Hearing from Rideshare workers and drivers at large as gas prices near $6 a gallon

Hearing from Rideshare workers and drivers at large as gas prices near $6 a gallon

As the war in Iran pushes U.S. gas prices toward $4 a gallon nationally, some lawmakers are pushing to suspend the federal gasoline tax, the latest attempt to control surging energy costs. Asked about the gas tax at a Cabinet meeting Thursday, President Donald Trump said he has “thought about” suspending it but suggested states should consider suspending their fuel taxes. Similar proposals have been floated on the state level as well, as California continues to experience the highest gas prices in the nation — $5.87 a gallon as of today, according to AAA. As legislators work out how to best handle gas prices, a lot of drivers continue looking for solutions, particularly those who drive for a living. In the case of rideshare workers, companies like Lyft, Uber, and DoorDash are offering limited cash incentive programs to help drivers through different avenues. Today on AirTalk, we want to hear from rideshare workers and drivers at large about how they’re handling gas prices.

With files from the Associated Press.

New poll shows Nithya Raman pulling ahead in LA mayor’s race

A new poll from Loyola Marymount University shows Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman pulling ahead in the mayor’s race, with 32.5% of respondents listing her as their top pick. Current Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is in second with 17.0% of respondents listing her as their top pick, and Presbyterian minister, community organizer Rae Huang close behind with 16.6% of the share. The poll asked a number of questions to nearly 1,000 potential voters. For more on this data, we’re joined by Fernando Guerra, professor of political science and Chicana/o Latina/o studies at Loyola Marymount University where he is the founding director of the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles.

SoCal History: How fuel shortages impacted America in the 1970s

The 1970s saw massive changes in the Middle East, and the ramifications were certainly felt globally, at the very least due to oil-related reasons. Between the Arab-Israeli War that led to an oil embargo against the United States from 1973-1974, as well as the Iranian Revolution at the turn of the decade, gas prices and geopolitics became deeply intertwined as Americans felt the impacts at the pump. With California having been such a car-centric region, the impacts on the state became quite notable, as Patt Morrison writes for the Los Angeles Times, with fuel rationing and a loss of many gas-related jobs. For this week’s Southern California history segment, we dig into this topical story with L.A. Times columnist Patt Morrison.

Being polyamorous in a monogamous world

While the concept has likely been around for most of humanity, polyarmory is having a moment. Online spaces have allowed people seeking an ethical approach to having relationships with more than one partner to seek community and share their experiences. Today on AirTalk. we want to hear from you! If you are polyamorous or are in a non-monogamous relationship, what is your experience like? What types of challenges do you face in your relationship that monogamous couples don’t? How do people react when you tell them you are polyamorous? Give us a call at 866-893-5722. Or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com. Joining us is Jamila Dawson, LMFT, sex, trauma and relationship therapist. She works with polyamorous and consensual non-monogamous clients.

What kinds of legal hurdles do polyamorous couples face?

Following our previous conversation digging into the social factors tied to those who are polyamorous, we thought it’d be worth getting into what legal questions face polycules. Given that joint banking and homeowning have mostly been centered around monogamous relationships, how can additional partners be legally protected in these sorts of financial decisions? How do polyamorous partners navigate these institutions, and what legal protections do they have to ensure they aren’t being discriminated against? Joining us to help dig into the topic is Alana Chazan, co-founder and senior attorney at All Family Legal.

Could rethinking the concept of forests lead to better conservation?

Is a forest more than the sum of its parts? Because of work done by Professor Suzanne Simard of the University of British Columbia, we know the answer to be yes. She pioneered research that showed trees in a forest, through a complex webbing of fungal networks between their roots, are able to share nutrients in seemingly intelligent ways. Now, in a new book she makes the case for applying her ongoing research towards regenerating forests. She joins AirTalk this morning to discuss.