February 21, 2025 • 46 mins
Gary is joined by actor and comedian TJ Miller to talk about his upcoming show at the Irvine Improv theater.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Gary and Shannon and you're listening to KFI
AM six forty, the Gary and Shannon Show on demand
on the iHeartRadio app. Big stories that we are following
today include the fact that La Mayor Bass has apparently
fired the chief of the La Fire Department. She has
removed Chief Kristin Crowley, effective immediately. According to a statement
that was issued by the Mayor's office, the mayor is
(00:22):
expected to make a news conference or hold a news
conference here in a few minutes. About twenty minutes ago
is when they told us originally, So when that happens,
we will dip in and listen to it. A couple
other developing stories. Three people killed after shooting at a
Louisville driver licensing office today. Louisville Metro Police and they
were called at about noon Louisville time for a shooting
(00:43):
at the driver Licensing Regional office in Valley Station. One man,
apparently the gunman, and two women died. The two women
apparently died at a hospital. There was also an explosion
in Hawaii at a resort on Maui. This would have
been last night. Several people were hurt. Police and firefighters
had to show up at long Conopoly Beach, the Whaler Resort,
(01:07):
where they said it looks like a propane tank or
a propane line natural gas line possibly exploded at one
of the group barbecue areas in that resort. The Senate
has adopted a budget resolution intended to serve as a
blueprint try to deliver the first part a President Trump's agenda.
(01:29):
Senators voted fifty two to forty eight, most of those
along party lines on this resolution after the overnight voting
session went for hours and hours. In fact, the final
vote didn't come until about five o'clock in the morning
DC time. Senator Ran Paul was the only was the
only Republican who voted against that measure. So, as we
stand by and wait for this announcement from Karen Bass, Well,
(01:52):
I wanted to revisit some of what she had said yesterday.
Karen Bass of course did an interview I guess the
day before yesterday, she had done an interview with Alex
Michaelson from Channel eleven regarding what happened on January seventh.
If you remember, she was in Ghana. She was in
Africa at the time that the fire started. Even though
(02:14):
we all knew that there was a massive weather issue,
this very dangerous weather situation of the incredible Santa Ana
Santa Ana wins that were driving fire danger higher, plus
the fact that we hadn't had rain in several months,
and then.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
That type of preparation didn't happen. If that had I
will tell you, Alex, I wouldn't have even gone to
San Diego, let alone leave the country.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
But what do you mean there were warnings you weren't
aware of, because I know we were talking about it
on the news. A lot of people were talking about
the problems at warning that this was going to be
a huge So it.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Didn't reach that level to me to say something terrible
could happen and maybe you shouldn't have gone on the.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
Trip, Well I didn't, But to me, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I mean, I think that that's one of the things
we need.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
To look at now. Again.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
That was one of the stories that I had a
hard time with her story about that, and Alex at
least pushed back and said, listen, we in the media
knew well ahead of time that this was a dangerous event.
That way back on January second, the National Weather Service
had put out alerts that we were going to see
a very dangerous situation on January seventh. On January third,
(03:23):
they upgraded it. On January fourth is when she left
for Ghana. The Mayor's office, even at least the communications people,
put out a statement that suggested that Wednesday, January seventh
was going to be our particularly dangerous day, and she
really didn't do anything. She knew that that was I
(03:45):
shouldn't say she knew. She claims that she didn't know
that it was going to be that dangerous a situation
and suggested that it was Chief Crowley that has the
responsibility to let her know when there is a dangerous
situation like that.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
I think that that's something that has to be assessed.
I need to understand why things were handled differently this
time than they've been handled before.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
And again I'm not sure exactly what she meant by that.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
If you also remember she did come back from Ghana,
She got on an airplane, made her way back to
the United States, and on January eighth, stood alongside the
governor in a news conference. Later on January afternoon of
January eighth, while the fires were still burning, so she
had the wherewithal and the smarts to turn around and
come back to California while the city was burning. But
(04:30):
if you remember, there was an episode where she was
just off of an airplane waiting to be escorted down
to the tarmac. She gets VIP service, so they get
a suv or a limo basically waiting for her on
the tarmac and she could be walked out of the
jetway down to the tarmac get her out of there.
She was waiting for that to happen, and an Irish
(04:51):
reporter stopped her in the jetway and was yelling at
her and asking her do you have nothing to say?
The helms are burning, do you have nothing to say?
And all she did was look down at the ground.
She said that that was a surprise to her.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yes, it was an ambush and I wasn't sure who
he was. And that is unfortunate because I see the
way that looks as though I was avoiding. But when
you're getting off a plane and you've been on a
plane seventeen hours and somebody hits you with a camera,
I wish, in hindsight, my response had been better.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Again, all this now coming to a coming, No boy
coming to a head, because there was a statement that
went out just from the Mayor's office this morning that
said that Mayor Bass met with and removed Kristin Crowley
as the fire chief, effective immediately for the city of La.
Mayor Bass announced that she appointed former Chief Deputy Ronnie Viennaweva,
(05:47):
who is a forty one year veteran of the La
Fire Department, as the interim chief. She said, in this statement,
acting in the best interests of La public safety and
for the operations of the La Fire Department, I have
removed Kristin Crowley as fire chief, she said. We know
that a thousand firefighters that could have been on duty
(06:07):
on the morning of the fires broke out were instead
sent home on Chief Crowley's watch. Furthermore, a necessary step
to an investigation was President of the Fire Commission telling
Chief Crowley to do an after action report on those fires,
and that the chief refused those require her removal. We
haven't seen any sort of reaction. It's pretty early on,
(06:28):
but we haven't seen any reaction from Chief Crowley. We
do know that in the past she had suggested that
in fact, it was the city that was responsible for
the condition of the fire department. On January seventh, she
did an interview with Gigi Grossiert on January tenth of
this year.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
It's my job to stand up as a chief and
exactly say, justifiably what the fire department needs to operate.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
To meet the demands of the community. Did they fail you?
