Will Republicans conclude that Garland is the best choice to to fill the seat; kidnapping victim Elizabeth Smart says pornography made her "living hell worse" and is now campaigning against the "drug;" and learning to use smartphone and other tech apps to remedy the sleeping disorder.
Supreme Court Nomination: A second wind for Judge Merrick Garland?
We can't wait any longer to restore our Supreme Court to full capacity. Tell Senate leaders: It's time for a vote. https://t.co/INKhdtm2rn
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 22, 2016
That’s the message sent out yesterday by Twitter handle
, run by the grassroots group Organizing for Action.
Senate Republicans have been stonewalling a vote on the president’s current nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, since March. So far the GOP has been stalling the vote for the next 9th Justice until after the presidential election. Donald Trump has been very supportive of continuing to block Garland. But as the Republican presidential nominee‘s numbers continue to sink, there’s been renewed interest in voting on the moderate justice nominee now.
Republican Garland supporters think waiting to vote runs the risk of a more liberal Supreme Court candidate from the potential Clinton Administration.
Is the renewed interest in Garland an effort by some Republicans lawmakers to distance themselves from an increasingly unpopular Trump? Is Judge Garland the safest bet for Republicans to fill the empty Supreme Court seat?
Guests:
John Eastman, professor of law and founding director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence at Chapman University
Lisa Camooso Miller, Republican strategist and partner at Reset Public Affairs, a public affairs firm based in D.C.; she tweets
School calendar debate resurfaces as LAUSD board considers post-Labor Day school start
When should the school year start for kids in public K-12 schools?
Traditionally, the answer has been after Labor Day in September. But in recent years, the academic year for districts around the state is starting earlier and earlier.
Students at Los Angeles Unified Schools started up this past Tuesday, but if a resolution being taken up at the LAUSD board meeting today passes, kids could be looking at an extra couple weeks of vacation.
Three LAUSD board members have introduced a proposal (page 16) that would push the start of the school year to an “unspecified date after Labor Day.” They need to find just one more vote to push them into the majority on the seven-member board
Proponents argue that the earlier start means students can’t spend much-needed time outside for physical activity due to the heat, and the costs incurred by having to run air conditioning in schools during August are too high to justify. They also say it cuts summer travel short for families and faculty who go away in August.
Critics say a later start means students don’t have as long of a winter break since they haven’t finished their instructional calendar and end up having to come back earlier in January to take finals.
What’s your take on LAUSD’s proposal to start school post-Labor Day? Do you think a later stat helps or hinders students and faculty? What have other districts seen as advantages and disadvantages as they have moved their start dates earlier?
Guests:
Sara Roos, a LAUSD parent
Alex Rojas, superintendent of the Bassett Unified School District, which is located in the San Gabriel Valley; serves some unincorporated parts of L.A. County and portions of the City of Industry, La Puente, and Whittier
Kidnapping victim Elizabeth Smart campaigns against 'the new drug:' pornography
Elizabeth Smart, who was kidnapped in 2002 at the age of 14, has spoken out against pornography, saying that it played a role in her abuse.
In a recent interview for the anti-porn group Fight the New Drug, Smart said “pornography made my living hell worse.” Smart said porn motivated her captor to rape her even more frequently than he already did throughout her nine-month captivity. The video raises issues about porn addiction and its effect on behavior and the brain.
However, recent research shows that the brain does not respond to porn in patterns consistent with addiction. But some, like the group that interviewed Smart, claim that it’s a dangerous “drug.”
So how harmful is porn? And what, if anything, should be done about porn addiction?
Guests:
Clay Olsen, Co-Founder & CEO of Fight the New Drug, an anti-pornography group
Nicole Prause, neuroscientist who has studied porn addiction; she’s the founder of Liberos LLC, an independent research institute
Ahead of big annual meeting, Federal Reserve grapples with identity crisis
The Great Recession might be over, but the global economy has been stuck in the doldrums, dragging down US growth and stoking pessimism.
