The closing arguments of the Zimmerman trial could begin today. We'll take a look at some of the details of the case as it comes to a close. Then, the Center for Investigative Reports found that female inmates in California had been sterilized without their consent. What approvals should the state require before a sterilization? Then, we'll talk with Mayor Eric Garcetti about his future plans as mayor. Later, how safe are juice cleanses, really? And we'll take a look at the unclear fate of the immigration bill in congress. Then, we'll talk about whether it's still fair for credit unions to receive tax exempt status. And finally, do open-plan offices help or hurt workers productivity?
Zimmerman trial enters final phase
Closing arguments could begin today for the George Zimmerman trial. The neighborhood watch volunteer pleaded not guilty in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, claiming he killed the Florida teen in self-defense on Feb. 26, 2012. Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder.
The well-publicized case has had a few last-minute odd twists and turns. Earlier today, Judge Debra Nelson allowed jurors in the case to consider the lesser charge of manslaughter. Prosecutor Richard Mantei also tried to introduce third-degree murder charges, claiming that Zimmerman committed child abuse for shooting the teenager.
On Wednesday, Zimmerman declined to testify in his trial, after Judge Debra Nelson asked him directly and repeated whether he wanted to do so. His defense attorney, Don West, objected to the judge's move, but was vehemently overruled.
Guests:
Michael Muskal, LA Times reporter who’s been covering the George Zimmerman trial
Bennett Gershman, Professor of Law at Pace University in New York and a former prosecutor
Calif. lawmakers call for investigation into sterilization of female inmates
The Center for Investigative Reporting found that doctors with the California Department of Corrections sterilized nearly 150 female inmates from 2006 to 2010 without the required approvals. The report found that state doctors were paid nearly $150,000 to perform tubal ligations on inmates.
Prison Advocates maintain that many were forced to undergo the procedures, and that medical staff targeted women most likely to return to prison. Allegations like this have been made before, nearly half a century ago, when inmates accused doctors of sterilizing the poor and mentally ill. It forced lawmakers to ban the practice in 1979.
Federal and state law ban sterilizations only if federal funds are being used. California uses states funds, but the procedure requires approval from top medical personnel. Some say the surgeries empower female inmates giving them options, especially for those on drugs or suffering other medical conditions.
What approvals do think the state should require before a sterilization? Should this be completely banned unless the inmate requests it? Do women in prison deserve the option for methods of birth control?
Guest:
Corey Johnson, reporter for The Center for Investigative Reporting
Mayor Eric Garcetti talks review of city’s top department heads, diversity at City Hall, and more
Mayor Eric Garcetti told all of Los Angeles’ department chiefs that they need to reapply for their jobs. It’s part of the new mayor’s efforts to make City Hall more efficient. The mayor wants to hear from city managers on how they can better incorporate the use of technology in how the city is run and to ensure the channels of communication between residents and government departments are open.
Job creation is another big concern for the new mayor. Garcetti has said that he wants to remake Los Angeles as the film production capital of the country and that he plans to appoint a Film Czar to achieve that aim. Larry checks in with Mayor Garcetti on those topics and more.
Guest:
Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles
Is the 'Master Cleanse' a detox diet or dangerous deprivation? (Poll)
Consumer interest in “detox” drinks and pricey juices has skyrocketed in recent years. The “master cleanse” version has you forego food for days at a time in place of water, lemon juice, cayenne and honey or agave syrup. The goal is all around better health, including slimming down and boosting energy.
But is cleansing safe? What toxins does it get rid of? Do the positive results last just a few days? Are there negative results that last longer?
Guest:
Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, Obesity M.D., Medical Director, Bariatric Medical Institute in Ottawa; Author of forthcoming “The Diet Fix: Why Everything You've Been Taught About Dieting is Wrong and How to Fix It,” Random House Crown Harmony, March 2014
Unclear fate for immigration reform bill in Congress
President Obama may not see an immigration bill on his desk anytime soon. Despite the Senate’s 68 to 32 vote on its comprehensive immigration bill, the House is in no rush to provide a pathway to citizenship.
House Speaker John Boehner told the Associated Press that the majority of House Republicans prefer to deal with immigration in pieces. Their priority is to firstly secure the border. In addition, the House is looking at stricter enforcement of immigration laws, increasing deportations and more temporary worker programs and visas.
Should immigration reform be comprehensive or in pieces? Will the House make any decisions on immigration reform before Congress goes on recess? Should the President campaign to quickly pass legislation for immigration reform?
Guests:
Lisa Mascaro, Congressional Reporter, Los Angeles Times
Seung Min Kim, Congressional Reporter for POLITICO
Should credit unions be allowed to continue receiving tax exempt status despite acting more and more like big banks?
The role of credit unions in the U.S. is growing, as is their customer base. Big banks have been losing their customers to credit unions in part because of frustration over rising banks fees. Now those big banks are pushing to abolish credit unions' tax exempt status. According to a 2010 report from the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board, eliminating the tax exemption would raise $19 million in taxes over the next decade.
