Election Results Updates
Voter turnout in the Primary Election was just 29%. Low turnout elections tend to attract older and more conservative voters. But progressives did well. Despite being outspent in nearly every race, progressive candidates in Los Angeles made a strong showing in the March 5 election, with several either winning outright or forcing opponents into runoffs. It’s been two weeks since we last checked in on the results from the primary elections. AirTalk continues its coverage of the most important local initiatives in Southern California. Joining us for updates is Frank Stoltze, civics and democracy correspondent for LAist and Mariana Dale, K-12 senior reporter at LAist.
What's The Latest With LAX's Automated People Mover?
If you were driving to LAX on Sunday, you probably hit some terrible traffic. According to airport officials the congestion was due to closures on Century Boulevard, Sepulveda Boulevard, Airport Boulevard, and Vicksburg Avenue as part of overnight construction to LAX's Automated People Mover. The APM is part of LAX's 5.5 billion dollar Landside Access Modernization Program aimed at improving travelers' experience at the airport and connecting airport passengers to LA's public transportation system. The project broke ground in March 2019 and was projected to have an end date in 2024. However, due to a number of delays the project may not be done until 2025. Joining us on AirTalk to talk about the construction delays and what we can expect from the People Mover is Howard Fine, infrastructure reporter for the Los Angeles Business Journal.
Report: Nail Salon Workers Are Some Of The Worst Paid In California. Now They Want Change.
Manicurists — the majority of whom are Vietnamese immigrant women — are some of the worst paid workers in California. That’s according to research on the state’s nail salon industry released Tuesday by the UCLA Labor Center in partnership with the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative. Researchers, using U.S. Census Bureau data, estimate that the hourly median wage for nail salon workers in 2021 was $10.94 — below the then- $13/hr minimum wage for small businesses. The findings underscore just how undervalued workers in the industry are, said co-author Pretti Sharma, a professor at Cal State Long Beach who worked with UCLA on the report. While they dispute how much workers are actually making, advocates and industry leaders alike say employers are misclassifying thousands of manicurists as independent contractors despite them being part of day-to-day salon operations where they are wearing uniforms and using salon supplies. Joining us today on AirTalk to discuss the report is asian american communities reporter at LAist, Josie Huang.
With files from LAist. Read the full story here.
What To Know About The Upcoming Audit Of LA’s ‘Inside Safe’ Shelter Bed Program
The city of Los Angeles has reached a deal with plaintiffs in a lawsuit on a plan to audit LA’s shelter bed services. News of the audit was announced late Monday afternoon following an intense hearing in downtown federal court, overseen by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter. He has criticized city and state officials for a lack of spending transparency, saying the public and policy makers deserve to know where taxpayer dollars are going. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass was among those who spoke at yesterday's hearing. She agreed to provide invoices on homeless spending to the public. Earlier this month, City Controller Kenneth Mejia announced that his office will conduct an audit of L.A. Mayor Karen Bass' flagship program to address homelessness. That program — called Inside Safe — aims to move unhoused people off the street and into temporary housing. Mejia made the move after U.S. District Judge David O. Carter said during a recent hearing in downtown L.A. that the city of L.A. misled attorneys over promises to clear homeless encampments and add shelter beds to each city council district. Those steps were supposed to happen as part of a 2022 settlement agreement that stemmed from a suit brought against the city of L.A. by the business group L.A. Alliance for Human Rights. Some city officials have argued that the controller can't audit Inside Safe because it’s under the mayor’s control.
Today on AirTalk, LAist Senior Unhoused Communities Reporter Nick Gerda, who was at Monday’s hearing, joins Larry to explain what happened and how the City of L.A. plans to be more transparent about how it spends taxpayer dollars on homeless services.
With files from Nick Gerda and Libby Rainey at LAist.com. Read their full story here.
Boeing’s Safety Issues – What’s The Latest?
Responding to a U.S. government audit, Boeing said last week that it would work with employees found to have violated company manufacturing procedures to make sure they understand instructions for their jobs. The aircraft maker detailed its latest steps to correct lapses in quality in a memo to employees from Stan Deal, president of Boeing’s commercial plane division. The memo went out after the Federal Aviation Administration finished a six-week review of the company’s manufacturing processes for the 737 Max jetliner after a panel blew off one of the planes during an Alaska Airlines flight on Jan. 5. The FAA reviewed 89 aspects of production at Boeing’s plant in Renton, Washington, and found the company failed 33 of them, according to a person familiar with the report. Boeing has also been in the news for a couple of other recent incidents: a midflight plunge on a LATAM flight, and the loss of an exterior panel on a recent flight to Oregon. Joining us to discuss are Oriana Pawlyk, aviation reporter at Politico and Captain John Cox, retired airline pilot and CEO of Safety Operating Systems, an aviation safety consulting firm.
With files from the Associated Press.
Can You Feel The Madness? Previewing The Men’s And Women’s NCAA Tournaments
And so the madness begins. March Madness kicks off this week. Only four Pac-12 teams made the cut for the men’s NCAA tournament. Missing in action are USC and UCLA. Long Beach State and San Diego State made the cut though. It’s shaping up to be a particularly exciting watch for the women’s tournament, with USC and UCLA displaying a forceful presence. Plus, UC Irvine and Cal Baptist add to the strong SoCal lineup. Today on AirTalk, we preview both tournaments and break down the top seeds and underdogs. Joining to discuss is Laine Higgins, sports reporter for The Wall Street Journal, and Sabreena Merchant, staff writer for The Athletic.
