Today on AirTalk, our weekly political roundtable recaps the big stories you might’ve missed over the weekend and looks ahead to the week to come in political news. We also discuss when does a corporation become a monopoly; remember actress and singer Doris Day; and more.
Week In Politics: China-U.S. Trade War, Dems Declare ‘Constitutional Crisis’ And More
AirTalk’s weekly political roundtable recaps the big stories you might’ve missed over the weekend and looks ahead to the week to come in political news at the national and state level. Here’s what we’re following through the weekend:
- China hits back at U.S. by implementing new tariffs; markets nosedive
- Dems declare “constitutional crisis” over the White House’s refusal to cooperate with the Mueller probe
- Robert Mueller may or may not testify this week in front of Congressional committee
- Foreign policy tests mount for Trump -- U.S. seizes North Korean ship, Iran threatens more uranium enrichment if no new nuke deal, continuing unrest in Venezuela…
- Pompeo to meet with Putin this week
- 2020 candidates check-in
- Dem candidates flock to CA for fundraising
- POLITICO: Beto’s long history of failing upward
- Gov. Newsom touts Harris but says Mayor Pete is second choice for many
- Progressives attack Biden's position on climate change
- President Trump joins GOP in condemning Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich) for her comments on Israel
Guests:
Matt Barreto, professor of political science and Chicano/a Studies at UCLA and co-founder of the research and polling firm Latino Decisions; he tweets
Lanhee Chen, research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University; he was an adviser for Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign and served as policy director for the Romney-Ryan 2012 presidential campaign; he tweets
Remembering Doris Day, Legendary Actor And Singer
Doris Day, the sunny blond actress and singer whose frothy comedic roles opposite the likes of Rock Hudson made her one of Hollywood's biggest stars in the 1950s and '60s and a symbol of wholesome American womanhood, died Monday. She was 97.
In recent years, Day had been an animal rights advocate and her Doris Day Animal Foundation confirmed her death at her Carmel Valley, California, home. The foundation said she was surrounded by close friends.
"Day had been in excellent physical health for her age, until recently contracting a serious case of pneumonia, resulting in her death," the foundation said in a statement. It said she requested "no funeral or memorial service and no grave marker."
AirTalk remembers Day.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Leonard Maltin, film historian, noted film critic and author of many books on cinema, including “Hooked on Hollywood: Discoveries from a Lifetime of Film Fandom” (GoodKnight Books, July 2018) and the “Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide” series; he appears regularly on Reelz Channel and spent 30 years on the hit television show, Entertainment Tonight
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and CineGods.com
Let the Class Action Suits Begin: SCOTUS Says Consumers Can Sue Apple Store Over Claims Of Monopolization
The U.S. Supreme Court rules that consumers can pursue their lawsuit against Apple Inc. for monopolizing the market by artificially inflating its prices in its App Store.
In Apple vs. Pepper, consumers argue that because Apple requires developers to sell apps through its App Store, and collects a 30 percent cut of each purchase, Apple is violating antitrust laws.
Apple argues that it was simply acting as an intermediary for app developers who set their own prices.
In a 5-4 split, the Supreme Court rejected Apple’s argument that the App store should be immune to lawsuits from disgruntled consumers, but the court did not determine as to whether Apple had violated antitrust law.
This suit raises a larger question of whether tech giants hold monopolistic control over their markets, which has been a criticism of presidential candidates like Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Guests:
Brent Kendall, legal affairs reporter in the Washington bureau of The Wall Street Journal, where he covers the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission and the federal courts, including the Supreme Court; he tweets
Stephen Nellis, technology correspondent for Reuters based in San Francisco; he tweets
When Does A Corporation Become A Monopoly? Facebook Tests Age-Old Antitrust Laws
Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes thinks it’s time to break up Facebook.
In a piece published last week by the New York Times, Hughes said the government has let Facebook grow too large. He cited a 2018 Pew Center survey that found about two-thirds of U.S. adults use Facebook – and said many don’t realize that the company now owns two other major social media platforms as well: Instagram and WhatsApp.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ruled that a monopoly lawsuit over Apple’s App Store can proceed. The lawsuit states that the tech giant is violating antitrust laws by requiring developers to sell their apps through the app store (and taking a 30 percent cut of each purchase). Apple says it’s just facilitating the sales for app developers, who set their own prices.
Larry sits down with experts in antitrust law and policy to look at the arguments for and against breaking up each company.
Guests:
Einer Elhauge, professor of law at Harvard Law School; former Chairman of the Antitrust Advisory Committee to the Obama campaign
Iain Murray, vice president for strategy and senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a non-profit public policy organization dedicated to free market principles.
Reaching Forgiveness: Your Journey And Your Challenges
Two years ago, Rep. Steve Scalise, the Republican from Louisiana, was shot in Alexandria, Virginia, outside Washington, D.C., as Republicans practiced for an annual benefit baseball game against Democrats.
The 53-year-old was rushed to a hospital near death. He recovered but has needed multiple surgeries, still undergoes physical therapy and walks with a cane.
Scalise told reporters last week that he still struggles to forgive the man who wounded him and talked at length about his efforts to absolve his attacker. Scalise said it came up last week, when he and Vice President Mike Pence visited the leaders of three predominantly black churches near his congressional district that were badly burned recently by an alleged arsonist .
Along with Scalise, four others were wounded in the June 2017. The gunman, James Hodgkinson, died from wounds inflicted by police officers at the scene.
Inspired by Scalise’s revelations, AirTalk opens up the phones to listeners about their struggles to forgive someone who did something truly terrible to them. Call us at 866.893.5722 to weigh in.
With files from the Associated Press