Leader of 'En Marche !' Emmanuel Macron acknowledges supporters after winning the French Presidential Election, at The Louvre on May 7, 2017 in Paris, France. ; Credit: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

It was a busy weekend in politics, both national and international, and it sets up plenty to watch for this week.

In a landslide victory over far-right nationalist candidate Marine Le Pen, former investment banker Emmanuel Macron won the presidency of France in an election that essentially became a referendum on the future of Europe. The 39-year-old will become the youngest president in French history and will be challenged early on with the task of governing with no legislative majority in French Parliament.

Back here in the U.S., former interim Attorney General Sally Yates will testify before a Senate subcommittee today about former NSA head Michael Flynn’s alleged ties to Russia. Multiple outlets are reporting that then-President Obama warned then President-elect Trump last November against hiring Flynn.

Attorneys for the Trump administration are back in court today continuing to fight rulings blocking the president’s controversial travel ban prohibiting entry to the U.S. by people from six predominantly Muslim countries.

Also on the docket today, deportations remain status quo in Southern California, the EPA’s dismissal of members of a major scientific review board, Puerto Rico’s bankruptcy and an L.A. Times piece on the cost of protecting the Trumps.

Guests:

Lynn Vavreck, professor of political science at UCLA; she tweets @vavreck

Zachary Courser, research director of the Dreier Roundtable and visiting assistant professor of Government at Claremont McKenna College; he tweets @zcourser

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at an event with the Independent Community Bankers Association in the Kennedy Garden of the White House May 1, 2017 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Trump is expected to put out a list of ten conservative nominees for lower federal court seats today.

There are more than a hundred and twenty court positions waiting to be filled. That means this is the first of several nominations planned to come out of the White House in the coming months.

How will Trump’s selections impact the federal bench in the long term?

Guest:

Michael J. Gerhardt, professor of constitutional law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; he is the author of many law-related books, including “The Power of Precedent” (Oxford University Press, 2011)

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

The Instagram app logo is displayed next to an "Instagrammed" image on another iPhone on August 3, 2016 in London, England.; Credit: Carl Court/Getty Images

Four California students in the Bay Area were suspended for “liking” or commenting on racist Instagram posts directed at fellow students and a black school coach.

Now the students are suing the school district for overstepping its authority to punish them outside of school hours.

The suit raises two crucial issues: students’ rights to free speech and the meaning of a social media “like.”

Is a school allowed to punish a student for a non-school related activity? What if that activity isn’t just an expression of belief, but bullying of fellow students? And is an Instagram “like” akin to endorsement? Or do students mindlessly distribute “likes” and therefore can’t be held liable?

Guests:

Eugene Volokh, professor at the UCLA School of Law, where he teaches First Amendment law

Marc Ecker, lecturer in the College of Education at Cal State Fullerton and former superintendent of Fountain Valley School District

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A local woman argues with one of the squatters occupying a building on Endell Street, London, 1969.; Credit: William Lovelace/Getty Images

Your day is going just fine, until someone comes along (whether knowingly or not) and completely kills the mood with their bad vibes.

Maybe it’s the angry driver who cut you off on the freeway and flipped the bird, or that one co-worker who always finds something in the office to complain about, like the unbearable temperature in the room, the terrible breakroom coffee, the impossible workload to finish, etc.

And it might not even be the complaints themselves that bother you. It’s the way they’re presented. You know, that negative, pessimistic tone.

So how do you manage when encountering chronic negativity? If you’re a generally positive person, is it better to just ignore unfavorable sentiments all together? Or are there times when confrontation has actually helped you? And should building resilience to negativity start from a young age? If so, how as parents have you talked to your kids? Call 866-893-9722 to share your best tips.

Guest:

Darby Saxbe, Ph.D, assistant professor of psychology at USC and director at the NeuroEndocrinology of Social Ties (NEST) Lab, where she focuses on the impact of stress, well-being and close relationships on mental and physical health

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Coyote C144 walks in a neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles early Thursday morning June 4th. ; Credit: Stuart Palley for KPCC

Donna Perez was stooped over in her backyard, fixing a sprinkler, when she heard her dog start shrieking.

She stood up and whirled around, but it was too late. A coyote had jumped over the yard's five-foot wall, snatched one of her two pet Yorkies, and disappeared.

"We did not find her until the next day, and she was 95 percent dead," said the Arcadia resident. The dog later died.

Soon after, Perez went to the Arcadia city council along with five other worried residents. They told stories of being stalked while walking their dogs, of coyotes trapping them in their cars, and of the pepper spray and golf clubs they now carried when they left their homes.

Over the past two years, aggressive coyotes have attacked pets or bitten people in a number of cities throughout the region, including Glendora, Montebello, Irvine and Los Angeles. And Southern Californians have been filing complaints about coyotes for decades.

But there's a problem with Perez' conclusion that the region is being stalked by a more dangerous type of coyote: There's no science to back it up.

Read full story here.

Guests:

Emily Guerin, environmental reporter at KPCC whose latest piece looks at how some SoCal cities are dealing with coyotes

Justin Brown, ecologist with National Park Service in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area; his research focuses on coyotes

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Moon Jae-In, presidential election candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea celebrates during the primary election on April 3, 2017 in Seoul, South Korea. ; Credit: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

South Korean voters have elected Moon Jae-in, leader of the left-of-center Democratic Party, to be their next President.

His election ends nearly a decade of conservative rule in South Korea, and could represent a shift in the country's policy towards North Korea and the U.S. Moon has advocated to renew engagement with their northern neighbor. A rapprochement with North Korea would affect South Korea's relationship with the U.S. and the Trump administration itself, which has been calling for "maximum pressure" on North Korea.

Experts say Moon could be more restrained once he's in office. His party does not have a majority in the National Assembly. The 61-year-old human rights lawyer takes over the mandate of ousted President Park Geun-hye, charged with participating in a corruption scandal.

Los Angeles has a large Korean-American population, many of whom were eligible to vote in the elections in South Korea.

Did you vote in the South Korean election from the U.S.? What do you think are the main concerns of South Korean voters? How would it affect you if tensions increased between South Korea and the U.S.?

Guest:

Sung-Yoon Lee, an expert on the Koreas, and a professor in Korean Studies at The Fletcher School at Tufts University in Massachusetts

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A crosswalk in Downtown Los Angeles.; Credit: Michael Kang via Flickr

California might soon legalize crossing the street against a flashing Don’t Walk.

The City of LA’s pushing a bill allowing people to judge for themselves whether they can make it across before the light turns red. Supporters say it’s considerate of walkers. But what are the tradeoffs?

Guest:

Meghan McCarty-Carino, community and mobility reporter for KPCC who’s been following the story

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

The newly refurbished Hollywood Sign is seen atop of Mt. Lee after former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa added a finishing touch of paint to complete the project.; Credit: David Livingston/Getty Images

Mayor Eric Garcetti has revived a decades-old idea to get tourists to the historic Hollywood sign - a gondola ride through Griffith Park.

There’s no formal proposal yet, but the mayor says he’s trying to address the congestion in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood caused by visitors to Los Angeles’ iconic landmarks.

The city closed one of the main entrances to the sign recently amid complaints of visitors disturbing a working ranch in the area. The gondola, says Garcetti, could depart from the Universal Studios area and take people past the neighborhoods that struggle with traffic.

But the gondola idea doesn’t appeal to everyone. Some residents have issues with the possibility of added noise in Griffith Park canyons. Others worry that the gondola would block views from below the sign. And there’s always the matter of who will pay for its construction and operation.

What do you think of the gondola idea? Would you pay to use it as a resident? Do you think tourists would enjoy the ride? Will it fix issues with traffic and congestion in the city?

We reached out to the offices of Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilmember David Ryu, but neither were available for comment at the time we requested.

Guests:

Jeff Zarrinnam, chairman of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce; he is also president and CEO of Hollywood Hotel and Chateau Celeste Hotels

Marian Dodge, president of Friends of Griffith Park

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Governor Greg Abbott (C) speaks alongside U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) (L), Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) at a joint press conference February 18, 2015 in Austin, Texas. ; Credit: Erich Schlegel/Getty Images

With a quick stroke of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s pen, the Lone Star State has quickly become the central focus in the nationwide debate over so-called “sanctuary cities.”

In a Facebook Live post Sunday night, Abbott signed Senate Bill 4 into law. It allows police to ask during regular stops about someone’s immigration status and threatens local law enforcement officials with jail time for refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Supporters say the bill is a necessary step toward stemming the flow of people entering the U.S. illegally, especially those with violent criminal pasts. Opponents have compared it to Arizona’s controversial SB 1070, known as the ‘Show Me Your Papers’ law, which is no longer in effect. They say it will lead to racial profiling and incite fear in immigrant communities, making them less willing to work with police.

On Monday, the state sued its capital, the city of Austin’s mayor, all of its city council members, and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF). The lawsuit is a preemptive move by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to get out ahead of civil rights groups like MALDEF and the ACLU, who have said they plan to challenge SB 4 in court before it takes effect on September 1. The complaint asks the courts to rule that SB 4 doesn’t infringe on the 4th Amendment right to protection from unreasonable search and seizure or the 14th Amendment right to equal protection.

Guests:

Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies

Thomas Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF)

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

FBI Director James Comey testifies during a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee June 11, 2014 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

No question about the water cooler topic of the day – the firing of FBI Director James Comey amidst the Bureau’s investigation of alleged Trump campaign contacts with Russian officials.

Comey’s been a Capitol Hill piñata for months, but his firing still came as a shock. Host Larry Mantle and AirTalk's wide panel of experts dive into deep analysis of the move, its implications and what's expected to come next.

Guests:

Lisa Mascaro, congressional reporter for the LA Times, where she’s been following the story

Ron Hosko, former assistant director of the FBI from 2012 to 2014; president of  the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, a non-profit organization providing assistance to law enforcement officers who are required to defend their official actions in court

Caroline Heldman, associate professor of politics at Occidental College and co-author of "Rethinking Madam President: Are We Ready for a Woman in the White House?" (Lynne Rienner Pub, 2007)

Sean T. Walsh, Republican political analyst and partner at Wilson Walsh Consulting in San Francisco; he is a former adviser to California Governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger and a former White House staffer for Presidents Reagan and H.W. Bush

Lanhee Chen, research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and former policy director for the Romney-Ryan 2012 presidential campaign; he tweets @lanheechen

Ted Lieu, Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing California's 33rd congressional district, including the communities of Torrance and Beverly Hills; he’s on the House Committee on the Judiciary

Harmeet Dhillon, national committeewoman of the California Republican Party; civil rights and business litigation attorney

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A U.S Paratrooper from 4/25th Infantry Division looks on as other members of his unit make a jump from a C-17 Globemaster as part of exercise Talisman Sabre on July 8, 2015.; Credit: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

The Special Operations Forces are the most elite soldiers in the U.S. military and the subject of Mark Moyar’s new book, “Oppose Any Foe: The Rise of America’s Special Operations Forces.”

These special units started off as small appendages to the conventional armies of World War Two, but today, they are the popular soldiers in the U.S., with several branches and a total of 70,000 troops.

The Special Operations Forces have produced some of America’s most beloved heroes, but have also struggled to survive as a unit.

In “Oppose Any Foe” Moyar, a historian, delves into the Special Operations Forces’ origin story and the way they carved out their role within the military. He also addresses the times they’ve been misused or misdirected by Commanders in Chief.

According to Moyar, past Presidents have deployed the Special Operations Forces based on uninformed or romanticized notions of them, and that this ultimately harmed the elite troops.

Larry Mantle talks to Moyar about these struggles and how the Special Operations Forces can become a crucial supporting arm of the military rather than continue to be used as independent strategic actors.

Guest:

Mark Moyar, director of the Center for Military and Diplomatic History in Washington, DC, and author of “Oppose Any Foe: The Rise of America’s Special Operations Forces” (Basic Books, 2017); he tweets @MarkMoyar

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Bruce Lemon at KPCC In Person's "UNHEARD LA."; Credit: William Youngblood

“Unheard LA” is a brand-new, three-part series of live shows in different venues around our sprawling and too-often disconnected metropolis.

Each show is unique and features a distinct lineup of real people sharing their true stories of struggle and survival, of hope and fear, of the unexpected and the unbelievable.

Here to talk about the project are “Unheard LA” co-producer Ashley Alvarado, and the host Bruce Lemon.

Alex Wand shares his piece, “Song a Day,” as part of KPCC In Person’s “Unheard L.A. – the stories of where you live” series of storytelling events.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc4Zw1U7OZU

Guests:

Ashley Alvarado, manager, public engagement at KPCC; co-producer of the project, “Unheard LA”

Bruce Lemon, artistic director at the Watts Village Theater Company; host of “Unheard LA”

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A group of mothers feed their children in Sefton Park, on the day that Britain's Chancellor George Osbourne delivers his annual budget on March 23, 2011 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. ; Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Mother’s Day usually brings up images of flowers, brunch and pastel colored greeting cards.

But for those who don’t have a mother, this time of year can stir up mixed feelings. Visiting a grave, sharing memories of her with loved ones, or starting new traditions with your own kids can be ways to cope. There are also people who don’t have a “mom” in the traditional sense, and a step-parent, older sibling or family friend has stepped in to fill that role.

For people who don’t have a mom this Mother’s Day, how do you celebrate? If she’s passed away, do you still have a tradition of celebrating her life? Or in her absence, how has someone else stepped in to fill the role of mom?

Call us at 866-893-5722.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Oroville lake, the emergency spillway, and the damaged main spillway, are seen from the air on February 13, 2017 in Oroville, California. Almost 200,000 people were ordered to evacuate.; Credit: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images

As engineers continue to work to repair the main spillway at the Oroville Dam, they’ll know going forward that they won’t be repeating the mistakes that led to its failure in February of this year.

On Wednesday, a panel of engineers tasked with looking into the spillway failure released a report citing 24 possible causes for the failure, though they stressed that the report was preliminary and that there may be other factors identified as the investigation moves forward. The report doesn’t identify one singular issue that ultimately led to the failure, but it does say that overall, the dam spillway wasn’t strong enough to handle the weight of the water when dam workers opened the spillway back in February.

The report comes as the state is hoping the federal government will foot the bill for the majority of the dam repairs. The state has secured a $500 million line of credit to front the cost of the repairs, which is about the same amount of money the state expects the fixes to cost, while it waits to find out whether FEMA will grant a request to cover 75 percent of the total repair cost. The state considers all of the repair work emergency management, qualifying it for FEMA funding, and says that state water contractors like the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California who get water from Lake Oroville, the second largest reservoir in California, will pay the rest.

For more on the history of the Oroville Dam and what led to February's massive failure, check the Sacramento Bee on Sunday for special coverage.

Guest:

Ryan Sabalow, reporter for the Sacramento Bee covering water, drought and the environment; he tweets @RyanSabalow

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

California governor Jerry Brown talks about new efforts to cope with climate change during a panel discussion at the 18th annual Milken Institute Global Conference on April 29, 2015.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

California Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday unveiled a revised state budget proposal, and big items include health care funding and tax collections.

As the most populous state in the nation, there’s a lot at stake in the announcement. The state has been at odds with the Trump Administration over issues such as sanctuary laws and environmental regulations. So what’s in the revised budget?

KPCC senior politics reporter Mary Plummer offers AirTalk some of the early highlights from the 92-page summary of what Brown calls a “wary and prudent” budget:

• $124 billion general fund budget, up from $122.5 billion in Brown’s January proposal
• slight increase in revenues since January — $2.5 billion — which Brown attributes to the stock market
• includes additional $1.4 billion for K–12 education via the local control funding formula
• $500 million child care package — Brown had planned to cut it but restored it in this latest revision

California has until June 15 to pass a final budget. The next couple weeks will see negotiations back and forth in the state Legislature.

Guest:

Mary Plummer, senior politics reporter for KPCC

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A copy of the termination letter to FBI Director James Comey from US President Donald Trump is seen at the White House on May 9, 2017 in Washington, DC.; Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

The acting director of the FBI is taking issue with White House claims that Jim Comey lost the confidence of Bureau employees.

Andrew McCabe told the Senate Intelligence Committee this morning that Comey had broad support. McCabe also said he’d alert Congress to any White House efforts to interfere with the Russian probe. AirTalk checks in on the latest on the aftermath of the firing of former FBI director James Comey.

