With the link between Zika and birth deformities confirmed, health officials at the CDC are now grappling with whether to advise women in the U.S. to delay pregnancy; Veteran court reporter Linda Deutsch's case for the parole of Leslie Van Houten; the Uber effect on LA & TGI-FilmWeek!
With link between Zika and microcephaly established, should CDC issue recommendation for women to delay pregnancy?
With the link between Zika and birth deformities confirmed, health officials at the Centers for Disease Control are now grappling with the question of whether to advise women to delay pregnancy.
The virus has been found in as many as 30 states, including California, Texas, and Arizona. Health officials are bracing for potential outbreaks stateside this summer.
Proponents say the consequences of Zika are severe enough to justify a recommendation, yet opponents argue that women should be informed of the risks of infection but be free to make their own decisions.
Guests:
William Schaffner, MD., Professor of Preventive Medicine at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN. He’s worked on a range of CDC advisory committees
Peter Jay Hotez, MD, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX
Court reporter Linda Deutsch says it’s time to release Leslie Van Houten
A state parole board panel recommended parole yesterday for former Charles Manson disciple Leslie Van Houten.
Van Houten was convicted in the August 1969 killings of grocers Leno and Rosemary La Bianca at their Los Feliz home. Larry spoke with veteran courts reporter for the Associated Press, Linda Deutsch, who covered the trial and says Van Houten has been a model inmate.
The panel's decision will be reviewed administratively by the state's Board of Parole Hearings for up to four months then be sent to Governor Jerry Brown for review.
Guest:
Linda Deutsch, veteran courts reporter for the Associated Press who is retiring after a 48 year career in journalism. She has covered the high-profile trials of Charles Manson, O.J. Simpson, Michael Jackson, and many more; Linda tweets from
Rideshare roundup: New numbers on how cabbies stack up against Uber, plus a look at the market for niche services like Uber-for-women
The advent and rise in popularity of ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft has meant mostly bad news for cab drivers in major metropolitan areas, which shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has visited a city like L.A., San Francisco, or even Boston.
A study KPCC profiled last October showed that Uber and Lyft rides make up 41 percent of ground travel for business travelers, up from 13 percent in 2013. New numbers out from the L.A. Times further corroborate how hard the cab industry in Los Angeles has been hit.
Meanwhile, nice rideshare services are getting more attention. Massachusetts-based startup Chariot made headlines this week that aims to address many of the concerns about safety when using Uber.
Chariot plans to hire only female drivers and only pick up female passengers (or kids under 13). The idea has gotten a lot of praise on paper and is not the first of its kind, but has raised questions about whether the hiring process would be illegally discriminatory.
A service called SheRides in New York had to shut down after male drivers threatened to sue, but plans to reopen this summer as SheHails, giving female riders and drivers the option to pick up a male passenger or ride with a male driver, respectively. Still, the popularity services like Chariot and SheRides have received would suggest that there is a market for niche ridesharing services.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll take a look at how cabs are faring in Los Angeles against ridesharing, plus talk with some sharing economy experts and take your calls about the market for niche ridesharing services like Chariot.
Guests:
Meghan McCarty, KPCC reporter covering transportation and mobility
Alison Griswold, reporter at Quartz covering the sharing economy; her latest piece is "I was meant to do this: The man behind the Uber-for-women startup talks female empowerment;” she tweets from
FilmWeek: ‘The Jungle Book,’ ‘Barbershop’ sequel and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Justin Chang review this week’s new releases including a new animated telling of “The Jungle Book” including voices by Idris Elba and Lupita Nyong’o; another visit to Ice Cube’s “Barbershop: The Next Cut,” and more.
TGI-FilmWeek!
Claudia's Hits
- "The Jungle Book"
- "Barbershop: The Next Cut"
- "Green Room"
- "The First Monday in May"
- "Colonia"
- "Wedding Doll"
- "Echo Park"
Justin's Chang
- "The Jungle Book"
- "Barbershop: The Next Cut"
- "Green Room"
- "Sing Street"
- "Francofonia"
- "Neon Bull"
- "Echo Park"
This Week's Misses
Guests:
Justin Chang, Film Critic for KPCC and Chief Film Critic for "Variety;" he tweets from
Claudia Puig, Film Critic for KPCC; she tweets from
Movie execs at odds over price point and future of VOD new releases
At this week's annual convention of cinema owners, CinemaCon, showbiz executives were not speaking from the same script about Screening Room, a startup aimed at offering movies at home for $50 on the same day they open in theaters.
Filmmaker J.J. Abrams told theater owners, “We need to do everything we can in this age of piracy, digital technology, and disruption to be thoughtful partners in the evolution of this medium.” When Screening Room was first proposed by Sean Parker of Napster fame, Abrams spoke in support of it.
Parker’s idea has raised the ire of exhibitors. Chief among them, John Fithian who heads up the National Association of Theatre Owners. He told KPCC, “[T]here's been suggestions of late of disrupting that business model. We're not against evolution. It's just that the people who want to determine this evolution are the distributors and theater owners, negotiating together about how we should do this, and not third-parties with ideas from the outside.”
Who should lead changes in so-called day-and-date releases of new movies? What would you be willing to pay to watch “The Jungle Book” at home tonight, instead of on a big screen?
Guests:
John Horn, Host of KPCC’s The Frame; he tweets from
Justin Chang, Film Critic for KPCC and Chief Film Critic for "Variety;" he tweets from
Claudia Puig, Film Critic for KPCC; she tweets from