Talks over a nuclear deal have stalled between Iran and six other world powers in Lausanne, Switzerland. Also, an offensive, anti-LGBT ballot proposed by a lawyer in Huntington Beach has raised important questions about the state’s initiative process. Then, join us on our second hour for Filmweek!
As deadline looms for Iran nuclear deal, foreign policy experts debate framework
Talks over a nuclear deal have stalled between Iran and six other world powers in Lausanne, Switzerland, said Western officials on Friday. They are expected to resume later next week and the hope is that the deadlock will be broken and the two sides will be able to come to an agreement over the lifting of sanctions and the Iran’s production of nuclear materials.
However, exactly when those sanctions would be lifted is become one of the biggest sticking points for Iran in this deal, and it appears to be one of the major things that is continuing to stall talks. Iranian negotiators want the U.N. sanctions lifted at the front end of any deal that is reached. The U.S. and Europe, however, want the sanctions to be lifted in phases over several years.
There is also disagreement over whether there should be limits on the nuclear research Iran can do as well as the number of centrifuges (which are used to purify uranium for using in nuclear reactors or, if it’s highly-enriched, in nuclear weapons) Iran would be allowed to operate and develop. Currently, there is a March 31st deadline for political framework to be drawn up and a June 30th deadline for a full nuclear deal.
Can the two sides agree on political framework by the end of March? What are the biggest sticking points for the two sides? Is the U.S. compromising too much?
Guests:
Suzanne Maloney, senior fellow at the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution
Robert Kaufman, professor in the School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University
Offensive proposal by Huntington Beach lawyer exposes shortcomings of ballot initiative process
An offensive, anti-LGBT ballot proposed by a lawyer in Huntington Beach has raised important questions about the state’s initiative process.
It’s safe to say that the proposal in question, called the “Sodomite Suppression Act,” would never qualify for the ballot, but it does bring to the fore several questions, including issues over free speech and whether additional mechanisms need to be in place to filter out ideas that are obviously illegal. Would raising the filing fee, now at just $200, be an adequate deterrent, and what unintended consequences might that bring?
Guests:
Vikram Amar, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Law at UC Davis. He’s a constitutional law expert
Bob Stern, former president of the Center for Governmental Studies, a nonprofit working to improve political and government processes in California. Author of the book “Democracy by Initiative: Shaping California’s Fourth Branch of Government, 2nd Edition. (Center for Governmental Studies, 2008)
The Obama Administration rolls out new fracking regulations
Big changes could be coming to the nation’s booming fracking industry. The Obama Administration announced today new regulations for fracking on public lands.
It’s a move that is sure to ruffle some feathers throughout the oil and natural gas industry.
Fracking is an oil mining process in which chemicals are blasted into shale rocks at high pressure. Environmental experts are concerned about what those chemicals could wind up doing to the nation’s water supplies.
The regulations will require companies to disclose the chemicals that they use while mining, and will allow government inspectors to investigate chemical storage and mining practices at will. Most fracking is done on private lands, however, which means the new regulations won’t apply to some of the nation’s largest suppliers. Roughly 100,000 oil wells fall under the new guidelines.
Today on AirTalk, Larry Mantle talks to experts on both sides of the debate about the effect that these new laws will have on the industry and the environment.
Guests:
Amy Mall, land policy expert with the National Resources Defense Council
John Felmy, chief economist with the American Petroleum Institute
FilmWeek: ‘Insurgent,’ ‘The Gunman,’ ‘3 Hearts’ and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Wade Major and Tim Cogshell review this week’s releases, including "Insurgent," "The Gunman," "3 Hearts," and more. TGI-Filmweek!
Guests:
, film critic for KPCC and Alt Film Guide
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and host for IGN’s DigiGods.com