As the government shutdown enters into its 34th day, we speak with federal workers to see how the shutdown has affected them. We also take a closer look at the investigation into companies on Glassdoor soliciting or encouraging positive reviews; interview SCPR’s new president and CEO Herb Scannell; and more.
DC roundup: Senate votes on two bills to reopen government, Trump delays SOTU and more
The Senate is taking up votes on two competing bills to reopen the government. But both appear unlikely to clear the chamber.
Either measure would reopen federal agencies and pay 800,000 federal workers who are days from missing yet another paycheck. Republicans would couple ending the 34-day shutdown with $5.7 billion for President Donald Trump's border wall and revamping immigration laws. Democrats would reopen agency doors for three weeks while bargainers seek a budget accord.
Twin defeats might spur the two sides into a more serious effort to strike a compromise. Almost every proposal needs 60 votes to advance in the Senate, which is under 53-47 Republican control.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said he is postponing his State of the Union address until the partial government shutdown ends, yielding after a weeklong showdown with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Following a high-stakes game of dare and double-dare, Trump conceded Wednesday night that "no venue that can compete with the history, tradition and importance of the House Chamber." He said he was not looking for an alternate option after Pelosi served notice earlier in the day that he wouldn't be allowed to deliver the address to a joint session of Congress next week.
Pelosi had taken the step after Trump said he planned to show up in spite of Democratic objections to the speech taking place with large swaths of the government shut down.
With files from the Associated Press
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guests:
Laura Litvan, U.S. Senate and politics reporter for Bloomberg News who’s been following the vote; we’re reaching her at the Senate press gallery; she tweets
Noah Bierman, White House reporter for the Los Angeles Times; he’s been following the story
Interview with SCPR’s new president and CEO Herb Scannell
Media industry veteran Herb Scannell, who once led Nickelodeon and BBC Worldwide North America, will serve as Southern California Public Radio's new president and CEO beginning late February.
The nonprofit's board of directors voted Wednesday afternoon for Scannell to succeed Bill Davis, who helmed SCPR for 18 years.
Scannell takes over a nonprofit newsroom with an annual budget of nearly $33 million and about 155 employees. KPCC reaches nearly one million listeners a month and the organization has expanded in the digital news space with last year's acquisition of the LAist news site.
Read the rest of Josie’s story on LAist.com
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guest:
Herb Scannell, newly named president and CEO of Southern California Public Radio
How making public transit more hospitable for women could increase ridership
It seems like a simple concept: use public transit and help save the environment.
But, as reported by Wired, the choice to take a bus or train is more complicated for women. According to a paper presented last week at the annual Transportation Research Board Meeting in Washington D.C., less women were taking advantage of the seemingly accessible new Expo line when it opened in 2012.
That could be because of safety reasons, and not just at the Expo line. Bus stops in isolated, poorly lit areas could make it difficult for women who have to wait long periods of time for a ride. And harassment at stations or on trains or buses can go unreported because of distrust of police, or fear that law enforcement will not be able to do anything about harassers.
So what’s the solution make public transportation more hospitable for women and bring up overall ridership? Guest host Libby Denkmann speaks to transportation experts today to find out more.
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guests:
Marlon Boarnet, professor of public policy and chair of urban planning at USC
Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, professor of Urban Planning at UCLA; her research includes public transportation and women’s safety issues
Day 34: How has the shutdown impacted you?
With federal workers expected to miss a second paycheck tomorrow during the longest government shutdown in history, the strain of the 34-day partial closure is spreading beyond unpaid workers, with big concerns for consumers, businesses and the economy.
From the U.S. Food and Drug Administration curtailing food inspections, to the Securities and Exchange Commission telling companies to halt IPO plans, the indirect impact of government agencies stuck in limbo are becoming more noticeable — and painful.
How has the shutdown affected you? With no end in sight, what unexpected and tough decisions have you had to make? Call us at 866-893-5722 or comment below to share your stories.
If you are a federal employee who needs help negotiating with your mortgage company, click here for help
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guest:
Gabriel Rubin, reporter at the Wall Street Journal’s Washington D.C. bureau where he covers financial regulation; he’s been following the shutdown and tweets
Not as transparent as advertised: How employers can manipulate Glassdoor ratings. Plus, what’s a prospective employee to do?
If you’re mulling over a job offer, you might turn to Glassdoor to look at a company’s rating or “pros” and “cons” from past employees -- but how much can you really trust these reviews?
A recent investigation from the Wall Street Journal analyzing Glassdoor reviews found that over 400 companies, including SpaceX, Slack and LinkedIn, had unusually high single-month spikes in positive reviews, suggesting that these reviews were solicited or encouraged by the company itself.
Glassdoor gets about 60 million users a month, and for job recruiters in a tight market sweetening ratings might seem like an appealing strategy. And unlike Yelp, which prohibits soliciting reviews, Glassdoor sends employers tips on how to get employees to leave reviews and ratings. We take a closer look at the investigation. Plus, we talk to a career consultant about how a prospective employee might suss out a work environment before accepting a job offer.
Have you ever taken a job only to find that it was a totally different deal from what you anticipated? How do you get a sense of a work environment before committing to an employer?
Call us at 866-893-5722.
With guest host Libby Denkmann.
Guests:
Rolfe Winkler, technology investigative reporter from WSJ, where he recently co-authored the piece “How Companies Secretly Boost Their Glassdoor Ratings;” he tweets
Lori Shreve Blake, senior director at the USC Career Center; she tweets
‘Free the Pendleton 14’ podcast shines new light on issue of white supremacy among active duty military
In 1976 at Camp Pendleton, a group of 14 black Marines burst into a room where they believed a meeting of active duty Ku Klux Klan members was being held.
At the time, KKK members operated in the open at Pendleton, wearing KKK logos and posting flyers about chapter meetings around the base. They attacked the Marines they found inside only to discover that they’d barged into the wrong room, and that the KKK members they’d intended to confront were in the next room. 13 of the black Marines involved ended up in jail, one of them ended up testifying against the others.
Fast forward more than four decades to 2019 and the Marines have since banned membership in extremist or supremacist groups. However, the issue of white supremacy among active duty members of the military is still visible. An active duty Marine took part in the white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia over the summer of 2017 and was eventually court martialed after ProPublica reported that he had attacked a transgender counter-protester during the rally and then bragged about it on social media.
Just how big a problem does white supremacy remain on military bases and within the ranks of America’s military today? And what is contributing to the renewed urgency surrounding the issue? What are the branches of the military doing to address this issue?
Today on AirTalk, KPBS military reporter and “Free the Pendleton 14” podcast host Steve Walsh joins guest host Libby Denkmann to talk about his reporting on the story, the creation of the podcast and why this issue remains an important one to highlight.
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guest:
Steve Walsh, military reporter with KPBS in San Diego and host of the podcast “Free the Pendleton 14”; he tweets