August 17, 2025 • 33 mins
Michael Monks reports on the U.S. Census and the redrawing of Congressional Districts, and asks if this is for the good of the country. Also, LA County's very expensive skycraper in Downtown LA. Who's in charge of it? It seems no one knows, so let's get to the bottom of it once and for all.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand. I'm
glad you're with us on this Saturday night in southern California.
It has been another busy week of local news. A
chaotic scene unfolded in downtown LA on Thursday. ABC's Matt
Gutman sets the scene.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
A group of healthy Arm Border Patrol agents descending on
the streets of Little Tokyo in the heart of Los
Angeles Thursday, in operation taking place just outside a political
event with prominent Democrats, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, where
they announced that California would fast track redistricting to ensure
more Democrats are elected to Congress in the midterms, which
(00:39):
they said was in response to what Texas is trying
to do with Republican members of Congress. What we saw
here in downtown LA yesterday was a mashup of two
of the major political battles in the country right now,
becoming redistricting efforts in Texas and California and immigration rates
in cities like Los Angeles, and state officials here telling
us that the man federal officials arrested outside that democratic event,
(01:03):
he was just there selling strawberries.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Governor Newsom comes to La to raise the stakes of
his battle against President Trump and Texas over redistricting. Texas
is working to send more Republicans to Congress through an
unusual mid decade redistricting effort. So Newsom says California will
do the same in favor of Democrats. So he comes
to Little Tokyo, the Japanese American National Museum, and it
looks a lot like the White House. Brought the fight
(01:27):
to him by way of immigration enforcement. Right outside this event,
one man was taken into custody, a suspected illegal immigrant
who was reportedly setting up a strawberry stand. Eli Mayor
Bass rushed to the scene, angry and.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Dis respect our iconic museum. What this museum represents, which
is immigration. This museum represents the interment of the Japanese
American community in Los Angeles, what happened before in our
nation history, and the idea.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
That they would save it something like that.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Here the governor is inside having a press conference. There
was no reason in the world for them to come here.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
They came here in all of their cars to do
what to take somebody who was driving.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
A car and then denying that they took anybody at all.
This is a complete provocation. This has nothing to do
with safety. In fact, this is the exact opposite of
keeping our cities safe.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
That says to her, This was clearly a provocative act
designed solely to antagonize the governor.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
There is no way this was a coincidence. This was
widely publicized that the governor and many of our other.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Elected officials were having a press conference here to talk
about registricting, and they decided they were going to come
and thumb their nose in front of the Governor's space.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Why would you do that.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
That is unbelievably disrespectful. It's a provocative act. They're talking
about disorder in Los Angeles.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
And they are the sort of the disorder in Los
Angeles right now.
Speaker 5 (03:04):
This is just completely unacceptable.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
This is a administration.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
This is a Customs and Border patrol that has gone
a monk.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Border Patrol. Chief Greg Bovino says, no, this was just
a roving patrol that happened to find someone in the
vicinity of Governor Newsom.
Speaker 6 (03:23):
This is a location that we have conducted these roving
patrol duties for the past two months. We've been here
over two months and as you can see today we
did make an apprehension just a few feet from where
I'm standing. The reason for these groving patrols and the
reason for our presence here in Los Angeles is to
(03:44):
make first off, Los Angeles a safer community, a safer
place for us to live and work.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Again, Bass disagreed with Bovino, Well.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
There is no way in the world that I believe that,
And I'm frankly disappointed in Boveno because you was serious
and sincere about what their mission is. Why on earth
would he say a provoca to that in his right
here in front of where the governor is. He did
this intentionally to disrespect the governor, to disrespect this iconic museum,
(04:18):
and to disrespect our state. Now, why is this helpful
to anybody at all?
Speaker 3 (04:23):
At this point? This doesn't have anything.
Speaker 7 (04:25):
To do with immigration at all.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
This was about causing trouble in our city.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
At Friday's LA City Council meeting, former LA City Administrator
and LA County CEO William Fujioka said the sight of
this particular arrest right outside the museum that honors where
Japanese Americans were sent off to internment camps during World
War two was particularly egregious.
Speaker 8 (04:48):
We stand in support of all immigrants because I am
the grandson of an immigrant. What has to happen now
is a that are elected leaders. And I'm confident in
this because I lived here for so many years, and
also the board will stand up and say this has
(05:10):
to stop. But the rest someone, I don't think they understand.
I don't think the word respect is in the vocabulary.
The rest someone on that plaza where thousands of Japanese Americans,
those of Japanese heritage, where we're forced on the buses
is something that I gotta tie.
Speaker 5 (05:31):
It just hit me to the court.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Hanging over all of this is the legal battle the
federal court decision that indiscriminate stops are illegal. That case
has another hearing in September, unless the Supreme Court gets
involved first, as requested by the President. Meanwhile, another immigration
enforcement action took place at a home depot store in Monrovia,
(05:55):
and this one turned tragic. Here's ABC's Matt Gutman again.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
We have learned also of a death in a separate
ICE operation also here in Los Angeles County, a man
city officials said was fleeing ICE agents rating a home
depot reportedly fled the store on foot onto a highway,
was hit by a vehicle and killed. Now the Department
of Homeland Security is weighing in. They're saying the victim
was not being pursued by DHS law enforcement at the time,
(06:23):
and they say they're not even aware that this incident
happened until operations in the area had concluded.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
CHP officials said the man was struck by a Ford
Expedition suv being driven by a fifty one year old
man at fifty to sixty miles per hour after he
ran onto the two to ten freeway. That man suffered
major injuries, obviously, and was taken to a hospital where
he died. The man's name has not officially been released,
(06:49):
but acquaintances identified him to ABC seven as Carlos Roberto Montoya.
He's a fifty fifty two year old father who was
working his money to send to his family in Guatemala.
The Guatemalan Consulate in La told ABC in his statement
that it regrets this sad event and is currently in
(07:11):
contact with the family providing the necessary assistance. Up next,
what did Governor Newsom say about redistricting while he was
in Los Angeles and what is next on that front?
And did you know the two hundred million dollars skyscraper
in downtown Los Angeles purchased by the LA County Board
of Supervisors needs nearly three hundred million dollars in earthquake
(07:36):
related upgrades. It's okay if you didn't, because apparently the
Board of Supervisors didn't either. And what July traffic at
the Port of Los Angeles can tell us about the
impact of tariffs on the economy. That's all ahead on
Michael Monks Reports. First, let's get the list from the
KFI twenty four hour newsroom KFI AM six forty live
(07:57):
everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. This is Michael Monks Reports.
I'm Michael Monks from KFI News with you till the
end of the hour on this Saturday night. In southern California.
