Today on AirTalk, we break down Elizabeth Warren's recently released healthcare plan. Also on the show, we give an update on the Maria fire that broke out last night; discuss new findings that reveal how kids and teens are interacting with media today; and more.
Latest On Maria Fire In Ventura County
A fast-moving fire broke out on Halloween night in Ventura County exploded to more than 8,000 acres overnight, prompting mandatory evacuation affecting at least 7,500 people. Many nearby school districts have cancelled classes due to this fire.
The Maria Fire is burning in a mountain area between Santa Paula and Somis, a ranching and farming community. The fight against the fire was hampered late Thursday when authorities grounded air support for the fire after a drone was discovered flying in the fire zone.
In better news, fire officials said they did not believe the Maria Fire would grow as large as 2017's Thomas Fire that burned for nearly 40 days and ate throughabout 282,000 acres — or 440 square miles.
Based on the Maria Fire's location, which started on a ridge, fire authorities said they believed the fire will run out of fuel at some point, burning at most about 12,000 acres.
For more coverage from KPCC and LAist, click here.
Guest:
Jacob Margolis, KPCC’s science reporter
Does Warren’s Plan To Pay For Medicare-For-All Add Up?
Elizabeth Warren promised Friday to spend more than $20 trillion over the next decade to provide government-funded health care to every American without raising middle class taxes — finally offering ideas about how to implement the massive “Medicare for All” program without taking a larger bite out of most Americans’ salaries.
The Massachusetts senator famously “has a plan” for everything from providing universal child care to canceling college debt, but details of how she’d pay for her health plan come with far higher political stakes. Warren spent weeks, and two straight Democratic presidential primary debates, refusing to provide a straight answer on if she’d have to increase middle class taxes to make the numbers work. Today, she released her plan.
The plan is built on transferring to the government 98% of the $8.8 trillion she estimates that employers will spend on private insurance for their employees.
Companies with fewer than 50 employees would be exempted and — in a nod to unions whose support will be key in the Democratic primary — Warren said that employers already offering health benefits reached under collective bargaining agreements will be allowed to reduce how much they send to federal coffers — provided that they pass those savings on to employees.
If the program fails to raise $8.8 trillion, Warren says she’d make up the difference by imposing a supplemental contribution requirement for big companies “with extremely high executive compensation and stock buyback rates.”
Do the economics of her plan check out? What would be the trade-offs? How would this change the nature of healthcare in the U.S.?
With files from the Associated Press.
Guests:
Joe Antos, health policy expert and health economist at American Enterprise Institute, a market-oriented think tank in DC
Shana Charles, assistant professor at the Department of Public Health at California State University Fullerton; former director of Health Insurance Studies at UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
How Are Kids And Teens Engaging With Media Today?
Common Sense, a nonprofit research organization that looks at issues surrounding media, technology and children, released new research looking at media use of young people ages eight to 18.
The new report is an update of Common Sense Census, a study conducted about four years ago. Currently, YouTube overpowers video games and television as entertainment for kids and teenagers. The study also looks at screen time for kids. Kids ages eight to 12 years old spend just under five hours a day in front of a screen, whereas teens average more than seven hours.
In addition, low-income kids spend almost two hours more a day using a screen for entertainment compared to higher-income youth. Kids are getting phones at a younger age compared to in 2015. And boys and girls are reportedly using media in different ways. Larry sits down with the CEO and founder of Common Sense Media to discuss the latest findings in the report.
How are technology and media impacting your child? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Jim Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media in San Francisco, a nonprofit research organization that focuses on issues surrounding children, technology and media
FilmWeek: ‘Terminator: Dark Fate,’ ‘The Irishman,’ ‘Harriet,’ ‘Motherless Brooklyn’ and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Lael Loewenstein and Christy Lemire review this weekend’s new movie releases.
- "Terminator: Dark Fate" in wide release
- "The Irishman" at The Egyptian Theatre, Regency Village (Westwood), The Landmark & Laemmle’s Monica Film Center
- "Harriet" in wide release
- “The Frame’s” John Horn spoke with the film’s co-writer and director Kasi Lemmons and star Cynthia Erivo earlier this week. You can listen to the interview here.
- "Motherless Brooklyn" in wide release
- “The Apollo” at Laemmle’s Royal
- "Synonyms" at the Nuart Theatre
- "Adopt a Highway" at Laemmle’s Town Center
- "Earthquake Bird" at Laemmle’s Music Hall
CRITICS' HITS:
Lael: "The Apollo" & "Terminator: Dark Fate"
Christy: "Synonyms" & "The Irishman"
MIXED FEELINGS:
Lael: "Adopt a Highway"
Christy: "Motherless Brooklyn" & "Earthquake Bird"
MISSES:
Christy: "Harriet"
Guests:
Lael Loewenstein, KPCC film critic; she tweets
Christy Lemire, film critic for KPCC, RogerEbert.com and co-host of the ‘Breakfast All Day’ podcast; she tweets
Hollywood Chinese: Documentarian Arthur Dong On A Century of Chinese-Americans On The Silver Screen
Chinese Americans’ relationship with Hollywood is as empowering as it is complicated, argues award-winning filmmaker and author Arthur Dong.
In his new book Hollywood Chinese: The Chinese in American Feature Films, Dong explores the role and influence of Chinese Americans on the silver screen over the last century. Using archival photographs and interviews with a range of prominent filmmakers, Dong’s investigation leads from Hollywood’s stereotypical cinematic portrayals of Chinatown’s Tong Wars at the turn of the 20th century to the practice of casting white actors in Asian roles (coined “yellowface”), which continues to this day. Hollywood Chinese also highlights Chinese and Chinese American artists--including Ang Lee, Nancy Kwan, Justin Lin and Amy Tan-- whose work has helped to create nuanced portrayals of Asians on screen.
Hollywood Chinese follows Dong’s first book, the award-winning Forbidden City, USA, which tells the story of the Chinese American nightclub scene that emerged in San Francisco during World War II. Today on FilmWeek, Larry Mantle talks with Dong about the history and cultural impact of Chinese American filmmaking.
Guest:
Arthur Dong, author of the book “Hollywood Chinese: The Chinese in American Feature Films” (Angel City Press, October 2019); he is an Oscar-nominated and Sundance award-winning filmmaker who has directed eight feature-length documentaries