Today on AirTalk, we discuss the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum's millions of dollars in losses, see how the decline in marriage corresponds to the voting power of mothers, invite our journalists from Orange County on to discuss regional news, look at a study about unnecessary prostate surgeries, consider a new law about calling in drug overdoses to 9-1-1, and pore over this morning's Emmy nominations.
Tough times get tougher for the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission
Note: The Coliseum Commission could not make someone available to participate in today's discussion.
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission is projected to lose millions this year stemming from a pricy corruption scandal and pending lawsuit.
The suit, brought by the Los Angeles Times and first amendment group, Californians aware, aims at nullifying a 42-year lease the Coliseum Commission signed with USC in May. The Times led a year-and-a half long investigation finding that commission officials withheld and delayed the release of documents that should have been made available to public under the California Public Records Act.
"There are some things you do in private, when you're negotiating price or terms of payment, public agencies are permitted to do that behind closed doors, at least until they come to the point where they take a final vote," said L.A. Times reporter Paul Pringle.
However, he says that the price and terms of payment weren't discussed in these private meetings. Instead, he says the private meetings were held to discuss matters in which the public should have been able to participate.
This includes, "Just how the stadium would be used, everything from the number of days the public would have access to the stadium under the lease, whether the sports arena would be part of the lease, the whole range of components of the lease were deliberated behind closed doors," said Pringle.
In addition, the suit cites meetings with USC that did not comply with the Brown Act’s open meeting laws.
"We want an acknowledgement that the Brown Act was violated at at least 10 meetings where they had long discussions about the lease with USC," said Jeff Glasser, attorney representing the L.A. Times in the lawsuit. "We want meaningful public discussion and debate as to the terms of the lease and that should have taken place in public."
Prosecutors also accuse the commission of bribery, embezzlement, conflicts of interest, and more, which cost the commission more than $2 million.
The commission attorney , Thomas Faughnan, issued a letter earlier this month stating the panel has not violated the Brown Act of California Public Records Act.
Guests:
Paul Pringle, reporter, Los Angeles Times
Jeff Glasser, Attorney, Davis, Wright, Tremaine law firm, representing the Los Angeles Times
As the number of marriages tapers off, does the political power of mothers decline too?
The number of single mothers in the United States is rapidly increasing, as marriage rates decline and births out of wedlock rise.
As November’s presidential election approaches, this phenomenon creates an interesting question– how much political power will the growing single mother population have? Traditionally, the turnout among unmarried mothers has been the lowest of any group of women; many live below the poverty line and have more problems paying rent and putting food on the table than their married counterparts.
As a result, some social commentators are concerned that the growth in single mothers will have a detrimental impact on the power of women in politics as a whole, while others argue unmarried moms could be a strong source of support in President Obama’s 2012 campaign.
Does a decline in marriage significantly change the political landscape? As a single mother, do you feel more compelled to vote to secure a better future for your children? And if you don’t engage in politics, why not?
Guests:
Garance Franke-Ruta, senior editor of the Politics Channel, The Atlantic; she wrote the piece “Will the Decline in Marriage Mean a Decline in Political Power for Mothers?” for The Atlantic
Gayle Tzemach Lemmon , New York Times Best-Selling Author, Dressmaker of Khair Khana; Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations' Women and Foreign Policy Program, regular contributor to Newsweek, The Daily Beast, The Atlantic, and Politico, which ran her article “Single moms Obama’s X-factor?”
Orange County journalists’ roundtable
Larry and our talented trio of Orange County journalists riff on the latest news from the O.C. including looming financial doom in Stanton, the latest on the Kelly Thomas front, another dust up in the wake of the Bustamante sex scandal, political theater in Santa Ana, the Orange County Fair’s very modern crop of cold, hard cash, a captured mountain lion slated to be relocated into captivity for the rest of its life and more.
Guests:
Ed Joyce, Orange County Reporter, KPCC
Teri Sforza, Staff Writer for the Orange County Register
Norberto Santana, editor-in-chief of the Voice of OC, a non-profit investigative news agency that covers Orange County government and politics
Study: surgery unnecessary for most early-stage prostate cancer
A ten year study into the treatment of prostate cancer says surgery is not always the best option. The landmark research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that most patients with early stage prostate cancer who chose to watch their condition, lived just as long as those who opted for surgery and radiation.
