; Credit: JEFF PACHOUD/AFP/Getty Images

According to a yearlong Associated Press investigation, there were nearly 17,000 official reports of sexual assaults by K-12 students from 2011 to 2015.

Nearly 5 percent of this sexual violence involved 5 and 6-year-olds, and those numbers rose sharply when students hit middle school and puberty, declining again when kids entered high school.

Barring private homes, schools are the location where kids are most likely to experience sexual violence at the hands of peers.

Certain situations involving K-8 students raise particularly difficult questions about what qualifies as sexual assault. On the one hand, children can’t legally consent to sexual activity. But then there is a normal, maybe even expected, amount of sexual experimentation between kids. When does this cross the boundary into assault?

What can parents and school administrators do to keep kids from perpetrating or being subjected to unwanted sexual situations? How do we deal with the gray areas inherent to sexual incidents involving children?

Guests:

Marc Ecker, lecturer in the College of Education at Cal State Fullerton and former superintendent of Fountain Valley School District; he’s worked in the California public school system for over 42 years

Betsy Brown Braun, child development and behavior specialist; best selling author of “Just Tell Me What to Say: Sensible Tips and Scripts for Perplexed Parents” (HarperCollins, 2008)

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

KPCC and The San Bernardino Sun teamed up to produce the first substantive examination of police shootings in San Bernardino County - the largest county in the United States. According to some of the research, county officers shot 103 people in a six-year span.

Guests:

Annie Gilbertson, investigative reporter at KPCC. Her three-part radio series on officer-involved shootings in San Bernardino County launches today

Lolita Harper, director of public relations with the Sheriff’s Employees Benefits Association, the union that represents the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department; retired detective for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (2005 to 2015)

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

In this photo illustration the logo of the multi-facetted internet giant Microsoft is displayed on a computer screen on April 13, 2006 in London, England. ; Credit: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Over the weekend, the ransomware WannaCry infected computers in nearly 150 countries, taking files hostage for $300 in bitcoin and threatening to delete them after a week of no response.

The malware, which exploits a vulnerability in Microsoft’s Windows XP, was reportedly stolen and leaked from the NSA back in April, leading Microsoft’s president to criticize the NSA for keeping tabs on software weaknesses.

The attack was largely halted over the weekend thanks to a 22-year-old UK-based computer researcher who found and triggered a kill switch in the code.

There’s been anxiety over what will happen today as people head back to work and turn on their computers – and though there were more infections reported, mostly in Asia, WannaCry seems to be slowing down.

How does WannaCry work and what can we do to protect ourselves? Does the NSA bear any responsibility for these attacks? And what are the tech and national security concerns, looking forward?

Guests:

Russell Brandom, reporter at the Verge who has been following the story

Bob Stasio, a fellow at the Truman National Security Project, a national security think tank; he is also former Chief of Operations of NSA’s Cyber Center 

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

Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James Comey testifies in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee during an oversight hearing on the FBI on Capitol Hill May 3, 2017 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Eric Thayer/Getty Images

With visits lined up early this week between President Trump and three foreign leaders (Abu Dhabi, Turkey and Colombia) followed by Mr. Trump’s first major trip overseas, it might come as a surprise to some that the President has also said his administration wants to move quickly in appointing a new FBI director, and that he might even have a decision before he leaves the U.S. on Friday.

A shortlist of candidates is already circulating, though several of the names being considered are politicians and that has some worried about what might happen if a known partisan were nominated to lead an agency that is supposed to stay out of politics.

Meanwhile, much of the rest of the developed world is still reeling following a massive cyberattack that has slowed up internet traffic in the U.K., China, India and a slew of other countries. Microsoft’s president blasted the National Security Agency for the hack, which exploited a flaw in Windows’ operating system known to the NSA. We’re also following the weekend missile test that North Korea carried out, seemingly successfully, and looking at response from both the U.S. and South Korea, which just installed a new president.

Also on the docket this week, looking at what might come out of President Trump’s panel to investigate voter fraud in the 2016 election and a preview of his first big overseas trip.

Guests:

Pete Peterson, dean of the School of Public Policy and senior fellow at The Davenport Institute at Pepperdine University; he tweets @Pete4CA

John Iadarola, host and creator of ThinkTank, part of The Young Turks Network; he also serves as a weekly co-host for The Young Turks weekly live show; he tweets @johniadarola

Robert Litwak, vice president for scholars and director of international security studies at the Wilson Center; he is the author of the new book, “Preventing North Korea's Nuclear Breakout” (Wilson Center, 2017)

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

A general view of atmosphere at Ju-Ju-Be's 2nd Annual Ju-Ju-Beach Event celebrating lthe launch of Baby Tula Collaboration on April 22, 2017 in Laguna Beach, California. ; Credit: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Ju-Ju-Be

An ordinance to ban smoking throughout the resort city of Laguna Beach was passed last week by its City Council, and will go into effect in about 30 days.

As reported by the Orange County Register, the ban includes using cigarettes, e-cigarettes and vapes while on sidewalks, bike paths and inside parking structures. This is an expansion from a current ban on smoking in beaches and parks in the city. For the new ordinance, first-time violators would incur a $100  fine, and third time violators could climb up to $500. Supporters of the ban say it will curb environmental impacts of smoking and reduce second-hand smoke.

But does doing away with the right to smoke on a city street infringe on personal freedom? Let us know your thoughts by calling 866-893-5722

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

Students walk near Royce Hall on the campus of UCLA on April 23, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

When it comes to applying to colleges, the campus tour is a pretty standard step in the process of helping a high school grad decide where he or she plans to spend four years of their life, not to mention hundreds of thousands of dollars. But is the college tour really as important as many make it out to be?

A recent op-ed in the New York Times written by an Oakland, CA-based psychologist says the college tour may not be as accurate of a benchmark for determining what a student really wants from his or her college experience as we’ve been led to believe. Campus tours, she argues, often highlight features of the school that are external to education (new dorms with amenities, tricked-out dining halls, expensive athletic facilities, etc.) and give prospective students a false sense of what’s important. She also cites psychological research that shows the human imagination is a poor predictor of what will make us happy when compared to using actual experience, and that therefore a student who sees a gaggle of students laughing on the quad might think the whole campus feels the same way about their experience at the school.

As luck would have it, two members of AirTalk’s staff are former college tour guides who have differing views on the utility of the campus tour. We’ll talk to them about their experience as tour guides and what they think of the author’s arguments, plus take your calls at 866-893-5722 to hear what you think about just how useful the college campus tour is.

Guests:

Matt Dangelantonio, AirTalk associate producer and campus tour guide at Syracuse University from 2009-2011

Caitlin Plummer, AirTalk apprentice news clerk and campus tour guide at the University of Southern California from 2014-2017

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

Mickey Mouse during the premiere of Walt Disney Pictures' "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" held at Disneyland on May 7, 2011 in Anaheim, California. ; Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

During a town hall meeting in New York yesterday, Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger said hackers are threatening to release one of the studio’s upcoming films unless they receive a hefty ransom in Bitcoin.

Though Iger didn’t reveal the film title, a source told the Los Angeles Times the hacked movie is the newest sequel in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

The Disney hack comes weeks after 10 episodes of the Netflix original series "Orange is the New Black" were uploaded to The Pirate Bay - six weeks before its new season was scheduled to be released - because Netflix refused to pay.

Iger is taking a similar approach, saying Disney will not pay the hackers - but according to The Hollywood Reporter, the FBI has told hacking victims in the industry they may be better off paying.

How much will this hack affect Disney’s revenue for their upcoming film? And how are Hollywood studios failing to protect their content?

Guest:

Tatiana Siegel, senior film writer for The Hollywood Reporter, whose recent piece looks at a wave of ransomware hacks in Hollywood; Siegel reported extensively on the Sony hack in 2014 tied to the film, “The Interview;” she tweets @TatianaSiegel27

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

National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster answers questions during a press briefing at the White House May 16, 2017 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Last hour, President Trump’s national security adviser defended the president’s reported sharing of sensitive intelligence with Russian officials.

H. R. McMaster wouldn’t say whether the information was classified. The Washington Post first broke the story on Monday afternoon and several other outlets have picked up on the reporting since.

