An RV parking lot for unhoused folks opens in the Crenshaw District
A number of LA County’s unhoused population can now safely live in their trailers and RVs at a new parking lot dedicated to them. The parking lot is in the Crenshaw District. In order to stay at the lot, vehicles must be operational and the residents must show proof of ownership for the vehicle. Residents are allowed to stay up to six months while they look for permanent housing. Today on AirTalk, we’re joined by Doug Smith, senior writer at the Los Angeles Times, to talk about his latest piece on the parking lot, “L.A. County’s first safe parking for homeless people living in RVs opens in Crenshaw.”
Collective trauma: the psychological fallout of the LA fires
The LA fires have destroyed whole communities and displaced thousands of families. The psychological effect of such natural disasters is called collective trauma, a stress response felt by an entire community rather than a sole individual. Collective trauma can have physical effects as well. Today on AirTalk we talk about what collective trauma is and how communities are affected in the long term. We’re joined by E. Alison Holman, professor of nursing and psychology at UC Irvine. We also want to hear from you. How are you processing your stress from the fires? What affects are you seeing on your mental and physical health? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
In a world full of noise and commotion, writer/author Pico Iyer finds the silence
Pico Iyer has spent decades visiting a monastery in the mountains of Big Sur, gleaning wisdom from a life spent in contemplative silence. While Iyer himself isn’t religious or affiliated, he knows the power of a practice rooted in deep stillness and silence. His new book Aflame: Learning from Silence details some of the author’s life experiences and hardships that led to deeper wisdom and how silence and stillness can transform adversity into opportunities for connectedness and growth. Joining us today on AirTalk is writer and author of the new book Aflame: Learning from Silence, Pico Iyer.
Debris removal in Pasadena raises questions about methods and disposal
Pasadena City Council met yesterday to hear plans presented by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for how to proceed with debris removal in the city. The Army Corps has already begun clean up efforts on the other side of town at the site of the Palisades fire. But big questions remain about how toxic debris will be removed and where it will go. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has plans to open a site for hazardous material in foothill communities of LA, like Lario Park in Azusa, but the backlash from these communities was swift. Joining us today on AirTalk to discuss clean up efforts and what we know so far is Colonel Eric Swenson, recovery field office commander, who’s responsible for the USACE recovery mission in Los Angeles, Karl Banks, Deputy incident commander with the Environmental Protection Agency and Emmanuel Estrada, councilmember for Baldwin Park. Do you have concerns about clean up and removal? Call us at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory readies missions and milestones for 2025
From a glimpse into the fraction of a second after the big bang to mapping out water on the Moon’s surface, 2025 is shaping out to be an exciting year for space science at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This year will see the launch of a handful of scientific missions that aim to expand our understanding of not just the structure of the universe but also our home here on Earth — explorations that will prepare humans for future travel to the Moon and beyond. Joining us on AirTalk to talk about upcoming NASA missions and milestones in Earth and space science is Laurie Leshin, director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Do you have a question about JPL and an upcoming mission? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
New study finds adults with ADHD face shorter life expectancy than those undiagnosed
A new study has found that adults diagnosed with ADHD live significantly shorter lives than those undiagnosed with ADHD. The study, published by the British Journal of Psychiatry, compared data from 30,000 adults with ADHD in the UK with 300,000 without, and found that men with ADHD died about 7 years younger and women 9 years younger than their undiagnosed counterparts. While the study doesn’t speak on the causes of this shortened life expectancy, some experts say the symptoms of ADHD — such as risk taking, anxiety, and impulsivity — could be an influential factor in the study’s findings. Today on Airtalk we’re joined by Josh Stott, lead author of the study and professor of Ageing and Clinical Psychology at the University College London. Also joining us is Susan Dillon Tschudi, an L.A. County based LMFT with a specialization in assessing and treating ADHD in adults. We also want to hear from you! Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
