Latest Interviews
Showing 1246–1260 of 1,758 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute1h 45m
Priced out: Can high-density housing solve the affordability crisis? (KPCC Forum Series)
Dana Cuff, Ed DeMarco, Larry Gross, William K. Huang, Jeff Schaffer, Josie Huang, John Cohn, Kevin Clowden, Bill Davis, Josie Wong, Bill Huang
Co-presented by KPCC and the Milken Institute, the "Rescuing the California Dream" forum series convened experts to address Southern California's severe housing affordability crisis, noting that 30% of households cannot afford a median home amidst a deficit of 527,000 affordable units. Panelists identified root causes such as restrictive zoning, decimated state funding, and the exploitation of the Ellis Act, while proposing solutions including CEQA reform, adaptive reuse of vacant buildings, and transit-oriented development to increase density without relying solely on high-rises. The event concludes with a summary panel at the December Milken Institute California Summit, emphasizing the urgent need for a comprehensive state-level strategy to prevent deepening economic segregation and to ensure no net loss of existing affordable housing.
- Milken Institute1h 29m
The Indentured Class: The Social Costs of Student Debt (KPCC Forum Series)
Debbie Cochrane, Maureen McRae Goldberg, Devon Graves, Perry Wong, Melanie Sill, Matt Horton, Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, Shane Bush, Inez Bush, Dustin Davis, Michael Hopper, Rabbi Jason Rosner, Caroline, Jennifer Childress, Bob Deutsch, Amber Carter, Ramon
Co-presented by KPCC and the Milken Institute, the "Rescuing the California Dream" series convenes experts including Melanie Sill, Debbie Cochran, and Perry Wong to examine the economic impact of soaring student debt on Southern California's workforce and social stability. Panelists detailed alarming statistics, such as the 99% of borrowers owing under $100,000 and the severe default rates at for-profit institutions, while discussing structural barriers like the lack of bankruptcy protections and the "brain drain" of educated workers fleeing high-cost living areas. The dialogue concluded with policy recommendations ranging from expanded income-driven repayment plans and institutional risk-sharing models to mandatory financial literacy education, aiming to shift the focus from merely reporting problems to enacting concrete solutions for an affordable future.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
2015 CA Summit - Rescuing the California Dream: Policies for an Affordable Future
Evelyn Larrubia, Sean Burton, Scott Laurie, Manuel Pastor, Van Ton-Quinlivan
Speakers Scott Laurie, Manuel Pastor, and Sean Burton characterize Los Angeles as the nation's least affordable rental market, where severe supply constraints and regulatory hurdles have severed the link between housing production and growing household demand. Panelists identify critical bottlenecks including a collapse in construction activity, the wealth-exclusionary impacts of Proposition 13, and a shifting labor market that leaves high school graduates without viable employment pathways. To address these crises, the experts advocate for a coordinated cross-sector strategy integrating community college workforce training, streamlined entitlement processes for density, and proactive business leadership to stabilize wages and housing access.
- Milken Institute1h 12m
2015 CA Summit - Perception vs. Reality: Is California Business Friendly?
Eric Garcetti, Michael Milken, John Chiang, Donna Davis, Steven Mnuchin
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and panelists highlighted the city's transformation into a global model for economic growth, driven by streamlined permitting processes, a $25 million Bolloré Group investment, and record job creation in sectors ranging from aerospace to digital media. While the event celebrated LA's surge to the second-largest U.S. financial hub and its status as the world's top green technology incubator, speakers also confronted critical challenges including high real estate costs, housing unaffordability, and a regressive tax structure that threatens to drive out talent. Forward-looking recommendations centered on creating a digital one-stop shop for business compliance and leveraging the city's diverse demographics to capture international markets.
