A still of Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell) from the NBC show "The Office"; Credit: NBC

Most would probably agree that working for a boss who has a sense of humor is preferable to working for one who doesn't.

Laughter can be helpful in making the work day pass more quickly, reducing stress and, studies have shown, even have benefits to a company’s bottom line in some cases. But a research paper published in the Academy of Management Journal looks at how boss humor can also be corrosive in the workplace.

Study authors gathered data from employees who work in China and the U.S. and, using a concept called ‘benign violation theory,’ which posits that humor follows situations that violate social norms, so long as the situation isn’t seen as threatening. Subjects were asked to evaluate their relationship with their manager and how their manager uses humor at work, how acceptable norm violations were in their workplace, and their own work behaviors.

What they found was that while it is true that humor can improve employee productivity and relations between managers and their employees, there was also a link between managers’ propensity for making jokes and employees’ willingness to break the rules or engage in practices like chronic absence or ignoring managers’ instructions. The researchers say this is not a call to end joke-telling at work, but a reminder that the impact of humor in the workplace is not always positive and that managers should be mindful about the kind of jokes they tell and the way they tell them.

What do you think about the findings from this research? Have you seen humor have a negative impact in the workplace? How do you use it in your daily work life with regards to relationships with your immediate supervisor and/or colleagues?

Guest:

Jessica Mesmer, professor of management at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington

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

Alek Minassian, a 25-year-old Richmond Hill, Ont., man is shown in this image from his LinkedIn page.; Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout

According to reports, just a few minutes before driving his van into a Toronto sidewalk, Alex Minassian wrote a Facebook post praising the Isla Vista mass shooter and paying tribute to the “Incel Rebellion.”

This has turned attention to the “incel” or “involuntary celibates” community, an online group of misogynists who condemn women for not having sex with them, and at their most acute, call for violence and rape of women. They call for the demise of “Chads,” men who are successful with women, and “Stacys,” the women who reject men, as well as what they see as a despotic feminist society that causes their ills.

We get an explainer of this online community – where it came from and its ties to the Toronto van driver.

Guests:

Katie Notopoulos, senior editor for BuzzFeed News, where she writes about tech and internet culture; co-host of the Internet Explorer podcast; she tweets @katienotopoulos   

Grace Lisa Scott, culture editor at Inverse, a digital publication that covers tech, science and digital culture; she tweets @GraceLisaScott

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

An audit from Controller Wendy Greuel finds the city is unable to track the true inventory of parking lots in Los Angeles. ; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Whether you’ve gone to LA’s City Hall for a ceremony or to troubleshoot city tax issues or gathered at the lawn below for a speech or during the Women’s March, you’re undoubtedly familiar with this fixture of Los Angeles.

In 1928, when the L.A. City Hall was just built, it was the tallest building in L.A. Its beacon was remotely switched on by President Calvin Coolidge, signifying its completion.

In his new book “Los Angeles City Hall: An American Icon,” which has a foreword by Mayor Eric Garcetti, Stephen Gee traces the history of the building. He tells Larry Mantle about its significance, from its early blueprints to the political fights around its restoration to what it symbolizes in the Downtown of today’s Los Angeles.

Stephen Gee will be discussing his book and doing a signing at at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 19 at Hennessey + Ingalls in Downtown L.A. and at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 4 at Vroman’s in Pasadena.

KPCC’s John Rabe once got to the very top of L.A.'s City Hall – not the observation deck, but the beacon itself.

Guest:

Stephen Gee, author of “Los Angeles City Hall: An American Icon” (Angel City Press, 2018); he’s also a writer and television producer

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

In this photo illustration, the Google logo is projected onto a man on August 09, 2017 in London, England. ; Credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images

When news of the Cambridge Analytica data breach broke in late March, Mark Zuckerberg might as well have been the Big Bad Wolf of online privacy concerns, but one month after the fact and Google’s teeth have begun to appear just as sharp.

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal outlines how Google is a personal data powerhouse with numbers to prove it: Google Analytics reaches over 30 million websites, Google account holders clock in at over one billion and the number of active Android phones are quoted at 2 billion.

But is the company handling this ocean of data as responsibly CEO Sundar Pichai says?

