A new bill seeks to change the current statute of limitations for rape in California; democratic superdelegates give us a behind the scenes look at the political process; we also talk about Lynn Swann as USC's new Athletic Director and one last fadeaway - looking back at Kobe Bryant's 20 years in the NBA
Family on the trail - are they helping or hurting the candidates?
At a town hall meeting Tuesday, Ivanka and Eric Trump told CNN that they missed the voting registration deadline due to the “onerous” rules of New York. Those rules required them to register more than a year ago and will keep them from voting for their famous father in next week’s New York primary.
But will this latest headline reflect badly on Donald Trump, or is it just part of slew of press attention that will work in his favor?
Family members of presidential candidates have long been the go-to in order to woo voters on the campaign trail. Michelle Obama was a hit with the Democratic Party, and Bill Clinton is campaigning for Hillary, stepping into the shoes she wore during his journey to the oval office.
The Trumps aren’t the only children in support of their political parents. Chelsea Clinton is also on her mother’s side. And Ted Cruz has featured his children in his campaign ads.
So do family members of presidential candidates make a difference?
Guest:
Julian Zelizer, presidential historian and Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University. He is the author of multiple books on U.S. political history, including The Fierce Urgency of Now: Lyndon Johnson, Congress and the Battle for the Great Society (Penguin Press)
Paul Ryan for president? Speaker vows to refuse nomination but some aren’t buying it
As Republican and Democratic presidential candidates compete amongst themselves for their parties’ nominations on the campaign stage, another person who is no stranger to a general election year has been quietly dancing around whether or not he’ll make a run.
And no, it’s not Michael Bloomberg.
Current Speaker of the House and former vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan’s name has been surfacing recently as a possible GOP presidential nominee if the party is unable to come to an agreement on one of the candidates currently in the running. Ryan said Tuesday in no uncertain terms that he neither wanted nor would accept the nomination, and urged delegates to choose a candidate who has participated in the primaries if no nominee emerges from the first ballot at the GOP convention.
Ryan is seen as a rising star within the GOP, a bright young politician with experience chairing House committees and the support of his state and the Republican party.
Still, there’s speculation that Ryan’s blunt refusal to accept a nomination is just a way of staying out of the fray for now. Many Republicans believe he stands a better chance of defeating the Democratic nominee and, if no nominee emerges, that he would reluctantly accept the nomination just as he did the Speakership when Ohio Congressman John Boehner stepped down.
Others have speculated that the real strategy behind Ryan dodging the nomination is to lay groundwork for a 2020 run.
Do you think Paul Ryan really wants himself removed from the conversation or is he biding his time? What do you think is behind Ryan’s strategy?
Guests:
Peter Dreier, Professor of Political Science, Occidental College
Lori Cox Han, Professor of Political Science, Chapman University; Author, "In It to Win: Electing Madam President" (Bloomsbury; 2015)
Debate: Bill seeks to extend statute of limitations for rape in California
Five of the women have accused comedian Bill Cosby of sexual assault, but at least some of the alleged crimes are too old for prosecution.
A state bill, SB 813, authored by Senator Connie Leyva (D-Chino) would abolish all legal deadlines for rape, sodomy, lewd, or lascivious acts, continuous sexual abuse of a child, oral copulation and sexual penetration.
The bill was heard Tuesday by the Senate Public Safety Committee.
Read full story here.
During the conversation, our guests and callers weighed in with the pros and cons of extending the statute of limitations for sex crimes. Here are some highlights:
Co-chair of the legislative committee at the California Public Defenders Association, Margo George, is against extending the statute of limitations for sex crimes. As someone who has personal experience with sexual assault, she argued that the culture of silence around sexual abuse needs to change.
Margo George: I’m 66 years old. When I was 18. A friend of mine coerced me. At the time, I did not realize that I’d been raped. And it took me many years to come to grips that that was what actually what happened. But that’s because of the stigma, the confusion and, not in my case, but in other people’s cases, the power differential. But I think that’s the important part, for women and men to step up and say “this is what happened. It was not okay. We’re gonna change the culture.”
Charles in Menlo Park called in to give his case for lengthening the statute of limitations. He said that, as a rape survivor, he can attest to how difficult it is to talk about what happened, especially for men.
Charles: I, myself, was raped over 10 years ago. I had just turned 18 at the time and if this was law now, I would absolutely come forward about it and seek prosecution. It’s taken me a long time to come to terms with it and to get myself to a place where, emotionally I can even talk about it. To be honest, there’s very few people I know that I’ve been able to tell. Before this point in my life, there’s no way I would have been able to go to the police about it and file a report and deal with all that. I think this law is absolutely important. Without it, it just emboldens sexual predators.
