KAMALA HARRIS AND THE DNC / RFK, JR. / METRO SAFETY

The panelists offer their overview of the DNC in Chicago, including analysis (good and bad) of Kamala Harris’ speech. The panel also weighs in on the 100 social media ‘influencers’ who were given credentials to cover the convention, and the arrests of journalists outside the venue. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. suspended his campaign and said he was popular with young voters. The panelists (all young voters) have a response. Finally, violent attacks on mass transit in Southern California is at an all-time high. Students rely on buses and trains to get them to school and work. The young journalists talk about the stories they want to see covered in the transportation sector. This week’s panelists are Erick Trevino from the University of Southern California, Nico Sapphire from California Lutheran University, and Bryan Chavez from California State University at Long Beach.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, it's Steve Gregory. Thank you for joining us for
this episode of Studio six forty on demand. This week's
panel on Studio six forty.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
My name is Eric Dravigno. I'm a graduate student at
University of Southern California.

Speaker 3 (00:12):
I'm Nico Sapphire from California Lutheran University.

Speaker 4 (00:15):
And my name is Brian Chavis and I go to
the California State University of Long Beach.

Speaker 1 (00:21):
The only program in Southern California that breaks down the
stories of today through the voices of tomorrow's journalists. The
students come from campuses large and small, public and private.
This is Studio six forty. I'm Steve Gregory. Thanks for

(00:44):
joining us. Our top story.

Speaker 5 (00:46):
On behalf of the People. On behalf of every American,
regardless of party, race, gender, or the language of grandmother's speaks.
On behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever

(01:07):
set out on their own unlikely journey. On behalf of
Americans like the people I grew up with, people who
work hard, chase their dreams, and look out for one another.
On behalf of everyone whose story could only be written

(01:32):
in the greatest nation on Earth.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
I accept your nomination to.

Speaker 5 (01:39):
Be provident in the United States of America.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
Eric Travigno USC that was a pretty powerful speech for Harris.
This was the speech that everyone was waiting for. What
do you think the overall impact was.

Speaker 2 (01:54):
For me? I think this is like the first time
I've been a voter since Hillary versus Trump right in
twenty sixteen. And I think this is the first presidential
election year where I feel really relaxed and I feel
really confident. Because back in June, when I saw the
debate between Biden and Trump, I had to turn it
off because I was getting so depressed. I vote Democrat, right,

(02:15):
So I think seeing someone who feels like a politician, yeah,
Trump doesn't feel like a politician. Biden didn't feel like
a politician at the very end. So I think I
just feel very hopeful and I think it went great.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
Yeah. What do you think, Brian?

Speaker 4 (02:31):
I think she hit it right on the spot. Her
whole speech was about her being a loving person, about
her being a mother, and also it seemed like she
loves to do her job, not just being a president,
but she wants to be a president for all of America.
That was her speech. That was the main point she

(02:51):
was trying to get at and she hit pretty good.
I was watching it and when every time she said
I will work for you, I kind of got chills.
And I don't vote Democrat, I don't vote Republican, but
I'm just I'm in the middle. And the way she
was talking it did it did give an impact.

Speaker 1 (03:09):
Intended the fact you think, Nico, that Kamala Harris is
going to be the president for all people?

Speaker 3 (03:15):
Absolutely? Yeah, And I think that was a big theme,
you know, of this this whole convention, and especially her speech,
that Kamala is for the people, right, and a lot
of the time she's comparing to the other side, who Trump,
who is for himself?

Speaker 1 (03:28):
Right?

Speaker 3 (03:28):
And so I do think I think it was an
extraordinary speech, very forceful and inspiring and especially historic. And
I think, you know, and she looked like a president,
that's what you were getting at too. And and you know,
I think also telling her story to a lot in
the beginning, I know, she got very personal too, and
you know, kind of coming as from like an underdog.
I think people could learn more about her and kind

(03:48):
of feel, you know, more more on a personal level
and sort of see that you know, she's like us.
People can relate to where she came from, how she
was brought up, and things like that, and really just
you know, I think a lot of people, a lot
of commentators were saying that people have not seen this
kind of energy since Obama in two thousand and eight,
and so I think it was just really inspiring, especially

(04:10):
for our age group too.

Speaker 1 (04:12):
Brian, you said something. You basically just declared that you're
sort of in the middle. Right, You didn't see your left.
You didn't say you're right, you're sort of in the middle. Eric,
you said you vote Democrat. Do you think that that's
wise to as a journalist ad meant your voting preference.

Speaker 2 (04:27):
I mean, I have to be honest. I think if
I'm not honest, and I don't have a career. But
I don't know. I do see things from both sides,
and I think there's a lot of good things from
both sides. But what I do like that she did
in the DNC is be patriotic. I feel like that's
something that they're Republicans like side has kind of claimed. Yeah,
and it feels so good that Democrats are not, like,

(04:48):
you know, we're proud of our country and we're gonna
like help it the way that we think is best, right.

Speaker 3 (04:53):
Yeah, Adam Kinzinger, he's one that stood out to me
who spoke at the speech at the convention too, and
he had said the same thing. He was, you know,
speaking to Republicans and you know, to see how how
much joy they were bringing here at this democratic convention
and telling them like they're just as patriotic as us,
That's what he was saying, right, So that was big

(05:14):
and I think those hasn't been seen as much too,
like you said, in a democratic setting.

Speaker 1 (05:18):
I got to go back though, because you just I
wanted to make sure I understood your answer when I
asked you the question about identifying your politics, you just said,
if I'm not being honest. So why do you think
withholding your voting preference is not being honest? I think
because and the always I'm asking this is because and

(05:39):
we've had this discussion in past shows about whether or
not the audience should know your voting preference prior to
whatever stories you read. Because do you think that you're
already sort of guiding your audience down a path already
knowing what your politics are?

Speaker 2 (05:55):
I mean, I try very hard to be objective and
when I write it stories. I do try to get
from both sides right, And I think, because I'm a self,
how do you say, like, I identify as a Democrat. I
also push myself to be more aware that I need
to be objective as I can. I kind of like
almost make up for it. And I think that's what

(06:17):
I have done, and I've gotten like people say that
I'm not fair, and I do take that into consideration,
and I'm like, you know what that's like. Both think
thanks for telling me, I'm gonna do a better job.
So I think it's already out there. I just have
to own it and be more careful.

Speaker 1 (06:34):
Okay, So approaching this now as a college journalist, remember,
let's try to look through that lens what you've seen.
And I don't know how much of the convention you
saw in the last few days, but how much of
it as you absorb it. Was there any particular story
or series of stories that popped out that you said
to yourself, I wish I could be covering this, or
this is the angle I wish I could cover. Ran

(06:58):
I don't.

Speaker 4 (06:59):
I can't recall off the top of my head a
lot of the speeches that they were a lot of
the things that they were saying during their speech was like,
I like Kamala Harris, she said that she is going
to be a president for all of America, And to
answer your question. When she said that, in my head,
I was thinking, wait, so you want to be a

(07:20):
president for all of America, but you're sending billions, hundreds
of billions of dollars to Ukraine. That's not You're not
the president of Ukraine. You know, you should be keeping
that money here and we should be doing things that
help our community.

Speaker 3 (07:33):
But don't they have a duty I mean, because you know,
and having these allies and to build these strong relationships,
don't they have a duty to help Ukraine what's going on?

Speaker 4 (07:40):
In my opinion, now, if we can't help we can't
help ourselves, how are we going to help out anyone else?

Speaker 2 (07:46):
I think also there's a lot of Ukrainian refugees that
have been coming to America within the past few years
because of what's going on. So I think in a way,
if you know, there could be the argument that maybe
we can't support all these Ukrainian refugees, maybe it's smarter
to just help out domestically where they are. I don't know,
that could be your point of view.

Speaker 1 (08:03):
And we'll pick up the conversation, but first we got
to take a break. Welcome back to the studio six
forty m Steve Gregory, Thank you for joining us. We're
talking with Eric Tuvigno from USC, Nico Sapphire from Cal Lutheran,
and Brian Chavez from CAL State Long Beach. The topic
Kamala Harris's performance at the DNC on Thursday night and

(08:25):
also basically what did these three student journalists get from
that event over the course of the week. One of
the things I want to ask you is you now
have given all of the positive reviews, did anyone bother
to fact check Harris's speech?

Speaker 4 (08:42):
I did not know. No, Well, wasn't there.

Speaker 3 (08:46):
To say, like on the bottom of the news when
I was watching it, somebody was fact checking.

Speaker 1 (08:50):
Well, I'm asking if you did.

Speaker 4 (08:53):
Well, I mean not, okay, so that would be.

Speaker 1 (08:58):
A no, that would be a no, right, Okay. So
so now I'm because I'm asking because as a student journalist,
don't you think you need to fact check?

Speaker 4 (09:07):
Of course, yeah, sometimes.

Speaker 1 (09:10):
As a journalist in whole, you need to fact check, right.

Speaker 4 (09:12):
Yeah, But we we know sometimes especially in politics, they're
going to inflate the numbers to to make it seem
like they were. They're doing their job, and they're doing
a good job at it too.

Speaker 1 (09:23):
You mean lying.

Speaker 4 (09:25):
They're not lying, they're just skewing the numbers.

Speaker 2 (09:28):
I don't know, I think of that.

Speaker 1 (09:29):
It's a pretty fine line right there.

Speaker 4 (09:31):
Exactly, That's a pretty fine line.

Speaker 1 (09:32):
But in my opinion, give me an example of skewing
the numbers.

Speaker 4 (09:36):
I can't give you an example of the top.

Speaker 1 (09:38):
Of my head. Okay, So if if it was if
taxes went up eight percent, how would how would one
skew that number.

Speaker 4 (09:45):
It's with the wording. It's the way they worded and
what they do, certain things they do.

Speaker 2 (09:50):
And okay, I think if they said, like I think,
if they said, oh, taxes went up by a huge amount, well,
I mean that's not so here.

Speaker 4 (09:59):
Yeah, it's just like let me let me, let me
say something. It was Biden that when he gave his speech,
he was talking about how when he went into the
position of becoming a president, we were in an economic crisis,
and then he later on said that we have become
we become stronger economically, And when when I heard that,

(10:22):
I'm thinking about everyone else outside all the middle class
complaining about all the prices and how they live paycheck
to paycheck, and that how they feel like they've got
screwed over under the Biden administration.

Speaker 1 (10:36):
So going back to the tax example, for example, I
look at the BBC. I think I've told you folks
with this before. I really rely heavily on the BBC.
I think it's probably one of the more objective networks,
and in fact, I believe they cover US politics better
than we do. But they have what they call a

(10:56):
verify unit, And I looked at their fact checking. I
looked at NPRS fact checking, I looked at CNNs fact checking,
and I was just kind of curious on what was
going on. So a taxes. If you if you watched
the speech, did you hear what Harris said about the
cost of living in taxes on the middle class.

Speaker 4 (11:17):
Did anybody catch that that she wanted that.

Speaker 1 (11:21):
Trump was going to if there was a Trump presidency,
that it was going to outprice you know, that middle
class was going to be about price correct. Okay, so
fact check said, that's half right, that he was talking
about increasing tariffs that might have an impact on a
certain select few. So that's what I'm talking about. I
think to your point, Brian about skewing, that she took

(11:43):
one piece of information and sort of conflated it to
her point of view. So now immigration is another one.
Did anyone catch what she claimed about immigration?

Speaker 3 (11:54):
No?

Speaker 1 (11:56):
Anybody. So she talked about if under a tru administration
that there was going to be mass deportations and you know,
basically we're shutting the country down. Well again, that was
sort of partially right. You know, he wants to do
certain things with asylum seekers. But that's what I'm talking about.
It's the fact checking. So when you're approaching this and

(12:17):
you guys, you have these glowing reports of her speech
and and he gave you chills. And that's great because
I think at a time now where everything seems a
little fractured, that perhaps we need some sort of hope. Right,
I think that's what everyone was looking for. But we
also need security, and we also need a strong economy.
We need a lot of other things too. In fact,
I think one of the analysis was with Harris's campaign.

(12:41):
Oprah Winfrey said it vote for Joy, yeah, and not
you know, everyone was like, okay, vote for Joy, but
where's the policy. So I'm asking you, a student journalist,
what's the approach here? I mean, we're where in lies
the truth?

Speaker 2 (12:55):
I think you have to consider that all of it
is speculative. If Harris were to say, well, Trump will
have mass deportations, it's like, okay, compared to what compared
to what you're going to do that you haven't done yet.
I think I feel like it's just awe speculative. And
I think these d NC, like the DNC convention was
just a lot about like what she hopes to do,

(13:16):
not what. I mean, you can say you're gonna do something,
that doesn't mean you always will.

Speaker 1 (13:21):
You guys, have you ever known a politician to follow
through on a promise? I mean follow through on a
promise in your in your young lives? You've ever seen that?

Speaker 2 (13:31):
Now, I've never seen that.

Speaker 1 (13:31):
Okay, So you got to remember too, the DNC just
like the RNC, and I'm you know, we're not you know,
we talked about the RNC on this very show as well.
But the d n C, you know, was packed with
celebrities and you and it was it was designed to
really rally the crowd and get them all excited. And
but was there did you feel like there was any
substance in there. Did you feel like anything was accomplished?

Speaker 3 (13:53):
Well, I think in in Kamala's speech in particular, she
did go pretty hard on policy. I felt like she
covered almost a lot of the main issues that people
are talking about.

Speaker 4 (14:01):
It seemed like like.

Speaker 3 (14:02):
What, well, there was one too about you know, and
regarding the economy too. She had talked about it's called
opportunity economy and again kind of something that can can
benefit the middle class and you know, give everybody a
chance to succeed and things like that. So I think
that was one thing. And then of course talking about
all the women's rights, Oh my gosh, it's a huge thing,

(14:23):
and you know kind of and of course her saying
we're not going back right, that's very much referring in
direct you know, connection to Project twenty five and what
Trump wants to do and bringing back these laws from
the eighteen hundreds to repress women, all of that stuff,
and so really emphasizing that and that it's our healthcare
is our reproductive freedom. So that was a big one too.

(14:43):
Of course, that's that's been huge. Let's see what else
in all the wars and.

Speaker 1 (14:47):
Well, we talk about reproductive rights and reproductive freedom. One
of Harris's assertions was that Trump was going to make
it a federal ban on abortion. Did you did you
hear that or did you know that? That's what her
claim is? And did you do you agree with that?

Speaker 3 (15:08):
Yes, that's what I Trump he wants to do a
federal Okay.

Speaker 1 (15:11):
So the fact checker said that's not true. What he
wants to do is give the ability to the states
to figure it out.

Speaker 4 (15:16):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (15:16):
See, that's one of the things that the BBC and
the CNN and everybody else said that that on the
fact checking side, that that's incorrect. Her assertion that he
wants to put a federal ban on abortion is not correct.
So that's what I mean. That's kind of dangerous when
people start to look at these things, and in you
as journalists, you have to be careful that your emotions
don't overtake your you know, your your fingers as you're typing.

(15:40):
You know. That's why I asked that question, because when
you're fact checking these things, there's one thing about the
emotional part of it, but the other thing, being factual
is a completely different method. We'll talk more to learn
how to become a student panelist. Go to kfi AM
six forty dot com slash studio. That's k f i
AM sixty four com slash studio. Welcome back to Studio

(16:06):
six forty. I'm Steve Gregory. Thank you for joining us.
We're talking with Eric Travino, Nico Safire, and Brian Chavis
about the DNC event this week in Chicago and on
Thursday night, Kamala Harris gave her acceptance speech taking on
the nomination from her party to become the next president
of the United States. Now, we have talked about all
of the positive things you got from not only her speech,

(16:28):
but from the week. We talked a little bit about
fact checking. So was there anything or a series of
things that jumped out at you that kind of made
you a little uneasy or a little disappointed?

Speaker 2 (16:38):
Eric, I think in some ways she played it very
safe from the people that I know. What we really
wanted to see was her stance on the Israel Palestine conflict,
and I think she kind of played both sides. You know,
she did say she wanted a ceasefire, she does support
the Tuesday policy, but how is she going to do that?
You know, she's always saying about a ceasefire, but it's
not very concrete. And I think another aspect was how

(17:02):
they're talking about the jobs and how this clean energy
plan is going to bring so many new jobs, you
know with the renewable industry, right, renewable resource industry, but
she didn't address like what about all the jobs that
are going to be taken away once you know, a
non renewable resource industry is going away. So I think
I felt like she left out a lot and she

(17:24):
played it very safe.

Speaker 3 (17:25):
I think, you know, we were just bringing up with
Ukraine and we were talking about that, you know, the
administration here like because yes, it's not in the US, right,
and it's alshore, Like how much can there are people
here do for them?

Speaker 1 (17:42):
Right?

Speaker 3 (17:42):
And we were just talking about that, you know. So
I think I felt her discussion on the Middle East
was was you know, I felt it was sufficient enough
and I think tried to appeal to everyone, like you
were saying as well, but yeah, that's that's kind of
the thing I was thinking about, like, right, like how
much you know can we do and again focusing on
really what's here? But you know, I think and she's

(18:02):
also really big on trying to get the hostages back
as well, which is really important. And uh yeah, so
that's that's what I thought on that.

Speaker 1 (18:08):
Brian, anything stick out at you that kind of you
kind of shook your head.

Speaker 4 (18:12):
And like, yeah, it was all the performances. I don't
think they have a place there.

Speaker 1 (18:17):
I really don't like the oscars, right, there's no room
for dancing.

Speaker 4 (18:20):
I loved it.

Speaker 3 (18:21):
It was funny. Van Jones has said he was one
of my favorite commentators. He was like, he said, they're
bringing the party back in the Democrats party.

Speaker 4 (18:28):
I mean, I mean that.

Speaker 3 (18:29):
Yeah, I think it just made it more fun. And
you know, I know you want to get to all
the policy. Obviously that's the most important stuff, but you know,
I think that just added to it.

Speaker 4 (18:38):
Yeah, for the people that aren't into politics as well,
and they watch the DNC and they see little John
and John Ledge and performing the pink swinging in the
middle and everything, you're gonna, you're gonna that's what's gonna
stick in your head when you start, when you when
it's time to vote, right right. And I was watching
the Spectrum News and they were talking about Hillary Clinton

(19:00):
and how what she was wearing is a is a
fashion statement. I don't get it what she did.

Speaker 3 (19:07):
Yeah, I think that was right. There was back into
and she were all white. That's like an ode to
women's rights is wearing all white? Oh and women's reproductive
Yeah yeah, yeah, but you.

Speaker 4 (19:16):
See the way the way I came across it was
just like, why do you have to be talking about
what she's wearing? Has nothing to do with the policies
and anything.

Speaker 1 (19:25):
Nico curious. One of the things that was happening behind
the scenes that never did come to fruition is there
were some pro Palestinian activists that wanted to speak at
the convention, and at the last minute, apparently those talks
fizzled out. Do you think they should have had a voice.

Speaker 3 (19:41):
At this Oh gosh, that is so difficult. I think,
you know, they had the father of you know, there
was the parents there who did speak of one of
the hostages that is being held by Hamas, and I think,
you know, they it was good for I think they
should have and they did, you know, really focus on that,
and it seemed like the whole convention they were with them.

(20:04):
As far as you know, I don't know if maybe
people would have been worried about what they would have
said some of the protesters. I'm not sure just based
on inclusion.

Speaker 1 (20:15):
Do you think that they should have included because there's
a lot of Democrats pro Palestinian Yeah.

Speaker 3 (20:20):
I mean yeah, then I guess to try and appeal
to that group and what they think, you know, I
think I don't know, because I wonder if you know
a lot of people who were protesting too, and I
feel like they were trying to, I don't know, get
like perfection out of Kamala and this party. It seemed like,
and you know, trying to pick up these things and

(20:41):
to do better at this and this. But you know,
I don't think you can do that. I think Michelle
Obama she was referencing that and how you know, you
can't expect perfection right now. But I think they are
and I in Kamma speech, I do think she was
appealing to a lot of people with those different point
of views, especially in the Middle East.

Speaker 1 (20:56):
So before we move on, we're going to wrap this
topic up on the and see we're going to talk
a little bit more about the DNC, but some different angles. First,
Brian tell us a little bit about you your school,
what you hope to achieve, and what are some plans
for you coming up.

Speaker 4 (21:09):
Yeah, so I just graduated my associate's degree from Fluorton
College and I'm going to start my first my first
semester at cal Stieglam Beach. I am looking to become
a sports broadcaster and you know, go to some other countries,
cover some sports outside the US, and hopefully that would
be a career path for me.

Speaker 1 (21:30):
Excellent. Nico Sapphire regular guests on Actually we all Eric
Now this is I think your second appearance.

Speaker 2 (21:37):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (21:37):
Yeah, so you've all become now regulars. So Nico, welcome
back Cal Lutheran. What's your goal? I know you graduated
this year, yes, so tell us about your fins.

Speaker 3 (21:46):
Graduated in May and yeah, you know, I got my
degree in CALM and I was doing PR and advertising
for a while and then really got really involved in
a lot of the production classes and the radio program
and things like that in school. So you know, I
started with my own podcast stuffar sessions at the school
and then just started a radio show as well. And
so yeah, I mean, you know, my podcast is more

(22:09):
interview style and I kind of just talk about interests
of mine and things like that, and then the radio
show is a bit more entertainment base, so we do
music and kind of what's going on in the entertainment world,
and so I'd love to continue those and you know,
really hone my skills and eventually the goal, you know,
is to be like on air personality or talk show
host or something like that.

Speaker 1 (22:27):
So good for you. Welcome back, Eric Trevino, USC. What's
your story.

Speaker 2 (22:32):
So I'm finished up my last semester in my master's program.
I specialized journalism, so you know it's going to be
a bettersweet semester. But I'm also working on radio. I'm
an executive producer now, so I'll be taking a little
bit more control over the stories and I really just
want to focus on local angles and what's going on
things that affect the students. You see such a big school.
So I'm also doing I'm an editor for the Latin

(22:53):
desk called De Melos. I'll be really looking forward to,
you know, just seeing what kind of stories affect the
Hispanic population, especially in Los Angeles, which is a huge demographic.
So really looking forward to that.

Speaker 1 (23:04):
Well, it's always good to have you all here. So
when we come back, we're going to pick up our
discussion a little bit more DNC. But it's a couple
of different angles. But first, this is Studio six Forty's
got something to say. Contact Studio six forty by pressing
the red microphone talkback button on the iHeartRadio app and
record your message. Welcome back to the Studio six forty.

(23:29):
I'm Steve Gregory, our next story.

Speaker 6 (23:30):
For the first time ever, the DNC has given credentials
usually reserved for traditional press to social media personalities.

Speaker 1 (23:39):
Well, I'm a content creator.

Speaker 7 (23:40):
I make videos on TikTok in Spanish for the Latino
immigrant community here in the United States. I do my
content in Spanish, but I talk about politics, social issues
and all that.

Speaker 6 (23:49):
Carlos Eduardo Espina has more than ten million followers on TikTok.
In another DNC first, he's taking center stage as a speaker.

Speaker 7 (23:58):
I think nowadays dan wright are getting their information on
social media, so it's important to have people like us
here so we can take that message directly to the
audience who might not see the convention on television or
on traditional news.

Speaker 6 (24:11):
The convention is its typical star studded affair. The DNC
this year is hoping to connect with voters beyond the
reach of traditional media look, I'm.

Speaker 8 (24:20):
Someone who absolutely loved Joe Biden, but I'm also a
woman who is completely psyched for the idea of a
Kamala Harris presidency.

Speaker 6 (24:28):
This is influencer Lee McGowan.

Speaker 1 (24:31):
So I started this project as a way to re
engage people.

Speaker 6 (24:33):
With American politics because I think American politics is so.

Speaker 8 (24:36):
Exciting and so wonderful, and I know that we can
make such a big difference.

Speaker 6 (24:41):
Democrats are stepping up efforts to counter Donald Trump's social
media machine and viral videos in what polls show could
be an extremely close race between the two candidates.

Speaker 9 (24:51):
Breaking gay News, we are here at the Democratic National Convention.

Speaker 6 (24:55):
Josh Healthcott, an LGBTQ plus advocate, says he's grateful that
Harris's team sees the value of creators.

Speaker 1 (25:02):
It's about time.

Speaker 9 (25:03):
Creators are like a huge messager in the news economy today.
We share stories with the public just like news anchors do,
and in many ways, indisputably, we reach more people.

Speaker 1 (25:15):
Now. He said something there when he said we tell
news just like anchors do. So, hey, do you think
influencers do you think they deserved having credentials at the
convention this year?

Speaker 2 (25:29):
And b.

Speaker 1 (25:31):
Should influencers be considered journalists.

Speaker 3 (25:34):
I mean, I do think it helped. I don't see
what was the harm necessarily of having influencers. I mean,
you know, and the kind of thing like we all
on the same team. I think even more exposure is
great as far as you know, I mean, yeah, it's
difficult you know, to and I think we were just
talking about in the last show too, you know, as
far as calling them journalists, I do think there is

(25:55):
a line, you know, and I think I don't know
if they're not necessarily like trying to pose as journalists either,
because they are kind of their own niche, right, and
their content creators and that's what they focus on, you know,
and some of them might talk about politics as well, right,
But I don't see any harm with it. I think
they can bring. But they were saying, you know, a

(26:16):
new different audience and a huge internet following too, which
I think is different than a lot of traditional journalists, right,
and you know, different points of views too, like you know,
whatever their niches too, and they can bring different groups
in that audience as well.

Speaker 2 (26:31):
What do you think, Eric, I mean, influencers don't see
themselves as reporters, but I think the fact is the same.
And when you don't have like the training to really
like do the fact checking like you mentioned, or to
like recee things objectively, I think it can be a
little bit harmful. But personally I didn't like it one bit.
You know, I heard about these influencers having yacht parties.
I don't like that the Hairs campaign their funding is

(26:54):
going towards yacht parties. I think it's a little bit egregious.
I also saw that they were getting plusive interviews with
Kamala after the DNC when mainstream media has not. That's
according to the New York Times. That really kind of
upseted me a little bit. Yeah, I don't think they
should be treated as reporters, but I do think they
should have access, you know, but just not like the

(27:15):
level of freedom that they got, right.

Speaker 4 (27:18):
I don't think they claim to be reporters at all.
I think it's very important to reach out to the
social media influencers, especially now, Like the guy the first
guy said, a lot of people get their news and
their information from social media. So Kamala did a good
job by reaching out to those people. She's gonna hit

(27:39):
certain people like again that don't watch the that wouldn't
watch the DNC. She's gonna get eyes from from those influencers.

Speaker 1 (27:48):
I think strategically it was a smart movie, of course, strategically,
but to Eric's point, and this is what because, by
the way, there was a great number of reporters out
there that were very upset by this for those reasons
that Eric mentioned. They were being treated like VIPs. And
I mean, which is part of the strategy, right, because
they have influence and sway over young people, young voters.

(28:09):
But influencers are not going to hold those people accountable.
Influencers are not going to ask hard questions. Influencers are
not going to hold an elected to task. And so
I think for that reason, I think there's I think
as long as and it's I keep using this word,

(28:30):
it's a hackneyed word. But like you know, mainstream journalists,
you know, mainstream reporters, if they're not being granted the
access so that they can ask those hard questions, but
influencers are. I think that's a little disingenuous.

Speaker 2 (28:43):
I mean, yeah, well I disagree with it. I have to.
I have to give a coming to her props. She
had a goal in mind, and that.

Speaker 1 (28:48):
Was strategically that there their campaign people are are they
are really being very smart with this. And if you
think about the fact that, well, I think everyone saw
this coming. I think they saw that Biden was going
to eventually step aside. I think everyone sort of predicted

(29:08):
this was going to happen, and you know, there was
a fifty to fifty shot it was going to be
Kamala Harris this step in that role. But anybody that
was going to be in that place was going to
re energize the party, I think. Right. So, I think
influencers are really really big part of that. But I
will be fascinated to see how it sways the election
and if it sways voters.

Speaker 3 (29:29):
Yeah, I had seen actually a video, you know, because
a couple of creators that that I follow, that I'm
familiar with, and when did you know, So I was
kind of looking at what they were posting, you know,
and a lot of it was like some footage and
you know, pictures of things that they liked at the convention, right,
And one of them had posted a video of Tim
Walls speaking to them and thanking them for being there,
and he was saying that because he felt they were

(29:50):
offering you like a much more authentic lens of what
was going on, because I think, you know, when you
are just kind of reporting something, you know, and you're
reporting what the speakers are saying and things like that,
kind of in a more new zy lens, I should
I guess I could say, but you know, with these
creators because they you know, they most of them don't
have or like journalism experience, so they're kind of coming

(30:13):
from a different you know, a different place of content.

Speaker 1 (30:18):
Right. Yeah, they're just giving their opinion, right.

Speaker 3 (30:20):
Yeah, and yes, it is what they're publishing is.

Speaker 1 (30:23):
It's an opinion, it's an editorial platform. Yeah, that's really ellen.

Speaker 7 (30:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (30:28):
I don't think it's going to be the same way,
like in the next presidential election. I think since this
was like really kind of the first time it happened
in this way, I think it was like they had
a lot of freedom, influenced a lot of freedom, and
it was more lax. But I think now that we're
having these conversations, I think more people might take it
into consideration and maybe it might be a little different
in the future.

Speaker 1 (30:46):
Interesting to learn how to become a student panelist, go
to k if I AM six forty dot com slash studio.
That's k f I am six forty dot com slash studio.

(31:08):
This is studio six forty. Welcome back. I'm Steve Gregory.
Our next story.

Speaker 10 (31:11):
We had a group that showed up and they showed
up with the intent on committing acts of violence vandalism.

Speaker 2 (31:20):
That was their intent.

Speaker 10 (31:22):
As a Chicago Police department, we did everything that we
could to de escalate that situation, but there's only so
much de escalation that you can attempt before it becomes
excessive repetition. We declared a mass arrests after our officers

(31:44):
were physically confronted and attacked.

Speaker 1 (31:48):
We were not the.

Speaker 10 (31:48):
Initiators of violence, but we responded to it, and our
officers responded exactly the way that they were trained to respond.

Speaker 1 (31:59):
And that was the commission the Chicago Police Department. And
more than seventy people were arrested outside of the DNC
over the course of the week, and some of those
were reporters. Some journalists were caught into that pray. First
of all, I want to ask you sort of a
roundabout question, or more of an overview question, is it

(32:21):
okay to arrest a journalists?

Speaker 3 (32:25):
I mean, doesn't that that infringes on First Amendment.

Speaker 11 (32:27):
Right, Okay, off of thought, if there were one percent
doing their job, yeah, and not participating in the protestant
I don't see a reason why you should arrest the journalists.

Speaker 4 (32:38):
Yeah, but they got caught in the fire. You know,
if they had their press pass from from the reports
that I was reading, they did have their press pass
So if they didn't get warned, and if they because
he issued a mass arrest, right, so if he should
have left the scene right there. I mean, obviously he
was trying to do his job in the First Amendment

(32:58):
protects him on doing that. But the officers are just
trying to do their job. They have to be sure that,
you know, everyone is safe, especially them. You know, there's
it's not just.

Speaker 3 (33:09):
For the journalist to like prevent everybody else from being
safe or what.

Speaker 4 (33:15):
Do you mean, like him helping everyone else?

Speaker 3 (33:17):
Well is the journalist like are they are they going
to make the situation less safe?

Speaker 4 (33:24):
Oh? No, I mean you could tell that. You could tell.
I was watching some videos as well, and you could
see those people with a huge equipment, they had their
press passes on, right, And but the law is a law,
and sometimes you have to respect it. No matter if
the right, no matter if the Constitution protects you, you

(33:44):
still have to obey the law.

Speaker 1 (33:46):
Okay, So the First Amendment doesn't protect you in a
in a civil unrest necessarily, it protects your right to
free speech, the right to publicly assemble. California is one
of force states that has a penal code that protects
journalists in the field four nine point seven. Penal code
four A nine point five and four to nine point

(34:08):
seven four nine point seven is part of Cenepill ninety
eight that passed a couple of years ago as a
result of the protests in twenty twenty dor after the
George Floyd incident. The thing that is going to always
be a challenge to law enforcement is twofold. One who
are the legitimate journalists? And two how do you determine

(34:32):
who's actually doing their job and who and who's actually
participating in the civil unrest?

Speaker 2 (34:37):
They were all independent journalists, but they also did say
that they couldn't here, that they didn't use megaphones to
announce that there was going to be a mass arrest.
So I kind of decided with the jonerals that they
shouldn't have been arrested you know, I think, but it
is a very gray area. But I don't think they
should have been arrested. And it does complicated that they
were like freelancers.

Speaker 3 (34:55):
Yeah, because maybe they got mixed up with the protesters.
But you know, when I read something too in one
of the quotes from I guess who was a journalist
and who was saying I was just you know, photographing
and was grabbed and handcuffed. So I mean, I don't know,
that's kind of crazy.

Speaker 1 (35:11):
Well, I can say the same thing, Richie can say
the same thing, and any of the anybody can go
out there to say I'm a photographer and I got arrested.
The issue is that law enforcement is having is anyone
can claim they're a journalist. If you look up the
definition a journalist, does anyone know what the definition journalist is?
There's nothing in there that says you have to be
certified to be a journalist. You can be a journalist.

(35:34):
Anyone can be a journalist. You don't have to have
a degree, you don't have to have a state certification
anything like that. The issue is, I think Brian brought
it up, if you're a reporter or a photographer, that
shows up in ballistic gear. I think you're kind of
expecting a fight. You're expecting some sort of an encounter, right.

(35:54):
I've never had to do that in all my years
of doing this in Los Angeles, the epicenter of protests,
I've never had to dress in ballistic gear to show
up to a protest and cover it because I wasn't
expecting to be arrested if an order to disperse this
being given. And Eric to your point, And it's interesting
because the LAPD, the Los Angeles Police Department, had to

(36:14):
change policy because of an incident in April of two
thousand and seven. It was the so called me First Melee,
a pro immigrant rights march and rally happening in downtown
Los Angeles. Close to a million people showed up. I
was in the middle of that crowd. By the time
they got to MacArthur Park, the anarchists, the agitators had

(36:34):
infiltrated the rally and started throwing frozen water bottles at
officers and causing a big, big mess. The LAPD declared
an unlawful assembly, but they only did at one time
in English from a helicopter, so no one, including all
the journalists on the ground, heard it. Next thing you
see is a skirmish. Line of officers decked out in

(36:57):
ballistic gear just plowing were everyone in their path, including
eleven of my colleagues, reporters, journalists, photographers, producers. The LPD
learned a very valuable lesson that day. That's why now
they have to do I believe it's two or three
different warnings. They have to do it with a megaphone,
have a certain descipet, and they have to do it

(37:18):
in multiple languages. But that incident had to change policy.
So you're all on the right track. But I ask
you this just because you know, these are the things
you're going to learn as you get out in the
real world. I keep saying that, I don't mean out
in the real world, but you're all in the real
world right now. I mean, but when you become professional
journalists to get paid for your jobs, these are things

(37:40):
that you might run into someday. And even if it's
a sports event, Brian, you know, if you're at a
soccer stadium and all of a sudden, all hell breaks
loose and they declare it an awful assembly because let's
face it, soccer fans can be a little rough, crazy, Yeah,
so saying it's important to note that. But in this
particular case of the DNC, the Chicago PD and other agencies,
we're in a part of the mutual aid. We're already

(38:02):
anticipating protests. So where is the line between a legitimate
person that's representing a media outlet, whether it's a videographer,
a still photographer, or a reporter. Where's the fine line
between them and the activist? And we'll talk about that,
but first you're going to take a break. Welcome back

(38:29):
to Studio six forty. I'm Steve Gregory. Thank you for
joining us. We've been talking about the rights of journalists,
especially during civil unrest and the DNC. This past week,
there were some reporters arrested. Some were independent reporters. Unless
you guys can correct me if I'm wrong. Were there
any mainstream journalists as we know them from major networks,

(38:49):
local television, local newspaper where any of those individuals arrested?

Speaker 2 (38:53):
No?

Speaker 1 (38:53):
No, they were all independent journalists. Right. What does that
tell you?

Speaker 2 (38:58):
I think maybe that police don't see independent journalists or
freelancers as legitimate. You know, But okay, you see we're
talking about like who should be considered as a journalist.
I'm not a policymaker, but I mean what I did
some freelancing in the past year, and I had to
register as a business as a journalist to like for

(39:19):
the tax income, right, So I mean, can't I have
like some form of proof, Like, I mean, I don't
know if I'm registered legally as a journalist. Why can't
I have some form of proof that will protect me
even as a freelancer.

Speaker 1 (39:31):
I will tell you that that that form comes in
the manner of a letter of assignment from somebody that's
hiring you to be the freelancer. That's where it comes from.
If you have a letter of assignment, that's how they
do it here for the Los Angeles County srif's department,
in the Los Angeles Police Department for their Credentially, if
you're a freelance reporter, because there are a lot of

(39:51):
freelancers in the LA market, they have to have a
letter from an outlet that verifies that they are hiring
you or paying you for your Work's where the legitimacy comes.
So when you say you're a freelancer, who's hiring you
to report?

Speaker 2 (40:06):
I was reporting for LA School Report.

Speaker 1 (40:08):
Okay, So all you had to have done is got
a letter of assignment from LA school report right, then
you would have been fine. And then you could have
gotten some sort of an idea or something, or you know,
had a credential or something, or a business card. Because
California is one of the very, very liberal states when
it comes to protection for journalists. We're very fortunate in
California because of some of those lows, but it also

(40:29):
causes a lot of problems for law enforcement because if
you look at the language of the legislation, it says
a duly authorized member of the media. Well, who gets
to decide who duly authorized member of the media is?
You know, the legislature and its infinite wisdom left it
up to the police departments to decide. So there's where

(40:50):
a lot of the problems lie is that state legislature
pats themselves on the back and pats itself on the
back because they passed this legislation, but they never did
define what an actual journalist.

Speaker 2 (41:01):
Well, then I would say, well, also, journalists should not
be a part of the protest, right, So.

Speaker 4 (41:05):
Yeah, no, you have to be part of the protests.
You have to you know, show that side. Even though
if it's a little ugly. Look again, messy. You have
to be that voice for the people. You have to
show what's going on. Okay, Okay, you just I'm sorry, go.

Speaker 3 (41:17):
Ahead, Okay, No, I was just gonna say. I think
Eric was saying, like about participating. I think there's a
difference between participating and covering it.

Speaker 4 (41:25):
That's what we're like, participating in the protests.

Speaker 3 (41:28):
The journalists they shouldn't, They're just they were just trying
to cover it. Yeah, And so I think, yeah, that's
I think people were getting mixed up between those who
were covering it and those who were participating. And I
think in the audio clip too, they were saying if
there might have been like violence and stuff from the
protesters themselves, vandalization, things like that, but as far as
the journalists go, they were just trying to report, take
pictures and stuff like that.

Speaker 1 (41:49):
But yeah, so that's part of the problem that law
enforcement is having as well, is that some independent reporters
or people that have social medi platforms or websites, they
become part of the protest because they want to be
in that in that action, and everything's fine until the

(42:12):
declaration to disperse has been given, and then all of
a sudden, now they're a journalist. A lot of them
switch sides, and especially here in Los Angeles, a lot
of those individuals will go out there and they'll protest.
And I've seen it during the eviction of the homeless
camp at Echo Park. They were out there and that
the same thing happened. I couldn't believe it. They were

(42:33):
out there screaming at the cops and baiting the cops
and whatnot until they order to disperse, and then all
of a sudden, they start pulling out these handmade things
that say press on them. Now, all of a sudden,
they're journalists. So that's the problem that a lot of
law enforcement has right now. They just don't know who's who.
That's the frustrating.

Speaker 4 (42:50):
Yeah, maybe you do need credentials to become a journalist then.

Speaker 1 (42:56):
But then it's you know, it goes against the First Amendment.
How you're still freedom of speech, you know. And the
thing is is that when you know, credentials that I
possess are more of a security document. So it's like,
that's what allows me to get into the building. I've
passed because we have to go through background checks. Department
of Justice, the whole nine yards to get credentials. But

(43:17):
that means if there's an event inside the sheriff's headquarters,
then I can go right in because we've been vetted.
But outsiders will not. They'll have to go through security,
go through X ray and all that stuff. That's all
credential really does. Credential does not validate you as a journalist.
The credential just means you've been security cleared.

Speaker 3 (43:35):
Yeah, get to the front.

Speaker 1 (43:36):
Yeah, just get you inside quicker. Because no one can
define journalists. If again, if you look up the definition
of a journalist, there's nothing in there that says you
have to be certified.

Speaker 2 (43:46):
Maybe, like the radical solution is, if you're an independent journalist,
you just have to risk getting arrested. I don't know.

Speaker 1 (43:52):
Oh yeah, that's it. I have a really novel idea.
Regardless if you're an independent journalist or you're a full
time journalist with a very well known outlet, how about
just followed the law exactly right?

Speaker 12 (44:02):
Yah.

Speaker 1 (44:04):
But there are some out there that claim too that
the law enforcement will target them, and I don't know
whether that's the case or not. I just do I
do know that sometimes officers do get frustrated when they
are being baited by quote unquote independent journalists while they're
being recorded, and they're they're begging, they're basically begging for

(44:25):
the cops to screw up so they can get it
on tape and get it on records. I've seen that
before too, so it's all over the map. But then
you've got legitimate journalists. You know, I would consider you Eric,
probably a legitimate journalist. I've never seen you out in
the field, but I assume that you're not a troublemaker
by looking at you.

Speaker 2 (44:40):
And actually, once I was covering a protest and the
police told me, hey, you're causing a ruckus. Oh, you
need to.

Speaker 1 (44:47):
Get out of here.

Speaker 2 (44:47):
And I did, and I got out of there and
I didn't get arrested.

Speaker 1 (44:50):
Well, here's the thing. We're you're on a public sidewalk
on public street. Yes, well then you weren't. You were fine,
But the thing was okay, the police department was that
it was LAPD.

Speaker 2 (44:58):
It was here, sorry, not here, it was like on
Fourth Street, and it's like we're in front of like
the LAUSD building is and they were like they were
protesting against like a ban on books that were like
pro LGBT and they called me slurs. They called me
like right, and so the cops called you that no, no, no,
sorry like the protesters. Okay, And I think they kind

(45:20):
of had this idea about me and they wanted me
to get out. And so the police wld me, hey, like,
you're causing of ROCs, get out.

Speaker 1 (45:26):
So you were the target of something. That's why they
were actually doing it for your own safety.

Speaker 2 (45:30):
Yeah, I think that was definitely a part of it.
They also liked I think they got the vibe that
I was a journalist. The people didn't want to talk
to me, and they said get out.

Speaker 1 (45:37):
If you ever run into a problem, all you have
to do is ask for the sergeant in charge in
the field and ask for the public information officer on
site and then say say well, and then tell them
who you are, and then they'll the LAPD and the
Ala County Shriffs Department will do everything they can to
protect you.

Speaker 2 (45:50):
Perfect.

Speaker 1 (45:51):
Okay, we got it. Welcome back to Studio six forty.
I'm Steve Gregory. Our next story.

Speaker 13 (45:59):
Many months ago, I promise the American people that I
would withdraw from the race if I became a spoiler. Oh,
I want everyone to know that I am not terminating
my campaign. I am simply suspending it and not.

Speaker 1 (46:15):
Ending it my name.

Speaker 13 (46:19):
My name will remain on the ballot in most states.
If you live in a blue state, you can vote
for me without harming or helping President Trump or or
Vice President Harris. In red states, the same will apply.
I encourage you to vote for me, and if enough
of you do vote for me and neither of the

(46:40):
major party candidates win two hundred and seventy votes, which
is quite possible. In fact, today our polling shows them
tying at two sixty nine to sixty nine, and I
could conceivably still end up in the White House in
a contingent election.

Speaker 10 (46:58):
But.

Speaker 13 (47:01):
In about ten battleground the stays where my presence would
be as a spoiler. I'm going to remove my name
and I've already started that process and urge voters not
to vote for me. It's with a sense of victory
and not defeat that I'm suspending my campaign activities.

Speaker 1 (47:19):
That's Robert F. Kennedy Junior, speaking on Friday afternoon from
Phoenix about the suspension of his campaign. There was a
lot of speculation that he was going to come out
into a full on endorsement of President trumpet Instead, he
strategically is encouraging people in certain states not to vote
for him, and in other states to vote for him,
and to vote for Trump and other states. So it's

(47:40):
been kind of an interesting roller coaster. My open question
to you is did you all know who RFK was?

Speaker 4 (47:47):
I did. I didn't know he was still in contention
to be in the ballot. I just heard about it.
And when I listened to his speech, it was good.
He talked about certain He talked about certain things like
what was it? It was some It was with health

(48:11):
in general and how you know kids are kids in
America are obese and very unhealthy, and how he wanted
to change that. But to answer your question, I didn't
know that he was still in the ballot.

Speaker 1 (48:24):
Did you know who he was?

Speaker 10 (48:25):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (48:26):
I knew who he was.

Speaker 4 (48:26):
I heard of him before. Yeah, but I didn't know
that he was still, you know, running he Yeah.

Speaker 2 (48:32):
To continue what you said that he does focus a
lot on health, specifically chronic illness, and like this attack
on big pharma, right. I find that so interesting because
I don't think that's in the public consciousness as much
as he thinks it is. So I was really surprised
that he cares about it that much.

Speaker 1 (48:49):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (48:49):
Well, I think a lot of his ideas, you know,
is built around conspiracy theories.

Speaker 4 (48:54):
I had seen that.

Speaker 3 (48:55):
Apparently in twenty twenty one, he was named one of
the top spreaders of misinformation about COVID vaccines, and so
a lot of the platforms were kicking him off and stuff.
So I don't really know what he's talking about when
he was talking about health concerns necessarily because they're all,
like I said, kind of based on conspiracies, talking about
vaccines causing autism and stuff like that. He's got no
proof of this, but I knew, I knew a bit

(49:16):
about I knew that he you know, it is very
much like an outcast from his family and compared.

Speaker 1 (49:21):
To yeah, they booted him to the curve, right, Yeah,
so that's yeah.

Speaker 2 (49:25):
He does focus a lot on COVID, and COVID was devastating, right,
and it was terrible, But he focuses a lot on it,
and I think as a president you have to look
forward and not back, yeah, you know, and I feel
like he focuses a lot on something that I already haven't.

Speaker 1 (49:37):
I don't know, you know, it was interesting to me.
He made a statement also in his concession speech I'm
calling into concession speech on Friday, that young people were
really big fans of his. Do you see that, did you?
Because he's an independent and he's you know, he doesn't
he blind blindly where he's talking about the COVID and

(49:59):
all stuff too, and I know he kind of blindly
talks about all that stuff and in for full disclosure,
he never really did offer any scientific evidence right back
that up. He made a lot of claims and these
platforms still I think they put now warning labels on
his posts, if memory, because he talked a little bit
about that in the speech on Friday. But the thing

(50:19):
that got me was when he said that young people
like him, that he's popular with young people in your demographic.
Do you agree?

Speaker 4 (50:27):
I don't think that. I haven't heard that.

Speaker 3 (50:28):
Yeah, I don't really think our generation is talking about
him at all as well as I know. I mean exactly,
he's either talking about Kamala or Trump's right, So yeah.

Speaker 4 (50:38):
Well that's crise. I mean, he said it in his
speech as well, that he was being cut off by
a lot of the media outlets that he owned. I
don't want to quote him, but he wasn't getting as
much coverage as Kamlin and Trump was, you know, so
maybe that was a big factor.

Speaker 3 (50:54):
Because he is independent, but he blames a lot of
stuff on the media too. It seems a lot of
times he said that they're lying and things like that.
So but I think, yeah, I mean, he does have
a lot more like I think the stuff that he
talks about, and you know, his ideas are a bit
more right leaning, even though he is independent. But yeah,

(51:14):
as far as you know, our generation goes, I haven't
heard peers or anything really mention him.

Speaker 1 (51:19):
So so I guess that's misinformation. Yeah, I think is
he's skewing numbers, Brian, I guess so, and facts. Yeah,
I mean that's never an easy thing to do, to
stand up there and say I'm stopping my or suspending
my campaign. But I thought it was very interesting that
he is strategically again did not come out and saying

(51:39):
I'm endorsing President Trump. More like, if you're in a
state where you know, in this certain state where Trump's
on the ballot, vote for him, because he doesn't want
his supporters votes to be wasted, but he wants him
to be strategically used. It's very interesting because and then
he's he heard there in the audio where he said

(52:00):
that he thinks that he actually has a chance of
winning if neither of the candidates were to get the
minimum required votes. So, I don't know. I just think
it's a kind of an interesting thing. But don't you
think in theory that everyone should be an independent?

Speaker 2 (52:16):
Yeah? After what I just said, But yeah, I do
agree which.

Speaker 1 (52:22):
Part Eric, But you just said that you're a Democrat.

Speaker 2 (52:27):
I vote a Democrat. But hey, if there was like
a Republican nominee that I agreed with what they were
fighting for, I think everyone should also not be what's
the term again, it's like something like about a dog democrat?

Speaker 1 (52:39):
Sure, well, like a rhino for the Republican in name only,
kind of like that, yeah, where you you say you
vote Democrat, but if something better comes along, you'll vote
for it.

Speaker 10 (52:50):
No.

Speaker 2 (52:50):
No, it's like the term where it's like, even if
it's like the worst politician of all time, you vote Democrat,
you vote Democrat. I don't think there should be the.

Speaker 3 (52:56):
Way you vote absolutely absolutely.

Speaker 10 (53:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (53:00):
I think people, you know, and sometimes they're very committed
to their own party, but they have a hard time,
like calling them out if they're, you know, doing something
that maybe the majority of people don't agree with necessarily,
So it's interesting.

Speaker 1 (53:13):
Yeah, welcome back to Studio six forty. I'm Steve Gregory.
Our final topic call.

Speaker 12 (53:18):
They say a man has been arrested after allegedly attacking
a woman, throwing her onto the train tracks of a
Metro platform. It happened last week in Pasadena. It was
all captured on video.

Speaker 11 (53:29):
Mec Forrest Karma Dickerson has been following this disturbing story
for us and joins us Live with more Karma.

Speaker 8 (53:35):
Yes, disturbing is definitely one of the first words that
comes to mind when you see how this woman was
brutally attacked, and it happened on Metro's Ali which runs
along the two ten Freeway just over our shoulder in Pasadena. Now,
please detach the person that they believe is responsible to this. Nevertheless,
you have passengers thinking twice about how they approach their
Metro writing it's terrifying to watch, yet impossible to look away.

(53:58):
A woman attacked at the Allen Metro station in Pasadena.
After throwing the woman onto the train tracks, the man
pushes her across the barrier from the tracks onto the freeway,
hitting her, kicking her, then pulling her directly into oncoming traffic,
where drivers speeding by narrowly missed her. It was nearly
five forty five the morning of August seventh.

Speaker 2 (54:17):
Well, actually seeing something happen, it's kind of scary.

Speaker 6 (54:20):
It's devastated, and it is really scary.