Guests:

Mark Bergen, reporter at Bloomberg who covers Google; he tweets @mhbergen

Dai Wakabayashi, reporter for the New York Times based in San Francisco; he tweets @daiwaka

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

Chief Creative Officer at Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios and DisneyToon Studios John Lasseter (R) with character Baymax attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Big Hero 6" at El Capitan Theatre on November 4, 2014 in Hollywood, California.; Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney

The half-year “sabbatical” of John Lasseter, the animator who steered Disney’s animation ventures to success, is now coming to a close– but can and should he return to Disney?

Lasseter’s leave took place amidst the height of the #MeToo conversation and was attributed to “missteps.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, he was known to kiss and hug female colleagues inappropriately, as well as make comments about their appearance. His public persona was that of a cheerful man in a hawaiian-patterned shirt who created multiple hits for Disney and Pixar. Among them: “Toy Story,” “Finding Nemo,” “Frozen,” “Moana” and many more.

There are rumors that Disney’s CEO Bob Iger will be breaking ties with Lasseter. But if Lasseter is welcomed back, what would that signal to women in animation? And if he loses his place at Disney, will Lasseter make a comeback in some other capacity, perhaps by starting his own company with the backing of foreign investors who want to cash in on his proven ability to crank out hits?

Meanwhile, there’s been talk of Louis C.K. performing at smaller clubs and Matt Lauer venturing into a public space, portending potential plans to make a comeback. But will and should the public give a second chance to the men felled by #MeToo?

Guests:

Kim Masters, editor-at-Large of The Hollywood Reporter and host of KCRW’s The Business; she tweets @kimmasters

Tom Sito, professor of animation at the USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and author of “Moving Innovation: A History of Computer Animation” (MIT Press, 2015); he was one of the writers on Disney’s 1994 film ‘The Lion King’ and his animation credits include ‘The Little Mermaid,’ ‘Aladdin,’ ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ ‘Shrek’ and more

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

Veterans Affairs Secretary Nominee Dr. Ronny Jackson departs the U.S. Capitol April 25, 2018 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images

President Trump’s White House physician, Adm. Ronny Jackson, withdrew his bid Thursday to become the secretary of Veterans Affairs amid allegations that cast doubt on his leadership abilities. 

The move raised concerns over the future of the department which has faced a host of management problems in the past years. As the search for a new VA leader continues, many lawmakers are anxious over much-needed reform. We examine what does that mean to local veterans’ programs and how does that affect healthcare benefits.

Guest:

Leo Shane III, deputy editor at the Military Times covering Veterans Affairs and the White House; he tweets @LeoShane

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

A photo of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo, who is believed to be the the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, is displayed during a news conference on April 25, 2018 in Sacramento, California. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and Sacramento District Attorney’s Offices announced yesterday the arrest of a suspect in the decades-old serial murder case commonly referred to as the “Golden State Killer.”

Authorities arrested Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, at his home in Sacramento during the early hours of Wednesday morning. The suspect was initially linked through DNA evidence to two Ventura County victims, but the Orange County District Attorney’s Office has additionally tacked on four special circumstances murders that took place in Irvine and Dana Point.

Interest in the Golden State Killer (also known as the East Area Rapist and the Original Night Stalker) saw a resurgence with the recent publication and success of the late Michelle McNamara’s book “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.” The book outlines major details of the case, which began in the early 1970’s. The Golden State Killer is believed to have been responsible for at least 12 homicides and over 40 rapes throughout the state of California, crimes that were connected through DNA evidence only in recent years.

Larry discusses the history of the case with the lead researcher of McNamara’s book, Paul Haynes, along with the latest from Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas.

GUESTS:

Tony Rackauckas, Orange County District Attorney

Paul Haynes, lead researcher and contributing writer for “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” (HarperCollins, 2018) by the late Michelle McNamara; he tweets @ThePaulOfHaynes

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

Bill Cosby (C) walks through the Montgomery County Courthouse with his publicist, Andrew Wyatt, after being found guilty on all counts in his sexual assault retrial on April 26, 2018 in Norristown, Pennsylvania.; Credit: Mark Makela/Getty Images

Bill Cosby was convicted Thursday of drugging and molesting a woman in the first big celebrity trial of the #MeToo era.

Cosby, 80, could end up spending his final years in prison after a jury concluded he sexually violated Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004.

AirTalk covered the breaking news live over the course of our two-hour show. Listen to what two lawyers specializing in sex crimes and a reporter outside the courthouse had to say about the verdict.

With files from the Associated Press.

