Today on AirTalk, our weekly political roundtable recaps the major headlines you might’ve missed in politics news over the weekend and looks ahead to the week to come. We also discuss a recent ban on natural gas in new houses built in Berkeley; examine right to shelter laws in California; and more.
Week In Politics: Preview Of The Mueller Testimony And More
AirTalk’s weekly political roundtable recaps the major headlines you might’ve missed in politics news over the weekend and looks ahead to the week to come. Here are the headlines what we’re following this week:
The continued fallout from Trump’s comments on “the squad,” including chants of “send her back” at a Trump rally and Trump’s subsequent disavowal
While Speaker Pelosi continues trying to shut down impeachment talks, public support for the idea grows
Iran has captured a UK tanker. Meanwhile, the White House confirmed that Senator Rand Paul is in diplomatic talks with Iran
2020 check-in:
The results are in from the NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll - and it looks like independents are unimpressed by both Trump and Dems
Cal Matters put together some charts to illustrate how much Californians are donating to the presidential candidates and to whom -- how are the candidates doing on donations? How much does the money matter and to which type of candidate?
Indian Americans are a growing donor force
A NYT Upshot analysis says Trump’s advantage in the Electoral College in relation to the popular vote might be even greater than in 2016
The debates approach
Bernie Sanders’ campaign workers demand a $15 wage
Warrens has a plan for Wall Street
The Trump campaign’s newest offering? Plastic straws
The House has until the end of the week to raise overall spending and borrowing limits
The Mueller hearings are set for this coming Wednesday, July 24
A question of framing: many governmental initiatives are referred to by mainstream media as enacted by the Trump administration -- but under Obama, they were often framed as coming from specific agencies, such as the DOJ or EPA
Guests:
Matt Barreto, professor of political science and Chicano/a Studies at UCLA and co-founder of the research and polling firm Latino Decisions; he tweets
Jack Pitney, professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College; he tweets
Berkeley Bans Natural Gas Lines In New Homes
A new ordinance passed unanimously by the Berkeley City Council prohibits natural gas in new low-rise residential buildings.
Berkeley is the first U.S. city to make the move, but the California Energy Commission told the San Francisco Chronicle that 50 other cities across the state are considering similar regulations. The aim is to decrease greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas in homes.
The ordinance goes into effect January 1, with the potential for other types of buildings to be considered in the future. It will not affect buildings with existing natural gas lines.
Larry sits down with Berkeley Councilmember Kate Harrison, who wrote and introduced the ordinance. Do you use natural gas to cook or heat your home? What do you think of Berkeley’s environmental move? Call us at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Kate Harrison, Councilmember for the City of Berkeley; she introduced and authored the ordinance; she tweets
Whether And How A ‘Right To Shelter’ Policy Would Work In California, And What The State Can Learn From New York City
In a recent op-ed in the Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Mayor and co-chair of Governor Gavin Newsom’s Homeless and Supportive Housing Advisory Task Force Darrell Steinberg floats the idea that California should implement a “right to shelter” law in order to combat the affordable housing and homelessness crisis that has plagued the Golden State.
Under a policy like this, cities and counties would have to construct homeless shelters that would have enough space for any homeless person seeking shelter at any given time. For an example, Steinberg writes, Californians need look no further than New York City, which he says will spend more than $1.5 billion this year to shelter approximately 75,000 people. He says that New York’s system could be used as a model, and that an effective “right-to-shelter” policy in California would be coupled with a mandate that it be used, though he does not specify exactly how the state would enforce such a policy.
How would a “right to shelter” policy look here in California? Would it be implemented by lawmakers in Sacramento? Or Governor Newsom? Or would individual cities and municipalities have to draw up their own individual legislation? Where would the funding required to execute the plan come from? And how would neighborhood residents who have pushed back against affordable housing and homeless shelters being built in their neighborhoods be addressed?
Guests:
Darrell Steinberg, mayor of Sacramento and co-chair of Governor Newsom’s Homeless and Supportive Housing Advisory Task Force; he tweets
Mark Ridley-Thomas, Los Angeles County Supervisor representing the Second Supervisorial District, which encompasses a wide swath of South and West L.A., including the cities of Compton, Carson, Inglewood and Culver City and neighborhoods like the Crenshaw District and Miracle Mile; he is also co-chair of Governor Newsom’s Homeless and Supportive Housing Advisory Task Force; he tweets
Separating After 50: The Psychological And Economic Effects of ‘Gray Divorce’
Divorce is difficult at any age, but a spate of recent studies suggests that so-called ‘gray divorce,’ among adults over the age of 50, is especially damaging psychologically and financially.
And it’s also becoming more common. While the larger divorce rates in the U.S. are on the decline, rates of divorce among older couples are increasing. That’s because young people are delaying or even foregoing marriage, while baby boomers, whose divorce rated spiked in the 1970s, are continuing their trend of separating even as they get older.
One recent study from the National Center for Family & Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University in Ohio found that people who’ve divorced in older age report higher levels of depression than those whose partner has died -- and recovery from divorce takes about four years.
There’s also the economic fallout of losing assets so late in life, and the consequences are usually more dire for women.
We talk to a researcher about these trends. Plus, we want to hear from you. If you considered or got a divorce over the age of 50, what were the factors you had to consider? How was life after the separation? If you are an adult child of parents who got a “gray divorce,” what was the financial and psychological impact on yourself and your family?
Call us at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Susan Brown, professor of sociology and co-director of the National Center for Family & Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, which has conducted various studies on “gray divorce”