Today on AirTalk, our weekly political roundtable reviews the headlines you might have missed this weekend. Also on the show, we discuss the historic wins at the Oscars; bumble bees and California's Endangered Species Act; and more.
Week In Politics: New Hampshire On The Horizon, Proposed Budget And More
AirTalk’s weekly political roundtable recaps the major headlines you might’ve missed in politics news over the weekend and looks ahead to the week to come. Here are the headlines what we’re following this week:
2020 Check in:
Trump proposes a new budget, with more funds for the military and the border wall and cuts to Medicare and Medicaid
Post-impeachment:
Trump celebrated his acquittal last week
The president fired two witnesses who testified in the House inquiry against him: Gordon Sondland and Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman
Former United States Secretary of State Madeline Albright advocates for the extension of the New START treaty, which limits the American And Russian nuclear arsenal
President Trump’s company charged the Secret Service for its use of rooms while protecting Trump at his hotels
Guests:
Trent Spiner, Politico reporter covering the New Hampshire primary, he’s currently in Manchester; he tweets
Amanda Renteria, senior advisor for Emerge America, a national organization that works to identify and train Democratic women who want to run for political office; she is the former national political director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and has been a staffer for Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI); she tweets
Rob Stutzman, Republican political consultant and president of Stutzman Public Affairs; former deputy chief of staff to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger; he tweets
Concerns Buzz As State Considers Adding Bumble Bees To Endangered Species List
Bumble bees could become the first insects protected under California’s Endangered Species Act, but the petition is creating a lot of buzz. The state’s Fish and Game Commission opted in June to list four native bee species as candidates to become endangered species.
Environmental advocates have said the bees are critical to food supply and the decision to list bees on the endangered act is backed up by science. According to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, the number of bumble bees has declined in recent years and that more than 40 percent of species may even be at risk of extinction. But the agricultural industry has serious concerns about the move, arguing farmers would potentially have to reduce the use of pesticides and herbicides. There’s also debate on whether state law can protect insects specifically.
Today on AirTalk, we look at what it could mean for bumble bees to join the state’s endangered list. Do you have thoughts? Call us at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Sarina Jepsen, director of the Endangered Species Program at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, an international non profit organization
Paul Weiland, partner at Nossaman, a law firm in Orange County, he’s the chair of the Environment and Land Use Practice Group, he’s representing a group of farming associations objecting to the state’s consideration of adding bumble bees to the endangered species list
Oscars Recap: ‘Parasite’ Makes History, Pitt Wins First Oscar And More
In a milestone win that instantly expanded the Oscars' horizons, Bong Joon Ho's masterfully devious class satire “Parasite” became the first non-English language film to win best picture in the 92-year history of the Academy Awards.
“Parasite” took Hollywood’s top prize on Sunday night, along with awards for best director, best international film and best screenplay. In a year dominated by period epics - “1917,” “Once Upon a Time ... In Hollywood,” “The Irishman” - the film academy instead went overseas, to South Korea, to reward a contemporary and unsettling portrait of social inequality in “Parasite.” True to its name, “Parasite” simply got under the skin of Oscar voters, attaching itself to the American awards season and, ultimately, to history. The win was a watershed moment for the Academy Awards, which has long been content to relegate international films to their own category. But in recent years, to diversify its membership, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has invited many more overseas voters.
Sam Mendes’ audaciously conceived World War I film “1917,” made to seem one continuous shot, had been the clear favorite heading into Oscars, having won nearly all the precursor awards, including top honors from the Producers Guild, the Directors Guild, the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs. In the end, “1917” went home with three awards for its technical virtuosity: Roger Deakins' cinematography, visual effects and sound mixing. All of the acting winners - Brad Pitt, Renée Zellweger, Joaquin Phoenix and Laura Dern - went as expected. Awards were spread around to all of the best picture nominees, with the lone exception being Scorsese's 10-time nominee “The Irishman.” When Bong mentioned his admiration of Scorsese, an impromptu tribute broke out, with the Dolby Theatre giving Scorsese a standing ovation. The car racing throwback “Ford v Ferrari” won both editing and sound editing. Gerwig's Louisa May Alcott adaptation “Little Women” won for Jacqueline Durran's costume design. “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood” won for Barbara Ling's production design.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll recap the major awards from Sunday night’s ceremony, talk about what the historic win for “Parasite” means for the Academy going forward
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA); she tweets
Tom O’Neil, founder, president and editor of Gold Derby, an online publication that tracks and predicts the Oscars, Emmys Grammys and more
Still Need To Get Your Real ID? With The Clock Ticking And DMV Appointments Filling Up, Now Is The Time
October 1, 2020 may seem like a long time from now, but the California Department of Motor Vehicles has some work left to do in order to get the state’s 27 million drivers approved for the new federally-required identification card.
Last week the DMV reported a decrease from December to January in the number of Real IDs it approved -- just 381,570 compared to 485,000 in December. According to the L.A. Times, the DMV would have to issue almost triple that -- about 1.1 million each month -- in order to get everyone who is expected to apply for a Real ID approved before the October deadline.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll check in on where the DMV stands with approving Real ID applications and how they plan to navigate the next eight months until the deadline.
Guest:
Michael Cabanatuan, reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle who has been covering the story; he tweets
Airlines Now Worry Their Passengers Could Be ‘Flight Shamed’
Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager and face of the climate change movement, is starting to have an impact on the airline industry. According to a recent piece in the L.A. Times, the activist is credited for a 4 % decrease in commercial flight passengers in Sweden. Now, U.S. airline officials are warning a similar fate could be coming to the U.S.
The flight shaming movement started in Scandinavia and was highlighted by Thunberg after she chose sailing across the Atlantic over traveling by air. The firm Citi defines “flight shaming” as “the inherent guilt that an individual feels as a result of one’s aviation-related carbon footprint” and estimates that the cost of carbon offsetting economy flights will grow to $3.8 billion per year over the next five years, CNBC reports. Today on AirTalk, we’ll discuss the growing concerns. Are you thinking about flying less due to “flight shaming?” We want to hear from you. Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722
Guests:
Hugo Martin, staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, covering the travel industry, his piece is “Travel by plane and you might get ‘flight shamed.’ This worries airlines” ; he tweets
Charlie Leocha, chairman and co-founder of the consumer travel group Travelers United