The Supreme Court today decided that federal subsidies under the Affordable Care Act are legal, leaving intact a core funding mechanism of the health care law. Also, what's in your sunscreen may be doing more harm than good. Then, L.A. has the second pick in the NBA draft, and the rumors have been swirling for months about who the Lakers might snatch up tonight at the two spot.
With latest Obamacare decision, Roberts Court builds a surprising legacy
The Supreme Court today decided that federal subsidies under the Affordable Care Act are legal, leaving intact a core funding mechanism of the health care law.
About 6.4 million Americans and the 34 states without their own exchanges would be impacted if the decision was to go the other way.
Today's 6-3 decision came just three years after the High Court first upheld the legality of Obamacare. That decision was much narrower, 5-4, with Justice John G. Roberts Jr. siding with the four more liberal members of the court.
Justice Roberts issued today's majority opinion. "Congress passed the Affordable Care Act to improve health insurance markets, not to destroy them," Roberts wrote. "If at all possible, we must interpret the Act in a way that is consistent with the former, and avoids the latter."
KING ET AL. v. BURWELL, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, ET AL.
Guest:
Timothy R. Johnson, Professor of Political Science and Law at the University of Minnesota, and co-author of “Oral Arguments and Coalition Formation on the U.S. Supreme Court: A Deliberate Dialogue” (University Michigan Press, 2012)
Emily Bazelon, staff writer for the New York Times Magazine and the Truman Capote Fellow for Creative Writing and Law at Yale Law School. She’s also the co-host of the Slate Political Gabfest. Her most recent piece on the Supreme Court for NYT Magazine is titled “Better Judgment.”
Will Republicans adopt new campaign strategy after SCOTUS upholds Obamacare?
Now that the Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act, Republicans are in a bind: how can one successfully navigate the serpentine political path without taking the losing position.
Just hours after the high court handed down the decision, House Speaker John Boehner said that “most of the discussion so far was if the Court ruled against the administration in King v. Burwell what the response would be.” While many national politicians from conservative states and districts are likely to continue to explicitly oppose the law and the ruling, others may quietly drop their principled stances. So far, there is no Republican consensus on how to move forward.
The road is most difficult for those running for the Republican presidential nomination. On one hand, each candidate must either impress upon conservative primary voters why they will fight tooth-and-nail to repeal the law or tactfully express what his or her alternative is. (There is also still a minute chance that the law could be challenged again in 2017.) On the other hand, a candidate who wishes to ascend to the nation’s top office cannot risk alienating the general electorate by opposing subsidies for more than six million Americans and improved healthcare benefits for most consumers.
What, if any, new campaign strategy will Republicans take in 2016? Can a Republican presidential candidate win in 2016 by campaigning on repealing, defunding, or dismantling Obamacare?
Guests:
John Feehery, President of Communications and Director of Government Affairs for the consulting group Quinn Gillespie and Associates and former communications director for Majority Leader Dennis Hastert and Majority Whip Tom DeLay
David Carney, CEO, Norway Hill Associates, Inc., a political consultant firm based in New Hampshire. Former political director of the George H.W. Bush White House and was a top political strategist for the Rick Perry’s 2012 presidential campaign
A humble request to ignore Donald Trump's presidential campaign
Despite that fact that Donald Trump is one of the few name brand nominees for the Republican presidential candidacy, political pundit Dan Schnur of USC is asking the media to abstain from covering the Trump campaign.
Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Schnur states, "The best way to cover Donald Trump is to ignore him, at least until he says something of actual relevance and import to the nation's governance - and this would require an unlikely level of self-restraint from the mainstream news media." Plus there are all those hours of television to fill. Yesterday, a tongue-in-cheek CNN report covered Trump's opening of a new golf course.
Today, Trump is getting even more coverage due to Univision cancelling its broadcast of the Trump Organization's Miss USA pageant in reaction to comments he made about Mexicans and his proposal to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border.
How do you think the media should handle Trump’s campaign? And how should the RNC handle Trump vis-a-vis the debates?
Guest:
Dan Schnur, Director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at USC and adjunct faculty at USC Annenberg School
Ford tests ride-sharing waters with 'Peer-2-Peer Car Sharing' pilot program
Renting your car out to pre-approved drivers to help cover your car payment? It could soon be an option for anyone who buys and finances a Ford through the company.
It’s all still very experimental, but it could have big implications for the ride-sharing business. Ford announced Tuesday they’d be rolling out the pilot program in six cities in the U.S. (Chicago, Portland, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley) and London, as well. It runs through November and will invite 14,000 customers here and 12,000 in England. In addition to the car sharing program, Ford is also looking to draw in urban commuters, and has developed a battery-powered bike that folds up and can be recharged inside any Ford vehicle.
