AirTalk walks you through this week’s political news, including the passage of the Republican Senate tax plan early Saturday and next steps after Michael Flynn pled guilty. We also preview today’s SCOTUS case that could legalize sports betting across the country; after legalization, how should you talk to your kids about pot?; and more.
Week in politics: Tax reform, Flynn and the Russian probe, can a president obstruct justice, and more
After a marathon session on Friday night that bled into Saturday morning, Senate Republicans passed their version of tax reform in a 51-49 vote along party lines, with Tennessee Republican Bob Corker as the lone ‘nay’ vote on the Republican side. The Senate version still has to be reconciled with the House version before President Trump can sign it into law, but the passage of the bill is just as much of a symbolic victory for the Republican-led Senate, which failed very publicly to repeal the Affordable Care Act earlier this year, as it is a concrete victory.
We’re also continuing to follow the fallout of Gen. Michael Flynn’s guilty plea to lying to FBI investigators. Flynn has agreed to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into potential ties between Russian election interference and the Trump campaign. Following a flurry of tweets over the weekend, questions have arisen about whether some of those tweets might amount to obstruction of justice. President Trump’s private lawyer, John Dowd, told the publication Axios that the president can’t obstruct justice. Is he right?
We’ll also get an update on how Jared Kushner’s mission for peace between Israel and Palestine is going, and look at a new poll from CBS News on how Alabama Republicans feel about the allegations of sexual misconduct against Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore.
Guests:
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
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 @RodStrategies
SCOTUS to decide on the future of sports betting
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that could legalize professional sports betting across the country.
Under the 1992 Bradley Act, sports betting is only allowed in four states: Nevada, Delaware, Montana and Oregon. But a challenge brought forth by New Jersey could open up the field to new players in the $150 billion industry.
Gov. Chris Christie's original appeal to legalize sports betting in casinos and race tracks failed in 2016, and the state is now petitioning that the federal government is commandeering by failing to enforce its own prohibition while giving New Jersey no room to modify state laws. In response is the NCAA in support of upholding the single regulation against sports betting as a way to protect athletes from exploitation.
Larry speaks to two guests on opposing sides who were present at today's oral arguments.
Guests:
Michelle Minton, senior fellow of consumer policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, which has filed an amicus brief on behalf of the petitioners in the case; she was also in the courtroom today to hear the oral arguments
Daniel Wilf-Townsend, he’s an attorney at Gupta Wessler PLLC based in D.C.; he filed an amicus brief in today’s case on behalf of Stop Predatory Gambling and other organizations
Home Grown: How should you talk to your kids about pot?
With Prop 64 passed, making the sale and use of recreational marijuana legal in California, the state has had to make some adjustments.
There have been debates on how to advertise, where to sell and even plans for a “pot theme park.” But with pot officially legal for adult recreational use on Jan. 1 in the state, different family conversations on smoking weed may come to the surface. Parents who partake may have open conversations about pot use in a way they haven’t before.
So what should those discussions consist of? Will talks with your kids about weed be similar to talks about alcohol? What’s the best way to educate teens or small children on recreational marijuana? What questions have your kids brought up and how did you handle that?
AirTalk wants to know how you’ll broach the subject of pot use with your kids. Call us at 866-893-5722.
Here's what some AirTalk listeners are saying:
Making it legal, is now forcing Parents to talk to they're Children about something they wouldn't normally ever have.
— Michael Carlson (@mikecarlson2020)
Making it legal, is now forcing Parents to talk to they're Children about something they wouldn't normally ever have.
— PersonofnoColor (@GreatestusrName) December 4, 2017
Also, how much does Larry know about marijuana? Check out this video and find out:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/0eiBZUGG5TU
Guest:
Jacob Margolis, science reporter at KPCC, who’s done a lot of reporting on the impending legalization of recreational marijuana