Europe reaches debt deal as banks take on Greek losses. California Social Services fails to check for sex offenders in foster homes. America’s public education system: a nation still at risk. FilmWeek: In Time, Puss in Boots, The Rum Diary, Anonymous and more. Do you like scary movies?
Europe reaches debt deal as banks take on Greek losses
European leaders reached a deal Thursday they hope will be a major turning point in the Greek debt crisis that's been threatening to unravel the entire EU monetary system. After 10 hours of tense negotiations, leaders unveiled the plan yesterday.
It includes a significant reduction of Greece’s debts to be achieved by asking private creditors to accept 50 percent losses on the bonds they hold. It also calls for a strengthening of a bailout fund to prevent larger economies like Italy and Spain from being dragged into financial crisis.
Today stocks were mixed, but markets surged yesterday on news of the full plan, which could be a sign that investors will welcome it. But it also highlights how interconnected the world’s financial systems have become. What does yesterday’s market reaction say about that? What exactly is in this plan? Why should Americans care? What are the implications of one country, such as China, taking on so much world debt?
Guest:
Peter Coy, economics editor for Bloomberg Businessweek
California Social Services fails to check for sex offenders in foster homes
California's State Auditor, Elaine Howle, has released a highly critical report on child protective services. One significant finding is that the state's Department of Social Services does not use the sex offender registry to identify offenders who may be living or working in foster homes and similar care facilities.
Despite a recommendation back in 2008 that such cross-checks occur, in July of this year Howle's office found addresses for more than 1,000 state-licensed care facilities matching addresses on the state sex-offender registry. The facilities include foster homes, group homes and day-care facilities for children, as well as facilities for adults with special needs and the elderly.
In July, Howle informed county agencies about her findings and investigations began. Since then, Social Services says it has completed over 800 investigations and county agencies have completed nearly 250. They have barred 36 individuals from the care facilities, and legal action against eight facilities has begun.
Why didn't Social Services perform cross-checks earlier? What were results of the follow-up investigations in the majority of these cases? The Auditor said, "[C]ounty child welfare service agencies appear to be performing required background checks [...] and remove children quickly if the home is found to be inappropriate." How does that square with this cross-check? What background checks are used to screen caregivers and other in the homes?
Guests:
Elaine Howle, California State Auditor
Henry Perea, California Assemblyman (D-Fresno)
America’s public education system: a nation still at risk
Thirty years ago, the White House commissioned "A Nation at Risk," a now famous report documenting the sorry state of America’s public education program.
In the present day, the country’s schools have only gotten worse. As a result, a massive educational reform effort is now taking place all across the country. Spurred by President Obama’s introduction of the Race to the Top program with its promise of federal money, several states submitted plans for teacher evaluation, establishing tenure, fixing failing schools and introducing alternatives to the traditional public school model.
Journalist Steven Brill tackles this complex issue in his new book, “Class Warfare: Inside the Fight to Fix America’s Schools.” Brill interviews teachers, union leaders, parents, activists, opponents to reform, school board members and students to compile a substantial view of this multifaceted topic. But Brill doesn’t only pick apart what’s wrong, he even suggests a “grand bargain” of his own design to increase teacher quality across the board.
WEIGH IN:
What is wrong with America’s schools? What alternatives do students have beyond the typical public education system? How are teachers being evaluated and graded? What role will unions play in education reform? With a problem so pervasive and large, where do we start?
Guest:
Steven Brill, author of “Class Warfare: Inside the Fight to Fix America’s Schools” (Simone & Schuster); CEO of Press+, a company aimed at creating a new business model for online journalism; founder of The American Lawyer magazine and Court TV
FilmWeek: In Time, Puss in Boots, The Rum Diary, Anonymous and more
Guest host David Lazarus is joined by KPCC film critics Peter Rainer, Henry Sheehan and Charles Solomon to discuss this week’s new films, including In Time, Puss in Boots, The Rum Diary, Anonymous and more. TGI-FilmWeek!
Guests:
Peter Rainer, film critic for KPCC and The Christian Science Monitor
Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and henrysheehan.com
Charles Solomon, animation critic, author and historian for amazon.com
‘Tis the season for scary movies
Are you a fan of fright night? Do you go in for gore? Do thrillers give you chills? If so, then it’s your time of year.
With Halloween right around the corner, scary movies are being shown in movie houses and aired on television.
We have three of our esteemed KPCC film critics joining guest host David Lazarus to bring their expertise to this titillating topic. They discuss what constitutes a good scary movie, what makes one bad, and what makes one so bad it’s good. The critics will cover Hitchcock, Nosferatu, Bela Lugosi’s Dracula, and everything in between.
WEIGH IN:
What do you look for in a scary movie? Blood and guts, or a psychological thriller? Do ghosts, vampires or werewolves send a shiver up your spine? What is your favorite movie to watch on Halloween?
Guests:
Peter Rainer, film critic for KPCC and The Christian Science Monitor
Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and henrysheehan.com
Charles Solomon, animation critic, author and historian for amazon.com