State of Affairs

It's State of Affairs our weekly peek at politics in the Golden State. Many Californians love Prop 13 the way many Texans wrap their arms and guns around the 2nd Amendment. In a nutshell, Prop 13 was overwhelmingly passed in 1978, and it only allows for commercial and residential property tax to be reassessed when the property gets sold. Property owners like it because they keep more cash in their pocket. But schools don't because it's less revenue they can get from property taxes. In the 42 years since it passed, Prop 13 has seemingly built a wall around it so steep that lawmakers who dare to take it down or even trim it, do so at the risk of their political lives. So I was a bit surprised when I saw that the Public Policy Institute released results of a statewide voter survey this week, specifically on a prop that would chip away at 13.

Guests:

• Jack Pitney, Roy P Crocker professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College
• Marisa Lagos, KQED political correspondent and co-host of the podcast Political Breakdown

Coronavirus: Los Angeles Community College Will Remain Online

Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Community College District announced it would remain majority online-only in the spring. Now, there will be a few exceptions… classes for nurses and mechanics, for example, where hands on learning is essential. But it's a big move for one of the largest community college districts in the nation: nine colleges and hundreds of thousands of students - many of whom come from lower income households that may lack a reliable internet access or devices. 

Guest:

• LA's District Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez 

US Will Ban WeChat and TikTok Downloads

The Trump administration has moved to ban TikTok and WeChat from U.S. app stores starting this Sunday. We look at what that means for communities in LA that rely on them.

Guest:

• Karen North, a USC expert on online platforms and social media

Wild Thing: Space Invaders

For generations, humans have wondered if we’re alone in the universe. And we’ve concocted many stories to pretend as if we aren’t in things like Star Trek and X-Files. Then there are conspiracy theories that say we aren’t … because of mysteries about places like Area 51. But for many scientists, the hunt for extraterrestrial life is real. The question is … how do they find it? And does it like look a human … an animal...or something completely different? This quest is the heart of the new season of Wild Things, the podcast about weird things in life that capture our imaginations.

Guest: 

• Laura Krantz, creator and host of Wild Things

Weekend Preview

KPCC's Leo Duran shares some of the best online and in-person events to see and do this weekend.