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KPCC listeners remember The Greatest: Muhammad Ali

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Clay Predicts Five

27th May 1963: Supremely confident American boxer Cassius Clay holds up five fingers in a prediction of how many rounds it will take him to knock out British boxer Henry Cooper.; Credit: Kent Gavin/Getty Images

He was a massive fighter, a massive force, so days after his death at age 74, fascinating stories about Muhammad Ali abound. 

He was a massive fighter, a massive force, so days after his death at age 74, fascinating stories about Muhammad Ali abound. As Stephen Battaglio commemorates in the LA Times, a hugely significant relationship in Ali's life was with sportscaster Howard Cosell.

The rapport between the charismatic, unconventional boxer and the measured broadcaster was captivating for viewers.

For AirTalk listeners, whether it was Ali's impact on his sport or his impact on society, share your thoughts on his incredible life.

Guest:

Stephen BattaglioStaff writer for The Los Angeles Times covering TV and media biz out of New York; LA Times: Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell were must-see sports TV


NY Times Supreme Court guru on the big cases left to be decided this session

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The U.S. Supreme Court winds down its current session at the end of this month.; Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The U.S. Supreme Court winds down its current session at the end of this month, and the panel of eight justices still have some major rulings to parse through concerning issues like immigration, abortion, and affirmative action.

In all, 24 opinions are still left to be issued before the final gavel bangs.

While some of the more impactful rulings may not come down until later this month, the Supreme Court did say today that it would take another look at a case arguing that political leaders in Virginia gerrymandered electoral maps to keep African-American voters from having as much of a say. They also said they would hear the cases of two death row inmates from Texas, one of whom says discrimination affected his sentencing and another who says he shouldn't be put to death because of intellectual disability.

Still to come down are rulings on Fisher v. University of Texas, which deals with how colleges and universities use race in deciding who gets admitted, as well as United States v. Texas, which is the challenge from Texas and several other states to President Obama’s executive action on immigration.

Guest:

Adam Liptak, Supreme Court reporter for the New York Times; he tweets @adamliptak

Director of new ESPN 30-for-30 docu-series on the challenges of retelling O.J.’s story

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(L-R) Kevin Merida, Ezra Edelman, Raina Kelly, Kelley Carter and Robert Lipsyte speak during Tribeca Talks: O.J.: Made In America TheUndefeated.com Panel Discussion on April 24, 2016.; Credit: Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Fe

O.J. Simpson’s story has been told in nearly every way possible; TV dramas, literature, and documentaries have all chronicled the famous rise and fall of the former football star.

So when Emmy-winning director Ezra Edelman decided to dive into O.J.’s story as part of ESPN’s highly-successful 30-for-30 documentary series, he knew that it would be a tall order to find fresh angles to a story that nearly everyone has heard from beginning to end.

But after combing through the case and wrangling some interviews with the likes of Marcia Clark and other key players in the trial, what resulted is a five-part episodic documentary that will air on ABC and ESPN starting June 11. The series also had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and had theatrical openings in New York City and Los Angeles, making it eligible for an Oscar. L.A. Times TV critic Mary McNamara wrote that it could be the first TV show to win an Academy Award.

Today on AirTalk, we’ll sit down with Ezra Edelman and talk about the challenges of re-telling such a well known story, what he learned about the case that he didn’t know before, and what he hopes viewers will come away with after watching the series.

"O.J.: Made In America” premieres this Saturday, June 11, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. The full episodic documentary will then air over the course of four days on ESPN. You can see the full schedule of air times below:

Tuesday, June 14

7 p.m. ET – Re-air of “O.J.: Made in America – Part 1”

9 p.m. ET – Premiere of “O.J.: Made in America – Part 2”

Wednesday, June 15

7 p.m. ET – Re-air of “O.J.: Made in America – Part 2”

9 p.m. ET – Premiere of “O.J.: Made in America – Part 3”

Friday, June 17

7 p.m. ET – Re-air of “O.J.: Made in America – Part 3”

9 p.m. ET – Premiere of “O.J.: Made in America – Part 4”

Saturday, June 18

7 p.m. ET – Re-air of “O.J.: Made in America – Part 4”

9 p.m. ET – Premiere of finale “O.J.: Made in America – Part 5”

Guest:

Ezra Edelman, director of the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “O.J.: Made in America”

As economists increasingly uncertain about growth, a look at economies in election years

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Stocks Continue Downward Slide On Heels Of Yesterday's Extreme Fall

A trader is reflected in a market screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City. ; Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Business economists are giving a more pessimistic outlook about U.S. economic growth this year for the third consecutive month and uncertainty over the November presidential election has proven to be damaging.

The median estimate from economists surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics calls for gross domestic product growth of only 1.8 percent, down from the 2.2 percent forecast in March.

The outlook for next year calls for 2.3 percent growth. And the latest red flag came from last week’s disappointing jobs report.

*With Files from AP

Guest:

Julian Zelizer,  Professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University and a fellow at the New America Foundation. His latest book is, “The Fierce Urgency of Now: Lyndon Johnson, Congress, and the Battle for the Great Society.” (Penguin Press, 2015)

The final word on the El Niño that never came to Southern California

The politics of not voting

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Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton debate Thursday night.

Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton signs are display. Will you be voting today?; Credit: Timothy Clary/AFP/Getty Images

Eligible voters who choose to not vote cite a miscellany of reasons: they think politicians are corrupt; the system is too entrenched to change; a vote won't achieve their ends; the results are a fait accompli.

In Nevada, the ballot offers a "none of these candidates" option - a box that former candidate Rand Paul wants to see on ballots across the United States.

Social movements such as Occupy and Black Lives Matter have engaged citizens to get active, agitate, and speak out for radical change, but there is no consensus within those movements about whether voting is one of their tools. Voter turnout of African Americans in this year's primary battles show a slight dip in turnout among those younger than age 45 - 11 percent turned out in 2008 compared to 10 percent this year according to exit poll analysis conducted last month in "The Washington Post."

While low voter turnout is caused primarily by apathy and ignorance, some Americans make a conscious choice to buck the system on election days. What do you think of Americans choosing not to vote?

Guest:

Lonna Rae Atkeson, Professor of Political Science, University of New Mexico; Director for the Center for the Study of Voting, Elections, and Democracy, University of New Mexico; Rae has been monitoring elections in various states this cycle, including Washington this coming Saturday

Debating the legal sentencing in Stanford University rape case

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Stanford And Berkeley Rank Among Top 3 Universities In The World

People ride bikes past Hoover Tower on the Stanford University campus on May 22, 2014 in Stanford, California. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Santa Clara County Superior Court judge Aaron Persky’s 6-month sentence has sparked a strong public outrage.

Brock Turner, 20, was convicted of three felonies, including assault with intent to rape, and could have received a maximum of 14 years in prison. Judge Persky instead sentenced Turner to six months in county jail and 3 years’ probation, citing positive character and a lack of criminal record as the two main reasons for the ruling.

Turner’s father has been quoted saying, “That is a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action,” before the sentence was finalized, sparking reactions from the public and from the Stanford community. A petition requesting the removal of Judge Persky has collected more than 331,000 signatures in hopes of damaging his chance of being reelected.

Is the sentence too lenient for the convicted crimes? How does it compare to similar cases?

Guests:

Tamara Lave, an associate professor of law at University of Miami. She was a deputy public defender for ten years in San Diego, she’s represented people who have been accused of rape.

John Manly, an attorney with the Irvine-based firm Manly, Stewart Finaldi, who specializes in representing victims of sexual assault and abuse

California Primary 2016: Results, analysis, and looking ahead to November

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Hillary Clinton Holds Primary Night Event In Brooklyn, New York

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrives onstage during a primary night rally at the Duggal Greenhouse in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.; Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Hillary Clinton dominated yesterday's primary here in California, finishing 13-percentage points ahead of rival Bernie Sanders.

That didn't deter the Vermont Senator or his supporters. He spoke just before 11 last night at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, looking past the election results and vowing to take his message to next month's Democratic convention in Philadelphia. What might that mean?

Plus, outgoing US Senator Barbara Boxer will talk with us about the runoff to succeed her. Two Democrats, Kamala Harris and Loretta Sanchez go head-to-head in November.

Locally, we have two open LA County Supervisor seats, both of which are very powerful positions with 2-million constituents each. The Fourth District, where Don Knabe is termed out, Democratic Congresswoman Janice Hahn finished first with 47-percent. Knabe's chief deputy, Steve Napolitano, got 37-percent. They'll meet in November. The district ranges from Marina del Rey, through the South Bay and Long Beach, and up into Downey, Whittier, and Diamond Bar.

In the Fifth District covering northern LA County, the chief deputy to termed-out Supervisor Mike Antonovich got the most votes. Kathryn Barger had 30-percent - quite strong for a crowded field. Her November opponent is a bit up in the air. Darrell Park, the Democratic party's endorsed candidate, is currently second with 15-percent, but his lead over Republican State Senator Bob Huff is just 517 votes. Glendale City Councilman Ara Najarian stands fourth.

State voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50, which allows the legislature to suspend a State Senator's or Assemblymember's pay.

In the L.A. Times and Southern California News Group's editorials against 50 they argued it was reactive to appease voters unhappy with accused legislators making their salaries while being suspended. The papers claimed it could be used punitively.

Guests:

Ange-Marie Hancock, associate professor of political science and gender studies at the University of Southern California; she tweets from @AngeMarieH

Jack Pitney, professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College; he tweets from @jpitney

Kathryn Barger, Chief Deputy to Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich

Darrell Park, Former White House office of Management and Budget Staffer, 1994-2004

Bob Huff, California State Senator, he has represented Los Angeles County in the state legislature since 2004  

Carla Marinucci, California Playbook reporter for POLITICO; she tweets from @cmarinucci

Dean Logan, Los Angeles. County's Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk

Eli Stokols, national politics reporter at POLITICO covering the GOP 2016 field; he tweets from @EliStokols

Steve Napolitano, former Manhattan Beach Mayor, 1992 to 2005, and deputy to Don Knabe

Pilar Marrero, senior political reporter at La Opinion and other ImpreMedia Newspapers; she tweets from @pilarmarrero

Pete Peterson, dean of the School of Public Policy and executive director of The Davenport Institute at Pepperdine University; he tweets from @Pete4CA

Raphe Sonenshein, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles

Neal Kelley, Orange County Registrar of Voters


Sen. Barbara Boxer on toughness in politics: 'Never act out of anger. Just process it and win the day.'

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Congressional Showdown As Government Shutdown Looms

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) speaks during a press conference to highlight measures in the House version of a government shutdown bill that would deny women affordable contraception and other health care benefits that are provided under the Affordable Care Act. ; Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Barbara Boxer, the junior Senator for California first elected in 1976, is retiring from the U.S. Senate this year at, in her own characterization, 75 years young.

Barbara Boxer's new memoir, "The Art of Tough," spans her 40-year career representing Californians on Capitol Hill, including her then-unpopular 2002 opposition to the Iraq war and her fierce work on the Environment and Public Works Committee. A notable career highlight was exposing Pentagon overspending, including $7,600 appropriated for a single coffee maker.

Sen. Boxer herself was once implicated in a widespread scandal in which congressional members were writing bad checks (complete with overdraft fees charged to taxpayers) on the House Bank — Boxer later reimbursed the fees.

After a career winning 11 elections, Boxer leaves her seat open in what could now be a highly competitive race between contenders Kamala Harris and Loretta Sanchez.

Here are some highlights from the interview:

Just a few months left in the Senate…what mix of feelings are you dealing with?

I’m very proud. I’m very touched that the people of California have sent me [back to the Senate] over and over, four terms. I’ve gotten things done I’m very proud of: after school for a million kids a year, a million acres in wilderness, special comprehensive casualty care for vets, highway bills, water bills, the list goes on. I’m particularly proud that even though sometimes I stood alone in positions that [CA voters] stuck with me.

After nearly four decades in elected office, aren’t you going to have to go through withdrawals?

I don’t know about that because I don’t intend to retire. I intend to continue work on the issues that I care about, just in a little bit of a different way. I won’t have to fly all those miles across country. I can headquarter in California, which is the place I love, so I’m actually looking forward to that part of it.

What kinds of things do you see yourself doing when you retire from the Senate?

I’m not going to tell you exactly what I’m going to do because I don’t have that all done. You’re not really supposed to do that until you’re out. In general, though, I want to be a progressive voice. Where that voice comes over, whether it’s on the radio or a podcast, whether it’s through my PAC that I’ll continue to have to help others win office, whether it’s in a classroom…there’s just all kinds of possibilities. I know that I’m going to keep on going because I care so much and I’m not going to abandon the issues that I’ve championed for so many years.

As you watch the two Democrats qualify for the runoff to succeed you (Kamala Harris and Loretta Sanchez) they epitomize a couple big changes in CA politics, one of which is the top-two primary. The other is you’ve got ethnically diverse women with much higher visibility in the state. Your thoughts on one of them succeeding you?

I think it very appropriate that we look for diversity in this Senate. We still, even after all this time, have only 20 women out of 100. When I started there were two, when Dianne Feinstein got elected. We had a class that brought it up to six but that’s far away from the 50 percent that we really ought to have if we’re going to reflect the makeup of this great nation. And of course, in California, where we have such a diverse population, it’s absolutely wonderful that we have this kind of possibility this time.

Are you going to be tempted to endorse between the two, or because they’re both Democrats are you concerned about making an endorsement?

Good question. They’re both my friends who have supported me for years and years. At this point, I’m not getting involved. I have said publicly that if they carry the progressive banner that I’ve worked so hard to carry, and they both carry it, that’s a win-win. If something takes a turn in one way or the other, I could step in. But, to me, it’s the voters that will decide this.

You’re very up front in your book about the kind of criticism you’ve received and insults that have been sent your way in your time in Congress.  How have you processed that? It’s not something all members of Congress get.

The purpose of the book was two-fold: one is to take my readers in the back of the room to see what’s going on inside those rooms where decisions were made. Who is in the room and who is left out of the room, whether on purpose or not, makes a big difference. The second gets to your question, which is how do you get that toughness that you need to put up with what comes with the territory. Mostly, these weren’t members of Congress that I was quoting in the beginning of the book, although I’ve gotten my share from some of them. But mostly these are right wing, so-called pundits, one of whom said “Barbara Boxer is the perfect Democrat: female and learning disabled.” That was Ann Coulter. The reason I start off the book that way is I want to show my readers why I named my book “The Art of Tough.” You do have to be tough to wear that kind of criticism, in many ways as a badge of honor. You have to let it roll off your back. One of the rules of toughness is to never act out of anger. Just process it and win the day.

When it came down to supporting Bernie Sanders, you have Bernie more aligned with your position but Hillary has a long relationship with you, and it’s even familial because your daughter Nicole is married to her youngest brother, Tony. How did you make that decision?

That was easy. I had actually asked Hillary to run long before Bernie got into the race. I organized a letter and practically all of us women senators signed it asking her to run. I felt this was her time. She was so gracious when she lost that very close race to [now-President Obama] she actually set it aside and walked with him through that convention. She went out and campaigned and when he asked her to be part of his administration as Secretary of State, she stepped up and did it. It was pretty remarkable. I thought she had earned, at least in my eyes, the right to run again. She’s been my candidate before she was even announced.

Guest:

Barbara Boxer, Democratic U.S Senator for California; Boxer’s new memoir is "The Art of Tough: Fearlessly Facing Politics and Life" (Hachette; May 2016)

Pomona College adds commitment to ‘diversity’ to tenure requirements

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The Stanley Academic Quad at Pomona College in Claremont, California

The Peter Stanley Academic Quad was completed in 2008. It is surrounded by three of Pomona College's historic academic buildings: Pearsons (1898), Mason (1923) and Crookshank (1922).; Credit: Courtesy Pomona College (Flickr)

Last fall, students at Pomona College started a petition urging the administration to update the school’s promotion and tenure requirements for professors.

Among the changes they want is for professors to be required to foster "inclusive classrooms that support diversity and equity outcomes" on campus.

That appeal has now become a reality. In May, faculty at Pomona College voted to update the school’s tenure criteria with an eye toward promoting campus diversity. How would it work in practice? What are the tradeoffs?

Guests:

Eric Hurley, an associate professor of psychology and Africana studies at Pomona College. He’s one of the professors who worked on the policy changes

Ashley Thorne, Executive Director, National Association of Scholars, an organization devoted to promoting academic freedom in American higher education

How pit bulls became so demonized

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pit bull pitbull

A young Pit Bull chews on a plastic bone. How have your opinions about the breed changed over the years?; Credit: Photo by Rob Swatski via Flickr Creative Commons

Pit bulls are perhaps the most controversial breed of dog in our nation.

Those who don’t fully understand the breed refuse to adopt the dogs; those who love the breed agree that the dogs have been demonized. But where does this demonization and misunderstanding have its roots?

In her book, “Pit Bull: The Battle Over an American Breed,” author Bronwen Dickey traces the history of the stereotype of the breed, from early nineteenth century New York, to Hollywood’s movie sets of the early twentieth century, to the battlefields and beyond. 

Dickey illustrates a change over time she has observed in America’s relationship with man’s best friend. Dickey joins AirTalk to tell more about her findings. 

You can catch Bronwen Dickey at Vroman’s in Pasadena on Friday June 10  at 7 p.m. Click here for more information about the event.

Guest:

Bronwen Dickey, essayist and journalist, author of “Pit Bull: The Battle Over an American Icon” (Knopf, 2016)

Israeli, Palestinian voices debate response to Tel Aviv attack

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Four Killed In Tel Aviv Shopping Centre Attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) and Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman (L) speak to the press at the scene of a shooting outside Max Brenner restaurant in Sarona Market in Tel Aviv, Israel.; Credit: Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images

Two gunmen from the Palestinian village of Yatta entered Israel and opened fire in an outdoor market in Tel Aviv Wednesday night, injuring six and killing four.

The shooting, which Israeli authorities are calling a terrorist attack, occurred in the first week of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month for which Israel granted 83,000 travel permits to Palestinians.

In response to the attacks, Israel has now frozen those permits, and the military has deployed troops to the West Bank, declaring the village of Yatta a closed military zone and promising two more battalions in the West Bank.

The shooting occurred less than two weeks after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed ultra-right politician Avigdor Lieberman as Defense Minister, who, in contrast to previous Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, has refused to release the bodies of the two attackers back to Palestine in an effort to dissuade more attacks, a move Ya’alon says will only inflame tensions. Hamas did not claim responsibility for the shooting, but promised more “surprises” for “Zionists” during the holy month.

Against the backdrop of the U.S. presidential election, the attack brings U.S. foreign policy in Israel back into the fore. What constitutes an appropriate response, and how does it impact Palestinians? What does this mean for the future of Israeli and Palestinian security, peace in the region, and U.S. involvement?

Guests:

David Makovsky, Director, Project on the Middle East Peace Process, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy - a think tank described as advancing U.S. interests in the Middle East; In 2013-2014, he worked in the Office of the U.S. Secretary of State, serving as a senior advisor to the Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations.

Yousef Munayyer, Executive Director of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation - a coalition of organizations founded in 2002

Future of the Sanders Movement

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Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (R) and his wife Jane Sanders wave to supporters at Barker Hangar on June 7, 2016 in Santa Monica, California. ; Credit: JONATHAN ALCORN/AFP/Getty Images

Bernie Sanders says he has a long list of issues he plans to pursue when the Democratic Party holds its nominating convention in Philadelphia at the end of July.

After meeting with President Barack Obama today, Sanders cited the debt facing college students, crumbling infrastructure and the influence that billionaires have on politics, the economy and the media, among other issues. Sanders is promising to continue his run at least through next week's primary in the District of Columbia.

Despite Bernie Sanders loss in California Tuesday, yesterday President Barack Obama maintained that Senator Sanders "has more than earned the right" to make his own decision about when and whether to end his campaign for the Democratic nomination, according to White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

What does Sanders want at this point, and are they the same things his supporters want?

Sanders said he hopes to meet with Clinton in the near future to talk about ways to work together to defeat Trump. What might those ways be, other than an endorsement of Clinton?

With files from the Associated Press.

