Hurricane Hilary Is Barreling Towards SoCal – What Can We Expect?

Hurricane Hilary is building around Baja right now, but forecasts show it could head straight towards us here in Southern California in the coming days. Its exact path is still up for debate, but it’s looking pretty likely that it’s going to drop heavy rain and cause substantial flooding in California, particularly out in the desert, where up to 6 inches is possible. It’s not often that we find ourselves talking – and worrying – about hurricanes here in Los Angeles, which got us wondering: Just how rare are these types of storm systems here? Joining us to talk about what we can expect in the coming days is Alex Tardy, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in San Diego.

With files from LAist.com. Read the full story here. 

More Women Are Drinking and Dying From Alcohol Abuse

A recent study by the Center for Disease Control found that the rate of alcohol deaths among women in the U.S. has increased by approximately 15 percent per year between 2018 and 2020. Additionally, women in general are drinking greater amounts of alcohol than in the past. Essentially, women have caught up with men in alcohol consumption. The pandemic certainly exacerbated drinking among women, however, researchers point to a variety of societal factors that contribute to the increase in excessive alcohol consumption among women. Why are women drinking to excess and what can be done about it? Joining us to discuss is George Koob,PhD, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and MacKenzie Peltier, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine.

Are You Smarter Than An AI ChatBot? Hackers At DefCon Put It To The Test

Keys clacking. Leaderboard flashing. Line out the door. Competitors in the Def Con hacker challenge in Las Vegas last weekend were given a task: trick an AI chatbot to do something unethical. The competition – supported by the Biden administration – was designed to test flaws within AI algorithms that may generate bias, compromise private data, and spread misinformation. Now, the data will be used for artificial intelligence research that could influence future policy. Hackers of all ages and experience levels were ranked on a point system for their ability to manipulate AI and find loopholes. The big prize: a Nvidia A6000 graphics card – which, in the tech world, is worth its weight in gold ($4,000). So, how far did hackers push the chatbots? What could the data collected from the conference mean for the future AI ethics research? Joining us today is Avijit Ghosh, research data scientist at AdeptID and lecturer in artificial intelligence ethics at Northeastern University, who volunteered & participated in the Def Con AI Challenge and Kellee Wicker, director of science and technology innovation at the Wilson Center; they’re partners with the Generative Red Team (GRT) Challenge organizers.

Cheap Fast Eats Is Back With The Best Of Chinatown

Sitting directly next to downtown, Chinatown as we know it today was originally a mixed neighborhood of different immigrant communities, Asian but also Mexican and Italian. It became known as New Chinatown in the 1930s after residents of the original Chinatown were displaced due to the construction of Union Station. These days the issue of displacement remains a concern. Walking around Chinatown, you get the sense that it’s an area rapidly changing, with old storefronts either sitting vacant or being torn down, and new highrise structures serving as a backdrop. While many from Asian communities have moved to the suburbs, other low-income and elderly residents have stayed put, fighting for proper living conditions and access to grocery stores. Food is often political and can serve as a vehicle for this systemic change, from encroaching chain restaurants like the Buffalo Wild Wings on Cesar Chavez Avenue to newer independent restaurants spaces such as Lokels Only, located in the Jia Apartments building, which serves as an incubator for local pop-up restaurants.

Today on AirTalk, LAist Associate Editor for Food and Culture Gab Chabrán joins Austin on Food Fridays to take us on a tasty tour of Chinatown, featuring both old and new restaurants to give you a sense of what it's like to dine in the area.

With files from Gab Chabrán at LAist.com. You can read his full story here.

FilmWeek: ‘Blue Beetle,’ ‘Strays,’ ‘Aurora’s Sunrise,’ ‘Landscape With Invisible Hand’ And More

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Peter Rainer, Manuel Betancourt and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms.

• “Blue Beetle” Wide Release
• “Strays” Wide Release
• “Aurora’s Sunrise” Laemmle Glendale
• “The Eternal Memory” Laemmle Royal [West LA] & Laemmle Town Center [Encino]
• “Dead Shot” Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica]
• “The Monkey King” Streaming on Netflix
• “Madeleine Collins” Laemmle Royal [West LA] & Laemmle Town Center [Encino]
• “Landscape With Invisible Hand” In Select Theaters
• “Grave Of The Fireflies” American Cinematheque [Los Feliz]
• “The Adults” In Select Theaters

FilmWeek Feature: Larry Mantle’s Interview With Director Maite Alberdi About “The Eternal Memory”

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting millions across the world. In the new documentary “The Eternal Memory,” director Maite Alberdi explores the disease intimately, following former Chilean journalist Augusto Góngora and his wife, Paulina Urrutia, as they navigate their 25 plus year relationship alongside Góngora’s deteriorating memory. “The Eternal Memory” is the follow up to Alberdi’s Academy Award nominated documentary “The Mole Agent.” Her new film won the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at Sundance. Today on FilmWeek, Larry speaks with Chilean film producer, director, documentarian, screenwriter, and film critic, Maite Alberdi, about her new film “The Eternal Memory” and the process of capturing the intimate moments of Góngora’s Alzheimer’s and Góngora and Urruria’s relationship.