The Senate has reached a deal to raise the debt limit and end the government shutdown. Will this deal pass? Then, a new poll by the Pew Research Center shows most voters want their incumbents out of office. But will they re-elect them? Next, who should take the lead on campus sexual assault cases? Should it be campus police or law enforcement? Then, are fraternities and sororities good or bad for students? Next, we'll discuss what's next for the Dodgers after last night's loss. What are the chances they win their next three games? Lastly, we'll talk with author Henry Bushkin, about his book on the late Johnny Carson.
Senate reaches a deal to end partial government shutdown
This morning Senate leaders announced they reached a deal to raise the nation's debt limit and end the government shutdown. The bipartisan proposal would lift the debt ceiling until February 7th and reopen the government through January 15th. White House spokesman, Jay Carney, says the proposal “achieves what’s necessary”. There is a strong possibility that both Senate and House could vote on the deal by the end of the day.
If the deal passes will we see a time of reconciliation? In a few months time will we see similar brinksmanship when the discussion resurfaces?
Guests:
Jeanne Cummings, Deputy Managing Editor, Bloomberg News
Dan Berman, White House Editor, POLITICO
Record number of voters want to throw their incumbents out in 2014
It looks like the Senate reached a deal to reopen the government and lift the debt ceiling, but the fiscal crisis and its impact are far from over. Congress continues to get shellacked in public opinion polls. 46% say Republicans are more to blame for the chaotic political standoff in D.C., while 37% say the Dems are more at fault.
It’s not surprising that the public is so annoyed with Congress and these numbers have remained mostly consistent as the shutdown showdown has dragged on. What’s particularly striking are the numbers related to incumbents.
According to a new national Pew poll, a record 38% want to throw their own representatives out of office in 2014. As much as people dislike Congress, re-election rates are regularly over 90%.
Might that change this time around? Do these historically low numbers merely reflect the current state of affairs or might they have a long term effect?
Guests:
Jocelyn Kiley, Senior Researcher, Pew Research Center
Mark Barabak, Political Correspondent, Los Angeles Times
Should campus police or law enforcement take the lead in college rape cases?
Recently, California schools such as Occidental College and the University of Southern California have come under fire for their handling of sexual assault cases. Both schools acknowledged under-reporting the number of incidents that took place on campus. This comes at a time where there is growing frustration over the handling of sexual assault on college campuses.
Some think colleges and universities are not really equipped to investigate crimes that occur on campus. So what role should colleges play? And who should take the lead?
Guests:
Wendy Murphy, a former prosecutor specializing in sex crimes who now represents abused women and children. And a faculty member teaching sexual violence law at New England Law in Boston.
Danielle Dirks, Assistant Professor, Sociology, Occidental College; co-founder of the Oxy Sexual Assault Coalition
Is the Greek system good or bad for students and schools? (Poll)
A fraternity at the University of Southern California has been placed on probation by the university after a student from another school was injured while attending a party at USC's Greek Row last week. She apparently fell from a table she had been dancing on and had to be hospitalized.
USC has also banned fraternities from holding parties during weekdays for the rest of the semester in part due to a series of other alcohol-related hospitalizations involving the fraternities.
And frats at other schools are dealing with the same types of problems. In 2010 Cal Poly banned their fraternities from recruiting newly arrived students after a freshman died from drinking too much during an initiation ritual.
College fraternities claim their goals are to promote brotherhood and philanthropy, but they're often in the news for reasons that don't quite line up with those values.
Do frats still provide some positive benefits for their members and the community? Or have these groups become breeding grounds for binge drinking and sexual assault? Tell us your experiences with fraternities or sororities. Do you find them to be more beneficial or harmful to college students?
Guests:
Joshua Sheffer, an attorney in DC dedicated to representing victims of school violence, including hazing.
David Stollman, President of CAMPUSPEAK, which provides education speaks to universities and colleges. He is a co-founder of the national organization HazingPrevention.org
With their backs against the wall, can the Dodgers win three straight?
Last night was a tough loss for Dodger fans. The boys in blue now need to win three consecutive games in a row against the St. Louis Cardinals in order to make it to the World Series. If the Dodgers lose today's game (that starts at 1pm) it would send St. Louis to the World Series.
So can the Dodgers pull it off? It may seem like a difficult feat, but it’s certainly not impossible. In fact, just last year, the San Francisco Giants were able to win three in a row against the Cardinals in the National League Championship.
What are the odds it can happen again? What can the Dodgers learn from the Giants consecutive wins last year? What strategies should the Dodgers take against the Cardinals?
Guest:
Ben Bergman, KPCC’s business reporter
The off-screen persona of Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson was the late night king from 1962 until 1992 with his popular show, “The Tonight Show.” At his peak, he was one of America’s highest paid entertainers. But what was he really like behind closed doors?
His long time lawyer and close confidant, Henry Bushkin was there for many pivotal years of Carson’s life. Bushkin writes a novel that gives a nuanced portrait of an American icon. For nearly two years Bushkin and Carson were close friends until they parted ways in the late 1980s. Bushkin explores why Carson always wanted to be married, and tries to share how he remembers his once close friend.
Guest:
Henry Bushkin, Long-time lawyer and confidant to Johnny Carson; Author of “Johnny Carson” (Published by Eamon Dolan/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; October 15, 2013)