Today on AirTalk, we recap what happened in last night's presidential debate between president Donald Trump and former vice president Joe Biden. Also on the show, we talk about the Lakers and Dodgers playoff hopes; break down proposition 24; and more.
Recapping The Highlights Of The Chaotic First 2020 Presidential Debate
The first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden deteriorated into bitter taunts and near chaos Tuesday night as Trump repeatedly interrupted his opponent with angry - and personal - jabs that sometimes overshadowed the sharply different visions each man has for a nation facing historic crises.
In the most tumultuous presidential debate in recent memory, Trump refused to condemn white supremacists who have supported him, telling one such group known as Proud Boys to “stand back, stand by.” There were also heated clashes over the president's handling of the pandemic, the integrity of the election results, deeply personal attacks about Biden's family and how the Supreme Court will shape the future of the nation’s health care. But it was the belligerent tone that was persistent, somehow fitting for what has been an extraordinarily ugly campaign.
The two men frequently talked over each other with Trump interrupting, nearly shouting, so often that Biden eventually snapped at him, “Will you shut up, man?” But despite his efforts to dominate the discussion, Trump was frequently put on the defensive and tried to sidestep when he was asked if he was willing to condemn white supremacists and paramilitary groups. The debate was arguably Trump's best chance to try to reframe the campaign as a choice between candidates and not a referendum over his handling of the virus that has killed more people in America than any other nation. Americans, according to polling, have soured on his leadership in the crisis, and the president has struggled to land consistent attacks on Biden.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Melanie Mason, reporter covering the 2020 election for the Los Angeles Times; she tweets
Aaron Kall, director of debate at the University of Michigan and author of the book “Debating The Donald”
Triple Play: Dodgers, Lakers Begin Championship Push On Big Night In LA Sports
If ever there was a year that Los Angeles could use a championship, 2020 is it.
News of Laker legend Kobe Bryant’s passing in a helicopter crash that also killed his daughter Gianna and seven others rocked Los Angeles just 26 days into the new year. Nine months later, the Lakers are set to tip off in the 2020 NBA Finals tonight in Orlando where they’ll take on the Eastern Conference Champion Miami Heat in the first of a seven game series. All eyes are on Lebron James, who is playing in his 10th career NBA finals, and Anthony Davis, who averaged 28.8 points per game and delivered one of the Lakers’ signature 2020 playoff moments with his buzzer beating shot to win Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.
Not to be outdone or forgotten, the Dodgers also take the national stage tonight to start their World Series push. The Dodgers host the Brewers tonight at Chavez Ravine in Game 1 of their five game National League Division Series after securing their eight consecutive NL West title during the abbreviated regular season. Young fireballer Walker Buehler will take the mound for the Dodgers, who would love to exorcise the demons of their recent past, which include several stacked teams that ultimately couldn’t get the job done and one 2017 squad that probably feels like it was cheated out of a championship following the revelations about the Houston Astros cheating scheme that they used during the 2017 World Series against the Dodgers.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll reconvene the Triple Play to preview a big night in Los Angeles sports. What will you be watching? What would a World Series or NBA Finals win mean for you as a fan? For the city of Los Angeles? Join the live conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
Guests:
A. Martinez, host of KPCC’s “Take Two”; he tweets
Nick Roman, host of KPCC’s “All Things Considered”; he tweets
What We Know About The Shooting Investigation Of 2 Deputies In Compton
A shooter ambushed two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies earlier this month in Compton sending both to the hospital and resulting in a manhunt for the suspect.
Update: The gunman walked up on the deputies and opened fire without warning or provocation. pic.twitter.com/cBQjyKkoxJ
— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) September 13, 2020
shows a person walking up to a patrol car and firing into the passenger window. The footage is grainy and shows a person approaching the car, firing a gun and then running away.
LASD
Great News... both of our Deputies from the #ComptonAmbush have been discharged from the hospital and are resting. They both have a long road to recovery and #LASD appreciates your continued prayers and all the support. #LASDStrong pic.twitter.com/FAXt1yalmp
— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) September 22, 2020
that both deputies were released from the hospital after undergoing surgery and treatment, while also stating that it would be a long road to a full recovery. This morning, Sheriff Alex Villanueva gave an update into the investigation of the shooting. KPCC’s Robert Garrova has been following and joins Larry to explain what we know at this point.
With files from LAist
Guest:
Robert Garrova, KPCC reporter who’s been following this; he tweets
A New Prop Aims To Expand Consumer Privacy Laws, But Opponents Say To Read The Fine Print
This November, Californians will find a new privacy proposition on their ballots.
Prop 24 sets out to expand on California’s consumer privacy laws by allowing consumers to tell businesses not to share their personal information. If passed, it would also formally create an agency to enforce the state’s consumer data privacy laws. Former democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang has been an outspoken supporter of Prop 24, saying that, “right now, our data is getting sold and resold by companies and data-burglars for tens of billions of dollars a year, and we’re not seeing a dime of it.” The proposition faces opposition from other privacy advocates, however. Prop 24’s detractors include the ACLU and the Consumer Federation of California, who argue that it would do little to give people more control over their data, and would actually create reductions in privacy and giveaways to Facebook and other big tech companies.
Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about Proposition 24. Questions? Call us at 866-893-5722 or leave a comment below.
Guests:
Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing an effective voice for taxpayers and consumers; he tweets
Jacob Snow, technology and civil liberties attorney at the ACLU of Northern California, where he works on consumer privacy, surveillance, and the preservation of free speech online; he tweets
What Do Disney’s Layoffs Mean For Anaheim?
After months on furlough, Disney’s theme park workers are facing massive layoffs.
The company announced that it would nix 28,000 jobs in the U.S., with theme parks taking the greatest hit, although the cuts will also affect their cruise line and retail stores.
This will have an outsized impact on Anaheim, where Disnyeland is based. The theme park has remained closed because of the pandemic.
If you are affected by the layoffs, we want to hear from you. What have the past months been like? How are you going to pivot? Call us at 866-893-5722.
We reached out to Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. They did not get back to us in time for the interview.
Guests:
R.T. Watson, Wall Street Journal reporter covering Hollywood; he’s been
; he tweets
Trevor O’Neil, councilmember representing District 6 in East Anaheim