Today on AirTalk, we discuss Joe Biden's recent declaration for a 2020 presidential run as well as the strengths and weaknesses of his candidacy. We also examine the state of legal marijuana in California with Lori Ajax, chief of the California Bureau of Cannabis Control; and more.
As Joe Biden declares his 2020 presidential run, we look at the strengths and weaknesses of his candidacy and his chances to win the nomination
Former Vice President and Delaware Senator Joe Biden is expected to announce his candidacy for president in 2020 on Thursday after months of speculation about whether or not the elder statesman would run.
In a video posted to his social media channels, Biden called out President Trump for comments he made following protests by white supremacists in Charlottesville, VA and said that America was “in the battle for the soul of the nation.”
The core values of this nation… our standing in the world… our very democracy...everything that has made America -- America --is at stake. That’s why today I’m announcing my candidacy for President of the United States.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden)
The core values of this nation… our standing in the world… our very democracy...everything that has made America -- America --is at stake. That’s why today I’m announcing my candidacy for President of the United States. #Joe2020 https://t.co/jzaQbyTEz3
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 25, 2019
Biden’s run has been a subject of discussion for months and Democrats are split over the impact his presence in the race could have. He has strong name-recognition and more foreign policy experience than his opponents. But he's also recently coming off an incident in which several women accused him of making them uncomfortable by inappropriately touching them. Others wonder whether voters in a Democratic party that has shifted to the left since he last ran for president and is maybe more ideologically fragmented than ever will want to vote for yet another white, male politician.
But just how strong is his candidacy in a crowded field of candidates that is racially and ideologically diverse and in a party that is longing for a shake-up of the status quo?
Guests:
Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist and founder and chief executive officer of Rodriguez Strategies. He is also a former senior Obama advisor in 2008; he tweets
Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University who has written about Joe Biden’s candidacy; he tweets
Bring your baby to work?
A bill from Assemblyman Randy Voepel (R-San Diego) is looking to allow state workers to bring their newborns to work.
The proposal, Assembly Bill 372, would give parents and caregivers the option to bring their babies into the workplace starting at six weeks old, and remain in the office until they reach six months or begin to crawl. The “Infants at Work” pilot program would be voluntary for state agencies. The bill was first introduced last session but didn’t advance through the legislature. The proposal comes amid growing conversation around paid parental leave in California.
What do you think about this proposal? Would it work? Share your thoughts and call us at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Jeremy B. White, co-author of Politico’s California Playbook, where he covers politics in California; he tweets
The experience of being an only child on ‘bring your kids to work’ day
It’s “Bring Your Kids to Work Day” across the country, including at KPCC’s offices in Pasadena.
To celebrate the day, Desmond Mantle will be joining his father and host of AirTalk, Larry Mantle in the studio.
Larry is, of course, Desmond’s father, but was an only child himself. Today on AirTalk, as Desmond prepares to go off to college next year, both share the experience of being only children.
Check out the last time when Desmond was on the show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE9Xcd3WrQw
Guest:
Desmond Mantle, Larry Mantle’s son
CA bill moves to ban ‘willful defiance’ suspensions for all K-12
In 2014 California passed AB 420, banning the use of suspensions and expulsions for dealing with students who commit defiant and disruptive acts in grades K-3.
Now the state Senate has passed a new bill, SB 419, which would extend that ban to all grades K-12 through Jan. 1, 2025. On Monday, it cleared 30-8 in the Senate and now moves to the Assembly.
State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), SB 419’s primary author, is pushing for the extended ban as a way to keep students in school and prevent them from falling into the juvenile justice system, pointing to data showing that students of color or with disabilities or of the LGBT community “are disproportionately suspended for low-level subjective offenses.”
Opponents are concerned the move would strip further authority from administrators and teachers. We discuss.
We reached out to the Charter School Development Center, the only group in formal opposition against the bill, but did not receive a response at the time of this interview.
Guests:
Kyle Stokes, K-12 education reporter for KPCC; he tweets
Josefina Ramirez Notsinneh, senior associate of government relations at Children Now, a research, policy and advocacy organization dedicated to children’s health, education and welfare; they’re a co-sponsor of the bill
Checking in on marijuana in California with the state’s top cannabis official
Lori Ajax has a tough job. She’s charged with overseeing a department that regulates a brand new and complex legal cannabis industry.
For the last year and three months since cannabis has been legally sold and distributed in California, she and her department have had to navigate a number of issues related to things like licensing, coming up with testing regulations, and enforcing laws that go after illegal operators. And as the industry continues to grow and become more established in the state, there are sure to be more challenges ahead. Already this year, there are close to 60 pieces of legislation in Sacramento that contain “cannabis” or “marijuana” and that relate to things like banking, compassionate care, testing and more. At the county and city level there’s lots of discussion over the legality of deliveries and whether they should be allowed to prohibit licensed firms from making them.
Today on AirTalk, Ajax joins Larry Mantle to talk about the state of cannabis in California, where she feels her department has been successful, the challenges she expects to face down the road and what she has learned now that we are more than a full year into legal sales and distribution. Have a question? Join the conversation with Larry and Lori by calling 866-893-5722.
You can check to see whether your local cannabis dispensary is licensed with the state here.
Guest:
Lori Ajax, chief of the California Bureau of Cannabis Control