Today on AirTalk, we speak with local community members about the anti-racism protests and where we move from here. Also on the show, we get the latest on the protests; speak with George Gascón about policing; and more.
Curfews Continue As LA Enters Day 8 Of Anti-Racism Protests
Protesters again took to the streets across Los Angeles and around the country for a seventh day yesterday.
The protests have been an expression of grief and outrage over the killing of George Floyd. Floyd died on May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes. The officer charged with his murder, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. In L.A., protesters are demanding justice for black people killed by police officers and calling for the reallocation of city resources away from the Los Angeles Police Department. The protests were largely peaceful across L.A. County on Tuesday, except for reports of police shooting rubber bullets at protestors in Hollywood. Several hundred protestors rallied in front of L.A. Mayor Garcetti's official residence in Hancock Park. Organizers with Black Lives Matter continued their calls for a "People's Budget" and some police officers took a knee with the protestors.
Black Local Leaders Roundtable: What Are You Thinking And Where Do We Go Now?
The anger and hurt felt by the black community over the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis is vast and has resonated into deep-seated injustices, sparking a wave of protests that have continued for days.
Today, we gather local black voices to hear about how they’re feeling about the week’s events, how they’re discussing them with the people and congregants in their lives and what they hope to see in the future.
We want to hear from the black community about the conversations you’re having. Call us at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Pastor J. Edgar Boyd, senior minister of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles, a 148-year-old institution
Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard, pastor and program manager of the Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement at USC; she tweets
With Stage 3 Approaching, What Are Current Ideas For Reopening LA County?
A number of plans were presented to the L.A. County Board of Supervisors Tuesday with blueprints for how businesses, theme parks and sports venues might reopen.
The plans include strict standards for sanitation, social distancing and testing for workers. The initial plans for sports venues include games without spectators.
Meanwhile, USC has decided to have in-person classes resume come the Fall semester.
How feasible are these proposals and what kind of safety measures would be needed to make them a reality?
Guests:
Janice Hahn, Los Angeles County Supervisor representing District 4, which stretches from Marina del Rey, down to San Pedro and east, encompassing Long Beach and Diamond Bar; she tweets
Hal Kempfer, CEO of GRIP (Global Risk Intelligence and Planning), a management consulting firm based in Long Beach; retired Marine intelligence officer who’s conducted baseline training for major military commands and Southern California school systems on pandemic preparedness; he tweets
George Gascón On Policing, Arrests And The Latest Unrest Across LA And The Nation
Tuesday marked the seventh day of protests against police brutality in L.A., sparked by anger over the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer — and over other historic police mistreatment of people of color, here and across the country. On Monday, about 1,000 protesters marched in Westwood, Hollywood and West Hollywood, downtown, Van Nuys, Anaheim, West Covina and Long Beach. You can read full details about that here.
As tensions rise between police and residents in cities across America, including right here in Southern California, a new survey is underscoring the continuing deep division among communities and their level of trust in police. A coalition of current and former elected prosecutors, including former San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón, has urged the State Bar to implement a new rule that would reduce political influence from law enforcement unions over decisions made by prosecutors. Today on AirTalk, Larry sits down with Gascón to discuss the latest with mass protests and policing across the country. Do you have questions? Call 866-893-5722.
With files from LAist
Guest:
George Gascón, former district attorney for the city and county of San Francisco and former assistant chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, he’s a candidate for L.A. district attorney; he tweets
COVID 19: NYC Hospitalizations Down, Plus What We’re Learning About How Heart Drugs And Altitude Might Help Combat The Virus
No state has been hit harder by the coronavirus pandemic than New York, with more than 200,000 confirmed cases across its five boroughs but on Tuesday its Governor Andrew Cuomo had some good news to share when he announced that hospitalizations in New York City were at their lowest number since the statistic started being tracked in mid-March.
Here in California, the University of Southern California announced on Tuesday that it would be opening for both online and in-person classes for the Fall 2020 semester. It’s among the first major universities in the state to confirm reopening plans. Students and faculty will have options to take classes online or in-person, the number of students in residence hall dorms will be reduced, and classrooms and offices around the campus are being reconfigured to accommodate physical distancing requirements.
Meanwhile, in the world of research, the Wall Street Journal reports on some promising findings about the potential for heart drugs like blood thinners and other blood pressure drugs to help prevent complications from COVID-19 and reduce hospitalization time. And the Washington Post reports scientists are also looking at how high altitudes might impact the virus’ spread, as populations of people who live in places like Peru’s Andes Mountains and the Himalayas in Tibet are showing markedly lower infection rates than those who live closer to sea level.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll talk with infectious disease specialist Dr. Peter Chin Hong of UCSF about all of these topics and more, plus we’ll take your COVID-19 questions at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Peter Chin-Hong, M.D., infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center; he tweets