First Female Secretary Of State Madeleine Albright Has Died — You Can Listen To Larry's 2009 Conversation With Her Below
Madeleine Albright, a child refugee from Nazi- and then Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe who rose to become the first female secretary of state and a mentor to many current and former American statesmen and women, died Wednesday of cancer, her family said. She was 84.
Albright also became famous for her "pin diplomacy," using pins and brooches to convey diplomatic messages. Larry Mantle spoke with Albright in 2009 about her book, "Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box," her distinguished service, and the state of the world.
With files from the Associated Press
Governor Newsom Unveils His Tax Rebate Plan To Help Californians At The Gas Pump
Yesterday, Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled the details of his new tax refund plan, which he first proposed in his State of the State address two weeks ago. The plan is meant to help Californians pay for skyrocketing gas prices, which are now the highest in the country, even as the average cost of gas has begun to decline elsewhere. According to AAA the average price of a gallon of gas in Los Angeles is over $6.00, with the state averaging $5.88 a gallon. The governor’s plan would allocate $2 billion towards free public transportation and $9 billion directly to Californians with registered vehicles. People would receive up to two $400 debit cards per vehicle, and that’s already received criticism because it favors Californians with cars and does not include a household income limit. Other legislative leaders say they’d rather see the state pause the gas tax entirely, which is also one of the highest in the country.
Today on AirTalk, we discuss both the promise and potential problems of Governor Newsom’s tax rebate plan with economy reporter for CalMatters Grace Gedye. What would you like to see done to address the high gas prices? Direct payments? A delay in the gas tax? Or do you have another idea?
COVID-19 AMA: Moderna Seeks Authorization For Pediatric Vaccine, One In Three U.S. Cases Now BA.2 Omicron Subvariant, And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, professor of epidemiology and community health sciences at UCLA.
Topics today include:
- Moderna will seek emergency use authorization for children ages 6 months to 6 years old
One in three U.S. COVID-19 cases now caused by BA.2 Omicron subvariant
- Dr. Anthony Fauci doubtful BA.2 will cause new surge
- LAUSD dropped mask mandates for students on Wednesday
- Should airlines continue with mask mandates?
- WHO warns European countries lifted restrictions too soon
- Scientists look for method to test for efficacy of COVID-19 antibodies
- How effective should a pediatric vaccine be?
Baby Tech: The Balance Between Caring For Your Child And Data Overload
Parents expecting a child might be surprised to find out about the seemingly endless number of "smart" baby products that are out there that are designed to help remove some of the stressors of those often tumultuous first few months after mom, dad and baby come -- from bassinets that vibrate to soothe your child to sleep while also collecting and analyzing data about their sleep habits, socks that monitor collect data on vital signs and that can alert you if your child can stop breathing, and monitors that allow you to not just hear your baby, but even see and communicate with your child through your phone. And while all of this tech offers a variety of benefits that generations before us didn't have, there are also potential pitfalls if parents allow themselves to become too reliant on the tech to care for their child, or if they're monitoring their child so closely and collecting so much data that it becomes overwhelming and anxiety-inducing.
Today on AirTalk, we'll talk with The Guardian columnist and momSophie Brickman whose new book "Baby, Unplugged" explores the intersection of parenting and technology through various stages of childhood, including infancy, which is the focus of our conversation, talk about what some of these smart products do and look at the pros and cons of being able to monitor your baby so closely and gather so much data.
Celebrating The KPCC/LAist “Backbone Staff”
While most of you probably know KPCC from the reporters and hosts you hear on the air, our station requires the contributions of so many talented, unique individuals whose names aren’t said during show credits. These are the people who truly make KPCC and LAist: they keep our broadcast equipment running, they put on our pledge drives and help secure sponsorships and donations, they put together the pre-recorded spots you hear between shows, they make sure our facilities at the Mohn Broadcast Center are operating smoothly, and keep our websites humming.
This week and next on AirTalk, we’re highlighting some of these amazing people who work at KPCC/LAist, and whose tireless efforts are critical to what you hear and read every day. Today, we’re joined by traffic associate Louis Rincavage and senior financial analyst Crystal Harjadi.