Lou Penrose on KFI

People are falling in love with their AI companions, and Lou predicts that human-robot marriage is coming — and it’ll eventually land in the Supreme Court. China is already cracking down on AI boyfriends and girlfriends to fight loneliness and emotional dependence on chatbots.  

Daily cannabis use has now officially overtaken daily alcohol consumption in the US, but with so many Southern Californians on GLP-1s...

Even when money’s tight, some things are still worth the splurge. Financial expert Rachel Cruze says she’ll always pay for Instacart and Costco runs, airport valet, quality jewelry she can pass down, a solid financial team, and a good face serum. Lou’s personal luxury list? A top-tier washer and dryer, high-end vodka, and expensive bedding.  

After Taco Bell’s shredded-lettuce disaster, Chipotle an...

They still can’t keep the kids from cliff-jumping at San Diego’s Sunset Cliffs. One teenager took a running leap this week, cracked his tailbone on the edge in an eyewatering wipeout, and the viral video hasn’t slowed anyone down — is this the new form of aura farming?  

Over in Santa Cruz, 16-year-old lifeguard Ryder Williams pulled a 10-year-old boy from drowning, and the grat...

Best Foods (the folks behind Hellmann’s mayo) is running a summer campaign asking America to name its ultimate sandwich — and the regional opinions are flying. Is it a BLT? A turkey club? Grilled cheese? Bologna and cheese on Wonder Bread? Classic PB&J? Or the legendary leftover Thanksgiving sandwich? Bonus debate: If the turkey had been the national bird instead of the bald eagle, would we still be eating it s...

Happy 45th birthday, MTV! The channel launched August 1, 1981, and Lou was there from the start, calling in requests and soaking up the golden age of music videos. His personal favorite? Mötley Crüe’s “Home Sweet Home,” with anything Van Halen running a close second. MTV also served up plenty of Pat Benatar and way too much “Video Killed the Radio Star.” And remember when Billy Squier’s super-art...

Comic-Con is going off in Lou’s hometown of San Diego. This year’s crowd feels different — more kids and families thanks to a new ticketing setup, plus tons of free outdoor events, including Green Day playing on top of an ice-cream van.  

Pickpocketing is spiking during events like San Diego Pride, with phones getting lifted left and right. One thief learned the hard way not to mess with the la...

The California governor’s race is turning into a street-taco showdown — Democrat Xavier Becerra is singing the praises of unlicensed sidewalk tacos while Brit-born Steve Hilton seems confused about the difference between street and restaurant versions.  

First-time homebuyers are getting priced out of Southern California and heading for greener (and cheaper) pastures, with one San Diego couple’s move to ...

Forget the dating apps — if you want to meet your soulmate, try the grocery store. A supermarket in Finland is rolling out pink shopping carts for single shoppers open to being approached (only works if both of you grab the pink basket), and the idea could be heading to the US.  

Meanwhile, a Gen Z woman is getting called a gold-digger after admitting she might ditch dental school to focus on looking pretty and marr...

Lou has no hate for LAX — he actually likes that rideshare drivers have to take that long shuttle. With the FIFA World Cup over, Spain beat Argentina 1–0 to take the title. Jennifer Hudson killed the “Star-Spangled Banner,” but the Madonna halftime show was just “meh.”  

Despite all the affordability complaints, a record number of Americans are traveling this summer. Lou shares his airp...

The FIFA World Cup is over, but US hospitality (and ranch dressing) lives on. The dating scene is getting hit hard by the affordability crisis — nearly 80% of women won’t date a guy without a car or apartment, and Lou agrees: Women should vet for stability and ambition. On “failure to launch,” Lou says amazing women keep going home with losers, and maybe the best way to boost the economy is if...

It’s spring-cleaning season — Lou’s advice is simple: stack ’em deep and sell ’em cheap. Target now has to offer recycling for usable textiles, bedding, towels, and clothes to keep them out of landfills, and Marie Kondo’s “spark joy” rule still reigns. Listeners share their favorite donation spots, including Goodwill and pet rescues for old sheets and towels.  

In Florida, 7...

Southern California is sweating through a sticky tropical heatwave with no real relief in sight. The big question — should you crank the AC higher to save on that electricity bill and just acclimate to 78 degrees, or does that go against basic AC math? The humid weather is also bringing a surge in mosquitoes, some carrying West Nile virus.  

Postage stamps and postcards are getting more expensive again — but d...

A California restaurant owner at Chez Xue in the Bay Area is putting parents on blast — the menu now explicitly warns that tables will be charged extra if kids run around, shout, make excessive noise or damage property. Most listeners agree that fine-dining spots aren’t the place for little ones who’d much rather have chicken nuggets than cordon bleu. Some argue immersing kids in adult environments teaches manners...

Are you noticing more trash littering the interstates? Caltrans says people are tossing more garbage out their car windows across Southern California, and they just can’t keep up. Some callers blame it on a declining work ethic, while others say some folks were simply raised trashy.  

Lou asks listeners about their worst financial mistake in life — the top answers: Going to college and marrying the wrong ...

In the 4 p.m. of The Lou Penrose Show, both of Lou’s teenage sons were at Newport Beach yesterday during the chaotic 4th of July madness — they said it was completely out of control with fireworks, fights, and rampaging, so they got the hell out of Dodge. Apparently the troublemakers weren’t locals but folks from the 909.

In better news, competitive eating legend Joey Chestnut dominated once again, claiming his 18...

A California father passed away and left his entire inheritance — the house, business, investments, totaling at least $10 million — solely to his son, cutting out his daughters completely. The daughters, who sided with their mom during her extramarital affair and the bitter divorce, have now asked their brother to help pay off their student loans. The son called into a financial advice show asking what he should do, spa...

The United States Air Force Academy Band absolutely crushed a cover of Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine” at Mount Rushmore yesterday — it was off the hook! Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe told Joe Rogan about buying a $250,000 Ferrari Testarossa that was missing its stereo, while in San Diego, thieves made off with over $25,000 in $1 bills from the strip club Expose — the owner suspects it was ...

In the 4 p.m. of The Lou Penrose Show, FIFA fever is scorching hot right now not just here in the USA but around the world, and the World Cup may have finally killed the “Ugly American” stereotype for good — everything really is bigger in these United States and our foreign visitors are loving the supersized portions, warm welcome, and realizing the media has been lying to them all along. 

With the 4th of Jul...

Lou reacts to Ted Nugent’s recent appearance on the Adam Carolla podcast, where it came up that the “Motor City Madman” still hasn’t been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame while Joan Jett got in back in 2015 — is it because Nugent is a hunter and politically conservative? Nugent is ranked as one of Rolling Stone’s 100 most influential guitar players of all time, loves Joan Jett, but ...