Larry sits down with Mike Feuer after the City of Los Angeles joined legal action against the DOJ Tuesday for withholding funds from “sanctuary cities.” We also hear from listeners about their most influential teachers before school goes back in session; debate the environmental and economic tradeoffs of Trump’s infrastructure executive order; and more.
Analyzing Trump’s strategy at Phoenix rally, plus the growing divide between Trump and Senate leadership
After a tumultuous week following Charlottesville, President Trump returned Tuesday night to one of the places it seems he’s most happy: at a podium in a packed auditorium for a campaign-style rally.
In a speech that covered a sweeping range of topics, Mr. Trump defended his previous condemnation of the racially-charged violence in Charlottesville and accused media outlets of misrepresenting his words, suggesting that was what led to the backlash following those comments, which many people felt didn’t go far enough in denouncing racism and white supremacy. He also took aim at Arizona Senators Jeff Flake and John McCain, though he didn’t call them out by name. Both have pushed back against the president at different times and have since drawn his ire. Outside, protesters gathered in opposition to the president and even clashed lightly with police at times.
Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., relations between the president and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell appear to be frozen over. The New York Times reports the two have not spoken in weeks and that in private, Senator McConnell has expressed doubt that the Trump administration can pull itself out of the hole in which it has found itself. This punctuates what has been a strained relationship between the two throughout the administration’s time in office and brings into question Congress’ ability and willingness to work on Mr. Trump’s legislative to-do list when it returns from recess in September.
Guests:
Jimmy Jenkins, senior field correspondent at Phoenix NPR affiliate 91.5 KJZZ who was at Tuesday’s rally in Phoenix; he tweets
Jonathan Martin, national political correspondent for The New York Times; he tweets
Treading lightly? The benefits and pitfalls of Obama’s coming re-emergence
Since leaving office, former President Barack Obama has kept a pretty low profile.
According to his his former senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, he’s enjoyed spending time with family and friends. He visited Palm Springs, the Caribbean and Hawaii for vacation and opened a brand new office in Washington, D.C.’s West End.
But this fall, he’s planning to re-emerge on the national stage, according to The Hill. He’ll be helping the Democratic Party rebuild, though a significant portion of his work will be backstage.
How will Obama’s re-emergence affect the Republican base? Should he be careful about eclipsing emerging leaders in the Democratic party? Historically, what role have former president’s played in the political landscape? And do you want to see Obama back in the spotlight?
Guests:
Douglas Brinkley, presidential historian and professor of history at Rice University; his most recent book is “Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America”
Cal Jillson, professor of political science at Southern Methodist University; his most recent book is “The American Dream: In History, Politics, and Fiction”
City Attorney Mike Feuer files suit against DOJ over ‘sanctuary’ city funding, and more
The City of Los Angeles has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice, which announced last month its intention to withhold law enforcement funding from so-called “sanctuary” cities.
Los Angeles is the latest city to argue that the Justice Department’s move is unconstitutional, on the heels of a similar suit filed by Chicago in early August. Last week, California also filed a similar suit.
Larry will also check in with L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer on his office’s stance on issuing permits to white nationalist groups wanting to protest in the city. In a recent interview with the LA Times, Feuer said he’s considering urging city officials to impose restrictions or flatout deny such permits to hate groups.
Guest:
Mike Feuer, City Attorney of Los Angeles
Nevada jury acquits Bundy ranch standoff participants
A federal jury in Las Vegas refused Tuesday to convict four defendants who were retried on accusations that they threatened and assaulted federal agents by wielding assault weapons in a 2014 confrontation to stop a cattle roundup near the Nevada ranch of states' rights figure Cliven Bundy.
In a stunning setback to federal prosecutors planning to try the Bundy family patriarch and two adult sons later this year, the jury acquitted Ricky Lovelien and Steven Stewart of all 10 charges, and delivered not-guilty findings on most charges against Scott Drexler and Eric Parker.
AirTalk examines the case put forward by federal prosecutors, and the legal implications of the verdict.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Severin Carlson, partner at Kaempfer Crowell; his practice focuses on water rights and land use in Nevada
Andrew Kim, a visiting scholar at South Texas College of Law Houston where he focuses on criminal law, he is also a commercial litigator at Beck | Redden, a law firm in Houston, Texas
The environmental and economic trade-offs of Trump’s infrastructure executive order
President Trump last week announced the signing of an executive order to streamline permitting regulations and create manufacturing jobs.
While it may not have been the primary focus of the news conference following Charlottesville, Trump said he would pass a $1 trillion package to rebuild U.S. infrastructure. As reported by the New York Times, this would include ramping up road, bridge and pipeline construction. The president also said he was not worried about winning support for the plan. It would also roll back standards set by the Obama Administration requiring the federal government to consider climate change and sea-level rise during infrastructure building.
But Trump tried to reassure the public that though this process would streamline projects, it would also take environmental safeguards seriously. Republicans have expressed mixed feelings on whether the plan will safeguard against future flooding. What do you think of Trump’s executive order? Will it make economic sense in the long-run? And will rolling back Obama’s flood risk management standard help or hurt future infrastructure developments?
Guests:
Aaron M. Renn, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute where his research focuses on urban policy, economic development and infrastructure
Alice Hill, research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University; she was special assistant to President Obama as part of the National Security Council (2013 to 2016) and led the development of national policy regarding climate change
Back to School: AirTalk listeners share stories about their most influential teachers
With the new school year upon us, teachers are readying themselves for upcoming academic challenges.
From handling large classes and standardized test prep to protecting student rights, teachers are in a constant balancing act all while pulling a 60+ hour week. No matter what your opinion might be about the education system, one thing is certain: Teachers play a significant role in our lives. Last week, AirTalk invited K-12 teachers in Los Angeles to share with us what changes they hope to see in the new school year. School is finally in session and we want to hear stories from listeners about your most influential teachers.
Maybe it was a history teacher who enlightened you about race and class in the U.S. It could have been someone who dressed in red to make a statement in support of public schools, or a special ed instructor recognizing potential in a foster kid.
Which teacher made the biggest impression on you? How did they change your life? What makes you think of them years after stepping out of their classroom? Call us at 866-893-5722.