San Francisco assemblyman Phil Ting has proposed a bill that would ban gas or diesel-fueled cars by 2040. Though Ting's bill might sounds extreme, auto makers have long expressed a decreased interest in diesel cars, sparking a debate on whether lawmakers are falling behind on industry trends. We also get the latest on Raqqa and its political future; explore the role of power lines in California wildfires; and more.
Following Weinstein, #MeToo, and letter from women in CA politics, the psychology behind processing and sharing sexual harassment experiences
As the sexual misconduct scandal involving disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein continues to develop in Hollywood, we’re hearing more and more people share their own personal experiences with sexual harassment, and those stories are coming from the average, everyday social media user to political workers in Sacramento.
More than 140 women who work at California’s Capitol, ranging from lobbyists and staffers to political consultants and even lawmakers, have signed a letter speaking out against what they say is a “pervasive” culture of sexual harassment that transcends party lines and job descriptions. Across social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter on Monday, with the aim of showing solidarity as well as painting a picture of just how widespread sexual harassment is in our culture, many users shared details their own stories of sexual harassment with the hashtag #MeToo. Others simply chose to post ‘#MeToo’ with no explanation at all.
If you have experienced sexual harassment, at what point did you decide to share your experience? What factors ultimately led you to decide that you were comfortable to speak up, or that it was time to do so? Was it more difficult sharing it with certain people than others? How did you process your feelings that got you to a point where you felt like you could share?
Guest:
Jeanne Clevenger, PsyD, clinical psychologist with a private practice in Pasadena who specializes in maternal mental health and other women’s issues
Should California spur on the shift to electric vehicles or follow the industry?
Eight years ago, there were no electric cars for sale in California.
This winter, Assemblyman Phil Ting (D - San Francisco) plans to introduce a bill that would ban gas- or diesel-powered cars by 2040.
The state set aggressive goals to dramatically cut carbon emissions, and putting electric vehicles on the road is one way to reach that goal—vehicle emissions currently account for 37 percent of statewide emissions. Also, a bill banning gas-powered cars marks a shift away from subsidies and goal setting. As a way to reach another state goal of 1.5 million emissions-free cars on the road by 2025, the state offers subsidies for electric vehicle purchases.
There are other external forces at work here: namely, Europe is tiring of diesel-powered vehicles, and electric vehicles are in demand in China. China has already set rules for automakers to expand production of electric and alternative-energy vehicles if they want to keep selling gas-powered vehicles, and it’s working on a ban. France, Norway, India and the U.K. are also considering bans.
The big question is whether the auto industry will beat lawmakers to the electric car future. Since many carmakers have already planned to either curb or end production of gas-powered cars long before 2040. So, does California need to mandate that future, or support the industry and consumers as the free market moves the industry that way?
Guests:
Joel Levin, executive director of Plug In America, a nonprofit group headquartered in Los Angeles that advocates for electric vehicles
Wayne Winegarden, senior fellow at the Pacific Research Institute, a free-market policy think tank
What’s next for Raqqa as US-backed Syrian forces take control of the city?
A U.S.-backed alliance of Syrian fighters said Tuesday they had seized control of the northern Syrian city of Raqqa.
The city has been considered the headquarters of the Islamic State’s “caliphate” since 2014. Raqqa first fell from Syrian government control a year earlier. Raqqa was the site of many ISIS beheading videos, including that of the American journalist James Foley by “Jihadi John.” The city is mostly destroyed, and many lives were lost in the four-month battle over its control.
So the big question is: what’s next? Will dislodging ISIS from the territory create the same problems that led to its rise in the first place? Larry speaks to a reporter on the ground in Istanbul and an analyst for more details.
Guests:
Emily Wither, correspondent for Reuters TV based in Istanbul; she tweets
Frederic C. Hof, director at the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East; his focus includes Syrian conflict and U.S. policy in the Middle East
What to make of early reports suggesting power lines may be culprit in Northern CA wildfires
Fire crews in Northern California are still working to fully contain and figure out what caused rampant wildfires that torched thousands of acres in wine country and elsewhere, but early reports say that it’s possible faulty power lines and electrical equipment could have played a role.
According to a review done by the Bay Area News Group that a look at radio traffic on emergency personnel frequencies found at least 10 places firefighters responded to because of calls about sparking wires or transformers.
This is not a new issue. Utility companies’ maintenance of their equipment has come up in the past with regards to sparking and spreading wildfires. PG&E was just fined more than $8 million for not maintaining a power line that started the Butte Fire in Amador County two years ago. It paid $1.6 billion in fines and other fees in 2010 after the San Bruno gas explosion.
Investigators are still looking into what caused the fires and have not yet come to a conclusion on what it was.
Guest:
Paul Rogers, San Jose Mercury News reporter covering science and the environment; he is also managing editor of KQED’s Science Unit; he tweets
The TV shows that have won hearts – and changed minds
In its original eight-year run, recently revamped television show “Will & Grace” won 16 Emmys, adding acclaim to popularity as the first hit sitcom with two gay male leads.
Often referred to as the “Will & Grace effect”, the show played a large role in reducing homophobia in its audience. A 2006 study found that exposure to the gay characters in “Will & Grace” had the same effect as interpersonal contact in viewers who did not regularly interact with members of the gay community. And now that television is more diverse than ever, shows like “Transparent”, “Black-ish”, “Modern Family” and “The Middle” regularly introduce audiences to characters from different cultural, social, economic and racial/ethnic backgrounds.
AirTalk wants to hear from you. Has a television show ever made you question or reevaluate a personal opinion? What TV shows introduced you to new perspectives while you were growing up? Which shows are pushing you out of your comfort zone now?
Guest:
Victoria Johnson, associate professor of film and media studies and of African American studies at UC Irvine; author of “Heartland TV: Prime Time Television and the Struggle for U.S. Identity” (NYU Press, 2008)