Academy Awards 2025: ‘Anora’ wins Best Picture and Sean Baker makes history
Anora, a strip club Cinderella story without the fairy tale ending, was crowned best picture at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, handing Sean Baker’s gritty, Brooklyn-set screwball farce Hollywood’s top prize. The film was the night’s front-runner with five big wins, including four for its scrappy indie director. Baker won best director, best screenplay, and best editing. Eight of the 10 movies nominated for Best Picture came away with at least one award. That included the beleaguered Netflix contender Emilia Pérez, which, despite a backlash to old offensive tweets by star Karla Sofía Gascón, won best supporting actress for Zoe Saldaña. From a very Wicked opening and a Bond film tribute to a recent ‘in memoriam’ loss and a toast to firefighters, the show swung between amusement and reflection, with plenty of movie magic in between. Joining us are Marcus Jones, awards editor for TV & Film at IndieWire, and Angelique Jackson, senior entertainment writer at Variety.
With files from the Associated Press
After a century as a downtown LA staple, The Original Pantry closes its doors
The Original Pantry Cafe at the corner of 9th and Figueroa streets in Downtown L.A first served plates of classic American breakfast in 1924, cultivating a loyal multi-generational base of regulars. More than a hundred years later, the diner closed its doors yesterday. Former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan bought the restaurant in 1981. After his death, his administrative trust took over ownership, which also oversees the charitable nonprofit Riordan Foundation. In a statement to LAist’s media partner KCAL News, the Richard J. Riordan Administrative Trust says selling the restaurant will better fund the foundation’s education work for low-income students. UNITE HERE Local 11, the union representing workers at The Pantry, sought to renegotiate their contract to safeguard work protections in the case of new ownership — but to no avail. Today on AirTalk, we’re joined by Kurt Petersen, co-president of Unite Here Local 11, to discuss the closure and what’s next for its employees. We also want to hear from you! If you were a frequent patron of the Pantry, how are you feeling about the closure? What are some of your memories of going there? And if you are a Pantry employee, tell us how you are dealing with the closure. Give a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
With files from LAist
The life and legacy of a viral meme
Ten years ago, we experienced one of the most divisive moments in human history: is the dress black and blue or white and gold? People are still debating it to this day. But can such a monocultural viral moment still happen in today’s media landscape? Or have the advanced algorithms siloed us off into our own internet niches so much that online virality is now a thing of the past? Today on AirTalk, we reminisce over the internet’s most viral memes and moments and talk about how virality has changed in the last decade online. Joining us is Candice Lim, co-host of ICYMI, Slate’s podcast about internet culture.
A proposed California bill looks to ban private firefighters from using public hydrants
During the wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles earlier this year, some homeowners and insurers turned to private firefighters to protect their property from the flames. One developer, Rick Caruso, came under intense scrutiny for hiring a private crew to save the Palisades Village shopping center from the Palisades fire while neighboring homes were destroyed. While there’s no indication that any private firefighters used public water hydrants to protect property during the recent wildfires, their presence during the fires raised the question of whether these private teams should have the ability to access them. Now, a new proposed California bill looks to clear up that conversation by banning private firefighters from public water sources entirely. Joining us to discuss the introduced bill is Lindsey Holden, politics reporter for Politico, and Isaac Bryan, California Assemblymember for District 55.
SoCal History: Palm Trees…love em or leave em
Palm trees are an iconic presence there in Southern California, they represent the city in the same way the Eiffel Tower represents Paris, or the Golden Gate Bridge represents the Bay area. Palm trees are symbolic; they conjure up year-round sunshine and beaches. They’re also a specific aesthetic, which is what brought them to the region in the first place. But their future might be at risk. We’ll get into that in a minute. But first I want to ask what your feelings are about palm trees. Do you love them? Do you hate them? Call us at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com. Joining us for the conversation is LA Times columnist Patt Morrison whose most recent piece is titled “Palm trees are about as L.A. as it gets. But is it time to bid them a frond farewell?”
Parking Madness: Crowning the worst lot or garage in LA. What’s your pick?
Almost every Angeleno has a personal vendetta against a particular parking lot or garage in the greater L.A. area. Whether you’ve spent hours snaking out of Dodger Stadium on game day, lugged your groceries blocks away from the store, or questioned your sanity turning off Pacific Coast Highway — parking here can be a uniquely frustrating experience. But now, in a truly L.A. twist on March Madness, you can help crown the worst of the worst in a competition run by Americana at Brand Memes on Instagram. The anonymous account holder, who goes by Mr. Glen Dale, told LAist that in a city where so many of us are conditioned to be in our cars, those coveted spots can feel like an unavoidable competition. LAist reporter Makenna Sievertson joins to help explain the tournament and share some of the lots that are notorious for being the worst. But we REALLY want to hear from you. Which parking lot or garage do you think should go on the list? Call 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
Read the full LAist story here.
