AirTalk gives you an inside look on the mind of an arsonist and what we've learned from past devastating wildfires. We also discuss the GDP growth; brain digitization; and more.
We look inside the mind of an arsonist and what have we learned from past devastating wildfires
A series of wildfires broke out in California in 2003 that burned 1,020,460 acres of land.
Fire leaders, firefighter union representatives and federal officials convened to figure out what went wrong in the deadly Southern California wildfires. The Blue-Ribbon Fire Commission, a group appointed to investigate, issued a 232-page report that detailed California’s wildfire danger. The 18-member panel suggested ways to prevent similar disasters.
They concluded unless protection of life takes priority over political agendas, tragedies such as the series of wildfires that broke in 2003 will continue to occur. Many recommendations on battling wildfires followed.
Today, in the wake of Ferguson and Cranston fires, we check in on how far we’ve come in this fight. How did we benefit from recommendations that were presented by the blue-ribbon panel? We also look at arsonists, who have played a big role in igniting many of those wildfires; and examine with a forensic psychologist what goes on inside the mind of an arsonist.
With guest host Alex Cohen
Guests:
Carroll Wills, communications director at the California Professional Firefighters, a labor union representing professional firefighters and departments throughout California.
Alex Yufik, forensic psychologist and criminal defense attorney
US economy sees a 4.1 percent growth in the second quarter — can it last?
The U.S. economy surged in the April-June quarter to an annual growth rate of 4.1 percent.
That’s the fastest pace since 2014, driven by consumers who began spending their tax cuts and exporters who rushed to get their products delivered ahead of retaliatory tariffs.
President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that he was thrilled with what he called an “amazing” growth rate and said it wasn’t “a one-time shot.” However, private economists took issue with that forecast, saying the second quarter performance isn’t likely to last in the months ahead.
The latest GDP figure was nearly double the 2.2 percent growth rate in the first quarter, which was revised up from a previous estimate of 2 percent growth.
In light of the report, have you seen significant changes in your finances within the last two years? Do you attribute these to the current administration’s economic policies? Do you see these changes as being temporary or sustainable? Call 866.893.5722.
With files from the Associated Press.
With guest host Alex Cohen
Guests:
Steve Moore, former economic adviser on Donald Trump's campaign team and economist at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Washington D.C.
Michael Madowitz, an economist at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank
David Shulman, professor and senior economist at the UCLA Anderson Forecast where his specialty is U.S. macro economics
Immortality through AI: Tech startups want to preserve your brain by uploading it onto the cloud
Computer scientists and artificial intelligence specialists are developing programs that would digitize the brain.
Nectome, a neuroscience startup, believes that brains could be uploaded to computers. Nectome’s founders, MIT graduates Robert McIntyre and Michael McCanna, are using brain-scanning technologies to digitize the mind by recreating neural maps. Nectome claims to have already preserved an animal’s brain connectomes.
The use of artificial intelligence has ventured into questionable territory, from developing digital avatars to connecting our brains to a digital cloud. Some bioethicists and neuroscientists have raised ethical and philosophical concerns over the use of such technology.
So how does this technology work and what are the ethical implications?
Guests:
Antonio Regalado, senior editor for biomedicine at MIT Technology Review who’s covered this topic
Nita A. Farahany, bioethical ethicist; professor of law and philosophy at Duke University
FilmWeek: ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout,’ ‘Teen Titans Go! To The Movies,’ ‘Puzzle’ and more
Guest host Alex Cohen and KPCC film critics Christy Lemire, Wade Major and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases.
"Mission: Impossible - Fallout" in wide release
"Teen Titans Go! To The Movies" in wide release
"Puzzle" at ArcLight Hollywood & The Landmark
"The Bleeding Edge" at Laemmle’s Monica Film Center & streaming on Netflix
"Hot Summer Nights" at AMC Sunset
"Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood" at ArcLight Hollywood
"Dark Money" at Nuart Theatre
CRITICS' HITS
Christy: "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" & "Teen Titans Go! To The Movies"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb49-oV0F78
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9WhJyyTtqo
Wade: "Puzzle" & "The Bleeding Edge"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl_SoMNi0rw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slmilObZl28
MIXED FEELINGS
Wade: "Dark Money"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqhDHLgTJGw
MISSES
Charles: "Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qn6HxTJp0k
Christy: "Hot Summer Nights"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5ROSS9ReUY
Guests:
Christy Lemire, film critic for KPCC, RogerEbert.com and co-host of YouTube’s “What the Flick?”;she tweets
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and CineGods.com
Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine
How 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' is recreating a stretch of Hollywood Blvd. in all its grimy late 60s glory
If you've been in Hollywood this week, you may have noticed things look a bit different as a famous filmmaker transforms the neighborhood into the Tinsel Town of his youth.
Director Quentin Tarantino's currently making his next movie, "Once Upon A Time" With Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio.
The film is set in 1969 and production crews have been transforming a stretch of Hollywood Boulevard between Cherokee and Las Palmas - meticulously recreating businesses from that groovy chapter of L.A.'s history.
Guest host Alex Cohen hops in the time machine with a couple of Los Angeles historians and the owner of a vintage movie bookshop on Hollywood Blvd to reminisce about late 60s era Hollywood and look at the accuracy of the makeover.
You can read Alex Cohen’s full story here.
Guests
Chris Nichols, writer for Los Angeles Magazine; he tweets
Alison Martino, columnist for Los Angeles Magazine and creator of the site, Vintage Los Angeles, which documents LA’s physical transformation during the 20th Century; she tweets
Jeff Mantor, owner of Larry Edmunds Bookshop, a vintage bookstore on Hollywood Blvd. specializing in movie books and memorabilia