This past April, the California Supreme Court ruled on new classifications for what it means to be an independent contractor, blurring the lines between contracted workers and full blown employees. We debate the rules and their impact. We also host our weekly political round table; look at Snapchat's potential influence on body dysmorphia; and more.
Week in politics: Trump says Trump tower meeting was about Hillary after all, Mueller investigation continues, some Iran sanctions reimposed and more
AirTalk’s weekly political roundtable covers the headlines you might have missed over the weekend and previews what’s to come in national politics this week. Here’s what we’re following:
Paul Manafort’s trial in federal court continues, with the recent development that his accountant went along with alleged tax fraud and his right-hand man Rick Gates taking the spotlight as star witness this week
Trump says Trump Jr.’s meeting with the Russian lawyer was about getting dirt on Hillary Clinton after all
Trump tweets that California wildfires are being made worse by water diversion. What exactly does he mean?
Certain Iran sanctions are being re-imposed today
Trump insults the intelligence of LeBron and Don Lemon
And last week, Trump unrolled his plan to weaken fuel standards in California
The tit-for-tat tariff threats between China and the U.S. continue
The Trump administration issued a new rule that paves the way for leaner, “short term” insurance plans that can now last three years
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
Sean T. Walsh, Republican political analyst and partner at Wilson Walsh Consulting in San Francisco; he is a former adviser to California Governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger and a former White House staffer for Presidents Reagan and H.W. Bush
‘Snapchat dysmorphia’: how are selfie filters affecting self image and mental health?
Ten years ago, people may have brought in a photo of a famous actor for reference to a plastic surgeon.
But with the advent of Snapchat filters,one plastic surgeon is finding that patients asking to look like the doctored versions of their selfies — and some are concerned that the ubiquity of these filters is contributing to “Snapchat dysmorphia,” according to a recent article in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
While some Snapchat filters add puppy ears or a silly hat to your moving selfie, others can alter your features in more subtle ways: a smaller nose, higher cheekbones, blemish-free skin. These filters blur the lines between fantasy and reality, and for some might contribute to body dysmorphia disorder, which is on the obsessive-compulsive spectrum and is characterized by repetitive behaviors and extreme actions to hide what is perceived as an imperfection.
If you or someone you know uses these filters, how has it affected esteem and body image? What separates a cosmetic concern that someone takes to a plastic surgeon from body dysmorphia?
Guests:
Katie Notopoulos, tech reporter for Buzzfeed News; she tweets
Catherine Walker, visiting assistant professor in clinical psychology at Union college in Schenectady, New York; her specialty is in eating disorders and body image
Ellen Fitzsimmons-Craft, instructor of psychiatry at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis whose speciality is in eating disorders
Employee or contractor? How CA’s new standards could spark changes in the gig economy
The California Supreme Court ruled on what defines an independent contractor versus an employee.
The ruling narrowed the terms under which a worker can be considered an independent contractor. The court laid out three provisions necessary to be considered independent. But interpreting those rules has been the hard part.
We examine the effects of the state’s Supreme Court decision, particularly on those working in the gig economy.
Guests:
Michael Bernick, counsel for Duane Morris LLP where he practices in the area of labor and employment law; former director of California’s labor department and Employment Development Department and a Milken Institute research fellow
Jennifer Barrera, senior vice president of policy for the California Chamber of Commerce
When it comes to sex, what’s ‘normal’? The science of desire and satisfaction
In America, less than half of all states require schools to teach sex education.
Schools that mandate medical guidelines on sex education are even fewer. And according to social psychologist Justin Lehmiller, “the talk” isn’t getting talked about enough.
Lehmiller is a leading expert on human sexuality and recently conducted the largest, most comprehensive survey of Americans’ sex lives and fantasies. The study surveyed more than 4,000 participants of diverse backgrounds, and its findings are compiled in Lehmiller’s new book, “Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life.”
According to Lehmiller’s research, 4 out of 5 Americans aren’t getting what they want. So what are our most popular sexual desires and why? How do these desires differ across a spectrum of genders, faiths and even political ideologies? And what makes us too embarrassed to reveal our own fantasies?
If you have questions or comments, call us at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Justin Lehmiller, expert on sex research with The Kinsey Institute; he is the author of “Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life” (Da Capo Press 2018) and tweets