Michael Monks Reports

Record number of travelers hit the roads and skies in Southern California; One powerful local official votes against a proposed gondola but in favor of a water taxi to connect the ports of LA and Long Beach; Fake Christmas trees go up in price because of trade policy; and Baywatch is returning not just to TV, but to Los Angeles and that has local and state officials celebrating. See omnystudio.com...

The new chief of the LA Fire Department once said he is troubled by media reports about the department's response to an earlier believed to have later become the Palisades Fire, and then days later called those reports "smears"; LA Co's District Attorney says he's going after any fraudsters who took part in the county's $4 billion sex abuse settlement; Home sales are up in SoCal and so are some of...

US Senators from other states come to LA to hear from victims of the Palisades Fire, criticizing Democratic officials for the fire and the response to it; the LAPD has moved forward on hiring more officers than the city council said it could; A massive rainstorm has blown through Southern California but it looks like we've been spared from the worst of it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

LA's city controller says he's no longer a Democrat and looks forward to other progressive leaders being elected in the city, specifically calling for more like New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani; the LA city council has tightened its rent control ordinance to the chagrin of landlords; the city council voices its opposition to a proposed Gondola between Dodger Stadium and Union Station;...

LA County looks to crack down on predatory attorneys seeking to capitalize on fraudulent sex abuse claims; Orange County guides its law enforcement on how to move homeless camps - even if it means arrests; Only 17% of households in California can afford to buy the median-priced home; and the Brady Bunch House may soon be a historic cultural landmark. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

Air travel chaos with flights canceled and delayed at LAX and other SoCal airports; Governor Newson takes his Prop 50 victory tour to Texas; Port of Long Beach says fewer toys have passed through the harbor this year; and the law catches up to Dodgers fans who celebrated the World Series with street takeovers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Los Angeles Dodgers pull off a comeback for the ages, securing their second-straight World Series title in an epic Game 7 showdown. We break down the wild finish. Will we see a repeat of the chaos that erupted across L.A. during last year’s championship celebrations, or have city officials and fans learned their lesson? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Acting US Attorney Bill Essayli loses in court about his title but says he's still the top prosecutor; Another group of workers in LA may be targeted for a big raise in their minimum wage; Sales of legal cannabis have plummeted in LA and now City Hall is looking to help the businesses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SNAP benefits and federal worker paychecks disappear as the calendar flips towards the holidays; Governor Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris rally supporters ahead of Prop 50's vote on Tuesday; Another investigation is called for the Palisades Fire and the recently revealed text messages from firefighters who say they may have left the scene an earlier fire too soon. See omnystudio.com...

An advertisement played during the Dodgers-Blue Jays games has reignited a trade war between the US and Canada; Governor Newsom makes a bet on the Dodgers as he and the Ontario Premier get political during a traditionally friendly wager; Local politicians vow to investigate federal immigration agents and administration officials when Democrats  regain power in Washington, DC; and the LA City Counc...

SNAP (food stamp) benefits may run out for a lot of residents in Southern California because of the federal government shutdown; Mayor Bass says downtown LA should be more like downtown Chicago and seems surprised people even live in DTLA; Polls look good for supporters of Prop 50 but not so good for the former California gubernatorial race frontrunner; the Inland Empire rates itself as "strugglin...

Thousands hit SoCal streets for "No Kings" protests; the LAPD's request to a judge ticks off the LA city council; More LA County money is going out in legal settlements for sex abuse and the County CEO's complaint. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vice President Vance and a celebration at Camp Pendleton leads to a dispute with a Governor Newsom and the closure of the 5 Freeway; Gas prices are dropping everywhere, except California; Metro's D-Line train extension is delayed; The Ports of LA and Long Beach both report their first drops in cargo this year raising questions about tariffs and trade policy; and on-location Hollywood productions d...

Survivors of the Eaton Fire say they want more from SoCal Edison, the utility many blame for the devastation; Local officials say they're ready to get tougher on copper thieves as lights continue to go dark and phone service is disrupted; Most of California's sandy beaches could disappear by 2100 according to a new report; and Long Beach's new minor league baseball team gets closer to a fresh name...

Helicopter crashes in Huntington Beach; Actress Diane Keaton dies; LA Mayor Bass and developer Rick Caruso rekindle their "frenemy" status in a public forum; and is a dead bird outside the KFI studios a good sign or a bad one? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A massive fire at the Chevron Refinery in El Segundo has analysts predicting higher gas prices for Southern California; a new economic forecast from UCLA shows California's economy has weakened with unemployment much higher than the national average; the LAX People Mover project has been delayed again and pushed back to three years after its original planned opening; and primatologist Jane Goodall...

Michael points out the "trade imbalance" and proposes tariffs on Los Angeles on behalf of down-trodden Cincinnati sports fans as the Dodgers and UCLA roll; Former USC quarterback and FOX football broadcaster Matt Sanchez is arrested in a stabbing in Indianapolis; Immigration enforcement ramps up in other cities as LA looks to keep city workers from joining the ranks of ICE; and ground is broken on...

The public comments during LA city council meetings have become so frequently nasty that City Hall has formally banned racist and sexist slurs. But some regular antagonistic speakers continue to challenge the law and the expected decorum inside LA's center of government. KFI's Michael Monks has gone to City Hall to talk to these "gadflies", some of whom prefer profanity, others who turn to conspir...

A new report from a 100-year old advocacy group says LA City Hall needs to take the issues facing downtown seriously, and provides a roadmap to do it; LA Comic Con and Leonardo DiCaprio are both back! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another round of new tariffs has been announced by the President just as the Ports of LA and Long Beach warn the White House's policies have created uncertainty among retailers and consumers; Two elephants taken from the LA Zoo in the dead of night four months ago are the focus of a new call for transparency from zoo officials. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LA city council approves a $2.6 billion expansion of the convention center downtown despite warnings from some members and the city controller that it will put the city in a more precarious and dangerous financial position; Michael visits LA City Hall and talks with the regular gadflies whose unruly and offensive behavior has resulted in the banning of racial and sexist slurs. See omnystudio.com/l...

Governor Newsom signs legislation requiring federal agents to take off their masks; Popular singer's relationship with teen girl found dead in his car has derailed his tour as police investigate; LA Metro's tap-to-enter program is halted because of a fire code; Ontario's new baseball mascot is revealed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charlie Kirk's widow speaks as tensions continue to mount across the country following the conservative commentator's assassination; The California Assembly has approved the polarizing Senate Bill 79, paving the way for more housing to be developed near some transit stops; Downtown LA landmarks goes and stays dark and covered in graffiti, as the rat population finds a windfall in the city's center...

The price of the proposed expansion of the LA Convention Center has ballooned to $2.7 billion and officials aren't sure if they can afford it; The costs of coffee and other goods is on the rise, and there are some indications it could get worse; LA endorses the governor's plan to redraw congressional districts in favor of Democrats; a TV series set in Altadena after the Eaton Fire has been announc...

Hour 1: The Powerball's estimated $1.8 billion jackpot is a lot of money, but is it too much? Michael asks, what's the right amount of wealth to feel rich, comfortable, and sane?; Chicago says it doesn't want LA's experience with immigration enforcement as the White House takes aim at the Windy City, and LA Mayor Bass has some advice for her counterparts there; And what's wrong with San Bernardino...