While Trump and Clinton still top the national polls for their respective parties, there was plenty to watch among the other contenders. Also, the country’s largest medical marijuana industry might finally be regulated. Then, Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Wade Major and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s new releases, including “The Visit,” “The Perfect Guy,” “Sleeping with Other People,” and more. TGI-Filmweek!
Election 2016: Fiorina fights back, Jindal Biblically slams Trump and the possibility of a Biden run
It was a busy week on the campaign trail for candidates on both sides of the aisle, and while Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton still top the national polls for their respective parties, political junkies had plenty to watch.
There was Bobby Jindal’s speech yesterday at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., during which he called Donald Trump a “non-serious, unstable, substance-free narcissist.” If nothing else, it gets Jindal some much needed face-time on the 24-hour news networks. He’s polling at an abysmal 0.3 percent in RealClearPolitics national average of polls.
Carly Fiorina made headlines this week, but not because of anything she said. A piece in Rolling Stone that takes a behind-the-scenes look at Donald Trump and his campaign quotes the real estate mogul as saying, when Fiorina appeared on a news show he was watching with his staff “Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that?”
Fiorina has since responded, suggesting that Trump is attacking her because he’s worried about her climbing poll numbers. She currently sits in sixth, according to RealClearPolitics, with 5 percent of the national vote.
Last night on The Late Show with Steven Colbert, Vice President Joe Biden was the comedian’s special guest. Biden spoke candidly with Colbert about the death of his son, Beau, and how his faith has helped him get through it. When Colbert asked the vice president whether he would consider a run, Biden responded by suggesting that he may not have the energy and drive needed to run the campaign he would want to.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll speak with political strategists from both parties about the race’s biggest storylines, winners and losers from this week, and what lies ahead for the presidential hopefuls.
Guests:
Matt Canter, political strategist and senior vice president at Global Strategy Group, a political consulting firm in Washington, D.C. Also former deputy executive director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Alfonso Aguilar, executive director, Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles; He was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2003 as the first Chief of the Office of Citizenship within U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Marine Corps study on coed units could prove roadblock for women in combat
The first data on combat units with men and women vs units with all male Marines say the mixed units performed worse, to the point that military objectives and lives are at risk.
Women are currently scheduled to be allowed in ground combat jobs beginning this January unless some Marines can successfully argue for an exception in the coming weeks. What accounts for the apparent discrepancy and what could it mean for the future of women in military combat rules?
Marine Corps Gender Integration Research
Guests:
Hal Kempfer, retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel and CEO of KIPP knowledge and intelligence program professionals
Major Mary Jennings Hager, former combat search and rescue pilot for the U.S. Air Force. She did three combat tours in Afghanistan. Lead plaintiff in ACLU lawsuit brought to overturn ban on women in combat
Hope Seck, reporter with the Marine Corps Times. Has been following this story since the task force developed -- visited them twice, observed men and women being tested for this study. Says the findings pretty much echoed what she saw
Two decades after legalization of medical pot, Calif. is finally ready to step in to regulate industry
The country’s largest medical marijuana industry might finally be regulated.
An agreement hammered out by California lawmakers Thursday would provide a regulatory framework for the industry, including the establishment of a new Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation responsible for licensing and other regulation-related issues.
California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996. In the two decades, the state has largely left regulation of the industry to individual cities and counties.
The likelihood that this proposal will gain passage in the state legislature is high.
Who are the winners and losers under this new regulatory framework? How does this figure into the expectation that California would legalize recreational marijuana in 2016?
Guest:
David Downs, SF-based journalist cannabis journalist who’s been following the issue. He is the author of the “Legalization Nation” column focusing on marijuana for the East Bay Express
David Welch, attorney with D/R Welch Attorneys at Law in Downtown Los Angeles working in the medical marijuana industry
Filmweek: ‘The Visit,’ ‘The Perfect Guy,’ ‘Sleeping with Other People’ and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Wade Major and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s new releases, including M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Visit,” the thriller “The Perfect Guy,” indie comedy “Sleeping with Other People,” and more. TGI-Filmweek!
Guests:
Tim Cogshell, Film Critic for KPCC and the Alt Film Guide
Wade Major, Film Critic for KPCC and host for IGN’s Digigods.com
Tom Roston on the lost era of movie rentals at the brick-and-mortar
Quentin Tarantino famously worked at a video store in Manhattan Beach, brushing up on his film history the DIY and inexpensive way, before making his debut, “Reservoir Dogs.”
Other auteurs also swear by this form of autodidactism, including John Sayles, Darren Aronofsky, David O. Russell and Allison Anders.
As video stores close and sites like Netflix and Hulu flourish, what is lost?
Tom Roston will be hosting a panel discussion at Vidiots in Santa Monica at 4 pm on Saturday, September 26th and at 4 pm at Chevalier's Books, on Larchmont Blvd on Sunday September 27th. See below for additional information:
Saturday September 26th, 4pm @ "Vidiots" in Santa Monica
Vidiots Video Store in Santa Monica will be hosting a panel discussion in which several filmmakers who appear in the book will discuss the reign of the VCR era as well as the current state of video stores, streaming, and the film making/viewing future for home entertainment. Moderated by "I Lost It at the Video Store" author Tom Roston the panel will be asked to discuss the influence of the video store on their early careers, both creatively and financially. They will also be asked to reflect on the current state of the video store and the future of streaming.
Sunday September 27th, 4pm @ "Chevalier's Books" on Larchmont Blvd.
Chevalier's Books, 126 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, 323-465 1334 (the awesome 75 year old independent book store on Larchmont Blvd!)
Reading, Discussion, Booksigning with Tom Roston, author of "I Lost It at the Video Store"
Guest:
Tom Roston, author of "I Lost It at the Video Store: A Filmmakers’ Oral History of a Vanished Era"