That is our job, I tell you, That's why I'm here.
So let's get us what we need so firefighters can
do their jobs.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Did they fail you? Yes?
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Yeah, I mean this was I don't know if this
was just a matter of time, but she said the
city failed them. Mayor Bass said it was Chief Crowley
that never told her that the fires were that the
potential for fires were as bad as they were on
January seventh, and then in this interview this week, Mayor
Bass said she felt horrible for not being on the
ground here in La when the fire started.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
I felt absolutely terrible not being.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Here for my city, Yes, and that it was very painful.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
When I say it was a mistake. Absolutely, the idea
that I was not present was very painful.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
All right, So we are standing by for this news
conference when it comes up.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
We'll definitely bring it to you again.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Mayor Bass has fired the chief of the La Fire
Department in what appears to be a pretty significant passing
of the buck. But we'll see what happens, especially when
we get a state from now former La City Fire
Chief Kristin Crowley, friend of the show. I think I
can say that because in all honesty, I don't think
we've had a guest on three times. They get here
(08:10):
once and maybe twice and then they realize they've had
enough of us.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Comedian TJ. Miller has joined us.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
You got an all weekend of the Irvine improv tonight,
tomorrow and Sunday night.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Really excited for that. I thought you were going to
say that people just kind of don't want to come
back on, because I was also back on.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
There's also that we actually we interviewed you. You came
by in our old studio down the hall, like mid
February of twenty twenty, and it was things were just
heating up and we didn't realize the world was about
to end.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Yeah, and that was before it was global. Yeah, you know,
it was kind of everyone was gone, this is maybe
it's affecting China, maybe it's oh there's some people that
are getting it, and then yeah, what a thing. And
my you obviously we were able to keep working. Sure,
(09:02):
but my sort of world just was put on pause.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Well, now is it your wife also has was potentially
susceptible to it?
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Right, yeah, sort of immunity compromise. Yeah, whatever, that should
be a shorter name. Screwed I, I kind of yeah,
And so it was really difficult. So I went I
was touring. When I started touring again, well, first of all,
(09:31):
we had seven months where I just was at home
because we live in New York City, so we were
just kind of trapped in our apartment thankfully has a
little bit outdoor space, but I just was not touring.
So we were just hemorrhaging money. And you know, luckily
we get along or I get along well with her.
I don't know university, I don't know about all that,
(09:52):
but I really felt like, uh, you know what's going
to happen here. And then as soon as I was
able to start touring, I thought, well, here's a really
weird sort of situation where if people are willing to
come together and laugh, then my job is suddenly very important.
That's what I felt. So because of that, I said,
(10:13):
all right, we gotta you know, I gotta go on
the road. But because she's immunocompromised or well, it's it's screwed.
She she she was sort of, you know, we just
kind of couldn't take any risks. So I would go
and perform Friday, Saturday, you know, usually sometimes Sunday, also
(10:34):
sometimes Thursday. But I would perform Friday Saturday. Then I
would come home Sunday and we would quarantine from each
other until Thursday, and I would be able to get
We'd calculated we'd have some doctors and so even then
we calculated that if I get the I would have
to wait two days get the rapid test. But I
(10:56):
been at a hospital, so it was the real test.
They just could turn it around really quickly.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
As opposed to a guy on the street.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
But you know what, I like that guy, and I
think he's just trying to help out.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
He wants you to spit in the cup, that's all.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
His name's Darren, and he loves spit cups. It's easy
for me because I always do spit takes. Wednesday. I
would get the test Thursday morning, would know if I
had it, and then I and I never got it,
and then she and I would sleep in the same
bed Thursday night, and then I would go and do
(11:27):
the whole time, and so it's really something, you know,
And I think for me, not having sex in marriage
during the pandemic is the same as not during the pandemic. Kidding,
but I really feel like that did something to our
marriage in a positive way. It just felt like I
(11:49):
was sleeping downstairs and it's and I think in the beginning,
I was kind of everybody was sort of drinking more.
And then you get kind of to a stage where like, well,
that's not how we're going to help. Yeah, it's not
gonna I weighed fifteen pounds more than I. But I
think it really showed sort of a real commitment to
one another because we were so much trying to protect
(12:10):
each other. And you know, for the first you know, Sunday, Monday,
Tuesday or whatever, I didn't know if I had COVID.
I mean, I'm going to these places like Nashville, Tennessee,
and they're just laughing the COVID at this.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
Great your own spit coming yeah on stage.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
And so I kind of yeah, so I I you know,
it was sort of a weird time. But after about
a month and a half, I realized, all right, I'm
not I'm not going to get this necessarily from performing. Right.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
You mentioned Nashville Zany's Comedy Club in Nashville. I've been there.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
I had a blast when I was there. It's a
cool club. You did a special there, and if I
remember correctly, I think that's the last time you hear
is you were talking about Dear Dear Jenny, and it
was the story was basically that you were there to
record a special, to do an hour that you had prepared,
and without giving away too much for people who haven't
(13:09):
seen it, there's a guy in the audience who kind
of overtakes the story, and it was I loved it.
It was what I sat my wife down and we
watched it and we absolutely.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Really thank you so much. I mean that means so
much to me nowadays because nobody will watch anything it's
longer than a minute, right to get somebody to do
forty three of those. But it was exceptional. It was
like beautiful because I couldn't believe I kind of talked
to this guy he's sort of special needs or however
(13:41):
you can say that without people screaming at you. But
and then throughout the show we kind of interacted and
then he became kind of the star of the show.
