SCOTUS rules Trump has some immunity, sends case back to lower court
The Supreme Court on Monday ruled for the first time that former presidents have some immunity from prosecution, extending the delay in the Washington criminal case against Donald Trump on charges he plotted to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss and all but ending prospects the former president could be tried before the November election. In a historic 6-3 ruling, the justices returned Trump’s case to the trial court to determine what is left of special counsel Jack Smith’s indictment of Trump. The outcome means additional delay before Trump could face trial. Joining to discuss what this means is Jimmy Hoover, Supreme Court reporter at The National Law Journal, and Laurie Levenson, professor of criminal law at Loyola Law School and former federal prosecutor.
With files from the Associated Press
A dried up hill in Irvine could give us a glimpse into California's drought-ridden future
Drought is always an impending concern for California residents, especially as climate change threatens increasing temperatures and prolonged dry-spells. Luckily, the past few years have brought significant rainfall that has allowed Calfironia to stay off its drought season. However, there is one hill in Irvine that hasn’t seen rain in 17 years. That's because the plot is part of a research project conducted by UC Irvine to study the effects of prolonged drought on California’s landscape. The project was started in 2007 with the Irvine Ranch Conservancy, and has two drought-ridden plots (one shrub ecosystem and one grass ecosystem) in the Loma Ridge Nature Preserve.
Today on AirTalk, we’re joined by LAist science reporter, Jacob Margolis, and the lead researcher for UCI’s drought hill, ecology professor, Steven Allison. We’ll learn about some of the project's findings and how this research can help us better prepare for California’s future.
You can read Jacob’s full story here.
With social media comes the rise in ‘micro-cheating.’ What is it and are we overreacting?
Cheating as a concept is well known, and as a behavior it’s probably been around since the beginning of time. But in the past couple years, the term “micro-cheating” has been popping up, but in what contexts exactly? And what does the term mean? Some therapists loosely define it as a small act of betrayal. The term has taken off on social media, which makes sense since digital interactions seem to be at the center of this conversation. Joining us today on AirTalk to talk about micro-cheating is Rana Coniglio, an Arizona-based therapist who works almost exclusively with Gen Z clients. Also joining us is Claudia de Llano, licensed marriage and family therapist and lecturer at CalState Northridge.
LAHSA releases 2024 homelessness count – here’s what the numbers say
L.A.’s annual point-in-time homelessness count was released Friday, showing a 10% drop in the number of people sleeping outdoors in the city.
It comes after beefed up investments in shelter and longer term housing: Since L.A. Mayor Karen Bass took office in December 2022, the city has invested more than $1 billion to try and address homelessness.
It’s a dramatic shift from last year’s count, which saw a 15% increase in unsheltered homelessness in the city. Meanwhile, the number of people in shelter rose by double digits — reflecting a shift in people moving from the streets to being indoors. Today on AirTalk, we discuss the latest numbers and how they might impact policies moving forward. Joining is L.A. City Councilmember, Nithya Raman, LAist Senior Reporter covering unhoused communities, Nick Gerda, and LAist Housing Reporter, David Wagner. If you have questions or thoughts, call 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
With files from LAist. Read the full story here
Here’s what California bills come into law this month
California has bills coming into effect starting today, ranging from people’s safety to taxes to even new hate crime policies for law enforcement. With most of these laws having been set in stone for some time, the start of the fiscal year means many of these policies have been prepped for business owners and state agencies to set their finances aside to meet their requirements. So helping us to make sense of what’s now officially law starting today is Laura Nelson, staff writer covering politics and campaign finance for the Los Angeles Times.
Exploring the history and science of masturbation
Masturbation has long been a taboo topic shrouded in secrecy, shame and wacky myths. However, many in the medical community say engaging in self-pleasure is healthy and natural. In the new book, DIY: The Wonderfully Weird History and Science of Masturbation (Union Square & Co., 2024), Eric Sprankle, documents the social and scientific history of masturbation, examining the campaigns to suppress masturbation and highlighting the sex educators who counter misinformation with science. Sprankle joins Austin Cross on the show to discuss. If you have questions, call 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
