April 13, 2025 • 32 mins
Michael Monks breaks down Bernie Sanders and AOC’s explosive "Fight the Oligarchy" rally that brought approximately 30,000 energized supporters to downtown LA. He also spotlights the historic LA28 Olympics, where women athletes will outnumber men for the first time ever, and explores how LA's rising minimum wage is unexpectedly hurting fast-food jobs. Plus, a Dodgers game gone wrong, and Huntington Beach struggles with a massive washed-up whale.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports. I'm Michael Monks from KFI News.
We got another hour together here to talk about the
news facing and shaping Southern California. Big, big crowds in
downtown LA this afternoon. They're estimating about thirty six thousand
(00:25):
people gathered at Gloria Molina Grand Park in downtown LA.
Let's hear from one of the guests.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
There are people a half a mile away.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
Let me.
Speaker 5 (00:41):
No, it's not Bernie, it is you.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
That is Senator Bernie Sanders, the Independent from Vermont. He
was joined by Representative Alexandria Okazio Cortes, the Democratic congresswoman
from New York. They've been touring the country on this
Fighting Oligarchy tour, and that tour landed in downtown Los
Angeles today again, tens of thousands of people showed up.
(01:14):
We've got clips from AOC and Bernie roll. Why don't
you play one for us.
Speaker 6 (01:18):
My name is Alexandria, and some of you may know
me as AOC, and from the bottom of my heart,
thank you for welcoming me to Los Angeles, and also
happy passover to all of our friends celebrating this weekend.
Speaker 7 (01:40):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
So that's her talking there, and then she had a
warning for the crowd, and we.
Speaker 6 (01:47):
Are here together because an extreme concentration of power, greed,
and corruption is taking over this country like never before
for oligarchy in America.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
And we must.
Speaker 6 (02:08):
Acknowledge the terrifying moment that we are in right now,
and that what we are hearing and seeing with our
own eyes is in fact happening.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Ocasio Cortes also praised some staff members at La Schools,
the ones who stopped some federal agents from the Homeland
Security Department from talking to some illegal immigrant children who
were described by the federal agency as kids who arrived
in this country unaccompanied. And the department said they just
(02:40):
wanted to do a welfare check, but the school district said, no,
you can't come in. They turned them away, and Superintendent
Alberto Carvallos stood up for those schools as well, saying
this is the way that we're going to protect our
kids where families are very scared of President Trump's immigration policies.
Let's hear the last from aoc We are.
Speaker 8 (02:57):
Here to make a sacred promise to each other. And
our goal today is to commit to building the kind
of country we all deserve, and we will make that
promise to take care of each other on our worst
days and to share.
Speaker 6 (03:15):
In the successes of our best. Thank you so much,
Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
So AOC was the opening act for the big attraction,
Senator Sanders.
Speaker 5 (03:26):
Let's hear from him.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
We're gonna make our revolution with joy. We're gonna sing
and dance our way to victory against hatred and divisit.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
This joy, singing and dancing, And there's that revolution that
we've been talking about, I think for ten years with
Senator Sanders. I don't know how to measure the success
of that.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Here he is again, and your presence here today is
making Donald Trump and Elon Musk very nervous. Last time
we did rally in Denver a little bit smaller than this.
Thank you, La. Elon musknouts everybody at the rally A
(04:20):
most of the people were paid organizers. Anybody here get
paid to come today.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
It was a big, big crowd in downtown Los Angeles
to see those two political figures. They were also joined
by musicians Joan Biez and Neil Young, other musicians. Other
speakers also spoke It was a very big rally. Traffic
was severely impacted, so they are still drawing large crowds,
but they say this has been the largest on their
(04:55):
tour across the country, this Fighting Oligarchy Tour. Let's hear
the last thing from Bernie sand.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
And Donald Trump very envious of sizes, he said, Well,
Bernie has rallies of two or three thousand people. Can't
compete with Trump, he lied, So I invite the President
to come to La. Tell the people here why you
(05:25):
think it's a great idea, the cut Medicaid and nutrition
and healthcare so you can give tax rigs to billion ads.
The people of LA would love to hear that.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Senator Bernie Sanders, the Independent from Vermont, also joined by
Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocazio Cortes in downtown Los Angeles for
their Fighting Oligarchy tour. Thirty six thousand people estimated to
be in attendance.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
For that rally.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Bigger crowds will be coming to LA very very soon,
along with the Olympic and of course Los Angeles. Southern California,
a place that's known for one sport in particular, beach volleyball.
The city that has long been claimed to be the
birthplace of that sport has decided it will not play
host to it when the Olympics come to town, and
(06:16):
that's got another local city potentially clamoring to be its replacement.
Speaker 5 (06:22):
We'll talk about that next Here on Michael Monk's Reports.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports. I'm Michael Monks from KFI News.
We're with you until nine o'clock tonight. As always, there's
room for you to join this conversation by opening up
the iHeartRadio app, clicking on that talkback button and will
play some of your comments, like this one from Nick.
Speaker 5 (06:50):
So, Michael, this is Nick again.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Bernie Sanders and AOC are the biggest jokes in the
Democratic Party. Even the Democrats don't want them.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
If you listen to all the talking heads on CNN
and NC So, if.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
You brought Trump to LA I bet you he'd turn
out a bigger crowd than those losers. They're never going
to win.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
They're terrible stame old look at LA.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Thanks for the message, Nick, do appreciate that I certainly
will not be taking in the talking heads on any
of those networks CNN, MSNBC, Fox, that it's the last
thing I want to do. Give me local news any
day of the week. Now, if the national figures come
to town and it becomes local news, I'm all about that.
But I am a local news guy. I do not
(07:35):
like to watch those cable news channels.
Speaker 5 (07:37):
It is, so it's just despicable.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Better days ahead, I suppose here in LA because we're
gonna have a lot of people coming.
Speaker 5 (07:44):
Hope we're ready for it.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
The Olympics in twenty twenty eight, and this week we
learned that our Olympics, our third time hosting the games,
will be the biggest one ever, more events and more
athletes competing here than ever before, and all of the
team's sports will have at least the same number of
women's teams as men's teams. That's also a first. There's
(08:06):
only one exception there, and that is soccer, and the
women will have more teams than the men. The International
Olympic Committee Executive Board confirmed the events this week, so
that is a big, big piece of news about the
Olympics because the IOC has said there will be an
(08:27):
athlete quota with ten thousand, five hundred athletes and for
the first time, there will be more women than men
three hundred and thirty three women, five thousand, one hundred
sixty seven men, ten thousand, five hundred athletes coming to town.
And just think they might be able to drink until
four o'clock in the morning. How exciting. We're also going
(08:49):
to have some new sports making a comeback in these
games baseball and softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse, squash.
