Rehashing Leslie Van Houten’s Role In Manson Killings And Why Her Parole Is So Controversial

A California appeals court said Tuesday that Leslie Van Houten, who participated in two killings at the direction of cult leader Charles Manson in 1969, should be released from prison on parole.

The appellate court’s ruling reverses an earlier decision by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who rejected parole for Van Houten in 2020. She has been recommended for parole five times since 2016. All of those recommendations were rejected by either Newsom or former Gov. Jerry Brown. Newsom could request that California Attorney General Rob Bonta petition the state Supreme Court to stop her release. Bonta’s office referred questions to Newsom’s office, which didn’t respond to queries about possible next steps.

Van Houten, now in her 70s, is serving a life sentence for helping Manson and other followers kill Leno LaBianca, a grocer in Los Angeles, and his wife, Rosemary. Newsom has said that Van Houten still poses a danger to society. In rejecting her parole, he said she offered an inconsistent and inadequate explanation for her involvement with Manson at the time of the killings. Today on AirTalk, we rehash the history surrounding Van Houten and why her release is so hotly debated. Joining us to discuss is Elisabeth Garber-Paul, culture editor for Rolling Stone where she runs the sex, drugs, and crime coverage and Nancy Tetreault, Leslie Van Houten's attorney. We also want to hear your thoughts. Call 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.

With files from the Associated Press 

For more on this story, including a full guide to where the Manson family members are today, click here to visit LAist.com.

Latest On CA Legislature’s Process Of Passing Protections Based Off One’s Caste

India’s caste system has served as an identifier for a long-time, being a discriminatory driving force in the country, originating from its time as a British colony. In trying to better understand its impacts, the state of Bihar, the third most populous state in the country, is looking to survey its citizens to understand the role of caste in its society. In related and more local news, the California legislature has legislation in the works that may formally ban discrimination based on caste in the state–which begs the question of whether caste affects those in the diaspora as well?

Today on AirTalk, we discuss recent news that looks to understand caste and resolve potential discrimination with Deepa Bharath, Associated Press reporter covering religion, and Vinay Lal, professor of history and Asian American Studies at UCLA.

Why LA County Is Distributing Drug Pipes As Part Of A Harm Reduction Strategy

A recent Los Angeles Times piece by Gale Holland outlines the harm reduction strategies being used in Los Angeles County to address drug use. Most controversial is the practice of giving out pipes for smoking drugs. According to the California Department of Public Health, smoking is a “significantly less risky mode of administration for people who are unwilling or unable to stop using drugs.” For one, smoking prevents diseases spread by sharing needles, like HIV and Hepatitis C. There may also be a smaller chance of overdosing when inhaling versus consuming intravenously. Harm reduction is a big priority for LA County, which has budgeted $31.5 million for it, a massive increase from the $5.4 million budgeted the year before. What does the science say about pipe distribution? And what other strategies is the county using? Joining us to discuss are Gale Holland, who covers addiction and homelessness for the Los Angeles Times, Brian Hurley, addiction physician and the Medical Director of the Division of Substance Abuse Prevention and Control for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and Thomas Fitzpatrick, an infectious diseases fellow at the University of Washington and lead author of a study on pipe distribution.

Addressing Los Angeles’ Unhoused Remains Constituents’ Top Priority For Bass Administration, According To New LAist Survey

At LAist, we want our journalism to help you both navigate complex processes and give you a path to effect change on the issues that matter to you most. Our coverage of the new mayoral administration is no exception. But first, we needed to hear from you. That’s why we launched a 12-question survey during L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ first three months in office to understand what you think her administration should tackle first. We heard from 4,339 individuals from across the city; San Pedro to Santa Clarita, South Los Angeles to the San Gabriel Valley and more, and the results were clear, if unsurprising -- two-thirds of respondents say Mayor Bass needs to prioritize addressing homelessness in our city. In fact, homelessness came up so often across our survey that it seems clear that making progress on reducing homelessness could make or break the new mayor’s first term. That’s why we’re launching the Promise Tracker alongside the results of this survey: to follow Mayor Bass’ promise on getting Angelenos housed and other key metrics that indicate how her administration is doing on adressing it.

Today on AirTalk,  LAist senior editor for community engagement Ariel Zirulnick is with us to share some of the topline findings of the survey, and to explain how she and her team went about compiling it, and we’re also joined by LAist senior reporter covering unhoused communities Nick Gerda to talk about how we’re keeping track of Mayor Bass’ promises to address homelessness, the promises she’s made good on so far, and which ones we have yet to see fulfilled.

With files from Maloy Moore, Adriana Pera, Ariel Zirulnick and Nick Gerda at LAist.com. You can see the full survey results at laist.com/mayorsurvey.  

Mayor Karen Bass: White House Aid For Homelessness, What Angelenos Want Prioritized, Extreme Summer Heat Prep And More

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass joins Larry to discuss the latest happening in the city. Today, we talk about the latest with her unhoused initiative "Inside Safe" and how federal aid to address homelessness announced by the White House will fit into the effort. Plus, how is the city preparing for extreme heat forecasted for the summer? And the results are in for an LAist survey asking Angelenos what they want to see Bass prioritize in her agenda. You can find the results here. We’re taking your questions at 866-893-5722 or you can email atcomments@laist.com.