AirTalk dives into the impact Trump’s increased tariff on solar panels could have on the industry in California following yesterday’s announcement. We also preview this year’s Oscar race after nominees were announced this morning; are California’s attempts to bring back net neutrality with state legislation a good idea?; and more.
What could ending the government shutdown cost Democrats?
The three-day government shutdown ended late on Monday – but the move has garnered criticism from Democrats who wanted to hold out for better immigration policy deals.
Many progressive Democrats are critical of the party’s Senators who voted to end the government shutdown yesterday. They claim minority leader Chuck Schumer should’ve held out for continuing DACA protections.
However, that could’ve inflicted serious damage on Democratic candidates in swing states.
We analyze the decision with Bloomberg U.S. government editor Kevin Whitelaw and Young Turks host John Iadarola.
Guests:
Kevin Whitelaw, deputy managing editor for U.S. government at Bloomberg; he tweets
John Iadarola, host of The Young Turks, an online progressive news and commentary program; he tweets
Tom Perez, chairman of the Democratic National Committee
New solar panel tariff creates a murky future for California’s industry
California is the number one state for both solar panel jobs and customers, so it goes without saying that Trump’s increased tariff on imported solar goods will affect the state dramatically.
The move began last year, when two major solar panel manufacturers, SolarWorld Americas and Suniva, filed petitions to the trade commission asking for higher tariffs to be placed on imported solar products. They argued that the tariffs would protect domestic manufacturers against international producers whose products are significantly lower in price.
But this isn’t to say that all U.S.-based solar producers feel the same. Many argue that the inevitable price increase will deter buyers from going solar, which could pose a threat to thousands of jobs. Those involved in the solar installation industry in particular would be the hardest hit, as less buyers would mean less panels to install.
We analyze the impact of the tariff and discuss what the solar industry’s future in California looks like.
Guest:
Suvi Sharma, the chief executive of Solaria, a solar panel maker headquartered in Fremont, California, that makes products in both the United States and South Korea
SoCal’s go-to weather guy Bill Patzert retires
For a place whose constant is mostly the perennial sun, we Angelenos sure love to talk about the weather – and the go-to guy on that topic in the Southland has always been Bill Patzert.
You’ve heard him many times on AirTalk talking about climatology. After decades in the field, most recently at the Earth Science division at JPL, Patzert is retiring.
Larry speaks to Patzert for this lookback at his work in oceans and climate study.
Guest:
Bill Patzert, former climatologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
‘The Shape of Water’ sees lots of love during the 2017 Academy Award nominations
The 90th Academy Awards nominations were announced early today, with “The Shape of Water,” “Dunkirk” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” leading the pack.
“The Shape of Water” came out on top with thirteen nominations, including nods for Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Director.
The nominees also include a pleasantly surprising mix of high and low budget productions, wide releases and indie favorites, and a few first-time-nominees such as Jordan Peele, Christopher Nolan and Timothée Chalamet.
We discuss the year in film, who the winners may be and what this year’s nominations say about the direction of the Academy.
Guest:
Tom O’Neill, editor and founder of Gold Derby
The FCC rolled back net neutrality, but CA is trying to bring it back – is that a good idea?
In December, the Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal net neutrality rules, but now California lawmakers have two proposals to reinstate the protections.
Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De León (D-Los Angeles) introduced a bill that would give power to the California Public Utilities Commission to make net neutrality rules and give the attorney general enforcement authority. The parallel bill from state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) is still being workshopped, but in broad terms, it would make companies follow net neutrality rules in order to get state contracts, to participate in cable franchise agreements and to service broadband wireless communications on utility poles.
Should California try to bring back net neutrality rules despite the Federal policy? What would be the best approach to make that happen? What is the pushback from the telecom industry, and if passed, how would these state rules affect the internet in the rest of the U.S.?
Guests:
Ernesto Falcon, legislative counsel for the Electronic Frontier Foundation; he tweets
Berin Szoka, president of TechFreedom, a tech policy think tank based D.C.; he tweets
Right brained, left brained: New research on the mind and creativity
The right side of the brain used to be seen as the prime holder of creativity.
In recent years, connectivity between the two hemispheres has been linked to creative thought. But a recent Harvard study is looking at a whole network of brain activity that sparks creativity. One area problem solves, another goes into default mode and one processes information... and highly creative people have the ability engage these coordinating networks and make them light up.
The lead author of the study speaks to Larry Mantle today to give us a rundown on creativity and the brain.
So what sparks your creativity? Is it a certain song or type of music? Maybe journal writing or watching a film for inspiration? Call us at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Roger Beaty, psychology postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University and lead author on the study, “Robust prediction of individual creative ability from brain functional connectivity”; he tweets