Today on AirTalk, we discuss the latest on Alabama's new abortion law as well as the spate of new restrictive abortion laws from other states and their impact on Roe v. Wade. We also examine President Trump's new immigration plan; take a look at the future of TV sitcoms after The Big Bang Theory's finale; and more.
Trump Administration To Propose New Merit-Based Immigration Plan
After years of setbacks and stalemates, President Donald Trump will lay out yet another immigration plan as he tries to convince the American public and lawmakers that the nation’s legal immigration system should be overhauled.
The latest effort, spearheaded by Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, focuses on beefing up border security and rethinking the green card system so that it would favor people with high-level skills, degrees and job offers instead of relatives of those already in the country.
A shift to a more merit-based system prioritizing high-skilled workers would mark a dramatic departure from the nation’s largely family-based approach, which officials said gives roughly 66% of green cards to those with family ties and only 12% based on skills.
But the plan, which is set to be rolled out on Thursday but has yet to be embraced by Trump’s own party — let alone Democrats — faces an uphill battle in Congress. Larry speaks with experts in immigration law to debate the new policy.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
James Copland, senior fellow and director of legal policy at the right-leaning think tank, Manhattan Institute
Deep Gulasekaram, professor of law at Santa Clara University School of Law, where he specializes in constitutional and immigration law
Why Alabama’s New Abortion Law Probably Won’t Reach The Supreme Court
Alabama's Republican governor has now signed the most stringent abortion legislation in the nation, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases, punishable by up to life in prison, and with no exceptions for rape and incest.
Gov. Kay Ivey said the law she signed Wednesday is a testament to the belief of many supporters that "every life is a sacred gift from God."
Democrats and abortion rights advocates call it a slap in the face to women.
The abortion ban would go into effect in six months if it isn't blocked by legal challenges.
Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia recently approved bans on abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy. Missouri's Republican-led Senate voted early Thursday to ban abortions at eight weeks, with no rape or incest exceptions.
Larry and his guests talk about the spates of new restrictive abortion laws and their impact on Roe v. Wade.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Dan Goldberg, NY-based health care reporter at POLITICO who’s been following the story; he tweets
Jody Armour, professor of law at University of Southern California
After Student Uproar, Harvard Removes Dean Who Represented Harvey Weinstein
A Harvard faculty member who decided to represent Harvey Weinstein at his rape trial is losing his position as head of a student house at the college.
Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana said in a written statement over the weekend he would not renew the appointments of Ronald Sullivan and his wife, Stephanie Robinson, the school's first black faculty deans, citing concerns about the climate at Winthrop House, which he described as serious. Sullivan lives at the house and supervises students there.
The decision does not affect Sullivan’s position as a professor at Harvard Law School.
Some students and faculty members have faulted Sullivan’s decision to represent Weinstein and his response to students’ concerns. Khurana called the situation regrettable and said efforts to improve the climate were ineffective.
The couple said in an email they were surprised and dismayed. They said Harvard unilaterally ended discussions that had been progressing.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Kate Taylor, New York Times reporter on the National Desk, covering New England; she tweets
Jody Armour, professor of law at University of Southern California
Erwin Chemerinsky, dean and professor of law at UC Berkeley; founding dean of the School of Law at UC Irvine
SAT To Issue 'Adversity Score' To Students Based On Social And Economic Background
The College Board, the nonprofit group that oversees the SAT, announced it will administer an “adversity score” to each student who takes the SAT exam.
The score will measure 15 factors including crime rates, poverty rates and housing value in each students’ respective community.
The Wall Street Journal writes that the impact of income inequality has been a longtime concern of the College Board.
CEO of the College Board, David Coleman thinks that there are myriad students with strong academic skills that aren’t being reflected by their SAT scores due to socioeconomic challenges in student’s lives.
Groups that oppose the score think the way in which it is measured and who exactly is measuring the score need to be revealed to the public in order to determine whether it is being implemented fairly and without bias.
Do you think this is a good addition to the SAT? Let us know what you think at 866-893-5722
Guests:
Jeff Strohl, director of Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce
Maria Ferguson, executive director of the Center on Education Policy (CEP), a public education research institute based at the George Washington University in DC.
Following Tonight’s ‘Big Bang Theory’ Finale, What Does The Future Of The TV Sitcom Look Like?
When a brand new sitcom called “The Big Bang Theory” debuted in 2007 about four nerdy Caltech scientists searching for the answers to life, love, the universe and everything else, some thought that CBS’ attempt to bring back the “I Love Lucy” style of multi-camera, laugh track-backed sitcom shot on a studio sound stage would fall flat.
At the time, several brand new single-camera, laugh track-less sitcoms like Tina Fey’s “30 Rock” and Greg Daniels’ American adaptation of “The Office” were earning outstanding ratings.
Fast forward a dozen years later and “The Big Bang Theory” is considered to be one of the most successful runs a TV sitcom has had in recent memory. The show’s final episode airs tonight and has prompted some debate over the future of TV sitcoms and what they’ll look like. As streaming services become more popular and cable TV package subscriptions continue to decline, major networks will be challenged to create content that can rival in quality what streaming services like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu can produce in quantity.
Is there still a role in the modern age of television for the multi-camera sitcom shot on a soundstage? Or has that ship sailed in lieu of the single camera? How can cable networks continue to compete with Netflix, Amazon and others for Emmy consideration? What do you think the next big TV sitcom looks like?
Guests:
Hank Stuever, TV critic for the Washington Post; he tweets
Saul Austerlitz, TV critic and author of several books, including “Sitcom: A History in 24 Episodes from I Love Lucy to Community” (Chicago Review Press, March 2014) ; his forthcoming book is “Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the Show That Defined a Television Era” (Dutton, September 2019)
Twenty-One Craziest Intelligence Schemes That Were Left Unfinished
In the age of alternative facts, International Spy Museum historian and curator Vince Houghton explores alternate histories in his new book “Nuking the Moon: And Other Intelligence Schemes and Military Plots Left on the Drawing Board.”
Motivated by the race to keep up with the Soviets in World War II and the Cold War, some of the most prominent American researchers and government officials of the time entertained exploding nuclear bombs inside hurricanes to redirect them or sending cats to the moon to spy on the Soviet Union.
Though these missions now seem to have been doomed from their conception, Houghton asserts that each of the 21 failed missions he recounts provides a unique context about the moment in history and the figures who shaped it.
Houghton joins Larry Mantle to talk about what we can learn from these desperate attempts at preserving American victory.
Guest:
Vince Houghton, historian and curator of the International Spy Museum; author of the book; “Nuking the Moon: And Other Intelligence Schemes and Military Plots Left on the Drawing Board” (Penguin Books, 2019); he is also a veteran of the US army and an expert in Diplomatic and Military History