Newsom looks to respond to Texas redistricting, but is that possible?
Redistricting usually happens after the once-a-decade population count by the U.S. Census Bureau or in response to a court ruling. Now, Texas Republicans want to break that tradition — and other states could follow suit. President Trump has asked the Texas Legislature to create districts, in time for next year’s midterm elections, that will send five more Republicans to Washington and make it harder for Democrats to regain the majority and blunt his agenda. The state has 38 seats in the House. Republicans now hold 25 and Democrats 12, with one seat vacant after the death of a Democrat. Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., has threatened to retaliate against the GOP push in Texas by drawing more favorable Democratic seats in his state. That goal, however, is complicated by a constitutional amendment that requires an independent commission to lead the process. Today on AirTalk, Jacob Margolis takes a look at how redistricting is playing out in Texas and if California can and will join the fray. Joining us to talk about what is and isn’t possible is Mike Madrid, republican political consultant and co-founder of The Lincoln Project and Jeremy B. White, reporter covering California politics for Politico.
With files from the Associated Press
What is surveillance pricing?
We all know that companies collect data from our searching and scrolling habits to give us targeted ads, but some companies are also using personal data to set individual prices for each customer, a practice the FTC has called “surveillance pricing”. Surveillance pricing takes customers’ location, search history, credit score, etc. all into account to set targeted prices based on how likely they are to purchase something. Just last week, Delta Airlines announced that they would be using AI to generate ticket prices for customers, but targeted pricing has been happening for over ten years now. One of the first companies to use surveillance or algorithmic pricing was ZipRecruiter, which asked for customers’ location and employee benefits to help set prices. But how prevalent has surveillance become? And how can consumers protect themselves from possible privacy law violations? Joining us on today's AirTalk to talk about surveillance pricing are Justin Kloczko, tech and privacy advocate for Consumer Watchdog, and Oren Bar-Gill, professor of law and economics at New York University.
New book ‘LA Coroner’ explores the man behind our fascination with celebrity death
In 1968, Thomas Noguchi, a Los Angeles coroner, forever changed the way Americans think about celebrity death when he proved that Democratic Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy had been assassinated by three shots to his back — not the front like eyewitnesses had reported. While not his first high profile autopsy, his analysis of Robert F. Kennedy’s death was widely publicized and propelled Noguchi into the public eye, where he became known as the ‘coroner to the stars.’ In her new book, ‘L.A. Coroner: Thomas Noguchi and Death in Hollywood,’ author and historian Anne Soon Choi explores how one man’s meticulous desire to know the full story has informed our modern understanding of celebrity death. Joining us this morning to talk about her book is Anne Soon Choi, professor of Asian American Studies and university administrator at California State University, Northridge. We also want to hear from you! Do you have a question about Dr. Noguchi? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
You can hear more from Anne Soon Choi about her new book at her book launch on Saturday, August 9th from 10am to 12pm at the Los Angeles Public Library Little Tokyo Branch. She will be in conversation with award-winning mystery writer Naomi Hirahara. You can find details for the event here.
How are Trump cuts impacting state and federal firefighters?
Reporting from the likes of ProPublica and Reuters have helped lay out a years-long issue for federal firefighters, particularly as we enter wildfire season. Following cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency, the US Forest Service saw a 15% decrease in its workforce, similar to other departments. In the case of the US Forest Service, who employs a significant amount of federal firefighters across Western states, that decrease saw a loss in longtime employees due to early retirement or deferred resignations. Although the Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has shared that news employees have been hired to resolve its understaffing, vacant senior positions that left earlier this year have yet to be filled. So as many Western states grapple with wildfire season, can they rely on federal firefighters the same way they have in the past? Joining us to answer this question is Kelly Martin, retired fire chief for Yosemite National Park and the National Parks Service, and Abe Streep, Southwest reporter at ProPublica who’s been following this.
The first pill of its kind will treat postpartum depression. But does it work?
If you’ve experienced post-partum depression, you will know how debilitating it can be. postpartum depression, also referred to as PPD is a depressive disorder that occurs within 12 months following childbirth. It’s estimated that 10 to 15 percent of women in the U.S. experience depression during or in the year after pregnancy. Even as the prevalence of postpartum depression increases, effective treatments have largely fallen short. Two years ago, the FDA approved a first-of-its-kind pill to treat PPD known as Zurzuvae. In that time, thousands of women have tried the drug and the results have run the gamut. Today on AirTalk we’re talking about what available treatments exist for women experiencing PPD and how Zuzuvae has, in some cases, helped manage what is often a debilitating condition. We also want to hear from you. Have you struggled with postpartum depression? What have been the treatments that have worked for you? Call us at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com. Joining us for the conversation is Dr. Katie Unverferth, medical director of the UCLA Maternal Mental Health Program and assistant clinical professor at UCLA.
Firescaping: How to burnproof your yards
We are six months removed from the Eaton and Palisades Fires, and with more than 10,000 parcels of land cleared, one question remains: how can we rebuild in a smarter, stronger, and more fire-resistant way? While home hardening, the practice of installing fire-resistant systems, is going to give a structure its best chances of surviving the next firestorm, how homeowners design their yards matters as well. Today on AirTalk, Jacob Margolis explores how the right plants, smart design, and even recycled water could help protect homes in a fire-prone future with Greg Rubin, founder and president of California's Own Native Landscape Design Inc. We also want to hear from you! What questions do you have for your own garden’s firescaping? Have you made any changes to your yard in response to fire risk? Give us a call at 866-893-5722, or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.
