An overview of what’s happening in Syria and the major players involved
Syria’s prime minister said Monday that most cabinet ministers are still working from offices in Damascus after rebels entered the capital over the weekend and overthrew President Bashar Assad. Streams of refugees crossed back into Syria from neighboring countries, hoping for a more peaceful future. But there were already signs of the difficulties ahead for the rebel alliance now in control of much of the country, which is led by a former senior al-Qaida militant who severed ties with the extremist group years ago and has promised representative government and religious tolerance. Joining us to break down the last week of the Assad regime, and what comes next, is James Gelvin, professor of Modern Middle East History at UCLA.
With files from the Associated Press
SoCal History: The divisive politics of dairy milk
Contaminated raw milk continues to be the bane of public health officials. The California Public Health Department has officially recalled all Raw Farm brand milk and cream on store shelves, instead of just the previously two recalled lot numbers. It’s strongly discouraging people from consuming any of the Fresno company’s other raw dairy products. Raw milk has a long and tenuous history here in Southern California, mostly centered around the famous Alta Dena Dairy, which had its heyday between the 1960s and 1980s. Joining us today on AirTalk to discuss the raw milk fiasco and shed some light on SoCal’s milk history is Susanne Rust, investigative reporter at LA Times specializing in environmental issues and Michael Payne, researcher and educator at the Western Institute of Food Safety and Security at the University of California School of Veterinary Medicine. We want to hear from you as well. Do you have memories of dairy drive thrus here in SoCal? Call us at 866-893-5722.
With files from LAist.
What TV series do you desperately want to see get a revival?
The popular comedy series Scrubs is the latest of many in talks for a reboot. According to the Hollywood Reporter, creator Bill Lawrence is officially in talks with ABC. The series stars Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes and John C. McGinley. It ran from 2001-2009. Today, we want to hear from listeners. Share the TV series you’d do anything to see get a revival? Call 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
Should the Metropolitan Water District vote to continue funding the Delta tunnel project?
On Tuesday, the Metropolitan Water District will vote on whether it will contribute an additional $141 million to further research a water supply project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Dubbed the Delta Conveyance Project, the estimated $20.1 billion project looks to solve California’s projected future water instability by building a 45 mile long underground tunnel beneath the Delta that will capture and divert water from the north to communities in the south. The district, which provides nearly 19 million people with drinking water in Southern California, has already spent $160.8 million supporting the project. Opponents of the plan argue the already fragile Delta ecosystem will be irreparably harmed by the new tunnel and say the answer to California’s water problems lie in levees and water conservation. Proponents of the plan say the Delta Conveyance Project will bring California’s water systems into the 21st century and, citing the threat of climate change on traditional water resources, will secure a reliable future water supply for the state. Today on Airtalk to discuss the project and the upcoming Metropolitan Water District vote is Karla Nemeth, Director of the California Department of Water Resources and Jon Rosenfield, Science Director for the San Francisco Baykeeper.
TikTok ban upheld by federal appeals courts, how does this impact tech and first amendment rights?
A federal appeals court panel on Friday upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok in a few short months, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied TikTok’s petition to overturn the law — which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — and rebuffed the company’s challenge of the statute, which it argued had ran afoul of the First Amendment. Today on AirTalk, we break the impacts this has for the world of tech and law; joining us for this discussion is Eva Dou, technology policy reporter for the Washington Post, and Brian Ray, professor of law at Cleveland State University and director of its Center for Cybersecurity and Privacy Protection.
With files from the Associated Press
Former prosecutor Marcia Clark details the power of sensationalized crime in new book ‘Trial by Ambush’
A new book written by Marcia Clark, who served as the prosecutor on the O.J. Simpson trial, takes us back to Los Angeles in the 1950s. Trial by Ambush: Murder, Injustice, and the Truth about the Case of Barbara Graham (Thomas & Mercer, 2024) tells the story of Barbara Graham and a robbery turned murder that would center her in a media frenzy. The book highlights the power of sensationalized crime, how critical evidence can be missed and the consequences that followed.
