Checking in on Palisades recovery as questions on new insurance policies linger
A recent piece published by the Wall Street Journal dug into the wildfire recovery in the Pacific Palisades area as the landscape of the home insurance industry in California rapidly changes. Although many homeowners have had policies to assist them in the current rebuilding efforts, fears surrounding future disasters are being raised by insurance companies like State Farm who’ve considered pausing any new policies in the Golden State. Today on AirTalk, we talk to the reporter behind the piece, Kevin T. Dugan, and dig into the insurer’s fears about California’s propensity for wildfires.
Immigration latest: Hundreds are deported to El Salvadore despite judge's order
The Trump administration has transferred hundreds of immigrants to an El Salvador prison even as a federal judge issued an order temporarily barring the deportations under an 18th Century wartime declaration targeting Venezuelan gang members, officials said Sunday. Flights were in the air at the time of the ruling.
U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg issued an order Saturday temporarily blocking the deportations, but lawyers told him there were already two planes with immigrants in the air — one headed for El Salvador, the other for Honduras. Boasberg verbally ordered the planes be turned around, but they apparently were not and he did not include the directive in his written order. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, in a statement Sunday, responded to speculation about whether the administration was flouting court orders: “The administration did not ‘refuse to comply’ with a court order. The order, which had no lawful basis, was issued after terrorist TdA aliens had already been removed from U.S. territory.”
The acronym refers to the Tren de Aragua gang, which Trump targeted in his unusual proclamation that was released Saturday. In a court filing Sunday, the Department of Justice, which has appealed Boasberg’s decision, said it would not use the Trump proclamation he blocked for further deportations if his decision is not overturned. Today on AirTalk, we’ll hear from Wendy Fry, reporter for CalMatters based at the San Diego/Mexico border covering immigration and the border region, about the latest deportations to El Salvador along with other major immigration updates.
With files from the Associated Press
A new PBS documentary special on the LA wildfires
PBS’s WEATHERED series explores the extreme weather events we experience in North America and the vulnerable communities they affect. The series has covered events such as floods, heat waves, and droughts. Now, a special one-hour episode is dedicated to the LA wildfires. WEATHERED host Maiya May talks to scientists, first responders, LA officials, and residents about the Palisades and Eaton fires that destroyed or damaged over 15,000 structures, the majority of them homes. Today on AirTalk, we’re joined by WEATHERED host, Maiya May, and director and producer, Trip Jennings, to talk about the special WEATHERED: Inside the LA Firestorm. We’ll hear about the potential factors that led to such destruction and how the city can build back better.
WEATHERED: Inside the LA Firestorm premieres tonight at 10 pm on PBS, the PBS app, and YouTube.
LAist’s science reporter Jacob Margolis hosted a special early screening of the documentary WEATHERED: Inside the LA Firestorm followed by a panel discussion. The panel included Maiya May, Trip Jennings, L.A. County Fire Brigade founder, Keegan Gibbs, and Lynnelle Bryant, Altadena resident and MasBuild Inc. president. You can watch the full discussion here.
The history and latest on the Department of Education
Since taking office for the second time, President Donald Trump has dramatically changed the Department of Education. The department has cut its workforce in half, including a layoff of 1,300 people announced last week.. President Donald Trump pledged during his campaign to eliminate the department entirely, calling it wasteful and infiltrated by leftists. The agency was developed in 1980 and emerged partly from the anti-poverty and civil rights movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Today on AirTalk we’re discussing why the department was created, its pros and cons, and how budget cuts to the agency will impact California. Joining us for the conversation is Laura Meckler, national education writer at the Washington Post and Carolyn Jones, K-12 education reporter at CalMatters.
With files from the Associated Press.
New study digs into the environmental impact of grass-fed beef
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shared greater insights into the carbon footprint of grass-fed beef, most notably finding that the ranching method offers no significant assistance to the climate when compared to methods like feedlot. The study, titled US grass-fed beef is as carbon intensive as industrial beef and ≈10-fold more intensive than common protein-dense alternatives, puts into question a belief that’s been promoted by some conservationists, who’ve claimed that carbon sequestration and soil health are reasons that the practice would have more environmental practices compared to a feedlot. So today on AirTalk, we’ll make sense of these new findings with the study’s lead author Gidon Eshel, who’s also a research professor of Environmental Studies at Bard College in Brooklyn, New York.
