The U.N. is still inspecting Syria for chemical weapons, but should the U.S. intervene in Syria with military action? Also, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner resigned on Friday and is now under criminal investigation by the state. Then, we discuss California gun bills on the sale of magazines, the advantages to having a travel agent, and what to expect next weekend at The Taste. All that and more, today on AirTalk.
Is it time for the U.S. to intervene in Syria?
Weekend events may have made the possibility of U.S. military intervention in Syria more of a reality. On Sunday, the Obama administration said there’s “very little doubt” that the Syrian military had used chemical weapons against civilians. The Syrian government denied responsibility for the attacks, the effects of which surfaced in a graphic video last week that shows hundreds of people, including children, who experts say appear to be suffering from the effects of a chemical agent.
The White House said the government’s allowance of the U.N. officials to enter the Damascus suburb where the video was shot came at a time that was “too late to be credible.” Now that Syria has crossed the “red line” President Obama drew regarding the usage of chemical weapons in Syria, he must decide whether he’ll take action.
Should the U.S. take military action in Syria despite the public’s overwhelming opposition to enter another war? If Obama decides not to take action, will it damage U.S. credibility?
Guests:
Michael Rubin, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute (AEI); former Pentagon official whose major research area is the Middle East
Ed Husain, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, Council on Foreign Relations
Could criminal charges be next for San Diego's Bob Filner?
California Attorney General Kamala Harris' office is investigating Bob Filner for criminal wrongdoing, but her office has not provided any details. The out-going San Diego mayor is also facing a potential new lawsuit morning, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. A city parks employee is filing a claim against the city - step one for a lawsuit - alleging Filner grabbed and molested her.
Could that account - and some of the other harrassment claims by nearly 20 women - amount to assault charges? What about the other investations into financial improprieties? When the sexual harrassment accusations began to pile up, the city council started looking at Filner's credit card transcations and charges for a trip to Paris. With Filner's resignation, will these probes shrink away?
Guest:
Craig Gustafson, Local government and politics reporter for the U-T San Diego
California legislature considers controversial bills to tighten gun control
A round of gun control bills working their way through the legislature could soon put California back in the lead for the strictest gun laws in the nation. The bills would address a range of issues from banning high-capacity magazines to banning guns from a home if any resident is not allowed to have them. One particularly controversial Senate bill would ban semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines. Gun control supporters applaud the efforts and say it will cut down significantly on violent crime but gun rights supporters claim the new laws are chipping away at the second amendment.
Do the strict new laws have any chance of passing the full legislature before it adjourns on September 13? California used to have the nation's strictest gun laws but that's since been overtaken by New York. Is there any evidence that tightening gun laws has cut down on gun crime?
Guests:
Adam Winkler, Constitutional Law Professor at UCLA, Author of “Gunfight: The Right to Bear Arms in America” (2011)
Sam Parades, Executive Director of Gun Owners of California
The case for calling a travel agent
When was the last time you called a travel agent to help book your vacation? Most people turn to the Internet to book their trips instead of calling their local agent. But one couple learned the hard way that travel agents might not only save your trip... they can also help save your life.
One elderly man was allegedly left stranded in a hospital in Bartin, Turkey after he fell and broke his hip. The couple claims the cruise line left them at a small, ill-equipped hospital without access to a translator. Their long time travel agent swooped in and sent them an English-speaking guide and got him moved to an American hospital in Istanbul. Had the couple booked the trip online, they would have been out of luck.
With travel agents becoming one of the 21st century's "disappearing jobs", do stories like this make you rethink booking all your travel online? Do you use a travel agent for any types of trips? How do travel agents feel about their reduced role in American vacations?
Guest:
Tammy Levent, founder of Elite Travel in Clearwater, Florida
Sustainable seafood: fad or future?
LA Times' foodies will descend on Paramount Studios this Labor Day Weekend for their now annual The Taste event. The featured chefs and bartenders plan to perform cooking demonstrations and craft cocktails. You can munch and sip on tastings from the best of Los Angeles flavor culture. Of late, that includes a handful of terrific seafood restaurants.
The Taste will hold a panel discussion on sustainable seafood with famed Providence chef Michael Cimarusti, Monterey Bay Aquarium's Sheila Bowman and Times food editor Russ Parsons. They join AirTalk with a preview of the event.
Guests:
Russ Parsons, LA Times Food Editor
Michael Cimarusti, Michelin-star restaurateur and chef, Providence restaurant & Connie & Ted’s restaurant
Sheila Bowman, Manager of culinary and strategic initiatives at Monterey Bay Aquarium
Tickets are available for The Taste at LA Times