Zócalo Public Square

America’s college campuses have become crucial testing grounds—and, at times, battlegrounds—as the country grapples with rapidly changing modes and mores of sexual behavior and expression. Fraternities are being scrutinized for promoting a culture of alcohol-fueled male privilege and presumption. Lecture halls and quads ring out with passionate debates about how to set the ground rules for sexual consent. Academic officials are being called to act as judges and arbiters over some of the most intimate aspects of students’ lives. Vanessa Grigoriadis, contributing editor at The New York Times Magazine and author of Blurred Lines: Rethinking Sex, Power, and Consent on Campus, explored these trends, as well as the written and unwritten rules of sexual engagement, at a Zócalo event, “Are College Campuses Rewriting the Rules of Sex in America?” on October 11, 2017 at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in Los Angeles.

From Benedict Arnold’s defection to the McCarthy hearings to the Edward Snowden affair, the American public and the U.S. political system have wrestled with the meaning of treason—legally, morally, and politically. And in our own complex era of digital eavesdropping and online secret-sharing, definitions of treason have become still grayer and more elusive. What does it mean to contemporary Americans to betray one’s country? Who gets to decide and pass judgment on what constitutes treason—juries, politicians, the mass media, social networks? And have traditional ideas about treason kept pace in a world where many people’s sense of their duty to country may conflict with other deeply held allegiances, identities, and ethical convictions? Those and other questions were taken up by UCLA legal scholar Eugene Volokh, UC Davis legal scholar Carlton F.W. Larson, and Yale senior lecturer and former FBI counterintelligence special agent Asha Rangappa at a Zócalo Public Square / KCRW “Critical Thinking With Warren Olney” event titled “What Does Treason Look Like?” on October 10, 2017 at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in Los Angeles.

From Benedict Arnold’s defection to the McCarthy hearings to the Edward Snowden affair, the American public and the U.S. political system have wrestled with the meaning of treason—legally, morally, and politically. And in our own complex era of digital eavesdropping and online secret-sharing, definitions of treason have become still grayer and more elusive. What does it mean to contemporary Americans to betray one’s country? Who gets to decide and pass judgment on what constitutes treason—juries, politicians, the mass media, social networks? And have traditional ideas about treason kept pace in a world where many people’s sense of their duty to country may conflict with other deeply held allegiances, identities, and ethical convictions? Those and other questions were taken up by UCLA legal scholar Eugene Volokh, UC Davis legal scholar Carlton F.W. Larson, and Yale senior lecturer and former FBI counterintelligence special agent Asha Rangappa at a Zócalo Public Square / KCRW “Critical Thinking With Warren Olney” event titled “What Does Treason Look Like?” on October 10, 2017 at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in Los Angeles.

The Republican Party should be the dominant force in American politics. GOP politicians now control the White House, 33 governorships, and hold majorities in the U.S. House, Senate and 32 state legislatures. But in spite of the party’s electoral success, the rise of Donald Trump has raised difficult questions about the party’s long-term future. Does Trump’s flirtation with white nationalism threaten to taint the party of Lincoln and permanently alienate younger and more diverse generations of Americans? Can the GOP survive the rise of anti-establishment forces on the right that reject old-guard conservatives who remain its financial base? Moderator Christina Bellantoni, Assistant Managing Editor, Politics, for the Los Angeles Times, was joined by Mike Madrid, a Sacramento GOP political consultant and partner at GrassrootsLab, Cassandra Pye, a public affairs strategist and founder of 3.14 Communications, and Leslie Graves, publisher of Ballotpedia, to consider whether the Republican Party is stronger or weaker than it looks, and whether its main rival, the Democratic Party, is in better or worse shape.

The Republican Party should be the dominant force in American politics. GOP politicians now control the White House, 33 governorships, and hold majorities in the U.S. House, Senate and 32 state legislatures. But in spite of the party’s electoral success, the rise of Donald Trump has raised difficult questions about the party’s long-term future. Does Trump’s flirtation with white nationalism threaten to taint the party of Lincoln and permanently alienate younger and more diverse generations of Americans? Can the GOP survive the rise of anti-establishment forces on the right that reject old-guard conservatives who remain its financial base? Moderator Christina Bellantoni, Assistant Managing Editor, Politics, for the Los Angeles Times, was joined by Mike Madrid, a Sacramento GOP political consultant and partner at GrassrootsLab, Cassandra Pye, a public affairs strategist and founder of 3.14 Communications, and Leslie Graves, publisher of Ballotpedia, to consider whether the Republican Party is stronger or weaker than it looks, and whether its main rival, the Democratic Party, is in better or worse shape.

Donald Trump has said that many immigrants are criminals and security risks, and that in response he is pursuing an “America First” agenda of deporting and banning those migrants whom he claims could pose threats to public safety. What does that mean for Los Angeles County, where more than one-third of residents were born in another country? How has life changed for L.A. immigrants—from the undocumented, to green card holders, to longtime naturalized citizens—as a result of Trump’s rhetoric and policies? These questions took center stage at a Zócalo/The California Wellness Foundation event titled “What Does Trump Mean for Immigrant L.A.?” at The National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles. Moderator Jennifer Medina, a reporter for The New York Times, was joined by Roberto Suro, director of USC’s Tomás Rivera Policy Institute, James McDonnell, the Los Angeles County Sheriff, Stephen Cheung, the president of World Trade Center Los Angeles, and Cinday Carcamo, who covers immigration for the Los Angeles Times, to discuss how the Trump administration’s aims have affected daily life for immigrants in Los Angeles.

Donald Trump has said that many immigrants are criminals and security risks, and that in response he is pursuing an “America First” agenda of deporting and banning those migrants whom he claims could pose threats to public safety. What does that mean for Los Angeles County, where more than one-third of residents were born in another country? How has life changed for L.A. immigrants—from the undocumented, to green card holders, to longtime naturalized citizens—as a result of Trump’s rhetoric and policies? These questions took center stage at a Zócalo/The California Wellness Foundation event titled “What Does Trump Mean for Immigrant L.A.?” at The National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles. Moderator Jennifer Medina, a reporter for The New York Times, was joined by Roberto Suro, director of USC’s Tomás Rivera Policy Institute, James McDonnell, the Los Angeles County Sheriff, Stephen Cheung, the president of World Trade Center Los Angeles, and Cinday Carcamo, who covers immigration for the Los Angeles Times, to discuss how the Trump administration’s aims have affected daily life for immigrants in Los Angeles.

Hawaii’s geographic isolation, unique volcanic topography, complex colonial past, and vibrant ethnic mix keep it at a certain distance from the broader American historical experience. How does Hawaii's fierce sense of exceptionalism influence its place in American culture? What’s happening to this sense of identity as more Hawaii residents leave and integrate with the world beyond its shores? Those were among the key questions taken up at a Smithsonian/Zócalo “What It Means to Be American” event titled “Does Hawaii Have America’s Strongest Identity?” before a packed house at Artistry Honolulu in Honolulu. Moderator Lee Cataluna, a metro columnist for The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, was joined by Jasmine Trias, singer and American Idol finalist, Kurt Osaki, graphic designer and founder of Osaki Creative Group, Lawrence Downes, journalist and former editorial board member of The New York Times, and comedian Augie T to discuss the 50th state’s strong, but rapidly evolving, sense of itself.

Hawaii’s geographic isolation, unique volcanic topography, complex colonial past, and vibrant ethnic mix keep it at a certain distance from the broader American historical experience. How does Hawaii's fierce sense of exceptionalism influence its place in American culture? What’s happening to this sense of identity as more Hawaii residents leave and integrate with the world beyond its shores? Those were among the key questions taken up at a Smithsonian/Zócalo “What It Means to Be American” event titled “Does Hawaii Have America’s Strongest Identity?” before a packed house at Artistry Honolulu in Honolulu. Moderator Lee Cataluna, a metro columnist for The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, was joined by Jasmine Trias, singer and American Idol finalist, Kurt Osaki, graphic designer and founder of Osaki Creative Group, Lawrence Downes, journalist and former editorial board member of The New York Times, and comedian Augie T to discuss the 50th state’s strong, but rapidly evolving, sense of itself.

Arts organizations have crunched much data and spent many fortunes in search of new ways to engage younger people and those who previously did not spend much time at concerts or in galleries. Their cutting-edge strategies are about meeting people where they are, and delivering more of the arts they want. But does the public even know what it wants? Have all the investments in outreach, digital displays and technology produced results? Or are we learning that attracting audiences is itself less a science and more an art? These were some questions posed at a panel discussion, “What Does the Public Want From the Arts?” at a Zócalo /Irvine Foundation conference, “What Can the World Teach California About Arts Engagement?” Speakers on the panel included moderator Chris Jones, the chief theater critic for the Chicago Tribune; Randi Korn, founding director of museum planning specialists Randi Korn & Associates, Mexico City-based performing arts curator and consultant Cristina King Miranda, and Japanese American Cultural and Community Center president Leslie A. Ito.