Public Counsel
President of Public Counsel, the largest pro bono law office in the nation and the public interest law firm of the Los Angeles County and Beverly Hills Bar Associations
PROFILE
Hernan Vera
Guest
FROM Hernan Vera
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Will a new civilian oversight committee prevent police scandals? The LA County Sheriff’s Department is getting a civilian oversight committee for the first time. The department has been plagued by scandal; sheriffs have been convicted of assault and misconduct inside county jails, and former undersheriff Paul Tanaka was convicted of obstructing an FBI investigation into that abuse.
Which Way, L.A.?
If You Don’t Have a License, Who Gets the Car? The City of Los Angeles impounds the cars of unlicensed drivers for up to 30 days, which costs an average of $2000. Mayor Villaraigosa and LAPD Chief Charlie Beck want to end that practice—but the police rank and file say that would endanger public safety. As we’ll hear, it’s all about the lives--and livelihoods--of illegal immigrants, who aren’t allowed to get licenses in the first place.
Which Way, L.A.?
The Impact of Federal Budget Cuts on California The federal budget bill that still awaits final approval on Friday is 459 pages long, and nowhere does the word "California" appear, but this state accounts for about 10 percent of federal spending. Federal cuts will hit hardest at the people who depend the most on public support. We hear from housing, health, environmental and legal advocates.
Recommended
To the Point
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
To the Point
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.
To the Point
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
To the Point
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.