K'Waun Williams #24, Arik Armstead #91 and Eli Harold #57 of the San Francisco 49ers kneel while holding their hands over their chest during the national anthem before playing against the Washington Redskins at FedExField on October 15, 2017 in Landover, Maryland.; Credit: Patrick Smith/Getty Images

The LAPD union, the Los Angeles Police Protective League, is joining with other law enforcement unions across the country, as well as the San Francisco 49ers, to push for a ban on gun silencers, bump stocks and armor-piercing ammunition in their “Pledge for a More Understanding and Safer America.”

The initiative will be officially announced and signed today, Thursday, at Levi’s Stadium, and is meant to inspire professional sports teams and law enforcement to improve police-community relations. In addition to advocating against certain gun accessories, the coalition has also said they would advocate for mental health services.

The 49ers have promised $500,000 to this campaign. This is part of their larger push to work with law enforcement, perhaps born from Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling at the national anthem in 2016 to protest the shootings of unarmed black people by police. This pledge may be meant to address or circumvent the recent controversy over national anthem protests by NFL players.

Why wasn’t the San Francisco police union part of the pledge? In what ways have the 49ers and law enforcement worked together? What do you think of this messaging?

Guests:

Robert Salonga, crime and public safety reporter for The Mercury News; he tweets @robertsalonga

Craig Lally, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the labor union representing LAPD officers

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

Janet Napolitano, president of the University of California, listens to a speaker during a discussion at The University of California Washington Center on September 21, 2017 in Washington, DC.; Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

As debates rage on college campuses over free speech and hate speech, the UC is launching a new center to study the 1st Amendment.

The National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement will be based in Washington D.C. and will feature some of the country’s most respected 1st Amendment scholars on its advisory board, including UC Berkeley Law School’s Erwin Chemerinsky and the University of Chicago Law School’s Geoffrey R. Stone.

Larry speaks with UC President Janet Napolitano and civil liberties lawyer Stephen Rohde about the new center.

Guests:

Janet Napolitano, president of the University of California

Stephen Rohde, civil liberties lawyer and author of “Webster’s New World American Words of Freedom” (Webster’s New World, 2001); past president of ACLU Southern California

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

John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917 - 1963), American president announcing on television the strategic blockade of Cuba, and his warning to the Soviet Union about missile sanctions during the Cuban missile crisis, 22nd October 1962.; Credit: Keystone/Getty Images

After some last-minute delay Thursday, the U.S. government released thousands of previously classified files related to President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

Thousands more, at the behest of intelligence agencies, are still being processed and are set to be made public in April.

Researchers and enthusiasts have been parsing through the blurry photos and scribbled notes since yesterday. Some of the biggest points of interest so far are that President Lyndon B. Johnson believed Kennedy was killed as payback for the assassination of the president of Vietnam, that the CIA had consulted a mafia member about potentially killing Castro and that the FBI got a death threat against Oswald the day before he was killed.

So what happened yesterday to delay the release of the documents? Is the delay technically legal under the Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992? And what are the biggest revelations from the documents released yesterday?

Guest:

Jefferson Morley, editor of the JFKfacts, a blog about the Kennedy assassination; investigative reporter, formerly at The Washington Post, and author of “The Ghost: The Secret Life of CIA Spymaster James Jesus Angleton” (St. Martin’s Press, 2017)

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

A pedestrian walks by a CVS store on June 15, 2015 in San Francisco, California. CVS Health announced that it has agreed to acquire Target's pharmacy and clinic businesses for an estimated $1.9 billion.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

CVS Health is reportedly in talks to buy health insurer Aetna to the tune of $66 billion – and according to the Wall Street Journal, the merger is a pre-emptive strike against Amazon’s potential move into the pharmacy market.

As retail merchandise sales have dropped, both CVS and its competitor Walgreens have been putting more resources into their pharmacy and health-care businesses. In June, federal antitrust regulators shot down Walgreens’ initial proposed merger with Rite Aid. Meanwhile, competition from pharmacy benefit management businesses, which control prescription drug programs for some health plans, has been getting more fierce, according to a health care services analyst. So CVS might now be inspired to find an edge through less traditional means.

Would this merger present antitrust concerns? Is this a bellwether for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, and what would that mean for consumers? And what is Amazon’s role in all of this?

Guests:

Zach Tracer, health care reporter for Bloomberg News; he tweets @ZTracer

Erik Gordon, professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, where he studies the commercialization of technology and the biomedical industry

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

People holding Esteladas (Pro-independence Catalan flag) gather outside the Catalan parliament in Barcelona on October 27, 2017.; Credit: PAU BARRENA/AFP/Getty Images

After a disputed independence vote earlier this month, the Catalan regional parliament declared independence from Spain.

As reported by The Washington Post, just minutes after the parliament vote on Friday, the Spanish Senate authorized Madrid’s central government to have power over Catalonia. This tug-of-war is causing a constitutional dilemma for the region. The BBC reported that 90 percent of people who potentially voted in this month’s referendum were in favor of Catalonia’s independence.

But there has been confusion since Spain’s Constitutional Court ruled the vote illegal. And as Britain plans its exit from the European Union, there is rising uncertainty about what Catalan independence will mean for stability in Western Europe. Larry speaks to a reporter on the ground in Barcelona today, to learn more about the future of Catalonia.

Guest:

William Booth, London bureau chief for the Washington Post; he’s following the story in Barcelona

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

US President Bill Clinton (L) speaks with Gen. John Shalikashvili (R), chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, upon his arrival at the Pentagon for meetings 01 February 1995.; Credit: PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images

The White House and the military might present a united front, but they don’t always get along.

That’s the tension illustrated by Mark Perry’s “The Pentagon's Wars: The Military's Undeclared War Against America's Presidents,” which explores how the internal conflict between various presidential administrations and military heads shaped U.S. foreign policy decisions.

Using nearly thirty years of interviews, Perry explores how the military led to Obama’s retreat from the “red line” in Syria, the history of Clinton’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule and why there’s so much support of Trump within the military now.

We speak with Perry about the inner machinery of the Pentagon- U.S. government relationship, both in past years and today.

Guest:

Mark Perry, military and foreign affairs analyst and author of “The Pentagon's Wars: The Military's Undeclared War Against America's Presidents” (Basic Book, 2017)

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

Former Donald Trump presidential campaign manager Paul Manafort looks on during Game Four of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 17, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City.; Credit: Elsa/Getty Images

On Monday, Trump’s campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates, were indicted with money laundering, conspiracy against the U.S. and ten other charges, as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference of the presidential election.

In separate news, former foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign George Papadopolous said he was guilty of lying to the F.B.I. about being in touch with a Russian professor that had contact with the Kremlin.

Meanwhile, there are further revelations coming in about the infamous dossier on Trump, created by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, who had been hired by intelligence firm Fusion GPS. The Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee had given money to GPS for the research. Conservative site Washington Free Beacon had also hired Fusion GPS for unrelated research.

We lay out the timeline on the dossier, and update you on the latest on the indictment.

Guests:

Aaron Blake, senior political reporter for the Washington Post; he tweets @AaronBlake

Jens David Ohlin, vice dean and law professor at Cornell University where he focuses on criminal and international law; he tweets @LieberCode

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

FBI Director Robert Mueller speaks during a news conference at the FBI headquarters June 25, 2008 in Washington, DC. The news conference was to mark the 5th anniversary of Innocence Lost initiative.; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

It was reported last week that special counsel Robert Mueller would be bringing the first set of charges in the investigation into whether the Trump campaign worked with Russian operatives to influence the 2016 election, and the charges are now official as former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort was indicted for tax fraud and money laundering.

Manafort and an associate, Rick Gates, were ordered to surrender themselves to the FBI on Monday morning. Another former Trump campaign adviser admitted to lying to the FBI. We’ll look at the political implications of the indictment and what it means for the Trump administration.

Republicans are expected to finally pull the tarp off of their tax overhaul bill this week. Many questions still remain about what, exactly, is in the bill and how Republicans plan to offset the new tax cuts they’re proposing.

We’ll talk about what it’ll take for the GOP to get the legislation passed and the challenges they’ll face along the way, plus the latest on prototypes for President Trump’s border wall going up along the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego.

Guests:

Bill Burton, Democratic political strategist with the firm SKD Knickerbocker and former deputy White House press secretary for Barack Obama; he tweets @billburton

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

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

Kevin Spacey attends the European Premiere of Sony Pictures "Baby Driver" on June 21, 2017 in London, England. ; Credit: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Sony Pictures

In yet another bombshell accusation of sexual misconduct in Hollywood, actor Anthony Rapp says Kevin Spacey made sexual advances towards him at a party in 1986 while they were both performing in Broadway shows.

In an interview with Buzzfeed, Rapp says he was 14 at the time and that Spacey, then 26, invited him to his apartment for a party. Rapp says during the evening, Spacey at one point picked him up, put him on a bed, and climbed on top of him. He says he was able to slip away from Spacey before the encounter went any further, but the accusations came as a surprise to many nonetheless. Anthony Rapp currently stars in CBS' show Star Trek: Discovery but is maybe best known for playing Mark Cohen in the original Broadway cast of Rent.

What came as an even bigger surprise to many was when the fiercely private Spacey responded on Twitter, saying that while “I honestly do not remember the encounter” he was “beyond horrified” to hear Rapp’s story and said he owed Rapp “the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.”

Spacey, whose sexuality has long been a subject of speculation, also chose the tweet to come out publicly as gay for the first time. This angered many on Twitter, including fellow actors, who took issue with the timing of the statement and felt Spacey was trying to direct attention away from the accusations by choosing that time to share his sexuality.

What do you think about the way Spacey responded to the allegations? And what about his choosing to come out in the same statement? How would you respond to an accusation like this if, taking Spacey’s statement at face value, you don’t remember the incident in question?

Guest:

Dominic Patten, senior editor and chief TV critic at Deadline Hollywood; he tweets @DeadlineDominic

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

Alex Bregman #2 of the Houston Astros celebrates after scoring on a double by Jose Altuve #27 (not pictured) during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game five of the 2017 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 29, 2017 in Houston, Texas. ; Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and the Houston Astros kept hammering away in a wild slugfest that no one saw coming, rallying against Clayton Kershaw and rocking the Los Angeles Dodgers 13-12 in 10 thrilling innings Sunday night for a 3-2 lead in the World Series.

In a tension-filled game of monster momentum swings at pulsating Minute Maid Park, the last one belonged to Alex Bregman. With the packed crowd still standing well past midnight, Bregman hit an RBI single with two outs off Kenley Jansen to win it after 5 hours, 17 minutes.

Wacky and whacky with seven home runs, this perhaps topped Toronto's 15-14 win over the Phillies in 1993 as the craziest World Series game ever.

Here to recap last night’s loss and the rest of the series that took place over the weekend is Jared Diamond.

With files from the Associated Press

Guest:

Jared Diamond, reporter covering the World Series for The Wall Street Journal

Fred Claire, general manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1987-1998; he tweets @Fred_Claire 

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

Manager Dave Roberts #30 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on from the dugout against the Houston Astros in game five of the 2017 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 29, 2017 in Houston, Texas. ; Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

A lot of ink has been spilled dissecting what the Dodgers should and shouldn’t have done over the last three games in the World Series.

Now, the citizens of Los Angeles turn their attention to the pivotal Game 6 of the series. Dodgers are sending pitcher Rich Hill to the mound, while Justin Verlander hopes to close out the series for the Astros tonight.

Larry talks to A Martinez on what the Dodgers need to do to stay alive, and KPCC’s resident Astros fan Rebecca Nieto.

Guests:

A Martínez, host of KPCC’s Take Two; he tweets @AMartinezLA

Rebecca Nieto, senior producer, News, Broadcast & Digital at KPCC; she tweets @beccanieto

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

The California State Capitol in Sacramento.; Credit: Mathieu Thouvenin (Flickr Creative Commons)

Enough.

This is the rallying cry for more than 300 who have signed a letter denouncing the “pervasive” culture of sexual harassment that they say has gone unchecked in Sacramento politics for years.

The letter includes people like staffers and aides to current and former lawmakers who say they’ve been subject to everything from inappropriate comments and jokes to groping and unwanted/non-consensual touching. The letter goes on to say that many of those who signed felt unable to talk about the issue for fear that it could have consequences for their job or reputation.

Those who have come forward to share their stories publicly say they felt trapped because the system for reporting and investigating these kind of complaints was broken and stacked against them.

The California Senate announced last week that it has hired two outside firms to investigate the claims, and legislative leaders say they plan to hold hearings next month to review the disciplinary reporting system and talk about ways to make it more trustworthy and effective.

Guests:

Melanie Mason, reporter for the Los Angeles Times covering state government and politics in Sacramento; she tweets @melmason

Laura Friedman, Democratic California State Assemblymember for District 43, which includes Burbank, Glendale, and La Cañada Flintridge; she is one of the 147 women who signed an open letter denouncing the alleged culture of sexual misconduct at the state Capitol

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

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai at his confirmation hearing for a second term as chair of the commission before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Capitol Hill July 19, 2017 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

In November, the Federal Communications Commission will vote on proposals that would undo anti-consolidation regulations meant to encourage diversity in local media.

The current FCC broadcast rules establish a limit on local media ownership – meaning that there can’t be overlapping ownership between a television station, radio station and newspaper in a single market. The proposed rollbacks would include eliminating the rule barring broadcast and newspaper cross-ownership, and would ease some restrictions on how many radio and television stations can be owned by the same entity. With Republicans in the majority at the FCC, these deregulations are expected to pass.

FCC chairman Ajit Pai said the original rules, many of which were created in the 70s, are outdated and don’t reflect the reality of the digital, multimedia age. Proponents say loosening the rules will allow local journalism to grow and compete with larger institutions. Critics say local media consolidation will lead to less diversity of viewpoints and less local news content.

Are the current FCC rules outdated? Will the loosening of these rules allow local media to compete with bigger, often digital, news outlets? Or will consolidation quash out the diversity of local news media?  

The FCC vote on Reconsidering Broadcast Ownership Rules is slated for the Nov 16 Open Commission Meeting.

Guests:

David Chavern, president and CEO of the newspaper trade group News Media Alliance

Jessica  González, deputy director of Free Press, an advocacy group that opposes media consolidation

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

Revellers in costumes take part in a 'Zombies March' in central Kiev on October 28, 2017, ahead of Halloween celebrations on October 31.; Credit: SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/Getty Images

Oh, Halloween, the time of the year where well-meaning revelers cut loose and dress up in fun costumes – and oftentimes get in trouble for it.

News items about  inappropriate, offensive, and plain tasteless costumes have become perennial this time of the year. The latest entry comes in the form of an Anne Frank costume, which instantly incurred the wrath of the internet.

What’s the most offensive, insensitive, tasteless Halloween costume you’ve seen? Call in at 866.893.5722 to let us know.

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

An armed California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officer stands guard at San Quentin State Prison's death row on August 15, 2016 in San Quentin, California.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A proposal seeking to give California inmates and parolees the right to vote is hoping to qualify for the November 2018 ballot.

Secretary of State Alex Padilla gave the greenlight Monday to allow proponents of the California Right to Vote of Convicted Felons Initiative to start gathering signatures. They must get 585,407 signatures by April 25 to qualify for next year’s ballot.

According to the petition summary on Ballotpedia, the initiative “eliminates existing restrictions on pre-registering to vote, registering to vote, and voting by persons while they are in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony.”

Proponents of the measure say that prisoners are more likely to integrate back into society if they retain voting rights and that people of color are disproportionately affected these voting restrictions. Law enforcement has previously voiced criticism against similar proposals, saying that people who commit crimes lose their right to participate in the democratic process.

Do you think convicted felons should be able to vote in California?

Guests:

Taina Vargas-Edmond, co-founder and executive director of Initiate Justice, a non-profit that advocates for people impacted by incarceration; she filed the initiative; she tweets @tainaangeli

Robert Harris, director at the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the labor union representing LAPD officers

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

A helicopter view of a waterfall in Yosemite National Park June 19, 2016 in Yosemite Vally, California.; Credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

The National Parks Service says some of its parks are beginning to show their age, so to fix them up, they’re proposing a fee hike that would double the price of entrance for one vehicle during a five month period in peak season to generate more revenue that NPS can put back into park maintenance.

