Tens Of Thousands Of Kaiser Health Workers Go On Strike

More than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente health care workers in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Virginia and Washington D.C. are on a three-day strike. In Southern California, more than 28,000 medical assistants, surgical technicians, phlebotomists, pharmacy technicians, respiratory therapists, X-ray technicians and ultrasound sonographers and some nurses, among other unionized health workers, are on strike – that’s about 34% of Kaiser’s Southern California workforce. Jackie Fortiér, senior health reporter for LAist, joins to discuss the latest and what people should know. If you’re a Kaiser employee or someone impacted by the strike, give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.

Kevin McCarthy Is Out As Speaker Of The House. What Happens Next?

The House of Representatives is entering uncharted territory after a far-right effort to remove fellow Republican Kevin McCarthy from the speakership succeeded thanks to support from Democrats.

A resolution — titled a motion to vacate — from Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., passed Tuesday with the support of eight Republicans and all the Democrats present and voting. The vote made McCarthy the first speaker in history to be removed from office, a bitter humiliation that came after less than nine months on the job. Joining us today on AirTalk to discuss this unprecedented moment in US government history is Mark Barabak, political columnist for the LA Times.

A Synod For The Future? Vatican Gathering Could Have Big Implications For The Future Of The Church

This week opens a global gathering of Catholic bishops and laypeople–including women–discussing the future of the church. The 3-week synod, which begins Wednesday October 4th at the Vatican, will debate agenda items including such hot-button issues as women in governance, LGBTQ+ Catholics and priestly celibacy. It’s the culmination of an unprecedented two-year canvassing of rank-and-file Catholics about their hopes for the future of the institution. The potential that this synod, and a second session next year, could lead to real change on previously taboo topics has given hope to many women and progressive Catholics. At the same time, it has sparked alarm from conservatives, some of whom have warned that the process risks opening a “Pandora’s Box” that will split the church. Joining us to discuss are Francis X. Rocca, Vatican correspondent at The Wall Street Journal and Father Allan Figueroa Deck, distinguished scholar in pastoral theology and Latino studies at Loyola Marymount University.

A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Metro Micro, LA Metro’s Last-Mile Solution

Last week, the LA Metro Board of Directors unanimously voted for another year of Metro Micro, its rideshare service aiming to bring public transit back to neighborhoods where bus service had been limited or eliminated due to low ridership.

The program kicked off in December 2020 with two zones of service, and has since expanded to cover eight zones, including Watts/Compton, LAX/Inglewood, North Hollywood/Burbank, El Monte, Highland Park/Eagle Rock/Glendale, Altadena/Pasadena/Sierra Madre, Northwest San Fernando Valley and UCLA/Westwood/VA Medical Center. Much like Uber or Lyft, Angelenos in one of those areas can call a Metro Micro ride to their location using a smartphone app, and for $1, get a ride to any location in their same zone of service.

While fans of the program say that it’s safer, faster and cheaper than Metro’s buses and trains, critics say that the cost is too high to sustain. Where a low performing bus route costs LA Metro about $8 per person, Metro Micro costs the organization about $43 per ride, primarily because low ridership can turn a shared ride into a personal one. The originally-promotional cost of $1 per ride also hasn’t been raised in the nearly three years since the program launched.

With last week’s approval, Metro did indicate it would look at cutting costs by reducing Metro Micro’s hours of operation, discontinuing or limiting service in zones with less demand, promoting the program to increase ridership, and raising the per ride fare to the price originally proposed: $2.50 per ride.

Today on AirTalk, Los Angeles City Councilmember and Metro board member Katy Yaroslavsky, and Streetsblog Los Angeles Editor Joe Linton, join Larry to discuss.

Amazon Is Facing Its Biggest Lawsuit Yet. What Would A Loss Mean For The E-Commerce Megastore?

U.S. regulators and 17 states are suing Amazon over allegations the e-commerce behemoth abuses its position in the marketplace to inflate prices on and off its platform, overcharge sellers and stifle competition. The lawsuit, filed last Tuesday in federal court in Amazon’s home state of Washington, is the result of a yearslong investigation into the company’s businesses and one of the most significant legal challenges brought against it in its nearly 30-year history. The Federal Trade Commission and states that joined the lawsuit allege Amazon is violating federal and state antitrust laws. They are asking the court to issue a permanent injunction that they say would prohibit Amazon from engaging in its unlawful conduct and loosen its “monopolistic control to restore competition.”

Joining us today on AirTalk to talk about the lawsuit is University of Minnesota professor of law, Thomas Cotter and lawyer at Foley and Lardner LLP and former Federal Trade Commission lawyer, Diane Hazel.

Mayor Karen Bass On Sen. Feinstein’s Replacement, The Latest On Homelessness And More

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass joins Larry for her regular check in on the latest happenings in the city. Today on AirTalk, we discuss the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein and the announcement about who will take over her seat, the latest on homelessness initiatives and how much they’ll cost Angelenos, the state’s new care court systems and much more. If you have thoughts or questions, call 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.