LA City Attorney sues Airbnb influencer who listed rent-controlled apartments illegally

The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office has filed a lawsuit against a man who describes himself on social media as an “Airbnb business coach” for allegedly renting out more than 30 properties illegally on vacation rental platforms. The lawsuit claims Vladyslav Yurov and his alleged associates earned more than $4 million by listing properties they didn’t own on Airbnb in violation of local regulations. Properties listed in the complaint include rent-controlled apartments in Venice and other apartments near LAX and the Crypto.com arena.The city claims the defendants used fake host names on Airbnb and falsely advertised that properties were located outside the city of L.A., in places like West Hollywood and Culver City. LAist reached out to Airbnb to ask what action the company took in response to these particular listings, but has not yet received a response. What are your recent experiences with short term rentals in LA? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or e-mail atcomments@laist.com.

With files from LAist

Kroger's and Albertsons sell 579 stores in an attempt to gain approval for their potential merger

Grocery store chains Kroger and Albertsons announced a proposed merger in October 2022. The two companies argue that a merger is necessary to compete with the large, non-unionized grocers like Amazon, Walmart, and Costco. Shortly after the merger proposal, the Federal Trade Commission sued the two grocers citing it would eliminate competitive pricing and quality for consumers. Now almost two years later, Kroger and Albertsons released a list of 579 stores (63 of which are in Southern California) that will be sold to C&S Wholesale Grocers. The sale is part of a divestment effort by the two companies to help ensure the FTC's approval of their merger.

Joining us today on AirTalk to update us on Kroger and Albertsons possible unification is Phil Lempert, a supermarket and consumer behavior analyst with the Santa Monica-based publication SupermarketGuru.com.

How the invention of refrigeration changed the way we produce and consume our food

Have you ever wondered how that pint of Ben and Jerry's gets from dairy cow to manufacturing facility to grocery store to your own freezer without melting? It's all thanks to the cold chain, a series of refrigerated warehouses, trucks, and at-home freezers that enable us to produce, store and consume the food we do. In the United States alone there is about 5.5 billion cubic feet of refrigeration space, the largest in the world. It's what author Nicola Twilley calls the "artificial cryosphere". In her new book "Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves," Twilley takes us through the history of refrigeration, from the 19th century's iceboxes to the 21st century's refrigerated warehouses where workers wear protective suits to withstand the -50 degrees. The book explores how the invention of the refrigerator has affected not only how we store food, but what food we eat, and how it ultimately gets grown to prepare it for its inevitable journey through the cold chain.

Joining us today on AirTalk is Nicola Twilley, author of "Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves" and co-host of the Gastropod podcast to talk about her new book and how refrigeration has changed almost every aspect of the food industry.

What to expect from the Republican National Convention next week as the year of elections continues

Some unexpected changes could be coming to the Republican Party platform as the GOP convenes in Milwaukee beginning Monday. A more moderate stance on abortion which leaves limitations to the states is on the proposed platform for the first time in four decades. The changes are largely influenced by the party’s presumed candidate, Donald Trump, who is seeking to appeal to more voters ahead of the November election. The final platform will be voted on Tuesday, and if adopted will be the most radical shift in official Republican policy in decades. Today on AirTalk, we preview the upcoming Republican National Convention. Here to discuss the GOP gathering is Pete Peterson, dean of the School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University. Also with us is Domenico Montanaro, senior political editor/correspondent for NPR. Have questions about this year’s RNC? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or e-mail atcomments@laist.com.

All’s fair in love and war, but what about household battles we fight?

Strong relationships are built on, among other things, good communication and willingness to compromise. But all that can go out the window if you feel like your living partner doesn’t understand what you believe is the best or most efficient way to accomplish what is an otherwise mundane household task -- how to load the dishwasher, the way someone folds laundry, using paper towels versus a cleaning rag…the list goes on. A recent Washington Post article attempted to settle a few of these debates through the lens of how to accomplish them in the most environmentally conscious way, but we thought it’d be fun to broaden the conversation and talk about the seemingly banal household chores that most often sow division in an otherwise peaceful homestead, and why we feel it’s so important to die on these hills.

Today on AirTalk, we’d like to hear from you -- what household battles are most often fought in your home? What hill will you die on every single time? Join our live conversation by calling us at 866-893-5722 or by emailing atcomments@laist.com.

TV-Talk: What's the best TV of the year so far? Our critics weigh in

We’re a little over halfway through the year and while there’s no shortage of new TV to watch, we thought we’d take inventory of 2024’s best TV thus far. From the hit historical drama “Shogun,” to the biographical comedy “The Vince Staples Show,” our critics take you through their top picks. Joining us for this week’s TV Talk is Kristen Baldwin, tv critic for Entertainment Weekly and Dominic Patten, executive editor for Deadline.

Shows:

• Shogun
• Baby Reindeer
• The Vince Staples Show
• The Sympathizer
• Criminal Record
• X-Men ‘97

You can see all 10 of Kristen's top picks here. You can also check out Dominic's top 10 picks here.