Today, '42' writer/director Brian Helgeland talk about telling Jackie Robinson's story; Hockey legend Willie O'Ree on breaking down barriers in sports; Court rejects Gov. Brown's call to end judicial oversight of California prisons; Are people leaving California because of high taxes? Plus much more.
Court rejects Gov. Brown's bid to end judicial oversight of CA prisons
In January, Governor Brown declared that the state's prison crisis is over, and that measures meant to reduce overcrowding were no longer needed. But just yesterday, a federal panel of judges rejected that claim.
They've given the governor just three weeks to come up with a plan to further reduce prison populations. For more we're joined by KPCC's Sacramento reporter Julie Small.
LA's 'Most Wanted' features 'worst of worst' of prison realignment
Thanks to mostly to Hollywood and TV news, Los Angeles cops are world famous. It's not uncommon for an LAPD officer walking down the street to be stopped by tourists for a quick photo.
But L.A. County's Probation Department, one of the county's most important criminal justice agencies, has stayed under the radar — until now.
A year and a half ago, prison "realignment" — the result of 2011's AB 109 — shifted some lower-level, non-violent offenders from the state prison system to county custody. When those offenders finish their time, they're supervised by county probation officers — not state parole agents.
Bigger caseload, more attention
The offenders shifted to county custody represents new caseload for the L.A. County Probation Department — one that happens to attract a lot of attention.
"We’re getting a lot of media attention on that end," said Deputy Probation Officer A. Espinoza on a recent weeknight.
Espinoza was driving at the tail end of a task force that was rounding up juveniles who'd run away from group homes. He was also driving directly behind a Fox 11 news van, a logo-free all-white van news crews use when they're trying to not draw too much attention.
A cameraperson for the station had been assigned to follow the team around, recording extra video for a new Thursday night segment focused on the AB 109 population: "LA's Most Wanted." Assistant Chief Probation Officer Margarita Perez is the segment's host.
“What we’re doing in essence is profiling five of the worst of the worst offenders who are currently on the run and whom we’re looking for," Perez said.
In the past, these “absconders,” as they’re called, would have been state parolees; now they’re the responsibility of county probation.
And they’re creating some headlines.
Probation absconders "a higher risk to the community"
Police say in December, one absconder murdered four people in a Northridge boarding home. That’s an extreme example, but Perez says that she’s not optimistic about the intentions of some 1,500 absconders in L.A. County.
“They’re more than likely going to be a higher risk to the community," Perez said.
Supervising this higher risk population has forced the probation department, which has always straddled the line between law enforcement and social services, to invest more in the enforcement side. They’re even creating a new unit to specifically go after so-called "AB 109ers."
That new, tougher image comes through in the Fox 11 TV segment. During the first edition of the program, solemn music played in the background as photos of offenders popped up on the screen.
First up, Allis Coleman, convicted of carrying a loaded firearm and battery. Coleman’s photo shows a big man, leaning in towards the camera with a menacing frown.
And the list continues: Dex Aaron Herrera of the Skinhead Dog gang, Garfield Thompson, convicted of assault and terrorist threats. The rundown of evasive AB 109ers makes for a wake-up call about the seriousness of the offenders the probation department is dealing with.
Informing — or alarming?
Loyola Law professor Laurie Levenson said the TV segment on the AB 109 "absconders" could help probation track down runaway offenders.
“There is some public benefit in getting the public to pay attention to what is happening in the criminal justice system and the problems it has and the people who are on the loose," said Levenson.
But she says it shouldn’t be confused with a true analysis of whether the realignment program is effective. Joe Domanick at the John Jay College Center on Media, Crime and Justice says such shows lean more towards alarming than informing.
“Those kinds of shows, the way they’re always done, it’s ‘be scared, be very scared,'" he said.
Domanick said it’s natural for the probation department to get out the names of cons on the run — that’s their job. And it follows a local news trend: According to a Pew study released last month, crime news occupies 17 percent of local TV newscasts, second only to traffic and weather.
Domanick said that focus, along with “America’s Most Wanted” and “Cops” — the kind of true — crime TV programs that cropped up in the 1990s — don’t reflect reality in L.A.
"It flies in the face of what is actually happening in the criminal justice system," said Domanick. "Crime is down almost everywhere, and particularly it’s down in Los Angeles.”
That’s true. It’s also true that the probation department’s Margarita Perez has 1,500 “absconders” to find.
“One of our responsibilities as a department is to utilize all of the resources at our disposal to comply with our mission requirements," said Perez. "Whether that be assisting our offenders to reintegrate into the community, or holding them accountable, or anything and everything in between.”
And so Perez will be on TV each week with a new list of names.
Maloofs set Friday deadline for Sacramento Kings investor offer
Now for the latest installment in the ownership battle that surrounds the NBA's Sacramento Kings. The Maloofs, owners of the Kings, have been trying to sell the team since last year. One of the most interested buyers would move the team to Seattle.
