Today on AirTalk, we discuss the sports teams that are striking following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Also on the show, we discuss where California's police reform bills stand; discuss the coronavirus lockdown and nursing homes; and more.
NBA, MLB, NFL Teams Respond To Jacob Blake Shooting By Boycotting Games, Practices
NBA players didn’t come to Disney solely for a restart. They also wanted social reform. The Milwaukee Bucks showed how far they’re willing to go to get it by opting not to play in their playoff game Wednesday. Two more games were postponed later in the day, the second time this season NBA basketball came to an immediate halt. Other sports followed, just as they did in March when the season was suspended four months because of the coronavirus pandemic. Later Thursday, the NBA’s board of governors will meet and likely address whether the playoff games scheduled for the night will be played. The players also will meet separately to decide how long the stoppage lasts, though some like ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski are reporting that players have decided to continue the playoffs.
The Bucks changed the narrative across the entire sports landscape, putting the focus squarely on social justice reform in protest of the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, while three of his children in his car looked on. While players and teams from baseball, the WNBA, MLS and tennis sat out their competitions Wednesday night, NBA players and coaches met for nearly three hours in a Disney hotel to determine next steps, including whether the season should continue. They did not come to a consensus, a person with knowledge of the meeting told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details weren’t revealed publicly. Two NFL teams, the Jets and Colts, cancelled practice on Wednesday, and they and several other teams are following suit on Thursday.
Today on AirTalk, we get the latest on the teams’ and players’ responses, including CA teams, and what it means moving forward in the major league seasons.
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
Tania Ganguli, reporter covering the Lakers for the Los Angeles Times; she tweets
Dylan Hernández, sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times; he tweets
Kavitha A. Davidson, host of “The Lead” podcast from The Athletic and Wondery Media; she tweets
Eviction Threats, Lockdown And Loneliness In Nursing Homes Amid COVID-19
Under near constant video surveillance, she'll only talk on her cell phone when she's sure no one can overhear. She eats her meals alone and spends most of her time in her room. She feels like she's in prison, not a nursing home.
"In the beginning, all of the measures were supposed to be to help seniors," said the woman, whom we'll call Lucy. "And yet, we were basically locked away and they threw away the key. It's like we don't even exist."
It has been more than five months since nursing homes locked down to try to protect their highly-vulnerable patients. But even with strict rules in place, more than 2,000 of L.A. County's nursing home residents have died from COVID-19 since March.
Most of the county's nursing homes have yet to reopen to visitors. Those new rules meant to keep out infection have also kept residents confined and isolated from their families and friends.
Read more on LAist.
Guests:
Jackie Fortiér, health reporter for KPCC, she’s been reporting on the challenges nursing home residents are facing; she tweets
Donna Benton, research associate professor of gerontology at USC; she’s also the director of the Family Caregiver Support Center (FCSC) and the Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center (LACRC) at USC; she tweets
Where Do Police Reform Efforts Stand In The CA Legislature?
The police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis several months ago sparked global outrage around police brutality and inspired many states to propose various police reform efforts, including California. According to the Los Angeles Times, lawmakers proposed more than a dozen police reform bills weeks after Floyd’s death, but many actions have stalled.
The state Legislature is up against the clock as the session winds down. The L.A. Times report explains that police reform supporters are pointing to external factors as reasons efforts are being tampered down, like a shortened session as a result of the pandemic, opposition from law enforcement and wildfires blazing in Northern California. Some bills have already been nixed, and lawmakers have until Monday to vote on any remaining ones. Today on AirTalk, we discuss the various reform efforts and what lawmakers are considering in their final hours of session. Do you have questions? Call 866-893-57322.
Guest:
Anita Chabria, staff writer covering California state politics and policy for the Los Angeles Times, she’s been writing about the latest with police reform efforts; she tweets
COVID-19: LA County Reports Cases In Newborns, Major Theme Parks Want CA To Reopen
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Kimberly Shriner, infectious disease specialist at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena.
Today’s topics include:
L.A. County reporting infections in newborns
Major theme parks pressuring CA to reopen
COVID-19 deaths in working age Latinos
San Pedro rep presses for county to review coronavirus brewery closures
Feeling anxious and depressed? In California, you’re right at home
6 feet may not always be enough distance to protect from COVID-19
Moderna vaccine trial lacks Black, Latinx and Indigenous participants
Guest:
Kimberly Shriner, M.D., infectious disease specialist at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena