L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer is going after four landlords for illegally renting their apartment units as short-term rentals - a look at both sides. Then Paso Robles' Justin Winery is in trouble after cutting down hundreds of old oak trees on its property to make room for more vineyards - can they rehab their rep? Plus, 60 percent of kids between the ages of 3 and 8 have had imaginary friends - two psychologists explain the latest research behind the phenomenon
LA sues apartment owners for evicting tenants, then renting on Airbnb
Several Los Angeles apartment owners are being sued by L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer for allegedly evicting tenants and then renting out the apartments via Airbnb.
Among the owners being sued are Carol J. Alsman and LSJB Investments LLC.
"The owner probably went through part of the process to go out of business as apartment owner, but then changed from apartments to short-term rental use through Airbnb, but then failed to allow the former tenants to rerent those units — you can’t do that," Feuer said.
Feuer stressed the housing crisis and explained that the crisis is having a negative effect on the city. Everything from transportation congestion to an imbalance between jobs and housing, he said it has contributed to to the absence of enough rental units that people can’t afford.
But is there a legal way to convert a multi-unit apartment building to short-term, hotel-like rentals?
"Yes, but there are steps that need to be taken in order for the units to be turned into short-term rental use. The rules differ by city," said Feuer. "There’s a reason these rules are in place. These rules [are] because of the shortage of affordable housing stock in our city. These rules are also in place because in a residential zone, people have the right to expect that the uses will be residential.”
Some apartment owners are unsure where to go for help with converting some or all of their multifamily apartment units to Airbnb short-term rentals, legally.
Frederick Sutton says he advises owners to consult with the City Planning Department to inquire about the process.
"We represent multifamily, long-term owners, so generally, in the city of Los Angeles, we suggest they don’t engage in the process," Sutton said.
Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly spelled the name of City Attorney Mike Feuer.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Guest:
Mike Feuer, City Attorney of L.A.
Frederick Sutton, Government Affairs Manager with the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles
Reputation rehab for Justin Winery after tree-clearing controversy
A fight local to California's central coast wine country has a large vintner attempting to repair its reputation.
Justin Winery - last year named the nation's best winery by Wine Enthusiast magazine - is in trouble after legally cutting down hundreds of old oak trees on its property to make room for more vineyards.
Concerned residents and some competitors say the oak groves are iconic for Paso Robles, which takes its name from the Spanish for oak pass. The vineyards owners say the controversy is being overblown, deters from their good record within the community, plus they are promising to plant 5,000 new oak trees.
Could a boycott initiated by a handful of local restaurants expand? What are the best ways for the company to deal with the complaints?
Guest:
Doug Elmets, President of Elmets Communications - public affairs consultants in Sacramento
Psychologists explain the latest research on why children develop imaginary friends
They can take the forms of people, animals, fantastical creatives – and studies have shown that some 60 percent of kids between the ages of 3 and 8 have had them. They are imaginary friends.
Research has shown that imaginary companions are a normal part of growing up, and resembles a process of creation much like how a fiction writer would create characters.
Why do kids have imaginary friends? What can they tell us about the development of a child’s imagination and creativity? What can we learn about relationships from these imaginary friendships?
Guests:
Marjorie Taylor, a professor of psychology at University of Oregon, author of “Imaginary Companions and the Children Who Create Them" (1999, Oxford University Press). Her research focuses on the development of imagination and creativity in kids.
Tracy R. Gleason, a professor of psychology and the Psychological Director of the Child Study Center at Wellesley College
A 'Brexit' primer, and debating stay vs. leave as Thursday’s historic vote looms on UK horizon
In what promises to be an historic moment, citizens of the United Kingdom will vote on a referendum Thursday to decide whether to leave or stay in the European Union.
The saga of the so-called “Brexit” vote is one that has played out publicly and vocally in the U.K., and the most recent polls show a country divided almost right down the middle on whether to remain part of the European Union or go it alone as a separate entity.
The European Union was created following World War II as a way to unify Europe against the extreme nationalism that had torn it apart years before.
The outcome of the vote is expected to have major economic, social, and political reverberations, not only in Britain but throughout Europe and even the world. Those in the ‘stay’ camp include high-ranking members of Parliament like Prime Minister David Cameron, whose future in British government may be in jeopardy, no matter how the vote turns out. They argue that the economic impact of a ‘leave’ vote would be devastating, negating crucial trade deals the U.K. has with other countries as an EU member and sending global stock markets into a frenzy. The ‘leave’ camp, led by the U.K. Independence Party, argues that Britain’s membership in the EU dilutes citizens’ voice in government
What are the arguments on each side for stay and leave? What will the impact of a stay or leave vote be on the U.K.? On the EU? Why should Americans care?
Guests:
Aaron Klein, fellow in economic studies and policy director of the Initiative on Business and Public Policy at the Brookings Institution; former deputy assistant secretary for economic policy at the U.S. Treasury Department; he tweets
Ben Kelly, political writer who blogs at The Sceptic Isle; he’s also an opinion writer at The Telegraph; he tweets
Do assassinations change opinions?
Brexit campaigning briefly paused Friday, after the assassination of British lawmaker Jo Cox.
Cox, a member of the Labor party, strongly backed a “remain” Brexit vote, and some wonder whether her death could sway the final vote. We look back at other examples where assassinations changed the course of history.
Guest:
Benjamin Jones, professor of strategy at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management; he’s author of Hit Or Miss? The Effect of Assassinations on Institutions and War
How ‘North’ came to be at the top of our maps
Which way is ‘up’? To most, the answer is probably ‘north.’
It turns out, however, that this bias is the result of recent map making convention, albeit one with profound human consequences. Last week, Caroline Williams of the BBC discussed the ramifications of orienting our maps with north pointing upward. It does not just affect our sense of direction, but also our values.
Brian Meier of Gettysburg College has tested this. When asked where in a hypothetical city respondents would most like to live, they overwhelmingly chose locations in the northern part. The same proved true when a different group of respondents were asked to plot where the richest people in the city lived - they overwhelmingly chose the north.
However, this association between north and good disappeared when Meier turned the map upside down. Which way do you think of as 'up'? And why might it matter?
Guest:
Caroline Williams, Freelance science journalist and former New Scientist feature editor/freelance reporter/producer for BBC radio; she tweets from