November's ballot will quite possibly include an initiative to split California into three separate states – what are the motives behind the proposal and what are its chances of passing? We also look into the accuracy of online ancestry tests; get a preview of FIFA World Cup 2018; and more.
Should California be split into 3 states? Voters will decide in November
An initiative that seeks to split California into three states is projected to qualify for the state's November ballot. California Secretary of State Alex Padilla said late Tuesday the initiative needed 365,880 valid petition signatures to qualify and random sampling projects a number of valid signatures greater than 110 percent of the requirement.
The latest proposal for splitting up the Golden State is promoted by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Timothy Draper. It would create the states of Northern California, Southern California and a narrow central coast strip retaining the name California. The plan proposes a central state made up of Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey and San Benito counties; a southern state consisting of Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Fresno, Tulare, Inyo, Madera and Mono counties; and the remaining 40 counties would be part of a northern state.
Even if voters approve the initiative an actual split would still require the approval of the state Legislature and Congress. Certification that the initiative has qualified for the ballot will come on June 28. What do you think, should California be split into three states? Call us at 866-893-5722 and let us know.
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
Loren Kaye, president of California Foundation of Commerce and Education, a public policy research think tank affiliated with the California Chamber of Commerce; he tweets
House to vote on bill to protect ‘Dreamers’ as soon as next week
House Republicans are considering next steps on two immigration bills after GOP leaders persuaded moderate Republicans to drop their effort to force votes on legislation that would have protected young "Dreamer" immigrants with a path to citizenship.
Instead, leaders reached a deal with moderates and conservatives that will allow two votes on other bills, starting as soon as next week.
Moderates were promised a vote on a compromise immigration plan, which remains a work in progress but will likely include a citizenship pathway for the young immigrants who have been living in the country illegally since they were children. Conservatives were guaranteed a vote on their favored approach, which provides a path to legal status but not citizenship.
AirTalk looks at the two bills coming up for a vote in the House, and their chances of passage.
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
Eliza Collins, Congressional reporter for USA Today; she joins us from the Capitol; she tweets
The ‘Amazon tax’ is repealed in Seattle, but what about efforts in Mountain View for a ‘Google tax’?
A tax on large companies such as Amazon that was meant to fight a growing homelessness crisis got rolled back during a raucous Seattle City Council meeting that exposed divisions over how much companies that have fueled booming economies should help pay to alleviate the downsides of success.
A divided crowd chanted, jeered and booed at the meeting, drowning out city leaders as they cast a 7-2 vote Tuesday. People shouted, "Stop the repeal," as others unfurled a large red banner that read, "Tax Amazon." An opposing group held "No tax on jobs" signs.
The vote showed Amazon's ability to aggressively push back on government taxes, especially in its affluent hometown where it's the largest employer with more than 45,000 workers and where it has been criticized for contributing to a widening income gap.
It remains to be seen whether Seattle's retreat will have a chilling effect on other cities considering taxes on big tech companies to help mitigate the effects of growth.
The City Council in Mountain View, California, where Google is based, will vote June 26 on whether to put a similar measure before voters in November. The "Google tax," which has unanimous support from the council, aims to alleviate transportation woes and high housing costs in the Silicon Valley city south of San Francisco.
Mountain View Mayor Lenny Siegel said Seattle's about-face hasn't changed his support for the tax, the details of which the council and city administrators have been working on for several months.
AirTalk looks at whether the Seattle vote will impact other cities considering a similar measure.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Karen Weise, Seattle-based reporter with Bloomberg Tech who’s been following the story; she tweets
Lenny Siegel, mayor of the City of Mountain View, who has proposed the so-called “Google tax” in his city
2018 World Cup preview, plus North America is chosen to host in 2026
The first game of the 2018 World Cup kicks off on Thursday with Russia, playing on home turf, against Saudi Arabia.
The event will span June 14 to July 15, 2018 and will involve 32 different teams, narrowed down to a final that will take place in Moscow. Some of the favorites for the win include France, Germany, Brazil and Spain.
The choice of Russia as the host country has garnered some backlash, especially with Russia’s history of discrimination against people who are LGBT and incidents of racism.
Plus, a combined bid by the Canada, the U.S. and Mexico has secured the hosting spot for the 2026 World Cup, with the final to be potentially held at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. This is the first time the men’s World Cup returns to North America since 1994.
We discuss what this portends for North America, including Los Angeles, in 2026. Plus, we preview the 2018 World Cup, with Avi Creditor of SportsIllustrated.com and Kevin Baxter from the L.A. Times.
Guests:
Kevin Baxter, sports writer who covers baseball, soccer and other sports for the Los Angeles Times; he tweets
Avi Creditor, soccer editor for SportsIllustrated.com; he tweets
Proposal to change admissions process for NYC specialized public high schools
A plan to diversify New York City’s most elite public high schools is drawing fire from the minority group that has come to dominate the schools in recent years: Asian-Americans.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last weekend that he wants to scrap the test that governs admission to eight specialized high schools including Stuyvesant High School and the Bronx High School of Science, calling the test “a roadblock to justice, progress and academic excellence.” Fewer than 10 percent of students who score well enough to gain admission to the schools are black or Latino, despite the fact that those two groups make up two-thirds of the city’s 1 million public school students. “It’s not fair. It’s not inclusive. It’s not open to all,” de Blasio said.
But such a change might mean fewer seats for Asian-American students, who now make up 62 percent of the pupils. “This policy causes chaos in the Asian-American community and we’re here to reject this policy,” John Chan, head of the Coalition of Asian-Americans for Civil Rights, said. Opponents of the proposed change accused the mayor of pitting minority groups against each other.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guests:
David Kirkland, associate professor of English and urban education and executive director of the Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools at New York University
Diane Schachterle, vice president of the American Civil Rights Institute, a national civil rights organization that aims to advocate for non-discrimination by opposing racial and gender preferences, founded by former UC Regent Ward Connerly
Can DNA testing really pinpoint your ethnicity?
DNA testing has become popular in recent years. More and more consumers are excited to learn about their heritage. But is the science behind it accurate?
Some experts say consumers should not see ethnic analysis as a hard science. Ancestry, for example, which has become the world’s largest DNA testing conglomerate, make ethnicity estimates by comparing people's DNA to "reference populations." Ancestry says it has developed a reference panel made up of DNA samples worldwide. After customers submit their DNA, the company examines 700,000 markers in that sample and compares it to its reference panel. Then the company comes up with “statistically plausible distribution of where your ancestors come from," according to the company’s chief scientific officer.
But the list is far from being comprehensive. China, for instance, has restrictions on taking DNA out of the country. Still, many consumers enjoy the charts they receive that break down their probable ethnic backgrounds. But some scientists, however, say these tests are as accurate as looking at yourself in the mirror.
Ancestry.com sent us this statement:
“We’re confident in the science and the results that we give to customers. The consumer genomics industry is in its early stages but is growing fast with continuous innovation. We tell customers throughout the experience that their results are as accurate as possible for where the science is today and that it may evolve over time as the resolution of DNA estimates improve.”
Guest:
Scott Woodward, molecular and microbiologist who specializes in genetic genealogy and ancient DNA studies; former executive director of genomic study at Ancestry.com from from 2012-2015 where he helped build the company's database of ethnic markers; lecturer in biology at the Utah Valley University (UVU), the largest public university in Utah