AirTalk

A ransomware attack on the world’s largest meat processing company disrupted production around the world just weeks after a similar incident shut down a U.S. oil pipeline.

Brazil’s JBS SA, however, said late Tuesday that it had made “significant progress” in dealing with the cyberattack and expects the “vast majority” of its plants to be operating on Wednesday. Earlier, the White House said JBS had notified the U.S. of a ransom demand from a criminal organization likely based in Russia. White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the White House and the Department of Agriculture have been in touch with the company several times this week. JBS is the second-largest producer of beef, pork and chicken in the U.S. If it were to shut down for even one day, the U.S. would lose almost a quarter of its beef-processing capacity, or the equivalent of 20,000 beef cows, according to Trey Malone, an assistant professor of agriculture at Michigan State University. The closures reflect the reality that modern meat processing plants are heavily automated, for both food- and worker-safety reasons. Computers collect data at multiple stages of the production process, and orders, billing, shipping and other functions are all electronic. JBS said the cyberattack affected servers supporting its operations in North America and Australia. Backup servers weren’t affected and it said it was not aware of any customer, supplier or employee data being compromised. Today on AirTalk, we talk with experts about the incident, its significance and whether there’s concerns about similar and more frequent attacks in the future. 

With files from the Associated Press 

Guests: 

Robert Stasio, fellow at the Truman National Security Project, a national security think tank; former U.S. army cyber officer and former chief of operations for one of NSA’s cyber centers 

Hal Kempfer, CEO of Global Risk Intelligence and Planning (GRIP), a management consulting firm based in Long Beach, retired Marine lieutenant colonel; he has worked in military support for homeland security and defense both as an active member of the military and as a civilian; he tweets @kippinc

The year 2020 saw yet another decline in the American birth rate, which has been falling well below replacement rates for years and shows no sign of increasing.

Although 2020’s data is significant, it is a small drop in a much larger trend of decline. To many, this sounds concerning— a growing population means a larger workforce and greater output, and therefore a growing economy— but many experts say the forecast is not so grim as it might first appear. Technological innovation can make up the economic fallout from a declining population, and then some. And part of the reason women are having fewer kids is because they are working and finding greater fulfillment outside the home, which is an irrefutable social gain. On the flip side, however, prices of homes, healthcare, child care and other necessities have inflated while wages have largely stagnated, making it difficult for families to take care of new members, particularly if either parent plans to stay home. And although the planet cannot sustain an endlessly growing population, a birth rate reduction will not actually have much of an effect of climate change, whereas a strategic appropriation of resources among the world’s population would.

Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about what declining birth rates might mean for the environment, gender equity and the national economy. Questions? Give us a call at 866-893-5722.

Guests:

Phillip Levine, professor of economics at Wellesley College and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, where he co-authored the report “Will births in the US rebound? Probably not.”; he tweets @phil_wellesley

Sarah Jane Glynn, sociologist and senior fellow at the Center for American Progress who specializes in gender and the economy; she tweets @SarahJaneGlynn

Anu Ramaswami, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Princeton University, whose research centers on sustainable urban infrastructure systems; she tweets @AnuRamaswami

Earlier this year, a coalition of sixteen journalism associations and first amendment groups met with law enforcement to express frustration about press freedoms after the murder of George Floyd, and to show support for a new bill called SB98.

The bill would allow journalists to operate in closed areas (an unprecedented step) including riot areas after a dispersal order has been issued. However, law enforcement officials pressured lawmakers to add an amendment last week that would require journalists to get permission from a commanding officer before being allowed in closed areas, which, for the journalists that endorsed the bill, is considered a step backward. In recent months, law enforcement agencies like the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department have been lobbying for SB98. Sheriff’s deputies tackled and arrested KPCC’s own reporter, Josie Huang, as she was covering a protest last fall. Journalists cite the incident as one of the reasons the coalition formed.

Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about SB98 and the debate over the bill in Sacramento. Questions? Give us a call at 866-893-5722.

Guests: 

Adam Rose, member of the board of directors of the Los Angeles Press Club; he’s part of the coalition of journalism groups which are opposed to an amendment to SB98 

Abdul Pridgen, president of the California Police Chiefs Association and City of Seaside Police Chief; he tweets @AbdulPridgen

Today on AirTalk, we discuss the latest COVID-19 news. Also on the show, we analyze how Biden's American Families Plan can benefit California community colleges; learn why some social media users are deleting their accounts for good; and more.

In the early days of the pandemic, when lockdowns shut down workplaces and travel, many people turned to their screens for news, reassurance, humor and connection.

