Today on AirTalk, we break down the Betts trade deal getting Dodger fans excited for the season and possibly another try at a World Series title. We're also looking at key takeaways from last night's State of the Union Address; discuss the 'housing first' model proposed by Trump's new homelessness czar; and more.
Triple Play: Dodgers Make Play To Win Elusive World Series, Score Red Sox Star Outfielder Mookie Betts And Pitcher David Price
Now more than ever, it’s now or never for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Banking on Mookie Betts to be the missing piece in their World Series pursuit, the Los Angeles Dodgers finally pulled off the blockbluster deal fans have been clamoring for, this time with the cost-cutting Red Sox. Boston agreed to trade the 2018 AL MVP to the Dodgers on Tuesday night, according to two people with knowledge of the deal, packaging Betts with left-hander David Price in a salary dump designed to save the Red Sox tens of millions of dollars and help them dip below baseball's luxury tax threshold. The Dodgers, eager for a World Series title after losing in the 2017 and '18 Fall Classics, are sending outfielder Alex Verdugo back to the Red Sox. The deal also involves the Minnesota Twins, who are getting right-hander Kenta Maeda from the Dodgers and sending pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol to Boston. Los Angeles will also get cash from Boston to offset some of the $123 million owed to Betts and Price, but the exact amount was not yet known. Betts, who will earn $27 million this season, has spurned nine-figure offers from the Red Sox for a long-term deal and expressed eagerness to test the free agent market. Boston decided to move him now - a century after selling Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees - rather than let the four-time All-Star walk after the 2020 season.
One of baseball's best all-around talents, the popular Betts should fit nicely into a Dodgers lineup that also includes reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger. Adding Betts' bat to a lineup that includes the aforementioned Bellinger as well as sluggers Justin Turner, Max Muncy and Corey Seager makes the Dodgers even more fearsome. Their offense led the National League with 886 runs and 279 home runs last year.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Bill Shaikin, baseball writer for The Los Angeles Times; he tweets
A Martinez, host of KPCC’s Take Two; he tweets
Nick Roman, host of KPCC’s “All Things Considered”; he tweets
Politics: Recapping Trump’s State Of The Union Address And What To Expect With A Looming Impeachment Vote
And then she tore up the speech. No sooner had President Donald Trump finished his State of the Union address than House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped the paper it was printed on in two. Right there, on camera, behind Trump's back. As he stepped down, she ripped again. Then a third time. And a fourth. The night of Trump’s State of the Union address has been described as a night of theatrics. Trump promoted trade deals and the economy all while reuniting military families.
Today on AirTalk, we recap the address with political analysts. And we discuss what’s to come with a looming impeachment vote in the Senate. Trump is on the verge of acquittal by the Senate, bringing an end to only the third presidential impeachment trial in American history in a vote at the start of the tumultuous campaign for the White House. A majority of senators have now expressed unease with Trump's pressure campaign on Ukraine that resulted in the two articles of impeachment. But there's nowhere near the two-thirds support necessary in the Republican-held Senate for the Constitution's bar of high crimes and misdemeanors to convict and remove the president from office.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Ron Elving, senior editor and correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News; he tweets
Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist and founder and chief executive officer of Rodriguez Strategies. He is also a former senior Obama advisor in 2008; he tweets
Matt Fleming, GOP communications strategist and opinion columnist for the Southern California News group; former communications Director for CA Republican Party (2018-19); he tweets
Los Angeles Wants To Use Eminent Domain To Preserve Affording Housing
Los Angeles City Council members are considering an aggressive new plan for preserving affordable housing: Taking over apartment buildings using eminent domain.
Councilman Gil Cedillo introduced a motion on Friday to explore the possibility of seizing Hillside Villa, a 124-unit affordable housing development in Chinatown. The building was constructed more than three decades ago under a covenant to keep rents affordable for 30 years. After that period of time, the property owner would be legally allowed to raise rents to market rate. The Hillside covenant is set to expire later this year. Tenants have been organizing to keep rents in the building from spiking.
To read the full story on LAist, click here.
Guests:
David Wagner, KPCC business and economy reporter who has been following the story; he tweets
Glenn Block, principal of California Eminent Domain Law Group, a Glendale-based law firm that represents both public agencies and property/business owners in eminent domain issues
Jim Burling, vice president of legal affairs at the Pacific Legal Foundation, a national nonprofit legal organization
Should ‘Housing First’ Be The Go To Philosophy When Addressing Homelessness?
The “housing first” model calls for getting people experiencing homelessness into stable housing first and foremost. Those who advocate for addressing homelessness with this model believe there shouldn’t be any preconditions for people getting permanent housing and that solving other problems, like addiction and mental health issues, should come after.
The Trump administration’s new homelessness czar is speaking out about potential shifts in the longstanding model that’s existed in cities across the country since the 1990s. Robert Marbut, the head of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, says he wants local municipalities to have more control over setting policy, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. Some long-time advocates agree that the housing first policy isn’t a silver bullet and the lack of development so far is problematic. Los Angeles voters approved a measure in 2016 that subsidizes construction of 10,000 permanent housing units for homeless residents. But according to Curbed LA, only one complex funded by the measure has opened. Other experts argue focusing on getting residents permanent housing first allows them to then tend to mental health or substance us needs after. Today on AirTalk, we look at the pros and cons of the housing first model as homelessness becomes an ever-growing crisis in California communities and across the country.
CORRECTION: On air, we misrepresented the viewpoint of Celina Alvarez, Executive Director of Housing Works, who had called in to comment. We want to clarify that she is in full support of ‘housing first’.
Guests:
Ben Kesling, reporter for the Wall Street Journal who’s been writing about this, he tweets @bkesling
Heidi Marston, interim executive director of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority; she tweets
Rev. Andy Bales, CEO of Union Rescue Mission; he tweets