In response to recent student protests and reactions against campus Republicans, the UC system has developed the National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement to better define student attitudes towards the 1st amendment. We discuss the controversies and origins of this venture; we also tease out the 49er's announcement that they are advocating against gun accessories; and more.
We need to talk about last night’s Dodgers loss
The World Series matchup has all the hallmarks of an instant classic, with the unstoppable LA Dodgers up against the immovable Houston Astros.
Last night’s Game 2 at Dodger Stadium has certainly proven that prognostication correct – to the detriment of hearts everywhere in LA.
The Astros grinded out a win after a game that lasted 11 innings and 4-plus hours, beating the Dodgers 7-6 and evening the series at 1 game a piece.
On Friday, the Dodgers head to Minute Maid Park in Houston for Game 3 of the series.
Today, AirTalk processes last night’s heartbreak and takes your calls at 866.893.5722.
Guest:
A Martínez, host of KPCC’s Take Two; he tweets
University of California launches center to study the 1st Amendment
As debates rage on college campuses over free speech and hate speech, the UC is launching a new center to study the 1st Amendment.
The National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement will be based in Washington D.C. and will feature some of the country’s most respected 1st Amendment scholars on its advisory board, including UC Berkeley Law School’s Erwin Chemerinsky and the University of Chicago Law School’s Geoffrey R. Stone.
Larry speaks with UC President Janet Napolitano and civil liberties lawyer Stephen Rohde about the new center.
Guests:
Janet Napolitano, president of the University of California
Stephen Rohde, civil liberties lawyer and author of “Webster’s New World American Words of Freedom” (Webster’s New World, 2001); past president of ACLU Southern California
LAPD union, 49ers team up to advocate against gun accessories, including bump stocks
The LAPD union, the Los Angeles Police Protective League, is joining with other law enforcement unions across the country, as well as the San Francisco 49ers, to push for a ban on gun silencers, bump stocks and armor-piercing ammunition in their “Pledge for a More Understanding and Safer America.”
The initiative will be officially announced and signed today, Thursday, at Levi’s Stadium, and is meant to inspire professional sports teams and law enforcement to improve police-community relations. In addition to advocating against certain gun accessories, the coalition has also said they would advocate for mental health services.
The 49ers have promised $500,000 to this campaign. This is part of their larger push to work with law enforcement, perhaps born from Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling at the national anthem in 2016 to protest the shootings of unarmed black people by police. This pledge may be meant to address or circumvent the recent controversy over national anthem protests by NFL players.
Why wasn’t the San Francisco police union part of the pledge? In what ways have the 49ers and law enforcement worked together? What do you think of this messaging?
Guests:
Robert Salonga, crime and public safety reporter for The Mercury News; he tweets
Craig Lally, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the labor union representing LAPD officers
Should LA follow Honolulu’s example and start fining ‘cell phone zombies’?
Honolulu police have started issuing tickets to “cell phone zombies” — the term used to describe pedestrians who cross the street while looking down at their phones.
The new law states that the only legal justification for anyone to use a cell phone while crossing an intersection would be to dial 911. Any other use could result in a fine ranging between $15 and $99, with repeat offenders landing on the latter end of the spectrum.
Though cities across the country have been trying to pass similar legislation for years, Honolulu is regarded as the first major location to do so successfully. According to the New York Times, since no definitive data associating distracted pedestrians with traffic deaths has been produced, most lawmakers have an uphill battle when trying to implement these rules.
As a way to circumnavigate these legislative roadblocks, cities are getting a little creative when coming up with incentives for people to look both ways. The Northern California city of Hayward has put up street signs that read “Heads Up! Cross the Street. Then Update Facebook,” and many northern european towns have installed LED lights into crosswalks in order to signal pedestrians who may be looking down.
Guest:
Tanya Mohn, a contributing reporter to the New York Times, who wrote about the new Honolulu law
Tanya is the sister of NPR’s CEO Jarl Mohn, who is an Honorary Life Trustee of KPCC. Previously, he also served as board chair for SCPR and through his Mohn Family Foundation, is one of SCPR’s leading donors.