Election 2020: Barrett, Presidential Race, Unofficial Ballot Boxes
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week for her confirmation hearings to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who died last month. Democratic members of the committee, including California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, tried in vain to press Barrett for her opinions on abortion rights, the Affordable Care Act, presidential power limits and climate change. Republicans on the committee extolled her credentials and pushed ahead with scheduling a vote next week to advance her nomination despite Democrats’ objections. Also this week, the California Republican Party admitted to placing unofficial vote-by-mail drop boxes at churches, gun stores and other locations in Fresno, Orange and Los Angeles counties last weekend. Although party officials refused to comply with a cease-and-desist letter sent this week by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, they agreed to enact safeguards for the collection of ballots and to deliver them within 72 hours, as required under state law.
Guests:
- Scott Shafer, KQED senior editor of politics and government
- Marisa Lagos, KQED politics and government correspondent
Generation Z and the 2020 Election
Roughly 24 million members of Generation Z, people born after 1996, will be eligible to vote this November and comprise 10 percent of all voters, according to the Pew Research Center. They are more racially and ethnically diverse than other generations, including Millennials, with nearly one in four identifying as Latinx. Among the issues of greatest concern to Gen Z members are climate change, racism and income inequality, according to recent surveys. But the most digitally savvy generation may also be especially vulnerable to misinformation disseminated through social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat, which are popular with teens.
Guests:
- Samantha Ivey, senior, Skyline High School
- Alexa Volland, multimedia reporter and teen fact-checking network editor, MediaWise
Something Beautiful: Coyote Creek Parkway
We end the show this week with a visit to Coyote Creek Parkway, a popular destination in San Jose that stretches for 15 miles, replete with trails for hikers, bicyclists and birdwatchers spying song sparrows and other species residing in a riparian habitat teeming with wildlife.