The US Supreme Court hears California's prison overcrowding case. The lame duck Congress' last chance to vote on extending unemployment benefits. Who will run? Republican presidential candidates for 2012. A new Pentagon study sheds new light on Don't Ask Don't Tell.
Schwarzenegger v. Plata - SCOTUS considers California’s prison overcrowding case
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments today that could be the end-game in a 15-year legal battle over whether California’s 33 prisons are providing humane medical care for some 165,000 inmates. Last year, three federal judges ordered the state to reduce its prison population by about 40,000 as the only way to improve medical care. Despite efforts to address the problem, suicide rates are still nearly twice the national average and an inmate dies every eight days from inadequate healthcare. Governor Schwarzenegger’s administration is urging the justices to reject the lower court ruling as overreaching, insensitive to public safety risks, and an invasion into a state’s management of its correctional facilities. The inmates’ lawyers contend that the order was entirely valid under the 1996 Prison Litigation Reform Act and should be upheld in order to remedy violations. What can and should the federal courts do about prison overcrowding? If the Justices uphold the decision, will other states face similar legal challenges?
Guests:
Todd Spitzer, former California State Assemblyman in Orange County (R-71) and Chairman of the Select Committee on Prison Construction and Operations in the California Assembly
Julie Small, KPCC reporter covering this story from Washington D.C.
Unemployment set to expire if Congress doesn't act
Today was the deadline for Congress to extend unemployment benefits to nearly two million Americans. Now those who are not already receiving 14 extra weeks of benefits will not receive them at all. Republicans blocked the extension earlier this month, saying the $12.5 billion can’t be permitted to add to the deficit. Some economists say annual economic growth could fall by one half to nearly one percentage point as a result, which could cause up to one million more people to lose their jobs. If you receive unemployment benefits, how will this affect your life? And is reducing the sizable deficit the most important issue right now?
Guests:
Ross Eisenbrey, Vice President of the Economic Policy Institute
James Sherk, Senior Policy Analyst in Labor Economics, The Heritage Foundation
Republican presidential candidates for 2012
If you think it’s too early to be talking about Christmas you might think it’s really too early to talk about the 2012 presidential elections. But the folks at the Ronald Reagan library are already planning the first Republican primary debate next spring. And with Barack Obama’s approval ratings in the low 40s, Republicans are all abuzz about presidential contenders. Sarah Palin? Mitt Romney? Mike Huckabee? Newt Gingrich? Who’s going to sway the agenda? The Tea Party? The social conservatives?
Guest:
Jessica Taylor, Assistant Editor for POLITICO
70% of service members say repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is no big deal
The results are in--allowing gay and lesbian people to serve openly in the military will have little or no effect on the military’s mission. The Pentagon released a long awaited report on repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the 17 year old law that prevents homosexuals from serving openly in the armed forces. Of the 400,000 service members surveyed, 70% said they believed a repeal of the law would have little effect on the cohesion of their unit. The Marines were the most resistant branch, with 40% to 60% predicting negative reactions if the law were repealed. With one of the last hurtles to repeal removed, President Obama is one step closer to making this priority a reality. But will Congress vote to repeal? And will it be business as usual for the military if this law is repealed?
Guest:
Ed O'Keefe, author of the "Federal Eye" blog at Washintonpost.com and Federal Government Reporter, Washington Post