Today on AirTalk, we bring together our political panel to discuss their key takeaways from last night's sixth Democratic debate in Los Angeles. We also take a look at the LA District Attorney's report finding no evidence of misconduct at Santa Anita Park.
Recapping The Dem Debate: Experience, Wine Caves, Gifts, Forgiveness And More
Wine caves, experience, income inequality, gifts and forgiveness were all topics of conversation at the sixth Democratic debate, which took place at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles Thursday evening.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren went after South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg for holding a high-dollar fundraiser in a wine cave, something he’s received backlash for. Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar clashed over what constitutes enough experience for the office of the president. Former Vice President Joe Biden seemed to be more awake than ever. Andrew Yang addressed being the only person of color on the debate stage, Tom Steyer sparred on foreign policy and Sen. Bernie Sanders didn’t back down from his progressive stances. Answers to the night’s final question broke down differently between genders. When asked whether they’d offer another candidate on the stage a gift or ask for forgiveness, both Warren and Klobuchar asked for forgiveness, while the men offered gifts, many offering their books.It was an interesting night to say the least.
Moving forward, the Democratic National Committee is again upping its polling and fundraising requirements for presidential hopefuls to qualify for the campaign's seventh debate in January. So far, only Buttigieg, Biden, Sanders, Klobuchar and Warren have met the requirements. Ahead of Thursday night's debate, nine candidates wrote to party leaders urging them to consider changing qualifications for subsequent debates, arguing that the thresholds had made the competing field less diverse.
Today on AirTalk, we recap the biggest moments from Thursday’s debate. We also want to hear from you. Did the debate shift your opinion of one candidate or another? What did answers to the last question of the night tell you about the candidates, if anything? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Victoria DeFrancesco Soto, director of civic engagement and lecturer in political science at the University of Texas
Lanhee Chen, research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University; he was an adviser for Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign and served as policy director for the Romney-Ryan 2012 presidential campaign; he tweets
Aaron Kall, director of the Debate Program and Debate Institute at the University of Michigan; he is the editor and co-author of “Debating the Donald” (2016, Amazon Digital Services LLC)
Santa Anita Park Cleared Of Any Criminal Wrongdoing In String Of Horse Deaths
The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office cleared Santa Anita Park of any wrongdoing in a string of 30 horse deaths. According to the Los Angeles Times, a 17-page report stated that the nine-month investigation “did not find evidence of criminal animal cruelty or unlawful conduct.”
Toxicology reports from 23 different horses showed no illegal substances beyond legal limits. But the report did offer nearly 30 recommendations for improvements in safety. Most have already been carried out. Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita Park, has said its thankful for the investigation and that everyone is in the same boat in wanting health and safety for horses and riders. But animal activists, who originally called for the investigation, and argue trainers should be held accountable. Stronach Group has issued a series of safety improvements. L.A. Times contributor John Cherwa has been following the story and sits down with Larry to discuss the latest developments.
Guest:
John Cherwa, special contributor to the Los Angeles Times who’s been covering the story; he tweets
FilmWeek: ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,’ ‘Little Women,’ ‘Cats’ and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Wade Major, Amy Nicholson and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases.
"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" in wide release
"Cats" in wide release
"Little Women" in wide release
"Spies in Disguise" in wide release
"1917" at AMC Century City & The Landmark
"Invisible Life" at Laemmle’s Royal
"Just Mercy" at ArcLight Cinemas Hollywood & AMC Century City
"The Song of Names" at Laemmle’s Royal
"Ip Man 4: The Finale" in select theaters (check local listings)
"The Europeans (40th Anniversary)" at Laemmle’s Royal
"Togo" on Disney+
"She's Missing" at Laemmle’s Glendale
Critics' Hits:
Amy: "Little Women" & "Invisible Life"
Wade: "1917," "Just Mercy," "The Song of Names," "Ip Man 4: The Finale," "The Europeans" & "She's Missing"
Mixed Feelings:
Charles: "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" & "Togo"
Misses:
Wade: "Cats"
Charles: "Spies in Disguise"
Guests:
Amy Nicholson, film critic for KPCC, film writer for The Guardian and host of the podcasts ‘Unspooled’ and the podcast miniseries “Zoom”; she tweets
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and CineGods.com
Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine