Latest on OC Supervisor Andrew Do resignation and charges
Andrew Do has resigned as Orange County supervisor and agreed to plead guilty to a conspiracy to steal millions of dollars meant to feed needy seniors, following a months-long LAist investigation and federal probe. The criminal charges and plea deal were announced Tuesday morning by U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada at a news conference in downtown Santa Ana. Out of $9.3 million in taxpayer dollars that was supposed to feed people, only 15% went to people in need, Estrada said. “Mr. Do and his co-conspirators stole money from the poor,” said Estrada, who called the conspiracy “Robin Hood in reverse.” Do agreed to plead guilty and signed a plea agreement to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and faces a possible five year prison term. He accepted over $550,000 in bribes for directing and voting in favor of more than $10 million in COVID funds to a charity affiliated with his daughter Rhiannon Do, according to a U.S. attorney's office news release.
Today on AirTalk, we continue to follow this developing story with LAist Senior Reporter Nick Gerda, who was the first to report on the story.
2024 travel preview as rates stay high and travelers look at alternative destinations
According to data compiled by online finance company NerdWallet, travel costs continue to be high following the COVID-19 pandemic, although the cost of hotels and flights have seen some dropoff from last year. Alongside these numbers, research compiled by the travel sites Booking.com and Expedia find that more people are moving away from the usual metropolitan travel destinations, with the overall lower costs seemingly being a factor. Joining us to discuss the outlook for this year's fall and winter holiday travel is Allison Pohle, reporter covering travel for The Wall Street Journal.
What should LA and New York bet on for this year's World Series?
May the best team win is a nice sentiment, but for this year's world series the match up is bigger than baseball. The Dodgers and Yankees have met more times in the World Series than any other team. This latest meeting has already reignited the longstanding rivalry between the bicoastal behemoths. In true sports fans tradition, we'd like to wager a bet. But what should we bet? A life supply of avocado toast? Free botox? The Crypto Arena? We want to hear from you. What should we bet on? Call us at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
The life and legacy of Fernando Valenzuela
Fernando Valenzuela, the Mexican-born phenom for the Los Angeles Dodgers who inspired “Fernandomania” while winning the NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in 1981, has died. He was 63. The team said he died Tuesday night at a Los Angeles hospital, but did not provide the cause or other details. His death comes as the Dodgers prepare to open the World Series on Friday night at home against the New York Yankees. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said Valenzuela would be honored during the series at Dodger Stadium. Valenzuela had left his color commentator job on the Dodgers’ Spanish-language television broadcast in September without explanation. He was reported to have been hospitalized earlier this month. His job kept him as a regular at Dodger Stadium, where he held court in the press box dining room before games and remained popular with fans who sought him out for photos and autographs. Valenzuela was one of the most dominant players of his era and a wildly popular figure in the 1980s, although he was never elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. However, he is part of Cooperstown, which features several artifacts including a signed ball from his no-hitter in 1990. Valenzuela’s rise from humble beginnings as the youngest of 12 children in Mexico and his feats on the mound made him hugely popular and influential in Los Angeles’ Latino community while helping attract new fans to Major League Baseball. Their fondness for him continued for years after his retirement.Today on AirTalk, we’ll remember the great Fernando Valenzuela with Nick Roman, former host of LAist’s ‘All Things Considered,’ NPR ‘Morning Edition’ Host A Martinez, L.A. Times columnist Gustavo Arellano, former Dodgers executive and general manager Fred Claire, former longtime Dodgers’ Spanish language broadcaster Jaime Jarrín and Dodgers team historian Mark Langill. We’d also like to hear from you -- what are your memories of Fernando Valenzuela? Join our live conversation by calling 866-893-5722 or by emailing atcomments@laist.com.
With files from the Associated Press. You can also read more at LAist.com from LAist editor and lifelong Dodger fan George Kiriyama, who wrote this essay.
