AirTalk dives into the logistics of President Trump’s proclamation directing the National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border. We also dive into a new Pew study on how attitudes toward sexual assault have changed since the #MeToo movement took off; are Ivy League schools discriminatory toward Asian American college applicants?; and more.
Trump wants to send the National Guard to CA’s border, but will the state consent? We talk state versus federal legal powers
President Trump says National Guard troops will be sent to the US-Mexico border to work with the border patrol.
He’s describing this as essentially a stopgap until Congress approves funding for a border wall and tightens immigration enforcement overall.
But governors have a lot of say in how their National Guard personnel are used. Texas’ governor is applauding the President’s move. That state already has some National Guard members along the border. But what about California? Our leaders have been hostile to Trump. How might that affect Governor Brown’s willingness to cooperate?
What is the Federal government’s jurisdiction over state National Guard troops? We discuss the latest, plus the legal issues involved.
Guests:
Emily Cadei, D.C. correspondent for the Sacramento Bee; she tweets
Dwight Stirling, adjunct professor of law at USC; chief executive officer and co-founder of the Veterans Legal Institute in Santa Ana; he is a major and a judge advocate officer in the CA National Guard
Trump administration tightening lid on CFPB amid call for reform
The director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Mick Mulvaney, is expected to ask Congress to restructure the agency, according to reports.
Meanwhile, the federal government wants to make drastic changes to weaken the agency’s independence. The CFPB is responsible for consumer protection in the financial sector.
Guest:
Yuka Hayashi, reporter who covers financial regulations for the Wall Street Journal; she tweets
It’s been nearly half a year since #MeToo gained traction. Has it changed attitudes at work?
It’s been nearly six months since the sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein came to the fore of public and media attention, launching the #MeToo movement which has reverberated far past the entertainment industry – but has it shifted attitudes in the workplace?
According to a new survey from the Pew Research Center, 51 percent of people surveyed thought #MeToo has made it more difficult for men to know how to interact with women at work, and few see an upside for women, with 51 percent saying it won’t make a difference and 20 percent saying it will lead to fewer career opportunities.
The survey breaks down beliefs by gender, generation and political party affiliation. For example, 28 percent of Republican or Republican-leaning men think it’s a big problem to have men get away with sexual harassment and for women to not be believed, compared to 58 percent of men who identify as Democrat.
Larry Mantle sits down with one of the researchers who put together the survey. Plus, we want to hear from you. How has the #MeToo movement changed behavior and outlook at work? Has it made it more difficult for men to interact with women? Has it been beneficial to women in the workplace?
Guest:
Juliana Horowitz, associate director for social trends research at the Pew Research Center; she worked on the survey “Sexual Harassment at Work in the Era of #MeToo” survey; she tweets
Are Ivy League schools discriminatory toward Asian American college applicants?
In 2014, a lawsuit was filed by a group representing some Asian Americans who claim that Harvard University unfairly disadvantages Asian American college applicants.
Last week, the group behind the suit - Student for Fair Admissions - sought to have Harvard’s admissions data released to the public, which it claimed would prove irrefutably that the school’s admissions process discriminates against Asian Americans.
AirTalk debates the topic.
Guests:
Anemona Hartocollis, reporter for the New York Times, who covered the story; she tweets
Ilya Shapiro, senior fellow in constitutional studies at the libertarian Cato Institute and editor-in-chief of the Cato Supreme Court Review; he tweets from
Paul Watanabe, Ph.D., professor of political science and director at the Institute for Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston
Power in numbers? Or confidential black hole? A new website that connects sexual assault victims in the workplace
Now that Callisto, an online startup aimed at combating sexual harassment and assault by connecting victims who share the same perpetrator, has seen success with their university partnerships, they’re looking to expand into the workplace.
The latter months of 2017 brought an avalanche of sexual assault and harassment take-downs, and women learned the power in coming forward as a unified group. In most instances, multiple reports involving a single perpetrator hold more weight than reports of an isolated incident, and Callisto has designed a system that detects serial offenders in order to create firmer legal options for victims' cases.
Shifting this concept from college campuses, where Title IX issues often become swathed in bureaucratic red tape, to decentralized work industries seemed like a natural move. This summer, Callisto will be unveiling a partnership in Silicon Valley, and it plans on rolling into more industries following the launch.
But what concerns, if any, do employers have regarding third party reporting services? What are the legal pros and cons to the confidential nature of software such as this?
Guests:
Anjana Rajan, chief technology officer at Callisto, an online platform designed to help combat sexual assault and harassment in a multitude of industries
Sue M. Bendavid, chair of the employment law department at Lewitt Hackman, where she represents companies and management in seuxal harassment allegations
New California bill wants to limit when police can engage in the use of deadly force
A California lawmaker is introducing a legislation aiming to reduce fatal use of force.
On Tuesday, Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) introduced Police Accountability and Community Protection Act (AB 931). Under the current law, police use of deadly force must be “objectively reasonable.” The newly introduced bill would make two key changes to the current policy. AB 931 would only allow officers to use deadly force if necessary to prevent imminent and serious bodily injury or death, after resorting to alternatives like verbal warning or nonlethal force to deescalate the situation. It would also examine if an officer’s action prior to a killing was negligent and determine if those actions placed the officer in harm’s way.
The Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) released a statement on the proposed legislation arguing that AB 931 is not sound policy and that it will put officers in more dangerous encounters with suspects.
Guests:
Peter Bibring, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Southern California and director of police practices for the ACLU of California; the organization is sponsoring AB 931
Gary Ingemunson, independent counsel for the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the labor union representing LAPD officers; he is also a former police officer