Today on AirTalk, we discuss the latest news on Boeing's 737 Max planes, including President Trump's orders grounding of all Boeing 737 Max planes. We also examine a recent ACLU report on on Orange County’s homeless shelters; and more.
GOP Senate splits over Trump’s emergency declaration for border wall — we get the latest
President Donald Trump is urging Republican senators to support his emergency declaration for border funding, but at least seven senators have endorsed a resolution passed by the Democratic-controlled House to block the president from using his emergency powers.
Trump says any efforts to change the national emergency law should come later and stressed that he will not immediately take up proposals to amend the national emergencies law, which some Republicans have been pitching as a way to limit defections in Thursday’s Senate vote.
....If, at a later date, Congress wants to update the law, I will support those efforts, but today’s issue is BORDER SECURITY and Crime!!! Don’t vote with Pelosi!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
....If, at a later date, Congress wants to update the law, I will support those efforts, but today’s issue is BORDER SECURITY and Crime!!! Don’t vote with Pelosi!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 14, 2019
Among the GOP senators include Sen. Mitt Romney and Sen. Lamar Alexander. Republicans say the vote showdown will result in Congress forcing Trump to use a veto to protect his “Build the Wall” mantra and hopes of steering an extra $3.6 billion into building barriers against his own party. We get the latest.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Jennifer Haberkorn, congressional reporter for the Los Angeles Times’ Washington, D.C. bureau; she’s on the Hill covering the latest and tweets
Sean T. Walsh, Republican political analyst and partner at Wilson Walsh Consulting in San Francisco; he is a former adviser to California Governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger and a former White House staffer for Presidents Reagan and H.W. Bush
What’s next for U.S. air carriers and passengers after President Trump orders grounding of all Boeing 737 Max aircraft
Citing new evidence suggesting a possible connection between two crashes of the Boeing 737 Max aircraft that happened five months apart, the U.S. announced the grounding of all 737 Max planes.
President Donald Trump announced the grounding on Wednesday after Canadian aviation officials also grounded the 737 Max planes operating in their airspace. Federal Aviation Administration officials had been reluctant at first to follow the leads of others like China, Singapore and the European Union who ordered the planes grounded the day after an Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed minutes after it took off from Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people on board. Following President Trump’s announcement, the F.A.A. said that the decision was based off of new satellite data that showed “vertical fluctuations” and “oscillations” that echoed what was reported during the October 2018 crash of a Lion Air flight in Indonesia that killed 189 people. Ethiopian Airlines has also said that one of the two pilots in Sunday’s crash had asked and been cleared to return to the airport just three minutes before air traffic controllers lost contact.
What does this new data tell us about the possible connection between the Lion Air and Ethiopian Air crashes? What does this mean for commercial air travel in the United States? How is the F.A.A responding? How are airlines like American, Southwest and United, all of whom count the 737 Max 8 among the jet models in their fleets, going to address this issue?
Guests:
Brian Sumers, aviation business editor for Skift, a website that covers global travel; he tweets
Lt. Col Kevin Kuhlman (Ret.), professor and associate chair of aviation and aerospace science at Metropolitan State University of Denver; he is a former commercial airline pilot and served for 30 years in the U.S. Air Force, where he was an aircraft commander, flight instructor and safety officer who conducted accident investigation duties
ACLU issues harsh report on Orange County’s homeless shelters
According to a new report issued by the ACLU of Southern California, residents and volunteers in Orange County's homeless shelters say the facilities are often filthy, vermin-infested, and lack basics like hot water and functioning toilets.
The allegations of disfunction at OC shelters are laid out in the 100-page report, which also includes examples of extreme hot and cold temperatures, rain-flooded floors, and reports of sexual harassment by shelter staff. The county's largest shelter, The Courtyard, is a regular destination for emergency personnel. Seven people have died in the shelter since it opened in 2016, a figure that doesn't include shelter residents who died either en route to or at a hospital.