General McMaster said sharing it was “wholly appropriate” and based on “open source” reporting. He added that the real issue was the fact that someone within the intelligence community had leaked the report to the press in the first place. McMaster also disclosed the president didn’t know the source of the intelligence as he was citing it. Why not?  

Guests:

Mike Memoli, DC-based reporter covering the White House for the LA Times

Bryan Bender, defense editor for POLITICO Pro; he has been following the story

Hal Kempfer, retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel and CEO of KIPP knowledge and intelligence program professionals; he does terrorism and intelligence training; has worked in the intelligence community since 1987

Charles Kesler, professor of government at Claremont McKenna College and editor of the Claremont Review of Books

Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist and founder and chief executive officer of Rodriguez Strategies; he is also a former senior Obama advisor in 2008; he tweets @RodStrategies

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

John Chiang, controller for the state of California.; Credit: Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images

California State Treasurer John Chiang has been described as the less flashy candidate in the race to fill Gov. Jerry Brown's seat.

But as reported in the Orange County Register, he's also known for being tough. As former state controller, Chiang enforced rules to dock lawmakers' pay unless the state budget was balanced and received on deadline. Now, he's running as a Democrat for the governor's seat, and his campaign, which had a slow start, is picking up steam. The Los Angeles Times reported earlier this month, Chiang's finance reports showed that his fundraising efforts were gaining on Democratic rival, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom.

So what are Chiang's plans for California? The gubernatorial candidate speaks to Larry today.

Guest:

John Chiang, California state treasurer and candidate for California governor in 2018

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

A job applicant (L) speaks with recruiter Renee Chandler (R) during an interview May 7, 2003 at the offices of Metro Support Group in New York City.; Credit: Chris Hondros/Getty Images

Either this is your worst fear, or something you’ve suspected all along: job interviews are worse than useless, they’re harmful.

At least, that’s the conclusion of a recent behavioral study co-authored by Jason Dana, a Professor at Yale, who concluded that unstructured, get-to-know-you job interviews distract interviewers from what’s valuable about a candidate. That’s partially because people can turn any information, even irrelevant information, into a cogent narrative that’s not necessarily representative of a candidate’s capabilities.

We want to hear from you. What are your interview horror stories, either as an interviewer or an interviewee? Do you agree with Dana’s conclusion? And is there value in an unstructured interview?

Guest:

Jason Dana, assistant professor of management and marketing at Yale; his research focuses on how people make decisions in managerial and consumer contexts 

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

A driver uses a phone while behind the wheel of a car on April 30, 2016 in New York City.; Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Should police have access to technology that allows them to check and see if a driver at the scene of an accident was using his or her mobile device prior to the crash?

A bill moving through New York’s Senate that would allow them to do just that. Police officers at car crash sites would be able to use a device plug-in to assess whether a driver had been using their phone and, according to the bill's supporters, expedite the process of determining whether a crash was caused by distracted driving.

Cellebrite, the company developing this plug-in, says it would detect usage through taps and swipes and not allow police to see any personal or private data. Still, privacy advocates have concerns that the device might be used to access people’s private information.

What constitutional and privacy concerns does a “textalyzer” present? Would you want police officers to use them?  

Guests:

Ben Lieberman, supporter of the bill and co-founder of the advocacy group Distracted Operators Risk Casualties

Rashida Richardson, legislative counsel for the New York Civil Liberties Union

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

The New York Times logo is seen on the headquarters building on April 21, 2011 in New York City. The New York Times profits fell 58 percent in the first quarter of 2011. ; Credit: Ramin Talaie/Getty Images

The New York Times reported Tuesday that Israel was the source of secret intelligence that President Trump disclosed to Russian officials.

In light of a turbulent news week for the White House, with many unnamed sources, and national security concerns surrounding the story, what rises to the occasion of reporting sensitive government information? Host Larry Mantle asks two media experts today.

Guest:

Judy Muller, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning television correspondent and professor emeritus of journalism at USC; she tweets @judusc

Joe Concha, media reporter and columnist for The Hill; he tweets @JoeConchaTV

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

US President Donald Trump waves from Air Force One upon arrival at Groton-New London Airport in Groton, Connecticut, May 17, 2017, as he travels to the US Coast Guard Academy Commencement ceremony. ; Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

The Trump White House is on the defense again following the latest disclosure about alleged conversations between the president and since-fired FBI Director Jim Comey.

