‘Builder’s Remedy’ Is Forcing SoCal Cities To Accept Plans For Thousands Of Housing Units — We Break Down What The Little Known Law Does

City inaction towards properly accommodating the development of housing to match the growth of the population in Santa Monica may lead to thousands of new developments in the area. Using a little known law known as “builder’s remedy,” A developer has already submitted plans for over 4,000 new apartments in the city alone, meanwhile developers in several dozen other Southern California municipalities could be the next cities to submit plans of their own. A Redondo Beach developer has already submitted materials for 2,000 units. This legal gray area is most likely to affect wealthier areas with fewer established housing units and the potential for a high return of profit. Here to explain this latest development in the housing crisis is Emily Sawicki, staff writer for the Santa Monica Daily Press and Dave Rand, Founding member of Rand Paster & Nelson LLP who specializes in land use law and governmental regulatory matters.

LA’s Proposed Gondola Project Has Now Taken Its Next Step, We Update You On The Latest

This week, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority released a key report — known as a draft environmental impact report — for the aerial gondola project, which is proposed to run from Union Station to Dodger Stadium. The agency is holding a series of meetings over the next couple months to present the plan and take public comment. Along with this, those heading the project have also set a public, in-person meeting Tuesday, Oct. 25 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Union Station Ticket Concourse.

Today on AirTalk, we discuss the latest with Ryan Fonseca, KPCC and LAist transportation & mobility associate editor.

With files from LAist, read Ryan’s latest piece here.

New Standardized California Test Results Remain Alarming Yet Unsurprising. So Where Do We Go From Here?

California's first round of standardized test scores since COVID-19's onset are out, and the results are exactly as many teachers, academics and parents have predicted: Two tumultuous years of pandemic disruptions in the state's K-12 public schools have thrown many students off-track academically. Statewide, 47% of students met or exceeded standards on the state's English language arts tests, a decline of roughly 4 percentage points from the last pre-pandemic round of testing. One-third of students met or exceeded the state's expectations in math. The math result roughly matches the lowest-ever recorded score on California's Smarter Balanced assessments since the state started using them in 2015. Los Angeles Unified officials said their students fared better than those in other urban school districts on those national assessments. Here to examine the latest test score releases are Kyle Stokes, KPCC/LAist K-12 education reporter and Pedro Noguera, Dean of the Rossier School of Education at USC.

With files from LAist

Meet The Candidates: Malia Cohen Wants To Bring Collaboration And Equity To The State Controller's Office

Mail-in ballots for the November 8 general election have started being mailed out to registered voters, and one of the races we're following on AirTalk is for the office of California controller. Current controller Betty Yee is terming out, leaving the position wide open for a newcomer. The controller is California's top fiscal officer tasked with the disbursement of funds as well as keeping the state's spending accountable. The controller also performs independent audits on how state agencies spend their funding, serves on various commissions, and safeguards unclaimed property. Democrat Malia Cohen is hoping to secure the position. She currently serves on the California Board of Equalization as a chairperson — the same position that current controller Yee previously held. She says that her experience with government finances and both state and local governments makes her the right choice on the ballot. She also sees the job as one that requires collaboration with the state’s Democratic leaders.

Today on AirTalk, Larry speaks to Democratic Candidate for California controller Malia Cohen about how she would run the office.

AirTalk reached out to both California controller candidates. You can hear Larry's conversation with Cohen's opponent in the general election, Lanhee Chen, on Monday, October 18's program.

The Vibes Were Off During The Pandemic, So What Impact Did That Have On Our Personalities?

Do you feel like your personality has had a drastic change since the early parts of the pandemic? Well there may be some data to help you better understand why. PLOS ONE last month published research that found a person’s ability to socialize worsened, and in the case of young adults, the pandemic’s effects had a profound effect on their maturation process. Examples of a loss in conscientiousness have been found recently with young folks, with worsened concert etiquette, one example being a fan throwing a camera at artist Steve Lacey during a performance.

Today on AirTalk, we dig into the data and discuss this with Kalina Michalska, assistant professor of psychology at UC Riverside and director of the Kind Lab.

How 'Artivista' Martha Gonzalez Became The Latest MacArthur Genius Grant Winner

This is how the MacArthur Foundation describes Martha Gonzalez on its awards page: “musician, cultural theorist, and activist developing collaborative methods of artistic expression that build community and advance social justice principles.” Gonzalez says that leaves out a lot. “I am a Chicana Artivista, musician, feminist music theorist, academic, mother, sister, daughter of the world,” she said. The term artivista is key to understanding her work in the last three decades and why her local and international impact put her on the radar of the MacArthur Foundation, which last week awarded her a coveted MacArthur Fellowship and its accompanying monetary award, an $800,000 annual prize better known as a “genius grant.”

Today on AirTalk, Larry speaks with Chicana artivista,musician, feminist music theorist and Associate Professor in the Intercollegiate Department of Chicana/o Latina/o Studies at Scripps/Claremont College Martha Gonzalez about her work and winning the Macarthur Fellowship.

With files from LAist. You can read LAist higher education correspondent Adolfo Guzman-Lopez’s full profile of Gonzalez here.