Discussing the use of interrogation tactics with the alleged Paris attacker, Salah Abdeslam; debating the controversy over music rights in political campaigns and looking at the development of the L.A. River and who the changes will serve.
After Abdeslam capture, authorities are now focused on interrogation and intelligence
After Friday’s dramatic capture of alleged Paris bomber Salah Abdeslam, authorities now turn their attention to extracting information from him to piece together the original attacks and foil any possible plots in the future.
Belgium’s security chief has stressed the importance of catching Abdeslam alive. Investigators in that country have begun the interrogation process, as French officials work to extradite Abdeslam.
Abdeslam was wounded and captured on Friday in an anti-terrorism raid conducted by Belgian authorities in the Molenbeek neighborhood of Brussels. The 26-year-old is currently held in a prison in Bruges, and his lawyer has said that he’ll fight the extradition request.
The Nov. 13 attacks in Paris killed 130 people.
What information do authorities hope to get from Abdeslam? What interrogation tactics are used by the Belgians and the French?
Guests:
Brian Michael Jenkins, Senior Advisor to the President of the Rand Corporation and one of the nation's leading experts on terrorism and homeland security
Jonathan Horowitz, Legal officer for the Open Society Justice Initiative - an advocacy organization. He focuses on issues of human rights, national security and counterterrorism, and the law of armed conflict
The continuing controversy over music use in campaigns
There have been several cases in which famous musicians have objected to and often sued political campaigns over unauthorized use of content.
Most notable cases include Bruce Springsteen denying Ronald Reagan the rights to “Born in the USA” for his 1984 re-election campaign and Jackson Browne’s suit against the 2008 John McCain campaign for unauthorized use of “Running on Empty, ” which ended with a settlement and an apology from the then presidential hopeful.
The latest violation involves Donald Trump’s use of the song “Leader of the Pack” by the Shangri-Las. Mary Weiss, the band’s lead singer, responded on Facebook that she does not endorse the real estate billionaire, permission was not authorized for use of the song, and that a letter, presumably a cease and desist order, would be sent to the Trump campaign.
But what exactly are the laws around the usage of music in political conventions and advertisements? In what cases are songs subject to fair use? And why do politicians continue to use music by artists without obtaining proper authorization?
Guests:
Andrew Stroud, partner with Hanson Bridgett, a law firm based in Sacramento and the Bay Area
Ann Bartow, professor of law and director of the Franklin Pierce Center for Intellectual Property at the University of New Hampshire School of Law
Twitter turns 10 - measuring its impact on politics and the cult of personality
Eleven years ago, the world lacked the technology to access Donald Trump's every passing thought, but exactly
Starting in 🇦🇺 on 3/21 and moving across the 🌍, we thank you for 10 incredible years.
— Twitter (@Twitter) March 20, 2016
Love, Twitter#LoveTwitterhttps://t.co/pH4WWdgK6q
the creation of Twitter meant Trump and anyone with Internet access could share their thoughts - limited to 140 characters - with the world.
Since then, Twitter has accumulated 300 million active users including the pope, the president of Iran, and an inordinate number of "beliebers."
Tweets do not simply transmit events and ideas from around the world, they shapes events and ideas. On this tenth anniversary of Twitter, we'll look at its future.
How will the company gain the amount of users that Facebook has (more than a billion)? How can the company control trolls (many of whom focus on feminist accounts)? And does a Twitter following of 7 million translate into the U.S. presidency for Trump, or Kanye West for that matter?
Guest:
John Shrader, Assistant Professor, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, California State University, Long Beach (CSULB); he tweets from
AirTalk election 2016: Presidential frontrunners start thinking big picture as the rest of the field regroups
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton continue their respective marches toward the Republican and Democratic nominations this past week, with Clinton sweeping the five states that held primaries last Tuesday and Trump winning four out of the five.
Tomorrow, Arizona and Utah hold primaries for both parties, with Arizona’s GOP primary being a winner-take-all, and Idaho Democrats will caucus. Then, on Saturday, Democrats in Alaska, Hawai’i, and Washington State will caucus as well.
Today, all of the presidential candidates, minus Bernie Sanders, are speaking at a conference for the group The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Sanders was invited to speak but declined due to a busy campaigning schedule Some have said recently that while Senator Sanders’ campaign has surprised everyone in its insurgency and persistence, it may be time to wind things down and get behind Hillary Clinton, who looks more and more like the inevitable Democratic nominee with every primary win.
AirTalk’s weekly political roundtable takes a look at the biggest storylines from the week ahead on the campaign trail, what the latest polls are saying, and what to watch for as we move toward the conventions this summer.
Guests:
Dan Schnur, Director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at USC and adjunct faculty at USC Annenberg School
Christopher J. Galdieri, Assistant Professor of Politics, Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire
Longtime NPR reporter Anne Garrels' journey through the ‘Real Russia’
The most commonly covered parts of Russia are Moscow and the country's president, Vladimir Putin.
But what about the rest of the country? The day to day lives of the ordinary citizens living in Russia are the subject of longtime NPR correspondent, Anne Garrel's, latest book, “Putin Country”. She speaks with everyone from affluent professionals and activists to crime thugs and prostitutes.
Throughout the book, Garrel will find out more about why Russians continue to love Putin, even though they frequently comment that they hate his government.
Guest:
Anne Garrels, former foreign correspondent for NPR, and author of the new book, “Putin Country: A Journey into the Real Russia.” (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016)
How should the LA River be revamped and whom should it serve?
The Los Angeles River is ready for its close-up.
Once a neglected LA footnote running 51 miles between the San Fernando Valley to Compton, the river has been the focus of intense efforts to turn it into something residents of Los Angeles can enjoy – and be proud of.
In 2014, the Army Corps of Engineers agreed to replace 11 miles of the river with wetlands, green terraces, cafes and bike paths. Last year, it was revealed that famed architect Frank Gehry was working – for free – to come up with a redesign for the entire river.
These developments have journalist Richard Kreitner asking whether the new LA River, whatever guise it ends up assuming, would only be a place the rich can enjoy.
Guests:
Richard Kreitner, assistant editor of special projects at The Nation and author of the article, “Will the Los Angeles River Become a Playground for the Rich?” He tweets
Omar Brownson, executive director of L.A. River Corp., a nonprofit organization focused on the development of the L.A. River