The LAPD announced that it is currently investigating 52 complaints regarding ex-USC gynecologist George Tyndall. What are the steps towards prosecuting sexual misconduct in a gynecological exam room? We discuss with our experts. We also debate the San Francisco vape ban; examine the implications of new mudslide research from Caltech; and more.
In light of LAPD investigation, we examine what constitutes ‘assault’ in Tyndall case
The LAPD says it’s investigating 52 complaints about former USC gynecologist George Tyndall.
The complaints allege sexual misconduct by the doctor. Tyndall had thousands of patients over his nearly 30-year tenure at the SC student health center. What’s the threshold for potential criminal charges against the doctor?
Guests:
Joshua Ritter, criminal defense attorney with the law firm, Werksman Jackson Hathaway & Quinn, in Downtown LA; former prosecutor with the LA District’s Attorney’s office (2009 - 2016)
Michele Goodwin, chancellor's professor of law at UC Irvine; her specialties include medical law and regulation of medicine, science and biotechnology
Congressman Adam Schiff on Russian investigation, the state of the Democratic Party and more
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) joins Larry for a check in. Topics include:
The ongoing Russia investigation
Can the Democrats take back the House in the midterms? What should be the party’s message?
California Democrats’ strategy for the midterms
The race to succeed House Speaker Paul Ryan after his retirement
Questions over House minority Nancy Pelosi’s ability to continue leading the Dems
Rumors that the Congressman is eyeing a 2020 run
Guest:
Rep Adam Schiff, Democratic Congressman representing California’s 28 Congressional District, which includes Burbank, parts of Pasadena, and Glendale; current top Democratic of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Freedom of the press or tainted jury? Judge in Golden State Killer case deciding whether to publicly release search and arrest warrant info
A judge on Tuesday weighed how much information to release about the arrest of a former police officer accused of being the Golden State Killer.
The Associated Press and other news outlets are pushing for information from search and arrest warrants to be made public, arguing that transparency helps the public act as a check on the legal process and ensures investigators are acting appropriately. But defense attorneys are concerned that this information could taint jurors and witnesses.
Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Michael Sweet indicated he’s likely to release some information and is working with prosecutors and defense attorneys to determine how much to redact, which would continue to shield some details from public view.
We weigh the decision before the judge from prosecutorial and defense attorney perspectives.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guests:
Ambrosio Rodriguez, former prosecutor and criminal defense attorney; he led the sex crimes team in the Riverside County D.A.’s office
Steve Cooley, attorney and founder of the Southern California-based law firm Steve Cooley & Associates; he served as Los Angeles County District Attorney from 2000-2012
Seismometers can help predict earthquakes, but Caltech researchers think they might also signal mudslide warnings
On January 9, 2018, a rainstorm followed the Thomas fire, creating conditions for deadly mudslides which killed 21 people and destroyed homes in San Ysidro Creek and Montecito.
Unlike earthquakes, which can be monitored via seismometers, mudslides are difficult to predict. But Caltech researchers think seismometers have the potential to also warn us about coming mudslides.
A team of Caltech researchers went through seismometer readings from January 9 and found that they could be used to determine information about the incoming debris flow, such as speed, location and the size of boulders. This suggests that seismometer readings could help provide early warnings of a mudslide.
Larry talks to Caltech professor of geophysics Victor Tsai about how the research was conducted, what he learned from the January 9 seismometer readings and the potential of developing a mudslide early warning system.
Guests:
Sharon McNary, KPCC reporter covering infrastructure
Victor Tsai, lead researcher and co-author of the paper “The Seismic Signature of Debris Flow: Flow Mechanics and Early Warning at Montecito, California;” he is a professor of Geophysics at Caltech
As outrage continues to simmer over Roseanne Barr’s racist tweet, a look at the inner workings of celebrity social media
Despite saying she was
, Roseanne Barr has returned to Twitter following a racist tweet that led to her ABC show being cancelled on Tuesday.
Barr has since
for the tweet and has
her followers not to defend her, but it hasn’t done much to quell the backlash that continues to brew on Twitter and other social media platforms.
Barr, like many celebrities and other public figures, appears to handle her own social media. This, of course, comes with significant risks. Before social media, there was no way for the public to really know how celebrities felt or thought about certain issues unless they made public statements on TV or to a reporter.
Twitter and other platforms allow the public a glimpse into the lives and personal thoughts of public figures, but as is evidenced by the actions of Barr and other celebrities who have found themselves the object of public rancor for offensive posts, it comes with a price.
If you’re a celebrity, having a personal assistant or consultant do social media for you does take away from the potential authenticity of posts, especially if the person is writing the post for you and then having you edit it for tone, but it adds an extra layer of security that could help prevent you from sending a poorly-worded or just plain offensive tweet, as was the case with Roseanne.
What are the hazards posed by a celebrity managing his or her own social media account? How often do celebrities choose to have a consultant or agency run their account versus doing it on their own? How do celebrities having someone run social media for them potentially take away from the authenticity of their account?
Guests:
Dominic Patten, senior editor at the film and TV industry news site DEADLINE; he tweets
Tania Yuki, founder and CEO of Shareablee, an online directory of everything happening on social media across the branded world; she tweets