Alex Jackson is being arraigned today because his pit bulls attacked and killed a 63-year old female jogger. If convicted, Jackson will receive life in prison. Also, strip clubs are receiving Enterprise Zone tax credits. Should the type of company be relevant when obtaining tax credits? Then, the Los Angeles Kings are in the finals, Santa Monica beach is looking at the life of Nick Gabaldon and black surf culture, and our critics join us to review this week's top movies. Later, Peter Rainer chronicles film history, and Michael Feinstein is the new conductor for Pasadena Pops.
Pit bull owner scheduled to be arraigned on murder charge
The owner of four pit bulls that mauled to death a 63-year-old woman jogger in the Antelope Valley has been charged with murder. The 29-year-old Alex Jackson is scheduled to be arraigned today. If convicted, Jackson faces up to life in prison.
Jackson is also charged with growing and possessing marijuana for sale. Authorities had received three other complaints of Jackson’s pit bulls attacking other people since January. Murder charges are rare in fatal dog attacks. This case brings to mind another fatal dog mauling in California more than a decade earlier, when Marjorie Knoller was convicted of second-degree murder after her dogs killed her neighbor in the hallway of their San Francisco apartment building. Knoller’s husband was convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
Guest:
Stanley Goldman, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for the Study of Law and Genocide at Loyola Law School
Strip club receiving Enterprise Zone credits stokes criticism of tax-incentive program
An investigation by Sacramento news station, KCRA, revealed an area strip club has been receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax credits, thanks to the contentious Enterprise Zone program.
The embattled state program was created 30 years ago to help create jobs in economically depressed regions. Gold Club Centerfolds gets $37,000 tax break for each server and clerk it employs.
The club's CEO, Mark Boyles conceded, "I’m loving this deal, but I don’t see where it necessarily makes sense for the taxpayers." The controversy comes at a time when Governor Jerry Brown is trying to revamp the program entirely, describing EZ credits as old tools for the old economy. Even though big businesses such as Costco and Federal Express are beneficiaries, supporters of EZ credits, say it's irrelevant which companies get the credits, what matters is creating jobs for folks who would otherwise be unemployed.
Guests:
Steve Smith, Spokesperson, California Labor Federation
Armando Jamjian, Certified Public Accountant and Managing Partner of Rivera, Jamjian & Dillard based in Pasadena
Los Angeles Kings take on Chicago to reach hockey’s Stanley Cup finals
Tomorrow the Kings open their bid for a spot in the Stanley Cup final when they take on the Chicago Blackhawks on the road. Kings players will be energized by the idea of winning a second consecutive NHL title, but to write off the best-of-seven series with Chicago as a formality would be a huge mistake.
The Blackhawks are anything but pushovers. They are fast, defensively sound, the best transition team in the NHL, and their 25-year-old captain, Jonathan Toews is a force to be reckoned with. But Toews and company will have to figure out a way around Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, who has earned an air of invincibility, and sitting in front of Quick is a defense tough to unlock. The Kings are coming off a game seven victory against the San Jose Sharks which could give them the belief, or fatigue could be an excuse if the fast-skating Blackhawks come out of the blocks at the fast pace they’ve become known for. Can the Kings repeat their Stanley Cup win of 2012?
Guest:
Nicholas J. Cotsonika, NHL writer for Yahoo! Sports
Santa Monica’s 'Inkwell' celebrated as a seminal spot for black surfers
On Saturday, the nonprofit environmental group Heal the Bay is hosting an event at Bay Street in Santa Monica to honor the life of Nick Gabaldon (1927-1951), a pioneering African-American surfer who died at the age of 24 while shooting the Malibu pier, but who became a symbol of a multicultural beach community.
Bay Street, also known by locals as “the Inkwell,” has been a popular beach amongst Los Angeles’ African-American community since the Jim Crow era in the United States, when the idea of the beach harkened images of blond hair and blue eyes. The Inkwell is seen by many as a literal beach head in the battle for the rights of non-whites to recreate and enjoy the beauty of California’s beaches, and Gabaldon is a lesser-known but equally important character in the early modern history of surfing, when the activity bloomed in American culture.
Guest:
Alison Rose Jefferson, public historian and one of the coordinators of the event to commemorate the life of Nick Gabaldon
Filmweek: After Earth, Now You See Me, The Kings of Summer and more
Larry and KPCC critics Lael Loewenstein and Tim Cogshell review this week’s releases, including After Earth, Now You See Me, The Kings of Summer and more. TGI-FilmWeek!
After Earth
Now You See Me
The Kings of Summer
Guests:
Lael Loewenstein, film critic for KPCC and Variety
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and Alt Film Guide
Critic Peter Rainer chronicles 30 years of film reviews in his book 'Rainer on Film'
Peter Rainer has been a film critic for 30 years. In his book, “Rainer on Film: Thirty Years of Film Writing in a Turbulent and Transformative Era,” Rainer gives an extensive history of films, directors, actors and more.
This nearly 550-page book includes some of his reviews, his take on the best and worst films and how film and the players involved have grown ... for better or for worse. Rainer joins AirTalk to discuss why he thinks "Fight Club" and "Zero Dark Thirty" are overrated and which films are underseen.
Is he right? What’s on your overrated and underseen lists? Do you follow the work of any particular directors or actors? Let us know in the comments.
Guest:
Peter Rainer, author of “Rainer on Film: Thirty Years of Film Writing in a Turbulent and Transformative Era,” film critic for KPCC and the Christian Science Monitor
Peter will be doing a book signing at Book Soup on June 10 at 7 p.m. and at Vromans on June 19.
A new era for the Pasadena Pops
When the Pasadena Pops open their season on Saturday, the group will have a new face. That of their new conductor, Emmy-nominated multi-platinum singer and entertainer Michael Feinstein. He joins the Pops after the sudden death of his longtime friends and Pops leader Marvin Hamlisch. Feinstein hopes to bring his passion for forgotten scores and all things Gershwin to his conductorial debut.
Guest:
Michael Feinstein, the new conductor of the Pasadena Pops orchestra
Michael Feinstein's Songbook takes the stage tomorrow for Pasadena POPS. Click here for more information.