Guests:

John Bresnahan, senior congressional reporter for POLITICO; he has been following today’s Senate Intelligence Committee hearing

Kevin Whitelaw, congress editor for Bloomberg News; he tweets @KevinWhitelaw1

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

The Los Angeles Coliseum, venue for the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games, and one of the possible locations for a public memorial service for music legend Michael Jackson, is pictured on July 1, 2009 in Los Angeles.; Credit: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

Los Angeles has a chance to host the city’s third Olympics, but the question is twofold: should LA get the bid, will it be the 2024 games or the 2028?

While the International Olympic Committee is visiting today to tour the future Santa Monica Beach site of LA’s NFL stadium, the Committee will decide the location of the 2024 game this September in Lima, Peru. Paris is the only other contender for 2024, and is committed to getting the 2024 bid — but Los Angeles leaders are not backing down either. A proposal to split the games between 2024 and 2028 is on the table as a solution.

AirTalk speaks with KPCC senior business and economy reporter Ben Bergman, who has been covering the city’s bid for the 2024 Summer Games.

Guest:

Ben Bergman, senior reporter at KPCC who covers the Southern California economy

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A large wooden Pinocchio puppet attracts customers into a shop selling wooden art in the city centre of Vienna on November 28, 2009. ; Credit: JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images

What percentage of Americans as racist? Does online advertising really work? Do video games really make our kids more violent?

These are just some of the big questions “Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us about Who We Really Are” attempts to answer. In his new book, Seth Stephens-Davidowitz points to the mountain of misinformation we received due to the simple fact that people lie. To get around the facade of how people feel, Stephens-Davidowitz uses Google search results to shed a light on our collective human behavior.

Host Larry Mantle checks in with the economist and former Google data scientist to talk about how new data can help us dive deeper into the core of human psyche.

Guest:

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, contributing op-ed writer for the New York Times, former Google data scientist and author of “Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us about Who We Really Are” (HarperCollins, 2017); he tweets @SethS_D

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions delivers remarks during a Bureau of Prisons Correctional Worker's Week Memorial Service at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial May 9, 2017. ; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions reversed the initiative of his Democratic predecessor Eric H. Holder Jr. and directed federal prosecutors to charge defendants with “the most serious offenses.”

The new instructions, once adopted, would overturn the previous memo that aimed to reduce harsh punishment for low-level drug crimes, citing overcrowding in prison and overspending by taxpayers.

“Charging and sentencing recommendations are crucial responsibilities for any federal prosecutor,” Sessions wrote in a memo to U.S. attorneys,  "This policy affirms our responsibility to enforce the law, is moral and just, and produces consistency.” If a prosecutor does not wish to pursue the most serious charge, Session notes he or she must get approved by a supervisor such as an assistant attorney general.

Host Larry Mantle sits down with Laurie Levenson, former federal prosecutor and professor of law at Loyola Law School, on the ramification of this policy reversal in the state of California.

Guest: 

Laurie L. Levenson, former federal prosecutor and a professor of law at Loyola Law School

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

President Donald Trump meets with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in the Oval Office at the White House on May 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Pool/Getty Images

The White House narrative behind Comey’s dismissal became even more convoluted last night during an interview with President Trump and NBC’s Lester Holt.

In the interview, the president admitted to seeking recommendations in order to fire Comey, instead of the other way around as implied in his own letter dismissing Comey. He later stated that he had long planned to fire the director, and accused Comey of being a “showboat.” When questioned about the statement that the director informed the president he wasn’t the subject of an FBI investigation, Trump told Holt that Comey informed him over dinner.

Tweeting this morning, Trump defended his press staff, stating he’s so “active,” “it is not possible for my surrogates to stand at podium with perfect accuracy!....,” with the implication that he may cancel White House press briefings. He also made headlines with a tweet implying that he had recordings of Director Comey informing him he wasn’t under investigation, which he would unveil if Comey ‘leaked.’  Questions abound about the exact nature of Comey’s dismissal and the future of the Russia probe, as the President has come down both for and against the investigation within the last 24 hours.

Host Larry Mantle sat down with Politico’s Elana Schor and John Wagner, Washington Post White House Correspondent, to help unpack the latest development in Comey’s dismissal.

Guests: 

John Wagner, Washington Post White House reporter who has been following the story; he tweets @WPJohnWagner

Elana Schor, congressional reporter for POLITICO who has been following the story; she tweets @eschor

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.