LA Times owner plans on taking the storied newspaper public — but what would that look like?
In an interview with The Daily Show’s John Stewart, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of the L.A. Times, said he plans to take the newspaper public next year. Dr. Soon-Shiong did not go into detail about what a future public offering would look like. The medical researcher and businessman bought the newspaper in 2018. Since then, the L.A. Times has continued to lose print subscriptions, has found itself in hot water recently for its implementation of AI tools, and its foregoing of endorsing a presidential candidate for the 2024 election. Today on AirTalk, we discuss what it would mean for the Times to go public and its future. Joining us is David Folkenflik, media correspondent for NPR. We also want to hear from you! Are you an L.A. Times subscriber or frequently view their content, print or digital? Would you buy stock in the newspaper if it went public? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
We reached out to L.A. Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong but did not receive a response by airtime.
Checking in on California’s EV chargers
The number of installed private and public EV chargers in California reached over 178,000 back in March, making the number of EV chargers in the state 48% more than the number of gasoline nozzles. Despite California leading the way in electric vehicles compared to the rest of the nation, the state still faces issues building-up its infrastructure. The Trump administration blocked California's mandate requiring that 35% of all new cars sold be zero-emissions by 2026 back in May — but Gov. Gavin Newsom promised that California's goal to have 100% zero-emissions by 2035 was still ongoing, and that the state was looking for other ways to incentivize the production and sale of EVs. More recently, the Department of Commerce announced a new tariff on essential material for EV batteries, creating another obstacle for California’s EV goals. Today on AirTalk, we check in on the state’s EV charging infrastructure with Gil Tal, professor of Environmental Science and Policy and the director of the EV Research Center director at UC Davis. We also want to hear from you! If you own an electric vehicle, what issues do you face when looking to charge your car? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was convicted under the Mann Act — here’s what that means
Sean “Diddy” Combs was convicted Wednesday of prostitution-related offenses under the federal Mann Act, an anti-sex trafficking law with a century-old history. Though he was acquitted of more serious charges, Combs was still convicted of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and male sex workers, to engage in paid sexual encounters. Over the years, the law has been applied to prominent convictions, including R&B superstar R. Kelly, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, musician Chuck Berry and more than a century ago, boxer Jack Johnson. Its broad wording and a subsequent Supreme Court interpretation once allowed prosecutors to bring cases against interracial couples, and eventually many others in consensual relationships, according to Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute. While law was amended in the 1980s, critics say the Mann Act is still overly broad and causes un-criminal actions to be criminalized. Today on AirTalk, we’re joined by Aya Gruber, professor of law at USC Law School and author of the forthcoming book The Crime of Sex who recently wrote an opinion piece in The Los Angeles Times about the Mann act.
With files from the Associated Press
What does the future of Downtown LA business look like?
After a revitalization plan that saw Downtown L.A. businesses gain steady growth in the 2000s, the current economic situation in the area has begun to face major challenges, with major fixtures in the area closing their doors. Weeks back on the program, we did a segment on Cole’s French Dip, a centuries-old part of Downtown L.A.’s food scene that’s closing its doors. More recently, we’ve seen the Mayan Theater announce its closure, having been a historic part of Downtown L.A. nightlife in its many iterations. Is downtown doomed? We talk with stakeholders about its future. Thoughts? Call 866-893-5722.
Are you a big spender while your partner is frugal? How do you deal with it?
There comes a time in every relationship for a real reckoning: who is the big spender and who is the penny pincher and how on earth will you navigate that rift? This topic might be as old as our time on earth, with one partner leaning towards excess and the other towards frugality. Where does a couple meet in the middle? Should they meet in the middle? Joining us for the conversation is Wall Street Journal columnist and author of this recent WSJ piece, Katie Roiphe. Do you and your partner differ on spending habits? How do you navigate that? Call us at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
