AirTalk dives into a decades-old debate to extend the 710 freeway before Metro votes on a proposal that would scrap the idea today. We'll also take a look at what Gov. Brown's budget means for the future CalPERS; what makes a successful business partnership?; a refresher on the Paris Accord; and more.
The epic battle to extend the 710 Freeway comes to an end today
The battle over the 710 Freeway extension came to an end at today’s Los Angeles Metro Board meeting. Metro Los Angeles' proposal was voted down and remaining funds that were allocated to the project will go to other street infrastructure plans.
It’s a debate that’s been in circulation since the 1960s, and has left locals at odds over whether a tunnel to connect the 710 and 210 Freeways would be best for both commuters and residents. South Pasadena residents have argued against the expansion, while people in San Gabriel Valley have supported the potential connection.
As reported by the L.A. Times, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority last week sparked the issue again, with a report which endorsed a nearly 5-mile tunnel to connect the two freeways.
Larry asks listeners their thoughts on this long-running argument.
For more on the vote, click here .
Guest:
Larry Wilson , public editor of Pasadena Star News
Could Gov Brown’s $6 billion pension plan save CalPERS?
CalPERS, the state’s public pension fund, is overburdened by debt to the tune of over $150 billion, and it’s a ticking time bomb that could blow up anytime.
Gov. Brown has allotted $6 billion to mitigate the problem in his recent budget proposal, but some lawmakers question whether the plan could deliver what it hopes to do.
Another potential solution would be to soften the “California rule,” which posits that once an employee is in the public pension system, their benefits can’t be reduced. Two cases challenging this have been ruled on favorably by state appeals courts – but the final say goes to the CA Supreme Court.
We check in on the state of CalPERS, and take a deeper look at Brown’s pension plan in the budget.
Guest:
Randy Diamond , reporter at the trade publication, Pensions and Investments , who covers CalPERS and CalSTRS and has been following the story
Lessons from ESPN’s ‘Mike & Mike’ on how to maintain a successful business partnership
One of sports talk radio’s most famous pair is breaking up: ESPN’s long-running talk show “Mike and Mike” is coming to an end.
The eponymous co-hosts of the show, Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, have been on the air together since 1998. The network has announced recently that the show is going off the air later this year. The two addressed the split during their Wednesday, May 17 show.
Greeny & Golic address the future of Mike & Mike
— Mike & Mike (@MikeAndMike)
Greeny & Golic address the future of Mike & Mike pic.twitter.com/86JfHwBS2C
— Keyshawn, JWill & Max (@KeyJayandMax) May 17, 2017
But rumors are circulating that the show might end sooner than that, because of two Mikes’ souring friendship. Staffers on the show have characterized the off-air relationship of the two as “ poisonous .”
Like all relationships, business partnerships require maintenance, patience and understanding. Larry talks to business partnership strategist Patty Soffer on how to go about launching - and keeping - a successful business partnership.
Guest:
Patty Soffer , partnership and business strategist based in Los Angeles and author of the many books, including, “ Partnership or Partnersh*t: You Decide ” (A Human Foundation Publishing, LLC , 2012)
The culture of US government leaks to the media, in the context of Manchester
In light of American officials leaking intelligence to the media, the United Kingdom has decided to stop sharing Manchester-related intelligence with the U.S.
It’s unclear which U.S. officials released information Monday about the suspected Manchester bomber, or whether it came from an intelligence or political agency. Today, Trump asked the Justice Department and other agencies to review the matter and stopper the flow of leaks.
We discuss what happened, and look at the culture of leaks within the U.S. government. What are the incentives or motivations for leakage? What are the potential repercussions of the United Kingdom’s decision on intelligence gathering?
Guests:
Phil Ewing, national security editor for NPR; he tweets
R.P. Eddy , CEO of the New York-based intelligence firm Ergo; former director at the White House National Security Council, as well as a former U.S. and U.N. senior diplomat; he is the co-author of the book, “ Warnings: Finding Cassandras to Stop Catastrophes ” (Ecco, 2017) and tweets
What changes in Montana special election after GOP candidate allegedly ‘body slammed’ reporter
A Republican congressional candidate in Montana has found himself in the spotlight on election day for all the wrong reasons, charged with misdemeanor assault after he allegedly slammed a journalist to the ground and broke his glasses on the eve of the special election.
Ben Jacobs, a political reporter for The Guardian says Gianforte was in a room prepping for an interview with a Fox News crew on Wednesday night. Apparently, Jacobs entered the room with his tape recorder, approached Gianforte, and asked him for his response to the Congressional Budget Office’s score of the Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, which had released earlier in the day. In audio recorded of the incident Gianforte can be heard telling Jacobs that they’d talk with him later, but Jacobs presses Gianforte for an answer.
Greg Gianforte just body slammed me and broke my glasses
— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs)
Greg Gianforte just body slammed me and broke my glasses
— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) May 24, 2017
The Fox News crew that was scheduled to interview Gianforte witnessed the incident and published an account that seems to corroborate what Jacobs said happened. Gianforte’s campaign statement tells a different story, alleging that Jacobs was the instigator and aggressor.
Gianforte's statement:
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney)
Gianforte's statement: pic.twitter.com/WVNdA1yZ8w
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) May 25, 2017
Across the country, many are looking at the race as a referendum on Donald Trump’s presidency. Gianforte has been the frontrunner for most of the race, though Democratic opponent Rob Quist has closed the gap in the waning days of the race. It’s unclear how much of an impact the incident will have on the election results, as many ballots had been cast absentee before the incident on Wednesday.
Guest
Greg Neft, news director for Newsradio KCAP in Helena, Montana; he tweets
Ahead of the G7 Summit, a refresher on the stakes of the Paris Accord
Earlier this month, amidst mounting pressure and infighting, the Trump administration said it would make its decision on whether to pull out of the Paris Accord after the G7 summit.
Pulling out of the international climate change mitigation agreement was one of Trump’s campaign promises. But with rising pressure from lawmakers in the U.S., business leaders, foreign leaders who will be rubbing shoulders with Trump at the summit and even Pope Francis , it’s unclear what Trump’s decision will be.
With the summit starting Friday, we’re taking a step back and doing a refresher on the Paris Accord. What is it? When did it start? And what are the environmental, foreign policy and economic stakes of the U.S. pulling out of the agreement?
Guest:
Jess Shankleman , reporter at Bloomberg News, where she covers business, renewable energy and climate change; she tweets
How to combat global warming in 100 ways
In the ten years after An Inconvenient Truth, environmentalist and writer Paul Hawken has put together a team of scientists, researchers, activists, and political leaders to form Project Drawdown, a term used to define a point in which greenhouse gases begin to decline.
“Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming” is the new book produced by the coalition. From family planning to green trucking, wind power to composting, Hawken and his colleagues propose a network of solutions to address the challenges of climate change. Larry Mantle sits down with the editor to talk about the surprising findings that tackle one of the biggest threats to humanity.
Guest:
Paul Hawken , environmentalist and editor of the new book, “ Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming ” (Penguin books, 2017)