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As Berkeley welcomes Free Speech Week, a look at role of the school throughout history of protest

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Appearance By Right Wing Commentator At UC Berkeley Prompts Fears Of Violence

A protester is arrested by Alameda County sheriff during a demonstration outside of Zellerbach Hall on the U.C. Berkeley campus on September 14, 2017 in Berkeley, California. The protests were a response to a scheduled speech from conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

AirTalk®

Starting Sunday, University of California, Berkeley will accommodate Free Speech Week, a four-day event organized by the Berkeley Patriot, a conservative student publication.

The tentative line-up includes conservative figures such as Anne Coulter, Stephen Bannon, and Milo Yiannopoulos. This comes on the heels of a visit from conservative figure Ben Shapiro, who incited a wave of demonstration on campus.

An epicenter of the free speech movement, Berkeley has had a long history of protesting since the Vietnam-war era. Since Donald Trump’s election there have been a number of violent outbreaks on the school's campus and in its surrounding areas.

How will school administrators react to this upcoming Free Speech Week? What’s the role of Berkeley throughout history in terms of student protests? How do faculty members handle students who feel threatened? Host Larry Mantle sits down with Dan Mogulof, UC Berkeley Chancellor spokesman, Déborah Anne Blocker, associate professor of French, on the past and future of student activism at Berkeley.

Guests:

Robert Cohen, a professor of history and social studies; co-author of “The Free Speech Movement: Reflections on Berkeley in the 1960s” (University of California Press, 2002)

Dan Mogulof, assistant vice chancellor and spokesman at UC Berkeley

Déborah Anne Blocker, associate professor of French; she signed the boycott letter and intends to teach her two small classes off campus

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.


The 400-people homeless encampments along the Santa Ana River

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homeless encampment Santa Ana River

A homeless encampment near the Santa Ana River, April 21, 2017. The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted June 6 to dedicate $750,000 toward a pilot project aimed at moving homeless people off the river and into permanent housing. ; Credit: Jill Replogle/KPCC

AirTalk®

The encampments along the Santa Ana River Trail in has become the focal point for the fight over homelessness in Orange County.

Some 400 homeless people have set up tents along a 2-mile stretch of the Santa Ana River near Angel Stadium, with perhaps hundreds more living along other sections.

Local businesses and residents have raised concerns about the encampments. Earlier this month, the city of Anaheim declared the site a public health and safety emergency. The Orange County Board of Supervisors had also voted to increase law enforcement oversight of the area.

The city of Fountain Valley is holding a town hall tonight to address the issue.

Guest:

Jill Replogle, KPCC’s Orange County reporter who’s been following the story; she tweets @jillrep

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Cal State faculty, administrators at odds over implementation of new general education and remedial course policies

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Luckman Center at Cal State University-Los Angeles; Credit: Steve Devol via Flickr Creative Commons

AirTalk®

Cal State faculty members are pushing back on administrators over two executive orders issued over the summer that would bring significant changes to the Cal States’ general education requirements, remedial classes and placement exams.

It’s part of a larger effort by the Cal State system to get its four year graduation rate to 40 percent by 2025, effectively doubling it.

The Academic Senate for the California State Universities (ASCSU) drafted a resolution saying that the orders were released hastily over the summer while most ASCSU faculty members weren’t on campus and that more time was needed for them to review, understand and talk over the policies with the Chancellor’s Office. The L.A. Times reports some faculty worried they wouldn’t have time to rework their courses and curriculum to fit the new standards. They asked that the changes not start until at least the fall of 2019.

In early August, Cal State Chancellor Timothy White issued an executive order that discontinues noncredit remedial courses currently required for many freshmen as well as math and English placement exams for incoming students, starting in the fall of 2018. Later that month, White issued a second executive order calling for several major changes to Cal State’s general education policy, maybe most notably by allowing students to satisfy their general math requirement by skipping intermediate algebra.

On AirTalk, Larry Mantle talks with an Academic Senate member and a Cal State administrator about how the two bodies can move forward with implementing the new standards.

Guests:

Christine “Chris” Miller, Ph.D., chair of the Academic Senate of the California State University and a professor of communication studies at Cal State-Sacramento

Christine Mallon, Ph.D., assistant vice chancellor for academic programs and faculty development and the California State University Dean for Academic Programs

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

That day when Kevin Durant’s secret Twitter account blew up in his face

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TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2017 - Day 2

NBA Player and Durant Company/Thirty Five Media Partner Kevin Durant speaks onstage during TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2017 at Pier 48 on September 19, 2017 in San Francisco, California.; Credit: Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch

AirTalk®

Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant took to Twitter over the weekend to answer a fan’s criticism over his decision to leave the Oklahoma Thunder.

