We remember the "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin and her legacy in music. We also examine a horse that is suing its former owner for neglect; discuss why newspapers across the country denouncing the president's media attacks; and more.
The queen is dead: Remembering the great Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin, the undisputed "Queen of Soul" who sang with matchless style on such classics as "Think," ''I Say a Little Prayer" and her signature song, "Respect," and stood as a cultural icon around the globe, has died at age 76 from pancreatic cancer.
Publicist Gwendolyn Quinn tells The Associated Press through a family statement that Franklin died Thursday at 9:50 a.m. at her home in Detroit.
The family added: "In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart. We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins knew no bounds."
The statement continued:
"We have been deeply touched by the incredible outpouring of love and support we have received from close friends, supporters and fans all around the world. Thank you for your compassion and prayers. We have felt your love for Aretha and it brings us comfort to know that her legacy will live on. As we grieve, we ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time."
Funeral arrangements will be announced in the coming days.
Listen to Larry's 2009 interview with Aretha here.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
David Ritz, writer and author of “Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin” (2015, Back Bay Books); he tweets
Rev. Robert Smith Jr., pastor and CEO of New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, MI.; friend of Aretha
Gail Mitchell, senior editor at Billboard, covering R&B, Hip-Hop and other genres
Press versus Trump: Newspapers across the country publish editorials denouncing the president’s media attacks
Newspapers from Maine to Hawaii pushed back against President Donald Trump's attacks on "fake news" Thursday with a coordinated series of editorials speaking up for a free and vigorous press.
The Boston Globe, which set the campaign in motion by urging the unified voice, had estimated that some 350 newspapers would participate.
On Thursday morning, Trump again took to Twitter to denounce "fake news."
The Boston Globe, which was sold to the the Failing New York Times for 1.3 BILLION DOLLARS (plus 800 million dollars in losses & investment), or 2.1 BILLION DOLLARS, was then sold by the Times for 1 DOLLAR. Now the Globe is in COLLUSION with other papers on free press. PROVE IT!
THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA IS THE OPPOSITION PARTY. It is very bad for our Great Country....BUT WE ARE WINNING!
It remains unclear how much sway the effort will have. Newspaper editorial boards overwhelmingly opposed Trump's election in 2016. Polls show Republicans have grown more negative toward the news media in recent years: Pew Research Center said 85 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said in June 2017 that the news media has a negative effect on the country, up from 68 percent in 2010.
But some newspapers have decided to not participate, including LA’s hometown paper, the Los Angeles Times. What do you think of this strategy from this group of newspapers?
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Dan Shelley, executive director of the Radio Television Digital News Association, who joined the Boston Globe’s coordinated series of editorials; he tweets
John Diaz, editorial page editor for the San Francisco Chronicle, which is not participating in the coordinated series of editorials; he tweets
Horse sues former owner for neglect, but can courts recognize animals as plaintiffs?
Last summer, an Oregon woman pleaded guilty to criminal neglect for leaving her horse underfed in the outdoors. But Justice, the horse, did not take this sitting down. Justice is suing its previous owner, Gwendolyn Vercher, alleging negligence.
The case begs the question if courts can recognize animals as plaintiffs. Last year, Connecticut became the first state to allow courts to appoint lawyers or law students as advocates in animal cruelty cases. In Oregon, animals are protected under the state’s anti-cruelty law, which describes animals as “sentient beings.” Animal Legal Defense Fund, the firm that is filing the lawsuit in Justice’s name, says state courts have ruled that animals can be considered individual victims, a decision that gives animals the right to sue their abusers.
Meanwhile, Justice, whose former name is Shadow, has moved to a temporary home in Estacada. Its ignorance of the lawsuit is irrelevant to the case, according to the law firm representing the horse. While Justice enjoys its time in the spotlight, we debate if a horse can actually sue its former owner for negligence.
Guests:
Matthew Liebman, attorney specializing in animal law and director of litigation at the Animal Legal Defense Fund, an animal rights nonprofit group suing on behalf of Justice the horse
Richard L. Cupp, law professor at Pepperdine University School of Law, where his focus includes torts, products liability and animal law; he tweets
So, your kid wants to be a stand-up comic: What happens when parents think their kids are chasing an impractical career
Imagine you’re the parent (and maybe you are) of a college-bound teenager who comes to you one day and says “I’ve found my calling. I’m going to pursue a career in stand-up comedy.”
How do you react?
Earlier this year in her weekly column “Dear Therapist” in The Atlantic, Los Angeles-based therapist Lori Gottlieb highlights a question from a Georgia mother whose son decided at age 18 that he wanted to pursue a career in stand up comedy.
“We don’t want to be those parents who crush his dream, but we don’t want him living in our basement at 35, getting paid $200 a week to perform at a local club, and finding himself crippled career-wise because he spent years not learning how to make it in the real world,” the mother writes, asking how she and her husband can have their son’s back in pursuing his dream while not pressuring him into feeling like he has to to pursue a college education that could lead to a “real job.”
Have you found yourself in a similar situation, either as the parent of a child you feel is pursuing an impractical career path or as the person having to convince your parents to support the career path you’ve chosen to pursue?
Guest:
Lori Gottlieb, licensed marriage and family therapist based in Los Angeles and author of the weekly column “Dear Therapist” for The Atlantic; she tweets