Today on AirTalk, we look into why California's gas prices have gotten so high as Governor Newsom calls for an investigation into the rising costs. Also on the show, we discuss what Elizabeth Warren's healthcare plan may look like; bring together the Triple Play ahead of Game 1 of the World Series; and more.
How Could Elizabeth Warren Fund ‘Medicare For All’ -- And The Pro / Con Of Each Option
Democratic presidential contender Elizabeth Warren says she'll release details on how she'd pay for her "Medicare for All" plan in "the next few weeks."
The Massachusetts senator came under criticism from her opponents during last week's Democratic primary debate for refusing to say whether her plan would raise taxes on the middle class to pay for expanding Medicare to the entire nation. At a campaign event in Indianola, Iowa, on Sunday, Warren said: "What I see is that we need to talk about costs." She says she'll outline those costs and how to cover them soon.
Democratic rival Bernie Sanders has acknowledged that his plan to expand Medicare to everyone would require higher taxes on the middle class while eliminating most health care expenses for the public.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou, reporter covering Elizabeth Warren's campaign and the 2020 election for Bloomberg News; she tweets
Allison Hoffman, professor of Law at University of Pennsylvania Law School; senior fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at UPenn; co-editor of “The Oxford Handbook of U.S. Health Law” (Oxford University Press, 2017)
Joe Antos, health policy expert and health economist at American Enterprise Institute, a libertarian-mind think tank in DC
Triple Play: Nationals Versus Astros
There are plenty of big home runs in the postseason so far. José Altuve’s Minute Maid Park walk-off homer that put the Yankees away in the AL Championship Series, for one. But the focus of the World Series between the Astros and the Nationals is on the mound and in the bullpen.
Gerrit Cole, Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke vs. Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin — all of them All-Star starters, still pitching at their peak.
Cole is set to throw the first pitch on Tuesday night in Houston. Justin Verlander will follow Cole and start Game 2 of the World Series for Houston against Washington on Wednesday.
KPCC’s A Martinez and Nick Roman join Larry to preview the World Series.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Nick Roman, host of KPCC’s “All Things Considered”; he tweets
A Martinez, host of KPCC’s “Take Two”; he tweets
Too Darn High: Governor Gavin Newsom Calls For An Investigation Of Gas Prices
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked the attorney general to investigate why the state's gas prices are so high, pointing to a new report suggesting big oil companies are "misleading and overcharging customers" by as much as $1 per gallon.
Name brand retailers - including 76, Chevron and Shell - often charge more because they say their gasoline is of higher quality. But a new analysis from the California Energy Commission could not explain the price difference. The commission said California drivers paid an average of 30 cents more per gallon in 2018, with the difference getting as high as $1 per gallon in April of this year.
The result is California drivers paid an additional $11.6 billion at the pump over the last five years. The California Energy Commission said it "does not have any evidence that gasoline retailers fixed prices or engaged in false advertising." But it said the industry did not provide any proof that its gasoline was better than what the state requires all retailers to sell.
While California is known for its environmentally-conscious fuel standards, the state was the seventh-largest producer of crude oil in the country in March of this year. The oil industry is a powerful force in California politics, working to halt legislation in the state Assembly earlier this year that would have limited new oil and gas production around homes and schools.
Are gas prices in California too high? Do gas prices deter you from driving? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guests:
Severin Borenstein, professor of business administration and public policy and director of the Energy Institute at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business
Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, a company that operates apps and websites which give real-time fuel prices at gas stations across the U.S.; he tweets
San Jose Mayor Considers A Shift Away From PG&E, Calls For Customer-Owned Utility Services
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo isn’t holding back on his frustration with PG&E, the state’s largest utility, after the company induced blackouts that impacted hundreds of thousands of residents last week.
The outages could continue for up to a decade, according to NPR News. Other public officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, have voiced criticism over PG&E’s unprecedented power shut-offs.
According to Bay Area News Group, Liccardo drafted a memo that goes before the city’s rules committee next week. It calls for looking into creating a municipal-owned utility that prevent future outages. Liccardo isn’t alone in his efforts. San Francisco reportedly offered PG&E $2.5 billion for its local power lines, an offer the company turned down, saying it was too low and rates could rise for customers. A city-owned utility would obviously mean more control for the city, but some experts say the transitioning process could be lengthy and PG&E shutdowns could still have an effect.
We reached out to Pacific Gas & Electric to invite them to participate in our conversation and received this statement from PG&E spokesperson Mayra Tostado in response:
“We have not seen the proposal. However, PG&E’s facilities are not for sale, and to do so would not be consistent with our charter to operate or our mission to serve Northern and Central California communities. We remain focused on the safety of our customers and communities and will continue working together with our state and local government partners and across all sectors and disciplines to develop comprehensive, long-term safety and energy solutions for the future.”
Guests:
Sam Liccardo, mayor of San Jose; he tweets
Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program and senior research scholar at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University; he tweets
John Di Stasio, president of the Large Public Power Council and former CEO of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District; he tweets