Every ten years, this country conducts a census. It counts
everyone living here, and then based on that count some
government or quasi government body, usually a state legislature, gets
(08:18):
together to draw congressional districts. Sometimes states lose congressional seats
because their populations drop, and others gain for the opposite reason.
They grow their populations. There are only four hundred and
thirty five voting members of the US House of Representatives,
so those seats are allocated to states based on the
(08:38):
population counted in the census. Drawing congressional districts is, unfortunately,
more often than not, a partisan game. States dominated by
one party can easily improve their own fortunes by drawing
favorable districts, even if they take on ridiculous shapes or
divine populations of people that would otherwise have similar interests.
(09:00):
In Washington, but even in a state like California, which
is dominated by Democrats, there are seats that Republicans hold
currently and that they would be favored to win again.
In Texas, the opposite is true. It's mostly Republican, but
there are Democrats who represent the state in the US
House and likely would again. But the number of Republicans
(09:22):
and Democrats in the House today is very tight. Republicans
hold a narrow majority, and it is traditionally true that
the party of the incumbent president loses seats in midterm elections.
President Trump is a Republican, so Republicans would likely be
(09:42):
on defense in next year's election. Trump doesn't want that,
so he made a call to Texas Governor Greg Abbott
and says, call a special session of the legislature. Draw
your congressional maps now. Don't wait till after the twenty
thirty censes. Do it now, and make it so five
more Republicans could easily win their seats thereby extending the
(10:03):
Republican majority. Partisan jerry mandering is not new, but rarely
is it so naked, and it gets worse. California Governor
Gavin Newsom said in response, give me my pen. We'll
redraw our maps and send more Democrats to Washington. Texas
was unmoved by the threat. They called the special session,
(10:25):
but Democrats in the state legislature there ran off. They
were meeting with Democrats in states like Illinois, New York,
and here in California. They prevented a vote on new
maps by denying a quorum. And now the session has ended,
or it has for now.
Speaker 9 (10:42):
Texas Democrats ran out the clock in the special legislative session,
but Governor Greg Abbott immediately called a.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Second Every strategy is a play.
Speaker 9 (10:51):
Republicans want to redraw the state's congressional maps. California's Governor
Gavin Newsom threatened to do the same and his Democratic
controlled state. The Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said, by
following Newsom.
Speaker 6 (11:02):
Instead of the will of Texans, they have allowed us
to reset the clock.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
He says, the absent Democrats will have to pay back
expenses Brian Clark ABC News. So it's ugly, and it's
getting uglier. We have never had a jerrymandering battle like this,
pitting states against each other. But the Democrats from Texas
are being cheered on, even by former Democratic President Barack Obama.
Speaker 10 (11:25):
Highlighting what is happening in Texas has galvanized and mobilized
folks across the country. The right way to do democracy
is not to have the people who are already in
office select who's going to vote for them, but have
the people of America vote and select who's going to
represent them. What we all recognize is we can't let
(11:49):
a systematic assault on democracy just happen and stand by.
I want all of you to be returning, feeling in vigory,
and know that you have helped to lead what is
going to be a long struggle. Maybe one last thing
(12:10):
I want to point out, because obviously we're talking to.
Speaker 11 (12:14):
Democrats, but the stakes that are involved right now actually
impact Republicans as well because of your actions, because of
your courage.
Speaker 10 (12:28):
What you've seen is California responding other states looking at
what they can do to offset this mid decade Jerry
manderin that is highly irregular and is not what we
should be doing to balance out the mets for this
(12:52):
upcoming election.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Governor Newsom came to LA this week alongside other major
Democrats from the state, like US Senator's Shift and and
he laid out his plan and his motivations for it.
Speaker 10 (13:03):
It's not complicated.
Speaker 12 (13:04):
We're doing this in reaction to a president of the
United States that called a sitting governor of the state
of Texas and said, find me five seats. Here we
are an open and playing site before one vote is
cast in the twenty twenty six midterm election. And here
he is once again trying to rig the system. He
doesn't play by a different set of rules, he doesn't
(13:24):
believe in the rules. We can't stand back and watch
this democracy disappear district by district, all across this country,
not just in Texas.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
ABC News political director Avery Harper explains the political road
ahead for Newsom and his supporters.
Speaker 13 (13:41):
Asking Californians to do is to temporarily allow them to
jerry mander the maps in favor of Democrats in the
state in hopes of trying to beat back on what
Trump has asked for Republicans in Texas to do, which
is to reach their maps for purely partisan political game.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
And then yesterday Friday, California Democrats released their proposed maps.
As our Jason Campadonia explains.
Speaker 5 (14:09):
The proposed redistricting map looks to squeeze five Republican held seats,
including Ken Calvert in Riverside County, dar Elsa in San
Diego County, and Kevin Kylie in Sacramento County. State lawmakers
will return from their summer recess on Monday and will
have until Friday to finalize and vote to approve the
proposed map. Newsom says he's pushing for a redistricting because
(14:30):
President Trump is trying to rig the next election for Republicans.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Republican Congressman Kevin Kylie says it's all too much his
northern California district could be in jeopardy. He thinks Texas
needs to chill. He thinks California needs to chill. He's
introduced legislation to put a stop to the whole thing
across the country.
Speaker 14 (14:47):
I think that the President, unfortunately, I don't think was
given the full information about exactly how everything here would
play out in the counter reaction that it would produce.
So at the end of the day, I think that
both the Speaker of the House Might Johnson and Minority
Leader Jeffries have a mutual interest in making sure that
this does not proceed any further. That's a very troubling thing,
(15:08):
and so my veil is designed to say, all right,
let's take a deep rep Enough is enough. This is
not a road that we want to go down. I
don't love what's going on in Texas, and I don't
like the idea of this happening all across the country
and this sort of domino effect of one state after another.
I don't think that's good for Republicans. I don't think
it's good for Democrats.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
So now here's where we are. Texas failed, but we'll
try again. California needs to have voters give permission to
allow partisan politicians to draw the maps, because voters previously
decided it should be an independent commission. Governor Newsom is
pushing forward to get this issue on the ballot for
this November. It could cost a quarter of a billion
dollars by some estimates. But then what happens in other states?
(15:49):
Does New York? Does Illinois design to change their maps
to send more Democrats? They're big states with lots of districts.
And what about Florida? Does it act on behalf of Republicans.
We are headed in a really weird and perhaps dangerous direction,
and there doesn't seem to be any cooler head prevailing.
Maybe Congressman Kylie brings the peace with his legislation, but
(16:12):
it would require hot headed politicians like President Trump and
Governor knows them to stand down. Do you see that happening?
It might be for the good of the country, though,
so we will have to see if if they stand down.
This is getting really strange and perhaps really scary. And
(16:32):
up next, La County bought a very expensive skyscraper in
downtown Los Angeles with a plan to move its operations there,
but it seems like no one knows what's going on
with it, including the board of supervisors. So we'll look
into whether anybody is actually in charge of this government.
