Breaking Down LA County’s Recently Released Hate Crime Statistics & Rise In Antisemitic Attacks Nationwide
Yesterday, the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations released its 2021 Hate Crime Report, noting that the number of reported hate crimes rose from 641 to 786, the highest since 2002. The most targeted group in 2021 hates crimes were the Black community; the other most targeted groups included the LGBTQ, Mexican, and Jewish communities. Earlier in the year, the Anti-Defamation League had seen antisemitic attacks reach an all-time high in the country. This news comes at a time where Kanye West is making antisemetic remarks and Twitter sees an increase in antisemetic posts following Elon’s Musk purchase of the platform. So we begin the conversation there.
Today on AirTalk, we discuss these recent crimes statistics with Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations executive director Robin Toma and Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at CSU San Bernardino. We also discuss the increase of antisemitic attacks with ADL-LA regional director Jeffrey Abrams, IKAR’s Rabbi Sharon Brous, and Zev Yaroslavsky, director of the LA Initiative at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.
Teen Brains Have Aged Significantly Over The Course Of The Pandemic A New Study Finds
The COVID-19 pandemic affected many people’s physical and mental health, with several studies showing increases in anxiety, depression, and risk of chronic illness. A new study published in Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science shows the physical effects the pandemic has had on adolescent brains with teens showing premature aging of about three years, a rate that is usually seen in teens who suffer chronic stress, trauma, and abuse. The study scanned the brains of 128 participants with images indicating accelerated growth in areas of the brain that regulate memories and emotions such as fear and stress. Such premature aging often causes increased anxiety and depression. So, what are the long term effects on adolescents who experienced the pandemic? How might it impact this generation in the future?
Here to talk about the study’s findings and what it could mean for this generation of adolescents moving forward are Ian Gotlib, professor of psychology at Stanford University & lead author of the study, and Dr. Yana J. Tavyev,, director of pediatric neurology at Cedars Sinai.
New Podcast ‘LA Made: Blood, Sweat & Rockets’ Lifts Off From LAist Studios With The Story Of A Real Life Suicide Squad
The phrase “Suicide Squad” might conjure up images of the DC Comics supervillain team that includes Harley Quinn, the Joker or Killer Croc, but it might surprise you to learn that the original “Suicide Squad” was actually a group of young chemists, engineers and mathematicians in Southern California who…really just liked to blow stuff up. They entered the field of rocket science at a time when it wasn’t even considered a discipline within science, founded a little place called the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and ultimately laid the groundwork for the creation of NASA and all of the important missions it has undertaken in the pursuit of understanding our galaxy. Their story is the subject in “Blood, Sweat & Rockets,” the first season of LAist Studios new podcast “L.A. Made,” which debuted in November and is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. It’s a story of science, physics, explosions, communism, and even…sexmagick. You’ll have to tune in to find out exactly what that is.
Today on AirTalk, Larry speaks with writer and space exploration fanatic M.G. Lord, the host of “Blood, Sweat & Rockets” about how she discovered the story behind the podcast, how she and her team went about telling it and some of the characters and major themes you’ll hear along the way as you listen to Season 1 of “L.A. Made.”
TV-Talk: ‘South Side,’ ‘The White Lotus’ Season 2 Finale, ‘1899’ & 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’re going to 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, Larry talks to Vulture tv critic Roxana Hadadi and Danette Chavez, editor-in-chief at Primetimer & board member for the Television Critics Association.