Today on AirTalk, we get the latest on national and international politics. Also on the show, we discuss the SoCal voters in the Taiwan election; car thefts in Los Angeles; the weekend film releases; and more.
Politics: Iran Sanctions, Impeachment, and Ukraine Flight 752
The U.S. promised “appropriate action” Friday in response to its assessment that an Iranian missile was responsible for downing a Ukrainian jetliner that crashed outside Tehran, as the Iranian government denied playing a role in the killing of all 176 people on board.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo became the highest-level U.S. official to directly pin the blame on Iran, after Canadian, Australian and British leaders announced similar intelligence conclusions Thursday. “We do believe it is likely that that plane was shot down by an Iranian missile,” he said.
Pompeo said an investigation would continue into the incident and that once it was complete he was “confident that we and the world will take appropriate action as a response.” Leaders said the plane appeared to have been unintentionally hit by a surface-to-air missile. But how feasible will an investigation be amid a high number of existing sanctions on Iran? Today we talk about the increasing number of sanctions being imposed on Iran, and check in on the timeline for a Senate impeachment trial and the likelihood of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi delivering the articles of impeachment.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guests:
Eli Stokols, DC-based White House reporter for The Los Angeles Times; he tweets
Capt. John M. Cox, veteran aviation pilot and CEO of Safety Operating Systems, a aviation consulting firm located in Washington, DC
California Gov. Gavin Newsom To Release Proposed State Budget
Governor Newsom’s proposed 2020 state budget includes increased funding for higher education, health care, child care and preschool, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and raising Earned Income Tax Credits, in addition to the $750 million earmarked for homeless services and rental assistance reported by the Los Angeles Times.
The proposal also cites the need for investment in the 2020 Census count, emergency preparedness, and supportive services for immigrants. The California Budget & Policy Center says a number of the proposals are meant as one time investments for 2020, with the hope of gathering more support from the public as programs are instituted or expanded. Other programs expanded in the proposal include California’s Paid Family Leave, Home Visiting and Black Infant Health, Medi-Cal (and screenings for Adverse Childhood Experiences) and Child Savings Accounts for Kindergarteners.
Guest:
Jay Obernolte (R-Big Bear), California State Assembly member representing the 33rd State Assembly District, which covers a wide swath of the High Desert and San Bernardino County including Hesperia, Victorville, Barstow and the Mojave Desert; he tweets
Taiwan’s Presidential Election: What’s At Stake
With Taiwan’s presidential election tomorrow, many in the U.S. are traveling overseas to cast their votes. Under the umbrella of Taiwan’s fraught relationship with China, choosing Taiwan’s leadership is a responsibility many Tawianese-Americans are taking seriously.
Taiwan does not allow absentee voting, leading many to make the flight home to cast their votes. According to LAist, it is estimated about 6,000 Taiwanese residents living in SoCal who still carry Taiwanese citizenship plan to travel back to Taiwan to participate in the elections. Many see their vote as an important part of the larger issue in Taiwan’s relationship with China.
Taiwan's elections are lively events that generally revolve around economic, public welfare and social justice issues, though China’s threat to annex the self-governing island by force always looms large in the background. “Every one of us must vote!” Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen told a late night rally in downtown Taipei. “This is for the sake of Taiwan’s youth, for the sake of their future!”
Polls indicate that the Democratic Progressive Party’s President Tsai Ing-wen is poised to win a second four-year term on Saturday against her opponent, Han Kuo-yu of the Nationalist Party. Taiwan’s presidential elections generally revolve around the island’s relationship with China. Voters have gone back and forth between the tough line that the Democratic Progressive Party says is best to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty and the cooperation with China that the Nationalist Party says will foster economic growth.
Read Josie’s story on Taiwanese Americans returning to the island-nation for the election here.
With file from the Associated Press
Guests:
Abe Denmark, Asia Program Director at the Wilson Center in DC
Josie Huang, correspondent at KPCC covering the Asian American communities in the region; her latest piece is on Taiwanese Americans in Southern California who are heading back to the island-nation to vote in the presidential election tomorrow
Car Thefts Aimed At Tourists A Growing Issue In Southern California
Hundreds of tourists vacationing in the Los Angeles area have experienced car break ins, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.
Those targeting the tourists could be from the Bay Area, a place that’s extremely familiar with high numbers of car break ins. LAPD, CHP and the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department are reported to be ramping up efforts to squash the problem, including increasing patrols and implementing task forces to focus on the issue. Larry checks in with an LAPD detective to learn more about the problem that’s now being called a crisis in some California cities.
Guest:
Brent Hopkins, Detective with the Los Angeles Police Department's Wilshire Division; the area has experienced a spike of these car thefts
FilmWeek: ‘Underwater,’ ‘Like A Boss,’ ‘Weathering With You’ And More
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Christy Lemire, Tim Cogshell and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases.
"Underwater" in wide release
"Like A Boss" in wide release
"Weathering with You" in select theaters starting Weds. January 15
"Three Christs" at Laemmle’s Monica Film Center
"1917" in wide release
"Just Mercy" in wide release
"Les Misérables" at ArcLight Hollywood & The Landmark
"Inherit The Viper" at Arena Cinelounge Hollywood
Critics' Hits:
Tim: "Underwater" & "Les Misérables"
Christy: "Just Mercy"
Charles: "Weathering With You" & "1917"
Mixed Feelings:
Tim: "Three Christs"
Christy: "Inherit The Viper"
Misses:
Tim: "Like A Boss"
Guests:
Christy Lemire, film critic for KPCC, RogerEbert.com and co-host of the ‘Breakfast All Day’ podcast; she tweets
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC, Alt-Film Guide and CineGods.com; he tweets
Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine
No Politics At The Dinner Table, But What About The Awards Show?
At the Golden Globes last Sunday, host Ricky Gervais wasted no time taking aim at what he sees as the hypocrisy of Hollywood.
He joked about the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s issues with diversity and inclusion, Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to Hollywood, and cracked a joke about Judi Dench in “Cats” that was so crude it had to be bleeped from the broadcast. He concluded by excoriating the practice of actors making politically-charged speeches when they come up to accept their awards and implored them to refrain from doing so, telling them to “come up, take your little award, thank your agent, and f*** off.”
Plenty of celebrities have used their platforms to convey controversial messages, to varying degrees of success. In 1973 Marlon Brando famously declined the Oscar for Best Actor, instead giving the stage over to Native American actress Sacheen Littlefeather, who protested Hollywood’s portrayal of Natives on Brando’s behalf. Some stars, like Jane Fonda, have recently used their platforms to protest for climate action or policy change. But the immense privileges celebrities enjoy can make political speeches feel hollow. Some stars’ attempts at engagement could be construed as a form of self-promotion, restricted to hashtags meant to appeal to a fanbase or make headlines.
Should Hollywood celebrities use their platform to draw attention to social issues? If so, how? Do you think it is a self-serving gesture, or a meaningful form of engagement? Is there a net positive or negative to society? Today on FilmWeek, our critics discuss celebrities and political speech.
Guests:
Dominic Patten, senior editor at Deadline; he tweets
Christy Lemire, film critic for KPCC, RogerEbert.com and co-host of the ‘Breakfast All Day’ podcast; she tweets
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC, Alt-Film Guide and CineGods.com; he tweets
Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine