- Social:
Rewire
Vice President of Investigations and Research at Rewire; former writer for ProPublica, the investigative journalism project
PROFILE
Sharona Coutts
Guest
FROM Sharona Coutts
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
LA City Attorney Vows to Enforce Abortion Notice Law Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer says his office will enforce a controversial state law that requires so-called crisis pregnancy centers to inform their clients that abortion could be an option for them. Crisis pregnancy centers are nonprofit clinics that usually don’t inform clients about abortion, and according to multiple investigations, often try to dissuade pregnant women from seeking abortions. Under the new law – the Reproductive FAIR Act – however, crisis pregnancy centers must post notices informing clients that the state of California offers low-cost and free abortion assistance. Challengers to the law argue that it violates their first amendment rights of free expression and religion. There are five ongoing legal challenges to the law, and some cities across the state have decided not to enforce it at least until the challenges are resolved in court.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
When Anti-abortion Activists Intimidate and Harass Donald Trump said Wednesday that women should face legal punishment for getting abortions. He then retracted that statement. However, the inevitable backlash raises an important question: are women already facing certain kinds of punishment for seeking abortions? A single mother in Mississippi told the investigative news outlet Rewire about threats she and her daughter received after she tried to help her daughter legally obtain an abortion.
Recommended
Design and Architecture
Securing Public Spaces, Super Wealthy Asians Vehicles are increasingly being used as weapons, as seen in the London Bridge attack over the weekend and in New York’s Times Square last month. The Compton-based company Calpipe is designing security bollards to help make public spaces safer. And novelist Kevin Kwan satirizes the “crazy rich” Asian jet set and their luxurious tastes in his latest book, “Rich People Problems.”
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Gov. Jerry Brown: California and China will fight climate change together President Donald Trump reportedly wants the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, and he’s expected to announce a decision soon. California Governor Jerry Brown heads to China to strengthen climate and clean energy ties.
The Business
Revisiting showrunner Steven Bochco on his memoir Steven Bochco, the writer-producer behind record-breaking Emmy winners Hill Street Blues, LA Law and NYPD Blue, fought battles with everyone from out-of-control actors to network censors in his long career. He isn’t afraid to tell those tales in his memoir, Truth Is a Total Defense. This week we revisit the conversation where he shared some of his favorite stories with us.
Design and Architecture
Farewell LA freeways, Peter Shire is back Angelenos don't want more freeways but we seem not to want mass transit either. Metro has killed the 710 freeway extension, and bus and train ridership is down across the region. What's the future of getting around in LA? And, Peter Shire is having a comeback. What attracts a new generation to his playful ceramics and furniture?