Today on AirTalk, we look at the weather and travel forecasts ahead of the holiday weekend. Also on the show, we discuss the ghost gun used in the Santa Clarita shooting; the fraught history of Thanksgiving; and more.
Weather, Travel And Fire Outlooks Ahead Of The Holiday Weekend
Southern California could see some heavy rains, even snow and low temperatures this Thanksgiving holiday, according to the L.A. Times.
It’s expected to be the strongest storm of the season stemming from a cold front in the Gulf of Alaska.
Residents can expect to see the conditions begin to roll through the area early on Wednesday. Californians aren’t the only ones who should expect storms. The National Weather Service is reporting that multiple storms can be expected across the U.S. And that means potential travel delays throughout the long weekend. According to AAA, more than 55 million people are traveling for the holidays.
Today on AirTalk, we get the latest on weather conditions and what they could mean for holiday travel, and we will check in on how the 4,100 acre Cave Fire in Goleta could affect roads, and be affected by the weather.
For updates on this weekend's highway conditions, you can check out CalTrans' road information site or call 1(800)-427-7623.
Guests:
Jacob Margolis, KPCC reporter; he tweets
National Weather Service
Marie Montgomery Nordhues, spokesperson for the Automobile Club of Southern California
Purple Project For Democracy: Different Takes On The Electoral College
The Electoral College was laid out in the Constitution in Article II, Section 1. Each state has as many electors as it has Representatives and Senators in Congress. So, when voters head to the polls to cast a ballot for President and Vice President of the U.S., they’re really voting for the electors.
The electors are then expected to cast their ballots in the Electoral College, and most states require that all electoral votes to be cast in favor of the candidate who receives more votes than any other candidate. The framers were apparently worried that voters would have a difficult time knowing who the candidates were, given the time period.
According to Time, the 12th Amendment cleared up the distinction between the electoral votes for President and Vice President, and the 23rd Amendment allowed Washington, D.C. to have electoral votes. There have been legal questions around whether states can restrict how electors vote. And there are other qualms with the Electoral College system as well, including claims of its racist roots. And some simply argue a national popular vote makes more sense. Others don’t feel the same, for example, arguing that killing the Electoral College would take away states’ power and hand it over to the federal government, which currently plays a secondary role in the process.
As part of our Purple Project for Democracy series, today on AirTalk, we look at the history of the Electoral College and discuss different takes on whether it should remain how it is or be thrown out for a new process.
Guests:
Garrett Epps, professor of constitutional law at the University of Baltimore, he’s the Supreme Court correspondent for The Atlantic, he tweets
Robert M. Hardaway, professor of law at the University of Denver and author of “Saving the Electoral College: Why the National Popular Vote Would Undermine Democracy,” (ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2019)
The Evolving History Of Thanksgiving And How We’re Teaching It
The legend of a three day Thanksgiving feast in November of 1621 between starving religious pilgrims from England and the native Wampanoag tribe in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts may have some truth to it. But scholars and others have been reevaluating the full truth behind Thanksgiving and how it’s being taught.
It’s not just hand-shaped construction paper turkeys and a peaceful meal, but rather a complicated and messy past. Fifty years after the mythic celebration, the European colonists and Wampanoag people were enemies in King Philip’s War. In his first year as president in 1789, George Washington decreed that the 26th of November be a religious and patriotic holiday to celebrate the freedom of the new nation and give thanks to “all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us).” Short, firsthand accounts of the feast were discovered in 1820 (and published in 1841) by historian Alexander Young. Those were picked up by Godey’s Lady’s Book editor Sarah Josepha Hale, who implored Abraham Lincoln to proclaim a reboot of Thanksgiving as a permanent American holiday following the Battle of Gettysburg. In 1863, he did that. All the while, indigenous people across the continent endured violent cultural erasure by settlers for centuries.
With the growing movement to acknowledge indigenous history across the country, we discuss the complexities of Thanksgiving and how it’s being taught. Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Peter Mancall, professor of history and anthropology at USC’s Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, he specializes in Native American and early American histories
‘Ghost Gun’ Was Used In Santa Clarita Shooting
Officials have confirmed that the weapon used in the Saugus High School shooting was a so-called “ghost gun,” a homemade firearm without a registration number.
The gunman has been identified as a 16-year-old Saugus High School student who used a handgun to shoot five students, killing two classmates.
Law enforcement sources told KPCC/LAist and The Trace that the weapon— a 45-caliber model 1911 pistol— may have been put together using parts that were acquired without a background check. They also recovered six weapons registered to the shooter’s late father.
Almost one-third of weapons recovered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are homemade, say officials with the agency. Because these guns are not registered, they are nearly impossible to track.
In response to the growing presence of ghost guns, the state has turned to more regulation. Under a bill passed back in 2016, homemade guns in California are required to obtain a serial number through the California Department of Justice. Similarly, a bill signed into law in October requires background eligibility checks for people who want to purchase firearm parts.
So what exactly are ghost guns? What makes them different and what kind of challenges do they pose? We discuss.
Guests:
Steve Lindley, program manager in Los Angeles for Brady United Against Gun Violence, a non-profit advocacy group; he’s the former bureau chief for the California Department of Justice (2009-2018)
Matthew Larosiere, director of legal policy at the Sacramento-based gun rights organization, Firearms Policy Coalition
Let It All Hang Out Or Zip It Up: How Do You Deal With Nudity In The Home?
A Utah woman was charged last week with lewdness after being found topless by her step children in her own home. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the woman said she and her husband had been installing insulation in the garage when they removed their clothes to get rid of the itchy material. But the situation didn’t end there.
It’s resulted in three counts of lewdness involving a child, according to NPR News. The Associated Press reports, the woman has said she considers herself a feminist and says everyone should be OK with walking around their house with some exposed skin.
We’re not going to get into the complexities of this particular case (the Utah woman is fighting the charges, by the way). But we’d like to hear from AirTalk listeners. How is nudity treated within your home? Do you follow some sort of unwritten or obscure guidelines? Are you okay with exposing yourself in the house? How do children fit into the equation? We want to hear your thoughts and stories. To join the conversation, call 866-893-5722.