Today on AirTalk, our 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. We also discuss how California is dealing with rising sea levels; examine the new ban on political deepfakes within 60 days of an election; and more.
Week In Politics: Pull Out From Syria, Impeachment And How Progressive Dems Have Changed The Fundraising Game
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 what we’re following this week:
The White House announced they would begin withdrawing troops from Syria, allowing Turkey to send forces to the area
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump Administration attempting to block the subpoena requesting Trump’s tax returns.
Impeachment:
A second whistle-blower has come forward
The House released a series of documents revealing text exchanges between State Department officials concerning the withholding of humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The messages were provided by Kurt Volker, the former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine, who privately testified as the House impeachment inquiry’s first official witness
Trump made a public request on the White House Lawn for China to investigate Biden
The House has issued a subpoena against the White House for failing to provide documents they requested. The House has already subpoenaed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Rudy Guliani
2020:
Bernie Sanders is recovering from a heart attack
How were Biden’s response to allegations against his son? Plus, CNN won’t run a Trump 2020 presidential campaign ad, saying it presents false claims
Candidates released their final third quarter fundraising numbers. Biden didn’t do so hot. But Warren and Sanders are exceeding expectations and perhaps shifting the model for campaign financing
The next debates are October 15
Some Dems are hoping that Michelle Obama will throw her hat into the presidential race
It’s estimated that minority voters will account for one-third of the electorate in 2020 Which candidate is resonating with minority voters the most?
The new Supreme Court term is kicking off
Microsoft announced Iranian hackers targeted a 2020 presidential candidate and the federal government has warned how Russia may plan on interfering with state elections. What steps are the U.S. taking to secure the 2020 elections from foriegn interference?
Guests:
Greg Myre, national security correspondent for NPR; he tweets
Anna Edgerton, politics editor at Bloomberg; she tweets
Amanda Renteria, president of Emerge America, a national organization that works to identify and train Democratic women who want to run for political office; she is the former national political director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and has been a staffer for Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI); she 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
San Diego Beach City Could Set Precedence In How CA Deals With Rising Sea Levels
Countless reports have looked at the impact of climate change and rising sea levels -- and the hit on the communities along the California coast looks dire, to say the very least.
Next week, the California Coastal Commission and Del Mar will meet to discuss the best way for the San Diego beach city to adapt to rising sea levels. The two sides represent two different philosophies on mitigation and adaptation. While the Coastal Commission wants coastal communities to remove structures from bluffs or low-lying land, cities like Del Mar want to reinforce sea walls and replace sand to beaches.
The decision reached between two parties could set a precedence for the rest of the state.
We reached out to the California Coastal Commission, which is unable to join us today.
Guests:
Erik Anderson, environment reporter at KPBS, the NPR affiliate in San Diego, who’s been covering the story
Jennifer Savage, California Policy Manager at Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on issues facing the world’s ocean and beaches
Newsom Signs Law Banning Political Deepfakes Within 60 Days Of Elections
Last week, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law prohibiting the distribution of altered videos and audio of candidates within 60 days of election. According to the San Francisco Chronicle the bill, AB 730, is specifically meant to target deepfakes, or manipulated videos that replicate real individual’s image, speech and movement. Video creators would not face criminal penalties, but candidates can sue them for damages. The law is set to expire in 2023. Do you think the new law will help fight online political deception? Share your analysis and concerns with Larry Mantle by calling 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Erwin Chemerinsky, dean and professor of law at UC Berkeley, who focuses on federal courts, constitutional law and appellate litigation; founding dean of the School of Law at UC Irvine
Matt Scherer, legal scholar and attorney with Littler Mendelson P.C. in Oregon; member of the firm’s Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and Automation industry group
New LA Times Analysis Suggests Much Of Local Homeless Community Suffers From Mental Illness, Drug Abuse or Disability
A new analysis from the Los Angeles Times supports what many people believe: most of the county’s homeless community suffers from mental illness, drug abuse or disability.
This report differs from a previous analysis from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, which found only 29 percent of the population surveyed suffered from serious mental illness and substance abuse. Both studies based their numbers on 4,000 questionnaires from this year’s county-wide point-in-time count, but interpreted them differently. LAHSA has not contested the Times report.
Meanwhile, the California Policy Lab at UCLA has released a national analysis on the health of homeless populations, finding higher rates of illness than reported by the Times. Today on AirTalk we look into these three surveys—and the potential consequences of the data.
Guests:
Ben Oreskes, staff writer covering homeless and housing for the Los Angeles Times
Sarah Dusseault, chair of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA)
Janey Rountree, founding executive director of the California Policy Lab at UCLA, co-author of a recent report on homelessness