Headlines From The Times

Today, we examine the Afghan Air Force — its history, its success, its tenuous future. We talk with two of my L.A. Times colleagues who went on a helicopter ride-along... that came under attack. Since 2010, the U.S. military and other allies have poured in $8.5 billion to support the Afghan Air Force, which dates back to 1918. In a long war characterized by inefficiencies and failures, it has proven one of the few success stories. Now, its days might be numbered.More Reading:Afghanistan’s air force is a rare U.S.-backed success story. It may soon failBiden tells Afghan leaders that despite U.S. withdrawal, ‘we’re going to stick with you’Troops bid goodbye to Bagram, once the heart of U.S. power in Afghanistan

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón has a policing pedigree like few others. Army veteran. Patrol officer in Los Angeles. Police chief in San Francisco before becoming D.A. there. Now, he’s in charge of the D.A.’s office in L.A., one of the largest in the country. He’s part of a wave of progressive district attorneys who have won elections in some of America’s largest cities with a promise to radically reform their offices. And he’s currently the subject of a recall effort. Today, we tackle this blowback, talking to L.A. Times crimes and policing reporter James Queally, a member of the Recall Gascón campaign, and Gascón himself.More Reading:An effort to recall Los Angeles D.A. George Gascón is underway: What happens now?Inside George Gascon’s justice revolution, a debate over what it is to be a crime victimFew police agencies have given L.A. prosecutors the names of dishonest cops

People expressing their sexuality in public by dressing up in kink fashions — leather, rubber, furry, dom and a whole other universe of expressions — have been mainstays of Pride parades and festivals since the earliest celebrations in the 1970s. But as these celebrations have slowly mainstreamed, some groups say the kink factor should go down, if not disappear altogether. And the attacks aren’t coming from the right. Today, we talk about kink — what’s its role in Pride, and how does its expression there benefit not just those who partake, but society in general? Our guests are Yale University professor Joe Fischel, who recently wrote an essay in the Boston Review advocating for kink to stay at Pride, and we also talk to the president of San Francisco’s Leather and LGBTQ District — yeah, it’s a thing.More reading:Can San Francisco’s famed leather district be saved in an era of high property values?Keep Pride NudeWhat are you willing to wear on your next Zoom? Fetish fashion is on the rise

Point Roberts, Wash., long prospered as an appendage of Canada. Its economy thrived on sales of gasoline, groceries and alcohol at prices considered a bargain by Canadians, whose frequent visits helped make the border station one of the busiest crossing points between the two countries. Then on March 21, 2020, in response to the pandemic, U.S. and Canadian officials abruptly closed the border to nonessential travel — squeezing the peninsula like a tourniquet. It’s stayed closed ever since. Today, L.A. Times Seattle bureau chief Richard Read brings you the story of a town where life has stopped and is slowly going away — another consequence of the ongoing pandemic.More reading:A U.S. town marooned at the tip of a Canadian peninsulaA Bit of U.S. Clinging to Canada, Point Roberts Waits for BoomA woodsy Northwest retreat gets the water it wanted--with a flood of development

In 2018, Katie Hill made national news when she beat an incumbent to win the 25th congressional district in Southern California. She was part of a wave of progressive, women Democrats who promised to take on then-President Trump. But less than a year later, congresswoman Hill resigned. Intimate photos of her leaked online. She was a victim of revenge porn. Now, the former congresswoman is pushing her former colleagues to make the sharing of intimate pictures without consent a federal crime. On today's episode, we talk to L.A. Times political reporter Seema Mehta, who has covered Hill's downfall and current advocacy work. And we hear from the former congresswoman herself.More reading:Katie Hill fights to make revenge porn a federal crime and ponders another run for office Katie Hill ordered to pay $220,000 in attorneys’ fees in revenge porn case Column: Why Katie Hill has to pay legal fees for a newspaper that published nude photos of her