Its name's Jonah and and it was just so fun
because the big thing for me and what a lot
of people say online is that I was just so
kind to him and to me, that's like, well, yeah,
of course you should do that with everybody, but it
(14:03):
was it was interesting to see the response.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Well, I know there's a probably I don't know if
there's an actual debate that goes on between comedians on
the road. There's a lot there's a down playing I
guess of a lot of crowd work. Crowd work is
what makes a lot of uh makes a lot of
viral videos where you know, watch watch comedian TJ. Miller
take down the heckler or whatever. But that was like
(14:26):
the most positive version of I guess you would say
crowd work, right.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Yeah, I think so. And I it's very frustrating to
me because my tour is called the crowdsourcer or Tour,
which I need to change because of what you're saying.
And you know, I I'm I think there's about ten
comedians who can improvise an entire show and I am
one of those comedians. And I don't really talk to
(14:53):
the crowd as much as I talk about them and
it's it can be. It's frustrating a little bit that
people go, you know, do your act do material right,
that's only really happened once that somebody yeld that out.
But it's frustrating to me because I am that is
my strength. And now there's so many young comedians that
are like, well, I don't want to burn material, so
(15:15):
I'll go out there and go, hey, what's your name,
where are you from? What do you do? And then
and and a lot of it's the same.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
You know this tour, like you said, the crowdsource or tour.
Last year you released an album Smooth Peanut Butter.
Speaker 5 (15:27):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
There was a there was a time when stand up
comedy was all audio. It was all albums, cassette CDs
like that was that was the way to get stuff
out there. And now you've got that plus all of
the streaming services. You've got YouTube where you can control
a lot of your own content.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Yeah, which is where that's the only place that people
really watch stuff. Netflix kind of had a moment, Hulu
is trying to have a moment, but it's really all YouTube.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Is that beneficial for that for you in that career
that there's there's so many different places for you to
put it up.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
Oh, I it would be beneficial if everybody was watching
all these but your attention is so divided that you
almost have to do all of it to get that
one TV appearance. But yeah, it is for me because
also I do so much stuff. So I have on
my channel, I have the Spokane Special, which is forty
(16:21):
five It was an hour, but like forty five minutes
of me just riffing on Spokane. So if you don't
live there, then you have no idea what I'm talking about. Spoken, Yeah, right, exactly.
Every restaurant ends their name with and wine and beer, beizza,
burgers and beer. We have beer. There's a place called
(16:44):
the the Soup and Sip and all they serve as
soup and alcohol, which I always whenever I'm having clam chowder,
I'm like, vod Katonic would really pair with this, Well.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
Sounds like a gastrointestinal disaster.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
So I kind of I did that, and then I
did it kind of a Halloween special where I do
stand up making fun of the Stanley Hotel and we
also do like a ghost tour and I talk about
and then I have Dear Jonah and I'm coming out
with the Philosophy Circus, and I have a special on
me doing stand up in Chicago when we talk all
(17:21):
about kind of the food, and there's a special about
being in Philadelphia during the Super Bowl, the last super
Bowl that the Eagles were in, and that's sort of
stand up, but it's also us getting ready for the
game and talking about the game and seeing Philadelphia. So
I couldn't do those with Netflix, you know, because they
(17:43):
just wouldn't want that much material, with that much content.
But I can do that on YouTube, so I think
that's really helpful. But no, if I could go back
and be a part of when Steve Martin was making records, wow,
I mean imagine that, because I would be the only
one releasing, you know, a record every month or something
about Spokane, I would strictly do Spokane right comedy.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
The entire decade of seventies was you in Spokane, and
you know what, it's good.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
But I released my first sort of independent stand up
comedy album with aid fund Gorilla uh, and that's called
Smooth Peanut Butter because I love peanut butter. I sell
it on my website. TJ. Miller does not have website
dot com. I eat it. It's in my rider there
(18:33):
it is. And bananas from my friend Cash Levy. I
do a podcast with a guy, Cash Levy called cashing
In with TJ. Miller. But Smooth Peanut Butter is like,
really really cool. It was really cool to kind of
do that, And it's drawn from Deer Jonah, but there's
no material that's the same.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
How do you determine where you're going to record a special?
How do you figure out which is the best?
Speaker 3 (18:56):
You're so inquisitive that it feels inauthentic.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
Is this what are you talking about?
Speaker 3 (19:01):
You just you know so much and you genuinely love
asking questions. But I think to the people that you're
talking to, they're like, is he serious? Is he seriously
that interested?
Speaker 4 (19:12):
Is it the architecture?
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Is it?
Speaker 4 (19:14):
Do you know what's going to look good visually? Is
it the crowd?
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Is it because you have a special personal relationship to
the city.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Or I chose Nashville. Again, that's a very funny question
that I've never been asked. I chose Nashville because in
the backdrop when you're on stage, there's this really silly
sign that says like Zany's and a couple of the
letters are like a little off kilter, Oh no, And
(19:39):
I just came up with this idea. It's a great club.
I mean it's it's one of the best clubs. But
I came up with this idea that like, what if
I made, you know, fifteen of those and they were
all fake names for comedy clubs because Zany's is so stupid.
So it was like the chuckle Bucket and like crickets
(20:00):
and was pun ponderful something like that, you know, And
and that just stuck in my head and I thought
it was so funny. So I said, that's where I'm
gonna do what became Dear Jonah. But then I did
one in Tampa that's the Philosophy Circus and that's not
out yet, but it's really really I'm very proud of that,
(20:23):
and that I wanted. It's kind of juggling and vaudeville,
and so I thought, it's got to be in a theater,
and so the Tampa improv is an old theater. I
couldn't in San Jose, but those California audiences aren't. They're
not my speed as much Northern California obviously, right, And
then you know, and then I did one called the
(20:45):
gentle Giant, and that's really very personal. It's about me.
It's about my brain injury, which is maybe lightheaded, and
why I came in a little bit late, but that
I wanted to do in San Diego because it's so
small and so personal, and it's such a like club club.
