USC Community Reacts To Cancellation Of Valedictorian's Graduation Speech
The news that USC had rescinded its offer for valedictorian Asna Tabassum to deliver a commencement speech spread quickly among students Monday evening on social media, through friends, and in the Daily Trojan. In a statement announcing the cancellation of her speech, USC Provost Andrew T. Guzman cited safety concerns, referencing campus tensions across the country related to the Israel-Hamas War. Some students noted that if the decision was about safety, the university knows how to take precautions; it hosted former President Barack Obama last year when he was on campus to watch his daughter graduate. Joining us today on AirTalk to discuss the on-campus impact is Jaweed Kaleem, national correspondent at the Los Angeles Times who’s been covering this story.
Read the full LAist story here.
The Dream And Demise Of The LA’s Bicycle Freeway, The California Cycleway
It's hard to imagine, but before Los Angeles went completely car-centric there was another travel obsession: Bicycles. The craze took off in the 1890s, and the boom was so big that cities around the nation formed bicycle clubs, including ones in L.A. County. There were about 30,000 cyclists between L.A. and Pasadena, and the latter boasted its own track for riders to race on. Bikes were great for short treks, but long-distance travel remained challenging. Traversing around the hills from Pasadena to L.A. was a bit of a time-consuming feat and the roads weren’t that safe for bikes. So one man had a big idea: A 9-mile elevated path for riders and other horse-less vehicles to get from Pasadena to downtown L.A. The California Cycleway, as it was called, was hailed as a marvel of transportation design and believed to be the first in America. So with so much excitement, what happened? And why aren’t we cycling on it today?
Today on AirTalk, LAist’s L.A. Explained reporter Caitlin Hernández joins us to share the story of how the California Cycleway came to be, and what ultimately led to its unfortunate demise.
With files from Caitlin Hernandez at LAist.com. Read their full story here.
Freezing Embryos. What If You Break Up?
More people are opting to have kids later in life which means some are taking advantage of medical advances that increase the chances of success: freezing eggs or sperm or creating embryos through in vitro fertilization (IVF), a process where an embryo is created in a lab using an egg and sperm. Some couples have decided to freeze their embryos, but what happens when the creators disagree on the future of said embryos? It can start with a break up and end with a legal battle. Today on AirTalk, we look at the process of freezing embryos and the legal intricacies involved. Joining is Dr. Kelly Baek, reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at California Fertility Partners, and Lori Meyers, partner of International Fertility Law Group (IFLG). Have you gone through the process of freezing embryos or are you considering it? What was the experience like? What were the legal agreements in place? Share by calling 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
Questions Swirled About Millions Of Tax Dollars In OC. After Months Of Silence, A Key Figure Weighs In
An Orange County supervisor’s daughter at the center of a controversy over what happened to millions of taxpayer dollars told LAist she had a limited role in the nonprofit that handled the money, despite records stating otherwise. Rhiannon Do, in her first public statements since LAist started reporting on questions about the spending in November, also said she no longer works for the organization, Viet America Society (VAS). Do previously did not respond to LAist, but answered some questions by email early this month. She told LAist: “It has been amply shown that I was never an officer or director for VAS.” She did not provide information showing that was the case. Public records obtained by LAist show Do signed as Viet America Society’s president on two mental health services subcontracts funded by the county. Records provided by the nonprofit to the county also list her as one of its three directors and officers this past October, and state that she was appointed to another year as an officer. And she was reported as the group’s only director and officer on the original version of its public tax filing for 2022. Joining us today on AirTalk to discuss his reporting on the topic is LAist senior reporter for unhoused communities, Nick Gerda.
Read the full LAist story here.
How Will The Clippers and Lakers Fare In The Playoffs?
LAs two favorite basketball teams are headed to the NBA playoffs. The Lakers have their first game against the Denver Nuggets in Colorado on Saturday, meanwhile the Clippers get home court advantage against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. Heading into the playoffs there’s been uncertainty about Kawhi Leonard’s availability for the first game against the Mavs, but coach Tyronn Lue says he’s “preparing to have him on the court”. The Lakers are eager for a chance at redemption in their game against the defending NBA champions, hoping to make up for the 4-0 sweep from last spring’s Western Conference finals.
Today on AirTalk we talk about the Lakers and Clippers performances during the regular season and what they tell us about how they’ll do as they both head into the postseason. Joining us to talk about the Clippers is Law Murray, staff writer for The Athletic covering the LA Clippers. Also with us is Dan Woike, Lakers beat writer for the Los Angeles Times. Have questions or comments about LAs chances in the NBA playoffs give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
TV-Talk: Three Shows To Watch And More
Have you felt completely overwhelmed when deciding what new show to watch these days? Us too. There’s just so much content out there between network TV and numerous streaming platforms. Each week, we will 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, listeners will get the latest scoop on what’s worth watching with Danette Chavez, editor-in-chief at Primetimer, and Dominic Patten, senior editor for Deadline.
This week’s shows include:
- Big Mood (Tubi)
- Dinner With the Parents (Freevee)
- Manhunt [Season Finale] (Apple TV+)
- Ctrl+Alt+Desire (Paramount+)
