California Congresswoman Katie Porter On Her Bid For California Senate After Sen. Dianne Feinstein Announces Retirement
Following weeks of speculation, longtime California Senator Dianne Feinstein announced on Tuesday that she would not be seeking reelection in 2024 to the U.S. Senate seat she’s held for more than 30 years. And that means that the race for her open seat is officially on. So far, two candidates have officially thrown their hats in the ring -- Burbank-area Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, and Orange County Representative Katie Porter. We spoke with Congressman Schiff last month on AirTalk, on the day he announced his candidacy, and today on AirTalk we’re pleased to welcome Rep. Katie Porter to the program for a conversation about her campaign, fundraising, the issues she’ll be focused on hammering home with voters, and more.
The City Of Los Angeles Plans To Build A Hydrogen Plant, What Will The Environmental Impact Be Short & Long Term?
The L.A. City Council unanimously voted to move ahead with a plan to convert its largest power plant, Scattergood Generating Station in El Segundo, to transition away from burning fossil fuels to generate electricity. The plant would eventually lead to burning 100% green hydrogen and is expected to cost at least $800 million. City officials say “green" hydrogen is a needed part of the puzzle to piece together L.A. 's goal of getting 100% of its electricity from clean energy sources, such as wind and solar, by 2035.
Environmentalists however, have shown concern with the lack of details relating to the project at this time, with the currently proposed plant only producing at least 30% green hydrogen at the offset; in that time, the carbon emissions generated could increase our current nitrogen oxide pollution.
Today on AirTalk, we discuss this future hydrogen plant with LA Times energy reporter Sammy Roth, director of Power System Planning for LADWP Jason Rondou, and Sierra Club campaign representative Teresa Cheng,
Workaholism Is Real And Researchers Are Finding Links To Mental Health Disorders
We all know someone who eats, sleeps, and breathes their job. Maybe their job is also their life’s passion but it also could be true that they’re using long hours at work to cover-up other issues, like depression and anxiety. Increasingly, researchers are discovering compelling evidence that people use work as a not-so-effective treatment of emotional problems. There are studies showing the link between workaholism and disorders, like addiction, with many people often choosing to work 16-hours days, for example, as a form of self-medicating. Doubling down on feeling productive and useful can be a temporary distraction. But will it work in the long-term? Joining us today on AirTalk to discuss the rise in workaholism is professor of psychiatry and addiction medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and author of the book "Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence,” Dr. Anna Lembke.
As Wildfires Increase And Reach Higher Elevations, California’s Snowpack Is Melting Faster Affecting The State’s Water Supply
Despite record snowfall this year, California’s snowpack, which provides about a third of the state’s water supply, is melting faster and earlier. A new study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters shows that the compounded effects of wildfires and drought are threatening California’s water supply, as wildfires burn the tree canopies and expose the snowpack to direct sunlight earlier in the year. California relies on the snowmelt in the spring and summer months to provide water to the state’s reservoirs. But as we enter a winter dry spell that snow is melting before it is needed without a proper way to collect and store it.
Today on AirTalk, we discuss the study’s findings and the effect wildfires have on California's snowpack with Benjamin Hatchett, Assistant Research Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the Desert Research Institute in Reno, NV and author of the study, and Andrew Schwartz, Lead Scientist and Station Manager of the University of California, Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Laboratory.
What’s The Deal With Rollercoaster Mortgage Rates And How Are They Impacting The Housing Market?
We saw mortgage interest rates reach record lows in 2021, but many California homebuyers have had their hopes dashed over the last couple years. Last year, the rates skyrocketed by double – even triple – what they were before. And it happened fast, shocking not only home sellers and buyers, but real estate agents, according to industry experts. Today on AirTalk, we talk about how the effects of mortgage rates have reverberated through the housing market and how Southern California and Los Angeles compare nationally. Joining to discuss is Tressa Pope, a Los Angeles-area mortgage broker and founder of TPG Mortgage Lending, Logan Mohtashami, lead analyst for the real estate news site HousingWire, and Orphe Divounguy, senior economist with Zillow.
Slumber Eluding You? Sleep Researcher's New Book Shares Tips For Fighting Insomnia, No Pills Required
Having to wake up after a night of fitful sleep, or none at all, is a terrible feeling. And for the 25 million Americans who suffer from insomnia, this can be a regular occurrence. In her new book "Hello, Sleep: The Science and Art of Overcoming Insomnia Without Medications," sleep researcher Jade Wu dives into the inner workings of the human mind when it's trying to fall asleep, and lays out a guide for beating insomnia without resorting to medication.
Today on AirTalk, Jade Wu is with Larry Mantle to explain what's happening inside our brains when we can't fall asleep, how to fight those racing thoughts to get to sleep in the first place and even what to do when you wake up at 1:00 a.m. and can't doze back off.
