Today on AirTalk, we debate a bill that would allow consumers to sue companies if they're accused of breaching the California Consumer Privacy Act. We also discuss the latest on Afghanistan peace talks; examine the the effects of the trade war between the U.S. and China; and more.
LAUSD special election 2019: Here’s what to expect
And you thought you were done with consequential elections until 2020.
Not so in Los Angeles, where ten candidates have lined up for a special election for an open seat on the Los Angeles Unified School Board. At stake: control of a pivotal seat on the LAUSD board, which is caught in the middle of an increasingly expensive political proxy war between charter school advocates and teachers unions.
But there are even more elements of intrigue in the race: a clash between new faces and the old guard, divisions along racial and geographic lines — and even the remnants of a scandal.
The LAUSD board is also caught in the middle of a power struggle between two groups with sharply contrasted views of how to run schools — and both have lots of cash to spend on elections.
On one side: teachers unions, like United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), who see charter schools as part of an existential threat to school districts. On the other: the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) and other self-styled "education reform" groups like EdVoice, who position themselves as a counterweight to the long-dominant unions.
The special election is slated for today. If no one finishes with more than 50 percent of the vote — which is likely, given the high number of declared candidates — the city will hold a runoff election between the top two finishers on May 14, 2019.
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Read Kyle’s full field guide on LAist.com
Guest:
Kyle Stokes, education reporter at KPCC; he tweets
The latest on Afghanistan peace talks as U.S., Taliban negotiators work to end America’s longest-ever war
The United States has been involved in the war in Afghanistan for 17 years, longer than both World Wars and the Korean War combined.
But depending on how ongoing peace negotiations shake out, there could finally be light at the end of the tunnel for the country’s war-weary citizens and the American soldiers stationed there.
Negotiators for the United States and the Taliban have been meeting since last Monday in Doha, Qatar to flesh out the specifics of a Pentagon-proposed deal that would, in principle, allow for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan in exchange for a guarantee from the Taliban that terrorist groups won’t be allowed to use Afghan soil as a safe haven while planning to carry out attacks against the U.S. Notably absent from these discussions is Afghan President Ashraf Ghani because the Taliban is reticent to speak with him or his negotiators.
What would a completed peace agreement look like? What has the tone been among U.S. and Taliban negotiators as discussions have progressed? How would the Pentagon’s plan as currently proposed look when implemented on the ground? What would it mean for Afghanistan’s government? Is there any hope for true peace so long as the Taliban and Afghan government remain reluctant to talk?
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guest:
Daud Qarizadah, journalist with BBC Persia who has been following the peace negotiations; he tweets
Should the Oscars bar streaming films? Netflix and Spielberg duke it out
On the heels of “Roma’s” three Oscar wins, director Steven Spielberg is planning to propose a rule change to the Academy: that a film must get a full theatrical run in order to be considered for a golden statuette.
On Sunday, Netflix tweeted out its response to Spielberg:
We love cinema. Here are some things we also love:
-Access for people who can't always afford, or live in towns without, theaters
-Letting everyone, everywhere enjoy releases at the same time
-Giving filmmakers more ways to share artThese things are not mutually exclusive.
— Netflix Film (@NetflixFilm)
We love cinema. Here are some things we also love:
— NetflixFilm (@NetflixFilm) March 4, 2019
-Access for people who can't always afford, or live in towns without, theaters
-Letting everyone, everywhere enjoy releases at the same time
-Giving filmmakers more ways to share art
These things are not mutually exclusive.
Spielberg has said that he wants to maintain a separation between the small and big screen -- as well as the sanctity of the theater viewing experience. Other Academy members, such as Ava DuVernay, have pushed back, citing the greater inclusion of marginalized voices on a platform like Netflix.
If you’re in the industry, what do you think? Should the Oscars only consider a film if it’s gotten a full theatrical release? Or is this an outdated, and possibly even classist standard?
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guest:
Anne Thompson, editor-at-large at IndieWire, where she’s been covering this story; she is also the author of “The $11 Billion Year: From Sundance to the Oscars, an Inside Look at the Changing Hollywood System” (2014, Newmarket for It Books); she tweets
As US & China trade deal framework becomes clearer, we explain the economic and diplomatic sticking points that remain on each side
As trade representatives for the United States and China appear to be nearing a deal that would lift tariffs that both sides have levied on one another, questions still remain about whether the deal will actually be an impetus for the kind of change in Chinese trade practices that the Trump administration wants to see.
From what is known of the deal as it’s being hammered out between negotiators in Washington and Beijing, in return for the U.S. lifting the tariffs it has imposed, China would make big buys of American energy and agricultural goods like liquefied natural gas and soybeans in an effort to address President Trump’s concerns about a bilateral trade deficit. They would also lift the tariffs they imposed on the U.S. in retaliation to the tariffs Mr. Trump imposed.
The more difficult sticking points will have to do with protecting U.S. intellectual property and creating an enforcement mechanism to do so.
What has been the effect of the trade war both domestically and in China? What do we know about the deal so far, and what will be stickiest negotiating issues?
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guests:
William Lee, chief economist at the Milken Institute, an economic think tank based in Santa Monica; he specializes in Asia, trade, the global economy, job creation and more
Clayton Dube, director of the U.S.-China Institute at USC
California lawmakers push to strengthen data privacy legislation
Last year, California passed the one of the strictest data privacy laws in the country: The California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018. It’s slated to go into effect in 2020.
Now, state lawmakers have proposed several amendments to the legislation.
One such bill introduced by Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) and backed by Attorney General Xavier Becerra, SB 561, would allow consumers to sue companies should they be accused of breaching the California Consumer Privacy Act. In its current form, the legislation only allows consumers to sue if they were victims of a data breach. It also provides companies with a 30-day grace period to amend the alleged violations and provides guidance from the office of the Attorney General regarding whether or not they are in compliance with the legislation.
The proposed amendment would expand the private right of action by allowing consumers to sue companies for any violation of the CCPA, beyond a data breach. It would also eliminate the 30-day window to “cure” the complaint and strike out businesses’ consultation from the AG’s office.
We debate the bill and its implications for both companies and consumers alike.
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guests:
Lee Tien, senior staff attorney for internet rights at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights and advocacy group based in San Francisco
Alan McQuinn, senior policy analyst at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a nonprofit technology policy think tank based in Washington, D.C.; he tweets
AirTalk Asks: Does the stigma around therapy still exist?
Is therapy the new norm? As more Americans in their 20s and 30s prioritize mental-health, the stigma that was once associated to therapy has started to dissolve.
More millenials are actively seeking therapy and are comfortable speaking about it shamelessly. In fact, according to research by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) conducted in 2015, adults between the ages 18-25 have more accepting views when it comes to mental health care, and 60% of those surveyed said they viewed seeing a mental health professional as a measure of strength. Yet, despite an uptick in the acceptance of therapy, cultural and economic factors are still seen as challenges that make seeking mental health care difficult.
Have you changed your mind about therapy? Do you think there’s still a stigma regarding therapy? And do you notice a generational and cultural difference when it comes to seeking therapy? Weigh in and call us at 866-893-5722.
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guest:
Lori Gottlieb, psychotherapist based in Los Angeles and writer of the weekly “Dear Therapist” advice column for The Atlantic; her forthcoming book is “Maybe You Should Talk To Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 2019)