LA County settled $2 million deal with its CEO, here’s what to know
L.A. County officials quietly approved a settlement deal that paid $2 million to the county’s CEO almost two months ago, LAist has learned. CEO Fesia Davenport was issued the check in August to compensate her for damages she claimed — including alleged harm to “reputation, embarrassment and emotional distress,” according to records LAist obtained from the county. As part of the settlement, she gave up her right to sue the county over claims she had leveled in a series of letters, and over anything else that happened previously between herself and the county. Neither side admitted liability, according to the deal, and Davenport continued in her job as CEO. Joining us this morning to discuss this is LAist watchdog correspondent Nick Gerda.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab laid off 11 percent of its staff. What does this mean for JPL’s future?
After months of speculation, Jet Propulsion Laboratory leadership has announced that 11% of the lab's workforce will be cut Tuesday. That's about 550 people. There were two rounds of large layoffs in 2024, with roughly 900 people let go. The reorganization has been going on since July, JPL Director Dave Gallagher wrote in a post on the lab's website. He said JPL's future depends on "creating a leaner infrastructure, focusing on our core technical capabilities, maintaining fiscal discipline, and positioning us to compete in the evolving space ecosystem — all while continuing to deliver on our vital work for NASA and the nation." The cuts are not related to the government shutdown, he wrote. The layoffs are expected to affect various departments, though it's unclear which missions may be the hardest hit. Joining us to talk about the latest round of layoffs and what they mean for JPL’s future are Jacob Margolis, LAist science reporter, and Erik Conway, historian of science and technology at Purdue University and was the historian at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
AirTalk Live: checking in how how the Pacific Palisades is recovering from January’s fires
After the January fires in Altadena and Pacific Palisades leveled more than 12,000 homes and businesses, the two communities are still grappling with the lingering effects of the disaster and trying to find ways to move forward. On October 14, we’ll focus on Pacific Palisades and surrounding communities. AirTalk host Larry Mantle spoke with guests about what the road to rebuilding looks like and how best to navigate this new reality.
Our panel included:
Ben Allen, California State Senator representing the 24th Senate District
Ken Bernstein, principal city planner for Los Angeles City Planning’s Office of Historic Resources
Barbara Bruderlin, former CEO of the Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce
Traci Park, Los Angeles Councilwoman, 11th District
Abe Roy, founder and CEO of Design Equity, Inc., a general construction firm
Maryam Zar, founder and president of the Palisades Recovery Coalition
Rachel Freeman, Deputy Mayor of Business and Economic Development City of Los Angeles
