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In California, Heavy Rainfall Means Landslide Risk for Coastal Homes

Published March 17, 2023 at 8:57 AM PDT
Southern California's Recent Deluge Of Rainstorms Causes Landslides
Mario Tama/Getty Images
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Getty Images North America
SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 16: An aerial view of people gathered near a hillside landslide brought on by heavy rains, which caused four ocean view apartment buildings to be evacuated and shuttered due to unstable conditions, on March 16, 2023 in San Clemente, California.

In California, Heavy Rainfall Means Landslide Risk for Coastal Homes

Coastal Erosion Rain 3.17.23

Four buildings in San Clemente were evacuated yesterday and have now been red-tagged, which means it’s unlikely they’ll ever be inhabited again. Like many buildings along this stretch of coast, they were built in the '50s, '60s, and '70s and don’t have the same fortifications as newer buildings, which are set further back from bluff edges, on land that has bedrock beneath it. With more rain in the forecast next week, the city and county’s priority right now is identifying other immediately sensitive bluff areas where people live. For the residents who were evacuated, their lives have been disrupted for the foreseeable future.

Joining us today to discuss landslide risk amid heavy rain is Erin Stone, climate emergency report for LAist, and Ryan Kittell, meteorologist at the Los Angeles/Oxnard Weather office of the National Weather Service.

With files LAist. Read Erin's full story here.

California Bullet Train On Track For More Than 100 Billion Dollar Cost Adjustment

High Speed Rail Latest 3.17.23

Recently the California High Speed Rail Authority published an updated report on their planned 500 mile high speed rail service throughout the state. The cost updates estimate the initial 171 mile Central Valley segment, which is partially under construction, will cost $10 billion dollars more than originally stated in 2019 when Newsom proposed finishing completion of the Central Valley by 2030. In 2008 California voters approved a bond to pay for the full 500 mile Los Angeles-San Francisco high speed rail plan that would have cost an estimated $33 billion. According to this year’s report the updated cost estimate for the full line, apart from the upwards of $30 billion that will be dedicated to the completion of the Central Valley, is around $100 billion dollars. California High Speed Rail officials and politicians in the state hope generous federal infrastructure spending will help complete the Central Valley, but where to find the funds for the full 500 miles has left many scratching their heads. Here to talk the latest about the state of California’s statewide high speed rail project is Ralph Vartabedian, a former national correspondent for the LA Times and current independent journalist.

Ten Years of Pope Francis: How Has He Influenced The Catholic Church?

Pope Francis 10 Years 3.17.23

Pope Francis marked the 10th anniversary of his election as pope on Monday. During that decade, several historic occasions, as well as several unplanned events, helped define the contours and priorities of history’s first Latin American pontiff. Visits with refugees in Italy and Greece, trips to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and the coronavirus pandemic and the death of his predecessor are some of the iconic moments that have shaped his papacy and influenced the direction of the Catholic Church at large.

Joining us on AirTalk to unpack the pope’s ten-year legacy is Francis X. Rocca, Vatican correspondent for the Wall Street Journal.

With files from the Associated Press 

FilmWeek: ‘Scream VI,’ ‘Shazam! Fury Of The Gods,’ ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ and More

FW Reviews 3.17.23

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Claudia Puig, Andy Klein and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms.

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