According to a report released Wednesday by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, the 2015 Torrance Refinery explosion could have been prevented if then-owner Exxon Mobil had paid more attention to safety - we dive into the report. We'll also cover the latest in politics including President Trump's religious liberty executive order; the L.A. County Board of Supervisors' possible new executive position; and more.
How much does Trump’s new religious liberty executive order really matter?
President Donald Trump has signed a long-awaited executive order on religious liberty, which frees up religious leaders and organizations from IRS rules against endorsing candidates.
It’s not clear what the order would do, given the IRS doesn’t actively enforce the regulation. However, the order might embolden religious leaders to be overtly partisan.
Guests:
Kim Colby, director of the Center for Law & Religious Freedom at the DC-based Christian Legal Society
Winnie Stachelberg, executive vice president of External Affairs at the DC-based think tank, Center for American Progress; her foci include LGBT and healthcare issues
2 years after Torrance refinery blast, new report places blame on ExxonMobil
A huge explosion at the Torrance Refinery two years ago could have been prevented if then-owner Exxon Mobil had paid more attention to safety, according to a report released Wednesday by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board.
Read the full story here.
We reached out to Exxon Mobil and they declined the interview.
Guests:
Sharon McNary, infrastructure reporter for KPCC; she tweets
Betsy Brien, western region external relations manager at for PBF Energy and the Torrance Refinery
Sally Hayati, founding member and president of the Torrance Refinery Action Alliance, an organization working to ban the use of modified hydrofluoric acid in the South Bay
Should Facebook, Google, Twitter be legally liable for aiding terrorism in San Bernardino attack?
Claiming that tech giants Google, Twitter and Facebook provided platforms for the Islamic State to distribute the extremist propaganda that helped radicalize the two individuals who carried out the terrorist attack in San Bernardino in 2015, lawyers for the families of the victims from that attack have filed a lawsuit against the companies in U.S. District Court.
The lawsuit says not only did the companies provide the platform for ISIS to spread its propaganda, but also profited from advertising revenue off of the posts on places like YouTube and Facebook. The companies, they argue, knew or should have known that this kind of activity was happening on their platforms and did nothing about it, despite having the means and technology to do so.
Similar suits have been filed in courts across the United States and, so far, none of them have been successful. The Communications Decency Act, which prevents online providers from being held liable for users’ postings, has been the main issue in each case.
Do you think the companies share some responsibility for aiding in terrorism? Or do you think the suit is too far-reaching and will likely run into similar issues that have come up in the past? What, if anything, should the standard be when it comes to platforms like Facebook and Twitter taking responsibility for the content users post on them?
Guests:
Theida Salazar, attorney at law; he is one of the lawyers representing families of San Bernardino victims
Drew Mitnick, policy counsel at Access Now, an international non-profit that advocates for free and open internet; Mitnick works on cybersecurity, digital due process and privacy
California might create a powerful new position: County executive of LA
Last week, nine CA lawmakers introduced a bill that would change the composition of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors by increasing the members from 5 to 7 and creating an elected executive position.
According to lead author and State Senator Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia), an expanded board would mean improved diversity and representation. This change would create a competitive seat for an Asian American candidate and two competitive seats for Latinos.
The elected county executive would serve two six-year terms and would serve as a leader for the currently committee-style run Board.
Larry Mantle sits down with former Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of these proposed changes, as well as the past and future of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.
Guest:
Zev Yaroslavsky, former Los Angeles County Supervisor, and is now affiliated with the UCLA’s history department, and the Luskin School of Public Affairs; he tweets
The Strip: Las Vegas and the Architecture of the American Dream
Las Vegas, known for its neon lights, bustling casinos, and flamboyant magicians, does not draw tourists in for its architectural layout and designs.
Dotted with replicas of Egyptian monument and New York cityscape, the strip is especially infamous for its garish buildings and tacky edifice. However, Stefan Al, a Dutch architect and urban designer, argues that the freakish development may just be a representation of the architectural trends in America as a country. Al's new book "The Strip: Las Vegas and the Architecture of the American Dream" documents the transformation of the main drag from Western style in the early 40s to the sleek exterior of 2015.
Host Larry Mantle chats with Stefan Al and gets a snapshot of America's social, cultural and economic transformation through the glittery boulevard of Las Vegas.
Guest:
Stefan Al, architect, urban designer and author of “The Strip: Las Vegas and the Architecture of the American Dream” (The MIT Press, 2017)
What does big data mean for the future of baseball?
When you mix behavioral economics with money ball, you get ESPN base writer Keith Law's new book.
“Smart Baseball” revisits how old sets of statistics - batting average, documented saves, and won-lost numbers - can be confusing, misleading, and even damaging in evaluating player performances. In this new book, Law challenges the convention of old "moneyball" thinking and proposes some myth shattering innovations. He argues that emerging statistical tools can help teams win, change how players are measured, and fundamentally transform the conversation around the game.
Host Larry Mantle sits down with Keith Law on what big data means for the future of baseball.
Guest:
Keith Law, senior baseball writer for ESPN Insider, and author of the new book, “Smart Baseball: The Story Behind the Old Stats That Are Ruining the Game, the New Ones That Are Running It, and the Right Way to Think About Baseball” (Harper Collins, 2017)