What’s the latest with the Jeffrey Epstein files

Listen 1:39:12

Apple

Spotify

Today on AirTalk: the latest on the Epstein files; AI songs on the Billboard charts; the rise of the NFL; SSRIs and their impact on our sex drive; and the history of performance reviews.

What’s the latest with the Jeffrey Epstein files

Today on AirTalk: the latest on the Epstein files; AI songs on the Billboard charts; the rise of the NFL; SSRIs and their impact on our sex drive; and the history of performance reviews.

Subscribe

• Apple
• Spotify

What’s the latest with the Jeffrey Epstein files?

President Donald Trump said House Republicans should vote to release the files in the Jeffrey Epstein case, a startling reversal after previously fighting the proposal as a growing number of those in his own party supported it. “We have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party,” Trump wrote on social media late Sunday after landing at Joint Base Andrews following a weekend in Florida. Trump’s statement followed a fierce fight within the GOP over the files, including an increasingly nasty split with Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who had long been one of his fiercest supporters. There is speculation that Trump is mentioned in the files as a former acquaintance to Epstein. Joining us to discuss the latest is Robert Jimison, congressional correspondent for The New York Times.

With files from the Associated Press

Keep up with LAist.

If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.

Subscribe

AI song makes it to the Billboard country charts, how’s the music industry reacting?

For a couple of weeks now, the song Walk My Walk by Breaking Rust has been at the top of Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart, with the “artist” having AI-generated the music. The fact that this has caught on comes at an interesting point in time, where industry powerhouse Universal Music Group filed a lawsuit against AI music-generating platform Udio, eventually settling as the two companies look to collaborate. Although musicians have been vocal with their discontent around AI, music studios’ openness to AI use begs the question of whether these artificially generated songs could catch on and receive backing by the industry at large. So, where does AI in music stand? Joining us to dig into what we’re seeing right now is Mikael Wood, pop music critic at the Los Angeles Times.

New book digs into the NFL’s rise in popularity, making every Sunday a game-watching ritual

Is every day Sunday? Although many Americans hope not, for their own personal sanity, football fans nationwide would have a more fond view of Sundays. In Ken Belson’s new book, Every Day is Sunday: How Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, and Roger Goodell Turned the NFL Into a Cultural and Economic Juggernaut, the sports reporter digs into how professional American football became so ingrained in the country’s culture. Going back as far as the 1960s, Belson takes us through the league owners who helped market the sport, including the likes of Kraft and Jones, whose investment played a key role. Today on AirTalk, we’ll speak to New York Times reporter Ken Belson about the research that went into his book and the people he spoke to in the process.

Are anti-depressants killing our sex drive?

More than one and ten people in the U.S. take antidepressants. Between 40 to 60% of those people experience some form of sexual dysfunction while taking medication. This is well-documented. But what about side effects after the medication. Now, some researchers are documenting post-S.S.R.I. sexual dysfunction. This means that after someone stops taking the medication, dulled desire persists. Research on this phenomenon is still scant, but there is increasing recognition in the medical community that this may be a bigger concern than previously realized. We’d love to hear from you. Have you taken SSRIs and experienced symptoms related to sexual desire either during or after? What has your experience been? Call us at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com. Joining us today on the program is Dr. Awais Aftab, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Anita Clayton, M.D, Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences and Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and author of the book “Satisfaction: Women, Sex and the Quest for Intimacy.”

What exactly is a performance review anyway?

The much dreaded performance review. Whether you appreciate their value or loathe the experience, the performance review has been an important way for companies to evaluate their workers. But what exactly does the performance review achieve? And how has it evolved alongside growing industries and the way we view labor? Joining us this morning to talk about the history, objective, and future of the performance review is Heidi Mitchell, a contributor to the Wall Street Journal, and Anna Tavis, clinical professor and chair of Human Capital Management at NYU. We also want to hear from you! What has been your experience with the performance review? Do you have a question on how to best navigate the process? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.