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Ammo in the car, hotel rooms in Chicago: the latest on the Vegas shooting investigation

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Las Vegas Mourns After Largest Mass Shooting In U.S. History

Police tape blocks an entrance at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Caisno on October 4, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.; Credit: David Becker/Getty Images

AirTalk®

Investigations continue into the motives and details surrounding Stephen Paddock, the Las Vegas shooter.

On Tuesday, his girlfriend returned to the U.S. from the Philippines and told investigators she had no idea of plans for the massacre. It’s come to light that Paddock had booked hotel rooms in August in Chicago that faced the Lollapalooza music festival, though it’s still unclear for what purpose.  

It’s also now thought that Paddock wanted to create even more damage Sunday. 1,600 rounds of ammunition and explosive substances were found in the car he had left in the hotel parking lot. He had also shot at jet fuel tanks from his hotel room, though the shots did not cause a fire or explosion.

We get the latest of the last 24 hours.

Guest:

Matt Pearce, national reporter for the Los Angeles Times; he tweets @mattdpearce

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


Should Uber and Lyft drivers be required to do biometric testing for background checks?

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Uber Loses Its Private Hire Licence In London

In this Photo Illustration, a phone displays the Uber ride-hailing app on September 22, 2017 in London, England.; Credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images

AirTalk®

State regulators will not require Uber and Lyft drivers to do biometric background checks, such as fingerprinting, a subject that’s been hotly debated by taxi groups and the rideshare companies.

What remains in place in California are commercial background checks accredited by an industry association and annual screenings. The California Public Utilities Commission, which oversees ride-hailing companies, is declining to require biometric screening. Taxi drivers must do biometric testing and have expressed safety concerns over the lack of biometric background checks with Uber and Lyft.

The ridesharing companies have argued that another layer of background checks will not offer more safety to passengers. What do you think of biometric background checks? Do you think Uber and Lyft should do more to ensure passenger safety?

Guests:

Dave Sutton, spokesperson for Who’s Driving You?, a public safety campaign on behalf of the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association

Harry Campbell, Uber and Lyft driver and founder of theRideShareGuy.com, a blog and podcast for rideshare drivers; he tweets @TheRideShareGuy

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

GOP and NRA turn on the bump stock: the politics and mechanics of gun modifications

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Congress Debates Sale Of Bump Stock Devices After Las Vegas Mass Shooting

A bump stock device (right), that fits on a semi-automatic rifle to increase the firing speed, making it similar to a fully automatic rifle, is shown next to a AK-47 semi-automatic rifle (left) at a gun store on October 5, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah.; Credit: George Frey/Getty Images

AirTalk®

In the wake of the shooting in Vegas, congressional Republicans said Wednesday they’d consider banning the bump stock – the attachment used by the gunman in Vegas, which allows semiautomatic rifles to fire more quickly.

The NRA followed suit, calling for a federal review of the modification and suggesting that further regulations on bump stocks might be needed, though lobbying group Gun Owners of America has continued to oppose the ban.

In addition to the shifting politics over the gun modification conversation, we’ll also take a closer look at the modifications themselves. Is there a legitimate use of the trigger crank and the bump stock for gun owners? If these modifications are taken off the market, is there a black market that fills the gap? Are there other unregulated gun attachments that effectively turn semiautomatics into automatic weapons?

Guests:

Mike DeBonis, reporter covering Congress and national politics for the Washington Post; he’s been following the story; he tweets @mikedebonis

Christopher Dergregorian, partner and COO of Omni Sentry Security, a full-service security firm located in Van Nuys; he is a certified NRA instructor

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

Another dean out at USC med school – this time, over a long-settled sexual harassment claim

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USC Keck School of Medicine; Credit: Aaron Logan/Flickr Creative Commons

AirTalk®

USC is once again looking to fill the top spot at its medical school for the second time in less than two years.

Dr. Rohit Varma has been dismissed as dean of the medical school, as the Los Angeles Times was preparing to publish an investigation over a sexual harassment settlement that involved Varma and a female researcher at the university.

Varma was appointed to replace Dr. Carmen Puliafito, who resigned last year amid a widening scandal over his hard-partying ways as the then dean of the medical school.

In 2003, USC settled a complaint filed by a medical school fellow who accused Varma – then an assistant professor – of sexually harassing her during a work-related trip. According to the Times, which obtained confidential personnel records pertaining to the case, Varma was formally disciplined for his actions.

Despite the incident, Varma was soon promoted to full professor and continued to rise through the ranks to eventually become dean of the medical school.

Given the sexual harassment settlement that took place almost 15 years ago, should USC not have considered Varma as dean of the medical school?

Guest:

Paul Pringle, LA Times reporter who co-wrote the piece looking at the sexual harassment settlement involving Varma

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

Week in politics: Forecasting the possibility of a DACA deal, plus Trump admin continues to feud with GOP, NFL

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US President Donald J. Trump travels to North Carolina for a pair of fund raising events

President Donald Trump speaks to the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on October 7, 2017 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Pool/Getty Images

AirTalk®

After seeming to go back and forth whether or not a deal had been reached between the White House and Democratic Congressional leaders on a deal that would provide protections for so-called Dreamers, the Trump administration on Sunday gave Congress a list of immigration measures it wants in exchange for any deal to protect them.

Minority leaders in the House and Senate have said the demands, which include funding for the president’s border wall, are non-starters.

On Monday morning, Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt announced that the Trump administration would be ending the Obama-era restrictions on coal-fired power plants, aimed at cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions. The president has been a cheerleader for the coal industry and has spoken in the past of his desire to roll back environmental protection laws that his predecessor signed.

Over the weekend, President Trump commandeered the spotlight once again. He publicly lashed out at Tennessee Republican Senator Bob Corker in a tweet saying that Corker “begged” him to endorse him for re-election and that he said no. Corker fired back, referring to the White House as an ‘adult day care center.’ Then, after Vice President Mike Pence walked out of an NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts because of players taking a knee during the national anthem, the president tweeted that he had directed Pence to leave if players knelt.

We’ll also look at the chances and implications of the White House possibly decertifying the Iran deal this week, the president’s cryptic ‘calm before the storm’ comment during a meeting with military leaders, and the reports of discord between the president and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Guests:

Laura Litvan, Congressional reporter for Bloomberg News; she tweets @LauraLitvan

Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist and founder and chief executive officer of Rodriguez Strategies; he is also a former senior Obama advisor in 2008; he tweets @RodStrategies

Sean T. Walsh, Republican political analyst and partner at Wilson Walsh Consulting in San Francisco; 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.

In light of Harvey Weinstein’s firing, how could Hollywood’s exploitative culture change?

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Opening Ceremony And 'Lion' Premiere - 12th Zurich Film Festival

Harvey Weinstein attends the 'Lion' premiere and opening ceremony of the 12th Zurich Film Festival at Kino Corso on September 22, 2016.; Credit: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

AirTalk®

Harvey Weinstein was officially fired from his company as of Sunday after a New York Times investigative story broke about allegations of sexual harassment.

Though his behavior has been described as Hollywood’s worst kept secret, it doesn't take much digging to divulge allegations of similar behavior by his peers in the industry. There was a 2014 sex abuse case against “X-Men” director Bryan Singer, and the term “casting couch” is synonymous with the culture between actors hungry for a role, and directors and producers having the power to open that door. While Weinstein is the big story now, we have yet to see if the repercussions for him will change the industry, and sexual harassment is only one way those at the top exercise power.

How do you think the entertainment industry could change exploitative behavior?

Guest:

Peter Bart, editor-at-large at Deadline Hollywood; he was editor-in-chief of Variety for 20 years (1989-2009)

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

How Dianne Feinstein’s re-election bid encapsulates the divide within the Democratic Party

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Senate Lawmakers Speak To Press After Weekly Policy Luncheons

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) talks with reporters as she heads for her party's weekly policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol May 16, 2017 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

AirTalk®

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has announced today that she will seek a sixth term in the U.S. Senate.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I am running for reelection to the Senate. Lots more to do: ending gun violence, combating climate change, access to healthcare. I’m all in!</p>&mdash; Dianne Feinstein (@DianneFeinstein) <a href="https://twitter.com/DianneFeinstein/status/917389235145117696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2017</a></blockquote>

She would be running for her fifth full term. She joined the Senate in 1992 after winning a special election. She had a serious challenge in 1994 from wealthy GOP Rep. Michael Huffington but has cruised since.

The 84-year-old’s announcement comes at a moment of soul searching for the Democratic Party, after the GOP swept both chambers of Congress and won the presidential election in November. Both in California and on a national level, progressives have wanted the Democratic Party to align its platform toward the agenda set forth by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

Should Feinstein run again and is her age a concern? Is her political experience and bipartisan approach needed more than ever today? Or should younger blood be nurtured for the sustainability of the Democratic Party?

With files from the Associated Press

Guests:

Caroline Heldman, associate professor of politics at Occidental College and author of the book, “Protest Politics in the Marketplace: Consumer Activism in the Corporate Age” (Cornell University Press, 2017)

Larry Gerston, a professor emeritus of political science at San Jose State University and author of many books, including “Not So Golden After All: The Rise and Fall of California” (CRC Press, 2012)

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

Who is the LA Times’s new editor in chief?

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The Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times building in downtown L.A.; Credit: Mae Ryan/KPCC

AirTalk®

The Los Angeles Times has named a veteran journalist responsible for bringing a print-centric Forbes magazine into the digital era.

Lewis D’Vorkin will start his new gig at the Times on Nov. 1. In addition to overhauling Forbes, he had worked at AOL, the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and the New York Times. He first clocked time at Forbes between 1996 and 2000, then returned at 2010 to usher in a series of digital changes to the magazine.

Now, D’Vorkin is hoping to bring his experience to Los Angeles’s paper of record. Joining Larry to discuss this appointment is longtime LA Times observer Ken Doctor.

Guest:

Ken Doctor, media analyst who focuses on the transformation of consumer media in the digital age; author of “Newsonomics: Twelve New Trends That Will Shape the News You Get” (St. Martin’s Press, 2010)

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


What’s the future of Gov. Jerry Brown’s delta tunnel project?

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California Levee System Vulnerable To Natural Disasters

A fisherman casts his line into the Sacramento River in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta on September 29, 2005. ; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

Sharon McNary | AirTalk®

The fate of a project that could cost Southern California water consumers billions of dollars hangs on a vote Tuesday at the Metropolitan Water District.

It’s the California Water Fix. A $17-billion plan championed by Gov. Jerry Brown to build giant water tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. It would change how Northern California water is conveyed to the southern part of the state.

Who votes on the project? Read the full story here.

The MWD board meeting with the vote will be at noon.

Guests:

Sharon McNary, KPCC’s infrastructure reporter who’s been following the story; she’s reporting from the Metropolitan Water District board meeting

Eric Bergh, manager of resources at Calleguas Municipal Water District, which imports and distributes water to most of Ventura County; his focus includes environmental review, developer fees and conservation

Jeffrey Michael, executive director, Center for Business and Policy Research, at the University of the Pacific in Sacramento, where he focuses on environmental economics and regional economic forecasting

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

A futurist and a skeptic teleport into a bar: Forecasting the future of transportation and personal mobility

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AUSTRALIA-US-SPACE-AEROSPACE-MARS-MUSK-SPACEX

Billionaire entrepreneur and founder of SpaceX Elon Musk speaks in below a computer generated illustration of his new rocket at the 68th International Astronautical Congress 2017 in Adelaide on September 29, 2017.; Credit: PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk®

Over the last several decades, pop culture has taken innumerable shots at depicting what the future of transportation looked like, whether it’s the pneumatic tubes that move people around as depicted in The Simpsons creator Matt Groening’s TV satire ‘Futurama,’ hovering skateboards like the ones in Back To The Future 2, flying cars from The Jetsons, or even teleportation as depicted in shows like Star Trek.

But how does getting from point A to point B realistically look in 50 or 100 years?

During a recent presentation at the International Aeronautical Congress in Australia, tech magnate Elon Musk shared his plans for one futuristic mode of transportation – a rocket transport system, currently dubbed ‘BFR,’ that would launch passengers into space and drop them gently at their desired location. Musk says the rocket could go about 16,000 mph, which would make a trip from New York City to Shanghai, China take 39 minutes. Whether Musk’s vision is one day realized or not remains to be seen, as several questions about logistics and target market remain, but Musk and others at the cutting edge of transportation and tech are forcing the rest of us to think seriously about how we get around a century from now.

How do you think humans will be getting around in 50 years? 100 years? Taking off your realist cap and using a bit of imagination, what innovations would you ideally like to see in transportation and personal mobility? Are flying cars an actual possibility or just pie in the sky? What about a tube-based people mover like Elon Musk’s Hyperloop?

