With a Friday deadline looming over California's state legislature, the pressure to push last minute bills through congress is rising - AirTalk rounds up a few of the Senate bills. We also take a look at the turmoil in John Kelly's West Wing; the launch of the new $1K iPhone; why are the Dodger's losing?; and more.
iPhone History X: A dive into the past and future of the cult device
Apple is announcing the latest iPhone today in its Cupertino headquarter.
This event marks the tenth year anniversary of the iconic mobile device, and the company has aptly named the new incarnation the iPhone X. Industry analysts expect a $1000 price tag on the product, without discount packages from various mobile carriers.
Is this $1k cellphone the turning point where Apple fans start looking for alternatives? Or are users so entrenched in the tech ecosystem that it’s difficult to get out? How has the phone evolved in the past ten years to end up where it is now? Host Larry Mantle goes through the history of the cult device with Ian King, tech reporter for Bloomberg, and Brian Merchant, editor at Motherboard at VICE.
Guest:
Ian King, San Francisco-based tech reporter for Bloomberg
Brian Merchant, editor at Motherboard, the science and technology arm of VICE, and author of “The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone” (Little, Brown and Company, June 2017); he tweets
Checking in on Gen. Kelly’s West Wing regime and the history of chief of staff management styles
It’s been over a month since John Kelly left his post as Secretary of Homeland Security to become President Trump’s chief of staff, following the ouster of his predecessor, former Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus.
The retired four-star Marine general was tapped at the end of July to bring a new management style to the West Wing following Mr. Priebus’ tenure, which was hampered by internal leaks that became distractions from the administration’s agenda. Kelly, it was believed, would run a much tighter ship, shore up the leakier parts of the administration, and have more control over both the amount of time people spend with the president as well as the flow of information to him. The style seems to be reflected in his own office, where Gen. Kelly’s deputy Kirstjen Nielsen reportedly has her own tight grip on how many people speak to the general and what information gets to him, a style that has rubbed some the wrong way.
So, how are things going in the Kelly White House? What’s changed? Is it indeed less of a distraction than it was? How does John Kelly’s management style fit in with other chiefs of staff? What characteristics are most important to being successful in the role?
Guests:
Annie Karni, White House reporter for POLITICO; her piece from this weekend is titled “Kelly’s deputy annoys Trump aides with rigid style;” she tweets
Chris Whipple, author of “The Gatekeepers: How The White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency” (Penguin Random House, 2017); he is also a documentary filmmaker and a former producer for CBS News’ ‘60 Minutes’ and ABC News ‘PrimeTime’; he tweets
Why pot farmers remain in the shadows of legalized Marijuana
It’s been nine months since California legalized marijuana.
Despite push from law enforcement and politicians, only 11 percent of the state’s growers have joined the legal system by applying for permits. Most growers are choosing to stay in the dark, turning down the promises of tax incentive and easy transition. The unclear requirements and deadlines have not made it easy for growers to apply for permit. In addition, the hidden financial burden is far greater than previously measured. Most growers are required to repair bumpy roads and fix up their homestead, and the combined cost could end up being hundreds of thousands of dollars. Culturally, there has always been simmering mistrust between law enforcement and farmers.
Host Larry Mantle talks with Hezekiah Allen, Executive Director of the California Growers Association, on what this means for the legalization movement going forward.
Guest:
Hezekiah Allen, executive director of the California Growers Association
How ‘bout them Dodgers – and what’s with the epic losing streak?
The Dodgers have just passed a threshold, and it’s not good.
As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the team is going through its longest losing streak in 73 years. There were different lineup strategies to break the streak, but efforts to get a win haven’t worked. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said half-jokingly that a future option may be pulling the lineup out of a hat. And it didn’t matter that the team scored more runs in the wee hours Tuesday morning than any other game they played this month. The Dodgers lost 8-6 to the San Francisco Giants in the rainy all-nighter. It was L.A.’s 16th loss out of 17 games.
For even casual observers, caring about the Dodgers is in the bones of many Angelenos. So why is this streak historic and what’s contributed to the Dodger’s losses? Fans of the game and resident KPCC hosts A Martinez and Nick Roman join Larry to talk about the past and future of the team.
Guests:
A Martinez, host of KPCC’s Take Two; he tweets
Nick Roman, host of KPCC All Things Considered; he tweets
Sacramento bill pileup: The pressing proposals that need a vote this week
From “sanctuary state” legislation to highly debated housing bills, there is a lot to vote on before Friday in Sacramento.
As reported by Los Angeles Daily News, these and other proposals need to be decided on before the end of the week, or else they’ll have to wait until January. That’s made for a busy week at the state capital, and bills with the highest stakes attached are California’s housing package: SB 2, SB 3 and SB 35. There’s also SB 17, which aims to control prescription drug costs and SB 34, or the “sanctuary state” bill which would restrict how much communication is permitted between state law enforcement and federal immigration officers. So what other bills are set to a vote this week? Larry speaks to KQED’s Guy Marzorati to find out more.
Guest:
Guy Marzorati, reporter for KQED’s California politics and government desk; he tweets
The challenges of being a first-generation college student
The UC system is making a push this fall to attract students who are the first in their families to go to college.
The #FIRSTGEN program will connect this group of students with faculty members who were also first-generation college students themselves.
About 42 percent of undergraduates at the UC schools are first-generation students.
What are the challenges a first-generation college student faces? Call us at 866 893 5722 if you are the first in your family to attend college to tell us about your experience.
Guests:
Gary Clark, director of undergraduate admission at UCLA
Julie Ajinkya, vice president of applied research at the Institute for Higher Education Policy, a research and policy organization that focuses on post-secondary education; one of her research foci is higher education degree completion for underserved populations