A look at Hillary Clinton's possible running mates; weighing the pros and cons of a slow Expo Line and TGI-FilmWeek! with a discussion of Disney's new Mary Poppins film and hearing your thoughts on films that would be sacrosanct to remake.
A Clinton-Warren ticket: potential dream pairing or keep on dreaming?
A private meeting between Elizabeth Warren and Hillary Clinton this morning is fueling speculation that the Clinton camp might be entertaining the possibility of making Warren her running mate.
The hour-long meeting came a day after Warren formally endorsed Clinton. To many, the choice of the Massachusetts senator as VP pick makes sense, with her work reining in the Big Banks and her focus on reducing income inequality. They see Warren as the bridge to the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, as well as a draw for disenchanted Bernie Sanders supporters.
Warren, for her part, seems to have taken it upon herself to assume the traditional “attack dog” role of the VP, going after Donald Trump at every turn.
But is Warren the right choice for the Clinton campaign? Can she connect with working-class white voters that make up Trump’s base?
Guests:
Paris Dennard, Republican political analyst and former staffer for President George W. Bush and the Republican National Committee; he tweets from
Angela T. Rye, Democratic analyst and CEO of IMPACT Strategies, a DC-based political consulting and government relations firm. She tweets from
Affordable housing, child care are top priorities in new state budget agreement
More money in the California state budget will be headed to child care and affordable housing after lawmakers reached an agreement with Governor Jerry Brown yesterday.
The new budget allocates $400 million for affordable housing, provided that legislators dial back regulations on homebuilders to streamline the building process. It also sets aside expanded funding for early learning programs and raises the amount that state-subsidized child care providers get in order to keep up with the state’s increasing minimum wage.
The new budget will still have to be voted on by the State Assembly and Senate, and it’s unclear when that might happen. California begins its new fiscal year on July 1.
Guests:
Chris Megerian, Sacramento-based reporter for the L.A. Times; he tweets
What’s in a commute? Finding benefits in a not-so-fast Expo Line
Passengers say the news Expo Line commute from Santa Monica to Downtown is no faster than driving, and a lack of station parking makes switching from road to rail impractical for a daily commute.
But others say there’s more to riding Metro than just commuting time, including a more relaxing ride and social interaction not possible from behind a steering wheel.
With voters set to decide on a $120 billion ballot measure in November to continue Metro’s expansion, is light rail worth the cost if it can’t make daily commuting faster, but maybe just a bit more convenient? Are there enough benefits to “going Metro” to outweigh a comparable commute time? And what can Metro do to shorten commute times, or make daily commuting by public transit more appealing?
Guest:
Megan McCarty, KPCC commuting and mobility reporter
FilmWeek: ‘The Conjuring 2,’ ‘Warcraft,’ ‘Now You See Me 2’ and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Andy Klein and Claudia Puig review this weekend's new movie releases.
"The Conjuring 2," with ghosts that make audiences scream out loud, once again stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson - thrill-master James Wan is the director. Also in wide release, "Warcraft" with a scary-big budget is based on the hugely popular video game. On the indie side, we'll talk about "Diary of a Chambermaid" with Léa Seydoux, "De Palma" about the filmmaker, and more.
TGI-FilmWeek!
Claudia's Hits
Andy's Hits
Mixed Reviews
- Claudia: "The Conjuring 2"
- Claudia: "Genius"
- Andy and Claudia: "Therapy for a Vampire"
This Week's Misses
- Andy and Claudia: "Warcraft"
- Andy: "Now You See Me 2"
- Andy: "The Fits"
- Andy: "King Jack"
- Claudia and Andy: "Diary of a Chambermaid"
- Andy and Claudia: "The God Cells"
Guests:
Claudia Puig, Film Critic for KPCC; she tweets from
Andy Klein, Film Critic for KPCC
Is ‘Mary Poppins’ sacrosanct?
The classic “Mary Poppins” is iconic for its delightful story and beloved characters led by Julie Andrews as the magical nanny, so actress Emily Blunt has big heels to fill -- as does Disney -- in bringing back the character for “Mary Poppins Returns.”
Andrews has given her blessing to this sequel and there is hope she will play a role herself, but could it possibly approach the original? Are some films too sacrosanct for a revival?
Guests:
Claudia Puig, Film Critic for KPCC; she tweets from
Andy Klein, Film Critic for KPCC