Former CPUC President Loretta Lynch on the California Public Utilities Commisison
Emails that reveal an unusually close relationship between PG&E and the California Public Utilities Commission are leading to calls for the removal of Michael Peevey, the head of the regulatory agency. The emails were obtained from a lawsuit settlement related to the 2010 San Bruno pipeline blast that killed eight people, destroyed 38 homes and leveled a neighborhood. The city's mayor says state officials are "subject to undue influence" by PG&E and that state oversight of the utility is corrupted. Loretta Lynch is a former CPUC president and a longtime critic of corporate influence at the state agency. Lynch sits down with Scott Shafer.
Further Reporting:
Outrage Over "Cozy" Correspondence Between CPUC, PG&E
PG&E Charged With Obstructing San Bruno Investigation
Diversity Deficit in the Tech Industry
While tech thrives in the Bay Area, not everyone is enjoying the boom equally. The industry is being criticized for lack of diversity when it comes to age, gender and ethnicity. Recently an over 50-year old worker filed a lawsuit against social media giant Twitter for age discrimination. And in the last few weeks, a number of high tech companies including Twitter, Google and Facebook have released their employee demographics. They show Silicon Valley and tech companies are largely filled with young, Caucasian and Asian male employees.
Guests:
• Laura Sydell, NPR Digital Culture Correspondent
• Michelle Quinn, San Jose Mercury News Business Columnist
• Eric Abrams, Director of Diversity Initiatives, U.C. Berkeley Haas School of Business
Free Art! Contemporary Artist Ronald Chase
For the past six decades San Francisco artist Ronald Chase has worked in a variety of mediums - from abstract paintings and drawings to mixed media and photography. Some of his finest work is in the collections of major museums in Paris, Canada, New York and our own SFMOMA. Now, as he approaches 80, Chase has decided to share his legacy in an unusual fashion. On Saturday, August 2, anyone who stops by his Mission District studio will have the opportunity to take home a piece of art -- absolutely free. Thuy Vu sits down with Chase to learn what inspired him to make such a bold move.