Today on AirTalk, our weekly political roundtable recaps the major headlines you might’ve missed in politics news over the weekend and looks ahead on the week to come. We also discuss Governor Newsom's efforts to alleviate California's housing crisis and breakdown tomorrow's NBA tip-off between the Lakers and Clippers.
Week In Politics: US Troops Leave Syria, Impeachment Update, And More
AirTalk’s weekly political roundtable recaps the major headlines you might’ve missed in politics news over the weekend and looks ahead to the week to come. Here are the headlines what we’re following this week:
- Kurdish forces are pulling out of Syria
- Impeachment:
- White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney made conflicting comments on whether aid was withheld from Ukraine
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized the way his department was being treated in the inquiry process
- Is GOP’s support for the President wavering
- President walks back idea to host next year’s G-7 in a Trump owned resort, after being slammed for the decision
- 2020:
- Warren is being pushed to explain funding mechanism for her “Medicare For All” plan
- Does Warren have a chance without the black vote?
- Will Mike Pence be on Trump’s 2020 ticket?
- Bernie got a boost with an endorsement from AOC and others
- Will Trump be leaning on the same working-class supporters in 2020?
- The last debates were good for Klobuchar and Buttigieg
- Hilary Clinton suggests that Russia is grooming a Dem as a third party candidate
- The Supreme Court has agreed to take on a legal challenge to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, as well as a case that has to do with the expedited removal of asylum seekers
- Rep. Elijah Cummings died at age 68
- Rick Perry is resigning as Energy Secretary. Trump to tap Deputy Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette for the position
Guests:
Matt Barreto, professor of political science and Chicano/a Studies at UCLA and co-founder of the research and polling firm Latino Decisions; he tweets
Sean T. Walsh, Republican political analyst and partner at Wilson Walsh Consulting in San Francisco; he is a former adviser to California Governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger and a former White House staffer for Presidents Reagan and H.W. Bush
As First Legislative Session of Gov. Newsom’s Term Ends, A Look At The Future Of California Housing Policy
California Governor Gavin Newsom made it clear on the campaign trail that addressing the state’s deepening housing crisis would be a cornerstone of his administration if he was elected governor.
Now, as the first legislative session of his term in office winds down, how is Governor Newsom doing on this promise, both in his own eyes and in the eyes of those who voted him into office?
The Los Angeles Times recently did a Q&A with Governor Newsom focused on how he felt about the progress he and his administration have made in addressing the issue, and Newsom called his approach “focused” and “intentional,” but added that it wasn’t a problem that could be solved overnight and pointed to legislation like Senator Scott Wiener’s bill SB 50, which aimed to increase the density of housing in single-family neighborhoods around transit, as an example of the kind of policies needed. SB 50 was ultimately blocked after lawmakers, supporters and opponents of the bill couldn’t reach an agreement on some of the details.
Still, the pushback from advocates of keeping neighborhoods zone for single-family use is strong at the state level, and it raises questions about what the future of housing legislation in California will look like, and where the single-family neighborhood fits into that vision. Today on AirTalk, Larry Mantle and his expert guests will explore these topics and take your calls on what you’d like to see included in future housing legislation. Join the conversation at 866-893-5722.
GuestS:
Zev Yaroslavsky, director of the Los Angeles Initiative at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs; he is a former member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (1994-2014) a former member of the Los Angeles City Council (1975-1994)
David Garcia, policy director at the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley
Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), State Senator representing California’s 11th Senate District, which includes all of the city and county of San Francisco, Broadmoor, Colma, Daly City, and part of South San Francisco; he tweets
Lakers Vs. Clippers: Who Will Win The Fight Over LA?
Tuesday marks the official start of the NBA season and who should be squaring off on opening night? The Clippers and the Lakers of course.
It begs the question: which team will take the L.A. crown this season? The Clippers signed Kawhi Leonard and star forward Paul George during the offseason, while the Lakers added big man Anthony Davis in addition to Demarcus Cousins, though Cousins is out indefinitely with an ACL tear. And we can’t forget about Lakers leader LeBron James. As Dan Woike puts it in his L.A. Times piece, “basketball will be hotter in Los Angeles than anywhere else.” The Clippers, Lakers matchup is game one of four throughout the season. Could the Clippers outshine the Lakers and position themselves as L.A.’s top team?
Guests:
A Martínez, host of Take Two on KPCC; he tweets
Bill Oram, Lakers beat writer for The Athletic; he tweets