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Podcasts Take Two
Santa Monica scooters, Figueroa gets an update, the end of remedial courses
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Aug 30, 2018
Listen • 48:47
Santa Monica scooters, Figueroa gets an update, the end of remedial courses

Santa Monica decides which scooter companies it will work with, Figueroa adds bike lanes near USC, California's Community Colleges end remedial courses.
Young women ride shared electric scooters in Santa Monica, California, on July 13, 2018. - Cities across the U.S. are grappling with the growing trend of electric scooters which users can unlock with a smartphone app. Scooter startups including Bird and Lime allow riders to park them anywhere that doesn't block pedestrian walkways but residents in some cities, including Los Angeles, say they often litter sidewalks and can pose a danger to pedestrians. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)
Young women ride shared electric scooters in Santa Monica, California, on July 13, 2018. - Cities across the U.S. are grappling with the growing trend of electric scooters which users can unlock with a smartphone app. Scooter startups including Bird and Lime allow riders to park them anywhere that doesn't block pedestrian walkways but residents in some cities, including Los Angeles, say they often litter sidewalks and can pose a danger to pedestrians. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)
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ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images
)
In 1949, Sunset Tower overlooks the Sunset Strip as Sunset Boulevard winds eastward past the Chateau Marmont toward Hollywood, with the Hollywood hills and San Gabriel range in the background.
In 1949, Sunset Tower overlooks the Sunset Strip as Sunset Boulevard winds eastward past the Chateau Marmont toward Hollywood, with the Hollywood hills and San Gabriel range in the background.
(
Angel City Press
)

Santa Monica has been ground zero for the e-scooter debate, and today the city decides which scooter companies it will work with moving forward. Plus, the city unveils an ambitious re-do of a stretch of Figueroa near the University of Southern California campus. And, California community colleges move to end remedial math and English classes.

Gun legislation

(Starts at 1:42)

California's tight gun laws might get a whole lot tighter. This week, lawmakers sent at least FOUR gun-related bills to Governor Brown. If signed, they would greatly reduce the number of people allowed access to guns.  California ALREADY has some of the strictest gun laws in the county. And that raises an obvious question: do all those laws make us any… safer?

Guest:

  • Adam Winkler, professor of constitutional law at UCLA and author of the book "Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America" 

Santa Monica Scooters

(Starts at 8:19)

Thursday's the day in Santa Monica. Some new electric scooter companies will find out if they get to put wheels on the ground. The city plans to create a pilot program where at least two companies will be granted the right to operate rentable electric scooters. But there's no guarantee that the companies who've been there for months — Bird and Lime —will be those two.

Guest:

  • Kate Cagle, senior reporter for the Santa Monica Daily Press newspaper

UPDATE: Santa Monica didn't choose two companies for the pilot program, it chose FOUR.

My Figueroa transportation corridor opening

(Starts at 15:59)

The new transportation project near the University of Southern California known as My Figueroa has its groundbreaking Thursday. It's part of the southern stretch of the famed downtown L.A. thoroughfare with bike lanes, new bus boarding platforms and wider sidewalks.

Guest:

  • Meghan McCarty Carino, KPCC transportation reporter

Remedial Courses

(Starts at 23:07)

Last year, all 23 Cal State University campuses announced an end to remedial English and math courses. Students were required to enroll if it's determined they aren't quite ready for college-level work. Now, California's community colleges have to get ready to do the same.

Guest:

  • Laura Hope, executive vice chancellor of the California Community College system

https://twitter.com/CalCommColleges/status/1031943395118206976

Cal State Northridge celebrates Ascot Park Raceway

(Starts at 30:28)

Ascot Park Raceway, in Gardena, used to be the most famous race track in the country. At least it was back in the '50s, '60s and '70s. Now, Cal State University Northridge is paying tribute to the track with the exhibit Kings of Speed. 

Guest:

  • John Parker, Kings of Speed curator

Summer Hacks: Sunscreen

(Starts at 35:53)

Kids are back to school — and technically, that’s one of the signs that summer is about to end. But we’re in sunny Southern California where summer is nearly all year-round. That means there’s an important staple you should have around you at all times – sunscreen.

Here are some tips:

  • Anyone can develop skin cancer. And when it happens to darker skinned people, it’s overlooked more often until it’s more advanced.
  • Sunscreen is not just for sunny warm days. Even when it’s cold and cloudy, lots of UV rays can still hit your skin. "If you look at like people that go skiing, they come back with a raccoon mask of sunburn," said dermatologist Dr. Eric Meinhardt.
  • Pick a sunscreen that says "broad spectrum." That way it’ll take care of the UV rays responsible for both aging and burning.
  • The Skin Cancer Foundation says any product with an SPF of at least 15 does a good job. One might think, "Bigger is better, right? Why not SPF 70 or SPF 100?" But dermatologists say a high SPF won’t matter much if you apply it on wrong.
  • To use sunscreen right, put it on at least 15 minutes before you walk out the door – that way it sets into your skin, ready for action.
  • Remember to reapply often. Sunscreen wears off after a couple hours.

  • Depending on your skin tone, you might want to start applying sunscreen underneath your clothes. "You can certainly burn through a white t-shirt," said Dr. Meinhardt. "A white t-shirt, I think it’s SPF 4 to 8. So it’s not that great." But don’t worry – there are powders you can throw into your next wash to give all your clothes an SPF of 30.
  • There are the pills advertised as being a defense against the sun BUT don’t take a shine to them just yet. There is no concrete evidence they are as effective as sunscreen. Last May, the FDA told several of the pills’ makers to stop suggesting they might be, arguing that they are, “putting people’s health at risk by giving consumers a false sense of security.”

Sunset Strip

(Starts at 40:27)

The Sunset Strip is one of L.A.'s most well-known streets. It's been home to glamorous movie stars as well as rockers and even a few criminals. All the stories — famous and infamous —are detailed in the book "Tales of the Strip: A Century in the Fast Lane."

Guest:

  • Van Gordon Sauter, Author
In 1949, Sunset Tower overlooks the Sunset Strip as Sunset Boulevard winds eastward past the Chateau Marmont toward Hollywood, with the Hollywood hills and San Gabriel range in the background.
In 1949, Sunset Tower overlooks the Sunset Strip as Sunset Boulevard winds eastward past the Chateau Marmont toward Hollywood, with the Hollywood hills and San Gabriel range in the background.
(
Angel City Press
)