Wildfires, federal cuts, and housing market exacerbate LA County’s budget deficit
Los Angeles County is grappling with a significant financial crisis, driven by costs relating to the recent wildfires and recovery efforts. Adding to the financial strain from the devastating fires are the loss of federal funds. The Trump Administration made an announcement last month that it was cutting more than $12 billion in federal health grants. This decision resulted in a $45 million hit to the county’s Department of Public Health. These aren’t the only factors straining the county’s budget. Home sales have dropped 41% over the past 4 years, worsening the decline in property tax revenues, which are a key source of the county’s budget. Joining us this morning on AirTalk to discuss is Fesia Davenport, LA County Chief Executive Officer.
How has the trade war impacted California’s wine industry?
Take a look at where the majority of the country’s wine exports come from, and you’ll discover that 95 percent originates from the golden state. But despite the state being a wine exporting powerhouse, the country still imports nearly 40% of all wine consumed, and we collectively import nearly five times the amount of wine we export. On the surface, this may make the tariff regime President Donald Trump is imposing seem like a win for the wine industry; if imported wine is more expensive than domestic brews, Americans will buy more Californian wine. Right? Here to explain why the situation is a bit more complicated than that is Jess Lander, wine reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle and Daniel Sumner, distinguished professor of agricultural and resource economics at UC Davis.
Could embryos and fetuses be given rights under the constitution?
The overturning of Roe v. Wade marked the beginning of a new chapter in American politics. Several states have since banned abortions and there is a continuing effort from conservatives to restrict access to abortion pills like mifepristone. A major point of President Trump's 2024 reelection campaign was an emphasis on incentivizing women to have more children, with Vice President JD Vance proposing an increased child tax credit of $5000. But anti-abortionist efforts don't stop there. As Mary Ziegler explains in her new book Personhood: The New Civil War Over Reproduction, the next goalpost is to establish personhood for embryos and fetuses under the U.S. Constitution. Today on AirTalk, we're joined by Mary Ziegler, professor of law at UC Davis, to discuss her new book and what the future of reproductive rights in America could look like.
The latest on how Trump's deportation efforts are impacting California
One of the major priorities of President Donald Trump's second term has been reforming current immigration policy. As part of this, the federal government's efforts to deport undocumented immigrants have ramped up considerably, with the President going as far as saying the undocumented shouldn't get trials before deportation. In California, these federal efforts have manifested in raids on day laborers, immigrants whose deportation orders have been on hold for years suddenly being detained, and even a US-born citizen receiving an order to self deport. After President Trump's first week in Office, AirTalk spoke with Wendy Fry, a CalMatters reporter who covers the Southern border region and immigration, on what listeners could expect out of the administration's immigration policy. Today, Wendy Fry joins Larry again to see how these policies have been implemented, and how they have impacted Californians.
SoCal History: Pasadena Playhouse celebrates 100 years with buying back the theater
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Pasadena Playhouse. The theater has been a mainstay for playwrights and actors in LA theatre since it opened in May 1925. It was known as the "star factory" for cultivating some of Hollywood's studio talent and became California's official state theater in 1937. After losing ownership of the building in 1970 due to bankruptcy, Pasadena Playhouse has now bought it back just in time for another century of theater to begin. Today on AirTalk, we go through the 100 years history of Pasadena Playhouse and what the future has in store. We're joined by Danny Feldman, producing artistic director.
Determining the best place to live is particularly challenging in SoCal. How’d you decide?
Southern California’s sprawling region and vast array of eclectic neighborhoods makes it uniquely challenging to decide the best place to live. Today on AirTalk, we ask listeners how they came to their decision. What factors did you weigh and what were the top reasons you landed where you did? What features (Walkability? Social scene? Near the beach?) were most important to you? Were you happy with the decision or did things change after you got settled? Share your thoughts by calling 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
