As the Republican convention begins Cleveland, we check in with the California delegation; how local law enforcement is responding to the shooting deaths of three Baton Rouge police officers; and you weigh in about the first news story that you remember.
As GOP convention kicks off in Cleveland, what to expect in the week to come
The Republican National Convention began today in Cleveland, Ohio, with delegates and protesters alike swarming the Midwestern city. On Thursday evening, Donald Trump is expected to be formally named the Republican candidate for president.
We kick off our coverage with an inside look at what California delegates anticipate, along with a visit from AirTalk's political experts, who share their thoughts on the week to come.
California sent 172 delegates to northeastern Ohio. The delegation was assigned to stay at a water park 60 miles away from downtown Cleveland, but they were given a prominent position near the stage inside the convention hall.
Seema Mehta, a political writer for the LA Times who has been covering the California delegation, said that this seating arrangement was no accident.
"The Trump campaign wants to have a nice picture of unity coming out of this convention, and unlike some of the other delegations, California's delegation is 100 percent pro-Trump," she said.
"That's because our primary happened after the race was effectively decided, and also because under our primary rules the campaign picks the delegates. So, all 172 delegates are Trump delegates."
Noel Irwin Hentschel, chief executive officer for AmericanTours International, is one of these delegates. She is the founder of Business Women Leaders for Trump and is representing California's 33rd Congressional District, which includes the Westside of Los Angeles and the South Bay.
A first-time delegate and member of the party platform committee, Hentschel emphasized that the convention will be focused on jobs and security — both economic and national. She believes that this approach can help bring the country together after the tumult of the past several weeks.
"I hope that this will unite our country. I think the way we get united is by getting America working again and making sure America is safe," she said.
She called California "a place of opportunity," and she said that a President Trump would help to create the pro-business climate necessary for all parts of the state to succeed.
"I grew up in South Los Angeles — I have a great affection for 'south of the 10' — and I've been there recently and it has deteriorated more and more over the last 10 years," Hentschel said.
"I do believe President Trump is going to make a difference to the communities that are really struggling across our country," she said.
Hentschel suggested Trump's business background will give him the experience necessary to create positive change.
"We need to run the United States of America like a [successful] business. That can only happen with Donald Trump," Hentschel said.
There will also be several Californians with speaking slots during the convention, including Trump's daughter Tiffany and professional golfer Natalie Gulbis. House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, whose district includes much of the southern Central Valley, will speak Tuesday.
Jamiel Shaw Sr., an Angeleno whose son was killed by an undocumented immigrant in 2008, will speak in a prime-time slot tonight.
Guests:
Seema Mehta, political writer for the L.A. Times; Mehta has been covering the California delegation. She tweets from
Lisa Garcia Bedolla, Chancellor’s Professor of education and political science at UC Berkeley
Zach Courser, Research Director of the Dreier Roundtable and visiting assistant professor of government at Claremont McKenna College
Noel Irwin Hentschel, chief executive officer for AmericanTours International and CEO and founder of Business Women Leaders for Trump; she is a delegate for California’s 33rd Congressional District, which includes the Westside of Los Angeles and the South Bay
Adam Winkler, a professor at the U.C.L.A. School of Law and the author of “Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America” (W. W. Norton & Company, 2013)
Viewers' demand for filtering graphic sex and violence clashes with copyrights
A new lawsuit alleges Hollywood directors and studios want to make it legally impossible for third parties to "filter" or edit out graphic sex, violence, and profanity for family viewing.
The claims come from VidAngel which provides such edited content, but the company is at risk of shutting down because a handful of major studios accuse the company of failing to license the movies and television shows before editing and streaming the content to consumers.
Aside from VidAngel, ClearPlay is a similar service that provides R-rated movies without "F-bombs" and the like.
It was sued by the Directors Guild of America back in 2004, but Congress responded by passing the Family Movie Act of 2005 which allows consumers to edit content for playback in their own homes.
Are Hollywood studios trying to pick winners and losers among filtering services? If you are a content creator, what are your thoughts on third-party editing? If you are a viewer who wants content with less graphic sex and/or violence, is the market meeting your demand?
Guests:
Tim Winter, President, Parents Television Council - a nonpartisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment
Lawrence Iser, Managing Partner of the law firm Kinsella, Weitzman, Iser, Kump, & Aldisert, based in Santa Monica. He frequently litigates intellectual property disputes and has represented music artists including The Beatles, Michael Jackson and Jackson Browne
A look at the Baton Rouge shooter's background: Black separatism, 'sovereign citizenship'
Three police officers are dead and three more are injured after law enforcement officials in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, said they were “ambushed” Sunday. It's just the latest tragedy in a recent spate of violence touched off by two high-profile police-involved shootings in Baton Rouge and Falcon Heights, Minnesota.
