Today, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled city council meetings across the country are legally allowed to include explicitly sectarian prayer. What kind of environment does this create for the people of faith leading the prayer? Can Carson prevent bullying by making it a misdemeanor? Later, what are the best ways to save money on travel this summer?
Supreme Court okays religious prayer at town hall meetings
Today, in a ruling that split the justices 5-4, the Supreme Court ruled city council meetings across the country are legally allowed to include explicitly sectarian prayer.
Will citizens who don’t share the faith of those leading the prayer feel unwelcome or, more importantly, uncomfortable sharing their points-of-view with local government? What kind of environment does this create for the people of faith leading the prayer? Might proselytizing take place?
Guest:
Greg Stohr, Supreme Court reporter for Bloomberg News
Can Carson prevent bullying by making it a misdemeanor?
The Carson City Council will consider a bill tomorrow night that would make bullying and cyberbullying a misdemeanor.
Authored by Carson Mayor Jim Dear and Councilmember Mike Gipson, the bill seeks to criminalize perpetrators who cause anyone between kindergarten through the age of 25 to "feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed or molested."
The authors told the Los Angeles Times that the measure was conceived after reports of teen suicides caused by bullying came to light. They want to make Carson a "bully-free" city.
Carson isn't the only place in the country debating whether to criminalize bullying. A Florida bill that would make bullying punishable offense was approved by a state Senate committee last month, and is scheduled for a vote soon.
Rebecca's Law, named for 12-year-old Rebecca Sedwick, who killed herself last year after being bullied by fellow students, would make in-person and online bullying a misdemeanor that would carry a year-long prison sentence on the second offense.
Is criminalizing bullying the best solution?
Guest:
Jim Dear, Mayor of Carson who co-authored the bill. The Carson City Council is considering the bill tomorrow.
Susan Porter, Ph.D, author of “Bully Nation: Why America’s Approach to Childhood Aggression is Bad for Everyone” (Paragon House, 2013); Dean of Students at The Branson School in Ross, California; she has worked in schools for 25 years
Will Benghazi investigation change the story as we know it?
House Speaker John Boehner has tapped South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy to head a special committee investigating the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya. The investigation was given new life after details emerged of an email between a White House advisor and Ambassador Susan Rice.
Four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, were killed in the Sept. 11, 2012 attack. Republicans have accused the Obama administration of covering up the details and stonewalling Congress on the facts for political purposes.
Democrats have pointed to the multiple investigations, including a bipartisan Senate Intelligence committee probe, and insist that the GOP plans for a select committee is merely designed to energize the GOP base ahead of midterm elections.
Does the recently released email convince you that the Administration knew the Benghazi attack wasn’t related to the video, and that they intended to lie about the attack? Do you think Republicans will be able to use this effectively leading into the elections, or is the public disinterested and/or think GOP claims are hooey? Should Secretary John Kerry testify before the committee, or avoid it as GOP political grandstanding?
Has media coverage of the Administration’s handling of Benghazi been appropriate?
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Jonathan Wilcox, Republican Strategist; former speechwriter for Governor Pete Wilson
Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist; founder of Rodriguez Strategies; former senior Obama advisor in 2008
What are the best ways to save money on travel this summer?
If you’re following the golden rules of online travel booking, you’re already buying flights on Tuesdays and making sure your plane takes off Wednesday. But the old tricks aren’t as money-saving as they used to be (and sometimes, none at all).
So what are the best ways to really save on summer travel?
Travel site Hopper uses broad research to find the best travel days and purchase days based on origin and destination cities.
We’ll also discuss which cities to travel from and which to avoid, look into tips about packing effectively and cheaply to avoid bag fees, and talk about ways to save once you’re in vacation mode.
What are your best travel tricks? How do you save money in transit and at your destination? Are some travel luxuries worth the splurge?
Guest:
Catharine Hamm, travel editor for the Los Angeles Times
How should the sharing economy be regulated - and remain profitable?
The sharing economy is increasingly seeping into everyday life across genres and interests as Silicon Valley companies cut out the middlemen and cash in on their ability to connect people and resources.
One of the most successful sharing businesses is Airbnb, a site that rents out lodging globally by having homeowners list spare rooms and apartments for travellers. The company was recently valued at $10 billion and has begun expansions that aim to put it on par with hotels.
Users like AirBnb because they save on renting rooms -- Airbnb listings are cheaper than hotels. And the users who list their properties cash in too, in big cities, hosts can earn thousands each year.
The hotel industry, on the other hand, thinks Airbnb is poorly regulated and it siphons off profits from businesses that are playing by the rules. Airbnb’s critics want to prevent landlords from evicting tenants to list properties and to restrict the ways short-term rentals can be utilized so that entire buildings can’t be devoted to Airbnb.
Airbnb has begun paying hotel taxes in some cities, like San Francisco and Portland, and is continuing to adapt its business to comply with restrictions in individual cities.
How should Airbnb be regulated? What does it mean to “play by the rules” in a sharing economy? Is there a way to regulate businesses in the Airbnb model across the board, or are their focuses too niche to create broad rules?
Guest:
Michael Chasalow, professor at University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law, director of USC’s Small Business Clinic
The new age of pets: the rise of cats and dogs from feral to family to…citizen?
Once considered property, now pets can own their own. In fact, cats and dogs now have more rights and protections than any other animal in the country.
In his new book, pet lover and award-winning journalist David Grimm explores the evolution of the status of our four-legged friends, from their wild origins to their current elevated status. Grimm examines how changes in social attitudes toward pets and several remarkable court cases have some worried that cats and dogs could be on the verge of becoming legal persons.
But what does it mean to be a person and could our furry friends one day fit the bill? What are the social implications of holding our pets in such high esteem? Practically speaking, could our affection for cats and dogs put scientists and farmers who utilize other types of animals in a precarious position? Who decides who gets to be a “person” in this world - scientists, philosophers, the courts?
Guest:
David Grimm, an award-winning journalist and the Online News Editor of Science. He is the author of “Citizen Canine: Our Evolving Relationship with Cats and Dogs.”