LA Considering Eliminating 2,000 Vacant Positions To Balance Budget
In his March 18th financial status report to the city of Los Angeles, City Administrative Officer Matthew W. Szabo proposes “The elimination of up to 2,000 vacant positions at an annual value of $150 million to $200 million, which could include priority positions including non-sworn public safety positions.” 2,000 jobs is about 5% of the total city workforce. The city faces tough decisions to balance the budget at a time when many cities are receiving less funding post-pandemic and tax revenues are coming in lower than anticipated. According to the report, Los Angeles’ overspending currently stands at $288.56 million. Joining us to discuss is David Zahniser, staff writer for the LA Times who covers City Hall.
Triple (Ok, Double) Play: Dodgers Split Season Opening Seoul Series, Plus Angels Preview And Latest On Ohtani Translator Gambling, Theft Allegations
It’s been an eventful start to the season so far for the Dodgers’ two new star players. The team began the 2024 regular season by splitting a two-game series in Seoul, South Korea against the San Diego Padres. After winning their season opener 5-2 on Wednesday, newly-acquired pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto was chased after one inning of a nightmarish major league debut and the Padres outlasted the Dodgers 15-11 on Thursday night, despite four hits and six RBIs from All-Star Mookie Betts. Meanwhile, two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani’s name was a fixture in national sports news headlines after news broke Wednesday afternoon that the Dodgers fired his interpreter and longtime friend Ippei Mizuhara amid allegations that Mizuhara stole money from Ohtani to cover millions in gambling debts to a Southern California bookmaker.
Today on AirTalk, LAist “All Things Considered” Host Nick Roman and Larry Mantle convene to form the Double Play (A Martinez couldn’t join them today) to recap the Dodgers’ split of their season-opening series in Korea, the latest on the allegations against Shohei Ohtani’s translator and preview the Angels 2024 season.
Netflix & NBCUniversal: No Company Is Safe From The Creative Jobs Drought
In The Ankler's continuing deep dive into where opportunities exist in the entertainment business, reporter Elaine Low analyzed the open job listings for Netflix and NBCUniversal. It reveals that no company is safe from the creative jobs drought. So what type of hiring are these two major media companies investing in and what does it say about the future of TV and other media? Elaine joins Larry to discuss. Questions? Call 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
What To Know About LAUSD’s New AI Platform “Ed”
The Los Angeles Unified School District has launched a new artificial intelligence platform that gives parents and students a “personal assistant” in the form of a sun-shaped chatbot named “Ed.” District officials say the new platform will be a place for students and parents to access information about attendance, grades, and other resources. Alongside academics, it can also wake a student up, tell them what’s for lunch in the school cafeteria that day, or where their school buses are in real-time.
LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the portal is pooling together data the district already has, and analyzing it to create personalized recommendations for students. Today on AirTalk, Larry sits down with Elly Yu, LAist senior reporter covering early childhood who’s been following the news.
Larry Speaks With Koto Player – And New NEA National Heritage Fellow – June Kuramoto
June Kuramoto has been playing the koto–the national instrument of Japan–since the age of six. The instrument is over six-feet long, with 13 strings and 13 moveable bridges. Schooled by a master koto player, Kuramoto trained on the traditional sounds of Japan, but found herself drawn to Western music as well. She was able to lean into those instincts as a member of the band Hiroshima, known for its blending of Japanese instruments into jazz and R&B, with hints of pop and funk. The group has toured extensively and been nominated for a Grammy. Solo, Kuramoto has been featured on the soundtracks of films like The Last Samurai, served as the president of the Koto String Society, and spent time teaching the next generation of koto players. For all of this, she’s been selected as a NEA National Heritage Fellow, the nation's highest honor in folk and traditional arts. Joining Larry to discuss her career is koto player June Kuramoto.
TV-Talk: 4 Shows To Watch Including ‘Palm Royale,’ ‘Chicken Nugget’ & More
Have you felt completely overwhelmed when deciding what new show to watch these days? Us too. There’s just so much content out there between network TV and numerous streaming platforms. Each week, we will try to break through the noise with TV watchers who can point us to the must-sees and steer us clear of the shows that maybe don’t live up to the hype. This week, listeners will get the latest scoop on what’s worth watching with freelance TV critic Steve Greene.
Today’s shows include:
- Palm Royale (Apple TV+)
- Coppola, the Agent (Hulu)
- Chicken Nugget (Netflix)
- Extraordinary [Season 2] (Hulu)