The New York Times first reported and Comey has since confirmed he wrote memos detailing his perceptions of meetings with the president. Comey claims Trump asked him to drop the federal investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s connections with Russia during the presidential campaign. House Oversight Committee chair, Republican Congressman Jason Chaffetz, has requested that the FBI turn over all documents it has on conversations between President Trump and Jim Comey, saying that if the memo exists, his committee will get its hands on it.

The New York Times broke another big story yesterday, revealing that it was Israel who shared classified intelligence that President Trump is said to have disclosed to Russian officials during a visit to the White House last week.

If provable, would it be obstruction of justice? How are each of the political parties responding? What is each party’s respective strategy moving forward?

Guests:

John Q. Barrett, law professor at St. John’s University in New York; he worked on the prosecutorial team for the independent counsel’s office during the Iran-Contra affair

Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times congressional reporter; she tweets @LisaMascaro

Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist and founder and chief executive officer of Rodriguez Strategies; he is also a former senior Obama advisor in 2008; he tweets @RodStrategies

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

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

Councilwoman Sheila Kuehl speaks onstage the Venice Family Clinic's Silver Circle Gala at Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel on March 9, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California. ; Credit: Mike Windle/Getty Images for Venice Family Clinic

Earlier this month, we spoke with former LA County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky who was in favor of a bill that would increase the number of LA County Board Supervisors from 5 to 7, as well as create a powerful new elected executive position.

Today, we’ll talk to current L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl to get her take on the proposed changes.

We’ll also ask her about the public energy program approved by the Board of Supervisors in April, which would serve as an alternative to Southern California Edison.

Have any questions for Supervisor Kuehl? Call us at 866-893-5722.

Listen to former L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky's AirTalk interview regarding the proposed changes to the Board here. 

Guest:

Sheila Kuehl, Los Angeles County Supervisor representing District 3, which stretches from the ocean to Los Feliz, and from Venice up to San Fernando

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

FBI Director Robert Mueller III testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during a oversight hearing on Capitol Hill December 14, 2011 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

The president calls it “the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history.”

But House Speaker Paul Ryan calls it an appropriate independent investigation. It’s now former FBI Director Robert Mueller’s job to investigate Russia’s alleged effort to disrupt the presidential election.

What can we expect over the next several months?

Guests:

Josh Gerstein, senior White House reporter for POLITICO; he has been following the story

Garrett Graff, journalist and author; he wrote a biography on former FBI Director Robert Mueller, "The Threat Matrix: The FBI At War In The Age Of Global Terror” (Back Bay Books, 2012); he tweets @vermontgmg

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; he worked with former FBI Director Robert Mueller for a year

Erwin Chemerinsky, legal scholar, and founding dean of UC Irvine School of Law; he has been named as the dean of UC Berkeley School of Law this week; his recent op-ed for the LA Times is “Naming Robert Mueller as special counsel isn't enough — because Trump can get rid of him”

John Eastman, professor law and community service and director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence at Chapman University

John Q. Barrett, law professor at St. John’s University in New York; he worked on the prosecutorial team for the independent counsel’s office during the Iran-Contra affair  

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

Around five thousand Muslim men and women converged at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden, which is Western Europe's largest, to Unite against Extremism and pay vigil following a series of sectarian attacks on Ahmadi Muslims in Indonesia. ; Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

While there may be misconceptions about Islam in the western world, one of the most prominent is the notion that Islam is a rigid religion that hasn’t changed much since its origin.

But the new book from Christopher de Bellaigue argues otherwise. In “The Islamic Enlightenment: The Struggle Between Faith and Reason, 1798 to Modern Times,” de Bellaigue explores the relatively recent changes that have occurred within Islam as Muslim reformists embraced modernity.

However, there are still sects of Islam that remained less liberal, and for more on Islamic apologists and Wahhabists, we turn to Professor Khaled Abou El Fadl, a professor at the UCLA School of Law and the Chair of the Islamic Studies Program there.