The problem – he forgot he was using a fake Twitter account he created to hide his identity.

Using the third person, Durant wrote in the tweet: “He didn’t like the organization or playing for Billy Donovan. His roster wasn’t that good. It was just him and Russ.”

Then he tweeted, “Imagine taking Russ off that team, see how bad they were. KD can’t win with those cats.”

Realizing his mistake, Durant quickly deleted those tweets, but not before someone had taken a screenshot of them.

https://twitter.com/harrisonmc15/status/909634206355066880/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sbnation.com%2Flookit%2F2017%2F9%2F18%2F16326664%2Fkevin-durant-twitter-fake-accounts-conspiracy-theory-nba-warriors-thunder

Apparently, it’s actually rather common for athletes to use fake social media accounts to answer critics.

Joining Larry to discuss this story is KPCC’s very own A Martinez.

Guest:

A Martinez, host of KPCC’s Take Two; he tweets @amartinezla

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Debating the economics of Graham-Cassidy, GOP’s (supposed) last-gasp push to repeal the ACA

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Senate Lawmakers Speak To The Media After Their Weekly Policy Luncheons

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) (3rd L) speaks as (L-R) Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), Senate Majority Whip Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) listen during a news briefing after the weekly Senate Republican policy luncheon at the Capitol September 19, 2017 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

AirTalk®

Senate Republicans have just nine days left to try to pass a repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act.

Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham teamed up for the bill now being considered. It would give the states block grants equal to the current federal funding for the ACA.

The pros and cons on AirTalk.

This segment is being updated.

Guests:

Chris Pope, fellow at the Manhattan Institute, where his research focus includes the Affordable Care Act and Medicare and Medicaid; he wrote the recent National Review article, “Graham-Cassidy Is Better Than Just a Fix to Obamacare

Sally C. Pipes, president and CEO of the Pacific Research Institute, a nonprofit think tank focused on free-market solutions to policy problems

Igor Volsky, vice president at the think tank Center for American Progress (CAP); he is the former Health Care Policy editor for ThinkProgress

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

AirTalk asks: Would you support a Garcetti presidential bid?

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131st IOC Session Lima - 2024 & 2028 Olympics Hosts Announcement

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, IOC President Thomas Bach and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti react after the confirmation of the tripartite agreement which awards Paris and LA with the Olympic Games of 2024 and 2028 during the 131th IOC Session - 2024 & 2028 Olympics Hosts Announcement at Lima Convention Centre on September 13, 2017 in Lima, Peru.; Credit: Buda Mendes/Getty Images

AirTalk®

Over the last several months, a slew of items on Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s agenda have led some to ask: Will he make a bid for president in 2020?

This month, he secured the 2028 olympics for the city during an international trip to Lima, Peru. In August, Garcetti traveled to New Hampshire – a presidential swing state – to campaign for a fellow Democrat. In June, he consoled election-fatigued Democrats in Wisconsin during the state’s Democratic convention.

And those are just the tip of the iceberg, according to a recently published column from Jon Regardie, executive editor of Los Angeles Downtown News. In his column, he asks: “What could be going on behind-the-scenes of Garcetti’s mayoral post?”

On today’s AirTalk, we discuss that question and the mayor’s string of hints at a presidential run. What might a 2020 run bid from Garcetti look like and how would Los Angeles react?

Guests:

Fernando Guerra, professor of political science and director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University; he is a member of the Southern California Public Radio Board of Trustees

Jon Regardie, executive editor of Los Angeles Downtown News; author of the column, “What in the World Is Eric Garcetti Up To?

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

How much would CVS’s 7-day limit on painkiller prescriptions help solve the opioid crisis?

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CVS Acquires Target's Pharmacy And Clinic Businesses For $1.9 Billion

A pedestrian walks by a CVS store on June 15, 2015 in San Francisco, California.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

AirTalk®

The opioid crisis has reached epidemic status. And today, the country’s largest pharmacy chain has pledged its support to help.

CVS Pharmacy has announced it will limit opioid prescriptions to seven days for certain conditions for new patients seeking drugs for pain relief. The pharmacy will also put a limit of pain pills they dispense based on their strength.

The changes will take place at CVS pharmacies on February 1, 2018.

The move will mean more work for doctors and for pharmacists, would it help mitigate the opioid abuse?

Guests:

Anna Lembke, M.D., head of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic; her latest book is “Drug Dealer, MD: How Doctors Were Duped, Patients Got Hooked, and Why It’s So Hard to Stop” (Johns Hopkins University Press, October 2016)

Adams Dudley, M.D., professor of medicine and health policy and director of the Center for Healthcare Value at UC San Francisco; he tweets @RAdamsDudleyMD

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

What was it like writing for President Obama? This ‘Funny or Die’ writer knows

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2017 Moth Ball: A Moth Summer Night's Dream

Former Obama speechwriter David Litt speaks on stage during A Moth Summer Night's Dream: The 20th Anniversary Moth Ball at Capitale on June 6, 2017 in New York City.; Credit: Ben Gabbe/Getty Images for The Moth

AirTalk®

In early 2008, David Litt’s greatest passion was his college improv troupe. Then came the the flight to JFK, when everything changed.

Litt saw a two-inch-tall black man appear on his in-flight TV screen. It was Barack Obama at a presidential campaign rally in Iowa. “They said this day would never come,” he told the crowd. “At this defining moment in history, you have done what the cynics said you couldn’t do.”

From then on, Litt was hooked. He campaigned for Obama ruthlessly, and even stole or “borrowed” his roommate's car to attend the freshman senator’s speeches. His experiences in politics and writing for satirical online publications such as “The Onion” eventually snowballed into a position as a junior speechwriter for the presidential candidate.

Now, Litt’s firsthand account of working for the former president is published. In “Thanks, Obama,” he takes the reader inside the front lines of the Obama years.

Today, Larry sits down with Litt to discuss his experiences from junior speechwriter to senior White House staffer and Obama's legacy in the age of Donald Trump.

David Litt will be discussing his upcoming book at The New Roads School in Santa Monica tonight at 8pm. The event will be a conversation with Matt Walsh of “Veep.” For more information, click here.

Guest:

David Litt, former senior presidential speechwriter for President Obama and author of “Thanks, Obama: My Hopey Changey White House Years” (Harper Collins, 2017); he is now head writer, producer at the Washington D.C. office of Funny or Die

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.


After protests across NFL in response to Trump comments, gauging fan reactions and how far free speech extends in private sector

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Houston Texans v New England Patriots

Members of the Houston Texans kneel before a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on September 24, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.; Credit: Billie Weiss/Getty Images

AirTalk®

If you’ve ever watched an interview or press conference with an NFL coach or player after a football game in the past, you’ve probably seen how they often prefer to focus on their play or their team’s play on the field rather than social or political issues happening off the field. However, this past Sunday it was clear that for almost every NFL team, football wasn’t the only thing on their minds.

About 200 individual players knelt, sat, or raised their fists as the national anthem was played before each game. Other teams stayed in the locker room until the anthem was over, a choice that some organizations said was meant to take a stand against injustice and others said was to avoid the appearance of taking sides and that their absence isn’t intended to be unpatriotic. Fans had mixed reactions.

What did you think of President Trump’s comments? What about the way NFL players, coaches and owners responded during the national anthem? For many people, sports like football are supposed to be a way to escape from the march of the daily news cycle, but will the semi-politicization of football games as an event turn some fans away? If you’re already a football fan, will the recent protests change your watching habits at all? If you’re not a fan, will you be more likely to watch? If you watched the Sunday games with a group, what were your conversations like? Did you talk about the protests at all?

Guest:

Eugene Volokh, professor of law at UCLA and founder of The Volokh Conspiracy blog on the Washington Post

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Week in politics: What to expect as Republicans gear up for ACA repeal vote, plus what’s in Trump’s new travel ban

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US-POLITICS-CONGRESS-REPUBLICANS

Senator Lindsey Graham (2nd R), R-SC, stands with Senator Bill Cassidy (L), R-LA, Senator Dean Heller (2nd L), R-NV, and Senator Ron Johnson (R), R-WI, to announce their legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare through block grants on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on September 13, 2017.; Credit: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk®

Republicans on Capitol Hill are bracing for a big week for their legislative efforts. 

Talk has been swirling of the chances of a new effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act to pass through the Senate. Right now, those chances appear murky at best, with several prominent Republicans (names you’ll likely recognize from the last GOP health care bill) saying they won’t support the bill as it stands. Also this week, we’re watching as Republicans are expected pull the tarp off the framework for their much-anticipated tax reform plan.

