Monks & Merrill
KFI AM 640 (KFI-AM)
Monks & Merrill, with Michael Monks and Chris Merrill.
Episodes
SoCal Storms & OC Strikes
Hour 1- Monks and Merrill are talking to Jason Nathanson about the SoCal storm. PLUS the workers are striking and we are talking to Treasurer of Teamsters Local 952, Eric Jimenez about the OC worker strike. MORE strikes may be coming from sanitation workers due to expired contracts. AND MORE on KFIAM-640. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are Drug Sweeps Saving Skid Row?
Hour 2- Monks and Merrill are talking the unhoused problem in LA. Where is the future of LA homelessness? Are the drug sweeps actually saving Skid Row? PLUS Nithya Raman vs Law Enforcement. The Police Protective League wants Nithya Raman to stop with the "defund the police" take. We break it down on KFIAM-640. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Mayor’s Race, Water Wars & California’s High-Speed Rail Debate
Hour 3- Law and Order on this episode of Monks and Merrill. We are covering the Mayor's race, the desalination project with Marc Serna, and the High-Speed Rail project. We're breaking it all down on KFIAM-640.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
NIMBY + YIMBY + CA SOLAR + CUTTING RED TAPE
Hey! You look like you need to hear the best Monks & Merrill segments of the week! Altadena fire survivors are pushing for SB 1090, seeking to limit high-density rebuilding. Guest Shawna Dawson Beer of Beautiful Altadena joins us to discuss the fight over what rebuilding should look like. Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed SB 1090, temporarily shielding Altadena from state laws that make it easier to split residential lots and build small multifamily projects. California YIMBY argues the law removes options that could help cash-strapped homeowners finance their own return. Director of Communication at YIMBY, Matthew Lewis, joins the show. Gov. Newsom has also signed SB 868, creating a legal pathway for small plug-in solar systems that renters and homeowners can install without going through the full rooftop-solar interconnection process. Co-Founder of Bright Saver, Cora Stryker, joins the show. Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky is pushing two related ideas: make Los Angeles much more aggressive about redeveloping underused public property, and remove city barriers that make condos, townhomes and other starter homes harder to build than apartments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SMELLY HOTELS + MONTANA LOOP HOLE + TIME CHANGE + KIDS THESE DAYS
It's MORE Monks & Merrill! Yes! It's true! An hour of brand new content just for you! This fine Saturday night, Monks & Merrill discuss the lawsuit filed against Hilton and Hyatt hotels for pumping in smells that may conflict with the Americans With Disabilities Act. Californians have been opening LLCs in Montana to buy "company vehicles" and paying zero sales tax. The US Government is up in arms about whether or not to keep Daylight Saving Time. Also, will the kids be alright?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sky-High Utility Bills, Truck Pollution Concerns & In-N-Out’s Underground Delivery Scene!
Hour 1 - Californians are facing some of the highest water bills in the country, and one San Fernando Valley man’s shocking $3,000 electricity bill is now under investigation by the L.A. City Controller. Plus, California’s Attorney General warns seven Inland Empire cities and Riverside County about protecting residents from truck pollution. And Pablo Goldstein, creative producer at L.A. Material, joins us to explore the underground Facebook scene delivering In-N-Out to fans See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Rising Seas, Raging Fires & L.A.’s Trash House Returns!
Hour 2 - SoCal’s iconic coastal railroad could be forced to move as rising sea levels threaten its future. Plus, the world’s largest wildlife crossing is on track to open this winter — but could El Niño throw a wrench into the plans? A brush fire shuts down the 5 Freeway on the Grapevine near Gorman, an infamous L.A. neighborhood trash house is buried in garbage again, and companies are buying up pieces of L.A. County’s $4-billion sex abuse settlementSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
LAPD Lawsuit Costs Soar, Metro Fare Evasion Persists & California State Workers Prepare to Strike!