Guests:

Sahil Kapur, National Political Reporter, Bloomberg News; he tweets from @sahilkapur

John Nichols, National Affairs Correspondent for The Nation; he tweets from @NicholsUprising

Appeals Court: 2nd Amendment doesn’t guarantee Californians’ concealed carry

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U.S. Gun Sales Reach Record Levels In 2012

A customer shops for a pistol at Freddie Bear Sports sporting goods store.; Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

A federal appeals court decided Thursday morning that Californians do not have a constitutional right to carry concealed firearms in public.

In a 7-4 decision, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said California counties may require people to provide a good reason for carrying a gun when applying for a concealed weapons permit.

The argument began in San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, which had required applicants to show “good reason” for why they needed a concealed weapons permit. A 3-judge panel struck down that policy in 2014 for being too restrictive of 2nd amendment rights, a decision appealed by state Attorney General Kamala Harris.

How do California gun owners and gun control advocates feel about the decision? Is carrying a gun in public for defense a constitutional right? How might this affect the pending gun control bills that passed the Assembly, and future gun control legislation?

Guests:

Julie Leftwich, Legal Director at the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence in San Francisco

Brandon Combs, Founder and CEO of Firearms Policy Coalition and executive director of Calguns Foundation, a gun rights advocacy organization in California and one of the plaintiffs in the case

Affordable housing, child care are top priorities in new state budget agreement

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California Gov. Jerry Brown speaks during a news conference about the state budget on May 14, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

More money in the California state budget will be headed to child care and affordable housing after lawmakers reached an agreement with Governor Jerry Brown yesterday.

The new budget allocates $400 million for affordable housing, provided that legislators dial back regulations on homebuilders to streamline the building process. It also sets aside expanded funding for early learning programs and raises the amount that state-subsidized child care providers get in order to keep up with the state’s increasing minimum wage.

The new budget will still have to be voted on by the State Assembly and Senate, and it’s unclear when that might happen. California begins its new fiscal year on July 1.

Guests:

Chris Megerian, Sacramento-based reporter for the L.A. Times; he tweets @ChrisMegerian


What’s in a commute? Finding benefits in a not-so-fast Expo Line

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Expo Line

A test train travels west of Bundy in Santa Monica along the new Expo Line extension on May 6, 2016.; Credit: Steve Hymon/Los Angeles Metro

Passengers say the news Expo Line commute from Santa Monica to Downtown is no faster than driving, and a lack of station parking makes switching from road to rail impractical for a daily commute.

But others say there’s more to riding Metro than just commuting time, including a more relaxing ride and social interaction not possible from behind a steering wheel.

With voters set to decide on a $120 billion ballot measure in November to continue Metro’s expansion, is light rail worth the cost if it can’t make daily commuting faster, but maybe just a bit more convenient? Are there enough benefits to “going Metro” to outweigh a comparable commute time? And what can Metro do to shorten commute times, or make daily commuting by public transit more appealing?  

Guest:

Megan McCarty, KPCC commuting and mobility reporter

A Clinton-Warren ticket: potential dream pairing or keep on dreaming?

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A private meeting between Elizabeth Warren and Hillary Clinton this morning is fueling speculation that the Clinton camp might be entertaining the possibility of making Warren her running mate.; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

A private meeting between Elizabeth Warren and Hillary Clinton this morning is fueling speculation that the Clinton camp might be entertaining the possibility of making Warren her running mate.

The hour-long meeting came a day after Warren formally endorsed Clinton. To many, the choice of the Massachusetts senator as VP pick makes sense, with her work reining in the Big Banks and her focus on reducing income inequality. They see Warren as the bridge to the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, as well as a draw for disenchanted Bernie Sanders supporters.

Warren, for her part, seems to have taken it upon herself to assume the traditional “attack dog” role of the VP, going after Donald Trump at every turn.

But is Warren the right choice for the Clinton campaign? Can she connect with working-class white voters that make up Trump’s base?

Guests:

Paris Dennard, Republican political analyst and former staffer for President George W. Bush and the Republican National Committee; he tweets from @PARISDENNARD

Angela T. Rye, Democratic analyst and CEO of IMPACT Strategies, a DC-based political consulting and government relations firm. She tweets from @angela_rye

The not-so-distant history of farming in Los Angeles

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The front cover of "From Cows to Concrete: The Rise and Fall of Farming in Los Angeles."; Credit: Angel City Press

Today Americans hold California’s Central Valley in their minds as the center of our country’s fruit and vegetable production.

