AirTalk discusses Nancy Pelosi's future as House minority leader after congressional Democrats met to discuss a possible ouster yesterday. We also speak with state Sen. Josh Newman, whose potential recall election has sparked controversy; review this week’s movie releases on FilmWeek; and more.
As a possible ouster builds on Capitol Hill, can Pelosi weather the storm?
Yesterday, congressional Democrats met in a closed meeting to discuss a possible ouster of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, whose leadership has been blamed for a string of defeats in the house – most recently, the catastrophically expensive loss for Jon Ossoff in the Georgia 6th.
While Pelosi is defiant, gambling that there isn’t enough support for Democrats upset with her leadership to actually oust her, the catastrophic losses for the Democratic party in the last several have left some representatives determined to make a change before the 2018 midterms.
Guest host Libby Denkmann in for Larry Mantle
Guests:
Sarah Wire, a DC-based reporter who writes on the California Delegation for the LA Times; she tweets
Carolyn Lochhead, DC Correspondent with the San Francisco Chronicle; she tweets
Democratic Senator Josh Newman on recall effort
State Senator Josh Newman is the target of a recall effort for supporting Gov. Jerry Brown’s massive gas tax bill.
The petition, led by former San Diego city councilman and current talk show host Carl DeMaio, has gathered over 30,000 signatures.
The recall attempt has generated outrage among Democrats and many political observers for what they see as a blatant attempt by state Republicans to target a politically vulnerable member of the Legislature to strip the Dems of their supermajority.
Yesterday, guest host Libby Denkmann spoke with DeMaio about the recall. Today, she speaks with Senator Newman for his take.
Guest:
Josh Newman, State Senator for the 29th Senate district of California, which includes the cities of Anaheim, Fullerton, and West Covina
Should an employer be allowed to ask for your salary history?
California is considering a proposal to bar employers from asking job applicants about how much they made at their previous jobs.
The bill would also require private employers to disclose a job’s pay range, if that information is requested. AB 168 would still allow a job seeker to disclose their salary history voluntarily.
Proponents of the bill believe banning the practice could help narrow the gender wage gap, and could prevent discrimination against older workers. Part of the reasoning is that the history of the gender pay disparity makes it more likely that a woman will have a lower salary, and this legislation would ensure that she wouldn’t have to contend with that when negotiating salary for a new position.
Opponents argue that salary history is a crucial piece of information an employer needs in order to make a sound hiring decision, that this bill would create hurdles for employers and could open them up to expensive litigation.
Do you think an employer should be allowed to ask for your salary history? What successful or negative experiences have you had when asked to provide your salary history during the hiring process? If you are an employer, do you find it helpful to have an applicant’s salary history when hiring or setting their salary?
Guest host Libby Denkmann in for Larry Mantle
Guests:
Rebecca Kieler, consultant at Kieler Career Consulting, based in the Bay Area, with 20-plus years of experience in the field; she’s worked with companies such as Sun Micro Systems, Johnson & Johnson, and Yahoo
Mike Belote, lobbyist for the California Employment Law Council
FilmWeek: ‘Transformers,’ ‘The Beguiled,’ ‘The Big Sick’ and more
Guest host Libby Denkmann and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s new movie releases including:
- "Transformers: The Last Knight" in wide release
- "The Beguiled" at Arclight Hollywood and The Landmark
The Frame host John Horn also spoke with director Sofia Coppola last week, you can listen to the interview here.
- "The Big Sick" at ArcLight Hollywood, The Landmark and AMC Century City
- "My Journey Through French Cinema" at Laemmle's Royal Theatre
- "The Journey" at Laemmle's Playhouse and Laemmle's Royal Theatre
- "Moka" at the Nuart Theatre
- "SCORE: A Film Music Documentary" at ArcLight Sherman Oaks
- "Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press" at Laemmle's Monica Film Center
- "Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami Who Started It All" at Laemmle's Monica Film Center
Critics' Hits
- Claudia: "The Big Sick"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcD0Daqc3Yw
- Tim: "My Journey Through French Cinema"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVgajzloxeQ
Mixed Feelings
- Claudia: "The Beguiled"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBoLK5z_FHo
- Tim: "The Journey"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18ZN_lZvL7A
Misses!
- Claudia & Tim: "Transformers: The Last Knight"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79oxuuvx1JE
Guests:
Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association; she tweets
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and Alt-Film Guide; he tweets
The world of film scoring: How composers create the most memorable movie music
“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...”
“My name is Bond. James Bond.”
“I’m flying! Jack…”
Behind these famous lines are the unforgettable scores that brought them to life. From the epic orchestras, to the punchy tunes, to the sweet violin strings melting our hearts, Hollywood’s elite film composers can make you feel anything they want in just a matter of seconds.
So how are the best and most memorable film scores crafted, and who are the faces behind them? How has the trade evolved throughout the movie industry and which classic techniques still survive to this day?
Last week, host Larry Mantle had a chance to speak with Matt Schrader, director of “SCORE: A Film Music Documentary” and one of its featured film composers, Joe Kraemer, to get a raw and intimate look at the world of film scoring, including musical wisdom from many of the greats like John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Rachel Portman and more.
Guest host Libby Denkmann in for Larry Mantle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKNC3aqkRvY
Guests:
Matt Schrader, director of his first feature-length documentary, “SCORE: A Film Music Documentary;” he tweets
Joe Kraemer, film composer; his recent works include “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation” and “Jack Reacher”