AirTalk discusses Kavanaugh's scheduled appearance next Monday amid allegations of sexual misconduct. We also examine if you need a college degree to become a CEO; discuss handling #MeToo in the fast food industry; and more.
Kavanaugh hearing likely set for Monday. We dive into protocols and the reverberations of Anita Hill
The Senate Judiciary Committee has announced a Monday hearing featuring Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the woman accusing him of sexual assault, Christine Blasey Ford.
However, committee Democrats are against the move. They want a full investigation of the allegations before the committee revisits Kavanaugh’s nomination. They also hope to hold off a confirmation vote as long as possible, in case Democrats take the Senate in November.
We look back at parallels with the Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill allegations, as well as the confirmation process protocols and the difficulty of determining truth in these situations.
Guests:
Ron Elving, senior editor and correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR
Paul Collins, professor and director of legal studies in the political science department at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; co-author of “Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings and Constitutional Change” (Cambridge, 2013)
Merrick Rossein, professor of law at City University of New York School of Law
Carolyn Shapiro, associate professor of law and co-director of the Institute on the Supreme Court of the United States at Chicago-Kent College of Law
Do you need a college degree to become a CEO?
Does success have to be accompanied by a college degree?
A report by blogger Susan Webber raised questions among retirees when they learned that CalPERS chief executive officer, Marcie Frost, did not graduate from college. The report put the CEO under fire, although she did not claim to have a college degree when she applied to lead the California Public Employees’ Retirement System in 2016.
There are, at least, 14 billionaire CEOs without a degree. Bill Gates, co-founder and former CEO of Microsoft, is a college dropout, as well as Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook and Steve Jobs of Apple Inc. The list goes on from Richard Branson of Virgin Group to Richard Schulze, former CEO of Best Buy.
But are these successful stories the exception to the rule? Consultant managers don’t think so. They say there are four behaviors that transform ordinary people into world-class leaders. Business experts argue that there are common attributes and counter-intuitive choices that set apart successful CEOs.
So what are those traits and how can CEOs get to the top without a college degree? If you are a CEO, who made it to the top without a degree, call us at 866-893-5722 and weigh in.
Guest:
Elena L. Botelho, co-author of “How CEOs Without College Degrees Got to the Top,” a study that was published earlier this year in the Harvard Business Review; New York Times bestselling co-author of the book “The CEO Next Door: The 4 Behaviors That Transform Ordinary People into World-Class Leaders” (Crown Publishing, 2018); partner at ghSmart, a Chicago, Illinois-based business consulting firm that helps CEOs, boards and investors
#MeToo hits fast food: What responsibility do corporations have to employees at franchise locations?
Southern California fast food employees are having a #MeToo moment.
McDonald’s workers in L.A. will walk out at noon Tuesday, joining nine other cities pressuring the restaurant’s corporate management to address on-the-job sexual harassment. The protestors are asking the fast-food giant to form a national committee made up of employees at the corporate and franchise levels, as well as leaders of national women’s groups, to face the issue.
Meanwhile, a federal lawsuit filed by the EEOC Monday is holding the national Del Taco corporation responsible for a culture of harassment at a Rancho Cucamonga location. The lawsuit says young women working there were harassed by restaurant leadership and faced retaliation in the form of changed and reduced work hours when they stepped forward.
AirTalk sits down with experts in the food industry and labor law to discuss the relationship between corporations and their franchises when it comes to addressing sexual harassment.
Guests:
Robin DiPietro, professor of hotel, restaurant and tourism management at the University of South Carolina; she teaches courses on restaurant management and franchising; she spent 20 years working at a Burger King franchise group with multiple locations in the Midwest
Kate Bischoff, owner of tHRive Law & Consulting, an employment law and HR consulting firm; she tweets
A trend that’s not fizzling out: the rise of sparkling, seltzer and mineral waters
While some are confounded by the popularity of sparkling waters, the numbers show that this trend is on the up and up.
And for every LaCroix hater..
La Croix tastes like the only soft drink they'd allow in a dystopian future where no one is allowed to have emotions
— Chad Vigorous (@PrettyBadLefty)
...there are plenty of coworkers, family members, friends and KPCC producers guzzling down cans of the fizzy stuff as we speak.
In 2018, Americans will buy about 821 million gallons of sparkling water, almost three times the amount purchased in 2008. Last year, Coca-Cola bought Texas brand Topo Chico, and bottled-water brands Dasani and jumping into the market as well. (By the way, club soda, seltzer and sparkling water are all technically different, though likely not in consumers’ minds.)
And while consumers preferences for healthier drinks might be the driver of the growing demand, not all fizzy waters are totally healthy -- alcoholic, and even cannabinoid infused waters are coming to the fore.
So why is fizzy water on the rise? Are you a LaCroix hater? Or have you embraced the sugarless, carbonated life?
Guests:
Gary Hemphill, managing director of research at the Beverage Marketing Corporation, an independent consulting and research firm dedicated to the beverage industry
Caleb Bryant, senior beverage analyst at Mintel, a global market research firm
The quick rise and fall of the USFL, the short-lived rival to the NFL
Once upon a time, a football league that played during the Spring resided within the United States.
It went by the name of the United States Football League and was born in 1983. Three years later, however, the league ceased to exist.
Born from the vision of a New Orleans art dealer by the name of David Dixon, the USFL opened tryouts to the public and promised a spring to summer season. During its short run, the league boasted athletes such as Herschel Walker, Jim Kelly, Steve Young, Reggie White, Doug Flutie and Mike Rozier and featured as many as 18 teams. But with the decision to add six expansion teams, the USFL came to an end.
Author Jeff Pearlman details the history and legacy of USFL in his latest book, “Football for a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL.” Pearlman includes more than 400 interviews in his book, revealing the rise and fall of the USFL. Although the league may no longer be around, Pearlman notes that it continues to live on in unexpected ways.
Jeff Pearlman joins Larry Mantle to discuss a different era of football.
Jeff Pearlman will be speaking about his book at an event at Chevalier’s Books on Thursday, September 20, at 7:00pm.
Guest:
Jeff Pearlman, author of a number of books, including his newest, “Football for a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018); former sports writer for Sports Illustrated