Guests:

John W. Martin, futurist and CEO and managing partner at SIR, a market research consultancy based in Richmond, Virginia; he is also founder and CEO of SIR’s Institute for Tomorrow, a think-tank looking at demographic and cultural trends shaping America’s future

Michael Shermer, founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, a monthly columnist for Scientific American and a presidential fellow at Chapman University

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

A look at damage as fires hit Orange County, Northern California

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TOPSHOT-US-WILDFIRES-CALIFORNIA

Firefighters assess the scene as a house burns in the Napa wine region of California on October 9, 2017, as multiple wind-driven fires continue to ravage the area burning structures and causing widespread evacuations. ; Credit: JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk®

Mass evacuations have hit Anaheim Hills and Orange residents as a brush fire rages through the area.

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, 24 structures were destroyed due to a blaze that broke around 9:20 a.m. Monday near the 91 Freeway and Gypsum Canyon Road. The fire also spread to the 241 toll road. Meanwhile, in the North Bay, firestorms have continued to rip through the Napa and Sonoma counties since early Monday, hitting Santa Rosa the hardest in what is its county’s worst natural disaster yet.

So what’s the scene on the ground where these fires are spreading? And what is the expected damage? Larry speaks to reporters on the ground in Santa Rosa and Orange County for the latest.

Guests:

Jill Replogle, KPCC’s Orange County Reporter; she’s reporting in Orange below the Anaheim Hills; she tweets @jillrep

Alicia Robinson, staff writer for Southern California News Group who’s been following the story; she’s reporting from an evacuation center at El Modena High School in Orange; she tweets @ARobWriter

Jonathan Cox, battalion chief at State of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection; he is also a public information officer with CAL FIRE's Communications Office; he tweets @firechiefcox

Randi Rossmann, staff reporter at Santa Rosa’s Press Democrat who has been following the story; she tweets @rossmannreport

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

Sheriff watchdog: agency was sharing inmate info with ICE

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AirTalk®

A report released Monday from the independent watchdog agency for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department alleges the department has been allowing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to have access to information about soon-to-be-released inmates, despite the narrative given to members of the public that its interaction and cooperation with ICE was limited.

Los Angeles County Inspector General Max Huntsman’s office, which compiled the report for the Sheriff’s Civilian Oversight Committee at the request of the County Board of Supervisors, says that ICE agents were seen communicating directly with LASD staff about inmates that were going to be released and that they got access to LASD’s inmate processing facility, which the IG’s office says gave them a continuous stream of information.

Sheriff McDonnell said in a letter to IG Huntsman that LASD’s statements suggesting the department does not provide ICE agents with lists of inmates being released were not accurate. He says that the information sharing has ceased since the release of the IG’s report.

AirTalk reached out to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, the Inspector General’s Office and the Civilian Oversight Commission, but none were able to provide someone for comment, though LASD did send us the below letter in response to the report:

 

Guest:

Joel Rubin, reporter for the L.A. Times covering federal courts and agencies; he tweets @joelrubin

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

Where do you stand on NFL commissioner’s anthem demands?

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Philadelphia Eagles v Los Angeles Chargers

Commissioner of the NFL Roger Goodell signs autographs for fans prior to a game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Chargers at StubHub Center on October 1, 2017 in Carson, California.; Credit: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

AirTalk®

On Tuesday, commissioner of the National Football League Roger Goodell wrote a letter to all 32 football teams saying he thought NFL players should stand for the anthem.  

“The current dispute over the National Anthem is threatening to erode the unifying power of our game, and is now dividing us, and our players, from many fans across the country…Like many of our fans, we believe that everyone should stand for the National Anthem,” wrote Goodell, in a letter obtained by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Goodell also said he was working on a plan that would promote the work of players on social issues. This plan, as well as whether there will be an NFL rule change requiring players to stand for the national anthem, are to be discussed at the previously scheduled meeting next Tuesday.

Should there be a rule requiring NFL players to stand during the anthem? What compromise should the League propose to satisfy players and viewers? Will this allow us to move past a symbolic rift into more meaningful conversation or is this a bellwether for further divisions within the NFL?

Guests:

Mike Tanier, NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report; he tweets @MikeTanier

N. Jeremi Duru, a professor at American University who teaches sports law, civil procedure, and employment discrimination; author of “Sports Law and Regulation: Cases and Materials” (Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory, 2013)

Jeffrey Hirsch, associate dean for strategy and distinguished professor of law at the University of North Carolina School of Law; he is also a contributing editor of the Workplace Prof Blog

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

Fans mourn as US men’s soccer suffers worst loss in decades

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Trinidad & Tobago v United States  - FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifier

Christian Pulisic of the United States mens national team reacts to their loss to Trinidad and Tobago during the FIFA World Cup Qualifier match between Trinidad and Tobago at the Ato Boldon Stadium on October 10, 2017 in Couva, Trinidad And Tobago.; Credit: Ashley Allen/Getty Images

AirTalk®

With an eighth consecutive World Cup in sight, the U.S. has now been sacked from the qualifiers. Embarrassingly.

