We'll discuss what people think about the terms Obamacare versus Affordable Care Act. Do you find the term Obamacare more political sounding? Then, what's next for LAUSD and the iPads. Should the district end the program? Next, there are reports that Al Jazeera reprimanded an employee for cursing in the newsroom. It is ever appropriate to swear at work? Lastly, we'll look at the benefits and drawbacks of a three-year medical school.
BREAKING: Shots fired at US Capitol
The U.S. Capitol was put on lockdown for about half an hour this morning after gunshots were fired near the building. According to law enforcement officials, the shooting was related to the driver of a vehicle who tried to ram into a security barricade.
A woman driving a black Lexus led officers on a chase that ended in gunfire after trying to hit the barricade.
Capitol police sent staff members an e-mail advising them to shelter in place around 11:30. The lockdown was lifted around noon.
One police officer is reported to be injured and was taken from the scene by helicopter.
Guests:
Kitty Felde, KPCC Washington Correspondent
Adam Schiff, U.S. Representative for California's 28th congressional district
Judy Chu, U.S. Representative for California's 27th congressional district
Do you prefer 'Obamacare' or the 'Affordable Care Act'? (Poll)
Obamacare, Affordable Care Act, healthcare reform - would a rose by any other name be as controversial?
The Associated Press and NPR said this week that they're going to cut down on using the term 'Obamacare', with NPR standards editor Stuart Seidel saying that the term can no longer be defended as neutral.
When the fight over the healthcare law first started, 'Obamacare' was a derogatory term used by opponents of the law. But that was until the president himself said he actually liked it. Then it started cropping up in news reports in nearly every media outlet in print, TV and radio. But NPR and the AP are now backing off, saying it has become a hot button term again.
The AP is going even further by saying the name of the health-care law itself, the Affordable Care Act, is also prejudicial in that "its very name is promotional; opponents believe it will not be affordable for individuals or the country. The AP will instead use terms like 'healthcare overhaul' or 'the new healthcare law' instead of Obamacare or ACA.
KPCC's online polls are not scientific surveys of local or national opinion. Rather, they are designed as a way for our audience members to engage with each other and share their views. Let us know what you think on our Facebook page, facebook.com/kpcc, or in the comments below.
Which term do you find more political? Which one do you prefer to hear in news reports? Is there any way of talking about the healthcare law without it sounding political?
Guest:
Andrew Beaujon, reports on the media for Poynter Online
What can LAUSD learn from students' smart enough to 'jailbreak' iPads?
It was supposed to put an iPad in the hands of every student in the Los Angeles Unified School District, but the $1 billion program has seen nothing but problems since it debuted about 2 weeks ago. Now the district has asked students at three high schools -- Angelou, Roosevelt and Westchester – to hand back their tablets for an indefinite period of time.
Those schools are among 13 that have received iPads in the first phrase of the program. LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy said on AirTalk earlier this week that some issues to such an ambitious rollout are to be expected.
“It's inherent in the process as we are learning," Superintendent Deasy told Larry. "we are watching many districts now in California and around the nation doing exactly what we are doing.”
Should the LAUSD scrap the iPad program? Did the district rush its implementation of the program? How could the iPad program adjust to the reality that students use the technology in contexts outside of K-12 curricula?
Guests:
Bernadette Lucas, Director, Common Core Technology, LAUSD; Previously, as principal of Melrose Elementary School (Mathematics, Science and Technology magnet), Lucas oversaw a pilot program introducing iPads to students
Brandon Martinez, assistant professor of clinical education Rossier School of Education at USC
When is it appropriate to swear at work?
Page Six is reporting that Al Jazeera reprimanded an employee for dropping an “F-bomb” on the floor of the newsroom. Swearing is not part of the Al Jazeera culture, the employee was reportedly told by management.
Most company managers would likely agree, but aren’t there moments where swearing aloud in the office is acceptable? Are you more lenient toward verbal cursing than email cursing at work? Is cursing more tolerable when it’s not directed at a particular person but at a situation?
Guest:
Cynthia Lett, Director of the Lett Group, a business and workplace etiquette consultant firm in Maryland
The pros and cons of the three-year medical school
A movement is afoot in the U.S. in the last few years to reduce the number of years it takes to earn a medical degree. Medical schools in Canada have long adopted the trend of the 3-year M.D. degree, and more and more of their stateside counterparts are making the switch. New York University’s Langone Medical Center and Texas Tech University are two converts.
A medical degree traditionally takes 4 years to complete. Proponents say a 3-year degree would reduce student debt and could be a solution to the shortage of primary care doctors in the U.S. Opponents, however, say doctors should concentrate on completing the necessarily training and 3 years is just not enough time.
Guests:
Dr. Robert Pallay, MD, chair of the Dept. of Family Medicine at Mercer University School of Medicine’s campus in Savannah, GA.
Dr. Gail Morrison, MD, Senior Vice Dean for Education at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine