Everything You Need To Know About ‘Paneragate’
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration has denied a news report that he pushed for an exception to the state’s new fast-food minimum wage law that benefits a wealthy campaign donor.
California’s minimum wage is $16 per hour. But starting April 1, most fast-food restaurants in the state must pay their workers at least $20 an hour under legislation Newsom signed last year to much fanfare. It doesn’t apply to restaurants that have on-site bakeries and sell bread as a stand-alone menu item.
That exception puzzled some industry watchers and was never fully explained by Newsom or other supporters of the law. But Bloomberg News on Wednesday reported it was connected to opposition from Panera Bread franchisee Greg Flynn, whose company owns 24 of the restaurants in California and has donated to Newsom’s campaigns. Joining to discuss the latest is Daniela Sirtori-Cortina reporter for Bloomberg News who helped break this story, and Jeanne Kuang, reporter covering California government, labor, and politics for CalMatters.
With files from the Associated Press
Mail-In Or March To The Polling Center; How Are You Voting These Days?
In 2022, Pew Research found that 7 in 10 Americans believe that voting is an important part of being a good member of society. Findings showed that while Democrats and Republicans differed in some of their views around election rules and procedures, they overwhelmingly agreed on the importance of voting. As California’s primary election comes to close we want to hear from you. How do you feel about voting? How have your voting habits changed over the years, particularly with the rise of mail-in voting? Do you still make a point to go to a polling center and cast your vote in person? Call us at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
UCLA Basketball’s Bumpy Road To College Hoops Immortality Mapped Out In Scott Howard-Cooper’s New Book ‘Kingdom on Fire’
While many college basketball programs have established themselves as forces to be reckoned with over the years, none dominated the sport so forcefully or consistently as did John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins from 1965 to 1975. During that time, Wooden and his teams won eight NCAA championships -- seven of them in a row and three of them following undefeated 30-0 seasons. And though basketball is a team sport and UCLA likely doesn’t win all those championships without players like Gail Goodrich, Lynn Shackelford, Curtis Rowe, Keith Wilkes, Sidney Wicks and Henry Bibby, their two leaders on the court during these glory years were undeniably Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Bill Walton. But the road to college basketball immortality was far from smooth for these Bruins, as longtime sports journalist Scott Howard-Cooper writes in his new book “Kingdom on Fire: Kareem, Wooden, Walton, and the Turbulent Days of the UCLA Basketball Dynasty.” Both Alcindor and Walton served as foils to Coach Wooden, whose life “had been built on structure, discipline, and humility…where the Good Book mattered a few trillion times more than the playbook.” Alcindor arrived in Westwood as an outspoken advocate for civil rights with a chip on his shoulder, and Walton’s long hair and opposition to the Vietnam War landed him in trouble with both Wooden and local law enforcement at different points. But despite their differences, both Walton and Alcindor learned from Wooden, and he from them, and the result was a college basketball dynasty the likes of which the sport has never seen since.
Today on AirTalk, Scott Howard-Cooper joins Larry Mantle to talk about his new book, which leans on over a hundred interviews, including with Wooden’s family, to reconstruct the finer points of UCLA basketball’s glory years, and how the political and cultural backdrop of the 1960s and 70s played into their story.
The Hollywood Burbank Airport Is Getting A Glow Up Whether You Like It Or Not. Frequent Fliers Weigh In
The Hollywood Burbank is both beloved and tolerated. Long-time flyers of the airport love its laid-back quaint nature and more importantly the speed with which you can get from parking lot to seated and buckled in on the tarmac. But some have criticized the airport’s deficient designs and somewhat rundown terminals. Well, the airport is finally getting a makeover. Today on AirTalk, we discuss the renovation project and what patrons can expect. What do you want to see change at the airport? Plus, what makes for a great airport more broadly? Share your favorite or most detested qualities you’ve experienced in an airport. Call 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com. Joining to discuss is Frank Miller, executive director of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority, which owns and operates the Hollywood Burbank Airport.
Mayor Karen Bass: Housing And Homelessness, Olympics Prep, City Budget And More
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass joins Larry to discuss the latest happening in the city. Today, we talk about election day, a new report detailing the effectiveness of an L.A. anti-camping law and much more. We’re taking your questions at 866-893-5722 or you can email atcomments@laist.com.
