Guest Host Patt Morrison joins us on AirTalk today. Is Senator John McCain Washington's last hope as a moderator in the midst the political gridlock? Then, a California Veterinarian seeks a broader ban on declawing cats. Would you consider declawing? Next, at a hearing tonight the public will get its first look at the decommission of the San Onofre Nuclear plant. Does the public want to know more? Then, a Dodgers fan is stabbed to death after a game in San Francisco. How will security at games change? Next, the army is revising its tattoo policy. Would this make it harder for people to get in? Lastly, do kids need a participation trophies, or should they learn to lose?
John McCain the 'Maverick' works on his legacy
Senator John McCain took fellow Republican Ted Cruz to task yesterday for his 21-hour speech on the Senate floor where Cruz accused his party of dropping the ball on trying to defeat ObamaCare.
McCain hit back saying the fight had already been lost in the legislative process and rejected Cruz’s analogy that Republicans were behaving like Neville Chamberlain and appeasing the Nazis. It’s just another example of the self-described ‘Maverick’ McCain at work. McCain has hinted that his current Senate term may be his last and the longtime squeaky wheel of the Republican party is starting to eye his legacy.
McCain is acting as the bridge between Republicans and the White House but is it doing any good if the party is so split? Is there still a middle ground when it comes to the GOP? Is McCain shooting himself in the foot by going up against Tea Party favorites like Cruz? Or is McCain Washington’s last best hope as a moderator amid the political gridlock? If McCain steps out of politics, who will take over as peacemaker?
Guest:
Alexander Bolton, senior staff writer at The Hill
Activist documentary seeks broader ban on declawing cats (Poll)
The practice of declawing cats might not be as simple as some pet owners may think. That’s the message Dr. Jennifer Conrad, a California veterinarian is trying to spread in her documentary against declawing, “The Paw Project.”
Declawing is a surgical procedure performed on cats that scratch people or tear up furniture with their claws. The most common declawing method is called an onychectomy, which is an amputation of the last bones in a cat’s claws.
It’s likened to a human having the tips of their fingers cut off at the last knuckle. The best case scenario is the cat heals within a few days of surgery, but it’s estimated that 25-50 percent of cats that undergo declawing surgery suffer from some complication.
Proponents of declawing say the practice saves the lives of cats that might otherwise be placed in shelters or left out on the street because of behavioral issues. While declawing may be necessary in some cases, Dr. Conrad argues that the practice occurs far too often and in cases where the surgery is not medically necessary.
She and other veterinarians against declawing say there needs to be more education surrounding the procedure and possible alternatives. Declawing is outlawed in Israel, Brazil, Germany and many European countries, as well as some cities in California.
KPCC's online polls are not scientific surveys of local or national opinion. Rather, they are designed as a way for our audience members to engage with each other and share their views. Let us know what you think on our Facebook page, facebook.com/kpcc, or in the comments below
Should declawing be banned in the U.S. if not medically necessary, or should pet owners always have the option to declaw their cats? Have you had experiences with cats that scratch? Would you consider declawing?
The Paw Project will be playing at the Pasadena Playhouse starting Friday, October 18, 2013 for a one-week run
Guests:
Dr. Aubrey Lavizzo, Veterinarian and Colorado State Director of “The Paw Project” - a non-profit that rehabilitates declawed cats - big and small; Lavizzo was awarded Veterinarian of the Year in 2011 by the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association
Dr. Julie Meadows, Veterinarian and Section Head of UC Davis’ Small Animal Community Medicine and a faculty member in the Internal Medicine Service.
The delicate dance of decommissioning the San Onofre nuclear plant
At a public hearing tonight in Carlsbad, California, the public will get their first glimpse at what decommissioning the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station will entail. Is the public interested in knowing more?
Well, if it’s any indication of the level of concern, the meeting will take place at 6:00 p.m. at the Omni La Costa Hotel in a room that can hold 2,000. The topic of where the nuclear waste from the plant will be stored, and environmental groups are very concerned about how the delicate process of taking the operation offline will be handled.
Do you think storing the waste onsite is the right way to proceed? If it’s not stored onsite, where should it go? Has the drama of San Onofre put a bad taste in your mouth about nuclear power?
Guests:
Ed Joyce, KPCC’s Orange County reporter
Bruce Watson, Chief of the Reactor Decommissioning Branch, United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Dodgers fan stabbed to death after game in San Francisco
A man wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers hat was stabbed to death in San Francisco after a Giants-Dodgers game at the AT&T Park.
Details are scant. But police said a fight broke out between a group of Dodgers and Giants fans a few blocks from the ballpark. The victim, 24-year-old Jonathan Denver, was stabbed at 11:30pm, about 90 minutes after the game ended.
Two men, ages 21 and 18, were arrested.
The Dodgers and Giants are longtime rivals. Stadium security in Los Angeles and San Francisco has been ramped up since another episode of violence between fans of the two teams in 2011, when Giants fan Bryan Stow was severely beaten in the parking lot of the Dodger Stadium.
San Francisco Police Department asks for tipsters regarding this crime to call: 415-553-1146
Guests:
Officer Albie Esparza, Public Information Officer, San Francisco Police Department
Steve Adelman, Attorney specializing in sports venue liability and security, based in Arizona
Army's newly revised tattoo policy is more stringent
New rules that would ban new recruits from having tattoos below the elbows and knees or above the neckline have been approved by the Army, military magazine Stars and Stripes reports. The new policy has been in consideration for a year and is awaiting the final signature of Army Secretary John McHugh.
The new rules only apply to Army soldiers, as other military branches have their own standards governing appearance and grooming. While current soldiers may be exempt from the new policy; newcomers are responsible to pay for tattoo removal themselves. All soldiers are prohibited from having tattoos that are “racist, sexist or extremist.”
The Army last revised its policy on tattoos in 2006, allowing soldiers to have them on their hands and the back of their necks to boost recruitment for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Recruitment goals for the Army have dropped in recent years and because of the economy, finding new soldiers to join hasn’t been that much of an issue.
With the economy recovering, the Army is bracing for recruitment challenges for 2014. Would its new policy on tattoos make it even harder for the Army to bring new people in?
Guest:
Lance Bacon, reporter at Army Times
Rethinking the 'trophy industrial complex' and letting kids lose
No one wants to see their kid hurt or defeated. So it’s understandable why many parents, teachers and coaches dole out loads of praise – and awards.
In school, kids are given gold stickers for showing up, and in sports, they’re handed trophies, just for playing the game. In Southern California, a local branch of the American Youth Soccer Organization passes out about 3,5000 awards each season, because every player gets one.
But is all this praise good for kids? According to author Ashley Merryman, the science is clear, “Awards can be powerful motivators, but nonstop recognition does not inspire children to succeed. Instead, it can cause them to underachieve.”
In her New York Times op-ed piece titled “Losing is Good for You,” Merryman argues that by age 4 or 5, kids are wise to the game anyway. They know who actually did well and who didn’t and by passing out participation trophies to everyone, you’re not only robbing them of the excitement of competition, but the motivation to improve.
So, is it time to let kids lose a few? Are the hard knocks of sports actually good for children? Or should we protect and praise our little ones, while we can?
Guest:
Ashley Merryman, is the author, with Po Bronson, of “NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children” and “Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing”