AirTalk debates a resurfacing proposal that would charge drivers to use congested areas during peak traffic hours to reduce commutes for Angelenos. We also dive into new fraud charges against an assistant basketball coach at USC; where will recreational pot users in LA be allowed to consume as the industry grows?; and more.
DOJ alleges fraud against NCAA basketball programs, apparel partners
On Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced fraud, bribery and conspiracy charges against 10 people – coaches at top NCAA basketball programs, financial advisers, managers and sportswear company representatives.
Three different criminal complaints were unveiled today, targeting schemes in which apparel representatives paid bribes in order to direct athletes into particular schools, apparel contracts and advisory deals. These charges are the result of a 3-year investigation into criminal activity within NCAA basketball. The apparel company Adidas and the University of Southern California were among the institutions implicated.
We talk to Wall Street Journal reporter Rebecca Davis O’Brien, who just comes from the Department of Justice press conference, with the latest details on the allegations.
Guest:
Rebecca Davis O'Brien, she covers white-collar law enforcement for The Wall Street Journal, where she has also covered sports and New York City courts
What environmentalists, developers are saying as Newhall Ranch gets a new city
An historic deal was made Monday when environmental groups agreed to let developers move forward with plans for a new city at Newhall Ranch.
The Newhall Ranch project was originally proposed in the 1980s, but its opposition has arguably been the biggest obstacle to development in one of the only undeveloped areas in L.A. County. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the city will accommodate 58,000 residents in the Santa Clarita Valley. This new city is expected to make a dent in L.A.’s growing housing crisis, adding more affordable options to the Northern part of the county including Lancaster and Palmdale. FivePoint Holdings, the company behind the Newhall Ranch development will provide about $25 million to conservation efforts to preserve endangered species along the Santa Clarita River.
So what does this mean for housing in L.A. and what are environmentalists saying in the wake of the deal?
Guests:
Dan Gluesenkamp, executive director of The California Native Plant Society, a conservation group based in Sacramento that is part of the $25-million deal
Lynne Plambeck, president of the Santa Clarita Organization for Planning and the Environment, a community environmental organization in the Santa Clarita Valley
Stuart Gabriel, professor of finance and director of the Ziman Center for Real Estate at UCLA
Would congestion pricing work to reduce traffic in Los Angeles?
From pollution to frustration, the toll of dealing with L.A. traffic is high, but would you be willing to pay a toll in the form of congestion pricing to reduce it?
That’s the idea floated this month by the Southern California Association of Governments, a planning agency that wants to workshop ways to reduce traffic in LA, including the hotly contested idea of de-congestion fees – essentially, charging drivers to use streets in congested zones during peak traffic periods. The idea is to incentivize the use of alternate means of transit, to raise money for infrastructure and to ultimately reduce the amount of hours Angelenos spend in their cars.
Over the weekend, this idea has been endorsed by the Los Angeles Times editorial board, which cites the success of cities such as Stockholm, London and Singapore. But there’s been pushback critiquing the feasibility of the idea, as well as whether L.A.’s public transit is a viable alternative to driving, concerns that tolls would further economic inequity and the transitional pains of implementing such a system.
Would you switch to alternate means of transit to avoid paying a traffic toll? Do you think decongestion fees would work to reduce traffic in Los Angeles or would they be an unnecessary economic burden on lower-income drivers?
Guests:
Michael Manville, assistant professor of urban planning at UCLA; his research focuses on transportation, land use and local public finance
Felix Salmon, financial journalist and host and editor of Cause & Effect, a a forthcoming podcast about philanthropy and activism from Fusion Media Group; he tweets
With a growing CA, LA pot industry, where will recreational users be allowed to consume?
The city of Los Angeles is considering rules to accommodate the recreational marijuana industry, and that’s leading to big questions on where people will be allowed to smoke or consume pot.
As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the city has not allowed the building of cafes or lounges for pot consumption, at least not yet. Marijuana advocates are worried that this decision would leave a potentially booming tourist influx and renters without a place for legal use. Additionally, current draft regulations prohibit consumption inside cannabis businesses. It’s also not permitted to smoke in public places including hotels, cars and outside. People can use marijuana on private property, but if you’re a renter and your landlord does not allow smoking of any kind, under federal law, you can be evicted.
So what are the nuances of recreational marijuana use as laws change in the L.A. and across California? And where do you think people should be allowed to smoke?
Guests:
Emily Alpert Reyes, reporter covering City Hall for the Los Angeles Times, and author of the recent article, “L.A. is set to be a hot market for marijuana sales. But there might not be many places to smoke it”
Pamela Epstein, cannabis attorney and owner and founder of Green Wise Consulting in L.A., a firm that assists cannabis businesses on regulations
What does Fido want? This neuroscientist puts animals in an MRI scanner to find out
Have you ever wondered how your dog feels about you? Does your dog love you for the food you provide, or do you both share an emotional connection?
These questions fascinated Gregory Berns, a neuroscientist at Emory University, after his beloved pug “Newton” died. And after five years of research, Berns and his team have some answers. In his new book, “What It’s Like to Be a Dog,” Berns takes a deep dive into the brains of dogs – along with many other animals – to provide insight and raise awareness of the mental lives of these animals.
Guest:
Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, where he also directs the Center for Neuropolicy and Facility for Education and Research in Neuroscience; author of “What It’s Like to Be a Dog: And Other Adventures in Animal Neuroscience” (Basic Books, 2017); he tweets