Guests:

Christopher de Bellaigue, journalist, documentarian and author of “The Islamic Enlightenment: The Struggle Between Faith and Reason, 1798 to Modern Times” (Liveright, 2017)

Khaled Abou El Fadl, law professor and chair of the Islamic Studies Program at UCLA

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

Children at Scripps Ranch KinderCare in San Diego play in their classroom on October 1, 2013 in San Diego, CA.; Credit: Robert Benson/Getty Images for Knowledge Unive

When Nick Melvoin and — assuming her narrow lead in Tuesday's election holds — Kelly Gonez are sworn in as the newest members of the Los Angeles Unified School Board in July, the balance of power on the board will shift.

Their accessions will mean a majority of the seven-member board will have been endorsed by the California Charter School Association, a watershed moment on a board with which the district's main teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles, has long held much sway.

Melvoin and Gonez join Mónica García, who won re-election outright in the March primary, and Ref Rodriguez as candidates who have the charter association's imprimatur.

For more on this story, click here.

Guests:

Kyle Stokes, KPCC education reporter covering LAUSD

Alex Caputo-Pearl, president of United Teachers Los Angeles 

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

The marriage of Mildred Loving, a part-Native American, part-black woman, and her white husband, Richard Loving, led to the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized interracial marriage across the country.; Credit: /AP

It’s been nearly 50 years since interracial marriages became legal in the United States.

And in that time, the number of newlyweds who marry outside of their own race or ethnicity has increased more than five times. That’s according to a new study by the Pew Research Center.

AirTalk wants to know your interracial or interethnic marriage story. How has this played out for you culturally?

Guest:

Alon Ziv, author of “Breeding Between the Lines: Why Interracial People are Healthier and More Attractive” (Barricade Books Inc., 2016)

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

Dr. Elizabeth Maziarka reads a blood pressure gauge during an examination of patient June Mendez at the Codman Square Health Center April 11, 2006 in Dorchester, Massachusetts. ; Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

On Thursday, state Senate passed a bill banning drug company payments or gifts to California doctors.

The bill’s rationale is physicians who accept gifts are more likely to prescribe higher-cost, branded drugs rather than generics. Drug companies claim it’s important to get feedback from docs, and to have face-to-face conversations about new medications that help patients. That often involves meals or continuing education.

AirTalk debates SB-790.

Guests:

Emily Rusch, executive director of California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG), a consumer rights group in support of SB 790

Paul Howard, director of health policy and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute

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

BOSTON - MARCH 12: Pictured are a selection of condoms March 12, 2004 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bush administration is considering requiring warning labels on condom packages noting that the contraceptive devices do not protect users from all sexually transmitted diseases. (Photo by William B. Plowman/Getty Images); Credit: William B. Plowman/Getty Images

“Stealthing” refers to the practice of a man removing his condom without his partner’s knowledge or consent, subsequently exposing his partner to the risk of pregnancy or disease.

As the issue has come to the forefront of public attention, it’s raised questions over whether this action should be legally defined as rape, sexual assault or something more distinct. A Wisconsin lawmaker proposed a bill that would classify stealthing as sexual assault. And earlier this week, California Assemblywoman Christina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) introduced AB 1033, which would classify the practice as rape, saying that “anything done to our bodies without our consent is rape.”

But law professor Sherry F. Colb says classifying stealthing as sexual assault could create a slippery slope – would not disclosing an STD to a partner be considered sexual assault too? What about lying to a partner about wearing a cervical cap? Colb argues for precisely characterizing and dealing with this particular practice, rather than drawing an equivalency with sexual assault.

Have you ever experienced stealthing? Should stealthing be considered rape, sexual assault or a practice that’s legally defined on its own terms?

Disclaimer: Due to its explicit nature, this conversation may not be suitable for some listeners.

Guests:

Carly N. Mee, staff attorney at SurvJustice, an organization based in Washington, D.C. advocating justice for survivors of sexual assault; her work focuses on representing college campus sexual assault survivors

Sherry F. Colb, law professor at Cornell Law School; her work focuses on issues of sexual equality, evidence and constitutional criminal procedure, as well as animal rights; she authored the Verdict article, “Stealthing’: Is Secret Condom Removal Akin to Sexual Assault?”

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