President Trump will address a joint session of Congress tonight; LA Mayor Eric Garcetti is campaigning for reelection - what has his first term achieved for Angelenos so far? He stops by AirTalk in studio; we check in with Sheriff McDonnell on the latest issues LASD is tackling, including Metro's new security plan; and more.
Previewing Trump’s Congressional speech - and the tensions between warring political factions
President Trump will address a joint session of Congress tonight.
He's expected to focus on his budget priorities and healthcare. But a showdown may be looming not just with Democrats. House speaker Paul Ryan and other deficit hawks might not accommodate Trump's plans for major defense increases.
With questions looming about Mr. Trump’s plans for the economy, the military and healthcare, what can we expect from tonight’s speech?
Larry speaks to New York Times Congressional Reporter Jennifer Steinhauer on the clashes in Washington and what comes next for the president.
Guest:
Jennifer Steinhauer, congressional reporter for the New York Times; she was the first to write about the clash between Donald Trump and Paul Ryan; she tweets
How meritocracy is harming the tech startup culture
Ride-hailing company Uber has been controversy-prone, to say the least.
The latest trouble brewing for the LA-based startup came after a former female engineer accused Uber for mishandling sexual harassment allegations she filed against her supervisor. She claimed that Uber was lenient on her perpetrator because he was a “top performer” at the company.
The allegations have put Uber’s work culture -- where meritocracy rules supreme -- under scrutiny. Is Uber’s culture an exception-- or is it the rule in the tech startup scene? Call AirTalk and share your experiences if you have ever worked at a tech startup.
Guests:
Christina Warren, senior writer at Gizmodo; she tweets from
Cale Guthrie Weissman, staff writer at Fast Company who covers the tech scene, including a piece titled, “The Future of HR and Why Startups Shouldn’t Reject It;” he tweets
Anti-abortion advocate weighs in on a changing landscape for reproductive rights
Larry spoke to Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards on Monday to hear her perspective on reproductive rights under a Trump Administration.
We hear today from Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion organization.
Larry is asking for her take on possible changes to the Affordable Care Act, Congress’ push to give states more power over family planning, and what President Trump’s actions may mean for the anti-abortion movement.
Guest:
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion organization
With LA Mayor hoping for second term, AirTalk asks Garcetti what he’s accomplished for Angelenos thus far
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti will need to win more than 50 percent of the vote in the March 7 primary to secure his reelection before the general election slated in May.
But before looking to the race ahead, we take a look back on the L.A. mayor’s first term: What has Garcetti accomplished for Angelenos? Has he delivered on his “back to basics” platform? How has the city changed - or not changed - under his governance and what does the mayor hope his first four years will be most remembered for?
Host Larry Mantle speaks to Garcetti about his tenure and how he’s currently tackling the city’s most prominent issues, including L.A.’s chronic and growing homeless population, the increase in Customs and Border Protection raids under the Trump administration, L.A.’s bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics and more.
Guest:
Eric Garcetti, mayor of Los Angeles
Judge blocks CA law that would prevent doxing of lawmakers
On Monday, a federal judge in Fresno blocked a state law that would let public officials call for personal information to be removed from the internet.
As reported by AP, that means a gun owner’s rights advocates can post the address and phone number of a California lawmaker who voted for firearm restrictions.
U.S. Chief District Judge Lawrence O’Neill ruled that the aforementioned law was too broad and infringed on the free speech rights of citizens. According to Judge O’Neill’s opinion, posting a lawmaker’s private information is a form of political protest.
Should California lawmakers protect the personal information of public figures? Or is a legislator’s personal information of concern to the public?
Guest:
Aaron Caplan, professor of law at Loyola Law School
Checking in with Sheriff McDonnell on Metro policing, Measure S mailers, immigration and more
From halting deceptive “EVICTION NOTICE” mailers, to restructuring security for more than half of Metro’s public transit, Sheriff Jim McDonnell has had plenty to undertake this month.
For starters, the Measure S campaign committee has been sending out mailers that look like eviction notices, with “County of Los Angeles SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT” printed at the top. McDonnell’s department has since put out a statement rebuking the misleading mailers for causing alarm and using their official name.
LASD will also see its role in Metro’s newly-approved $797-million security plan that will divide up some of the security and policing responsibilities between the Los Angeles and Long Beach Police Departments, though LASD will retain control over some of the Metro system.
The Sheriff and LASD also find themselves at odds with the union representing L.A. County deputies over an attempt by Sheriff McDonnell to release a list of 300 deputies with histories of misconduct that could prove harmful to their credibility when testifying in court. The Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs says that violates state laws preventing information from law enforcement officers’ personnel file from being released.
AirTalk’s Larry Mantle will tackle all of this with Sheriff McDonnell and also chat about what recent federal immigration directives will mean for his department and hear his take on the evolving national conversation on the issue.
Guest:
Jim McDonnell, Los Angeles County Sheriff