With two Republican Representatives eschewing reelection, Democrats in Orange County are pushing hard for a November win, but the question still remains whether the traditionally conservative coastal area will bite. Today's show also addresses new info on the Russian probe; debates the legitimacy of "fancy tacos"; and more.
Latest on Russian probe: CA congressmen spar over release of ‘secret’ House intel memo
Word is that President Trump could greenlight the release of the so-called Nunes memo as soon as today.
The investigation into charges of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia has many twists and turns – the Nunes memo being just the latest. The claim – by President Trump and some members of the Republican Party – is that the Nunes memo adds fuel to the assertion that the Russian investigation conducted by independent counsel Robert Mueller and the FBI are biased against President Trump.
For its part, the FBI made an out-of-character move yesterday and released a statement challenging the release of the memo.
“With regard to the House Intelligence Committee’s memorandum, the FBI was provided a limited opportunity to review this memo the day before the committee voted to release it,” the FBI statement said. “As expressed during our initial review, we have grave concerns about material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo’s accuracy.”
Guest:
Tom Frank, DC-based national security reporter at BuzzFeed News covering the FBI, and the Russian probe; he tweets
With House seats up for grabs, will Orange County skew left or right?
All eyes are on Orange County as the once predictably conservative region could swing to the left this November.
Democrats are running on the momentum of the 2016 presidential election where a startling number of constituents voted for Hillary Clinton.
As reported by Buzzfeed, Republican Representatives Darrell Issa and Ed Royce will not be seeking reelection, and with changing demographics and opposition to President Trump, Democrats are capitalizing on the shift.
In California’s top-two primary system, all candidates compete in a June primary. The top two will go on to the general election.
So who are the major players and what are the chances that November’s election will drop the “Orange Curtain” separating conservative O.C. and liberal L.A.?
Guests:
Raphael J. Sonenshein, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles; author of “Politics in Black and White: Race and Power in Los Angeles”
Reed Galen, chief strategist of the Serve America Movement, a Denver-based political strategy organization; he was deputy campaign manager for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2006 re-election campaign, and worked on George W. Bush’s 2000 and 2004 campaigns
Debating Walmart’s move to lock up African-American targeted beauty products
A Perris woman has filed a lawsuit against Walmart alleging racial discrimination against the store.
The suit was prompted by her local Walmart locking beauty products targeted towards African Americans in a glass case. As reported by the New York Times, Essie Grundy, the woman who brought the suit, said she went on three separate trips to the store this month to buy supplies and had to have an employee unlock the case before walking Grundy to the register to pay for the product.
Grundy said she spoke to a supervisor for two hours about the rule, which varies from store to store. According to Grundy, the supervisor said locking up the items was a corporate policy, and a Walmart spokesperson told the Times that certain items that are more likely to be stolen are locked up for security reasons.
Lawyer Gloria Allred is representing Grundy in the case. Grundy is asking for a policy change, paid lawyer fees and up to $4,000 in damages.
AirTalk reached out to the plaintiff’s attorney, Gloria Allred, for comment but as of the airing of this segment we have not received a response. We also contacted Walmart’s corporate offices and they declined our interview but sent us this statement:
We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind at Walmart. We serve more than 140 million customers weekly, crossing all demographics, and are focused on meeting their needs while providing the best shopping experience at each store.
We’re sensitive to this situation and also understand, like other retailers, that some products such as electronics, automotive, cosmetics and other personal care products are subject to additional security. Those determinations are made on a store-by-store basis using data supporting the need for the heightened measures. While we’ve yet to review a complaint, we take this situation seriously and look forward to addressing it with the court.
What do you think of Walmart’s policy? Is it discriminatory or a warranted security move?
Guests:
Jody Armour, professor of law at USC
Todd Wulffson, managing partner at Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger in Irvine, an employment and labor law firm with offices throughout California
Should ICE agents be making arrests at courthouses?
On Wednesday, Federal immigration authorities formalized policy to send ICE agents to courthouses to arrest specific immigrants.
ICE said it would not make sweeps and would instead target specific individuals, and that a courthouse is a safe and convenient place for its agents to do their work. But critics say the policy creates an atmosphere of fear among people affected by crime and family members, and breaks the trust that should exist between crime victims, law enforcement and courts.
Are courthouses a suitable location for ICE agents to be making arrests? Is this formalized policy a pushback on recent sanctuary state policies? Will it affect anything?
Guests:
Claude Arnold, a consultant at Frontier Solutions, a crisis management firm based in LA; he is also a retired special agent in charge of U.S. ICE investigations at their LA office
Michael Kaufman, deputy director of advocacy and senior staff attorney specializing in immigrants’ rights at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California
The L.A. County supervisor’s pick for interim head of the public defender’s office faces criticism
Last week, the Los Angeles County board of supervisors unanimously voted to approve Nicole Davis Tinkham as the interim head of the public defender’s office, amidst criticism that she doesn’t have the experience necessary for the job.
The Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office is the oldest in the country and hasn’t had a leader for over a year. Deputy public defenders represent various clients who can’t afford lawyers. In a letter to the Public Defender’s office employees, Supervisor Kuehl said that Tinkham would bring stability to the office.
Critics of the appointment, including the ACLU of Southern California, have said that Tinkham has no experience in criminal law and had in the past defended law enforcement officers. A protest against the appointment will be held on Feb. 12 at the Criminal Courts Building in Downtown L.A.
Does Tinkham’s lack of criminal law experience disqualify her from being the interim head of the public defender’s office? What is the Board of supervisors’ reasoning for the appointment?
Guests:
Frank Stoltze, KPCC correspondent who covers criminal justice and public safety issues
Stanley Goldman, tenured professor of law at Loyola Law School where he teaches criminal law and procedure and former deputy public defender for Los Angeles County in the Downtown Los Angeles office
Peter Eliasberg, chief counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California
Uni, micro cilantro and imported masa: In defense of expensive tacos
When it comes to tacos, Los Angeles knows its stuff.
For many, one of the attractions of tacos is the price: four of them could set you back for as little as $4.
But in recent years, the popularity of tacos has taken the Mexican culinary staple from the streets of Los Angeles to the halls of high-end dining. And prices have followed along.
In some establishments, one single taco can cost $8.00.
Is it worth it? What are your favorite low and high-end tacos? Let us know, by calling 866 893 5722.
Guest:
Javier Cabral, freelance food, music and culture writer based in Los Angeles; his work has been featured in publications such as the LA Times and LA Weekly; his recent article is “In defense of the $5 taco: It’s time to embrace our new reality”