Trump’s latest warnings to Iran and how Iranian Americans are coping

Trump’s latest warnings to Iran and how Iranian Americans are coping

U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that a “whole civilization will die tonight,” but said Iran still has time to capitulate ahead of a deadline set for 8 p.m. EDT. The American leader issued the stark threat Tuesday, about 12 hours ahead of his deadline for Iran to agree to a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. also struck military targets on the Iranian oil hub of Kharg Island, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The attack marked the second time the island was targeted. Trump on Monday threatened to blow up every bridge and power plant in Iran, an action that would be so far-reaching that some experts in military law said it could constitute a war crime. Trump said that he’s “not at all” concerned about committing war crimes. Today on AirTalk, we break the latest with Phil Stewart, Chief National Security reporter for Reuters and Stephen Kalin, foreign correspondent for The Wall Street Journal based in the Middle East. We also want to hear from our Iranian audience: how are you feeling at this moment? What are you thinking about as this deadline draws near? Give us a call at 966-893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.

Video Game Series: Video game stereotypes, addiction, and effects on young men

Video game players of all generations are all too familiar with the stereotyped image of what a “gamer” looks like. More often than not, it includes a lonely individual in their parents' basement, with a week-old pizza box busted wide open, sitting in an armchair intently looking at a brightly lit screen, fidgeting with a controller in their hands. For whatever that image may represent, in simple terms — gamers are just people who enjoy playing video games frequently, and it's not just nerds. So where does all this stigma come from? After all, video games do offer a great amount of entertainment and stimulation, and can even improve your cognitive functions in a variety of ways. But these advantages do not come without complications. The video game community has long reckoned with the fact that gaming has been associated with psychological problems, most commonly referred to as internet gaming disorders or IGDs, which are associated with symptoms like withdrawal, sleep deprivation, and even circadian rhythm disorders. Today on AirTalk, we take a peek into the stigmas associated with gaming practices. We are joined by Alexander Kriss, Associate Professor of Psychology at Fordham University, and Dimitri Williams, Professor of Communications at USC Annenberg. We also want to hear from you! Have you found gaming to positively impact your life? Have you ever found yourself or a loved one addicted to gaming? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.

LA had its chance at LA28 tickets, with mixed reactions from Angelenos

Today is the last day for Angelenos in the local ticket draw for the LA28 Olympics to find out if they will be able to buy presale tickets for the sporting event. Those who do not receive an email saying they have been given a time slot to purchase tickets will be entered into the lottery for the first general ticket drop, to take place between April 9 through 19. But in the first two rounds of ticket drops, Angelenos have had a lot to complain about. From a glitchy website to seemingly randomly-timed emails informing game-goers of when their time slot to buy tickets opens to a 25% service charge — there sure is a lot to complain about, and the games are still two years away. Today on AirTalk we want to hear from you! How was your LA28 olympic ticket buying experience? Did you find the process fair and transparent? Or was the ordeal a bit too byzantine for your liking? Maybe you found the prices for tickets too high, or the events you wanted were sold out. Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.

Triple Play: Automated Ball-Strike system has arrived, but has it been a success?

Two weeks into the MLB season, the implementation of its Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System has yielded notable results, as teams use this method to contest calls. In the major league’s first 47 games, 94 calls had been overturned; having been tested in the minor leagues, the system has given teams at least two opportunities to contest an umpire’s decision. In a game between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants, seven calls were overturned as a result of ABS challenges, yielding positive results for those hoping to rely on purely umpires. Is it too early to call this a success? Has it changed much of baseball’s entertainment value? Today on AirTalk, we’ll dig into this with Nick Roman, host of Roman on the Radio, and Molly Knight, sportswriter and author of The Long Game baseball newsletter.

What’s the weirdest place you’ve taken a nap?

We’ve all been there: the movie theater temperature is just right, the last action sequence has come to a close, and your eyelids are just a bit too heavy to keep open. An hour and change later, an usher is waking you up and you’re (hopefully) slightly more refreshed. Nothing beats a good nap, but sometimes trips to sleepy town happen without you even realizing you were heading there. Today on AirTalk, we want to hear about the weirdest, oddest places you’ve taken a doze. Maybe you’re a regular lunch break car snoozer, or maybe you’ve found yourself waking up, head in hand, while sitting on the toilet. Tell us about it, give us a call at 866-893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.