Speaker 5 (08:58):
I don't know what squash is.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
I don't know if you have to make a certain
amount of money to play squash, Like who has access
to squash? Is it like handball? Does anybody know? Nobody knows.
We're not in that tax bracket. We are not in
the squash tax bracket. But apparently it's going to be
an Olympic event here in Los Angeles. I'm sure there
(09:22):
are people in LA who know squash. This is a
city that has some money. So there will be three
hundred and fifty one events, one hundred and sixty one
for women and one hundred and sixty five for men,
along with twenty five mixed teams events. Now one event
is still looking for a home. They had planned originally
(09:43):
to host beach volleyball in Santa Monica, but that has changed.
Let's hear from Santa Monica Mayor LANAA.
Speaker 7 (09:52):
Grete as your mayor, I have mixed emotions about this outcome,
as many of you probably do too. It would have
been in credible to host beach volleyball here. We're the
birthplace of the modern sport and have so much history
with it, not to mention our robust volleyball community, and
it would have been a great chance to shine and
spotlight on our beautiful beaches and iconic scenery. But after
(10:15):
two years of negotiations, the city in LA twenty eight
couldn't agree on key terms that would have had significant
impacts on our city. We needed greater assurances of community benefits,
logistical details, and financial guarantees to feel confident moving forward.
Was an agreement on behalf of you, the Santa Monica community,
who have entrusted us to be good stewards of your
tax dollars.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Now, these are games that are not supposed to cost
the local community's money. That's not a guarantee where that
is the hope. In fact, I read this week that
I believe the city of Los Angeles, for example, would
be on the hook if the Games lose money, but
the first two hundred and seventy million dollars before LA
twenty eight starts to pay for the rest. LA twenty
(10:59):
eight is the group that was formed to represent Los
Angeles and to help plan for the Olympics in twenty
twenty eight. LA twenty eight officials are the ones who
were in Switzerland this week for the IOC board meeting
where these events were approved. But now we're looking for
a new home for beach volleyball because it won't be
in Santa Monica.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
Now.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Mayor Negrete there in Santa Monica, says she still hopes
that there is a way for Santa Monica to cash
in on it all.
Speaker 7 (11:24):
But I'm also relieved and excited because we now have
clarity and we can put an even greater focus on
economic opportunities during the Games that we wouldn't have been
able to do if we hosted beach volleyball competition. City
teams are already exploring the possibility of hospitality houses for athletes.
Broadcast centers, watch parties.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
And more.
Speaker 7 (11:42):
When the games are here, we encourage local businesses to
also start planning ahead and looking for ways to attract
visitors and show off the beauty of Santa Monica. We
want everyone, regional, national, and international visitors to experience the
uniqueness of our community.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
So when you think about Los Angeles, if you're not
from here, you might have images in your mind that
are really in Santa Monica.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
Right.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
I mean, it's all generally LA, but it's not officially LA.
But you might think of the Santa Monica pier and
the beach is there. So Santa Monica is gonna do fine.
All of these visitors who are pouring in for the Olympics,
they're going to go to Santa Monica, and by not
hosting an event, they don't have to worry about any
of that infrastructure or potential related costs. They can kind
(12:30):
of just sit in and watch the dollars roll in
for the restaurants, the hotels, all of the tourist destinations
that are there. Could be a good thing. Now, what
city will end up with beach volleyball? We have a
lot of beach cities. I talked to State Senator Tony Strickland.
He used to be the mayor in Huntington Beach and
he was also on the city council there very recently
(12:52):
until he won a special election to go back to
Sacramento and serve again as a legislator. So he's a
senator again, but obviously a lot of heart for Huntington
Beach in Orange County, and he says he hopes that
city gets it.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
I'm hopeful, very hopeful we you know, my hope is
we'll have volleyball. My hope is that we can maybe
even do surfing our paras our team.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
But we do big.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
Events really well in Huntington Beach. We have the largest
air show in the world in Huntington Beach where it
used to big crowds, big crowds that have you know,
that are safe and family friendly, and so Huntington Beach
is ideal place to host any Olympic event. I'm hopeful
we get beach volleyball.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Hey, if LA goes broke, Hountington Beach might have to
host the whole thing. I mean, historically it is called
surf city, and aside from those type of championships, they've
done beach volleyball there for decades in Huntington Beach. Yeah,
like vans and when we had the X Games, Like
it's a known location. Like people go to like Park
(13:58):
City for skiing. People go to Huntington Beach for surfing
and beach volleyballs.
Speaker 5 (14:03):
Are you people?
Speaker 7 (14:04):
Huh?
Speaker 5 (14:05):
Are you people? Are you people?
Speaker 4 (14:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (14:06):
Are you people who goes to Park City for skiing?
Speaker 4 (14:09):
Well? Not?
Speaker 5 (14:09):
Do you play squash? Andrew Caravella, how much are they.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Paying you over there? My contract's not up for a discussion. Okay,
that's fair. That's fair. One contract that should be up
for discussion is the math involved here. Now, Huntington Beach
might end up being in a better position, but there
is a reason Santa Monica said, eh, we can't do it.
Speaker 5 (14:31):
There was a.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Study last October on the economic impacts of hosting an
Olympic event beach volleyball in the city of Santa Monica.
This study found that Santa Monica would generate just over
fourteen million dollars in fact, fourteen point zero nine million
dollars as a venue city, but it would cost fifteen
(14:54):
point five to four million to do so, so they
would lose one point four to five million dollars. But
the same study found that by not hosting Beach volleyball
they could just have an additional ten point sixty five
million dollars in profit because of tourism. So now you
kind of understand. I know there were a lot of
people online who were upset about the city's decision.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
It looks like mathematically.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
It might have been the good decision, and we'll see
if Huntington Beach can change that. My goodness, with LA
losing money on parking, tickets, trash collection, recycling, and just
about everything else, can you imagine what shape we're gonna
be in in the city proper if that economic study
for Santa Monica translates to the larger city which is
hosting most of the events, not all of them, but
(15:39):
most of them.
Speaker 5 (15:40):
Something to keep an eye on.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
I'll tell you what is apparently costing more money than
proponents said it would. It's that wage increase for fast
food workers. It's apparently costing jobs and costing customers too.
We'll talk about that next.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Demand KFI' six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks reports. I am Michael Monks from
KFI News. It's a bloodbath the Dodger Stadium. The Cubs eleven,
the Dodgers zero in the bottom of the eighth. Rough
(16:18):
night for LA fans, unless you're a fan of the
La Angels. They won to day at Houston. Rough time
for the fast food industry in California. As we know,
the minimum wage there went up twenty bucks.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
I'm sorry to twenty bucks.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
And now apparently some jobs are being shedded, prices are
going up.
Speaker 5 (16:41):
Let's hear about it.
Speaker 9 (16:42):
A new studies shows significant job losses since California increased
the fast food minimum wage. New research published by Pepperdine
University shows the industry has lost more than twenty three
thousand jobs in the one year since the state raised
the wage to twenty dollars an hour. At the same time,
fast food employment grew by zero point eight percent nation wide.
(17:06):
Fast food franchise owners say the wage increase has helped
with employee recruitment and retention, but has forced many to
start raising prices.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
So some of the things that were argued to be
to the contrary of the proponents pushing for the wage
increase have apparently proven to be correct. According to the
study titled Jumping the Gun on the Fast Act. This
was a study from the Pepperdine School of Public Policy
and Beacon Economics. The new information, they say, has come
in on the job's impact of California's Fast Act, the
(17:37):
bill that subjected chain fast food restaurants in the state
to a special twenty dollars per hour minimum wage. The
California Employment Development Department released its January twenty twenty five
employment report in March, along with revised employment estimates for
the last eighteen months, and these new estimates lowered the
number of payroll jobs across the state by ninety two thousand,
(18:00):
one hundred for December twenty four, a decrease of roughly
a half of percent, but that was across all areas,
but these declines were concentrated in a few sectors, including
fast food restaurants, where the number of jobs over the
past eighteen months was revised down by twenty one thousand,
(18:21):
and five hundred, or two and a half percent in December.
This report says the losses have continued into this year.
Initial estimates suggested little change in fast food restaurant employment
in twenty twenty four, but the revised data through January
now shows that sector actually lost three point two percent
(18:43):
of its employment over twenty three thousand jobs during the
past twelve months. But across the United States, fast food
jobs as a whole grew by zero point eight percent
over the same period. So the Pepperdine study says, to
put this in context, overall employment in California grew by
(19:05):
zero point two percent over the same time period, whereas
the US. Across the US the figure was one point
two percent. So what this Pepperdine study says is the
ongoing impact of the Fast Act on California franchisees and
their employees is quote now plane to see in the
(19:26):
state's top line employment data, and this new information should
convince the Fast Food Council, the organization created by the
state bill to set standards and regulations in the industry,
to pause any further changes until more information can be
known about it. More research is needed, they say. California's
(19:50):
fast food industry became a focal point and the ongoing
minimum wage debate over the past year. Pepperdine study rights
the Fast Act raised the minimum wage for franchised fast
food restaurants in the state to twenty dollars per hour
as of April first, twenty twenty four. That's four dollars
more than California's general minimum wage. The state's minimum wage
for all companies has doubled from eight dollars to sixteen
(20:12):
dollars over the last decade. The twenty dollars carve out
applies to roughly half of all fast food restaurants in
the state, those that are part of chains with sixty
or more locations nationwide. The laws created quote unintentionally, a
natural experiment for the minimum wage. By raising wages dramatically
in a specific sector, we're able to observe the effects
(20:36):
in relative isolation. So that study is from Pepperdine and
it doesn't reflect well on the minimum wage, but I
would imagine that the workers who have retained their jobs
are quite happy about it. I did a little fast
food work recently, you know, before coming to work at
KFI and having just moved to La I did work
(20:56):
at El Poyo Loco because I couldn't find a job
anywhere else.
Speaker 5 (21:00):
I love their chicken. The chicken's great.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
And I'm gonna have an employo local story coming up
in our next segment because that's a chain that's facing
apparently a hostile takeover from an activist investor. So we're
going to segue and talk more to the chicken. But
what I will say, Andrew, is that before I was
able to get this great job with KFI, I was
working the cash register at the Alpoyo Loco in downtown LA.
(21:23):
And what maybe difficult for regular folks to understand if
you're not in the fast food business, it is a
tough job. And it's not all teenagers who are working there.
I mean, I feel so bad for people who are
out of work right now, especially in the creative fields,
because you come to La, you have a dream, and
(21:44):
the entertainment industry has shrunk, the journalism industry has shrunk.
A lot of industries are just smaller, and so you're
out there clamoring for anything you can get to sustain
yourself until the better gig comes along that you're schooled in,
that you are experienced in. So you're trying to work
at the grocery store, you're trying to work at the
gas station, you're working at a warehouse, you're driving uber.
(22:06):
In my case, I was selling chicken, selling chicken on
the corner, and you know, the chicken is delicious.
Speaker 5 (22:14):
That helped.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
But I mean, we were all grown ups working in there.
It wasn't like high school students. So I feel for
the people who have to turn to that. It's not
always children in their first jobs. I mean there were
moms working there, grown men with grandchildren cutting up those chickens.
Speaker 5 (22:36):
That was the world. I'm so glad I didn't have to
do that part of the job.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
You know, the cooks who I mean, these chickens, they
just sling those bodies around and they throw them on
the grill there and then suddenly hear this boom, boom boom,
and that cleaver comes down on that chicken corpse. And
oh lord, I never had to do that. Now, don't
get me wrong. I ate the chicken. I ate the
result of that act. But I mostly just the money
(23:00):
and swept the floors and kept the place tidy, put
the mac and cheese in the cup. But I have
a lot of sympathy for people who work in fast food.
It's not for a lack of trying for a lot
of people. But what this study suggests is when you
carve out an industry like that, there could be adverse
(23:23):
side effects, and those people who are already vulnerable become
more so if they lose their job, or if the
restaurant closes, or if that position like what I had
as a cashier is replaced with a touch screen. Now
you don't get my dazzling smile from the touch screen,
but the franchise saves a few bucks. Good luck out there, everyone.
(23:52):
I was sad to see that there's another dead whale.
So we're gonna go back to Hunton Beach right now,
because I know we all followed that situation in Long
Beach where the whale was kind of hanging around. Nobody
knew why the whale was hanging around by the pier,
and everyone was intrigued by the whale in Long Beach
(24:13):
and then it was dead and that wasn't exciting. But
today marine mammal care experts had to go to the
shore and Huntington Beach. They need to get this cleaned
up because they might get Olympic volleyball. A dead gray
whale washed up last night. It was a female washed
(24:34):
up near the Huntington Beach pier. The Pacific Marine Mammal
Center and Laguna Beach responded early Saturday to perform a
neck cropsy, and it wasn't clear apparently how the corpse
was going to be removed. It was just very recently
(24:55):
that a smaller whale was spotted in the shallow waters
of Long Beach's Rainbow Heart and was later found dead.
We've been covering and even last week had an interview
with one of the reen mammal experts that that toxic
algae bloom in the water is killing sea lions. It's
driving them crazy. They're attacking. Dolphins are dead. Birds are dead.
(25:17):
We got a couple of dead whales. This does not
indicate that the whales died from that toxic algae bloom, but.
Speaker 5 (25:24):
It seems like a rough time on the beaches.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand, KFI.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
AM six forty live everywhere in the iHeartRadio app. This
is Michael Monks Reports on Michael Monks from KFI News,
wrapping up these two hours we've spent together on a
beautiful Saturday night in Southern California. Not so beautiful at
Dodgers Stadium. That game just wrapped up and the Cubs
really poured it on. The Dodgers' final score Chicago, sixteen
(25:53):
La Nothing sixteen Zip for the defending world champions go down.
But that's the thing about life, right Sometimes i'ms You
just get the S word knocked out of you gotta
get back up and try again. Los Angeles Magazine reports
El Hoyo Loco faces unsolicited takeover. There's this activist investor.
His name is Sardar Big Glari, and apparently he already
(26:17):
owns fifteen percent of it. He wants more of it.
He's already acquired all or part of Jack in the Box,
Cracker Barrel, Friendly Western, Sizzlin. But this guy plays squash.
This guy has enough money to be in a squash league.
I mean, I'll Poyo Loco is a popular chain bounded
here first Storm MacArthur Park, and now it's facing a
(26:43):
hostile takeover from an activist investor. Executives from the company
told some industry magazine that they are in the process
of carefully evaluating a proposal from Big Lari. It's described
as a quote poison pill provision that Big Glory might
use to acquire the eighty five percent of the chain
(27:04):
he does not yet own. Forbes called Big Glory a
Warren Buffett wanna be who tends toward the dramatic. So
it's anybody's guess how this will play out.
Speaker 5 (27:16):
I just hope it doesn't hurt the workers, of course,
first of all.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
And secondly, I I hope they don't mess with the
creamy cilantro recipe, because that that man, that creamy cilantro.
I will tell you the thing about working at Apollo
locuis I did a you know, until I got hired
here cafe I people were always asking for extra creamy
cilantro and I had never, you know, tasted it while
(27:41):
I was working there. Had occasionally just have like a
piece of chicken and you know, some salad or whatever.
And one day I was like, what is this all about?
This creamy cilantro? And when I tell you that, my
life changed. I I've tried to hack it, you know,
like I've tried to fure out how to make it.
(28:02):
It's impossible. My spouse is a genius in the kitchen.
We can't do it. I mean I would dip everything
in the creamy cilantro. Doortillus, chicken, lettuce, Think of your
worst vegetable, you dip it in the creamy cilantro, and
you'll eat a bucket of it. I will warn you.
I hope this is into insidery. But those little cups
(28:24):
of it, it's like three hundred and fifty galleries. It's
not something you should be pounding, but you can't help yourself.
Speaker 5 (28:32):
It's so good. Oh man, you just I know. I'm sorry, Yeah,
I mean like that there's a tiny cup.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
I know some of the locations give like a small
cup and that's probably only a buck fifty calories. But
the one that we were giving at the downtown, we
were generous. At Third and Broadway, you got a you know,
a bigger cup. It's like three hundred fifty calories.
Speaker 5 (28:49):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
In our last couple of minutes, quick pop quiz, Raoul.
If you told me you were going to San Antonio
to visit the Alamo and I said, don't forget to
ask about the basement, what would you say back to.
Speaker 5 (28:59):
Me, Uh, okay, you fail. Let's go to Andrew.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Andrew, if you were going to San Antonio to visit
the Alamo and I said, don't forget to ask about
the basement, what would you say?
Speaker 5 (29:11):
Rule number one? We don't talk about fight club? Okay,
roll roll the clip.
Speaker 6 (29:18):
I mean it y'all have been one of the brightest
groups I have ever worked with. Really, Okay, are there
any questions?
Speaker 5 (29:25):
Yes, where's the basement?
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Excuse me?
Speaker 5 (29:29):
Are you going to see the basement?
Speaker 6 (29:32):
There's no at the Alamo.
Speaker 5 (29:37):
There's no basement at the Alamo. Famous line from Pee
Wee's Big.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Adventure, a childhood film that I loved so much, And
that is a very famous line that I thought everyone knew.
But our traffic buddy will Cole Schreiber, who's on the
clock tonight instead of the.
Speaker 5 (29:52):
Early mornings, I will yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
So you actually you had a cool gig because you
do some other work, and you were up in the
air for the Final Four, which was in San Antonio. Yeah,
we were doing the aerial shots, the aerial shots over
the Alamo Dome, and I had a day off in
between the games, and I did go to the Alamo.
And you told me before you went to San Antonio
that you were gonna, you know, maybe check out the Alamone.
(30:17):
I said, don't forget to check out the basement. And
you went down there, and what did you do all
I asked about the basement? No, No, you for that
support Michael Monks, I really I really enjoy it. Usually,
you know, during the week, when I'm here doing news
(30:37):
and Will is doing traffic, we're in the we're in
the newsroom together for a few hours before he leaves
a little earlier than I do, of course, because it
comes in a lot earlier. And I tell you, he
is a perfect foil, just a lovable foil you are.
Speaker 5 (30:51):
And so what did they say when you said that, Will?
Speaker 2 (30:55):
They kind of laughed in a way that was like
being polite laughing. I was like, oh, yeah, like we've
heard this a few times. I just thought, Will, you
come from an era. I mean, you are considerably older
than I am. I thought you had probably wo woa, whoa, whoa, wow,
shot wow, tired, Oh my gosh wow. I thought for
sure you would know the pewee Herman reference. And I
(31:17):
was so shocked that you didn't. And then I thought,
we need every movie from the eighties. I'm sorry, well
that's not just ever, I mean that is one of
the eighties movies Will, Will, Cole Schreiber, everybody, thanks for
popping on here. I fell into that trap you did,
you did? I've been trying something out, guys. Also, you
can weigh in if you like it. His name is
(31:38):
will Cole Schreiber.
Speaker 5 (31:39):
Love the name.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
It's professional. I've been work shopping a nickname, like a
better on air brand for him. I'm thinking Billy Eagle.
Speaker 5 (31:47):
I like it.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
Yeah, Oh my god, Billy Eagle with traffic or or
a strange name, but it's shorter, certainly.
Speaker 5 (31:54):
How about large Marge.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
See, he hasn't seen the movie, so he's not gonna
know what you mean by that. Tell them large Marge, Sencha,
that was a nightmare as a check. Hey, well, if
you ever visit New York, there's a pizza place I
want you to go to. You can ask them about
their basement.
Speaker 5 (32:11):
Oh no, no, I know that story. Oh oh always
fun on Saturday nights.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
I hope you all learned a little something on this
two hour journey of Michael Monk's Reports. My big thanks
to Billy Eagle with traffic, UH producer Matthew Toffler, news
anchor Andrew Caravella, and our technical director Raoul Cortes.
Speaker 5 (32:34):
Thanks to all of you for listening. We do appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
I'll be back all next week doing the news here
on KFI, and back next Saturday for another edition of
Michael Monks Reports. Thanks again for listening right here on
KFI AM six
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Forty KFI AM six forty on demand
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports. I'm Michael Monks from KFI News.
We got another hour together here to talk about the
news facing and shaping Southern California. Big, big crowds in
downtown LA this afternoon. They're estimating about thirty six thousand
(00:25):
people gathered at Gloria Molina Grand Park in downtown LA.
Let's hear from one of the guests.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
There are people a half a mile away.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
Let me.
Speaker 5 (00:41):
No, it's not Bernie, it is you.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
That is Senator Bernie Sanders, the Independent from Vermont. He
was joined by Representative Alexandria Okazio Cortes, the Democratic congresswoman
from New York. They've been touring the country on this
Fighting Oligarchy tour, and that tour landed in downtown Los
Angeles today again, tens of thousands of people showed up.
(01:14):
We've got clips from AOC and Bernie roll. Why don't
you play one for us.
Speaker 6 (01:18):
My name is Alexandria, and some of you may know
me as AOC, and from the bottom of my heart,
thank you for welcoming me to Los Angeles, and also
happy passover to all of our friends celebrating this weekend.
Speaker 7 (01:40):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
So that's her talking there, and then she had a
warning for the crowd, and we.
Speaker 6 (01:47):
Are here together because an extreme concentration of power, greed,
and corruption is taking over this country like never before
for oligarchy in America.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
And we must.
Speaker 6 (02:08):
Acknowledge the terrifying moment that we are in right now,
and that what we are hearing and seeing with our
own eyes is in fact happening.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Ocasio Cortes also praised some staff members at La Schools,
the ones who stopped some federal agents from the Homeland
Security Department from talking to some illegal immigrant children who
were described by the federal agency as kids who arrived
in this country unaccompanied. And the department said they just
(02:40):
wanted to do a welfare check, but the school district said, no,
you can't come in. They turned them away, and Superintendent
Alberto Carvallos stood up for those schools as well, saying
this is the way that we're going to protect our
kids where families are very scared of President Trump's immigration policies.
Let's hear the last from aoc We are.
Speaker 8 (02:57):
Here to make a sacred promise to each other. And
our goal today is to commit to building the kind
of country we all deserve, and we will make that
promise to take care of each other on our worst
days and to share.
Speaker 6 (03:15):
In the successes of our best. Thank you so much,
Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
So AOC was the opening act for the big attraction,
Senator Sanders.
Speaker 5 (03:26):
Let's hear from him.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
We're gonna make our revolution with joy. We're gonna sing
and dance our way to victory against hatred and divisit.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
This joy, singing and dancing, And there's that revolution that
we've been talking about, I think for ten years with
Senator Sanders. I don't know how to measure the success
of that.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Here he is again, and your presence here today is
making Donald Trump and Elon Musk very nervous. Last time
we did rally in Denver a little bit smaller than this.
Thank you, La. Elon musknouts everybody at the rally A
(04:20):
most of the people were paid organizers. Anybody here get
paid to come today.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
It was a big, big crowd in downtown Los Angeles
to see those two political figures. They were also joined
by musicians Joan Biez and Neil Young, other musicians. Other
speakers also spoke It was a very big rally. Traffic
was severely impacted, so they are still drawing large crowds,
but they say this has been the largest on their
(04:55):
tour across the country, this Fighting Oligarchy Tour. Let's hear
the last thing from Bernie sand.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
And Donald Trump very envious of sizes, he said, Well,
Bernie has rallies of two or three thousand people. Can't
compete with Trump, he lied, So I invite the President
to come to La. Tell the people here why you
(05:25):
think it's a great idea, the cut Medicaid and nutrition
and healthcare so you can give tax rigs to billion ads.
The people of LA would love to hear that.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Senator Bernie Sanders, the Independent from Vermont, also joined by
Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocazio Cortes in downtown Los Angeles for
their Fighting Oligarchy tour. Thirty six thousand people estimated to
be in attendance.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
For that rally.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Bigger crowds will be coming to LA very very soon,
along with the Olympic and of course Los Angeles. Southern California,
a place that's known for one sport in particular, beach volleyball.
The city that has long been claimed to be the
birthplace of that sport has decided it will not play
host to it when the Olympics come to town, and
(06:16):
that's got another local city potentially clamoring to be its replacement.
Speaker 5 (06:22):
We'll talk about that next Here on Michael Monk's Reports.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports. I'm Michael Monks from KFI News.
We're with you until nine o'clock tonight. As always, there's
room for you to join this conversation by opening up
the iHeartRadio app, clicking on that talkback button and will
play some of your comments, like this one from Nick.
Speaker 5 (06:50):
So, Michael, this is Nick again.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Bernie Sanders and AOC are the biggest jokes in the
Democratic Party. Even the Democrats don't want them.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
If you listen to all the talking heads on CNN
and NC So, if.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
You brought Trump to LA I bet you he'd turn
out a bigger crowd than those losers. They're never going
to win.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
They're terrible stame old look at LA.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Thanks for the message, Nick, do appreciate that I certainly
will not be taking in the talking heads on any
of those networks CNN, MSNBC, Fox, that it's the last
thing I want to do. Give me local news any
day of the week. Now, if the national figures come
to town and it becomes local news, I'm all about that.
But I am a local news guy. I do not
(07:35):
like to watch those cable news channels.
Speaker 5 (07:37):
It is, so it's just despicable.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Better days ahead, I suppose here in LA because we're
gonna have a lot of people coming.
Speaker 5 (07:44):
Hope we're ready for it.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
The Olympics in twenty twenty eight, and this week we
learned that our Olympics, our third time hosting the games,
will be the biggest one ever, more events and more
athletes competing here than ever before, and all of the
team's sports will have at least the same number of
women's teams as men's teams. That's also a first. There's
(08:06):
only one exception there, and that is soccer, and the
women will have more teams than the men. The International
Olympic Committee Executive Board confirmed the events this week, so
that is a big, big piece of news about the
Olympics because the IOC has said there will be an
(08:27):
athlete quota with ten thousand, five hundred athletes and for
the first time, there will be more women than men
three hundred and thirty three women, five thousand, one hundred
sixty seven men, ten thousand, five hundred athletes coming to town.
And just think they might be able to drink until
four o'clock in the morning. How exciting. We're also going
(08:49):
to have some new sports making a comeback in these
games baseball and softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse, squash.
Speaker 5 (08:58):
I don't know what squash is.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
I don't know if you have to make a certain
amount of money to play squash, Like who has access
to squash? Is it like handball? Does anybody know? Nobody knows.
