AirTalk’s expert political analysts recap the headlines you might have missed over the weekend in the world of politics and look ahead to what to watch for in the week to come. We also check in on the California wildfires; discuss cultural spins on the traditional American Thanksgiving; and more.
Week in politics: As final state & national races are called, a look at how the future of Congress is shaping up
Every week on Monday, AirTalk’s expert political analysts recap the headlines you might have missed over the weekend in the world of politics and look ahead to what to watch for in the week to come.
This week, some of the major state and national elections that were still in recount mode are wrapping up. Here in California, Orange County Democrat Gil Cisneros edged out Republican Young Kim by a razor-thin margin to complete a Democratic sweep of the OC Congressional seats, while at the national level longtime Florida Democratic Senator Bill Nelson has conceded in his race with former Florida Governor Rick Scott, making both Florida Senate seats Republican-held.
Today, we’ll take a look at the future of Congress, how Republicans and Democrats might get along with the former controlling the Senate and the latter in charge of the House, update the latest on the state and national elections that were called late last week and over the weekend, and tell you what it all means to you over the next two years.
Guests:
Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist and founder and chief executive officer of Rodriguez Strategies. He is also a former senior Obama advisor in 2008; he tweets
Lanhee Chen, research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University; he was an adviser for Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign and served as policy director for the Romney-Ryan 2012 presidential campaign; he tweets
If your family’s in town for the holidays, there’s more places to take them other than the Griffith Observatory
There’s plenty to see in Los Angeles beyond the quintessential postcard landmarks — you know, the Hollywood Sign, Santa Monica Pier, Getty museum and the aforementioned “gateway to the cosmos” (no offense, Griffith).
Beautiful places to be sure, but chances are your relatives have already seen them at least once. Or twice. Or they’re not in the mood to navigate through a sea of tourists and traffic after traveling from their homestead.
How about a trip to Little Tokyo for some authentic mochi ice cream or a stroll through its famous Japanese garden? For music lovers, why not visit the historic Hotel Café to support a local artist and possibly be graced by a surprise guest?
You can also learn how to take advantage of the more classic and kitchy landmarks with some colorful tips from “Ambassador of America” Charles Phoenix. He’ll share his top 10 destinations for entertaining your out of town relatives and more.
We also want to hear from you. Call us at 866-893-5722 to weigh in or comment below!
Guest:
Charles Phoenix, comedian, tour guide and self-proclaimed “Ambassador of America;” he’s the author of several books including his latest, “Addicted to Americana: Celebrating Classic & Kitschy American Life & Style” (Prospect Park Books, 2017); he tweets
Repopulation underway for Malibu residents, and an update from the Camp Fire
Southern California’s Woolsey Fire is now 94 percent contained.
It’s officially more destructive than last year’s Thomas Fire, with 1,500 structures destroyed and counting.
The last evacuation orders in Malibu were lifted this morning, but now the city is preparing for flooding and mudslides ahead of expected rain Wednesday. This could cause new evacuations – Malibu residents can sign up for alerts from the city here to stay informed – but officials are warning residents should get ready to leave at first rainfall, regardless of whether there’s a mandatory order.
Meanwhile, the Camp Fire in Northern California is 66 percent contained, up 1 percent from last night. The fire has become the deadliest and most destructure in California’s history. It has destroyed more than 15,000 structures, including over 11,000 homes. 151,000 acres of land have been scorched.
It also devastated the town of Paradise in the Sierra Nevada foothills. The town’s mayor said an estimated 90 percent of homes there are gone.
Joining guest host John Rabe are Lou La Monte, Malibu city council member, and Capital Public Radio reporter Bob Moffitt.
Guests:
Lou La Monte, Malibu City Council Member
Bob Moffitt, reporter at Capital Public Radio in Sacramento
Welcome aboard: Ahead of the holiday weekend, we talk best and worst airports
There’s lots to look forward to in the coming holiday weekend: family, friends, stuffing. But for those of with a home base in a different part of the country, you’ll have to brave the airport first.
And in case you don’t already have a mental ranking of the best and worst airports, last week the Wall Street Journal put out its own list. A ranking of twenty of the largest airports on the U.S., looking at variables like security-line wait times, average fares and wi-fi availability. (And LAX did not do as poorly as you might expect.)
We sit down with the Wall Street Journal’s Scott McCartney, writer of the weekly Middle Seat column on airlines and travel, to talk airport rankings.
What’s your favorite airport and why? Your least favorite? What makes or breaks your airport experience? Call us at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Scott McCartney, writer of the weekly Middle Seat column on airlines and travel in The Wall Street Journal; his recent article is “The Best of the Biggest U.S. Airports”; he tweets
AirTalk asks: What’s your favorite cultural spin on the traditional American Thanksgiving?
Southern California is rich with multiculturalism, and celebrating Thanksgiving is one way for our melting pot to shine.
Maybe your family features a Cajun deep-fried turkey at the center of the table. Or you prefer to opt out of mashed potatoes for sticky rice and pumpkin pie for flan. Perhaps a Russian cheese salad that’s versatile with almost everything on the table?
Celebrate Thanksgiving with us at AirTalk by sharing your favorite modern-day twists to this American holiday, from the dining room to the living room and more.
Call us at 866-893-5722 or comment below!
Guests:
Elina Shatkin, food editor for LAist.com
Michelle Faust Raghavan, health care reporter at KPCC