Today on AirTalk, we discuss whether SAT testing is a necessity in college admissions as UC schools considering dropping the requirement. We also take a look at the tax debate taking place in the California legislature; talk about recreating desserts from the past with food historian Valerie Gordon; and more.
A Post-SAT Future? UC Regents Considers Scrapping SAT / ACT Requirement
For years, critics of standardized testing in the college admissions process have been arguing that the exams are problematic -- that they’re not an accurate predictor of a student’s success and that class, race and parents’ education are all unfair variables that influence how well a student does on SAT or ACT.
Now, the UC regents are taking up the issue. As reported by the LA Times, they will likely decide by next year how the system will address the tests’ problems. Will it make the tests optional? Will it throw them out altogether? Or will there be some sort of replacement?
Some people have expressed concerns that without the SAT there will be no standardized way in which to compare students, as grading rigor varies from high school to high school.
Larry Mantle sits down with two UC Regents, as well as an SAT critic to discuss the pros and cons of standardized testing, as well as the effects the UC’s decision would have nationally.
Do you think that the SAT and ACT should be dropped from the college admissions process? Call us at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Eloy Ortiz Oakley, member of the UC Board of Regents and chancellor of California Community Colleges
George Kieffer, immediate past chair and a current member of the UC Board of Regents
Bob Schaeffer, public education director at the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, a nonprofit based in Massachusetts that advocates to reform testing practices
Harvard Discrimination Case And Its Potential To Go To SCOTUS
A federal judge Tuesday cleared Harvard University of discriminating against Asian American applicants in a ruling that was seen as a major victory for supporters of affirmative action in college admissions across the U.S.
In a closely watched lawsuit that had raised fears about the future of affirmative action, a group called Students for Fair Admissions accused the Ivy League college of deliberately - and illegally - holding down the number of Asian Americans accepted in order to preserve a certain racial balance on campus. U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs, however, ruled that Harvard's admissions process is "not perfect" but passes constitutional muster. She said there is "no evidence of any racial animus whatsoever" and no evidence that any admission decision was "negatively affected by Asian American identity."
Her ruling, which came after a three-week trial a year ago, brings temporary relief to other universities that consider race as a way to ensure campus diversity. But it also sets the stage for a prolonged battle that some experts predict will go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Harvard President Lawrence S. Bacow welcomed the ruling, saying that the consideration of race and many other factors "helps us achieve our goal of creating a diverse student body that enriches the education of every student." Students for Fair Admissions said it will appeal.
Today on AirTalk, Larry Mantle and his expert legal guests will argue the judge's legal rationale in making her decision, how that factors into possible appeals, what that means as it's working its way through courts, and how justices might line up if it goes to the Supreme Court.
With files from Associated Press.
Guests:
Kimberly West-Faulcon, law professor at Loyola Law School, her focus includes antidiscrimination and constitutional law; she tweets
Wen Fa, attorney with Pacific Legal Foundation, a libertarian public interest law firm based in Sacramento; he tweets
Living Outside The Lines: What It’s Like Growing Up Being Told You’re ‘Not Normal’
How does the idea of “normal” affect neuro-diverse kids and adults? And what kind of toll might traditional learning environments have on neuro-diverse individuals?
Author and public speaker, Jonathan Mooney, explores those questions in his latest book, “Normal Sucks.” As a kid, Mooney was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia and didn’t learn to read until the age of twelve. He was often told he was lazy, stupid and was considered “deficient.” In his latest book, part-memoir, Mooney tells the story of growing up feeling different. His book challenges the ways in which we think about diversity, abilities and disabilities, and encourages society to rethink the concept of normal.
Larry Mantle sits down with Jonathan Mooney to talk about his new book and why he thinks it’s time to rethink the concept of normal.
Jonathan Mooney will be talking about his book, “Normal Sucks” at the Friendship Foundation in Redondo Beach tonight. The event starts at 7:00pm. For info, click here.
