissioner on the Coastal Commission; Co-Founder of the Western Alliance for Nature, a conservancy group
Fred Gaines, a Calabasas councilman and attorney who has represented developers and property owners before the commission for 25 years
Former fugitive hunters weigh in on finding the OC fugitives
In an elaborate escape, three inmates from Orange County Men’s Jail were reported missing Sunday.
It was nearly 72 hours after their disappearance when Sheriff’s officials confirmed the breakout of Hossein Nayeri, Jonathan Tieu and Bac Duong.
Their escape was likely made on Friday after a 5 a.m. headcount. All three men had been incarcerated for violent crimes.
The breakout, which could have taken weeks or months of planning, started with the inmates using tools to cut through steel bars, then traveling through plumbing tunnels and ended with a descent off a roof with makeshift ropes made from towels and bed sheets.
Authorities say they will offer a $50,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the fugitives.
What is the process for law enforcement to find these escaped inmates? How does this escape differ from others, where fugitives could rely on nearby wilderness to hide? How will the fugitives remain unseen in the surrounding metropolitan area of Orange County?
Guests:
Scott Schwebke, breaking news reporter for ocregister.com and the Orange County Register newspaper who’s been following the OC jail break story. He tweets from
Lenny DePaul, Chief Inspector/Commander (Ret.) of U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force
Craig Caine, Inspector (Ret.) U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force