You know, it's almost like the Comedy Seller, but with
(21:06):
better audiences.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Comedian TJ. Miller, You're going to be at the Irvine
Improv tonight, two shows.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
I'm so excited Brown Night.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
Two shows.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
First shows, early shows are sold out, So guys, let's
get into the late shows. That's when things get raucous wild.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
TJ.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Miller does not have a website dot com. Yeah, it's
the website.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
I've tried for.
Speaker 6 (21:26):
T J.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
Mailer does not have a website dot gov. But I
gotta tell you the amic government I have. I had.
I had a misunderstanding with the federal government. It's since
been resolved. They they they took something that I said
and they've kind of took it the wrong way. It
happened when they admitted to that, and now we're good.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
We are actually going to give away a pair of
tickets and we have a couple of different options for people.
Speaker 4 (21:51):
So, uh, what exciting?
Speaker 3 (21:54):
No, it's exciting.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
I thought you wanted us to pay for him.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
No, I'm really excited. I keep turning if you saw
this before, I keep turning to the right, thinking that
there's a booth with somebody behind the glass.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Oh, there's somebody behind the wall, but but no.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
No clear glass to see it. And you've got let's
count them, six televisions plus seven seven. Oh yeah, I
didn't see that one.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
Soon's turned off, so you can't.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Oh my god, I didn't even see it. What what
is this? Just so that you take in everything and
you can talk about it. I don't like why is
it on? Because they're also all different channels.
Speaker 4 (22:27):
I don't like a light stream of information. I like
a fire.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Why is that? Were you like that as a kid?
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Probably some form of ADHD? Like this is calming to me.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
That's how I feel about living in New York. There
you go ahead, I a second. I step out into
the sea of people and this and this store and
this It really like calms me. Really, I like it.
I have ADHD also.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Eight hundred five to zero one five three four eight
hundred five to one k five are.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
They gonna come on the Do I get to hear them?
Oh to talk to them?
Speaker 4 (23:00):
I don't know. I mean we can go outside and
answer the phone if you like.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
But a pair of tickets to TJ's show, you can
actually pick which show and we'll tell you that the
choices that we've got when you when you win. But
caller number six is going to win, pick tickets again.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
TJ.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
Miller does not have a website dot com. You can
go to improv dot com slash Irvine for information about
the show. Two shows tonight at the Irvine Improv. Two
shows tomorrow night. One show on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Sunday's always a fun day. That's uh, That's God's Day.
And so I do a lot of sort of religious material.
I'm sure it's hard, you know, and I talked about
not just one religion. I'll talk about you know, I'll
talk about all of it. Can I just stop myself
from saying Islamic? So how do you choose that it's
coller number six?
Speaker 4 (23:45):
Because that's how many buttons they have on the phone
over there?
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Really kind so is it a kind of you're walking
that back right away?
Speaker 4 (23:54):
They have ten? But I can only count as high
as six.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
That's a big part of it. But do you change it?
Is it sometimes calling a three, sometimes it's calling number five?
But this time is the only one. But that's I wondered,
like a six year lucky number, you know, but it
sounds like five and six? You know, good to it.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
Thanks for coming in, man, appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
So how did you come in? I can't believe that
I book ended the pandemic. I think I only remember
coming before it because they tried to erase everything after it.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
If I'm not mistaken, you were wearing a full tiex
suit when you came in.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
Well yeah, well you know it looks good. I was
gonna wear it today, but somebody told me this was formal,
so I am in a tie and slide. I'm really
serious about it.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
We do have to get to this chief. The mayor
has fired the chief of the La Fire Department.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
How do you feel about that?
Speaker 4 (24:43):
It was coming? They can't get think someone has to
get fired.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
Yeah, right, because everybody needs to feel like there's some
sort of justice. But the thing is like it was
the wins.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
Yeah, you can't fire the God.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
That's what you get on k f I is the
lesson that all of us learn, which is you can't
fire the win.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
All right, let's go to that news conference. Thanks for
coming in, TG, please thank you.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
So it was after the fire started, but let me
just be clear. Los Angeles needs to move forward. This
is a new day. I am excited to welcome our
new chief, who was a forty one year veteran of
this fire department.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
He is well known.
Speaker 4 (25:23):
He is well liked.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
He knows most of the members of the city Council
except for our two members that were recently elected. And
it is our plan to continue moving forward. We want
to have the full investigation that the governor has ordered
and the investigation that we will do locally.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Yes, I wanted to a little because I think you
actually spoke with the chief that I heard five cans
at twelve forty seven mobal times, very much after the
GIEVUS year. And you all can't talking about the fire. Yes,
and you're crazy.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Cheap positions necessarily involve places also prising home leadership.
Speaker 7 (26:06):
And you said something you.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
And needless to say, I did not know all the facts,
but I had spoken.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
To her maybe a couple of hours before that.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Yes, two good questions in terms of the investigations and
the calls for you firing you know, least cheap what were.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
The issue.
Speaker 8 (26:29):
In that area.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
There will be an investigation of the UH water situation
as well, and that will be done by the governor. Yes,
all of that is being examined at the governor's initiation,
and we might do something locally as well. And those
who might say that you've said now as explained as
(26:53):
it is, and it's also in the action work with
system to you you office. About budget, let me just
be clear about the budget. The fire department was not cut.
I have done two budgets in my time here. In
both budgets the budget was increased and I will anticipate
(27:13):
that it will be increased this time as well.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 9 (27:22):
That other members council will Yeah, sir, you want to day.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
Do you think that you're enough port on the council.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
To I believe that there is a lot of support
on the city council.
Speaker 6 (27:34):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Is this always says about people who have been going
up and lost by leads and attentions with Tildy Urdos.
You have back and forth focused so.
Speaker 6 (27:44):
Off and.
Speaker 4 (27:48):
UH the city is not in upheaval.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
I am very happy that the the rebuilding, the restoration,
the clean clearing of the fire, of the debris is
moved forward way ahead of time. We have just experienced
the worst natural disaster that our city.
