Today on AirTalk, we discuss the second day of confirmation hearings for supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. Also on the show, we break down the unofficial ballot boxes set up by state GOP lawmakers; answer your COVID-19 questions; and more.
Amy Coney Barrett Confirmation Hearing: Day 2
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett presented her approach to the law as conservative and fair on Monday at the start of fast-tracked confirmation hearings, while angry Democrats, powerless to stop her, cast her as a threat to Americans’ health care coverage during the coronavirus pandemic.
With her husband and six of their seven children behind her in a hearing room off-limits to the public and altered for COVID-19 risks, Barrett delivered views at odds with the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whose seat President Donald Trump nominated her to fill, likely before Election Day.
We recap Monday and preview what’s ahead for today.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guests:
Pratheepan Gulasekaram, professor of law at Santa Clara Law, where he specializes in constitutional and immigration law
Brian T. Fitzpatrick, professor of law at Vanderbilt University and former clerk for Justice Antonin Scalia, for whom Judge Coney Barrett also clerked, and former Special Counsel for Supreme Court Nominations to U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)
Could A Shorter Work Week Help Create Jobs During COVID-19?
Businesses big and small are hurting due to the coronavirus pandemic, and for many of these companies this has meant having to lay off employees in order to preserve the bottom line. But among the solutions that some in government and labor are suggesting as a mitigation tool for saving jobs are a reduction in work hours.
The idea, as Wall Street Journal reporter Tom Fairless explains in his most recent piece, is that a shorter work week would mean less fatigue and stress among employees, and that those working hours that were cut from employees’ schedules could be transferred to the jobless, thereby creating work. But does this work in practice?
Fairless reports that, if the data that has come out of Europe is any sign, there’s not a direct connection between a reduction in weekly work hours and an increase in jobs. Still, as the pandemic continues, economies in many places remain closed and workers remain out of jobs, the idea is still being considered as a possible mitigation tool to address the job losses caused by COVID-19.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll take a closer look at what other countries have done to try and reduce work hours in the hopes of creating jobs, whether it has worked, what a system like this might look like in the U.S. and whether or not it would actually help spur job growth.
Guests:
Jennifer Hunt, professor of economics at Rutgers University and former first chief economist for the U.S. Department of Labor from 2013-2015; she has conducted studies on the relationship between work-sharing and employment in Germany
Alec Levenson, senior research scientist with the Center for Effective Organizations at the Marshall School of Business at USC; he tweets
Is There An Argument For Not Voting? We Learn More About Non-Voters’ Positions
It’s election season, which means that “I Voted” stickers, texts and calls from political campaigns and get-out-the-vote drives are all but ubiquitous.
But for a sizable number of eligible Americans, all that activity won’t be enough to get them to the ballot box. About 100 million eligible American voters (roughly 43%) did not vote in 2016. The reasons why the United States has such low voter turnout are multifaceted and subject to debate. Some Americans think that their vote would be just a drop in the bucket, while others want to vote but run into registration problems. Demographics make a difference too; wealthy Americans tend to vote more frequently, while non-voters tend to be low-income, young, Hispanic or Asian-American. Some non-voters are intentional in their disengagement from the voting process, and choose not to vote because of their political ideology.
Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about non-voters who actively choose not to vote. Have you considered not voting this election? Why not? We want to hear from you. Give us a call at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Katherine Mangu-Ward, editor-in-chief of the libertarian magazine Reason; she tweets
The Case Of The Mysterious Ballot Boxes In OC
California’s chief elections official on Monday ordered Republicans to remove unofficial ballot drop boxes from churches, gun shops and other locations and Attorney General Xavier Becerra warned those behind the “vote tampering” could face prosecution.
Republican refused, saying they are taking advantage of California’s liberal ballot collection law that allows anyone to collect ballots from voters and deliver them to county election offices.
“As of right now, we’re going to continue our ballot harvesting program,” California Republican Party spokesman Hector Barajas said.
Due to the coronavirus and concerns about health safety at polling places, California for the first time mailed ballots for the Nov. 3 election to all active registered voters — more than 21 million people. The ballots come with pre-paid envelopes for voters to mail back, free of charge.
State law also allows county election officers to set up drop boxes throughout the county where people can drop off their ballots in person. The secure boxes can sometimes weigh more than 600 pounds and are monitored frequently by local election officials.
Republicans have set up their drop boxes at churches, gas stations and gun shops in at least three California counties. Some are identified as “secure ballot dropoff location,” while others say “approved and bought by the GOP.”
With files from the Associated Press
We invited California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Secretary of State Alex Padilla to join our conversation, but they were not able to accommodate our request. We also invited Orange County Supervisor Michele Steel to join us, as some of the unofficial boxes have shown up in her district, but as of the airing of this segment her office had not responded to our invitation. We will update this if we receive a response from her.
Guests:
Brooke Staggs, reporter for the Orange County Register where she covers state and federal politics through the OC lens; she tweets
Hector Barajas, spokesperson for the California Republican Party
DOC AMA: Californians Hospitalized With COVID-19 At Six Month Low, Vaccine Updates & More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Kimberly Shriner, infectious disease specialist at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena.
Today’s topics include:
As COVID-19 cases surge, more public-health experts say lockdowns aren’t the answer
COVID-19 reinfection documented in Nevada adds to questions on virus immunity
The first COVID vaccine will not make life normal again
Johnson & Johnson Halts Vaccine Trial
Californians hospitalized with COVID-19 at a 6-month low
Guest:
Kimberly Shriner, M.D., infectious disease specialist at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena
Unfortunate Bug Bites, Getting Lost In The Wild: Your Not-So-Serene Encounters With Nature
With the pandemic forcing Americans into quarantine, many are turning to socially-distanced outdoor activities to get some much needed fresh air. However, nature isn’t always so inviting.
From bear attacks to camping disasters and unwelcome discoveries, we want to hear what uniquely weird encounters you’ve had with the wilderness. Call in and tell us about your experiences at 866-893-5722.