Today on AirTalk, we discuss the presentation of the first-ever photo of a black hole by the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration. We also examine Magic Johnson's abrupt resignation as Lakers’ president of basketball operations; and more.
Disappearing act: After Magic Johnson abruptly steps down as Lakers’ president of basketball ops, where does the franchise go from here?
Following a disappointing season in which the Los Angeles Lakers finished 37-45 and failed to make the playoffs despite landing the biggest off-season signing last year in LeBron James, Lakers President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson shocked Los Angeles sports media last night when he announced that he would be stepping down as the team’s president of basketball operations.
In his press conference, he attributed his decision to several factors, including his personal happiness in the job, a feeling that he could help the team more as an ambassador than as a team executive, and his desire to focus less on running a basketball team and more on his own business ventures. He said that Jeanie Buss was “like a sister” to him, and repeatedly said that his main concern was his relationship with her. He added that she did not know about his decision to step down before he announced it. Magic was also emotional, crying as he lamented on the difficulty of making the decision and weighing it against his love for the franchise.
Were you surprised by Magic’s decision? What does this mean for the Lakers’ future? Who might be next in line to run basketball operations? What should be the main focuses for that person?
Guests:
Bill Oram, Lakers beat writer for The Athletic; he tweets
, host of KPCC’s Take Two and former Lakers host with ESPN L.A. 710; he tweets
Say cheese! What we’re learning from the first-ever picture of a supermassive black hole at the center of our universe
Astronomers, space fans, and lovers of looking into the abyss: your dreams are coming true.
The Event Horizon Telescope collaboration, known as EHT, will present the first-ever photo of a black hole.
The EHT had its first full run in April 2017, and the results will be shared in simultaneous press conferences around the world today.
Scientists know that the surrounding matter around the black hole illuminates the hole’s “shadow,” which reveals the shape of spacetime. This is how black holes can be seen even though light can’t escape them.
The first target is Sagittarius A, which is 26,000 light-years away. The second target is at the center of a galaxy known as M87.
The National Science Foundation based in Washington, D.C., will live stream the press conference to the “groundbreaking result.”
If you’re a fan of space, have you wondered about the appearance of a black hole? Do you have any questions about the technology in taking photos in space? Give us a call at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Andrea Ghez, expert on black holes and professor of astronomy at UCLA
Anita Sengupta, rocket scientist, aerospace engineer and adjunct research associate professor of astronautics at USC, and a former engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for 16 years; she tweets
How do Americans view race in 2019? A new report provides insight
More than half of Americans, 58%, say race relations in the United States are bad and 53% say they are getting worse, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center.
The national online survey asked 6,637 adults to answer questions regarding the state of race relations and inequality in the U.S. The poll found that 56% of Americans believe President Trump made race relations worse in the country, while 15% said he has made progress toward improving the relations. About six-in-ten Americans believe the legacy of slavery continues to impact the position of black people in American society and 59% said being white helps individuals get ahead in society. Of those surveyed, 52% of black adults said their race had a negative impact on their ability to get ahead. About 24% of Hispanics and Asians and just 5% of whites said their racial background hindered their ability to get ahead.
Other key findings involve Americans’ views on the treatment of white and black adults by police and the criminal justice system, the role of race on sense of identity and more.
We speak with research analyst Juliana Horowitz about the survey and its findings. If you have any questions or comments about the report, give us a call at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Juliana Horowitz, associate director of research at the Pew Research Center; she tweets
Netflix wants to buy the historic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. Why?
Netflix is in preliminary talks with American Cinematheque to purchase the Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Boulevard.
This would be the first brick and mortar location for Netflix and could help appease tensions between the streaming giant and Hollywood traditionalists. Last year, the LA Times reported that Netflix considered acquiring the Landmark Theatres, speculating that owning their own venue could make it easier to get Oscar nominations.
The Egyptian theater was built back in the 1920s and hosted the first-ever movie premiere in Hollywood. The theater would continue running their screenings and events on the weekends, while Netflix would be scheduled for the weekdays. The deal could also financially help the Cinematheque, a nonprofit that also owns the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica.
We reached out to American Cinematheque but as of the airing of this segment we haven't received a response. We will update this segment with their response if we receive one.
We also reached out to Netflix to request an interview, and they responded to our request saying that they can confirm they are in talks with American Cinematheque and it's too early to say anything else about the acquisition.
Guests:
Ryan Faughnder, film business reporter for The Los Angeles Times; he tweets
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC, Alt-Film Guide and CineGods.com; he tweets
Leonard Maltin, film historian and critic and author of “Hooked on Hollywood: Discoveries from a Lifetime of Film Fandom” (GoodKnight Books, July 2018); he has authored many books on cinema, including “Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide” series, appears regularly on Reelz Channel and spent 30 years on the hit television show, Entertainment Tonight
In close race, Benjamin Netanyahu appears to have edged out rival to win record 5th term as Israel’s leader
Benjamin Netanyahu appears headed toward a historic fifth term as Israel's prime minister, with close-to-complete unofficial election results giving his right-wing Likud and other nationalist and religious parties a solid majority in parliament.
The outcome affirmed Israel's continued tilt to the right and further dimmed hopes of a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Re-election will give Netanyahu an important boost as he braces for the likelihood of criminal charges in a series of corruption scandals.
With 97.4% of the vote counted Wednesday, Likud and its natural political allies commanded a 65-55 majority in parliament. However, the country now faces what could be weeks of political negotiations over the composition of a ruling coalition.
Netanyahu had fought a tight race against centrist ex-army chief Benny Gantz, who has conceded defeat.
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
Ruth Eglash, Jerusalem correspondent covering Israel and the Palestinian territories for the Washington Post; she tweets
1AQSTN: does the DMV have the right to reject vanity plates?
Want a specialized license plate to commemorate your birthday? Your first love? Your family pet?
Whether your vanity plate gets approval is up to four bureaucrats in the California Department of Motor Vehicles, who sort through thousands of personalized plate requests to weed out those that imply “connotations offensive to good taste and decency,” according to DMV policy.
But do they have the legal right to reject personalized plates based on content? USC professor Jonathan Kotler says no. He filed a complaint in federal court Tuesday arguing that the DMV’s rejection of his vanity plate “COYW” is in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments. Kotler said the plate is a reference to the slogan of British soccer team Fulham F.C.: “Come on You Whites.” But the DMV rejected the plate, as well as Kotler’s appeal.
Whether the DMV is within its legal right to reject certain vanity plates may come down to whether they’re interpreted as government or individual speech, as well as the breadth and discretionary nature of the DMV’s standards.
We dive into the first amendment issues. Plus, would you want the DMV to end its review process for vanity plates? What are the craziest, funniest or most baffling plates you’ve seen driving around in California?
We reached out to Professor Kotler, who was unable to join us for an interview.
Guests:
Wen Fa, attorney for the Pacific Legal Foundation; he is representing Professor Jonathan Kotler in the suit
Barry McDonald, professor of law at Pepperdine University, his focus includes constitutional law and First Amendment law