The Senate is considering a "border surge" to increase security at the US-Mexico border. Will the $30 billion plan help to curb illegal immigration? Then, should the public be worried that Jerry Brown has been ordered to release almost 10,000 inmates from California prisons? Later, we'll discuss a San Diego teacher who was fired because her abusive husband showed up on campus. Then, our critics will tell us which upcoming movies are the must-sees during Filmweek! And we'll talk about the challenges of becoming a master wine taster when we discuss the film "Somm."
Will a military-style “surge” at the U.S.-Mexico border stop illegal immigration?
Two Republican senators drafted a proposal yesterday that might encourage others in their party to vote for the immigration bill. The Senate is considering a $30 billion plan to enhance border security by adding fencing, nearly tripling the number of drones, and adding 20,000 new border patrol agents.
The “border surge” is expected to get hesitant Republicans to vote for the immigration bill that would in part issue green cards for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. Some senators substantiated the need for the surge by citing a projection from the Congressional Budget Office that the immigration bill as it stands would increase the number of immigrants crossing the border illegally by seven million over the next 10 years. But opponents say the plan is unnecessary and too expensive.
Would this border surge work to stop illegal immigration from Mexico? Is the super-enhanced security necessary with deportations at record highs?
Guest:
Dan Berman, Deputy Congressional Editor for POLITICO
Judges demand Governor Brown reduce prisons by 9,600
A panel of three federal judges Thursday ordered California to start making plans to reduce the state’s prison population. The judges cited a ruling two years ago by the Supreme Court that the conditions in California prisons are tantamount to cruel and unusual punishment because of overcrowding. The judges had ruled in 2009 that the health care in prisons is so poor that it is considered unconstitutional.
The three judges said they expect for capacity to be down to 137 percent from the 150 percent at which the prisons are currently operating by the end of the year. That’s a reduction of nearly 10,000 inmates. California Governor Jerry Brown has been fighting previous court orders for the release of inmates and has challenged the cap on state prison populations. Brown said the state will “seek an immediate stay of this unprecedented order.”
The judges contend that the release of the prisoners will not pose any threat to the public, noting that one way for the population to be reduced is to create a “low-risk list” of inmates who may be eligible for early release.
How can the state effectively do this without risking public safety? What is the best way to go about releasing the inmates? Should there be a cap on the prison population?
Guests:
Don Specter, director of the Prison Law Office, the law firm that filed one of the suits the federal judges were responding to with their ruling
Linda Penner, chief probation officer for Fresno County
San Diego teacher fired for being a 'liability' after incident involving her ex-husband
Carie Charlesworth, a second grade teacher at Holy Trinity Catholic School, was let go from her job because she was deemed a "liability" after her ex-husband Martin Charlesworth violated restraining orders by driving next to the school’s campus. Ms. Charlesworth had warned the school that her ex-husband may come by, and a security guard spotted him. He was later arrested.
Charlesworth received a letter in April — three months after the incident — from the Diocese of San Diego telling her that "In the interest of safety of the students, faculty and parents at Holy Trinity School, we simply cannot allow you to return to work there or, unfortunately, at any other school in the Diocese."
Many parents at the school supported administrators' decision to let Charlesworth go, citing safety concerns. Her attorney, Kenneth Hoyt, plans to file a lawsuit on her behalf but he worries that ministerial exception — a law that exempts religious institutions from adhering to federal anti-discrimination laws — will leave Ms. Charlesworth without a case.
While it’s unclear how this specific case will turn out, it highlights the difficulties that domestic violence survivors face even after they leave their abusers.
A 2011 study by Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center shows that nearly 40 percent of survivors in California reported being fired or feared termination because of domestic violence. This often leads victims to keep quiet and the abuse to go unreported.
A new bill, SB 400, introduced by Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), aims to protect the employment rights of survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking. If California adopts the bill it will be one of five states with such legislation.
Did the school react in the best interest of its students by letting Mrs. Charlesworth go? What can be done to help domestic violence survivors maintain employment security? What protections are currently in place? If you're a parent, would you support the school's decision?
Guest:
Brad Dacus, President of Pacific Justice Institute, a non-profit organization that defends religious liberties and parental rights
Julia Parish, gender and employment rights attorney with the nonprofit Legal Aid Society, who is working on SB 400 legislation.
Letter sent to Charlesworth from the school:
Letter sent to Charlesworth from the Diocese of San Diego:
Filmweek: World War Z, Monsters University, Unfinished Song and more
Larry and KPCC critics Wade Major, Henry Sheehan, and Charles Solomon review this week’s releases, including World War Z, Monsters University, Unfinished Song and more. TGI-Filmweek!
World War Z
Monsters University
Unfinished Song
A Hijacking
Guests:
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and host/producer for IGN DigiGods
Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and henrysheehan.com
Charles Solomon, animation critic for KPCC; author and historian for amazon.com
Got wine? The intensity of becoming a wine master, in Somm
Do you know your wines? Do you know how to describe wine? Do you know the difference between the taste of a fresh violet compared to a dry or rotten one? Jason Wise’s new documentary, Somm, takes a look at what it takes to be a wine master.
There are four levels of sommeliers, also known as Somms, and only those who pass the highest exam are known as master sommeliers. There are 133 Master Sommeliers in North America (201 worldwide). Of that number, 114 are men and 19 are women.
The movie opens with a quote from a Master Sommelier candidate, Ian Cauble. “We're all so busy with our lives. How often do you stop and look at something? How often do you stop and smell something? You know what I mean? We go through life with such a day to day routine, and we don't really stop and experience and breathe and just appreciate what's there. And I think that's one thing that wine has enabled me to do — You stop, and you take it, and you look at it, and you smell it, and you live life through your senses; and for that quick 25 seconds it's like nothing else matters other than this liquid.”
Somm follows four Master Sommelier candidates as they study for their exam. The exam is only offered once a year and has a passing rate of approximately 10%.
What does it take to enter this elite class? Why are there so few women? What kind of person becomes a Master Sommelier?
Do you have questions about wine? Somm Director Jason Wise and Master Sommelier Brian McClintic join AirTalk.
Guests:
Jason Wise, director and writer of Somm
Brian McClintic, Master Sommelier featured in Somm; managing partner of Les Marchands Wine Bar and Merchant in Santa Barbara
Director Jason Wise and Master Sommelier Brian McClintic will be answering questions at movie showings at the Sundance Sunset Cinema this weekend. For the Somm facebook page with more information, click here.