Guests:

Ambrosio Rodriguez, former prosecutor and criminal defense attorney; he led the sex crimes team in the Riverside County D.A.’s office

Dmitry Gorin, a former sex crimes prosecutor in the Los Angeles DA’s office and a criminal defense attorney

Bobby Allyn, reporter for NPR member station WHYY in Philadelphia who has been following the trial; he is outside of the courthouse in Norristown, Pa.; he tweets @BobbyAllyn

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

A photo of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo, who is believed to be the the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, is displayed during a news conference on April 25, 2018 in Sacramento, California. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and Sacramento District Attorney’s offices announced Wednesday the arrest of a suspect in the decades-old serial murder case commonly referred to as the “Golden State Killer.”

Authorities arrested Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, at his home in Sacramento during the early hours of Wednesday morning. DeAngelo was linked through DNA evidence to two Ventura County victims — Charlene Smith and Lyman Smith — as well as two Sacramento County victims, Katie and Brian Maggiore. Since the arrest, he has also been charged with four additional special circumstances murders through the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

The four murders occurred between 1980 and 1986 at various locations throughout the region, according to OC District Attorney Tony Rackauckas. Patrice and Keith Harrington were the first victims, a young married couple murdered in their Dana Point home in 1980. The third victim was Irvine resident Manuela Witthuhn, who was brutally raped and murdered in 1981. The final victim was Janelle Cruz, a 19-year-old who was raped and killed while her family was on vacation in 1986.  

Rackauckas spoke about that period of time, as well as the years after — when the killer remained unknown:

These poor people, the way they were treated and what happened to them, the way they were terrorized, a lot of folks felt like he could show up at the door, he could show up at the house at any time. There was a lot of fear.

Considering the geographical scope of the crimes, determining where exactly to hold DeAngelo’s trial is proving complicated, but Rackauckas remains hopeful:

[The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is] going to listen to what the other DAs have to say and what they think is important, and hopefully we can make this decision without arguing or power plays. We can just get together and decide — and I think we can do that.

How a book renewed interest in the case

Interest in the Golden State Killer (also known as the East Area Rapist and the Original Night Stalker) saw a recent resurgence with the success of the late Michelle McNamara’s book ,“I'll Be Gone in the Dark.”

The book outlines major details of the case, which began in the early 1970s, and maps out connections between locations, victims and types of crimes. Though McNamara tragically passed before the publication of the book, her husband Patton Oswalt teamed up with investigators and researchers to finish it, including lead researcher Paul Haynes.

Haynes was blindsided by the news this week, but couldn’t help reflecting on the unique position the book holds in the capture of a suspect:

I don’t think the push to solve this case would have had the same level of thrust had Michelle not become involved. Michelle really put a spotlight on this case, which had somehow eluded it until the better part of the aughts. It blew my mind and was astonishing to Michelle that a case of this scope could fly under the radar as it had.

After dedicating years to investigating the case, it’s no surprise that Haynes is a wealth of knowledge regarding dates and particulars. The Golden State Killer is thought to be responsible for 12 murders and 49 rapes across the state of California, and Haynes can recite their patterns as if by heart:

He would break into the home in the middle of the night. He would startle the sleeping couple, or in some cases an individual, typically by shining a flashlight into the face of the victim. He would order the female to bind the male, and [the killer] would then bind the female and re-tie the male.

He would typically, at least in Northern California, separate the two. He would bring the female into the living room, he would stack dishes on the back of the male and would instruct the victim: ‘If I hear these dishes move, I’ll kill everything in the house.’ And then he would return to the female victim, sexually assault her, and sometimes spend upwards of two hours on the property, ransacking and terrorizing the victims before quietly slipping away.

The horrifying nature of these crimes was one of the many reasons why it had a particularly haunting effect on the law enforcement teams and independent investigators who worked the case. The big blank spot where a killer’s face should be didn’t help morale much either.

But McNamara took years of dead ends and unanswered questions, and flipped them on their heads. First task on her list — give the killer a name.

Her mission was to bring this case to a broader public awareness, and this is partly why she re-christened the offender the 'Golden State Killer.’ His previous sobriquet — ‘The East Area Rapist-Original Night Stalker’ — was cumbersome, it didn’t really stick in the mind and this is the sort of case where you think, why does the Zodiac have the level of notoriety that it does, while this case sort of languished in obscurity?

