Triple Play: Two-Way Free Agent Star Shohei Ohtani Chooses Dodgers, Signs Massive Deal Worth $700 Million
The Shohei Ohtani free agent sweepstakes have finally come to a conclusion, and Dodger fans -- rejoice! The reigning American League MVP and two-way superstar is heading up the freeway to join his former team’s crosstown rivals. After months of speculation about where he would land following the end of his contract with the Los Angeles Angels, news broke over the weekend that Ohtani agreed to a 10-year deal with the Dodgers worth $700 million. It’s the largest deal an athlete has ever signed in baseball history, overtaking Angels star Mike Trout’s then-record-breaking 12 year deal worth $426.5 million, and is also believed to be the largest in American pro sports history -- Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes held the record previously with his 10-year deal worth $450 million. And, as sports writer Darren Rovell noted on X (formerly known as Twitter), the overall worth of the deal is more than the Oakland Athletics team payroll over the last 10 seasons, which he calculated adds up to $667 million. Ohtani is not expected to pitch next season, after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery this offseason, but his addition brings a powerful bat to the Dodgers’ lineup -- he’ll likely serve as the designated hitter in 2024.
Today on AirTalk, we convene the Triple Play of Larry, LAist “All Things Considered” Host Nick Roman, and NPR “Morning Edition” Host A Martinez to talk about how Ohtani’s signing positions the Dodgers to compete for a World Series in 2024 and (hopefully for the team and their fans) address some of the hitting and pitching issues that have dogged them during recent postseasons.
Read Nick Roman’s essay on what Ohtani’s signing means for the Dodgers here.
Southern California to Vegas High Speed Rail Project Gets $3 Billion Pledge
The Biden Administration pledged $3 billion, last week, towards the construction of a high-speed rail line between Las Vegas and Southern California. The $12 billion project is led by Brightline, a private company, that recently completed the final phase of a high-speed rail system connecting Miami and Orlando. The funds were secured through a U.S. Department of Transportation grant and the remaining funds for the project will be raised through private capital and bonds. With a projected completion date of 2028, could Southern California finally see its long-awaited high speed rail? Joining us to discuss is Rachel Uranga, staff writer covering transportation and mobility for the Los Angeles Times, and Yonah Freemark, a researcher at the Washington D.C. based think tank Urban Institute.
‘The Last Conservative:’ Influential Economist Milton Friedman’s Contributions To Modern Day Money Policy
“Rumpled and unpretentious, standing barely 5 feet tall, economist Milton Friedman seemed an unlikely figure to inspire awe or rage. But he managed over many decades to do both.” So writes Stanford University Associate Professor of History Jennifer Burns about the controversial but influential economist who is the subject of her recent book “Milton Friedman: The Last Conservative.” A die-hard supporter of capitalism, the free market and deregulation, Friedman was among the most important economists of the 20th century, and much of his research and thought on economics formed the basis for what we now consider modern day conservatism (at least in the fiscal sense). He won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1976 for his work on American consumption (how we spend our money) and served as an economic adviser to President Ronald Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Today on AirTalk, Professor Burns joins Larry to talk about her new biography of Milton Friedman, how his ideas and research came to undergird modern day conservative economic thinking, and how the effects of his work can still be seen in economic policymaking today.
SoCal History: The Saga Of The Salton Sea
A body of water where the Salton Sea exists today has been an intermittent presence in Southern California for thousands of years, depending on the whims of the Colorado River. The lake we know today formed during the construction of a canal to bring Colorado river water to the Imperial Valley. Spring floods overwhelmed the canal and spilled into the Salton basin and since then, the lake has been kept alive by agricultural runoff. The Salton Sea has lived many lives: as a mid-century resort, an important pit-stop for migratory birds, and now, a potential lithium and geothermal energy hotspot. But it’s also an environmental problem to be solved. The increasing salinity of the lake over the years has led to a large die-off of fish, affecting the birds who relied on it as a food source, and its receding shores have exposed the lakebed, releasing toxic dust into the air. Joining us to discuss the history of the Salton Sea is Tim Krantz, conservation director at The Wildlands Conservancy, professor emeritus at University of Redlands in environmental science, and former program manager of the Salton Sea Database Program.
Data Breach At 23andMe Raises More Questions Around Genetic Privacy
Back in October the genetic testing service 23andMe suffered a data leak that targeted Jewish users on a dark web forum. This past week, more information on the numbers affected by the data breach has come out in an SEC filing and a 23andMe blog update. According to 23andMe, 6.9 million users (nearly half of their registered customers) were affected in the breach first announced in early October. Though only 0.1% (or ~14,000) profiles were directly accessed, the hacker was able to use the 23andMe DNA Relatives and Family Tree features on those accounts to access additional information (such as predicted relationships with others, the amount of DNA users share with matches, ancestry reports, self-reported locations, ancestry birth locations, and more) on millions of other profiles. How can genetic testing companies like 23andMe fortify their user’s data? What, if any, protections are available to those who have opted-in to these services? Joining us today on AirTalk is Dalvin Brown, personal tech reporter for The Wall Street Journal and Ramesh Srinivasan, professor of information studies at UCLA.
Next On The Course Syllabus? Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift has long entered the chat... now she's on the syllabus. Academic institutions across the country are using the business savvy musical powerhouse as their muse for new courses. Coming next spring, Stephanie Burt, Harvard English professor and author of "We Are Mermaids" (Graywolf Press, 2022), will teach the new class “Taylor Swift and Her World.” According to the New York Times, hundreds have enrolled. Burt joins the show to talk about how a course like this will work and what students can expect. We also want to hear from you. Call 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
