Public Transit Use Continues To Dip. What Would It Take For You To Catch A Ride?
Overall ridership on L.A.’s Metro is still far from what it was before the pandemic, when total weekday ridership was more than a million people on average. As of this year, ridership has remained about half that, according to Metro data. At $1.75 a trip, Metro is cheaper than many major metropolitan areas, but some activists argue that fareless transit should be the norm. Free fares, they say, would improve access for low-income people, and well as get cars off the street. Could free rides bring people back to Metro?
Joining us to discuss is Erin Stone, climate emergency reporter for LAist.
With contributions from Erin Stone, read her full piece on LAist here.
Non-hormonal Male Birth Control Could Be A Game Changer According To New Study
An on-demand male contraceptive is showing significant promise, according to a preclinical study. The developers of the drug at Weill Cornell Medicine say it could be a “game changer” when it comes to birth control options for men, which are limited.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Communications this week, shows that a single injectable dose of a SAC inhibitor prevents mice sperm from propelling forward for up to two and a half hours. Some sperm begin moving after three hours and nearly all sperm recovered by 24 hours. So what does it all mean for the future of male birth control? Joining to discuss is Lonny Levin, professor of pharmacology at Weill Cornell Medicine and author of the new study, and Dr. Brian T. Nguyen, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at USC’s Keck School of Medicine where he researches male birth control.
Angels And Dodgers Pitchers And Catchers Have Reported To Spring Training, Which Means Baseball Is Back!
MLB Spring Training games won’t kick off until later this month, but die-hard baseball fans know baseball season has already officially begun. Today, pitchers and catchers from all but one of the 30 MLB teams (the Cleveland Guardians) have reported to their team’s training camp for Spring Training. The Angels appeared headed into a tumultuous off-season after last year, with not only two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani’s future in Anaheim uncertain at the time (he’s since signed an extension with the Angels for the 2023 season worth $30 million), but the future of the team itself uncertain as owner Arte Moreno planned to sell the team (he’s since announced he won’t be selling the team after all). The Angels failed to make the playoffs in 2022 and haven’t been to the postseason since 2014. It’s been even longer (2009) since they’ve won a postseason game. Meanwhile, the Dodgers faithful will have to cope with the loss of three fan favorites who became free agents this offseason -- Trea Turner (signed with Phillies), Justin Turner (signed with Red Sox), and Cody Bellinger (signed with Cubs). The Dodgers did sign former Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez to a one-year deal, bringing in a big bat to fill the voids left by the Turners and Bellinger, but fans will have to get used to the new-look Dodgers this year.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll reconvene the Triple Play for its maiden voyage of 2023 -- Larry, LAist “All Things Considered” Host Nick Roman, and NPR “Morning Edition” Host A Martinez welcome back the smell of mulch and the crack of the ball of the bat to preview the Dodgers’ and Angels’s seasons as MLB baseball gets underway in 2023.
LA's Neighborhood Councils–How They Work And Do They Actually Make A Difference?
Since 1999, Los Angeles has been home to 99 neighborhood councils. Neighborhood councils function in an advisory capacity, providing a direct mode of communication between members of the community and the council members that represent them. They’re also a way for folks to get involved in local politics on issues that affect their daily lives, and can serve as a stepping stone to higher office. Alumni of neighborhood councils include councilmember Nithya Raman and city controller Kenneth Mejia. But with their limited powers and tendency towards infighting, how effective are they?
Today on AirTalk, we have Raphe J. Sonenshein, Executive Director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State LA, Zev Yaroslavsky, director of Los Angeles Initiative at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, and Brianna Lee, Engagement Producer, Civics & Democracy for LAist, to talk about the history of Neighborhood Councils, how they’re making a difference, and how people can get involved.
For more, check out Brianna Lee’s piece for LAist here.
TV-Talk: What’s Behind Streamers Purging Content & Reviews Of The Latest Shows
Have you felt completely overwhelmed when deciding what new show to watch these days? Us too. There’s just so much content out there between network tv and numerous streaming platforms, which is why we have a couple of television critics joining us to help you sift through everything. Joining us this week are Primetimer editor-in-chief Danette Chavez and Melanie McFarland, television critic for Salon.
Also on the program, we’ll be talking about this recent trend of streamers pulling television shows they’ve prominently brought into their catalogs. This follows Netflix’s decision to purge itself of the cult-classic comedy Arrested Development, having previously had its original 3 seasons and even developing two of its own. We’ll discuss why platforms are choosing to do this and what this means for subscribers on these platforms.
This week’s reviews include:
- The Company You Keep (Airs on ABC, Streaming on Hulu the next day)
- Star Trek: Picard [Season 3] (Paramount+)
- Carnival Row [Season 2] (Amazon Prime Video)
- African Queens: Njinga (Netflix)
- Hello Tomorrow! (Apple TV+)
- Physical: 100 (Netflix)