The Federal Reserve has used the traditional tools at its disposal to spur growth. But as the economy continues to stall, some observers think that these measures are inadequate and the Fed should rethink how it goes about managing the economy.
All eyes are on the Federal Reserve’s annual meeting in Jackson Hole, Wy., this week for hints on what it would do next
Meanwhile, a proposal released by “Fed Up,” an activist group, wants the central bank to include more women and minorities in its governing structure. The group says the bank right now is too white and too male.
Guests:
Lindsay Dunsmuir, Federal Reserve / Economy Correspondent at Reuters
Yelena Shulyatyeva, US economist at Bloomberg Intelligence
Apps that aim to quell your insomnia, plus 5 tips for better sleep
Insomniacs have easier access to drug-free therapy, thanks to apps and Internet courses offering CBT-I — Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia.
The sleep-specific therapy was initially created to deal with sleeplessness that occurs in the middle of one's sleep, rather than those who have trouble falling asleep when first going to bed. Components of CBT-I include a focus on good "sleep hygiene," such as reserving time spent in bed for sleeping only, and strategies for eliminating worry about sleeplessness.
Jennifer Martin, a licensed clinical psychologist and professor at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, explained why some, including the American College of Physicians, think CBT-I is a better first choice than sleeping pills.
“What they’re talking about is not a night or two of poor sleep, but people who really suffer from poor sleep for several months that’s severe enough to make it hard for them to function during the day,” she said. “In those instances, what the research shows is that cognitive behavioral approaches had the best long-term outcomes. The American College of Physicians felt like cognitive behavioral therapy was safer, in terms of a first line therapy, and had better outcomes over the long term than using medication.”
Still, it’s not feasible for everyone to see a sleep professional. Instead of seeing a CBT-I therapist to game out individualized analysis, online sleep programs can effectively, track, analyze and find solutions for insomniacs.
Martin discussed how such apps and online solutions can help users get better sleep, as well as sharing some simple suggestions for improving your nightly rest.
5 tips for better sleep from Jennifer Martin:
- Try not to worry about falling asleep: “Sometimes I’ll describe to patients that the biggest monster in their bedroom is the insomnia itself. [It] can be what keeps people awake at night, worrying about what’s going to happen the next day and what’s going to happen in the long run.”
- Be active and have a daily routine: “A good amount of sleep is really based on how you feel and function during the day. There isn’t really a specific numbers of hours or minutes [of sleep everyone should get].”
- Use a clinically-tested sleep tracking app: “Typically what people will do is keep a log of their sleep habits through the app, and then the app will use that information to make an initial set of recommendations. Then, they follow that for a period of time — usually a week — continuing to monitor their sleep, and then the app will continue to make adjustments to their recommendations.” (One such app: CBT-i Coach, created by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.)
- Spend less time in bed: “Insomniacs have a tendency to cast a wide net and try to catch sleep any time they can. Oftentimes they end up spending too much time in bed.”
- Practice mindfulness-based relaxation exercises: “Learning and applying techniques to be relaxed at bedtime is actually a core components of CBT-I. Guided meditation is a great tool for that. One of the challenges that people with insomnia have is their anxiety level starts to go up as they approach bedtime.”
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Guest:
Jennifer Martin, Licensed Clinical Psychologist specializing in CBT-I; Associate Professor, UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine
This story has been updated.
AirTalk asks: Are public marriage proposals romantic?
Chinese Olympic diver, received more than a silver medal at last week’s medal ceremony.
Qin Kai, Zi’s boyfriend of six years, got down on bended knee and asked for Zi’s hand in marriage in front of billions of people all over the world.
Some have interpreted the gesture as a control mechanism, while others argue it was an act of love and true romance.
With grandiose marriage proposals constantly broadcast on social media networks, have private proposals become a thing of the past, or are they still the best approach? How have you interpreted Kai’s proposal?
Guest:
Lauren Kay, Senior style editor, The Knot, the nation’s largest source for wedding news and inspiration.