PROFILE
FROM Genevieve Giuliano
Metro Expo Line Doesn't Alleviate Traffic, but Is That the Point? LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, City Councilman Mike Bonin and County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas have all said at some point this year that the Expo light-rail line from downtown to the Westside would "decrease traffic" and "reduce congestion." They're elected officials promoting a $930 million project. Now some data is coming in, and although it turns out that gridlock remains on streets and freeways, ridership is a pleasant surprise: it's already what was expected for 2025. Professor Genevieve Giuliano is director of the METRANS Transportation Center at USC.
Transportation Projects: Big and Small The LA Metropolitan region faces " Bumpy Roads Ahead ," according to a think tank based in Washington, DC. No less than 73% of our roads and freeways are in "poor" condition — and every year, that costs the average driver more than a thousand dollars in extra fuel, repairs and maintenance.
The Expo Line Draws A Gold Rush Metro’s Expo Line is on its way from Culver City to Santa Monica and other parts of the West Side—with the goal of reducing regional traffic congestion. But new train stations are creating gold mines for developers of mixed-use, retail-and-residential complexes—bringing more congestion to places that are already developed. Is “enlightened planning” leading to real-estate profiteering? Should elected officials put on the brakes?
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Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?