New USC Annenberg investigation maps the toll of LA street takeovers

New USC Annenberg investigation maps the toll of LA street takeovers

If you live in Southern California and you’ve never heard of a street takeover, you’ve probably heard one: Engines rev, tires screech and fireworks explode. These illegal gatherings happen frequently on weekend nights throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties. Cars block major intersections and create space for other drivers to perform reckless maneuvers, including burnouts and donuts. Spectators gather around the middle of “the pit,” filming cars spinning past with passengers hanging precariously out of windows. A USC reporting lab investigation found that local and state law enforcement are well aware that takeovers have surged, but they have struggled to curb them. For more on their findings, we are joined this morning by Kevin Reyes, adjunct instructor leading USC Annenberg’s curriculum on open-source intelligence and one of the coreporters of the investigation.

With files from LAist. You can read the full investigation here.

Waht werds do ewe have trouble spelling correcttly?

There was a time not long ago when finding the correct spelling of a word meant pulling out a dictionary and browsing to the word itself. These days, when most writing is done on computers, it’s likely that the built-in spell check will correct a misspelled word just as soon as you’re done typing it. Spellcheck no doubt saves Americans oodles of time each year, but when we don’t flex our spelling muscles as much, does it become harder to spell? Are we losing our ability to spell onomatopoeia without turning to computers? Here to help us break down the latest in grammar is Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster editor at large, and pronouncer for spelling bees worldwide. We also want to hear from you! What words don’t you spell no good? Larry call at 866-893-5722 or Larry email at atcomments@laist.com.

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Palisades fire report author reportedly upset over changes to report

Following a public records request made by the Los Angeles Times, they were able to retrieve 7 drafts of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s after-action report for the Palisades Fire earlier this year. With some drafts dated, one of which was as recent as October 6, the LA Times was able to help piece together the changes made to the report, which includes softening of language that would seem to be less critical of the issues tied to the January fire. Joining us this morning to discuss what the outlet was able to find, as well as its subsequent reporting, is Alene Tchekmedyian, investigative reporter for the Los Angeles Times, and L.A. city councilmember Monica Rodriguez.

Comedian Robby Hoffman on the current stand-up landscape

Robby Hoffman has a new comedy special on Netflix directed by famed comedian John Mulaney. Hoffman is probably best known for her role in the HBO series Hacks, of which she was nominated for an Emmy. Her comedy usually explores themes surrounding her identity as a lesbian and her life as an ex-Hasidic. Today on AirTalk, Hoffman joins to talk about her new special and her approach to comedy.

Robby Hoffman: Wake Up is streaming on Netflix.

Is a 1950s film format making a comeback?

The Brutalist, One Battle After Another, Bugonia — these are just some of recent films that have used the 1950s movie format VistaVision. The technology has not been commercially available for decades and that’s for a reason. In fact, even during the height of its popularity it wasn’t all that popular. The format requires not only the correct cameras, but also the right projectors. Shooting with VistaVision cameras is only half the comeback. The other half is projecting your film in one of the very few compatible screens across the country. So what does the future of VistaVision look like with directors like Yorgos Lanthimos and Paul Thomas Anderson adopting its usage? Joining us for the discussion is director of film preservation and restoration at Paramount, Charlotte Barker.