It's official. President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will be meeting in just over one month. We analyze the details along with how the recent release of the three U.S. hostages plays into the announcement. We also recap Gina Haspel's senate confirmation hearing; celebrate renown physicist Richard Feynman's 100th birthday; and more
The location for the Trump-Kim summit in June is set – why Singapore?
Big news on North Korea today. President Trump announced he’ll meet with North Korea’s leader in Singapore on June 12th.
Also, the three Korean-Americans held in North Korea are back in the US. We’ll talk about their Southern CA connections, and look ahead to the Trump/Kim talks and the strategic advantages of setting the talks in Singapore.
Guests:
David Sanger, national security correspondent for the New York Times; author of the forthcoming “The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age” (June 2018, Crown); he tweets
Jean Lee, director of the Korea program at the Woodrow Wilson Center; in 2012 she opened and was the Bureau Chief of the Associated Press bureau in Pyongyang; she tweets
Takeaways from Gina Haspel’s confirmation hearing for CIA director
Gina Haspel may not be a household name, but her anonymity is quickly changing.
As President Trump’s pick for the next Central Intelligence Agency director, Haspel sat in front of some tough critics Wednesday at her confirmation hearing. The biggest question seemed to be one of morality. Senator Kamala Harris (D-California) asked Haspel if the interrogation techniques previously used by the CIA were immoral. The techniques, which happened during Haspel’s tenure in the CIA are considered by many to be torture. That was Arizona Republican Senator John McCain’s view as well. McCain was tortured during the Vietnam war, and said in a statement reported by CNN Wednesday evening, that “Haspel's role in overseeing the use of torture by Americans is disturbing.” Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) was also vocal about his opposition to Haspel’s nomination last month.
So what can we take away from the confirmation hearing? How likely is the Senate to approve Haspel as the next CIA director? We check in with a reporter for the latest.
Guest:
James Hohmann, national political correspondent for the Washington Post and author of The Daily 202; he’s been following the story and tweets
As the Mormon church breaks away, what’s next for the Boy Scouts?
In a joint statement on Tuesday, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the Boy Scouts of America announced their split, ending a century-old tie.
Reasons for the break include satisfying the church’s international membership and the desire to create “a uniform youth leadership and development program that serves its members globally." The church also expressed concerns with letting LGBTQ members and leaders into the scouts.
As the Washington Post reports, the announcement comes only days after the BSA announced it’s name change to Scouts BSA, as part of its decision to let girls join the group.
The separation has been officially set for 2019, when the LDS community plans to transition its 420,000 current scouts into a new youth organization.
So how will this affect the BSA? And what could this new LDS youth program look like?
Guests:
Kurtis Lee, national correspondent at the Los Angeles Times who is covering the story; he tweets
Greg Prince, historian specializing in the history of the Latter Day Saint movement and co-author of “David O’ McKay and The Rise of Modern Mormonism” (University of Utah Press, 2005)
The legacy of John Robinson, who knew the San Gabriel mountains like the back of his hand
The tens of thousands of people who hike the San Gabriel mountains all owe a debt to John Robinson, who passed away in April at the age of 88.
Robinson wrote the definitive guide to hiking the San Gabriels back in the 1971, called “Trails of the Angeles: 100 Hikes in the San Gabriels.” The book has sold more than 100,000 copies since.
AirTalk looks at Robinson’s legacy.
Guests:
Steve Scauzillo, reporter for the Southern California News Group who’s whose latest piece is on the legacy of John Robinson; he tweets
Casey Schreiner, Los Angeles-based creator and editor-in-chief of the site, www.modernhiker.com; he tweets
California attorney general race: interview with candidate Dave Jones
There are four candidates running for the position of California Attorney General.
The primary election will be held on June 5, 2018, to determine the top-two candidates who will be appearing on the Nov. 6 general election ballot. Larry sits down with each candidate ahead of the June primary. The candidates are California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, retired Judge of the Superior Court of California Steven Bailey, Los Angeles business and real estate attorney Eric Early and incumbent Xavier Becerra. Today, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones joins Larry to discuss his campaign.
To listen to our interview with Eric Early, click here.
Ready for Election Day? Get up to speed on what you need to know with KPCC’s Voter Game Plan. Read up on the candidates and ballot measures, find out about registration deadlines and ask us your questions.
Guest:
Dave Jones, California Insurance Commissioner and Democratic candidate for California Attorney General; he tweets
LA County Sheriff’s race interview: Alex Villanueva
There are three candidates running for the L.A. County Sheriff position: two department veterans, Bob Lindsey and Alex Villanueva, and incumbent Sheriff Jim McDonnell.
In the coming month ahead of the June 5 primary, we’re doing interviews with all of them. Earlier this week, we interviewed Bob Lindsey. Today, Larry Mantle sits down with Alex Villanueva, a former lieutenant with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, where he served for three-decades. He has criticized the current Sheriff Jim McDonnell for not effectively dealing with corruption in the department and says his insider position gives him better knowledge of how to achieve this goal. He says he also aims to expand the department’s patrol operation and subsequently cut down on certain programs, such as public relations campaigns.
We discuss Villanueva’s resume, as well as his critiques and hopes for the department.
To hear AirTalk’s interview with L.A. County Sheriff’s race candidate Bob Lindsey, click here.
Ready for Election Day? Get up to speed on what you need to know with KPCC’s Voter Game Plan. Read up on the candidates and ballot measures, find out about registration deadlines and ask us your questions.
Guest:
Alex Villanueva, one of the candidates for the L.A. County Sheriff’s race; he is a former lieutenant with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, where he has served for 32 years
Remembering Richard Feynman: the pioneering physicist turns 100
Widely considered one of the most brilliant physicists since Albert Einstein, Richard P. Feynman would have turned 100 this Friday, May 11.
He was known for his work and innovation in theoretical physics, quantum mechanics and particle physics, as well as for developing the field of quantum computing. During WWII, he helped develop the atomic bomb, and in the 1980s he was on the panel that investigated the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion. As well as being a Nobel prize-winner, he was also known for his books, such as “Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!” and “What Do You Care What Other People Think?” He was also perhaps unconventional for a physicist of his caliber, recreationally experimenting with drugs and frequenting topless bars.
We look back at the career, innovations and life of Feynman with two people who knew him well: a former colleague and his daughter.
Guests:
Kip Thorne, Richard P. Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics, Emeritus at Caltech, 2017 Nobel Laureate and Feynman’s former colleague
Michelle Feynman, daughter of Richard Feynman