With Gary out, Michael Monks fills in and opens the show with a firsthand look at back-to-school traffic chaos after barely making it to the studio. He and Shannon debate whether Metro can actually beat driving and the added stress of commuting in a news vehicle.

The hour lightens with Shannon praising Board Wizard Elmer’s meditation tapes before turning to politics, as she and Monks break down Governor Gavin Newsom’s opposition to a proposed wealth tax and what it signals about his economic stance.

The show wraps with marriage and family therapist Caitlin Harrison, who explains how romance novels and BookTok culture are being used as tools for emotional connection and intimacy.

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