Trump’s address to Congress showed the country’s stark partisan divide
A president’s speech to Congress — even without the formal gloss of a State of the Union address — is typically a time for a call to national unity and predictable claims about the country being strong. But that wasn’t President Donald Trump’s plan. His speech on Tuesday night was relentlessly partisan, boasting about his election victory and criticizing Democrats for failing to recognize his accomplishments. The hard edge reflected Trump’s steamroller approach to his second term, brushing aside opposition and demanding loyalty throughout the federal government. Trump leaned hard into cultural flashpoints — his opposition to affirmative action, diversity programs and transgender rights. He inflated the scale of his victory in November, the margin of which was actually among the smallest in American history. The tenor was more that of a campaign speech than an address to Congress. Joining us this morning on AirTalk to analyze the address is Ron Elving, senior editor and correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News and Lisa Mascaro, chief congressional correspondent for the Associated Press.
With files from the Associated Press
Presidents and the press: how Trump’s relationship to the media differs from his predecessors
President Trump’s relationship with the press has always been tumultuous. He called out mainstream media for being “fake news” in his first term and has only seemed to escalate his efforts to limit the media’s presence in his second. Most notably, Trump banned the Associated Press from White House conferences. The AP’s request to be reinstated has been denied. The FCC has also launched an investigation into NPR and PBS for alleged violations of airing commercials, which goes against the rules for them accepting CPB funding. But, hasn’t the press and the presidency always been at odds with each other? Or, does Trump’s relationship with the news media differ from previous presidents? Today on AirTalk, we delve into the history of the presidents and the media. Joining us are Meg James, senior entertainment industry writer for the LA Times, and Anne Pluta, associate professor of political science at Rowan University in NJ. She is the author of Persuading the Public: The Evolution of Popular Presidential Communication from Washington to Trump.
Microsoft hangs up on Skype — we remember the once ubiquitous video platform
It’s the end of an era. Last week, Microsoft announced that it would shut down its video communications platform Skype to focus on developing Microsoft Teams. In its early days, Skype was once the leading voice in video communication and helped to revolutionize the way people thought about communicating across large distances. However, over the years, it began to lose some of its relevance as competing apps like Whatsapp began to take hold of consumers. During the pandemic, as people sought a way to connect with loved ones digitally, the platform fell to the wayside by established conference platforms such as Zoom and Teams. As of 2023, Skype ranked in about 36 million users, down from 40 million in 2020 — significantly less than its peak of over 400 million. Joining us today to remember the platform and its impact on technology is Jordan Novet, tech reporter for CNBC, and Joanna Stern, senior personal technology columnist for the Wall Street Journal. We also want to hear your Skype stories! Did Skype allow you to witness important life events you’d otherwise miss? Did it change what it means to live far away from home? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
LA City Council denies former fire chief’s appeal, Mayor Bass recall efforts and more
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles City Council denied an appeal by Kristin Crowley to reinstate her as the city's fire chief. After a lengthy and, at times, heated discussion, the panel voted 13-2 to deny the appeal. The two council members who supported reinstating the former chief were Monica Rodriguez and Traci Park. Park's district includes Pacific Palisades, the area within the city where the fires that ignited in early January were most devastating and deadly. Crowley needed votes from 10 of 15 council members to overturn Mayor Karen Bass' decision to fire her. At the hearing, the former LAFD chief disputed many of Bass' stated reasons for her firing. As political tensions rise, there’s now an effort to recall Bass. Today on AirTalk, we talk about the latest with Frank Stoltze, LAist civics and democracy correspondent and Raphael Sonenshein, Executive director of the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, which supports research on governance and democracy in the L.A. region.
With files from the LAist. Read the full story here
The John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation is a supporter of LAist.
Checking in on Cryptocurrency as President Trump angles for greater US investment
Cryptocurrency prices briefly jumped after President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement he wants the U.S. government to purchase and hold a variety of digital assets in a strategic reserve fund. The announcement highlights Trump’s growing attempts to use volatile cryptocurrency prices as a barometer of his public support. Following Sunday’s announcement, the next day saw crypto prices return to roughly the same value they held prior to President Trump’s decision. The cryptocurrency market has found itself to be quite volatile. The lack of market regulation has also left questions about what the future holds for currency holders and its place in global finance. Joining us to brief us on the current status of cryptocurrency and NFTs, under the Trump administration, is Vicky Ge Huang, Wall Street Journal reporter covering crypto and retail investing.
With files from the Associated Press
Rom Coms that deserve more love and praise
We all know When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. They more than deliver when you want to enjoy a classic romantic comedy. They hit all the formulaic notes right on cue. But they’ve got their flowers. Today, we want to hear about the rom-coms you think should get more praise. Joining us to share their picks is Esther Zuckerman, entertainment journalist and author of the new book Falling in Love at the Movies: Rom-Coms from the Screwball Era to Today. Which ones flew under the radar? Which ones unjustly got a bad rap? Which ones do you live and die for? Share your favorites by calling 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
