journalist
Former reporter and editor at the Los Angeles Times; Special Projects Deputy in the office of outgoing County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky
PROFILE
Joel Sappell
Guest
FROM Joel Sappell
Which Way, L.A.?
Revisiting Old Grievances with the Church of Scientology Joel Sappell spent 26 years as an editor and investigative reporter for the Los Angeles Times, five of those years investigating the Church of Scientology . It was founded by L. Ron Hubbard; its best-known member is Tom Cruise, and it's and now run by David Miscavige. In this month's Los Angeles magazine, Sappell (who now works for LA Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky) has written about Scientology again, in an article entitled, "The Tip of the Spear."
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To the Point
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?
To the Point
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
To the Point
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
To the Point
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?