Army veteran Albert Wong shot and killed three hostages this past Friday at the Veterans Home of California-Yountville. In light of the tragedy, we examine the challenges associated with reintegrating combat veterans into civilian society. We also conduct our weekly political roundtable; chat with author Robert Reich on his new book; and more.
Week in Politics: Welcome to California, Mr. President. We’ve been expecting you.
AirTalk’s weekly political roundtable recaps what you might have missed in political headlines over the weekend and previews the week to come in California and national politics.
Today, AirTalk political analysts Lanhee Chen from Stanford’s Hoover Institution and Professor Lisa Garcia Bedolla of UC-Berkeley join guest host Libby Denkmann to discuss:
Recap of Trump’s PA rally and looking at the PA special election
White House announces plan for school safety (and Rick Scott signing gun bill on Friday)
More on possible meeting between U.S. and N. Korea (here’s what the WH was saying Friday, here’s the latest)
More on steel and aluminum tariffs, probably a mention of Gary Cohn’s departure too
Trump visits CA for first time since becoming POTUS (here’s what our local paper’s editorial board is saying)
Continuing coverage of CA response to Trump admin suing the state over immigration laws
Jobs report out Friday shows signs of growing economy
Trump lawyers want deal to speed end of Russia probe
With guest host Libby Denkmann.
Guests:
Lanhee Chen, research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and former policy director for the Romney-Ryan 2012 presidential campaign; he tweets
Lisa Garcia Bedolla, professor in the Graduate School of Education and director of the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley; she tweets
After CA Senator banned from hugging at work, we talk hugging etiquette at the office
Last week, an investigation into the behavior of California state Senator Bob Hertzberg, nicknamed “Huggy Bear,” found that though his hugs weren’t sexually motivated, they made people uncomfortable.
He was told to stop hugging people at work.
Hertzberg is one of a string of California lawmakers, including former Sen. Tony Mendoza and former Assemblymen Raul Bocanegra and Matt Dababneh, who have resigned due to sexual harassment findings, spurred by the larger conversation around #MeToo. Others, such as Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, are currently under investigation.
Is Sen. Hertzberg being treated differently from other lawmakers, and if he is, is the difference legitimate? We get the latest on Hertzberg and sexual harassment investigations in the capitol.
Plus, Sen. Hertzberg has a long reputation of hugging at work. In a letter that he sent around last week, he wrote, “all my life, a hug has been a way of greeting friends and colleagues – a gesture of warmth and kindness and a reflection of my exuberance.”
So when is hugging appropriate in the workplace, if ever? Are you a non-hugger in a touchy feely workplace and how do you navigate unwanted physical affection? And if you’re a hugger, is the current conversation surrounding Hertzberg changing your behavior?
With guest host Libby Denkmann.
Guests:
Melanie Mason, reporter for the Los Angeles Times covering state government and politics in Sacramento; she tweets
Alison Green, work advice columnist whose website is Ask a Manager.org; her forthcoming book is “Ask a Manager: How to Navigate Clueless Colleagues, Lunch-Stealing Bosses, and the Rest of Your Life at Work” (Ballantine Books, 2018)
What are the challenges combat veterans face as they integrate back into society?
A former US Army soldier once deployed to Afghanistan killed three people on Friday at a veterans home in Napa County, California, where he once stayed.
Authorities were trying to sort out the motive of 36-year-old former Army rifleman Albert Wong. Wong killed two executives and a psychologist at The Pathway Home, a nonprofit post-traumatic stress disorder program at the Veterans Home of California-Yountville in the Napa Valley wine region.
The incident sheds light on challenges combat veterans face as they integrate back into society. What are the critical issues they face after returning from conflict zones and are they getting adequate care.
With guest host Libby Denkmann.
Guests:
Miatta Snetter, licensed clinical psychologist with US Vets; founder and CEO of Life’s Within Psychological Services in Los Angeles, which offers counseling and therapy services
Laura Werber, senior management scientist at RAND Corporation, a public policy research organization; coauthor of a report looking at the challenges military members face reintegrating into society
Robert Reich on how to restore the ‘common good’ in America
America, some argue, has been in a vicious cycle that has undermined shared ideals and values.
In his new book, “The Common Good” (Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 2018), Robert B. Reich looks at how the fundamentals of our democracy and civilization depend upon our common values, the notion about what we owe one another as citizens – the norms we voluntarily abide by, and the ideals we seek to achieve. Reich argues without a common good, we don’t have a society.
The book comes at a time when the nation seems to be more divided than ever. So what are the American ideals and can we restore a common good with a system that works for all? Reich joins us to discuss.
With guest host Libby Denkmann.
Robert Reich will be discussing his new book, “The Common Good” at a Writers Bloc event tonight, March 12, at 7:30 p.m.
Guest:
Robert Reich, author of numerous books, including his latest, “The Common Good” (Knopf, 2018); former Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton (1993 - 1997)