Today on AirTalk, we recap the biggest headlines with our weekly political roundtable. Also on the show, we bring you fire updates; the latest on LAX's new ride hailing system; and more.
Week In Politics: Death Of ISIS Leader, Ukraine Testimonies, Rep Katie Hill Resigns 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:
An ISIS leader has been killed by a U.S. airstrike
Impeachment
A National Security Council expert on Ukraine is testifying about his concerns today
Last week, acting Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor testified that Trump engaged in a quid pro quo with Ukraine
The House will vote on Thursday to formalize the procedures for the impeachment inquiry
2020
Who’s leading? Last week, four polls with different results were released
PBS Newshour/Politico will be
The DNC announces the criteria for the 6th Democratic Debate. It will be on 12/19 at UCLA.
— Emma Kinery (@EmmaKinery) October 25, 2019
To qualify, candidates need 4% or more in four national or early state polls or 6% in two early state polls and 200,000 unique donors (of which 800 need to be from 20 different states)the Democratic debate December 19th at UCLA. They’ve also set a more strict criteria
Biden has released a plan to strengthen unions and workers’ rights
Does Hillary Clinton need to flat-out say that she’s not running in 2020?
Despite economic growth, the government’s budget deficit increased to almost $1 trillion in 2019
Governor Newsom is calling on the California Public Utilities Commission to investigate power shut offs in California
CA Rep. Katie Hill resigned after allegations of improper relations with a staffer
Guests:
Jack Pitney, professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College; he tweets
Nomiki Konst, former member of the DNC Unity Reform Commission, which worked to increase participation in the Democratic Party and reform the presidential primary process; former Bernie Sanders surrogate in 2016; she tweets
Week In Politics: The Legal And Ethical Questions Raised By CA Rep Katie Hill’s Resignation
On Monday, California Rep. Katie Hill (D-25th District) announced her decision to resign from office, following allegations of misconduct, leaked explicit photos and a House Ethics Committee investigation.
In her video explanation, Hill, who has been going through a contentious divorce, called her husband “abusive” and said she was the victim of revenge porn.
Several websites had published intimate photos of Hill without her consent, along with allegations that she had been romantically involved with a younger female campaign staffer, as well as her Legislative Director when she was in the House.
Hill has acknowledged that she was in a consensual relationship with a campaign staffer, which is not barred by House rules, but has been investigated in the past. Katie Hill has denied having a romantic relationship with her Legislative Director, which would be explicitly forbidden by House rules that were instated in the wake of #MeToo. You can read more about these events here.
This story has raised many complicated questions -- about what constitutes revenge porn, the level of transparency constituents might expect from a politician, the appropriateness of romantic relationships between politicians and their staff and more.
We dive into these questions with our political analysts, as well as a legal expert. And we want to hear from you. Call us at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Jack Pitney, professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College; he tweets
Nomiki Konst, former member of the DNC Unity Reform Commission, which worked to increase participation in the Democratic Party and reform the presidential primary process; former Bernie Sanders surrogate in 2016; she tweets
Mary Anne Franks, professor of law at the University of Miami in Florida where she teaches criminal and constitutional law and author of “The Cult of the Constitution, Our Deadly Devotion to Guns and Free Speech” (Stanford, 2019); she drafted the first model criminal statute on nonconsensual pornography (revenge porn) which has been used as the template for multiple state law and for pending federal legislation on the issue; she tweets
Dmitry Gorin, criminal defense attorney with the Los Angeles-based firm Eisner Gorin, LLP and a former trial prosecutor in the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office and; he tweets
New LAX Rules For Uber / Lyft Drivers Kick In
Passengers stepping out of the terminals at Los Angeles International Airport today hoping to be snatched up curbside by their ride-hailing service of choice will find that the process is slightly different than they’re used to seeing.
Today marks the first day that Los Angeles World Airports’ (LAWA) new policy of no curbside ride-hailing pickups at LAX goes into effect, so travelers getting in on early flights this morning had to instead get on a shuttle that comes every three to five minutes, or walk to an area east of Terminal 1 if they want to order a ride. Dropoffs will not change, and drivers will still drop you at the terminal of your departing flight as they have done in the past. The new policy is one of the changes being made as part of LAWA’s $14 billion modernization effort that it hopes will not only bring much needed renovations, but also help ease the soul-crushing congestion that many travelers often experience when going to or coming from LAX. Drivers for popular ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft have said they worry that the new policy might cause the same kind of traffic jams and long lines that the new policy is trying to prevent.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll talk with a LAWA representative about things that travelers should know.
Guest:
Keith Wilschetz, deputy executive director of the Operations and Emergency Management division at Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA)
Trying To Launch A Start-Up? You Might Have To Go Through SF’s Office Of Emerging Tech
While the mantra of tech start ups is infamously “move fast and break things,” in San Francisco it might be more like “get a permit and do a pilot program.”
Earlier this week, the president of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors introduced a bill to create an Office of Emerging Technology (OET), a one-stop permitting shop for any entrepreneurs looking to launch their tech on city property (think ride hailing or e-scooters).
Companies would have to persuade the OET that their tech provides a public good to get a permit, at which point they’d launch a pilot program, lasting up to a year. Then the OET would re-assess and potentially give the company a permanent permit.
The idea is to flip the paradigm in which tech forges ahead and cities struggle to catch up with regulations (again, think ride hailing or e-scooters). But critics fear that this new office could put a damper on innovation and that its gatekeeping powers might be abused or influenced by companies trying to keep their rivals out of the market.
Is this a necessary step to reign in tech start-ups that disregard public safety and privacy? Or will this create a bureaucratic nightmare that stalls the march of progress?
Guests:
Naomi Kelly, City Administrator for San Francisco; her office oversaw a working group of government agencies, nonprofits and tech companies that made recommendations ahead of the drafting of the legislation
Brad Berens, chief strategy officer at the Center for the Digital Future at USC Annenberg, where he leads the Future of Transportation Project; he’s also the principal consultant for Big Digital Idea, a boutique strategy agency for digital companies
The Latest On The Getty, Kincade Fires
The Getty Fire broke out near the Getty Museum early Monday morning and has resulted in the evacuation of 10,000 homes and more than 650 acres burned. Responders reported 5 percent containment as of Tuesday morning.
Mayor Eric Garcetti
I’m signing an emergency declaration immediately for the #GettyFire to help bring more resources to support our @LAFD in fighting this fire. pic.twitter.com/8CjOfJVBpl
— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) October 28, 2019
in order to offer the Los Angeles Fire Department more support as they battle the blaze. Although the winds died down a bit on Monday, Santa Ana wind conditions are expected to ramp up as the day goes on Tuesday and throughout the night, increasing wildfire risks. According to the Weather Channel, residents of Northern and Central California could expect more power shut offs as fires spread. We get the latest updates on the Getty Fire.
Guests:
Sharon McNary, KPCC Reporter
Tom Fisher, Information Technology Officer at National Weather Service
Kevin Stark, reporter for KQED News in San Francisco who’s been covering the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County; he tweets