That's next on Michael Monks reports First, the latest from
the KFI twenty four hour newsroom KFI Am six forty
(16:58):
live everywhere on the I Heart Radio app. This is
Michael Monks reports on Michael Monks from KFI News. It's
not news to say La County is expensive, especially for
people who want to buy a home, but it's gotten
so out of hand that even Playboy is moving away.
The media company announced it's headed to Miami to develop
(17:19):
a Playboy Club at Miami Beach with a leading hospitality company.
Inspired by the Playboy Mansion. The new Miami headquarters will
include studios for podcast and photography. CEO Bincone says California
is not business friendly and even if you are a
person of means, you're still vulnerable.
Speaker 15 (17:39):
In what LAPD Chief Jim McDonald called the celebrity burglaries,
it was an investigation that started when Brad Pitt's home
was hit in June. Detectives tracked down a burglary ring
headquartered out of South La doing surveillance on them, and
then eventually moving in to make a rest.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Last week.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
Chief McDonald's some of the burglaries included homes of actors
and professional athletes.
Speaker 15 (17:59):
In the homes pob They say numerous items from the
burglaries were found at like Stone, ABC News Los Angeles.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
But it's not just Brad Pitt. Even the government is
surprised by the cost of living in Los Angeles County,
the only county. Board of Supervisors last year decided it
needed a new home for county departments and even supervisor offices.
They spent two hundred million dollars to buy what is
known as the Gas Company Tower. It's a skyscraper in
(18:27):
downtown LA. But at this week's Board of Supervisors meeting,
the price tag of a seismic retrofit, meaning how to
make the buildings survive an earthquake, it seemed to catch
the supervisors off guard. Here's Supervisor janis Han.
Speaker 16 (18:41):
I was surprised to learn that we would be spending
over two hundred ninety million to retrofit a skyscraper that
cost us only two hundred million to purchase. And I
agree there needs to be more transparency with taxpayers on
what the Gas Company Tower is actually going to cost
the county. And I think this cost is just the
tip of the iceberg. I learned recently that it's expected
(19:07):
to cost over sixty million annually just to operate the
gas Company Tower as a county office space. For comparisons,
I think it only cost US twenty million annually to
operate all of the office buildings that the CEO plans
to consolidate in the Gas Company Tower.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
On was against the purchase because she wants the government
to stay in the building it's in. Currently that building
happens to be named for her father, longtime supervisor Kenneth Hant.
Speaker 16 (19:34):
I mean, again, I'm not going to convince anybody, but
I just think there was a way that this could
have worked if we had viewed this purchase more as
a real estate investment where we could lease out office
space and make a profit off of the commercial rental income.
And I would have liked to have seen us use
those profits to help pay for the earthquake retrofitting of
(19:56):
this Hall of Administration and preserve our civic center for
the public. So I'm fine with retrofitting that building if
we're going to have county employees there. And I think
this motion asks specifically for the CEO to identify and
tell us where this money is coming from. But I
(20:21):
just would like to see a better plan going forward
to make this real estate purchase pencil out while our
county budget is under such strain.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Supervisor Hildeslease introduced a motion calling for work on this
three hundred million dollar seismic retrofit to stop and to
get a full report on what's going on with this building. Now,
keep in mind, it was purchased eight months ago and
no one at the Board of Supervisors seems to know
what's been happening with their new piece of real estate.
Speaker 17 (20:50):
And we were informed at to find that one of
the purposes was to realize substantial savings for the county
by consolidating operations.
Speaker 18 (20:58):
And avoiding leasing news spaces.
Speaker 17 (21:01):
But it has been eight months now and there has
been little to no visibility into what progress, if any,
we have made. My understanding is at the cost of
county departments to lease space and the gas towers around
three dollars and fifty cents per square foot, and by contrast,
an example, DHS is renting space in Alhambra to decant
(21:23):
the Figaroa building at a much higher cost. This is
true also for other departments, and that's why in part
I'm introducing the motion before us because I want to
see a report with an occupancy plan. I want to
know how many people are there now, what that looks like,
and how departments can utilize the building, including not renewing
(21:44):
existing leases to realize cost savings.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
These are questions that maybe should have already been answered,
But the question about whether the county should spend nearly
three hundred million dollars on a seismic retrofit also seem
to be unanswered. Eofi Sia Davenport says there is no
work on this happening right now, but listen to her
confusion about what she thought her marching orders were.
Speaker 7 (22:09):
We will not be spending two hundred and ninety or
two hundred and ninety seven million dollars to do seismic
on a gas company tower unless.
Speaker 19 (22:17):
This board approves it.
Speaker 7 (22:19):
Under the board's current policy, we cannot spend CEO cannot
enter into a contract to spend money on seismic unless
the board approves it. What's happening right now is as
a what our office believed was a condition of acquiring
the gas company tower. Of our takeaway from our discussions
(22:44):
with the board, particularly the one on October one, twenty
twenty four, where we provided the board with a proposed
amount of the seismic. Coming out of that conversation, we
thought that there was a desire to do seismic on
the gas Company tower, so that we are comparing apples
to apples. What would the cost be to do seismic
(23:07):
on the Hall of Administration and what would it cost
to do the gas Company tower?
Speaker 1 (23:13):
She says, as for her and the administrative side of
the government, not the elected side, there was never any
plan to move forward with a seismic retrofit.
Speaker 7 (23:22):
The other point that I will make, just to be clear,
it was never the CEO's recommendation to do the seismic
on the gas Company tower, because we understand and we
know that under the I GUESS codes that were implemented
at the time the tower was constructed, it is considered
(23:45):
seizically seismically compliant, and so that was not our recommendation.
We thought that there was an interest of the board
to make sure that we were comparing apples to apples.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
Supervisor Lindsay Horvath, who pushed for this new building, says
the county is racing serious financial problems after buying this building.
It agreed to a four billion dollar settlement for child
sex abuse, and by the way, there are still thousands
of cases still out there that have not been settled.
They have to negotiate with labor unions too, and they
have to figure out what kind of money it will
(24:17):
continue to receive from the federal government.
Speaker 18 (24:19):
We are in uncharted territory, and that's why I was
surprised that we would be proceeding with what I understood
to be and I think was stated here today to
be optional seismic upgrades to the gas company tower. For me,
safety is non negotiable, and my understanding is that the
building already exceeds safety requirements. In fact, it would have
(24:43):
the highest standards of any county building at this present moment,
So I think that's important to acknowledge, and the additional
retrofitting work being considered is not required in this climate.
Every dollar we invest must be scrutinized, especially as relentless
federal cuts put our social safety net at serious risk,
(25:05):
and our workforce, as has been stated, is asking legitimate questions.
We owe them and every taxpayer who depends on county
services clear information about the cost of these seismic upgrades,
our plans to occupy the building, expected cost savings from
reducing leaf space and for people who are receiving these services,
(25:28):
where do they go to get'em? How are we managing
all of our services and operations?
Speaker 1 (25:33):
So a huge purchase and a small understanding of what
it means. It was a shocking meeting to watch because
it asked the question who is in charge here? There
are also questions about tariffs and when we should expect
to feel any pinch in our pockets over them? Will we?
Speaker 14 (25:51):
Ever?
Speaker 1 (25:52):
The Port of la had a record month of traffic,
so that's good news, right, Well, maybe up next we'll
hear from officials there who say it may be a
sign that the pain is still on the way. When
Michael Monks Reports continues, if I am six forty live
everywhere on the iHeartRadio app, this is Michael Monks Reports.
(26:12):
I'm Michael Monks from KFI News, finishing up this Saturday
night with you. There was big news this week, and
there was also plenty of weird news. How about the
guy on the Breeze Airways flight from Norfolk, Virginia to
Los Angeles. It had to be diverted to Colorado because
he couldn't seem to.
Speaker 10 (26:29):
Behave And just see as I see unreleased passenger from
now three in using to stitch, taking sid and trying
to get.
Speaker 14 (26:37):
People as well, Roger hitting people with his on it
awakes though right Bill s he that Kana a Level
four disturbance.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
Now they said they had him restrained, he broke out
and their passengers holding him down.
Speaker 20 (26:50):
There a passenger allegedly threatening the flight crew and other
passengers verbally and physically that Breeze Airways flight traveling from
Virginia to Las forty six year old David Leroy Carter Junior,
now in custody, the airline saying he was pushing and
touching passengers and crew and spitting at them. Police saying
he was reportedly intoxicated, yelling racist slurs and waving a skateboard.
(27:14):
One passenger is now being praised for his decisive actions
subduing Carter, the plane, declaring an emergency and diverting to
Grand Junction, Colorado, where the airline says it was met
promptly by local law enforcement officers who restrained and removed
the passenger from the aircraft, other passengers cheering and brewing him.
(27:37):
It's the latest of more than a thousand unruly incidents
reported on planes nationwide this year. Last month, a New
jerseyman was arrested for allegedly attacking another passenger just after
they landed in Miami.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
And what about the guy in Van Nys who ticked
off his neighbors by repeatedly blowing a train horn at
his home regularly? Since here's a report from KTLA.
Speaker 21 (28:05):
Peaceful tree lined Peach Street in Van Nuys sounds more
like a train station because of one neighbor who's been
blasting a daily symphony of both his home alarm and
train horns.
Speaker 22 (28:19):
He does this periodically several times during the day. It
only shuts off when the air runs out because it's
blasted by air. Then he turns it back on. It
has a range of three and a half miles. It
is an actual train horn.
Speaker 21 (28:31):
Residents along the sixty six hundred bloc of Peach Street
say this has been going on for months. Every time
the police show up like they did today, the guide
turns it off. His name is Gary Boyogian and he's
lived here for years. He admits he's doing it on purpose.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
I want justice to be served.
Speaker 21 (28:49):
Boyogian says he has a long running beef with LAPD's
Van Night's Division based on his personal life and the
loud sirens or his way of getting the department's attention.
Speaker 22 (29:01):
I do sincerely apologize to my neighbors. I honestly to God,
I'm so sorry to discomfort.
Speaker 7 (29:06):
You guys in your own homes.
Speaker 5 (29:08):
But I have no I don't know what.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
Else to do.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Turns out the guy got his wish. The LAPD did
show up, but they arrested him on suspicion of a misdemeanor.
Let's talk about tariffs and prices and wages. I follow
this stuff pretty closely as a journalist, and I watch
the monthly reports from the Port of Los Angeles and
the Port of Long Beach to get a sense of
what cargo is looking like, what's coming, what's going, what
(29:31):
does it mean for store shelves and prices. The Port
of LA released its latest data from July just this week,
and we're going to dive into what seems to be
good news and what seems to be bad news based
on that report and what they themselves are saying at
the port. But I can't be the only one who's
wondering if we're feeling tariffs, if we're supposed to, when
(29:53):
are we going to feel them? What tariffs even exist
at this point. It's it's a little bit of a
weird economy.
Speaker 9 (30:00):
Retail sales increased by half a percentage point in July.
The solid number was in line with economist expectations. Auto
sales were the main driver. They were up by one
point six percent. That followed a surge in March and
April as people attempted to get ahead of President Trump's tariffs.
Discretionary spending is not well represented in this study. The
(30:20):
only service industry, restaurant business, saw a decline by four
tenths of eight percent. Brian Clark ABC News.
Speaker 23 (30:27):
The price bike in veggies was revealed in a monthly
report called the Producer Price Index, or PPI, which tracks
prices that businesses pay for products. Big retailers like Walmart
and Target have indicated they'll try to absorb some of
the costs associated with tariffs, but with price increases on
new inventory, analysts say it's only a matter of time
(30:48):
before consumers feel the pinch, not just in the produce aisle.
Speaker 24 (30:52):
Taking in billions and even trillions of dollars in tariffs
paid by other countries who frankly, we're taking advantage of
us for many, many years, and they were doing that
to us, but our people didn't know it.
Speaker 19 (31:07):
The FED has worked very hard over the last couple
of years to get inflation under control, but the President's
tariffs are driving up inflation after they're finally kind of
getting close to that two percent target that the.
Speaker 5 (31:18):
FED is debt.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
So it seems some prices are up, but not all prices,
and not all the tariffs have been in effect. They've
just been threatened. And President Trump makes claims about all
this money that's supposedly coming in from the tariffs, but
now there are big tariffs on big trading partners. And
that is why. The Port of Los Angeles seems to
be celebrating its record traffic in July, but also expressing
(31:42):
caution about what that really means. Here's what Gene Soroka,
the executive director of the Port, said about the traffic
in July, which was the busiest month in the history
of the port.
Speaker 25 (31:52):
Our July imports soared to five hundred and forty four
thousand TEUs, setting yet another benchmark at the Los Angeles
that outpaces last year by eight percent and is nineteen
percent higher than our July five year average. Shifting over
to exports, the port handled one hundred and twenty two
(32:14):
thousand TuS, a six percent year over year increase. While
that makes just two months of incremental optics, there's concern
among AC sector and other exporters about the impact of
trade policy on American goods headed overseas. While empty containers
landed at three hundred and fifty five thousand TuS, that's
(32:36):
a ten percent jump over last year and the highest
in four years. With so much available slot space due
to heavy imports, shipping lines took advantage of this opportunity
to bring more empties back to Asia. After an unprecedented July,
the Port of Los Angeles has now
Speaker 20 (32:55):
Handled KFI AM six forty on demand
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand. I'm
glad you're with us on this Saturday night in southern California.
