Today on AirTalk, we review the results of yesterday's Democratic primaries. Also on the show, we discuss updates on COVID-19; the Harvey Weinstein sentencing; and more.
Big Tuesday Primary Results: Joe Biden Comes Out On Top In Michigan And Beyond
Joe Biden’s path to the Democratic presidential nomination widened significantly Tuesday with commanding victories in Mississippi, Missouri and Michigan, a state that his rival Bernie Sanders won four years ago.
The six-state contest Tuesday marked the first time voters weighed in on the primary since it effectively narrowed to a two-person race between Sanders and Biden. And the first four states on Tuesday went to Biden, a dramatic reversal for a campaign that appeared on the brink of collapse just two weeks ago. Now it is Sanders, whose candidacy was ascendant so recently, who must contemplate a path forward. Sanders secured a win in North Dakota. Tuesday’s primaries offered up 352 delegates across the six states, with Michigan offering the most. Today on AirTalk, we dive into the latest in the 2020 race for the Democratic nomination. Where do we go from here? And how will the coronavirus impact the campaigns moving forward. According to the Associated Press, the next Democratic debate held in Arizona on Sunday will be without a live audience. Our analysts weigh in. What do you think about a Biden nomination? Will the Democratic party, including Sanders supporters, rally behind the former vice president? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Matt Barreto, professor of political science and Chicano/a Studies at UCLA and co-founder of the research and polling firm Latino Decisions; he tweets
Michael Shires, associate dean and associate professor at Pepperdine University's School of Public Policy; he tweets
Coronavirus Continues To Spread Through California, Now A Pandemic
The coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has been spreading throughout California at an increasingly fast pace, as the epidemic continues to advance into the community spread stage.
Officials have confirmed that the virus has spread to Sacramento County, where the county’s first death was reported at a nursing home facility yesterday.
Scientists have also said that the true number of coronavirus cases in the United States is likely much higher than reported by county officials.
As people , we’re taking listener calls about how people are responding to the COVID-19 epidemic. Are you unsure whether it’s safe to travel or go to an event? Do you have concerns about family members contracting the virus?
David Eisenman, professor of medicine and public health at UCLA, is joining the show this morning to answer your questions about coronavirus in the Los Angeles area. Share your questions with us: 866-893-5722.
Guest:
David Eisenman, M.D., professor of medicine and public health at UCLA; director of the university's Center for Public Health and Disasters; Associate Natural Scientist at RAND
Daily Check In With LA County Dept Of Public Health’s Barbara Ferrer
AirTalk continues our daily check in with Barbara Ferrer, the head of LA County Department of Public Health.
Guest:
Barbara Ferrer, Director, Los Angeles County Department Of Public Health
The Denkmann Report: LA County’s Top Election Official Apologizes For Primary Day Voting System Issues
Los Angeles County Registrar/Recorder Dean Logan made a surprise appearance before the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors during their meeting on Tuesday to address rollout issues with the new vote centers and voting system that the county implemented when Californians cast their primary ballots on March 3.
Supervisor Janice Hahn told Logan that she had “lost confidence,”
New: @LACountyRRCC is before the L.A. County Board of Supervisors right now. @SupJaniceHahn lists March 3 primary election problems: long vote center lines, absentee ballots not getting mailed out, Measure FD left off many ballots.
— Libby Denkmann (@libdenk) March 10, 2020
Hahn: "I know, myself, I've lost confidence."
KPCC senior politics reporter Libby Denkmann, who attended the meeting. Supervisor Sheila Kuehl
Kuehl wants to move to a vote-by-mail system for all by the November election.
— Libby Denkmann (@libdenk) March 10, 2020
Also: the # of early voting days was 'generous' but not necessary -- Kuehl wants 2x the number of voting centers, but fewer early voting days (suggests 4).
(Unclear if this is allowed under VCA.)
she’d like to move to a vote-by-mail system for everyone for the November general election. Logan
.@LACountyRRCC: "let me start by making the same statement I made to the media on election night. I hear you. And I hear the voices of the voters and our poll workers. It was not the implementation we hoped it would be. And I regret that and I apologize."
— Libby Denkmann (@libdenk) March 10, 2020
the supervisors that the implementation process was not what he’d hoped it would be for voters or poll workers. He apologized and
Kuehl wants to move to a vote-by-mail system for all by the November election.
