Today on AirTalk, we reflect on the 50th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium protests. Also on the show, we answer your questions about COVID-19; preview the Republican National Convention; and more.
Previewing The GOP Convention
Republicans have begun the process of formally nominating Donald Trump as the party’s 2020 presidential nominee. The party has gathered 336 delegates for the roll call vote at a scaled-down convention kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina, that begins a weeklong effort to convince the American people that he deserves a second term.
Despite the ongoing pandemic, delegates are holding an in-person roll-call vote at the Charlotte Convention Center. Democrats, who held their convention last week, chose to hold their roll call vote in a video montage from states across the country to avoid a large-scale gathering. A collection of Republican officials, Trump’s allies and adversaries alike, described this week as a pivotal moment for their party as the coronavirus pandemic rages, the economy slumps and two hurricanes take aim at the Gulf Coast. Some believe it’s already too late for a president who has spent years alienating broad swaths of the electorate, particularly women and college-educated voters. Others suggest that this week offers Trump a genuine opportunity to improve his prospects 10 weeks before the election. Today on AirTalk, we discuss what can likely be expected throughout the week and the latest polls. What do you hope to see during the convention this week? Do you have thoughts? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Zach Montellaro, campaign reporter at POLITICO and the author of the Morning Score, the publication’s daily Campaigns policy newsletter; he tweets
Aaron Zitner, editor in the Wall Street Journal's Washington bureau, he works on WSJ/NBC News Polls; he tweets
Zoom Is Experiencing A Widespread Outage -- How Big Is The Impact On Work And School?
Zoom is experiencing partial outages during the first day of school for thousands of students who are relying on the video conferencing technology to connect with educators.
The company said Monday that it began receiving reports of disruptions around 9 a.m. Eastern time. It has identified the issue causing the problem and is working on a fix, it reported on its status page. Grade schools, high schools and universities are relying on Zoom and competing technologies like Microsoft Teams to reduce the chance of infection during the pandemic. Technical issues are occurring across the U.S., with the most reports on the East Coast, as well as in Europe, according to downdetector.com, which monitors self-reported outages. Zoom Video Communications became a familiar tool to millions of new users after the spread of COVID-19 made face-to-face meetings risky. It now has about 300 million users. It suffered some growing pains during the early months of the pandemic, such as “ zoombombers " who crashed meetings, but successfully went public in April.
How big of an impact is this having on your work/school life? Join our live conversation at 866-893-5722.
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
Ian Sherr, editor-at-large at CNET News; he tweets
Triple Play: What It’s Like To Watch Live Sports During The Pandemic
TV sports are underways but for many it’s still a strange experience to watch basketball with the sound piped in, virtual fans in the stands and a totally different energy.
Does it detract from the usual live watching experience? With NBA and NHL playoffs underway and the NFL season ramping up, we sit down with Triple Play to discuss the pandemic sports watching experience.
If you have thoughts, call us at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Nick Roman, host of KPCC’s “All Things Considered”; he tweets
A. Martinez, host of KPCC’s “Take Two”; he tweets
COVID-19 AMA: Orange County Off CA Watchlist, Push To Approve Plasma Treatment And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Tim Brewer from UCLA.
Topics today include:
Orange County removed from state Covid watchlist
China’s testing out an experimental vaccine
NFL’s Covid cases
Hong Kong man has been confirmed to have been reinfected with the virus
FDA and Trump’s push to approve plasma treatment for Covid
Guest:
Timothy Brewer, M.D., epidemiologist and professor of medicine at UCLA’s school of public health; has served on the advisory boards of the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention
50 Years Later: The Political And Social Impacts Of the 1970 Chicano Moratorium Protests
Saturday marks the 50th anniversary of large anti-war demonstrations in East Los Angeles that were organized by the Chicano Moratorium Committee. The events led to violence between protesters and law enforcement and the death of a local journalist.
Mexican Americans expressed frustration over the toll of the Vietnam War on working class Latinos, disparities in education and police brutality. According to KCET, nationwide protests against the war spanned across about a dozen cities. Around 30,000 demonstrators turned out in Los Angeles for the march on Whittier Boulevard, which turned into riots, hundreds injured and several stores set ablaze. Today on AirTalk, we discuss the historical event and it’s long lasting political and social impacts. We also want to hear from listeners who either were there or have family members who participated. Join the conversation and share your memories and experiences by calling 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Rosalio Munoz, Chicano activist and chair emeritus of the 50th Chicano Moratorium Organizing Committee; he was one of the lead organizers of the August 29, 1970 march in East Los Angeles where more than 30,000 Mexican-Americans protested the war in Vietnam
Lorena Oropeza, professor of history at the University of California, Davis where her research focuses on Mexican-American and Chicanx history and 1960 social protest; she is the author of several books, including “¡Raza Sí! ¡Guerra No!: Chicano Protest and Patriotism During the Vietnam War Era” (University of California Press, 2005)
Fernando Guerra, professor of political science and Chicano/Latino studies and director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University; he is also an emeritus member of the KPCC Board of Trustees