How Much Can The Rittenhouse And Arbery Trials Teach Us About Justice In America?
After a 13-day trial and 10-hours of deliberation, a jury last Wednesday convicted three white men in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man running empty-handed through a Georgia subdivision. The three men - who did not know Arbery - chased him, trapped him, and shot him. Greg McMichael and his son Travis McMichael told police they suspected Arbery was a burglar. But the prosecution argued there was no evidence Arbery had committed any crimes in the neighborhood, and that the men - plus their neighbor William “Roddie Bryan” - provoked the confrontation. All three now face a mandatory sentence of life in prison; the judge will decide whether they’ll have the possibility of parole. The verdict in this case - and the vastly different outcome in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin - highlight issues of guns, self-defense laws, and racial injustice in America. Today on AirTalk, Larry discusses what the cases show us about justice in America with USC professor of law Jody Armour and NYC-based attorney Sarah Lustbader, who recently wrote about this topic for the New York Times Op-Ed section.
With files from the Associated Press
Out Of Lockdown But Don’t Want To Do Anything? You May Be Languishing
With vaccines now widely available for most age groups, many of our normal pre-pandemic activities are possible again: Indoor dining, concerts, even just meeting up with friends for coffee are all back on the table. But even though you CAN get back out into the world you may not WANT to. Instead of jumping at the chance to reenter society, would you rather just jump back into bed? This sort of feeling is often referred to aslanguishing — a sort of midpoint between depression and flourishing. You’re not exactly sad, but then again you’re not as motivated as you used to be. While languishing on its own isn’t always a bad thing, there are steps you can take to get out of these funks.
Today on AirTalk, Larry speaks with Meghan Shafer, licensed psychotherapist, about languishing, how to overcome it, and when these sorts of feelings point to larger mental health issues.
Musical Theater Legend Stephen Sondheim Dies. Listeners Share Their Favorite Songs In Memory
Stephen Sondheim, the songwriter who reshaped the American musical theater in the second half of the 20th century with his intelligent, intricately rhymed lyrics, his use of evocative melodies and his willingness to tackle unusual subjects, has died. He was 91.
Sondheim’s death was announced by Rick Miramontez, president of DKC/O&M. Sondheim’s Texas-based attorney, Rick Pappas, told The New York Times the composer died Friday at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut. Sondheim influenced several generations of theater songwriters, particularly with such landmark musicals as “Company,” “Follies” and “Sweeney Todd,” which are considered among his best work. His most famous ballad, “Send in the Clowns,” has been recorded hundreds of times, including by Frank Sinatra and Judy Collins.
With files from the Associated Press
USC To Fight On Behind New Head Coach, Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley -- What His Hiring Means For Trojan Football And The CFB Landscape
Southern California desperately wanted a marquee head coach after more than a decade of underachievement and embarrassment. The Trojans landed one of the biggest, brightest names in the game.
USC hired Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley on Sunday in a stunning and rare move of one traditional college football powerhouse swiping another's highly accomplished coach. Riley went 55-10 in five seasons leading the Sooners, winning four Big 12 titles and making three College Football Playoff appearances in his first head coaching job. USC sold the 38-year-old Texan on the chance to return the Trojans to their glory days as an annual national championship contender and the West Coast's premier program. Riley “will immediately transition to USC,” according to the school's statement. Interim coach Donte Williams will lead the Trojans (4-7, 3-5 Pac-12) in their season finale at California on Saturday night. Today on AirTalk, Larry talks about the new hire and its implications for USC, the PAC-12, and the college football picture with Antonio Morales, reporter covering USC for The Athletic and ESPN college football reporter Paolo Uggetti.
With files from the Associated Press
Orange County Approves Majority-Latino District As Voting Power Changes
For the first time, the Orange County Board of Supervisors created a majority-Latino district in a historic vote last week (Monday). The L.A Times reports the new map known as 5A1 creates a district in which 63-percent of voting-age residents are Latino. The redrawn boundaries include Santa Ana, portions of Anaheim, Garden Grove, Tustin, and Orange. Advocates say this could help Latinos elect candidates who can better advocate for their communities and address their specific concerns over housing and healthcare. 5A1 also gives Asian American voters more power. The district - which includes Fountain Valley, Midway City, Westminster, and a portion of Garden Grove - will now have Asian Americans make up 33% of voters. But not everyone is happy about these new revisions. Irvine, one of the fastest-growing cities in the country with a large Asian American and Democratic electorate—remains split between two districts. Joining us to break it down is Orange County Register reporter Alicia Robinson, who has been closely following the board’s decision.
COVID-19 AMA: What We Do And Don’t Know About The Omicron Variant, And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Dean Blumberg, professor medicine and chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital.
Topics today include:
Omicron variant spreads around the world
- How big a threat is the Omicron variant? W.H.O. warns it poses a “very high” global risk
- How the Omicron variant rattled the world in one week
- Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna expect data on their vaccines’ protections against the new variant soon
- What California is doing to defend against the Omicron variant
- Video: Where do variants come from?
- In naming the Omicron variant, authorities skipped “xi” and “nu”
- Merck updates data on the effectiveness of its COVID-19 pill
- Enforcement of L.A.’s COVID vaccine mandate for indoor businesses starts today
- Is California in a better place this year than we were this time last year?
- How Puerto Rico became the most vaccinated place in America