Drivers who finance their Ford through the automaker’s credit arm will be able to offer their car up for short-term rentals through a digital platform called Getaround, which will determine the rental rate based on the car’s make, model, and location. An average rate would be from $7 to $12 an hour, complete with roadside assistance. Getaround takes a 40 percent cut, then pays the car owner. Ford says the drivers who will be renting the vehicles are pre-screened to make sure their driving record is clean.
Would you participate in this program if you financed your car through Ford? What are the implications of an automaker getting into the ride-sharing economy? What does this mean for companies like Uber, Lyft, and ZipCar? Do you feel safe renting your car out to a pre-screened driver or would you still have concerns? What’s in this for Ford? Do you think the program will be successful? Will other automakers follow suit and develop similar programs if it is?
Guest:
Nick Bunkley, staff reporter at Automotive News who covers Ford
What you need to know about sunscreen
SPF 100 and additives like sea kelp and vitamin E are common to find on sunscreen labels. What most consumers don’t know is how ineffective and sometimes harmful it can be to skin.
“Broad spectrum” is the most important thing to look out for when stocking up on sunscreen this summer, but many aren’t familiar with what the term means. It was established by the FDA in 2011, referring to protection from both UVA and UVB rays. UVA exposure can cause skin aging while UVB rays cause sunburns, and both can lead to skin cancers. Most sunscreens only provide protection against sunburns, caused by UVB rays, although UVAs can be more harmful since it cuts through clouds and windows and can penetrate skin more deeply.
Dr. Janellen Smith at UC Irvine Health offers these tips to follow...
5 things you need to know about sunscreen:
- Protect your skin with more than just sunscreen. Avoid direct sun exposure during peak hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and keep your skin covered.
- Spray on sunscreens are used by most Americans, but there isn't enough evidence showing the risks of inhaling it. For use on your face, spray on your hands first and then apply. Don’t inhale it!
- Natural ingredients aren’t always a good thing. The use of botanicals in sunscreens may cause an itch or rash.
- Children under six months should avoid sunscreen. But if used, should use inorganic sunscreen with titanium or zinc oxide.
- Always reapply sunscreen after being in water.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends applying sunscreen like this:
If that’s too overwhelming, just remember: a shot glass worth of SPF 30, broad spectrum, water resistant sunscreen applied every 2 hours. Find out more from the American Academy of Dermatology HERE.
Guest:
Dr. Janellen Smith, MD, Professor of dermatology, UC Irvine, co-director of the Pigmented Lesion Program at UC Irvine’s Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
Lakers looking to 2015 NBA Draft for infusion of young talent as future hangs in balance
The 2014 season is one most Laker fans would like to forget.
With the seventh overall pick in the draft, L.A. chose promising young forward Julius Randle, who broke his ankle in the Lakers’ home opener and needed surgery that ended his season. Kobe Bryant, who turns 37 in August, tore his rotator cuff less than halfway through this past year, ending his season as well. The Lakers went on to a 21-61 record, the fourth-worst in the NBA and the worst in team history.
This year, L.A. has the second pick in the draft, and the rumors have been swirling for months about who the Lakers might snatch up tonight at the two spot. The Minnesota Timberwolves own the first pick this year, and word in the Twin Cities is they want University of Kentucky forward Karl-Anthony Towns. The Lakers could go in a number of different directions at number two, though they are widely expected to draft Duke center Jahlil Okafor. At 6’11”, he’s a monster in the post and an excellent rebounder, but questions remain about his defensive abilities.
Assuming Towns goes first, the Lakers could also choose from talent like Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky, who won the 2015 Player of the Year Award for men’s college basketball, the explosive Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell, or standout forward Stanley Johnson out of Arizona. The Lakers also have the 27th and 34th picks out of 60. Barring any draft day trades, the Clippers will not pick in the 2015 draft, having traded their picks away (though they do get to show off some shiny new uniforms next season).
The Lakers could also make a trade, though they would have to declare their second pick as a Laker before making any trade. Rumors have been swirling that the Lakers are interested in getting forward DeMarcus Cousins from the Sacramento Kings. At 24, Cousins has established himself as one of the NBA’s premiere big men, and would be an intimidating force if paired down low with Julius Randle.
Who should the Lakers take with the second overall pick? Should they look to make a trade instead, and if so, for whom? What do you see as the biggest needs for the Lakers this year? Are the Lakers doing enough to prepare the team for life after Kobe?
Guest:
A Martinez, host of KPCC’s Take Two and host of Lakers Line on 710AM KSPN after Laker games