Los Angeles jury finds social media platforms liable for algorithms being harmful to children

Los Angeles jury finds social media platforms liable for algorithms being harmful to children

A jury found Meta and YouTube liable on Wednesday in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit that aimed to hold social media platforms responsible for harm to children using their services, awarding the plaintiff $3 million in damages. After more than 40 hours of deliberation across nine days, California jurors decided Meta and YouTube were negligent in the design or operation of their platforms. The jury also decided each company’s negligence was a substantial factor in causing harm to the plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman who says she became addicted to social media as a child and that this addiction exacerbated her mental health struggles. This is the second verdict against Meta this week after a jury in New Mexico determined the company harms children’s mental health and safety, violating state law. Today on AirTalk, we’ll dig into the implications of these verdicts with Clare Duffy, tech reporter for CNN Business, and Eric Goldman, professor of Law at Santa Clara University and co-director of its High Tech Law Institute.

With files from the Associated Press

Supreme Court to consider blocking asylum seekers at the border

The Supreme Court grappled Tuesday with whether the Trump administration should be able to revive an immigration policy that has been used to turn back migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. Some conservative justices seemed receptive to the Justice Department’s push to overturn a lower-court ruling against the practice known as metering. Immigration authorities limited the number of people who could apply for asylum, saying it was necessary to handle an increase at the border. Advocates say the policy created a humanitarian crisis during President Donald Trump’s first term, as people who were turned away settled in makeshift camps in Mexico as they waited for a chance to seek asylum. Today on AirTalk, we take a look at where we stand on asylum-seeking policy, what the outcome of a decision like this could look like, and the legacy of asylum-seeking migrants in Southern California. We are joined by Lindsay Whitehurst, Reporter covering the Supreme Court and legal affairs for the Associated Press, Jean Reisz, clinical associate professor of law and co-director of USC’s Immigration Clinic and Naomi Steinberg, Vice President of U.S. Policy and Advocacy, HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society).

With files from the Associated Press.

How to have ‘the talk’ with your kids without being cringe

The birds and the bees; the talk; the facts of life — there are a lot of convenient ways to avoid saying it’s time to talk to your kids about sex. But there’s even more ways to actually go about the conversation, ranging from the benign and helpful to the downright cringe and dreadful. Today on AirTalk, we want to hear from you: how did “the talk” go for you? Was it awkward? Lowkey? Did it go off the rails or just right? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com. And hey, maybe you’re dreading having the conversation with your kiddos — we have an expert in studio to take your questions: John Sovec, a licensed therapist, counselor and coach who specializes in working with LGBTQIA+ teens and their families.

LA City Council delays SB79 with plan for new mid-sized apartment buildings

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday approved a plan that would allow mid-sized apartment buildings of up to four stories near train lines in certain areas zoned for single-family homes. The move is a delay tactic meant to help the city put off full implementation of a state law that would allow much larger apartment buildings — some of them up to nine stories tall. The law, known as Senate Bill 79, is expected to take effect July 1. Since before it was signed into law last year, SB 79 has drawn opposition from several members of the council, as well as L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, in keeping with a long-standing preference among many city leaders to leave untouched the three-quarters of L.A.’s residential land zoned for single-family homes. On Tuesday, the council voted 13 to 0 (two council members were not present) to move forward with a plan that would encourage development of four- to 16-unit residential buildings in 55 areas of the city within a half-mile of transit stops. Today on AirTalk, we get the latest with Dana Littlefield, LAist senior editor and Bob Blumenfield, LA city councilmember.

How plants, both wild and domestic, are adapting to climate change

California’s native scarlet monkeyflowers usually love water and moist areas. Their little red petals attract hummingbirds, making them popular for gardens. But during the state’s historic drought in the 2010s, they suffered. Now, a new study from researchers at Cornell University and the University of British Columbia has found that over a few years, some of the state’s scarlet monkeyflowers successfully, rapidly evolved to save themselves from climate change, likely the first fully recorded finding of such for plants. At the same time, researchers have been hard at work altering the genomes of staple food crops to make them more resistant to our changing climate. For more on how our plant pals are adapting, we are joined by Amy Angert, professor of botany and zoology at the University of British Columbia and Marco Todesco, assistant professor of botany and biology at the University of British Columbia.

With files from LAist.

TV Talk: ‘Daredevil: Born Again,’ ‘For All Mankind,’ and 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 will try to break through the noise with TV 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, listeners will get the latest scoop on what’s worth watching withDominic Patten, executive editor at Deadline Hollywood and Saloni Gajjar, staff writer covering TV at the A.V. Club.

TV SHOWS:

• For All Mankind [Season 5] (Apple TV+)
• High Potential [Season 2] (Hulu)
• SNL U.K. [Season 1] (Peacock | Sky One)
• Daredevil: Born Again [Season 2 ] (Disney+)
• Grey's Anatomy [Season 22] (Hulu)