Hour 3 - New data show police lawsuits have cost Los Angeles nearly half a billion dollars since 2019. Plus, Metro’s new faregates have reduced fare evasion by just 36%, California state workers were teleworking from states including Idaho, Tennessee and Alabama, and a massive strike by California state employees could be on the horizon this month.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hurricane Rachel Heads for Southern California, USS Abraham Lincoln Returns Home and Trump Warns Iran
Hour 1 - Hurricane Rachel moves toward Southern California as powerful waves, rain and strong winds create coastal dangers. Phil Ferrar from AM 600 KOGO in San Diego joins Monks & Merrill to discuss the USS Abraham Lincoln returning home after a record deployment. Plus, President Trump addresses concerns over a potential Iranian strike on Los Angeles and San Diego. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
LA Metro Safety, CARE+ Changes and the Neighborhood Trash House Under Scrutiny
Hour 2 - LA City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian joins Monks & Merrill to discuss rising crime concerns on LA Metro following the pause of the Tap-to-Exit program and how the measure fits into Metro’s broader safety strategy. Plus, the council’s decision to suspend the CARE+ program during environmental emergencies and the latest developments surrounding an LA neighborhood’s notorious trash-filled home.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SoCal Rents Rise, Young Angelenos Look Elsewhere and California’s Death Row Faces a Major Decision
Hour 3 - Southern California renters are feeling the pressure as rents rise across 58% of the region’s cities. Young people are also leaving Los Angeles for unexpected destinations, including Fresno. Plus, Christa Pike’s lawyers speak out after her failed execution, and Governor Gavin Newsom weighs whether to spare the lives of all 563 people currently on California’s death row.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Criminally Undetermined, Defund Déjà Vu, Camping Optional and Tax Me, Chief
Hour 1 - The earlier LAFD investigation tried to answer a technical question: what physically caused the Lineage Logistics fire? Nithya Raman is taking heavy fire over a since-deleted campaign video that paired the phrase “Only you can stop fascist liars” with images of Mayor Karen Bass and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, including a red X over McDonnell’s face. Councilwoman Traci Park wants to broaden Los Angeles Municipal Code 41.18, which restricts sitting, sleeping, lying or storing property in designated public spaces. Measure FD would raise the City of Los Angeles sales tax another half-cent, taking the rate from 10.25% to 10.75% and generating an estimated $345 million a year specifically for the LAFD.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Badge Fight, Do Not Disturb, Be Well... Broke and Ballot Mulligan
Hour 2 - The Los Angeles Police Protective League is escalating its opposition to Measure FD, the half-cent sales tax increase backed by the firefighters union, by preparing to spend millions of dollars against it. Garden Grove will require hotels to give employees working alone in guestrooms personal security devices beginning January 1. Orange County has formally ended its relationship with Mind OC, the nonprofit behind Be Well OC, and taken full control of the behavioral-health campuses in Orange and Irvine. Newport Beach is now planning two elections on November 3.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
VoteBot, Class Dismissed, Diagnosis: Sweaty and Hot Now, Soaked Later
Hour 3 - Voters are increasingly using ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and other AI tools to research candidates, compare positions and sort through down-ballot races that receive little traditional news coverage. California's Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team now rates LAUSD at high risk of insolvency, citing chronic deficit spending, declining enrollment, rising labor costs, soaring special-education expenses and a school system built for far more students than it actually has. About 75% of Torrance Unified classrooms lack air conditioning during this week's brutal heat, forcing the district to rely on cooling rooms, hydration stations, extra ice and even slushies while officials contemplate heat days and a future bond measure costing hundreds of millions. Southern California remains under an Extreme Heat Warning through Thursday evening, with downtown Los Angeles forecast near 99 degrees today and the mid-90s Thursday. At the same time, the tropical Pacific continues to warm rapidly, and NOAA now says there is a 75% chance the current El Niño becomes a historic event exceeding previous El Niños' in records dating to 1950.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Target Practice, Trump Admin vs LAUSD, Teacher’s Lounge and Save The Cougar
Hour 1 - President Trump was defending the war with Iran and its economic costs Monday night when he suddenly invoked Los Angeles and San Diego as cities Iran could potentially “take out.” The Trump administration has opened a federal enforcement action against LAUSD, arguing that district policies improperly allow schools to keep a student’s gender identity and other sensitive information from parents. LAUSD is considering a 390-unit workforce housing development on the long-vacant former Collins Street Elementary School site in Woodland Hills. Councilman Bob Blumenfield is pushing back on claims that Los Angeles invented a mountain lion habitat designation to kill a 398-unit housing proposal at the Woodland Hills Country Club.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
October Broil, Balcony Solar Systems, Use The Dirt and Build Or Bureaucratize?
