98th Oscar Nominees: ‘Sinners’ shines with record 16 nominations, we’ll talk surprises & snubs

98th Oscar Nominees: ‘Sinners’ shines with record 16 nominations, we’ll talk surprises & snubs

Ryan Coogler’s blues-steeped vampire epic Sinners led all films with 16 nominations to the 98th Academy Awards on Thursday, setting a record for the most in Oscar history. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voters showered “Sinners” with more nominations than they had ever bestowed before, breaking the 14-nomination mark set by All About Eve, Titanic and La La Land. Along with best picture, Coogler was nominated for best director and best screenplay, and double-duty star Michael B. Jordan was rewarded with his first Oscar nomination, for best actor. With the second-most nominations was Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, which received 13 nods. Joining us to go through the surprises and snubs from this year’s Oscar nominations is Angelique Jackson, senior entertainment writer at Variety, and Katey Rich, awards editor at The Ankler & host of the Prestige Junkie podcast.

With files from the Associated Press.

Previewing L.A. Metro Board’s vote on the South Bay light rail extension

Metro’s Board of Directors is set to vote Thursday on a $2.7 billion project that would extend light rail farther into the South Bay. The Board will also consider a competing proposal that takes a different route for the extension than the one staff for the countywide transportation agency recommended and studied extensively. Three members of Metro’s Board formally asked their colleagues to approve the alternate route Friday, less than a week before the meeting. Some transit advocates have warned that approving the last-minute motion, which would make the project more expensive and more difficult to construct, could set the extension back years. Joining us to discuss the South Bay extension and the vote on its Locally Preferred Alternative plan is Kavish Harjai, LAist transportation correspondent.

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With files from LAist; read more of Kavish’s piece by clicking here.
Metro’s board meeting is this morning, at 10 a.m. Click here for more info.

How avocados took over the country, one toast at a time

Avocados have taken the world by storm. But how did they become such a beloved fruit? Turns out it’s a long story, one worth an entire book! Today on AirTalk journalist and co-author of the new book Green Gold: The Avocado’s Remarkable Journey from Humble Superfood to Toast of a Nation Monique Parsons joins the program to share the story.

Copper theft continues to be an issue across Los Angeles County

Dating back to the summer of 2024, a rather unique kind of crime has steadily wrought havoc on the streets of Los Angeles, and there hasn’t been any indication of it slowing down anytime soon. Copper theft, or Copper Wire and Power Theft (CWPT), is when a perpetrator steals the copper wiring out of the street lighting conduit through the pullboxes or handholes, according to The Bureau of Street Lighting. Copper—as a commodity—is still worth a pretty penny (even if the coin isn’t). Copper thieves are able to resell the wires as scrap metal. This slow and steady form of burglary has massively impacted different areas all over L.A. County; neighborhood blocks turning pitch black, the 6th Street Bridge losing all its lighting, access to emergency services being cut off, and even internet outages are just some of the effects that Angelenos are dealing with. Here to walk us through the series of copper theft investigations is Gavin Quinton, staff writer at the LA Times, who’s been following this. We are also joined by locally impacted resident Sixto Sicilia, who is part of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council. We also want to hear from you! Has your community been impacted by copper theft? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.

We reached out for comment to LA County Public Works and the Los Angeles Police Department, but did not hear back.

TV Talk: ‘Shrinking,’ The Beauty,’ ‘Primal,’ and many 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 withKristen Baldwin, freelance TV critic and Steve Greene, freelance TV critic.

TV SHOWS

• Shrinking (Apple TV+)
• Drops of God (Apple TV+)
• The Beauty (FX)
• Primal (Adult Swim)
• Steal (Prime Video)
• It’s Not Like That (Prime Video)