Coronavirus Rent Due: Commercial

It's April first, and all day today we're reporting on what renters and small businesses are doing about paying rent during a global pandemic. KPCC's Emily Guerin talked to small business owners about the uncomfortable conversations they are having -- or not having -- with their landlords about paying rent, and she joins us now.

Guest:

• Emily Guerin, KPCC's Senior Environment Reporter 

Restaurant Grocers - Janice Hahn

Some L.A. restaurants dealt with plummeting dine-in businesses by tapping their supplier connections to sell hard-to-find groceries. Just days ago, however, the county health department began to shut those operations down. Now, LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn moved to make the practice legal. She joins Take Two to explain.

Guest: 

• Janice Hahn, LA County Supervisor 

Coronavirus Rent Due: Residential

It's the start of a new month and for the first time millions of Californians will have to pay rent during the coronavirus pandemic. Many of them won't be able to. About a third of L.A. renters were already spending half their income or more on housing, and that was before many lost their jobs. KPCC's David Wagner looks at what this means for renters — and their landlords.

Census Day

It's census day. But while many Californians will have no problem getting counted, members of historically undercounted communities might. Outreach and engagement groups have been hard at work raising awareness about the census, but none of them planned for a global pandemic. Now, with their capabilities hampered, these organizations must find new ways to connect with the state's most vulnerable populations.

Guest: 

•  Lanae Norwood, spokesperson for CA Black Census and Redistricting Hub
• David Aguila, youth civic engagement organizer at Inner City Struggle 

It takes just ten minutes to get counted. Click here to get started!

On the Lot

Executives forgoing salaries in the wake of coronavirus losses, theaters closed and the industry feels like it’s come to a halt. But this isn’t the first time Hollywood has been through this. Time for a little Hollywood history. 

• Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter Senior Film Editor

Cancel Rent Fest

The Coronavirus - and the safer at home order that's been imposed because of it - has shut down business everywhere. That means many Angelenos are out of a job and unable to pay rent this month. So how can we enforce physical distancing without hurting some of our most essential workers? Musician and activist, Aloe Blacc, has a plan to help. It involves a throwback to a tradition called the rent party. 

Guest:

• Aloe Blacc, Musician and Activist