AirTalk for Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Contact: Producers Joel Patterson, Jasmin Tuffaha, Fiona Ng, Jerry Gorin

626-583-5100

 

SCHEDULE FOR AIRTALK WITH LARRY MANTLE

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

 

11:06 –11:20

Topic: Former FISA judge criticizes secret court:

REQUESTED

Guest:  Jesselyn Radack; Chip Pitts; Richard Samp; and more

 

11:20 -11:40

TENTATIVE: DON’T PROMOTE

Topic: The Asiana crash: does culture play a role?

Guest: TBA

 

11:40-12:00

Topic: Low testosterone therapy is on the rise, but it is safe?

Guest: TBA

 

12:06 – 12:20

Topic: Proposed law aims to increase parental rights of sperm donors

A new bill proposed by California State Senator Jerry Hill aims to increase parental rights to sperm donors. Under current state law, someone who donates sperm through a sperm bank and does not marry the woman who conceives is not considered the child’s natural father unless the couple agrees to it beforehand. But a case involving A-list Hollywood actor Jason Patric has gotten Senator Hill and supporters to consider some changes to the law. In Patric’s case, the actor donated sperm to an ex-girlfriend in 2009 and now wishes to gain partial custody of the child. While Patric claims that the couple agreed to raise the child together and that he has a loving relationship with his 3-year-old son, his ex-girlfriend Danielle Schreiber claims that the couple agreed that Patric would not raise the child. Under provisions written into the new bill, a person in Patric’s case would be eligible for more parental rights by proving to the court that he openly acknowledges the child as his own, and that he receives the child into his home. Senator Hill argues that a father cultivating a parental relationship with a child deserves a fair crack at custody. But opponents of the bill worry that it will unfairly empower men and reduce the rights of the women, including women who wish to raise their children alone or lesbian couples who wish to create their own nuclear family. What would the bill actually accomplish, and to what extent will it be able to affect a judge’s decision when contemplating custody? And who needs more help in the system? Should we be concerned to help fathers who build healthy relationships with their children gain some custody (despite what they and the mothers initially agreed) or to protect women who want to give fathers an entry into the child’s life without giving up control?

Guest:  Carol Chodroff, (TENTATIVE), Family Law Attorney on Jason Patric’s legal team, and a national expert on juvenile justice

Guest:  Patricia Bellasalma, President of the California National Organization for Women

 

12:20 – 12:40

Topic: Reviving Downtown Broadway with a ‘Road Diet’

TENTATIVE: Reaching out to City Councilmember José Huizar

Guest: TBA

Guest: Tom Topping, founder of the Eagle Rock-based newspaper, the Boulevard Sentinel, and an advocate for auto lanes

 

12:40 – 1:00

Topic: With filibusters, rules and polarization, is the American Senate a broken system?

Who holds the record for the longest filibuster? Which Senator won a seat with only $147 in expenditures? Which Senator almost beat a man to death with a cane on the Senate floor? Sometimes it seems like the Senate makes headlines for its antics than its legislation, but according to Senate historian Richard A. Baker, the Senate is so much more than fodder for trivia questions. Baker was appointed the Senate’s first official historian and served from 1975 to 2009. In his new book co-authored with the late Neil MacNeil, “The American Senate: An Insider’s History;” Baker details how the Senate has changed over time. On one hand, Baker thinks it’s a very different Senate than what the framers of the Constitution had in mind. However, on the other hand, the Senate has maintained its purpose for being a place of “sober, second thought.” Is the Senate too slow in passing legislation? Is it the consequence of a polarized electorate? What’s the history of the filibuster? What needs to change in the Senate? Richard Baker joins AirTalk to discuss the history of the Senate, his own frustrations with Senate rules and, of course, answer those trivia questions.   

Guest: Richard A. Baker, co-author of “The American Senate: An Insider’s History;” appointed official Senate historian from 1975-2009