AirTalk

Salton Sea water levels continue to go down and that poses a number of problems for nearby communities and the organisms living in the water. A number of proposals being considered are focusing on the idea of importing seawater across the state’s desert to solve the problem. 

Environment reporter Mark Odalde’s new piece looks at the proposed plans. The California Natural Resources Agency is tasked with coming with a long-term fix, but the deadline is approaching. Odalde says the agency owes the state a plan by the end of 2022. 

Today on AirTalk, we break down what’s happening with the Salton Sea, the proposals being considered and the various implications. Do you have questions? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.  

We reached out to the California Natural Resources Agency, but the agency was unable to make someone available for an interview.

With guest host Sharon McNary

Guests: 

Mark Olalde, environment reporter for ProPublica’s Southwest office, his piece is “Clock is ticking on dreams of saving Salton Sea with water from Mexico's Sea of Cortez;” he tweets @MarkOlalde

Michael Cohen, a senior researcher at the Oakland-based Pacific Institute, a think tank that focuses on water conservation issues

Timothy Bradley, professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Irvine; he has been working on issues related to the Salton Sea and salt lakes for decades

Today on AirTalk, we discuss LA's reopening and the latest COVID-19 news. Also on the show, we learn about the status of summer work; break down how the Buy Nothing Project took off on Facebook; and more.

If you’re on Facebook, then you might be familiar with Buy Nothing groups. 

These are hyper local groups where neighbors can give away goods or services for free. And you’ll see all sorts of things on there: bikes, dog walking offers, used lamps and desks and even half-eaten cakes. The Buy Nothing Project was started in 2013 by two women from Washington state, and according to their site, they now have groups in forty-four different countries. And the founders have said that the movement isn’t just about recycling, it’s also a way to tighten communities and establish a gifting economy. We dive into the Buy Nothing Project, as well as its evolution and impact.

With guest host Sharon McNary

Guests:

Foram Mehta, journalist and content developer who wrote the piece “The ‘Buy Nothing’ Groups on Facebook Are What Humanity Needs Right Now”

Nayantara Dutta, culture journalist who wrote the Vox piece “Neighbors are gathering online to give and get the things they need right now"; she tweets @nayantaradutta

Owning a peacock was once considered a status symbol, particularly around the turn of the twentieth century. Elias J, "Lucky" Baldwin, founder of Arcadia, imported several pairs of peafowl—known colloquially as peacocks—from India to his Santa Anita Ranchero in 1879. Since then, peafowl have roamed the streets of San Gabriel Valley and even Palos Verdes, which has resumed its bird trapping.

Most recently, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors drafted an ordinance last Tuesday prohibiting the intentional feeding of the bird. 

While peafowl may be a sight to see in all its colorful plumage, some folks are not happy about the birds showing up in neighborhoods. The increase in sightings may be due to a virulent Newcastle disease that has caused them to quarantine in residential areas, the Washington Post reports. Furthermore, efforts to relocate the birds have been delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today on AirTalk, we discuss the history of the peafowl in Southern California and explore why the area is so ideal for the birds to settle in. Are these colorfully feathered birds a pretty sight for the eye or more of an eyesore in your community? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722.

With guest host Sharon McNary

Guests: 

Kimball Garrett, ornithology collections manager at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Richard Schulhof, CEO of the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden

We’ve talked a lot on AirTalk about how companies and employees are planning their returns to working in the office. Many employers are exploring the possibility of allowing workers to continue to work on a hybrid schedule where they’d come to the office on some days and work from home on others. But as these companies and workers grapple with that issue, the businesses that are inside of or surrounding those office buildings and business parks have to wrestle with a problem of their own -- fewer people working in the office means fewer customers coming through for coffee in the morning, lunch in the afternoon, or services on the way home from work. 

So, how have these businesses survived through the pandemic when most everyone is working from home, and what do they plan to do if the employees they usually service aren’t coming back to the office?

KPCC & LAist business and economy reporter David Wagner has been talking to local business owners that rely heavily on office worker traffic, and he joins us today on AirTalk to share what he’s found.

With guest host Sharon McNary

Guests:

David Wagner, KPCC/LAist reporter covering business and the economy

Brittney Valles, owner of Guerilla Tacos in downtown Los Angeles

Working at an ice cream shop, a movie theater concession stand, up in a lifeguard tower— for many young people, seasonal work is a reality of an American summer.

Summer jobs are a way young people save money for school, help their families out financially, or just make some extra cash to fund their summer plans. On the flip side, some employers rely on seasonal labor to help staff their businesses. Last summer, lockdowns and layoffs largely kept teenagers away from summer jobs, especially in retail and hospitality. But with vaccines now available to young people and record low COVID-19 rates in many parts of the country, seasonal jobs are coming back— at least partially. While jobs in retail and hospitality are quickly expanding once again, young people interested in white-collar and research-oriented positions are finding that competition for those jobs is fiercer than ever, making professional development tough. 

Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about the status of summer work for young people. Are you looking for summer work, or the parent of a teen who is? We want to hear about your experience! Give us a call at 866-893-5722.

With guest host Sharon McNary

Guest:

Krithika Varagur, columnist at the Wall Street Journal; she tweets @krithikavaragur

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, we speak with UCSF’s Dr. Peter Chin-Hong. 

Today’s topics include:

California COVID-19 reopening: Everything you need to know 

As California reopens, 6 things to know about COVID-19 

California's reopening — what changes today? 

California reopening concerns on variants, vaccine skeptics 

AstraZeneca COVID-19 antibody treatment suffers setback  

Organ transplant recipients may benefit from a third coronavirus vaccine dose, study suggests 

With guest host Sharon McNary

Guest:

Peter Chin-Hong, M.D., infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center; he tweets @PCH_SF

The attorney for two witnesses in a sexual harassment lawsuit against the city says her clients’ testimony backs up allegations of inappropriate conduct by a longtime advisor to L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti. KPCC/LAist senior politics reporter broke the story on Tuesday afternoon. “My clients are whistleblowers… who saw time and time again that the allegations in the lawsuit were accurate in the sense that they witnessed sexual harassment, groping and other inappropriate sexually-based misconduct in the workplace,” said Micha Star Liberty, who represents two former Mayor’s office employees deposed in the lawsuit. “They also saw retaliation and intimidation when people wanted to come forward and complain,” Liberty added. KPCC/LAist agreed to withhold the names of her clients until their testimony is unsealed by the court.

LAPD officer Matthew Garza sued the city last July, saying Garcetti’s former deputy chief of staff, Rick Jacobs, routinely forced unwanted touching by hugging, grabbing his biceps, and massaging his shoulders — and subjected him to crude jokes and explicit descriptions of sexual topics. Garza says Jacobs’ behavior was often in the presence of the Mayor, who allegedly did nothing to stop the harassment.

Today on AirTalk, we’ll talk to Libby about her reporting.

For more on this story from Libby, click here.

With guest host Sharon McNary

Guest:

Libby Denkmann, senior reporter covering politics for KPCC and LAist; she tweets @libdenk

Today on AirTalk, we reflect with teachers and students on how they managed this past school year. Also on the show, we break down the latest COVID-19 news; memorialize popular Southern California places lost to the pandemic; and more.

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, guest host Kyle Stokes speaks with Dr. Kimberly Shriner, infectious disease specialist at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena. And as California is set to reopen its economy, we talk to health reporter Jackie Fortiér about what to expect tomorrow.

Topics today include:

California set to reopen tomorrow

California safety board set to vote Thursday on mask requirements and distancing for vaccinated workers

Preliminary data shows Novavax vaccine is 90% effective

Against variants: 86% effective against Alpha, 49% against Beta

Delta variant worries CA health experts

As EU launches digital pass system, most of US defers vaccine passports to private entities

NYT: COVID-19 cases no longer falling

With guest host Kyle Stokes

Guests:

Kimberly Shriner, M.D., infectious disease specialist at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena

Jackie Fortiér, health reporter at KPCC and LAist; she tweets @JackieFortier