Credit unions say this is an attempt by the banks to eliminate competition. Is it fair for credit unions to continue to get tax breaks despite their growth? Or would the move eliminate an important check on bank fees?
Guest:
BethMills, vice president of communications at the California Bankers Association
Fred R. Becker, Jr. President & CEO, National Association of Federal Credit Unions
Do open-plan offices decrease productivity?
Employers are constantly struggling to figure out how to make employees happy, increase workplace productivity, and save on costs. More and more companies have looked for solutions in workplace design strategies, and according to the International Management Facility Association, 70 percent of U.S. employees now work in open-plan offices.
One of the main advantages to an open-plan design is that it cuts down building costs and increases the use of space. Rather than cramming workers in tiny walled offices, an open-plan utilizes the same area in a less constricting and claustrophobic way.
Proponents also say that in a digital age, an open-plan office allows for more face-to-face collaboration, encourages creativity and increases employee satisfaction through social connections. A 1996 research study by the University of Southern California found that a collaborative environment actually increased productivity.
In manufacturing jobs, an open-plan office allows employees to work 4.4 times faster. With statistics like that, it’s no surprise Facebook is planning a Frank Gehry-designed 100,000 square feet open-plan office in New York.
However, a new study by design firm Gensler shows that open-plan offices are actually decreasing productivity. Their 2013 U.S. Workplace Survey found that three out of four workers are “struggling to work effectively” because of difficulty focusing, resulting in longer hours to complete tasks. Compared with their 2008 survey, Gensler found that “workplace effectiveness” has decreased by six percent.
“Many of the open-plan environments today are really designed to encourage collaboration, and those that only foster collaboration at the expense of focus are not as effective," said Janet Pogue, the head of Gensler’s study, AirTalk.
But how does compare with other statistics that have advocated open-plan offices?
“If you want people to learn from each other, then collaboration makes a difference," said University of Southern California Information Systems Professor Ann Majchrzak. "If you want people to learn individually, then collaboration gets in the way.”
Majchrzak is the author of the highly-cited 1996 study on open-plan workplaces. She says that her study focused on manufacturing facilities, not office jobs.
“Once this was published, very quickly it seemed to get a lot attention,” said Majchrzak. “So I needed to encourage a lot of CEOs who were looking at it to make sure that they understood this was only if the department was focused on full-process."
Majchrzak mentioned that her study got over-applied.
“It became such that CEOs would say, ‘Well, here’s proof that an open floor plan is helpful,’ and in fact, an open floor plan is helpful but under certain contexts,” said Majchrzak.
Dina from Mar Vista told AirTalk that in her real estate office, “That open bull pen really creates a lack of focus because there’s a lot of talking that takes a place, a lot of snooping even that takes place from one person’s desk to the next and a lot of gossiping.”
To block out noise, many employees wear headphones, including staff here at KPCC (listening to our own programming, of course). Larry Mantle shared on-air about this station’s slow adjustment to balancing private space and approachability.
Tyler from Santa Monica likes that his office has private spaces and open ones. In his private office, he’s able to focus on his work, but the open space allows people to joke around with each other, making the workplace more relaxing.
Pogue said that if three out of four workers are not happy with their office floor plan, it also means that one in four are in an optimal workplace. Pogue believes that if an office can prioritize focus and collaboration, then employees will have higher job satisfaction and be more innovative and creative.
According to a statement by Gensler’s co-Chief Executive Officer Diane Hoskins, “Analysis of findings from our 2013 study confirms that employees who can effectively focus are 57 percent more able to collaborate, 88 percent more able to learn, and 42 percent more able to socialize in their workplace than their peers who are unable to focus. They are more satisfied with their jobs, more satisfied with their workplaces, and see themselves as higher performing.”
Isabel, a speech therapist in Beaumont, called AirTalk to discuss how she benefited from the open-floor plan. “I was in the same open-classroom with a psychologist and a resource teacher aide, and it just really worked well with collaborating…We were able to put our heads together and just come up with really awesome solutions,” she said. “We have a dream team together in the room.”
AirTalk discussed how the pros and cons of an open-floor plan are not that simple. Majchrzak said that employers probably like to see people working. Listeners mentioned how an introverted or extroverted personality affects an employee’s preference and how the size of the company also affects focus.
Do you work in an open-plan office? Do you have trouble focusing? What’s the balance between collaboration and personal space? Is productivity actually decreasing? How important is workplace design? What works and what doesn’t? What would you like to change?
Guests:
Janet Pogue, Principal in Gensler’s Workplace Practice; leader of Gensler’s “2013 U.S. Workplace Survey”
Ann Majchrzak, Professor of Information Systems at USC’s Marshall School of Business, author of the highly cited 1996 workplace study “Breaking the Functional Mind-Set in Process Organization”