Following Russian Attack On Ukrainian Village That Left Dozens Dead, A Look At The Future Of Funding For Ukraine
A path for additional U.S. aid to Ukraine appears increasingly fraught after the ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, with many House Republicans opposing help for the war-torn country as they search for a new leader. Tuesday’s historic vote to remove McCarthy as speaker comes at a critical time, with a deadline for funding the government little more than a month away, and as opposition to aiding Ukraine’s defensive war against Russia slowly gains momentum among Republicans in both chambers of Congress. Leaders dropped $6 billion in Ukraine aid from the temporary funding measure passed Saturday as they focused on passing it quickly, just hours before the government would have shut down. So far, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise have both announced that they will run for speaker. Oklahoma Rep. Kevin Hern is also weighing a bid. Jordan has made clear his opposition to additional Ukraine aid and reiterated it Wednesday. “The most pressing issue on Americans’ minds is not Ukraine, it is the border situation and crime on the streets and everybody knows that,” Jordan told reporters. And all of this comes as a Russian rocket strike in a Ukrainian village that killed 51 people.
Joining us to look at how the future Speaker of the House could determine how much U.S. funding is sent to aid Ukraine’s war efforts against Russia is Ron Elving, senior editor and correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News.
With files from the Associated Press.
LAist Investigation Explores Ongoing Battle Between Vernon Residents And Foul-Smelling Rendering Plant, Which Could Reopen Soon
For decades, residents in neighborhoods surrounding the city of Vernon have complained of putrid dead animal smells. In 2017, community pressure compelled the local agency that oversees air emissions, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), to adopt a rule to mitigate odors from Baker Commodities and a handful of other rendering plants. Among other requirements, the rule forces these companies to post signs indicating where residents can report odor issues — a demand some plants lobbied against. Then, in September 2022, the agency shut down Baker, citing repeat violations of its odor mitigation rule. At the time, community members and elected officials celebrated the closure as a win. But what many don’t know is that the company has partially reopened and is waging an intense legal battle against AQMD. After AQMD shut it down, Baker filed a lawsuit against the AQMD in L.A. County Superior Court. Baker claims the company was not in violation of the odor mitigation rule and that it was treated unfairly. Baker also demands that the shutdown order be tossed out and aims to bar air regulators from shutting it down in the future. LAist spoke with dozens of local residents and reviewed odor complaint records, violation records, notices to comply, and inspection reports to piece together how the rendering of dead animals at Baker has impacted surrounding communities.
Today on AirTalk, LAist Community Engagement Reporter Julia Barajas, who has been digging into the ongoing battles between Baker and the residents of the neighborhoods and how these odors have affected the people who live there, joins Larry to talk about her investigation into these issues.
With files from Julia Barajas at LAist.com. Read her full story here. For more information on how to report odors in your neighborhood, click here.
What Does The American Flag Mean To You?
For as long as America has existed, the star-spangled banner has been a symbol of freedom and liberty around the world. It flies at government buildings across the country, atop cars as they fly down the freeway and massive versions of it are unfurled across sports stadiums while the national anthem is sung before an event. But particularly in recent years, the American flag has taken on a different meaning for some -- one representing radical viewpoints. During the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, for example, dozens of American flags could be seen flying amongst the mob that attacked Capitol Police and stormed the building in an attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
Today on AirTalk, we’re opening up our phone lines and YOU are our guest -- what does the American flag mean to you? How do you see the evolution of its significance and place in American society? Join our live conversation by calling us at 866-893-5722 or by emailing us at atcomments@laist.com.
The Push To Reclaim The Freeways LA Never Finished Building
In the late 1950s, state officials had grand plans to build 1,500 miles of freeway across Los Angeles, never leaving one freeway more than four miles from another — but they never finished. The late 1960s and early 1970s saw rising construction costs, less funding, and a shift in public opinion toward the vast network of freeways LA is famous for. Some of the initial plans live on in short sections of freeway that abruptly end, never reaching their planned destinations after paving over wetlands and displacing primarily communities of color — but what if that land could be returned to nature or repurposed as housing and public spaces? That’s what the communities of Pasadena and Del Rey are looking to find out. Michael Schneider, the founder and CEO of Streets For All, the LA-based nonprofit behind the plan to reimagine the Marina Freeway, and Liz Moule, architect and urbanist at Moule & Polyzoides join Larry to discuss.
Billionaires Plan To Build A New City In Northern California – What Does It Take To Build A Town From Scratch?
Bankrolled by some big names in tech, a company called California Forever has purchased more than 78 square miles of farmland in Solano County, a rural county between San Francisco and Sacramento that is currently home to 450,000 people. The plan, according to California Forever, is to build “a new community with good paying local jobs, solar farms, and open space.” In many ways, Solano County is ideal for development. It is 60 miles northeast of San Francisco and 35 miles southwest of California’s capital city of Sacramento. But to build anything resembling a city on what is now farmland, the group must first convince Solano County voters to approve a ballot initiative to allow for urban uses on that land. Local and federal officials still have questions about the group’s intentions. What are the hurdles standing in the way of this development? And have cities built from the ground up ever been successful? Joining us to discuss are Conor Dougherty, economics reporter for The New York Times whose work focuses on the West Coast and housing and Richard Peiser, professor of real estate development at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
With files from the Associated Press.
TV-Talk: Is Peak TV Dead? Plus Reviews Of ‘Lessons In Chemistry,’ ‘Shining Vale’ And More
Have you felt completely overwhelmed when deciding what new show to watch these days? Us too. There’s just so much content out there between network tv and numerous streaming platforms. Each week, we’re going to try to break through the noise with TV watchers who can point us to the must-sees and steer us clear of the shows that maybe don’t live up to the hype. This week Larry talks with Joe Flint, staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal, about his recent piece “Peak TV Is Over. A Different Hollywood Is Coming.” And Cristina Escobar, tv critic and co-founder of LatinaMedia.Co, joins to share thoughts and review some upcoming series.
Today’s shows include:
- Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+)
- Shining Vale [Season 2] (STARZ)
- The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix)
