Support for LAist comes from
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Stay Connected
Listen

Share This

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

LAX Jerks Dick Around

Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.

An anonymous source queued up at LAX Terminal One witnessed a little political theater Thursday. Ex-mayor Richard Riordan ducked around a barricade through a staff entrance in an attempt to cut ahead of 500 people who were patiently waiting at a security checkpoint. Presumably, Riordan thought that airport employees would recognize him. They didn't. He was chewed out by Southwest security and sent outside to the back of the line. People end-running up escalators and around security have been known, of course, to shut airports down in the recent past. Still, although we never mind seeing politicians taken down a notch, we can't help finding ourselves bemused and somewhat saddened that the man who only a few years ago was running a joint like LAX can't even make it now through the side door. It's certainly a different world from the one Dick came up in. Shame, though, that the film crew from A&E's Airline wasn't readily on hand to document everyone's humiliation (including security's, when they finally figured out who they'd been yelling at.) Can anyone imagine this happening to Rudy Giuliani at JFK?

As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.

Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.

Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.

Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist