AirTalk

Today on AirTalk, we discuss Facebook Oversight Board's decision to uphold former President Donald Trump's ban from the social network. Also on the show, we break down the latest COVID-19 news; go over the Pasadena Central Library closure; and more.

Some thrift shoppers have found ways to profit off their purchases by reselling the goods on sites like Poshmark and Depop. The fashion hauls are popular online and often reach an audience that’s looking for unique, retro or vintage garments. But it’s raising concerns for people who truly need thrift shopping for its affordability. 

According to a recent Vox piece, “How thrifting became problematic,” a lot of the shoppers either reselling clothes for profit or buying resale items can afford to buy new clothes, so some people say there’s a chance others could be priced out of the thrifting market. It’s difficult to gauge whether the concerns hold much weight. While secondhand organizations provide benefits in limiting how much clothing gets dumped in the landfill, there has historically been a surplus in donations. According to Reuters, this problem has been amplified during the pandemic. And fast fashion, hyper sped up clothing production met with expanded wardrobes, plays into the challenges as well. We now have more clothing than ever before, but the quality has decreased. Some experts say the concerns raised within the thrift industry point to much bigger (and more complicated) problems with the fashion industry as a whole. Today on AirTalk, we dive into the complicated past and present of thrift shopping, the valid concerns being raised and why it’s not so easy to point fingers at specific individuals. We also want to hear from you! Are you a thrift shopper? Do you have concerns about so-called “fashion flippers?” Do you resell second hand goods yourself? How do you feel about the concerns being raised? What direction do you want to see the industry move in? Share your thoughts and ask your questions by commenting below or call 866-893-5722.  

Guests:

Jennifer Le Zotte, assistant professor of history and material culture at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, author of the book “From Goodwill to Grunge: A History Of Second Hand Styles and Alternative Economies” (University of North Carolina Press, 2017); she tweets @JennyLeZotte

Alexis DeSalva Kahler, senior research analyst focusing on retail and e-commerce at Mintel, a global market research firm; she tweets @acdesalva

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Tim Brewer from UCLA.

Today’s topics include:

Los Angeles County eligible to move to yellow COVID-19 tier, least restrictive in California's reopening framework 

San Diego County records first COVID-19 case with India variant 

Scientists see path for the coronavirus to invade the brain

U.S. cases, vaccinations continue to drop as White House sets new inoculation goal 

How US states are incentivizing COVID-19 vaccination  

What we know about India’s COVID-19 surge 

Guest:

Timothy Brewer, M.D., epidemiologist and professor of medicine at UCLA’s school of public health; has served on the advisory boards of the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention

For some, money matters are a taboo topic of conversation. But according to the Wall Street Journal, millennials are inclined to be more transparent than generations past. 

Transparency can have its benefits in a friend group, but there are plenty of reasons not to share as well. We want to hear from you about your level of financial frankness, whether you talk about how much money you’re making with your friends and family, and if so how you navigate those conversations. How open are you about your income? What benefits or discomforts has this raised? And if you don’t talk about money, why? Call us at 866-893-5722.

The city of Pasadena is closing the historic Central Library location because of seismic safety concerns.

In-person library services only recently resumed at the location, as well as other branches, after COVID-19 closures.

But a recent structural assessment found most of the building consists of bearing walls made up of unreinforced masonry. That creates an "imminent life safety hazard," according to an order from the city.

City Manager Steve Mermell called the closure "devastating news for us all."

“We intend to do everything in our power to assess the severity of the problem and to work toward its resolution," he said in the news release. "This library cannot remain vacant, and we need to conserve it for another century of use.”

The city passed an ordinance in 1993 requiring all buildings with unreinforced masonry be retrofitted, emptied, or demolished. City officials said in a news release, that they haven't been able to find any record as to why the Central Library wasn't identified as part of that project.

With files from LAist

Guests:

Lucy Jones, seismologist and founder and chief scientist at the Lucy Jones Center for Science & Society, a natural disaster risk reduction research organization; she is author of the book, “The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us (and What We Can Do About Them)" (Doubleday, 2018); she tweets @DrLucyJones

Steve Mermell, city manager for the City of Pasadena

Sue Mossman, executive director of Pasadena Heritage, a non-profit historic preservation organization

Former President Donald Trump won’t return to Facebook — at least not yet.

The social network’s quasi-independent Oversight Board voted to uphold his ban from the platform after his account was suspended four months ago for inciting violence that led to the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot. But in a statement, it faulted Facebook for the way it made the decision and called its “indefinite” suspension of Trump unreasonable and unworkable.

The board said Facebook sought to avoid its responsibilities by applying “a vague, standardless penalty” and then referring the case to the board to resolve.