Hour 2 - Southern California is in the middle of an unusually long and intense October heat wave, with temperatures running roughly 15 to 22 degrees above normal in many areas, and Extreme Heat Warnings continue. Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed SB 868, creating a legal pathway for small plug-in solar systems that renters and homeowners can install without going through the full rooftop-solar interconnection process. Co-Founder of Bright Saver, Cora Stryker, joins the show. Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky is pushing two related ideas: make Los Angeles much more aggressive about redeveloping underused public property, and remove city barriers that make condos, townhomes and other starter homes harder to build than apartments. Yaroslavsky argues Los Angeles can attack housing costs from both ends by putting underused public land to work and removing regulations that discourage starter-home construction.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Camp Counselor, Plate Expectations, Mind The Poll and Just Try It
Hour 3 - Councilwoman Traci Park wants Los Angeles to substantially broaden Municipal Code 41.18, the city’s anti-camping law, by adding more protected locations and eliminating a procedural step that currently requires the full City Council to approve many individual no-camping zones. The Los Angeles City Council is considering stepping into LAPD’s rapidly expanding use of automated license plate readers. A new Hilton-commissioned poll puts Xavier Becerra ahead just 45.7% to 40.1%, dramatically tighter than recent independent surveys showing Becerra ahead by 20 points or more. Steve Hilton’s campaign is testing an unusual theory: California’s Republican ceiling is so low that he has to reach voters who normally recoil from the GOP brand, even if the effort irritates conservatives.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Metrolink Fare Questions, Burbank Gets Fancy, One Part True and Spy Next Door
Hour 1 - Metrolink raises fares today, October 5, for the first time in 13 years. Does charging paying customers more actually fix a transit system struggling with ridership and finances? Hollywood Burbank Airport cuts the ribbon today on a new 355,000-square-foot terminal that begins handling passengers Tuesday, October 13. Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken now acknowledges she had an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Federal agents arrested Irvine realtor Wanying “Heather” Zhang at LAX as she allegedly prepared to fly to Shanghai, accusing her of acting as an unregistered agent of China.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Subsidize The Problem, The Deciding Bloc, Toxic Red Tape and Whose Altadena?
Hour 2 - New Pew research argues that California's housing shortage is itself a major cause of poverty, with unusually high rents swallowing much of the benefit from programs designed to help struggling households. Your argument holds up, with one important refinement: Latino voters could be decisive not because they are moving together, but because they are deeply divided by age, housing status and political priorities. Scientists have spent years documenting a massive legacy of industrial dumping in the waters between Los Angeles and Catalina Island. UC Santa Barbara Professor of Earth Science, David Valentine, joins the show. Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed SB 1090, temporarily shielding Altadena from state laws that make it easier to split residential lots and build small multifamily projects. California YIMBY argues the law removes options that could help cash-strapped homeowners finance their own return. Director of Communication at YIMBY, Matthew Lewis, joins the show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Taxing Housing, 266 Recommendations, Outrage Works and Mind The Poll
Hour 3 - Measure ULA has undeniably produced substantial money for affordable housing and homelessness programs, but research increasingly suggests it also changes behavior in the very real-estate market the city needs to produce housing. A new 724-page independent investigation commissioned by Gov. Gavin Newsom lays out a blunt picture of the Eaton and Palisades fires. The report makes 266 recommendations, and some of its findings are likely to force significant changes in how Southern California prepares for major fires. Steve Hilton’s “Just Try It, California” ad uses sexual innuendo and two young women to make voting Republican look like a forbidden experiment. A new Hilton-commissioned poll puts Xavier Becerra ahead just 45.7% to 40.1%, dramatically tighter than recent independent surveys showing Becerra ahead by 20 points or more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
STUDENT LOANS + GEN Z IN THE WORKPLACE + KIDS ON MARS + DIVORCE
It's MORE Monks & Merrill! Here's Saturday's fresh content: What college degrees deserve to be subsidized by the government, and which should you avoid at all costs? How to communicate with your Gen Z coworkers. Are there unforeseen consequences to no-fault divorces? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
PLANTS IN SPCAE+ HIGH SPEED RAIL + AI IN HIGH SCHOOLS
It's MORE Monks & Merrill! Here's the best of the week: CSUN Professor Chhandak Basu joins us to discuss his NASA-funded research into how leafy greens grow and microbes survive in space. If and when California DOES get high speed rail, where do we put the stops? Plus, guest Rishaan Marwaha joins Michael Monks and Chris Merrill to discuss how AI is impacting schools and students—and how California higher education is responding to the rapid changes brought by artificial intelligenceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Cops, Speed Cameras & Reality TV: What’s Really Happening Inside the LAPD?
Hour 1 - We take a closer look at some eye-opening developments involving the LAPD. Why did 302 LAPD officers clear more than $300,000 last year, while only 15 officers at the much larger NYPD did? Plus, speed demons beware—speed cameras are coming to Los Angeles, with Malibu’s test cameras already recording 100,000 violations. KFI News Reporter Jason Nathanson joins us in studio to break down what’s coming next for L.A. drivers. And could the LAPD be heading to television with a documentary-style show? We’ve got the latest.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Space, Science & Scandal: Google’s Suncatcher Takes Off as Anaheim Faces New Controversy
Hour 2 -The Monks and Merrill Show, we’re going from the cutting edge of space technology to controversy on the ground in Southern California. Google’s Project Suncatcher is officially headed to space—what could the future of computing look like beyond Earth? CSUN Professor Chhandak Basu joins us to discuss his NASA-funded research into how leafy greens grow and microbes survive in space. Then, we turn to Anaheim, where a new claim against the city and mayor alleges harassment, racist remarks and failures in the city’s response. Plus, we look back at the city’s ongoing efforts to rebuild public trust following the Harry Sidhu corruption scandal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Billions, Rebuilding & Rising Taxes: Who Pays the Price in L.A.?
Hour 3 - We break down Southern California’s latest headlines. Southern California Edison is offering more than $1 billion in compensation to community members impacted by the Eaton Fire. Plus, Altadena fire survivors are pushing for SB 1090, seeking to limit high-density rebuilding. Guest Shawna Dawson Beer of Beautiful Altadena joins us to discuss the fight over what rebuilding should look like. And as Los Angeles County’s sales tax reaches 10.25%, we take a closer look at how the county got here—and why Measure ER is only one part of the story behind L.A.’s growing sales-tax burden. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
HILTON vs. BECERRA: Breaking Down the Governor’s Debate, Bass & Raman Polls, and Newsom’s Newsroom Tax Credits
Hour 1 - Jayson Campadonia joins Michael Monks and Chris Merrill to break down the latest California governor’s debate between Steve Hilton and Xavier Becerra, along with new polling involving L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman. Plus, Gov. Gavin Newsom signs AB 2222, creating refundable tax credits for qualifying California news organizations to help retain and hire journalists.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Limits of AI “Self-Policing” & How It’s Changing California Schools
Hour 2 - Anthropic is preparing to go public as concerns over AI safety and oversight continue to grow. Is “self-policing” enough as AI rapidly evolves? Plus, guest Rishaan Marwaha joins Michael Monks and Chris Merrill to discuss how AI is impacting schools and students—and how California higher education is responding to the rapid changes brought by artificial intelligence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Triple-Digit Heat, Airshows & LA28
Hour 3 - Los Angeles is preparing for another blast of extreme heat, with triple-digit temperatures expected this weekend. Plus, LA28 is considering event cancellation insurance, the Huntington Beach Airshow takes to the skies, and Airshow CEO and creator Kevin Elliot joins Michael Monks and Chris Merrill to talk about this weekend’s big aviation event. And Gov. Gavin Newsom makes a very public bridge-climbing appearance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Israel in Focus: Plane Incident, Bass & Raman at the Mayoral Forum
Hour 1- Monks and Merrill are covering the latest in Israel and the Israeli plane incident with ABC News' Rich Frankel. PLUS Bass and Raman address the Jewish Angelinos at the Mayoral forum, and we have the audio and MORE on KFIAM-640. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Earthquake Threat: Are SoCal Emergency Services Ready?
