Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners
President of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Board of Commissioners and practicing attorney at the Los Angeles office of Gibson Dunn and Crutcher; former Congressman (D-CA); former board-member of AIPAC, the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee; advisor to Barack Obama
LA's Department of Water and Power: Who's in Charge? LA's Department of Water and Power is the biggest utility of its kind in the country, but it's had five managers in the past seven years. Last week, Ron Nichols announced his resignation, raising a host of questions. Among them, why can't he or Brian D'Arcy — business manager of the city's most powerful union — reveal how $40 million in public money is being spent. Jack Dolan is following the story for the Los Angeles Times .
Local Reaction to Obama's National Security Team Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is on her way to South Asia for talks with the governments of India and Pakistan. But the consequences of last week's terror attacks in Mumbai are more than diplomatic and have serious local consequences. We hear about that and look at the consequences of terrorism in Mumbai for Jews, Muslims and Hollywood.
Obama, Clinton and Foreign Policy in the Middle East Barack Obama says Israel is " America's strongest ally in the Middle East," but skeptics contend he's soft on the Palestinians and not tough enough on Iran. Hillary Clinton promises "massive retaliation" if Israel's ever attacked by Iran, and an "umbrella of deterrence" that would go beyond that. These and other differences have been used to suggest that Obama's support of Israel is insufficient. Does Obama suffer from guilt by association with his church pastor and others? Who are the real advisors to his campaign? Does Clinton really support a two-state solution? What about a pre-emptive attack on Iran?
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.
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
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?
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?