South Korean government declares emergency martial law
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law Tuesday vowing to eliminate “anti-state” forces as he struggles against an opposition that controls the country’s parliament and which he accuses of sympathizing with communist North Korea. Following Yoon’s announcement, South Korea’s military proclaimed that parliament and other political gatherings that could cause “social confusion” would be suspended, according to the government-funded Yonhap news agency. Today on AirTalk, we speak to UCLA professor of modern Korean history Namhee Lee about this recent development, and help contextualize it.
California will remove a derogatory term for Indigenous women from over 40 location names
A racist term for a Native American woman will be removed from nearly three dozen geographic features and place names on California lands, the state Natural Resources Agency announced Friday. California Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2022 signed a bill into law that bans use of the word “sq_” in future place names and ordered the agency to rename all places that used the slur, including on streets, bridges, public buildings and cemeteries, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday. New names have been selected in consultation with California’s Native American tribes for over 30 locations in 15 counties. The California Advisory Committee on Geographic Names will work to implement approved replacement names by Jan. 1.
Today on AirTalk, we discuss the history of the term and why its removal is important with Caitlin Keliiaa, assistant professor of History at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
With files from the Associated Press.
Where are all the mountain lions? Why the big cats are avoiding humans
Encountering a mountain lion in Southern California is a rare thing — and it turns out they're likely trying to keep it that way. A new study reveals how mountain lions in the greater L.A. area cohabitate with the more than 18 million people hiking, biking, and running around their natural habitats by adjusting their schedules to be more nocturnal. The research, released last month in the Biological Conservation journal, followed animals in the Santa Monica Mountains, the Simi Hills, Griffith Park, Santa Susana Mountains, and the Verdugo Mountains over a more than seven-year period. It found that mountain lions become more nocturnal when living in areas that have higher human recreation when compared to those living in areas with less. Which means we’re unlikely to see them on that weekend hike. But are they actively avoiding us? Joining us today to discuss is the lead author of the study, Ellie Bolas. Also joining us is Beth Pratt, California Regional Executive Director for the National Wildlife Federation.With files from LAist.com.
Republicans in Congress eye an ambitious 100-day agenda, starting with tax cuts
Having won the election and sweeping to power, Republicans are planning an ambitious 100-day agenda with President-elect Donald Trump in the White House and GOP lawmakers in a congressional majority to accomplish their policy goals. Atop the list is the plan to renew some $4 trillion in expiring GOP tax cuts, a signature domestic achievement of Trump’s first term and an issue that may define his return to the White House. The policies emerging will revive long-running debates about America’s priorities, its gaping income inequities and the proper size and scope of its government, especially in the face of mounting federal deficits now approaching $2 trillion a year. What will a second Trump presidency mean for your taxes? Joining us today on AirTalk to discuss is Lisa Mascaro, chief congressional correspondent for the Associated Press.With files from the Associated Press.
How will Trump’s proposed tax cuts impact you? The experts weigh in
In preparation for Trump’s return, Republicans in Congress have been meeting privately for months and with the president-elect to go over proposals to extend and enhance those tax breaks, some of which would otherwise expire in 2025. That means keeping in place various tax brackets and a standardized deduction for individual earners, along with the existing rates for so-called pass-through entities such as law firms, doctors’ offices or businesses that take their earnings as individual income. What will a second Trump presidency mean for your taxes? Joining us today on AirTalk to discuss is Joseph Rosenberg, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.
With files from the Associated Press.
The TV show you started watching because of your partner
Picture it -- you’re sitting on the couch one evening, scrolling your favorite social media platform on your phone or reading a book while your partner watches a TV show, and you start to notice that your attention is drifting toward the TV screen. Maybe you catch yourself and refocus on whatever you were doing, but again and again. your gaze drifts to the TV. And before you know what happened, you’re just as invested as your partner. If this scenario is familiar to you, we want to hear from you! What was the TV show you started watching unintentionally because your partner was watching it? Maybe they just started watching the show on their own, or maybe it was one they asked you about watching together but you declined. Maybe you even scoffed at the very idea that they’d ask you to watch something so outside of your typical TV fare and you’re now having to listen to your partner say sardonically, “So you ARE interested!” Share your story by calling us at 866-893-5722 or by emailing us at atcomments@laist.com.
