Beijing Promises A ‘Safe, Streamlined, and Splendid’ Olympic Games: How’s It Going So Far?
As we enter the seventh day of competition in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, we’ve seen no shortage of headlines: Germany currently leads the field with 5 gold medals and the U.S. just won its first gold in snowboard cross. Meanwhile gold medal favorite Mikaela Schiffrin has had a surprising start to the Games, skiing out in her first two events. Plus, some athletes have had to drop out due to positive COVID tests, China is facing questions over the fake snow it’s used for events and its human rights record, and the Russian Olympic Committee is under scrutiny for an issue involving its figure skating team.
Today on AirTalk, we breakdown some of the major storylines coming out of the Winter Olympics in Beijing and talk about how this year’s games are being managed during the pandemic with reporter for NPR’s News Desk Bill Chappell.
As The Super Bowl Descends On Inglewood, Residents Reflect On How SoFi Stadium Has Changed Their City
When Southern California was awarded the Super Bowl in 2016, just months before the City of Inglewood broke ground on SoFi Stadium, a major incentive for bringing the big game back for the first time in 29 years was the economic opportunities it would offer -- job creation, development of the area around the stadium and more foot traffic and revenue for local businesses. SoFi is now complete, has hosted two full seasons of football, and will be the setting for Super Bowl LVI on Sunday. But have the benefits that were highlighted as part of the stadium coming to Inglewood paid off for residents, who also have to deal with increased traffic on game days, rising rents and ongoing construction?
Today on AirTalk, we’ll speak with Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts and Uplift Inglewood Coalition member Derek Steele about how Inglewood has changed since SoFi Stadium opened, whether it has generated the economic opportunity and growth that was promised and what Inglewood residents think so far.
“Tenancy In Common,” What Are They And What’s Their Future In CA Housing?
Tenancy in Common (TIC) is a relatively new path to homeownership in L.A. County, but one that could gain traction following the passage of Senate Bill 9, the new state law that allows up to four units on lots previously zoned for single-family use. TICs differ from condominiums or co-operatives: they allow multiple people to buy a fraction of a building. Those owners sign a TIC agreement with the people in the other units to share property taxes and other responsibilities. It can be a cheaper path into homeownership in one of the country’s most unaffordable real estate markets. While SB 9 makes it easier to build those types of properties, will it take off in Los Angeles? Today on AirTalk, Larry talks with Executive Director of the Eviction Defense Network Elena Popp about the basics of TICs and why they're polarizing for many Angelenos, and professor at the USC Price School of Public Policy Gary Painter about the economics of TICs and whether we’ll see a rise in these types of arrangements in the future.
COVID-19 AMA: When L.A. County’s Mask Mandate Could End, Hospitalizations Continue To Decline, And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr.Timothy Brewer, epidemiologist and professor of medicine at UCLA’s school of public health.
Topics today include:
- L.A. County health director says indoor mask mandate won’t be lifted for weeks
- C.D.C. director: COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations still too high for changes to mask guidance
- COVID-19 hospitalizations continue downward trend, now 30% below the peak
- J&J pauses production of its COVID-19 vaccine
- Will a mask protect me even if no one else is wearing one?
- Can you get long COVID after an infection with Omicron?
Behind the “Enchanted Strings” Of The Bob Baker Marionette Theater
For 59 years, the Bob Baker Marionette Theater has entertained kids and families in Los Angeles. Now the history of the iconic institution is explored in the new book “Enchanted Strings: Bob Baker Marionette Theater” by Randal J. Metz. Featuring a forward by filmmaker and puppetry fan Jordan Peele, “Enchanted Strings'' touches on how Bob Baker discovered marionettes as a boy, his efforts to build the theater, and its financial ups and downs alongside more than 300 photos of the marionettes, sets, artists, and craftspeople who made the theater soar. Today on AirTalk Larry speaks with author and puppeteer Randal J. Metz and Bob Baker Marionette Theater Executive Director and Head Puppeteer Alex Evans.
Upcoming Book Events:
- Saturday, Feb. 12: Virtual event at 1 p.m. with author Randal J. Metz and Alex Evans, head puppeteer at Bob Baker Marionette Theater, hosted by Vroman’s. Register here.
- Wednesday, Feb. 16: In-person event at 8 a.m. with author Randal J. Metz and Alex Evans, head puppeteer at Bob Baker Marionette Theater. Tickets to the breakfast talk hosted by the Los Angeles Breakfast Club are $25. Register here.
- Wednesday, Feb. 16: In-person event at 7:30 p.m. with author Randal J. Metz and Alex Evans, head puppeteer at Bob Baker Marionette Theater, at Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles (Los Feliz). Register here.