New Bill Proposes A “Right To Disconnect” For Employees

California Assemblymember Matt Haney has introduced a new bill that would, according to Haney, “guarantee California workers uninterrupted personal and family time by creating a ‘right-to-disconnect’ from emails, texts, and calls after work hours.” The bill would require companies to create “company-wide action plans” to follow the law, and would grant power to the California Labor Commissioner’s office to investigate violations. We want to hear from you: is this legislation something you could use for your own work/life balance? Or is it too blunt an instrument? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.

Adam Schiff Proposes Converting Government Buildings Into Housing

Rep. Adam Schiff, who's also a candidate for U.S. Senate, introduced a proposal that would convert underutilized government-owned buildings into housing. The bill introduced this week would create an annual report detailing buildings that are suitable for the switch, and it would provide $250 million a year in funding to help with costs. Today on AirTalk, we discuss how the proposal would work and get into the adaptive reuse pros and cons. Joining to discuss is Clara Harter, politics reporter at L.A. Daily News, and Clare De Briere, former Chief Operating Officer at the Ratkovich Company and former executive vice president at Skanska Commercial Development. If you have questions or thoughts, please call 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.

What Is ‘Emotional Labor’ In Relationships And How Do We Know If We’re Doing Too Much Of It?

‘Emotional labor’ refers to the often invisible work that a partner does in a romantic relationship to keep the other partner happy and comfortable. In hetero relationships, this work falls mainly on women, who are expectedly to keep all aspects of domestic life afloat. This includes everything from staying on top of kids’ busy schedules, writing thank you and holiday cards to relatives, initiating difficult conversations, and so much more. When one partner takes on more of these tasks than the other, the term “emotional labor” is conjured. Joining us today on AirTalk to discuss emotional labor, what it is and how we can make it more equitable in our relationships is Rose Hackman, journalist and author of the book “Emotional Labor: The Invisible Work Shaping Our Lives and How to Claim Our Power” and Ron Levant, professor of psychology at the University of Akron and author of the forthcoming book “The Assessment and Treatment of Emotionally Inexpressive Men”

LA Public Library Joins With Local Press To Become Book Publisher

At a time when libraries across the country are redefining themselves as hubs of social services, the Los Angeles Public Library took the unusual step of delving into an age-old medium — publishing. “Angel City Press is both a small business but it’s also a very loved and cherished institution within Los Angeles,” said John Szabo, city librarian of Los Angeles. Founded in 1992, the small publishing operation has produced more than 135 titles spanning the history of the West. In December 2023 the press was donated to the library by founders Scott McAuley and Paddy Calistro when they retired. The agreement includes the fully operational book publisher and its backstock of titles, as well as the preservation of its contracted working relationships with numerous Los Angeles-based authors. Joining us to discuss this unique arrangement is City Librarian John Szabo and publishers emeriti of Angel City Press Scott McAuley and Paddy Calistro.

With files from LAist. Read the full story here.

Free Speech Implications Of New Scottish Law On Hate Speech

A new law against hate speech came into force in Scotland on Monday, praised by some but criticized by others who say its sweeping provisions could criminalize religious views or tasteless jokes. The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act makes it an offense to stir up hatred with threatening or abusive behavior on the basis of characteristics including age, disability, religion, sexual orientation and transgender identity. Racial hatred was already banned under a law dating from 1986. The maximum sentence is seven years in prison. Critics argue that the law will have a chilling effect on free speech, making people afraid to express their views. Joining us today on AirTalk to discuss the new law and criticisms of it is Eugene Volokh, professor of law at UCLA where he teaches First Amendment law.

TV-Talk: ‘Sugar,’ ‘Ripley,’ ‘George & Mary’ And More Shows To Watch

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 Jen Chaney, television critic for Vulture.

This week’s shows include:

• Ripley (Netflix)
• Sugar (Apple TV+)
• George & Mary (Starz) 
• Loot [Season 2] (Apple TV+)
• Dinosaur (Hulu) 
• Curb Your Enthusiasm [Series Finale]