Today on AirTalk, we discuss the latest on the expected announcement of President Trump's executive action on the citizenship question for the 2020 census. We also examine the lack of regulations for fertility clinics after a recent embryo mix up; interview Pulitzer Prize-winning author and columnist, George F. Will; and more.
Let The Legal Challenges Begin: Trump To Issue Citizenship Question Exec Order
President Donald Trump is expected to announce new executive action Thursday during a news conference on the 2020 census and his push to include a citizenship question.
Trump tweeted Thursday morning that he planned “a News Conference on the Census and Citizenship” after a White House Social Media Summit.
A senior administrator official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the plans, said the president would be announcing new action, but the official did not elaborate.
Trump said last week that he was “very seriously” considering executive action to try to force the question’s inclusion, and that it was among four or five options he’d been weighing.
“It’s one of the ways that we’re thinking about doing it, very seriously,” he said, despite the fact that the government has already begun the process of printing the census questionnaire without the question.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guest:
Anita Kumar, White House correspondent and associate editor, covering President Donald Trump for Politico; she tweets
Embryo Mix Up at SoCal Fertility Center Sheds Lights On Lack Of Regulations For Clinics Nationwide
A Southern California couple is suing a fertility clinic, claiming their embryo was mistakenly implanted in a New York woman, who gave birth to their son as well as a second boy belonging to another couple.
The lawsuit by Anni and Ashot Manukyan describes an alleged in vitro fertilization mix-up by CHA Fertility Center in Los Angeles that involves three separate couples, and alleges the clinic violated a California law that bars knowingly using "sperm, ova, or embryos in assisted reproduction technology, for any purpose other than that indicated by the sperm, ova, or embryo provider's signature on a written consent form."
The birth mother in New York believed she was carrying twins made from her and her husband's genetic material, the suit says. Genetic testing confirmed the two infants were not related to the couple and were not related to each other. The Queens woman and her husband filed a separate medical malpractice and negligence lawsuit in federal court in Brooklyn last week. The Manukyans, of Glendale, endured a court fight before being granted custody of their son, according to the court filing. They are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
In addition, Anni Manukyan was mistakenly implanted with at least one embryo of a stranger, when she thought the embryo resulted from her and her husband's genetic material, according to the lawsuit. That implantation did not result in a successful pregnancy, the court papers say. It's unclear from the lawsuits who the third couple is or what happened to the other boy.
With files from AP
Guests:
Dov Fox, professor of law and director of the Center for Health Law and Bioethics at the University of San Diego; his new book is “Birth Rights and Wrongs: How Medicine and Technology are Remaking Reproduction and the Law” (Oxford University Press, July 2019)
Aaron Kheriaty, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry and director of the Medical Ethics Program at the School of Medicine at UC Irvine
Kristin Bendikson, M.D., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at USC’s Keck School of Medicine
How ‘The Conservative Sensibility’ Brought America To This Political Moment
By many measures, political polarization has reached new heights in the United States, and arguably, the world.
In his latest book, "The Conservative Sensibility” Pulitzer Prize-winning author and columnist, George F. Will, reflects on the foundation of American conservatism in a political moment that puts the definition of conservatism in question.
Will assesses the vision that America’s founders originally conceived and how that vision been interpreted over the course of American history until the present day.
He asserts that the original conservatism that shaped the Declaration of Independence is now under threat from all sides.
Larry sits down with George F. Will to discuss how the journey America took throughout history brought us to the present-day state of American civic life.
Guest:
George F. Will, political, domestic, and foreign affairs columnist and author of sixteen books including “The Conservative Sensibility” (Hachette Books, June 2019); he tweets
Bail Out Or Necessary Step? Debating The Wildfire-Related Utility Fund Bill
Governor Newsom has been pushing Assembly Bill 1054 to create a $21 billion wildfire fund to help utilities cover fire-related liabilities.
Half of that money will be taken from ratepayers, which opponents of the legislation say is an unfair burden to place on customers. They argue the focus should be on ensuring that utilities maintain their equipment, rather than diminishing their monetary liability.
There will be certain parameters set up around how utilities can access the funds.
Pacific Gas & Electric is currently going through federal bankruptcy proceedings and Governor Newsom has argued that not doing anything will hurt customers most. Critics have called the bill a bail-out for utility companies.
Credit ratings agencies said they might lower the investment grades of San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison if the California legislature isn’t able to pass the legislation by Friday, which is why the legislation has been top of mind this week.
We hear the pros and cons of the legislation.
Guests:
Taryn Luna, reporter covering state government and politics in Sacramento for the LA Times
Jan Smutny-Jones, chief executive officer of California’s Independent Energy Producers Association, which is a member of Action for Wildfire Resiliency, a lobbying coalition of electrical workers and other business and community groups, formed by Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)
Michael Aguirre, attorney at Aguirre & Severson, LLP in San Diego; he represents utility customers in a case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court
The CA Bill That Could Significantly Limit New Charter Schools In State
A controversial charter school regulation has been moving through the California legislature and was heard yesterday at the Senate Education Committee’s public hearing yesterday.
The competition charter schools have presented to public schools has long been a source of tension between advocates on either side of the debate.
Under the current system, county and state boards of education can override petitions denied by districts on appeal and school districts cannot deny a charter application on the basis of fiscal impact a new charter would have on the district.
If passed into law, AB 1505 would grant local districts the sole authority to approve charter school applications in their districts.
We hear from proponents and opponents of the bill on how the proposed rule would impact California public schools as early as next year.
Guests:
Louis Freedberg, executive director of EdSource, an Oakland-based nonprofit journalism publication reporting on key education issues in California and the nation
Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), a coauthor of AB 1505 ; state senator representing California’s 9th Senate District, which includes the cities of Alameda, Berkeley, and San Pablo
Myrna Castrejon, president and CEO of the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) who continue to oppose AB1505.