AirTalk debates a state bill that would allow local governments to charge fees to finance efforts to capture stormwater in the midst of the California drought. We also analyze the politics of Trump's probe into China's intellectual property laws; are your family heirlooms trash or treasure?; and more.
National monuments won’t be eliminated, but there will be some boundary adjustments
After a four-month review, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said Thursday that he’s recommending no elimination of the 27 ocean and wilderness national monuments in the U.S., though there would be boundary adjustments for a “handful.”
Zinke told The Associated Press that unspecified boundary adjustments for some monuments designated over the past four decades will be included in the recommendations he planned to give President Donald Trump on Thursday. None of the sites would revert to new ownership, he said, while public access for uses such as hunting, fishing or grazing would be maintained or restored.
He also spoke of protecting tribal interests and historical land grants, pointing to monuments in New Mexico, where Hispanic ranchers have opposed two monuments proclaimed by President Barack Obama.
Zinke declined to say whether portions of the monuments would be opened up to oil and gas drilling, mining, logging and other industries for which Trump has advocated.
There was no immediate comment from the White House.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Emily Guerin, KPCC’s environmental reporter who’s been following the story; she tweets
Brian Calvert, editor-in-chief of High Country News in Colorado; he’s been following the story at a national level
Dan Hartinger, deputy director of the parks and public lands defense campaign at The Wilderness Society, a non-profit public land preservation advocacy group
Ileene Anderson, public lands deserts director and senior scientist for the Center for Biological Diversity
Amy Granat, managing director of the California Off-Road Vehicle Association
State bill could make it easier for cities to capture stormwater, so why aren’t taxpayer advocates happy?
Every year, millions of gallons of uncaptured stormwater go to waste in Southern California.
Senate Bill 231, proposed by California Senator Bob Hertzberg, seeks to make it easier for local governments to raise money to fund projects that capture stormwater, but the idea is running afoul of anti-tax advocates in the state.
Guests:
Robert Hertzberg, California senator (D-Van Nuys) representing District 18, which includes part of Burbank and communities like Granada Hills, and North Hollywood; he is behind Senate Bill 231
Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, a taxpayers’ rights group
What does a salmon farm spill mean for the environment?
As reported by the Los Angeles Times, Atlantic salmon farmed around Cypress Island recently escaped faulty equipment.
Now Washington state officials are calling on anglers to catch as many as possible. What are the environmental consequences of the fish in open waters?
Larry speaks to a reporter with The Seattle Times to find out more.
Guest:
Lynda V. Mapes, environment reporter at the The Seattle Times; she's been following the story; she tweets
AirTalk debates: What’s the best way to protest white supremacist rallies?
When it comes to protesting protests, the best tactic for doing so is still up for debate.
“Forget about it,” writes one L.A. Times columnist. “Take a nap. But whatever you do, don’t give the extremists the one thing they so desperately want: A response.”
Some say violence is the answer. In April, when Ann Coulter canceled her speech at UC Berkeley, pro-Trump supporters came to Civic Center Park in droves. Many wore body armor, and according to The San Francisco Chronicle, they were prepared to fight. But no one showed up to counter protest. Instead, the protest fizzed out and attendees went home without much of a tussle.
But as the country saw in Charlottesville this month, violence against white supremacist rallies can be life-threatening. What’s the best way to organize a protest? Do you ignore it? Make fun of it? Bring your dog to a field where a protest is scheduled and not clean its “business” up?
How do you think should the country handle protests in the future? Call us at 866-893-5722 to weigh in.
The politics behind Trump’s probe into China’s intellectual property laws
President Trump ordered his top trade official, Robert Lighthizer, last week to look into a possible investigation to whether China had stolen U.S. intellectual property.
As reported by the Washington Post, the inquiry would give Trump authority to retaliate if China is found to have violated these laws. The investigation could take up to a year to complete. Senior White House officials also told reporters it was too soon to say what kind of consequences the Administration would have planned, should it find China guilty of theft.
But the move is seen to some as the first step in a much larger battle with China. The Chinese government saw this as a signal of a possible trade war with Trump. And as Trump’s tensions mount with North Korea over nuclear weapons, the U.S. has been urging China to put pressure on its neighbor.
So how are China’s historically wonky intellectual property laws affecting U.S. trade? And what is the political impact of Trump’s investigation?
Guests:
Uri Friedman, staff writer at The Atlantic covering global affairs; he was also former deputy managing editor at Foreign Policy, a global policy news magazine; he tweets
Brian Peck, director of the Center for Transnational Law and Business and adjunct assistant professor of law at the USC Gould School of Law
Trash or treasure? Navigating the ins and outs of giving and receiving family heirlooms
Whether it’s downsizing, moving to a retirement community or assisted living facility, or just finally getting rid of decades of clutter, parents often look to their children and extended families to hang onto their material possessions when they can no longer have them or don’t want them.
A recent article in the New York Times looks at this very issue. Furniture, jewelry, family photos are just some of the items we most commonly think of when talking about what older generations might bequeath to their children and grandchildren. And while it may have been the case once that the amount of stuff you owned was a commentary on how successful you were, the pendulum has swung the other way and younger generations aren’t as concerned about having material stuff that will last a lifetime.
If you’re a parent, how has the dynamic of giving and taking family heirlooms changed? Or if you’re the designated family possession holder, how has safekeeping these items impacted your day-to-day living? AirTalk wants to hear from you. Call us at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Jan Keppler-Kudla, owner of Right-Size Your Life, a company based in Sierra Madre that provides organizational, downsizing, and senior move management services