Today on AirTalk, we discuss the latest on the investigation into the fire that engulfed Paris' iconic Notre Dame cathedral, as well as the plans to rebuild. We also examine why Americans, particularly younger Americans, are having less sex; and more.
Investigation and plans for rebuilding begin after tragic Notre Dame fire
It took more than 12 hours, and firefighters in Paris were finally able to extinguish an inferno engulfing Paris' iconic Notre Dame cathedral.
The fire claimed the iconic building’s spire and roof, but spared its bell towers and the purported Crown of Christ.
What remained was a blackened shell of the monument immortalized in Victor Hugo's 1831 novel "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," a building that had survived almost 900 years of tumultuous French history but was devastated amid renovation works at the start of Catholic Easter week.
French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to rebuild the cathedral that he called "a part of us" and appealed for help to do so.
The fire came less than a week before Easter amid Holy Week commemorations. As the cathedral continued to burn, Parisians gathered to pray and sing hymns outside the church of Saint Julien Les Pauvres across the river from Notre Dame, as the flames lit the sky behind them.
Built in the 12th and 13th centuries, Notre Dame is the most famous of the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages as well as one of the most beloved structures in the world. Situated on the Ile de la Cite, an island in the Seine river, the cathedral’s architecture is famous for, among other things, its many gargoyles and its iconic flying buttresses.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Ben Tavener, reporter for BBC, who is in Paris, France; he tweets
Eleanor Beardsley, NPR’s Paris correspondent
Lael Loewenstein, KPCC film critic who witnessed the Notre Dame fire on Monday; she tweets
Ava Wasson, member of the Santa Monica High School choir, which performed at Notre Dame last week; she is Lael's daughter
Americans, particularly younger folks, are having less sex
Are fewer Americans having sex?
According to a Washington Post data reporter who crunched the numbers from the General Social Survey, the answer is yes.
Based on the data, it’s particularly the younger folks who are having less sex, with 23 percent of adults ages 18-29 reporting no sex in the past year. The statistics also found that 28 percent of men and 18 percent of women between the ages 18 and 30 reported spending the year in a celibate state. Researchers have attributed the decrease to several factors, including the delay to partner up until later in life, an increase of individuals living in their parents’ home, technology possibly having an impact on sexual habits, as well as women turning down unwanted sex more often.
So what are possible reasons behind the decline? If you’re a millennial, is this something you’ve noticed? Weigh in and call us at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Christopher Ingraham, data reporter at Washington Post; he tweets
Daniel L. Carlson, assistant professor of Family and Consumer Studies at the University of Utah
Debating an LA City ordinance that would prohibit landlords from rejecting Section 8 tenants across the board
On Wednesday, the L.A. City Council will be voting on an ordinance meant to prevent landlords from discriminating against the recipients of Section 8 vouchers.
Section 8 is a federal government program that subsidizes housing for low-income families, people who are disabled and the elderly. The proposed ordinance would prevent landlords from creating blanket bans on Section 8 vouchers as well as rejecting tenants who pay rent through other subsidy programs like those intended to provide housing for the homeless.
Landlords say the government process for approving Section 8 units is cumbersome and delays the move-in process. Some landlords also associate Section 8 tenants with causing problems. Housing advocates push back against that characterization, arguing that the belief is evidence of a stigma toward lower-income families and people of color, who make up the majority of those who have Section 8 vouchers.
We debate the ordinance. Plus, if you are a Section 8 voucher recipient, what’s been your story of trying to find housing in Los Angeles? If you’re a landlord, what’s been your experience with the Section 8 voucher program?
Call us at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Chancela Al-Mansour, executive director at the Housing Rights Center, a non-profit in Los Angeles
Dan Yukelson, executive director of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, an organization advocating for multifamily owners, managers, developers and suppliers in the city and county of Los Angeles
Is the four year track for a college degree still realistic? Graduation data from CSUs says maybe not
The traditional four year track for earning a bachelor’s degree may be starting to become a thing of the past, at least when looking at recent graduation data from the California State University System.
The current four-year graduation rate at the CSUs, the largest public university system in the country, is below 20 percent at 11 of the 23 campuses in the state, with Cal Poly’s being the highest at 52.5 percent. Cal State Los Angeles, for comparison, brings up the rear with just 9.5 percent of its students earning their degrees in four years.
Why is this happening? According to reporting done by The San Diego Union Tribune’s Gary Robbins, changes in the kinds of students who are enrolling at the Cal States are playing a big role. Many of the undergraduates who enroll today are first-generation college students, or come from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds, and have jobs and families and want to see more weekend and night courses.
Other, younger students want to see more courses held online. These time and financial constraints, along with longstanding issues like rising tuition costs and high-demand for certain classes, all contribute to the declining four year graduation rates. Six year graduation rates are much higher at the Cal States, but paying and budgeting the time for an extra two years of college isn’t an option for everyone.
Is it time to rethink the traditional four year track for college graduation? If so, how might colleges and universities ease the financial and time burdens that come along with two extra years of college?
Guests:
James Minor, assistant vice chancellor and senior strategist, California State University system
Gary Robbins, reporter at the San Diego Union-Tribune covering science and education who’s been looking at CalState graduation rates