Remembering The Rise And Fall Of OJ Simpson

O.J. Simpson, the decorated football superstar and Hollywood actor who was acquitted of charges he killed his former wife and her friend but later found liable in a separate civil trial, has died. He was 76.

Simpson’s attorney confirmed to TMZ he died Wednesday night in Las Vegas. A message posted Thursday on Simpson’s official X account — formerly Twitter — said he died after battling cancer.

“He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren,” the statement said. Simpson earned fame, fortune and adulation through football and show business, but his legacy was forever changed by the June 1994 knife slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman in Los Angeles. Live TV coverage of his arrest after a famous slow-speed chase marked a stunning fall from grace for the sports hero. Joining us today on AirTalk to discuss OJ Simpson’s death and controversial legacy is Linda Deutsch, retired AP special correspondent who covered the OJ Simpson trial, and A Martinez, host of NPR’s Morning Edition.

With files from the Associated Press

Behind The Scenes Of Boeing's Flawed Manufacturing Process

A recent piece in the Wall Street Journal by Andrew Tangel and Sharon Terlep outlines the “missed procedures, confusion and delays” at the Boeing factory where it produces its 737s. Digging into workers’ logs, the article pinpoints the flawed processes that led to the door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight in January. The fuselage had been flagged for repair, but the timeline had been extended 50 times before it was finally completed, with the crucial exception of four bolts that were critical to the panel’s stability. How could this kind of breakdown take place? Was Boeing–under pressure to deliver the planes to airlines–forcing the work to happen too fast? Joining us to discuss is Andrew Tangel, aviation reporter for the Wall Street Journal.

Survey: Two-Thirds Prefer To Wait For Movies To Stream

Last month, HarrisX released a poll that dug into movie-watching habits for adults nationally, finding that a majority them prefer to watch films at home as opposed to the big screen. When digging into the numbers, it does stand out that nearly a third of respondents say they stream two or more movies a week, showing the medium still is popular. That same group, however, only finds themselves going to theaters a handful of times a year, with reasons to do so not seeming as enticing as they once did.

Today on AirTalk, we get into the poll data's findings with Gabriela Schulte, head of data journalism at HarrisX, who oversaw the poll. We also want to hear from you: Have you felt disinterested in going to theaters? Are you a frequent moviegoer? What's behind your choice? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.

New CA Committee To Explore Link Between Happiness And Policymaking

Can happiness be legislated? A new committee created by California Assemblymember and former Speaker Anthony Rendon seeks to do just that with a first-in-the-nation group called the Select Committee on Happiness and Public Policy Outcomes, which will explore how to make happiness more central to policymaking. The group held its first meeting last month. Lawmakers on the committee heard from experts about the things that make people happy, what public officials can do to help and what role state and local government can play. The committee isn’t set on any solutions yet but plans to release a report with its findings after lawmakers adjourn for the year at the end of August, said Katie Talbot, Rendon’s spokesperson. In California, three-quarters of adults say they are “very happy” or “pretty happy,” while 26% say they are “not too happy,” according to a September 2023 survey from the Public Policy Institute of California. Adults age 18 to 34, people who are renters, those without a post-high school degree, and Californians with an annual household income of $40,000 or lower tend to be less happy than others.

Today on AirTalk, we’ll talk with California Assemblymember and Speaker Emeritus Anthony Rendon about what he hopes to accomplish with this new committee. Also joining us are Public Policy Institute of California Statewide Survey Director Mark Baldassare and Cal State Sacramento Professor of Psychology and Happiness Meliksah Demir.

With files from the Associated Press.

TV-Talk: 'The Sympathizer,' 'Fallout,' 'Baby Reindeer' And 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 will 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 Melanie McFarland, TV critic for Salon, and Whitney Friedlander, freelance TV critic.

This week’s shows include:

• Fallout (Amazon Prime Video) 
• The Sympathizer (HBO/Max) 
• Baby Reindeer (Netflix) 
• Star Trek: Discovery [Season 5] (Paramount+)
• Under The Bridge (Hulu)