LAist Investigation Reveals Another Failure By OC Supervisor To Disclose Relevant Family Relationship In Official Proceeding
A major trial over an Orange County homeless services center was suddenly derailed this month when O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do, who was testifying as a witness, failed to disclose he’s married to a high-ranking judge at the court, according to court records filed this week and reviewed by LAist.It’s the second high-profile instance to emerge this month of Do not disclosing a relevant family relationship during official proceedings. Last week, an LAist investigation reported that Do voted to direct $3.1 million in subcontracts to a mental health center led by his daughter Rhiannon Do — without disclosing his family connection. His latest failure to disclose resulted in a mistrial Nov. 16 in an Orange County Superior Court lawsuit the city of Santa Ana originally filed in early 2020 against the nonprofit Mental Health Association of Orange County. The suit seeks to shut down the association’s homeless services drop-in center in the city, which is funded by the county.
With files from Nick Gerda at LAist.com. Read his story here.
We invited Supervisor Andrew Do to join us this morning, but as of the airing of this segment his office has not responded to our request for comment.
LA County Launches CARE Court. What Lessons Can LA Learn From Riverside and Orange County?
A highly anticipated — and controversial — new program, championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, will begin in Los Angeles County on Dec. 1. It’s called CARE Court and will allow family members to ask a judge to step in with a treatment plan for loved ones living with severe and untreated mental illness.
The basics of CARE Court: People living with a serious and untreated mental illness, like schizophrenia, could be referred for a court-ordered, voluntary care plan that could last up to two years. The petition could be filed by people including county behavioral health workers, first responders or family members. Riverside and Orange County launched their CARE Courts in October. Are there lessons Los Angeles County can learn from those programs? Joining us to discuss is Jennifer Hunt, Psy.D., Acting Sr. Deputy Director – Reentry Services Division, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Veronica Kelley, chief of mental health and recovery services for Orange County and Marcus Cannon, Deputy Director, Forensics, Riverside University Health System.
with files from LAist
New Book ‘Determined’ Argues That Humans Don’t Have Free Will
Do we have free will? It is, to put it mildly, a big question, one that Stanford Professor Robert Sapolsky takes on in his new book, Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will. His answer? Nope. The book sets out to explore “how the biology over which you had no control, interacting with environment over which you had no control, made you you.” Essentially, he argues, “We are nothing more or less than the cumulative biological and environmental luck, over which we had no control, that has brought us to any moment.” As a multi-disciplinary scientist who studies the brain, Sapolsky is perhaps uniquely positioned to make this argument. The recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant,” his work straddles biology and neurological sciences and the book ranges further afield into philosophy and even quantum physics. Today on AirTalk, Larry speaks with Robert Sapolsky, professor of biology, neurological sciences and neurosurgery at Stanford University and author of Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will.
The Problems With Long-Term Care Insurance
A recent piece from the New York Times and KFF Health News by Jordan Rau and JoNel Aleccia takes a look at the issues plaguing long term care insurance, which in theory helps people pay for nursing home care, assisted living, or in-home care. The article describes difficulties with LTC insurance at every stage of the process–from qualifying for it in the first place to claiming it when in need. There’s also the problem of rapidly rising premiums, as insurance companies struggle to keep a lid on the expensive business of long-term care. Earlier this year in California, CalPERS, the public pension fund for state workers, was ordered to pay $800 million to settle a suit brought by retirees who have seen a sharp rise in their premiums. California has also convened a task force to explore a statewide program potentially funded by payroll taxes. Joining us to discuss are Jordan Rau, senior correspondent, KFF Health News and Gopi Shah Goda, senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research.
TV-Talk: 5 Shows To Watch Including ‘Slow Horses’ Season 3 ‘High on the Hog,’ ‘De La Calle’ & More
Have you felt completely overwhelmed when deciding what new show to watch these days? Us too. There’s just so much content out there between network tv and numerous streaming platforms. Each week, we’re going to try to break through the noise with TV watchers who can point us to the must-sees and steer us clear of the shows that maybe don’t live up to the hype. This week, listeners will get the latest scoop on what’s worth watching with Cristina Escobar, tv critic and co-founder of LatinaMedia.Co, and Steve Greene, freelance TV critic.
This week’s shows include:
- Slow Horses [Season 3] (Apple TV+)
- De La Calle (Paramount+)
- Black Cake (Hulu)
- High on the Hog (Netflix)
- A Murder at the End of the World (FX & Hulu)
What’s Your Go-To Holiday TV Special?
From classic holiday claymations like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to animated shorts we know and love like A Charlie Brown Christmas all the way to baking favorites like The Great British Baking Show: Holidays. There’s no shortage of holiday-related TV. In fact, most popular long-running series have one or more holiday specials. And there are even some shows that take the holiday theme head on like the 2020 series Dash & Lily. Today on AirTalk, listeners share their favorites. Plus, what are some underrated ones that don’t get enough attention? Call 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
