Today on AirTalk, we discuss a recent recommendation by the LA City Council to repeal a controversial ordinance that prohibits homeless people from sitting or sleeping on sidewalks. We also examine a new study that explores couple's views on close friendships with those of the opposite sex; and more.
LA's Rules About Where Homeless People Are Allowed To Sit And Sleep Could Get Even More Complicated
The Los Angeles City Council's homelessness and poverty committee on Wednesday recommended repealing a controversial ordinance prohibiting homeless people from sitting or sleeping on sidewalks.
The committee wants city council to replace the law with one that is more narrowly tailored, and compliant with a recent federal court decision.
The ordinance, Municipal Code (L.A.M.C.) section 41.18 — known in homeless advocacy circles as the "sit-lie" law — makes it a criminal offense to sit, lie, or sleep on a public sidewalk anywhere in the city. The law was the subject of a major lawsuit, Jones v. Los Angeles, which was settled in 2007. Under the settlement with the ACLU, the city can only enforce the law under limited circumstances.
The proposed replacement law lays out a lengthy list of circumstances and conditions under which occupying a sidewalk would be banned. These include within 500 feet of parks and schools and within 10 feet of a driveway or building entrance.
What do you think of the new rules? How will the city enforce them? Join Larry Mantle and our live conversation at 866-893-5722.
For more on this story from KPCC’s homelessness reporter, Matt Tinoco, click here to read his full story at LAist.
Guests:
Mitch O’Farrell, Los Angeles City Councilmember representing the 13th Council District, which includes Silver Lake, Atwater Village, East Hollywood, and Hollywood and Echo Park; he proposed the new rules for where homeless people can sit and sleep in L.A. City; he tweets
Andy Bales, CEO at Union Rescue Mission, a private Christian homeless shelter in downtown Los Angeles' Skid Row
Why Can’t We Be Friends? New Study Explores Couples’ Views on Close Friendships With Someone Of The Opposite Sex
From When Harry Met Sally to the more recent Always Be My Maybe, rom-coms have long depicted romance between opposite-sex friendships.
It’s an age-old trope— best friends falling in love and becoming romantically involved.
It’s also something that partners sometimes find themselves worrying about, and might be left wondering if their partner’s close friendships could evolve into something else.
That’s the topic of interest in a recent study by two researchers who looked into the attidude romantic partners in heterosexual relationships had toward cross-sex best friendships. The study, published in the Journal of Relationships Research, surveyed 346 people— 92 males and 254 females— ranging from ages 18-64. It found that engaged-to-be-married couples felt had most negative feelings toward opposite-sex best friendships, as compared to being single, married, or dating.
The study notes past romantic experiences could have an impact on a partner’s attitudes toward opposite-sex best friendships, as well as heteronormative assumptions that might cause people to assume a man and a woman are romantically involved.
We want to hear from you. What do you think? Weigh in and call us at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Eletra Gilchrist-Petty, associate professor of communication arts at the University of Alabama Huntsville; she’s a co-author of the study
FilmWeek: ‘Angel Has Fallen,’ ‘Brittany Runs A Marathon,’ ‘Jawline’ And More
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Lael Loewenstein review this weekend’s new movie releases:
"Angel Has Fallen" in wide release
"Brittany Runs A Marathon" at The Landmark & ArcLight Hollywood
"Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles" in select theaters
"Tigers Are Not Afraid" at Laemmle's Monica Film Center, NoHo & Playhouse and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
The film’s director Issa López was interviewed on “The Frame” this week. You can listen to that interview here.
"Jawline" at Laemmle's Playhouse and on Hulu
“The Frame’s” John Horn spoke with the director of the documentary Liza Mandelup. You can hear that interview here.
"This Is Not Berlin" at Landmark’s Nuart Theatre
"Hot Air" at Laemmle’s Music Hall
"Adam" at Laemmle's Music Hall
CRITICS' HITS:
Claudia: "Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles," "This Is Not Berlin" & "Tigers Are Not Afraid"
Lael: "Brittany Runs A Marathon" & "Jawline
MIXED FEELINGS:
Lael: "Hot Air"
MISSES:
Claudia: 'Angel Has Fallen'
Lael: "Adam"
Guests:
Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA); she tweets
Lael Loewenstein, KPCC film critic; she tweets
LA’s Long-Standing Laemmle Theater Chain Reportedly Looking To Sell
The Laemmle Theatres chain, a hub for independent film and arthouse fare, is up for sale.
The nine-location theater chain has stayed within the Laemmle family since its founding in 1938. But theater attendance has hit low and after low in recent years. Though this year’s record-setting box-office behemoths like “The Lion King” and “Avengers: Endgame” might make 2019 a net positive year in ticket sales, even those blockbuster can’t course-correct the downward trend.
This news comes on the heels of the iPic’s Chapter 11 filing. Recent years have seen a rise in experimentation at the theaters, like dynamic pricing and subscription services for movie tickets, as the film industry tries to battle the rising popularity of streaming services.
Ironically, reports say that streaming services like Amazon and Netflix may be among the interested buyers, but Laemmle’s president, Greg Laemmle, said only that the company is “exploring a number of different options.”
Larry and the FilmWeek critics are joined by reporter Bob Strauss and media analyst Paul Dergarabedian to discuss the impact of Laemmle’s potential sale on Los Angeles and the changing landscape of movie theaters.
Guests:
Bob Strauss, entertainment news reporter at LA Daily News, where his recent piece is “Laemmle Theatres is reportedly up for sale after 81 years as an iconic independent arthouse chain”; he tweets
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst and box-office expert at Comscore, a global media measurement and analytics company based in Sherman Oaks; he tweets from
Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA); she tweets
Lael Loewenstein, KPCC film critic; she tweets