Fast food chains are seeing a sales slump — what's to blame?
The proposition is simple: you go to a fast food chain under the assumption that the food will be in your hands quickly and at a low cost. But as years of economic turbulence continue to affect the prices we pay for just about everything, this value proposition has been turned on its head. The price gap between sit-down casual dining spots like Chili’s and the iconic fast food giant McDonalds has closed almost entirely, and consumers are taking notice. While many quick bite companies are reporting slowing or stalling sales, sit-down spots are reporting surprisingly strong earnings. So what’s behind this slump, and how is the food-away-from-home sector adapting to these shifts? Joining AirTalk today to answer these questions and yours is Jonathan Maze, editor of Restaurant Business.
We also want to hear from you: Have you found yourself frequenting fast food spots less frequently? Are you seeing some of your favorite spots being impacted by price or customer service changes? Tell us your experience by calling 866-893-5722 or emailing atcomments@laist.com.
Superior court struck down LAUSD’s charter school policy — here’s what to know
The Los Angeles Unified School District may not categorically direct charter schools away from sharing particular school campuses, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has ruled. In February 2024, the LAUSD board approved a policy that tells district administrators to “avoid” co-locating charters on certain campuses. The California Charter Schools Association challenged the policy in court, calling it "a sweeping ban [that limits] access and restricting educational opportunity for thousands of families. "The challenge was then decided on Superior Court Judge Stephen Goorvitch, who struck down the district’s policy, providing a win for local charter schools. Today on the program, we’ll get into what this means with Julie Van Winkle, UTLA American Federation of Teachers vice president, and Keith Dell'Aquila, California Charter Schools Association vice president of advocacy in Greater Los Angeles.
With files from LAist, you can read the full story here.
A new book connects environmental impacts to serial killers in the West
Serial killers seem almost commonplace in the Pacific Northwest from the 1970s through the 1980s, with figures like Ted Bundy, Gary Ridgway, and Jack Spillman (just to name a few) stoking devastation and fear across the region. Is there a reason why so many infamous murderers hailed from this locale? And why were they so prominent during this time period? In her new book Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers, Caroline Fraser connects the West’s abundance of mines and smelters, which released toxic gases such as arsenic and lead, to the abundance of serial killers from the area. And as environmental regulations became stricter, the number of murderers also happened to wane. Today on AirTalk, we talk with Fraser about the killers that terrorized the Pacific Northwest and the environmental factors that may have led to their prevalence.
The latest on Andrew Do and his restitution hearing
Former Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do was ordered Monday to pay $878,230.80 in restitution for his involvement in a bribery scheme that saw millions in taxpayer dollars diverted from feeding needy seniors, leading authorities to label him a “Robin Hood in reverse.” Federal prosecutors had asked the judge to order Do to pay back the roughly $878,000 amount, while Orange County was seeking the return of millions more. Kevin Dunn, an attorney for Orange County, had asked the judge for the higher amount "to restore the full measure of the damage to the county." The judge ultimately sided with prosecutors. Do did not attend Monday's hearing. His attorney told the court Do was preparing to turn himself in by Friday to begin serving a five-year federal prison term. Today on AirTalk we get the latest on Andrew Do saga with LAist watchdog correspondent, Nick Gerda.
With files from LAist. Read more here
AOL is finally shutting down its dial-up internet service. We want to hear from you.
AOL’s dial-up internet is finally taking its last bow. Yes, while perhaps a dinosaur by today’s digital standards, dial-up is still around. But AOL says it’s officially pulling the plug for its service on Sept. 30. “AOL routinely evaluates its products and services and has decided to discontinue Dial-up Internet,” AOL wrote in a brief update on its support site — noting that dial-up and associated software “optimized for older operating systems” will soon be unavailable on AOL plans. AOL, formerly America Online, introduced many households to the world wide web for the first time when its dial-up service launched decades ago, rising to prominence particularly in the 90s and early 2000s. Still, a handful of consumers have continued to rely on internet services connected over telephone lines. In the U.S., according to Census Bureau data, an estimated 163,401 households were using dial-up alone to get online in 2023, representing just over 0.13% of all homes with internet subscriptions nationwide. We want to hear from you. What are your earliest memories of AOL dial-up? Are you one of the few 160,000 that still use AOL’s dial-up? Call us at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
With files from the Associated Press.
The 60th anniversary of the Watts Rebellion
Sixty years ago yesterday, 21-year-old Marquette Frye was arrested for drunk driving in the Watts neighborhood. The aggressive arrest of Frye led to six days of rioting, now known as the Watts Rebellion, in which 34 people died and over 1,000 were injured. The National Guard was called in, and a curfew was set in place. Martin Luther King Jr. visited to support the Watts community during the riots, but by the time he arrived, much of the violence had died down. Today on AirTalk, we ask listeners to share their memories of the Watts Rebellion. What did the city look and feel like at that moment in time? What lasting effects has the Watts Rebellion had on Los Angeles? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