It has been another busy week of local news. A
chaotic scene unfolded in downtown LA on Thursday. ABC's Matt
Gutman sets the scene.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
A group of healthy Arm Border Patrol agents descending on
the streets of Little Tokyo in the heart of Los
Angeles Thursday, in operation taking place just outside a political
event with prominent Democrats, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, where
they announced that California would fast track redistricting to ensure
more Democrats are elected to Congress in the midterms, which
(00:39):
they said was in response to what Texas is trying
to do with Republican members of Congress. What we saw
here in downtown LA yesterday was a mashup of two
of the major political battles in the country right now,
becoming redistricting efforts in Texas and California and immigration rates
in cities like Los Angeles, and state officials here telling
us that the man federal officials arrested outside that democratic event,
(01:03):
he was just there selling strawberries.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Governor Newsom comes to La to raise the stakes of
his battle against President Trump and Texas over redistricting. Texas
is working to send more Republicans to Congress through an
unusual mid decade redistricting effort. So Newsom says California will
do the same in favor of Democrats. So he comes
to Little Tokyo, the Japanese American National Museum, and it
looks a lot like the White House. Brought the fight
(01:27):
to him by way of immigration enforcement. Right outside this event,
one man was taken into custody, a suspected illegal immigrant
who was reportedly setting up a strawberry stand. Eli Mayor
Bass rushed to the scene, angry and.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Dis respect our iconic museum. What this museum represents, which
is immigration. This museum represents the interment of the Japanese
American community in Los Angeles, what happened before in our
nation history, and the idea.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
That they would save it something like that.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Here the governor is inside having a press conference. There
was no reason in the world for them to come here.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
They came here in all of their cars to do
what to take somebody who was driving.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
A car and then denying that they took anybody at all.
This is a complete provocation. This has nothing to do
with safety. In fact, this is the exact opposite of
keeping our cities safe.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
That says to her, This was clearly a provocative act
designed solely to antagonize the governor.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
There is no way this was a coincidence. This was
widely publicized that the governor and many of our other.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Elected officials were having a press conference here to talk
about registricting, and they decided they were going to come
and thumb their nose in front of the Governor's space.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Why would you do that.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
That is unbelievably disrespectful. It's a provocative act. They're talking
about disorder in Los Angeles.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
And they are the sort of the disorder in Los
Angeles right now.
Speaker 5 (03:04):
This is just completely unacceptable.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
This is a administration.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
This is a Customs and Border patrol that has gone
a monk.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Border Patrol. Chief Greg Bovino says, no, this was just
a roving patrol that happened to find someone in the
vicinity of Governor Newsom.
Speaker 6 (03:23):
This is a location that we have conducted these roving
patrol duties for the past two months. We've been here
over two months and as you can see today we
did make an apprehension just a few feet from where
I'm standing. The reason for these groving patrols and the
reason for our presence here in Los Angeles is to
(03:44):
make first off, Los Angeles a safer community, a safer
place for us to live and work.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Again, Bass disagreed with Bovino, Well.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
There is no way in the world that I believe that,
And I'm frankly disappointed in Boveno because you was serious
and sincere about what their mission is. Why on earth
would he say a provoca to that in his right
here in front of where the governor is. He did
this intentionally to disrespect the governor, to disrespect this iconic museum,
(04:18):
and to disrespect our state. Now, why is this helpful
to anybody at all?
Speaker 3 (04:23):
At this point? This doesn't have anything.
Speaker 7 (04:25):
To do with immigration at all.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
This was about causing trouble in our city.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
At Friday's LA City Council meeting, former LA City Administrator
and LA County CEO William Fujioka said the sight of
this particular arrest right outside the museum that honors where
Japanese Americans were sent off to internment camps during World
War two was particularly egregious.
Speaker 8 (04:48):
We stand in support of all immigrants because I am
the grandson of an immigrant. What has to happen now
is a that are elected leaders. And I'm confident in
this because I lived here for so many years, and
also the board will stand up and say this has
(05:10):
to stop. But the rest someone, I don't think they understand.
I don't think the word respect is in the vocabulary.
The rest someone on that plaza where thousands of Japanese Americans,
those of Japanese heritage, where we're forced on the buses
is something that I gotta tie.
Speaker 5 (05:31):
It just hit me to the court.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Hanging over all of this is the legal battle the
federal court decision that indiscriminate stops are illegal. That case
has another hearing in September, unless the Supreme Court gets
involved first, as requested by the President. Meanwhile, another immigration
enforcement action took place at a home depot store in Monrovia,
(05:55):
and this one turned tragic. Here's ABC's Matt Gutman again.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
We have learned also of a death in a separate
ICE operation also here in Los Angeles County, a man
city officials said was fleeing ICE agents rating a home
depot reportedly fled the store on foot onto a highway,
was hit by a vehicle and killed. Now the Department
of Homeland Security is weighing in. They're saying the victim
was not being pursued by DHS law enforcement at the time,
(06:23):
and they say they're not even aware that this incident
happened until operations in the area had concluded.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
CHP officials said the man was struck by a Ford
Expedition suv being driven by a fifty one year old
man at fifty to sixty miles per hour after he
ran onto the two to ten freeway. That man suffered
major injuries, obviously, and was taken to a hospital where
he died. The man's name has not officially been released,
(06:49):
but acquaintances identified him to ABC seven as Carlos Roberto Montoya.
He's a fifty fifty two year old father who was
working his money to send to his family in Guatemala.
The Guatemalan Consulate in La told ABC in his statement
that it regrets this sad event and is currently in
(07:11):
contact with the family providing the necessary assistance. Up next,
what did Governor Newsom say about redistricting while he was
in Los Angeles and what is next on that front?
And did you know the two hundred million dollars skyscraper
in downtown Los Angeles purchased by the LA County Board
of Supervisors needs nearly three hundred million dollars in earthquake
(07:36):
related upgrades. It's okay if you didn't, because apparently the
Board of Supervisors didn't either. And what July traffic at
the Port of Los Angeles can tell us about the
impact of tariffs on the economy. That's all ahead on
Michael Monks Reports. First, let's get the list from the
KFI twenty four hour newsroom KFI AM six forty live
(07:57):
everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. This is Michael Monks Reports.
I'm Michael Monks from KFI News with you till the
end of the hour on this Saturday night. In southern California.
Every ten years, this country conducts a census. It counts
everyone living here, and then based on that count some
government or quasi government body, usually a state legislature, gets
(08:18):
together to draw congressional districts. Sometimes states lose congressional seats
because their populations drop, and others gain for the opposite reason.
They grow their populations. There are only four hundred and
thirty five voting members of the US House of Representatives,
so those seats are allocated to states based on the
(08:38):
population counted in the census. Drawing congressional districts is, unfortunately,
more often than not, a partisan game. States dominated by
one party can easily improve their own fortunes by drawing
favorable districts, even if they take on ridiculous shapes or
divine populations of people that would otherwise have similar interests.
(09:00):
In Washington, but even in a state like California, which
is dominated by Democrats, there are seats that Republicans hold
currently and that they would be favored to win again.
In Texas, the opposite is true. It's mostly Republican, but
there are Democrats who represent the state in the US
House and likely would again. But the number of Republicans
(09:22):
and Democrats in the House today is very tight. Republicans
hold a narrow majority, and it is traditionally true that
the party of the incumbent president loses seats in midterm elections.
President Trump is a Republican, so Republicans would likely be
(09:42):
on defense in next year's election. Trump doesn't want that,
so he made a call to Texas Governor Greg Abbott
and says, call a special session of the legislature. Draw
your congressional maps now. Don't wait till after the twenty
thirty censes. Do it now, and make it so five
more Republicans could easily win their seats thereby extending the
(10:03):
Republican majority. Partisan jerry mandering is not new, but rarely
is it so naked, and it gets worse. California Governor
Gavin Newsom said in response, give me my pen. We'll
redraw our maps and send more Democrats to Washington. Texas
was unmoved by the threat. They called the special session,
(10:25):
but Democrats in the state legislature there ran off. They
were meeting with Democrats in states like Illinois, New York,
and here in California. They prevented a vote on new
maps by denying a quorum. And now the session has ended,
or it has for now.
Speaker 9 (10:42):
Texas Democrats ran out the clock in the special legislative session,
but Governor Greg Abbott immediately called a.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Second Every strategy is a play.
Speaker 9 (10:51):
Republicans want to redraw the state's congressional maps. California's Governor
Gavin Newsom threatened to do the same and his Democratic
controlled state. The Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said, by
following Newsom.
Speaker 6 (11:02):
Instead of the will of Texans, they have allowed us
to reset the clock.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
He says, the absent Democrats will have to pay back
expenses Brian Clark ABC News. So it's ugly, and it's
getting uglier. We have never had a jerrymandering battle like this,
pitting states against each other. But the Democrats from Texas
are being cheered on, even by former Democratic President Barack Obama.
Speaker 10 (11:25):
Highlighting what is happening in Texas has galvanized and mobilized
folks across the country. The right way to do democracy
is not to have the people who are already in
office select who's going to vote for them, but have
the people of America vote and select who's going to
represent them. What we all recognize is we can't let
(11:49):
a systematic assault on democracy just happen and stand by.
I want all of you to be returning, feeling in vigory,
and know that you have helped to lead what is
going to be a long struggle. Maybe one last thing
(12:10):
I want to point out, because obviously we're talking to.
Speaker 11 (12:14):
Democrats, but the stakes that are involved right now actually
impact Republicans as well because of your actions, because of
your courage.
Speaker 10 (12:28):
What you've seen is California responding other states looking at
what they can do to offset this mid decade Jerry
manderin that is highly irregular and is not what we
should be doing to balance out the mets for this
(12:52):
upcoming election.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Governor Newsom came to LA this week alongside other major
Democrats from the state, like US Senator's Shift and and
he laid out his plan and his motivations for it.
Speaker 10 (13:03):
It's not complicated.
Speaker 12 (13:04):
We're doing this in reaction to a president of the
United States that called a sitting governor of the state
of Texas and said, find me five seats. Here we
are an open and playing site before one vote is
cast in the twenty twenty six midterm election. And here
he is once again trying to rig the system. He
doesn't play by a different set of rules, he doesn't
(13:24):
believe in the rules. We can't stand back and watch
this democracy disappear district by district, all across this country,
not just in Texas.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
ABC News political director Avery Harper explains the political road
ahead for Newsom and his supporters.
Speaker 13 (13:41):
Asking Californians to do is to temporarily allow them to
jerry mander the maps in favor of Democrats in the
state in hopes of trying to beat back on what
Trump has asked for Republicans in Texas to do, which
is to reach their maps for purely partisan political game.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
And then yesterday Friday, California Democrats released their proposed maps.
As our Jason Campadonia explains.
Speaker 5 (14:09):
The proposed redistricting map looks to squeeze five Republican held seats,
including Ken Calvert in Riverside County, dar Elsa in San
Diego County, and Kevin Kylie in Sacramento County. State lawmakers
will return from their summer recess on Monday and will
have until Friday to finalize and vote to approve the
proposed map. Newsom says he's pushing for a redistricting because
(14:30):
President Trump is trying to rig the next election for Republicans.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Republican Congressman Kevin Kylie says it's all too much his
northern California district could be in jeopardy. He thinks Texas
needs to chill. He thinks California needs to chill. He's
introduced legislation to put a stop to the whole thing
across the country.
Speaker 14 (14:47):
I think that the President, unfortunately, I don't think was
given the full information about exactly how everything here would
play out in the counter reaction that it would produce.
So at the end of the day, I think that
both the Speaker of the House Might Johnson and Minority
Leader Jeffries have a mutual interest in making sure that
this does not proceed any further. That's a very troubling thing,
(15:08):
and so my veil is designed to say, all right,
let's take a deep rep Enough is enough. This is
not a road that we want to go down. I
don't love what's going on in Texas, and I don't
like the idea of this happening all across the country
and this sort of domino effect of one state after another.
I don't think that's good for Republicans. I don't think
it's good for Democrats.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
So now here's where we are. Texas failed, but we'll
try again. California needs to have voters give permission to
allow partisan politicians to draw the maps, because voters previously
decided it should be an independent commission. Governor Newsom is
pushing forward to get this issue on the ballot for
this November. It could cost a quarter of a billion
dollars by some estimates. But then what happens in other states?
(15:49):
Does New York? Does Illinois design to change their maps
to send more Democrats? They're big states with lots of districts.
And what about Florida? Does it act on behalf of Republicans.
We are headed in a really weird and perhaps dangerous direction,
and there doesn't seem to be any cooler head prevailing.
Maybe Congressman Kylie brings the peace with his legislation, but
(16:12):
it would require hot headed politicians like President Trump and
Governor knows them to stand down. Do you see that happening?
It might be for the good of the country, though,
so we will have to see if if they stand down.
This is getting really strange and perhaps really scary. And
(16:32):
up next, La County bought a very expensive skyscraper in
downtown Los Angeles with a plan to move its operations there,
but it seems like no one knows what's going on
with it, including the board of supervisors. So we'll look
into whether anybody is actually in charge of this government.