Speaker 4 (28:13):
Has ever experienced.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
It would be wonderful to think that everything would be
smooth every step of the way, but I don't believe
that that is realistic. I think we are standing together.
I think we're standing strong, as evidenced by leadership of
the city Council being here with me, with with members
of the city Council, and there's many more that are
not here. We have worked very well together. Now are
(28:36):
there differences along the way? Of course they are, yes.
Speaker 9 (28:42):
Getting all probably you know, I think that some people
they see you at the top.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Of the bore one getting information.
Speaker 4 (28:54):
From people, and you're lay hot.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
And you're to be responsible.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Let me say that, yes, as the mayor. As the
mayor of the city, the buck stops with me. I
am in charge, however, the person in charge of the
fire department. As I mentioned before, whenever there was a
fire emergency, a weather emergency, or a hint of a problem,
(29:20):
I am contacted directly, and not just by Chief Crowley,
but by any of the heads of the departments.
Speaker 4 (29:25):
As you know, we have over forty departments. I'll take
a couple more.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Yes, of the city house was chief?
Speaker 10 (29:40):
I do not know that.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
From your age and chiefs and things like that.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
Or do you want fathers outside news sources?
Speaker 7 (29:48):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (29:48):
I watch news all the time.
Speaker 4 (29:49):
Yes, I'm sorry. What did you say, Stas?
Speaker 9 (29:55):
I do not know.
Speaker 4 (29:57):
Okay, one final question from you.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
You've not asked a question any blast for the wartment
you come in.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Yes, I just plan on moving forward.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
I want to move the apartment forward, uh and take
care of our firefighters. So I don't want to look backwards.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
I don't want to look to a pass like the
mayor stated, I just want to look for the for
the future en Espanol. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:26):
Well, you've been listening to.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
This news conference from Mayor Karen Bass and the new
interim chief of the LA Fire Department, Ronnie van Awava.
He is a forty one year l A l a
f D veteran. He has been named as the interim
fire chief.
Speaker 6 (30:41):
Again.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
This broke a couple of hours ago.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
An hour and a half or so ago, LA Mayor
Karen Bass met with and removed Kristin Crowley as the
fire chief effective immediately some of the questions that you
heard there, asked and answered, She the mayor fought back
against the assertion that the city was in some sort
of upheat and instead instead said that this was the
smart way to get past everything that we know about
(31:06):
that's been discussed when it comes to the Palisades fire
and the LA Fire Department, whether it was in a
state of readiness, and then whose responsibility it was to
be in that state of readiness. She claimed that in
fact it was the chief, that it was Kristin Crowley
who sort of had the department on its back feet,
and she, in a statement earlier today, said that there
(31:28):
were one thousand firefighters that could have been on duty
on the morning of the fires, that they broke out
and were instead sent home on Chief Crowley's watch. And
then a necessary step to an investigation was the President
of the Fire Commission telling Chief Crowley to do an
after action report on the fires now, and that Chief
Crowley apparently refused to do so. Again, that's from the
(31:49):
mayor specifically, so we don't know exactly what the response
will be or has been from the now former Chief Crowley,
she said, acting in the best interests of public safety
and for the operations of the fire Department, I have
removed Kristin Crowley as chief. She also, as I said,
(32:10):
suggested that the chief refused to participate in the after
action report on the fires after being asked to do
so by the commissioned President, and she said those issues
required her removal. The fire department, at least according to
the La Times, decided not to assign for emergency deployment
about a thousand available firefighters and dozens of the water
(32:30):
carrying engines in advance of the fire, and the fire
officials said they chose not to order firefighters to remain
on duty for a second shift as the winds were
building back on January seventh. That would have doubled the
personnel on hand and in fact staff just five of
the forty engines that are available to help in fighting wildfires. Again,
this is all that. Part of it is the investigation
(32:52):
that was found from the La Times. Monica Rodriguez, a
city council member, said this is the absolute wrong decision.
Said she was going to work to get the ten
votes from the city council that could overturn this dismissal.
Speaker 4 (33:04):
That is still a possibility.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
The city Council has the power under the La City
Charter to overturn the mayor's decision like this. That would
be a very steep challenge, but it is possible, and
as much as Monica Rodriguez city council member wants to
do this, there may be some steam behind the other
city council members who would do this as well. In fact,
(33:27):
her statement Monica Rodriguez Rodriguez is it's absolutely unacceptable. Mayor
Bass clearly continues to change her posture. On January seventh,
she was praising the fire chief and her response, and
then it appears as the heat kicked up for her absence,
she continued to try and attribute blame to someone else.
Speaker 4 (33:46):
Again.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
We have not yet heard from Kristen Crowley since this
dismissal was announced. Just after eleven o'clock this morning, a
spokesperson for the LAFD a name you've heard many times
here on KFI, Eric Scott. The department was aware of
the mayor's announcement, but was going to have no further
comments or interviews at this time. So, as I mentioned,
(34:07):
you've got an LAFD veteran, a forty one year veteran
of the Department, Ronald Vanueva, who will serve as interim chief.
He did retire seven months ago as the deputy Chief
of Emergency Operations, but he's being brought back to do this,
being brought back in to lead the department until this
can be worked out however that ends. I mean, like
(34:28):
I said, the City Council does have the ability to
It's an uphill battle, but does have the ability to
reinstate Chief Crowley with ten votes of the fifteen member panel.
This of course stems from months now, at least a
month of friction between Mayor Bass and Chief Crowley from
(34:50):
immediately after the fire. As Monica Rodriguez pointed out, Karen
Bass was originally very supportive of the fire department. Granted,
I mean it was in the midst of literally the
fires were still burning and she was expressing support for
Chief Crowley and the Fire department. But on the tenth,
while the fire was out of control, Chief Crowley gave
(35:10):
an interview with Gigi Graciet on Channel eleven and said
that the City of La which you could read her
direct attack on Mayor Bass, that the City of La
had failed her and the La Fire Department and described
the agency as understaffed. She said they were underfunded by
millions of dollars and said that this was no longer sustainable.
