Not everyone's happy about Diane Feinstein's run for another term. How can men be an ally against sexual harassment? What air pollution mask is most effective?
State of Affairs: Sen. Feinstein's reelection bid, Trump's Twitter silence on California wildfires
Today on State of Affairs, Take Two's weekly look at political news in the Golden State: Senator Dianne Feinstein announces she'll run for re-election in 2018. At 84, Feinstein is oldest senator.
Also:
This could change things for up-and-coming Democrats in California. Politico's Carla Marinucci says State Senate President Pro-Tem Kevin de Leon is reportedly mulling a run.
"He's one of a whole roster of these young and ambitious legislators in the state for whom there are few moves on the chessboard," Marinucci says.
There are a lot of senior legislators blocking their way up the ladder and so they are buoyed by polls that a lot of people think Feinstein is vulnerable to a challenge on the left. There's a couple polls showing Californians are kind of lukewarm on her, and let's remember: de Leon is not the only one who may take her on. I think it's very likely, or at least getting more likely, that billionaire activist Tom Steyer may jump into this one, because why? He's got the money, and for years he's been saying he's ready to make some kind of move into politics, and he may be a greater threat to Feinstein because, unlike Kevin de Leon who has to raise millions of dollars to go up against her, Steyer could just reach into his wallet and drop $50 million on this race without blinking, and he's got nothing to lose when it comes to his standing in his party, so the fact is, she could face two challengers."
Press the blue play button above to hear more about Feinstein's reelection bid with guests Carla Marinucci, senior editor for Politico's California Playbook, and Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, professor of public policy at USC.
Fire claimed this Napa winery but the owner is already planning to rebuild
In Northern California, wildfires have burned hundreds of thousands of acres.
Thirty one people have died. Many more are missing.
Thousands of homes and businesses have been destroyed. And that's dealt a black eye to those living and operating in wine country.
The Signorello Estate is a winery in the eastern Napa Valley hills. It was one of about 20 vineyards that were damaged.
Its owner, Ray Signorello Jr. spoke to Take Two.
Ray's reaction
I've had a few days to process it. I saw the pictures. The first thing is shock, and then you get into the — you know, it's almost like: 'Did this really just happen?'
I got to the property yesterday. I had my first chance to get on the property and take a look. The damage is extensive. The building's gone. But there are some silver linings in there.
I didn't sleep Sunday night — Monday morning — thinking, 'what about the vineyards? What about the barreled wine? What about the wines that were in the tank on the crush pad?' Because that's really the future. Thankfully, it looks like, if not all the vineyards, just about 99.9 percent of it are intact.
When he realized the fire could mean trouble for the estate
I got the call from my wife on Sunday night at 10:45. She was frantic. I didn't quite know what that meant. I was asleep. I was out of town. Fortunately, I had my two young daughters with me — they're four and six years old. They weren't on the property, but my wife was on the property.
We've had fires in the area before, but she kept saying, 'No, no, this is different. It's a massive fire, and it's racing towards us.'
I phoned my winemaker who lives in St. Helena, and he got up and looked out of his home and saw the hillside on fire, even from where he was and told me 'this looks like something different.'
He raced down there with my team. They fought the fire as best they could with the equipment we had, which was no match for the fire.
Press the blue play button above to hear what Ray Signorello Jr. plans to do next.
Answers have been edited for clarity.
The most effective (and ineffective) masks to combat air pollution
The air quality in Northern California is the worst on record as fires continue to burn in the region. It's also a concern for those living in and around Anaheim Hills, where the Canyon Fire 2 is still burning.
Californians deal with fire risk almost year-round now, so it's not a bad idea to include in your first aid kit a mask that can help block out toxic particles in the air during a blaze.
We tested five different air pollution masks with Ed Avol, air pollution expert at USC's Keck School of Medicine. He gave us some insight on which ones worked, and which ones didn't.
1. Handkerchief
It's true, something is better than nothing. But in the case of this method, less is not more.
"It may get us to think about what we're breathing in terms of effectiveness. It doesn't really do much in terms of protection."
Don't waste your time with this one.
2. Surgical mask
This mask seems to be the one people reach for most often.
But Avol explains, it's a poor choice:
"Because it doesn't conform to the shape of your face and make a good seal...air is just going to go around the corners. In terms of smoke, that's the way particles are going to get in."
Throw that surgical mask away! It's not helping at all.
3. The N95
It's all in the name. Turns out the 95 in N95 is a rating on effectiveness. This half-domed mask filters 95 percent of certain sized particles.
It's a far better choice than the surgical mask or handkerchief because the metal piece at the top actually allows for the mask to mold to the shape of your face. That's how you stop harmful particles from getting in.
4. The N95 with ventilation
This is a variation of the N95, but with a plastic vent in the front. Avol described it as "the next grade up."
"This has a non-rebreathing one-way valve," said Avol. He explained that when it comes to disposable masks like the ones being tested, "it gets very humid and very damp inside."
"Masks like [the N95 with ventilation] have an exhalation valve on it — sort of help you to get the air out without bringing air in through that, without having to go through the protective filter."
Due to this nifty vent, this mask gets the "most effective disposable air pollution mask" award.
5. The P100, multipurpose respirator
This one is hardcore, as you can tell from the GIF. It's a lot more involved than the other masks.