Speaker 4 (54:22):
To actually see that happened.

Speaker 2 (54:24):
It is actually like way more.

Speaker 8 (54:25):
Stress went out. Deshaun Allen says what he watched reflects
the consistent security concerns he's experienced as a daily rider.

Speaker 6 (54:32):
People want to fight you, or you found drugs.

Speaker 1 (54:35):
I found a knife on top of the train, a
knife sitting there.

Speaker 8 (54:38):
Michael Arbis, on the other hand, says he generally feels
safe on board.

Speaker 2 (54:41):
That I've seen like threats and stuff, but nothing physical.

Speaker 8 (54:46):
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says this shocking assault was
unprovoked and the woman did not know the man who
so viciously attacked her. She was able to avoid being
hit by cars and make her way back to the
train platform. She was treated at the hospital for in.

Speaker 1 (55:00):
So mass transit security, it's a big issue, at least
in the Los Angeles area, and I know mass transit
is a pretty big important part of students being able
to get to A to Z. Right. Any personal experience
with buses and trains here for any of you, very
very little.

Speaker 4 (55:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (55:18):
I write it every day when I'm in school.

Speaker 1 (55:20):
Which line do you ride?

Speaker 2 (55:21):
I write the Expo line, Expo line, Yeah. And the
fall semester no police. But in the spring semester there
was police every morning, Metro police, and it made me
feel so much more safe. And I think they need
to do that just way more, just up the police
and the Metro system.

Speaker 1 (55:36):
Well, now Metro is going to create its own police force.
Do you have any confidence in that?

Speaker 2 (55:42):
Yeah, because I think there was actually one time where
they always see on the Metro line, like if you
see something, say something. I've actually seen something like someone
report and the train conductor thinked like the writers, and
then the Metro police just took the man away. So
I do have confidence in the Metro Police. And every
time there is Metro Police, I notice a difference and

(56:03):
I feel it way more and more safer on the train.

Speaker 1 (56:05):
Okay, So I just need to figure this out when
you say Metro police, because there's only three law enforcement
agencies on Metro. It's either gonna be Long Beach PD,
LAPD or La County Sheriff. Okay, sorry, Sometimes Metro is
creating its own police force, and that's why I ask
you if you have any confidence. They haven't even started
it yet. They're going to create their own internal police force,
which I'm not really sure how that's gonna work out.

(56:27):
But that's why I'm asking if you have any confidence
in what Metro is gonna do.

Speaker 2 (56:33):
I'd have to see it. I don't know, because yeah,
it is just police, right.

Speaker 1 (56:37):
Do you remember what agency you saw on board? No,
I'll see on expo line that's probably LAPD because down
on you say you were Long Beach chariots, and they're
gonna be that's gonna be the Long Beach PD because
they have a very small fraction of it, but then
La County Sheriff has most of it. Are you frightened
at all about all this stuff on this match train?

(56:59):
What are your friends or colleagues say about this?

Speaker 2 (57:02):
We, I mean a lot of my friends ride the
Metro and we kind of disagree. We've all had bad experiences.
I've had bad experiences for like people like yelling at me,
don't need to beat me up because I looked at
them when I don't even when I don't even recall
looking at them. And that's a very common experience. Like
you just kind of have to like keep to yourself.
But it'd be nice, you know, if I didn't have

(57:23):
to worry about it, you know, like I just want
to ride the train and get to school. Yeah, I've
taken I've just walked to school sometimes just to avoid
taking the train. Yeah. And it can happen at all hours.

Speaker 1 (57:33):
Yeah, and anymore, it doesn't really matter what gender you are,
because you know, women used to be more afraid of
the train to travel alone. But the guys are, I mean,
just to your point, guys are being attacked constantly, and
there's horrible footage of that where men are just being attacked.
I recall the one man being doused with gasoline and
lit on fire by a woman that was just walking

(57:55):
down in the middle of the aisle. Wow, just and
he was on his way to pass a Dina leave
on the Metro. But metro security is a really important
part of this overall sort of you know, that's a
big conduit for students and high school students too, not
just college students, but high school students too. What do

(58:17):
you think is the answer? I mean, what can happen,
What do you think should happen to make those lines safer?

Speaker 3 (58:23):
Yeah, I mean I think you know, and I read
up a bit as well. It was on metro dot
net and some things that they are trying to implement
to make it safer, and most most of it, you know,
is upping security, right, And I think another big thing
is controlling the access of who's getting on the buses right,
and you know, you have people like it's it's scary.
You don't know if they're carrying something right, something that

(58:44):
could hurt somebody, And so I really that's the main thing,
I think, controlling who's coming in there, and you know,
and having people patrolling when people are getting on, and
then having more security. It'd be great, you know, if
there could be like security on the buses sometimes too.

Speaker 1 (58:57):
I don't know if.

Speaker 3 (58:57):
There's like enough funding necessarily for that kind of thing,
but and I know they were also sating on metro
dot net. You know, security cameras, lighting and stuff like
that that can maybe make a bit of a difference
as well.

Speaker 1 (59:08):
So as journalists, what kind of an interesting story would
you like to do about trains or buses with respect
to security?

Speaker 2 (59:19):
Well, kind of just to like continue what you had said, Sapphire,
is that they need to find a way where it's
not so easy to just sneak into the bus or
into the train. Because I've snuck into the train almost
half the time, I would say, before I got my
USC transit pass, I snuck in every single time and
it was so easy. Wow, So that means it's also

(59:40):
easy for everybody else. Yeah, And I think maybe like
doing a story on how because they've like set up
like new gates to like stop people from like entering
without having to pay. And I think I would love
to do a story on if it's actually effective.

Speaker 1 (59:56):
Yeah, what about you?

Speaker 3 (59:57):
Yeah, Oh, I mean I would definitely want to report
on you know, I think what they are trying to
do to maybe give people some hope, and you know
that they are trying to implement more security precautions, and
you know, I think also telling students, I mean, because
it's hard when you do see a lot of these
scary things and instances, you know, and a lot of

(01:00:19):
crime on there, and you know, fear also will increase too.
Is the crime is going up, but just to be
aware and of your surroundings and try and choose this.

Speaker 1 (01:00:28):
It's more of a safety more of a safety checklist.

Speaker 3 (01:00:31):
Yeah, stuff like that.

Speaker 4 (01:00:33):
I would get the people's angle and see what they
would want. Obviously the answer is going to be more security.
But sometimes we see security in these public places where
they're just on their phone.

Speaker 5 (01:00:45):
I know.

Speaker 4 (01:00:46):
And I go down the block on a promenade, there's
a security every Sunday. Every time I go pick up
a smoothe he's just on the seat on his phone,
you know. And if you say Metro is going to
have their own police enforcement that, I don't know how
what's gonna work. I feel like we're just gonna see

(01:01:06):
the same thing with these security guards that just don't
really care.

Speaker 1 (01:01:09):
Well, we're gonna have to leave it there, believe it
or not. We are out of time. Eric Travina from
uoseni Eco Sapphire Cal Lutheran, Brian Chavis, CSLV. Always a pleasure,
Thank you all for being here.

Speaker 2 (01:01:18):
Thanks thank you.

Speaker 1 (01:01:22):
Studio six forties a production of the KFI News Department
for iHeartMedia, Los Angeles. The show's executive producers are Steve Gregory,
and Jacob Gonzalez. The line producer is Richie Quintero. The
opinions expressed on this program are those of the guests
and do not necessarily reflect the views of kafi iHeartMedia
or its affiliates.