Despite mass vaccinations and lower rates of infections in the U.S., the post-COVID-19 recovery is far from over. This includes Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, to new or continuing symptoms with little to no relief available. Today, we’ll talk about the lingering physical and emotional effects of COVID-19, and how we can get to a place where those afflicted can heal. Our guests are Dr. Jonathan Sherin, director of Mental Health for Los Angeles County, and Fiona Lowenstein, a COVID-19 survivor who started a support group for those who continue to endure its aftermath.More reading:‘I was just bawling in my PPE’: Surge fades, but anguish remains for healthcare workers Signs of depression have tripled in the U.S. since the COVID-19 pandemic got underwayOp-Ed: The kids who aren’t all right — the pandemic’s lasting toll on youth mental health

Whether by horse, on foot, or in a car, Americans have loved watching lawmen chase bad guys for ages, going all the way back to colonial times. In this era of social media and livestreaming, high-speed car pursuits are as popular as ever and now are broadcast everywhere. Today, we'll talk to University of South Carolina criminology professor Geoffrey Alpert, who studies car chases, and to Zoey Tur, a pioneering TV news helicopter pilot who was one of the first people to ever cover them in Los Angeles, the undisputed capital of car chases. We'll also hear from our senior producer Steven A. Cuevas. All three guests disapprove of our host Gustavo Arellano's car-chase obsession and will try to break him of his habit. Can they succeed?More reading:Are Los Angeles police chases worth the risk to bystanders? Last year saw record injuriesPolice pursuits cause unnecessary deaths and injuries, L.A. County grand jury says10 crazy Southern California police car chases

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics for a year, a debate has been raging in Japan and beyond over whether the worldwide competition should even happen. The vast majority of the country doesn’t want the event to go on, even as the Japanese government and Olympic officials push ahead. But for athletes who have trained for years, if not a lifetime, to represent their country in the Olympics, canceling the Games would be devastating — and a global reminder that we’re still not truly over the coronavirus yet. Today, we speak to L.A. Times Seoul correspondent Victoria Kim about Japan and the Olympics. We also speak to Brandon Loschiavo, an Orange County diver who just qualified for the Olympics and is excited to compete for a gold medal this summer.More reading:Tokyo Olympics loom, with only 2% of Japanese fully vaccinated and fears over thousands of visitors Will the Tokyo Olympics happen? NBC is banking on it Brad Loschiavo qualifies for Olympics

Nearly a century ago, government officials pushed a Black family from their beachfront property in the Southern California city of Manhattan Beach. Now, in what could be a landmark in this nation’s efforts to correct past injustices to African Americans, the County of Los Angeles wants to give Bruce’s Beach back to the family that once owned it. Today, our senior producer Denise Guerra speaks with the historians, family members and grassroots organizers who championed this cause for years until it could not be ignored. We also speak with L.A. Times environmental reporter Rosanna Xia about her work, which amplified the story of Bruce’s Beach to the world.More reading:Manhattan Beach was once home to Black beachgoers, but the city ran them out. Now it faces a reckoningBlack descendants of Bruce’s Beach owner could get Manhattan Beach land back under plan Editorial: Pay back the Bruces for Bruce’s beach

Last week, Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Central America and Mexico as part of the Biden administration’s strategy to address this country’s immigration issues. Supporters expected a kinder approach than that of the Trump administration. But with three simple words — “Do not come” — Harris ignited controversy. Today, we talk to L.A. Times immigration reporter Cindy Carcamo about the backlash over Harris’ remarks, and whether President Biden’s immigration policies are markedly different from those of his predecessor. We also hear from Giovanni Batz, a Guatemalan American scholar, about how U.S. foreign policy has long pushed Guatemalans out of their homeland and toward El Norte.More reading:‘Do not come’: Kamala Harris’ three words to Guatemalans stir debate and backlash Guatemalan lives are thrown into upheaval by failed immigration bidsDocuments Reveal CIA Guatemala Assassination Plots