Back in June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that public sector unions could not legally charge public employees who benefit from their negotiations but don’t want to become members. We discuss its impact. We also interview Sheriff Jim McDonnell and GOP incumbent Steve Knight; and more.
Sandra Day O'Connor announces possible Alzheimer diagnosis
Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman on the Supreme Court, announced Tuesday that she has the beginning stages of dementia, “probably Alzheimer’s disease.”
The 88-year-old said in a public letter that her diagnosis was made some time ago and that as her condition has progressed she is “no longer able to participate in public life.”
“While the final chapter of my life with dementia may be trying, nothing has diminished my gratitude and deep appreciation for the countless blessings in my life,” she wrote. She added: “As a young cowgirl from the Arizona desert, I never could have imagined that one day I would become the first woman justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.”
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Eugene Volokh, professor of law at UCLA; he tweets
Kimberly West-Faulcon, law professor at Loyola Law School, her focus includes constitutional law; she tweets
Barry McDonald, professor of law at Pepperdine University, his focus includes constitutional law and First Amendment law
AirTalk midterm elections interview: Sheriff Jim McDonnell for Los Angeles County Sheriff
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) is the largest sheriff's department in the world, servicing approximately 4,084 square miles worth of land and 10 million citizens.
Sheriff Jim McDonnell has been running it for the last four years, and he's looking to continue the job.
McDonnell was elected into the position after the former Sheriff Lee Baca was convicted of corruption and other charges. Since he took office McDonnell has attempted to clean the department of problematic deputies through various means, including tightening the department's honesty policy and giving himself more leeway in firing officers.
The incumbent sheriff is running against Alex Villanueva, a thirty year department veteran looking to instill reform in the agency.
McDonnell joins AirTalk to discuss his platform and campaign, and where he'd like to take the department in future years. Call us at 866-893-5722 with your questions or comment below.
To listen to our interview with challenger Alex Villanueva, click here.
Ready for Election Day? Get up to speed on what you need to know with our Voter Game Plan at elections.laist.com. Read up on the candidates and ballot measures, find out about registration deadlines or ask us your questions.
Guest:
Jim McDonnell, Sheriff of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; he tweets
The statewide impact of landmark Janus ruling, four months later
Back in June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in a rare decision that reversed a previous Supreme Court ruling, that public sector unions could not legally charge public employees who benefit from their negotiations but don’t want to become members.
The justices’ ruling in Janus v. AFSCME was seen at the time to potentially be one of the more consequential rulings to come out of the Supreme Court all year. The plaintiff, Mark Janus, argued that not only should he not be required to pay these “agency fees” a charge paid by members to help foot the cost of collective bargaining, but that mandating they do so is a violation of the First Amendment because if the employee doesn’t agree with the union’s politics, that having to pay a fee to support negotiations is essentially the same as unconstitutional compelled speech.
Unions argued that a decision in Janus’ favor would have a chilling effect on membership and revenue, and that because many states had already negotiated contracts under the old rules, that the timing for a change was bad.
Four months after the ruling came down, how is the decision impacting unions around the country and here in California? Are unions seeing a drop-off in membership and revenue? And what will the continuing effect of the ruling be on unions in California?
Guests:
Adam Ashton, writer for The Sacramento Bee’s “The State Worker” column, which chronicles civil-service life for California state workers; he tweets
Mark Janus, the plaintiff in the SCOTUS case, Janus v. AFSCME that was decided in June this year
Will Swaim, president of California Policy Center, a non-profit organization working to inform union workers about their Janus rights
Jesús Quiñonez, legal director for the California Teachers Association, the union representing 325,000 public sector teachers and education support professionals in California
‘RadiCalifornia’: How the threat of ‘Californiacation’ is being leveraged in Nevada, Colorado and Texas races
As November 6 draws nearer, it seems that California is becoming a point of contention in quite a few states, especially where GOP candidates are struggling with tough re-election campaigns.
As reported by the New York Times, the message from several Republican candidates in states such as Nevada, Colorado and Texas is this: you if you don’t want to end up like California, vote red.
In candidate speeches and ads, the Golden State is being pained as the land of overly progressive policies, congestion and sky-high taxes (and there are likely plenty of Californians who will both agree and disagree with these depictions).
These attacks might strike a chord with existing resentments in Nevada and Colorado over the influx of Californians that have moved to those states and have brought with them California values, manners and have also potentially driven up housing costs.
Today, we sit down with politics reporters from Nevada, Colorado and Texas to get a sense of how California is being characterized in their state races.
Guests:
Colton Lochhead, capitol bureau chief and politics reporter for the Las Vegas; he tweets
John Frank, political reporter and craft beer writer at the The Colorado Sun; he tweets
Patrick Svitek, politics reporter for the Texas Tribune; he tweets
AirTalk Midterm Elections Interview: GOP incumbent Steve Knight for California’s 25th Congressional District
California’s District 25 stretches from Northern Los Angeles to San Fernando Valley, and it’s a seat that Democrats are hoping to flip from red to blue this November.
According to the Los Angeles Times, registered Democrats now outnumber Republicans in District 25, though the area has been red for decades. United States Rep. Steve Knight currently holds the seat and is a former Los Angeles police officer, Palmdale City Council member and veteran. Challenging Knight is Katie Hill, a former executive director of a large non-profit assisting the homeless. Knight joins AirTalk to highlight what he will bring to CA 25. Call us at 866-893-5722 with your questions or comment below.
To listen to our interview with Katie Hill, click here.
Ready for Election Day? Get up to speed on what you need to know with our Voter Game Plan at elections.laist.com. Read up on the candidates and ballot measures, find out about registration deadlines or ask us your questions.
Guest:
Steve Knight (R-Calif.), Republican incumbent running for reelection to represent California’s 25th Congressional District, which covers parts of northern Los Angeles and Ventura counties; he tweets
In-N-Out celebrates 70 years of burger slingin’ and animal stylin’ out west
One of Southern California’s most iconic fast food establishments is officially a septuagenarian.
In-N-Out Burger turned 70 on Monday. Its first location in Baldwin Park opened on October 22, 1948, serving up hamburgers for a quarter, cheeseburgers for 30 cents, fries for 15 cents, and bottled soft drinks for a dime.
Seven decades later, In-N-Out not only has an international reputation to rival much larger chains like McDonalds, despite only operating 334 restaurants in six states, but it has achieved cult status with its loyal customers, whether they’re California natives who grew up eating double-doubles animal-style or a Golden State transplant just discovering the restaurant.
What are your memories of In-N-Out growing up? Maybe it was a place where you and your family celebrated a special occasion, or the post-game eatery of choice for your youth sports team? Maybe you have a personal memory attached to a visit there? We want to hear your In-N-Out stories at 866-893-5722.
Speaking of birthdays, another Los Angeles establishment, El Cholo, is celebrating its 95th birthday today and they’re offering a special deal for customers in honor of turning 95. You can find out more information about the deal and where to get it here.
Guest:
Elina Shatkin, food editor at LAist; she tweets