Jerry West, A 3-time Hall Of Fame Selection And The Inspiration For The NBA Logo, Dies At 86
Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive, and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, died Wednesday morning, the Los Angeles Clippers announced. He was 86. West, nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his late-game exploits as a player, was an NBA champion who went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 and again as a member of the gold medal-winning 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010. He will be enshrined for a third time later this year as a contributor. West was “the personification of basketball excellence and a friend to all who knew him,” the Clippers said in announcing his death. West’s wife, Karen, was by his side when he died, the Clippers said. West worked for the Clippers as a consultant for the last seven years.
Joining us on AirTalk this morning to discuss his legacy and career is Dan Woike, Lakers beat writer for The Los Angeles Times, Roland Lazenby, author of the book Jerry West, The Life And Legend Of A Basketball Icon, and AirTalk Host Larry Mantle, who interviewed West in 2011 following the publication of his book
To listen to Larry's 2011 interview with West, click here.
How Should We Spend A Loved One’s Final Moments?
Death can be sudden, but for many it involves sitting by a loved one's side waiting for their final moment to arrive. This can provide an opportunity for family members to plan a loved one's passing, to make it special. But it can also cause anxiety about how to do it right and what to say as a last goodbye.
Today on AirTalk, we talk to death doula, Jill Schock, for recommendations on how to prepare for a loved one's final moments. If you have said goodbye to a loved one as they passed, please share with us. What did you do or say as a send off or final goodbye? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.
What To Know Ahead Of Universal Transitional Kindergarten Rollout In 2025-2026 School Year
California is in the middle of an ambitious plan to offer transitional kindergarten to all 4-year-olds by the 2025-2026 school year, in what’s poised to be the largest free preschool program in the country. KQED and LAist are teaming up on a series examining the challenges the state faces as it tries to add a new grade to its sprawling public school system. Has the state allocated enough funding to ensure the program is high-quality across districts? What could it mean for the education equity gap if it hasn’t? And what about things like ensuring there’s enough staff for classes and the right facilities to accommodate the kind of learning that happens in TK? How is the state accounting for the large number of dual language learners that would be enrolled in TK? These are just a few of the questions this series examines, and joining us on AirTalk to share their reporting for are LAist Early Childhood Education Reporter Elly Yu, KQED Early Childhood Education Reporter Daisy Nguyen, and KQED Producer Blanca Torres.
Panel rejects psychedelic drug MDMA as a PTSD treatment in possible setback for advocates
A first-of-a-kind proposal to begin using the mind-altering drug MDMA as a treatment for PTSD was roundly criticized last week — a potentially major setback to psychedelic advocates who hope to win a landmark federal approval and bring the banned drugs into the medical mainstream. A panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted 10-1 against the overall benefits of MDMA when used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. They cited flawed study data, questionable research conduct and significant drug risks, including the potential for heart problems, injury and abuse. The FDA is not required to follow the group’s advice and is expected to make its final decision by August, but the negative opinion could strengthen agency’s rationale for rejecting the treatment. MDMA is the first in a series of psychedelics — including LSD and psilocybin — that are expected to come before the FDA for review in the next few years as part of a resurgence of interest into the drugs’ medical potential, which advocates claim could transform the treatment of mental health disorders.
Joining us on AirTalk to discuss is Will Stone, health reporter at NPR who’s been covering this story, and Josh Woolley M.D, associate professor of psychiatry at UCSF, director of the translational psychedelic research program.
With files from the Associated Press.
What Have Your Cousins Meant To You?
With family sizes in the United States much smaller than they used to be, it has changed some of the core structures of our family life, with one of the largest coming from extended family. With large extended families, comes more cousins you get to grow up around, helping you socialize and develop. In a sense, the less cousins does change the social fabric they provide to families, being a blood relative that also holds a much different relationship to you than a sibling or really close friend. So with this idea in mind, we’d like to hear from listeners, on what ways cousins have impacted their lives and the significance they’ve played in your coming-of-age and adult years.
Joining us to offer additional insights is Faith Hill, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of the article “The Great Cousin Decline,” and Natalie Zimm, a licensed marriage and family therapist with an expertise on Internal Family Systems (IFS).