“Indefinite penalties of this sort do not pass the international smell test,” oversight board co-chair Michael McConnell said in a conference call with reporters. “We are not cops, reigning over the realm of social media.”

The board agreed with Facebook that that two of Trump’s Jan. 6 posts “severely violated” the content standards of both Facebook and Instagram.

“We love you. You’re very special,” he said to the rioters in the first post. In the second, he called them “great patriots” and told them to “remember this day forever.” Those violated Facebook’s rules against praising or supporting people engaged in violence, the board said.

Helle Thorning-Schmidt, a former Danish prime minister who sits on the board, said in the call that Facebook shirked its responsibility to enforce its own rules. “Facebook should either permanently disable Trump’s account or impose a suspension for a specific period of time,” she said.

With files from the Associated Press

Guests:

Faiza Patel, co-director of the Brennan Center’s Liberty & National Security Program; she tweets @FaizaPatelBCJ

Eugene Volokh, first amendment law professor at UCLA; he tweets @VolokhC

Today on the show, we break down the latest COVID-19 headlines. Also on the show, we discuss the hiring of the Los Angeles Times' new executive editor; discuss the recent trends in mindfulness; and more.

Sharing a bed can be a big step in a relationship. In popular culture, it often represents a new level of intimacy and romance. But in the real world, it can also mean a terrible night’s sleep. 

“Sharing the Covers: Every Couple's Guide to Better Sleep” by behavioral sleep specialist and clinical psychologist Wendy Troxel dives into the issues that might come up for couples sleeping together, from snoring to sleep disorders, and how partners can manage these issues - including how to ask for a “sleep divorce.” 

We sit down with Wendy Troxel to discuss her book. Plus, we’re taking your calls. If you have had issues sharing a bed with a partner, what happened and how did you manage? Is this currently a tension point in your relationship? 

Call us at 866-893-5722. 

Guest: 

Wendy Troxel, senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation, a global policy think tank headquartered in Santa Monica; she is the author of the new book “Sharing the Covers: Every Couple’s Guide to Better Sleep”

The Los Angeles Times on Monday said that Kevin Merida, who built ESPN’s The Undefeated into a multi-media presence and spent a lengthy career in newspapers before that, will be its new executive editor.

Merida, 64, is being challenged by the newspaper’s owners, Patrick and Michele Soon-Shiong, to speed its transition into a digital news leader. Merida is moving to Los Angeles from Washington, where he spent 22 years at the Washington Post before joining ESPN in 2015. He also worked at the Dallas Morning News and Milwaukee Journal. The Post is searching for its own new leader following the retirement of Marty Baron. Merida replaces Norman Pearlstine, who stepped down late last year. The Times chose a Black editor as its leader following a period where the newspaper and other journalistic institutions have taken tough looks at their own diversity in both staffing and in who and what they cover. Last September, the newspaper published a lengthy apology for having “a blind spot, at worst an outright hostility” toward Los Angeles’ nonwhite population. The newspaper said then that 38% of its editorial journalists were journalists of color, and that “we know that is not nearly good enough.” Today on AirTalk, we contextualize the Times’ history with coverage on race among other topics and how bringing in the new editor will impact the paper’s attempt to improve. Do you have thoughts? Questions? Give us a call at 866-893-5722. 

With files from the Associated Press 

Guests:

David Folkenflik, NPR media correspondent; he tweets @davidfolkenflik

S. Mitra Kalita, veteran journalist and CEO of URL Media, a network of Black and brown community news outlets. She also publishes the newsletter Epicenter-NYC; she tweets @mitrakalita

Fernando Guerra, professor of political science and Chicana/o Latina/o studies and director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University; emeritus member of the KPCC Board of Trustees

When the reality of the pandemic started setting in last year, the LA County Department of Mental Health announced a partnership with the meditation app Headspace - anyone living in the County could get a free subscription. 

Regardless of whether you took advantage of that, it does seem like more folks are turning to meditation and mindfulness practice in the stress of the last year. And that also means more tech platforms entering the space. As reported by the L.A. Times, wellness is now a part of the streaming wars, with Netflix partnering with Headspace for a three part program this year, as a counter to HBO Max’s “A World of Calm” series. 

We sit down with Diana Winston of UCLA to discuss the recent trends in mindfulness, the impact of tech as an avenue into meditation and the benefits of the practice. Plus, if you’ve started meditating because of pandemic-related stress or have questions about how to get started, we want to hear from you via 866-893-5722. 

Disclosure: Diana Winston has guided meditations on the UCLA Mindful App, the Ten Percent Happier App, Sam Harris’ Waking Up App and the Ultrahuman App.

Guest:

Diana Winston, director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center; she is also the author of several books, including “The Little Book of Being: Practices and Guidance for Uncovering Your Natural Awareness” (Sounds True, 2019)