(35:33):
She went on CNN later that day and told Jake
Tapper that the fire Department didn't have enough mechanics to
repair the emergency vehicles that were broken down. We've covered
that story a couple of times, and when asked whether
it was the city budget that was responsible, Chief Crowley said,
I want to be very very clear, Yes, it's the
(35:54):
city's budget cuts that affect the La Fire Department's ability
to fight the fund she was taken to task for
that called to the principal's office. Mayor Bass summoned Chief
Crowley to her office. They had a meeting that went
on for a very long time, to the point that
(36:16):
she didn't even show up. Karen Bass didn't even show
up for her own wildfire emergency news conference later that day.
They continue to appear at news conferences together. They continued
to say that they are not in the process of
fighting with each other, although that's exactly what was going
on behind closed doors, it appears, and the mayor and
her team gave a series of statements that suggested that
(36:38):
it was Kristin Crowley who didn't tell Mayor Bass or
the Mayor's office about the potential danger of the windstorm
that was predicted for January seventh. The interview that happened
on Wednesday, where Alex Michaelson sat down with Mayor Bass,
she pointed at not getting the notification from Chief Crowley
(37:01):
as the reason she followed through with the planned trip
to Ghana. Her spokesperson, the mayor's spokesperson until the La Times,
the Crowley routinely would call the mayor and her team
ahead of severe weather events, but did not do so
before the January seventh event. She also said she didn't
receive enough information about the weather and if she had,
(37:22):
she would have canceled her trip, which is hard that
on this end of it, that's a hard thing for
me to understand, because we were doing stories, we were
surprised at the nature of the warnings that were coming in,
not just from the National Weather Service, but from fire departments,
a state, local county fire departments saying the windstorm that's
(37:46):
coming on January seventh is not only one of the
worst windstorms that we've seen, it also comes at a
time where we haven't seen rain in months. We knew
that it was an unusually dangerous situation because of the
nature of those coins. How does the mayor's office not know,
regardless of whether or not the fire department calls her
(38:06):
and tells her. But Mayor Bass said if she realized
more information, if she had more information about the actual weather,
she would have canceled her trip. Eric Garcetti was the
one who hired Kristin Crowley to lead the department. She
was the first female chief in the history of the
La Fire Department. She was picked up at a time,
(38:26):
picked up, i should say, elevated at a time when
firefighters were talking about sexual harassment and hazing at the department.
But this only listen, it's not good. It's not good
for the city of La It's also not good for
Mayor Bass. That you've got city council members, at least
one who are very vocal about their disapproval of this move.
(38:50):
That Monica Rodriguez, as the city council member, hates this decision,
says she's going to try to rally the troops on
the rest of the city council to overturn the mayor's decision.
In one of the most high profile firings I think
we've seen in a decade or two in the city
of Los Angeles. I mean, this is one of the
bigger ones that we've seen in my time in LA
(39:13):
in twenty one plus years. Is the Mayor of LA
pointing the finger directly at the fire chief and saying
that things she did compromise the ability of the LA
Fire Department to respond to that fire. So, I mean,
this is a massive, massive story and will continue to
(39:34):
be so as even as the cleanup continues. I mean,
it was just yesterday they identified a couple of the
bodies that were found in the Palisades fire and the
Eaten fire just yesterday. That's how that's how fresh this
still is. Yeah, we're six weeks away from the actual
flames breaking out, but they're still dealing with the immediate
(39:54):
aftermath of these fires. And again the statement came in
from Mayor Bass that as of this morning, she said,
acting in the best interests of the LA Public safety
and for the operations of the LA Fire Department, I
have removed Kristin Crowley as fire chief. We know that
a thousand firefighters that could have been on duty this morning,
the fires broke out were instead sent home on Chief
(40:15):
Crowley's watch. Also said that the Chief refused to participate
in the after action report on the fires, that was
after she was asked to do so by the Fire
Commission President Jennethiah Hudley Hayes, and that those two issues
combined together were the ones that required her removal. So,
I mean, just pretty stunning, pretty stunning. As this decision
(40:39):
sort of continues to ripple through city Hall, of course,
we'll continue to bring you updates and any new new information.
I think the hottest ticket in town now is going
to be who gets to interview Chief Crowley first, And
I know that we're going to definitely effort that here
on KFI and see if we can get some comments
specifically about what this means about any push back she
(41:00):
might have about the allegations that were made against her
by the mayor in this case, and it is it's
not a great way to end the week, I'll tell
you that.
Speaker 4 (41:08):
Not so great.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
So let's do a quick gear shift here before we
wrap things up for our show. Obviously ran out of
time to do our nine news nuggets you need to know,
but we do have the ability to lighten things up
a little bit before we kick off here for the
weekend and welcome Shannon back on Monday. Let's talk about
some of the things that maybe I don't know, things
that you learned this week on the Gary and Shannon Show.
(41:31):
These are the things that we tried to inform you
about what was going on. We tried to get you
the best information about what was happening. So what did
you learn this week on the Gary and Channon Show.
Speaker 6 (41:42):
Hey, Gary, this is Steve from Texas. I just want
to say that I've learned this week. Is that your broadcast?
It's pretty darn good the former to the point and
not a lot of ask grab it. But anyway, I
still love you Shannon.
Speaker 4 (42:00):
Y'all take care, good trucker there in the state of Texas.
Speaker 3 (42:06):
This week on The Gary and Channon Show, I learned
that there are three factors that facilitate dream recollection.
Speaker 8 (42:11):
Number one, if dreaming is important to you, if you
think they mean something, you'll likely remember them.
Speaker 3 (42:16):
Number two the ability of the day dream. Number three
long periods of light sleep. Apparently, light sleep and brain
activity during those light sleeps help you recall the dreams
that you have. Anyway, y'all. Have a good weekend.
