Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

The Brief

The most important stories for you to know today
  • Springsteen, TV stars at PaleyFest and more
    A light-skinned man plays a red electric guitar and sings into a microphone. Behind him and to the right, three light-skinned men play guitars.
    Marshall Crenshaw heads to Zebulon for a show this week, one of several great concerts on tap.

    In this edition:

    See your favorite TV stars at Paleyfest, play dominoes with artist Alison Saar, rock with Springsteen at the Forum and more of the best things to do this week.

    Highlights:

    • PaleyFest features conversations with the casts of your favorite shows, like The Pitt, Pluribus and more, all taking over the Dolby.
    • KT Tunstall has collaborated with everyone from Daryl Hall to Rick Astley and always puts on a fantastic show. See the Scottish songstress live at one of the most intimate venues in town, The Venice West.
    • Need a read on what your cat or dog is really thinking? Meet with Lil Miss Pet Psychic at her pop-up across L.A. to get some answers about why your pet does what it does.
    • L.A. historian Etan Rosenbloom will speak at Pasadena Heritage about his favorite L.A. literary landmarks, including various authors’ favorite watering holes and other historic sites linked (inked?) to L.A.’s past.

    I know it must be spring break when I see all the elementary-aged kids with their surf gear, heading out to surf camp in Santa Monica on my daily walk. I grew up on the East Coast, and even after more than 20 years here, I just can’t imagine what it’s like to go to surf camp in your backyard. Lucky kids!

    But now they’re back to school — and those of us who won’t be playing hooky to beat traffic to the pair of sure-to-be-epic Bruce Springsteen concerts at the Forum on Tuesday and Thursday are back to work. Not into the Boss? We’ve also got your no-chella local music lineup of artists coming through town en route to the desert next weekend, and Licorice Pizza has more picks for the week, including R&B star Arin Ray at Blue Note and the SATCHVAI Band (that’s Joe Satriani and Steve Vai) at Long Beach’s Terrace Theater on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Australian pop-rock sensation Ruel is at the Palladium, and country star Caroline Jones plays the Troubadour. Thursday, Australian rockers Sticky Fingers play the Palladium, darkwave trio French Police is at the Fonda and Mexican pop star Humbe brings the romance to the Wiltern.

    Elsewhere on LAist, you can check out my latest piece about how nonalcoholic bars are shifting gears, and read up on how to stay safe as sharks have been spotted in SoCal waters.

    Events

    PaleyFest

    Through Sunday, April 12
    Dolby Theatre
    6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
    COST: FROM $50; MORE INFO

     A light-skinned woman wearing a red dress looks at the camera.
    Rhea Seehorn and other actors are in conversation at PaleyFest.
    (
    Kevin Winter
    /
    Getty Images
    )

    If you didn’t luck into tickets from our giveaway, have no fear. There are still good seats available to check out conversations with the casts of your favorite shows, like The Pitt, Pluribus and more at this year’s PaleyFest, all taking over the Dolby.


    Men’s College Basketball National Championship Game

    Monday, April 6, 5:30 p.m.
    Cosm 
    1252 District Drive, Inglewood 
    COST: FROM $11; MORE INFO

    A medium-dark skinned man in a black basketball uniform that reads "Michigan 23" in yellow dribbles a ball. Another man runs behind him.
    (
    Michael Reaves
    /
    Getty Images
    )

    Didn't plan a trip to Indianapolis for the National Championship game? Head to Cosm for an immersive fan experience watching Michigan and UConn battle it out for this year's title.


    Marshall Crenshaw

    Monday, April 6, 7 p.m.
    Zebulon
    2478 Fletcher Drive, Glassell Park
    COST: $62.32; MORE INFO

    A light-skinned man wearing a hat and glasses plays electric guitar and sings into a mic.
    Marshall Crenshaw heads to Zebulon this week.
    (
    Scott Dudelson
    /
    Getty Images
    )

    Music fan and LAist underwriting specialist Roy Lenn recommends catching Marshall Crenshaw at Zebulon this week. Crenshaw’s catchy songs, like 1982’s “Someday, Someway,” have shades of power pop, rockabilly, and early rock and roll — you might remember his turn as Buddy Holly in the 1987 film La Bamba. And '90s kids will recall that he also co-wrote “Til I Hear It From You” with Gin Blossoms for 1995’s seminal Empire Records soundtrack.