That's next on Michael Monks reports First, the latest from
the KFI twenty four hour newsroom KFI Am six forty
(16:58):
live everywhere on the I Heart Radio app. This is
Michael Monks reports on Michael Monks from KFI News. It's
not news to say La County is expensive, especially for
people who want to buy a home, but it's gotten
so out of hand that even Playboy is moving away.
The media company announced it's headed to Miami to develop
(17:19):
a Playboy Club at Miami Beach with a leading hospitality company.
Inspired by the Playboy Mansion. The new Miami headquarters will
include studios for podcast and photography. CEO Bincone says California
is not business friendly and even if you are a
person of means, you're still vulnerable.
Speaker 15 (17:39):
In what LAPD Chief Jim McDonald called the celebrity burglaries,
it was an investigation that started when Brad Pitt's home
was hit in June. Detectives tracked down a burglary ring
headquartered out of South La doing surveillance on them, and
then eventually moving in to make a rest.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Last week.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
Chief McDonald's some of the burglaries included homes of actors
and professional athletes.
Speaker 15 (17:59):
In the homes pob They say numerous items from the
burglaries were found at like Stone, ABC News Los Angeles.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
But it's not just Brad Pitt. Even the government is
surprised by the cost of living in Los Angeles County,
the only county. Board of Supervisors last year decided it
needed a new home for county departments and even supervisor offices.
They spent two hundred million dollars to buy what is
known as the Gas Company Tower. It's a skyscraper in
(18:27):
downtown LA. But at this week's Board of Supervisors meeting,
the price tag of a seismic retrofit, meaning how to
make the buildings survive an earthquake, it seemed to catch
the supervisors off guard. Here's Supervisor janis Han.
Speaker 16 (18:41):
I was surprised to learn that we would be spending
over two hundred ninety million to retrofit a skyscraper that
cost us only two hundred million to purchase. And I
agree there needs to be more transparency with taxpayers on
what the Gas Company Tower is actually going to cost
the county. And I think this cost is just the
tip of the iceberg. I learned recently that it's expected
(19:07):
to cost over sixty million annually just to operate the
gas Company Tower as a county office space. For comparisons,
I think it only cost US twenty million annually to
operate all of the office buildings that the CEO plans
to consolidate in the Gas Company Tower.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
On was against the purchase because she wants the government
to stay in the building it's in. Currently that building
happens to be named for her father, longtime supervisor Kenneth Hant.
Speaker 16 (19:34):
I mean, again, I'm not going to convince anybody, but
I just think there was a way that this could
have worked if we had viewed this purchase more as
a real estate investment where we could lease out office
space and make a profit off of the commercial rental income.
And I would have liked to have seen us use
those profits to help pay for the earthquake retrofitting of
(19:56):
this Hall of Administration and preserve our civic center for
the public. So I'm fine with retrofitting that building if
we're going to have county employees there. And I think
this motion asks specifically for the CEO to identify and
tell us where this money is coming from. But I
(20:21):
just would like to see a better plan going forward
to make this real estate purchase pencil out while our
county budget is under such strain.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Supervisor Hildeslease introduced a motion calling for work on this
three hundred million dollar seismic retrofit to stop and to
get a full report on what's going on with this building. Now,
keep in mind, it was purchased eight months ago and
no one at the Board of Supervisors seems to know
what's been happening with their new piece of real estate.
Speaker 17 (20:50):
And we were informed at to find that one of
the purposes was to realize substantial savings for the county
by consolidating operations.
Speaker 18 (20:58):
And avoiding leasing news spaces.
Speaker 17 (21:01):
But it has been eight months now and there has
been little to no visibility into what progress, if any,
we have made. My understanding is at the cost of
county departments to lease space and the gas towers around
three dollars and fifty cents per square foot, and by contrast,
an example, DHS is renting space in Alhambra to decant
(21:23):
the Figaroa building at a much higher cost. This is
true also for other departments, and that's why in part
I'm introducing the motion before us because I want to
see a report with an occupancy plan. I want to
know how many people are there now, what that looks like,
and how departments can utilize the building, including not renewing
(21:44):
existing leases to realize cost savings.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
These are questions that maybe should have already been answered,
But the question about whether the county should spend nearly
three hundred million dollars on a seismic retrofit also seem
to be unanswered. Eofi Sia Davenport says there is no
work on this happening right now, but listen to her
confusion about what she thought her marching orders were.
Speaker 7 (22:09):
We will not be spending two hundred and ninety or
two hundred and ninety seven million dollars to do seismic
on a gas company tower unless.
Speaker 19 (22:17):
This board approves it.
Speaker 7 (22:19):
Under the board's current policy, we cannot spend CEO cannot
enter into a contract to spend money on seismic unless
the board approves it. What's happening right now is as
a what our office believed was a condition of acquiring
the gas company tower. Of our takeaway from our discussions
(22:44):
with the board, particularly the one on October one, twenty
twenty four, where we provided the board with a proposed
amount of the seismic. Coming out of that conversation, we
thought that there was a desire to do seismic on
the gas Company tower, so that we are comparing apples
to apples. What would the cost be to do seismic
(23:07):
on the Hall of Administration and what would it cost
to do the gas Company tower?
Speaker 1 (23:13):
She says, as for her and the administrative side of
the government, not the elected side, there was never any
plan to move forward with a seismic retrofit.
Speaker 7 (23:22):
The other point that I will make, just to be clear,
it was never the CEO's recommendation to do the seismic
on the gas Company tower, because we understand and we
know that under the I GUESS codes that were implemented
at the time the tower was constructed, it is considered
(23:45):
seizically seismically compliant, and so that was not our recommendation.
We thought that there was an interest of the board
to make sure that we were comparing apples to apples.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
Supervisor Lindsay Horvath, who pushed for this new building, says
the county is racing serious financial problems after buying this building.
It agreed to a four billion dollar settlement for child
sex abuse, and by the way, there are still thousands
of cases still out there that have not been settled.
They have to negotiate with labor unions too, and they
have to figure out what kind of money it will
(24:17):
continue to receive from the federal government.
Speaker 18 (24:19):
We are in uncharted territory, and that's why I was
surprised that we would be proceeding with what I understood
to be and I think was stated here today to
be optional seismic upgrades to the gas company tower. For me,
safety is non negotiable, and my understanding is that the
building already exceeds safety requirements. In fact, it would have
(24:43):
the highest standards of any county building at this present moment,
So I think that's important to acknowledge, and the additional
retrofitting work being considered is not required in this climate.
Every dollar we invest must be scrutinized, especially as relentless
federal cuts put our social safety net at serious risk,
(25:05):
and our workforce, as has been stated, is asking legitimate questions.
