What's the risk of a hack attack on self-driving cars? New report details CA isn't as progressive as we think, the power of the court of public opinion.
The Ride: LA Auto Show kicks off with cybersecurity conference
The LA Auto Show is finally here, and Take Two will be giving you a sneak peek at all the latest cars and related gizmos that will be on display.
Things kicked with an event that happens within the show every year, called Automobility. It highlights all the latest developments with connected cars as we move toward an autonomous future.
The LA Auto Show got right into it with a discussion around automotive cyber security run by Suits and Spooks, a cyber security conference designed to bring together people from the intelligence community with people from various industries to determine and respond to the threats of digital connectivity.
Suits and Spooks usually works with the energy, finance and healthcare industries, but transportation is becoming a more urgent focus with autonomous vehicles right around the corner. Increasingly, there is consensus in the auto industry that it isn’t a question of whether it will experience a serious cyber incident--but when. So the goal now is to get ahead of the problem and encourage more investment before there is an incident.
"Very soon we’re going to see hundreds of millions of connected vehicles, which are essentially computers on wheels. Hundreds of millions of computers on wheels," said Monique Lance, with Argus Cyber Security. "Just like computers, they’re vulnerable to cyber attacks. Here at Automobility LA, we’re going to see great examples of innovations depending on connectivity. If there’s one thing that can bring all this excitement to a halt, it’s a cyber attack."
To hear the full segment on the Suits and Spooks automotive cyber security conference, click the blue player button above.
Taking a "high definition MRI scan" of California's racial equity
California is perceived as a true blue state, through and through. But a new analysis reveals the Golden State may not be as progressive as we think.
By looking at measures like economic opportunity, education and criminal justice, the "Race Counts" study compiled data from California's 58 counties to piece together a statewide picture of racial equity.
The Advancement Project, a civil rights group based in L.A., authored the "Race Counts" report. Executive director John Kim spoke with A Martinez about the study's finding so far.
First, Kim explained the three different dimensions through which California's counties were measured: disparity, impact and performance.
- Disparity is in reference to how well different racial and ethnic groups are doing in relation to one another.
- Performance refers to how well people in these counties are doing, how they are performing.
- Lastly, impact represents the total population and number of those affected.
"The full scope of racial disparity is sometimes vague or deep beneath the surface," explained Kim. "It's difficult for us to actually put our eyes on the issues that are involved with these racial disparities." And so "Race Counts" is a tool meant to be used to dig deeper into the hidden mechanics of racial disparities throughout the state--a "high definition MRI scan of California."
How did Los Angeles fare?
The report describes Los Angeles County as a "low performance, low disparity, and more populous county;" a racially and ethnically diverse population that typically has a hard time getting ahead.
In terms of disparity, we rank 30th out of the 58 counties and in terms of performance, we're 45th. These rankings put us in the same category as Kern and San Bernardino counties.
"The issues that are really driving our racial disparity would be criminal justice and housing," explained Kim. "When you look just the issue of incarceration all of a sudden L.A. County jumps to number 2, we have one of the highest racial disparities in terms of incarceration... The most impacted would be African-Americans in L.A. County."
"Race Counts" found African-Americans in the county to be 13 times more likely to be incarcerated than someone of white descent and 100 times more likely to be incarcerated than Asians or Pacific Islanders. L.A. County may be around average in racial disparities overall, but incarceration and the criminal justice system are at the heart of the issue.
To hear more "Race Counts" findings and some possible solutions, click the blue play button above.
Why two-thirds of California middle schoolers may not graduate college
Seventy percent of ninth graders in California schools today are expected to not finish college.
More surprisingly, even middle school students who may seem academically prepared are falling off course somewhere along the way, according to a new study by the nonpartisan think tank Public Policy Institute of California.
"The California state standards for graduation are less demanding than what the University of California and California State University systems expect," said EdSource's Mikhail Zinshteyn to Take Two's A Martinez.
Zinshteyn says: "Generally, high schools require one year less of math and English."
In addition, even if a student does pass the basic required class, they do not enroll to the next level. "An example would be passing algebra and not heading into geometry," says Zinshteyn.
Going forward, school districts across the state are planning on setting their graduation requirements to match those UC and CSU expectations.
"One problem is that some districts accept a 'D' as an acceptable score for graduation," Zinshteyn explained, "while the UCs and CSUs require 'Cs' and up."
Other solutions being considered include a new state law, AB 705, and various reforms at Cal State that intend to overhaul prerequisite courses so that students can take college-level math and English courses from the start, without having to be slowed down by remedial classes.
"System alignment is a mouthful of a concept, but it's just really ensuring high schools prepare their students for the rigors of the UCs and CSUs," says Zinshteyn.
Click on the blue media player to hear the full conversation
Tuesday Reviewsday: A soul inspired Christmas, Dr. Dre goes orchestral and looking back at the Pharcyde
Music supervisor Morgan Rhodes offers her take on new and some newly re-issued music. On tap this week, selections from Timothy Bloom & V. Bozeman, Sly5thAve and the Pharcyde.
Christmas Time on the Black Hand Side
Artists: Timothy Bloom & V. Bozeman
Something old, something new as two of the best and brightest contemporary soul talents collaborate to present Christmas music with a twist.
Timothy Bloom, a two-time Grammy Award winning singer and songwriter, joins with V. Bozeman, the soul singer best known for her recurring role as Veronica on Fox's Empire, to create -a five-track EP that blends some holiday classics like "Baby It’s Cold Outside," with the new track "Mistletoe Hanging."
The Invisible Man: An Orchestral Tribute to Dr. Dre
Artist: Sly5thAve
Sylvester Onyejiaka, better known as Sly5thAve, is the musician behind the ensemble re-arrangement of Dr. Dre's most famous productions. Largely instrumental, the album captures and reinterprets the melody and groove of Dr. Dre.
Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (25th Anniversary Edition)
Artist: The Pharcyde
It may be hard to believe, but more than 25 years ago the unusual LA-based rap group, the Pharcyde, exploded on the scene. The album, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde, is now considered a classic, and this year it's been re-released with bonus material. To listen to it again, is to be reminded of how special this album is.
#MeToo and the place of 'innocent until proven guilty'
Powerful men from Hollywood, politics and beyond have been taken down in the past several months, one by one, by allegations of sexual harassment or assault.
The media coverage of those cases has been relentless.
As a result, many of those men may soon be looking at the end of their careers. Most of them, however, have not been found guilty of anything in a court of law.
Does the principle of "innocent until proven guilty" mean anything when you're facing the court of public opinion?
Take Two talks with Kathryn Bradley, professor of law at Duke University where she specializes in legal ethics.