The latest on Iran as some personnel at key US base in Qatar advised to evacuate

Some personnel at a key U.S. military base in Qatar have been advised to evacuate by Wednesday evening, a U.S. official said. The decision came as a senior official in Iran brought up an earlier Iranian attack there. The official, who spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive plans, described the move at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar as a precautionary measure. The official wouldn’t go into any further details about the move, including whether the evacuation was optional or mandatory, if it affected troops or civilian personnel, or the number of those advised to leave, citing the need for operational security. In response, Qatar said Wednesday that such measures were being “undertaken in response to the current regional tensions.” Today on AirTalk, we get the latest with Yenageh Tobarti, Washington Post reporter covering Turkey and Iran and Benoit Faucon, security correspondent for the Wall Street Journal.

With files from the Associated Press.

What’s with the billionaire tax?

A proposed billionaires’ tax in California has ignited a political uproar in Silicon Valley, with tech titans threatening to leave the state while Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom maneuvers to defeat a levy that he fears will lead to an exodus of wealth. A technology mecca, California has more billionaires than any other state — a few hundred, by some estimates. Nearly half its personal income tax revenue, a financial backbone in the nearly $350 billion budget, comes from the top 1% of earners. A large health care union is attempting to place a proposal before voters in November that would impose a one-time 5% tax on the assets of billionaires — including stocks, art, businesses, collectibles and intellectual property — to backfill federal funding cuts to health services for lower-income people that were signed by President Donald Trump last year. Joining us is Laurel Rosenhall, California politics correspondent for The New York Times, Darien Shanske, professor of Law at UC Davis and Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist and founder and chief executive officer of Rodriguez Strategies.

Why is Gen Z not talking?

Talking—in its most literal form—has recently become a ‘desirable difficulty’ for Zoomers, as many in the generation feel that the oral style of conversation is antiquated and hard to come by in today’s virtual age. But, psychologists argue that talking out loud still strengthens focus, learning, emotional regulation, and even long-term brain health in ways passive listening can’t replicate. Today on AirTalk, Maryellen C. MacDonald, professor emerita of psychology and language sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of ‘More Than Words: How Talking Sharpens the Mind and Shapes Our World,’ joins us to unpack why Gen Z is talking less. We also want to hear from you! Have you noticed Zoomers talking out loud less? Why do you think that is? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.

Colorado River check-in and what a new report is suggesting

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released a report offering four new options on how to distribute water from the Colorado River. The report comes as the seven western states that rely on the Colorado River continue a drawn out negotiation on how to supply farms and cities across the west. The states now have until mid-February to come up with a plan. If a deal is not reached, the states may find themselves stuck with one of the options offered in the Bureau’s report. Some experts are calling the options in the report “alarming,” and would lead to substantial cutbacks with the Lower Basin states – California, Arizona and Nevada – possibly faring worse than the Upper Basin states – Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Joining us on AirTalk to discuss is Ian James, reporter for the LA Times focusing on water and climate change in California and the West and Bill Hasencamp, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s manager of Colorado River Resources.

How are social media influencers impacting political policy and public support?

As traditional lobbying groups deal with federal laws that limit their influence, these same groups have looked at alternative ways of getting their messaging across; a recent Wall Street Journal article reported how social media influencers have more freedom in their political messaging, in turn making them a useful tool in growing public support for policies. Although social media influencers do have restrictions in their lobbying, the lack of scrutiny they face for unclear advertising/promotion has led political operatives in the United States to take advantage of these loopholes. So today on AirTalk, we’ll dig into this form of political lobbying and how it’s shaping policy in Washington D.C., with Maggie Severns, reporter for the Wall Street Journal and co-author of the piece Washington’s New Lobbyists: Paid Online Influencers With Few Rules.

Have a favorite neighborhood in Southern California? Let us know!

We want to hear about your favorite neighborhoods: places you’ve lived your entire life or places you are only able to go to a couple times a year. Why keep it all to yourself? Don’t gatekeep! What undersung neighborhoods and perennial favorites of Southern California do you think are special? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.

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The latest on Iran as some personnel at key US base in Qatar advised to evacuate