The cost of Gov. Jerry Brown’s $17 billion plan to build two water tunnels to central and Southern California continues to spark debate, and AirTalk gives a comprehensive review of the plan, its supporters, and its critics. We also provide updates on the Mexico earthquake and Hurricane Maria; speak with LA’s Chief of Police Charlie Beck; and more.
As Mexico begins earthquake recovery, Puerto Rico braces for Hurricane Maria
On Tuesday, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Central Mexico, devastating the capital and the surrounding cities.
Death toll rose to more than 200 the day after the quake and continues to climb. A number of buildings collapsed in Mexico City, creating clouds of dust throughout the affected area. The deadly quake also fell on the 32nd anniversary of another natural disaster that killed thousands in the country. Residents, who had just taken part in large drills to mark the anniversary, ran to safety when the real quake struck.
Across the Caribbean, Hurricane Maria pummeled Puerto Rico, ripping out trees and tossing vehicles on the island. Maria was the first hurricane of Category 4 strength or higher in nearly a century to hit the US territory, home to 3.3 million people. Thousands headed to emergency shelters, but most are still waiting for first responders who are unable to dispatch due to the strong wind.
Host Larry Mantle checks in on the latest update from natural disasters with our correspondents in Mexico City and San Juan.
Guests:
Carrie Kahn, international correspondent for NPR based in Mexico City who’s been following the story; she tweets
Samantha Schmidt, reporter at The Washington Post; we reached her in San Juan where she’s been reporting on Maria since Tuesday; she tweets
LAPD Chief Beck: Homicides fell as hate crimes surged
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck joins Larry Mantle for his monthly check-in.
Topics they will discuss include:
The large drop in homicides in the city during the summer of 2017
A surge in hate crimes in Los Angeles during the first half of 2017
California’s supreme court decision that data from license plate captures are not confidential
The ongoing debate on whether the LAPD should use drones and recent backlash against the department’s proposed one-year pilot program
The LAPD’s stance on receiving military-grade equipment from the Trump administration
The department inspector general’s recent report on the LAPD cadet program, as well as the internal review from August
An immigration check-in after President Trump ended DACA and state lawmakers passed a bill to make California a sanctuary state
How LAPD protocol changes when investigating celebrity burglaries versus the average home break-in
Guest:
Charlie Beck, chief of police of the Los Angeles Police Department
Stakeholders weigh in on who pays for California’s multibillion-dollar water project
Gov. Jerry Brown plans to build two water tunnels to central and Southern California, the state’s biggest water projects in the coming decades.
The cost of the project has ballooned to $17 billion. According to the L.A. Times, who should fund the massive project has become a contentious issue among water districts across the state.
And then there’s the environmental question. Many water agencies in Southern California, the main beneficiaries, support the planned tunnels. Opponents fear the tunnels will pose a threat to species upstream and produce unintended environmental damage.
Host Larry Mantle checks in on the latest economic ramification and environmental impact of the water tunnels.
Guests:
Bettina Boxall, LA Times reporter covering water issues and the environment who’s been following the story
Jeff Kightlinger, general manager and chief executive officer for The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California; he tweets
Cannon Michael, president of Bowles Farming Company, an 11,000-acre farm operation in the city of Los Banos in Central California; he tweets
Adam Scow, California director for Food and Water Watch, a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group focusing on government accountability on food, water and corporate overreach
An end of an era for mission-building projects at LA schools
A new framework for teaching history and social science is encouraging California teachers to ditch the long-time tradition of building miniature missions in fourth grade.
Instead, the state's new framework is encouraging teachers to move their lessons towards a more contextual understanding of the missions' place in California history and effects on Native Americans.
Call us at 866-893-5722 to weigh in.
Read Carla’s full story here.