A Vote On The Future Of Al Fresco Dining In Los Angeles Is Happening Today
The Los Angeles City Planning Commission is meeting to consider a proposal that would permanently extend a temporary ordinance that eased restrictions on outdoor dining during the pandemic.
The temporary ordinance allowed restaurants to transform outdoor spaces, including sidewalks, parking lots, and converted parking spaces known as parklets, into open-air dining spaces. With indoor dining largely prohibited during the pandemic and restaurants struggling to survive on takeout orders, the temporary measure brought back customers for in-person, al fresco meals and provided a crucial opportunity for restaurants to keep on employees and to keep their doors open. With the ordinance set to expire on May 11, many restaurant owners fear they could lose the popular al fresco option if the city returns to highly restrictive pre-pandemic regulations, which included cutting through complex red tape and paying high fees. Some say the move could force them out of business. We talk about the latest with Gab Chabrán, LAist associate editor of food and culture, Suzanne Tracht, owner and chef at Jar, a modern chophouse in the Beverly Grove neighborhood, and Christina Vega, owner and chef at Casa Vega, a Mexican restaurant operating in the San Fernando Valley for 65 years.
GM Cuts Apple CarPlay, Android Auto From Its Electric Vehicles – What Does This Mean For Drivers?
General Motors recently announced that it was removing Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality from its upcoming electric vehicle lineup in favor of its own Google-powered proprietary system. GM says that this will enhance the user experience, and pave the way for features that will serve customers–for example, warming the vehicle’s battery while navigating to a charging station. But customers who are used to mirroring their smartphone on their car’s display aren’t happy, with some seeing it as a way for the automaker to mine data and potentially nickel and dime drivers with subscriptions. What’s driving this decision? And will other automakers follow? Joining us to discuss is Jamie L. LaReau, business writer for the Detroit Free Press who covers General Motors and Ed Kim, president and chief analyst at AutoPacific, an automotive marketing research and product-consulting firm.
How Baby Boomers Changed America and What Comes Next
Baby boomers, the generation born between 1946 and 1964 were once the United States’ largest and perhaps most powerful voting, spending and ideological bloc. But as the Baby Boom generation reaches its twilight years, America stands on the brink of a power shift. In “The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America,” author and Washington Post National Columnist Philip Bump takes a detailed look at the rise of the baby boom generation, its impact on the United States and the implications of its final days.
Today on AirTalk, Philip joins us to discuss his recent book, “The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America.”
Parts Of Central CA Already Crippled By Flooding Brace For More – Here’s What To Know
More than a dozen atmospheric rivers meant unprecedented amounts of rain for California in recent weeks. The excess rain was welcome relief to the drought stricken state, but central California and farmlands have been crippled by flooding as a result. Now the region is bracing for more as forecasters predict a heatwave will melt the snow on the Sierra Nevada. The Tulare Lake Basin, which has already seen significant damage, and the community of nearby Corcoran are bracing themselves for the potential runoff. Yosemite National Park announced it will close until at least May 3 because of expected flooding. Gov. Gavin Newsom visited Corcoran Tuesday and discussed the state’s response, which includes sandbags, muscle walls and shelters for those displaced. Today on AirTalk, we talk through the latest with Joshua Yeager, reporter covering Kern County and the Southern San Joaquin Valley for KVPR News, Greg Gatzka, city manager for the city of Corcoran, Adam Perez, aqueduct manager for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), and Brian Ferguson, deputy director for crisis communication and public affairs for the governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
DACA Recipients Await Ruling Federal Lawsuit That Could Decide Program’s Fate
Over the past decade, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has let more than 800,000 people live and work in the U.S. legally on a temporary, renewable basis. The program has also faced a string of legal challenges, especially in recent years after former President Trump tried to end it in 2017. Legal briefs are due this week in a pivotal Texas case that could ultimately decide the program’s fate. In 2021, a federal judge in Texas declared DACA unlawful, saying Obama violated the Administrative Procedure Act in creating it. The ruling stemmed from a legal challenge to DACA brought by several GOP-led states. The decision was appealed. Last fall, a panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the lower court’s ruling, but sent the case back to it for review in light of new DACA regulations drawn up by the Biden administration. The same lower court judge will now decide if the new DACA rules pass legal muster.
Today on AirTalk, LAist Immigrant Communities Correspondent Leslie Berestein-Rojas joins Larry to reset on the legal saga that has led to this point, and what a ruling for or against the program’s legality could mean for the tens of thousands of immigrants who were brought here as children and have built their lives in the United States.
With files from Leslie Berestein-Rojas at LAist.com. Read her full story on how one local DACA recipient is anxiously awaiting a ruling here.
TV-Talk: ‘White House Plumbers,’ ‘Love & Death,’ ‘Fatal Attraction’ & 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’re going to 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, Larry talks to Consequence senior entertainment editor Liz Shannon Miller and Jen Chaney, television critic for Vulture.
This week’s reviews include:
- White House Plumbers (HBO & HBO Max)
- Love & Death (HBO Max)
- Fatal Attraction (Paramount+)
- Awkwafina is Nora From Queens [Season 3] (Comedy Central & Paramount+)
- Barry [Season 4, Final Season] (HBO & HBO Max)
- Mrs. Davis (Peacock)