We're not in that tax bracket. We are not in
the squash tax bracket. But apparently it's going to be
an Olympic event here in Los Angeles. I'm sure there
(09:22):
are people in LA who know squash. This is a
city that has some money. So there will be three
hundred and fifty one events, one hundred and sixty one
for women and one hundred and sixty five for men,
along with twenty five mixed teams events. Now one event
is still looking for a home. They had planned originally
(09:43):
to host beach volleyball in Santa Monica, but that has changed.
Let's hear from Santa Monica Mayor LANAA.
Speaker 7 (09:52):
Grete as your mayor, I have mixed emotions about this outcome,
as many of you probably do too. It would have
been in credible to host beach volleyball here. We're the
birthplace of the modern sport and have so much history
with it, not to mention our robust volleyball community, and
it would have been a great chance to shine and
spotlight on our beautiful beaches and iconic scenery. But after
(10:15):
two years of negotiations, the city in LA twenty eight
couldn't agree on key terms that would have had significant
impacts on our city. We needed greater assurances of community benefits,
logistical details, and financial guarantees to feel confident moving forward.
Was an agreement on behalf of you, the Santa Monica community,
who have entrusted us to be good stewards of your
tax dollars.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Now, these are games that are not supposed to cost
the local community's money. That's not a guarantee where that
is the hope. In fact, I read this week that
I believe the city of Los Angeles, for example, would
be on the hook if the Games lose money, but
the first two hundred and seventy million dollars before LA
twenty eight starts to pay for the rest. LA twenty
(10:59):
eight is the group that was formed to represent Los
Angeles and to help plan for the Olympics in twenty
twenty eight. LA twenty eight officials are the ones who
were in Switzerland this week for the IOC board meeting
where these events were approved. But now we're looking for
a new home for beach volleyball because it won't be
in Santa Monica.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
Now.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Mayor Negrete there in Santa Monica, says she still hopes
that there is a way for Santa Monica to cash
in on it all.
Speaker 7 (11:24):
But I'm also relieved and excited because we now have
clarity and we can put an even greater focus on
economic opportunities during the Games that we wouldn't have been
able to do if we hosted beach volleyball competition. City
teams are already exploring the possibility of hospitality houses for athletes.
Broadcast centers, watch parties.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
And more.
Speaker 7 (11:42):
When the games are here, we encourage local businesses to
also start planning ahead and looking for ways to attract
visitors and show off the beauty of Santa Monica. We
want everyone, regional, national, and international visitors to experience the
uniqueness of our community.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
So when you think about Los Angeles, if you're not
from here, you might have images in your mind that
are really in Santa Monica.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
Right.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
I mean, it's all generally LA, but it's not officially LA.
But you might think of the Santa Monica pier and
the beach is there. So Santa Monica is gonna do fine.
All of these visitors who are pouring in for the Olympics,
they're going to go to Santa Monica, and by not
hosting an event, they don't have to worry about any
of that infrastructure or potential related costs. They can kind
(12:30):
of just sit in and watch the dollars roll in
for the restaurants, the hotels, all of the tourist destinations
that are there. Could be a good thing. Now, what
city will end up with beach volleyball? We have a
lot of beach cities. I talked to State Senator Tony Strickland.
He used to be the mayor in Huntington Beach and
he was also on the city council there very recently
(12:52):
until he won a special election to go back to
Sacramento and serve again as a legislator. So he's a
senator again, but obviously a lot of heart for Huntington
Beach in Orange County, and he says he hopes that
city gets it.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
I'm hopeful, very hopeful we you know, my hope is
we'll have volleyball. My hope is that we can maybe
even do surfing our paras our team.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
But we do big.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
Events really well in Huntington Beach. We have the largest
air show in the world in Huntington Beach where it
used to big crowds, big crowds that have you know,
that are safe and family friendly, and so Huntington Beach
is ideal place to host any Olympic event. I'm hopeful
we get beach volleyball.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Hey, if LA goes broke, Hountington Beach might have to
host the whole thing. I mean, historically it is called
surf city, and aside from those type of championships, they've
done beach volleyball there for decades in Huntington Beach. Yeah,
like vans and when we had the X Games, Like
it's a known location. Like people go to like Park
(13:58):
City for skiing. People go to Huntington Beach for surfing
and beach volleyballs.
Speaker 5 (14:03):
Are you people?
Speaker 7 (14:04):
Huh?
Speaker 5 (14:05):
Are you people? Are you people?
Speaker 4 (14:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (14:06):
Are you people who goes to Park City for skiing?
Speaker 4 (14:09):
Well? Not?
Speaker 5 (14:09):
Do you play squash? Andrew Caravella, how much are they.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Paying you over there? My contract's not up for a discussion. Okay,
that's fair. That's fair. One contract that should be up
for discussion is the math involved here. Now, Huntington Beach
might end up being in a better position, but there
is a reason Santa Monica said, eh, we can't do it.
Speaker 5 (14:31):
There was a.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Study last October on the economic impacts of hosting an
Olympic event beach volleyball in the city of Santa Monica.
This study found that Santa Monica would generate just over
fourteen million dollars in fact, fourteen point zero nine million
dollars as a venue city, but it would cost fifteen
(14:54):
point five to four million to do so, so they
would lose one point four to five million dollars. But
the same study found that by not hosting Beach volleyball
they could just have an additional ten point sixty five
million dollars in profit because of tourism. So now you
kind of understand. I know there were a lot of
people online who were upset about the city's decision.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
It looks like mathematically.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
It might have been the good decision, and we'll see
if Huntington Beach can change that. My goodness, with LA
losing money on parking, tickets, trash collection, recycling, and just
about everything else, can you imagine what shape we're gonna
be in in the city proper if that economic study
for Santa Monica translates to the larger city which is
hosting most of the events, not all of them, but
(15:39):
most of them.
Speaker 5 (15:40):
Something to keep an eye on.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
I'll tell you what is apparently costing more money than
proponents said it would. It's that wage increase for fast
food workers. It's apparently costing jobs and costing customers too.
We'll talk about that next.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Demand KFI' six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks reports. I am Michael Monks from
KFI News. It's a bloodbath the Dodger Stadium. The Cubs eleven,
the Dodgers zero in the bottom of the eighth. Rough
(16:18):
night for LA fans, unless you're a fan of the
La Angels. They won to day at Houston. Rough time
for the fast food industry in California. As we know,
the minimum wage there went up twenty bucks.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
I'm sorry to twenty bucks.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
And now apparently some jobs are being shedded, prices are
going up.
Speaker 5 (16:41):
Let's hear about it.
Speaker 9 (16:42):
A new studies shows significant job losses since California increased
the fast food minimum wage. New research published by Pepperdine
University shows the industry has lost more than twenty three
thousand jobs in the one year since the state raised
the wage to twenty dollars an hour. At the same time,
fast food employment grew by zero point eight percent nation wide.
