Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has resigned after the company's repeated fall outs, including discriminatory work culture toward women and questionable business practices - we want to hear from Uber drivers in LA what you think of his resignation? We also discuss the latest on House Intelligence hearings; veterans who face deportation; and more.
What Uber drivers in LA think of Travis Kalanick’s resignation
Travis Kalanick has resigned as the CEO of Uber.
The company has been mired in controversy, including its discriminatory work culture toward women and questionable business practices.
Earlier this year, a former Uber engineer named Susan Fowler published a scathing account of her experience at the ride-hailing company. Fowler wrote that she was sexually harassed repeatedly by a colleague. She reported these incidents to Uber’s human resources department but to no avail.
In the wake of Fowler’s claims, Uber hired former Attorney General Eric Holder to undertake an investigation into Uber’s work culture. The results were recently announced, with Uber’s board overwhelmingly voted to adopt the recommendations. Kalanick took an indefinite leave of absence after the Holder investigation. And to the surprise of many, Kalanick announced his resignation as the company’s CEO today. He remains on the company’s board.
If you drive for Uber, what do you think of Kalanick’s resignation?
Guest host Libby Denkmann in for Larry Mantle
Guests:
Johana Bhuiyan, senior transportation reporter for the tech publication, Recode; she tweets at
Eric Newcomer, reporter for Bloomberg Technology; he tweets
As the Russia investigation continues, a look at the House Intelligence Committee hearings
Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson was on-deck at Wednesday’s House Intelligence Committee hearings, part of the ongoing investigation into Russian interference with the presidential election.
As reported by POLITICO, Johnson said in his testimony that the Democratic National Committee didn’t think it was necessary to involve the Department of Homeland Security following the election hack. The information from the DNC hack, published by Wikileaks, is considered part of a strategy to hurt the Hillary Clinton campaign.
U.S. officials believe that possible intermediaries from Russia obtained and leaked the information to help elect President Trump. Johnson also said in his testimony that despite his attempt to bring light to Russia’s cyber intrusion, political obstacles prevented him from taking action.
Guest host Libby Denkmann speaks today to POLITICO’S Austin Wright, who was at the hearing.
Guest:
Austin Wright, congressional reporter for POLITICO based on Capitol Hill; he was at the House Intelligence Committee hearing
After US military service, these veterans face deportation
Army veteran Mario Martinez spent six years of his life fighting for the United States. Now he's fighting for the right to keep living here.
Martinez, 54, was born in Mexico, but came to the U.S. as a young child and became a legal resident. He joined the Army, served with the 82nd Airborne Division, and earned an honorable discharge. But more than a decade after he left the service, he was convicted of a felony, putting his immigration status in jeopardy.
"One mistake shouldn't make the rest of your life," said Martinez, who served four years in California state prison for an assault conviction stemming from a 2008 domestic violence case. "I mean, I paid for what I did, I did my time. I did it quietly, went in and got out."
After Martinez served his time, he was handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency that handles deportation for the Department of Homeland Security. He spent another 10 months in detention, then was released on bond in 2014. He currently lives in Southern California, while he awaits a court date in his deportation case.
Martinez is one of an unknown number of military veterans facing deportation for crimes committed after discharge. They're among the thousands of legal permanent residents who have been allowed to serve in the armed forces despite being non-citizens.
To read the full story, click here.
This is the first of two stories. Part two is here.
Guest host Libby Denkmann in for Larry Mantle
Guests:
Dorian Merina, reporter covering veterans’ issues for KPCC; he tweets
Nathan Fletcher, combat veteran of the U.S. Marine Corp and chair of the Honorably Discharged, Dishonorably Deported coalition; he is a former CA State Assemblymember; he tweets
With Golden Motel project kaput, how can LA get more community buy-in on future homeless housing projects?
It’s the constant struggle with many solutions proposed for Los Angeles's chronic homelessness issue: how can we solve the homeless problem if communities aren’t willing to house them?
The latest initiative to stop short of completion is the Golden Motel project, which developers announced on Monday would not be going forward. Denver-based nonprofit developer Mercy Housing planned to purchase the old building near Temple City and convert it into housing and services for homeless veterans and the formerly homeless. Mercy says it withdrew its application for permits to renovate the building after the Golden Motel owners decided to go with a bidder who was offering more instead of waiting for Mercy to get the additional money and support they needed.
As many projects like it do, the Golden Motel project faced considerable pushback from residents of the neighborhood surrounding it. They say the project was well-intentioned but worried about the size and scope of the project, the potential for more property crimes, decreases in property values and risks to neighborhood children.
How can the city and county of Los Angeles communicate better with members of communities where homeless housing projects are being proposed? Or is the battle between developers and communities fated to be a stalemate forever?
Guest host Libby Denkmann in for Larry Mantle
Guests:
Chris Ko, director of homeless initiative and the "Home for Good" program at the United Way of Greater Los Angeles
Lucy Liou, resident of Temple City who opposed the Golden Motel project
How one Saudi woman’s joyride created an international movement
Saudi culture is notoriously strict when it comes to what women can and can’t do, and one Saudi woman learned that the hard way when she chose to go against a Saudi custom – women aren’t supposed to drive themselves anywhere.
So when Manal al-Sharif took a stand and filmed herself driving the streets of Khobar in 2011, it caused an uproar; the video garnered more than 120,000 views within a few hours, and al-Sharif was imprisoned for “driving while female.”
It’s this journey of accidental activism and self-discovery that Manal covers in her new memoir, “Daring to Drive: A Saudi Woman’s Awakening.” From her past as a conservatively observant Muslim to her present as the head of the Women2Drive moment, “Daring to Drive” tells the story of a Saudi woman who took the wheel – and her life – into her own hands.
Manal will be speaking at the “ALOUD” series at the Library Foundation of Los Angeles June 21. For more information, click here.
Guest host Libby Denkmann in for Larry Mantle
Guest:
Manal al-Sharif, a women’s rights activist from Saudi Arabia; her memoir is “Daring to Drive: A Saudi Woman’s Awakening” (Simon & Schuster, 2017); she tweets