Bad air quality and high temperatures are expected this week in SoCal
A heat wave is expected to hit Los Angeles and Orange County come Wednesday, with temperatures projected to reach as high as 110 in the valleys. So far, Southern California has been having a mild summer, but even with relatively low temps, fire season has started. The Gifford fire in the Los Padres National Forest in Santa Barbara County has burned over 65,000 acres, and three people have been reported injured. Today on AirTalk, we get the latest about the fire and what the heat wave may mean for us further south. Joining us is Ariel Cohen, Meteorologist in Charge at the National Weather Service, Los Angeles/Oxnard.
UCLA becomes the latest school to face research funding threats. What comes next?
Last week, the Trump Administration announced it would suspend nearly $200 million in federal funds from UCLA, citing the university’s handling of last year’s pro-Palestine protests as the reason for the freeze. In a public letter, UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk responded to the decision, saying the defunding of UCLA’s research “does nothing to address any alleged discrimination.” This penalty also follows a settlement the university had already reached, tied to last year’s encampments, which included more than $6 million and initiatives to combat antisemitism. The conflict between UCLA and the Trump Administration also adds to and reflects similar funding battles that have happened nationwide. Other universities to have faced similar funding suspensions by the Trump Administration include Brown University, Columbia, and Penn. Joining us to get into these funding issues facing higher education is CalMatters reporter Mikhail Zinshteyn, senior writer at The Chronicle of Higher Education Eric Kelderman, UCLA Chemistry and Biochemistry professor and researcher Sarah Tolbert, and UCLA Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering professor and researcher Irene Chen.
AirTalk pours one out for all the shows cancelled before their time
Loyal AirTalk listeners may recall that we regularly review the latest noteworthy television shows on a weekly basis. But what they may not know is that we also lament the loss of television shows that were taken well before their time on a near-daily basis. Cancellations have long been part of the natural cycle of broadcast television — shows losing steam are canned to make room in limited schedules for new shows that hopefully garner a bigger audience. But the rise of streaming means that TV distribution is unbound by the limits of a traditional broadcast schedule. So why does it seem more shows than ever are being cancelled? Joining us to hopefully answer that question are Tyler Aquilina, media analyst for Luminate, a data and insights company for the entertainment industry and Melanie McFarland, TV critic for Salon. We also want to hear from you! What's a television show you think was cancelled well before it's time? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com and tell us about it.
As utilities start to bury power lines, homeowners are increasingly worried about the cost
More than half a year after January’s fires, utilities are slowly moving forward on their plans to put power lines underground. Along the coast and in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, the details for the plans are lacking, and in the case of the Palisades, yet to be released. In Altadena, many fire survivors are asking if the Southern California Edison work to bury power lines is worth the cost. In Pacific Palisades, where rebuild permits are being approved more quickly, building contractors are wondering what exactly the L.A. Department of Water and Power’s plan is. For more, LAist climate and environment reporter Erin Stone and power engineering manager for LADWP Yamen Nanne join the program. We also want to hear from you — are you rebuilding and have thoughts on how utilities are handling the process? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com and tell us about it.
With files from LAist. We reached out to Southern California Edison, but they were unable to have a representative join.
The current state of US climate science
Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it plans to roll back a 2009 declaration, known as the endangerment finding, that gave the agency the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from cars, power plants, and other sources. This is the latest in several recent announcements from the Trump administration that moves the U.S. away from climate science precedents and initiatives. Already, the Trump administration has cut millions of dollars in scientific research with further plans to eliminate funding to NOAA, which is the world’s largest provider of weather and climate data. As roll backs and cuts continue to be announced, many in the scientific community are concerned about the future of U.S. climate science research. Today on AirTalk, we’re checking in on the climate science community. Joining us to discuss is climate policy reporter for the New York Times, Maxine Joselow. Also joining us is Chris Field, former co-chair of Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and director of the Woods Institute for the Environment and professor of Earth System Science, of Biology at Stanford University, and Alex Hall, director of the Institute of Environment and Sustainability at UCLA. We also want to hear from you! Are you a climate science researcher? What are your thoughts on the future of climate science in the U.S.? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
What’s the weirdest odd job you’ve ever had?
Maybe it was going door to door as a singing telegram. Or working as a parking lot attendant at a water park. Or building sets for a haunted house. No matter what it was, we’ve all worked the occasional odd job to get some extra cash. Whether it was something you did one summer in college, or a side hustle you still do on the weekends, we want to hear about the weirdest odd job you’ve ever had. Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com. What was your experience like? What are the memories you have working an unusual occupation? It may have been short lived, but it definitely left an impression. Joining us to talk about odd jobs and gigs is Kathy Kristof, founder of Sidehusl.com, a consumer reports website for side gigs.