The public has until November 23rd to weigh in on the proposal, but some members of the public say that the fee increase goes too far, and will prevent some families from being able to afford a trip to the parks. NPS says the fee hike will generate $68 million to help offset the current repair bill of about $11.3 billion.

What do you think of the fee increase? If you’re against it, what other methods do you think NPS could employ to raise money for repairs?

Guest:

Emily Guerin, reporter at KPCC covering the environment who’s been following the story; she tweets @guerinemily

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

Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee.; Credit: Max Whittaker/Getty Images

Open enrollment for Covered California, the health insurance marketplace for our state, opens November 1 and runs for 3 months, until January 31, 2018.

There have been questions as to what recent moves by the Trump administration, such as the decision to stop paying key subsidies to insurers, means for consumers looking to buy health insurance in 2018.

We’re joined by executive director of Covered California Peter Lee, who is here to clarify any confusion.

What are your questions regarding open enrollment?  

Guest:

Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California

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

Joc Pederson #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates as he runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning against the Houston Astros in game six of the 2017 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: Harry How/Getty Images

The Dodgers defeated the Astros 3-1 in Game 6 of the World Series last night, forcing tonight’s decisive game at Dodgers Stadium.

AirTalk convenes our Dodgers expert A Martinez and Nick Roman to talk about the Dodgers’ chances at winning the series.

Guests:

A Martinez, host of KPCC’s Take Two; he tweets @amartinezla

Nick Roman, host of KPCC All Things Considered; he tweets @Romanontheradio

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

A visitor takes a selfie with her pug dog at a pop-up Pug Cafe in Brick Lane, east London on October 27, 2017.; Credit: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images

The oldest Gen Z kids turn 18 this year, according to Pew Research Center, meaning millennials' days of relevance are numbered.  

As reported by Buzzfeed, marketing execs won’t be clamoring over the slightly older generation as they did in the past, but millennials made some great strides during their reign, reinventing work perks and navigating their way through post-recession employment.

The millennial legacy includes podcasts, selfies, and redefining creative careers. They’ve taken the blame for a lot (and pouted about it). Like a Comey memo, millennial actions have have been highly documented: they’ve apparently killed the cereal industry, shrugged off bar soap, turned up their noses at golf and put the American Dream in peril.

Being “the worst” is tiring, so they’re finally passing the baton of scrutinizing judgment to Gen Z -- but not without some guidance. Today, AirTalk looks back on the hits and misses of the millennial era, and wants to know: What advice do you have for Gen Z?

Guest:

Jean Twenge, psychology professor at San Diego State University focusing on the millennial generation; her books include “Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled--and More Miserable Than Ever Before” (Free Press, 2006) and "iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood" (Atria Books, 2017)

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

A tug boat pushes the Hanjin Greece container ship to dock for unloading at the Port of Long Beach, California, on September 10, 2016.; Credit: DAVID MCNEW/AFP/Getty Images

Commissioners with both of Southern California’s major ports are meeting on Thursday for a deciding vote on an update to the Clean Air Action Plan, aimed at helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In the new update, ports will be required to switch to zero-emission technology for cargo handling by 2030. Trucks will have to be zero-emissions by 2035. There are also new short and long term emissions reduction goals. The cost is slated to be between $8 and $14 billion.

The update was announced in July of this year, and AirTalk spoke with a panel of stakeholders from environmental, shipping, and trucking industries as well as the ports themselves about what the plan could mean for their industries and the people who work in them. With the vote looming, we’ll reconvene our discussion from the summer as a refresher on what’s at stake with this vote and how it could impact each of the industries involved.

Guests:

Rick Cameron, managing director of planning and environmental affairs at the Port of Long Beach

Morgan Wyenn, staff attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council

Thomas Jelenić, vice president of Pacific Merchant Shipping Association

Fred Potter, international vice president and director of the ports division for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents port truck drivers

Weston LaBar, executive director of the Harbor Trucking Association; he is also founding partner of PEAR Strategies, a public affairs and digital strategy firm based in Long Beach

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