Los Angeles is rolling out a new intervention program aiming to counter violent extremism in young American Muslims who may be radicalized by events overseas. Also, hotel employees may see wage increases of $15.37 per hour if city lawmakers approve a vote Wednesday. Then, four of the country's worst colleges are in California.
Feds roll out fight against Islamic State, overseas and here in Los Angeles
Bahrain, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia joined the U.S. last night in coordinated airstrikes targeting Islamic extremist militants in Syria and “destroyed or damaged” multiple IS targets, according to the Pentagon. Domestically, the airstrikes follow the federal government’s launch of a pilot program last week that will focus on countering violent extremism in young American Muslims who may be radicalized by events overseas.
Yesterday the Los Angeles Times reported that Los Angeles, Boston and Minneapolis are the three cities where this pilot program will be rolled out. It sounds strikingly similar to the Safe Spaces Initiative started recently by the L.A.-based Muslim Public affairs Council (MPAC). The program is the first of its kind to be proposed, and would provide 2,100 mosques nationwide with training and resources to create an open environment for political discourse on sensitive topics. Salam Al-Marayati, president of MPAC, says that many mosques are “underfunded and led my foreign-born Imams unfamiliar with American culture,” and that they need help dealing with young people and providing religious counseling and mental health resources. The proposed program is based on the same kinds of gang intervention used in Los Angeles by Homeboy Industries. The LAPD has expressed its support of an intervention program -- the police already monitor visits to radical websites and say instances are more common than one might think.
How should L.A. approach homegrown terrorism? What are local groups like MPAC already doing to prevent the radicalizing of young people and how might this federal program bolster that?
Guest:
Salam Al-Marayati, president, Muslim Public Affairs Council
Jeremy Herb, Defense Reporter, POLITICO
Brian Michael Jenkins, senior adviser to the president of the RAND Corporation
Survey says: Americans want religion with their politics
The newest Pew poll on religion has documented growing trends in the American populace. One segment of the poll found a growing divide between the religious and non-religious, sometimes known as “nones,” including whether or not religion and politics should be discussed together. The poll also finds among American citizens a slight decline in approval ratings for same-sex marriage, a decline in the perception that the Obama administration is favorable to religion, and no change in how religious constituents want their members of Congress to be. As found in prior polls, differences can be somewhat pronounced between various religious groups. Yet the overall trend has been towards a growing level of non-religious affiliation in America, a trend that is pushing religious people towards vocalizing their discontent.
What do you think about the growing number of non-religious people in America? Should religion have a role in politics and public debate? Does the growing religious divide reflect larger polarization in society?
Proposed pay increase for hotel workers could surpass mayor’s minimum wage wishes
Hotel employees in Los Angeles could be looking at a raise if city lawmakers approve a vote Wednesday that would boost wages to $15.37 per hour.
The raise is receiving support from labor groups, which say that more cash would pull more families out of poverty and boost the local economy. The increase would also be higher than Mayor Eric Garcetti’s proposed citywide minimum wage hike of $13.25 by 2017.
Critics of the higher wages say that the bill is discriminatory. They want to see a citywide minimum wage in place rather than isolate the hotel industry – which often asks employees to perform duties similar to those of other industries. Raising salaries only for hotel restaurant workers, for instance, wouldn’t be fair to restaurant workers that do not work in hotels, according to critics.
Do you feel that the increased wages puts other workers at a disadvantage? Do the benefits of higher pay for some outweigh critics’ concerns?
Guests:
Stewart Waldman, president of VICA, Valley Industry and Commerce Association
James Elmendorf, Policy Director for LAANE, Los Angeles Alliance For A New Economy
Seal Beach OKs trapping and killing of coyotes
The Seal Beach City Council voted Monday to trap and euthanize coyotes after dozens of pets were killed by the animals. The vote puts in place two two-week coyote trapping sessions, according to the OC Register. Trapping is slated to begin in about a week. In addition to trapping, the city will also starting penalizing residents for feeding wildlife and leaving pet food outdoors.
The council will review the results and revisit the issue in its Oct. meeting.
Guests:
Michael Levitt, Seal Beach City Councilman representing District Five, which consists of the retirement community Leisure World, the retirement community that has seen the bulk of the coyote problem
Camilla Fox, Founder and Executive Director, Project Coyote, a national nonprofit advocacy organization based in Marin County
MLB aims to speed up the timeless game of baseball
Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig says he wants to hasten America’s favorite pastime. The League has formed a committee chaired by Atlanta Braves president John Schuerholz to study the current pace of the game. At present, there is only one rule that specifies the amount of time in which an in-game action must be conducted. The "12-second rule" stipulates that when bases are unoccupied, the pitcher shall deliver the ball to the batter within 12 seconds after he receives the ball, otherwise the umpire shall call a "ball." If you clock average pitches, you'll know the 12-second rule is broken constantly. Not all fans thinks the pace is a problem. A Braves fan commenting on MLB.com writes, "Life is moving at neck-breaking speeds and as a family man, there's no time to relax. Going to a baseball game and being able to sit and watch a game for 3hrs [sic] is a nice getaway from the fast paces of life." Others worry that innings could get brisker, only to have television commercial breaks run longer. Would you liven up the pace of baseball? If so, how? What are your fantasy rules for MLB? What will this mean for the economics of the game?
Guests:
Ryan Fagan, MLB writer at Sporting News
The worst colleges in the US: What makes a bad school?
We’ve all seen the rankings of the best schools in the country -- lists that rank colleges and universities based on the value of a degree, difficulty of admission, best cafeteria food.
Recently, the New America Foundation took on a more unique task: ranking the worst schools in the nation. The Foundation’s Ben Miller argues that while top tier colleges are all fairly similar in their excellence, regardless of rank, the schools that make up the “worst of” lists are unique. His lists weigh price, average student debt, the number of students who default on loans, and graduation rates. The schools come from all over the country, with several different areas of study, some for-profit, some nonprofit.
One thing they have in common? They’re all private -- no public schools made the Worst Colleges Rankings. What makes a school particular good or bad? How can potential students identify schools that are essentially a scam?
Guest:
Ben Miller, senior policy analyst in the Education Policy Program at the New America Foundation, author of the Washington Monthly piece on America’s worst colleges