A new report highlights the budgetary challenges LAUSD faces as enrollment declines
Overall enrollment at LAUSD schools has been in an overall decline for years, and a new report out today highlights how personnel declines and campus closures have not kept pace with the reduction in students. Since its peak enrollment over two decades ago, enrollment in the district has declined by 300,000 students, or 44%. Meanwhile, the number of schools has only declined by 5%. The report from GPSN, a nonprofit with a focus on improving Los Angeles public education, is suggestive that the district will have to face tough decisions in the near future on how to best allocate the resources it does have to the students it is serving. Today on AirTalk, Larry speaks with Monica Garcia, former L.A. school board member and senior advisor for GPSN and Ana Teresa Dahan, executive vice president for GPSNabout the report.
Glamping near Joshua Tree sounds dreamy. But at what cost?
Twentynine Palms’s city council recently approved the development of Ofland Resort, a luxury glamping resort situated on a 152-acre parcel near Joshua Tree National Park. The resort will feature 100 modern cabins, lodges, a pool, outdoor movie screens, a restaurant, and on-site employee housing. The outcry from local residents and environmental groups was loud and their contention is the lack of adequate environmental review, light and noise pollution and increased traffic. Joining us to discuss is Alex Wigglesworth, reporter who covers the Inland Empire, Mojave Desert communities and the environment for the Los Angeles Times and Meredith Stevenson, Staff Attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity.
We reached out to the city of Twentynine Palms and they declined to join for this conversation.
The soaring life of Amelia Earhart, detailed in a new book
A new book details the meteoric rise and tragic end to one of the most well-known figures in aviation history – Amelia Earhart. Through archival material, audio interviews and personal diaries, author Laurie Gwen Shapiro weaves together a portrait not just of Earheart, but her publisher and eventual husband, George P. Putnam. Joining us this morning to discuss the life and legacy of the aviation pioneer is Laurie Gwen Shapiro, author of the new book The Aviator and the Showman: Amelia Earhart, George Putnam and the Marriage that Made an American Icon.
Following protests on the Dodgers gondola project, where does the proposal stand?
If you’ve lived in Los Angeles for the last 7 years, you might be familiar with the saga that’s been the gondola project, meant to help shuffle people in and out of Dodger Stadium. The project, meant to be an alternative to the shuttle station that takes fans from Union Station to Dodger Stadium, has received lots of pushback from residents in the potential impacted areas. Now, a bill in the state legislature could allow projects like the city’s gondola project to speed up its approval process. So what’s the likelihood of progress for this gondola, particularly as folks like councilmember Eunisses Hernandez push back on the senate bill? Today on AirTalk, we’ll hear what’s new with the project with Bill Shaikin, columnist for the Los Angeles Times.
A new bill would require California restaurants to display food allergens on menus
Restaurant dining in California could soon become a little less stressful for the growing number of Americans with severe food allergies. State lawmakers are set to vote on legislation that would make California the first U.S. state to require restaurants to disclose whether a menu item contains any of the nine most common food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, sesame, and soybeans. Restaurants could post the allergen information on physical menus, an allergen chart, an allergen-specific menu or other printed materials. They can also post a QR code to access a digital menu that lists allergens. Food trucks and carts wouldn’t be required to make changes. In September, the Legislature is expected to vote on Senate Bill 68, known as the Allergen Disclosure for Dining Experiences Act (ADDE). If approved and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the new law would take effect on July 1, 2026. Today on AirTalk, we discuss the bill and what challenges restaurants may face if it were to come into law. Joining us are Robyn Lao, pediatric nurse practitioner and mother of Addie, the namesake of SB 68 and Brett Thompson, chef and co-owner of Pez Cantina and Pez Coastal Kitchen.
With files from the Associated Press
We reached out to the California Restaurant Association for this conversation. They said they were unavailable at this time.
TV Talk: ‘Peacemaker,’ ‘The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox,’ 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 Jen Chaney, freelance TV critic and Hanh Nguyen, Executive Editor, Culture & Food at Salon.com.
TV Shows:
- The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox (Hulu)
- KPopped (Apple TV+)
- Bon Appétit, Your Majesty [Season 1] (Netflix)
- Katrina: Come Hell or High Water [Miniseries] (Netflix)
- Peacemaker (HBO Max)
