Intense debates have sparked among the 538 members of the Electoral College, who are set to cast their votes on December 19 - are they bound to support their state's candidate, or should they be free to vote their conscience?; Amazon launches a new market shopping experience without cash registers or lines; and we take a look at how counterterrorism efforts continue to impact personal privacy and tech concerns one year after the San Bernardino shooting.
Mutiny among members of 2016’s Electoral College
In 13 days, 538 members of the Electoral College will cast their votes, but there is intense debate over whether electors are either bound to support their respective states' choice for president or can vote their conscience - in an orchestrated way that would sink Donald Trump.
Writing in “The New York Times” yesterday, a Republican elector from Texas says he plans to vote for a to-be-determined Republican leader other than Trump. Similarly, some Democratic electors want to be free from voting for Hillary Clinton so they can coalesce around anyone but Trump. Plus, Politico is reporting that a California law firm is offering legal support to electors who violate any state laws binding Electoral College votes.
What are your thoughts on how electors should cast their votes on December 19th?
Guests:
Kendal Unruh, RNC Rules Committee member and a Republican Delegate from Colorado who attempted a rules change for delegate voters; Seven-time convention delegate; in her professional life, Unruh is a high school teacher of American Government
Trent England, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs - a think tank focused on limited government and free market policy
A look at Amazon Go and the future of supermarket shopping
Amazon.com is launching its first brick and mortar store, which will enable customers to buy groceries without waiting at a checkout line.
As reported in the Wall Street Journal, the store is set to open in Seattle, and customers will use their smartphones to check-in at the entrance, while the store will determine what they have picked up, and charge them once they leave. If the store is a success, Amazon plans to open more than 2,000 locations.
But innovation and technology have gained ground in the grocery store biz during recent years, with services ranging from curbside pickup to self-checkouts.
So how does this affect you, the customer? And what do you think of all this innovation?
Guest:
Ernest Baskin, Assistant Professor of Food Marketing at Saint Joseph’s University in Pennsylvania
The tech and privacy concerns being weighed against advanced government, police efforts to fight terror
Last December, the San Bernardino shooting opened up a series of investigations into the technologies the attackers used.
Specifically, the FBI demanded Apple to unlock the assailant’s iPhone in order to access its contacts and history. When Apple resisted the idea of opening a “back door” for investigators, other Silicon Valley companies came to its defense.
Facebook, Yahoo, and Google filed a joint brief in in California’s central district court arguing against undercutting security features.
Fast forward to a year later, what’s the current status of the encryption debate between government agencies and tech giants? How has the tech industry that rely on the collection of personal data evolved since the deadly shooting? How should companies like Apple, Facebook and Google assist terrorism investigation while maintaining privacy of their users?
Guests:
Ahmed Ghappour, visiting assistant professor at UC Hastings’ College of the Law
Russell Brandom, Reporter at the Verge. He’s been following the encryption debate since the San Bernardino shooting; he tweets
Renowned philosopher takes on surfing, New Year’s resolution and 80 other everyday things
Philosopher Peter Singer is known for his work on effective altruism, arguing not just for the imperative for people to reduce suffering, but that it should be done in the most cost-effective way.
So he’s argued that it is a moral obligation for those living in wealthy nations to give money to charities that help the poor people in the world. But not just any charity, Singer says, but organizations that he thinks give the most bang for the buck, like GiveWells, as well as the 50% League.
He is also a diehard proponent on veganism and animal liberation, and questions the arbitrary privileging of human beings over animals.
In his newest book, “Ethics in the Real World,” Singer tackles 82 topics – including the price of high art, the idea of in vitro meat, and whether robots should have rights – that have seized the world’s imagination today.
Guest:
Peter Singer, a professor of bioethics at Princeton University. He is the author of many books, including his latest “Ethics in the Real World: 82 Brief Essays on Things That Matter” (Princeton University Press, 2016)