Support for LAist comes from
Become a sponsor
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Donate
Stay Connected

LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network.

Listen
Donate
Podcasts Take Two
California's No-Bid Pandemic Contracts, the 'Recall Gavin 2020' Campaign Gets 1.5 Million Signatures, China's Box Office is Back
solid orange rectangular banner
()
Take Two Logo
Feb 17, 2021
Listen • 49:24
California's No-Bid Pandemic Contracts, the 'Recall Gavin 2020' Campaign Gets 1.5 Million Signatures, China's Box Office is Back

A new investigation shines light on California's no-bid contracts during pandemic, recall effort against Governor gains steam, China's box office is booming

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 27: California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks in front of the hospital ship USNS Mercy that arrived into the Port of Los Angeles on Friday, March 27, 2020, to provide relief for Southland hospitals overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic. Also attending the press conference were Director Mark Ghilarducci, Cal OES, left, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, second from right, and Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of Health and Human Services, far right, along with others not shown. (Photo by Carolyn Cole-Pool/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 27: California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks in front of the hospital ship USNS Mercy that arrived into the Port of Los Angeles on Friday, March 27, 2020, to provide relief for Southland hospitals overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic. Also attending the press conference were Director Mark Ghilarducci, Cal OES, left, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, second from right, and Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of Health and Human Services, far right, along with others not shown. (Photo by Carolyn Cole-Pool/Getty Images)
(
Pool/Getty Images
)

FEMA Joins LA County's Vaccine Effort

A new FEMA-run super vaccination site opens at Cal State LA, and you can take the metro to get there.

Guest:

  • KPCC's Sharon McNary 

What's Up with California's No-Bid Pandemic Contracts?

Over the course of the pandemic, the Newsom Administration has awarded several contracts to corporations that have provided vital services to the public...like refurbishing ventilators and distributing masks and vaccines. The problem is that some of these corporations have donated thousands of dollars to Governor Gavin Newsom's political campaigns. And their contracts were awarded through a no-bid process, raising questions of whether these companies benefited from favoritism, and if they are truly the best firms to help California get through this crisis.

Guest:

  • Scott Rodd, state government reporter, for Capital Public Radio 

Effort to Recall Gov. Newsom Says it Has 1.5 Million Signatures

The organizers behind the campaign to recall California Governor Gavin Newsom said they have passed the signature threshold, one month ahead of deadline.

Guest: 

  • Joshua Spivak, election recall expert and Senior Fellow at the Hugh L. Carey Institute for Government Reform at Wagner College

On The Lot: China's Box Office is Back and Scorsese Slams Streaming Services

A new four-part HBO docuseries premiering this month delves into the Woody Allen sexual abuse allegations. Meanwhile, China broke box office records over the Lunar New Year holiday weekend.

Guest:

  • Rebecca Keegan, senior editor film for The Hollywood Reporter.

Servant of Pod: Nick Quah Spends More Than a Minute with Sam Sanders

It's time now for our weekly check-in with Nick Quah… the go-to journalist covering the podcast industry and host of LAist Studio's podcast Servant of Pod. This week… Nick talks to Sam Sanders, host of NPR's "It's Been a Minute"...and A Martinez, in turn, talks to Nick.

Guest:

Nick Quah, Host of Servant of Pod