The clinical trial was conducted on over 700 veterans across the United States. It marks a growing body of research into the benefits of 'watchful waiting' in prostate tumor treatment.
How comfortable would you be not removing a tumor from your body? If you've had prostate cancer surgery while in the early stages of your diagnosis, what side effects do you live with?
Guest:
Dr. Mark Litwin, Professor and Chair of Urology at UCLA School of Public Health
Should 911 callers who report drug ODs be protected?
In Sacramento, lawmakers are close to passing a bill that grants limited immunity on drug charges when someone calls 911 for medical help with an overdose. The supporters of AB 472 said too many witnesses are scared to call for emergency assistance for an overdose victim.
Researchers and law enforcement officials say fear of arrest and incarceration is the number one reason people don't call 911 and potentially save a life, according to Assemblyman Tom Ammiano's office (D -13th District). Several other states have passed similar legislation in recent years. In California, the proposed law is being met with very little opposition.
Only the California State Sheriffs' Association warns about a very big loophole for known drug-possession offenders. In its submission to the California Senate, sheriffs' representatives argued: "An example would be a known drug dealer who provides narcotics to an individual and the person overdoses. In virtually every instance, law enforcement will make an arrest in this situation. AB 472 would remove law enforcements [sic] discretion and ability to arrest a serious drug dealer in this situation, allowing them to go back on the street and continue to commit serious crimes."
According to Meghan Ralston of the Drug Policy Alliance, the policy is designed to be very specific, encouraging those with a small possession of narcotics to make a call.
"When someone is abandoned on a sidewalk that's obviously not ideal," she said. "What we want is to encourage people who might have a couple pills of ecstasy in their pocket to quickly get to a phone."
Curtis Hill, legislative representative for the California State Sheriff’s Association said his clients question the necessity of the policy because in their experience, law enforcement doesn't usually roll to calls about overdose. He added that most agencies already have policies on how to deal with overdose issues in crack houses or college binge parties. Hill said clients are mainly concerned that the policy is "on a slippery slope."
"Where the concern is," Hill continued, "is that in the event that 911 call comes in and a law enforcement agency nearby rolls in and the possessors in that environment make a contemporaneous statement that they're overdosing and want medical assistance — are they in a clear from criminal liability?"
Could the law be tailored to allay this concern? What has been the experience of other states with this immunity protection? Would drug users even be aware of such a law? How often do police arrest 911 callers in possession of narcotics?
Guests:
Meghan Ralston, Harm Reduction coordinator for the Drug Policy Alliance; Ralston is based in Los Angeles
Curtis Hill, Legislative Representative, California State Sheriff’s Association; former three-term sheriff for San Benito County, California
Emmy nominations released this morning
Before sunrise today, the 2012 nominees for the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards were announced. “Mad Men,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Breaking Bad,” “Downton Abbey,” “Game of Thrones,” and “Homeland” all landed the Best Drama Series list. “Mad Men” still seems set to win, with 17 nominations, the most of any show in the lineup. But “Downton Abbey” is a definite contender. If “Mad Men” wins for the fifth year in a row, it will make television history.
The real surprises this year were the nominations of new shows, a rare occurrence. “Homeland,” “Girls,” and “Veep” are all newbies that not only got nominated, but each show’s leading female stars were nominated as well.
In comedy, there were some disappointments for fans and critics alike. Many will wonder if “Girls” or “Veep” edged out critical darling “Community” or “Parks and Recreation” from the running. Two-time winner “Modern Family” still dominates the comedy field. However, “New Girl” is another new show whose lead actress Zooey Deschanel was nominated. Will she be able to hold her own against previous Emmy favorites Tina Fey, Edie Falco, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Melissa McCarthy?
This year is also the first in which commercial broadcast networks have no contenders in the Best Drama field.
The final awards show will air September 23.
Is there a trend away from commercial broadcast networks in the Emmy’s, or is good television simply not being made there anymore? Did the Television Academy, which bestows the awards, get it right or wrong this year? We’ll dish with a couple leading critics to get their reactions and yours…
Guests:
Tom O'Neil, Host, GoldDerby.com; O'Neil has written about the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, Golden Globes and other showbiz awards for the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, London Times, Washington Post, Reader's Digest, TV Guide and scores of other top media outlets.
Mary McNamara, Television Critic, Los Angeles Times