— Libby Denkmann (@libdenk) March 10, 2020
Also: the # of early voting days was 'generous' but not necessary -- Kuehl wants 2x the number of voting centers, but fewer early voting days (suggests 4).
(Unclear if this is allowed under VCA.)
to work to regain the board’s confidence, saying he felt the solution was not to give up, but to get it right.
Today on AirTalk, KPCC senior politics reporter Libby Denkman recaps the details Logan’s appearance in front of the board and explains what changes we might expect to see in upcoming elections based on the registrar/recorder’s comments.
For more from Libby on yesterday's meeting, click here.
Guest:
Libby Denkmann, KPCC senior politics reporter who was at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting where Los Angeles County Registrar/Recorder Dean Logan made public comments; she tweets
Interview With Obama Alum And Former Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Emanuel is one of America’s most well-known mayors, serving two back-to-back terms as Chicago’s Democratic mayor. During his time in office, he supervised a period of redevelopment and reform in the nation’s third-largest city -- and also faced opposition from activists for education and racial justice.
In his new book The Nation City: Why Mayors Are Now Running The World, Emanuel argues for local governments’ importance, using his own experience in Chicago as well as examples from cities across the country run by both major parties, from Anaheim to Louisville.
In Emanuel’s view, cities are capable of stepping in when the federal government does not take action. He uses examples from throughout history to make his case, plotting out a vision of progressive government starting at the local level.
Emanuel argues that mayors are held more accountable than any other elected official in the United States, and urges Democratic activists to focus their energies on local government in order to make the most effective change.
Guest:
Rahm Emanuel, former mayor of Chicago (2011 to 2019); former chief of staff under President Barack Obama; former senior advisor to President Bill Clinton; author of the new book, “The Nation City: Why Mayors Are Now Running The World” (Knopf, 2020)
Harvey Weinstein Sentenced To 23 Year In Prison For Rape, Sexual Assault
Harvey Weinstein was sentenced Wednesday to 23 years in prison for rape and sexual assault, a sight the disgraced Hollywood mogul’s multitude of accusers thought they would never see.
Weinstein, who has been accused of violating scores of women, was convicted last month of raping a once-aspiring actress in a New York City hotel room in 2013 and forcibly performing oral sex on former TV and film production assistant Mimi Haleyi at his apartment in 2006. He faced a maximum of 29 years in prison.
Both women confronting Weinstein again in court Wednesday after their testimony helped seal his conviction at the landmark #MeToo trial. The sentencing wraps up a New York trial that first began Jan. 6. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Weinstein’s team said they will appeal the jury’s decision to convict on two of the five charges. Today on AirTalk, we discuss the sentencing as Weinstein prepares to defend himself against charges filed earlier this year in Los Angeles. ABC News reports, The L.A. District Attorney’s filed four sexual assault felony charges against Weinstein for two separate incidencts in February of 2013.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Silva Megerditchian, CEO of SLM Law based in Los Angeles; she had worked at the LA County Public Defender’s Office for 7 years
Ambrosio Rodriguez, former prosecutor; he is currently a criminal defense attorney at The Rodriguez Law Group in Los Angeles; he led the sex crimes team in the Riverside D.A.’s office ; he tweets at
AirTalk Extra: NPR’s Scott Simon
Before he became a reporter and host of NPR’s Weekend Edition, Scott Simon began his career working in a group home for adults with intellectual disabilities.
Now, Simon returns to the setting in his debut middle grade novel, Sunnyside Plaza. Sally “Sal-Gal” Miyake works in the kitchen at Sunnyside Plaza, a residential program where she and other neurodivergent adults live. But after a series of suspicious deaths in her community, Sal-Gal and her fellow residents are bewildered-- are the deaths coincidental, or is there something far darker going on? Sal-Gal spearheads an investigation with her friends, though their quest for the truth is threatened by the stigmas of neurotypical people who may not be willing to listen.
Today on AirTalk, Larry Mantle sits down with author Scott Simon to discuss his debut middle grade novel.
Guest:
Scott Simon, host of Weekend Edition Saturday on NPR; author of many books, including his newest, the children’s book, “Sunnyside Plaza” (Little, Brown, 2020)