Monks & Merrill

Hour 3 - Outrage grows in Altadena as residents say Southern California Edison could stick them with bills as high as $20,000 — with Altadena homeowner Connor Cipolla sharing his firsthand battle. The hosts also break down why California ranks among the highest property-taxed states in 2026 and how a $100,000 salary shrinks to under $66,000 in major cities after taxes and cost of living. Plus, a lighter turn: the survey naming California’s 10 friendliest places to live — does your town make the list?  

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Hour 2 - Los Angeles golfers sound off over black-market brokers scooping up public tee times and flipping them for profit, while new data shows a 27% homicide drop in 2025 across the city’s most violence-impacted areas. ABC News tech reporter Mike Dobuski joins to break down Mark Zuckerberg taking the stand, and Jensen Rader from sister station KFBK reports on the tragic skier deaths near Lake Tahoe.

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Los Angeles’ escalating homelessness battles — from aggressive encampment cleanups to explosive claims that recovery centers are recruiting out-of-state clients only to abandon them locally. They break down pushback from the Left, including Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez’s stance supporting hillside camp clearances, respond to listener talkbacks, and examine proposed “gut punch” cuts to city homelessness programs tied to legal settlement costs. Plus, Kenneth Mejia reveals L.A. missed out on $100 million in active transportation grant funding — what happened, and who’s accountable?

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The city secured grant funding to fix the corridor where a deadly crash occurred, so why does it have to return money it already has? Michael Schneider from Streets For All joins us to explain the funding fiasco and the pothole nightmare plaguing Los Angeles. We also break down new data on the city’s most common roadkill.

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We break down California’s first-gen homebuying programs and how its opening doors for new buyers across the state. We also tackle the big question: is it still worth living in Los Angeles despite its flaws? Plus, we dive into Zillow doom-scrolling culture and Monk’s undeniable love for Hancock Park.

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Hour 1 - Michael Monks and Chris Merrill crack the mics together for the first time on their new show Monks & Merrill. They cover how the recent rain is stalling delivery robots and self-driving cars, the 2028 Summer Olympics facing a new cheating twist, and Los Angeles and Long Beach becoming the least affordable for homebuyers.

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