In the wake of Trump's visit to Las Vegas, we check in with local reporter Michael Scott Davidson for updates on the president's visit and how the city is handling. We also discuss LAX renovations; speak with author Lenora Chu; and more.
The latest on Vegas as city prepares for Trump visit
As Las Vegas continues to deal with the fall out of the mass shooting from Sunday night, President Trump travels to the city to meet with officials.
On Monday, Trump gave a statement, calling the massacre in Vegas “an act of pure evil” and thanking the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department “for helping to save the lives of so many.”
We check in to get the latest on Vegas.
Guest:
Michael Scott Davidson, Clark County government reporter for the Las Vegas Review Journal; he tweets
Postmortem next steps: piecing together Paddock’s motive via autopsy and investigations
As investigators continue examining the shooter from Las Vegas, details are coming to light that indicate he may have had declining mental health leading up to the massacre, with symptoms such as weight loss, deteriorating physical appearance and a fixation with his girlfriend’s ex-husband, as reported by ABC News.
Going forward, what physical symptoms and relational evidence should pathologists and investigators examine to determine Paddock’s motives or potential illnesses? We talk with two experts to find out.
Guests:
Judy Ho, associate professor of psychology at Pepperdine University; she is also a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist in Manhattan Beach, Calif.
Kate Termini, Psy. D., a neuropsychologist who specializes in forensic neuropsychology at Fifth Avenue Forensics in New York
Can LAX improve customer satisfaction among ambitious renovations?
In a recent passenger satisfaction study from J.D. Power, Los Angeles International Airport was second-to-last among 19 mega North American airports.
As reported by City News Service, the news came as several modernization projects have been developed, including a new terminal, eatery and high-end store construction. These are all part of Los Angeles World Airports, or LAWA’s $14-billion upgrade to LAX, the largest public works project in California history.
LAWA’s ambitious Landside Access Modernization Program to make these changes also features roadway improvements to relieve traffic congestion, an Automated People Mover to connect three on-airport stations to transit services and a Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility.
With these ambitious improvements, customer dissatisfaction has become a challenge for airports. But LAWA representatives have also said it’s investing in a performance management program to improve guest experiences. The renovations are projected to last through 2023.
Guest:
Mark Waier, director of communications for LAX’s Landside Access Modernization Program
As Russia investigation continues, how much responsibility should Facebook take for its ads?
Things are getting heated for Facebook as the Senate Intelligence Committee’s investigation continues.
Earlier this week, the social media site had to turn over more than 3,000 Russia-linked ads to Congress. The politically divisive ads were posted during the 2016 presidential campaign, and came from fake accounts tied to Russia. Those ads totaled $100,000 in revenue for the social media giant.
As reported by ABC News, Senate Intelligence Committee members gave an update on the investigation at a press conference on Wednesday, and said that the general “issue of collusion” with Russia and the 2016 campaign remains open.
So how should Facebook have handled these ads? Is there a stronger vetting process that Facebook should use? Or is it too much to expect a social media site to regulate all of its content?
Guests:
Josh Meyer, senior investigative reporter for POLITICO; he has been following the story; he tweets
Sarah Frier, technology reporter for Bloomberg News; she’s been following the story; she tweets
Little Soldiers: What U.S. public schools can learn from the Chinese education system
Lenora Chu is an American journalist who moved to Shanghai with her then-3-year-old son.
When she put him in a state-run school there, she noticed major changes in his learning.
Her son became intensely focused and excelled at math, but was also afraid to color outside the lines, both literally and figuratively. He was more obedient, but became fearful of authority figures. This led Chu to dive deeper into the Chinese public school system.
In her book, “Little Soldiers: An American Boy, a Chinese School, and the Global Race to Achieve,” Chu explores the strict style of Chinese public schools, following teachers, students and experts to learn more about the pressure to compete. Emphasis on hard work over innate talent and benefits of memorization are also explored by Chu in her book.
Today, she speaks to Larry Mantle about American and Chinese teaching styles, and gives her perspective about the good and bad of both educational systems.
Lenora Chu will be discussing her new book, “Little Soldiers” today, October 4 at USC at 4:00pm. The event is presented by the USC US-China Institute.
She’ll also be at Barnes & Noble in Huntington Beach tomorrow, Thursday, October 5 at 7:00pm for a discussion of the book.
Guest:
Lenora Chu, journalist living in Shanghai, China; author of the new book, “Little Soldiers: An American Boy, A Chinese School and the Global Race to Achieve” (HarperCollins, 2017)