We examine the impact of La Niña's upcoming arrival during Southern California's ongoing drought and why weather patterns are hard to predict; New York Times just released two testimonials from women who allege Trump sexually violated them years ago; Plus, the race for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors' open seats and a recap of last night's 5th District debate at the Crawford Family Forum with Larry Mantle.
What a potentially short and weak La Niña means for SoCal’s ongoing drought
A new report from the NOAA Climate Prediction Center, released Thursday, forecasts a brief, weak La Niña, which may affect the kind of rain, if any, that we’ll get in Southern California.
La Niña, a phenomenon marked by the cooling of water in the equatorial Pacific, is a major driving force behind weather around the globe. Just last month, the forecast was neutral, which meant chances of Los Angeles getting its average of 15 inches of precipitation looked good.
But the new report points to a 70 percent chance of La Niña development in the fall, sloping to 55 percent in the winter. That might mean a drier, warmer winter in the southern tier of the U.S., which doesn’t bode well for SoCal as it enters its sixth year of drought.
Felicia Marcus, Chair of the California State Water Resources Control Board, joined Airtalk , along with Mike Halpert, Deputy Director of NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, to discuss the report.
Marcus told Airtalk host Larry Mantle that anytime the odds of La Niña go up, she gets uncomfortable, but that as climate change persists, SoCal weather will be increasingly difficult to predict.
“We pretty much have to be ready for anything,” Marcus said. “Both drought and flooding. And we know we're going to need to be even more prepared under a climate change world.”
Interview highlights
On the recent drop in California water agencies’ conservation numbers
Marcus: We don't know whether the drops [in water conservation] we're seeing are understandable relaxation given knowledge that the drought is still on but not as bad, or whether it's agencies abandoning their programs.
On why La Niña typically spells a warmer, drier winter for the Southern tier of the U.S.
Halpert: It's not really the changes in the ocean temperatures that have the strongest impact, it’s what goes along with those changes in the ocean. One of the key things we look for when we're declaring La Niña are changes in tropical rainfall. When we see the tropical rainfall shift from the central part of the basin … over towards the west, where Indonesia is on the western Pacific, that has an impact on the jet stream across the Pacific Ocean. And often times when that happens, we see what we term a 'ridge' or high pressure in the gulf of Alaska. Basically, it [the ridge] ends up steering the jet stream and the storm track to the north of southern-central California. Those years often favor wet conditions in places like southern Alaska [and] the west coast of Canada, as well as the Pacific Northwest.
On the variability of climate prediction
Halpert: Last year we didn't see what we expected. And this year, even with La Niña, could we see a pattern where it ends up wet in Southern California? ... It’s not the favored or the likely outcome, but it’s certainly a possible one.
Hear the full discussion by clicking the playhead above.
Guests:
Mike Halpert, Deputy Director of NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center; he is one of 11 forecasters that develop the El Niño-Southern Oscillation Diagnostic Discussion/ Forecast
Felicia Marcus, Chair of the California State Water Resources Control Board
Sexual allegations against Trump pile up; he denies the ‘pure fiction’
Donald Trump is denying allegations of sexual assault and calls them a "coordinated, vicious attack" from the media and Hillary Clinton campaign.
Trump said Thursday at a rally in Florida that he has evidence to disprove allegations of sexual assault and will release it at the "appropriate time." Several women have come forward in a series of reports claiming that Trump groped or kissed them without their consent and made unwanted advances. Trump said the claims "are totally and absolutely false." He called them "pure fiction and outright lies."
In today’s edition, “The New York Times” reported on allegations by two women in a series of interviews, adding to the already damaging revelations about the Republican presidential nominee's aggressive sexual comments about women.
Jessica Leeds, 74, of New York, told the newspaper she encountered Trump on an airline flight three decades ago. Leeds said Trump grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hand up her skirt. "He was like an octopus," she told the newspaper. "His hands were everywhere."
