We look at the proposed high-speed rail route connecting Burbank and Palmdale. Plus, we get details about a new estimates that L.A. has twice as many homeless as the County's official estimate released earlier this year. And, the history of L.A. County's official song.
California High Speed Rail Authority proposes route out of Burbank
On Wednesday, the state proposed the route to install high-speed rail from Burbank to Palmdale, cutting through the San Gabriel Mountains.
Guest:
- Michelle Boehm , Southern Califronia Regional Director of the California High Speed Rail Authority
California exempts adults from wearing helmets on electric scooters
Adults will not need to wear helmets when riding electric scooters on city streets, under a new bill Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law on Wednesday. The new rule takes effect January 1, 2019.
L.A. County may have twice as many homeless
At last check there are 53,000 homeless people in L.A. County. That's according to official stats gathered in January. But count it a different way, and the homeless population is almost twice as large -- more than 102,000 people. That's a new number published by the non-profit group Economic Roundtable. So, which number is more accurate?
Guest:
- Gary Painter, professor in the Sol Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California and director of the school's Homelessness Policy Research Institute
A history of L.A. County's official song, "76 Cities"
You might not know it, but L.A. County has an official song. It was penned over 50 years ago, and the story behind it is a little wild, including ties to a group that some have called a cult.
https://twitter.com/AustinCross/status/1042788491770253312
L.A. City Council votes to ban fur
Los Angeles is on track to become the largest city in the country to ban fur. The city council on Tuesday unanimously voted to move forward with a ban on the sale and production of fur items. It's now on the city attorney to start working on the legal language. Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield and Paul Koretz initially submitted the fur ban.
Guest:
- L.A. City Councilman Bob Blumenfeld
Testing General Motors' drowsy driving suit
When it comes to traffic crashes, drunk and distracted driving get most of the attention. But there's another major menace that's beginning to get a lot more notice: driving while drowsy. The American Automobile Association estimates that one in five traffic fatalities involves a driver who's feeling sleepy. We look at what auto makers are doing to combat the problem.
Newport Beach Police Department launches podcast to catch suspected killer
The story of Peter Chadwick has perplexed authorities in Orange County's Newport Beach community for years. Chadwick, a millionaire real estate investor, was accused of strangling his wife and getting rid of her body in a dumpster in San Diego County in the Fall of 2012. But when it came time for him to face the charges in court three years later, he disappeared...never to be seen again. Now, there's a true crime podcast about him.
Guest:
- Jennifer Manzella, public information officer for the Newport Beach Police Department and host of the new podcast "Countdown to Capture"