Cain’s up, Christie’s a question mark, the GOP field still anyone’s game. White collars, sticky fingers – finding and fighting workplace fraud. Researchers slam single-sex classrooms. From war orphan to Hollywood icon.
Cain’s up, Christie’s a question mark, the GOP field still anyone’s game
The Republican presidential lineup got a bit more muddled over the weekend. Businessman Herman Cain won the Florida straw poll by a landslide -- 37% to Texas Governor Rick Perry's 15% and Mitt Romney's 14%. But does that result say more about Cain or the supposed front-runners?
Cain says it's his message that's getting through, especially his economic plan that calls for a shift in the U.S. tax code to a 9 percent corporate tax, a 9 percent personal income tax, and a 9-percent sales tax. As for Perry's poor showing, many politicos believe it's fall-out from a weak performance at last week's GOP debate. In particular, Florida voters would have paid close attention to Perry's remarks on allowing undocumented students in Texas to pay low in-state tuition.
The good news for everyone other than Cain is that the Florida straw poll is not a strong predictor for future success. Another indicator that Republicans aren't content with the current slate is the buzz around New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. The Wall Street Journal reports there is "an 11th-hour push to persuade [Christie] to enter the 2012 presidential race." Christie has been emphatic that he would not join the fray, but tomorrow he'll be given another chance to declare. He's scheduled to speak at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley.
WEIGH IN:
Is Gov. Christie a serious candidate? Could he raise the funds? And who in the GOP field would be thrown off if Christie enters? What do you make of the Florida straw poll results? How did Perry's latest debate performance impact the numbers?
Guest:
Jonathan Wilcox, Republican Strategist; former speech writer for Governor Pete Wilson
Arnold Steinberg, Veteran Political Strategist and Analyst
White collars, sticky fingers – finding and fighting workplace fraud
Last week, British authorities charged 31-year-old Kweku Adoboli with a crime of almost unimaginable scope.
Adoboli, a trader at the London office of investment firm UBS, allegedly engaged in unauthorized trading over the past three years, bilking his employer and its clients out of some $2.3 billion.
Meanwhile, here in California, trusted campaign treasurer Kinde Durkee has been charged with dipping deep into the war chests of several of her clients – including Senator Dianne Feinstein, Representatives Susan Davis and Loretta Sanchez, not to mention the Los Angeles Democratic Party – robbing them to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Strangely, Durkee has long been a widely sought after treasurer among California Democratic officials, trusted by dozens of state, local and federal clients, despite having been repeatedly investigated for violations by the Fair Political Practices Commission over the past decade.
Experts on white collar fraud say that often the most trusted employee turns out to be the one with sticky fingers. Many business owners treat their workers like family, and may not suspect for years that their books are being cooked. But there are warning signs: balance sheets don’t add up, checks mysteriously appear or disappear, products go missing, employees suddenly spend like sailors.
WEIGH IN:
Who has the keys to your company’s finances – and how do you know they can be trusted? And if you do suspect a fox in the hen house, how do you sniff him or her out? Have you ever been stolen from by an employee? What would you do if you suspected the worst?
Guest:
Michael Spindler, member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and Managing Director, Disputes & Investigations at Navigant
Researchers slam single-sex classrooms
A new article in the journal Science argues there is no proof that separating boys and girls in the classroom is more conducive to learning. Moreover, the researchers say single-sex instruction hurts more than it helps. Evidence shows the practice increases gender stereotyping and legitimizes institutionalized sexism.
The authors have even created a new advocacy group at the University of Arizona devoted to co-ed schooling. That group will have to contend with the National Association for Single Sex Public Education. Its founder, Dr. Leonard Sax, says the proof is in the pudding; educators who separate girls and boys have experienced the success.
Their poster children come from Booker T. Washington High School in North Carolina. It splits up boys and girls for their freshman and sophomore years. Since that began in 2006, test scores increased dramatically. Does correlation prove cause in this case? Booker T. even had the privilege of President Obama delivering its commencement speech this year because it won Race to the Top. In this age of widespread school reform, parents and educators want the freedom to choose what works best for their kids. That demand spurred a regulatory reform that allows for more single-sex classes in public schools.
WEIGH IN:
Was that a mistake? Has enough research really been done to prove what works? Do these studies apply to the distinct needs of all communities, classrooms and kids?
Guests:
Lynn Liben, Co-author, "The Pseudoscience of Single-Sex Schooling" in the latest issue of Science; Distinguished Professor of Psychology; Human Development & Family Studies; and Education; Penn State University; Co-author of Gender Development
Dr. Leonard Sax, Director, National Association for Single Sex Public Education based in Exton, Pennsylvania; Author of Girls on the Edge: The four factors driving the new crisis for girls and Boys Adrift: The five factors driving the growing epidemic of unmotivated boys and underachieving young men
From war orphan to Hollywood icon
He was born on a French battlefield during World War I. His immigration to Hollywood led to principal roles in nearly two dozen blockbuster silent films. He founded an entertainment dynasty, and his descendants went on to star in talkies, radio shows and one of the most popular television adventure series of the Baby Boom era. It may sound surprising, but this Hollywood legend turns out to be one of America's favorite dogs: Rin Tin Tin.
Rin Tin Tin was found by a young American soldier, Lee Duncan, who smuggled him home to the states. Raised in an orphanage himself, Duncan bonded with the motherless puppy and spent hours training him, eventually pushing the dog into stardom.
Susan Orlean, author of "Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend", spoke with AirTalk's Larry Mantle about how her exploration of "Rinty's" story led to the discovery of the pup's substantial legacy.
"It meant tackling a lot more research than I expected. A span of about 100 years of pop culture history, American history, dog history, to make it really a complete story," she said.
The dog was well-trained and extremely athletic, characteristics that served him well as an animal silent film star. At 80 pounds, Rin Tin Tin could allegedly clear eleven-foot jumps. His career began after Warner Bros. Pictures contracted the dog to replace wolves resistant to film direction, and audiences loved it.
"Warner Brothers referred to him as the 'mortgage lifter,'" Orlean said. "He saved them from bankruptcy many times. Anytime they were in really tough straits, they'd release a Rin Tin Tin film and they were incredibly popular."
The original Rin Tin Tin died in 1932, but his character, as portrayed by some of his many descendants, went on to endear millions, both as an international film star and spokesdog for the US Army during World War II. Orlean realized the power of the pup icon when she read the 1932 reactions to his death.
"There was a national radio broadcast that interrupted programming all over the country to announce it. There was an hour long program played the next day to memorialize his life. It's hard for us to imagine that a dog meant so much," she continued.
Orlean said that the dog provided much more to Americans than entertainment; he helped launch an idea of the companion dog in newly urbanized America.
"On the farm a dog was a worker, generally lived outside. In the city, they were living in the house. Rin Tin Tin symbolized this idea the dog was your compatriot, your equal," she said.
WEIGH IN:
Were you part of the Rin Tin Tin era? What memories do you associate with the show? If you have a dog, what does he or she mean to you?
Guest:
Susan Orlean, author of Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend and writer for The New Yorker
Susan Orlean will be at the Paley Center of Los Angeles on October 12 for a talk, Q & A, and book signing.