    KT Tunstall 

    Thursday, April 9, 8 p.m.
    Venice West 
    1717 Lincoln Blvd., Venice
    COST: $63; MORE INFO 

    A light-skinned woman wears a black and white shirt that reads "Merci." She plays a black and white acoustic guitar and sings into a microphone onstage.
    KT Tunstall heads to The Venice West
    (
    Jeff Hahne
    /
    Getty Images
    )

    With all the Devil Wears Prada 2 press tour interviews, I can’t get “Suddenly I See” by KT Tunstall out of my head. Tunstall has collaborated with everyone from Daryl Hall to Rick Astley, and she always puts on a fantastic show. See the Scottish songstress live in one of the most intimate venues in town, The Venice West.


    Anna Sui conversation and book signing

    Thursday, April 9, 6:30 p.m. 
    FIDM
    919 S. Grand Ave., Downtown L.A.
    COST: FREE; MORE INFO

    A light-skinned woman wearing all black looks at the camera.
    (
    Courtesy Arizona State University
    )

    One of the most recognizable names in '90s fashion, designer Anna Sui is in conversation at the ASU FIDM Museum in Los Angeles to discuss her career, what informs her work and her thoughts on the current '90s nostalgia boom (see: Love Story). Sui's book, The Nineties x Anna Sui, will be available for purchase.


    Pet Psychic pop-up

    Wednesday, April 8, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. 
    5159 York Blvd., Highland Park 
    COST: $35; MORE INFO

    Need a read on what your cat or dog is really thinking? Meet with Lil Miss Pet Psychic at her fun pop-up across L.A. and get some answers about why your pet does what it does. She’ll be in various locations around the area all week long; check her Instagram for more dates.


    L.A. Literary Landmarks with Etan Rosenbloom

    Wednesday, April 8, 6 p.m.
    Pasadena Heritage
    160 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena 
    COST: FREE; MORE INFO

    I’ll admit it, I have a saved Google Map called “Joan” marked with addresses cited in Joan Didion’s books — and it seems I'm not alone. L.A. historian Etan Rosenbloom will speak at Pasadena Heritage about his favorite L.A. literary landmarks, including various authors’ favorite watering holes and other historic sites linked (inked?) to L.A.’s past.


    Alison Saar artist talk and listening party 

    Monday, April 6, 6 p.m. 
    L.A. Louver
    45 N. Venice Blvd., Venice
    COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

    A light-skinned woman with gray hair stands next to an old red gas pump that reads "Soul Service Station."
    (
    Maddy Inez
    /
    L.A. Louver
    )

    L.A. artist Alison Saar will discuss her installation at the L.A. Louver, Meet Me at the Crossroads: Ruby’s Soul Service Station. Saar will be on hand for a listening session and even a game of dominoes afterward.

  • Remembering SoCal stations and personalities
    A vintage black and white photo of an office building.
    A 1938 photo of KNX's studios.

    Topline:

    With KNX's shift last month back to AM radio only, we asked Southern Californians to share their memories of listening to the radio.

    Why now: Back in April, broadcast company Audacy announced it was moving KNX News — one of the last-remaining all-news FM stations — off 97.1 FM, but keeping the long-running news format on 1070 AM where it's been for more than 100 years. The move officially happened in May to make way for a new sports talk station.

    A radio time capsule: AirTalk, LAist's flagship daily news show which airs on 89.3 FM, asked listeners to share their favorite memories of listening to the radio.

    Continue reading... for vintage photos from The Los Angeles Public Library's digital archive collections highlighting Southern California's rich radio history.

    Southern California was built on radio.

    "I can still hear the jingle KFWB News 98,” wrote  Taline in Los Feliz, during a recent conversation on LAist's daily news show, AirTalk, which airs on 89.3 FM. “I grew up hearing that in my dad's minivan on the way to and from school. It has a special place in my heart.”

    Back in April, broadcast company Audacy announced KNX News — one of the last-remaining all-news FM stations — was leaving the FM dial where it had simulcast on 97.1 FM since 2021. The station, which is also one of the oldest in L.A., is not budging from 1070 AM where it has been on the air for more than 100 years. The move away from FM officially happened in May to make way for a new sports talk station, which Audacy officials called an area of growth for advertisers in today’s media landscape.

    The move is one in a long line of changes for radio and a reminder that before podcasts, playlists and algorithms, many Southern Californians built their days around radio broadcasts.

    Radio, a daily ritual

    Larry Mantle, now in his 41st year hosting AirTalk, remembers being a kid and dreaming of what it might be like to be behind the mic at one of these radio stations.

    “ I grew up with KNX," he said. “My dream job as a kid was to be an anchor on KNX or KFWB, the two local all-news radio stations, 'cause there was nothing like hosting AirTalk that even existed at that point.”

    Mantle opened up the phone lines on a recent show to hear from his fellow SoCal radio lovers about the shows they miss and the memories they have. Here's what they had to say:

    A love for radio, then and now  

    “When you'd walk down Hollywood Boulevard where the station was, you could hear it playing as you went down the street,” said  Olivia in Glendale about KLAC 570 with Al Jarvis.

     Larry in Yorba Linda shouted out KBCA Jazz for its 24-hour jazz, saying “When I first moved out here in '68 from Phoenix, which had like an hour a week, it was a real wonder.”

     Mark in Glassell Park emailed that he loves KCRW’s Henry Rollins, writing, “I used to bristle at his unique DJ persona, but over time, I came to love him and his crazy eclectic playlists. I find his knowledge in history and punk rock fascinating. He's a gem and a legend."

    "I'd like to give a shout-out to all the DJs working at KXLU, the college station at Loyola Marymount University, said  Jeremy in Culver City in an email. “That station's been on the air for nearly 60 years. I believe it's one of the best examples of what's possible with radio."

    "KFWB and KRLA back in the day when they were rock music stations —  Dr. Demento, one of my favorite on-air personalities, also had eclectic music taste," said  Carrie in Desert Edge.

    “ Dr. Demento was must listening when I was a kid in junior high school at Le Conte Junior High in Hollywood,” Mantle added. “Every Sunday night on KMET, we would make sure we were listening to Dr. Demento and his funny records.”

    The question remains…

    A vintage black and white photo of a male-presenting child being handed the keys to a car (seen behind him). A radio station sign, KMPC, can be seen in the background.
    An 11-year-old winning a car in a KMPC contest in 1963.
    (
    Los Angeles Public Library
    )

    Listener support is vital to any radio station, and it’s clear KNX has many lifelong fans. AirTalk listeners highlighted their support for household KNX names over the decades like Bill Keene, Melinda Lee, Mike Roy and Jackie Olden.

    As KNX makes changes, many are watching closely and thinking about the future of radio.

    Listeners like Tommy in La Quinta are left wondering if the radio dial will be the same…

    Im a hardcore listener, but I don't know about casual listeners [and] if they'll tune to AM,” he said.

  • Sponsored message
  • LA has a delayed deal to recoup Olympics costs
    A man wearing glasses and a jacket that has a patch that reads "LA28". He leans in to speak to the woman on his left who is leaning in to hear him. They sit behind a desk that reads "Paris 2024."
    LA28 chair Casey Wasserman speaks with L.A. Mayor Karen Bass at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on August 10, 2024.

    Topline:

    After months of hand-wringing, Los Angeles and LA28 have come to a tentative agreement on how Olympics organizers will reimburse the city for its expenses for the 2028 Summer Games.

    What's in the deal? The private Olympic organizing committee will pay upfront for the estimated cost of services that are not eligible for federal reimbursement, like trash pick-up and traffic control. Under another proposal, the city would also be able to tap an LA28 contingency fund if it isn't fully repaid by the federal government for policing costs at Olympic venues.

    What happens now: The agreement is nearly nine months overdue and still needs approval by Mayor Karen Bass and the city council. The City Council's ad-hoc committee on the 2028 Games will meet Tuesday afternoon to vote on the agreement.

    Concerns remain: The contract between the two parties doesn't fully resolve one of the biggest areas of financial risk for the city: the enormous cost of security for an event as extensive and high-profile as the summer Olympics and Paralympics.

    Read on...for more on concerns over security costs for 2028.

    After months of hand-wringing, Los Angeles and LA28 have come to a tentative agreement on how Olympics organizers will reimburse the city for its expenses for the 2028 Summer Games.

    According to the deal, the private Olympic organizing committee will pay upfront for the estimated cost of services that are not eligible for federal reimbursement, like trash pick-up and traffic control. Under another proposal, the city would also be able to tap an LA28 contingency fund if it isn't fully repaid by the federal government for policing costs at Olympic venues.

    The agreement is nearly nine months overdue and still needs approval by Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council.

    The 2028 Olympics are intended to be privately financed, and an existing city agreement with LA28 states that the Olympics organizers, not L.A., will pay for extra costs for public services in support of the Games. But L.A. is the financial back-stop for the Olympics, meaning if LA28 goes in the red, taxpayers will pick up the bill.

    Beyond that, the city services agreement presents another area where L.A. could incur additional unexpected expenses for hosting the Games. L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez warned LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover earlier this year that a bad deal could "bankrupt" the city.

    Jacie Prieto Lopez, an LA28 spokesperson, and Paul Krekorian, who leads the city's office of major events, said in statements that the freshly inked agreement would help deliver a fiscally responsible Games.

    "Mayor Bass’ priority is that the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games be fiscally responsible, protect taxpayers, and benefit Angelenos for decades to come. This agreement helps deliver that commitment," Krekorian said.

    But the contract between the two parties doesn't fully resolve one of the biggest areas of financial risk for the city: the enormous cost of security for an event as extensive and high-profile as the summer Olympics and Paralympics.

    Organizers are counting on the federal government to pay for public safety at Olympic venues that are considered part of a "national special security event." That includes costs for LAPD staffing. LA28 has not included security costs in its $7.1 billion budget — a fact that City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto criticized earlier this year.

    The federal government has so far allocated $1 billion for security costs for the Olympics. Exactly where those federal funds will go has not yet been determined, and there's no guarantee they will cover all of L.A.'s policing costs.

    To address this, city officials have also proposed an amendment to a 2021 agreement between the city and LA28. That amendment would establish that if L.A. is not reimbursed by the federal government for all its eligible expenses, it could dip into LA28's contingency fund of $270 million before the private organizing committee could use those funds for any legacy projects.

    But that bucket of money will first be used for any costs that Olympics organizers still owe if they run out of revenue — meaning if the Olympics don't turn a profit, the city's access to that money will depend on how much is left for the taking.

    Civil rights attorney Connie Rice, who has been tracking the city's negotiations with LA28, told LAist the agreement was a "PR document" not a deal. She pointed out that if the federal government does not pay up for security spending as expected, L.A. could be in trouble.

    " It leaves the taxpayers with a GoFundMe strategy," she said.

    The city services agreement lays the groundwork for more negotiations between LA28 and the city. Each venue will require its own agreement, to be negotiated by July 1, 2027. Venues in the city of L.A. include Dodger Stadium, the L.A. Convention Center, L.A. Memorial Coliseum and the Venice Beach Boardwalk.

    The City Council's ad-hoc committee on the 2028 Games will meet Tuesday afternoon to vote on the agreement.

  • Bass signs orders to boost Boyle Heights recovery
    A black and white SUV police car is parked in the middle of a street behind yellow police tape. Several red fire trucks are also parked in the street and thick black smoke is pictured in the distance.
    Cleanup is underway now at the Boyle Heights food storage warehouse that spewed smoke around L.A. earlier this month.

    Topline:

    Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed a pair of executive orders Monday to ramp up efforts to clean the mess left by the fire that burned for a week at a Boyle Heights warehouse.