Hour 2- Monks and Merrill are covering the earthquakes in SoCal. Will they overwhelm emergency serves and trigger fires? We deep dive. PLUS we talk to Fire Chief, Will Sapeta, about what fire preventative measures. AND we are talking to Dr. Gary Griggs about saving coastal homes from the El Nino and MORE on KFIAM-640.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Where to Buy a SoCal Home for Under $1 Million
Hour 3- Monks and Merrill are teaching you when and where is buy a home for under $1 million. Ojai may give a tax cut if you get a second homes. PLUS the venomous African viper in Santa Ana was AI? We explain on KFIAM-640. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Coastlines, Forests & Communities
Hour 1 - Monks & Merrill explore long-term solutions to California’s coastal and environmental challenges—from a bold plan to move sand in Long Beach to a debate over beach access and erosion in Humboldt County. They also discuss the potential impact of changes to federal roadless-area protections with Melanie Schlotterbeck of Hills for Everyone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Olympics, Infrastructure & the Cost to LA
Hour 2 - Monks & Merrill take a hard look at Los Angeles’ preparations for the 2028 Olympics. They examine the city’s projected costs and promised economic benefits, question transparency around the $7.26 billion Olympic spending plan, and explore concerns about infrastructure, public safety, cleanliness, and who could ultimately pay for cost overruns. They also highlight activist Jonathan Hale’s unusual fight to get the city to fix neglected crosswalks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Quarry Fight Comes to Wrightwood
Hour 3 - Monks and Merrill discuss Wrightwood's fight against a proposed quarry they say they never saw coming. They examine California’s new rules for nearly one million English learners, debate what should happen to roads, parks, and monuments named for Cesar Chavez, and preview a Los Angeles mayoral forum featuring Karen Bass and Nithya Raman hosted by Jewish community groups.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hurricanes, Heat & High Gas Prices
Hour 1- Weather and gas prices are out of control! On Monks and Merrill we are covering Hurricane Polo, the El Nino, and the Pacific Surfliner. PLUS we are talking to Gas Buddy's very own Patrick Dehaan about the current gas prices and possible relief on KFIAM-640. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Cameras on the Bus & the Latest on COVID
Hour 2- Monks and Merrill are covering the latest with cameras in SoCal. DASH buses may be getting cameras. PLUS Mark Rahner is joining the show to talk COVID. AND a Measure ER update right here on KFIAM-640. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
IE Costs, California Crops & LA Politics
Hour 3- IE may be just expensive as LA when it comes to cost of living. We break it down on Monks and Merrill. PLUS California farmers are struggling to sale grapes, the Democratic Socialists of America are gaining members, AND Nithya Raman still leading Karen Bass in the latest major poll. All this and MORE on KFIAM-640. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4 Day Work Week + Pronouns + Oil + Influencers
It's Saturday! You know what that means! MORE MONKS & MERRILL! What could a 4 day work week look like for different jobs? What are they/them pronouns and who is using them? Why can't you sue oil companies in a civil suit? Influencers in politics are a sneaky way for politicians to advertise. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mayor Karen Bass Interview + Steve Hilton Interview
Saturday rolls around once again! It's time for MORE Monks & Merrill! This week, Mayor Karen Bass returns to KFI and sits down with our fellas. Later, California Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton calls in for an interview. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A Fire That Won’t Quit, Interview Red Flags & Retail Ghosts
HOUR 1 (09/25) - Monks & Merrill fill in for Gary & Shannon as La Verne’s battery-storage fire keeps hundreds of households evacuated—and explain why extinguishing the flames doesn’t end the danger. Then, iced coffee, tattoos and thank-you notes: which job-interview rules still matter?Plus, Spirit Halloween keeps moving into the stores we used to love. What does your neighborhood’s seasonal costume shop say about the business that came before it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bianco’s Ballot Battle & Hollywood’s Next Act
HOUR 2 (09/25) - Monks & Merrill fill in for Gary & Shannon, breaking down Sheriff Chad Bianco’s defeat in California’s Supreme Court over his ballot seizure—and asking what evidence would actually restore voters’ trust in elections.Then, KFI’s Heather Brooker joins for Hollywood’s latest developments: another hurdle for the Paramount–Warner Bros. merger, a proposed federal film tax credit, and the new movies worth your time and money. Plus, what’s coming in the Avengers universe?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Treatment Promises, Broken Fridges & Florida Chaos
HOUR 3 (09/25) - Monks & Merrill fill in for Gary & Shannon as San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan joins to discuss Proposition 36’s treatment promise, and why people are falling through the cracks.Then, the latest headlines in #WhatsHappening before a helping of 10 News Nuggies: Kraft Dinner soda, Sweden’s campaign to make people less polite, and a smart-fridge update that leaves owners with spoiled food. Plus, Florida delivers cash-flinging police chases, a selfie-stick attack and road rage involving vegan mayonnaise.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Protection Pending & the Battle for Your Lane
