journalist
Los Angeles, California-based journalist
PROFILE
Richard Meyer
Guest
FROM Richard Meyer
Which Way, L.A.?
Newtown Massacre and the Lessons about Mental Illness Nobody will ever know what led Adam Lanza to slaughter twenty 6- and 7-year-olds last Friday at the Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Connecticut. But what has been reported strongly suggests that he was a young man who needed help. Is it ever possible to know what a killer is thinking? In 1999, as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, Rick Meyer interviewed 17-year-old Jamie Rouse for more than 30 hours over several days. Using a semiautomatic rifle, Rouse had killed a teacher and a 14-year-old student at the Richland High School in Lynnwood, Tennessee.
To the Point
Newtown and the Lessons about Mental Illness Nobody will ever know what led Adam Lanza to slaughter twenty 6- and 7-year-olds last Friday at the Sandy Hook School. But what has been reported strongly suggests that he was a young man who needed help. The vast majority of mentally ill people are not violent, but the Newtown massacre has raised questions about America's mental health system. Mental hospitals have been shut down, but seldom replaced with community-based services. Federal and state resources have been cut to the bone. Private care is expensive, insurance coverage is rare and very sick people can end up in jail, even though treatment could be available. We hear from a desperate mother who called the police on her own son, and the words of a killer who never received the treatment he needed.
Recommended
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
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?
To the Point
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.