Today on AirTalk, a new ACLU report shows racial bias in marijuana arrests. Also, should politicians not be allowed to fund raise when Legislature is in session? Then, bystanders have been recently killed in police pursuits. Is there a way to make these chases safer? Later, should companies be allowed to "hack back," and is Los Angeles a "walkable" city? All that and more, today on AirTalk.
Black Americans four times as likely to be arrested for marijuana crimes, study says
The American Civil Liberties Union studied the racial backgrounds of those arrested for marijuana possession. Their report shows that African Americans are almost four times more likely to be arrested for possession than white people.
Guest:
Ezekiel Edwards, director of the ACLU Criminal Law Reform Project and primary author of the marijuana report
Should there be a ban on fundraising for lawmakers when legislature in session?
A heavyweight in California political circles is pitching a major reform idea. Dan Schnur, former chairman of the California Fair Political Practices Commission, wants to see a ban on fundraising for lawmakers while the California legislature is in session.
Schnur says undue political influence is more likely under current rules because "enterprising legislators can schedule a fundraising reception within a five-minute walk from the floor of the state Assembly or Senate, rush out to scoop up a stack of campaign contributions, and be back at their desk before the ink on the checks has dried," he wrote for The Sacramento Bee.
Critics of the proposal say the unintended consequences would wreak havoc. Deep-pocketed folks with political ambition would rise to the top. Incumbents would not stand a chance. Moreover, more money would go to special interest groups, and more ads, than campaigns themselves.
Have there been examples of fundraising leading to corruption in the California legislature? When would elected representatives have to time to raise money considering the fairly constant schedule in Sacramento? Where does this fit in the bigger picture of handling the relationship between money and politics?
Guests:
Dan Schnur, Director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at USC and adjunct faculty at USC Annenberg School; Schnur has started a petition to ban fundraising while the California legislature is in session; Former chairman of the California fair Political Practices Commission
Steve Maviglio, Democratic Strategist and Former Legislative Staffer
Police pursuits turn deadly for innocent pedestrians in the Southland
In East L.A.on Saturday, a 23-year-old man was killed when his sedan was rammed by a car fleeing police at high speed. Julio Cesar Reyes-Salvador was stopped at an intersection as the hot pursuit approached. Three other cars were nearly demolished, as well, injuring four more people. The Los Angeles Police Department say the suspect was being chased for suspicion of driving recklessly. That suspect has been charged with vehicular manslaughter for the death Reyes-Salvador. The pursuit lasted only a few minutes, according to NBC 4. It's the second time in a week that an innocent bystander has been killed during a police pursuit.
In Santa Ana last Thursday, 33-year old Andrew Scott Reisse was walking on Flower Street when a white Dodge Charger ran over him, killing the young man. Police were pursuing the Charger for twenty minutes before the collision. Those suspects are now in custody.
Why did these police pursuits result in the death of bystanders? What are the rules governing when a police cruiser should stand down or when a police helicopter should be called in? Is there any way to make pursuits safer on public streets?
Guests:
Andrew Neiman, Lieutenant, Los Angeles Police Department
Geoffrey Alpert, Professor of Criminology, University of South Carolina
Should companies be allowed to 'hack back'?
American businesses are at a loss as to what they could do to end cyber-espionage and intellectual property theft. One Internet security firm estimates that an organization is hit by malware every few minutes, and there’s very little companies can do to protect themselves or seek recourse.
So how about putting into practice the old adage, an eye for an eye? It’s a divisive idea that is nonetheless gaining traction in some computer security circles. The Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property, a private task force that counted former U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman and former Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair as its members, released a report recently that called for retaliatory counter-hacks against cyber attackers to be become legal.
"These attacks would raise the cost to IP thieves of their actions, potentially deterring them from undertaking these activities in the first place," the report said. "Only when the danger of hacking into a company’s network and exfiltrating trade secrets exceeds the rewards will such theft be reduced from a threat to a nuisance."
So-called “hack back” is illegal under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, which was passed in 1984. But some legal scholars argue that the law contains enough gray area to make the practice legal. Legal or not, opponents think giving companies the power to retaliate is just a bad idea. The American Bar Association is expected to weigh in on the debate with the impending release of a report on "hack back."
Guests:
Stewart A. Baker, a partner at the law firm, Steptoe & Johnson; he is the former first Assistant Secretary for Policy at the Department of Homeland Security where he set cybersecurity policy
Stan Stahl, President of Citadel Information Group, which provides information security management to companies; President of the Los Angeles Chapter of Information Systems Security Association
LA: Walkable city?
When Missing Persons lead singer Dale Bozzio jabbed, “Nobody walks in L.A.,” she wasn’t being sarcastic. In most American cities, you have to have grit and determination to make it, but in Los Angeles, you need a car. America’s most sprawling city seems unwalkable to most, but as Angelinos look for ways to escape their cars, a new walk-friendly mindset is blossoming.
Why has L.A. been seen as tough on pedestrians? What would make it more walkable? What are great examples of walkable cities, and how could Los Angeles emulate them better? Which neighborhoods are best for walking?
Guests:
Jeff Speck, author of “Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time”
Margot Ocañas, Pedestrian Coordinator for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation