Today on AirTalk, we look ahead on what's to come for impeachment after the Judiciary Committee votes to pass the articles of impeachment to a full house vote. We also take a look at the rise in porch piracy this holiday season; and bring together the Triple Play to break down what's been happening in the MLB.
House Committee Approves Articles Of Impeachment In Historic Vote, What Happens Next?
Impeachment charges against President Donald Trump went to the full House on Friday, following approval by the House Judiciary Committee. The House is expected to take up the two articles of impeachment next week.
The abuse of power charge stems from Trump's July phone call with the Ukraine president pressuring him to announce an investigation of Democrats as he was withholding US aid. The obstruction charge involves Trump's blocking of House efforts to investigate his actions. Trump has denied wrongdoing. The vote in the House panel was split along party lines, with 23 Democrats voting in favor and 17 Republicans opposed. Trump is accused, in the first article, of abusing his presidential power by asking Ukraine to investigate his 2020 rival Joe Biden while holding military aid as leverage, and, in the second, of obstructing Congress by blocking the House's efforts to probe his actions.
Trump took to Twitter early Friday to praise the panel's Republicans, saying “they were fantastic yesterday.” So, what can we expect following the historic vote? We discuss the timeline today on AirTalk.
With files from The Associated Press
Guests:
Ron Elving, senior editor and correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News; he tweets at
Jeffrey Engel, founding director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University; author of “Impeachment: An American History,” (Random House Publishing Group, 2018); he tweets
Holiday Shopping Season Means Porch Pirates Could Be Sailing By Your Door -- Here’s How You Can Fight Back
With the holiday season fast approaching and more than half of holiday shoppers saying they plan to do the majority of their shopping online this year, it’s no surprise that cities and towns across the country see an increase in so-called “porch pirates” – those parcel-pinching pilferers with a penchant for procuring packages from the porches of the poorly-prepared.
And that means that you, the consumer, have to be especially vigilant if you’re one of the 54% of people who will be using the internet for most or all of your holiday shopping.
Sadly, Los Angeles is not exempt from this troubling holiday trend. A new report from the home security review site Safewise ranks L.A. ninth out of the top ten metro areas where porch pirates strike most (San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose is number one for the second straight year). Cases of porch piracy can also be tough to solve. The Denver Police Department, which tracks package theft, reports about a 7 percent arrest rate on package-stealers. The increase in popularity of video doorbells and other front door camera technology have been a boon in helping police catch more porch pirates, but if your home doesn’t have one, there may not be much you can do beyond reporting the theft and hoping for the best. Some police departments are even setting up sting operations in their jurisdictions by leaving decoy packages around town.
If you can’t be home when your package is supposed to be delivered, all hope is not lost. You can always have your parcel shipped to your local post office, though most are only open 9 to 5. Delivery companies like UPS and FedEx offer the option to have your package sent to a secure facility for pickup. Amazon offers lockers in more than 70 metro areas where you can have your item shipped, though these can be scarce during the holiday season, and even has options that allow you to let Amazon leave your package in your car or even in your house, assuming you have the right car and equipment.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll take a look at the increase in porch piracy across the country, find out where Southern California fits into the picture, hear what retailers are doing to help combat the problem, and take your calls at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Katie McEntire, security expert at Safewise, a website that reviews and rates home security and safety products, which recently released a report on the top cities across the U.S. for ‘porch pirating’
Sucharita Kodali, e-commerce analyst at Forrester Research, a technology research and advisory firm based in Cambridge, MA; she tweets @smulpuru
Lt. William Grisafe, public information officer for Pasadena Police Department
KPCC’s Triple Play: Rule Changes, Angels Get Their Man, Dodgers Remain In Free Agent Hunt And More From MLB Winter Meetings
It may not seem like it, given that it was less than two months ago that the Washington Nationals hoisted their first World Series trophy in franchise history, but baseball season is just around the corner with pitchers and catchers reporting to Training Camp about two months from now.
Smack dab in the middle of it all are Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings, which were held in sunny San Diego this year and wrapped up on Thursday. The annual event brings representatives from all 30 teams and their minor league affiliates together to talk, among other things, about league rules and policy changes. Perhaps the biggest headline this year is the new drug policy agreement between the league and its’ players’ union that will allow the league to test players for opiods and will remove marijuana from the league’s list of “drugs of abuse.” The new opioid testing policy is a direct response to the death of Los Angeles Angels’ pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who was found dead in his team hotel room this past July with two opioids in his system.
The Winter Meetings also offer teams the chance to wheel and deal, and the Los Angeles Angels took advantage of that opportunity this year, signing former Nationals slugging third baseman Anthony Rendon to a seven year deal worth $245 million. The Dodgers had expressed interested in Rendon as well but weren’t able to get a deal done.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll check in with a baseball writer who attended the Winter Meetings in San Diego and reconvene our Triple Play of Larry Mantle, A Martinez and Nick Roman to talk about the rule changes, hot stove action and the Dodgers’ and Angels’ offseasons so far.
Guests:
Bill Shaikin, baseball writer for The Los Angeles Times who was at the 2019 MLB Winter Meetings in San Diego; he tweets
A Martinez, host of KPCC’s “Take Two”; he tweets
Nick Roman, host of KPCC’s All Things Considered; he tweets
FilmWeek: ‘Uncut Gems,’ ‘Bombshell,’ ‘Jumanji’ And More
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Lael Loewenstein, Tim Cogshell and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases.
"Uncut Gems" in wide release
"Bombshell" in wide release
"Jumanji: The Next Level" in wide release
"Richard Jewell" in wide release
"Black Christmas" in wide release
"Cunningham" at Laemmle’s Royal
"What She Said: the Art of Pauline Kael" at Landmark Nuart Theatre
"A Hidden Life" at Arclight Hollywood & The Landmark
"Seberg" at Laemmle's Town Center
Critics' Hits:
Lael: "Uncut Gems," "What She Said: the Art of Pauline Kael" & "A Hidden Life"
Tim: "Jumanji: The Next Level" & "Cunningham"
Charles: "Show of Shows"
Mixed Feelings:
Lael: "Richard Jewell"
Tim: "Bombshell" & "Black Christmas"
Misses:
Lael: "Seberg"
Guests:
Lael Loewenstein, KPCC film critic; she tweets
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC, Alt-Film Guide and CineGods.com; he tweets
Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine