Monks and Merrill Hour 3 (03/05) - Tensions are rising at Los Angeles City Council as city leaders consider pulling roughly $300 million in homelessness funding from Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority amid mounting frustration over oversight and results. Councilmember Monica Rodriguez has been particularly outspoken, questioning whether the current system is delivering meaningful progress. She joins the Monks & Merrill Show to discuss accountability, potential reforms, and what changes could be coming to how Los Angeles manages its homelessness programs.

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Monks and Merrill Hour 1 (03/04) - The hosts break down the Supreme Court siding with parents over “no secret genders” policies and the growing debate around medical privacy for transgender residents. They also dive into the sudden departure of Janisse Quiñones from Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, a shocking case involving a 17-year-old allegedly building chemical weapons in his Irvine garage, and the escalating fight over AI vs. human workers as cities consider self-checkout staffing mandates. Machines or humans — and who really pays the price?

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Monks and Merrill Hour 2 (03/04) - Monks and Merrill Show, guest Rebecca Zandovskis, Senior Director of Business Development at Genesis Builders, shares how the company’s fixed-price Altadena homes — starting under $700K — are being put to the test as the community rebuilds. After losing her own home in the Altadena fire, Zandovskis discusses the emotional and financial realities of recovery, including $3.8 million in funding tied to the aftermath of the Eaton Fire. Plus, the Los Angeles City Council weighs historic landmark status for the iconic The Brady Bunch house, open-air “mall parks” surge in popularity across Southern California, and the future of Moreno Valley Mall hangs in the balance after a health and safety shutdown.

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Monks and Merrill Hour 3 (03/04) - The spotlight is on Los Angeles’ growing homeless funding crisis. The hosts unpack the mounting scrutiny facing Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority as it stands trial and risks losing critical funding. Payments are on pause for Stay Housed LA, leaving renters and service providers in limbo. Meanwhile, Gavin Newsom issues a blunt warning to local leaders: implement the CARE Act — or face losing state dollars. Is this reform, political pressure, or a funding showdown?

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Hour 1 - Monks and Merrill break down the latest developments involving Iran and turn to the growing federal scrutiny surrounding LAUSD, including an FBI raid reportedly sparked by a tip from New York prosecutors investigating alleged fraud tied to an AI firm. We’ll also discuss the expanding controversy surrounding Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, as past scandals resurface amid mounting pressure. Then, we shift to California politics, where Democrats face internal turmoil: party leaders are urging candidates to drop out of the crowded governor’s race to avoid splitting the vote under the state’s top-two primary system — a system that doesn’t factor in party registration and could shake up the 2026 election landscape.

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Hour 2 - Monks & Merrill, we’re joined by Bob Blue, co-founder and spokesperson for Angelenos for Historic Preservation, to unpack the growing controversy surrounding the potential demolition of the 1951 mid-century Barry Building.  We’ll explore whether the building is a landmark worth saving or a liability ready for the wrecking ball, and widen the lens to another heated land-use clash as Pasadena’s City Council prepares to weigh an appeal over Caltech’s proposed research facility next to St. Philip the Apostle Church — raising the question: is there room for compromise, or are both battles destined to divide the community?

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Hour 3 - Monks & Merrill  dive into a major shake-up proposed at City Hall: a Charter Reform Commission recommendation to expand the Los Angeles City Council from 15 to 25 members. Is fifteen too few for a city of nearly four million, or does this mean more bureaucracy and higher costs? We’ll also examine debate over creating a new Chief Financial Officer position to oversee the city’s budget, and what that could mean for the balance of power between the CAO, Controller, and elected officials. Plus, the latest in the L.A. mayor’s race as new polling shows Karen Bass facing a top challenger — and mounting backlash at LAUSD over reported closed-door meetings following the Alberto Carvalho raid, leaving some families demanding transparency.

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Hour 1 -  Jordana Miller, ABC News Correspondent in Jerusalem, joins the program as Israeli politicians publicly back expanding military operations expected to last weeks — while Donald Trump signals he’s prepared to go much longer. As the conflict with Iran intensifies and the U.S. pledges additional troops amid expectations of further casualties, the political fallout is growing here at home. Plus: why the escalating strikes could send gas prices climbing in California, and what it all means for Americans.

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Hour 2 - California’s high-speed rail authority says a nonstop California High-Speed Rail Authority line from San Francisco to Los Angeles could be running by 2039 — but critics question whether the new business plan’s “creative” revenue projections truly add up. We break down the numbers, the skepticism, and what it means for taxpayers. Then, a lighter rail story: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority scores a surprise hit as its cheeky “Ride the D” T-shirts celebrating the D Line subway sell out fast. And we’re joined by Mr. Hossein Majid of Radio Iran KIRN 670 AM to share how the Iranian-American community is reacting to rising tensions abroad, and what listeners are saying as events continue to unfold.

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Hour 3 -  An Agoura Hills homeowner says her annual premium with State Farm has skyrocketed to more than $44,000 — more than seven times what she paid when she bought her home in 2012. As wildfire risk becomes fully priced into California’s insurance market, the pressure on homeowners is reaching a breaking point.  Forecasters at the National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard tracking offshore winds typical of early spring Santa Ana events, we ask: are conditions setting up for even more trouble ahead?

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