Checking in on K-12 education as districts continue to struggle with enrollment, closures
Pasadena Unified School District has dealt with some major challenges as of late, having seen some damage by the Eaton fire, the district faces major challenges as it considers cuts to their staff ahead of the 2025-26 school year. The district is looking at cutting more than 100 positions at this time and will have preliminary notices for any layoffs prepared by March 15. This situation has become more common around California K-12 schools, as attendance and overall enrollment have continued to drop; that in turn has left campuses with limited resources and needing to work around that, with the fires across LA county only having exacerbated the issue. Today on AirTalk, we’ll look at the issues plaguing schools on the local and statewide levels; joining us this morning are Pasadena Unified School District superintendent Elizabeth Blanco, LAist senior reporter covering K-12 education Mariana Dale, and K-12 education reporter for CalMatters Carolyn Jones.
Remembering Gene Hackman, the prolific Oscar-winning actor, who died today at 95.
Gene Hackman, the prolific Oscar-winning actor whose studied portraits ranged from reluctant heroes to conniving villains and made him one of the industry’s most respected and honored performers, has been found dead along with his wife at their home. He was 95. Hackman was a frequent and versatile presence on screen from the 1960s until his retirement. His dozens of films included the Academy Award favorites “The French Connection” and “Unforgiven,” a breakout performance in “Bonnie and Clyde,” a classic bit of farce in “Young Frankenstein,” a turn as the comic book villain Lex Luthor in “Superman” and the title character in Wes Anderson’s 2001 “The Royal Tenenbaums.” Joining us this morning on AirTalk to remember his legacy is Wade Major, film critic for LAist's FilmWeek and CineGods.com and author of the “Hollywood Heretic” Substack.
With files from the Associated Press
Pulitzer Prize winner retells California’s history in ‘Golden State’
California has a rich history. Spanish incursions, gold mining, the railroad boom. All and more have influenced what the state has become today, but according to Los Angeles Times business columnist Michael Hiltzik, the mythic state’s history is far more complicated than people realize. He retells the state’s history in his new book, Golden State: The Making of California (Mariner Books, 2025). Hiltzik joins Larry to discuss. If you have questions or thoughts to share, call 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
Checking in on the contentious Move Culver City project
It’s been two months since the completion of the Move Culver City project which sought to shift downtown Culver City away from car dependency by prioritizing safety and green transportation. In 2021, the initial year-long pilot program provided the downtown corridor with a stretch of dedicated bus and protected bike lanes, achieved by reducing car lanes down to one. Despite initial data showing an uptick in bus ridership and cyclists throughout the corridor, in September 2023, the Culver City Council voted 3-2 to modify the project to restore a second car lane by combining separate bus and bike lanes into a single shared lane. Critics of the change quickly filed a lawsuit challenging the city’s modifications to the project, which paused construction until 2024 when the Court sided in favor of Culver City. With the project completed, eyes are now on how effective the Move Culver City project has been within its first few weeks. Joining us to discuss the Move Culver City project and its future is the Mayor of Culver City, Dan O’Brien, and co-chair of Bike Culver City, Mary Daval. What has your experience been using the revamped corridor? We want to hear from you! Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
When actors use the Oscars to get political. Love it or leave it?
At the 1973 Academy Awards, Marlon Brando rejected his Oscar win for Best Actor for his role in The Godfather. Instead, he sent an Apache woman named Sacheen Littlefeather to deliver a speech in which she urged Hollywood to consider how they harmfully portray Native Americans on the big screen. Her comments were met with boos and cheers. This moment arguably became the most famous political statement at the Oscars, but there have been many others. Today on AirTalk we want to hear from you. What do you think about political speeches at Hollywood’s biggest award shows? Do you like them? Maybe they move you or maybe you find them completely useless. Call us at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
TV Talk: ‘1923,’ ‘Running Point,’ ‘A Thousand Blows,’ and many more
Have you felt completely overwhelmed when deciding what new show to watch these days? Us too. There’s just so much content out there between network TV and numerous streaming platforms. Each week, we will try to break through the noise with TV watchers who can point us to the must-sees and steer us clear of the shows that maybe don’t live up to the hype. This week, listeners will get the latest scoop on what’s worth watching with Liz Shannon-Miller, senior entertainment editor at Consequence and Kristen Baldwin, tv critic for Entertainment Weekly.
