President Trump signed executive actions to advance construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines; California Gov. Jerry Brown delivers a defiant State of the State address; how net neutrality and Netflix might change under newly tapped FCC Chief Ajit Pai; and more.
Jobs, environmental and cultural concerns at stake in Trump’s Keystone XL/DAPL executive order
(AP) -- President Donald Trump has signed executive actions to advance the construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines.
Trump tells reporters in the Oval Office that the construction of the pipelines will be subject to the terms and conditions being renegotiated by the U.S. Former President Barack Obama killed the proposed Keystone XL pipeline in late 2015, saying it would hurt American efforts to reach a global climate change deal. The pipeline would run from Canada to U.S. refineries in the Gulf Coast.
The U.S. government needs to approve the pipeline because it crossed the border. The Army decided last year to explore alternate routes for the Dakota pipeline after the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and its supporters said the pipeline threatened drinking water and Native American cultural sites.
Guests:
Timothy Cama, energy and environmental reporter for The Hill
John Stoody, Vice President of Government and Public Relations with the Association of Oil Pipelines, a DC-based industry group involved in the North Dakota Pipeline project
Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, Director of the International Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council
Kandi Mossett, campaign organizer for the Indigenous Environmental Network, a network of Indigenous, grassroots and environmental activists; she is also American Indian
Weighing the latest health risks of sugar
We’ve all heard it--sugar is the enemy.
From its history as an ingredient in cigarettes to its connection to high fructose corn syrup, sugar has been inextricably linked to our lives and our diets. But health risks related to it may be worse than we thought. Obesity, liver disease and diabetes have been linked to sugar’s dietary overuse. So how have we gotten here and how serious is the threat of a sweet tooth? In his new book, “The Case Against Sugar,” author Gary Taubes argues that sugar is the primary cause of the chronic illnesses most likely to kill us - diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, not to mention susceptibility to Alzheimers.
Is sugar truly toxic - like tobacco? Larry speaks to Taubes today for a deeper perspective on how harmful sugar really is.
Guests:
Gary Taubes, science writer and author of many books, including his latest, “The Case Against Sugar” (Knopf, 2016)
David Ludwig, MD., a practicing endocrinologist and professor at Harvard Medical School. He is the author of the book, “Always Hungry?: Conquer Cravings, Retrain Your Fat Cells, and Lose Weight Permanently” (Grand Central Life & Style, 2016)
Brown delivers defiant State of the State address defending immigrants, climate change
What the new FCC Chief Ajit Pai means for the future of internet, net neutrality and Netflix
On Monday, President Donald Trump tapped Ajit Pai to head the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The appointment does not require congressional approval, since Pai was already a senior member of the regulatory agency. A long time Washington lawyer and regulator, Pai consistently voted against former FCC chairman Tom Wheeler, including the proposal to establish Net Neutrality rules. Under the rules, internet companies are subjected to similar regulations the government put on on phone companies. In addition, broadband providers may not discriminatorily throttle or favor sites for commercial reasons. In addition, Pai’s agenda include tax breaks for startups and rural internet providers. He also wants to make it easier for emerging broadband companies to access existing utility infrastructure.
Host Larry Mantle sits down with Craig Aaron, President and CEO of Free Press, and Randolph May, President of the Free State Foundation about the past and future of internet in America.
Guests:
Craig Aaron, President and CEO of Free Press, a nonpartisan organization advocating for universal internet access and diverse media ownership. He tweets
Randolph May, Founder and President of the Free State Foundation, a non-profit think tank promoting free market, limited government, and rule of law principles. He served as Associate General Counsel at the FCC
AirTalk listeners weigh in on Oscars: ‘La La Land’ dominates, but diverse films also receive nods
“La La Land,” the Hollywood musical starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, received a record 14 Oscar nominations, tying “Titanic” and “All About Eve” for the most nominations a movie has ever garnered.
Despite the dominance of “La La Land”, the Academy of Motion Pictures seems to have moved past the #OscarSoWhite controversy that had dogged it for the last two years. A number of films with diverse casts and themes have received nominations this year, including “Moonlight” (8 noms), The Ava DuVernay doc “13th,” and acting noms for actors from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
See full list of Oscar nominees.
Guest:
Tim Gray, awards editor at Variety. He tweets from