Last night’s play-by-play against Trinidad and Tobago ended in a crushing 2-1 defeat, just one point shy of getting the draw needed to advance forward.

It’s no secret that American soccer players struggle in a two-class system, with top salaries and attention having gone to foreign players for decades. But what cost the U.S. World Cup entry for the first time since 1986? We check in with two sports journalists to give us the breakdown of what happened, and what this means for the future of stateside football.

Guests:

Avi Creditor, soccer editor for SportsIllustrated.com; he tweets @AviCreditor

Jeré Longman, sports writer who covers international sports for New York Times; he reports mostly on Olympic sports and soccer; he’s been following the story

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

What? Really? Amazon wants to deliver packages to your car’s trunk

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Daimler Presents New Smart Cars

Amazon is in talks with Phrame, a startup that makes "smart" license plates, to develop a system where packages are delivered directly into your car's trunk.; Credit: Adam Berry/Getty Images

AirTalk®

File this idea under the category of “what could possibly go wrong." Amazon is apparently in talks with a startup to deliver packages to the trunk of your car and the inside of your home – while you are not there.

Amazon, of course, also floated the idea of using drones to deliver packages. The company tested the concept last year, which was met with obvious challenges.

The world of tech is about taking seemingly unfathomable ideas and making them indispensable to everyday life. Amazon, after all, has revolutionized commerce. But the line between innovation and dumb is fine. Remember the spectacular rise and fall of Juicero, the $400 internet-connected juicer?

What are some of the dumbest tech ideas you have heard? What seemingly dumb tech ideas that have actually succeeded?

Guest:

Edmund Lee, managing editor of Recode, a technology media news site; he tweets @edmundlee

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


‘Zero percent contained’: Latest on Sonoma and Napa fires

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TOPSHOT-US-WILDFIRES-CALIFORNIA

An inmate firefighter monitors flames as a house burns in the Napa wine region in California on October 9, 2017, as multiple wind-driven fires continue to whip through the region.; Credit: JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk®

As wildfires continue to burn into their third day in Northern California, consistent high winds continue to create trouble for fire crews battling the flames that have overtaken some parts of the Golden State’s famed wine country north of San Francisco, reducing entire subdivisions and neighborhoods to ash, burning over 100,000 acres, displacing thousands, and killing at least 17 people.

Fire officials are trying to get ahead of the wildfires during the day on Wednesday with weather forecasts of strong winds overnight and heading into Thursday morning that could spread cinders. Evacuations continue across the affected counties.

Larry checks in with CAL FIRE and reporters covering this developing story in NorCal to hear the challenges firefighters are facing and the human impact of the fires.

Guests:

Jonathan Cox, battalion chief at State of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection; he is also a public information officer with CAL FIRE's Communications Office; he tweets @firechiefcox

Randi Rossmann, staff reporter at Santa Rosa’s Press Democrat who has been following the story; she tweets @rossmannreport

Sean Scully, editor at Napa Valley Register who’s been following the story; he tweets @NVReditor

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

So, did Catalonia actually declare independence or not?

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SPAIN-POLITICS-CATALONIA-INDEPENDENCE-PARLIAMENT

Catalan regional government president Carles Puigdemont arrives to address the Catalan regional parliament in Barcelona on October 10, 2017.; Credit: PAU BARRENA/AFP/Getty Images

AirTalk®

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said today that Spain could limit or rescind Catalan autonomy if the region moves forward with its proposed secession.

The prime minister’s remarks marked the first time that Rajoy has hinted at enforcing a section of the Spanish Constitution that allows the government to assert control over its regions.

The response came after Catalan president Carles Puigdemont’s announcement yesterday that he will proceed with Catalan independence following the disputed secession referendum Catalonia held on Oct. 1. During this speech, Puigdemont also added that independence would be suspended for several weeks in order to facilitate negotiations with Spain, sparking much confusion as to whether the region is seceding at all.

Joining Larry to discuss the situation in Catalonia is the New York Times’ Patrick Kingsley.

