If Donald Trump truly wants to make America great again, he’s going to have to do it as a Republican...at least on paper. Then, while the photo of the dead Syrian toddler has put a global spotlight on the migrant crisis, is it ethical to post a photo of a dead child? Also, KPCC film critic Andy Klein and guest critic Christy Lemire review the action movie “The Transporter Refueled” and “A Walk in the Woods.”
The winners and losers of Trump’s pledge to support GOP nominee
If Donald Trump truly wants to make America great again, he’s going to have to do it as a Republican...at least on paper.
Trump met with Republican National Committee brass on Thursday and signed a pledge stating that he would not fund his own campaign in the event that he is not chosen as the Republican nominee for president. The pledge also promises that Trump will support whomever the nominee is, assuming he is not chosen.
It is not, however, legally binding, so in theory, Trump would be free to fund his own campaign and run on his own party platform if he’s not chosen as the GOP nominee. Trump remained firm on Thursday that he plans to back the Republican Party no matter what and sees no reason why he would tear up the pledge he signed.
As has been the case with most of the things he’s done since entering the presidential race, reactions to Trump signing the pledge have been mixed. Some say it’s yet another brilliant PR move by the eccentric real estate mogul, others believe it could eventually cost the party the presidency.
Do you think that Trump will follow the terms of the pledge? What effect will this pledge have on the Republican nominating process? If a candidate breaks the pledge, would that turn voters off to that candidates third party candidacy?
Republican National Committee Loyalty Pledge
Guests:
Holly Turner, attorney, Republican political strategist, former candidate for the Texas House of Representatives, and co-founder and chief financial officer at Stampede Consulting, a political consulting firm based in Austin, TX
Erikka Knuti, Democratic strategist with Purple Strategies, a political consulting firm in Washington, D.C. She has also staffed for members of the U.S. House and Senate
Governor Brown’s new highway proposal includes a $65 driver fee
A “transportation package” was released Thursday, proposing $3.6 billion a year to repair California’s transportation infrastructure and a $65 annual fee for drivers.
The fee is intended to generate $2 billion a year in addition to $500 million in charges to polluters. $100 million for the plan would come from Caltrans “efficiencies.”
While transportation groups have supported Brown on the proposal, he still doesn’t have enough votes, both from Republicans and his own Democratic party, that are needed to push the plan forward. Advocates of the package have asked lawmakers to reach a compromise before Sept. 11.
What are your thoughts on the plan? Would paying the fee be worth the repair to California’s poor transportation infrastructure?
Guest:
, Correspondent, State Capitol Bureau, Associated Press; she’s been covering Governor Brown’s highway proposal
Europe’s refugee crisis and the ethics of posting photo of dead Syrian toddler
A photo of a dead Syrian boy who washed up on a Turkish beach went viral on social media this week. The boy was only a toddler and is one of the latest casualties of the growing migrant crisis taking place overseas.
With it now easier than ever to post images and videos to the web, what crosses the line? While the photo of the dead toddler has put a global spotlight on the migrant crisis, is it ethical to post a photo of a dead child? And are graphic images like this one harming the general public?
Guests:
Amanda Taub, reporter focusing on human rights issues and foreign policy for Vox Media. She is a former human rights lawyer. She tweets
Bob Steele, is the Nelson Poynter Scholar for Journalism Values. He advises journalists and media leaders across the country on ethical dilemmas and leadership challenges
Liz Sly, is the Washington Post's Beirut bureau chief
Filmweek: ‘The Transporter Refueled,’ ‘A Walk in the Woods,’ and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critic Andy Klein and guest critic Christy Lemire review this week’s new releases including the action movie “The Transporter Refueled,” Robert Redford and Nick Nolte in “A Walk in the Woods” based on a true story, and more. TGI-Filmweek!
September 4, 2015 films reviewed:
- A Walk in the Woods
- The Transporter Refueled
- Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine
- Before We Go
- Dirty Weekend
- Slow Learners
- Dragon Blade
- Bloodsucking Bastards
- Rififi
- The Quay
- 7 Chinese Brothers
- Queen of Earth
Guests:
Andy Klein, Film Critic for KPCC and the LA Times Community Newspaper Chain
Christy Lemire, Film Critic for YouTube’s “What the Flick?”
The must-see films from Telluride
The Telluride Film Festival kicks off in Colorado this weekend.
It’s where the unofficial Oscar season starts--six of the last seven Best Picture Oscar Winners made either their World or North American debuts in this former mining town high in the Rockies, proving that the programmers must know something about picking films that the Academy-- if not the general public-- loves to love.
We preview this year’s contenders.
Guest:
John Horn, host of KPCC’s daily arts and entertainment show and podcast, The Frame