Twitter

Now that a suspect has been named, Haynes has some more digging to do. As more details emerge regarding Joseph James DeAngelo, more connections seem to be made to the Golden State Killer and his patterns and locations. Particular significance has been given to DeAngelo’s 1979 arrest, which not only ended his career as a police officer but also opened a window into potentially darker motivations. Haynes commented on the two items stolen — dog repellent and a hammer:

Both, I’m sure, were tools that he intended to implement in his prowling and burglary activities. We know that dogs were a problem for him. There was a dog bludgeoned in Rancho Cordova I think in 1975. In Goleta, in early September 1979, there was a dog that had been stabbed ostensibly by a prowler. And if you are a prowler, dogs are just an occupational hazard. When he [DeAngelo] was arrested for that, he refused a hearing, he declined to answer any of the investigating committee’s questions and he just accepted his firing. In retrospect, that should have raised a red flag.

And the connections between DeAngelo and the killer don’t stop there.

I should also add that between 1973 and 1975 he was working as a police officer for the City of Exeter, which is in Tulare County, one city away from Visalia, and it has long been suspected that the East Area Rapist was also an offender known as the Visalia Ransacker, who is a serial burglar who operated in Visalia from 1974 to 1975.

The Visalia Ransacker was a window peeper and prowler, whose series of burglaries ultimately escalated to the murder of a college professor who intervened as the Ransacker attempted to kidnap his teenage daughter. Haynes predicts that DeAngelo will ultimately be charged in that crime, but only time (and DNA) will tell.

As with most tragedies, the closing of one door has sparked the opening of another. Though the public now has a suspect’s name, a slew of new questions are arriving with each hour. Certainty can breed more uncertainty, but there is at least one thing to be sure of, and Michelle McNamara stated it herself in a 2013 interview on AirTalk:

“There’s a good likelihood that he is still alive and he’s out there, and they really do feel that getting this information out there is what’s going to lead to an arrest.”

Turns out that both in life and death, she was right on his tail. 

GUESTS:

Tony Rackauckas, Orange County District Attorney

Paul Haynes, lead researcher and contributing writer for “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” (HarperCollins, 2018) by the late Michelle McNamara; he tweets @ThePaulOfHaynes

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

People gather in a Metro station on March 28, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

As cities across Southern California struggle to deal housing a growing homeless population, LA Metro has given the greenlight Thursday to look into providing additional services for those living on the streets.

The plan includes the installation of mobile showers at selected subway stations, install public restrooms at all new rail stations.

Recently, LA Metro started a program in which social workers are dispatched to ride the Red Line and provide outreach to homeless individuals.

What do you think of LA Metro’s latest proposal? Call us at 866.893.5722 and weigh in.

Guests:

Laura Nelson, transportation reporter for the Los Angeles Times; she tweets @laura_nelson

Alex Wiggins, chief system security and law enforcement officer who oversees Metro’s homeless outreach social services program

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

The 2008 Ford Focus goes through final assembly after the launch of the car at the Wayne Stamping and Assembly Plant Oct. 15, 2007 in Wayne, Michigan.; Credit: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

If you’re looking to buy a passenger car from Ford, your only option will soon be the Mustang.

Ford will be scrapping most of its sedans and focus on its trucks, crossovers and SUVs, which have been their main money makers. According to a press release from Ford, by 2020 nearly 90 percent of the automaker’s North American portfolio will be “trucks, utilities and commercial vehicles.”

Ford seems to be framing this as a rational response to market demands. But some critics say Ford’s move is an opening for foreign competitors and that entry-level cars will never truly go away.

Have North American consumer preferences shifted away from the sedan? If so, why? And how is the rest of the auto industry responding to Ford’s move?

Guests:

Nick Bunkley, a news editor for Automotive News, a trade magazine for the auto industry; he tweets @nickbunkley

Edward Loh, editor-in-chief of Motor Trend, a trade magazine for the auto industry

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

Law enforcement officials leave the home of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo on April 24, 2018 in Citrus Heights, California.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Sacramento investigators were able to track down the suspected “Golden State Killer,” decades after the crime, using DNA from public genealogical websites, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office confirmed Thursday.

A relative’s genetic information posted on the genealogy website GEDmatch led police to Joseph James DeAngelo, according to the Sacramento Bee.

People using the website publicly share their genetic information which eliminates legal hurdles for investigators trying to crack cases. Unlike other DNA websites, including Ancestry and 23andMe, authorities would have harder time accessing private information.

DeAngelo, 72, was arrested Tuesday outside his home in Sacramento. He is accused of killing 12 people and raping more than 50 women in the 1970s and 80s.

Guest:

Sam Stanton, reporter for the Sacramento Bee; he broke the story about cops using genealogy websites to track down the Golden State Killer; he tweets @StantonSam

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

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (L) and South Korean President Moon Jae-in (R) pose for photographs after signing the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula during the Inter-Korean Summit at the Peace House on April 27, 2018 in Panmunjom, South Korea.; Credit: Pool/Getty Images

Kim Jong Un is now the first North Korean leader to have set foot in the South since a 1953 armistice halted three devastating years of war between the two Koreas.

With all eyes glued on the highly anticipated inter-Korea summit, Kim and President Moon Jae-in met as scheduled on Friday at the Peace House in Panmunjom, a truce village located in the demilitarised zone (DMZ) of the peninsula.

The two leaders greeted each other in what appeared to be a masterful but sincere display of warm diplomacy, with handshakes, hugs and a long, private conversation at the border. Both also took turns stepping into each other’s country.

The North and South have released a formal declaration of peace, which includes removing all nuclear weapons and pursuing talks with the United States to officially end the Korean War.

But with all the conciliatory bravado, how is the rest of the international community responding? After decades of conflict and tension, does the possibility of unification now seem more likely? And if you’re of Korean descent, what has this historic day of talks meant for you? Call us at 866-893-5722.

Guests:

Paul Adams, diplomatic correspondent for the BBC who has been following the story; he tweets @BBCPaulAdams

Sung-Yoon Lee, an expert on the Koreas and professor in Korean Studies at Tufts University

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

An Amp sits on the dashboard of a Lyft driver's car on January 31, 2017 in San Francisco, California.; Credit: Kelly Sullivan/Getty Images for Lyft

The California Supreme Court served a potential blow to the state’s gig economy with a ruling Monday that would make it tougher for companies to classify workers as independent contractors instead of employees.

As reported by the New York Times, the decision will force major players like Uber and Lyft to change their business models, including following overtime, benefits and unemployment employee requirements. Before the ruling, there were approximately 10 factors that went into determining whether a worker was an independent contractor or employee. The court decided on a simpler “ABC” test that is already implemented in New Jersey and Massachusetts. Under the new test, workers would be considered employees if they perform tasks that are the “usual course” of the company’s business.

So what does this mean for Uber and Lyft? If you are an Uber or Lyft driver or an independent contractor, what does this mean for your business?

*We reached out to Uber and Lyft for comments on the state’s ruling. Uber declined our request did not reply to our request in time for the segment.

Guests:

Andrew Hawkins, senior transportation reporter at The Verge where he covers ride-sharing services; he’s been following the story; he tweets @andyjayhawk

Richard Meneghello, Oregon-based partner at Fisher Phillips, a gig-economy law practice group with offices in L.A. and Orange County; his focus includes California gig economy law; he tweets @pdxLaborLawyer

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

A view of the Los Angeles city skyline as heavy smog shrouds the city in California on May 31, 2015. ; Credit: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

Multiple states, including California, have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its plans to scrap gas mileage standards and how much greenhouse gases vehicles can emit, Gov. Jerry Brown and Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced Tuesday.

The suit takes aim at a plan by the Environmental Protection Agency to eliminate standards for vehicles manufactured between 2022 and 2025. The standards would have required vehicles to get 36 miles per gallon (58 kilometers per gallon) by 2025, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) over the existing standard.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Joining California are Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

With files from the Associated Press.

Guest:

Sean Hecht, co-executive director of Emmett Institute of Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA Law school

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

Hippocampal neuron in culture. Dendrites are green, dendritic spines are red and DNA in cells nucleus is blue.; Credit: Science Source/Getty Images

The development of cerebral organoids, also known as mini-brains, has ignited a debate over its ethical consequences.

Currently, those living brain cells are used to study brain development and disorders. But the research of cerebral organoids is progressing so quickly that scientists need to consider implications like developing “what looks like consciousness or any kind of sentience, the ability to feel something like pain,” says Nita Farahany, a professor of law and philosophy at Duke University and the director of Duke Science and Society. So what are the ethics of experimenting with human brain tissue? We explore whether potential health benefits outweigh ethical risks.

GUEST:

Nita Farahany, lead author of a paper in Nature on the ethics of experimenting with human brain tissue; She is the director of a professor of law and philosophy at Duke University, and director of the school’s Bioethics & Science Policy curriculum

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

An illustration for NPR's Morning Edition segment, "How Online Dating Shapes Our Relationships"; Credit: Hanna Barczyk for NPR

Breaking up is hard to do – and social media doesn’t make it any easier.

