AirTalk wants to hear your thoughts and memories of Ed Lee, the first Asian-American mayor of San Francisco, who passed away unexpectedly early this morning. We also parse through a study that shows a connection between teen depression and increased screen time; how should the money donated for victims of the Las Vegas shooting be distributed?; and more.
Lee’s Legacy: Remembering the late San Francisco mayor
San Franciscans are in mourning today as they remember Mayor Ed Lee, who died unexpectedly on Tuesday morning at the age of 65.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports Lee suffered a heart attack while grocery shopping late Monday and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died surrounded by family and friends.
Ed Lee was the city’s first elected Asian-American mayor, but his legacy lives on far beyond that milestone. Under his leadership, San Francisco saw a major tech boom that brought industry giants like Twitter, Uber, and Square to make their headquarters on Market Street in downtown, making the city a symbol of America’s tech boom. He embraced the ‘sanctuary city’ label, championed affordable housing, an issue that was important to him from early in his career when he was a tenants rights attorney, and fought for policies and programs to help combat homelessness.
His tenure wasn’t without a few bumps in the road, as he also had to contend with criticism about San Francisco’s ballooning property values and housing costs that have forced many middle income families out of the city.
Mayor Lee was also beloved for his down-to-earth personality. Those who knew him described him as accessible and genuine, a down-home kind, detail-oriented guy who liked to make jokes and push for political consensus.
He was appointed mayor in 2011 after then-Mayor Gavin Newsom became California’s lieutenant governor, accepting the job with some reluctance at the the time. He then went on to win elections in 2011 and 2015, and his term as mayor was set to run through 2020.
With KPCC reporter Libby Denkmann as guest host
Guest:
David Lee, political science lecturer at San Francisco State University and executive director of the Chinese American Voters Education Committee, a San Francisco-based advocacy group to develop the Asian-American voting community
#MeToo reaches the upper echelon of the food world
Mario Batali, one of the most well-known restaurateurs in the country, is taking a leave of absence from co-hosting the ABC show “The Chew,” as well as from the day-to-day operations of his restaurant empire.
The move is prompted by allegations brought up by a number of women who accused Batali of inappropriate sexual conduct for in the last two decades.
Batali is one of the owners behind Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles.
The allegations were first reported by the food website, Eater, which also published a statement from Batali addressing the allegations:
I apologize to the people I have mistreated and hurt. Although the identities of most of the individuals mentioned in these stories have not been revealed to me, much of the behavior described does, in fact, match up with ways I have acted. That behavior was wrong and there are no excuses. I take full responsibility and am deeply sorry for any pain, humiliation or discomfort I have caused to my peers, employees, customers, friends and family.
I have work to do to try to regain the trust of those I have hurt and disappointed. For this reason, I am going to step away from day-to-day operations of my businesses. We built these restaurants so that our guests could have fun and indulge, but I took that too far in my own behavior. I won’t make that mistake again. I want any place I am associated with to feel comfortable and safe for the people who work or dine there.
I know my actions have disappointed many people. The successes I have enjoyed are owned by everyone on my team. The failures are mine alone. To the people who have been at my side during this time — my family, my partners, my employees, my friends, my fans — I am grateful for your support and hopeful that I can regain your respect and trust. I will spend the next period of time trying to do that.
With KPCC reporter Libby Denkmann as guest host
Guest:
Kitty Greenwald, food writer; she writes the weekly column “Slow Food Fast” for the Wall Street Journal; she co-wrote the Eater piece “Mario Batali Steps Away From Restaurant Empire Following Sexual Misconduct Allegations”
AirTalk asks: What’s your most unusual friendship?
A 22-year-old East Harlem rapper/producer and an 81-year-old Florida retiree made headlines last week when the two unlikely friends
so last summer i randomly met this 80 y/o woman on words with friends. we played 300+ games together and she actually ended up becoming a good friend of mine. today i got to go to florida and meet her in person💜 pic.twitter.com/VXDbNS4eUo
— ☔️half-empty☂️ (@half___empty) December 1, 2017
their meeting on Twitter.
He’s black, she’s white. And with a nearly 60-year gap in age, the game Words With Friends first brought them together.
As reported by the New York Times, the meeting brought on a flood of positive reaction on Twitter. The original post has garnered more than 1.1 million likes and the public seemed to respond to how the unlikely friendship formed despite the odds that could divide them. But unlikely friendships sprout up all the time between people of different religions, ages, ethnicities and geographical locations.
So what triggers these relationships? AirTalk wants to know your most unlikely friendship. Do you have a friend that’s much older or younger or from a completely different background? What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned from them? Call us at 866-893-5722.
With KPCC reporter Libby Denkmann as guest host
Guest:
Shasta Nelson, founder of Girlfriendcircles.com, a friend networking site and author of “Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health and Happiness” (Seal Press, 2016)
How should the money donated for victims of the Las Vegas shooting be distributed?
Over $16 million has been raised for the victims of the Las Vegas massacre in October – the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
Fifty-eight people were killed, not including the gunman, and over 500 people were wounded. Sixty-five percent of the victims are from California.
Draft guidelines on how the money will be distributed were released in November, proposing that those who were killed in the shooting and those who sustained permanent brain damage and/or permanent paralysis requiring long-term home medical assistant would receive the most money out of the fund. Many victims of the shooting take issue with that model of distribution, arguing that all victims of the tragedy should have access to the money.
On Friday, the Las Vegas Victims Fund will decide on final guidelines.
For information and to donate to the Las Vegas Victims Fund, click here.
With KPCC reporter Libby Denkmann as guest host
Guests:
Scott Nielsen, chairman of the Las Vegas Victims Fund Committee
Christine Caria, a victim of the October 1st Las Vegas mass shooting; resident of Summerlin, a Las Vegas suburb
New study says teens are more likely to feel depressed, suicidal, with increased screen time
A number of studies have already pointed to the negative health effects of being glued to our screens, including lower self-esteem, increased anxiety and poor impact on overall well-being.
But new research from San Diego State University says that increased screen time among teens, especially teen girls, might have caused a 2010 to 2015 uptick in depression and suicidal thoughts.
The study surveyed more than 500,000 teens in the U.S. and found that the suicide rate for girls age 13 to 18 increased 65 percent, while 48 percent of teens who spent at least five hours a day on their screens (via cell phone, tablet or computer) reported at least one suicide-related outcome (i.e. suicidal ideations, plans and attempts) compared to the 28 percent who spent less than an hour of screen time per day.
As children continue to develop in a world dependent on social media, how should parents help monitor their amount of time spent online? What measures can be taken to identify teens struggling as a result of the overuse of smartphones and laptops? Larry speaks with the lead author of the study.
With KPCC reporter Libby Denkmann as guest host
Guest:
Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University and author of “iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy – and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood” (Simon and Schuster, August 2017); she is the lead author of the study “Screen time might boost depression, suicide behaviors in teens”