- Milken Institute1h 18m
2015 CA Summit - Water: Protecting California’s Lifeline
Kevin Klowden, Martin Adams, Paula Landis, Carlos Riva, Kelly Sanders, Lester Snow
Facing its driest five-year period in five centuries, California is mobilizing $7.4 billion from Proposition 1 to modernize aging infrastructure and reduce reliance on collapsing snowpack while addressing seismic risks to its water conveyance systems. State agencies and private entities are implementing diverse strategies ranging from the Carlsbad desalination plant to direct potable reuse, though these investments must navigate complex energy dependencies and insufficient groundwater metering. Ultimately, the state is transitioning from a 100-year-old management philosophy to a sustainable model that integrates local self-reliance, market mechanisms, and aggressive conservation to ensure water security for its 300,000 residents currently lacking safe drinking water.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
2015 CA Summit - Building Better People Movers: The Future of Transportation in California
Laura Nelson, Tony Canova, Brian Kelly, Rob Lloyd, Tara Roth, Julie Schoenfeld
California is implementing a comprehensive transportation transformation that shifts from highway expansion to corridor-focused strategies integrating dynamic pricing, cap-and-trade revenue, and massive investments in high-speed rail and electric vehicle infrastructure. State officials and industry leaders, including Governor Jerry Brown and representatives from Hyperloop Technologies, are advancing aggressive targets for 1.5 million EVs and new transit projects while navigating regulatory frameworks for autonomous vehicles and public-private partnerships. Despite challenges such as funding timelines for the Purple Line extension and the competitive race between high-speed rail and Hyperloop for the Los Angeles-San Francisco corridor, the state continues to prioritize multimodal connectivity to reduce emissions and accommodate over 80% of transit riders who lack personal vehicles.
- Milken Institute44 min
2015 CA Summit - Powering California’s Economy: A Conversation with John S. Watson
John S. Watson, Brian Sullivan
John Watson outlines a severe global energy downturn driven by oversupply and resilient U.S. shale production, projecting hydrocarbons will still satisfy 75% of energy demand two decades from now. He critically contrasts this reality with California's restrictive regulatory environment, arguing that high costs, environmental mandates, and inefficient policies are driving corporate out-migration and stifling economic growth despite the state's status as a major energy and agricultural hub. While detailing Chevron's strategic focus on cost discipline and specific international LNG projects, Watson advocates for nuclear and natural gas expansion over current subsidy structures to achieve effective carbon abatement without undermining economic stability.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
2015 CA Summit - Honing California’s Edge in Technology and Entertainment
Jane Wells, Beatriz Acevedo, John Bolton, Jason Kirk, Chris Williams
This discussion analyzes the Los Angeles digital media ecosystem, highlighting its unique blend of entertainment infrastructure and emerging technology sectors where companies like Maker Studios, Flippagram, and MeToo operate alongside traditional aerospace giants. Key outcomes include the strategic acquisition of Maker Studios by Disney to capture millennial audiences, the pivot of Zephyr toward B2B rights management, and the significant challenge of recruiting engineering talent in a region historically dominated by creative figures. Furthermore, the event outlines future growth vectors in virtual reality and mobile video monetization while addressing critical hurdles such as H-1B visa restrictions and the need for culturally diverse content strategies.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
2015 CA Summit - Opening the Golden Gate: Strategies to Attract Foreign Direct Investment
Curtis S. Chin, Caroline Beteta, Juan Carlos Briseño, Sonnet Hui, Brian Peck, John Scull
Leading experts and officials convened to address California's status as the top U.S. recipient of foreign direct investment while confronting rising competition and regulatory hurdles such as CEQA and restrictive visa policies. Panelists from government, venture capital, and real estate sectors, including Hazen's Group and Visit California, emphasized the critical need for infrastructure upgrades, federal immigration reform, and unified regional branding to sustain economic growth. The dialogue highlighted specific opportunities to deepen ties with Mexico and China through enhanced student exchanges and strategic public-private partnerships, aiming to translate tourism demand into tangible manufacturing and technology investments.
