Today on AirTalk, we discuss Gov. Newsom's executive order pushing $750 million to tackle California's homelessness crisis. We also look into a new Caltech study on the use of AI against online trolls; talk about LA native Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's decision to step away from the royal family; and more.
Gov. Newsom’s Vision For 2020 Homeless Services: $750 Million And The Use Of State Land
Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Wednesday calling for state land, vacant state hospitals and travel trailers to be used to help with California’s homelessness crisis.
Newsom’s next state budget, to be announced tomorrow, has nearly $750 million (out of a total $1.4 billion in the proposal) earmarked for homelessness and behavioral and mental health, with an emphasis on rental assistance for those experiencing street homelessness. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates almost 90,000 homeless Californians live unsheltered, according to Capital Public Radio. Newsom’s executive order seeks to temporarily convert vacant state properties like fairgrounds and Cal-Trans facilities into emergency shelters. Los Angeles and Sacramento Mayors Eric Garcetti and Darrell Steinberg are asking Newsom to commit hundreds of millions more to their respective homelessness efforts (Steinberg wants $500 million dollars to support the state’s ailing board and care homes).
Guests:
Marisa Lagos, correspondent for KQED’s California Politics and Government Desk and co-host of the weekly show and podcast, Political Breakdown; she tweets
Rev. Andy Bales, CEO of Union Rescue Mission; he tweets
Anya Lawler, Western Center on Law and Poverty Housing Policy Advocate, she’s a member of the state’s homelessness task force, which advises solutions to address the crisis; she tweets
Can AI Spot Trolls Online? These Caltech Researchers Think So
For algorithms, spotting trolling or harassment online largely relies on monitoring keywords -- a blunt instrument that doesn’t account for context or the evolution of conversations. But a new machine learning algorithm might change that.
A new study out of Caltech, "Finding Social Media Trolls: Dynamic Keyword Selection Methods for Rapidly-Evolving Online Debates” created a proof of concept project that was able to use machine learning to identify harassment online, using “word embedding models” that are better at understanding context.
We take a closer look at this new method and its promise.
Guests:
Anima Anandkumar, professor of computing and mathematical sciences at Caltech; one of the principal investigators on the study
Michael Alvarez, professor of political science at Caltech; he is one of the principal investigators on the study
Remembering Comedian And ‘The Graduate’ Screenwriter Buck Henry
Buck Henry, the versatile writer, director and character actor who co-wrote and appeared in “The Graduate,″ has died in Los Angeles. He was 89.
Henry’s wife, Irene Ramp, told The Washington Post that his death Wednesday was due to a heart attack. Henry acted in and co-directed “Heaven Can Wait.” Henry and Mel Brooks helped created the classic 1960s spy sitcom “Get Smart.”
Short and deceptively mild, wearing black-rimmed glasses, Henry appeared numerous times as a guest host on “Saturday Night Live.” He played such memorable characters as the creepy baby-sitter Uncle Roy and the father of “Nerd” Bill Murray.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll remember Buck Henry’s life and work as an actor, comedian and screenwriter and play back some of our conversation with Henry when he was a special guest at the 2018 FilmWeek Screening of his iconic film “The Graduate,” which at the time was celebrating its 50th anniversary.
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and CineGods.com
Politics: Iran Plane Crash And Impeachment Check-In
Two U.S. officials said Thursday it was “highly likely” that an Iranian anti-aircraft missile downed a Ukrainian jetliner late Tuesday, killing all 176 people on board.
The crash came just a few hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack against Iraqi military bases housing U.S. troops amid a confrontation with Washington over the U.S. drone strike that killed an Iranian Revolutionary Guard general last week. The officials, citing U.S. intelligence, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information. They had no immediate information on intent. President Donald Trump suggested that he believes Iran was responsible and wouldn't directly lay the blame on Iran, but dismissed their claims that it was a mechanical issue - and denied any U.S. responsibility.' Ukraine, meanwhile, said it considered a missile strike as one of several possible theories for the crash, despite Iran's denials.The Iranian report suggests that a sudden emergency struck the Boeing 737 operated by Ukrainian International Airlines early on Wednesday morning, when it crashed, just minutes after taking off.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday she will "soon'' transmit articles of impeachment against Trump, but warned that Senate Republicans are rushing to acquittal without a fair trial. Pelosi brushed back GOP claims that Democrats are afraid to send the impeachment case to the Senate. It's now more than three weeks since the House impeached Trump on charges of abuse and obstruction. The standoff over Trump's impeachment trial deepened this week as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said there will be “no haggling” with Democrats as Pelosi demands for more details and witnesses. Today on AirTalk, we get the latest politics updates with Bloomberg’s Anna Edgerton.
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
Anna Edgerton, politics editor for Bloomberg; she tweets
Medi-Cal Recipients To Be Screened For Adverse Childhood Experiences, But How?
This year, California will become the first state to pay doctors to do screenings for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on Medi-Cal patients. First studied in 1998 but there is now a growing body of research to suggest that ongoing stressful events can trigger changes in brain and body chemistry among young children and teens that can increase their risk of developing diseases like asthma, depression and even cancer.
Parents and children who opt in to the screening will start by filling out a questionnaire that asks questions about quality of home life and their interactions with their parents or caregivers, such as whether the child has lived with a parent who went to jail, whether the parent has ever insulted or humiliated their child or whether the parents has ever worried there wasn’t enough food to eat at home. Doctors will then review and discuss responses with the parents or caregivers. While the results of these screenings will be protected by doctor-patient confidentiality and therefore not shared with the state, the hope of advocates is that there will be more general data that can be aggregated and used to improve care for those who score high on the ACE screening. Some, however, worry that it’s too soon for universal screening to be implemented, and that until there is better data on the possible negative effects of screening for ACEs and what the most effective intervention tools are.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll talk more about the new screening process, how it’s conducted, what advocates hope it will accomplish and what some opponents worry might be unintended consequences. Have a question or comment? Join our live conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Dayna Long, M.D., pediatrician and director of the Center for Child and Community Health at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland; she helped develop the state-approved ACE screening tool for children and teens
Jessica Dym Bartlett, co-director of early childhood research at Child Trends, a research organization focused exclusively on improving the lives of children and youth
#Megxit: Harry And Meghan Want to Step Back From The Royal Family
Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, said they are planning “to step back” as senior members of the royal family, a stunning revelation that underscores the wish of the couple to forge a new path for the royals in the modern world.
A statement issued by Buckingham Palace said Wednesday the royal couple intend to become financially independent, shunning public support, to underpin their work on charities. It said they intend to “balance” their time between the U.K. and North America, where the 38-year-old Duchess of Sussex grew up.
“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution," the couple said in a statement. “We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the royal family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support her majesty the queen."
Harry, 35, is a grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and is sixth in line to the British throne.
Before marrying Harry in 2018, the duchess was the American actress known as Meghan Markle and a star of the TV show “Suits.” The royal couple has a baby son Archie, who was born in May 2019.
Although as an actress and human rights advocate the duchess was accustomed to media attention before her marriage, she has made no secret of the fact that the transition to the level of celebrity faced by Britain's royal family was difficult.
Guests:
Patt Morrison, expert on all things Royal Family-related; LA Times columnist and author of the book, “Don’t Stop the Presses! Truth, Justice and the American Newspaper” (Angel City Press, 2018)
Rich Preston, senior foreign news reporter, BBC News; he tweets