The impacts ahead for Los Angeles following the minimum wage hike, a Culver City dad drought shames his son, the Lakers draft.
LA's minimum wage hike is ambitious, groundbreaking, say economists
An ambitious proposal to hike the minimum wage in Los Angeles is making waves across the nation.
Workers would be earning $15 an hour by 2020 if the City Council approves the plan.
SCPR's Brian Watt explains the political forces that collaborated to push the measure through.
It also has the entire world of economists on their edge of its seat, says Arindrajit Dube, professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts–Amherst.
Dube says what L.A. is doing is groundbreaking because it has never been tried before in a city that size.
Wages across the board have been stagnant for years – they have not risen as much as they would have under natural circumstances.
Economists have only speculated on what could happen, he says, and this real world adjustment could influence policy around the whole nation.
Drought shaming: How to get everyone else to stop wasting water
About a month ago we asked listeners, "Is water use causing tension at home?" A lot of you said yes!
Your spouses are nagging you, your neighbors are overwatering their lawns. I mean, some of the responses were so dramatic that you made it seem like no one cares that there's a huge water problem in California.
Plenty of you want to convince people to change their habits, so we thought we'd help out. We talked to marriage and family therapist Talia Wagner, and we tested out some techniques that we learned on the world’s toughest audience — an apathetic teenager.
To hear the whole water intervention that we launched for one family, click on the audio embedded above.
If you'd like to launch your own, here's how we approached it.
1. Identify the Problem
Marvin Campbell reached out and told us about how his son, Price, won't stop taking 30 minute showers.
“I go son, if you’re in the shower for more than five minutes, it only takes about five minutes to take a shower. I don’t know. I’m not saying what you’re doing in there, but it ain’t showering... That didn’t work.”
He's tried everything from shaking the water bill at him, banging on the door, and shutting off the hot water when he gets frustrated enough. No matter what, Price says he won't stop.
"You can’t really describe a hot shower in the morning. It’s just the best thing ever. And I can’t stop. I can not stop. I’m sorry California!"
2. Master Communication
"I want to learn some of that verbal judo where you force people to do things with words," says Marvin.
If screaming, shouting and stomping your feet doesn't work, you should probably talk calmly to the person you're trying to convince. People don't respond to aggressive behavior, says Talia.
"I wish there were a magic dust formula that we could sprinkle on each other to accept and… you know."
If they're a neighbor, try and get them to buy into what you're selling by saying that the whole neighborhood is doing it. If it's a teen, set some boundaries with consequences. Or, just do what we did: turn the whole thing into a game.
"I think that if you can reinforce their efforts and talk about how great it feels that they’re working with you, people tend to feel good with that. In the same way that they don’t feel good if you criticize them," Talia says.
Because in the end, you might get someone to think differently about a situation. Much like what happened with Price after our intervention.
"I really am wasting water. I am… there’s a serious epiphany happening right now. I’ve got to stop."
Check out the attached audio to hear the tricks that we pulled, which in the end, made Price change his tune. The bottom line? Find a compromise that makes everyone happy.
3. Accept Reality
While we changed Price's mind, if people don't want to change what they're doing, realize that you're probably not going to get through to them — at least not right away. Take a deep breath, it's OK.
How'd we find out about what our listeners had to say about the drought? They let us know through our Public Insight Network! If you want to join and give us your thoughts on the drought, click on through to here.
Lakers score a top pick in NBA draft: what does it mean next season?
The Lakers got the second top pick in the NBA draft lottery yesterday after ending a season that ranks as one of the worst in a storied 67-year history. They set team records for the most losses and the lowest winning percentage. However, one of the upsides of having a bad season is that at the end of it all, you have a chance to have a high pick in the NBA draft.
What does it all mean for the next season, which could be star Kobe Bryant's last? We're joined by Lakers play-by-play announcer
.
What could the rise of out-of-state students mean for California universities?
Public colleges and universities are increasingly boosting enrollment of out-of-state students, which can mean much-needed revenue. But it's also raised concerns about what it could mean for future students. Earlier this year, UC President Janet Napolitano announced that two of California's most competitive campuses, UC Berkeley and UCLA, would cap out of state students for the coming year.
It's a trend that's being watched closely by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, a nonprofit research group that's made up of more than a dozen states, including California. We're joined by Brian Prescott, director of policy research.
Could a water market work for Texas? How about California?
As the drought drags on in the West, Texas is getting some relief with much-needed rain.
For the first time in three years, there's no part of the state that currently falls within the U.S. Drought Monitor's most severe classification of exceptional drought. The state isn't quite out of the woods yet though. There are still parts of Texas that are hurting for rain.
And now some Texas lawmakers are proposing that the state look into developing a statewide water grid and a water trading market.
But just how feasible of an idea is that? Could a water market work in California?
Peter Gleick, co-founder and president of the Pacific Institute, an environmental research group based in Oakland, joins Take Two to talk water markets.
To hear the full interview, click the link above.
People text and drive, and do lots of other things with their smartphones too
We all know texting and driving don't mix. And yet, despite the danger, lots of drivers do it anyway.
Now a new survey from AT&T finds that some do more than text and drive. They're on Facebook, posting to Twitter, snapping selfies, and calling people up on video chat.
New York Times reporter Matt Richtel, author of "A Deadly Wandering," joins Take Two to discuss why we can't tear ourselves away from our phones, even while driving.
To hear the full interview, click the link above.
David Letterman says goodbye
Tonight will be the end of an era for late night television.
David Letterman, on the air for more than 30 years, will helm his show for the last time.
We'll take a look back at the show, and talk about the legacy that Letterman will leave behind with Alan Sepinwall, he's the TV critic for HitFix.