Ina Jaffe

Automatic-Enrollment IRAs Get A Test Run In California

Ina Jaffe — Wed, 01 May 2013 07:21:00 +0000

With all of the controversy over entitlement reform, there's one thing both sides can agree on: Social Security alone does not provide enough money for a comfortable retirement. For these workers, the Obama administration is proposing automatically enrolling workers in IRAs through their employers.

California adopted a version of this last year. Democratic state Sen. Kevin de Leon sponsored the bill to automatically enroll workers in an individual retirement account. The inspiration, he says, was his Aunt Francisca, who's 74.

"She's my second mother.

A Mother's Fight Against 3 Strikes Law 'A Way of Life'

Ina Jaffe — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 20:25:00 +0000

Since the November election, 240 California prisoners facing potential life sentences have been set free. That's because voters changed California's tough three strikes sentencing law.

As NPR reported in 2009, that law sent thousands of people to prison for terms of 25 years to life for minor, nonviolent crimes. Now those prisoners can ask the court to have their sentences reduced.

One of those set free under the new law is Shane Reams.

A Retired Chicago Cop's Second Act Is At A Barbershop

Ina Jaffe — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 07:55:00 +0000

Increasingly, people are continuing to work past 65. Almost a third of Americans between the ages of 65 and 70 are working, and among those older than 75, about 7 percent are still on the job. In Working Late, a series for Morning Edition, NPR profiles older adults who are still in the workforce.

Some older Americans are passing up retirement in favor of starting businesses of their own.

For Elderly Midwife, Delivering Babies Never Gets Old

Ina Jaffe — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:42:00 +0000

Sometimes you can't retire even if you want to. For Dian Sparling, a certified nurse midwife in Fort Collins, Colo., there's no one to take over her practice.

At 85, 'Old-School' Politician Shows No Signs Of Quitting

Ina Jaffe — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:02:00 +0000

Politics is one field that has long been associated with people working into their later years — sometimes even into their 80s or 90s. And at 85, state Sen.

When A Bad Economy Means Working 'Forever'

Ina Jaffe — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 08:08:00 +0000

Janet Sims-Wood is a 67-year-old librarian living near Washington, D.C., who, like millions of other seniors, has had to stay in the workforce past retirement age to make ends meet.

For One Senior, Working Past Retirement Age Is A Workout

Ina Jaffe — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 08:43:00 +0000

Increasingly, people are continuing to work past 65. Almost a third of Americans between the ages of 65 and 70 are working, and among those older than 75, about 7 percent are still on the job.

Workshops Help Families Grappling With Alzheimer's Home Care

Ina Jaffe — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 21:41:00 +0000
There are more than 5 million people with Alzheimer's in the U.S., and most are cared for at home. Now, one company has begun offering training to family caregivers to help them deal with the special challenges of caring for an Alzheimer's patient.
The company, Home Instead Senior Care, is the nation's largest provider of nonmedical home care for seniors. The workshops are free and available to anyone, whether they're clients of the company or not.
A recent session in Los Angeles drew about half a dozen people on a weekday afternoon.

In California, 'Republican' Is Becoming A Toxic Label

Ina Jaffe — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 08:26:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLIzzs2HHgY

Underdog Democrat Is Keeping Things Close In Nevada Senate Race

Ina Jaffe — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 19:36:00 +0000
Early in-person voting in Nevada starts Saturday, and it's not just the presidential contest that's being closely watched in this swing state.
The race for the U.S. Senate is also seen as a tossup, a bit of a surprise for Republicans, who have counted on retaining the GOP-held seat as they try to build a majority.
Republican Sen. Dean Heller — in office for only 18 months — faces seven-term Rep. Shelley Berkley on Nov. 6.
Heller, 52, was a three-term congressman from the northern part of the state when he was appointed by Republican Gov.

Obama, Ryan Pitch Medicare Plans To Older Voters

Ina Jaffe — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 11:21:00 +0000
Transcript
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Both campaigns tried to appeal to older voters yesterday. President Obama and Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan addressed thousands of members of the AARP in New Orleans. Changes to Medicare and Social Security topped the agenda for both, but NPR's Ina Jaffee reports, there was more to these voters reactions to the candidates.
INA JAFFEE, BYLINE: More than 5,000 AARP members filled the hall to hear the president and congressman Ryan present dueling visions for the future of Medicare. Mr.

Los Angeles VA Has Made Millions On Rental Deals

Ina Jaffe — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 07:28:00 +0000
Most Los Angeles residents only know the Veterans Affairs medical center in West Los Angeles as something they glimpse from their cars when they're on traffic-choked Wilshire Boulevard. From the road it looks like a park, but within the grounds is the largest medical facility in the VA's health care system.
The campus is also one of the most fought-over pieces of property in Los Angeles. The nearly 400 acres are in the middle of a densely populated and affluent part of the city. Given its location, the land has been coveted for commercial development.

