The "Affordable Housing Act" aims to repeal the law preventing rent control on buildings built in 1995 or later, but opponents fear this may halt construction of future housing and limit the market even further. We look at sides. We also check-in on SoCal's winter rain (or lack there of); discuss endurance with author Alex Hutchinson; and more.
Russia likely to interfere in 2018 elections and other updates from intel leaders, plus latest on dueling memos
Intelligence leaders are testifying in front of the Senate today about global and cyber security threats to the U.S., with a focus on China, North Korea and Russia.
Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said that Russian interference is likely to continue and that the 2018 midterm elections are the next target.
FBI director Christopher Wray, CIA director Mike Pompeo and other leaders will be testifying as well.
Meanwhile, Trump has sent back Adam Schiff’s rebuttal to the Nunes intelligence memo saying it was too political and needed redaction. Some on the left are calling this move unfair, considering that Trump’s release of the Nunes memo a few weeks ago.
We’ll get the latest from the hearings, as well as an update on the dueling memos.
Guests:
Miles Parks, reporter and producer on NPR's Washington Desk; he covers election interference and voting infrastructure; he tweets
Aaron Blake, senior political reporter for the Washington Post; he tweets
With weak rain season, drought for California could be in the forecast
Southern California will be getting a little taste of the rain this week, but it won’t be enough.
After kicking off 2017 with a hot and dry winter season, California has little chance of reaching normal rainfall totals by the end of the year. Low snowpack levels in the Sierra Nevada are leading ski resorts to close their doors and residents are fearing another long dry spell could be on the way.
The State Water Resources Control Board is already preparing. In a week, the Board is expected to adopt restrictions similar to those Governor Jerry Brown implemented after two years of drought in 2014 – but instead of expiring, these would be permanent.
Larry sits down with KPCC’s science reporter Jacob Margolis to hear how much rain is expected in SoCal’s future and how likely it is the state is headed for another drought.
Guest:
Jacob Margolis, science reporter at KPCC
Debating the proposed ballot initiative to repeal California’s rent control law
The battle over rent control in cities across California may come to a head later this year.
A ballot initiative that’s currently called the “Affordable Housing Act,”currently in its signature-gathering phase, would repeal the 23-year-old Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, a state law that prevents rent control from being applied to any housing built in 1995 or after. The initiative is backed by Los Angeles tenants rights attorney and Eviction Defense Network founder Elena Popp, the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment and AIDS Healthcare Foundation president Michael Weinstein.
Proponents of the measure say repealing Costa-Hawkins would be a big step forward in combating the affordable housing crisis that is impacting cities across the state, arguing that the amount of housing California needs to keep pace with demand will take years to build, and that a repeal would provide immediate relief to tenants who have seen rents skyrocket and neighborhoods that were once affordable become gentrified and expensive.
Groups that are opposed, who include the California Apartment Association, the California Building Industry Association, and the California Chamber of Commerce, worry that if the measure were to pass, cities and counties would pass their own, potentially more stringent rent control laws, which they say would effectively halt new housing construction.
Do you agree with the repeal of Costa-Hawkins? Do you see positive or negative results overall if the measure were to make the ballot and pass?
Guests:
Anya Svanoe, communications coordinator for The Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), a statewide grassroots community organization and one of the official proponents of the ballot proposal
Tom Bannon, chief executive officer for the California Apartment Association
Under Trump budget, food stamp recipients wouldn’t be able to choose what they buy
President Trump’s budget proposal is causing a stir, and for those who use the nation’s food assistance program it could also affect what's put on the dinner table.
Under Trump’s plan, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP would incorporate a “USDA Foods package” as half of its benefits. As reported by NPR, the package would include “shelf-stable milk, ready to eat cereals, pasta, peanut butter, beans and canned fruit and vegetables.” Under SNAP’s current program, recipients get money every month on an EBT card, which can be used on food that falls under certain guidelines.
Critics of Trump’s plan say it will give a stigma to low income SNAP beneficiaries, and restrict their food choices. The USDA has said that state governments will deliver food a lower cost, although it’s unclear how the food would be distributed on a state-by-state basis, so how viable is the plan?
Guests:
Andrew Cheyne, director of government affairs for the California Association of Food Banks
Brandon Lipps, acting deputy undersecretary for food nutrition and consumer services administrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture
A deeper look at the impact of partisan media’s growing divide
How much would today’s conservative and liberal news have influenced the Watergate scandal?
That’s one question explored in a recent Associated Press article on the divide between partisan media outlets. The article points to comments made by Geraldo Rivera of Fox News, who said Nixon would never have had to resign if Sean Hannity was hosting in the 1970s. In the age of Hannity and Rachel Maddow, it’s tough not to hear opinions and accusations against Dems and Republicans in the zeitgeist. Now, with special counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing Russia investigation, partisan commentators are magnifying opposition in Washington.
While combative style and accusations aren’t new on partisan cable news shows, political discussions have taken air-time from other forms of news, and the financial success of Fox and MSNBC continue to thrive.
As the country becomes more divided – and so do these news outlets – what are the consequences? And to what extent are partisan hosts influencing public policies?
Guests:
Joe Concha, media reporter and columnist for The Hill; he tweets
Judy Muller, journalism professor emerita at USC where she focuses on the changing news industry, news literacy and fake news; she tweets
Mind over fatigue? The science of endurance and how to beat the brain
At age 70, “Godfather of Fitness” Jack LaLanne towed 70 rowboats in a mile-long swim against tumultuous winds and currents while handcuffed and shackled.
LaLanne tapped into a jaw-dropping reserve of endurance. And so have many human beings before and after him. But how?
In Alex Hutchinson’s new book, “Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performances,” the longtime science writer pairs the stories of men and women who have pushed beyond their limits in extraordinary feats with the latest scientific research on mental endurance. His book is also an exploration of the body’s physical barriers brought by pain, muscles, exhaustion and more.
In 2017, Hutchinson was one of only two journalists with access to Nike’s top-secret training program attempting to break the 2-hour 26.2 mile marathon.
The “Sweat Science” columnist and former long-distance runner joins host Larry Mantle on the making of his book and the resilience of the human spirit.
Guest:
Alex Hutchinson, author of the new book, “Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance” (William Morrow, 2018); regular contributor to Outside magazine, Runner’s World, and the New Yorker; he tweets