"It has chemical cartridges screwed into either side of the face mask that protects against inhaling certain gases... This is no longer a sort of throwaway onetime use sort of thing — this is a rubberized cover. It has adjustable straps, a sure better fit."
But as far as fire protection goes, this may not be the best choice. Avol opts for the N95. "I think the N95 might do almost as good a job for getting the dust irritation."
To hear more on how to protect yourself from the poor air quality brought on by wildfires, click the blue play button above.
Is Harvey Weinstein ‘just the tip of the iceberg’?
In the last week, dozens of women have come forward claiming Hollywood studio executive Harvey Weinstein sexually harassed or assaulted them.
Through a publicist, Weinstein has denied any non-consensual sexual contact, and said he is seeking treatment. Weinstein has since been fired from his company.
Take Two's A Martinez spoke with Melissa Silverstein, founder and publisher of WomenandHollywood.com, a website devoted to gender equality in the industry, about how pervasive behavior like Weinstein's is in Hollywood.
"Unfortunately, he's just the tip of the iceberg," said Silverstein. "There's going to be a lot more stories revealed because women are feeling empowered now that they are seeing that there's potential to be heard and for there to be some change."
Indeed the spotlight has begun to turn on other leaders in entertainment. Amazon Studio chief Roy Price was suspended after a producer claimed he sexually harassed her. Price declined to comment.
How the problem is exacerbated in Hollywood
Silverstein explained how creative industries like Hollywood have the added challenge of an unconventional work culture: "A lot of business takes place at films festivals and other places where things are happening more informally than in an office, per say."
Silverstein and others have voiced the desire to move business meetings to offices and out of hotel rooms and other intimate locations.
An individual's recourse if further complicated by the mix of freelancers and independent contractor, added Silverstein. "Lots of employees are not necessarily employees of an entity that you have a chain of command to make complaints to."
What needs to change
Advocates like Silverstein have called out the film industry's portrayal of women and identify a connection between how women are regarded behind the scenes and in front of the camera. "Hollywood is an industry run by men and the movies, generally speaking, are for men," said Silverstein. "So what we see are women not being enough protagonists in stories and when we see some women, they are sexualized on an ongoing basis."
Ultimately, Silverstein told Take Two that the solution is to employ more women in leadership roles. "Part of this problem is the lack of female leaders in this industry and the lack of opportunity to grow," said Silverstein. "And this means that the narratives and the stories that are told are by, and about, men."
To hear the full interview with Melissa Silverstein, click on the media player above.
Why some men don't speak up about sexual harassment, and how they could
In the conversation around sexual harassment, we talk a lot about what women can do to protect themselves from abuse.
But what about the other guys in the room, watching it go down?
Jackson Katz is an educator and co-founder of the Mentors in Violence Prevention program. He spoke with A Martinez about why men often don't speak up, and how they could be effective.
There's an expectation of silence
They don't say anything or do anything, not because they agree with the behavior, but because of all kinds of dynamics within male peer cultures.
For example, there's not a lot of support for men to challenge other men and speak up. There's a lot of negative feedback that men get. there's all these ways that men tell each other overtly and subtly, 'don't say anything, don't speak up.' And I think a lot of men, as a result, decide: you know what, it's not worth it.
But men can disrupt harassment as it's happening...
Take somebody aside and say, ‘I'm uncomfortable with what I'm seeing, and have you considered that this behavior might be a problem, both for the other people, and potentially for you, and potentially for this workplace? I might not be an expert on this but I'm concerned and I just wanted you to know that.’ That is so much more than doing nothing. And it doesn't mean you're the superhero jumping in to rescue the damsel in distress. But it does mean that you're a person of integrity. You're making it clear to somebody that their behavior is not okay and that somebody is watching.
...even though confronting it can be really uncomfortable
I think that people have the tendency to think of perpetrators of sexual crimes as monsters. The problem with that is that the typical perpetrator of sexual abuse and sexual harassment [is] a normal guy in every other respect.
I think a lot of people would prefer the typical perpetrator to be some twisted, sick individual because then we could distance ourselves from his crimes or his behavior. As opposed to, if you understand and accept the fact that he's normal, then you have to think, what does it mean to be normal in this society and how do all of us play a role in perpetuating some of the norms that keep these kinds of behaviors continuing?
https://www.ted.com/talks/jackson_katz_violence_against_women_it_s_a_men_s_issue
To hear the full interview with Jackson Katz, click on the media player above.
Dodgers are 4 wins away from the World Series
It's all set. Saturday night at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers host the defending champion Chicago Cubs in a best of 7-game series.
The winner moves on to the World Series, against the American League champion — either the New York Yankees or the Houston Astros.
For the Dodgers, it'll also be a chance for payback as the Cubs knocked them out of playoffs last year on their way to a World Series title.
For preview of the series — and what could come next — A Martinez spoke with David Vassegh, host of Dodger Talk on AM 570 KLAC.
On the possibility of an LA-New York World Series
It would be so special to have the Dodgers back in the World Series since 1988. Couple that with them facing the New York Yankees, their greatest rival going all the way back to Brooklyn in the WS. I'm not sure anybody could get a ticket for under $500. The city is already buzzing about the possibilities of that match-up and it would just be great to relive all those great memories from 1981.