Robert Mueller Testifies on Capitol Hill
Former special counsel Robert Mueller testified in front of the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees on Wednesday, sounding the alarm on Russian interference in our elections, and pushing back on President Trump’s insistence that the two-year investigation into the 2016 presidential election was a “witch hunt.” Mueller’s testimony wasn’t seen as giving the Democrats the game-changing moment they were looking for, dimming the prospect of an impeachment push. It remains unclear whether Republicans in Washington will do anything to combat what Mueller warned was an active threat from Russia. Meanwhile, a Senate Intelligence Committee report released Thursday found that all 50 states were targeted by Russia in the 2016 election.
Guests:
- Lanhee Chen, fellow, Hoover Institution
- Jeremy B. White, California reporter, Politico
San Bruno Housing Project Fails
Earlier this month in San Bruno, the Mills Park Plaza housing project, slated to provide 425 units of housing near BART and Caltrain, was rejected by San Bruno’s City Council with a single “no” vote. A report from the San Francisco Chronicle this week cited resident concerns over increased traffic and that the building was out of scale with other housing in the area. This was despite the project’s developer, Signature Development Group, following the guidelines of the city’s transit corridor plan and incorporating requests from residents and city officials. The failed project comes at a time when San Bruno is rapidly adding jobs with little housing to match, and raises questions about the housing approval process in this time of crisis in housing supply and affordability.
Guests:
- Susan Kirsch, founder, Livable California
- Heather Knight, columnist, San Francisco Chronicle
Facebook Settles with FTC
On Wednesday, Facebook agreed to pay $5 billion in a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over the tech giant’s role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. FTC Chairman Joe Simons asserted in a press conference that “Facebook betrayed the trust of its users and deceived them about their ability to control their personal information.” Part of the FTC agreement requires Facebook to establish an independent privacy committee with the understanding that any false certification will make it subject to individual civil and criminal penalties. On the same day, Facebook reported $16 billion in revenue for the second quarter, a 28 percent increase from the same period a year ago.