Rachel Crooks, of Ohio, said she met Trump at Trump Tower in 2005. Age 22 at the time, Crooks said Trump kissed her "directly on the mouth" against her will.
Separately on Wednesday, The Palm Beach Post in Florida reported that Mindy McGillivray, 36, told the newspaper that Trump groped her at his Mar-a-Lago estate 13 years ago. People magazine reporter Natasha Stoynoff also posted a story about a 2005 incident at Mar-a-Lago where, she wrote, Trump "was pushing me against the wall, and forcing his tongue down my throat." The Trump campaign said there was no "merit or veracity" to either story.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guest:
Eli Stokols, National Politics Reporter, POLITICO; “Four Women Accuse Trump of Inappropriate Touching”
AirTalk listeners weigh in: Bob Dylan awarded Nobel Prize for Literature
For the first time in its history, the Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded to a musician. Depending on who you ask, however, Bob Dylan blurs the line between musician and poet. The 75-year-old singer/songwriter joins the likes of Toni Morrison, T.S. Eliot, and Gabriel García Márquez, and his work was even compared to that of ancient bards Homer and Sappho, whose work was sung. His simple melodies and deep, thoughtful lyrics tackled topics like social unrest, civil rights, and more. He is credited with expanding the boundaries of genres like rock and folk, and even combining the two in a way that had never been done before, musically.
Dylan is probably most famous for songs like “Times They Are A Changin’” and “Like A Rolling Stone,” but his music spans generations and genres, from the 1960s all the way up to modern day, and from folk to rock to country and more. The choice of Dylan as the recipient of the award suggests that the definition of literature is expanding and can include musical works as well.
Today on AirTalk, Larry chats with former L.A. Times pop music critic Robert Hilman, who came to know Dylan during his years as a working music journalist, and even sat down for a long interview with him in the early 2000s.
What are your favorite Bob Dylan songs and albums? How did his music influence your life? What do you see as his contributions to literature through his music?
Guests:
René Engel, country music DJ, host and producer of the show Citybilly on San Louis Obispo NPR affiliate KCBX and a former KPCC host
Robert Hilburn, former pop music critic for The Los Angeles Times from 1970 through 2005 and author of several books, including “Corn Flakes with John Lennon And Other Tales from a Rock ‘n’ Roll Life” (Rodale Books, 2009)
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors 5th District Debate
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors wields tremendous power, so the races to fill its two open seats are worth watching this November.
In the 5th District – which includes Burbank, Glendale, and much of the Santa Clarita and San Gabriel Valleys – two candidates remain: Kathryn Barger and Darrell Park. Barger, who is Antonovich’s chief of staff, finished first in the June primary with 30 percent of primary votes. Park, who served in the White House Office of Management and Budget and runs a start-up called Better Than We Found It, finished second with 15 percent of primary votes. Barger, supported by a robust fundraising operation and significant labor backing, raised more than $1 million before the June primary. Park operated on a tighter budget, with about $200,000 before June 7.
Managing a $28 billion budget, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors carries political influence that cannot be overstated. It runs the nation’s largest jail and foster care systems as well as its second-largest public health system. It plays a major role in building – and funding – the county’s government workforce. While the five-member Board is officially nonpartisan, the outcome of November’s election has the potential to shift the powerful panel’s politics to the left. Since Antonovich and Knabe, the only Republican supervisors, are terming out, the 2017 Board could hold the first liberal “supermajority” in modern history.
While Antonovich, a Republican, held his seat for 36 years, registered Democrats now outnumber Republicans in the district by almost 10 percent. And with the higher turnout and volatility that presidential elections bring to their down-ballot cohorts, this race is sure to stay heated.
Larry Mantle hosts a lively debate between Park and Barger. In good AirTalk fashion, Mantle will engage the candidates in casual yet substantive conversation about the issues and livelihoods at stake. Hear each candidate’s visions before making your November choice.
Here are some highlights from the debate:
Last month, a local judge ordered Park to strike the following statement from his sample ballot statement:
Los Angeles County cannot afford to elect a supervisor who will support Donald Trump's extreme Republican agenda.
What comments or action has Ms. Barger made or taken that lead you to believe she supports the most controversial part of Trump's agenda?
Darrell Park: She's run the office for 15 years. . . her boss [Antonovich] is more conservative than Donald Trump. . .All you have to do is go look at what the Justice Department has done against our Sheriff's Department, against our jails. We've paid out millions of dollars in sheriff's abuse claims. We've had kids die in foster care. Things are not going well. . . I'm not saying [Barger and Antonovich are the same person]. I'm saying she ran his office.
Kathryn Barger: That's Mike. I'm Kathryn. If you look at my endorsements or even read the L.A. Times endorsement of me, I think it really does spell out the difference between Mike and I, and the vision I have moving forward with the county. If you look at the bipartisan support I have from the people that, by the way, have not endorsed Supervisor Antonovich for Senate, but have endorsed me. I think that's and important thing to note as well. They recognize the differences and support me based on the belief that I am capable and would be a good supervisor.
For the event, several AirTalk listeners were asked to pre-record their questions for the candidates to be played at the debate. Judy from South Pasadena wanted to know if Park and Barger are for or against the proposed 710 freeway tunnel.
Barger: My leadership on this as it relates to trucks; I would not allow trucks to go through it. . . I'm not comfortable with tunneling under homes. So I'm not comfortable with the alignment at this point. But I'm not taking a firm position because until the [Environmental Impact Report] is certified, I believe that you have to be open, especially if you are one of the board members on the [Metropolitan Transportation Authority]. But understand that even if that decision is not made, my commitment is to work immediately with some of the cities that are not doing [signal] synchronization and are creating gridlock in Alhambra, going into South Pasadena, heading into Los Angeles. I believe there are things that can be done now that are not being done for political reasons.
Park: I am opposed to the 710 extension in any form. . . The tunnel's a death trap, as a long time resident of South Pasadena, I am 100 percent opposed. We will not let it happen. We will improve things by taking some of the truck traffic from the ports, putting it on rail and moving it to other places. But we will never let the 710 extension happen in any form.
How do you deal with parts of Northeast Los Angeles that have to deal with traffic being dumped onto their streets?
Park: We've had the traffic situation for 50 years. There are many things that can be done to improve the traffic flow. Technology's gonna help out quite a bit. We're gonna put truck traffic on the rails. They don't want to do that now because they can use the roads for free. We will do other things that enable these communities to stay preserved.
One of the big environmental and public safety issues in this district is a proposal by the L.A. County flood control district to remove huge amounts of sediment from behind Devil's Gate Dam.
Environmentalists have filed a suit against the county asking them to come up with mitigating and alternative measures instead of all the truckloads and removal that would effect the habitat in Hahamongna Watershed Park. What do you advocate for cleaning the sediment out, which poses a flood risk?
Park: So there is a flood risk to 477 homes. That is a very substantial concern because no maintenance has been done over time. This is between 400 and 500 dump truck trips per day for five years. They take that sediment and they put it in a hole in Irwindale. It does not make sense. They're talking about nearly $100 million. There are lots of other places in the world where they've gotten really good at moving slurry down [to the beach and other places that need it].
Barger: Originally the county wanted to come in without an EIR and take all the vegetation out of the dam. We asked for an EIR and worked with the city of Pasadena to look at their plan in terms of how much vegetation needed to be saved. So we incorporated that, substantially cutting down the amount of sediment being removed. We met with the homeowners, and the issue is: how many loads a day? Homeowners wanted it to be impacted over a shorter period of time where they were willing to have more truckloads going out to get the job done sooner. . . I'm open to discussing this issue in terms of what we can do. We're in this position because flood control failed over the years to clean it out. I believe there may be room to come to an agreement.
Note: This interview has been edited for clarity
Guests:
Kathryn Barger, candidate for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors 5th District seat
Darrell Park, candidate for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors 5th District seat