But fans in Sacramento hoped the Maloofs would sell the team to a group that would keep it in Sacramento. The Maloofs have set a deadline of 5 p.m. today for all Sacramento investors to submit a written, binding "back-up" offer to buy the team.
The NBA is expected to address the situation at their annual ownership meetings later this month.
For more on the ownership situation of the Kings, Dale Kasler from the Sacramento Bee joins us.
Friday Flashback: Gun control bill, debt ceiling, and more
We'll talk about the week that was with our regular journalists in-the-know. On tap this week, the Nancy Cook with the National Journal and James Rainey from the Los Angeles Times.
'42' director Brian Helgeland on telling Jackie Robinson's story
Monday will mark the 66th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball's color barrier.
His story is arguably one of the most well-known in sports history. It has everything you'd put in a movie, a likable hero put in an extreme situation where he faces huge obstacles but comes out on top.
In the nearly seven decades since Robinson's breakthrough, there has been only one film about his life to hit the big screen. That was in 1950 when Robinson played himself in "The Jackie Robinson Story."
Well, as of today, there's a second, the film '42' opens nationwide.
It chronicles how Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey, played by Harrison Ford, found, signed and delivered Jackie Robinson to the majors.
Writer and director Brian Helgeland joins the show to talk about why he wanted to do this film.
Interview Highlights:
On why he chose to tell Jackie Robinson's story:
"I knew a lot about him just as an average baseball fan, and then in my own misguided head somewhere it felt like when he stepped out onto the field that was his great act of bravery, but when I started to research and read about it it was really about 10,000 little moments of bravery that all added up to one enormous act of courage. I was kind of struck by all those: having to go to the plate everyday four times a day all through a long grinding season, going on the road from city to constantly be on display. It got to the point where it was almost incomprehensible that he could have done this, and I knew I would never have a better chance to tell a man's story and kind of get out of the way of that story, so I was thrilled to be able to do it."
On how he wrote a script for a story that is such a big part of American history:
"My first task was to figure out what part of his life to tell. He had a rich life, he had a huge sports career at UCLA, he had trials and tribulations in the army, he was court marshaled for not going to the back of the military bus, he had an enormous life and career after baseball, and into the '60s with the civil-rights movement. So I decided early on that I really needed to focus on what got that number retired. From there I just needed to convince Mrs. Robinson of that. I think she was hoping with something with more breath to it as far as his life was concerned and I convinced her that if we showed that crucible it would illuminate the man who came before and hopefully illuminate the man who came after."
On if he thought the Jackie Robinson's story be told accurately without racial slurs:
"I don't think so, I can only speak to the way they're used in this movie, but the thing about him was that — civil rights, segregation, racism, they're all things that can be talked around the dinner table as ideas, but he put a face on all of that and a number, the ironic thing being you don't want to be treated as a number, but in baseball your number is pride. He put a face on all of it, he made people choose a person over an idea, and racial language is meant to dehumanize and turn you into a thing and that was a great part of the attack against him to dehumanize him and try and take that face off of him. I don't think you could do this movie without being honest about the racially violent language that was used against him."
Hockey great Willie O'Ree on breaking down barriers in sports
While Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League baseball, there was another man facing similar ignorance and racism, all in the name of professional hockey.
That man is William "Willie" O'Ree, who debuted with the Boston Bruins in 1958. Born October 15, 1935 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, O'Ree played various pro hockey leagues before making it to the NHL.
Just like Jackie Robinson, O'Ree faced the same racism and prejudice, except in a sport where men carrying large wooden sticks were routinely encouraged to slam into one another. And this was back before the head-to-toe protective gear hockey player wear today.
After he finished with the NHL, he established himself as a dominant winger with the Western Hockey League's Los Angeles Blades and in 1967 with the San Diego Gulls. He's now the NHL's Director of Youth Development and hockey ambassador. O'Ree joins the show from his home in San Diego.
Interview Highlights:
On encountering prejudice playing for the NHL:
"When I came to the states I was introduced to racism and prejudice and bigotry and ignorance from players on the opposition and from fans in the stands. But I learned that names will never hurt you unless you let them, and I just wanted to go out and play hockey and represent the hockey club to the best of my ability, and I can honestly say that I never fought one time because of racial slurs or remarks, I fought because guys tried to spear me and butt-end me and cross-check me and take shots at my head. Back then none of the players wore any helmets and no face shields, no face guards or no cages, the goalies didn't wear any masks. So your face was exposed to pucks, sticks and everything else on the ice. I fought a lot when I first started, not because I wanted to but guys just wanted to see what I was made of."
On meeting Jackie Robinson, twice:
"When I was 14 years of age, I was playing baseball in my hometown, and we won the championship and the reward was that our teams was to be taken to New York City…I saw Mr. Robinson play at Ebbets Field, and had the pleasure of meeting him after the game. When I was introduced to him, we shook hands and I told Mr. Robinson that I also played hockey, and he remarked, 'Oh, I didn't know there were other black kids playing hockey.' I just had a great visit, what an impact he made on me.