(17:06):
Fast food franchise owners say the wage increase has helped
with employee recruitment and retention, but has forced many to
start raising prices.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
So some of the things that were argued to be
to the contrary of the proponents pushing for the wage
increase have apparently proven to be correct. According to the
study titled Jumping the Gun on the Fast Act. This
was a study from the Pepperdine School of Public Policy
and Beacon Economics. The new information, they say, has come
in on the job's impact of California's Fast Act, the
(17:37):
bill that subjected chain fast food restaurants in the state
to a special twenty dollars per hour minimum wage. The
California Employment Development Department released its January twenty twenty five
employment report in March, along with revised employment estimates for
the last eighteen months, and these new estimates lowered the
number of payroll jobs across the state by ninety two thousand,
(18:00):
one hundred for December twenty four, a decrease of roughly
a half of percent, but that was across all areas,
but these declines were concentrated in a few sectors, including
fast food restaurants, where the number of jobs over the
past eighteen months was revised down by twenty one thousand,
(18:21):
and five hundred, or two and a half percent in December.
This report says the losses have continued into this year.
Initial estimates suggested little change in fast food restaurant employment
in twenty twenty four, but the revised data through January
now shows that sector actually lost three point two percent
(18:43):
of its employment over twenty three thousand jobs during the
past twelve months. But across the United States, fast food
jobs as a whole grew by zero point eight percent
over the same period. So the Pepperdine study says, to
put this in context, overall employment in California grew by
(19:05):
zero point two percent over the same time period, whereas
the US. Across the US the figure was one point
two percent. So what this Pepperdine study says is the
ongoing impact of the Fast Act on California franchisees and
their employees is quote now plane to see in the
(19:26):
state's top line employment data, and this new information should
convince the Fast Food Council, the organization created by the
state bill to set standards and regulations in the industry,
to pause any further changes until more information can be
known about it. More research is needed, they say. California's
(19:50):
fast food industry became a focal point and the ongoing
minimum wage debate over the past year. Pepperdine study rights
the Fast Act raised the minimum wage for franchised fast
food restaurants in the state to twenty dollars per hour
as of April first, twenty twenty four. That's four dollars
more than California's general minimum wage. The state's minimum wage
for all companies has doubled from eight dollars to sixteen
(20:12):
dollars over the last decade. The twenty dollars carve out
applies to roughly half of all fast food restaurants in
the state, those that are part of chains with sixty
or more locations nationwide. The laws created quote unintentionally, a
natural experiment for the minimum wage. By raising wages dramatically
in a specific sector, we're able to observe the effects
(20:36):
in relative isolation. So that study is from Pepperdine and
it doesn't reflect well on the minimum wage, but I
would imagine that the workers who have retained their jobs
are quite happy about it. I did a little fast
food work recently, you know, before coming to work at
KFI and having just moved to La I did work
(20:56):
at El Poyo Loco because I couldn't find a job
anywhere else.
Speaker 5 (21:00):
I love their chicken. The chicken's great.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
And I'm gonna have an employo local story coming up
in our next segment because that's a chain that's facing
apparently a hostile takeover from an activist investor. So we're
going to segue and talk more to the chicken. But
what I will say, Andrew, is that before I was
able to get this great job with KFI, I was
working the cash register at the Alpoyo Loco in downtown LA.
(21:23):
And what maybe difficult for regular folks to understand if
you're not in the fast food business, it is a
tough job. And it's not all teenagers who are working there.
I mean, I feel so bad for people who are
out of work right now, especially in the creative fields,
because you come to La, you have a dream, and
(21:44):
the entertainment industry has shrunk, the journalism industry has shrunk.
A lot of industries are just smaller, and so you're
out there clamoring for anything you can get to sustain
yourself until the better gig comes along that you're schooled in,
that you are experienced in. So you're trying to work
at the grocery store, you're trying to work at the
gas station, you're working at a warehouse, you're driving uber.
(22:06):
In my case, I was selling chicken, selling chicken on
the corner, and you know, the chicken is delicious.
Speaker 5 (22:14):
That helped.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
But I mean, we were all grown ups working in there.
It wasn't like high school students. So I feel for
the people who have to turn to that. It's not
always children in their first jobs. I mean there were
moms working there, grown men with grandchildren cutting up those chickens.
Speaker 5 (22:36):
That was the world. I'm so glad I didn't have to
do that part of the job.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
You know, the cooks who I mean, these chickens, they
just sling those bodies around and they throw them on
the grill there and then suddenly hear this boom, boom boom,
and that cleaver comes down on that chicken corpse. And
oh lord, I never had to do that. Now, don't
get me wrong. I ate the chicken. I ate the
result of that act. But I mostly just the money
(23:00):
and swept the floors and kept the place tidy, put
the mac and cheese in the cup. But I have
a lot of sympathy for people who work in fast food.
It's not for a lack of trying for a lot
of people. But what this study suggests is when you
carve out an industry like that, there could be adverse
(23:23):
side effects, and those people who are already vulnerable become
more so if they lose their job, or if the
restaurant closes, or if that position like what I had
as a cashier is replaced with a touch screen. Now
you don't get my dazzling smile from the touch screen,
but the franchise saves a few bucks. Good luck out there, everyone.
(23:52):
I was sad to see that there's another dead whale.
So we're gonna go back to Hunton Beach right now,
because I know we all followed that situation in Long
Beach where the whale was kind of hanging around. Nobody
knew why the whale was hanging around by the pier,
and everyone was intrigued by the whale in Long Beach
(24:13):
and then it was dead and that wasn't exciting. But
today marine mammal care experts had to go to the
shore and Huntington Beach. They need to get this cleaned
up because they might get Olympic volleyball. A dead gray
whale washed up last night. It was a female washed
(24:34):
up near the Huntington Beach pier. The Pacific Marine Mammal
Center and Laguna Beach responded early Saturday to perform a
neck cropsy, and it wasn't clear apparently how the corpse
was going to be removed. It was just very recently
(24:55):
that a smaller whale was spotted in the shallow waters
of Long Beach's Rainbow Heart and was later found dead.
We've been covering and even last week had an interview
with one of the reen mammal experts that that toxic
algae bloom in the water is killing sea lions. It's
driving them crazy. They're attacking. Dolphins are dead. Birds are dead.
(25:17):
We got a couple of dead whales. This does not
indicate that the whales died from that toxic algae bloom, but.
Speaker 5 (25:24):
It seems like a rough time on the beaches.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand, KFI.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
AM six forty live everywhere in the iHeartRadio app. This
is Michael Monks Reports on Michael Monks from KFI News,
wrapping up these two hours we've spent together on a
beautiful Saturday night in Southern California. Not so beautiful at
Dodgers Stadium. That game just wrapped up and the Cubs
really poured it on. The Dodgers' final score Chicago, sixteen
(25:53):
La Nothing sixteen Zip for the defending world champions go down.
But that's the thing about life, right Sometimes i'ms You
just get the S word knocked out of you gotta
get back up and try again. Los Angeles Magazine reports
El Hoyo Loco faces unsolicited takeover. There's this activist investor.
His name is Sardar Big Glari, and apparently he already
(26:17):
owns fifteen percent of it. He wants more of it.
He's already acquired all or part of Jack in the Box,
Cracker Barrel, Friendly Western, Sizzlin. But this guy plays squash.
This guy has enough money to be in a squash league.
I mean, I'll Poyo Loco is a popular chain bounded
here first Storm MacArthur Park, and now it's facing a
(26:43):
hostile takeover from an activist investor. Executives from the company
told some industry magazine that they are in the process
of carefully evaluating a proposal from Big Lari. It's described
as a quote poison pill provision that Big Glory might
use to acquire the eighty five percent of the chain
(27:04):
he does not yet own. Forbes called Big Glory a
Warren Buffett wanna be who tends toward the dramatic. So
it's anybody's guess how this will play out.
Speaker 5 (27:16):
I just hope it doesn't hurt the workers, of course,
first of all.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
And secondly, I I hope they don't mess with the
creamy cilantro recipe, because that that man, that creamy cilantro.
I will tell you the thing about working at Apollo
locuis I did a you know, until I got hired
here cafe I people were always asking for extra creamy
cilantro and I had never, you know, tasted it while
(27:41):
I was working there. Had occasionally just have like a
piece of chicken and you know, some salad or whatever.
And one day I was like, what is this all about?
This creamy cilantro? And when I tell you that, my
life changed. I I've tried to hack it, you know,
like I've tried to fure out how to make it.
(28:02):
It's impossible. My spouse is a genius in the kitchen.
We can't do it. I mean I would dip everything
in the creamy cilantro. Doortillus, chicken, lettuce, Think of your
worst vegetable, you dip it in the creamy cilantro, and
you'll eat a bucket of it. I will warn you.
I hope this is into insidery. But those little cups
(28:24):
of it, it's like three hundred and fifty galleries. It's
not something you should be pounding, but you can't help yourself.
Speaker 5 (28:32):
It's so good. Oh man, you just I know. I'm sorry, Yeah,
I mean like that there's a tiny cup.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
I know some of the locations give like a small
cup and that's probably only a buck fifty calories. But
the one that we were giving at the downtown, we
were generous. At Third and Broadway, you got a you know,
a bigger cup. It's like three hundred fifty calories.
Speaker 5 (28:49):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
In our last couple of minutes, quick pop quiz, Raoul.
If you told me you were going to San Antonio
to visit the Alamo and I said, don't forget to
ask about the basement, what would you say back to.
Speaker 5 (28:59):
Me, Uh, okay, you fail. Let's go to Andrew.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Andrew, if you were going to San Antonio to visit
the Alamo and I said, don't forget to ask about
the basement, what would you say?
Speaker 5 (29:11):
Rule number one? We don't talk about fight club? Okay,
roll roll the clip.
Speaker 6 (29:18):
I mean it y'all have been one of the brightest
groups I have ever worked with. Really, Okay, are there
any questions?
Speaker 5 (29:25):
Yes, where's the basement?
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Excuse me?
Speaker 5 (29:29):
Are you going to see the basement?
Speaker 6 (29:32):
There's no at the Alamo.
Speaker 5 (29:37):
There's no basement at the Alamo. Famous line from Pee
Wee's Big.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Adventure, a childhood film that I loved so much, And
that is a very famous line that I thought everyone knew.
But our traffic buddy will Cole Schreiber, who's on the
clock tonight instead of the.
Speaker 5 (29:52):
Early mornings, I will yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
So you actually you had a cool gig because you
do some other work, and you were up in the
air for the Final Four, which was in San Antonio. Yeah,
we were doing the aerial shots, the aerial shots over
the Alamo Dome, and I had a day off in
between the games, and I did go to the Alamo.
And you told me before you went to San Antonio
that you were gonna, you know, maybe check out the Alamone.
(30:17):
I said, don't forget to check out the basement. And
you went down there, and what did you do all
I asked about the basement? No, No, you for that
support Michael Monks, I really I really enjoy it. Usually,
you know, during the week, when I'm here doing news
(30:37):
and Will is doing traffic, we're in the we're in
the newsroom together for a few hours before he leaves
a little earlier than I do, of course, because it
comes in a lot earlier. And I tell you, he
is a perfect foil, just a lovable foil you are.
Speaker 5 (30:51):
And so what did they say when you said that, Will?
Speaker 2 (30:55):
They kind of laughed in a way that was like
being polite laughing. I was like, oh, yeah, like we've
heard this a few times. I just thought, Will, you
come from an era. I mean, you are considerably older
than I am. I thought you had probably wo woa, whoa, whoa, wow,
shot wow, tired, Oh my gosh wow. I thought for
sure you would know the pewee Herman reference. And I
(31:17):
was so shocked that you didn't. And then I thought,
we need every movie from the eighties. I'm sorry, well
that's not just ever, I mean that is one of
the eighties movies Will, Will, Cole Schreiber, everybody, thanks for
popping on here. I fell into that trap you did,
you did? I've been trying something out, guys. Also, you
can weigh in if you like it. His name is
(31:38):
will Cole Schreiber.
Speaker 5 (31:39):
Love the name.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
It's professional. I've been work shopping a nickname, like a
better on air brand for him. I'm thinking Billy Eagle.
Speaker 5 (31:47):
I like it.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
Yeah, Oh my god, Billy Eagle with traffic or or
a strange name, but it's shorter, certainly.
Speaker 5 (31:54):
How about large Marge.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
See, he hasn't seen the movie, so he's not gonna
know what you mean by that. Tell them large Marge, Sencha,
that was a nightmare as a check. Hey, well, if
you ever visit New York, there's a pizza place I
want you to go to. You can ask them about
their basement.
Speaker 5 (32:11):
Oh no, no, I know that story. Oh oh always
fun on Saturday nights.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
I hope you all learned a little something on this
two hour journey of Michael Monk's Reports. My big thanks
to Billy Eagle with traffic, UH producer Matthew Toffler, news
anchor Andrew Caravella, and our technical director Raoul Cortes.
Speaker 5 (32:34):
Thanks to all of you for listening. We do appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
I'll be back all next week doing the news here
on KFI, and back next Saturday for another edition of
Michael Monks Reports. Thanks again for listening right here on
KFI AM six
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Forty KFI AM six forty on demand
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