Los Angeles can be a high-stress environment, and not just for humans. Evelyn McDonnell, who has been entranced by L.A.’s cougars since her childhood, says that without a wildlife crossing, like that proposed over the Ventura Freeway, the future for P-22 and his kind is bleak.
Cougar Town
U.S. Rep. Karen Bass On Election Results
With votes nearly tallied, U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, describes changes she expects in a possible Biden presidency and a new Congress.
Ivan Ehlers ’04 on Drawing in The New Yorker
Ivan Ehlers has produced work for The New Yorker, MAD Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. But rejection is part of the job, he says, and studying psychology at LMU has come in handy.
The Magazine of the Year
LMU Magazine wins the 2020 Robert Sibley Magazine of the Year Award, the top honor in university magazine publishing, in the annual CASE Circle of Excellence Awards competition.
Powering Down
America’s status as a global media leader — in film, TV, pop culture, internet content — has provided a platform to promote free speech and oppose censorship. But content generation is increasingly internationalized, and the U.S. may be losing both marketshare and self-identity.
Stefan Bradley on the Black Lives Matter Movement
Stefan Bradley, chair of African American Studies, talks about the killing of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter movement and the fight against racism in America.
Justin Levitt and Election 2020
Justin Levitt, constitutional law professor at the LMU Loyola Law School, may be one of the few experts on U.S. voting laws and rights who does not foresee an electoral apocalypse on Election Day, Nov. 3.
How To Deal With Election Anxiety
Political polarization is rampant but election anxiety crosses the aisle between party differences. Cassidy Freitas ’08, a licensed marriage and family therapist, has tips to help keep you mentally healthy.
Election Sing-Along
Music has long been part of U.S. politics, from campaign ditties to Civil Rights anthems. Evelyn McDonnell, professor journalism and expert on music, gender and politics, offers some of her favorite songs about voting.
California’s Catholic Browns
Pat and Jerry Brown — father and son — together governed California for a span totaling nearly a quarter century with their Catholic culture’s influence never far from the foreground.
Chaya Crowder on Black Voters and U.S. Elections
“The Republican Party has made little to no attempt to historically appeal to Black voters since the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act,” says Prof. Chaya Crowder in describing why Black voters, especially Black women, are the backbone of the Democratic Party.
Michael Genovese
Prof. Michael Genovese, a leading expert on the presidency, discusses the upcoming presidential election, which will present voters with a stark choice and promises to be as unpredictable as it will be momentous.
Sean Kennedy ’86, LLS ’89
In May, an LMU Loyola Law School suit was rejected that would have forced the release of more juveniles in detention who are at risk for the coronavirus. Sean Kennedy, director of the LLS Center for Juvenile Law and Policy, explains why the decision is a failure of juvenile justice.
Troubling Calm
In the COVID-19 era, what was has changed, what is now seems uncertain, but will be may be ours to decide. L.A. writer Lynell George ’84 writes about life during a pandemic.
David Romero ’09 on Joining the Jesuits
David Romero, S.J., an LMU alumnus of 2009 and newly ordained Jesuit, talks about his image of God, the challenge of Jesuit formation and why he joined the Society of Jesus.
Sung Won Sohn
The rapid, global onset of the coronavirus pandemic slammed economies around the world. Sung Won Sohn, LMU professor of finance and economics, discusses signs of hope in a stark U.S. and California economic forecast.
The Shuttering of Olvera Street
Olvera Street, a major L.A. tourist draw and Mexican and Mexican American heritage center, faces a deeply cloudy future due to tourism’s collapse during the pandemic.
Fall in Love With LMU
This prayer, that has become synonymous with Pedro Arrupe, S.J., who was Father General of the Society of Jesus, describes the intimate connection of love to one’s truest identity.
Fernando Guerra and Brianne Gilbert
When the Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles surveyed L.A. residents this spring about Mayor Eric Garcetti’s leadership in the COVID-19 crisis, they documented overwhelming support across the board.
The Coronavirus and Catholic Schools
The coronavirus has upended every aspect of U.S. education. Kevin Baxter M.A. ’01, chief innovation officer of the National Catholic Educational Association, discusses the pandemic’s impact on Catholic schools.
Lessons From the Virus Wars
A century ago, the 1918 flu ravaged the world’s population. There was no vaccine and quarantining was essential. Carla Bittel, an LMU historian, talks about the lessons the world learned that may help today.
Tragedy’s Ripple Effects
LMU’s William D. Parham talks about grief’s impact on professional athletes.
L.A.’s Financial Prognosis
No one may be better positioned to evaluate the likely impacts of COVID-19 on this L.A.’s financial health than City Controller Ron Galperin LLS ’93.
Kate Pickert
COVID-19 has created a global medical crisis and a U.S. health policy crisis. Kate Pickert, who covered the U.S. healthcare system as a reporter, talks about the impact of a lagging governmental response on the medical community and health agencies.
Service in the COVID-19 Lockdown
Does service to the community have to stop during the COVID-19 crisis? Patrick Furlong, interim director of the LMU Center for Service and Action, talks about how to serve the community while on lockdown.
Dramatis Personae
If Washington politics were a Shakespearean play, would it be a history, comedy or tragedy?
Highlights From the DNC Debate at LMU
Take a behind-the-scenes look at how LMU hosted the Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate this past December, when many of the nation’s most important leaders came to campus.
Tia Carr ’21 and Olin Osborne ’23
Young voters may determine the 2020 presidential election. In this Off Press podcast, Tia Carr and Olin Osborne, students of international relations, describe what they want from candidates and what the candidates offer.
The Counter Vote
If the Electoral College vote produces a result that doesn’t reflect the popular vote for president, is it time to shutter the institution?
A Conversation With Jessica Levinson
Jessica Levinson ’01, LLS ’05, an expert on the Constitution, analyzes the politics of impeachment.
The Saintly Order
Sometimes, as Luke’s gospel suggests, the greatest among us is found among the least. James Martin, S.J., ranks his favorite saints and proves the point.
Off Press Podcasts
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EPISODE 33 • OCTOBER 7, 2020
Carol Costello on White House Virus and Incivility
As Election Day approaches, the White House turns into a virus hot zone and political incivility deepens. Carol Costello, former CNN anchor, discusses America’s diseases of body and spirit — and what she’s doing about them.
EPISODE 32 • OCTOBER 1, 2020
Allan Ides and the SCOTUS Nominee
If Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed as a Supreme Court justice, her impact may be shaped by her relationship with Chief Justice John Roberts, says Allan Ides, LMU Loyola Law School professor. Ides, who clerked for Justice Byron White, shares an inside view of the Barrett nomination.
EPISODE 31 • SEPTEMBER 24, 2020
Justin Levitt and Election 2020
Justin Levitt, constitutional law professor at the LMU Loyola Law School, may be one of the few experts on U.S. voting laws and rights who does not foresee an electoral apocalypse on Election Day, Nov. 3.
