Monks & Merrill

Hour 2 - Dr. Jennifer Piazza of Cal State Fullerton joins us with the latest update on soil testing tied to the Ladera Ranch cancer cluster. Plus, questions surrounding California’s deal involving the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, new booster-seat requirements for kids ages 8–16, and a look at the latest California laws affecting teens’ social media use, EV chargers and more. Se...

Hour 3 - Federal funding delays are creating turmoil for L.A.’s homeless services system as providers warn of major disruptions. Plus, the L.A. County Continuum of Care Board moves to make the county the lead applicant for HUD funds, Mayor Karen Bass orders an outside review of LAPD’s response to mental-health crises, and L.A. approves a record $466 million pool for affordable housing....

Hour 1 - California’s high-speed rail project has a new fight over where to put its Merced station: downtown, as originally planned, or about four miles southeast near Highway 99. Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken faces allegations that she made racist remarks to her chief of staff and repeatedly questioned her sexual orientation. Justin Bieber surprised people at MacArthur Park with an imprompt...

Hour 2 - Mayor Karen Bass joins Monks and Merrill live in studio, just the night after a new poll was released showcasing Nithya Raman having a lead. The new Berkeley IGS/Los Angeles Times poll shows Raman at 39%, Bass at 28% and 33% undecided. Bass comments on affordability and housing - the defining priority of her administration. Monks and Merrill ask Bass on her own decisions, access to the pu...

Hour 3 - Wellness influencers are promoting nicotine as a shortcut to sharper thinking and healthier aging, sometimes while holding financial interests in nicotine businesses. Younger consumers are discovering something many of us already have in storage: records, CDs, tapes, and DVDs. CSUN communication studies professor Peter Marston sees nostalgia and a desire for ownership, though growing sale...

Hour 1 - KFI reporter, Jason Nathanson joins M&M to break down the controversy surrounding the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger and the provocative banner that flew over the Paramount lot. Steve Hilton joins the show to discuss his criticism of L.A. Street vending, his proposed Office of Fun and Freedom, and his views on AI safeguards. Plus, California declares a statewide emergency as officials...

Hour 2 - M&M breaks down California’s community colleges expanding their bachelor’s degree offerings under new laws signed by Gov. Newsom. California Teachers Association President David Goldberg joins the show to discuss the educators union’s lawsuit alleging billions of dollars in public school funding are missing. Plus, a bizarre Burbank movie theater confrontation involvi...

Hour 3 - M&M looks at San Bernardino’s move to restrict sleeping in parks, streets, and sidewalks, while Los Angeles continues to face a major housing shortage despite developers holding back on new apartment construction. Plus, the LA County Superior Court offers employees up to $35,000 to resign as the court system confronts a budget crunch. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

Paramount and Warner Bros. have settled a lawsuit with 11 states over their proposed merger—but what does the deal actually mean for Hollywood? Monks & Merrill break down the settlement’s provisions on jobs, theatrical releases, U.S. production, blockbuster films, and editorial independence, while exploring what it could mean for filmmakers, workers, movie quality, and California&r...

AI is changing everything—but are we prepared for the risks that come with it? Monks & Merrill explore the promise and pitfalls of artificial intelligence, from proposed safeguards and “kill switches” to concerns about AI-assisted decision-making, while also looking at how AI could improve medicine and combat fraud. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monks & Merrill take a closer look at Los Angeles’ homelessness crisis, examining questions about spending, accountability, and the effectiveness of programs like Inside Safe. The hosts also discuss competing approaches from mayoral candidates Nithya Raman and Karen Bass, the role of LAHSA and the DSA, and the broader challenges of addressing homelessness in Los Angeles. See omnystudio.c...

It's Saturday! Oh yeah, that means it's time for MORE Monks & Merrill. In this hour of original content, M&M get into tipping culture, uber & lyft drivers demanding benefits, Pickleball building communities, and the Downtown LA chess world.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Saturday! It's MORE Monks & Merrill! This weekend, the fellas talk about our eventual AI overlords and the older members of government not being equipped to handle the threats. They also cover the chances of a devastating earthquake in California.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 1 - NOAA’s new outlook favors a warmer-than-normal October through December across California, and a potentially historic El Niño is strengthening, giving Southern California good reason to prepare for a wet season. Anthony Artusa, a Meteorologist from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), joins the show. Karen Bass’ allies are openly worrying about Ni...

Hour 2 - An arbitrator ordered Uber to pay $40 million to the parents of Emily Normandin-Parker, who died after a driver ordered her and her friend out near freeway traffic. California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara proposes eliminating marital status from auto insurance pricing. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed “Jay Leno’s Law,” creating a phased smog-check exemption for qualifying...

Hour 3 - Activists are demanding Inglewood Mayor James Butts resign after alleging he groped a high school student during a photograph at a City Hall event. San Bernardino Councilmember Treasure Ortiz faces renewed demands to resign after a jury found her guilty of illegally recording the police chief. LAUSD needs to bring recurring expenses into line with its revenue as enrollment falls. Californ...

Hour 1 -  California voters head toward November feeling pessimistic about the economy and the country’s direction. Newport Beach must run its own Nov. 3 special election for three resident initiatives after a judge rejected the city’s request for relief. An industry-funded study projects enormous production gains from a hypothetical federal film tax credit, while a Para...

Hour 2 - UC Riverside researchers have developed a method for identifying locked fault regions that could generate enormous earthquakes. Plus, a weekend of earthquake swarms around Lennox and Westmont has added a local concern to headlines about seismic activity around the Pacific. Professor of Seismology at UC Riverside, Gareth Funning, joins the show. Investigators are examining recorded au...

Hour 3 - District Attorney Hochman has announced in a live press conference today that Bailey Lynn Rios, the woman who drove an SUV causing a deadly Metro bus crash in Chatsworth Tuesday evening, will be charged for second-degree murder, DUI and reckless driving. UCLA researchers project that certain vulnerable Hyundais and Kias will remain unusually attractive theft targets in Los Angeles through...

Hour 1- Monks and Merrill are covering the latest tragedy in SoCal, the NBC4 helicopter crash. We are talking to Will Kohlschreiber and honoring KFI's own Bruce Wayne. PLUS the troubles with AI and data centers. It's all on KFIAM-640. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 2- Monks and Merrill are covering the latest with the NBC4 crash. AND the latest in non-profit fraud schemes. All this and MORE on KFIAM-640.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 3 - Monks and Merrill are talking to City Council Member Bill Rush about the lawsuit between Montclair and San Bernardino City Transportation authority. PLUS a whistle blown and an executive gone. We explain that and MORE on KFIAM-640.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could Stan Kroenke take a wrecking ball to Angel Stadium? A judge says the deal that brought SoFi Stadium to Inglewood is invalid, while the owner of the Milwaukee Brewers plans to donate $2 million in beachfront property to the public after allegedly taking sand from the beach. Plus, El Niño is coming — and people are already beating it up! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

Are we already writing our terms of surrender to AI? Mike Duboski from ABC News joins the show to break down the growing fight over artificial intelligence and who should be setting the rules. California is moving forward with new AI oversight and safety measures, while KFI News’ Mark Rahner joins the conversation. Meanwhile, President Trump is pushing back on warnings about AI, calling fear...

Monks & Merrill break down a report finding that Los Angeles County lacked plans and procedures for key wildfire recovery efforts. The latest developments from the La Habra Heights fire and concerns from Bel Air business owners following a homeless encampment fire. Plus, the political battle between Karen Bass and Nithya Raman heats up as Raman debuts a new campaign ad during the Emmy Awards b...