Sen. Alex Padilla on latest SCOTUS immigration decision and more
Los Angeles’ mayor and leaders from several immigrant rights groups on Monday denounced the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to allow federal immigration agents to racially profile people in Southern California, calling it a blow to civil rights. The high court granted the Trump administration’s emergency request to lift a temporary restraining order issued by U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong that barred government agents from engaging in “roving patrols” and detaining people based on their appearance. The court said federal immigration officers can briefly detain and interrogate people about whether they are in the U.S. legally, relying on a “totality of circumstances” standard for reasonable suspicion. The justices voted, 6-3, in favor of letting the immigration operations continue as they did in early summer.
With files from LAist. Read more here.
Why are California’s science test scores still falling short?
California introduced a new science curriculum back in 2013 called the Next Generation Science Standards. The curriculum emphasized more hands-on and interactive learning and was an attempt to help address the de-valuing of science education. But now, over a decade since it was first implemented, California’s science test scores have seen little improvement. Even taking into account drops related to the COVID-19 pandemic, science is still falling behind other subjects. Education experts cite lack of funding and lack of teacher training as factors holding the curriculum back. Today on AirTalk, we discuss what the science curriculum is and why it has improved students’ test scores as educators hoped. Joining us to discuss are Carolyn Jones, K-12 education reporter for CalMatters, and Jessica Sawko, education director for Children Now, a research and advocacy organization.
You can read more about the challenges facing California's science curriculum from Carolyn’s piece here.
Folks: we have a millennial saint. How Catholic sainthood is evolving
Pope Leo XIV declared a 15-year-old computer whiz the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint Sunday, giving the next generation of Catholics a relatable role model who used technology to spread the faith and earn the nickname “God’s influencer.” Leo canonized Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006, during an open-air Mass in St. Peter’s Square before an estimated 80,000 people, many of them millennials and couples with young children. During the first saint-making Mass of his pontificate, Leo also canonized another popular Italian figure who died young, Pier Giorgio Frassati. Leo said both men created “masterpieces” out of their lives by dedicating them to God. “The greatest risk in life is to waste it outside of God’s plan,” Leo said in his homily. The new saints “are an invitation to all of us, especially young people, not to squander our lives, but to direct them upwards and make them masterpieces.” At the same time, the Los Angeles Archdiocese has opened a new chapel inside of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles honoring young saints including St. Carlo Acutis.
Today on AirTalk, we’re breaking down the church’s moves here with Joshua McElwee, Reuters reporter covering the Vatican and Father Juan Ochoa, director of the office of worship for the archdiocese of Los Angeles,
With files from the Associated Press.
How to discuss the grief of suicide
It’s safe to say that all of us will, and likely already have, experienced grief from the loss of a loved one. Fewer of us, however, will experience a specific type of grief caused by suicide. September is National Suicide Awarness month, so with that in mind, we’re taking a moment to discuss how to talk about suicide with loved ones, and how the grief journey might look different. Back in 2022, suicide rates in the U.S. reached an all time high of 49,476 people. For context, that’s approximately one death every 11 minutes, according to the Center for Disease Control. The latest data from 2023 shows just a slight decrease, but numbers are still high, with men making up 80% of suicides despite being 50% of the population. Data consistently shows that LGBTQ+ individuals face even higher risk of suicide. It is amongst the leading causes of death. Joining us for the conversation is Jennifer White, licensed marriage and family therapist, specializing in traumatic grief and survivors of suicide loss and John Sovec, a licensed therapist, counselor and coach who specializes in working with LGBTQIA+ teens and their families. Have you navigated the loss of a loved one to suicide? What helped you in your grief journey? Call us at 866-893-5722.
If you or someone you know needs immediate mental health counseling, you can dial 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Should sirens return as an emergency alert?
Cellphones these days are for everything, and one of their most important functions has become emergency alert systems. Cellphone alerts are far from foolproof, though, as we experienced during January’s devastating fires. In West Altadena, warnings came too late or not at all. Cell service went out in many cases. Not everyone has access to a smartphone or is signed up for alerts. After January’s fires, many survivors I spoke with asked: Why don’t we use tornado sirens like communities in the Midwest to warn of fires? The answer, as usual, is complicated. Joining us to get into why is LAist climate and environment reporter Erin Stone, whose most recent piece is on this topic.
With files from LAist, read her reporting by clicking here.
In your opinion, what neighborhoods in SoCal have the best food scenes?
Many regions in California get hyped up for their diverse food scenes, with Southern California being heavily discussed. Although the Latino, specifically Mexican-American, influence is quite prominent, the variety of ethnic enclaves in the region has led to a variety of food establishments that are considered to be the best in the nation. One example that LAist food & culture writer Gab Chabran cites is Long Beach, which is one of the most diverse areas in Los Angeles, with a food culture that continues to excite him and other foodies. So that got us thinking, what neighborhoods in SoCal do you think have the best food scenes? Share yours with us and Gab by calling 866-893-5722 or emailing us at atcomments@laist.com.
