Today on AirTalk, we discuss the decision made by Minneapolis City Council to dismantle the city's police department. Also on the show, we check in on the protests in SoCal; get the latest on COVID-19; and more.
Tell Us What You Saw Over The Weekend As Anti-Police Brutality Protests Continued
Anti-police brutality protests continued in Los Angeles and across the country over the weekend. Demonstrators are demanding justice for black Americans killed by police officers, as well as asking officials to defund the L.A. Police Department.
On Saturday, protestors blocked the intersection of Hollywood and Vine this afternoon, later marching down Sunset. And more than a hundred protesters gathered this morning at City Hall and Grand Park. In what some are calling the largest protest in L.A. so far, demonstrators in Hollywood gathered Sunday at 4 p.m. to march against systemic racism and police brutality. The march was organized by Black Lives Matter-L.A., Build Power and the rapper YG. Reporters at the scene reported that the vibe of the protest was positive, and that there was no police presence except for helicopters overhead. Those at the event noted how the spirit of L.A. protests had evolved and changed since they began last week. As the peaceful protests continue, it’s been announced that the National Guard will pull out of the Los Angeles area. In a statement, Garcetti said that the National Guardsmen and women will leave L.A. Sunday night, although a few will remain nearby until June 10.
Today on AirTalk, we want to hear from listeners. What did you see over the weekend? Did you protest? Did you see protests in your neighborhood? Tell us how things played out on Saturday and Sunday. Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
With files from LAist. Read the full story here
Guest:
Josie Huang, KPCC reporter who has been covering many of the protests against police brutality; she tweets
As Minneapolis City Council Plans To Dismantle PD, We Discuss Alternative Public Safety Models With Former Law Enforcement Officers
A majority of the members of the Minneapolis City Council said Sunday they support disbanding the city’s police department, an aggressive stance that comes just as the state has launched a civil rights investigation after George Floyd’s death.
Nine of the council’s 12 members appeared with activists at a rally in a city park Sunday afternoon and vowed to end policing as the city currently knows it. Council member Jeremiah Ellison promised that the council would “dismantle” the department. It would be replaced with community-based public safety efforts - what does that mean and what are alternative models to traditional policing?
With files from the Associated Press.
Guests:
Cheryl Dorsey, retired sergeant with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD); she served between 1980-2000; she tweets
Norm Stamper, former chief of police at the Seattle Police Department whose career as a police officer spans 34 years; his latest book is “To Protect and Serve: How to Fix America’s Police” (Nation Books, 2016)
Jeff Noble, police practices consultant, founder of Noble Consulting and Expert Witness Services and former deputy chief of the Irvine Police Department
COVID-19 AMA: CA Sees Spike, Is Covid-19 Becoming Less Potent In Some Parts Of The Country, And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on Covid-19, Larry speaks with Peter Chin-Hong, M.D., infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center.
Today’s topics:
California and Covid-19 spike
Is it really safe to resume ‘normal’ life?
Ibuprofen being tested as a possible treatment
Hospital officials in Pittsburg say coronavirus appears to be less potent
Authors behind oft-cited hydroxychloroquine study in Lancet
Genes and the role they play in contracting Covid-19
At home testing for Covid-19: accuracy and concerns
White House wants demographic data on Covid-19 infections
Guest:
Peter Chin-Hong, M.D., infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center; he tweets
Week In Politics: Lawmakers Responding To Mass Protests, Trump’s Planned Speech On Race
AirTalk’s weekly political roundtable recaps the major headlines you might’ve missed in politics news over the weekend and looks ahead to the week to come. Here are the headlines that we’re following this week:
Anti-police brutality protests:
How are lawmakers responding to nationwide Black Lives Matter protests?
The White House is thinking of plans for Trump to deliver a speech on race
Poll: two-thirds of Americans think President Trump has increased racial tensions
Nearly half of black Americans don’t trust police to treat them equally
This has become a multicultural movement
Backing protesters, former defense secretary denounces Trump
Some military leaders have condemned the president’s reaction to protests
After the NYT Opinion published Senator Tom Cotton’s controversial piece on using the military on American citizens, the editor resigned
COVID-19:
Unemployment numbers weren’t as good as they seemed after a “misclassification”
Are Trump and advisors shifting focus from the coronavirus too soon?
2020:
Dems worry whether young black voters will show up to the polls
Guests:
Angela Rye, Democratic political strategist and CEO of Impact Strategies, a political advocacy firm in Washington, D.C.; she tweets
Jack Pitney, professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College; he tweets
Amanda L. Hollis-Brusky, associate professor of politics at Pomona College; American politics editor at the Monkeycage, a political science blog at the Washington Post; she is the author “Ideas with Consequences: The Federalist Society and the Conservative Counterrevolution” (2015, Oxford University Press); she tweets
The Scene From George Floyd's Memorial In DTLA
Houston’s police chief says the body of George Floyd has arrived in Texas for a final memorial service and funeral.
Police Chief Art Acevedo tweeted early Sunday that Floyd’s family had also arrived safely. A six-hour viewing for Floyd is planned for Monday in Houston, followed by funeral services and burial Tuesday in the suburb of Pearland. He will be laid to rest next to his mother, Larcenia Floyd.
Floyd, who was black and handcuffed, died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer used his knee to pin down Floyd’s neck for several minutes as Floyd begged for air and eventually stopped moving. His death has inspired international protests, drawn renewed scrutiny to the police treatment of African Americans and served as a rallying cry against institutional racism.
We check in on the memorial in Downtown Los Angeles.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guest:
Emily Guerin, reporter at KPCC; she is covering the memorial in DTLA; she tweets