Social media—whether it be Facebook, Whats App, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram— offered an outlet when so few existed. Neighbors made Facebook pages to bring groceries to their elderly neighbors while families choreographed TikTok dances to distract themselves and Instagram users showed off home-baked loaves of sourdough. But as the pandemic wore on, social media’s toxic underbelly began to show. Some users clocked record amounts of time on the platforms, which have been linked to depression and loneliness. The daily onslaught of news on COVID-19 and political violence could feel oppressive, especially when it hit close to home. Conspiracy theories like QAnon flourished amidst the isolation, and debates about the November election forced some families to stop speaking for good. For some social media users, it was enough to quit the platforms altogether. 

Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about why some social media users are quitting social media. Are you considering deleting your accounts, or have you already done so? We want to hear from you! Give us a call at 866-893-5722.

Guest:

Karen North, clinical professor of communication at the University of Southern California and an expert in social media and psychology; she tweets @KarenNorthUSC

Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open on Monday and wrote on Twitter that she would be taking a break from competition, a dramatic turn of events for a four-time Grand Slam champion who said she experiences “huge waves of anxiety” before speaking to the media and revealed she has “suffered long bouts of depression.”

Osaka’s agent, Stuart Duguid, confirmed in an email to The Associated Press that the world’s No. 2-ranked tennis player was pulling out before her second-round match at the clay-court tournament in Paris. The stunning move came a day after Osaka, a 23-year-old who was born in Japan and moved with her family to the U.S. at age 3, was fined $15,000 for skipping the post match news conference after her first-round victory at the French Open. She also was threatened by all four Grand Slam tournaments with possible additional punishment, including disqualification or suspension, if she continued with her intention — which Osaka revealed last week on Twitter — to not “do any press during Roland Garros.”

She framed the matter as a mental health issue, saying that it can create self-doubt to have to answer questions after a loss. Tennis stars and others offered support to Osaka after she cited anxiety and depression as reasons for bowing out of the competition. Today on AirTalk, we walk through what happened and break down the significance of Osaka’s move. What are your thoughts? Share in the comments or call 866-893-5722. 

With files from the Associated Press 

Guests:

Patrick McEnroe, ESPN commentator and host of the podcast “Holding Court with Patrick McEnroe,” he’s also a former professional tennis player; he tweets @PatrickMcEnroe

Kavitha A. Davidson, sports and culture writer for The Athletic, she writes about the intersection of sports and business, culture, race, and gender; she tweets @kavithadavidson

In his $1.8 trillion American Families Plan proposed back in April, Joe Biden brought forth a plan that would waive two years of community college tuition for students, while also offering additional financial assistance to lower-income students.

This comes at a time where California’s community colleges already offer lower-income students a tuition-free education, an academic constituency that makes up an overwhelming amount of its student population, with over 80% of California community college students having family incomes of lower than $48,000 according to data from the Public Policy Institute of California published in 2017.

With California being ahead of many other states in helping its community college students financially, it begs the question: what can colleges do with these potential extra funds and in what ways can they lobby for them? Today on AirTalk, we dig into the subject and see how local community colleges can use this proposal as a way to help its students during the financial strains that have come from the pandemic.

Guests:

Erika Endrijonas, superintendent and president of Pasadena City College 

Larry Galizio, president & CEO of Community College League of California, a non-profit advocacy group with voluntary membership from community colleges across the state

Eloy Ortiz Oakley, chancellor for California Community Colleges

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Kimberly Shriner of Huntington Hospital in Pasadena.

Today's topics include: 

COVID boosters may not be needed for at least a year

How Californians celebrated Memorial Day

New COVID-19 variant hitting Vietnam

The possibilities of mRNA post-pandemic

Unseen coronavirus risk for unvaccinated people

Dogs are highly effective in detecting COVID-19

Vaccinations go mobile to reach rural communities

WHO renames COVID variants with Greek letters

Guest:

Kimberly Shriner, M.D., infectious disease specialist at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena

Today on AirTalk, we break down the latest COVID-19 news. Also on the show, we talk with listeners on how they properly end conversations; review the latest movie releases with our KPCC film critics; and more.

For folks who've stayed inside throughout the year, going out and socializing again may feel foreign. 

Health experts agree that the long period of isolation exacerbated by the pandemic can heighten anxiety when returning to pre-COVID normalcy. 

One study released in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last March found that conversations typically don't end when either party wants them to. Out of the people surveyed, two-thirds of them preferred it end sooner, co-author Adam Mastoianni told the New York Times.

Today on AirTalk, we ask listeners about how they ended conversations and how the pandemic affected the way they'd normally communicate.

Guest:

A. Martinez, host of KPCC’s “Take Two”; he tweets @amartinezLA