But until the 1950s, Los Angeles County was the agricultural capital of North America.

A new book, "From Cows to Concrete: The Rise and Fall of Farming in Los Angeles," begins with Gabrieleños cultivating wild seeds, traces the roots of the state’s citrus and wine industries to the fields of Mission San Gabriel Archangel in the 19th century, and details the post-war urban development that pushed farmland out of the city. But that doesn’t mean we’re not a city that loves fresh food.

As more Americans are connecting with food in their gardens or local farmer’s markets, the vibrant archival photos and research remind us that the pastoral Californian ideal has not completely disappeared from LA.

Co-authors Rachel Surls and Judith Gerber will be signing copies of their book, “From Cows to Concrete: The Rise and Fall of Farming in Los Angeles,” on June 14, at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena at 7:00 p.m. Click here for more information.

Guests:

Rachel Surls Ph.D, co-author of the book, “From Cows to Concrete,” (Angel City Press, 2016) and Sustainable Food Systems Advisor for University of California Cooperative Extension in LA County

Judith Gerber, co-author of the book, “From Cows to Concrete,” (Angel City Press, 2016), and a farmer who has covered food production in Los Angeles for more than 20 years; she tweets from @LAFarmGirl

Scotland court weighs pricing alcohol by volume to combat alcoholism

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Scotch Whisky Association Challenges Minimum Alcohol Pricing

Members of the public examine whisky samples inside the Diageo Claive Vidiz Collection, the world's largest collection of Scottish Whisky on display at The Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh,Scotland.; Credit: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

A court decision on a new way to price alcohol in Scotland could have ramifications beyond the country.

On Tuesday, a Scottish court will hear whether the country can price alcohol by the unit, specifically 50 pence (about 72 cents) for 10 milliliters of pure alcohol, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Under the scheme, a 20-pack of beer would set drinkers back some US $30. The legislation was passed in 2012, but has been tied up in court.

Proponents of the measure say that floor pricing would reduce alcoholism in Scotland. Opponents argue, however, that the law penalizes those who drink responsibly and in moderation.

Alcohol makers outside of Scotland are also eyeing Tuesday’s decision, which is expected in August, bracing for a ripple effect in other countries if the law is left to stand in Scotland.

Guests:

David Jernigan, an associate professor of public health at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. His work focuses on public health practice with a particular interest in alcohol policy.

Dan Mitchell, an economist and a senior fellow at the CATO Institute. He specializes in tax policy.

Orlando shootings: counterterrorism expert, gun rights advocate, LGBT community weigh in

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Lights from police vehicles light up the scene infront of the Pulse club in Orlando, Florida on June 12, 2016.
; Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

The last of the 49 victims of yesterday's mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, were removed from the scene today and all but one have been identified.

Fifty-three others were wounded. Orlando Police Chief John Mina confirmed at a news conference this morning that police officer had three confrontations with the gunman identified as Omar Mateen who was shot and killed at the scene by a SWAT team. Mateen, a 29-year old American-born Muslim allegedly called 911 and declared allegiance to the Islamic State during the attack.

KPCC is following the latest out of Orlando. Click here for more on what we know as of today.

Guests:

Colin P. Clarke, Associate Political Scientist at the Rand Corporation whose research focuses on counterinsurgency and counterintelligence

Chief Jim Bueerman, president of the Police Foundation, a Washington, D.C. organization that promotes better policing. He was the former Chief of Redlands Police Department where he worked for 33 years.

Ladd Everitt, Director of Communications, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence

Steve Dulan, attorney at The Law Office of Steve Dulan, member of the board of directors of the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners and an adjunct professor at the Cooley Law School at Western Michigan University

Jo Michael, legislative manager with Equality California, a statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization

Levi Chambers, the Editor in Chief of Pride.com, an online publication focused on millennial LGBTQ issues, and Director of Social Media at Here Media (OUT magazine, The Advocate magazine); He tweets from @levichambers

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