We bring you a special collaboration with KNPR’s public affairs show, State of Nevada, looking at how the high cost of living is driving people out of California in search of a better life in other cities. We also talk to newly-minted LAUSD superintendent Austin Beutner; discuss air pollution in SoCal; and more.
Does Giuliani's bombshell prove that Trump violated campaign finance laws?
In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity Wednesday night, Trump’s new attorney Rudy Giuliani disclosed that Trump reimbursed his personal attorney for the $130,000 payout to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
Trump had previously said he didn’t know about the payment. Giuliani said the payout was not campaign money and therefore “perfectly legal,” but the admission is raising new legal questions about the president’s potential violation of campaign finance laws.
Among the factors at play: the timing of the payout, which was in October of 2016, right before the election, whether Michael Cohen made an unreported contribution or a loan to Trump’s campaign, Trump’s level of knowledge about the payout and its intent.
It’s unclear whether Giuliani’s disclosure was part of a planned legal strategy, but it may very well change the legal conversation. We discuss with campaign finance and election law experts.
Guests:
Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, campaign finance law expert and associate professor of law at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida
Derek Muller, associate professor of law at Pepperdine, where his focus includes election law, and the role of states in elections; he tweets
Newly-minted LAUSD superintendent Austin Beutner on his vision and goals for the district
Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Unified School District tapped former investment banker and Los Angeles Times publisher Austin Beutner as its new superintendent.
The L.A. Unified board voted 5-2 to ratify a three-year contract with Beutner who, despite not having any formal experience as an educator, has been deeply-immersed in Los Angeles civic life in recent years. In addition to his stint as the L.A. Times publisher he has also been a deputy mayor for the city.
In his first in-studio interview since being chosen to lead LAUSD, Beutner sits down with Larry to talk about his plans and vision for the district and respond to those who have expressed concerns about him as the choice for superintendent.
For more, check out the reporting from KPCC education reporter Kyle Stokes on the LAUSD board’s selection of Beutner and what we know about his philosophy on schools.
Guest:
Austin Beutner, incoming superintendent for Los Angeles Unified School District; he tweets
AQMD to vote on proposal to regulate warehouses, freight facilities to fight pollution
Southern California is one of the most hazardous places to breathe in the United States.
Every year, more than 1,500 of us die from air pollution – more than any other region in the country. Where is that pollution coming from? Largely, it’s heavy-duty diesel trucks. On Friday, the South Coast Air Quality Management District could vote to crack down on these polluters in a controversial new way – by going after the warehouses they visit. But regulating pollution from heavy-duty trucks is tricky. The SCAQMD, a regional air board tasked with cleaning up the air from Los Angeles to San Bernardino county, doesn’t have the authority to set emissions standards, or require truckers to buy cleaner equipment.
The State of California can pass its own regulations, but they only apply to trucks registered in the state — and that’s a small percentage of the trucks that drive on California highways. To clean up all trucks everywhere, you have to go through the federal EPA, and right now EPA appears more interested in loosening automobile standards than strengthening them. But the SCAQMD has found a workaround. It’s going after places it believes it does have authority to regulate: the places that trucks frequent, like warehouses, construction sites, and rail yards.
You can read Emily Guerin's full story here.
Guests:
Adrian Martinez, attorney for Earthjustice, a San Francisco-based non-profit public interest organization dedicated to environmental issues; he tweets
Peter Herzog, assistant director for legislative affairs for NAIOP SoCal, a commercial real estate development association which builds and owns warehouses
Nick Weiner, national director of Justice for Port Drivers, a labor organizing campaign founded under the labor union International Brotherhood of Teamsters
AirTalk special: Leaving California in search of cheaper housing
The California Dream, once encapsulated by the get-rich-quick ethos of the Gold Rush, has become a more nebulous umbrella term for the pursuit of sun, social mobility and fame.
Nowadays, California is experiencing impressive growth. Unemployment is at a historic low. But the attractiveness of California creates a very basic economics problem: more demand than supply. This is perhaps most apparently illustrated by skyrocketing housing costs, which have displaced Californians to peripheral states, like Arizona, Nevada and Washington. This has led to a slowing down of California’s population growth, and many of the people choosing to leave are “equity refugees” who’ve foregone the California Dream for larger, cheaper housing in another state.
AirTalk brings you a special collaboration with KNPR’s public affairs show, State of Nevada, looking at how the high cost of living is driving people out of California in search of a better life in other cities, including cities like Las Vegas.
Did you move here for the California Dream and how has the state lived up to your expectations? If you are a Californian who left the state for cheaper housing, tell us why and what trade offs went into your decision.
Call us at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Joe Schoenmann, host and senior producer of State of Nevada, the daily talk show on KNPR, our sister affiliate in Las Vegas, Nev.; he tweets
Adam J. Fowler, director of research at Beacon Economics, a Los Angeles-based independent research and consulting firm, specializing in economic analysis and revenue forecasting; he led a study coming out Thursday looking at the impact of California’s housing crisis on migration and employment.
Matt Levin, reporter covering housing for the nonprofit news site, CALmatters, and for the California Dream project, a reporting collaboration between KPCC and other news organizations across the state
Joel Kotkin, Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University and executive director of the Center for Opportunity Urbanism, a think tank in Houston; he is the author of “The Human City: Urbanism for the Rest of Us” (Agate B2, 2016)
Gia DeSantis, DJ at NV89, Nevada Public Radio’s music station that focuses on alternative music