"Then when I was playing in the Eastern Professional Hockey League, I was traded to the Los Angeles Blades in 1961. In February of 1962, the NAACP in Los Angeles had a luncheon in Mr. Robinson's honor. I received an invitation through the hockey club, we went to the luncheon and Mr. Robinson was talking to some media people an the coach for the team I was playing for went over and introduced himself to Mr. Robinson and he says, 'Mr. Robinson, I've got a young player here who is one of our star players, Willie O'Ree.' Mr Robinson looked me in the eye and said, 'Willie O'Ree, you're the young fella I met in Brooklyn,' so he remembered me from 1949 to 1962, and I can honestly say, what an impact it was and was a thrill it was for me."
On being attacked and seriously hurt during a game:
"I had fights with other players and things, but that one right there kind of topped it off. We were both thrown out of the game … I just told myself, 'Willie, if you leave the league, it's going to be because you don't have the skills and ability to play anymore, don't let a player like that try and force you out of the league.'
On how his experience with racism differed from Jackie Robinson's:
"Jackie played most of his baseball in the Southern states, I played most of my hockey in the northern states, still I was exposed to a lot of names, I don't think there was a game that went by where you didn't hear it…I just closed my ears to it, I had to. When Jackie said he has to turn the other cheek, if I did that they would have just kept on running at me and I had to make a stand and I did and it was tough, but I was there to play hockey and be the best hockey player I could be."
LAUSD teachers vote 'no confidence' in Supt. John Deasy
United Teachers Los Angeles, the union that represents LAUSD teachers, announced yesterday that a referendum vote on Superintendent John Deasy overwhelmingly voted against Deasy. More than 90 percent of teachers voted no confidence.
The vote of confidence for a superintendent is the first of its kind for the LAUSD. Less than 60 percent of the union's 32,000 teachers voted on the referendum, but the vote was still a large blow for Deasy's relationship with UTLA. Deasy has pushed for a teacher evaluation system that uses standardized test scores, and the ability to quickly dismiss teachers accused of misconduct or ineffectiveness.
The LAUSD and Supertintendent Deasy had no comment on the vote.
For more on the Superintendent Deasy's and the UTLA, Howard Blume from the LA Times joins the show.
Vigilante militias fight back against drug violence in Mexico
Over the past 7 years, drug violence in Mexico has claimed more than 60,000 lives. Recently, vigilante groups have sprung up in response to drug cartels across Mexico's southwest mountains.
They've have had some success curbing violence, but they've also had their own share of run-ins with the law. Reporter Ioan Grillo has been writing about this for Time Magazine. He joins the show with more.
'Disconnect' shows the perils of being Internet-obsessed
These days, we're connected almost all the time. We make last minute plans with family members via text, stay-up-to date with far-away friends on Facebook, check work emails late at night at home on our iPads.
But are we so "connected" online that we lose sight of things happening right before our eyes?
That's a question posed by the new film "Disconnect," which tells several different stories of people whose lives are profoundly changed by technology. The film stars Jason Bateman, Paula Patton and Alexander Skarsgard.
"Disconnect," is the first feature film directed by Henry Alex Rubin, best known as director of the 2005 documentary "Murderball." He joins the show from NPR's bureau in New York.
UCLA neurologist: 'Miserable job' treating migraines among low-income patients
Migraines are more than a headache. They're excruciating, can last for hours, they're expensive if they force you to miss work, and even more so when you add in money spent on prescription medicine to kill the pain.
And if you don't have health insurance and can't pay for painkillers, you have a health problem that few people know exists, unless you're the one with the migraine. KPCC's Jose Martinez reports.
Are people leaving California because of high taxes?
Every year around tax day, Californians threaten to leave the state over the high income tax rate. This year, a few very wealthy residents have added reason to consider it; they’ll be paying retroactively higher taxes this year because of Governor Brown’s Prop 30. And as it turns out, it’s actually very difficult to leave a state for good.
Talk to us!
A recent Pew study shows that about a third of Americans actually enjoy doing their taxes. Does that include you? We want to know if you're one of 34% of Americans who get a kick out of tax season. Let us know why by commenting below or tweeting @TakeTwo! We may be interested in recording your voice to run on our show today or Monday.
Princess Alexandra? UK bookies take bets on royal baby name
If you happen to get money back on your taxes this year, why not double down on your windfall with a bet on a name?
If you believe the bookmakers, Alexandra will be the name given to the child of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge. After receiving an influx of bets, British betting firms are slashing odds to 2-1 from 25-1 that Alexandra will be the chosen name for the royal baby.
For more on this we called up our favorite bookie in Ireland, Paddy Power.
Lewis Black on how Jonathan Winters inspired scores of comedians
Comedian Jonathan Winters, whose improvisational style inspired Robin Williams, Jim Carrey and many others, has died at age 87. Winters passed away last night at his home in Montecito of natural causes.
Winters appeared in nearly 50 films and television shows. Notable ones include his roles in the original "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World":
and the 80's classic "Mork and Mindy."
For more on the life and work of Jonathan Winters, we're joined now by fellow comedian Lewis Black, who's currently on tour.