The Dodgers are one step closer to a World Series appearance after their series win last night against the Braves. Did you see that homerun? Then, President Obama is scheduled to hold a news conference this morning amid the continuing government shutdown and the looming debt ceiling deadline. How long will it take for lawmakers to make a deal? Then, should there be a limit to the amount you can contribute to a political campaign? And later we'll talk about some local universities who admit to under reporting cases of sexual assault on campus.
Dodgers leap closer to World Series
Risk-taking decisions and the element of surprise put the Dodgers over the Braves at last night's series win. First, Dodgers management made the contentious call to start with fatigued ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw. The left-hander would throw the Braves off their game. Then Dodger Carl Crawford hit a leadoff homer to give the Dodgers momentum for the early innings. When the Braves caught up and over, it looks as though a game five might need to be the decider. Then the third star of the night, Juan Uribe pulled out a power hit home-run at the bottom of the eighth to send the Dodgers to the National League Championship Series.
The sell-out stadium erupted in a blast of sound. Who was the star of the night for you - on or off the field?
Guests:
Fred Claire, Former Dodgers General Manager
A Martinez, co-host of Take Two
President Obama puts pressure on House to end shutdown and avert default
President Obama held a news conference this morning, urging House members to pass a spending bill to end the shutdown and avert a default on the government's debts. Obama outlined the risks of a default while blaming extreme Republicans' "obsession" with dismantling the Affordable Care Act for the shutdown.
As the government shutdown enters its second week and as the country faces a possible debt default, President Obama called House Speaker John Boehner to reiterate that he won’t negotiate on either issue.
On Sunday, Boehner claimed that there are not enough votes in the House of Representative to pass a clean continuing resolution to fund the government--minus a provision to delay or defund Obamacare. But some observers say there are enough GOPs willing to support an unconditional government funding bill.
Senate Democrats could introduce a bill today that would temporarily raise the nation’s debt limit with no strings attached, which Boehner already said he’d reject.
Guests:
Kitty Felde, KPCC Washington Correspondent
David Mark, Editor-in-Chief, Politix; former Senior Editor, Politico
Should people be allowed to give as much money as they want to political campaigns? (Poll)
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today {TUESDAY} in the case of McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, which seeks to increase the amount of money people can give to political campaigns. In the 2014 election cycle, that cap is set at $123,200 for individual donors.
The court is granting Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) time during oral argument to present his take: that campaign contribution limits should be scrapped altogether because they violate free speech rights.
Three years ago, the Court ruled 5-4 in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which got rid of the limit on how much a corporation can give to election campaigns. Some observers are characterizing the McCutcheon case as Citizens United 2.0.
How should the Court rule?
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.
Guests:
Kathay Feng, Executive Director, California Common Cause
Ilya Shapiro, Senior Fellow in Constitutional Studies at the Cato Institute and Editor-in-Chief of the Cato Supreme Court Review
Local universities admit to underreporting sexual assaults on campus
USC and Occidental College have admitted to underreporting the number of rape cases on campus in recent years, reports the Los Angeles Times. USC officials said that they did not report 13 cases of sexual assaults to federal officials for 2010 and 2011, while at Occidental, 24 cases went unreported during the same period.
The schools claim that the mishandling of anonymously-reported cases led to the underreporting. Their admission could end up costing each university hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for violating the Clery Act, a federal law that requires schools to report crime numbers to the Department of Education.
Occidental is currently under investigation for violating the Clery Act. Students have filed similar charges against USC, but federal investigators have yet to launch an investigation.
The LA Times reports that both schools are also being investigated for possible Title IX infractions, a federal law that prohibits retaliation against individuals who complain about or participate in sexual assault investigations.
Guests:
Jim Tranquada, Director of Communications, Occidental College
Caroline Heldman, Associate Professor of Politics, Occidental College