- Milken Institute1h 5m
2015 CA Summit - Notice to Proceed: Clearing a Path for Infrastructure Financing
Dale Bonner, Samara Barend, Teveia Barnes, Marc Levine, Dean Palumbo
A panel of California Assemblymember Mark Levine, I-Bank official Tavia Barnes, and industry leaders from AECOM and Plenary addressed the state's $64 billion infrastructure maintenance gap and the political hurdles hindering effective public-private partnerships. The discussion highlighted the need for legislative reforms to accelerate project timelines, the adoption of innovative financing tools like third-party verification and tax-exempt bonds, and the potential of technology to reduce costs and increase operational efficiency. Speakers emphasized that while local agencies are successfully leveraging private capital for delivery, the state must overcome risk aversion and bureaucratic delays to meet the 2.5% GDP investment benchmark required for adequate infrastructure growth.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
2015 CA Summit - Fostering Innovation to Improve Health Care
Ross DeVol, Donald Crane, Ed Hernandez, Richard Merkin, Kristen Miranda, Art Torres
Leading health stakeholders convened to address California's critical healthcare challenges, including a bifurcated payment system introduced by the 2015 MACRA law and the accelerating market consolidation among insurers like Blue Shield and Anthem. Panelists highlighted that while innovations such as the Heritage Health Prize and joint data exchanges offer promise, systemic barriers like low Medi-Cal reimbursement rates and a 300% pay disparity between specialists and primary care providers continue to drive costs and exacerbate workforce shortages. The discussion concluded that without shifting from volume-based to value-based models and addressing demographic disparities in Covered California enrollment, unchecked consolidation may force government rate regulation to protect consumers.
- Milken Institute1h 18m
The Conservative Heart: How to Build a Fairer, Happier and More Prosperous America
Arthur C. Brooks, George F. Will, Mike Clouden
Arthur Brooks delivers a comprehensive argument that free enterprise, driven by aspiration and moral sentiment rather than greed, is the most effective mechanism for lifting billions out of poverty while warning against the spiritual emptiness of material attachment. He critiques current cultural and educational stigmas against skilled trades and calls for "breakout leadership" to foster bipartisan cooperation centered on opportunity for the poor. The session concludes with a Q&A and book signing for Brooks' work, *The Conservative Heart*, exploring strategies to balance economic success with endogenous life goals.
- Milken Institute1h 33m
Building a 21st Century Workforce and Market – What’s the Solution? (KPCC Forum Series)
Matt Horton, John Cohn, Ben Bergman, Kevin Clowden, Vontone Quinlevin, Jessica Goodhart, Russell Ragsdale
Presenters analyze California's severe economic challenges, including a 5.9% unemployment rate and housing unaffordability, alongside a critical workforce shortage driven by the decoupling of productivity and employment numbers. In response, local utilities like Southern California Edison and community colleges are piloting "earn while you learn" programs and expanding Career Technical Education to fill high-paying middle-skill roles in sectors ranging from solar energy to advanced manufacturing. The discussion concludes that future regional competitiveness depends on shifting toward a continuous retraining economy supported by micro-credentials and targeted government procurement to sustain local employment growth.
- Milken Institute1h 31m
Staying Afloat During the Drought: Using Technology to Reshape Our Relationship to Water
Steve Gregory, Kelly Sanders, Nick Haan, Lorcan O’Herlihy, David R. Pettijohn, Andrew Fahlund, Matt Horton
Co-hosted by the Milken Institute and KPCC, this forum convened experts to address California's unsustainable water reliance through strategies like the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's goal to cut imported water use by 50% by 2024. The discussion highlighted innovative approaches including decentralized neighborhood capture, the Singularity University global challenge for new water sources, and a shift toward treating energy and water as an interconnected system. Panelists ultimately identified conservation, recycled water, and agricultural efficiency as the most immediate solutions while noting persistent legal and structural barriers to implementing tiered pricing and direct potable reuse.
- Milken Institute1h 24m
The Open Data Opportunity: How Government Information Can Change the Way California Does Business
Kevin Cloud, Jason Barrett, Ben Welsh, Deep Varma, Alex Padilla, Alicia Ruo, Ted Ross
California Governor Jerry Brown recently signed AB 169 and SB 272, mandating that state and local agencies publish machine-readable data and comprehensive inventories to shift operations from information hoarding to transparency. This legislative framework has catalyzed economic efficiency, enabling private firms like Trulia to reduce engineering overhead while allowing cities such as Los Angeles to eliminate costly redundant systems through public-private partnerships. Despite facing challenges regarding data quality, talent gaps, and cultural resistance, these reforms aim to standardize information across jurisdictions to enhance government performance and citizen decision-making.