Nearly 15 years have passed since the launch of the social networking pioneer Myspace, and though the days of carefully curating your “top friends” may be long over, social media has only become more connected to users’ real-life relationships. A new romantic partner often means adding shared photos, mutual friends and even an updated relationship status to your profile… but when those relationships end, what do you do with the remaining virtual connections?

Even though it’s pretty customary to return or throw out possessions an ex left behind, it often feels a bit harsh and extreme to cut ties online in the same way. But even if it seems harmless, keeping an ex on social media can make it harder to move on and create confusion if you see that he or she liked or even just viewed one of your posts.

What role has social media played in your breakups? If you were dating before the social networking boom, how has it changed your experiences ending relationships? Do you go cold turkey online or try to stay friends on your various accounts – and how has either choice affected your ability to move on? Call us at 866-893-5722.

Guest:

Cortney S. Warren, clinical psychologist, adjunct professor of psychology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and adjunct clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Nevada School of Medicine; she is also a featured expert for EXaholics, a website for people who struggle to move on after breakups

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

The shadow of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is cast on a photograph of heroin and fentanyl during a news conference the U.S. Capitol March 22, 2018 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

A recent analysis of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. shows that synthetic opioids such as fentanyl have surpassed prescription painkillers as the drug that’s most commonly involved in fatal overdoses.

Fentanyl is an incredibly potent painkiller that’s 25 to 50 times more powerful than heroin, and its increasingly common for heroin and cocaine to be cut with fentanyl, usually without the knowledge of consumers.

What is fentanyl and what are its legitimate uses? Why have fentanyl-related overdose deaths risen recently? And how is this changing the landscape of the opioid epidemic?

Guests:

Wilson Compton, M.D., deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA); a federal government research center studying drug abuse and addiction; co-author of a paper on the role of fentanyl in opioid drug overdose deaths published in May in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)

Shalini Shah, M.D., director of pain services at the UC Irvine health system and Chair of the Committee on pain at the California Society of Anesthesiologists, a group of physicians across the state working on managing and responding to the drug shortages

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

An artist's concept depicts the InSight lander on Mars.; Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

On Saturday, NASA is launching a spacecraft to Mars for a mission that aims to go beneath the surface (both figuratively and literally) of the red planet to answer questions about its temperature, the composition and size of its core and its geologic activity (or “Marsquakes").

InSight, or Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is launching from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base at 4:05 a.m. PDT, the first interplanetary mission to be initiated from outside of Cape Canaveral in Florida. This $1 billion mission will send a robotic geologist to study the insides of the planet.

For more info on the InSight mission, click here. 

This lander will be accompanied by two briefcase-size satellites which will be testing out whether InSight can pass along communication signals during the journey and after the landing. These CubeSats are nicknamed WALL-E and EVE, after the Pixar movie characters. They use the same propulsion mechanism that a fire extinguisher uses to spray foam, and which was used by WALL-E to steer himself in zero gravity.

We get a preview of the InSight launch with Bruce Banerdt, the chief scientist on the mission.

Guest:

Bruce Banerdt, Principal Investigator and Scientist of the InSight mission at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

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

Custom Gibson Les Paul studio guitar on display at Juliens Auctions in Beverly Hills, California on March 7, 2011. ; Credit: GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images

Gibson Brands, Inc., the legendary company behind guitars played by Jimmy Page and B.B. King, filed bankruptcy Tuesday.

As reported by Rolling Stone, the Nashville-based company announced that it’s working on “refocusing, reorganizing and restructuring.” That means leaving behind some of its “non-core” brands in audio and home entertainment, which cost Gibson $135 million in order to expand its reach with consumers; a plan that couldn’t hold in sales. But the company is far from dead. It’s still a force in the instrument biz, with big brands like Steinberger, Baldwin and Epiphone as part of its inventory.

But could the bankruptcy of Gibson, the guitar giant, be a sign of something bigger in the music industry? There’s been talk in recent years about the end of the electric guitar, especially as electronic music takes center stage. And just last month, Guitar Center announced that it is experiencing financial problems and might go bankrupt. Is changing musical taste a contributing factor to the demise of the electric guitar?

Guests:

Amy X. Wang, music business reporter for Rolling Stone; she’s been following the story

Mikael Wood, pop music critic for the LA Times

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