Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Berkeley
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley; head of the investigation team that looked at the levee failures during Hurricane Katrina; chair of the joint State-Federal Technical Advisory Committee for assessment of levee-related risk for the state of California
The Legacy of Katrina and Politics in California After the Gulf States suffered a major catastrophe just one year ago today, California politicians promised action to prevent anything similar from happening here. But bills that might protect California from disastrous flooding have been bottled up in this last week of the legislative session by none other than San Jose Democrat Don Perata , President Pro Tem of the Senate. Now, he's changed his tune and called for a "flood summit" to see if the bills could be brought back to life. Were they delayed to accommodate special interests? Will they be revived? Would they provide sufficient protection if they became law?
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.
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.
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.