Passengers board Metrolink subway trains during rush hour on June 3, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

Metro CEO Phil Washington returns for his recurring update with Larry Mantle. Topics include:

• Dwindling Metro ridership and possible solutions

• The new opening date for the Regional Connector

• A brief recap of Metro manners

• Information on the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor project and its effect on local businesses

• Outline and information on the Metro Bike Hub

• How to curb the aging Metro train cars

• Status of the Purple Line’s upgrades and the Arts District dilemma

• How Metro plans on navigate city zoning and development issues that impact transit in light of the Expo plan

• Whether funding for the last phase of the Purple Line subway will be included in the reconciled federal spending bill

• 28 projects by the 2028 Olympics

Guest:

Phil Washington, CEO of Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro)

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

A woman checks her cell phone as she waits in line to enter the U.S. Supreme Court to view a hearing November 29, 2017 in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear Carpenter v. United States today on whether prosecutors violated the Fourth Amendment by collecting a criminal suspect's cellphone location and movement data without a warrant. ; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

What began as a string of armed robberies at Radio Shack and T-Mobile stores in Michigan and Ohio has evolved into what many legal scholars are saying will be a landmark case involving digital privacy and the ability of government agencies to access data tracked by mobile phones.

Oral arguments in Carpenter v. United States were heard this morning at the High Court. The case involves Timothy Ivory Carpenter, said to be the brains behind the string of robberies and a lookout during the commission of the crimes. Prosecutors used months of location tracking data from cell phone records that put Carpenter nearby during the time of the robberies. He was convicted and got 116 years in prison.

Mr. Carpenter’s lawyers and privacy advocates say that police violated the Fourth Amendment when they collected the data law enforcement should need a warrant if they want more than 24 hours of location data from cell phone companies.

Guests:

Michael Price, senior counsel for the Liberty and National Security Program with the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law; he was at the oral arguments for Carpenter v. United States of America Wednesday morning in Washington D.C.

Larry Rosenthal, professor of law at Chapman University and a former federal prosecutor

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

This photo taken on November 28, 2017 and released on November 29, 2017 by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un signing an order document of a test-fire of the inter-continental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15. ; Credit: -/AFP/Getty Images

There’s a lot going on in Washington as a December deadline creeps up on Congress.

As KPCC’s Michelle Faust reports, Congress has already missed a deadline to renew funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and California is on its last leg of funding for the program. It’s expected to lose $2.7 billion if a renewal doesn’t go through.

In other news, President Trump tweeted videos today which many have interpreted as holding anti-Muslim sentiments, Senate Republicans are getting closer to passing a tax plan, and North Korea executed another controversial missile test.

Guests:

Tamara Keith, NPR White House Correspondent and co-host of the NPR Politics Podcast; she’s been following the story

Jim Walsh, Ph.D., international security expert and a research associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Security Studies Program

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

Co-host Matt Lauer appears on NBC's "Today" at the NBC's TODAY Show on August 22, 2014 in New York City.; Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Just a few hours after his “Today” co-hosts announced that Matt Lauer was fired from NBC for allegations of sexual misconduct, Minnesota Public Radio announced that it had fired former host of “A Prairie Home Companion” Garrison Keillor for “allegations of his inappropriate behavior with an individual who worked with him.”

Keillor told the Associated Press that the story is “more complicated than the version MPR heard.”

We follow the latest in the misconduct allegations.

As Lauer’s co-host Savannah Guthrie said this morning, “how do you reconcile your love for someone with the revelation that they have behaved badly?” In light of this news, what do you think? Call us at 866-893-5722.

Guest:

David Folkenflik, media correspondent at NPR (National Public Radio); he tweets @davidfolkenflik

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

With examples of Russian-created Facebook pages behind him, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) questions witnesses during a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing titled 'Extremist Content and Russian Disinformation Online' on Capitol Hill, October 31, 2017 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

In light of criticism over “fake news” posts on social media, Google, Facebook and Twitter announced earlier this month that they will start mark content with “trust indicators” to help users become better informed about the reliability of news feed posts.

The Trust Project, which is behind the indicators, came out of Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. It’s a non-partisan effort to enhance transparency and media literacy in the era of “fake news.” News outlets including Mic, The Economist and The Globe and Mail are partnering with The Trust Project to launch trust indicators on their content.

There are eight guidelines that the project is using to peg a reliable article including author expertise, news outlet standards (who funds them), citations and references and reporting methods. To become a media partner of the project, news outlets must use at least three of the eight guidelines. Facebook test launched a Trust Indicator icon earlier this month, which comes in the form of an icon on the bottom right of articles in its news feed.

But will the public catch on to “trust indicators”? And what responsibility do social media platforms have in pegging real and “fake” news.

Guests:

Cory Haik, publisher of Mic, a news and media company and launch partner of The Trust Project; Haik runs the editorial and product and engineering team, and manages Mic’s content; she tweets @coryhaik

Mike Ananny, communication and journalism assistant professor at USC where his research focus includes new media technologies, digital journalism and press ethics; he tweets @ananny

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

Trucks drive near City Hall to protest shipping container fees being assessed against independent truckers as part of the ports' Clean Truck Program to allow only newer, less-polluting trucks at the ports, on November 13, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

The auto industry has devoted considerable resources in getting self-driving cars on the road.

Google and other auto manufacturers have been testing their autonomous vehicles around the country, and GM has promised this week that its version of the technology will be available to American drivers in the very near future.

But driverless cars are not the only tech car companies are work on. There’s also been a lot of energy in bringing driverless trucks on the road.

In this segment of AirTalk, Larry and technology journalist David Freedman will look at driverless truck technology, and the impact it will have on jobs and society.

Guest:

David H. Freedman, a technology journalist and a contributing editor at The Atlantic; his piece looking at the impact of driverless trucks was recently published in MIT Technology Review

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

NBC Today host Matt Lauer visits NBC's "Today" at Rockefeller Plaza on July 9, 2013 in New York City.; Credit: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images

It’s the second time this month, first with Charlie Rose and now with Matt Lauer, that a prominent male host has been let go from their morning show seat because of sexual assault allegations.

Morning shows have long been an institution of American media and the host-viewer connection can feel like an intimate one, so what do these high-profile departures mean for the morning shows as they continue to battle for the eyeballs of viewers?

The recent revelations of the allegations against Lauer, as detailed in Variety’s recent piece, also raise questions about what management is willing to overlook in order to retain its “talent.” Their depiction is one of Lauer as a star given latitude to mistreat and sexualize co-workers with no consequence.

How can management set boundaries for its talent and create a better work environment? Do you have experience working in an environment where “talent” gets a free-pass?

Guests:

Brian Steinberg, senior TV editor for Variety; he tweets @bristei

Beth Livingston, professor of management and organizations at the University of Iowa

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

A model walks the runway during the NRA Concealed Carry Fashion Show on Friday, August 25, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.; Credit: AFP Contributor/AFP/Getty Images

In light of recent shootings in Las Vegas and Texas, a House committee approved a bill Wednesday to allow people with a permit to carry concealed weapons across state lines.

As the San Francisco Chronicle reports, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, HR38, would allow people from states with and without concealed carry permit laws to bring concealed weapons into states with strict gun laws. Republicans argue that wait time for police during shootings may be cut short if civilians carrying guns could intervene. The GOP bill could get a House vote as soon as next week, according to Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA).

As expected, Democrats including Dianne Feinstein are have challenged the bill, but some Dems facing re-election next year in conservative states could be pressured to vote in favor of HR38. 

If the bill passes, how will it affect states with strict gun control laws like California?

Guests:

Michael Hammond, legislative counsel at Gun Owners of America, a gun rights organization based in Springfield, VA

Lindsay Nichols, federal policy director at Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a gun control organization headquartered in San Francisco

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

Michael Flynn, former national security advisor to President Donald Trump, leaves following his plea hearing at the Prettyman Federal Courthouse December 1, 2017 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

President Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty today for lying to the FBI.

As part of a plea deal, former national security adviser Michael Flynn has admitted that a senior member of the Trump transition team directed him to make contact with Russian officials in December 2016, according to the AP.

ABC News, however, has reported that Flynn actually pointed to President Trump himself as the person that had directed him to reach out to the Russians.

The guilty plea makes the retired Army lieutenant general the first person to have actually worked in the Trump White House to face formal charges in the investigation, which is examining possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign to influence the outcome of the 2016 election.

What are the implications for the ongoing Russian probe?

With files from the Associated Press

Guests:

Jens David Ohlin, vice dean and law professor at Cornell University where he focuses on criminal and international law; he tweets @LieberCode

Laurie L. Levenson, former federal prosecutor and a professor of law at Loyola Law School

David Alan Sklansky,  professor at Stanford Law School and former Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles

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

Jose Ines Garcia Zarate was acquitted Thursday for the death of 32-year-old Kate Steinle, who was shot in 2015 while walking on San Francisco’s Pier 14 with her father and a family friend.; Credit: Pool/Getty Images

After six days of deliberation, San Francisco’s jury acquitted the undocumented immigrant who fired the shot that killed Kathryn Steinle in 2015.

Jose Ines Garcia Zarate was convicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm but did not receive charges of murder or manslaughter. Though the 2015 shooting death of Kate Steinle became a flashpoint in an intense national debate over immigration, the issue was never addressed inside the courtroom.  President Donald Trump called the verdict a "complete travesty of justice."

From the outset, the judge barred any mention of Jose Ines Garcia Zarate's immigration status or the five times he was arrested and deported to Mexico before he came back across the border. The judge said the jury should consider only Garcia Zarate's intentions on the July evening when Steinle was shot.

We discuss the latest on the trial and San Francisco’s reaction, as well as what went on inside the courtroom and why the jury ultimately came to yesterday’s verdict.

With files from the Associated Press

Guests:

Laurie L. Levenson, former federal prosecutor and a professor of law at Loyola Law School

Vivian Ho, reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle who’s been covering the trial and the verdict; she tweets @VivianHo

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

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) talks with reporters after leaving a tax reform news conference in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill November 30, 2017 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

There’s been a lot of criticism in California over the GOP tax bill.

Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin criticized the plan, writing that millions of Angelenos would see a negative economic impact, especially in the form of state and local tax deductions, affordable housing and home ownership.

The bill could be passed as early as Friday. Larry speaks to dueling economists to find out more on how the plan could impact California.

Guests:

Alan Auerbach, professor of economics and law and director of the Center for Tax Policy and Public Finance at UC Berkeley

Wayne Winegarden, senior fellow of business and economics at Pacific Research Institute; a free-market think-tank

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

This photo taken on June 16, 2017 shows four-year-old Arielle Harding sitting on the sofa with her father Tim as he holds a container of medical marijuana at their home in Newcastle, 160km north of Sydney.; Credit: PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images

With Prop 64 passed, making the sale and use of recreational marijuana legal in California, the state has had to make some adjustments.

There have been debates on how to advertise, where to sell and even plans for a “pot theme park.” But with pot officially legal for adult recreational use on Jan. 1 in the state, different family conversations on smoking weed may come to the surface. Parents who partake may have open conversations about pot use in a way they haven’t before.

So what should those discussions consist of? Will talks with your kids about weed be similar to talks about alcohol? What’s the best way to educate teens or small children on recreational marijuana? What questions have your kids brought up and how did you handle that?

AirTalk wants to know how you’ll broach the subject of pot use with your kids. Call us at 866-893-5722.

Here's what some AirTalk listeners are saying:

Making it legal, is now forcing Parents to talk to they're Children about something they wouldn't normally ever have.

— Michael Carlson (@mikecarlson2020) December 4, 2017

Also, how much does Larry know about marijuana? Check out this video and find out: 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/0eiBZUGG5TU

Guest:

Jacob Margolis, science reporter at KPCC, who’s done a lot of reporting on the impending legalization of recreational marijuana

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

A punter holds his betting slip on 2017 Oaks Day at Flemington Racecourse on November 9, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia.; Credit: Michael Dodge/Getty Images

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that could legalize professional sports betting across the country.

Under the 1992 Bradley Act, sports betting is only allowed in four states: Nevada, Delaware, Montana and Oregon. But a challenge brought forth by New Jersey could open up the field to new players in the $150 billion industry.

Gov. Chris Christie's original appeal to legalize sports betting in casinos and race tracks failed in 2016, and the state is now petitioning that the federal government is commandeering by failing to enforce its own prohibition while giving New Jersey no room to modify state laws. In response is the NCAA in support of upholding the single regulation against sports betting as a way to protect athletes from exploitation.

Larry speaks to two guests on opposing sides who were present at today's oral arguments.

Guests:

Michelle Minton, senior fellow of consumer policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, which has filed an amicus brief on behalf of the petitioners in the case; she was also in the courtroom today to hear the oral arguments

Daniel Wilf-Townsend, he’s an attorney at Gupta Wessler PLLC based in D.C.; he filed an amicus brief in today’s case on behalf of Stop Predatory Gambling and other organizations

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

Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, then-national security adviser, arrives to a swearing in ceremony of White House senior staff in the East Room of the White House on Jan. 22.; Credit: Pool/Getty Images

After a marathon session on Friday night that bled into Saturday morning, Senate Republicans passed their version of tax reform in a 51-49 vote along party lines, with Tennessee Republican Bob Corker as the lone ‘nay’ vote on the Republican side. The Senate version still has to be reconciled with the House version before President Trump can sign it into law, but the passage of the bill is just as much of a symbolic victory for the Republican-led Senate, which failed very publicly to repeal the Affordable Care Act earlier this year, as it is a concrete victory.

We’re also continuing to follow the fallout of Gen. Michael Flynn’s guilty plea to lying to FBI investigators. Flynn has agreed to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into potential ties between Russian election interference and the Trump campaign. Following a flurry of tweets over the weekend, questions have arisen about whether some of those tweets might amount to obstruction of justice. President Trump’s private lawyer, John Dowd, told the publication Axios that the president can’t obstruct justice. Is he right?

We’ll also get an update on how Jared Kushner’s mission for peace between Israel and Palestine is going, and look at a new poll from CBS News on how Alabama Republicans feel about the allegations of sexual misconduct against Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore.

Guests:

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

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

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

Firefighters battle a wildfire as it burns along a hillside near homes in Santa Paula, California, on December 5, 2017.; Credit: RINGO CHIU/AFP/Getty Images

Ferocious Santa Ana winds raking Southern California whipped explosive wildfires Tuesday, prompting evacuation orders for thousands of homes.

The biggest blaze broke out Monday in Ventura County and grew wildly to more than 48 square miles (124 sq. kilometers) in the hours that followed, sheriff's Sgt. Eric Buschow said.

Another fire erupted on the north edge of Los Angeles, threatening the Sylmar and Lakeview Terrace neighborhoods, where residents scrambled to get out.

For the latest on the Ventura fire, click here. For the latest on the Sylmar fire, click here.

With files from the Associated Press

Current view from Ventura Harbor. @VCFD_PIO , Ventura Fire and all responding are doing amazing job fighting this fire. #ThomasFirepic.twitter.com/D3CJCeW7eD

— Chris Mattia (@csmattia) December 5, 2017

#ThomasFire is currently impacting Highway 150. Please leave impact areas early as firefighting equipment need access to continue structure protection operations. #VCFD@VCFDpic.twitter.com/WrpIq7mAaf

— VCFD PIO (@VCFD_PIO) December 5, 2017

The intensity of the #ThomasFire, plus the wind, made it pretty much unstoppable, fire officials said. “The prospects for containment are not good” https://t.co/h2znfxQHTNpic.twitter.com/hST0kLd8VD

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) December 5, 2017

#ThomasFire near the mall pic.twitter.com/Ig9zerDdTN

— Justice (@XorOwl) December 5, 2017

Fire looked crazy last night. Hopefully everyones safe out there #Thomasfirepic.twitter.com/QAoKd4nJlY

— Yung Honja (@Ntrl__) December 5, 2017

Guests:

Emily Guerin, KPCC reporter who is in Ventura

Josie Huang, KPCC correspondent who is in Lake View Terrace

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

A girl holds a mobile phone as she walks in Vienna on May 8, 2012. ; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

A number of studies have already pointed to the negative health effects of being glued to our screens, including lower self-esteem, increased anxiety and poor impact on overall well-being.

But new research from San Diego State University says that increased screen time among teens, especially teen girls, might have caused a 2010 to 2015 uptick in depression and suicidal thoughts.

The study surveyed more than 500,000 teens in the U.S. and found that the suicide rate for girls age 13 to 18 increased 65 percent, while 48 percent of teens who spent at least five hours a day on their screens (via cell phone, tablet or computer) reported at least one suicide-related outcome (i.e. suicidal ideations, plans and attempts) compared to the 28 percent who spent less than an hour of screen time per day.

As children continue to develop in a world dependent on social media, how should parents help monitor their amount of time spent online? What measures can be taken to identify teens struggling as a result of the overuse of smartphones and laptops? Larry speaks with the lead author of the study.

Guest:

Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University and author of “iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy – and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood” (Simon and Schuster, August 2017); she is the lead author of the study “Screen time might boost depression, suicide behaviors in teens”

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

A salesman prepares an order of marijuana products at the Perennial Holistic Wellness Center which is a medicinal marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles, California on March 24, 2017.; Credit: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

California is just weeks away from legalizing recreational marijuana sales and we want to know what the cannabis business landscape will look like going forward.

What makes the situation in California tricky is that medical marijuana has already been legal here since 1996, so many pot businesses (known in the industry as “legacy” businesses) have already been operating here, both legally and illegally, for about two decades. Now recreational cannabis is being decriminalized and a new legal and regulatory framework is coming into place. For some smaller businesses, navigating the regulations and applying for the necessary licensing will be a costly endeavor. How will these legacy businesses fare as new regulations come into place and as new players come into the market.

Speaking of which, legalization means that there will be new, big players, including management and investment firms, entering the fore with a corporate approach. It also means a different, more mainstream kind of pot business in California. Think pot shops with large windows and easy-to-browse strains.

There will also be medicinal dispensaries transitioning to the recreational market. And some, like LA’s “pot czar” Cat Packer, want to make sure that communities of color, which have been disproportionately affected by the criminalization of pot, will be able to establish businesses and reap the benefits of legalization.

How will these competing players negotiate and navigate the regulations and policies in place? How do those policies affect which kinds of businesses are successful? What will the cannabis business landscape look like post-legalization – one year from now? Ten years from now?

Guests:

Steve DeAngelo, founder of Harborside Farms and executive director of Harborside, one of the largest marijuana dispensaries in the U.S.; he’s the CEO is FLRish Inc., a vertically integrated cannabis company; he is also the president of the ArcView Group, a cannabis investment company

Adrian Sedlin, CEO of Canndescent, cultivator of high-end cannabis

Casey O’Neill, founder of HappyDay Farms in Mendocino and vice chair of development of the California Growers Association, a trade group that promotes independent farms and businesses

Adam Bierman, co-founder and CEO of MedMen, a cannabis management and investment firm based in Los Angeles

Melahat Rafiei, she runs the Santa Ana Cannabis Association, a trade group of all the permitted cannabis businesses in Santa Ana

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

Charlie Craig (L) and his spouse, Dave Mullins (C), talk to the media outside the US Supreme Court as Masterpiece Cakeshop vs. Colorado Civil Rights Commission is heard on December 5, 2017 in Washington, DC.; Credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

In one of the most watched Supreme Court cases of the year, the nine justices heard lengthy oral arguments this morning in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, a case that looks at issues involving questions about free speech, religious freedom, and civil rights.

At the center of the case is a Denver-based cake shop whose owner refused to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple on the grounds that it would violate his religious beliefs. The same-sex couple argues the owner violated Colorado law against discrimination by refusing to make the cake.

After the oral arguments concluded on Tuesday, it appeared that the High Court was largely divided on the issue, with Justice Anthony Kennedy expected to be the deciding vote. Kennedy didn’t do much in terms of tilting his hand during the arguments, suggesting at one point that if the court ruled for the cake maker, it would open the door to business putting up signs saying they don’t cater to same-sex couples and that would be “an affront to the gay community. He also said that the state of Colorado had not been tolerant of the cake maker’s religious beliefs.

What more did we learn from oral arguments? How are the justices likely to rule?

Guests:

Jonathan Keller, president and CEO of the California Family Council, a Christian-based non-profit educational organization, which filed an amicus brief on behalf of the petitioner Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop Ltd.

Jenny Pizer, senior counsel and law and policy director at Lambda Legal, a law firm that specializes in defending LGBT rights; they filed an amicus brief along with a number of other organizations in support of the Colorado Civil Rights Commission

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

Starting pitcher Shohei Otani of Japan throws in the top of first inning during the WBSC Premier 12 semi final match between South Korea and Japan at the Tokyo Dome on November 19, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. ; Credit: Masterpress/Getty Images

The recruiting frenzy continues Tuesday for Japan’s biggest baseball star in the effort to sign him with a Major League Baseball team in the west coast, according to multiple reports.

23-year-old Shohei Ohtani will meet with seven teams this week – the Dodgers, Angels, Padres, Giants, Mariners, Rangers and Cubs. Coached by his father at a young age, the Japanese right-hander is a double threat with a 100 mph fastball and devastating left-handed swing.

Ohtani has an unusual delivery for a pitcher his size. One of his fastballs was clocked at 102.5 mph, the fastest pitch recorded in Nippon Professional Baseball. Equally fluid is his left-handed swing, which has produced several home runs of 500 feet or more.

Ohtani is limited to a minor league contract because of restrictions imposed by the MLB collective bargaining agreement. He is likely to leave Japan after this season, a move that would cost the pitcher and outfielder more than $100 million. He has until Dec. 22 to agree to a contract with an MLB team.

Guest:

Bill Plunkett, Dodgers beat writer for the Orange County Register; he tweets @billplunkettocr

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

Firefighters battle a wildfire as it burns along a hillside near homes in Santa Paula, California, on December 5, 2017.; Credit: RINGO CHIU/AFP/Getty Images

A brush fire broke out along the 405 Freeway at Mulholland Drive shortly before 5 a.m. on Wednesday, burning uphill through brush and threatening homes.

The Skirball fire is the latest to join a list of wildfires raging in Southern California since yesterday.

Join AirTalk on the latest.

Guests:

Priska Neely, KPCC reporter at the site of the Skirball Fire

Sharon McNary, KPCC reporter at the site of the Thomas Fire

Michelle Faust, KPCC health reporter

Meghan McCarty Carino, KPCC commuting and mobility reporter

Libby Denkmann, KPCC reporter who was covering the Creek fire yesterday

Emily Guerin, KPCC reporter who was covering the Thomas fire yesterday

Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, KPCC reporter at the site of the Skirball Fire

Jill Replogle, KPCC reporter at the site of the Thomas Fire

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