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 national political news. We also examine the role of Facebook as an arbiter vs. a platform; and more.
Week In Politics: The Latest SCOTUS Ruling Sidesteps Abortion, potential DOJ versus CIA Face-Off, Pelosi Deepfakes 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 national political news. Here’s what we’re watching through the weekend:
The Supreme Court sidestepped larger abortion issue in a ruling on an Indiana law
The Trump administration moved to roll back Obama-era protections for transgender patients
On Thursday, the Justice Department began an investigation into U.S. surveillance of the Trump campaign during the 2016 general election – a move that could lead to a clash between the CIA and DOJ over the intelligence that started the Russia investigation
Tensions between House Speaker Pelosi and President Trump escalated from, with a trading of insults
Last week, a video of Nancy Pelosi, altered to make her appear drunk, was widely shared online. On Friday, President Trump retweeted a video from Fox Business News that was edited to make Nancy Pelosi appear scattered. How did this so-called “deepfake” make it onto television?
GOP Senators said that even if the House passes articles of impeachment it will squash the charges in the Senate
2020 check-in:
Biden is still leading by double-digit percentage points in most polls
The different ways Democratic presidential candidates are trying to win over LGBTQ voters
On Friday, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked lower court rulings that invalidated Congressional maps for Ohio and Michigan, halting efforts in both states to draw new maps before the 2020 election
Beto O’Rourke and Bill de Blasio’s numbers aren’t looking great for 2020
British PM Theresa May announced that on June 7 she will resign as her party’s leader. What does that mean for Brexit? For the U.S.?
Before the long weekend, one House Republican blocked a disaster relief package that would have supported communities struggling to bounce back from hurricanes, wildfires and floods
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
Bonds That Won’t Last: A New Kind Of Plastic That Could Change The Harmful Life-cycle Of Conventional Plastics
Plastics have long been synonymous with toxic trash.
They linger in our oceans, and pollute the planet at every step of their life, from extraction to disposal.
According to the EPA, only 10 percent of plastic is recyclable.
To combat the harmful life-cycle of conventional plastics, researchers have invented a new kind of plastic with chemical bonds that make the material easier to break down and separate from additives like dyes and flame retardants that make most plastics especially harmful.
The big questions now are whether manufacturers will utilize the new plastic and whether recycling centers will shift their processes to accept it.
Larry talks with Brett Helms, director of the study, about the process of creating this plastic and the solutions it could offer.
Guest:
Brett Helms, staff scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science lab managed by University of California; he is also director of the study; he tweets
Long Beach Resident Flies His Way To Gold In International Paper-Airplane Contest
In 2015, Long Beach resident, Jake Hardy was in between classes on his college campus when he tried his hand at folding paper planes for the first time since elementary school.
He then learned about the Red Bull Paper Wings, an international paper-airplane competition and decided he would give it a shot.
He’d played baseball before, so he had a good arm that eventually took him to the World Finals as the United States representative in Salzburg, Austria.
On May 18, Hardy won gold for the distance category, flying his plane nearly 186 feet, which is about as tall as the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Hardy plans to return to the finals in 2022 to defend his coveted title.
You can watch Hardy’s winning throw here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53nebjLiB58
Guest:
Jake Hardy, winner of the gold trophy for the distance category of the Red Bull’s Paper Wings World Finals in 2019, an international paper-airplane contest; he tweets
Facebook’s Decision Not To Remove Manipulated Pelosi Video Once Again Raises Question Of Its Role As Arbiter Versus Platform
Last week, a manipulated Facebook video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California), altered to make her look drunk, was shared widely and got about 2.6 million views on the web. Despite calls to take down the video, Facebook decided to leave it up.
Facebook defended its decision, saying that it believes people should make up their own minds about content on their site.
This situation once again brings up the question of whether Facebook is a neutral platform or an arbiter of information. Critics say that Facebook has thrust itself into the news business and should now be beholden to its standards. Defenders say that Facebook has been pushed into this position by cultural pressures, but is ultimately a platform, not a news site.
We discuss the issue through the lens of “deepfakes.”
Guests:
Kelly McBride, senior vice president and chair for the Center for Ethics and Leadership at The Poynter Institute; she tweets
Jeffrey McCall, professor of communication at DePauw University in Indiana and he is a columnist for The Hill; he is the author of “Viewer Discretion Advised: Taking Control of Mass Media Influences” (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2007); he tweets
Huawei 101: After US Sanctions, We Get A Primer On China’s Tech Giant
The Trump administration's sanctions against Huawei have begun to bite even though their dimensions remain unclear.
U.S. companies that supply the Chinese tech powerhouse with computer chips saw their stock prices slump last week, and Huawei faces decimated smartphone sales with the anticipated loss of Google’s popular software and services.
The U.S. move escalates trade-war tensions with Beijing, but also risks making China more self-sufficient over time.
Today, we do a primer on Huawei -- what is it? What are its links to the Chinese government? What are the Trump administration’s allegations about its business practices?
With files from the Associated Press.
Guest:
David Cloud, LA Times, reporter covering national security for the LA Times; based in Washington D.C.
Clayton Dube, director of the USC U.S.-China Institute, a program of USC Annenberg
Rui Zhong, research expert on China; program assistant at the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States at the Wilson Center
Oahu’s Kailua Named Best Beach In The US. What’s Your Pick?
Earlier this month, Oahu’s Kailua Beach Park was chosen as the top beach in the U.S. by “Dr. Beach,” the alias for coastal scientist and professor Stephen Leatherman, who has been compiling the list since 1991.
Dr. Beach uses 50 different criteria to assess beaches, including everything from water cleanliness and safety to sand softness and seaweed volume.
What are your favorite beaches? What criteria do you use to evaluate them?
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