Jason in the Miracle Mile district said he was falsely accused of rape and is thankful the LAPD’s investigation found that he was innocent. As a person who works in the entertainment industry, he said the statute of limitations should not be lengthened because it would increase the number of false accusations.
Jason: After gaining some relative success in my industry. These women will come out of the woodwork at you when they realize that you’ve gained some financial success. So I feel for Bill Cosby. I think he’s been framed . . . If we didn’t have the statute of limitations, [these women] come at you like crazy.
Guests:
Joelle Casteix, Western regional director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, and the author of the book "The Well-Armored Child: A Parent's Guide to Preventing Sexual Abuse." [She lives in Newport Beach, CA]
Margo George, co-chair of the legislative committee at the California Public Defenders Association
2 Superdelegates - one for Clinton, one for Sanders - give insiders' accounts
With an increasingly heated battle for the Democratic nomination, superdelegates - party leaders tasked with ensuring primary voters pick a winner - must maintain a diplomatic demeanor and stay above the fray.
On AirTalk, Larry will interview a pair of superdelegates about how they perceive their roles during this campaign year.
Guests:
Joe Buscaino, Superdelegate for Hillary Clinton; LA City Councilmember
Erin Bilbray, Superdelegate for Senator Bernie Sanders; DNC Nevada National Committeewoman; she tweets from
Is North Carolina’s HB2 rollback enough to win back its corporate critics?
(AP) North Carolina's governor is asking lawmakers to change part of a state law criticized for its anti-discrimination policies, but he sees no need for a wholesale repeal or reversal of its provisions on transgender bathroom access.
Gov. Pat McCrory issued an executive order on Tuesday expanding protections for many state workers based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
He also said he will ask the General Assembly in the coming weeks restore the ability of all workers to sue over employment discrimination on the basis of issues like race, age and gender in state court. That ability that had been removed in the law.
But aside from the change on workplace discrimination lawsuits, McCrory supports preserving the rest of the law that has brought nationwide fallout to North Carolina since he signed it last month. LGBT rights groups and political opponents have blasted him, while criticism from business executives includes several who have scaled back planned expansions in the state.
Bruce Springsteen also canceled a concert in the state because of the law.
Guests:
Matthew McReynolds, senior staff attorney at Pacific Justice Institute in Sacramento, which works to defend religious liberties and parental rights
Laura Durso, Senior Director of the LGBT Research and Communications Project at the policy think tank Center for American Progress
Lynn Swann picked as USC's new athletic director
One last fadeaway: Looking back at Kobe Bryant’s 20 year NBA career
The fadeaway jumper isn’t perfect. While it looks great a lot of the time, it’s often not the ideal shot. But it won’t apologize for what it is.
While it’s not always successful, it does always leave you clinging to the edge of your seat, waiting to see what’s going to happen next.
For Kobe Bryant, the fadeaway jumper isn’t just his signature shot, it’s a representation his entire career: beautiful, confident, dramatic, and unapologetic. Tonight, that career comes to an end as Kobe suits up as a Laker one last time. At 37, Kobe is a 20 year NBA veteran who has been playing a game of chicken with his body for the last several years. He announced at the beginning of this season that it would be his last, and with the Lakers poor performance on the court leaving them well out of the playoff picture, the year has been a farewell tour for the man fans know as “Black Mamba.”
Few professional athletes, let alone basketball players, have left a mark on the game they play the way Kobe has impacted basketball. And it’s not just his stats. Sure, who wouldn’t love to have five NBA Championships, 2 NBA Finals MVPs 18 All-Star Game selections, four All-Star Game MVPs, two Olympic gold medals, and the Lakers all-time scoring title? But guards play differently because of Kobe. Defenders defend differently because of Kobe. Basketball is different because of Kobe. So is Los Angeles.
Unlike his signature shot, Kobe will certainly not fade away from the game of basketball or from Los Angeles. The memorable moments he created are too many to forget. He has yet to say where life will take him after the NBA, and while he’ll be remembered by some more for his polarizing and sometimes cryptic persona than his skills, his legacy and connection to this city and to the game of basketball are undeniable.
Where does Kobe rank among the all-time greatest Lakers? Among the all-time greatest L.A. sports stars? Among the greatest NBA players ever?
Guest:
A Martinez, host of KPCC’s Take Two