Topline:
Tired of scrolling through endless amounts of shows and not knowing where to start? TV critics Steve Greene and Eric Deggans help you find a new favorite show.
This week's shows: Welcome Home Franklin from Apple TV+, A Bloody Lucky Day from Paramount+ and the Netflix stand up special Taylor Tomlinson: Have It All.
Keep reading ... to learn about what show has a connection to our LAist newsroom.
We are heading into Super Bowl weekend, a point in time where many folks default to hanging out on their couch and watching television. So what’s worth watching on the days before the game? And if you’re busy prepping for the big game, what’s worth checking out after it?
Each week on AirTalk, LAist 89.3's daily news show, we're joined by television critics who help parse through notable releases and tell us what's worth a binge. This week we were joined in-studio by NPR television critic Eric Deggans, and Steve Greene, freelance TV critic.
Listen to the full conversation for a rundown of the variety of shows they hit on. I’ll dig into three of them a little further to offer added insights.
This week’s shows/topics include:
Streaming on Apple TV+
A new installment in the streamer’s expansion of the original Charlie Brown, Peanuts Gang series. This TV special focuses on Franklin, an often overlooked member of the group who finally gets to shine with an origin story.
Overall take: What makes the Peanuts universe so special is that it transcends generations. In the case of Franklin, many grew up with the character being the sole source of POC representation in the group. Nonetheless, I appreciate him as a character and this approach they’re taking makes him all the more endearing.
Fun fact: As AirTalk’s Larry Mantle noted in our live segment, the creation of Franklin as a character was the result of pressure from Harriet Glickman, a local Angeleno who wrote to Peanuts creator Charles Schulz to add a character of color to the animated group. Harriet Glickman is also the mother of now-retired LAist Senior Editor Paul Glickman.
"It was delightful, Franklin finally gets his due ... it's a nice way for young kids to see there is a story that reflects ... being a person of color but also being a child of [the] military." — Eric Deggans, NPR
When and where: The TV special premieres on Friday, Feb. 16.
Streaming on Paramount+
A taxi driver thinks it's his lucky day after buying a lottery ticket, with his day only getting improved when a passenger offers $1 million. This excitement soon dies down when this long trip they take together unveils more sinister intentions.
"[It] sounds like an up and down emotional whiplash ... usually when you have shows that move between tones like that, it doesn't always feel like part of the same show, but here I think it does." — Steve Greene, freelance TV critic
Overall take: In a sense, the thriller brings a premise that’d be reminiscent of Michael Mann’s movie Collateral. And although you might not be as familiar with actors in A Blood Lucky Day, the experience will similarly keep you glued to your seat.
Fun facts: The series is an adaptation of a South Korean webtoon comic series of the same name, it’s author goes by the pseudonym Aporia. Webtoons are better known in South Korea than in the U.S., but in recent years it has become a growing, profitable industry estimated to be worth north of $60 billion.
When and where: All 10 episodes premiered Feb. 1 and are now streaming.
Streaming on Netflix
This stand-up special from comedian Taylor Tomlinson focuses on her work, how the newfound popularity has impacted her dating life, and more.
"It's a pleasure to see a really talented comic kind of come into her own in this way." — Eric Deggans, NPR
Overall take: Tomlinson is a comedian whose age demographic fits into millennials and Gen-Z, so those in that age group who haven’t had a chance to stumble onto her work should expect Have It All to resonate quite well.
Fun facts: This is Tomlinson’s third stand-up special for Netflix, and it comes at a notable time in her career. She’s also become the host of CBS' After Midnight, a late-night comedy panel game show inspired by Comedy Central’s @midnight. If both of these TV-related programs interest you, she’ll be performing on May 9 at Netflix’s ‘Netflix Is A Joke’ festival event at The Hollywood Bowl.
When and where: The comedy special premieres Tuesday, Feb. 13 on Netflix.
Topline:
State and local lawmakers are joining immigrant rights groups in urging Governor Gavin Newsom to sign a bill that would bar California law enforcement from moonlighting for ICE.
Why it matters: If implemented, the bill would ban California police, sheriffs and other law enforcement from taking on second jobs that involve “arresting, detaining, transporting, or deporting” people.
What police unions say: The Peace Officers Research Association Of California, which represents officers across the state, has spoken out against the bill, arguing that “policies like this don’t improve public safety.”
What the bill’s supporters argue: Pointing to multiple deaths involving federal immigration agents in recent months — from Minneapolis to Houston — and to a recent shooting in Austin, supporters like José Madera, who directs the Pasadena Job Center, say: “We don't need our local police to be part of that violence.”
What's next: Gov. Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the bill.
Go deeper: Los Angeles protesters join nationwide call to action against ICE
State and local lawmakers are joining immigrant rights groups in urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a bill that would bar California law enforcement from moonlighting for ICE.
Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, who represents Angelenos from South L.A. to Mar Vista, introduced AB 1537 in January. If implemented, the bill would ban California police, sheriffs and other law enforcement from taking on second jobs that involve “arresting, detaining, transporting, or deporting” people.
The bill has made its way through the state legislature and is now on the governor’s desk. Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto it.
At a press conference outside L.A. City Hall on Wednesday, José Madera, who directs the Pasadena Job Center, pointed to multiple deaths involving federal immigration agents in recent months — from Minneapolis to Houston — and to a recent shooting in Austin. “We don't need our local police to be part of that violence,” he said.
“ICE is a lawless, rogue agency that is terrorizing our communities, separating our families and kidnapping our neighbors,” said Bruno Huizar, supervising policy manager at the California Immigrant Policy Center. “Governor Newsom must sign AB 1537 into law to protect Californians.”
L.A. City councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, whose own parents were undocumented, said it pained him to see immigrant parents go to work and to church in fear of being separated from their children.
“If you’re a public servant, you should be serving the public — not helping ICE tear families apart,” he added in a follow-up email statement.
The bill, dubbed “No side jobs for ICE” by its proponents, would also require officers to report secondary employment offers relating to immigration to their employers.
“If a law enforcement agent gets a conditional offer from an immigration enforcement agency, that will be part of their employment records. And that will be subject to a public records act request,” said Shiu-Ming Cheer, a licensed attorney at the California Immigration Policy Center. “This is aimed at bringing transparency, so that we know how many officers are actually getting offers to work as an ICE agent or a Border Patrol agent.”
The Peace Officers Research Association of California, which represents officers across the state, has spoken out against the bill, arguing that “policies like this don’t improve public safety.” The Los Angeles Police Protective League did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.
The bill is part of a growing effort to bar local law enforcement from engaging in the ongoing mass deportation effort. The L.A. City Council approved a motion in March, barring city employees from holding second jobs with federal immigration enforcement agencies.
In Santa Ana, the City Council recently adopted a policy that prohibits employees from obtaining outside work that involves federal immigration enforcement activities.
Topline:
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill aimed at protecting children who are abused. The law, which went into effect this week, is named “Gabriel’s Law,” after Gabriel Fernandez— an 8-year-old boy in Palmdale who died in 2013 after being tortured and abused by his mother and her boyfriend.
The backstory: Gabriel died in May 2013, after months of abuse from his mother and her boyfriend. His mother and her boyfriend were both sentenced. A teacher had reported signs of abuse to the county, but social workers did not remove him from the home and ended the investigation.
Keep reading: To learn more about what the law changes.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill aimed at protecting children who are abused.
The law, which went into effect this week, is named “Gabriel’s Law,” after Gabriel Fernandez — an 8-year-old boy in Palmdale who died in 2013 after being tortured and abused by his mother and her boyfriend.
“It devastated the community. Still has,” said State Assemblymember Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale), who worked on legislation related to Gabriel’s case for years. “It hasn't gone away, right? It’s something we still acknowledge.”
Since Fernandez’s death, the Antelope Valley has seen a number of high-profile child deaths at the hands of their parents.
The new law requires social workers to make sure a child gets emergency medical care when needed, and it makes it easier to prosecute social workers who knowingly falsify records.
Officials said there had been warning signs about Fernandez’s abuse, but social workers with the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services failed to follow up on them. The high-profile case prompted internal reforms in the agency.
Gabriel died in May 2013, after months of abuse from his mother and her boyfriend. He was found with a number of injuries, including a fractured skull, broken ribs and BB pellets lodged in his body. His mother and her boyfriend were both sentenced.
A teacher had reported signs of abuse to the county, but social workers did not remove him from the home. Then they ended the investigation. Prosecutors charged the social workers with child abuse, but the charges were later dismissed.
“He was literally tortured. And there were many, many, many documented events, and there are many encounters that he had with people that lacked follow-up,” Lackey said.
Before this week, the law said that social workers may authorize care if a child needs immediate emergency care, but did not require it. Gabriel’s law requires a social worker to secure medical care for a child.
“ They call for an ambulance or escort the child to an emergency room— make sure a physician has the opportunity to provide some level of remedy and documentation of the injury,” Lackey said.
It also clarifies the law so that social workers who are guilty of falsifying or destroying public records can be imprisoned or fined.
Lackey’s previous legislative efforts related to Fernandez’s case failed over the years. He introduced at least five different pieces of legislation that failed to advance.
“I'm not even saying that I blame the pushback and the concern, because if you're too aggressive, there's a tendency to accuse people of wrongdoing when they are not guilty of wrongdoing, so we wanted to make sure that the balance was reasonable,” he said.
Lackey terms out this year. “We're trying to do something as a community to not only pay tribute to [Gabriel], but to prevent it from reoccurring,” he said.
Topline:
The LAFD said the fire was caused by an “electrical event” that occurred on the roof of the building, but could not determine what caused it.
Why it matters: In response to the inconclusive investigation, District 14 Councilmember Ysabel Jurado said, “LAFD’s finding that the cause remains undetermined does nothing to alleviate what Boyle Heights residents have endured and are still carrying: months of health concerns and disruption, along with unanswered questions about whether this site can safely operate again.”
The backstory: The fire and subsequent cleanup of millions of pounds of rotting food caused a flood of issues for residents living in Boyle Heights, East LA and surrounding communities, including an infestation of flies and pests, nausea and headaches, higher utility bills and other health concerns.
The Los Angeles Fire Department has completed its investigation into the cause of the Lineage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights but was unable to determine what caused it.
In a press release, LAFD said the June 17 fire was caused by an “electrical event” that occurred on the roof of the building, “adjacent to a section of solar panels.” Despite a “comprehensive investigation,” the department could not determine what caused the electrical event.
“The Department’s thoughts remain with all those impacted by this deeply tragic incident,” Arson and Fire Investigation Chief Thomas Raymond said in a release.
In response to the inconclusive investigation, District 14 Councilmember Ysabel Jurado said, “LAFD’s finding that the cause remains undetermined does nothing to alleviate what Boyle Heights residents have endured and are still carrying: months of health concerns and disruption, along with unanswered questions about whether this site can safely operate again.”
“The fact that we still cannot explain how this catastrophe began is yet another reason I will continue opposing any permits to rebuild this facility,” Jurado said.
Recently, the LA City Council voted to withhold rebuilding permits for the Lineage warehouse until after the Los Angeles Fire Department completed its investigation. Earlier this month, Lineage Chief Executive Officer Greg Lehmkuhl told Boyle Heights Beat and The LA Local that the company had not decided whether to rebuild, saying, “We’re still focused on holding the right people accountable here and making sure that we’re continuing to support the community.”
The CEO’s comments came after Lineage sued solar power provider Altus Power, Inc. and its contractor, blaming them for the fire. Altus Power and its contractor dispute those claims.
In a statement following the completed investigation, Lineage said, “Today’s report from the Los Angeles Fire Department validates what we have known all along: This was a solar fire.”
The fire and subsequent cleanup of millions of pounds of rotting food caused a flood of issues for residents living in Boyle Heights, East LA and surrounding communities, including an infestation of flies and pests, nausea and headaches, higher utility bills and other health concerns.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Boyle Heights Beat senior reporter Alejandra Molina and LA Local reporter Christopher Damien contributed to this report.
The post LAFD closes investigation into Lineage warehouse fire without determining a cause appeared first on LA Local.
Topline:
The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is stocking 1,000 disaster relief packs in partnership with Abbott, the maker of Pediasure and Pedialyte. Food and water shortages can often follow after disasters.
Why it matters: Last year’s L.A. fires were a stark reminder to emergency preparedness groups that cut off power and water can lead to a food crisis.
Why now: California is bracing itself for likely heavy rain and flooding as El Niño weather conditions are forecast for the West Coast this winter.
The backstory: For decades, Abbot has created similar disaster packs in Southern states for hurricane preparedness. It’s the company’s first West Coast collaboration.
Go deeper: Gov. Gavin Newsom says California should get ready for extreme weather this winter.
