Today on AirTalk, we discuss Derek Chauvin being found guilty for the murder of George Floyd and the investigation being done by Attorney General Merrick Garland. Also on the show, we discuss the recent court decision that may help unhoused folks in Los Angeles, update you on the latest COVID-19 news, and more.
Chauvin Verdict: What Happened, How Listeners Are Feeling, What’s Next
The Justice Department is opening a sweeping investigation into policing practices in Minneapolis after a former officer was convicted in the killing of George Floyd there, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Wednesday.
The announcement comes a day after former officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death last May, setting off a wave of relief but also sadness across the country. The death prompted months of mass protests against policing and the treatment of Black people in the U.S.
The Justice Department was already investigating whether Chauvin and the other officers involved in Floyd’s death violated his civil rights.
We check in on the latest from Minneapolis, recap the verdict and its legal implications and look ahead to what this means for the future of police reform. And we want to hear from you about how you’re processing the verdict, what you’re feeling and what you want to see next. Call us at 866-893-5722.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guests:
Nina Moini, reporter at Minnesota Public Radio News; she co-hosted the MPR podcast “In Front of Our Eyes,” which followed the Chauvin trial; she tweets
Brian Dunn, civil rights and criminal defense attorney and managing partner at The Cochran Firm California, based in Los Angeles, where he specializes in police misconduct cases; he tweets
Cheryl Dorsey, retired sergeant with the Los Angeles Police Department who served for 20 years from 1980-2000; she tweets
Thaddeus Johnson, associate professor of criminal justice and criminology at Georgia State University and a former ranking law enforcement official in Memphis, Tennessee; he tweets
Anita Chabria, staff writer covering California state politics and policy for the Los Angeles Times, she’s been covering police reform efforts; she tweets
Federal Judge Orders Los Angeles City And County To Offer Shelter To All Skid Row Residents By October
Yesterday Judge David O. Carter, who oversees a lawsuit about homelessness in Los Angeles, ordered the city and county to offer housing or shelter to the entire population of Skid Row by fall.
Judge Carter also specified that the city and the county must offer women and unaccompanied children a place to stay within 90 days, help families within 120 days, and by October 18 offer everyone living on Skid Row housing. “Los Angeles has lost its parks, beaches, schools, sidewalks, and highway systems due to the inaction of city and county officials who have left our homeless citizens with no other place to turn,” Carter wrote in a 110-page brief. “All of the rhetoric, promises, plans, and budgeting cannot obscure the shameful reality of this crisis — that year after year, there are more homeless Angelenos, and year after year, more homeless Angelenos die on the streets.” Last year alone, more than 1,300 homeless people died in LA County. The population of Skid Row only accounts for 10% of the city’s overall homeless population— it’s unclear what the judge’s order will mean for other parts of the city.
Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about Judge Carter’s order and what the impact could be on Skid Row’s population. Are you experiencing homelessness? What are your thoughts on the judge’s order? We want to hear from you! Give us a call at 866-893-5722.
If you are currently experiencing homelessness, or know someone who is, and you’d like to get help, you can call 211 or click here to be taken to LAHSA’s resource page.
If you are on Skid Row and need shelter, please contact Rev. Andy Bales at 626-260-4761.
Guests:
Va Lecia Adams Kellum, president and CEO of St. Joseph Center, which works with working poor families, and homeless men, women and children; they are based in Venice and service L.A. County; she tweets
Rev. Andy Bales, CEO of Union Rescue Mission; he tweets
COVID-19 AMA: Travel Advisories, J&J Latest And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Dean Blumberg of UC Davis.
Topics today include:
Johnson & Johnson to resume rollout in Europe
Pfizer identifies some fake Covid shots administered outside the U.S.
State Department warns against most travel abroad
Will U.S. vaccine demand soon outstrip supply?
One study is reinfecting young people with Covid
Returning to normal life post-Covid is anxiety-inducing for some
Guest:
Dean Blumberg, M.D., professor of medicine and chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital
New Book ‘Preserving Los Angeles’ Showcases Success The City Has Made In Preserving Historic Places
The city of Los Angeles has found itself growing in population and modernizing its development for all of its existence, just like many other iconic cities. Yet according to Ken Bernstein’s new book “Preserving Los Angeles: How Historic Places Can Transform America's Cities,” one thing the city has managed to do is maintain areas longtime Angelenos consider historic.
Bernstein, a Principal City Planner for the City of Los Angeles, uses the book as a blueprint for many other cities to learn what steps they can make to build community around their local landmarks.
Today on AirTalk, we talk to Bernstein about his book and how L.A. has preserved culturally-significant sites throughout its neighborhoods.
Ken will be talking about his book at multiple upcoming events throughout Southern California:
Monday, April 26th virtual event at 6:00 p.m. with Vroman's Bookstore
Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. virtual event with Chevalier's Bookstore
Thursday, April 29 at 5:30 pm virtual event -- Los Angeles Central Library: Ken Bernstein in conversation with John Szabo
Wednesday, May 5 virtual event at 12 noon -- Los Angeles Conservancy Presents Ken Bernstein in conversation with Linda Dishman: People + Places: The Making of Preserving Los Angeles
Saturday, May 8 virtual event at 1:00 p.m. with the Society of Architectural Historians - Southern California Chapter
Guest:
Ken Bernstein, author of the new book “Preserving Los Angeles: How Historic Places Can Transform America's Cities” (Angel City Press, April 2021); he is a principal city planner for the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, oversees the city’s Office of Historic Resources, which is responsible for Los Angeles’s historic preservation policies and programs, and he leads the department’s Urban Design Studio, which works to elevate the quality of design for private development projects and major civic investments