With the conclave underway, we ask listeners what they want out of the new Pope.
While the world is still grappling with the death of Pope Francis last month, the Catholic church has been working through its traditional process to pick a new pope. The undertaking is nearing its culmination, and an election system known as a conclave, with electors composed of the church’s top cardinals, begins today in Vatican City. The conclave could see a new Pope elected as early as today, but history suggests the cardinals’ voting will take at least a few days. Once a Pope has been declared, the church’s senior cardinal deacon will present him to the world on a balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square, and announce in Latin, “We have a pope!” Sounds easy enough, but the church has centuries of traditions and precedents set for how an election of this magnitude is to operate. At the end of the opaque vote, a clear vision of how the church wants to be seen in the years ahead emerges. Joining AirTalk today to talk about the conclave, what listeners can expect out of it, and where the Catholic church goes from here is Jennifer Hughes, Professor of History at UC Riverside, and Father Juan Ochoa, Director of Office for Divine Worship for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. We also want to hear from you! What changes — if any — do you want this next Pope to make in the church? Do you want them to continue the work of Pope Francis, or distance the church from it? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.
Aging Series: The economics of an aging population
By 2030, every baby boomer will have crossed the age 65-years-old mark. That’s according to the US Census Bureau. By 2040, it’s projected that the number of Americans over 65 will more than double, reaching 80 million. Simply put, Americans are getting older. What does that mean for housing, healthcare, businesses, etc.? What are the opportunities and the drawbacks of an aging population? Today, for our aging series, we’re discussing the economics of an aging population. Joining us today on AirTalk are Ron Lee, professor emeritus of demography and economics at UC Berkeley, and Joe Coughlin, director of the AgeLab at MIT and author of the book Longevity Hubs: Regional Innovation for Global Aging. What’s been the biggest financial surprise for you as you age? Call us at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
Whistleblowers say LA’s top homeless official engaged in major misconduct
LA’s top homeless services official Va Lecia Adams Kellum engaged in major misconduct, including hiring unqualified friends into powerful positions, trying to destroy public records and behaving inappropriately at a conference, according to two whistleblower claim letters obtained by LAist. The letters were written by an attorney on behalf of two former L.A. Homeless Services Authority employees who alleged they were wrongfully fired for speaking up against wrongdoing by Adams Kellum. Written claims such as these are a required step before filing a lawsuit against a local government in California. LAHSA arranged for $800,000 to be paid to the whistleblowers — former chief financial and administrative officer Kristina Dixon and former top IT and data official Emily Vaughn Henry — to settle the claims before they became public lawsuits. The settlement amount is equivalent to what it costs to shelter as many as 40 unhoused people for a year, according to a recent audit’s summary of shelter costs. LAist correspondent Nick Gerda has been covering the latest with this story. He joins to discuss the details. If you have questions, call 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
Alcatraz has long been used as a tourist attraction, but can it be rebuilt into a functional prison?
President Donald Trump says he is directing his government to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the notorious former prison on a hard-to-reach California island off San Francisco that has been closed for more than 60 years. The announcement was made on his Truth Social page, noting that the prison would be meant to house the country’s “most dangerous” criminals. Although the island has still been open, it’s been only in the capacity as a tourist attraction; if it were to reopen as a prison, the effort would require investment that has yet to be quantified by the Trump Administration. With Alcatraz now making its way back to headlines, we thought this would be a good opportunity to discuss the island’s long history. We’ll get the latest on President Trump’s proposed reopening of Alcatraz with Michael Sisak, Associated Press reporter covering law enforcement and the courts. We’ll also dig into Alcatraz’s rich history with historian John A. Martini.
Hitchhiking got a bad rap. Does anyone still do it?
Hitchhiking as a means of transportation has declined for decades. But there was a time when sticking out your thumb on the side of the road was a normal sight. Every once in a while, something went haywire – think serial killer vibes – but that wasn’t the norm. The majority of people who hitchhiked got from location A to B with success. Today on AirTalk we want to hear from you. What is your best hitchhiking experience? What did you get out of it? Call us at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com. Joining us today on AirTalk is Andrew Fedorov, freelance writer and editor-in-chief of the no-money-travel newsletter “Drifter.” His recent piece in The Atlantic is titled “Does Anyone Still Hitchhike?”
