AirTalk for Thursday, July 18, 2013

Contact: Producers Joel Patterson, Jasmin Tuffaha, Fiona Ng, Karen Fritsche

626-583-5100

SCHEDULE FOR AIRTALK WITH LARRY MANTLE

Thursday, July 18, 2013

 

11:06 –11:20

OPEN

 

11:20 -11:40

Topic: Bill paves the way for digital license plates in California

Technology has made a lot of things work a lot better, faster, easier. If Senate Bill 806 gets the blessings of Sacramento lawmakers, California license plates might also get a digital upgrade.

The bill lets the Department of Motor Vehicles start a digital license plates program for as many as 160,000 cars. A San Francisco-based startup, Smart Plate Mobile, would be providing the technology. The pilot program won’t the state any money and could save DMV millions of dollars a year in postage for renewals.

Privacy advocates are worried that the program will lead to warrantless surveillance by the government. So how would the program work? Are the privacy concerns overblown?

 

Guest:  Jim Lites, a patner at Schott (pron: SHOT) and Lites. He is the legislature representative for Smart Plate Mobile, which would provide the technology for this proposed DMV program.

BY PHONE

2^nd Guest:  TBA

 

11:40-12:00

Topic: Bisexuals hesitant to let their Pride flag fly: With massive legal and political victories recently for gays and lesbians, American society seems much more accepting of homosexual orientation. Yet, while the queer pride movement was meant to advocate on behalf of myriad sexualities, one particular group is still very much "closeted," according to new research. A Pew survey of LGBT Americans found only 28 percent of bisexuals had revealed the fact to important people in their life. That's compared to 77 percent of gay men and 71 percent of lesbians who said the important people in their life were aware of their orientation. "Furthermore, 65 percent of bisexual men say that only a few or none of the important people in their life know they are bisexual," the authors wrote. What makes the survey results especially surprising are the population numbers for bisexuals. A 2011 survey by UCLA's Williams Institute found of the 3.5 percent of American adults are gay, lesbian, or bisexual - fully 1.8 percent of those American adults identify as bisexual.With further social recognition of homosexuality, will bisexuals gain more acceptance?

 

OPEN PHONES +

Guest: Allen Rosenthal, senior research at the human sexuality lab at Northwestern University. He is lead author on a much-publicized 2011 study that confirmed that bisexual men exist and have different arousal patterns.

BY PHONE

 

12:06 – 12:20

OPEN

 

12:20 – 12:40

Topic: Will increased religious freedom in the military threaten military order?: Congressman John Fleming (R-LA) has proposed an amendment concerning religious rights in the military to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2014 (NDAA). His amendment, section 530, passed through the House Armed Services Committee as well as the House on June 14. Alongside Congressman Fleming’s amendment is a Senate amendment sponsored by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) that is awaiting a Senate vote. Section 530 wants changed “The Armed Forces shall accommodate the beliefs” to “Except in cases of military necessity, the Armed Forces shall accommodate the beliefs, actions, and speech” and change restrictions to religious freedom in the military from “that threaten” to “that actually harm.” This comes after a report by the Family Research Council that states religious freedom is being threatened, citing incidents where veterans were disinvited to speak at national events due to their beliefs in Christianity, Islam, Catholicism and Judaism. In addition, the report mentions instances where the promotion of religious material was banned and Evangelical Christians and Catholics were labeled extremists. The White House  issued a statement that the Administration “strongly objects” this amendment because “by limiting the discretion of commanders to address potentially problematic speech and actions within their units, this provision would have a significant adverse effect on good order, discipline, morale, and mission accomplishment.” Other groups such as the ACLU believe religious freedom is already protected in first amendment rights and this study by the Family Research Council is exaggerated. Is religious freedom in the military being threatened? What would happen if this amendment passes? Is military order more important than religious freedom?

 

Guest: Congressman John Fleming, M.D., Louisiana 4th Congressional District U.S. Representative (R-LA), Congressman Fleming proposed amendment section 530.

BY PHONE

 

Guest: Cedric Leighton, founder and president of Cedric Leighton Associates, a risk and leadership management consultancy. He is also a retired colonel in the US Air Force, former Director for Training of the National Security Agency and a former Commander of 316^th training squadron.

BY PHONE

 

12:40 – 1:00

Topic: A blender, a PlayStation, or cash: What are you getting your friends as a wedding gift? As wedding season kicks into high gear there is the topic that everyone loves to hate – the wedding gift. With so many couples sharing a home for years before walking down the aisle it may not make sense any more to buy your friends a blender. Some couples are looking for new, and controversial, ways of requesting gifts such as registering for honeymoon activities, a Playstation, or even asking for cash. Are the wedding gift rules changing? As a guest, do you find these new gift options creative or crass? What's your least favorite new wedding trend?

Guest: Jamie Miles, online producer for The Knot.

BY PHONE

 

 

Warm regards,

Jasmin Tuffaha    office: 626.583.5162 

Producer, “AirTalk with Larry Mantle” 

 

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