With files from the Associated Press

Guest:

Patrick Kingsley, international correspondent for the New York Times

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

Evacuations expand: the latest on Northern CA fires

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Multiple Wildfires Continue To Ravage Through California Wine Country

An officer talks to people who had been hoping to be escorted to pick up possessions from their homes inside an evacuation zone on October 11, 2017 in Napa, California.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

AirTalk®

Gusting winds and dry air forecast for Thursday could drive the next wave of devastating wildfires that are already well on their way to becoming the deadliest and most destructive in California history.

Winds up to 45 mph were expected to pummel areas north of San Francisco, where at least 23 people have died and at least 3,500 homes and businesses have been destroyed. These conditions could erase modest gains made by firefighters.

Entire cities had evacuated in anticipation of the next round of flames, their streets empty, the only motion coming from ashes falling like snowflakes.

In Calistoga, a historic resort town known for wine tastings and hot springs, 5,300 people were under evacuation orders. Tens of thousands more have been driven from their homes by the flames. A few left behind cookies for firefighters and signs reading, "Please save our home!"

The 22 fires, many out of control, spanned more than 265 square miles (686 square kilometers) as the inferno entered its fourth day.  

With files from the Associated Press

With guest host Libby Denkmann.  

Guest:

Josh Rubenstein, public information officer, Cal Fire

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

Harvey Weinstein and the seeming intractability of the ‘open secret’

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'The Immigrant' Premiere - The 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival

Harvey Weinstein attends the 'The Immigrant' premiere during The 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals on May 24, 2013 in Cannes, France.; Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

AirTalk®

“Open secret” is one term that has been used over and over again to describe disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein’s behaviors.

As more women speak up about how they were harassed– and in some cases, assaulted– by Weinstein, the fact that what he did was widely known and unexposed has become as unfathomable as the revelations themselves.

How could behaviors as damaging as those perpetrated by Weinstein and by media power players like Roger Ailes and Bill O’Reilly become buried for so long, and why? As revelations of sexual harassment in different industries – from Fox News, to Hollywood, to Silicon Valley – come to the fore, do you feel more empowered to speak out about exploitative behaviors in your workplace?  

In a Time magazine essay, actor Mira Sorvino has detailed why she decided to speak out in a New Yorker article about her experiences with Weinstein and has issued a call to action for other women to follow suit, whatever industry they are in. How have the Weinstein revelations impacted you?

Call us at 866.893.5722.

With guest host Libby Denkmann.  

Guest:

Kim Elsesser, author of the book, “Sex and the Office” (Taylor Trade Publishing, 2015); lecturer at UCLA, where she teaches courses on gender in the workplace

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

CA DMV hits the gas on getting driverless cars on the roads by 2018, releases new regulations

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Continental AG Showcases New Automotive Technologies

A driver presents a Cruising Chauffeur, a hands free self-driving system designed for motorways during a media event by Continental to showcase new automotive technologies on June 20, 2017 in Hannover, Germany.; Credit: Alexander Koerner/Getty Images

AirTalk®

Are California freeways ready for driverless cars with no one behind the wheel?

The California Department of Motor Vehicles is continuing with its push to have fully autonomous vehicles on the road in the Golden State as early as June of next year, releasing a revised set of regulations for driverless car operation in the state on Wednesday. The regulations, originally proposed in March, will be up for a 15 day public comment period before being submitted to the state government.

California’s current rules require a licensed driver to be in the driver’s seat while autonomous vehicles are being tested, a rule that some say is too stringent. The new regulations would relax that rule, but require any driverless car manufacturers to prove they’re meeting federal benchmarks and that any files that federal regulators get on testing also go to the DMV. Companies testing driverless cars would have to notify the local government anywhere they plan to test. The new regulations do not allow for large driverless trucks because the DMV says vehicles over 10,000 lbs. will need their own set of regulations.

What’s your take on the new regulations? Do they go far enough? Do they go too far? Based on these regulations and what we know about advances in autonomous vehicle tech, how safe do you think you’d feel sharing the road with a car that doesn’t have anyone at the wheel?

With guest host Libby Denkmann.  

Guests:

Ashley Z. Hand, co-founder of CityFi, a company that focuses on the integration of technology in the urban environment; formerly served as the transportation technology strategist for the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation, and developed public policy for shared mobility, automated vehicles and other technologies; she tweets @azhandkc

John M. Simpson, director of the Privacy Project at Consumer Watchdog,  a consumer advocacy organization based in Santa Monica

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

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