Reservoir Levels Have Risen, But California Still Has A Water Problem

The recent atmospheric rivers have done a lot to help levels in California’s reservoirs, but the state is hardly out of the woods when it comes to its water supply. Last year saw promising early rainfall only to be followed by a dry winter and spring, leading to unprecedented water restrictions over the summer.

Additionally, the agricultural hub in California’s central valley has been left wondering if recent weather patterns and reservoirs will provide them with the moisture they need to continue to produce vegetables and fruit during their regular growing seasons. Have the recent storms helped replenish water levels across California? And will the promising snowpack last into the Spring to provide Californians with a reprieve from the austerity measures of this past Summer? Joining us to discuss are Karla Nemeth, Director of the California Department of Water Resources, Felicia Marcus, William C. Landreth Visiting Fellow at Stanford University’s Water in the West Program and former chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, and Sarge Green, Project Director of the California Water Institute at California State University, Fresno.

Charter Schools, Dress Codes And Constitutional Protections. A Case Could Be Headed To The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is asking President Joe Biden’s administration to weigh in on whether it should take up the lawsuit Charter Day School v. Peltier. The suit challenges a North Carolina charter school’s dress code requiring girls to wear skirts or dresses.

The K-8 charter school says its dress code is designed to promote “mutual respect between boys and girls.” Three parents in 2016 filed the lawsuit under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in a school or education setting. A district judge blocked the school’s policy in 2019, and a federal court backed up the ruling in 2022. Now, Charter Day School wants SCOTUS to hear its case. The question comes down to whether the school is an actor of the state and if students have the same constitutional rights as those at traditional public schools. And that question could have significant implications. Joining to discuss is Eugene Volokh, UCLA law professor who focuses on first amendment and free speech law, and Rachel Moran, distinguished chancellor’s professor of law at UC Irvine.

Environmentalists Criticize Newsom’s Budget Cuts From Climate-Focused Initiatives

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday proposed a $297 billion budget, prioritizing money to address homelessness and education while cutting some climate spending amid a projected $22.5 billion budget deficit. Newsom has proposed reducing what the state plans to spend on climate over a five-year period by $6 billion.

The changes would include reductions in investments for the state’s plans to make zero-emission vehicles more affordable for low-income neighborhoods and move delivery trucks, airplanes and rail lines away from greenhouse gasses. It comes as the state is pushing a massive shift away from gas-powered vehicles into cars that run on batteries. Environmentalists say taking away from the climate budget is a move in the wrong direction, and will likely delay action on combating climate change in California. Today on AirTalk, we’re joined by Nadia Lopez, environment reporter covering climate policy issues for CalMatters, and Laura Deehan, state director of Environment California, a nonprofit environmental lobbying group for the state of California.

With files from the AP

LAist Studios’ New Season Of ‘Imperfect Paradise’ Traces The Rise And Fall Of Yoga’s ‘Queen Of Conspiracy Theories’

What do yoga, the wellness industry, and conspiracy theories have in common? More than you might think, as host Emily Guerin explains in the new season of “Imperfect Paradise” from LAist Studios. You’ll meet Katie Griggs, known better professionally by her “spiritual name” -- Guru Jagat. She ran a popular yoga studio in Venice called the RA MA Institute for Applied Yogic Science and Technology, where she practiced a particular kind of yoga called Kundalini and amassed a huge following. Her clients loved that she combined deep spirituality with the accessibility of a close friend -- she wore flowing clothes and a turban but swore and talked about sex in her classes. She had celebrity clients like Alicia Keys and Kate Hudson, got herself a book deal, started a podcast, and became an icon among her followers. But in 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic gripped the world, Guru Jagat started to believe in and spread QAnon conspiracy theories on her platforms, and many of her followers began to suspect Guru Jagat and RA MA She died in 2021 of cardiac arrest following surgery, but her life story is an example of the close connection that can, but not always does, occur between wellness, spirituality and cult-like behavior.

Today on AirTalk, we’ll talk to Emily, as well as Matthew Remski, host of the podcast “Conspirituality” about the new season of ‘Imperfect Paradise,’ which explores the connection between yoga, the wellness industry and conspiracy theories through the lens of Guru Jagat’s life story.

Season 4 of ‘Imperfect Paradise’ is available wherever you get your podcasts. 

TV-Talk: ‘The Makanai,’ ‘The Last of Us,’ ‘Copenhagen Cowboy’ & More

Have you felt completely overwhelmed when deciding what new show to watch these days? Us too. There’s just so much content out there between network tv and numerous streaming platforms. Each week, we’re going to try to break through the noise with television watchers who can point us to the must-sees and steer us clear of the shows that maybe don’t live up to the hype. This week, Larry talks some of the latest TV show releases with IndieWire associate TV editor Steve Greene and Roxana Hadadi, TV critic for Vulture.