Today on AirTalk, we speak with Congressman Adam Schiff. Also on the show, we hear your observations from Memorial Day weekend; our political roundtable discusses the week's biggest headlines; and more.
COVID-19 AMA: Distancing Protocols, LA County Case Count And More
L.A. County parks and beaches were filled with both the cautious and undeterred, during the first major holiday since the economy began to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic. Across the county, the vast majority of people wore masks and observed social distancing over the Memorial Day weekend, with one big exception, according to acting Parks and Recreation Director Norma Garcia.
So many people flooded Eaton Canyon Sunday, some jumping over fences, that officials closed the area at noon.
Read more on LAist.
Meanwhile, L.A. County COVID-19 cases surpassed 46,000 over the weekend. We discuss where we’re at, as well as the latest medical news, with Dr. David Eisenman of UCLA.
Guest:
David Eisenman, MD, professor of medicine and public health at UCLA; director of the university's Center for Public Health and Disasters; Associate Natural Scientist at RAND
AirTalk One-On-One: Congressman And House Intel Head Adam Schiff
Larry welcomes Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff to Airtalk for a check-in. Topics include:
The call for a coronavirus commission provision in upcoming relief legislation
The push for the inclusion of mixed-income types in upcoming coronavirus relief
The call for a broader paycheck guarantee program to keep more employees on payrolls
Big Tech’s role in combating online misinformation.
The House Intelligence Committee released long-delayed transcripts of interviews conducted during the investigation into collusion between Russia and Donald Trump’s campaign.
Guest:
Adam Schiff, Democratic Congressman representing California’s 28 Congressional District, which includes Burbank, parts of Pasadena, and Glendale; chairman of the House Intelligence Committee; he tweets
What Did You Experience Over Memorial Day? Plus, How Will Houses Of Worship Reopen After Getting Go Ahead From State?
Memorial Day drew crowds of people outside throughout the weekend. State officials have said the holiday weekend would be an important test to weigh whether the state can continue easing restrictions. As cases in L.A. County topped 45,000 over the weekend, officials closed Eaton Canyon Natural Area trails after extremely crowded conditions.
The California Department of Public Health announced on Memorial Day that churches, temples, mosques and other places of worship have permission to reopen statewide. In-store retail also got the greenlight to reopen, with restrictions. The new guidelines apply to the entire state, but are subject to approval by each county's public health department. That means they don't yet apply to Los Angeles County, although some county supervisors are pushing to open up as soon as possible. Riverside County has already approved the change, allowing religious services to resume immediately. Today on AirTalk, we want to know what you experienced over the holiday weekend. Did you see gatherings or parties? When you ventured out, were people maintaining distance or wearing facial coverings? Also, what are your thoughts about churches and retail stores reopening? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
With files from LAist. Read the full story from Gina Pollack here.
Guest:
Ben Christopher, reporter for CalMatters who’s been writing about the new guidelines, he tweets
Week In Politics: Vote-By-Mail, Politicization Of Coronavirus, Biden’s Comments On Black Voters And More
AirTalk’s weekly political roundtable recaps the major headlines you might’ve missed in politics news over the weekend and looks ahead to the week to come. Here are the headlines that we’re following this week:
COVID-19:
CA Republican groups sue over California’s vote-by-mail order
Trump and Biden are taking different approaches to the Coronavirus, banking on their voters to feel the same way
President Trump deems churches essential, calls on governors to reopen them Memorial Day weekend
WSJ: Breaking down the politicization of the coronavirus and how it’s exacerbating the red-blue divide
Politics of reopening the country for both major parties
2020 & other political news:
Potential impact of Biden’s comments to “The Breakfast Club” host Charlamagne tha God on black Trump voters
WaPo: Biden gains nothing by going after black Trump voters
WSJ: Biden’s struggle to lure Bernie Sanders donors
President Trump using recent trips to places like AZ, PA and MI as campaigning opportunity
He also continues to argue that states shifting to mail-in voting due to the virus will be more likely to experience voter fraud
What would a Biden-Warren ticket look like?
Senators call for sanctions on Chinese officials over Hong Kong security law
Guests:
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
Eric Schickler, professor of political science and co-director of the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS)