Game off? NBA, players at a standoff over six-point spread. Could changes to voting laws impact the 2012 elections? Are you on the Herman Cain train? Cycles in the city: style, safety and survival on two wheels.
Game off? NBA, players at a standoff over six-point spread
Three months ingot the NBA lockout and after nearly a week of “exhausting” negotiations, the league and its players are still far from reaching an agreement. NBA officials are offering 47 percent of the NBA’s $4 billion annual revenue; players want 53 percent.
Under the previous contract, which expired in July, players were getting 57 percent. Union president and Lakers point guard Derek Fisher says players are willing to take a slight cut – but the NBA wants them to cut more. Officials say they’re losing $300 million a year on top of the decrease in individual team earnings.
On this morning's show, ESPN Sports Center reporter Shelley Smith charged that “players believe owners are lying about losing money,” adding that owners have refused to verify their claims of losses with solid financial reports.
Smith said trust between players and owners has collapsed. “It’s all about who you’re going to believe. Players aren’t budging and the owners aren’t budging,” she said.
NBA Commissioner David Stern has already canceled the entire preseason and this week warned that the first couple weeks of the season could be benched as well if an agreement isn’t reached by Monday.
he financial fallout won’t only affect the players – who stand to lose $350 million for each month they’re locked out – but would mean the loss of lucrative TV contracts with Disney and Time Warner. The nearly $1 billion per year the league receives for broadcast rights would either have to be refunded, or those contracts would have to be extended.
Not only will media giants lose millions in advertising revenues, but small business owners and stadium employees will be heavily impacted. “Ushers, concessions," she said. "People depend on these games to pay their rent,” will lose out.
So far, neither side seems ready to back down.
“What really hurts is that the public is going to stop caring,” said Smith. Major League Baseball, she pointed out, is still suffering the aftermath of their own lockouts a few years ago.
WEIGH IN:
Do you think the players should stick to their guns? Which team are you backing in this playoff? How do you feel about being sidelined while they work out their differences?
Guest:
Shelley Smith, Reporter for ESPN Sports Center
Could changes to voting laws impact the 2012 elections?
A number of states have made recent changes to their voting laws, tweaks which could serve to complicate the voting process for many Americans. Seven states have enacted a photo ID requirement to vote, five have passed restrictions on early and absentee voting and three now require proof of citizenship.
Other laws passed include abolishment of Election Day registration and hurdles to the restoration of voting rights for those with past felony convictions. Similar legislation has been introduced in over two dozen more states. Altogether, the states with effective changes comprise around 61 percent of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.
According to a new study by New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice, these new laws could potentially adversely affect around 5 million voters in total. For example, many seniors, students and immigrants don’t have a driver’s license, which is the only acceptable form of photo ID in some areas. And, they say, rapidly changing laws could result in voter confusion, both in the registration process and at the polls. Some critics worry that minority and poor voters will be unfairly impacted and voter turnout will be reduced – at a time when less than two thirds of eligible citizens are voting in presidential elections and less than half in midterm contests.
Proponents of the changes cite the need to combat voter fraud, which they say has historically corrupted poll results in more than one election. They say citizens now must show photo ID to board an airplane, cash a check, drink a beer – so why should voting be different?
WEIGH IN:
Would you support legislation that tightens voter registration requirements? Do you think it’s realistic to fear that the new voting laws could skew next year’s election? What if you showed up at the polls without your driver's license and were told you couldn’t vote?
Guests:
Lawrence Norden, deputy director of the Democracy Project at New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice, and co-author of the study "Voting Law Changes in 2012"
Hans von Spakovsky, senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation
Are you on the Herman Cain train?
In our continuing series of profiles on the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination, we take a closer look at Herman Cain. He used to be the candidate with the worst name recognition, but now he’s flying high after a big win in the Florida straw poll and a corresponding surge in poll numbers.
Cain would be an interesting choice for the candidacy – he’s never held public office before, a fact he frequently cites in campaign speeches. He’s spent the last few decades in the business world, holding high-level positions at Pillsbury, Burger King and working as CEO of the Godfather Pizza chain.
His roots, however, are far more modest. He grew up poor in Atlanta, Georgia; his father worked three jobs to put food on the table and eventually buy the family home. Cain credits his upbringing for giving him faith in the "American Dream." He eventually led the National Restaurant Association and hosted his own talk show. He was an early supporter of the Tea Party movement and is now counted as one of its rising stars. But the question remains…is Herman Cain ready for prime time?
WEIGH IN:
Who is the man behind the catch phrases? Will his stated policies hold up under scrutiny? And does he have what it takes to unseat Barack Obama?
Guest:
Jim Galloway, political reporter for The Atlanta Journal Constitution; writes the “Political Insider Blog” for AJC.com
Biking in LA: Style, safety and survival on two wheels
Whether it’s about skyrocketing gas prices or expanding waistlines, many Angelenos have found good reason to consider making their daily commute by bicycle. But if you’re new to the two-wheeled movement, you may have questions.
How do you choose the right bike? How to “share the road” with road ragers? What if you get a flat on the way to an important meeting? And the question always in the minds of Southern Californians: What to wear?
James Rubin and Scott Rowan have logged thousands of city miles between them, and they’ve compiled their bike expertise into a road-ready guide for urban spaces, making it an essential bible for navigating city streets all over the world.
Rubin told AirTalk’s Larry Mantle that “The Urban Cyclist’s Survival Guide” was inspired by the pockets of biking activity that they noticed popping up “not just in LA but all around the country.”
Their tips run the gamut, but everything ties back to the issue of safety. Rubin of course advised bikers to wear helmets, though it’s not required by federal law. And while some areas allow cyclists to ride on the sidewalk, Rubin said his co-author Rowan is adamant about not going on them.
Rubin said that he’s “a little less militant, but [he’s] not advocating people should ride on sidewalks.” Sometimes it’s unavoidable, so if you have to hop onto a pedestrian walkway “the best option of course is just to get off” and walk the bike, he said.
Rubin said biking defensively is most important. Though accidents involving pedestrians may not always be the fault of the biker, the biker will most often have to pay the price, as a bicycle is legally considered a vehicle of the road.
“One of the things really hammered home in the researching of the book is that cyclists really have to behave as drivers,” he said.
This Sunday marks the third occurrence of CicLAvia, which began in response to heavy congestion and car pollution. The event clears a 10-mile stretch of road for people to enjoy a space usually filled cars. Though roads will be closed, safety might still be an issue; event coordinators hope to recruit not just cyclists, but more pedestrians and other non-motor-dependents as well, some who might not be as experienced pedaling on city streets.
WEIGH IN:
Are you considering taking your Schwinn for a spin? Are you a seasoned bike commuter with road stories to share? What would it take to get you out of your car and into the spin cycle?
Guest:
James Rubin, co-author with Scott Rowan of "The Urban Cyclist’s Survival Guide," and an L.A.-based journalist who has written for regional and national publications including the Economist Intelligence Unit.