    Why now: Since the warehouse fire was put out, the 85 million pounds of frozen food stored inside is now rotting, spreading foul smells throughout surrounding neighborhoods and raising concerns about an influx of pests. Residents have also been left with worries about air and water contamination after the fire and possible long-term public health effects.

    Spoiled food removal: Bass and city officials said Monday the warehouse owner, Lineage, began moving food debris on Sunday to landfills in Ventura and Riverside counties. The company predicts it will take 5,000 truckloads to remove it all.

    Reducing odors: Lineage plans to apply a chemical deodorizer, likely chlorine dioxide, to the food, debris and trucks leaving the warehouse. It’s also installing devices within the warehouse that will spray mist over the food inside until it is moved.

    Pest control: Lineage is responsible for pest management inside the warehouse, while the city of Los Angeles is responsible for it outside the warehouse. Both have hired private contractors to manage pest control.

    Air and water testing: The South Coast Air Quality Management District is overseeing efforts to measure harmful material in the air and posting data to its online air quality map. Lineage also hired private contractor Onterris to monitor air quality in the community surrounding the warehouse, with South Coast AQMD’s oversight. The Los Angeles Department of Sanitation has been monitoring water flowing from the site since firefighting operations began. It’s using a variety of methods, including containment tanks and catch basins, to divert the runoff into the sewer and prevent it from flowing into the L.A. River.

    What’s next: Bass’ two executive orders are intended to accelerate cleanup efforts, protect residents and hold accountable the companies responsible for the facility and its safety. One order directs the Fire Department to report on its investigation into the cause of the fire within 90 days. The orders also include a number of provisions to help Boyle Heights residents and businesses, including free public transit, financial assistance and expanded public health resources.

    Why it matters: Officials and advocates have called for transparency around the cleanup, especially because they say the neighborhood has been historically under-resourced and disproportionately subjected to environmental burdens. One of the orders signed Monday directs city officials to compile a report within 45 days on industrial areas across Los Angeles that sit close to homes and schools. The report also must include possible zoning and land use changes that would reduce negative health effects from existing and future industrial facilities.

  • Lawsuit filed over frozen federal funding
    Tents on a sidewalk in front of a downtown skyline
    Tents in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles on June 11, 2026.

    Topline:

    L.A.’s lead homelessness agency, LAHSA, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Monday, asking a judge for relief from a federal funding suspension it calls unjustified.

    How we got here: On June 11, HUD suspended the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority from federal grant activity pending an investigation into alleged mismanagement. The federal agency said the suspension means LAHSA cannot fulfill its role as collaborative applicant for the entire region’s application for federal homelessness dollars for the upcoming fiscal year. In its lawsuit, LAHSA says the suspension is the Trump administration’s back door attempt to eliminate the Continuum of Care program in L.A., which gives local officials discretion over homelessness projects submitted for federal funding.

    LAHSA’s challenge: LAHSA says HUD has failed to identify any public agreement or transaction that LAHSA has violated or cite proper evidence of mismanagement. LAHSA also claims several inaccuracies and misrepresentations in HUD’s original suspension letter, including relying on reviews that LAHSA says were irrelevant to federal funding. “HUD supports its position with an amalgamation of uncorroborated hearsay information apparently cherry-picked from the internet,” the complaint states.

    Legal argument: LAHSA's attorneys contend that HUD unlawfully suspended funding, arguing that the action violates the Administrative Procedure Act, the Constitution's separation of powers principle, and the Tenth Amendment. LAHSA is asking for a stay of the HUD suspension pending judicial review and a permanent injunction barring head from suspending LAHSA or blocking the work of the Los Angeles Continuum of Care.

    Why it matters: The deadline for the L.A. region to submit its application to HUD for regional homelessness grants is Aug. 26. LAHSA says the suspension jeopardizes $241 million in federal funding that supports more than 11,000 people across L.A. County. LAHSA says the HUD suspension could prevent the agency from other activities, including releasing the findings of its 2026 homeless count conducted in January.