The federal government announced plans to require recreational drone users to register their drones. Then, a nationwide change to child support enforcement will allow prisoners to press pause on their child support payments beginning in 2017. Also, according to a new sleep study published in Current Biology, our hunter-gatherer ancestors may not have needed eight hours of shut-eye.
You’re going to need to register that drone: Federal government announces new regulations
At the urging of lawmakers and the public, the federal government today announced plans to require recreational drone users to register their drones with the government.
Details are still scant but officials say they are rushing (perhaps before a drone-toting Santa visits your home? ) to dissuade hobbyists from flying the aircraft into firefighting zones and near passenger planes. Thanks to a 2012 law passed by Congress to protect model-airplane enthusiasts, the FAA is prohibited from imposing new restrictions on recreational drone owners, which has prevented them from requiring drone users to obtain pilot licenses or undergo training.
Under current FAA guidelines, drone owners are not supposed fly their aircraft above 400 feet or within five miles of an airport without permission. But those rules are largely ignored and officials have been largely powerless to hunt down those rogue drone operators.
It’s still unclear exactly how this registration system will work -- whether already purchased drones will be grandfathered into the policy, and how --even if it’s registered-- law enforcement will be able to identify a rogue drone from far away. Critics are already concerned the registration requirement won’t have teeth and doesn’t go far enough to address operational regulations such as speeds and geographic restrictions.
Guests:
Steven Miller, practicing attorney and partner in the Public Agency practice at Hanson Bridgett, in San Francisco, California where he advises local government, manufacturers and users on drone policy. He also writes the blog hoverlaw.com
Fundraiser woes: Teachers unions seek to end 'McTeacher’s Night'
Franchises have long been a part of the mission to raise money for schools. It seems like a win-win situation: Fast-food restaurants get more customers and a portion of the proceeds go to underfunded school programs.
But the National Education Association teamed up last week with select state and local teachers unions and Corporate Accountability International to end McDonald’s McTeacher’s Night fundraisers.
The complaint? Opponents of the fundraisers say McDonalds gets free marketing for its less-than-healthy menu and leaves schools with little monetary payoff.
In a report from NPR Thursday, McDonald’s USA said donations from the fundraisers had raised more than $2,525,000 for school organizations from January 2013 to September 2015.
Do you think franchises should be allowed to promote their brand in schools if they offer unhealthy diet options? Should there be more payoff for schools when they participate in these fundraisers?
AirTalk reached out to McDonald's, which declined to join us for an interview, but sent this statement:
“McTeacher’s Nights are all about community, fun and fundraising. As parents and members of their communities, McDonald’s franchisees and our corporate restaurants have long supported what matters most to them. McTeacher’s Nights are one example.
Teachers and parent teacher organizations have a choice in how they seek to raise additional funds, and for years they have told McDonald’s and franchisees that, in addition to the extra financial support these events provide for their schools, they have a great time connecting with their students and neighbors in meaningful ways.”
-McDonald’s USA
Guests:
Elizabeth Aguilera, KPCC's Community Health Reporter who is working on a piece now looking at junk food on campus and school fundraising
Neal P. McCluskey, Director, Center for Educational Freedom, Cato Institute, a libertarian-leaning public policy a think tank
Melinda Dart, vice president of the California Federation of Teachers and president of the Jefferson Elementary Federation of Teachers in Daly City
Incarcerated parents to catch a break on child support debt
A nationwide change to child support enforcement will allow men and women in prison to press pause on their child support payments beginning in 2017 due to a rule change by the Obama Administration.
A similar law exists in California so that incarcerated parents do not emerge from prison time facing fines and possible jail time for inability to keep up with child support dues. Some Republicans in Congress worry this could weaken enforcement against deadbeat dads and moms leading to a greater burden on the welfare system.
As reported by The Washington Post, 14 states currently classify incarceration as "voluntary unemployment." The new rule would prohibit that, reclassifying prison time as "involuntary unemployment."
Is the reclassification an easy out for parents avoiding child support debt? Or overall will it help more children because their incarcerated parents won't enter a revolving door of jail time?
Guests:
Joan Entmacher, Vice President for Family Economic Security at the National Women’s Law Center, an advocacy group in DC
James Rodriguez, President & CEO, Fathers & Families Coalition of America
New sleep study suggests you may not need 8 hours after all
According to a new sleep study published in Current Biology, our hunter-gatherer ancestors may not have needed the typical eight hours of shut-eye we’ve long believed contributes to good health.
When researching three of the last remaining hunter-gatherer tribes, the study found that they slept less than 6.5 hours a night and spent more time in bed than they actually slept, which is similar to today’s average in industrial populations.
This means our industrial setting filled with lights, screens and long commutes may not be to blame for our lack of sleep. In fact, we may not be lacking at all.
Guest:
Jerome Siegel, Psychiatrist and sleep researcher at UCLA's Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior and senior research on the sleep study, published in this month’s Current Biology
Not your mom's computer? PC industry tries to boost sales
Remember the PC guy? Not if the likes of Intel, Dell, and Microsoft can help it.
The industry is trying to fight a years-long lag in consumer shopping for personal computers by extolling the huge strides made in the technology since smartphones and tablets came along.
Rival computer manufacturers including Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard and the aforementioned are teaming up behind the slogan "PC does what?"
High-resolution touch screens, speedy software, and durable batteries will be highlighted in the campaign targeting buyers in the U.S. and China for the next several weeks.
Guests:
Dawn Chmielewski, Senior Editor at Re/code - a technology news & review site