Today on AirTalk, we discuss the LAUSD decision to hire climate coaches and how they plan to implement the policy. Also on the show, we update you on the latest COVID-19 news and answer your questions; discuss Los Angeles County's Master Plan to build on the LA River; and more.
Politics Roundup: Contentious Confirmation Hearings, Capitol Security, COVID-19 Relief And More
President Joe Biden’s pick for health secretary, Xavier Becerra, faces two days of contentious Senate hearings. Republicans are portraying the Californian as unfit, but Democrats are unfazed, accusing the GOP of playing politics despite the coronavirus pandemic.
We’ll discuss the confirmation hearing as well other political headlines, including:
Merrick Garland Attorney General confirmation hearing
Senate hearing on Capitol insurrection
Status on federal COVID relief bill
Joe Manchin and the Neera Tanden nomination
Guests:
Anna Edgerton, politics editor for Bloomberg; she tweets
Jack Pitney, professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College; he tweets
DOC AMA: LA’s COVID-19 Numbers Drop 90 Percent, California’s Vaccine Rollout And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center.
Topics today include:
Vaccine access codes for Black, Latino communities improperly used in affluent L.A. areas
Immigration detention centers showcase vaccine chaos
Rheumatoid arthritis drug shows promise in fighting COVID-19
Modified COVID-19 vaccines may get nod from FDA without repeating full trials
LA's COVID-19 case numbers have dropped 90% since height of winter surge
California COVID-19 vaccine rollout worsened by poor planning
Families demand wider school reopening from LAUSD
FDA advisers to consider EUA recommendation for single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week
Guest:
Peter Chin-Hong, M.D., infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center; he tweets
LAUSD Plans To Hire Climate Coaches Instead Of Cops. What Will That Look Like?
Last week, the LA Unified School Board voted to cut a third of the school police force and instead divert funds to hire counselors, restorative justice advisors and “climate coaches.”
The overhaul came after students and activists campaigned for change in how policing is exercised in schools, particularly against Black and Latino children. Calls to defund the police intensified over the summer in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, and board members acknowledged that community pressure helped prompt last week’s vote. Under the terms of the overhaul, police will no longer patrol campuses and will only show up when called for an emergency. Instead, climate coaches will be hired in schools to promote a positive campus culture and address biases. An achievement plan for Black students, including additional staff, will also be included on secondary school campuses. But how the climate coaches will operate on campus— where they will be stationed, how they will move through schools, what training they will have to de-escalate— are still somewhat unclear.
Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about climate coaches on school campuses. Questions? Leave them below or give us a call at 866-893-5722.
For more on this from LAist, click here.
Guests:
Caroline Champlin, KPCC reporter who has been following this story; she tweets
Isaac Bryan, member of the Los Angeles Unified School District task force on school policing. He is also director of public policy for the UCLA Ralph J. Bunche Center for African-American Studies, and founding executive director of the UCLA Black Policy Project, a policy think tank at UCLA to intentionally study policy interventions to improve the material conditions of Black Life in California and beyond; he tweets
Plan To Reimagine LA River Leads To Discussion On What Is Best For Surrounding Communities
Los Angeles County recently released a long-awaited draft of its LA River Master Plan, which includes the implementation of an open parkland and improved flood protection.
This draft represents a yearslong river revitalization effort resurrected in 2016 by Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who looked to build upon the original plan developed in 1996.
The master plan was meant to assist with the development of projects near the river bank, such as parks and bikeways. After the 1938 Los Angeles flood devastated much of the area’s surrounding communities, millions of barrels of concrete were used to make the 51-mile long river channel that we see today.
The river lost much of its natural elements over time through flood control measures, rendering it more of a dry concrete channel than a free-flowing waterway. This led to the Los Angeles County of Public Works to commission famous architect Frank Gehry and create something beautiful out of the space that’s left. Gehry plans to take advantage of the empty space the river currently provides, constructing raised platform parks and cultural centers that offer a scenic place to build community.
The direction has been critiqued by some local environmental groups, citing its potential negative impact on not only the environment but also the communities surrounding it. A coalition of groups led by Friends of the L.A. River looks to improve the surrounding environment not by building more structures but instead restoring the natural ecosystem that once existed, while also protecting residents from the potential of gentrification and indirect misplacement.
The 494-page draft is open for public comment on the LA River Master Plan website through March 14. The County aims to have a finalized version released by this summer.
Are you someone who lives near the Los Angeles River? How do you feel about the plans set forth by the Los Angeles County Public Works? We want to hear from you, call us at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Mark Pestrella, director of public works for Los Angeles County; he tweets
Ed P. Reyes, executive director for River LA, a nonprofit working on the revitalization of the Los Angeles River
Jessica Prieto, community stability policy organizer for East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, a non-profit organization that advocates for safe and healthy environments for disproportionately impacted communities
Marissa Christiansen, president and CEO of Friends of the LA River (FoLAR), an organization advocating for an equitable, publicly accessible, and ecologically sustainable Los Angeles River