University Of Miami President Heads For The West Coast In New Role As UCLA Chancellor
Since last year the regents of the University of California have deliberated a very important hiring decision: new chancellor for UCLA. They unveiled their choice Wednesday at UCLA. It’s Julio Frenk, president of the University of Miami. Frenk will lead one of the country's most competitive public universities. He succeeds Gene Block, a prolific fundraiser who oversaw UCLA for 17 years and grew its enrollment by thousands. The new chancellor’s set to manage growth as new facilities are built out or opened on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and in downtown L.A., West L.A., and Santa Barbara. But some of the most visible images of the campus in recent months have to do with students and faculty protesting Israel's war effort in Gaza. An issue Frenk says he wants to tackle with an existing tolerance program on campus called Dialogue Across Difference that he wants to use to bridge divides. Today on AirTalk we look into who this new chancellor is with LAist higher education correspondent, Adolfo Guzman-Lopez. Questions or comments about the change call 866-893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.
Why Is PTSD On The Rise Among College Students?
One of the most stressful times in the lives of young people are the years spent studying at college. Some new research out of the University of Alabama, Birmingham suggests that in between 2017 and 2022 diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder among college age students more than doubled, hitting its height right as the pandemic shuttered campuses and sent many students home. So with the amount of people diagnosed with PTSD rising so much in recent years, how has the psychiatric field's understanding of the disorder shifted over time? And what is behind this rising trend in PTSD diagnosis among young adults years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Today on AirTalk we look at what it means to carry posttraumatic stress in your life as a younger person. Here to talk about PTSD in adolescents is Lisa Fortuna, professor and chair at the department of psychiatry and neuroscience at the UC Riverside School of Medicine. Also with us to talk about her experiences with young clients is Natalie Wyatt, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist based in Claremont, California. Have questions or experiences with PTSD you’d like to share? Are you in college right now or did you attend college during the height of the pandemic and experience symptoms? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com
How TV Comedies Transformed Gay Rights
From queer-coded characters grappling with identity in shows like Bewitched to the over 40 million viewers that watched Ellen DeGeneres come out on prime-time television, sitcoms have played an important role in America’s evolving understanding of LGBTQ+ issues. But how did we get here?
Through the intimacy of television and the communal spirit of laughter, the TV sitcom of the 60s and 70s paved the way for Americans to welcome controversial subjects, like homosexuality, into their homes. And while these shows were developing queer visibility on the screen, behind-the-scenes creatives were butting heads with the networks that sought to control the narrative of American culture. However, with successful shows like All in the Family and, most importantly, The Golden Girls, queerness became a casual fixture on American television — shaping the way queer topics were discussed in culture.
Joining us today to walk us through the history of queer visibility on American TV sitcoms and its impact on gay rights is Matt Baume, author of the book “Hi Honey, I’m Homo!: Sitcoms, Specials, and the Queering of American Culture.” We also want to hear from you! Were you a writer or actor working on TV productions with early queer representation? Is there a moment or character in queer TV history that stands out to you? Let us know at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com
What's The Deal With Hollywood's Dealmaking?
Hollywood has been on a downturn in recent years. Last year’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes halted film and television production, box office numbers have remained low, and audiences have become fatigued by streaming platforms and rising subscription fees. But business in Hollywood might be looking up thanks to a string of television overall deals. Warner Bros. Television Group signed a multi-year deal with Parks and Recreation writer Alan Yang, Sony Pictures TV signed a two-year deal with long time comedy writer Jessi Klein, and Netflix just signed a four-year deal with The Night Agent creator Shawn Ryan. So, is Hollywood entering a new prosperous age of television?
Today on AirTalk, Sean McNulty of The Ankler’s daily entertainment newsletter The Wakeup joins us to break down the recent deals sprouting up across television and whether Hollywood’s dealmaking days are back.
This story is published in partnership with The Ankler, a paid subscription publication about the entertainment industry.
Jesse Thorn’s Hit Podcast ‘Bullseye’ Is Taping Live At LAist Tonight, And You Can Be There!
These days, just about everyone has a podcast. It’s kind of like the new version of “I’m in a band.” But before shows like Serial and its contemporaries vaulted podcasting into the spotlight, Jesse Thorn was hard at work as one of the pioneers of the then-fledgling field. In 2004, Jesse took what had been his college radio show at UC Santa Cruz, The Sound of Young America, and made it available as a podcast. The show eventually got the attention of executives at Public Radio International, who began to distribute it in 2007. That made Jesse the youngest national host in public radio history, The Sound of Young America eventually became Bullseye in 2012, and today Jesse is still going strong as the host of Bullseye, which is just one of the shows in Jesse’s hosting portfolio. Tonight at LAist’s Crawford Family Forum, you can come watch an OG of podcasting in action during a live taping of Bullseye with special guest Paul Scheer, who will be talking about his new memoir Joyful Recollections of Trauma.
Today on AirTalk, Jesse joins us to preview tonight’s event and look back on the history of Bullseye and his podcasting career.
For more information on tonight’s event, or to get tickets, click here.
From Tasty 8 To Flavorful 4: Competition Heats Up In LAists Tournament of Cheeseburgers
What was once 32 of Southern California’s most flavorful burgers has been whittled down to eight, and will be just four by tomorrow afternoon. Big burger businesses like In-N-Out have been knocked out of the running with the remaining eight being represented by independent businesses spread throughout Los Angeles county. Those eight are: Bartz Barbecue, Burgers For Life, El Brewjo, Hammer Burger, Hangaburs, Proudly Serving, Yellow Paper Burger, and local Pasadena joint Yuca’s. Here to talk about everyone’s favorite german delicacy and when and where the champion will be crowned is Gab Chabrán, LAist associate food and culture editor. Have questions about the remaining burgers? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com
TV-Talk: ‘Presumed Innocent,’ ‘House Of The Dragon,’ ‘The Boys’ And More
The days are longer and the nights are shorter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get cozy for summer’s best new television series. Each week, we try to break through the noise with TV watchers who can point us to the must-sees and steer us clear of the shows that maybe don’t live up to the hype. This week, we discuss with Melanie McFarland, TV critic for Salon and Eric Deggans, TV critic for NPR.
Today’s shows include:
- Presumed Innocent (Apple TV+)
- House of the Dragon (HBO Max)
- Hitler and the Nazis (Netflix)
- The Boys (Amazon Prime)
