With big sponsors pulling out of Noma’s pop-up, a look at restaurant kitchen culture

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Noma head chef controversy; China's climate change efforts; Disney adults; CA family leave and Flavored vapes.

With big sponsors pulling out of Noma’s pop-up, a look at restaurant kitchen culture

Noma head chef controversy; China's climate change efforts; Disney adults; CA family leave and Flavored vapes.

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With big sponsors pulling out of Noma’s pop-up, a look at restaurant kitchen culture

It’s long been an open secret in the restaurant world that kitchen culture can be intense and at times abusive. Conversations about the pressure, hierarchy, and treatment of workers in high-end kitchens have surfaced repeatedly over the years. Now, that debate is resurfacing again as world-renowned restaurant Noma brings a pop-up 16-week residency to Los Angeles that begins today. But in recent weeks, the highly anticipated $1,500-per-person dinner series has also sparked renewed scrutiny of chef René Redzepi after a recent New York Times report detailed allegations from former employees who described physical and psychological abuse while working at the restaurant. The attention is raising broader questions about accountability in fine dining and the industry’s culture. Today on AirTalk, we discuss the controversy surrounding Noma’s L.A. pop-up and the larger conversation about working conditions in restaurant kitchens. Today on Airtalk, we are joined by Rebecca Roland, deputy editor for Eater Southern California and the Southwest region.

We reached out to Noma for comment, but did not hear back.

Is China leading the world on addressing climate change?

With the Trump Administration’s climate policies, including limiting the regulatory power of the EPA, and prioritizing oil as an energy source, much of the world has been left wondering who might lead in global climate change policy. Most roads lead to China, as they’ve continued to invest in green technology, and hold similar cache on the global stage as the United States. That being said, have they actually been making as much of an impact, as some data says they are? According to Alex Wang, UCLA law professor, climate expert, and author of the new book Chinese Global Environmentalism, it’s complicated. So today on AirTalk, we have Wang on the program to explain why that is.

What’s your “Disney adult” story?

There’s nothing wrong with having a hobby, but maybe there’s something a bit unusual about making your hobby a prominent feature of your personality. A prime example: the adults who are extremely into all things Disney. Whether it’s having a closet’s worth of Mickey Mouse sweatshirts and ears or planning every single vacation day they get around a trip to Disneyland or Disney World, some people take their inclination towards all things Disney to the extreme. But hey, we in SoCal get something of a pass — after all, the house of mouse is right here. So today on AirTalk, we want to hear from you! Are you a so-called Disney adult? Do you know a Disney adult? What goes into your or their obsession with the media conglomerate? What makes it such an important focal point in one’s life? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.

More Californians are using paid family leave than ever before

Last year more than 355,600 workers in the state took time to care for a sick family member or bond with a new child, up 16% from the year before according to state data. That change coincided with increased payments workers make while using paid leave. Workers in California can get up to eight weeks of paid leave — and now recoup 70% to 90% of their regular wages, up from 60% to 70% the year prior. In 2004, California became the first state to enact a paid family leave program and more dads are taking family leave than ever before. Have you taken family leave recently? Has the payment increase made an impact on how much time you take off? Today we’re joined by LAist early childhood senior reporter Elly Yu. We also have two LAist staff members who have recently taken family leave, daily news senior producer Matt Dangelantonio and Morning Edition host Austin Cross.

New flavored vapes, familiar concerns.

After years of tightening restrictions on flavored e-cigarettes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is signaling a potential shift that could allow some flavored vape products back onto the market. The agency says certain flavors—such as mint, coffee, or spices—could help adult smokers transition away from traditional cigarettes. But the move is already sparking concern among public health experts, who warn that flavored products have historically played a major role in attracting younger users and fueling youth vaping. Candy-flavored types have still managed to flood the market despite surveys showing there have been a considerable decline of vapes across highschoolers. As the FDA weighs how to balance harm reduction for adult smokers while trying to protect teens from nicotine addiction, the debate over flavored vapes is resurfacing in a major way. Today on AirTalk, we discuss the implications of bringing flavors back into the mainstream vaping market and what this policy shift could mean for public health and tobacco regulation. Today we’re joined by Christina Jewett, who covers the FDA for the New York Times. And are these new flavors really going to steer away young people? We are also joined by USC public health scientist Adam Leventhall, who has research that states otherwise.