Monks & Merrill

Hour 3 - A controversial California bill could reshape how shoppers save at the checkout, with critics warning it may eliminate popular grocery coupon and rewards programs. Monks & Merrill also dive into the rise of personalized pricing as retailers use consumer data to tailor prices and promotions, raising new questions about fairness and privacy. Plus, the federal government withholds hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicaid funding to California as part of an anti-fraud initiative, and the White House acknowledges it used keyword searches to identify and cancel billions of dollars in California research grants.

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Hour  1 - Attorney General candidate Michael Gates joins Monks & Merrill to discuss the city's preparedness and accountability. Plus, the hosts break down a deputy-involved shooting that ended a vicious dog attack, the troubling rise in dead animals found on L.A. streets, the long-awaited sale of a graffiti-covered Downtown L.A. eyesore, and new polling showing Californians strongly support CEQA reform while overwhelmingly opposing AI data centers.

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Hour 2 - Oliver Roberts, Co-Director of the WashU Law AI Collaborative and Adjunct Professor of Law, joins Monks & Merrill to explain why AI data centers may be America's competitive advantage—not the threat many fear. Plus, Ben Affleck's AI company lands a deal worth more than $500 million, Lake Hollywood Park is plagued by a string of revolting incidents just as visitors gather to eat, and L.A. County rolls out nearly 200 free food carts to help street vendors operate more safely and legally.

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Hour 3 - Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps joins Monks & Merrill to discuss California's fight against the Trump administration over the reopening of a long-dormant Santa Barbara oil pipeline and why local leaders say the coast is "not for sale." Plus, the Justice Department alleges UC San Diego illegally considered race in admissions, and new questions arise after Denver Public Schools paid the Los Angeles superintendent—now under FBI investigation—more than $100,000 for coaching services.

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Hour 1- Another heatwave may be coming to Southern California and Monks and Merrill are diving into it. PLUS 5 popular coastal beaches found bacteria above state health standards, and we're sharing where and what to know. AND we talk to Christopher Lowe from Long Beach Shark Lab about funding and sharks on the beaches. All this and MORE on KFIAM-640. 

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Hour 2- Monks and Merrill are delving into the pipe that bursts in WeHo and how it revealed miles of aging pipes, the latest with the Boyle Heights fire, and copper thieves are out of control. It's all on KFIAM-640.

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Hour 3- Although CA home sales strengthened in June, buyers aren't really relieved and Monks and Merrill are breaking it down. PLUS California sued Costa Mesa and 4 others for failing to complete state-mandared housing plan for over 2 years and we have Costa Mesa's response and MORE on KFIAM-640.

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Monks and Merrill talk homelessness on Skid Row and its impact on both people and animals. After touching on a recent food safety story making headlines, they explore the delayed homeless count, the challenges facing local agencies, and what it will take to create meaningful change. 

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Monks and Merrill tackle two stories that spark bigger questions about safety, responsibility, and public policy. They examine controversial comments about meth use among people experiencing homelessness and discuss new research showing that speeding saves little time while wasting fuel and money. The conversation also explores the growing use of AI-powered traffic cameras, weighing the tradeoffs between privacy, enforcement, and safer roads.

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Monks and Merrill unpack the military's proposal to test service members' testosterone levels, with guest Dr. Jim offering medical insight into the benefits, risks, and misconceptions surrounding testosterone treatment. They also explore the broader cultural questions raised by the policy before shifting to California's push to reduce plastic packaging and the growing use of facial recognition technology in retail.

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