Voting booths are set up for early voting at the Black Hawk County Courthouse on September 27, 2012 in Waterloo, Iowa. ; Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

With just over a month left until California’s June primary election, we’re starting to see races take shape, frontrunners emerge, plenty of ads floating around, and ballot measures breaking the signature threshold needed to appear on the June ballot.

But with all of these races, initiatives, ads and everything else, there’s a lot of information to process. So what’s most important to be watching for in the next month leading up to the primary?

For starters, there’s some intrigue coming out of the governor’s race, where a recent PPIC poll has GOP dark horse John Cox in second behind frontrunner Gavin Newsom. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is in third. There’s also a number of Congressional district races to watch right here in Southern California that could potentially play a role in flipping the balance of power in the House of Representatives from Republicans to Democrats. The GOP, meanwhile is preparing for its statewide political convention in San Diego this weekend, where we may find out who the state Republican Party decides to endorse in the race for governor.

We’ll talk with California political reporters who have been following the major headlines and races you need to know about before you head to the polls next month.

Guests:

Mary Plummer, KPCC senior politics reporter and Human Voter Guide; she tweets @maryplummer

Marisa Lagos, KQED politics reporter and co-host of KQED’s Political Breakdown podcast; she tweets @mlagos

Melanie Mason, LA Times state government and politics reporter and co-host of California Politics Podcast; she tweets @melmason

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

A reduced sign advertises a home sale in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

The California Dream, once encapsulated by the get-rich-quick ethos of the Gold Rush, has become a more nebulous umbrella term for the pursuit of sun, social mobility and fame.

Nowadays, California is experiencing impressive growth. Unemployment is at a historic low. But the attractiveness of California creates a very basic economics problem: more demand than supply. This is perhaps most apparently illustrated by skyrocketing housing costs, which have displaced Californians to peripheral states, like Arizona, Nevada and Washington. This has led to a slowing down of California’s population growth, and many of the people choosing to leave are “equity refugees” who’ve foregone the California Dream for larger, cheaper housing in another state.

AirTalk brings you a special collaboration with KNPR’s public affairs show, State of Nevada, looking at how the high cost of living is driving people out of California in search of a better life in other cities, including cities like Las Vegas.

Did you move here for the California Dream and how has the state lived up to your expectations? If you are a Californian who left the state for cheaper housing, tell us why and what trade offs went into your decision.

Call us at 866-893-5722.

Guests:

Joe Schoenmann, host and senior producer of State of Nevada, the daily talk show on KNPR, our sister affiliate in Las Vegas, Nev.; he tweets @joedowntownlv

Adam J. Fowler, director of research at Beacon Economics, a Los Angeles-based independent research and consulting firm, specializing in economic analysis and revenue forecasting; he led a study coming out Thursday looking at the impact of California’s housing crisis on migration and employment.

Matt Levin, reporter covering housing for the nonprofit news site, CALmatters, and for the California Dream project, a reporting collaboration between KPCC and other news organizations across the state

Joel Kotkin, Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University and executive director of the Center for Opportunity Urbanism, a think tank in Houston; he is the author of “The Human City: Urbanism for the Rest of Us” (Agate B2, 2016)

Gia DeSantis, DJ at NV89, Nevada Public Radio’s music station that focuses on alternative music 

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

Austin Beutner on stage during the preview of The Broad Stage 2010-2011 schedule at The Broad Stage on April 22, 2010 in Santa Monica.; Credit: Mark Sullivan/Getty Images for The Broad Stage

Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Unified School District tapped former investment banker and Los Angeles Times publisher Austin Beutner as its new superintendent.

The L.A. Unified board voted 5-2 to ratify a three-year contract with Beutner who, despite not having any formal experience as an educator, has been deeply-immersed in Los Angeles civic life in recent years. In addition to his stint as the L.A. Times publisher he has also been a deputy mayor for the city.

In his first in-studio interview since being chosen to lead LAUSD, Beutner sits down with Larry to talk about his plans and vision for the district and respond to those who have expressed concerns about him as the choice for superintendent.

For more, check out the reporting from KPCC education reporter Kyle Stokes on the LAUSD board’s selection of Beutner and what we know about his philosophy on schools.

Guest:

Austin Beutner, incoming superintendent for Los Angeles Unified School District; he tweets @austinbeutner

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

Emissions-producing diesel trucks and cars pass windmills along the 10 freeway near Banning, California.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

Southern California is one of the most hazardous places to breathe in the United States.

Every year, more than 1,500 of us die from air pollution– more than any other region in the country. Where is that pollution coming from? Largely, it’s heavy-duty diesel trucks. On Friday, the South Coast Air Quality Management District could vote to crack down on these polluters in a controversial new way – by going after the warehouses they visit. But regulating pollution from heavy-duty trucks is tricky. The SCAQMD, a regional air board tasked with cleaning up the air from Los Angeles to San Bernardino county, doesn’t have the authority to set emissions standards, or require truckers to buy cleaner equipment.

The State of California can pass its own regulations, but they only apply to trucks registered in the state — and that’s a small percentage of the trucks that drive on California highways. To clean up all trucks everywhere, you have to go through the federal EPA, and right now EPA appears more interested in loosening automobile standards than strengthening them. But the SCAQMD has found a workaround. It’s going after places it believes it does have authority to regulate: the places that trucks frequent, like warehouses, construction sites, and rail yards. 

You can read Emily Guerin's full story here. 

Guests:

Adrian Martinez, attorney for Earthjustice, a San Francisco-based non-profit public interest organization dedicated to environmental issues; he tweets @LASmogGuy

Peter Herzog, assistant director for legislative affairs for NAIOP SoCal, a commercial real estate development association which builds and owns warehouses  

Nick Weiner, national director of Justice for Port Drivers, a labor organizing campaign founded under the labor union International Brotherhood of Teamsters

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

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani speaks to reporters at Trump Tower, January 12, 2017 in New York City. President-elect Trump continues to hold meetings Trump Tower.; Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity Wednesday night, Trump’s new attorney Rudy Giuliani disclosed that Trump reimbursed his personal attorney for the $130,000 payout to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

Trump had previously said he didn’t know about the payment. Giuliani said the payout was not campaign money and therefore “perfectly legal,” but the admission is raising new legal questions about the president’s potential violation of campaign finance laws.

Among the factors at play: the timing of the payout, which was in October of 2016, right before the election, whether Michael Cohen made an unreported contribution or a loan to Trump’s campaign, Trump’s level of knowledge about the payout and its intent.

It’s unclear whether Giuliani’s disclosure was part of a planned legal strategy, but it may very well change the legal conversation. We discuss with campaign finance and election law experts.

Guests:

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, campaign finance law expert and associate professor of law at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida

Derek Muller, associate professor of law at Pepperdine, where his focus includes election law, and the role of states in elections; he tweets @derektmuller ‏  

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

A San Francisco Police Department wanted bulletin and copies of letters sent to the San Francisco Chronicle by a man who called himself Zodiac.; Credit: Eric Risberg/AP

Detectives at the Vallejo Police Department have sent decades-old DNA evidence to a forensics laboratory in the hopes of identifying a serial murderer, who became known as the Zodiac Killer.

Investigators are using the same techniques they used to track down Golden State Killer, Joseph James DeAngelo. The Zodiac Killer allegedly attacked seven victims, killing at least five, between 1968 and 1969 in Benicia, Vallejo, Lake Berryessa and San Francisco. The Zodiac claimed responsibility for the killings in letters, often signed with a symbol of a cross over a circle. Three of these letters and two envelopes remained in police custody, according to Vallejo police Detective Terry Poyser. Poyser told the Sacramento Bee that his agency has submitted those evidence for a DNA analysis hoping the technology that didn’t exist at the time of the crimes would help break the 50-year-old case. 

Guests:

Anita Chabria, social justice reporter for the Sacramento Bee who covered the story; she tweets @chabriaa

Michael Butterfield, writer and researcher on the Zodiac case; he was a consultant for the History channel series The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer and the 2007 motion picture Zodiac; he tweets @TheZodiacFacts

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

In this photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, red ash rises from the Puu Oo vent on Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano after a magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the Big Island, Thursday, May 3, 2018 in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.; Credit: Kevan Kamibayashi/U.S. Geological Survey via AP

Nearly 1,500 residents were ordered to evacuate after Kilauea volcano erupted in Hawaii late Thursday afternoon and released lava into a residential area. 

A crack in Kilauea volcano's rift zone erupted, spurting lava in Leilani Estates, a subdivision in the lower East Rift Zone of Kilauea volcano. Volcano officials said they couldn't predict how long the eruption might last. The eruption occurred hours after a 5.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Big Island. Kilauea’s Puu Oo’ cone has been continuously erupting since 1983.

We speak to a Honolulu reporter and a volcanologist for more on the past and present of Kilauea.

Guests:

Ku'uwehi Hiraishi, reporter for Hawaii Public Radio KHPR who is reporting from the Big Island in Hawaii

Wendy Stovall, deputy scientist-in-charge at the U.S.Geological Survey’s Yellowstone Volcano Observatory; she studied Kilauea in Hawaii from 2005-2009

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

An attendee looks at a line to enter the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum during the NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

President Trump is speaking at the National Rifle Association’s annual convention today in Dallas, Texas, a three day gathering of exhibits, firearm displays and meetings.

A multitude of pro gun-control protests are scheduled to occur, with NRA members saying they feel more under attack than in previous years.

We check in on the event and the state of the organization and discuss where it's headed.

Guests:

Alain Stephens, investigative reporter at the NPR-affiliate KUT in Austin, Texas; he’s covering the NRA convention; he tweets @AlainStephens

Adam Winkler, Professor of Law, UCLA; Author, “Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America”

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

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

; Credit: A-Digit/Getty Images

As the father of four kids, Chris Erskine doesn’t have a lot of quiet moments.

The Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune humor columnist isn’t shy about sharing the chaos of dad-hood. Case in point: Erskine has written in detail about the trials of dressing a newborn or how a new puppy can spark a variety of drama at home. In his new book, “Daditude: The Joys & Absurdities of Modern Fatherhood,” Erskine finds the funny in the ups and downs of being a dad in 2018. He’s taken a collection of essays recounting both big and mundane moments with his kids and wife.

The collection reads like journal entries where Erksine recounts out the best way to parent both newborns and teenagers. His family members also provide annotations to his work. Erskine drops by the studio today to talk about “modern fatherhood.” And shares highlights from his book about the joys of being a dad, and what it means to have everything— and give it all to your kids.

If you're a dad, what are your best moments of modern fatherhood? How do you think fatherhood has changed since you were a kid?

Guest:

Chris Erskine, author of the new book, “Daditude: the Joys & Absurdities of Modern Fatherhood” (Prospect Park Books, 2018); columnist for the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune

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

Attendees of the California Republican Party convention watch gubernatorial candidate Travis Allen on stage in San Diego.; Credit: Mary Plummer/KPCC

AirTalk’s weekly political roundup highlights the headlines you might have missed this weekend and looks ahead at what to watch for in California and Washington, D.C. in the week to come.

Topics include:

• CA GOP convention wrap-up, including:

  • No endorsement of a gubernatorial candidate

  • LA Times: Republicans at convention would rather talk about gas tax than keeping the house

• CA Insurance Commissioner race check-in

• CA Lieutenant Gov. race check-in

• CA primary turnout: who do you think is going to turn out at the polls next month?

• Giuliani continues media blitz, and suggests Trump might plead the 5th if he talks to Mueller

• Gina Haspel's confirmation hearing for CIA director job is on Wednesday (she apparently floated the idea last week that she might withdraw but was convinced to stay, and CNN is reporting today that national security officials are already drawing up contingency plans)

• Iran deal deadline is coming up on Saturday

• U.S. and China progress in trade talks

• NRA convention recap

• Melania Trump is set to unveil policy goals in presser today

Guests:

Ange-Marie Hancock-Alfaro, professor of political science and chair of gender studies at USC; she tweets @AngeMarieH

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

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

Festivalgoers during day 3 of FYF 2017 on July 23, 2017 at Exposition Park in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: Matt Cowan/Getty Images for FYF

The sun is out and festival season is here. Unfortunately, LA-based FYF Fest won't be seeing any daylight this year.

FYF Fest announced its cancellation on Sunday. It was planned to be held in July at Exposition Park with Janet Jackson and Florence + the Machine headlining the festival.

We examine whether this exit reflects an overcrowding in the music festival circuit— and whether concertgoers are experiencing festival fatigue.

Guests:

Todd Martens, reporter covering music, video games and other interactive entertainment for the Los Angeles Times; he tweets @Toddmartens

Amy X. Wang, music business reporter for Rolling Stone; she tweets @amyxwang

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

; Credit: iStockphoto

Are you getting more automated calls peddling some sort of a scam? Well, you are not alone.

According to the New York Times, the number of robocalls have skyrocketed in the last few years. Some 3.4 billion scam calls were received by unsuspecting Americans in April -- a bump of more than 9 million from a year before.

And Southern Californians have been the target of a specific robocall scam recently, where a woman speaking Mandarin claiming she’s from the Chinese Consulate tries to get the personal information from the person on the line.

Congress is aware of the explosion of robocalls and lawmakers are considering ways to address the issue. But there are things that consumers can do on their own to curb the problem.

Guests: 

Ali Breland, reporter at The Hill in Washington D.C., covering tech and politics who’s been covering the story; he tweets @alibreland

Margot Saunders, senior counsel at the National Consumer Law Center, a nonprofit that advocates for consumer issues on behalf of low-income people

Maureen Mahoney, policy analyst at Consumers Union, a nonprofit; she works out of the San Francisco office

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

Solar panels cover the roof of a Sam's Club store in Glendora, California. ; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

The California Energy Commission is voting Wednesday on requiring solar panels on new homes.

The vote is expected to pass, and the requirement isn’t kicking in until 2020. As expected, the move is welcomed by environmentalists. And it is an idea also embraced by many homebuilders. Critics, however, think that the requirement would jack up already-high home prices in the state.

Guests:

David Baker, energy reporter at the San Francisco Chronicle who covered the story; he tweets @DavidBakerSF

Evan Gillespie, campaign director at the Sierra Club

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

Donald Trump arrives to speak at a rally organized by the Tea Party Patriots against the Iran nuclear deal in front of the Capitol in Washington, DC. ; Credit: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

President Donald Trump has announce a decision on Tuesday to pull out of the Iran nuclear accord.

Trump says that if he allowed the deal to stand, there would soon be a nuclear arms race.

He also says a constructive deal could easily have been struck at the time, but it wasn't.

With files from the Associated Press

Guests:

Bryan Bender, defense reporter for POLITICO Pro; he tweets @BryanDBender

Aaron David Miller, Vice President for New Initiatives at the Wilson Center, a Washington-based non-partisan policy forum that tackles global issues through independent research; he is a former advisor to Republican and Democratic Secretaries of State on Arab-Israeli negotiations, 1978-2003; he tweets @aarondmiller2

Danielle Pletka, senior vice president for foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington-based conservative public policy research institute; she tweets @dpletka

Suzanne Maloney, senior fellow at the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based non-profit public policy think tank; she is the author of multiple books on Iran, including “Iran’s Political Economy since the Revolution” (Cambridge University Press, 2015); she tweets @MaloneySuzanne

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

Portrait photograph of Bob Lindsey.; Credit: Quincy Surasmith / KPCC

There are three candidates running for the L.A. County Sheriff position: two department veterans, Bob Lindsey and Alex Villanueva, and incumbent Sheriff Jim McDonnell.

In the coming month ahead of the June 5 primary, we’ll do interviews with all of them.  

Today, Larry Mantle sits down with candidate Bob Lindsey, a retired Commander of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, where he served for 32 years. He worked as the Department’s Director of Personnel for five of those years. Now, he wants to return to the department and says he wants to make it more transparent.

We’ll discuss how Lindsey plans to achieve this, as well as his other goals for the L.A. County Sheriff’s department, should he win the seat, as well as his critiques of the current leadership and the other candidates.

Ready for Election Day? Get up to speed on what you need to know with KPCC’s Voter Game Plan. Read up on the candidates and ballot measures, find out about registration deadlines and ask us your questions.

Guest:

Bob Lindsey, one of the candidates for the L.A. County Sheriff’s race; he is a retired Commander of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, where he served for 32 years

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

AEG's rendering of what the Los Angeles Convention Center would have looked liked next to Farmers Field.; Credit: AEG

The L.A Convention Center and the JW Marriott hotel might be undergoing an expansion, growing the exhibition space as well as nearby parking and hotel rooms, to make the Center competitive with some of the biggest convention spaces in the U.S.

As reported by the L.A. Times, the proposal comes from the Anschutz Entertainment Group, and requests tax incentives from the city.

The L.A Convention Center hasn’t been expanded since 1997 and since then, other cities, like Anaheim and San Diego, have upgraded their facilities. Tourism officials have said that L.A has lost nearly $1 billion in potential convention bookings.

What would this expansion mean for tourism in Downtown L.A.? And if you’re local to the community, what do you think about the potential development?

Guests:

Hugo Martin, staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, covering the travel industry; he co-wrote the story “AEG proposes $1.2-billion expansion of L.A. Convention Center and JW Marriott hotel”

Jessica Lall, president and Chief Executive Officer for the Central City Association of Los Angeles (CCA), an advocacy group that aims to increase investment into Downtown Los Angeles  

Susan Hunter, community organizer for the Coalition to Preserve Los Angeles, a nonprofit organization advocating for government transparency and thoughtful planning in the city of Los Angeles

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

Newspapers in black and white; Credit: Jon S/flickr Creative Commons

Longtime journalist and frequent KPCC contributor Patt Morrison has a new story to tell: the story of the American Newspaper.

In her latest book, “Don’t Stop the Presses!” Morrison compiles the work of dozens of journalists and the papers they’ve printed across 200 years of U.S. history (along with more than 200 images to pair) as a message that the newspaper has always been the cornerstone of our democracy and essential to our civic identity. From the headlines that have captivated the nation’s front pages, to the street-corner newsboys, Morrison uses her journalistic wisdom to preserve the heart and grit of real news on real paper.

Also included are common myths of newspaper reporters, fully debunked, and when newspapers aren’t used as something to read over morning coffee, she notes that they become the most useful flyswatters, puppy training pads and more.

Morrison joins host Larry Mantle to talk about the making of the book, of which executive editor of the New York Times Dean Baquet has composed a foreword on the vital role of papers in 2018.

Patt will discussing her book at the following events:

• Vroman's bookstore in Pasadena at 7pm tomorrow, Thursday, May 10 
• Chevalier’s Books in Larchmont at 7 pm on Thursday, June 7
• Skylight Books in Los Feliz at 5pm on Saturday, June 23  

Guest:

Patt Morrison, author of “Don't Stop the Presses!: Truth, Justice, and the American Newspaper” (Angel City Press, 2018); columnist with the Los Angeles Times; she tweets @pattmlatimes

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

U.S. first lady Melania Trump speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House May 7, 2018 in Washington, DC. Trump outlined her new initiatives, known as the Be Best program, during the event. ; Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Betty Ford chose to tackle addiction, Barbara Bush addressed literacy, Michelle Obama went after childhood obesity and now the wait is over for our newest first lady's official initiative: cyber bullying.

In a rare press conference on Monday, First Lady Melania Trump announced “Be Best,” her formal initiative that will focus on well-being, combating opioid abuse, and positivity on social media. The latter of those has raised the most questions, as her husband’s penchant for name-calling on Twitter is well-known.

The announcement comes as at least one national survey shows her popularity ticking up. In a CNN poll conducted last week, 57 percent of respondents said they had a favorable impression of the First Lady, which is up 10 percent from where she was in January.

What opportunities will Melania have to achieve the goals she has set out in her platform? How have other first ladies had success in championing their initiatives? Larry talks with two experts on American first ladies about this and the general idea of the first lady as an icon and a TV personality.

Guests:

Catherine Allgor, first ladies historian and president of the Massachusetts Historical Society; she tweets @CatherineAllgor

Katherine Jellison, first ladies historian and professor and chair of the department of history at Ohio University

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

Students walk across the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan.; Credit: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

A nonprofit civil liberties watchdog group filed a lawsuit against the University of Michigan over its speech code, alleging it is unconstitutional.

Speech First, an on-campus advocacy group focusing on free speech issues, alleges that Michigan’s student code and Bias Response Team violate the First Amendment by forbidding speech that would usually be protected.

The University of Michigan disciplinary code prohibits “harassment” and “bullying,” and increases the penalties if such actions are motivated by “bias.” Michigan defines harassment as “unwanted negative attention perceived as intimidating, demeaning, or bothersome to an individual,” according to reports. “The most important indication of bias is your own feelings,” the university advises students. It also encourages students to “report if they have been the target or witness of a bias incident.” 

So where do we draw the line between what is considered harassment and the right of free speech? 

Guests:

Eugene Volokh, professor of law at UCLA; he tweets @VolokhC

Jody Armour, professor of law at USC; he tweets @NiggaTheory

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

There are four candidates running for the position of California Attorney General.

The primary election will be held on June 5, 2018, to determine the top-two candidates who will be appearing on the Nov. 6 general election ballot. Larry sits down with each candidate ahead of the June primary. The candidates are California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, retired Judge of the Superior Court of California Steven Bailey, Los Angeles business and real estate attorney Eric Early and incumbent Xavier Becerra.

Today, Republican candidate for California Attorney General, Eric Early, joins Larry to discuss his campaign. 

Ready for Election Day? Get up to speed on what you need to know with KPCC’s Voter Game Plan. Read up on the candidates and ballot measures, find out about registration deadlines and ask us your questions.

Guest:

Eric Early, Republican candidate for California Attorney General; he is a business and real estate attorney in Los Angeles; he tweets @EricEarlyforAG 

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