Today on AirTalk, we discuss Amy Coney Barrett's advancement in the supreme court nomination process and preview tonight's presidential debate. Also on the show, we discuss the LAUSD school board elections; interview Libertarian presidential candidate Jo Jorgensen; and more.
What’s Next For Barrett, Plus What To Expect From Tonight’s Presidential Debate
Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans powered past a Democratic boycott Thursday to advance Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination to the full Senate, keeping President Donald Trump’s pick on track for confirmation before Election Day.
Democratic senators refused to show up in protest of the GOP’s rush to install Trump’s nominee to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Never has the Senate confirmed a Supreme Court nominee so close to a presidential election. We take a look at what’s next for Barrett.
Plus, after meeting last month in perhaps the most chaotic debate in modern history, President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, will take the stage Thursday to give it another go. We preview the new format, potential topics and tonight’s moderator.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guests:
Amy Howe, reporter for SCOTUSBlog and author of the blog Howe on the Courts; she tweets
Zach Montellaro, campaign reporter and author of the Morning Score newsletter at Politico; he tweets
LAUSD School Board Election: What To Know About The Expensive, Hard-Fought Races
For all the attention city council campaigns traditionally get, the most expensive local elections in Los Angeles this year have actually been the races for school board.
So far, outside political groups have spent more than $14.9 million trying to sway the outcomes of this year's L.A. Unified school board races.
That total sets a new "independent expenditure" record for any LAUSD campaign — and there are still two weeks left until voters decide the two competitive races on Nov. 3.
In LAUSD Board District 3, incumbent Scott Schmerelson is trying to overcome both challenger Marilyn Koziatek and a wave of spending against him by well-funded charter school advocates.
In the District 7 race, Patricia Castellanos and Tanya Ortiz Franklin are both seeking to replace the board's retiring swing vote — and both charter allies and LAUSD's teachers union see a chance to tip the balance of power on the board.
With files from LAist
Read the full piece on LAist
Guest:
Kyle Stokes, KPCC/LAist reporter covering K-12 education and the Los Angeles Unified School District; he tweets
The Controversy Beneath The Surface Of The Latest Planned Expedition To The Titanic’s Wreckage
Few shipwrecks are as famous as that of the RMS Titanic, the British passenger ship that was deemed “unsinkable” at the time of her maiden voyage in April 1912, which was supposed to take it from Southampton in the U.K. to New York City. As we know, the ship never reached its final destination. It struck an iceberg in the waters of the Northern Atlantic and sank, taking the lives of more than 1,500 of the estimated 2,224 people on board.
The wreck itself wasn’t discovered, however, until 1985, and in the 35 years since there have been many diving expeditions to the wreckage site in order to observe it, document it and sometimes to recover artifacts. But an expedition that is currently being planned by the company that owns the salvage rights to the Titanic’s wreck is getting pushback from members of the oceanographic and archaeological community.
The company, RMS Titanic, Inc., says its expedition has a number of goals, one of the biggest being to find out more about how shipwrecks at depths such as the Titanic’s deteriorate. There is a lot of data, they say, on shallow water shipwrecks, but not much on deeper ones. There’s a recovery aspect too – the company is also hoping to find and bring back the ship’s original Marconi radio, which broadcast the final distress call and, RMS Titanic president Bretton Hunchak says, saved hundreds of lives. But the U.S. government along with members of the archaeological and oceanographic community are pushing back in federal court, saying that the company has not thoroughly considered how it will remove the radio without damaging or disturbing the wreckage or the possibility that there may still be human remains.
In May, a federal judge in Norfolk, Virginia, approved the expedition. U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith wrote that recovering the radio “will contribute to the legacy left by the indelible loss of the Titanic, those who survived, and those who gave their lives.” But the U.S. government filed a legal challenge in June, claiming the undertaking would violate federal law and a pact with Britain recognizing the wreck as a memorial site. U.S. attorneys argue the agreement regulates entry into the wreck to ensure its hull, artifacts and “any human remains” are undisturbed. The case is pending before the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll dive into the ongoing discussion over this latest expedition to the Titanic’s wreckage, find out more about the specifics of RMS Titanic’s plans for the dive and hear the concerns that the U.S. government and archaeological communities have raised in the ongoing court battle.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Bretton Hunchak, president of RMS Titanic, Inc., the organization which serves as the steward for the Titanic wreck site and owns the salvage rights to it
Paul Johnston, curator of maritime history and acting chair of the Division of Work & Industry at Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
AirTalk Listeners Shout Out The Small Businesses They’ve Supported During The Pandemic
For many of us, the hope for a return to some modicum of “normalcy” has been a big factor in getting through the pandemic days, which sometimes seem to blend together into one long day with no sign of a sunset on the horizon.
But when that day comes where we can sit down at our favorite local bar or restaurant with a big group of friends and not have to put on a mask, or go to the gym without having to make a reservation 24 hours in advance, what will it be worth if the bars, restaurants, gyms, and myriad other small businesses we regularly patronized before the pandemic are no longer there?
Today on AirTalk, we want to hear from you -- what local small business have you continued to patronize or donated money to during the pandemic? If you're a small business owner, what has the response been like from your regular customers and/or the community that typically patronizes your business? Join the live conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
Interview With 2020 Libertarian Presidential Candidate Jo Jorgensen
President Donald Trump is seeking another term in what has been nothing short of a contentious campaign against former Vice President Joe Biden.
The two men check off the two dominant political parties you'll see your ballot. But this week, AirTalk has been talking with third-party presidential candidates who are hoping to draw in voters. Today, Larry talks with Libertarian Candidate Jo Jorgensen about her platform and what impact she thinks the party will have this election cycle. She is running on a platform of smaller government, criminal justice reform, nuclear energy policies and more.
Do you have questions? Comment below or call 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Jo Jorgensen, Libertarian candidate for president; she tweets