HOUR 4 (09/25) - Monks & Merrill start their own show (after filling-in for Gary & Shannon), examining why so many restraining-order requests stall in L.A. County. Paula Savage from the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles joins to explain the obstacles facing survivors—and what happens after a judge signs an order.Then, a wealthy Raman supporter puts bike lanes in the mayoral-race spotlight. Plus, Long Beach’s nearly $65 million street makeover: residents wanted potholes fixed, but they’re getting a much bigger redesign. Who benefits, and who’s stuck waiting behind the bus?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
LAX People Mover Delayed Again, Hurricanes Loom Offshore & A Global Heat Warning
Hour 1 - The LAX People Mover hits another delay, raising fresh questions about accountability as a contractor change could push the troubled project even further behind. Plus, Hollywood Burbank Airport tests its new terminal ahead of the grand opening, Southern California watches two hurricanes churning offshore, Hurricane Polo threatens flooding and landslides in Mexico, and scientists warn of hundreds of thousands of global heat deaths linked to El Niño.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ladera Ranch Cancer Cluster Update, New California Laws & Paramount-Warner Merger Controversy
Hour 2 - Dr. Jennifer Piazza of Cal State Fullerton joins us with the latest update on soil testing tied to the Ladera Ranch cancer cluster. Plus, questions surrounding California’s deal involving the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, new booster-seat requirements for kids ages 8–16, and a look at the latest California laws affecting teens’ social media use, EV chargers and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Homeless Funding Crisis, $466M Housing Push & LAPD Mental-Health Review
Hour 3 - Federal funding delays are creating turmoil for L.A.’s homeless services system as providers warn of major disruptions. Plus, the L.A. County Continuum of Care Board moves to make the county the lead applicant for HUD funds, Mayor Karen Bass orders an outside review of LAPD’s response to mental-health crises, and L.A. approves a record $466 million pool for affordable housing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Next Stop: The Orchards, Anaheim’s Unhappy Place, Hard to "Belieb" and An Uncomfortable Entrance
Hour 1 - California’s high-speed rail project has a new fight over where to put its Merced station: downtown, as originally planned, or about four miles southeast near Highway 99. Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken faces allegations that she made racist remarks to her chief of staff and repeatedly questioned her sexual orientation. Justin Bieber surprised people at MacArthur Park with an impromptu performance, and District Attorney Nathan Hochman quickly celebrated it as evidence of progress against drug dealers. The new Berkeley IGS/Los Angeles Times poll shows Raman at 39%, Bass at 28% and 33% undecided.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Who's In Charge? + Fare Enforcement
Hour 2 - Mayor Karen Bass joins Monks and Merrill live in studio, just the night after a new poll was released showcasing Nithya Raman having a lead. The new Berkeley IGS/Los Angeles Times poll shows Raman at 39%, Bass at 28% and 33% undecided. Bass comments on affordability and housing - the defining priority of her administration. Monks and Merrill ask Bass on her own decisions, access to the public record, help for affected families, and whether she applies her campaign criticisms to herself. The Basin estimates that bus-mounted cameras generated $42.8 million in assessed fines during the fiscal year ending in June, though its identification of camera tickets raises a timeline discrepancy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Subscription Dependence, Vintage Clutter, Identification Requested and Read Before Signing
Hour 3 - Wellness influencers are promoting nicotine as a shortcut to sharper thinking and healthier aging, sometimes while holding financial interests in nicotine businesses. Younger consumers are discovering something many of us already have in storage: records, CDs, tapes, and DVDs. CSUN communication studies professor Peter Marston sees nostalgia and a desire for ownership, though growing sales alone cannot tell us how widespread those motivations are. The latest SurveyUSA poll finds financial anxiety alongside substantial Democratic advantages in California’s governor and congressional contests. Assemblymember Carl DeMaio is distancing Proposition 39 from the federal SAVE Act debate while promoting additional voter identification requirements in California.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hollywood Merger Meltdown, Street-Vending Showdown & California Braces for El Niño!
Hour 1 - KFI reporter, Jason Nathanson joins M&M to break down the controversy surrounding the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger and the provocative banner that flew over the Paramount lot. Steve Hilton joins the show to discuss his criticism of L.A. Street vending, his proposed Office of Fun and Freedom, and his views on AI safeguards. Plus, California declares a statewide emergency as officials prepare for potentially powerful El Niño storms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.