With guest host Kyle Stokes
LAPD Report On Echo Park Homeless Camp Sweep, Plus The Situation Now
A new report from the LAPD assessing its handling of the Echo Park closure and ensuing protests found “room for improvement.” We dive into the report, as well as the current situation around the lake and what happened to unhoused people who were moved from the encampment. We’re joined by Kevin Rector, reporter for the Los Angeles Times covering the Los Angeles Police Department, Heidi Marston, executive director of the Los Angeles Homeless Authority, and Echo Park Neighborhood Council Representative Nick Marcone.
We invited City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, the LAPD and the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. They were not available to join us at the time of the interview.
COVID-19 AMA: Delta Variant, Potential Vaccine Mandate And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dean Blumberg, M.D., professor of medicine and chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital.
Topics today include:
- U.S. to require COVID-19 shots for foreign travelers
- Moderna expects to complete submission for full FDA approval by end of August
- Delta variant may cause need for boosters despite Moderna’s high efficacy
- Hilda Solis’ statement on executive order to mandate vaccine for city employees
- Known global pandemic caseloads reach 200 million infections
- Delta variant increases demand for COVID-19 tests
- Should you cancel travel plans amid Delta variant spread?
California Republicans Hold First Debate in Effort to Recall Governor Newsom, but Some Key Figures Are Missing
Some of the California Republicans hoping to replace Governor Gavin Newsom in September’s recall election held their first debate last night at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda. The four candidates on stage were John Cox who lost to Newsom in 2018; former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer; California Assemblymember Kevin Kiley; and former Congressman Doug Ose. Conservative radio host Larry Elder leads in the polls, but he skipped the debate for a party fundraiser in Bakersfield. Also absent: former reality star and Olympian Caitlyn Jenner, who has been in Australia filming a reality TV program. Debate organizers say Governor Newsom did not respond to an invitation to participate. The debate aired live on FOX 11.
The stakes are high with mail-in ballots going to voters on August 16th. Polls also suggest the race is tightening, with Newsom’s once-comfortable edge slipping as the state’s coronavirus cases climb, mask restrictions return, and the drought worsens. The contest is also being watched as a barometer of the public mood heading into the 2022 Congressional elections.
Today on AirTalk, we break down the debate with Seema Mehta, political reporter for the Los Angeles Times and reporter Laurel Rosenhall, who covers California politics for CalMatters.
With files from the Associated Press
American Bureaucracy Brings With It Paperwork, Long Hours And A ‘Time Tax’
Any American who has experienced issues with unemployment payments or an unexpected medical bill knows the deal: long hours on the phone, endless online portals and paperwork that is illegible to the average person.
And even if the money ultimately clears or the bill is scrapped, those unlucky to get stuck in the cog of bureaucratic benefits systems will never get back their time. It’s what Annie Lowrey, writer for the Atlantic, dubs the “time tax” in a recent piece, which looks at the toll that difficult-to-navigate American social systems has on ordinary civilians and the most vulnerable among us.
What has the experience of time consuming bureaucratic paperwork cost you? How would you like to see social systems change their administration? We want to hear from you! Give us a call at 866-893-5722.