The hours are ticking away until voters in 11 states will head to the polls for Super Tuesday; the Oscars pull in the lowest ratings in eight years and discussing the future of Democratic party in California after the state's convention.
Political analysts explain what’s at stake for candidates in Super Tuesday primaries
The hours are ticking away until voters in 11 states will head to the polls for Super Tuesday as hundreds of delegates are up for grabs among the remaining presidential candidates.
On the Republican side, Donald Trump continues to pad his lead over Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz as he cited a new CNN/ORC poll during a campaign stop in Virginia this morning that has 49 percent of respondents supporting him for president to Marco Rubio’s 16 percent and Cruz’s 15.
Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, who is also poised to have a big day tomorrow, seems to be spending less time attacking her in-party opponent Bernie Sanders and more focusing on how to defeat the Republican Party, maybe suggesting that she’s put Sanders in the rear view mirror. The Vermont Senator would have to have a huge day tomorrow if he wants to remain relevant in the election.
What’s at stake as voters head to the polls? Who has the best chance to win which states? Is there any way for the candidates who aren’t Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton to put pressure on the two frontrunners?
Guests:
John Iadarola, creator and host of the daily infotainment talk show ‘ThinkTank’ along with Hannah Cranston, part of The Young Turks Network; he’s also the main political fill in host for online news show The Young Turks
Pete Peterson, interim dean of the School of Public Policy and executive director of The Davenport Institute at Pepperdine University
Oscars pull in lowest ratings in 8 years
The ensemble newsroom drama “Spotlight” nabbed Best Picture, while Leonardo DiCaprio finally took home the Best Actor honor for his turn in “Revenant.”
But Hollywood’s biggest celebration of the movies seems to be so much more than just about the movies this year. Criticisms over issues of diversity have dogged the Academy Awards -- and by extension, Hollywood. All eyes were on host Chris Rock to see what he would do to take on the controversy, and the comedian came out of the gate with guns blazing, devoting his entire opening monologue to calling Hollywood out.
Rock’s performance, however, failed to bring viewers in. The numbers out on the telecast this morning show that viewership last night declined to an 8-year low.
What do you think of the Oscars broadcast? How would you rate Rock’s performance?
Guests:
Dominic Patten, senior editor at the online Hollywood and entertainment news site, Deadline; he tweets from
Matthew Presser, International Business Times’ Entertainment Business Reporter
After years of demise for California’s Republican Party, the Democrats could be next
Over the weekend state Democrats wrapped up their annual convention with a much anticipated endorsement of Attorney General Kamala Harris over her opponent Rep. Loretta Sanchez of Orange County for U.S. Senate.
And while many paint a rosy picture of the party’s future -- Democrats have for some time held every statewide office and controlled the state Legislature -- registration numbers tell a different story. Democrats are struggling to attract new voters and young talent to the party.
Until this election, disenchanted Democrats have had nowhere to turn, but perhaps thanks to so many young people “feeling the Bern” of this election, that playing field could be widening. By comparison to the California Republican party, which has largely imploded since the state broke its Republican streak by nominating Bill Clinton in 1992, the Democrats haven’t looked too bad.
But in November of 1992, there were almost 7,410,914 Democrats in the state, out of 15.1 million registered voters. And while the number of registered voters has increased by nearly 2.2 million, the number of Democrats has only grown by less than 28,000 voters. And across California today, nearly every new voter is registering nonpartisan.
We look at what that future could mean for both parties.
Guests:
Cathleen Decker, Political Columnist for the Los Angeles Times; she tweets from
Paul Mitchell, owner of Redistricting Partners, and Vice President of Political Data Inc. a company that analyzes voter file information for campaigns and others
Debate: Do online sex ads create a safer environment for sex workers?
In a recent Op-Ed in the LA times, journalist and author of “Getting Screwed, Sex Workers and the Law,” Professor Alison Bass argues that recent crackdowns of websites used to advertise and negotiate sex work actually increase the threat of violence against women in the trade.
In Seattle last month, law enforcement agents seized and shut down website TheReviewBoard.net, for its suspected use by local sex workers to post advertisements for sexual services.
Last year, law enforcement also shut down sites RentBoy.com and MyRedBook.com for allegedly harboring the activities of traffickers and pimps.
According to Professor Bass, there is little evidence that these websites abet sex trafficking. Online advertising in fact helps sex workers better screen potentially dangerous clients and negotiate safer sex. Without access to these sites, more women are forced to work in the streets, which leaves them more vulnerable to violent customers.
Proponents of police crackdowns argue that the majority of ads are used by women controlled by third parties like pimps and traffickers. The argument that decriminalization reduces sex trafficking is a myth.
Here’s a YouTube interview of Bass talking about her book “Getting Screwed, Sex Workers and the Law.”
Guests:
Alison Bass, journalist, Assistant Professor of Journalism at Reed College of Media at West Virginia University, and author of “Getting Screwed, Sex Workers and the Law”
Taina Bien Aime, Executive Director of The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW)
Why can’t car industries get infotainment systems right?
Problems with technology have become consumers’ number one concern when it comes to car dependability, according to a new study.
The J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, released Wednesday, noted that 20% of all customer complaints had to do with infotainment, navigation and car communication systems problems.
Customer dissatisfaction in these areas are also responsible for the car industry’s decline in vehicle dependability. If infotainment systems don’t work, potential buyers question what else in the car may not be up to snuff.
With all the advances in smartphone technology, why do cars seem to be the Achilles heel of infotainment?
Guests:
Dave Sargent, vice president of global automotive at J.D. Power and Associates
Gabe Nelson, reporter for Automotive News, who’s looked at reasons why car manufacturers just can’t seem to get infotainment systems right