Guest:
Jonathan Mooney, author of the new book, “Normal Sucks: How to Live, Learn, and Thrive Outside the Lines” (Henry Holt, 2019); he tweets
Impeachment Watch: Pelosi / Schiff Presser, Pompeo’s Latest Acknowledgement, And More
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo acknowledged on Wednesday that he was on the July phone call between President Donald Trump and the Ukraine president that's at the center of the House impeachment inquiry.
But Pompeo continued to push back against what he said was Democrats' "bullying and intimidation."
The Trump administration has set a defiant tone, resisting Congress' access to impeachment witnesses, even as House Democrats warned such efforts themselves could amount to an impeachable offense.
Pompeo has tried to delay five current and former officials from providing documents and testimony in the inquiry that could lead to charges against Trump. But Democrats were able to set closed-door depositions for Thursday for former special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker and next week for ousted U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch.
Pompeo acknowledged at a news conference in Rome on Wednesday that "I was on the phone call" on July 25 between Trump and the Ukraine president, saying that as America's chief diplomat he was well-versed in U.S. policy toward Ukraine.
But he continued to sound a defiant note on the House impeachment probe, asserting that House investigators contacted "State Department employees directly" and told them not to contact State Department lawyers for advice. He said the State Department would "do our Constitutional duty to cooperate" with Congress but wouldn't tolerate "bullying and intimidation."
Guest:
Anita Kumar, White House correspondent for Politico; she tweets
Should California Levy A Tax On Business Services?
In the next few weeks, California state Senator Bob Hertzberg plans to announce a bill to create a two percent sales tax.
Specifically, business-to-business services, like those of lawyers, accountants and contractors would be targeted. Senator Hertzberg says he’d also like to get the tax proposal on the 2020 ballot. He argues that a services tax is more stable than a property or income tax.
But the California Chamber of Commerce and California Taxpayers Association aren’t happy about the proposal. They’ve even teamed up, along with other stakeholders, to create the California Tax and Budget Research Project, essentially a platform to lobby against the new tax proposals. They argue that a new sales tax will increase the cost of housing and infrastructure with small business bearing most of the burden. Do you think California should levy taxes on business services? Share your thoughts and concerns with Larry Mantle.
Guests:
Bob Hertzberg, California State Senator and majority leader; plans to propose a bill and ballot measure to create a tax on services
Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, a taxpayer rights group
John Kabateck, California director of the National Federation of Independent Business, an advocacy group for small business owners; co-chair of the California Tax & Budget Research Project, a coalition that opposes a sales tax on services in the state
The Valerie Dessert Project Returns To Resurrect A Dessert From Years Past. And The Winner Is…
Earlier this year, AirTalk interviewed local confectionary legend Valerie Gordon of Valerie Confections in Silver Lake about her latest endeavor: The Valerie Dessert Project.
A collaboration between Gordon and LAist, the goal was to identify and recreate a renowned dessert from years past that was no longer made by the folks who did it first. After months of collecting and considering submissions and scouring the confectionary history of Southern California for the best and most beloved desserts ever created in the Southland, Gordon and LAist food editor settled on one: Clifton’s strawberry layer cake!
Though Clifton’s Cafeteria (now known as Clifton’s Republic) is still open at its location on Broadway in Downtown L.A., the famous strawberry layer cake is no longer made at the restaurant. And while a quick search of the web will turn up any number of recipes claiming to produce Clifton’s famous cake, it will no doubt require deft confectionary hands like those of Valerie Gordon to most accurately recreate the beloved dessert. Today on AirTalk, Valerie and Elina join Larry Mantle to talk about why they chose the dessert they did, what some of the other finalists were, and how Valerie plans to go about recreating the cake.
Guests:
Elina Shatkin, food editor at LAist; she tweets
Valerie Gordon, food historian, chocolatier and owner of Valerie Confections, an artisan confectionery in Silver Lake; she tweets