COVID-19: Spring Season Brings New Omicron Surge To California
For about a month now, COVID-19 cases have been rising steadily around the country, including in Southern California. Right now, Los Angeles has a 7-day average of nearly 3,000 COVID-19 cases, Orange and Riverside counties have seen relatively lower increases, with an average of more than 600 and 400 respectively. What’s behind California’s rise in cases, and how does what’s happening in Southern California compare to what’s happening in other parts of the country? In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with KPCC & LAist senior health reporter Jackie Fortiér and Dr. Dean Blumberg, professor of medicine and chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital.
More Teens Are Turning To TikTok And Online Providers For ADHD Diagnoses, Treatment. Should They?
Many teens are turning to TikTok, social media and online providers to learn more about ADHD and other mental health and neurological disorders. But experts worry about the misinformation, exaggeration of symptoms and misdiagnoses that can come with these quick-hit posts or short telehealth visits, especially when they lead to new prescriptions for adolescents. Today on AirTalk, we’ll talk to Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington Maggie Sibley, John Piacentini, UCLA Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Southern California, Julie Dopheide, to hear more about the benefits and downfalls of ADHD treatment in the internet age.
California Gas Prices Hit Record High Average. How Are You Being Impacted?
The June primary is coming up and many people have received their mail-in ballots at home. Here at KPCC and LAist, we’re shifting the focus of our political coverage away from politicians and toward voters. To that end, we asked listeners and readers to tell us what’s important to you this election season, and the questions and comments we received fell largely into four key topics, what we’re calling “destiny issues”: housing and homelessness, systemic racism, equitable economies, and education. So here on AirTalk, we’re spending the month before the primary drilling down on each of those four areas.
Today, we look at the soaring cost of gas and its impact on Southern California families. The average gas price per gallon increased to more than $6.00 in California, hitting a record high. That’s according to AAA. In Los Angeles, the average is about $6.09, compared to the national average of nearly $4.60. Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed an $18.1 billion relief package as an effort to address rising costs and inflation. Ben Lefebvre, energy reporter focused on business and politics at POLITICO, joins Larry to discuss the latest with gas prices and how the Biden administration and national leaders are reacting. Plus, we hear from listeners about how the increase in gas prices is affecting their bottom line.
Our newsroom is getting you ready for the primary with our new “Voter Game Plan”... right now at LAist.com/votergameplan, you’ll find interviews with four of the leading candidates for Los Angeles mayor, along with information on how to vote and the issues at stake.
AirTalk Honors The Local Heroes Making A Difference Around Southern California
The news is a lot to handle right now, so on Airtalk, we’re setting aside time each week to talk about some of the positives, like all the good people doing great things across Southern California. We asked you to help us shine a spotlight on your local heroes, and we received a lot of great submissions. Today on AirTalk, we're speaking with Frank Miuccio, vice-president of the Reaction Research Society, Inc, where he shares his knowledge and love for rockets with underserved youth in Compton, Watts, & Boyle Heights.
You can find more information on his organization here.
To help us shine a spotlight on your local hero, go to kpcc.org/airtalk. You’ll find a link right under our show description where you can nominate your local hero. And they could be interviewed here on AirTalk. We’re hoping to do one of these each week, and we can’t do it without your help.
From Hollywood To Washington: Filmmaker George Stevens Jr. On His New Memoir
Writer, playwright, director, and producer George Stevens Jr. was born into a film family. His father was the legendary director of “Shane,” “Giant,” and “The Diary of Anne Frank.” And for a while, it looked like Stevens would follow in his footsteps. But life had other plans. In 1962, broadcaster Edward R. Murrow recruited Stevens for the U.S. Information Agency, with the goal of using film to advance American diplomacy around the world. He went on to found the American Film Institute and co-create the Kennedy Center Honors while continuing to produce, direct, and write films and miniseries. His life and careers are detailed in a new memoir, “My Place in the Sun: Life in the Golden Age of Hollywood and Washington” (University of Kentucky Press, 2022). Today on Airtalk, Larry talks with Stevens about his life, career, and the power of film.