Today on AirTalk, we give the latest in politics as Elizabeth Warren announces she's suspending her presidential campaign. We also give an update on the coronavirus with LA County of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer; take a closer look at the sex trafficking lawsuits being filed against major hotel chains; and more.
Daily Coronavirus Check In With Barbara Ferrer, Director Of LA County Public Health Department
California’s first coronavirus fatality — an elderly patient who apparently contracted the illness on a cruise — prompted the governor Wednesday to declare a statewide emergency as six new cases, including a medical screener at Los Angeles International Airport, were confirmed.
The cruise ship is now under investigation as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention probe a “small cluster” of coronavirus patients who were aboard, according to the cruise line. Another passenger who contracted the COVID-19 virus is now in stable condition at a hospital in Sonoma County, north of San Francisco. Health officials believe both cruise ship patients were exposed while they were on the Grand Princess cruise from San Francisco to Mexico from Feb. 11 to Feb. 21.
The cruise ship is at sea but is expected to skip its next port and return to San Francisco by Thursday, according to a statement from Dr. Grant Tarling, the chief medical officer for the Carnival Corp., which operates the Grand Princess. Any current passengers who were also on the February trip will be screened.
The CDC is working with California authorities to contact other passengers from the previous trip, CDC Director Robert Redfield said Wednesday at a White House briefing.
Officials in Los Angeles County and the city have signed proclamations of local emergencies to aid efforts to respond to the virus and free up resources. Authorities are also assisting shelters to prevent transmission of the virus in the homeless population.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Anita Chabria, reporter for the Los Angeles Times, covering California state politics based in Sacramento; her latest piece looks at coronavirus and the Grand Princess cruise ship; she tweet
Travel Restrictions? Work From Home? We Talk Workers And Employers’ Rights Amidst The Coronavirus
As of March 4, seven cases of COVID-19 were identified in L.A. County, leading to a declaration of a local and public emergency.
The spread of the novel coronavirus is raising various questions regarding worker and employer rights. If an employee is afraid of exposure, can they demand to work from home? What if their job description doesn’t allow for that? What kind of measures can employers take if one of their employees has just returned from a high-risk region? Can an employer enforce quarantine, and at what point does that cross over into discrimination?
We tackle those and other questions today with employment attorney and human resources consultant Jane Kow. If you have a question, call us at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Jane Kow, employment lawyer and human resources consultant with HR Law Consultants in San Francisco
Politics Latest: Warren Drops, CA Returns And More
Elizabeth Warren, who electrified progressives with her “plan for everything” and strong message of economic populism, dropped out of the Democratic presidential race on Thursday. Her exit came days after the onetime front-runner couldn’t win a single Super Tuesday state, not even her own.
In other news, yesterday Chief Justice John Roberts criticized as “inappropriate” and “dangerous” comments that Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer made outside the Supreme Court earlier in the day about Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. This morning on the Senate floor, Schumer apologized for those comments.
We get the latest from D.C., plus we follow up on what we know of California’s Super Tuesday returns.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guests:
Ron Elving, senior editor and correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News; he tweets
Fernando Guerra, professor of political science and Chicano/Latino studies and director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University; member of the KPCC Board of Trustees
The Coronavirus And The Economy. How Concerned Should We Be At This Point?
The novel coronavirus, first reported in China, has stifled China’s economy. According to the Wall Street Journal, the country is struggling to get back to work following rigid reactions to the viral outbreak, including quarantines and city shut downs. As of this week, COVID-19 has sickened more than 95,000 people and more than 3,000 have died. California reported its first death this week, an eldely patient near Sacramento in Placer County.
The Federal Reserve’s latest nationwide survey of business conditions has found that the coronavirus outbreak has begun to impact tourism and disrupt manufacturing chains in parts of the United States. It’s still very unclear how the coronavirus will impact the U.S. economy overall. But economists are warning the economy is at risk, and experts say the impact could be wide reaching. And the housing market is not immune to concerns. Today on AirTalk, we discuss what the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. could mean for the economy. Do you have thoughts or questions? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Justin Lahart, reporter for the Wall Street Journal focusing on financial markets, policy and the economy; he writes for Heard on the Street, a long running investing column; he tweets
Jonathan Lansner, business columnist for the Orange County Register; he tweets
Slew Of Lawsuits Accuse Major Hotel Chains Of Ignoring, Profiting From Sex Trafficking
How much responsibility do major hotel chains bear if women are being trafficked at their properties?
It’s the question at the heart of a handful of lawsuits that have been filed across the country over the last year, according to the Wall Street Journal, which leans on a rarely-used federal sex trafficking law that allows for civil suits to be brought against parties that knew or should have known that sex trafficking was going on and benefitted financially from it. The hotel chains named in the suits, which include Hilton, Marriott, Wyndham and Choice Hotels International, have said in legal documents that they can’t control what happens on the premises of their franchise locations and that they have recently created policies that provide training opportunities for hotel employees to learn how to spot signs of trafficking. The lawsuits argue that employees should have recognized patterns like guests paying for rooms entirely in cash for multiple-week stays, repeated requests for new sheets and towels and men frequenting rooms multiple times each night with no luggage. They also argue that online reviews where posters mentioned trafficking should have been seen and investigated.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll discuss how the plaintiffs and defendants will make their case in court and explore the legal principles at play when it comes to how responsible parent companies are for what happens on their franchisees’ premises.
Guests:
Shan Wu, former federal prosecutor and founding member of the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Wu, Grohovsky & Whipple where his areas of practice include white collar crimes; he tweets
Travis Gemoets, labor and employment partner at the Los Angeles offices of Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP where he’s also a member of the firm’s Global Hospitality Group, which specializes in legal representation of hotel owners and lenders
Alameda Court Ruling: Cannabis Smell Doesn’t Justify A Full Legal Search
The Alameda County Superior Court has ruled that the odor coming from a car stopped in Berkeley wasn’t enough to justify a full search of a vehicle, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The appellate panel that made the ruling, which barred evidence of a loaded handgun that police found during the search of a vehicle. The ruling sets a precedent following Proposition 64, which allowed for adults 21 years and older to buy, possess and use marijuana. The ballot initiative was passed in November 2016. Legal questions remain around vehicle searches with complications between federal law and state law. Today on AirTalk, we talk about the legal ramifications of the case and what it could mean for cases moving forward. Do you have thoughts? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Christa Wasserman, litigator with Los Angeles based law firm Spertus, Landes & Umhofer; she’s handled civil and criminal cases at both the state and federal levels
Keith Stroup, legal director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), a pro-marijuana legalization organization; he tweets