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Week in politics: AirTalk’s 2018 day-before-the-midterm election preview

LANCASTER, CA - NOVEMBER 04:  Voters wait in line at a polling place to participate in early voting in California's 25th Congressional district on November 4, 2018 in Lancaster, California. Republican incumbent Rep. Steve Knight (CA-25) is competing against Democratic congressional candidate Katie Hill for his seat in the district. Democrats are targeting at least six congressional seats in California, currently held by Republicans, where Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. These districts have become the centerpiece of their strategy to flip the House and represent nearly one-third of the 23 seats needed for the Democrats to take control of the chamber in the November 6 mid term elections.  (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Voters wait in line at a polling place to participate in early voting in California's 25th Congressional district on November 4, 2018 in Lancaster, California.
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Mario Tama/Getty Images
)
Listen 1:39:24
AirTalk’s weekly political roundtable focuses on all things elections, from the local races we’re watching here in California to the national ones with major implications for the makeup of the House and Senate. We're also rebroadcasting our hour long voter cram session from Wednesday, October 17.
AirTalk’s weekly political roundtable focuses on all things elections, from the local races we’re watching here in California to the national ones with major implications for the makeup of the House and Senate. We're also rebroadcasting our hour long voter cram session from Wednesday, October 17.

AirTalk’s weekly political roundtable focuses on all things elections, from the local races we’re watching here in California to the national ones with major implications for the makeup of the House and Senate.We're also rebroadcasting our hour long voter cram session from Wednesday, October 17.

Week in politics: AirTalk’s 2018 day-before-the-midterm election preview

Listen 47:48
Week in politics: AirTalk’s 2018 day-before-the-midterm election preview

With just a day left until voters across California and the United States head to the polls, AirTalk’s weekly political roundtable focuses on all things elections, from the local races we’re watching here in California to the national ones with major implications for the makeup of the House and Senate.

In addition to our local and state election previews, here are some of the non-election related stories we’re following today:

  • NBC says it will stop running anti-immigration ad that CNN says was racist

  • Latest from the border — can the president stop asylum seekers?

  • Friday’s jobs numbers show 49-year-low in unemployment, wage growth at fastest rate in almost 10 years

  • U.S. reimposes sanctions on Iran, Tehran says it will fight them

  • Early voting totals in at least 17 states already surpass 2014 turnout

  • Is Kevin de León’s key to beating Dianne Feinstein support from Republicans? (USC/Dornsife poll examines)

  • SCOTUS to allow trial on census citizenship question, won’t hear Net Neutrality challenges

Guests:

Libby Denkmann, KPCC host and veterans & military reporter; she tweets 

Jill Replogle, KPCC Orange County reporter she tweets 

Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist and founder and chief executive officer of Rodriguez Strategies. He is also a former senior Obama advisor in 2008; he tweets

Sean T. Walsh, Republican political analyst and partner at Wilson Walsh Consulting in San Francisco; he is a former adviser to California Governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger and a former White House staffer for Presidents Reagan and H.W. Bush

Voter cram session: AirTalk breaks down the ballot propositions

Listen 50:13
Voter cram session: AirTalk breaks down the ballot propositions

Voters have fewer propositions to sift through than two years ago, but will be asked to vote on 11 statewide ballot measures this fall.

Among them, Californians will decide whether local governments should be able to expand rent control, whether to retain the gas tax, and if the state should only sell cage-free eggs.

Haven’t studied up yet? No problem.

Today we’re rebroadcasting our hour long cram session from Wednesday, October 17 in which AirTalk host Larry Mantle was joined by a panel of experts to break down the props. So open up your sample ballot and follow along.

Ready for Election Day? Get up to speed on what you need to know with our Voter Game Plan at elections.laist.com. Read up on the candidates and ballot measures, find out about registration deadlines or ask us your questions.

Guests:

Michael Alvarez, professor of political science at Caltech; he is spearheading Caltech’s research project with Orange County working to develop tools and measures to understand voting and election integrity

Melody Gutierrez, Sacramento bureau chief and political reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle

Salvador Rodriguez, interim opinion editor for the Southern California News Group  

Katie Orr, government and politics reporter for KQED

Fernando Guerra, professor of political science and Chicana/o Latina/o Studies and Director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University