The role of the family caregiver in dementia care
The tragic passing of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, has put a focus on the important role family caregivers provide to loved ones living with dementia. For many, caregivers are the daily unsung heroes taking on the emotional and physical demands behind the scenes — devoting personal time, energy, and finances to their loved one’s care. Today on AirTalk, we’re taking a look at the role of family caregivers, how they can be supported, what they should know, and what caregivers should consider to avoid tragic circumstances. Joining us to talk about it is Heather Young, professor and dean emerita at the UC Davis School of Nursing and associate director of UC Davis’ Family Caregiving Institute. Are you a caregiver for a spouse or loved one? What has been your experience? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
What is with all the meetings at work?
Some days going to work just means shuffling in and out of different meetings all day. You go to work to discuss work more than actually do the work. While meetings can be helpful to ensure company synergy, check in on employees' progress, and build team morale, they can become an unnecessary hour suck of your day. Today on AirTalk, we want to talk about meeting culture. How do you feel about work meetings? How many meetings does your company do a week? Do you find them helpful? Too long? Better explained in an email? Give us your thoughts at 866-893-5722. Or, if you're too busy in a meeting, you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.
Imperfect Paradise: AI in Hollywood
Generative AI was a major negotiation point during the 2023 writers and actors strikes in Hollywood. The AI in filmmaking debate sparked again when the editor of The Brutalist, Dávid Jancsó, admitted to using the AI tool Respeecher to clean up the Hungarian accents and pronunciations of the principal actors in the film, Adrian Brody and Felicity Jones. There were some that believed the use of AI should disqualify The Brutalist from receiving an Oscar. Although instances of AI in films have been limited to use in these more technical aspects to assist worker efficiency, many fear that its use will soon ramp up and start replacing the workers themselves. The sector most at risk is animation, whose images are not owned by the artists and are easier for AI to replicate without crossing into the uncanny valley. Today on AirTalk, we’re joined by Emily Guerin, correspondent for LAist Studios’ weekly narrative podcast, Imperfect Paradise, to talk about her new two-part series examining the uses of AI in Hollywood from the early adopters to the industry skeptics. Also with us are Sam Tung, a storyboard artist who works in film, animation, and video games, and Jason Zada, chief creative officer of Secret Level, the leading AI-native entertainment production company.
The first episode of Imperfect Paradise: AI in Hollywood is out now. You can listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. The second episode will be available Wednesday, March 19.
Mark Duplass joins to discuss new project ‘Good American Family’
In the new Hulu limited series, Good American Family, Mark Duplass, and Ellen Pompeo portray Kristine and Michael Bartnett, two parents whose adoption of a child with dwarfism became the subject of headlines. Over the course of the 8-episode series, questions begin to arise from the Bartnett parents on whether their adopted child, Natalia Grace, is who they think she is. Given the high profile of this original story and its subsequent court order, it makes sense for it to be told in a limited series format. So today on AirTalk, we welcome Good American Family star Mark Duplass, as he shares the work that went into making this adaptation feel as tense as the story itself.
The first two episodes of Good American Family premiere on Hulu next Wednesday, March 19. Subsequent episodes will be released weekly.
The US military has been struggling to recruit for years. Will it bounce back with Trump?
In his address to Congress last week, President Trump stated that the U.S. military is having “among the best recruiting results ever in the history of our services.” While it’s true that the military saw an uptick in recruitment during the 2024 fiscal year, the broader context shows a struggle across the branches to meet recruiting numbers. This downtown began after World War II, when recruiting the US military had 12 million active-duty members. Today it has 1.3 million. What accounts for the dwindling numbers of rank and file? Is it our changing foreign policy and military operations? Is it the all-volunteer force? Or maybe lackluster patriotism? Perhaps a combination of all three reasons and more. Joining us this morning on AirTalk to discuss the state of military recruiting in the US is a staff writer for The New Yorker and author of the book The Forever War, Dexter Filkins.
