After last night's testy battle, California Governor Jerry Brown said he would not participate in any more debates with Republican Gubernatorial candidate Neel Kashkari. Also, The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Yelp does not extort businesses after plaintiffs alleged Yelp manipulated their reviews and ratings. Then, film critic Leonard Maltin talks about his final "Movie Guide" book.
Brown and Kashkari participate in first and only gubernatorial debate
California Governor Jerry Brown and Republican Gubernatorial candidate Neel Kashkari took part in the first and only debate of the election last night in Sacramento. Kashkari had challenged Governor Brown to 10 debates, but after last night’s testy battle, Brown made it clear that he would not participate in any additional debates.
Kashkari’s platform focuses on rebuilding California’s middle class, focusing on big issue bills, and improving education, especially for underserved populations. Brown challenged Kashkari’s platform as well as his candidacy, essentially saying the he has no chance of winning the election. Governor Brown also pointed to the progress made in California during his terms as Governor, focusing his argument on his contributions to the budget surplus.
What does last night’s debate say about the gubernatorial election? Which issues stood out for the candidates?
Guest:
John Myers, Senior Editor of the California Politics and Government desk at KQED. He moderated yesterday's debate between Gov. Jerry Brown and GOP gubernatorial candidate Neel Kashkari
Court says Yelp doesn’t extort users, can manipulate reviews and ratings
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that Yelp does not extort businesses. The years-long case goes back to 2010, with plaintiffs alleging that Yelp extorted them to buy advertising by manufacturing and manipulating reviews and ratings on the site.
The court ruled in favor of the restaurant reviews site, saying that the case didn’t adequately allege extortion: Yelp did not directly threaten businesses that did not buy advertising with economic harm, removing positive reviews is allowed because Yelp doesn’t have to publish any reviews at all, and featuring negative reviews is fair game because Yelp retains a legal right to “post and sequence the reviews.” The court also determined that there was insufficient evidence that Yelp generated non-user reviews. Though Yelp has said that they don’t manipulate ratings or reviews, the ruling is a big win for consumer review websites across the board. These sites are frequently accused of extortion, and the court’s decision that the sites do have the to change, delete, and sequence reviews in any way (even if they don’t) without committing extortion may stop future claims.
Even if it doesn’t qualify as extortion, should Yelp have the right to manipulate reviews and ratings? Do businesses have a “right” to good reviews on consumer reviews sites? How might this case progress?
Guest:
Vince Sollitto, Yelp's VP of corporate communications and government affairs
Are ocean desalination plants the best way to combat California’s drought?
Construction is underway for the west’s largest ocean desalination plant in Carlsbad, set to open in 2015. The plant aims to provide a drought-proof water source, pumping 50 million gallons of drinking water a day for San Diego County residents.
Supporters and opponents are keeping a watchful eye on the project to determine whether the $1 billion project can be replicated along the California coast or will prove to be too expensive and harmful to the environment. San Diego County customers will see an estimated increase of up to $7 on their water bills and the plant’s effect on the local fish and marine life populations is yet to be seen. Desalinated water costs two times more than it would to build a new reservoir or recycling waste water, according to a 2013 report from The Department of Water Resources.
With a three-year drought in place, are these pricey plants the best solution?
Guests:
Ken Weinberg, Director of Water Resources at San Diego County Water Authority, which serves about 3.1 million residents in San Diego County. The agency has signed a 30-year contract to buy water from the Carlsbad plant.
Joe Geever, Water Programs Manager at the Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit environmental organization
Filmweek: “The Longest Week,” “The Identical,” “Starred Up” and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell, Henry Sheehan and Charles Solomon review this week’s releases, including “The Longest Week” “The Identical” “Starred Up”and more. TGI-Filmweek!
The Longest Week:
The Identical:
Starred Up:
Guests:
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and Alt FilmGuide
Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and CriticsAGoGo.com
Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC and amazon.com
Film critic Leonard Maltin talks cinema and his final “Movie Guide”
TV personality and film critic Leonard Maltin released the final installment of his movie guide this week. “Leonard Maltin’s 2015 Movie Guide,” a cinematic history lesson and a go-to for reviews, is the last of a series he started in 1969.
As film reviews have become easier to access with sites such as IMDB and the vast blogosphere, Maltin told CNN, that his book sales have plummeted. He published the first edition at 18 years old, originally titled “TV Movies.” The 2015 edition chronicles the modern era of film beginning in 1965 to present, alphabetically listing everything from cult classics to rare B movies. The guide includes nearly 16,000 reviews, brief summaries and an actor index.
Producing his book is the only thing he’s retiring from. The Angeleno hosts Maltin on Movies on the cable channel Reelz, runs his IndieWire blog and lectures at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.
Guest:
Leonard Maltin, film critic, author “Leonard Maltin’s 2015 Movie Guide”