What Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s Retirement Means For The Republican Party

Two months after his historic ouster as U.S. House speaker, Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy said Wednesday that he is resigning and will leave Congress by the end of the year.

His announcement capped a stunning end to a House career for the onetime deli counter owner from Bakersfield, California, who ascended through state and national politics to become second in line to the presidency, until a cluster of hard-right conservatives engineered his removal in October.

McCarthy is the only speaker in history to be voted out of the job. Today on AirTalk, we talk about what McCarthy’s retirement means for the Republican party. Joining to discuss is Lara Korte, reporter for Politico and Rob Stutzman, Republican political consultant and president of Stutzman Public Affairs in Sacramento.

With files from the Associated Press

New Stanford Study Shows The ‘Science-Of-Reading’ Method Is Efficacious

A new study from Stanford University is providing some of the first evidence into the efficacy of the “science of reading.” The study looks at the effects of California’s Early Literacy Support Block Grant, which earmarked $50 million for literacy initiatives in 75 schools with the lowest achievement levels. The effort is part of a growing interest in phonics-based practices to help students improve poor reading schools, which COVID-19 made drastically worse. While the science-of-reading as been touted as the superior method for teaching kids to read, there has been a dearth of evidence supporting it. With this new study, the outlook looks brighter for those who are hoping to make this approach more standardized.

Joining us today to discuss the study is lead author of the study and PhD candidate in educational policy at Stanford University, Sarah Novicoff, and Becky Sullivan, director of K-12 English Language Arts at the Sacramento County Office of Education and the Project Lead for the Expert Lead in Literacy Grant. 

Space Is Cool, But Should We Colonize It? Two Scientist Spouses Argue, Probably Not

For anyone who regularly looks up at the night sky and marvels at the beauty and possibility of space, you may also have considered what it might be like to live there. Earth is not doing so great, so it’s tempting to dream of a new world without the woes of our planet. But in their new book, “A CITY ON MARS: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?” authors Kelly and Zach Weinersmith argue that starting life anew in space isn’t such a good idea. They join AirTalk to discuss.

Doctors Are Warning Of A ‘Tripledemic’ – What You Need To Know

Flu is picking up steam while RSV lung infections that can hit kids and older people hard may be peaking, U.S. health officials said Friday. COVID-19, though, continues to cause the most hospitalizations and deaths among respiratory illnesses - about 15,000 hospitalizations and about 1,000 deaths every week, said Dr. Mandy Cohen, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As for the flu season, seven states were reporting high levels of flu-like illnesses in early November. In a new CDC report on Friday, the agency said the tally was up to 11 states - mostly in the South and Southwest. In the last month, RSV infections rose sharply in some parts of the country, nearly filling hospital emergency departments in Georgia, Texas and some other states. But "we think we’re near the peak of RSV season or will be in the next week or so," Cohen said. RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus is a common cause of mild cold-like symptoms but it can be dangerous for infants and older people. Joining us to discuss is Shruti Gohil, M.D., professor of medicine and associate medical director for epidemiology and infection prevention at UC Irvine’s School of Medicine

Better Latke Than Never: What Are Your Favorite Hanukkah Traditions?

Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah. While a minor Jewish holiday, Hanukkah has become a touchstone for Jews around the world—a time for families to gather, exchange gifts, and light the menorah. Also known as the Festival of Lights, the holiday celebrates the victory of the Maccabees, a Jewish resistance movement, over the Seleucid empire and the subsequent rededication of the temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BCE. Today on AirTalk, we’re asking you: what are your cherished Hanukkah traditions? Whether it’s putting on Adam Sandler’s classic tune, eating your bodyweight in potato latkes, or playing dreidel for gelt, we want to know about it. Joining us to kick off the discussion is Sarah Bunin Benor, professor of contemporary Jewish studies and director of the Jewish Language Project at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion.

TV-Talk: 7 Shows To Watch Including ‘My Life With The Walter Boys,’ ‘Archie,’ & More

Have you felt completely overwhelmed when deciding what new show to watch these days? Us too. There’s just so much content out there between network TV and numerous streaming platforms. Each week, we will try to break through the noise with TV watchers who can point us to the must-sees and steer us clear of the shows that maybe don’t live up to the hype. This week, listeners will get the latest scoop on what’s worth watching with Angie Han, TV critic for The Hollywood Reporter, and Liz Shannon Miller, senior entertainment editor at Consequence.

This week’s shows include:

• My Life With The Walter Boys (Netflix)
• Archie (Britbox)
• Blue Eye Samurai (Netflix)
• Doctor Who [60th Anniversary Specials] (Disney+)
• The Buccaneers (Apple TV+)
• Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas (Apple TV+)
• Faraway Downs (Hulu)