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AirTalk

Latest Twitter Update: Layoffs, Lawsuits, And A Rise In Misinformation

The Twitter logo is seen on a sign on the exterior of Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, California, on October 28, 2022.
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CONSTANZA HEVIA/AFP via Getty Images
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AFP
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Listen 1:40:53
Today on AirTalk, the great Twitter purge as thousands of employees are expected to be laid off today. Also on the show, what makes a song a one-hit wonder?; FilmWeek; and more.
Today on AirTalk, the great Twitter purge as thousands of employees are expected to be laid off today. Also on the show, what makes a song a one-hit wonder?; FilmWeek; and more.

Latest Twitter Update: Layoffs, Lawsuits, And A Rise In Misinformation

Listen 17:39
Twitter Layoffs 11.04.22

Employees braced for widespread layoffs at Twitter Friday as new owner Elon Musk overhauls the social platform. In a letter to employees obtained by multiple media outlets, the company said employees would find out by 9 a.m. Pacific Standard Time if they had been laid off. The email did not say how many people would lose their jobs. Some employees tweeted early Friday that they had already lost access to their work accounts. They and others tweeted messages of support using the hashtag #OneTeam. The email to staff said job reductions were “necessary to ensure the company’s success moving forward.” Twitter’s roughly 7,500 employees have been expecting layoffs since Musk took the helm of the company. Already, the billionaire Tesla CEO has fired top executives, including CEO Parag Agrawal, on his first day as Twitter’s owner.

Joining guest host Austin Cross today on AirTalk is Lauren Hirsch, New York Times reporter covering business & policy, and Alex Barinka, Bloomberg News social media reporter.

An 1835  Treaty Promised The Cherokee Nation A Non-Voting Congressional Representative— Could This Soon Be Fulfilled?

Listen 19:10
Cherokee Nation Representation 11.04.22

There’s been a renewed effort by this group of indigenous peoples to get a member of Congress, with there being a legal basis for this– that being an agreed stipulation in their 1835 treaty with the United States government. The Treaty of New Echota had noted that in exchange for Cherokee land, the Nation would receive some compensation, one of which was a non-voting member of Congress. With Cherokee Nation’s renewed effort on getting said non-voting member, the House Rules Committee now intends to hold a hearing in mid-November regarding the topic, according to CNN.

Joining us to discuss the legal standing that the Cherokee Nation has due to this treaty is Arizona State University law professor Robert Miller, Native American history professor Julie L. Reed, and Chuck Hoskin Jr., Principal Chief of Cherokee Nation.

The Wonder Of One-Hit Wonders, And Your Favorites Of All Time

Listen 14:20
One Hit Wonders 11.04.22

While most trying to make it big in the music industry are likely aiming for long, productive careers marked with multiple platinum albums and sold-out world tours, there is still something to be said about the one-hit wonder. These short-lived but beloved earworms and the people who make them probably won’t be holding a Grammy or giving an induction speech at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but songs like Baha Men’s “Who Let The Dogs Out,” “Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies, “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus, and 867-5309 (Jenny) by Tommy Tutone still hold a special place in the hearts of many because of the brief period of time the spent being played on repeat at the top of the charts.

Today on AirTalk, guest host Austin Cross talks with Sarah Hill, associate professor of popular music at St. Peter’s College in Oxford, England and author of the book “One-Hit Wonders: An Oblique History of Popular Music.”

FilmWeek: ‘Enola Holmes 2,’ ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,’ ‘Good Night Oppy,’ ‘One Piece Film: Red’  And More

Listen 30:32
FW Reviews 11.04.22

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell, Lael Loewenstein and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms.

John Horn’s Interview about GOOD NIGHT OPPY with director Ryan White

Listen 19:02
FW Feature 11.04.22

In 2003, NASA launched two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, to Mars to collect data from the Red Planet and search for signs of ancient water. The rovers were built to last Mars’ equivalent of 90 Earth days. Yet, 14 years later, after surviving dust storms and getting stuck and nearly running out of power, Opportunity was still exploring the planet as NASA’s longest-running Mars rover.

The new film ‘Good Night Oppy’ not only pays tribute to the persistent rover, but also shows the almost parent-child relationship the scientists and engineers working on the project had with Opportunity. KPCC’s John Horn, sat down with director Ryan White at the Telluride Film Festival, where ‘Good Night Oppy’ premiered.