As Democrats pick up 4th GOP House seat in California, AirTalk looks at the future of the party in the Golden State. We also get the latest on the Woolsey Fire and plans for repopulation; examine the future of subscription services and rideshare; and more.
Malibu residents await word on repopulation, as containment for Woolsey Fire hits 47%
Firefighters continue to make progress on the Woolsey Fire, increasing their containment overnight as the fire burned pockets of brush within the fire perimeter.
The blaze is now one of the largest on record to burn in Los Angeles County.
The wildfire is about 47 percent contained and burned several hundred more acres as firefighters entered their seventh day contending with the blaze.
Last night, Malibu residents gathered last night at Santa Monica High School to get the latest on the Woolsey Fire and plans for repopulation.
I’m covering the meeting tonight for Malibu evacuees of the
. It starts at 7PM - not too many people here yet.
— Emily Elena Dugdale (@eedugdale)
I’m covering the meeting tonight for Malibu evacuees of the #woolseyfire. It starts at 7PM - not too many people here yet. @KPCC @LAist pic.twitter.com/m4VrHGxLKH
— Emily Elena Dugdale (she/her) (@eedugdale) November 14, 2018
Go to Laist.com for the latest on the Woolsey Fire.
Guests:
Rick Mullen, Mayor of Malibu
Emily Elena Dugdale, reporter for KPCC who covered last night’s Wooley Fire meeting at Santa Monica High School; she tweets
Britain and E.U. reach draft Brexit deal: the details and the thorny approval process
British Prime Minister Theresa May's office has confirmed that the Cabinet will meet Wednesday to consider a draft divorce deal with the European Union.
Downing Street says negotiators from the U.K. and EU have reached a proposed agreement on Britain's withdrawal terms, which now needs political approval from Britain and the bloc.
May's office says Cabinet ministers are being invited to read the text ahead of their meeting. Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29, and Britain is keen to seal a deal this fall. If the U.K. Cabinet backs a deal, it will then need approval from all 28 EU nations and from the British and European parliaments.
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
Rob Watson, political correspondent for the BBC based in London, who has been covering Brexit; he tweets
Checking in on a contested gun violence reduction program implemented in several CA cities
A few cities in California have been experimenting with a program called Advance Peace which is trying a new approach to reducing gun-related violence: social services and stipends.
The idea behind the program is to end the cycle of retaliatory, often gang-related, violence by helping the young men who are most likely to be involved. The program matches its “fellows” with a mentor who can help them develop their goals. The controversial aspect of the program is its stipend. For example, in Sacramento, a fellow who’s been with the program for six months can become eligible for a stipend of up to a $1,000 a month.
Advocates say the this pales in comparison with the cost of dealing with a homicide in a city, and is a worthwhile investment in marginalized youth. But critics see this as an attempt to pay gang members to not commit violence.
The program is currently being tried out in Richmond and Sacramento, and will soon be launched in Stockton, as well as two non-California cities, which will be announced March of next year.
We check in on the program.
Guests:
DeVone Boggan, chief executive officer of Advance Peace, a nonprofit that aims to reduce gun violence, recently established in several CA cities
Angie Wolf, chief program officer for the National Council on Crime & Delinquency, a nonprofit research organization
The Blue Wave and the OC: What the congressional races tell us about Republicanism behind the Orange curtain
First-time candidate Josh Harder defeated four-term Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham Tuesday in California's farm belt, giving Democrats their fourth pickup of a GOP House seat in California.
As ballot-counting continued, Democrats gained ground in two undecided House races in Orange County, California, raising the possibility of a Democratic sweep of four closely contested congressional races in the one-time Republican stronghold. In the 45th District in Orange County, Democrat Katie Porter jumped into a 261-vote lead over Republican Rep. Mimi Walters, after trailing the incumbent since Election Day. And in the 39th District, anchored in Orange County, Democrat Gil Cisneros tightened the gap with Republican Young Kim.
Earlier, Democrats claimed the seats of Republican Reps. Dana Rohrabacher in the county's 48th District and retiring Darrell Issa in the 49th District, which cuts through the southern end of the county. There was a string of showcase battles in California in Republican districts that were targeted by Democrats after Hillary Clinton carried them in the 2016 presidential election. For state Republicans, Denham's defeat marked another setback in a state where the party has been drifting toward irrelevance for years. Democrats hold every statewide office, a supermajority in both chambers of the Legislature and a 3.7-million advantage in voter registrations.
With Harder's win, Democrats will hold at least a 43-10 edge in California U.S. House seats. Other Republican incumbents in California to lose this year include Rep. Steve Knight in the 25th District, north of Los Angeles. President Donald Trump was a factor in the GOP losses. He lost California by over 4 million votes in 2016, and many voters saw an opportunity to send a message to Washington when they voted for Democrats. We discuss what does that mean to the Republican party in California and how can the GOP gain back voters.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Tom Campbell, professor of economics and law at Chapman University; a member of the United States Congress from 1989-1993 and 1995-2001; a member of the California State Senate from 1993-1995; and the director of the California Department of Finance from 2004-2005
Norberto Santana, publisher of “Voice of OC,” a nonprofit newsroom covering Orange County; he tweets
Gustavo Arellano, California columnist for L.A. Times Opinion section; former editor and “¡Ask a Mexican!” columnist at O.C. Weekly; he tweets
Is the future of ride hailing the subscription model?
In the last month, both Lyft and Uber started experimenting with the subscription model.
Lyft’s “All Access Plan” allows users to pay $299 per month for 30 rides under $15. And then you get 5 percent off any rides that don’t fit that criteria.
Last week, Uber started offering a “Ride Pass” plan for $14.99 a month (or $24.99 for Angelenos) which lets users avoid surge pricing.
The programs are pilots for now, and Uber and Lyft may still be experimenting to find the right balance between enticing passengers and offering a program that’s still lucrative. Meanwhile, the subscription model in transit may gain traction. As reported by Aditi Shrikant in Vox, some experts speculate that the subscription model will play a role in the future of transportation, particularly in combination with driverless cars.
Would you use Lyft or Uber’s subscription service? What kind of subscription service would work for you, or even entice you away car ownership? Are subscription models the future of transit?
Guests:
Aditi Shrikant, reporter covering travel and transportation for The Goods, a consumer culture vertical at Vox; her recent story is “Uber and Lyft unveiled new subscription plans. But are they really worth the money?"
Robbie Kellman Baxter, consultant with Peninsula Strategies, a management consulting firm that focuses on subscription and membership models; she is the author of “The Membership Economy: Find Your Super Users, Master the Forever Transaction, and Build Recurring Revenue” (McGraw-Hill Education, 2015); she tweets