To the Point

What does the first week of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine say about the likelihood of a cyber and nuclear war? While the West imposes heavy sanctions, Russian forces encounter fierce Ukrainian resistance on the ground.  

An environmental activist is calling on like-minded advocates to build an “adamant nonviolent movement” to rapidly reach zero emissions. 

California is losing its leadership position in the effort to mitigate climate change, and politics and other disasters may be to blame, according to a state lawmaker. Also, while two probes into the failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election results are underway, some have intensified their efforts to normalize the insurrection. 

A nuclear meltdown near the San Fernando and Simi Valleys was kept secret for 20 years. Despite a cluster of rare childhood cancers in nearby communities, California officials have not kept the promise to clean up radioactive contamination at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory site.

Celebrity athletes are shaping American politics and culture, says Jane Coaston of the New York Times. And even before this month’s UN climate conference (COP26) in Glasgow, wildfires, droughts, and floods have been increasing Americans’ belief in climate change, according to Anthony Leiserowitz, who directs the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

When the U.S. Supreme Court refused to stop a draconian new Texas abortion law, especially since Roe v. Wade is already on the high court’s caseload, Slate’s legal affairs correspondent Dahlia Lithwick says she was “stunned, numbed, and frozen.” Also, Vox reporter Umair Irfan describes the five potential scenarios outlined by the world’s top scientists for next month’s World Climate Summit in Glasgow.

California’s recall makes sense, but the electoral system as a whole needs reform, according to columnist Joe Matthews. Also in this episode, author Rajiv Chandrasekaran says Afghanistan once had an American-style suburb in the 1950s until the Soviet Union took over. Meanwhile, Colonel Andrew Bacevich calls America’s latest intervention in Afghanistan “preposterous” and insists the U.S. needs a new role on the global stage. 

Andy Slavitt, who was President Joe Biden’s former COVID advisor, talks about the recent Delta variant surge and best safety practices. The second part of this episode looks at how historic water wars could worsen California’s drought.

CNN’s Ron Brownstein says LA was so creative with music, movies, and TV in the 1970s that it’s still shaping American politics today. He writes about that in his new book “Rock Me on the Water.” KCRW  also hears how California firefighters are updating an ancient Native American practice despite the risk of being sued.  

For most of American history, abortion has been legal, outlawed only from 1867 to 1973. Now the U.S. Supreme Court might outlaw it again by overturning Roe v. Wade. Also, young activists blame governments for climate change.