Jobs numbers for June were released this morning - AirTalk speaks with experts following the story about what these numbers mean and how California fits into the national story. We also speak with Senator Al Franken about his new book; review this week's movie releases on FilmWeek; and more.
What June’s job numbers say about the California economy and nationwide employment
National job numbers for June were released Friday and there were some stark differences from 2016.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, hiring nationwide increased last month, with 222,000 seasonally adjusted jobs added. Meanwhile, the U.S. Labor Department also saw a rise in unemployment rates by a tenth of a percentage point, making it 4.4 percent. This means more Americans are entering the work force, but may not be finding jobs.
So what economic factors went into the rise in hiring? And what states, including California, are thriving or seeing challenges in the labor market?
Guests:
Eric Morath, labor and economics reporter for the Wall Street Journal; he has been following the story; he tweets
Chris Thornberg, Ph.D, founding partner of Beacon Economics; his focus includes economic forecasting, employment and labor markets and economic policy
Al Franken on becoming a ‘Giant of the Senate’
When Al Franken announced his run for the U.S. Senate in 2007, the news was met with skepticism at best, outright ridicule at worst.
More than nine years later, the democratic Senator from Minnesota has not only proven his political chops, but has become a budding progressive icon. Larry Mantle speaks with Senator Franken about his unusual career path, and his views on the Trump White House.
Senator Al Franken will be talking about his new book with comedian Chelsea Handler. The event will be held at Alex Theatre in Glendale tomorrow, July 8, at 8:00pm.
Guest:
Al Franken, U.S. Senator (D-Minnesota) since 2009, and author of the memoir, “Al Franken, Giant of the Senate” (Twelve, 2017)
The latest on the Venezuelan Crisis
Tensions continue to rise in Venezuela this week.
Anti-governments protests continue in the country and riots broke out in pockets of Caracas after a pro-government militia stormed congress and beat up several opposition lawmakers on Wednesday. Both sides are accusing each other of trying to stage a military coup. Since the most recent wave of violence and protesting broke out in April more than 90 people have been killed.
President Nicolás Maduro is working to rewrite the Venezuelan constitution right now but in a recent poll from Datanalisis 7 in 10 Venezuelans don’t want a new founding document. Calls for a referendum on a new constitution have been rejected by President Maduro, so the opposition is planning an unofficial vote on July 17.
Guests:
Daniel García Marco, correspondent for BBC World Service and BBC Mundo in Caracas, Venezuela; he tweets
Miguel Tinker Salas, professor of Latin American History and Chicano Latino studies at Pomona College; his expertise includes culture and politics in Venezuela; he is also the author of three books on Venezuela, including, “Venezuela: What Everyone Needs to Know” (Oxford University Press, 2015)
FilmWeek: ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming,’ ‘A Ghost Story’ and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell and Lael Lowenstein review this weekend’s new movie releases including:
- "Spider-Man: Homecoming" in wide release
- "A Ghost Story" at ArcLight Hollywood and The Landmark
The Frame host John Horn also spoke with writer-director David Lowery, you can listen to the interview here.
- "Lost in Paris" at Laemmle's Playhouse and Laemmle's Royal Theatre
- "Harmonium" at Laemmle's Monica Film Center
- "Austin Found" at Laemmle's Monica Film Center
- "Hickok" at Laemmle's Music Hall
Critics' Hits
- Lael: "Spider-Man: Homecoming" & "Harmonium"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNE0zRNyXuc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b9EJ1lInlE
- Tim: "A Ghost Story" & "Harmonium"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vb0F_CN83E
Mixed Feelings
- Tim: "Lost in Paris"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1uT5mWbpdI
- Lael: "A Ghost Story"
Misses!
- Lael: "Austin Found"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eELvf7WbCjQ
- Tim: "Hickok"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM44BpUf4pU
Guests:
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and Alt-Film Guide; he tweets
Lael Loewenstein, KPCC film critic
Is the big budget Hollywood franchise waning with international audiences?
The lifeline of big budget Hollywood franchises, often with less than stellar critical reviews, such as “The Mummy” and the latest “Transformers,” has typically been the international market, especially in China – but it seems like the appetite for these high-octane films might be starting wane abroad.
That’s the argument in David Sims’ recent Atlantic piece, “Hollywood has a bad-movie problem.” While Chinese audiences are rescuing box office numbers during opening weekends, they’re not as enthusiastic during weekend number two and three, and that might be a bellwether for what’s to come.
So what’s changed in movie-going audiences abroad, particularly in China? Are we seeing the beginning of the end for high-budget Hollywood franchises?
Guests:
David Sims, senior associate editor at The Atlantic, where he covers culture; he wrote the piece “Hollywood Has a Bad-Movie Problem” and tweets
Clayton Dube, director of the USC's U.S.-China Institute; his areas of expertise include international relations and media effects and he tweets
Are the ratings on Rotten Tomatoes ‘certified fresh?'
“Rush Hour” director and producing giant Brett Ratner doesn’t think so.
“The worst thing that we have in today’s movie culture is Rotten Tomatoes,” said Ratner at this year’s Sun Valley Film Festival. “I think it’s the destruction of our business.”
The rating site was introduced in 1998, moving audiences away from the traditional 1-5 star reviews by veteran film columnists to a percentage sticker based on aggregated quotes from both critics and general moviegoers: 59 percent and below marks a film “rotten,” over 60 percent is “fresh” and anything above 75 percent earns a “certified fresh.”
While Rotten Tomatoes has replaced nuance with averages, film critics like The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw say it’s a bit of a stretch to say it’s hurting the industry. Rather, it hurts the art of conversing film, but it’s not the end all of who will go out to the theaters.
AirTalk wants to hear from you: Do you depend on Rotten Tomatoes or similar rating sites? How do you approach the reviews posted, and why? Call us at 866-893-5722.