Today on AirTalk, we recap the first night of the democratic primary debates with a panel of political analysts. We also break down the two big decisions from the Supreme Court and explain their practical and political implications going forward; take a look back at the Stonewall riots for its 50th anniversary; and more.
SCOTUS Says Citizenship Question Won’t Be On 2020 Census...But That Might Change
In two politically charged rulings, the Supreme Court dealt a huge blow Thursday to efforts to combat the drawing of electoral districts for partisan gain and put a hold on the Trump administration's effort to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.
On the court's final day of decisions before a summer break, the court rejected challenges to Republican-drawn congressional districts in North Carolina and a Democratic district in Maryland. Voters and elected officials should be the arbiters of what is a political dispute, Chief Justice John Roberts said in his opinion for the court. The decision was a major blow to critics of the partisan manipulation of electoral maps that can result when one party controls redistricting.
In the census case, the court said the Trump administration's explanation for wanting to add the question was "more of a distraction" than an explanation. The administration had cited the need to improve enforcement of the Voting Rights Act. It's unclear whether the administration would have time to provide a fuller account. Census forms are supposed to be printed beginning next week. Roberts again had the court's opinion, with the four liberals joining him in the relevant part of the outcome. A lower court found the administration violated federal law in the way it tried to add a question broadly asking about citizenship for the first time since 1950.
The case stems from Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross' decision in 2018 to add a citizenship question to the next census, over the advice of career officials at the Census Bureau, which is part of the Commerce Department. At the time, Ross said he was responding to a Justice Department request to ask about citizenship in order to improve enforcement of the federal Voting Rights Act. There was no immediate response from the White House on either Supreme Court decision Thursday.
Today on AirTalk, guest host Libby Denkmann and Supreme Court watchers will break down the two big decisions and explain their practical and political implications going forward.
With files from AP
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guest:
, co-founder of SCOTUSBlog and author of the blog “Howe on the Court”; she tweets
Policy Plans And Backstories: Recapping The First Democratic Debates
Ten Democrats railed against a national economy and a Republican administration they argued exist only for the rich as presidential candidates debated onstage for the first time in the young 2020 season, embracing inequality as a defining theme in their fight to deny President Donald Trump a second term in office.
Health care and immigration, more than any other issues, led the first of two debates on Wednesday, with another to follow Thursday night. And Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, more than anyone else, stood out — on her own at times — in calling for “fundamental change” across the nation’s economy and government to address a widening gap between the rich and the middle class.
If you watched the debate, who did you find most impressive and who faded into the background? And what did the event signal about the conversations we’ll be having leading to 2020?
With files from the Associated Press.
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guests:
Amanda Renteria, president of Emerge America, a national organization that works to identify and train Democratic women who want to run for political office; she is the former national political director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and was a staffer for Senators Dianne Feinstein and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI); she tweets
Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist and founder and chief executive officer of Rodriguez Strategies. He is also a former senior Obama advisor in 2008; he tweets
Sean T. Walsh, Republican political analyst and partner at Wilson Walsh Consulting in San Francisco; he is a former adviser to California Governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger and a former White House staffer for Presidents Reagan and H.W. Bush
Mitchell McKinney, professor of communication and the director of the Political Communications Institute at the University of Missouri; his research interests include presidential debates, presidential rhetoric and political campaigns; he tweets
How CA Census Outreach Groups Are Reacting To The SCOTUS Decision
SCOTUS said the Trump administration’s explanation for wanting to add the question was “more of a distraction” than an explanation. The administration had cited the need to improve enforcement of the Voting Rights Act.
It’s unclear whether the administration would have time to provide a fuller account. Census forms are supposed to be printed beginning next week.
We get reactions from local census outreach groups about what this decision will mean for their efforts going forward.
With files from the Associated Press.
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guests:
An Le, 2020 Census Statewide Network Manager for Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Los Angeles
Diana Colin, Director of Civic Engagement at Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)
The 101 On The Potential SoCal Grocery Store Worker Strike
Grocery workers at various stores in Southern California decided to authorize union leaders to call for a strike, meaning that leaders will be able to organize a walkout at any moment.
It’s been 16 years since the longest and biggest strike of grocery store workers in the U.S., which spanned four months in Central and Southern California.
We get the latest on the strike today, as well as a recap of what happened in 16 years ago and what parallels might exist between the two situations.
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guest:
James Peltz, business writer for The Los Angeles Times who’s been following the story and also covered the 2003-04 strike; he tweets
Ahead Of Stonewall’s 50th Anniversary, A Look At The Demonstrations That Kicked Off The LGBT Rights Movement
In the early hours of June 28, 1969, patrons at The Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village fought back against a New York City police raid and started a riot that’s widely hailed as the catalyst of the LGBT rights movement.
The Stonewall Inn was known to be a gay bar, but at the time, same-sex handholding, kissing or dancing was illegal – meaning gay bars were often the subject of police raids. Police roughed up patrons of the bar and arrested 13 people during the raid, but instead of dispersing, many people who had been at Stonewall or nearby stayed outside the bar. Tensions rose as police continued to be physical with the patrons and soon the crowd began to throw bottles, pennies, and other objects at the officers. The altercation quickly turned into a full-blown riot that lasted for six days.
Fifty years later, AirTalk remembers Stonewall, as well as preceding LGBT rights protests – including one in 1967 at Silver Lake’s Black Cat tavern.
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guests:
Lillian Faderman, author and historian specializing in lesbian and LGBT history; she tweets
Alexei Romanoff, the last known member of the original Pride organization, which organized the protest at The Black Cat in Silver Lake in 1967; he is 82