President Trump said that he is preparing an executive order to end birthright citizenship, and that it’s within the president’s power to change the 14th amendment. AirTalk debates. We also examine Brazil's election of Jair Bolsonaro; discuss Proposition 6; and more.
Can Trump end birthright citizenship — and should it end?
In an interview with “Axios on HBO” last night, President Trump said that he is preparing an executive order to end birthright citizenship, and that it’s within the president’s power to change the 14th amendment.
Here’s the legal and ethical debate.
Guests:
Daniel Griswold, director of the Trade and Immigration Program at The Mercatus Center, a free-market think tank based at George Mason University in Virginia
Jessica Vaughan, director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit research organization; she tweets
John Eastman, constitutional law professor at Chapman University and senior fellow at The Claremont Institute
Kim West-Faulcon, law professor at Loyola Law School, her focus includes constitutional law; she tweets
Populism reaches Brazil: The political dimensions of Jair Bolsonaro’s election to presidency
On Sunday, Brazil elected a polarizing far right populist as its next president.
The news has split the South American country, as some Brazilians hold out hope for what Jair Bolsonaro, a political outsider with a military background who based his campaign on fighting corruption, and his presidency could mean for bucking a status quo they see as having led them to political and economic turmoil.
Others, however, say Bolsonaro displays authoritarian tendencies and take issue with his past comments on women, race, sexuality and praise of Brazil’s past dictatorships. For his part, Bolsonaro has vowed to fight corruption at the highest political levels and defend Brazilian democracy.
But what will his rule mean for an economically depressed country where democracy is only three decades old?
Guest:
Ernesto Londoño, Brazil bureau chief for the New York Times based in Rio de Janeiro; he tweets
What Angela Merkel’s 2021 retirement from politics means for the future of Germany and Europe
On Monday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that this, her fourth term, would be her last and that she would not seek re-election to the chairmanship of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party in 2021, nor would she continue on as chancellor.
Merkel, who has chaired the party since 2000 and been chancellor since 2005, told reporters in Berlin that she would not seek any political office in the future. Her presidency has fallen on rocky political times, as her and her party’s popularity has been decreasing steadily in Germany since 2015, when she chose to keep German borders open during Europe’s migrant crisis. Her announcement came after the CDU suffered crushing defeats in regional elections over the weekend, and Merkel said the results were a sign that it was time for change.
What does this mean for the future of Germany and Europe as a whole? Which party or politician is poised to take her place, and what will a change in the ruling party mean for German citizens?
Guest:
Griff Witte, Berlin bureau chief for The Washington Post; he tweets
AirTalk debates 2018 ballot initiatives: Prop 6 - voter approval for future gas and vehicle taxes and tax repeal initiative
Eleven propositions have earned a spot on the November ballot, where Californians will consider a host of changes.
Among the measures certified is Proposition 6, the Voter Approval for Future Gas and Vehicle Taxes and the 2017 Tax Repeal Initiative. Prop 6 would repeal an increase in the gas, diesel tax and vehicle fees that were enacted in 2017, including the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (RRAA). It would also require voter approval for future fuel tax and vehicle fee increases. Supports say gas tax in the state is already too high.
A “yes” vote would repeal the 12 cent per gallon gas tax hike and the increased vehicle registration fees approved by the state legislature. Opponents of the initiative argue that the higher tax is being put to good use such as building projects and improving roads. We debate both sides. Call us at 866-893-5722 with your questions or comment below.
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.
Guests:
Carl DeMaio, chairman of the “Yes on 6” campaign, the gas tax repeal initiative; a former San Diego city councilmember (from 2008 to 2012) and current radio host of The DeMaio Report on AM 600; he tweets
Matt Cate, co-chairman of the “No on 6” campaign; founder and president of Cate Consulting, a firm specializing in providing consulting services and legal counsel in transportation, local-government and public-safety related matters; former executive director of the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) from 2013 – 2018; he tweets
According to this study, fewer previous sex partners make for a happier marriage
According to a recent study, Americans who have only had sex with their spouse are more likely to say they’re “very happy” in their marriages than those who’ve slept with more partners.
The lowest satisfaction is reported by women who’ve slept with six to 10 partners. While the study finds correlation between the number of an individual’s sex partners and their reported marital happiness, it does not imply causation, so there’s room to speculate. Perhaps people who choose not to have sex before marriage also value marriage more highly and are therefore more committed.
Or perhaps, as pointed out in this Atlantic piece, people who’ve only slept with their spouses are less likely to yearn for what they’re missing, since they have no other experiences with which to compare their marriage.
Have you found this correlation to be true in your life? How has your number of previous sex partners affected your marriage, if at all? If you and your spouse came into the marriage with a disparity in your number of previous sex partners, how has it impacted your relationship?
Guest:
Nick Wolfinger, professor of family consumer studies and adjunct professor of sociology at the University of Utah; he is the author of the study “Does Sexual History Affect Marital Happiness?” which was published by the Institute for Family Studies, a think tank that aims to strengthen marriage; he tweets