A new state bill seeks to streamline apartment construction near transit lines
In a close vote following a pointed debate, a slim majority of the Los Angeles City Council voted to formally oppose a California bill that aims to put more housing next to train stops and rapid bus lines.
Eight council members voted to oppose Senate Bill 79, written by Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco. The bill would override local land-use restrictions and let developers construct apartment buildings up to six stories tall, as long as they are within a quarter-mile of a light rail station or a rapid bus stop.
Sacramento upzoning bills regularly have met resistance from local politicians in cities across California, including Los Angeles. In Tuesday’s council meeting, many L.A. council members again argued that state lawmakers were trying to wrest control from local leaders. Today on AirTalk, LAist housing reporter David Wagner, and Scott Wiener, author of SB79 and California State Senator representing Senate District 11.
With files from LAist
What to know about YouTube’s new AI-age verification system
It’s been a week since YouTube began testing its new AI-age verification system, attempting to better decipher whether users are adults or minors based on the videos they're watching. The tests initially will only affect a sliver of YouTube’s audience in the U.S., but it will likely become more pervasive if the system works as well at guessing viewers’ ages as it does in other parts of the world. If the system flags a logged-in viewer as being under 18, YouTube will impose the normal controls and restrictions that the site already uses as a way to prevent minors from watching videos and engaging in other behavior deemed inappropriate for that age. Today on AirTalk, we’ll fill you in on this added component to YouTube and its legal and privacy implications. Joining us to dig into this is Clare Duffy, tech writer for CNN Business, and Eric Goldman, professor of Law at Santa Clara University School of Law and co-director of the High Tech Law Institute.
With files from the Associated Press
What's your favorite media depiction of LA?
Los Angeles and Southern California are anything but camera shy. They're depicted in a vast array of media, from TV shows to movies, from songs to video games, and everything in between. Clueless, Chinatown, Insecure, Grand Theft Auto. Today, we open up the phones to listeners to share their favorite depictions of the region in media and why you think they hit the mark. Share your thoughts by calling 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
North Hollywood’s Valley Plaza was declared a public nuisance. Now what?
The Board of Building and Safety Commissioners declared North Hollywood's Valley Plaza a public nuisance. Los Angeles police and fire officials have been called to the property hundreds of times in recent years to respond to structure fires, drug overdoses, trespassing and vandalism, according to departmental records. The once vibrant shopping center started losing business in the 1970s and was severely damaged in the Northridge earthquake. Five Points, LLC, also known as The Charles Company, acquired the plaza about ten years ago, but no businesses were re-opened. With this new public nuisance designation, the city can demolish the buildings and hold the owner accountable for the associated costs. Today on AirTalk, we discuss the future of the Valley Plaza with Aaron Schrank, health and housing reporter at LAist.
With files from LAist
On US college campuses, virtue-signaling is undermining authentic expression
There is a troubling trend happening on U.S. college campuses. That trend is what two researchers from Northwestern University are calling performative virtue-signaling. In their recent study, Kevin Waldman and Forest Romm interviewed over a thousand students confidentially. They discovered that 88% of students admitted to pretending to be more progressive than they truly are for social or academic advantages. This trend extends to academic work, with more than 80% misrepresenting their views in assignments to align with perceived expectations. This environment, the authors argue, has turned institutions into arenas of identity regulation rather than development—where inclusion demands conformity and authenticity becomes risky. Are you a college student or a recent graduate? Is this something you’ve experienced? Call us at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
A new book chronicles the movers and shakers in the modern American West
Former longtime L.A. Times journalist John Glionna spent years traveling across the American West to chase stories. But sometimes as a journalist, you meet individuals who themselves aren’t just a part of the story, but are driving it forward. Across his career, Glionna has met a number of individuals whose lives have impacted the slice of the world they reside in. He’s collected some of their tales into a new book, Rebels and Outliers: Real Stories of the American West. Today on AirTalk, Larry speaks with him about his book and the stories he felt needed to be recorded.