The Baton Rouge shooter, Marine veteran Gavin Long, was killed in a gun battle with police Sunday. His trail of records showed he had previously declared himself a member of the Washitaw Nation separatist group, as well as as the Nation of Islam, although he had advised the public in a recent Facebook post not to affiliate him with any groups.
Larry Mantle spoke with Brian Levin, criminologist and director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State, San Bernardino, and LAPD Detective Lou Turriaga this morning to unpack the details of the tragedy and find out how local law enforcement is reacting.
What is Washitaw Nation?
Brian Levin: When we think of the "sovereign citizen" movement, often times we think of it as a white male movement – and it generally is. Sovereign citizens, many people have heard of the Posse Comitatus, are folks that believe the power of government doesn’t go past the county level and the county sheriff is the highest authority.
The Washitaw Nation is a little different. They’re similar to their white counterparts in the sense that they don’t generally recognize government – particularly federal authority. They are part of a black separatist movement and they are an offshoot of the Moorish sovereign movement. In the 1800s, and it still exists now, the Moorish Science Temple, had a presence in the North East —particularly in Chicago. There was later an offshoot of the Moorish movement, it was called Washitaw Nation.
Interestingly enough, another entity that Gavin Long was affiliated with, the Nation of Islam, was also an offshoot of the Moorish Science Temple. Its founder, Wallace Fard Mohammed, was with the Moorish Science Temple, but he left after he didn’t get a leadership role and founded the Nation of Islam.
Is it unusual for someone with a military background to be pulled into one of these groups?
Levin: It’s not unusual, but the United States military is one of the largest institutions in the country, and it’s also an institution whose membership are targeted by an array of extremists from Neo-Nazis and the Klan, to other folks as well.
So, the thing is, when these folks act out violently, they have training and that’s why they’re sought out.
Do you suspect that Dallas triggered Long?
Levin: A lot of these people have a grievance that is individual, and the template that I use before Congress or when training law enforcement, is there are three types of folks who get involved with this: the ideological offender, the psychologically dangerous, or the person who’s seeking personal benefit or revenge. We can have one be a primary factor and the other be a supporting factor, and it varies by each individual.
But often times, people tie individual frustrations and goals for revenge with a broader movement to make them feel important. We see this across the board. With sovereign citizens, often times, at least with folks whom are traditionally Caucasian, we see violence with respect to law enforcement when there’s something being executed: a warrant, a car stop or a domestic violence complaint.
Here, this ambush thing is something we saw much more with the black separatists that took place in the 1970s with the Black Liberation Army, when we had over a dozen police officers murdered.
I think [Long] took a ladle not just to the Washitaw Nation and the Nation of Islam, but also to the more extremist side of the anti-police movement, which is different than people who are protesting for criminal justice reform. I don’t want to put those folks who are peacefully protesting for reform in the same category.
Can extreme rhetoric can be a trigger to actual violence?
Levin: I think extreme rhetoric can certainly be a supporting factor.
Following Sunday's attack on law enforcement in Baton Rouge, LAPD Detective Lou Turriaga said Los Angeles police officers are acting cautiously to 9-1-1 calls.
“Police officers came on this job to make a difference. We want to protect and save our citizens – that’s the calling. It always has been, and always will be,” Turriaga said.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Guests:
Lou Turriaga, LAPD Detective III and a director for the Los Angeles Police Protective League
Brian Levin, criminologist and attorney; director of the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at Cal State, San Bernardino where he specializes in analysis of hate crime, terrorism and legal issues; he tweets from
AirTalk asks: What’s the first big news story you remember?
The past century has been filled with monumental news stories such as the Watergate scandal, the O.J. Simpson chase and trial, and the death of Princess Diana.
For many, major news events serve as chronological milestones in life, maybe because it’s the first time one is able to fully comprehend the magnitude of a tragedy or the implications of a great social triumph.
Deadspin recently asked its staff members to recall their first big news stories, popular events included Marvin Gaye’s murder, 9/11 and the 1986 explosion of NASA’s Space Shuttle Challenger --do you remember your first story?
What made that news story memorable and how do you now perceive it in retrospect? And thinking about some of the most recent events, which stories will be remembered by today's youth?
Share your first news story with us at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Sharon Shahid, Director of editorial content, video and interactive production, Newseum