Meanwhile, at the White House, the Trump administration signed a new travel ban on Sunday with more targeted restrictions. It adds North Korea, Venezuela, and Chad to the list of countries whose citizens will now face increased restrictions on entering the country. The order replaces the previous executive order that the president signed earlier this year restricting travel to the U.S. from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

We’ll also tackle the political dimensions of NFL teams and players protesting during the national anthem during football on Sunday and preview tomorrow’s special election in Alabama.

Guests:

Caroline Heldman, associate professor of politics at Occidental College and author of the forthcoming book, ‘Protest Politics in the Marketplace: Consumer Activism in the Corporate Age’ (Cornell University Press, 2017); she tweets @carolineheldman

Sean T. Walsh, Republican political analyst and partner at Wilson Walsh Consulting in San Francisco; he is a former adviser to California Governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger and a former White House staffer for Presidents Reagan and H.W. Bush

 

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

North Korea says US ‘declared war’ - the latest in escalating tensions

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US-NKOREA-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho leaves his hotel in New York on September 25, 2017.
US President Donald Trump has "declared a war" on North Korea, the country's foreign minister said Monday while conveying a threat to shoot down US bombers.; Credit: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk®

In the latest installment of the escalating verbal exchanges between the U.S. and North Korea, today North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said Trump’s statements amounted to a declaration of war.  

According to Ri, Pyongyang can respond accordingly, which includes potentially shooting down U.S. bombers, even if they aren’t in North Korea’s territory.

This is a response to Trump’s tweet on Saturday:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won&#39;t be around much longer!</p>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/911789314169823232">September 24, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

What does this latest statement from Pyongyang mean for the U.S.-North Korea relationship?

Guests:

Sung-Yoon Lee, an expert on the Koreas, and a professor in Korean Studies at Tufts University

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Would congestion pricing work to reduce traffic in Los Angeles?

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Traffic fills the 110 freeway during rush hour on May 7, 2001, in downtown Los Angeles, CA.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

AirTalk®

From pollution to frustration, the toll of dealing with L.A. traffic is high, but would you be willing to pay a toll in the form of congestion pricing to reduce it?

That’s the idea floated this month by the Southern California Association of Governments, a planning agency that wants to workshop ways to reduce traffic in LA, including the hotly contested idea of de-congestion fees – essentially, charging drivers to use streets in congested zones during peak traffic periods. The idea is to incentivize the use of alternate means of transit, to raise money for infrastructure and to ultimately reduce the amount of hours Angelenos spend in their cars.  

Over the weekend, this idea has been endorsed by the Los Angeles Times editorial board, which cites the success of cities such as Stockholm, London and Singapore. But there’s been pushback critiquing the feasibility of the idea, as well as whether L.A.’s public transit is a viable alternative to driving, concerns that tolls would further economic inequity and the transitional pains of implementing such a system.

Would you switch to alternate means of transit to avoid paying a traffic toll? Do you think decongestion fees would work to reduce traffic in Los Angeles or would they be an unnecessary economic burden on lower-income drivers?  

 

Guests:

Michael Manville, assistant professor of urban planning at UCLA; his research focuses on transportation, land use and local public finance

Felix Salmon, financial journalist and host and editor of Cause & Effect, a a forthcoming podcast about philanthropy and activism from Fusion Media Group; he tweets @felixsalmon

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

With a growing L.A. pot industry, where will recreational users be allowed to consume?

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US-DRUG-CLUB

Bert De Loera smokes marijuana at the launch of Privee Social Club, an exclusive cannabis users club, on March 23, 2017 in the Venice section of Los Angeles,California. ; Credit: DAVID MCNEW/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk®

The city of Los Angeles is considering rules to accommodate the recreational marijuana industry, and that’s leading to big questions on where people will be allowed to smoke or consume pot.

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the city has not allowed the building of cafes or lounges for pot consumption, at least not yet. Marijuana advocates are worried that this decision would leave a potentially booming tourist influx and renters without a place for legal use. Additionally, current draft regulations prohibit consumption inside cannabis businesses. It’s also not permitted to smoke in public places including hotels, cars and outside. People can use marijuana on private property, but if you’re a renter and your landlord does not allow smoking of any kind, under federal law, you can be evicted.

So what are the nuances of recreational marijuana use as laws change in the L.A. and across California? And where do you think people should be allowed to smoke?

