Significantly more Americans are favoring citizenship for illegal immigrants -- we'll examine what has led to this shift. Also, General Stanley McChrystal joins us to talk about his memoir of Iraq and Afghanistan. Later, we examine why doctor-assisted suicide is rarely tried in court, the lawsuit Junior Seau's family has filed against the NFL, and what it means for television now that the Dodgers will have their own channel. All that and more on AirTalk.
Majority in the GOP now support path to citizenship for undocumented residents, according to new poll
The reelection of recently inaugurated President Obama is a telltale sign of a greater shift in perspective among Americans on many issues including immigration policy. A newly released poll conducted by Associated Press-GfK indicates that 6 in 10 Americans now support allowing illegal immigrants to eventually become United States citizens, a significant increase driven by a turn in many Republicans’ positions since the 2012 elections. A majority in the GOP - 53 percent - now favor blazing a more inclusive trail toward citizenship. That’s a 22 percent increase from 2010.
The Republicans’ shift in their approach to immigration policy comes as the GOP seeks to increase its lackluster support among Latino voters, who rallied behind President Obama in November. In his inaugural speech on Monday, Obama declared, “Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity; until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country." Moreover, David Axelrod, one of Obama’s top advisors, stated on Monday that immigration reform will be a high priority for the Obama administration that will be prompted early on during the president’s second term.
Why has such a significant shift in immigration ideology among Republicans happened so fast? Is the GOP simply pandering to Latino voters for their support or has a more comprehensive understanding of immigration needs been adopted? What kinds of real and enduring changes in immigration policy might we see over the next four years?
Guests:
Mark Lopez, Associate Director of the Pew Hispanic Center, Washington D.C.
Dan Judy, Vice President of North Star Opinion Research, a Republican pollster
Gen. Stanley McChrystal tells personal war stories in 'My Share of the Task'
Although General Stanley A. McChrystal may want to be known for enacting a counterinsurgency doctrine that changed the war in Afghanistan, the public may remember him more for his success in being part of the task force that captured Saddam Hussein and the accusations of insubordination that forced his resignation.
In his new book, McChrystal tells his side of the story. “My Share of the Task: A Memoir by General Stanley A. McChrystal” is not McChrystal’s outlet for criticizing government and the military, nor does it attempt to vindicate his highly publicized statements in "Rolling Stone." Rather, he simply tells his story and attempts to personalize the soldiers fighting in the war.
McChrystal details how he grew up in a military family and then spent six years as Commander of a special operations task force in Iraq. He remembers some of the thousands of raids, explaining how creating a network between different departments led to greater intelligence that quickened their operating speed. In 2009, McChrystal became the Commander of the NATO coalition in Afghanistan and took on the task of changing public distrust toward the government and the war. In addition, he had to convince the leaders of 37 countries, as well as over 100,000 troops, that the war could be won by counterinsurgency methods of effective communication rather than brute force.
What he learned, after years of forceful dealings with Iraqi and Afghan civilians, was that the most important task he faced was winning the trust of the Afghan people. The effectiveness of McChrystal’s counterinsurgency strategies, focusing on communication rather than confrontation, are still being questioned.
Do you think his strategy in Afghanistan is effective? Is there an inherent culture gap between civilians and the military? How did McChrystal gain the trust of a people he had been sent to overpower?
Guest:
Assisted suicide brings judicial leniency
Last week, George Taylor was given a two-day jail sentence and three years probation for killing his wife, Gewynn. The couple, both in their 80’s and with unspecified medical problems, had wanted to die together. After suffocating his wife with a plastic bag, Taylor attempted to do the same to himself, but failed. He pleaded guilty to the felony of assisted suicide. The outcome was the result of leniency on the part of both the prosecutor and the judge – and it’s not an isolated case.
There have been several recent instances of elderly people who made their wish to die known, and were aided in carrying out that wish by spouses, friends, or family members. Although doctor-assisted suicide is allowed in three states, California is not one of them; ending a life is clearly against the law. Yet assisted-suicide cases rarely come to trial. Prosecutors, feeling that jurors will be sympathetic to, say, a grieving, elderly person who has helped an ailing spouse to end his or her suffering, prefer to bring lesser charges.
Is this a case of humanity overstepping the law? Should “helping” someone to die bring a lighter sentence than other types of killing? Should our laws be changed to allow for helping a loved one who is determined to end his life?
Guest:
Robert Weisberg, Professor of Law and Director of the Stanford Criminal Justice Center at Stanford Law
Junior Seau’s family sues the NFL, claiming head injuries led to his suicide
The family of deceased NFL linebacker Junior Seau sued the NFL today for “acts or omissions” about the danger of repetitive blows to the head that led to Seau’s chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and ultimately his suicide.
Seau’s family is accusing the NFL of deliberately concealing the consequences of traumatic brain injuries, and this isn’t the first accusation made to the NFL. In fact, the Associated Press reported over 3,800 players have sued the NFL over head injuries. The Seaus are also suing the helmet manufacturer Riddell and calling the company “negligent.”
Does the NFL promote violence in the game? Do football players know the risks involved when they sign up to play? Can these lawsuits change the way American football is played?
Guests:
Jody Armour, Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law at USC Gould School of Law
David Orentlicher, Samuel R. Rosen Professor of Law; Co-director of the William S. and Christine S. Hall Center for Law and Health; Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
Dodgers TV deal with Time Warner
Reportedly, the Dodgers have agreed to a deal with Time Warner Cable for the team’s television contract. As a result, the Dodgers will now get its own channel, akin to the setup the Lakers have after their deal with Time Warner Cable last year. The specifics of the deal aren’t yet known—it has yet to be sent to the MLB for approval—but it is expected to land somewhere between $6 and $7 billion.
Previously, the Dodgers had a deal with Fox Sports, but Time Warner Cable came into the conversation when an exclusive negotiating window with Fox expired. Time Warner Cable now has television deals with the Lakers and the Dodgers, both of which were previously with Fox Sports.
So what does this mean for Los Angeles Dodgers fans? How has the Lakers deal with Time Warner Cable played out? Can we expect to see more of the same in this deal? What does it mean for the team, and for local television?
Guests:
Bill Shaikin, Covering baseball on and off the field for the Los Angeles Times
Jon Weisman, Reporter and Editor at Variety
Never Built: Los Angeles architecturally reimagined
Can you imagine Los Angeles with a series of interconnected public parks? With major freeways cutting through canyons and hills? In an upcoming exhibit at Los Angeles’ A+D Architecture and Design Museum, co-curators Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin explore a version of L.A. that was imagined, but never built.
“Never Built: Los Angeles” will showcase skyscrapers and hilltop museums from famed architects that didn’t make it into the city’s skyline and will explore how the envisioned works might have changed L.A. – for good or bad. What do you think of Los Angeles architecture?
Would the city be better with more skyscrapers or more interconnected roads and public transportation? Could any of the imagined architecture be ruinous to Los Angeles lifestyle or culture? What would you change or keep the same? A+D curators Lubell and Goldin join Larry to discuss their upcoming exhibit and the architecture that could have transformed Los Angeles.
Guests:
Sam Lubell, co-curator of “Never Built: Los Angeles” at the A+D Architecture and Design Museum and co-author of the forthcoming book by the same name
Greg Goldin
, co-curator of “Never Built: Los Angeles” at the A+D Architecture and Design Museum and co-author of the forthcoming book by the same name