County supervisors on the latest on fire recovery
The Palisades and Eaton fires leveled whole neighborhoods and killed more than two dozen people. Conditions remain fraught for more fires — with bone-dry chaparral and continued high winds. City and county leaders have been meeting with neighborhoods and residents to discuss recovery and rebuilding. Some conversations like a town hall with Pacific Palisades residents grew contentious, according to the L.A. Times. Today on AirTalk we check in with county leaders about what people should know at this point. Joining to discuss the latest is Kathryn Barger, L.A. County supervisor representing the fifth district, and Lindsey Horvath, L.A. County supervisor representing the county's third district.
Legal battle looms as Trump orders a funding freeze during a review of federal loans and grants
The White House is pausing federal grants and loans starting Tuesday as President Donald Trump’s administration begins an across-the-board ideological review of its spending, causing confusion and panic among organizations that rely on Washington for their financial lifeline. Administration officials said the decision was necessary to ensure that all funding complies with Trump’s executive orders, which are intended to undo progressive steps on transgender rights, environmental justice and diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, efforts. They also said that federal assistance to individuals would not be affected, including Social Security, Medicare, food stamps and other such programs. However, the funding freeze could affect trillions of dollars, at least temporarily, and cause widespread disruption in health care research, education programs and other initiatives. Even grants that have been awarded but not spent are supposed to be halted. Joining us this morning on AirTalk is Jacob Bogage, congressional economics correspondent at the Washington Post.
With files from the Associated Press
New book ‘Superbloom’ gets into social consequences of today’s internet innovations
As many of us grow increasingly accustomed to life with the internet, the efficiency of it triggering the release of dopamine in our brains makes social behavior a slippery slope. As algorithms attempt to continue that rush, we grow a greater reliance on these platforms, sharing more posts on a given platform and engaging in “digital crowding,” This concept is dug into by Nicholas Carr in his new book Superbloom: How Technologies Of Connection Tear Us Apart; in Superbloom, Carr breaks down how this influx of information we engage with on the internet leads users to grow increasingly narrow-minded, despite how generally broad the internet can seem. Today on AirTalk, we talk to Nicholas Carr about his new book and discuss the complexities of today’s digital crowding.
What does President Trump’s executive action on sex and gender mean for LGBTQ+ rights?
An executive order President Donald Trump signed on his first day back in office offers a new federal government definition of the sexes that could have a major impact on transgender people nationwide. The order calls for the federal government to define sex as only male or female and for that to be reflected on official documents such as passports and policies such as federal prison assignments. As for federal spending, it’s not clear what his vow to end broader gender classifications will mean on the ground. With aspects of these policies already being challenged, we plan to break down their legality and significance. Joining us for this conversation are is Jennifer C. Pizer, Chief Legal Officer and Eden/Rushing Chair for Lambda Legal.
With files from the Associated Press
The emergency contraceptive Ella can be used as an alternative to mifepristone
A new study suggests that a pill used for emergency contraception could be repurposed at a higher dose as an abortion drug, providing a possible alternative to mifepristone, one of the two drugs used in the most common type of abortion in the United States. Mifepristone has been under attack by abortion opponents, with several states seeking in federal court to restrict its use. Now used in two-thirds of U.S. abortions, mifepristone blocks a hormone needed to sustain a pregnancy. It’s typically used with misoprostol, which causes contractions and bleeding. In the study, 133 women who were up to nine weeks’ pregnant took a 60 milligram dose of ulipristal acetate, the active ingredient in the prescription contraceptive Ella, followed by misoprostol 24 hours later. For 97% of them, that drug combo was effective at inducing an abortion, an effectiveness equal to the mifepristone-misoprostol combination. The 60 milligram dose of ulipristal used in the study is twice the dose of Ella, a prescription drug used for emergency contraception. The new study brings into question the use of emergency contraceptives as abortion pill alternatives, and the possible legal battle to restrict them alongside mifepristone.
Today on AirTalk, we discuss how ulipristal can be used as an abortion pill alternative and what the legal and political implications of this new use may be. We’re joined by Ushma Upadhyay, professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at UCSF, and Mary Ziegler, law professor at UC Davis and author of Roe: The History of a National Obsession (Yale University Press, 2023).
With files from the Associated Press
What’s the dumbest thing you’ve fought about with your partner?
Every couple has their arguments. But some fights, regardless of how intense they may feel in the moment, have origins that are just a tad bit sillier than others. Whether it’s a disagreement on what to order for dinner, a dispute about the best 90s sci-fi/fantasy show, a feud over how to properly pack a suitcase, or, perhaps, a hypothetical question that went awry, we want to hear from you! What was the dumbest fight you and your partner have gotten into? Where did it come from and how was it resolved? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
