A 15-minute thunderstorm that hit Venice Beach Sunday left a 20-year-old man dead and four others injured by direct lightning strikes. Then, it's known as corporate "inversion.” That’s when a stateside company merges with a foreign entity and moves its headquarters to said country to avoid paying US taxes. Finally, new research shows that sunglasses may make people look more attractive. In a book explaining the history and psychology of sunglasses, Vanessa Brown explores how our shades relate to the idea of “cool.”
NASA scientist explains rare and deadly lightning storm in Venice Beach
A 15-minute thunderstorm that hit Venice Beach Sunday left a 20-year-old man dead and four others injured by direct lightning strikes. Although experts say that lightning strikes on the coast are rare, Los Angeles could be subjected to more lightning and thunder until Wednesday.
Sunday’s lightning strikes have proven that oceanic lightning is just as deadly as its land counterparts. Ocean Today explains that when lightning hits the water, it spreads and acts like a conductor, electrocuting fish that are near the surface. The odds of getting struck by lightning in California are 1 in 7.5 million. However, the National Weather Service is still advising people that “When thunder roars, go indoors.”
Do you feel more aware of coastal lightning strikes after Sunday’s news? What are your opinions on preparations for future lightning storms in Southern California?
Guest:
Bill Patzert, Ph.D., Climatologist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
Southern California Congress members call on FCC to intervene in Dodgers debacle
Nine Southern California democrats, including LA's Tony Cardenas and Carson's Janice Hahn, are calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to wade into the media battle between Time Warner Cable and other pay-TV providers over distribution of SportsNet LA, the new channel that is home to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
They say the season-long dispute may set a precedent for future battles that hold the consumer hostage to assert unfair market dominance. But does Congress really have any teeth when it comes to roping the FCC into the debate? And what recourse do consumers have?
Guest:
Kitty Felde, KPCC Washington correspondent
'Drought snitching' could help water shortage
Everyone has witnessed overly generous sprinkler systems, forgotten garden hoses and zealous sidewalk washing.
Now that California water regulators have imposed fines up to $500 a day for water waste, how will they catch all the offenders? And there seems to be a plethora of offenders who do not know how bad the drought is.
The state has failed to reach the 20 percent reduction in water use sought by Governor Jerry Brown. In fact, it increased by 1 percent this spring compared to past year. The L.A. Department of Water and Power has scant resources to patrol and police the miles of green gardens, but they ask the public to email reports of water waste at waterwaste@ladwp.com.
What do you do when you see a neighbor or area business abusing water? Do you talk with them directly, or would you report them to your city’s officials?
Guest:
Penny Falcon, Manager, Water Conservation Policy, Legislation, and Grants; Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Checking in on the Great Recession’s 'boomerang' kids
They are called “boomerang” kids – a generation of young adults moving home to live with their parents. The recent recession, heavy college debt, a dire job market all have contributed to this phenomenon. According to a recent New York Times article, one in five young adults in their 20s and early 30s lives with their parents, and 60 percent of all young people get financial help from their folks.
The economy is improving slowing, but whether that’s having an immediate impact on the boomerang generation is harder to gauge. Call us if you had moved back to live with your parents and are contemplating moving out. Or if you are a parent of a boomerang kid, call and let us know about how your experience has been.
Guest:
Jeffrey Arnett, Research Professor, Department of Psychology, Clark University, where his main research focus is on"emerging adulthood," the age period from the late teens to the mid-twenties. He is also co-author of "Getting to 30: A Parent's Guide to the Twentysomething Years" with Elizabeth Fishel
Should the 405 have toll lanes?
CalTrans is moving forward with a plan to put toll lanes on a heavily utilized section of the freeway in Orange County. The Orange County Transportation Authority opted not to support the lanes, instead arguing for one additional free lane in either direction. Nearby cities were also opposed, saying that the “Lexus lanes” will negatively impact commuters.
State transportation officials overrode the OCTA decision, saying that with 400,000 people using the 405 corridor, the decision to put in high-occupancy toll lanes would offer a consistent option for faster travel while generating money. The project will cost an estimated $1.7 billion, with the bulk of funding coming from the county’s half-cent sales tax.
Is it fair to put toll roads on the 405? How should these roads be funded, if at all?
Guests:
Ryan Chamberlain, Director of District 12 for CalTrans, which includes Orange County
Gary Miller, Board Director of the Orange County Transportation Authority, Former Mayor of Seal Beach
To hear to this segment, click on "Listen Now" in the upper left.
It’s legal, but should corporations stop dodging taxes out of 'economic patriotism'?
It's known as corporate "inversion.” That’s when a stateside company merges with a foreign entity and moves its headquarters to said country to avoid paying US taxes. It sounds bad, but a loophole in the law makes the practice legal. And now, President Obama wants companies to end the practice out of "economic patriotism."
"They're technically renouncing their U.S. citizenship. They're declaring they are based someplace else even though most of their operations are here," Obama said during a speech delivered last Thursday at Los Angeles Trade Technical College. "You know, some people are calling these companies corporate deserters."
In May, Pfizer tried to buy British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. The purchase would have saved the US drugmaker billions of dollars in taxes. Pfizer ultimately abandoned the bid, but not before inadvertently casting a spotlight on the antiquated loophole. Walgreen is currently mulling over a move to Switzerland for the same reason. According to the Congressional Research Service, 47 US-based companies in the past decade have engaged in tax inversion.
Entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks Mark Cuban has weighed in on the debate with these tweets over the weekend. What's the best way to close the loophole?
If I own stock in your company and you move offshore for tax reasons I'm selling your stock. There are enough investment choices here
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban)
When companies move off shore to save on taxes, you and I make up the tax shortfall elsewhere sell those stocks and they won't move
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban)
Guests:
Harry Stein, Associate Director of fiscal policy at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning educational, public policy research, and advocacy organization, who’s been following the debate on corporate inversion.
Mark Hendrickson, economist and fellow for economic and social policy with The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College, a Christian liberal arts college in Pennsylvania. He’s also a contributor to Forbes magazine. His most recent piece is about corporate inversion.
Why do sunglasses really make us look cooler?
New research shows that sunglasses may make people look more attractive. In a book explaining the history and psychology of sunglasses, Vanessa Brown explores how our shades relate to the idea of “cool.” Part of improving your look with a pair of sunglasses has to do with facial symmetry — the dark lenses hide imperfections around your eyes. Another element contributing to the “hottness” factor is scaffolding. Sunglasses create an illusion of a chiseled bone structure, adding layers to softer features.
Do sunglasses make people more attractive? Does it change people’s behavior?
Guest:
Vanessa Brown, senior lecturer in the College of Art & Design at Nottingham Trent University, author of Cool Shades: The History and Meaning of Sunglasses, December 2014, Bloomsbury Academic
To hear this interview, click on "Listen Now" in the upper left.