Los Angeles Times
Reporter for the Los Angeles Times
PROFILE
Michael Finnegan
Guest
FROM Michael Finnegan
Which Way, L.A.?
The LA Mayor’s Race Four candidates for Mayor of Los Angeles held the latest in a series of debates that seems endless to political junkies. Three of the five candidates for Mayor of LA have served on the City Council and one holds a citywide office. But the fact remains that the candidates are not well-known to the voters. Tonight we’ll talk with political reporters about who they are, what they’re talking about and who’s got the money. Are polls at this stage believable?
Which Way, L.A.?
CA's Troubling Budget, LACCD's 'Shoddy Fiscal Mismanagement' Governor Brown and the legislature balanced next year's budget based on projections of how much revenue will be coming in. If those projections are off by a billion dollars, massive cuts will be automatically triggered in higher education, healthcare and other services. State Controller John Chiang says revenues for July were off by $539 million , more than half way to trigger point. Chiang has also issued a blistering critique of the Los Angeles Community College District, which he points out is the biggest thing of its kind in the nation with 250,000 students on campuses in 36 cities. He accuses the district of "shoddy fiscal management" of such magnitude it "will undermine the public's trust and threaten billions of public dollars." What's the worst of it?
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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
What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?
To the Point
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
To the Point
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.