Now that grand jury documents have been unsealed in the Anthony Avalos case, we check in with the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services director to see how he's responding to allegations about the agency's conduct. Plus, California's Air Resources Board is about to approve an Innovative Clean Transit measure that will require the state's public transit agencies to transition to 100% zero-emissions buses by 2040.
California’s other water fix
After a month of negotiations, the Department of Water Resources and the Department of Fish and Wildlife unveiled a plan Wednesday that would redistribute more than 700,000 acre-feet of water from Central Valley farms and cities to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and area rivers in order to support the struggling fish populations. An agreement reached to stave of what was being called a ‘water war,’ it’s a big compromise between farmers, regulators and environmentalists. Still, not everyone is happy.
Guest:
- Ryan Sabalow, Sacramento Bee
Taxing your texting
The California Public Utilities Commission is proposing a tax on texts to deal with a shortfall of tax revenue from actual phone calls, but it’s unclear that it can even do that since texts are not a utility.
Guest:
- Ed McCaffery, USC Tax law professor
Wildfire losses
Insurance claims from last month’s California wildfires already are at $9 billion and expected to increase. Much of it is from the deadly Camp Fire up north, but also the Woolsey and Hill fires that burned in the areas of Malibu, Thousand Oaks, Calabasas and Agoura Hills. We take a look into the mounting claims and what it means for insurers future ability to cover property in high fire zones.
Guest:
- Dave Jones, California insurance commissioner
https://twitter.com/taketwo/status/1073322970406420481
L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services
Between 2013 and 2016, caseworkers for the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services responded to a dozen complaints about 10-year-old Anthony Avalos of Lancaster. His mother and her boyfriend have been charged with torturing and murdering him. Last week, grand jury documents were unsealed in the case.
Guest:
- Bobby Cagle, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services
CA races ahead of the rest of the country with EV adoption
California is well ahead of the rest of the country when it comes to electric vehicles. The ARB announced this week that the state had sold its 500,000th electric passenger vehicle, and on Friday it will pass something called the Innovative Clean transit measure, mandating that all transit buses in the state be zero emissions by 2040. California is the only state in the nation to do so.
Guest:
- Sue Carpenter, KPCC
Amy Schumer's Le Cloud clothing line
Amy Schumer is launching a new clothing line with her stylist called Le Cloud. Available starting December 13 at Saks Off Fifth online and in-store at the Beverly Connection, Le Cloud is a ready-to-wear brand designed for women of every shape and size to feel comfortable and good about themselves in the clothes they wear. Sizes run from XS to XXL, and prices are $38 to $248.
Guest:
- Michelle Dalton Tyree, editor of Fashion Trends Daily