9 state propositions have qualified for the November ballot

Today is the final day for the state Legislature to approve bond measures for November’s ballot. Currently, nine state propositions have qualified for the Nov. 5 ballot. Those propositions include the prohibition of forced labor or servitude which is currently allowed as a punishment for a crime, lowering the approval threshold for new housing financing, and repealing a state law that defines marriage as being between a man and a woman. There are also five measures put forward by citizens. Joining us to talk about the propositions put forward by both state legislation and citizens is Dan Walters, political columnist for CalMatters and Laurel Rosenhall, Sacramento bureau chief at the LA Times where she oversees coverage of the California Capitol, state government and state politics. 

Read the full LAist story here.

LA County’s pilot program to send mental health workers on 911 calls may be ending

Two years after Los Angeles launched a pilot program that dispatched treatment teams from fire stations to mental-health calls, the city-county partnership is ending. City authorities have cited low patient numbers and ongoing staffing difficulties as reasons for the break. County authorities have said they will continue the program without the city. The Therapeutic Van Transport Pilot Program was touted as an innovative approach that would allow mental health workers to be embedded into the 911 system, therefore decreasing reliance on law enforcement.

Today on AirTalk, we're joined by LAist's mental health reporter, Robert Garrova, and Miriam Brown, Deputy Director of Emergency Outreach Triage Division for LA County's Department of Mental Health, to discuss the challenges facing the program and what its next phase might look like.

You can read the full story here

Chaz Ebert shares her personal, emotional journey through new book ‘It's Time to Give a FECK’

In her new book “It's Time to Give a FECK: Elevating Humanity through Forgiveness, Empathy, Compassion, and Kindness,” author Chaz Ebert shares foundational principles she’s used in her life after sharing it for more than 20 years with her husband Roger Ebert, who passed away in 2013. Through personal anecdotes, Chaz describes her FECK (Forgiveness, Empathy, Compassion, and Kindness) principles and what this approach to life can do to improve our world’s lack of unity. Joining us to discuss her new book is Chaz Ebert, film/television producer, and publisher of the review site Rogerebert.com.

Remembering the Oscar-winning screenwriter of ‘Chinatown,’ Robert Towne

Robert Towne, the Oscar-winning screenplay writer of Shampoo, The Last Detail and other acclaimed films whose work on Chinatown became a model of the art form and helped define the jaded allure of his native Los Angeles, has died. He was 89. Towne died Monday surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles, said publicist Carri McClure. She declined to comment on any cause of death. In an industry which gave birth to rueful jokes about the writer's status, Towne for a time held prestige comparable to the actors and directors he worked with. Through his friendships with two of the biggest stars of the 1960s and '70s, Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson, he wrote or co-wrote some of the signature films of an era when artists held an unusual level of creative control. The rare "auteur" among screenwriters, Towne managed to bring a highly personal and influential vision of Los Angeles onto the screen. "It's a city that's so illusory," Towne told The Associated Press in a 2006 interview. "It's the westernmost west of America. It's a sort of place of last resort. It's a place where, in a word, people go to make their dreams come true. And they're forever disappointed." Recognizable around Hollywood for his high forehead and full beard, Towne won an Academy Award for Chinatown and was nominated three other times, for The Last Detail, Shampoo and Greystroke. In 1997, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Writers Guild of America.

In 2018, Larry Mantle interviewed Robert Towne following a FilmWeek screening of Chinatown at the Theatre at the Ace hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. Today on AirTalk, we reprise Larry’s interview with Town and FilmWeek critic Claudia Puig.

With files from the Associated Press

Previewing LAist’s Tournament of Cheeseburgers this weekend at Smorgasburg

Skip brunch this Sunday and come to The Row DTLA with an empty stomach -- you’re going to want the room to try the smorgasbord of cheeseburgers at Smorgasburg LA. Yes, LAist’s Tournament of Cheeseburgers is finally upon us after months of meticulous vote tabulating and tight competition between all of our worthy competitors. We’ve narrowed the playing field down to four finalists, and we’ll be announcing the winners on LAist this Friday. But this is a celebration of the cheeseburger and its Southern California roots, after all, and you’ll be able to try burgers from several of our “Tasty 8” finalists, including Burgers for Life, El Brewjo, Hangaburs, Proudly Serving, and Yellow Paper Burger. There’ll also be live music from Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles, a music-making station from LAist’s Engagement and Education teams for your little ones to rock out, surf lessons (on dry land, of course) from The LA Surf Bus and a bunch more.

Today on AirTalk, LAist Associate Food Editor Gab Chabrán and executive director of live programming and events Jon Cohn join Larry Mantle, who will be at the Smorgasburg event too, to preview what you can expect.

For more information on the Tournament of Cheeseburgers event at Smorgasburg, click here.

TV-Talk: ‘The Bear,’ ‘Supacell,’ ‘The Boyfriend’ And 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 with Roxana Hadadi, TV critic for Vulture, and Danette Chavez, who’s with the pop culture publication, The A.V. Club.

Today’s shows include:

• The Bear [Season 3] (FX on Hulu) 
• Supacell (Netflix)
• No Scope: The Story of FaZe Clan (ESPN+/Hulu)
• The Boyfriend (Netflix)