Bob Miller, the legendary broadcaster for the LA Kings, called his final two games for the hockey team - we talk to him about his legacy and farewell; as televangelism wanes, what’s next for political evangelists?; the latest on Syria, Russia, Egypt; and more.
Week in politics: Neil Gorsuch confirmed to Supreme Court, plus future of US-Russia relations as Tillerson heads to Moscow
The U.S. Supreme Court now has a full complement of nine justices. Neil Gorsuch was sworn in this morning at the White House, restoring a conservative majority to the High Court.
It gave President Trump a chance to enjoy his political victory and ensures that there is a legacy for the Trump administration. But things are murkier for the president and the White House on Syria.
Top American diplomats gave conflicting visions yesterday, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson saying that the U.S. policy in Syria will continue to be the eradication of ISIS while U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said she doesn’t see a political solution in Syria so long as President Bashar al-Assad remains in power.
Our political roundtable tackles all this, plus we’ll touch on the attacks in Egypt over the weekend as well as what’s next for Congressional Republicans in their tax reform efforts.
Guests:
Ange-Marie Hancock-Alfaro, associate professor of political science and gender studies at USC
Pete Peterson, dean of the School of Public Policy and senior fellow at The Davenport Institute at Pepperdine University
As evangelism wanes, what’s next for political evangelists?
Led by charismatic figureheads like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and James Dobson, evangelical Christians dominated conservative politics for decades.
But as political influence of evangelicals has waned and more Americans are moving away from organized religion, the world of evangelical politics has become a much more complicated place. It’s this complex world that Pulitzer Prize winner Frances FitzGerald dives into in her new book, “The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America.”
From America’s Puritan founders to the religious schisms created by the Civil War, FitzGerald tracks the multifaceted history of politicized Christianity in America to contextualize the identity crisis which evangelicals face today.
Guest:
Frances FitzGerald, journalist and author of a number of books, including her latest, “The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America” (Simon & Schuster, 2017)
A behind-the-scenes look at how Governor Brown’s massive transportation bill got passed
The passage of the $52 billion transportation bill marked a huge victory for Governor Jerry Brown.
Apparently, it came with a prize. Both the LA Times and Sacramento Bee are reporting on the “side deals” and “pork” the Democrats had to dole out in order to win enough votes.
Brown’s ambitious plan wants to fix California roads by increasing the gas tax and vehicle registration fees. It was a tough sell for some lawmakers, but the bill cleared the Legislature on Thursday.
Guest:
Patrick McGreevy, reporter who covers the California Legislature in Sacramento for the LA Times. His latest piece looks at the negotiations behind the passage of the transportation bill
Should the Lakers deliberately lose games to retain draft position?
The LA Lakers have been in rebuild mode for the last few seasons, and those efforts have stepped up since Kobe Bryant retired in 2016.
Rookie coach Luke Walton was brought in from the Golden States Warriors to work with a young and promising team that includes Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, and second overall draft pick in 2015, D’Angelo Russell.
For the reboot to succeed, the Lakers need to keep infusing the team with new and young talents. And they have a good chance of doing that by retaining their first-round draft pick – provided that they lose enough games this year.
And that’s what some Lakers observers are calling on their team to do, including LA Times columnist Bill Plaschke and KPCC's own A Martinez.
Should the Lakers lose on purpose to maintain their draft edge?
Guest:
Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times sports columnist; he tweets
LA Kings announcer Bob Miller on his legacy and farewell
Bob Miller, the legendary broadcaster for the LA Kings, called his final two games for the hockey team this past weekend.
The 78-year-old broadcaster has long been the voice of the Kings -- he called 3,351 broadcasts over nearly 44 seasons. But over the past year, Miller suffered two strokes and recovered from a quadruple bypass surgery. Miller was one of the most iconic sports broadcasters both in hockey and in Los Angeles, and his departure from the profession leaves a hole akin to Vin Scully's departure from the Dodgers last season.
Guest:
Bob Miller, American sportscaster and former announcer for the Los Angeles Kings