Public safety latest: Status of LAPD chief search and what’s in LASD’s new policy banning deputy gangs

The search for the next chief of the LAPD is down to three finalists, according to reporting by the LA Times. They are all names well known within the department-- former LAPD Deputy Chief Robert Acros, current LAPD Deputy Chief Emada Tingirides, and former Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell, who also served with LAPD during his career. Meanwhile, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department has announced a long-awaited — and legally required — policy policy banning deputy gangs — an issue that has challenged the department for decades. The new policy is just over 800 words and says officers can be disciplined and fired for being in a law enforcement gang or hate group. It also said the department will investigate alleged officer gangs within its ranks and cooperate with other authorized agencies conducting similar investigations. The policy was posted on an internal section of the Sheriff’s Department website. It comes three years after California legislators passed a law requiring law enforcement agencies to ban gang membership. Today on AirTalk, we’ll get the latest on both stories from Los Angeles Times Investigative Crime Writer Richard Winton, who has been reporting on the LAPD chief search, and staff writer Keri Blakinger, who covers the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department for the Times.

With files from Libby Rainey at LAist.com. Read her full story here.

A surprise fossil excavation at San Pedro High School reveals LA’s underwater past

A construction project at San Pedro High School has revealed a treasure trove of marine fossils from L.A.’s prehistoric past. The most ancient fossils in the collection are thought to be as many as 9 million years old and date to a time when the Palos Verdes Peninsula was covered by ocean. Scientists are still identifying new species in the tons of material excavated from the site, but have already unearthed pieces of a saber-toothed salmon, sea turtles, whales, dolphins, clams, birds and teeth from the largest shark to ever live. Today on AirTalk, we're joined by Wayne Bischoff, Director of Cultural Resources at Envicom Corporation, the company who uncovered and excavated the fossils, and Austin Hendy, curator of Invertebrate Paleontology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the entity spearheading research on the fossils.

With files from Mariana Dale at LAist. You can read her story here.

Prop 35: Should we make permanent a tax on managed care health insurance plans?

In the last decade, as the number of people eligible for Medi-Cal has expanded to include low-income residents regardless of their immigration status, lawmakers have called on the state to increase funding to healthcare providers who offer care under Medi-Cal. This would be achieved by permanently taxing health insurance providers and using those funds to boost reimbursements to healthcare providers. Proposition 35 would spell out how this tax revenue can be used. Joining us today on AirTalk to advocate for and against the bill is Jodi Hicks, President & CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of CA, which is part of the “Yes on 35” coalition and Kiran Savage-Sangwan, executive director of the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, a statewide health advocacy organization that officially opposes Prop 35.

Did teenage girls’ brains age during the pandemic? A new study finds yes.

The pandemic took a toll on everyone, having immense behavioral effects and social consequences. Now, a new study on adolescent brain development reveals that girls’ brains aged faster than expected. The study looked at how COVID-19 impacted the resilience of brain development. When the lockdown was lifted in 2021, scans showed that the brains of both boys and girls had experienced cortical thinning, but the effect was far more pronounced in girls. The difference is attributed to the social deprivation experienced during the pandemic which is believed to have hit girls harder. Joining us today on AirTalk tot talk about the new study is co-author Ariel Rokem, Research Associate Professor at the University of Washington Department of Psychology.

Even higher taxes to tackle homelessness in LA County? Voters will decide on Measure A

Los Angeles voters consistently say homelessness is their top concern. But do they think this intractable problem can be solved by raising taxes on goods sold in L.A.? County voters already supported higher sales taxes to address homelessness years ago. This November, a new measure will ask them to increase those taxes to fund new approaches to addressing the crisis. Official title on the ballot: Measure A — Homelessness Services and Affordable Housing Ordinance. You are being asked: “To require accountability and results, create affordable housing, support home ownership, provide rental assistance, increase mental health and addiction treatment, reduce and prevent homelessness; and provide services for children, families, veterans, domestic violence survivors, seniors, and disabled people experiencing homelessness; shall the measure repealing the Measure H tax and replacing it with a 1/2 cent sales tax, raising approximately $1,076,076,350 annually until voters decide to end it, with new audits and oversight, be adopted?” Joining to discuss is Susan Shelley, opinion columnist and editorial writer for the OC Register and L.A. Daily News and VP of Communications for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, and David Green, president and executive director of SEIU Local 721, one of the largest labor unions in Southern California.

With files from LAist. Read more about Measure A here.

TV Talk: ‘The Penguin,’ ‘Matlock,’ ‘Agatha All Along,’ 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 Jen Chaney, television critic for Vulture, and Cristina Escobar, tv critic and co-founder of LatinaMedia.Co.

Today’s shows include:

• The Penguin (HBO / Max)
• Matlock (CBS) 
• Agatha All Along (Disney+)
• Midnight Family
• A Very Royal Scandal