Senate Bill 827 would remove many state zoning rules that restrict certain types of housing within a half-mile of major transit stations and routes.; Credit: Photo by JulieAndSteve via Flickr Creative Commons

A new Senate Bill by Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) would remove many of California’s zoning restrictions which limit certain housing within a half-mile of major transit stations and routes.

This would allow for more dense housing, which, according to Wiener, would help the state address both the affordable housing shortage and California’s emissions reduction goals.

If passed, the legislation would supercede local zoning rules, and that eroding of local control is one of the aspects of the bill that rubs opponents the wrong way. Other critiques of the bill are that it would change the landscape of neighborhoods in Los Angeles and that it’s an ineffective way to eliminate gas emissions.

Should L.A. allow for more dense housing along rail and bus lines? Are you concerned or happy with the changes the bill could bring to your neighborhood?

Guests:

Ethan Elkind, director of the climate program at the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, a joint venture of UCLA and UC Berkeley; he is author of the book, “Railtown: The Fight for the Los Angeles Metro Rail and the Future of the City” (UC Press, 2014)

Paul Koretz, City of Los Angeles councilmember representing the 5th District, which includes communities on the westside of L.A. from Hollywood to Bel Air, as well as communities in the San Fernando Valley

Mark Ryavec, president of the Venice Stakeholders Association

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

In this handout photo provided by NBCUniversal, Oprah Winfrey accepts the 2018 Cecil B. DeMille Award speaks onstage during the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. ; Credit: Handout/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

The reviews are in and the undisputed highlight of the 2018 Golden Globes awards was the rousing speech Oprah delivered as she received the Cecil B. DeMille award – the first black woman to do so in the history of the Globes.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ss6qQM054B0

The speech immediately fueled rumors over a possible Oprah 2020 presidential run – a prospect that “sources” told CNN the media mogul is actually considering.

Be that as it may, there are challenges to a successful presidential run – even for someone as well-known and widely loved as Oprah.

Guest:

Dan Schnur, professor at the USC Annenberg school of Communications; founder of the USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times statewide political poll; he tweets @danschnur

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

A woman works on her computer at the kitchen of the "Beta-i" startup hub in Lisbon on September 29, 2016.; Credit: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP/Getty Images

From syndicated columnist and frequent AirTalk guest Amy Alkon comes her spin on the self-help genre – but one based on findings from behavioral science.

In “Unf*ckology,” Alkon shows you why self-esteem isn’t what it cracks up to be, why shame is actually good for you, and why being inauthentic is necessary, and how to become what she calls “unf*ckwithable”. And yes, it’s advice based on science.

Guest:

Amy Alkon, columnist behind The Science Advice Goddess, a syndicated column in newspapers across the U.S. and Canada; she is author of many books, including her latest, “Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence” (St Martin’s Griffin, 2018)

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

Students arrive at a school in Los Angeles on December 16, 2015. ; Credit: RINGO CHIU/AFP/Getty Images

Michelle King, who has been on medical leave from her job as the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District since mid-September, announced Friday she will not return to the office.

King informed members of the L.A. Unified School Board she will remain on leave until June 30, at which point she will retire, according to a statement sent by the district.

Long-time administrator Vivian Ekchian, who has been serving as acting superintendent since October, will remain in that role, according to a separate joint statement from L.A. Unified school board members.

To read the full story, click here.

Guest:

Kyle Stokes, K-12 education reporter for KPCC; he tweets @kystokes

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

A member of a show crew sets up exhibition for the booth of Intel prior to the CES 2018 at the Las Vegas convention Center on January 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. ; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

The Consumer Electronic Show (CES) kicks off in Las Vegas this week with the newest technology in everything from televisions and wearables to virtual reality and robots.

In recent years, the auto industry has capitalized on CES to showcase advancements in self-driving cars, electric technology and infotainment, and this year is no different.

Other expected trends include developments in smart city infrastructure and 5G wireless technology. Some of the new gadgets include Alexa for your bathroom and a television screen display that rolls up like a poster. No, really.

What are the biggest technological trends at this year’s CES? What are the most interesting gadgets? And what are the potential flops?

Guests:

Dan Ackerman, senior editor at CNET; he tweets @danackerman

Matt Burns, managing editor for TechCrunch; he tweets @mjburnsy

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

Copies of the book "Fire and Fury" by author Michael Wolff are displayed on a shelf at Book Passage on January 5, 2018 in Corte Madera, California. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

In this week’s politics lookahead, Larry and AirTalk’s political analysts tackle:

• Oprah’s Golden Globes speech is fueling speculations of a 2020 presidential run

• The release of the Michael Wolff's White House tell-all, "Fire & Fury" and the aftermath

• President Trump’s lawyer talking to Mueller about possibly being interviewed for the Russian probe

• The Department of Justice’s Clinton Foundation probe

• White House announces repatriation of 200,000 Salvadorans

• DACA’s role in continuing budget talks

Guests:

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

Bill Burton, Democratic political strategist with the firm SKD Knickerbocker and former deputy White House press secretary for Barack Obama; he tweets @billburton

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

A boy plays with an iPhone in Brazil's first Apple retail store minutes after it opened to the public for the first time in the Village Mall shopping center on February 15, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.; Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Two major Apple investors have urged the iPhone maker to take action to curb growing smartphone addiction among children, highlighting growing concern about the effects of gadgets and social media on youngsters.

New York-based Jana Partners LLC and the California State Teachers' Retirement System, or CalSTRS, said Monday in open letter to Apple that the company must offer more choices and tools to help children fight addiction to its devices.

In response to the letter, Apple has released a statement to the Wall Street Journal:

“We think deeply about how our products are used and the impact they have on users and the people around them,” the statement reads. “We take this responsibility very seriously and we are committed to meeting and exceeding our customers’ expectations, especially when it comes to protecting kids.”

Yesterday, former Apple executive and co-designer of the iPhone Tony Fadell wrote a series of tweets discussing the problem and proposing solutions, for both Apple and users. Here are three of his ten tweets:

https://twitter.com/tfadell/status/950329842196721664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

https://twitter.com/tfadell/status/950330418615717888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

https://twitter.com/tfadell/status/950330740876759040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Do you think the onus to curb iPhone addiction is on Apple or users? If you’re a parent, how do you limit your kids (or your own) phone use?

With files from Associated Press.

Guest:

Shira Ovide, technology columnist for Bloomberg Gadfly, Bloomberg’s opinion section; she tweets @ShiraOvide

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

American Airlines longest serving flight attendant, Bette Nash (L), 81 years old, greets passengers disembarking from her daily return flight to Boston at Ronald Reagan Washington Airport in Arlington, Virginia on December 19, 2017. ; Credit: ERIC BARADAT/AFP/Getty Images

December job numbers were released last week and the number of jobs added continued the trend of growth seen throughout 2017.

When we discuss employment numbers on AirTalk, we often get calls from older listeners who have been laid off and have difficulty finding work; listeners who don’t see employment number gains translating into their realities.

So we’ve brought on a career coach to discuss the specific barriers that face worker over the age of fifty, and what they can do to regain employment.

If you’re an older worker struggling to find work, call us with your questions. And if you were successful in re-entering the workforce, what did it take?

Call us at 866-893-5722.

Guest:

Marty Nemko, producer and host of “Work with Marty Nemko” on KALW, 91.7 FM, a public radio station in San Francisco; his upcoming book is “Careers for Dummies”

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

When is the right time to cut off your adult kids, and what’s the best way to do it? Let us know at 866-893-5722.; Credit: Photo by Andy/athrasher via Flickr Creative Commons

It’s a new year, and one perennial resolution for many families is to save on cash.

As a parent, that cash could come from cutting off the financial umbilical cord for your mid-20-something kids.

But when is the right time to do it, and how? Is 25-years-old too old to still have parents pay for phone and car insurance bills? If your son or daughter asks for financial help and you say “No,” does that make you mean? What’s worked for you? What’s backfired?

We speak with a personal finance expert for tips and advice on how to help young adults transition into financial independence.

Call in with your stories and questions at 866-893-5722.

Guest:

Michelle Singletary, personal finance columnist for The Washington Post; her column, “The Color of Money,” is also nationally syndicated; she tweets @SingletaryM

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

This April 10, 2016 photo taken in Washington shows a woman reading an online version of a mockup of what a frontpage might look like should Republican frontrunner Donald Trump win the presidency, as it condemned his "deeply disturbing" and "profoundly un-American" vision.; Credit: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images

Misinformation and deliberate deception have long been part of American culture, according to a new book.

“Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts and Fake News,” seeks to highlight cultural figures and events that date back more than three centuries to explain that the current “fake news” era isn’t a new phenomenon. Author Kevin Young takes readers on a historical journey from P.T. Barnum to Donald Trump to explain the nation’s long history of hoaxes.

Young furthers the conversation by incorporating racial anxieties and delusions which can sometime motivate these practices. Additionally, his book delves into why people want to believe in such fabrications.

Guest:

Kevin Young, author, “Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts and Fake News”; director, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library

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

In this photo provided by Santa Barbara County Fire Department, a flash flood area sign is posted, as evacuations have been issued for several fire-ravaged communities in Santa Barbara, Calif., Monday, Jan. 8, 2018.; Credit: Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP

Santa Barbara County officials report two people in Montecito have been killed by mudslides. Rescues are underway.

The 101 is completely closed from just north of Ventura to the Santa Barbara city limits. There’ve been evacuations below the Creek Fire burn areas in the northeast San Fernando Valley and the Fish Fire in Duarte.

AirTalk checks in on how different areas ravished by the fires are dealing with the storm.

Guests:

Sharon McNary, KPCC reporter covering infrastructure; she’s reporting from Kagel Canyon

Amber Anderson, public information officer for the City of Santa Barbara

Capt. Stan Zeigler, public information officer for Ventura County

Lance Orozco, reporter with KCLU, our sister NPR station covering Ventura County; he is in Carpentaria covering the storm’s impact

Chris Ipsen, public information officer for Emergency Management Department for the City of Los Angeles

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

A woman receives a free flu shot from a Walgreens employee during a free flu shot clinic at Allen Temple Baptist Church on December 19, 2014 in Oakland, California.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Southern California emergency rooms are handling a deluge of flu patients.

Public health officials were optimistic this year’s vaccine would match up well with arriving strains. Regardless, a lot of folks are getting sick. The California Department of Health (CDPH) provided an update earlier today on the flu season this morning.

Larry speaks with Dr. James Watt, the chief at the Division of Communicable Disease Control at CDPH on what we know about this flu season.

Guest:

James Watt, MD, MPH, Chief, Division of Communicable Disease Control at the Center for Infectious Diseases with the California Department of Public Health

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

Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist and chairman of Breitbart News, attends a discussion on countering violent extremism in the Middle East on October 23, 2017 in Washington, D.C.; Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

After falling out with both President Trump and one of his financial backers, Steve Bannon has decided to step down from the job of executive chairman at Breitbart News, as reported by the publication Tuesday.

President Trump broke ties with Bannon last week, after Michael Wolff’s “Fire and Fury” quoted Bannon discussing Donald Trump Jr. in an unfavorable light. Then one of Bannon’s biggest donors, Rebekah Mercer, decided to pull her financial support. Now, as Bannon steps down from the nationalist, far-right publication that he helped steer to infamy, we look back at the history of the outlet.

Breitbart was started by Andrew Breitbart as a conservative site in 2007, changing direction after his death in 2012 and ultimately hitching itself to the Trump candidacy, which it rode into mainstream notoriety, under Bannon.

What is the history of the publication? What role did Bannon play at the helm of the publication? And how will his departure impact its future?  

Guests:

Joe Concha, media reporter and columnist for The Hill; he tweets @JoeConchaTV

Jeffrey McCall, professor of communication at DePauw University in Indiana and former  journalist; he is the author of “Viewer Discretion Advised: Taking Control of Mass Media Influences” (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2007); he tweets @Prof_McCall

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

Revellers watch the screens in Yates' bar in Leicester Square, London on November 4, 2008 as US news network CNN become the first company to use a holographic projection to interview a journalist during the US election.; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Whether you’re going out to eat, hanging out in a hotel lobby or hitting the gym, there’s probably a TV playing cable news not too far from you… and chances are, other viewers nearby may not share your political opinions.

But now there’s one place you won’t have to worry about running into your least favorite national cable news channel. Minnesota-based gym chain Life Time– which has 128 fitness centers across the U.S. and Canada, including a location in Laguna Niguel – has banned national cable news networks from its large TV screens. The gym will no longer be providing CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and CNBC, instead opting for less controversial options like USA, A&E, Discovery, HGTV and ESPN in addition to local news affiliates.

In a statement to KPCC, Life Time spokesperson Natalie Bushaw said the decision was “based on many member requests received over time across the country, and in keeping with our overall healthy way of life philosophy and commitment to provide family oriented environments free of consistently negative or politically charged content.”

Bushaw continued, “I want to emphasize that we certainly are not against news delivered accurately and respectfully, and we intend to continue to have appropriate news channels on some of our large screens.”

In a time of high political tensions and increasingly partisan news, consuming political news in a public place can be stressful. Business owners, have you ever run into issues with playing cable news for your customers? How have you dealt with customer complaints and any conflicts it has caused between your guests?

Guest:

David Caplan, news editor at ABC News Digital who has been following the story; he tweets @DavidCaplanNYC

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

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) is joined by more than a dozen Republican members of Congress as he speaks during a news conference about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program at the U.S. Capitol November 9, 2017 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Another Southern California Republican member of Congress is bowing out – Darrell Issa won’t run for re-election this year.

His district straddles Orange and San Diego counties. It was considered one of the most vulnerable to flip Democratic. Issa’s move follows fellow-Republican Ed Royce’s of north Orange County bowing out a couple of days ago. What does it mean for the midterms in 2018?

Also, Senator Dianne Feinstein has released congressional testimony of Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson, garnering backlash from the GOP, though the move was supported by committee Democrats. Why did she release the transcript, and what will these mean for her Senate run?

Our panel of political guests weigh in.

Guests:

Jessica Taylor, lead digital political reporter for NPR based in DC; her latest piece looks at Issa’s decision to not seek re-election and other GOP retirements; she tweets @JessicaTaylor

Norberto Santana, publisher of "Voice of OC," a nonprofit newsroom that focuses on civics and government in Orange County since 2009; he tweets @NorbertoSantana

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

Chris Megerian, reporter for the Los Angeles Times currently based in DC, where he writes about special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russian investigation; his latest piece looks at Feinstein’s release of the GPS Fusion dossier; he tweets @ChrisMegerian

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

(L-R) Tom Hanks, David Cross, John Rue, Bob Odenkirk, Jessie Mueller and Philip Casnoff in Twentieth Century Fox’s "The Post."; Credit: Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise

From cops and lawyers to journalists and news anchors to paper company salespeople and local government employees, there are no shortages of television and film portrayals of jobs and careers. Steven Spielberg's “The Post,” is a good recent example.

The film is a punchy drama starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in a story about the Washington Post and New York Times’ investigative journalists that dug into the so-called Pentagon Papers in the early 1970s. Journalism is a popular occupation in film, it would seem. Films like “Broadcast News,” “Network,” and “Nightcrawler” come to mind. There are films like ‘Stand and Deliver’ and ‘Dead Poet’s Society’ about teachers’ quests to connect with their students. And of course, there’s a bevy of television shows depicting life at work, from ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Parks and Recreation’ to ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ ‘Law and Order,’ and, ‘The Office.’

If your profession has been portrayed in film, what did you think about how the screenwriters and director depicted it? Was it accurate to your experiences? Where did it stray? What films most accurately portrayed your profession? Are there certain careers that lend themselves more easily to being portrayed in film or TV than others?

Weigh in at 866-893-5722.

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

A bulldozer clears mud off the road near a flooded section of US 101 freeway near the San Ysidro exit in Montecito, California on January 9, 2018. ; Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

Yesterday morning’s massive mudslides and flooding in Montecito killed at least 15 people, with dozens of others unaccounted for.

As of dawn, about 300 residents of Montecito’s Romero Canyon were awaiting rescue. The canyon is inaccessible except by helicopter.

AirTalk surveys the damage.

Guests:

Amber Anderson, public information officer for the City of Santa Barbara

David Wagner, KPCC business and economy reporter; he is in the La Tuna Canyon area covering the damage from the rain and mudslides

Lance Orozco, reporter with KCLU, our sister NPR station covering Ventura County

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

Demonstrators participate in the #MeToo Survivors' March in response to several high-profile sexual harassment scandals on November 12, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

The year 2017 was one where it seemed like almost every issue you could bring up was a political third rail.

The hyper-partisanship and divisiveness turned up to 11 in the era of #MAGA vs. #NeverTrump, and there are no signs it’s letting up. For some who might otherwise feel comfortable sharing their thoughts on highly-charged issues like #MeToo, white privilege, or immigration, there are those who argue that 2017 may have had a chilling effect on this kind of discourse, and that we live in an age when your opinion on any issue, no matter how nuanced, is often seen as moral-defining.

L.A. Times contributor Meghan Daum is one of them, and she tackles the phenomenon she refers to as ‘back channeling’ in her latest op-ed for the paper. Daum describes back channel conversations as “what we professional opinionators sometimes do after holding forth with righteous certainty: turn to our closest confidants and confess to a level of cognitive dissonance and confusion we fear would alienate our followers and possibly kill our careers if we tried to put it into words.” Daum uses the #MeToo movement as an example. “[It’s] infused with obtuse rhetoric like ‘zero tolerance,’” she writes, “but it has also led to a handful of more nuanced analyses about the slippery nature of sexual consent and the dangers of failing (or refusing) to distinguish male clumsiness from dangerous aggression.”

Do you find yourself having these kinds of whispered political conversations? In other words, have you been less inclined to openly share your personal opinions on divisive issues for fear of how it might appear or how others might react? How often? On which topics in particular?

Guest:

Meghan Daum, book author and contributing columnist for the Los Angeles Times; her latest column for the paper is titled, “Had enough of the visceral response to the Trump era? Try a little nuance instead”

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

A student walks near Royce Hall on the campus of UCLA on April 23, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

If you’re a student who’s racked up debt, since 2007 you’ve had the option of working in the public sector or for a non-profit for ten years to have your debt erased under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF).

If you’re in the program already, you’ll still be on track for loan forgiveness, but under Trump’s 2018 budget proposal, the program would be nixed for new borrowers.  

Proponents of PSLF say the program incentivize college graduates with hefty loans to take low-paying public service jobs. These students, often with law, medical or business degrees, often over 100k in debt, would otherwise turn to the private sector to pay off loans, rather than serving their communities.

Opponents of the program say it’s an unnecessary government subsidy that actually incentivizes students to borrow beyond their needs and that some schools actually game the system. Another critique is that the range of income provided by public sector jobs varies drastically, and that this program subsidizes high-earners along with those who truly need the help.

If you’re in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, has it been a benefit to you? Have you seen people taking advantage of the system? If you’re a graduate or prospective student, have you considered the program? If the funding is cut, will that affect your schooling and career choices?  

To find out more about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, click here.

Guests:

Ben Miller, senior director for postsecondary education at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning research think tank

Jason Delisle, resident fellow at American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a think tank in Washington D.C.; he specializes in higher education financing with an emphasis on student loan programs

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

U.S. President Donald Trump makes remarks in the Oval Office prior to signing the bipartisan Interdict Act, a bill to stop the flow of opioids into the United States, on January 10, 2018 in Washington, D.C.; Credit: Pool/Getty Images

In a major policy shift, the Trump administration said Thursday it is offering a path for states that want to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients.

Ten states -- Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin -- have applied for a federal waiver to add the work requirement.

It is highly unlikely that California would seek such a request.

Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said work and community involvement can make a positive difference in people's lives and in their health. Still, the plan probably will face strong political opposition and even legal challenges over concerns that some low-income beneficiaries will lose coverage.  

With files from the Associated Press

Guest:

Phil Galewitz, senior correspondent covering  medicaid and medicare and healthcare issues for Kaiser Health News; he’s been following the story; he tweets @philgalewitz

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