AirTalk looks ahead after Arizona senator Jeff Flake announced his retirement yesterday in a speech clearly denouncing Trump’s leadership of the GOP. We also discuss Iran’s recent nuclear decertification with a former U.S. ambassador; dive into a potentially groundbreaking lawsuit that could make street art legally protected from destruction; and more.
With Flake, Corker’s criticism of Trump, what’s next for the GOP
Arizona Senator Jeff Flake announced his retirement on Tuesday and gave a speech on the Senate floor denouncing the direction of the GOP under President Trump.
The Republican Senator’s speech didn’t pull any punches, and in one remark stated, “It is time for our complicity and our accommodation of the unacceptable to end.”
Yet Flake isn’t the only Republican speaking out against the president. Sen. Bob Corker (Tenn.), who is also retiring, said on the record that Trump is “debasing our nation.” Trump dismissed Flake and Corker’s criticisms, tweeting that the reason the two are retiring is because they have “zero chance of being elected.”
With growing friction among those in the GOP, what’s next for the party? Larry speaks to reporters today to find out more.
Guests:
Laura Litvan, congressional reporter for Bloomberg News; she tweets
Christopher Conover, political reporter and producer for Arizona Public Media; he’s been following the story; he’s been following the story
Former U.S. Diplomat on Iran nuclear deal, Russia investigation
Trump has decertified the Iran nuclear deal and the 60 day deadline for Congress to decide next steps is ticking down – meanwhile, we’ll be discussing options with former U.S. ambassador Thomas R. Pickering.
Pickering has served as ambassador to the United Nations under President George H.W. Bush, as well as ambassador to Russia, India and Jordan in a career that lasted over forty years.
We’ll be speaking with Ambassador Pickering about next steps on the Iran nuclear deal and what the decertification might mean, not just for the U.S., but in Pyongyang and Beijing as we also attempt to temper North Korea’s nuclear capabilities. We’ll also get his thoughts on the ongoing Russia investigation and what it means for the White House’s relationship with the Kremlin.
Do you have a question for Ambassador Pickering? Call us at 866-893-5722.
Ambassador Pickering will be speaking about Iran and America at the World Affairs Council in LA today at 12:00 noon. He is also a panelist at the GetGlobal Conference, focusing on global business expansion, today and tomorrow, October 25-26.
Guest:
Thomas R. Pickering, former U.S. Diplomat for over 40 years; he has served as ambassador to the the United Nations, Russia, India, Israel and Jordan; he is a distinguished fellow in foreign policy for the Brookings Institution
The East is still red: Xi Jinping and the return of China to its Maoist roots
As expected, China’s President Xi Jinping got another five years in power at the conclusion of the Communist party Congress Wednesday. But, breaking with convention, there was no obvious successor at the ceremony, sparking speculation that Xi might seek power after 2022.
On Tuesday, Xi and his ideas were written into the party constitution, which elevated him to the level of Mao Zedong in terms of his importance to the party and its ideology, sending a message of power to any potential challengers.
Xi’s narrative has been one of steering China back to its former Maoist greatness in a “new era.” But is Maoism compatible with China’s growing global influence and its burgeoning capitalist industry? How is this move towards Maoism sitting with the people of China and the Chinese diaspora?
Guests:
Robert Daly, director of the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States at the Wilson Center in DC; former Cultural Exchanges Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing in the late 80s and early 90s
Mei Fong, author of the book, “One Child: The Story of China's Most Radical Experiment” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016); longtime China observer; longtime China observer
NYC street artists are suing a building owner for demolishing their work, and it could be a landmark case
A unique lawsuit that’s currently being tried in New York City could potentially have major implications regarding artists’ ownership of their work, specifically when it comes to street art.
A group of street artists is suing a building owner over the destruction of hundreds of works of what court documents call ‘aerosol art’ that once adorned the walls of the building complex known as ‘5Pointz’ in the Queens neighborhood of Long Island City. In 2013, the owner, who had given the artists permission to spray paint on the building, whitewashed the facade one night. He planned to demolish and develop the complex. The artists say not only did they didn’t have time to document their work, but that the ‘recognized stature’ of their works and the building qualify for protection obscure federal law called the Visual Artists Rights Act, a 1990 statute protecting works of art of ‘recognized stature’ on someone else’s property from being destroyed.
The 20 artists claim the building’s owner, Jerry Wolkoff, didn’t give them notice in writing at least 90 days in advance, lead time that they say would’ve given them a chance to document and preserve their artwork. They will have to prove that their works are indeed of ‘recognized stature,’ a battle that some legal experts say will be an uphill one. The property owner, Jerry Wolkoff, says the artists knew from the beginning that the building would be torn down one day. He also argues that the artists themselves were destroying each other’s work when they painted a new piece over someone else’s. Finally, there’s the contention that he owns the building and, in the absence of any written agreement regarding the existence of the artwork, he can choose whether or not to demolish it.
Do you think a work of graffiti or street art can rise to the point of qualifying as art protected under law? What about a street artist? If so, should the property owner have to preserve it? What are the implications of this lawsuit for future street artists’ claims to their work?
Guests:
Jon Tobin, attorney and co-founder of Counsel for Creators, a Los Angeles-based law firm focusing on the needs of creative businesses and individuals
Sarah Odenkirk, Los Angeles-based art lawyer and educator; she is the founder of Art Law Resource, an online network of legal professionals who provide service to the creative community