Guests:

Emily Alpert Reyes, reporter covering City Hall for the Los Angeles Times, and author of the recent article, “L.A. is set to be a hot market for marijuana sales. But there might not be many places to smoke it

Pamela Epstein, cannabis attorney and owner and founder of Green Wise Consulting in L.A., a firm that assists cannabis businesses on regulations

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

What does Fido want? This neuroscientist puts animals in an MRI scanner to find out

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BRITAIN-FESTIVAL-OFFBEAT-DOGS-PUGS

Pug dogs and their owners arrive at PugFest Manchester, a festival celebrating pugs and pug cross dogs, held at MediaCityUK in Salford, Greater Manchester, northern England on July 16, 2017.; Credit: OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk®

Have you ever wondered how your dog feels about you? Does your dog love you for the food you provide, or do you both share an emotional connection?

These questions fascinated Gregory Berns, a neuroscientist at Emory University, after his beloved pug “Newton” died. And after five years of research, Berns and his team have some answers. In his new book, “What It’s Like to Be a Dog,” Berns takes a deep dive into the brains of dogs – along with many other animals – to provide insight and raise awareness of the mental lives of these animals.

Guest:

Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, where he also directs the Center for Neuropolicy and Facility for Education and Research in Neuroscience; author of “What It’s Like to Be a Dog: And Other Adventures in Animal Neuroscience” (Basic Books, 2017); he tweets @gberns

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

DOJ alleges fraud against NCAA basketball programs, apparel partners

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GERMANY-ECONOMY-OLY-ADIDAS

The logo of German sport brand Adidas is pictured on waving flags in front of the Adidas Headquarter in Herzogenaurach. An Adidas manager has been implicated in a bribery investigation involving recruitment efforts.; Credit: LUKAS BARTH/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk®

On Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced fraud, bribery and conspiracy charges against 10 people – coaches at top NCAA basketball programs, financial advisers, managers and sportswear company representatives.

Three different criminal complaints were unveiled today, targeting schemes in which apparel representatives paid bribes in order to direct athletes into particular schools, apparel contracts and advisory deals. These charges are the result of a 3-year investigation into criminal activity within NCAA basketball. The apparel company Adidas and the University of Southern California were among the institutions implicated.

We talk to Wall Street Journal reporter Rebecca Davis O’Brien, who just comes from the Department of Justice press conference, with the latest details on the allegations.  

Guest:

Rebecca Davis O'Brien, she covers white-collar law enforcement for The Wall Street Journal, where she has also covered sports and New York City courts

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.


What environmentalists, developers are saying as Newhall Ranch gets a new city

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Santa Clarita Angeles National Forest

Santa Clarita as seen from the Angeles National Forest. Newhall Ranch will be located on undeveloped land in the Santa Clarita Valley.; Credit: Photo by Jeff Turner via Flickr / Creative Commons

AirTalk®

An historic deal was made Monday when environmental groups agreed to let developers move forward with plans for a new city at Newhall Ranch.

The Newhall Ranch project was originally proposed in the 1980s, but its opposition has arguably been the biggest obstacle to development in one of the only undeveloped areas in L.A. County. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the city will accommodate 58,000 residents in the Santa Clarita Valley. This new city is expected to make a dent in L.A.’s growing housing crisis, adding more affordable options to the Northern part of the county including Lancaster and Palmdale. FivePoint Holdings, the company behind the Newhall Ranch development will provide about $25 million to conservation efforts to preserve endangered species along the Santa Clarita River. 

So what does this mean for housing in L.A. and what are environmentalists saying in the wake of the deal?

Guests:

Dan Gluesenkamp, executive director of The California Native Plant Society, a conservation group based in Sacramento that is part of the $25-million deal

Lynne Plambeck, president of the Santa Clarita Organization for Planning and the Environment, a community environmental organization in the Santa Clarita Valley

Stuart Gabriel, professor of finance and director of the Ziman Center for Real Estate at UCLA

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Entrepreneurs and economists dissect downward trend in entrepreneurship in SoCal and nationwide

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TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2017 - Day 2

Co-Founder and CEO of Nexla Saket Saurabh and VP of Business at Nexla Jarah Euston speak onstage during Startup Battlefield TechCrunch Disrupt NY on May 16, 2017 in New York City. Recent research has shown a significant decline in start-up and entrepreneurial ventures.; Credit: Noam Galai/Getty Images for TechCrunch

AirTalk®

Despite the U.S. economy’s steady improvement since the end of The Great Recession, new data from the Census Bureau suggests that the United States is seeing a significant decline in start-ups from previous years.

The reason for the drop? That depends who you ask. Some economists say it’s because the massive companies that dominate different sectors of the market are so big that they can either swallow up or completely disregard any competition. Some point to the aging Baby Boomer generation, meaning there are simply fewer Americans who are around the prime age to start a business. Others say there’s simply less access to capital -- banks are lending less and venture capitalists are turning their attention away from funding brand new businesses and toward investing in businesses that are already growing and excelling. And still others say that increased regulation at the state and federal level is scaring off would-be entrepreneurs from starting a company.

What do you think is fueling the decline in entrepreneurship across the country? Are we seeing similar trends in Southern California? What could be done to change this trend?

Guests:

Robert “Bob” Litan, adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; economist and antitrust lawyer

Vincent McCoy, executive director of the Inland Empire Small Business Development Center

Susie Pryor, associate director of the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship and associate professor of entrepreneurship at Cal State San Bernardino

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

In the aftermath of Maria, a look at U.S. federal aid to Puerto Rico

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At nightfall a man tries to clean the yard next to his house damaged by Hurricane Maria in Juana Matos, Catano, Puerto Rico, on September 26, 2017.; Credit: HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk®

Headlines and photos coming out of Puerto Rico show a bleak future.

Power is still out in much of the U.S. territory due to Hurricane Maria and it’s unclear when that will be resolved. As POLITICO reports, Gov. Ricardo Rossello has called this the “biggest catastrophe” in its history, and after hurricanes in Texas and Florida, it’s difficult to say how much funding will be allocated for the damage done to the island.

President Trump spoke about the disaster on Tuesday at the White House. He agreed to boost funds to the territory, and will visit both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands next week. He also said his administration has been great with its response to hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and Maria will be no different.

The president had also tweeted about the damage from Maria, saying that Puerto Rico had problems long before the hurricane added to the devastation. Critics of Trump’s comments are taking that as misplaced blame. And the differences between rebuilding efforts between U.S. territories and states have come to the fore.

So what are the differences in how Puerto Rico, Texas and Florida have been handled after these natural disasters?

Guests:

Will Grant, a correspondent for the BBC who was in San Juan, Puerto Rico, covering Hurricane Maria; he left the territory on Monday; he tweets @will_grant

Jacqueline Klimas, defense reporter for POLITICO; she authored the recent article, “In Puerto Rico, another desperate plea for help

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

How much stock do you take in Amazon reviews?

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In accordance with a court ruling, Amazon has begun offering refunds for certain unauthorized, in-app purchases made by children.

A report from ReviewMedia questions the validity of Amazon reviews.; Credit: LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk®

Amazon has been taking strides to keep people from posting fake reviews on its site.

But according to a report from ReviewMeta, which uses an algorithm and statistical modeling to measure the validity of online reviews, less trustworthy or “unnatural” reviews have been showing up for products sold on Amazon since June. As reported by Forbes, Amazon has banned most products with “incentivized reviews,” meaning reviewers write about products that have been given to them for free.

So how can you tell which online reviews are honest? Do you still take stock in online reviews, and if not, how do you decide on what to buy?

Guest:

Spencer Soper, Seattle-based e-commerce reporter at Bloomberg; one of the companies he reports closely on is Amazon

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A look ahead on the economic impact of Trump’s tax plan

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President Trump Speaks On Tax Reform In Springfield, Missouri

U.S. President Donald Trump gives remarks during an appearance at the Loren Cook Company on August 30, 2017 in Springfield Missouri.; Credit: Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images

AirTalk®

President Trump and Republican leaders have drawn up a tax plan.

As NPR reports, the plan is set to be the most sweeping overhaul of the tax code in 30 years. Aiming to boost the economy, this will include deep cuts to individual and corporate tax rates. Trump will promote the plan Wednesday, on the fairgrounds of Indiana State University.

Larry speaks to economists today to learn more about the ins and outs of the plan.

Guests:

Anna Edgerton, Congressional reporter at Bloomberg; she tweets @annaedge4

Harry Stein, director of fiscal policy at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning research think tank; he tweets @HarrySteinDC

Romina Boccia, deputy director of the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank; she focuses on government spending and the national debt; she tweets @RominaBoccia

Kyle Pomerleau, economist and director of federal projects at the Tax Foundation, where he oversees the center’s research; he tweets @kpomerleau

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

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