Following this week's California primary election, we check in with the Inland Empire to see how its increasing economic fortunes are affecting local politics. We also speak with a reporter for the Orange County Register who tracked a half dozen homeless who were kicked out of the Santa Ana River trail three months ago. Plus, we find out how fewer clouds in SoCal could lead to more severe wildfires.
A political dream deferred
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Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa finished a distant third on Tuesday, in a governor's race where the frontrunner was all but guaranteed. The Villaraigosa camp and outside groups spent more than $30 million dollars to get the former mayor into the top two. But in the end, little-known Republican John Cox claimed the second spot. Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom took first, badly beating Villaraigosa on his own turf. So, what happened?
Guest:
- Louis DeSipio, professor of political science and chicano studies at UC Irvine.

Inland Empire Republicans show up for primary but the general election could be a different story...
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The Inland Empire is changing fast. So, after a heated primary election, how is the IE's quickly growing economy and shifting demographics playing out at the polls? What happened on Tuesday and what can we expect from Riverside and San Bernardino counties in the general election?
Guest:
- Karthick Ramakirshnan, Associate Dean of UC Riverside's School of Public Policy
https://twitter.com/SeanFlynnCA/status/1004456985981382656
More SoCal cities are pursuing rent control
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Rents in the L.A. area have risen to become some of the highest in the country. But wages aren't keeping up. A third of local renters spend half of their income on rent, by one estimate. That has tenants in about a half-dozen cities in southern California clamoring for some kind of price controls on rent. Inglewood activists are hoping to get rent stabilization on the ballot for November.
Guests:
- Andrew Edwards, business reporter for the Southern California News Group who has been writing about this
The unsolved murders of Los Angeles
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Unsolved murders. They're a problem throughout the country, as the Washington Post reported this week. But as part of its investigation, the paper discovered that many unsolved murders are clustered in specific areas of various cities. And in L.A., that area is Pico Union, just west of downtown.
Guests:
- Kimbriell Kelly, Washington Post reporter who worked on the investigation
Fewer clouds could mean more severe wildfires
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Fire season in Southern California seems to get more intense every year, and one reason might be the decrease in cloud cover. Fewer clouds mean dryer plants that will burn more easily, but why do we have fewer clouds? Well it all comes back to urbanization. As cities develop, local temperatures rise and drive away clouds even in surrounding natural areas. But there may be some creative solutions to help solve the problem.
Guest:
- Park Williams, professor with the Columbia University Earth Institute
https://twitter.com/peedublya/status/999790639884652544
The history of how California has been able to set its own emissions standards
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It's California's longstanding relationship with smog and the state's history with regulating vehicle emissions to prevent it that granted California a special privilege through the federal Clean Air Act. A so-called waiver that allows the state set its own vehicle emissions standards. To get the waiver there are three criteria California must meet:
- ONE- if the state can show that its own emissions standards are at least as protective as the federal standards…
- TWO - If it can show there's a compelling need for having different standards – like chronic poor air quality.
- and THREE- if it gives the auto industry enough lead time to comply, California gets the waiver.
Take Two's Sue Carpenter reports.
Forever waiting for Tejon Ranch development
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Tejon Ranch has been the subject of a red-hot debate: To develop or not to develop. The dispute over the long-planned community called the Centennial Development has been raging for almost 20 years. And yesterday, the fires were flamed at a public hearing of the Regional Planning Commission.
Guests:
- Nina Agrawal, she's been writing about this for the L.A. Times