We owe them and every taxpayer who depends on county
services clear information about the cost of these seismic upgrades,
our plans to occupy the building, expected cost savings from
reducing leaf space and for people who are receiving these services,
(25:28):
where do they go to get'em? How are we managing
all of our services and operations?
Speaker 1 (25:33):
So a huge purchase and a small understanding of what
it means. It was a shocking meeting to watch because
it asked the question who is in charge here? There
are also questions about tariffs and when we should expect
to feel any pinch in our pockets over them? Will we?
Speaker 14 (25:51):
Ever?
Speaker 1 (25:52):
The Port of la had a record month of traffic,
so that's good news, right, Well, maybe up next we'll
hear from officials there who say it may be a
sign that the pain is still on the way. When
Michael Monks Reports continues, if I am six forty live
everywhere on the iHeartRadio app, this is Michael Monks Reports.
(26:12):
I'm Michael Monks from KFI News, finishing up this Saturday
night with you. There was big news this week, and
there was also plenty of weird news. How about the
guy on the Breeze Airways flight from Norfolk, Virginia to
Los Angeles. It had to be diverted to Colorado because
he couldn't seem to.
Speaker 10 (26:29):
Behave And just see as I see unreleased passenger from
now three in using to stitch, taking sid and trying
to get.
Speaker 14 (26:37):
People as well, Roger hitting people with his on it
awakes though right Bill s he that Kana a Level
four disturbance.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
Now they said they had him restrained, he broke out
and their passengers holding him down.
Speaker 20 (26:50):
There a passenger allegedly threatening the flight crew and other
passengers verbally and physically that Breeze Airways flight traveling from
Virginia to Las forty six year old David Leroy Carter Junior,
now in custody, the airline saying he was pushing and
touching passengers and crew and spitting at them. Police saying
he was reportedly intoxicated, yelling racist slurs and waving a skateboard.
(27:14):
One passenger is now being praised for his decisive actions
subduing Carter, the plane, declaring an emergency and diverting to
Grand Junction, Colorado, where the airline says it was met
promptly by local law enforcement officers who restrained and removed
the passenger from the aircraft, other passengers cheering and brewing him.
(27:37):
It's the latest of more than a thousand unruly incidents
reported on planes nationwide this year. Last month, a New
jerseyman was arrested for allegedly attacking another passenger just after
they landed in Miami.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
And what about the guy in Van Nys who ticked
off his neighbors by repeatedly blowing a train horn at
his home regularly? Since here's a report from KTLA.
Speaker 21 (28:05):
Peaceful tree lined Peach Street in Van Nuys sounds more
like a train station because of one neighbor who's been
blasting a daily symphony of both his home alarm and
train horns.
Speaker 22 (28:19):
He does this periodically several times during the day. It
only shuts off when the air runs out because it's
blasted by air. Then he turns it back on. It
has a range of three and a half miles. It
is an actual train horn.
Speaker 21 (28:31):
Residents along the sixty six hundred bloc of Peach Street
say this has been going on for months. Every time
the police show up like they did today, the guide
turns it off. His name is Gary Boyogian and he's
lived here for years. He admits he's doing it on purpose.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
I want justice to be served.
Speaker 21 (28:49):
Boyogian says he has a long running beef with LAPD's
Van Night's Division based on his personal life and the
loud sirens or his way of getting the department's attention.
Speaker 22 (29:01):
I do sincerely apologize to my neighbors. I honestly to God,
I'm so sorry to discomfort.
Speaker 7 (29:06):
You guys in your own homes.
Speaker 5 (29:08):
But I have no I don't know what.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
Else to do.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Turns out the guy got his wish. The LAPD did
show up, but they arrested him on suspicion of a misdemeanor.
Let's talk about tariffs and prices and wages. I follow
this stuff pretty closely as a journalist, and I watch
the monthly reports from the Port of Los Angeles and
the Port of Long Beach to get a sense of
what cargo is looking like, what's coming, what's going, what
(29:31):
does it mean for store shelves and prices. The Port
of LA released its latest data from July just this week,
and we're going to dive into what seems to be
good news and what seems to be bad news based
on that report and what they themselves are saying at
the port. But I can't be the only one who's
wondering if we're feeling tariffs, if we're supposed to, when
(29:53):
are we going to feel them? What tariffs even exist
at this point. It's it's a little bit of a
weird economy.
Speaker 9 (30:00):
Retail sales increased by half a percentage point in July.
The solid number was in line with economist expectations. Auto
sales were the main driver. They were up by one
point six percent. That followed a surge in March and
April as people attempted to get ahead of President Trump's tariffs.
Discretionary spending is not well represented in this study. The
(30:20):
only service industry, restaurant business, saw a decline by four
tenths of eight percent. Brian Clark ABC News.
Speaker 23 (30:27):
The price bike in veggies was revealed in a monthly
report called the Producer Price Index, or PPI, which tracks
prices that businesses pay for products. Big retailers like Walmart
and Target have indicated they'll try to absorb some of
the costs associated with tariffs, but with price increases on
new inventory, analysts say it's only a matter of time
(30:48):
before consumers feel the pinch, not just in the produce aisle.
Speaker 24 (30:52):
Taking in billions and even trillions of dollars in tariffs
paid by other countries who frankly, we're taking advantage of
us for many, many years, and they were doing that
to us, but our people didn't know it.
Speaker 19 (31:07):
The FED has worked very hard over the last couple
of years to get inflation under control, but the President's
tariffs are driving up inflation after they're finally kind of
getting close to that two percent target that the.
Speaker 5 (31:18):
FED is debt.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
So it seems some prices are up, but not all prices,
and not all the tariffs have been in effect. They've
just been threatened. And President Trump makes claims about all
this money that's supposedly coming in from the tariffs, but
now there are big tariffs on big trading partners. And
that is why. The Port of Los Angeles seems to
be celebrating its record traffic in July, but also expressing
(31:42):
caution about what that really means. Here's what Gene Soroka,
the executive director of the Port, said about the traffic
in July, which was the busiest month in the history
of the port.
Speaker 25 (31:52):
Our July imports soared to five hundred and forty four
thousand TEUs, setting yet another benchmark at the Los Angeles
that outpaces last year by eight percent and is nineteen
percent higher than our July five year average. Shifting over
to exports, the port handled one hundred and twenty two
(32:14):
thousand TuS, a six percent year over year increase. While
that makes just two months of incremental optics, there's concern
among AC sector and other exporters about the impact of
trade policy on American goods headed overseas. While empty containers
landed at three hundred and fifty five thousand TuS, that's
(32:36):
a ten percent jump over last year and the highest
in four years. With so much available slot space due
to heavy imports, shipping lines took advantage of this opportunity
to bring more empties back to Asia. After an unprecedented July,
the Port of Los Angeles has now
Speaker 20 (32:55):
Handled KFI AM six forty on demand
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