California Faces $68 Billion Budget Deficit – Here’s What You Should Know
With tax revenues in a free fall comparable to the Great Recession and the dot-com bust, California faces a projected $68 billion budget deficit next year that will require spending cuts and reserve funds to close, state finance officials said today. Legislative analyst Gabriel Petek cautioned that California is better prepared to respond to the situation than during the economic recession 15 years ago, because it has since built several multibillion-dollar rainy-day funds, though the state is also looking at a structural deficit of about $30 billion annually going forward. H.D. Palmer, a spokesperson for Newsom’s Department of Finance, said the administration will have different numbers when the governor presents his 2024-25 spending plan next month, but Newsom is preparing to address a significant deficit. Joining to explain what we should know is Alexei Koseff, state politics and government reporter at CalMatters.
With files from LAist. Read the full story here
From Myspace To TikTok, How Our Society Became 'Extremely Online'
TikTok may be the social media app du jour with its endless feed of algorithmically curated videos just for you, but its existence and power to make everyday people into famous content creators wouldn't be possible without predecessor platforms like Myspace, Vine, Blogger and others that paved the way for the social media ecosystem we know and use today. In her recent book "Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet," Washington Post Columnist Taylor Lorenz charts the brief but rich history of how apps like those, and others, have molded the business and art of content creation, changed the definition of fame, and ultimately changed how the internet influences what we want (and how we get it).
Today on AirTalk, Taylor joins Austin Cross to talk about her book, the ways content creation has evolved in the 21st century as social media platforms have come and gone and how that's changed the way we see fame and popularity.
Ever Had A Life-Changing Cookie? Expert Nancy Silverton Shares Hers And More
Nancy Silverton has long been known as a baking and pastry connoisseur, from her days as pastry chef in Wolfgang Puck’s Spago to detailing her baking expertise in cookbooks. She’s made her mark on Southern California, finding and co-owning a number of food institutions, including La Brea Bakery. Today, she joins Austin Cross to talk cookies. Her new book is “The Cookie That Changed My Life: And More Than 100 Other Classic Cakes, Cookies, Muffins, and Pies That Will Change Yours: A Cookbook” (Knopf, 2023). What’s the cookie that changed your life and where do we find it? Call 866-893-572 or email atcomments@laist.com.
FilmWeek: 'Poor Things,’ ‘Fast Charlie,’ ‘The Peasants’ And More
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Christy Lemire, Peter Rainer and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms:
“Poor Things” Select Theaters
“RENAISSANCE: A Film by BEYONCE” Wide Release
“Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget” Bay Theater [Pacific Palisades]|Streaming on Netflix December 15th
“Concrete Utopia” In Select Theaters
“Origin” AMC Century City 15 [Century City] for one week | Opens wider Jan. 2024
“Fast Charlie” Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monia]| Available on VOD
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever” Streaming on Disney+
“The Peasants” Laemmle Royal [West LA]
“The Canterville Ghost” Available on VOD
FilmWeek Feature: Larry Mantle Talks With The FilmWeek Critics About LAFCA Voting And The Ubiquitous Award Show
With so many different organizations giving out best of honors, it’s sometimes difficult for film lovers to parse what they all mean. One of those organizations is the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) who this weekend will meet in-person for the first time since 2019 to decide on the best performances and films of the year. Today, Larry sits down with FilmWeek critics Christy Lemire, Peter Rainer and Charles Solomon to understand the LAFCA decision making process, the similarities between the various award organizations, and to discuss the contemporary influence of film criticism.
