Discussing Obama's pick for the next Supreme Court Justice: Merrick Garland; Chief Beck stops by the studio to talk about tasers, police use-of-force and more; after Super Tuesday, what happens next for the remaining presidential candidates?
Merrick Garland nomination resets partisan political maneuvering
Earlier this morning, President Obama announced his nominee for the Supreme Court.
63-year-old DC circuit appeals judge Merrick Garland is the pick. He's considered the most moderate of the three finalists. However, Senate Republicans still see him as a threat to overturn rulings that are extremely important to conservatives. Senate leaders say they won't consider him, or anyone.
However, if Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders wins the Presidency, might Republicans decide Judge Garland is the best they can get, and move to confirm him before the new President takes office? Might Obama counter by withdrawing Garland's nomination?
Guests:
Michele Jawando, Vice President for Legal Progress at The Center for American Progress
George Zornick, Washington DC Editor of The Nation magazine
LAPD Chief Beck joins AirTalk to discuss use-of-force, Taser use and more
The LA Police Commission approved unanimously a plan review LAPD’s use-of-force practices and guidelines.
Commission president Matt Johnson and Commissioner Robert Saltzman were calling for LAPD to train officers to use gunfire only as a last resort. Before the commission meeting, in a statement, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck responded, "The LAPD has been committed to using de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques for many years to safely and effectively resolve volatile situations and minimize the need to use force," and continued saying preservation of life principles are incorporated in "constantly evolving standards and policies."
We’ll find out Chief Beck’s thoughts after this new compulsory review.
One strategy for less-lethal force is expanding purchases and use of Tasers by LAPD, but a recent police department report says the electronic weapons are effective only half the time.
Plus, there is good news and bad news on the policing of mentally ill individuals. The LAPD will receive an award for its Mental Evaluation Unit (MEU) which pairs specially trained law enforcement personnel with mental health clinicians in the field. The award from the Forensic Mental Health Association of California underscores why Beck, along with the LA County Department of Mental Health, is prioritizing expansion of the teams this year. As for violent incidents with mentally ill persons, new LAPD statistics show there were 15 shootings last year - 12 of which were categorized as "suicide by cop."
Finally, we will follow up on a case of LAPD officers charged last month with sexually assaulting women while on duty. What are you questions for Chief Beck?
Guest:
Charlie Beck, Chief, Los Angeles Police Department. He tweets from
Setting up the money, delegate math, and more after big wins for Clinton, Trump on Super Tuesday 3
Tuesday’s primaries featured a couple of important storylines.
One was the importance of Senator Marco Rubio and Governor John Kasich winning in their home states of Florida and Ohio, respectively, as they hoped to impede Donald Trump’s path to the Republican nomination.
Governor Kasich pulled out the win he needed.
Senator Rubio, however, did not, and suspended his campaign shortly Florida was called for Donald Trump, who also won in Illinois, North Carolina, and is leading in Missouri despite the race there having yet to be called.
The other important storyline was whether Bernie Sanders could pull off another upset victory in Ohio like he did in Michigan, both states where manufacturing jobs are vanishing and his message condemning U.S. foreign trade deals has gone over well. Sanders wasn’t able to pull out any victories, and will have to hope to edge Clinton in Missouri, which is still too close to call. leaving his campaign with some very difficult delegate math if he wants to remain in the game.
The race isn’t over, however, and there’s still plenty to look at in terms of how the frontrunners position themselves moving forward and what the remaining candidates can do to slow them down. We’ll also take a look at where things stand with campaign finance and donations, and the influence it’s had thus far on the 2016 election.
Guests:
Steven Shepard, campaigns and elections editor for POLITICO; he tweets
Kevin Wagner, associate professor of political science at Florida Atlantic University; he tweets
Matea Gold, national political reporter for the Washington Post covering money and influence; she tweets
How your teenage daughter is using social media
Social media has changed how we interact with each other, and the impact has been particularly great on teenage girls, says journalist Nancy Jo Sales.
Sales has been writing about the lives of American teens for the last two decades, and spent close to three years researching her new book, “American Girls.’ She spoke to over 200 American girls residing in various parts of the country to find out how they use popular apps like Yik Yak, Whisper, and Snapchat.
Like their male counterparts, teenage girls are spending a disproportionate amount of time online and on their phones, often without any supervision from parents.
But unlike boys, their social media use has made them more vulnerable to sexual harassment and cyberbullying. The book paints a picture of what it’s like to come of age in the era of social media, and the magnified consequences for American girls.
Guest:
Nancy Jo Sales, journalist and author of “American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers” (Knopf, 2016); she tweets from