After L.A. Riots, An Effort To Rebuild A Broken City

Ina Jaffe — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 10:27:00 +0000
The Los Angeles riots began 20 years ago Sunday, when a jury acquitted four police officers in the beating of black motorist Rodney King in 1992.
While the ashes were still smoldering, then-Mayor Tom Bradley announced a new organization that would repair the shattered city, Rebuild L.A. Its mission was to spend five years harnessing the power of the private sector to replace and improve on what was lost. While it created a lot of hope, it created even more disappointment.
In the aftermath of the riots, more than 1,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed — $1 billion worth of property.

Why Does Saul Alinsky Inspire Such Passion?

Ina Jaffe — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:40:00 +0000
At a campaign event in Jacksonville, Fla., Monday morning, Newt Gingrich dropped a name that he has been using a lot lately.
"I believe in the Constitution; I believe in the Federalist Papers. Obama believes in Saul Alinsky and secular European socialist bureaucracy," Gingrich said.
In Saul Alinsky?

How Do You Hold Mentally Ill Offenders Accountable?

Ina Jaffe — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:01:00 +0000
Part of an ongoing series
Mental health and law enforcement officials in California are trying to find ways to hold violent psychiatric patients accountable without punishing people for being sick. It's a response to escalating violence in the state's mental hospitals, where thousands of assaults occur annually. Only a tiny fraction of them, however, result in criminal charges.
One case that did was the attack on Jill Francis, a psychiatric technician.

In Calif. Mental Hospitals, Assaults Rarely A Crime

Ina Jaffe — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:01:00 +0000
Part of an ongoing series
Thousands of violent incidents occur every year in California's psychiatric hospitals, but very few are treated as crimes. Among the exceptions was the murder last year of a hospital staffer by a patient.

GOP Candidates Step Up Attacks On Each Other

Ina Jaffe — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:17:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWKTOCP45zY

An Inside Look At The 'Dark Art' Of Politics

Ina Jaffe — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:13:00 +0000
No one seems to be talking about Herman Cain's 9-9-9 tax plan this week — including Herman Cain. Instead, he's had to deal with allegations that he committed sexual harassment when he was head of the National Restaurant Association.
On Wednesday night, he accused Texas Gov. Rick Perry's presidential campaign of planting the story.

Six Miles Offshore: The Wreck Of Montebello

Ina Jaffe — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 01:01:00 +0000
A task force is evaluating the risk posed by a sunken oil tanker, the SS Montebello. It went to the bottom after being attacked by a Japanese submarine during World War II. State and federal officials want to know if the ship is still carrying its cargo of oil, and if that oil could escape.
At stake is a coastline known for its stunning scenery and wildlife sanctuaries. The task force was put together a couple of years ago at the urging of state Sen.

Political Ads Target TV, But Not Everyone Is Tuning In

Ina Jaffe — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:25:00 +0000
If you watched the Emmy Awards recently, you may have seen an ad inviting viewers to "fight" for President Obama's jobs plan.
"The next election is 14 months away," Obama says in the ad. "And the people who sent us here, they don't have the luxury of waiting 14 months."
Although the election is more than a year away, it's not keeping political commercials off of our TV screens.

Bachmann Struggles To Regain Early Momentum

Ina Jaffe — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 10:05:00 +0000
The presidential campaign has been a roller coaster for Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann.
From a back-of-the-pack start, the Tea Party favorite won an upset victory in the Iowa straw poll. Then, Texas Gov. Rick Perry got in the race and eclipsed her as a media headliner, and Bachmann's star has fallen.

Perry, Romney Capture Spotlight At GOP Debate

Ina Jaffe — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 08:00:00 +0000
Transcript
It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Good morning, Im David Greene.
STEVE INSKEEP, host:
And Im Steve Inskeep.
Just a few months ago, many Republicans seemed to assume that their candidate for president would be a long shot in 2012.
GREENE: But now President Obama is looking more vulnerable, so Republican candidates attended a debate last night, knowing that one of them could have a real chance to win.
INSKEEP: First, of course, they battle each other. Former front-runner Mitt Romney faced with the current front runner, Rick Perry.

For Debt Panel's Becerra, No Egos While Negotiating

Ina Jaffe — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 04:01:00 +0000
As politicians go, California Rep. Xavier Becerra has a relatively low profile considering that he's been in Congress for 18 years. He's the vice chairman of the Democratic Caucus, the former head of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the first Latino to serve on the powerful Ways and Means Committee.
When the Democrats had the House majority, Nancy Pelosi appointed him to the new post of assistant to the speaker.

Downgrade Illustrates Washington's Dysfunction

Ina Jaffe — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 19:00:00 +0000
When Standard & Poor's downgraded the United State's credit rating, it said that the "effectiveness, stability and predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened." In other words, S&P was down on Washington's dysfunction, distrust and gridlock. The reactions to S&P's move — at least the reactions seen on TV — suggest that the ratings agency may have had a point.
There was just one sliver of bipartisan agreement.