President Biden Nominates L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti for Ambassadorship to India
After months of speculation, it’s official: President Biden on Friday nominated Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as the next ambassador to India. The news comes during a rocky time in Garcetti’s tenure: last month, his chief of staff was placed on administrative leave for inappropriate comments she made about city staff, elected officials, and the labor icon Dolores Huerta. Members of his staff are also being deposed in a lawsuit that accuses Garcetti and his inner circle of tolerating sexual harassment by a top aide and major fundraiser. Those controversies could complicate Garcetti’s confirmation by the U.S. Senate. If he is confirmed, Garcetti will leave City Hall more than a year ahead of schedule - his second term isn’t due to end until December 2022 - and that raises a lot of questions about the future of Los Angeles politics. Today on AirTalk, we dive into it all: the news, the controversies, and the impact on LA City Hall.
GUESTS:
Libby Denkmann, KPCC senior politics reporter; she tweets @libdenk.
Fernando Guerra, professor of political science and Chicano/Latino studies and director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University; emeritus member of the KPCC Board of Trustees
Raphe Sonenshein, Executive Director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State LA. He tweets @RSonensheinPBI.
COVID-19 AMA: 3,000 New Cases In Three Days — What To Make Of LA County’s COVID Spike And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Huntington Hospital infectious disease specialist Dr. Kimberly Shriner.
Topics today include:
- L.A. County’s case spike -- 3,000 new cases in three days
- Dr. Fauci says booster shots are not recommended “right now”
- A COVID-19 breathalyzer? Scientists are working on it.
- The rationing of last resort COVID treatments
- The increased risk to unvaccinated people as herd immunity stalls amid Delta variant
GUEST:
Kimberly Shriner, M.D., infectious disease specialist at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena
Local Colleges, Universities On How They’re Preparing To Take On Potential Learning Loss In Incoming Class
After being away from a formal classroom setting for more than a year, colleges and universities across Southern California and the country are preparing to welcome a freshman class that could be dealing with varying degrees of learning loss due to the educational restrictions posed by the pandemic. Today on AirTalk, we’ll speak with representatives from a handful of local colleges and universities to get a sense of how administrators, faculty, staff and students are approaching this for the fall semester.
GUESTS:
Jennifer Brown, vice provost and dean of undergraduate education at the University of California, Riverside, where she is also a professor in the School of Public Policy
Ernesto Guerrero, director of academic advising at California State University, Channel Islands
Nohel Corral, interim vice president of student services at Long Beach City College
Carolyn Brighouse, associate dean for student academic affairs and professor of philosophy and cognitive science at Occidental College
Tara Giblin, dean of mathematics and sciences at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa
Open Phones: What Pre-Pandemic Practices Are You Reconsidering Post-Pandemic?
Free food samples recently returned to Costco, and makeup counters are starting to provide samples again as well. But after more than a year of avoiding shared spaces and items, do you still want those items? Will you go back to blowing out birthday candles, eating at buffets, or taking a cruise? Today on AirTalk, we want to hear from you: what pre-pandemic practices are you reconsidering post-pandemic?