Today on AirTalk, we break down what's going on in the entertainment world as the Weinstein trial begins and Grammys CEO Deborah Dugan alleges discrimination. We also look at the first day of the Senate impeachment trial and talk about what you need to know before CA Primary voting begins next month.
Entertainment World Latest: Weinstein Trial Begins, Controversy At The Grammys
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyers want to use intimate emails from his accusers to try to convince jurors in his rape trial that any contact was consensual, the defense said Tuesday as an appeals court rejected an 11th-hour request to move the trial out of town.
Opening statements are set for today, Wednesday, in one of the most prominent cases of the #MeToo era, involving a once-celebrated movie producer now vilified as a predator by scores of women, including some well-known actresses who plan to testify or attend the trial.
Meanwhile, the ousted Grammys CEO fired back at the Recording Academy on Tuesday, alleging that she was removed after complaining about sexual harassment and pay disparities and for calling out conflicts of interest in the nomination process for music’s most prestigious awards.
Lawyers for Deborah Dugan, who was placed on administrative leave last week after six months in the job, filed the discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission just five days before the Grammy Awards. She alleged she was sexually harassed by the academy’s general counsel, Joel Katz, who late Tuesday denied her account.
We check in on both stories.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guests:
Jem Aswad, senior music editor for Variety; he tweets
Angela Reddock-Wright, an employment attorney, mediator and workplace investigator. She is Managing Attorney of Los Angeles-based Reddock Law Group
Ambrosio Rodriguez, former prosecutor; he is currently a criminal defense attorney at The Rodriguez Law Group in Los Angeles; he led the sex crimes team in the Riverside D.A.’s office
What You Need To Know Ahead Of The Start Of In-Person Voting For The 2020 CA Primary
Today marks one month until in-person voting begins for California voters casting ballots in the state’s primary elections, and if you don’t already know, things are going to be a little bit different than you might be used to this time around.
For starters, there’s a good chance you won’t be going to your local polling place this time around. Those have been replaced with larger “vote centers” which will be open for up to 10 days ahead of the election. These vote centers will still provide assistance in multiple languages and allow you to register to vote or update your registration, but it’s still not clear yet exactly where the vote centers will be. Additionally, the old paper and ink ballot marking system is now gone. Instead, voters will be selecting their candidates on so-called “ballot-marking devices” that will allow you to make your choices on a tablet screen. But both cybersecurity and voting rights experts have raised concerns about the system’s safety and efficiency. The system remains uncertified by the state, which is still investigating some of the problems, and one L.A. County city has even voted to consider a lawsuit against county election officials over the new voting system.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll take a look at these changes and others you’ll want to know before you cast your ballot this year, whether it’s in person or by mail. For more from KPCC politics reporter Libby Denkmann, including our LAist guide to preparing for the March 3rd California primary, click here.
We invited Secretary of State Alex Padilla to join us for our discussion, but he was not available at the time we requested. We also sent several requests to Los Angeles County Registrar/Recorder Dean Logan, but neither he nor his office responded to our inquiries before air. We will update this segment if we receive any response.
Guest:
Libby Denkmann, KPCC politics reporter; she tweets
Impeachment Latest: Dems Prepare To Make Opening Arguments After Senate Sets Trial Rules
The U.S. Senate plunged into President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial with Republicans abruptly abandoning plans to cram opening arguments into two days but solidly rejecting for now Democratic demands for more witnesses to expose what they deem Trump’s “trifecta” of offenses.
Trump himself said Wednesday he wants top aides to testify, but qualified that by suggesting there were “national security” concerns to allowing their testimony. He appeared to break with Republicans efforts to block Democratic motions to immediately call witnesses and subpoena documents. Instead, Trump said he'd like to see aides, including former national security adviser John Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, testify as witnesses. Trump said he'd leave the "national security” concerns about allowing their testimony to the Senate.
Tuesday's daylong session started with the setback for Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell and the president's legal team, but it ended near 2 a.m. Wednesday with Republicans easily approving the rest of the trial rules largely on their terms. With the rules settled, the trial is now on a fast-track. At issue is whether Trump should be removed from office for abuse of power stemming from his pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden and Biden's son Hunter as Trump was withhold aid to the country, and for obstructing Congress' ensuing probe.
Today on AirTalk, we get the latest on impeachment as opening arguments are set to begin.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Ron Elving, senior editor and correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News; he tweets
John Malcolm, vice president of the Institute for Constitutional Government and director of the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C.
William C. Banks, professor emeritus of law at Syracuse University, he’s the co-author of “Constitutional Law: Structure and Rights in Our Federal System,” (Carolina Academic Press, 2018)