Today on AirTalk, we discuss Facebook Oversight Board's decision to uphold former President Donald Trump's ban from the social network. Also on the show, we break down the latest COVID-19 news; go over the Pasadena Central Library closure; and more.
Facebook Board Upholds Trump Ban. What Legal Precedent Does It Set For Big Tech?
Former President Donald Trump won’t return to Facebook — at least not yet.
The social network’s quasi-independent Oversight Board voted to uphold his ban from the platform after his account was suspended four months ago for inciting violence that led to the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot. But in a statement, it faulted Facebook for the way it made the decision and called its “indefinite” suspension of Trump unreasonable and unworkable.
The board said Facebook sought to avoid its responsibilities by applying “a vague, standardless penalty” and then referring the case to the board to resolve.
“Indefinite penalties of this sort do not pass the international smell test,” oversight board co-chair Michael McConnell said in a conference call with reporters. “We are not cops, reigning over the realm of social media.”
The board agreed with Facebook that that two of Trump’s Jan. 6 posts “severely violated” the content standards of both Facebook and Instagram.
“We love you. You’re very special,” he said to the rioters in the first post. In the second, he called them “great patriots” and told them to “remember this day forever.” Those violated Facebook’s rules against praising or supporting people engaged in violence, the board said.
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, a former Danish prime minister who sits on the board, said in the call that Facebook shirked its responsibility to enforce its own rules. “Facebook should either permanently disable Trump’s account or impose a suspension for a specific period of time,” she said.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Faiza Patel, co-director of the Brennan Center’s Liberty & National Security Program; she tweets
Eugene Volokh, first amendment law professor at UCLA; he tweets
DOC AMA: Los Angeles County Eligible For Yellow Tier, San Diego Records First Case Of India Variant And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Tim Brewer from UCLA.
Today’s topics include:
Los Angeles County eligible to move to yellow COVID-19 tier, least restrictive in California's reopening framework
San Diego County records first COVID-19 case with India variant
Scientists see path for the coronavirus to invade the brain
U.S. cases, vaccinations continue to drop as White House sets new inoculation goal
How US states are incentivizing COVID-19 vaccination
What we know about India’s COVID-19 surge
Guest:
Timothy Brewer, M.D., epidemiologist and professor of medicine at UCLA’s school of public health; has served on the advisory boards of the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Are Millennials More Open About Finances?
For some, money matters are a taboo topic of conversation. But according to the Wall Street Journal, millennials are inclined to be more transparent than generations past.
Transparency can have its benefits in a friend group, but there are plenty of reasons not to share as well. We want to hear from you about your level of financial frankness, whether you talk about how much money you’re making with your friends and family, and if so how you navigate those conversations. How open are you about your income? What benefits or discomforts has this raised? And if you don’t talk about money, why? Call us at 866-893-5722.
Pasadena’s Historic Central Library Shuts Down Due To Seismic Safety Issues
The city of Pasadena is closing the historic Central Library location because of seismic safety concerns.
In-person library services only recently resumed at the location, as well as other branches, after COVID-19 closures.
But a recent structural assessment found most of the building consists of bearing walls made up of unreinforced masonry. That creates an "imminent life safety hazard," according to an order from the city.
City Manager Steve Mermell called the closure "devastating news for us all."
“We intend to do everything in our power to assess the severity of the problem and to work toward its resolution," he said in the news release. "This library cannot remain vacant, and we need to conserve it for another century of use.”
The city passed an ordinance in 1993 requiring all buildings with unreinforced masonry be retrofitted, emptied, or demolished. City officials said in a news release, that they haven't been able to find any record as to why the Central Library wasn't identified as part of that project.
With files from LAist
Guests:
Lucy Jones, seismologist and founder and chief scientist at the Lucy Jones Center for Science & Society, a natural disaster risk reduction research organization; she is author of the book, “The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us (and What We Can Do About Them)" (Doubleday, 2018); she tweets
Steve Mermell, city manager for the City of Pasadena
Sue Mossman, executive director of Pasadena Heritage, a non-profit historic preservation organization
Are ‘Fashion Flippers’ Gentrifying Thrift Shopping? The Complicated Past And Present Of A Booming Industry
Some thrift shoppers have found ways to profit off their purchases by reselling the goods on sites like Poshmark and Depop. The fashion hauls are popular online and often reach an audience that’s looking for unique, retro or vintage garments. But it’s raising concerns for people who truly need thrift shopping for its affordability.
According to a recent Vox piece, “How thrifting became problematic,” a lot of the shoppers either reselling clothes for profit or buying resale items can afford to buy new clothes, so some people say there’s a chance others could be priced out of the thrifting market. It’s difficult to gauge whether the concerns hold much weight. While secondhand organizations provide benefits in limiting how much clothing gets dumped in the landfill, there has historically been a surplus in donations. According to Reuters, this problem has been amplified during the pandemic. And fast fashion, hyper sped up clothing production met with expanded wardrobes, plays into the challenges as well. We now have more clothing than ever before, but the quality has decreased. Some experts say the concerns raised within the thrift industry point to much bigger (and more complicated) problems with the fashion industry as a whole. Today on AirTalk, we dive into the complicated past and present of thrift shopping, the valid concerns being raised and why it’s not so easy to point fingers at specific individuals. We also want to hear from you! Are you a thrift shopper? Do you have concerns about so-called “fashion flippers?” Do you resell second hand goods yourself? How do you feel about the concerns being raised? What direction do you want to see the industry move in? Share your thoughts and ask your questions by commenting below or call 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Jennifer Le Zotte, assistant professor of history and material culture at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, author of the book “From Goodwill to Grunge: A History Of Second Hand Styles and Alternative Economies” (University of North Carolina Press, 2017); she tweets
Alexis DeSalva Kahler, senior research analyst focusing on retail and e-commerce at Mintel, a global market research firm; she tweets