Gov. Gavin Newsom
On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled his revised budget, an increase of $4 billion from the first budget he announced in January. He plans to use the additional funds, which come from higher than projected state and corporate tax revenues, to help working families by eliminating sales tax on diapers, for example, and expanding paid family leave up to four months for new parents. The governor also wants to boost the amount the state spends on homelessness programs to $1 billion in the 2019-2020 fiscal year.
KQED Senior Editor of California Politics and Government Scott Shafer spoke with Gov. Newsom about his funding priorities and big, costly challenges ahead, from building affordable housing to fighting deadly wildfires.
Uber IPO and Tech Backlash
Ride-hailing giant Uber went public on Friday with the biggest IPO of the year, valued at $82 billion. Its main rival, Lyft, this week posted a loss of more than $1 billion in its first earnings report as a public company. Meanwhile, Uber and Lyft drivers went on strike during the morning rush-hour commute on Wednesday over wages and labor practices. Also, Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes wrote an op-ed in the New York Times on Thursday, joining a growing chorus of voices calling for the tech giant to be broken up or regulated.
Guests:
- Kathleen Pender, business columnist, San Francisco Chronicle
- Casey Newton, senior editor, The Verge
Climate Change and Biodiversity
A new report released by the United Nations this week warns that many as 1 million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction from human activities such as logging, mining and overfishing. Climate change also imperils biodiversity, from ocean acidification that kills off coral reefs to warming temperatures that have threatened the survival of species like polar bears. The report also lays out clear links between biodiversity and human well-being, from food security to clean water for the world’s 7.5 billion people.