Today on AirTalk, our political analysts discuss the week's biggest headlines. Also on the show, we discuss L.A.'s latest public transportation news; check in on the California bullet train; and more.
Week In Politics: House Prepares For Impeachment Vote, Sixth Dem Debate And More
AirTalk’s weekly political roundtable recaps the major headlines you might’ve missed in politics news over the weekend and looks ahead to the week to come. Here are the headlines what we’re following this week:
Impeachment watch:
The full House is expected to vote on impeachment this week
Will some prominent Democrats defect during full house vote?
The Dems released a report today explaining the articles of impeachment
Republicans want to move through the impeachment trial quickly, but the president may want to drag things out - which is the better strategy?
McConnell indicates he’ll work with Trump’s lawyers in Senate trial
Senator Schumer is asking for 4 witnesses for the impeachment trial
2020:
Top Democrats threaten to skip Thursday debate because of labor fight
Who qualified for the upcoming Democratic debate (and does Booker still have a shot?)
Pete Buttigieg faces criticism over high-dollar fund-raisers
Bloomberg has hired more than 300 people onto his campaign
Could Warren’s recent drop in the polls actually be a good thing?
Sanders retracts his endorsement of a controversial California candidate for congressional seat
Biden’s warning to Dems after Boris Johnson's election victory
U.S. reaches initial trade deal with China
The COP25 climate change conference meant to create a rules for slashing greenhouse gases by 2020 wrapped up in Madrid and some are hailing it as a failure
SCOTUS will take up the case of Trump’s tax returns
Have lawmakers reached a tentative budget agreement? The deadline looms
Guests:
Nomiki Konst, founding member and board director of the newly launched PAC, Matriarch, which aims to help progressive working class women run for office; former member of the DNC Unity Reform Commission, which worked to increase participation in the Democratic Party and reform the presidential primary process; former Bernie Sanders surrogate in 2016; she tweets @NomikiKonst
Pete Peterson, dean of the School of Public Policy and senior fellow at The Davenport Institute at Pepperdine University; he tweets
AirTalk Checks In With Metro CEO Phil Washington: Tolls On The 405, Rider Safety and more
Metro’s CEO Phil Washington joins Larry Mantle in studio for his regular check-in to talk about all things public transit. Topics include:
LA County to study toll lanes on the 405
Female Metro riders identify safety as top concern
Decline in transit ridership
Divide over bullet train spending
State funding for electric buses
Metro reopens A line
Adapting to climate change
Subway car renovations
Guest:
Phil Washington, CEO of The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)
Local Stakeholders React To US Supreme Court’s Decision Not To Hear Challenge To Boise Ruling
The Supreme Court will not review an appellate decision that makes it harder for cities to keep homeless people from sleeping on the streets.
The justices on Monday did not comment as they left in place a ruling that struck down a Boise, Idaho, ordinance. The ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals applies across several Western states where cities are struggling with homelessness brought on by rising housing costs and income inequality. The city of Los Angeles is one of several west coast cities that urged the Supreme Court to hear the appeal. Many cities have similar restrictions that aim to keep homeless people from sleeping on their streets. They argue the ruling means municipalities won’t be able to maintain public health and safety in their communities. The appeals court held that Boise could not make it a crime for homeless people to sleep on the streets when no alternative shelter is available. The decision the justices refused to review found that the Boise ordinance violated the constitutional ban on “cruel and unusual punishment.” Today on AirTalk, Larry sits down with those on both sides of the issue to get reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision and find out what comes next.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Mike Feuer, city attorney of Los Angeles
Carol Sobel, civil rights attorney based in Santa Monica, CA who has represented Los Angeles’ homeless in federal courts
Kathryn Barger, L.A. County supervisor representing the 5th district, which includes the Antelope, San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valley
Just When You Thought the CA Bullet Train Is All But Dead…
The ambitious bullet train project that’s supposed to link the northern and southern part of California is up in the air, but the California High-Speed Rail Authority is going ahead with a $1.6 billion request for bids to build tracks and put in other infrastructural elements for a high-speed line.
The move is opposed by federal regulators, which sent a letter to California saying that a request for bids requires an approval from them before it can proceed.
Joining Larry to discuss this latest wrinkle in the state’s moribund high-speed rail dream is LA Times’s Ralph Vartabedian, who’s been reporting of the story.
We reached out to the CA Rail Authority and the Federal Railway Administration, but have not heard back
Guest:
Ralph Vartabedian, staff writer at the LA Times who’s been following the story