Analyzing last night's PBS Newshour's Democratic Debate in Milwaukee; world powers have agreed to a ceasefire in Syria starting next week and TGI-Filmweek! with New York Times A.O. Scott, and his new book on the art of criticism.
Democratic, Republican strategists review 6th Democratic debate and reset the presidential field
After losing by double digits in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Hillary Clinton continued to go after Bernie Sanders’ ambitious agenda on issues like college costs and health care during Thursday night’s PBS Newshour Democratic Debate in Milwaukee.
The two candidates continued to highlight their fundamental differences, despite agreeing in principal on many of the policy issues discussed. Senator Sanders is pushing a big, progressive agenda that is energizing a large group of voters who want to see change, while Secretary Clinton is arguing for many of the same reforms but with the added bonus of her experience as a Senator, First Lady, and Secretary of State.
Meanwhile, two Republican candidates decided to call it off this week. Former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina said she’d be ending her campaign after spending a number of weeks at the bottom end of GOP polls, and despite winning some points after hammering Marco Rubio during last Saturday’s GOP debate for robotically repeating the same line several times, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will return to work in Trenton after ending his run as well.
Who do you think had the edge in last night’s debate? Have the cycle of debates ever changed your view on a candidate or his/her platform? Where does each party stand heading into next week’s South Carolina primary?
Guests:
Erikka Knuti, Democratic strategist with Purple Strategies, a political consulting firm based in Washington, D.C.
Lisa Camooso Miller, Republican strategist and partner at Blueprint Communications, a public affairs firm based in Washington, D.C.
World powers reach ceasefire in Syria
Secretary of State John Kerry announced that major world powers have reached a ceasefire in Syria that will begin in one week.
The US was among 17 nations to meet in Munich to figure out a way to dial down violence in Syria. The group also has agreed to speed up and commit additional resources to humanitarian aid to the country.
But Kerry cautioned that while an agreement has been reached, it still takes the full commitment of each country to make the ceasefire a lasting reality.
Guests:
Alan Johnston, Middle East analyst for the BBC based in London. He has been the BBC's correspondent in Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and the Gaza Strip. He tweets from
Mohsen Milani, Professor of Politics, and the Executive Director of the Center for Strategic and Diplomatic Studies, University of South Florida
Big, fat bill on privatizing air-traffic control pits consumers against airlines
Today the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved legislation that would transfer control of the air-traffic control system out of the hands of the Federal Aviation Administration to a not-for-profit corporation.
The bill is called The Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act. Opponents argue that the bill is essentially a power grab by the airlines, and that the publicly-funded air-control system should not be run by the proposed 11-member corporation, which would partly be comprised of members nominated by the major airlines.
In addition to the issue of how and who should run air-traffic control, the two Republican lawmakers who introduced the bill also added a few items that consumers would likely find favorable, like requiring all airports to have lactation rooms, a ban on in-flight voice calls, and a mandatory refund for baggage fees if luggage go missing for more than 24 hours.
Guests:
Robert Poole, Director of Transportation Policy, the Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank
Thomas L. Hendricks, President and CEO of National Air Transportation Association, public policy group that represents the interests of the general aviation business community; represents nearly 1,600 aviation businesses
FilmWeek: 'Zoolander 2,' 'Deadpool,' 'How to be Single' and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell and Andy Klein review this week's new movie releases including the star-studded comedy comeback, "Zoolander 2," plus "Deadpool," with Ryan Reynolds as the superhero based on a Marvel comic, also the romantic comedy starring a female ensemble, "How to be Single" and more.
TGI-FilmWeek!
Guests:
Tim Cogshell, film Critic for KPCC and Alt-Film Guide; Tim tweets from
Andy Klein, film critic for KPCC and L.A. Times Community Paper Chain
NYT film critic AO Scott on life, art, and the art of criticism
Opinions are a dime a dozen, and social media has turned everyone into amateur critics.
In his new book, New York Times film critic A.O. Scott says that that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Criticism, he says, makes us think deeper and more thoroughly about a given subject. It makes us smarter, and at its best, it’s the engine that drives creativity.
In “Better Living Through Criticism,” Scott revisits some of the films he had liked and disliked, but also casts his discerning eye on other artistic disciplines, including high art, rock music, and literature.
A.O. Scott will be talking about his new book with his counterpart at the New York Times, film critic Manohla Dargis, at a Writers Bloc event on Monday, Feb 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the New Roads School in Santa Monica. Click here for more information.
Guest:
A.O. Scott, film critic at the New York Times and author of the new book, “Better Living Through Criticism: How to Think about Art, Pleasure, Beauty, and Truth” (Penguin, 2016); he tweets from