A meeting between the California Air Resources Board and the California Transportation Commission prompted a surprising debate. We discuss why there may be a need to limit the miles put on cars. We also examine the pilot demand shortage; rising sea levels impacting the internet; and more.
After Helsinki, we check in on US-Russia involvement in Syria
After Trump’s meeting with Putin in Helsinki, Russia’s Defense Ministry said it would ramp up cooperation with the U.S. military, but what’s actually happening on the ground is less clear.
The track record for U.S. cooperation with Russia in Syria is varied. Russia backs President Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian regime, while the U.S. has supported rebel groups. But there has been some established communication between the former Cold War rivals, to prevent air jet crashes, for example.
We check-in on the conflict in Syria, the current U.S. and Russian involvement and what Trump’s meeting with Putin portends for the situation.
Guests:
Brian Katulis, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, he focuses on U.S. national security strategy and counterterrorism policy; he tweets
Aaron Stein, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, where one of his specialties is Middle East security
State regulators duke it out over whether Californians needs to limit vehicle miles traveled
In light of the state Legislature mandating the release of greenhouse gas score cards for more than a dozen municipalities, residents may find that they need to limit the miles put on their cars in order to reach local environmental goals.
This past June marked the first ever meeting between the California Air Resources Board and the California Transportation Commission, and a surprising debate arose as a result. Though the air board acknowledged the effectiveness of electric vehicles, they insisted that reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) was essential in carrying the state towards clean air quality. In contrast, members of the transportation commission, including Commissioner Paul Van Konynenburg, appeared skeptical of limiting VMT, citing that a statewide transition towards zero-emissions vehicles was enough to reach greenhouse-gas goals.
The two agencies are set to meet again this winter, and the discussion regarding VMT and zero-transmission vehicles is almost sure to arise again. What are the arguments involved? And what kind of research is being done to prove the effectiveness of each tactic?
With guest host Libby Denkmann.
Guests:
Joshua Emerson Smith, transportation and environment reporter at the San Diego Union Tribune who covered the meeting between the California Transportation Commission and California Air Resources Board
Lezlie Kimura, manager of Sustainable Communities Policy and Planning Section at the California Air Resources Board
Darin Chidsey, chief operating officer for the Southern California Association of Governments, an agency that addresses regional issues, including transportation plans, it encompasses six counties: Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura
Ahead of upcoming confirmation of new VA secretary, a check-in on the Department of Veterans Affairs
The second-largest federal agency has been without a leader for close to 4 months. And later this summer, the Senate will vote to confirm VA secretary candidate Robert Wilkie.
The 55-year-old Wilkie is an Air Force reservist who currently deals with military personnel policy under the Trump administration. He’s known as someone with deep DC ties.
Wilkie handily won the endorsement from the Senate VA Committee earlier this month. His confirmation by the full Senate is all but certain.
Wilkie will fill the spot left open by David Sulkin, who was fired from the post late March. Trump’s initial choice to replace Shulkin end in disaster. That nominee, White House physician Ronny Jackson, eventually withdrew from consideration, after allegations surfaced that he had contributed to a hostile work environment at his previous job.
The Washington Post is reporting that Trump loyalists are reshaping the staff of the VA in anticipation of the arrival of Wilkie.
Guests:
Lisa Rein, reporter covering federal agencies and the management of government in the Trump administration at The Washington Post; author of the piece looking at the VA shuffling ahead of Wilkie’s likely confirmation; she tweets
Leo Shane III, deputy editor and Capitol Hill bureau chief at Military Times; he tweets @LeoShane
Rising sea levels may jeopardize internet infrastructure
The internet may feel immaterial or even magical, but behind each tweet, ‘like’ and email is a network of data centers and stretches of underground cables -- and rising sea levels may put some of that coastal hardware in jeopardy.
That’s the conclusion of a new study, which found that climate change induced sea level rise may endanger some 4,000 miles of fiber-optic cables along the U.S. coasts. Some cables deep in the ocean are built to withstand water, but some of the infrastructure would be damaged by flooding.
And out of all U.S. coastal cities, the L.A. area has the most long-haul links at risk, nearly 89 fiber-miles.
What exactly does that mean? How is the infrastructure behind the internet set up? And if it were to be damaged by sea level rise, who would be responsible for fixing it?
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guests:
Carol Barford, one of the authors on the study and an associate scientist and director of the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
George Varghese, professor of computer science at UCLA
When your DNA test reveals a secret: The life-changing power of genetic tests
We often hear about success stories about families reunited. But not all stories are happy ones. DNA tests have unearthed secret pregnancies, incidents of rape and incest, and fertility doctors using their own sperm to inseminate patients.
The number of people who have had their DNA analyzed for genetic insights doubled during 2017, reaching a total of more than 12 million, according to industry estimates. Most people take the test to find out where their ancestors came from, while others use the technology to look for their biological parents.
But consumer genetic testing companies are making it harder to keep secrets. We talk to a newspaper columnist, who discovered a relative through a DNA test, and a genetic genealogist, who is in the business of guiding individuals to help them interpret their genetic results.
Have you recently discovered about a family member you didn’t know existed or did you get DNA results that were so shocking that you felt they shattered your identity? Call us at 866-893-5722 and share your story.
With guest host Libby Denkmann
Guests:
Nicole Brodeur, columnist for The Seattle Times, who has written about her recent discovery of a relative through a DNA test; she tweets
Diahan Southard, genetic genealogist and cofounder of Your DNA Guide, a consultancy firm that assists individuals in interpreting their genetic results; author of several guides on genetic genealogy