The ACLU alleges some of the conditions in the shelters may violate existing housing and health laws, as well as the Americans With Disabilities Act. The group said the report is intended to spur local officials to enact changes, but didn't rule out future litigation. The report also includes recommendations for improving shelter conditions and instituting a system of oversight.
This comes as Orange County is starting to invest more public dollars in building shelters to house the county's homeless population. KPCC/LAist has reached out to the shelters listed in the report, which became public Thursday morning, and will update this story when they respond. KPCC/LAist has also reported on conditions in Orange County and L.A. County shelters in the past.
Read Rina’s full story on LAist.com
We reached out to the County of Orange for a response and received this statement:
"The County of Orange is committed to ensuring our emergency shelters are safe for all our clients. Each emergency shelter has its own provider and complaint process. We work to ensure valid complaints are addressed by our service providers in a timely fashion.
We will take the time to review the report and will respond to it accordingly."
Guest:
Rina Palta, a correspondent on KPCC's investigative team; one of her areas of expertise is homelessness
Miguel A. Pulido, Mayor of Santa Ana
Report finds SoCal Edison power lines caused Thomas Fire. What happens now?
The Ventura County Fire Department has determined that power lines were the cause of the Thomas Fire that ravaged the area in December 2017.
The fire started amid high winds that caused parallel power lines to slap into each other, creating an electrical arc that ignited flammable bits of molten aluminum on the ground. Those in turn, ignited dry vegetation, according to a report released today.
Southern California Edison owns the power lines. Being named liable for the start of the Thomas Fire, under California's laws, means the utility is responsible to pay for any damages. In this case, the cost could run into the billions.
The Thomas Fire began Dec. 4 and burned for almost 40 days. It threatened the cities of Santa Paula, Ventura, Ojai and Fillmore, as well as unincorporated areas of Ventura County, before moving into Santa Barbara.
There is a continuing investigation into whether any crimes were committed for which Edison or others could be charged. There is an enormous amount of loss of property and life in both the Thomas Fire and the Montecito mud disaster that followed. The report refers to potential violations including manslaughter, unlawfully causing a fire, negligence, setting a forest fire, and failing to maintain the power system in a safe condition. There is an investigation underway by the state Attorney General into whether criminal charges could or should be brought, according to statements made in open court.
Then there's the civil litigation side. Now that the cause has been determined by fire authorities, it moves to the courts to establish liability and the amount of damages.
About 2,000 plaintiffs have already filed lawsuits naming Edison and others over their personal injuries and property losses in the two disasters. But more could come forward now that the official cause report is out. They have between two and three years to file cases.
This could potentially run into the billions of dollars for Southern California Edison ratepayers, and if negligence is shown, under California law, the burden to pay shifts to shareholders, and it comes out of profit.
Read Sharon’s full story on LAist.com
Guests:
Sharon McNary, KPCC’s infrastructure correspondent
Steve Conroy, communications director for Southern California Edison
Alex Robertson, wildfire attorney who represents hundreds of plaintiffs in the Thomas Fire and Montecito mudflow disasters
California bill to ease pathway for former inmates to become firefighters
A bill introduced by Assemblywoman Eloise Reyes (D-San Bernardino) last month is looking to help former inmate firefighters pursue the career after their release.
The bill, AB 1211, would ease current regulations to help former convicts who demonstrate “rehabilitation and a desire to work” continue fighting fires after their sentence. Currently, individuals who intend on pursuing a career as a firefighter must acquire an EMT license, which can be denied if the applicant has been convicted of at least two felonies, if they have been on parole or probation, or if they’ve been imprisoned in the last 10 years.
Although the legislation is still being drafted, opposition to the measure has already surfaced. Critics argue that inmate firefighters do not meet the high demands required for the job, while supporters say the current limitations are too strict and bar people with criminal records from the option of becoming a firefighter.
We debate the bill.
Guests:
Katherine Katcher, executive director of Root & Rebound, an Oakland-based criminal justice reform and advocacy organization
Carroll Wills, communications director at California Professional Firefighters, the state union representing professional firefighters and departments throughout California