Speaker 4 (42:30):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 8 (42:32):
What I learned on the Garian Chanleng Show this week
is that apparently Channon's whereabouts or under the national secrets
at you know, captain of Vallas and Funk and waggles Port,
since you have today, yayats.
Speaker 4 (42:47):
Funk and Wagonle's porch. Haven't heard that a long time.
Speaker 7 (42:49):
What I learned Gary and Sheman is that if you're
the mayor, you can skirt responsibility, blame somebody else for
your egree, this complete lack of leadership, and make it
seem it's okay. I am be fuddled at the firing
(43:09):
of the fire chief. When is Bass going to take
any responsibility?
Speaker 3 (43:14):
Vouch?
Speaker 6 (43:15):
Well? Hey Gary Box from HB.
Speaker 10 (43:18):
What I learned this week was you do a really
good solo act, although I do miss the ass part
of jas.
Speaker 4 (43:26):
Not sure what that means.
Speaker 3 (43:27):
Hey, this is John from sant Ana.
Speaker 2 (43:29):
What I learned this week was once football season was
officially over, Shannon went to hell in a handbasket.
Speaker 4 (43:39):
Have a good week, hope to see everybody back on Monday.
Speaker 6 (43:44):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
What I learned this week from the Gary and Cannon
Show it was how incredibly painful.
Speaker 7 (43:52):
It is to have to go through withdrawal from.
Speaker 9 (43:56):
Not having Shannon on the radio.
Speaker 4 (44:00):
But Gay, you get a good job. Thank you, Shannon,
come on back, come on see.
Speaker 3 (44:05):
Well.
Speaker 10 (44:06):
What I've learned after four weeks straight of the Gary
and Gary Show is that I miss Shannon way too
much more than I should.
Speaker 6 (44:15):
But I think we all feel that way.
Speaker 3 (44:18):
Shannon.
Speaker 6 (44:18):
I hope everything's working out for you, Okay, love your chicks,
see or hear from you whenever.
Speaker 3 (44:26):
She'll be.
Speaker 6 (44:27):
What I learned on the Gary and Shannon Show is yes,
I miss Shannon, but you know what, I'll miss Gary
just as much when he's not there too.
Speaker 4 (44:36):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (44:36):
And he can hit the post like a box.
Speaker 4 (44:39):
Yeah take it. By the way, did you pull that
so I could show my wife I hit.
Speaker 7 (44:42):
The post top in the morning, Gary, Mark fisher Man
just got these braces put on.
Speaker 3 (44:47):
What I learned this week I learned that Shannon don't
like coming to work. What's going on with that? You've
been broadcasting all week by yourself. How does that feel? Yeah,
we're going.
Speaker 6 (45:02):
To keep on doing.
Speaker 4 (45:03):
Yes we are.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
I have a good one.
Speaker 4 (45:05):
Thank you too.
Speaker 9 (45:07):
What I have learned is that Gary and Chan are
amazing together. But Gary does an amazing job and you've
got some mean listeners. You are both a team and
you're amazing to Gary, you and buy yourself.
Speaker 6 (45:22):
Thank you, love you all. This is the first time
I've done this.
Speaker 4 (45:27):
Do it again, Do it again next week.
Speaker 10 (45:28):
What I learned on the Gary and Shannon Show this
week is when Gary goes solo, he does a hell
of a good job on teaching us and filling in
what's going on internationally, nationally and locally with.
Speaker 3 (45:40):
The news stories, et cetera.
Speaker 10 (45:42):
You spell it out a really good, you know, understanding
way for all of us. And this appreciated very much.
That's not a slam on Shannon. Is this when you
go solo, you really do a good job of teaching us.
Speaker 3 (45:54):
How's that though?
Speaker 5 (45:55):
Thank you Gary, and not Channon still missing her. And
this is Tina from down Orange County. And what I
learned this week was that Gary knows what ty bo is.
I mean TiVo, remember Tibo with Billy Blanks.
Speaker 6 (46:14):
That was that was the.
Speaker 4 (46:17):
Okay, have a good weekend, all right.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
So the big story today, Mayor Karen Bass fires the
chief of the La Fire Department, but then said in
the news conference, the city of La is not in upheaval.
Speaker 4 (46:32):
You've been listening to The Gary and Shannon Show.
Speaker 1 (46:34):
You can always hear us live on KFI AM six
forty nine am to one pm every Monday through Friday,
and anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app
This is Gary and Shannon and you're listening to KFI
AM six forty, the Gary and Shannon Show on demand
on the iHeartRadio app. Big stories that we are following
today include the fact that La Mayor Bass has apparently
fired the chief of the La Fire Department. She has
removed Chief Kristin Crowley, effective immediately. According to a statement
that was issued by the Mayor's office, the mayor is
(00:22):
expected to make a news conference or hold a news
conference here in a few minutes. About twenty minutes ago
is when they told us originally, So when that happens,
we will dip in and listen to it. A couple
other developing stories. Three people killed after shooting at a
Louisville driver licensing office today. Louisville Metro Police and they
were called at about noon Louisville time for a shooting
(00:43):
at the driver Licensing Regional office in Valley Station. One man,
apparently the gunman, and two women died. The two women
apparently died at a hospital. There was also an explosion
in Hawaii at a resort on Maui. This would have
been last night. Several people were hurt. Police and firefighters
had to show up at long Conopoly Beach, the Whaler Resort,
(01:07):
where they said it looks like a propane tank or
a propane line natural gas line possibly exploded at one
of the group barbecue areas in that resort. The Senate
has adopted a budget resolution intended to serve as a
blueprint try to deliver the first part a President Trump's agenda.
(01:29):
Senators voted fifty two to forty eight, most of those
along party lines on this resolution after the overnight voting
session went for hours and hours. In fact, the final
vote didn't come until about five o'clock in the morning
DC time. Senator Ran Paul was the only was the
only Republican who voted against that measure. So, as we
stand by and wait for this announcement from Karen Bass, Well,
(01:52):
I wanted to revisit some of what she had said yesterday.
Karen Bass of course did an interview I guess the
day before yesterday, she had done an interview with Alex
Michaelson from Channel eleven regarding what happened on January seventh.
If you remember, she was in Ghana. She was in
Africa at the time that the fire started. Even though
(02:14):
we all knew that there was a massive weather issue,
this very dangerous weather situation of the incredible Santa Ana
Santa Ana wins that were driving fire danger higher, plus
the fact that we hadn't had rain in several months,
and then.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
That type of preparation didn't happen. If that had I
will tell you, Alex, I wouldn't have even gone to
San Diego, let alone leave the country.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
But what do you mean there were warnings you weren't
aware of, because I know we were talking about it
on the news. A lot of people were talking about
the problems at warning that this was going to be
a huge So it.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Didn't reach that level to me to say something terrible
could happen and maybe you shouldn't have gone on the.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
Trip, Well I didn't, But to me, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I mean, I think that that's one of the things
we need.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
To look at now. Again.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
That was one of the stories that I had a
hard time with her story about that, and Alex at
least pushed back and said, listen, we in the media
knew well ahead of time that this was a dangerous event.
That way back on January second, the National Weather Service
had put out alerts that we were going to see
a very dangerous situation on January seventh. On January third,
(03:23):
they upgraded it. On January fourth is when she left
for Ghana. The Mayor's office, even at least the communications people,
put out a statement that suggested that Wednesday, January seventh
was going to be our particularly dangerous day, and she
really didn't do anything. She knew that that was I
(03:45):
shouldn't say she knew. She claims that she didn't know
that it was going to be that dangerous a situation
and suggested that it was Chief Crowley that has the
responsibility to let her know when there is a dangerous
situation like that.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
I think that that's something that has to be assessed.
I need to understand why things were handled differently this
time than they've been handled before.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
And again I'm not sure exactly what she meant by that.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
If you also remember she did come back from Ghana,
She got on an airplane, made her way back to
the United States, and on January eighth, stood alongside the
governor in a news conference. Later on January afternoon of
January eighth, while the fires were still burning, so she
had the wherewithal and the smarts to turn around and
come back to California while the city was burning. But
(04:30):
if you remember, there was an episode where she was
just off of an airplane waiting to be escorted down
to the tarmac. She gets VIP service, so they get
a suv or a limo basically waiting for her on
the tarmac and she could be walked out of the
jetway down to the tarmac get her out of there.
She was waiting for that to happen, and an Irish
(04:51):
reporter stopped her in the jetway and was yelling at
her and asking her do you have nothing to say?
The helms are burning, do you have nothing to say?
And all she did was look down at the ground.
She said that that was a surprise to her.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yes, it was an ambush and I wasn't sure who
he was. And that is unfortunate because I see the
way that looks as though I was avoiding. But when
you're getting off a plane and you've been on a
plane seventeen hours and somebody hits you with a camera,
I wish, in hindsight, my response had been better.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Again, all this now coming to a coming, No boy
coming to a head, because there was a statement that
went out just from the Mayor's office this morning that
said that Mayor Bass met with and removed Kristin Crowley
as the fire chief, effective immediately for the city of La.
Mayor Bass announced that she appointed former Chief Deputy Ronnie Viennaweva,
(05:47):
who is a forty one year veteran of the La
Fire Department, as the interim chief. She said, in this statement,
acting in the best interests of La public safety and
for the operations of the La Fire Department, I have
removed Kristin Crowley as fire chief, she said. We know
that a thousand firefighters that could have been on duty
(06:07):
on the morning of the fires broke out were instead
sent home on Chief Crowley's watch. Furthermore, a necessary step
to an investigation was President of the Fire Commission telling
Chief Crowley to do an after action report on those fires,
and that the chief refused those require her removal. We
haven't seen any sort of reaction. It's pretty early on,
(06:28):
but we haven't seen any reaction from Chief Crowley. We
do know that in the past she had suggested that
in fact, it was the city that was responsible for
the condition of the fire department. On January seventh, she
did an interview with Gigi Grossiert on January tenth of
this year.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
It's my job to stand up as a chief and
exactly say, justifiably what the fire department needs to operate.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
To meet the demands of the community. Did they fail you?
That is our job, I tell you, That's why I'm here.
So let's get us what we need so firefighters can
do their jobs.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Did they fail you? Yes?
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Yeah, I mean this was I don't know if this
was just a matter of time, but she said the
city failed them. Mayor Bass said it was Chief Crowley
that never told her that the fires were that the
potential for fires were as bad as they were on
January seventh, and then in this interview this week, Mayor
Bass said she felt horrible for not being on the
ground here in La when the fire started.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
I felt absolutely terrible not being.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Here for my city, Yes, and that it was very painful.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
When I say it was a mistake. Absolutely, the idea
that I was not present was very painful.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
All right, So we are standing by for this news
conference when it comes up.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
We'll definitely bring it to you again.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Mayor Bass has fired the chief of the La Fire
Department in what appears to be a pretty significant passing
of the buck. But we'll see what happens, especially when
we get a state from now former La City Fire
Chief Kristin Crowley, friend of the show. I think I
can say that because in all honesty, I don't think
we've had a guest on three times. They get here
(08:10):
once and maybe twice and then they realize they've had
enough of us.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Comedian TJ. Miller has joined us.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
You got an all weekend of the Irvine improv tonight,
tomorrow and Sunday night.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Really excited for that. I thought you were going to
say that people just kind of don't want to come
back on, because I was also back on.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
There's also that we actually we interviewed you. You came
by in our old studio down the hall, like mid
February of twenty twenty, and it was things were just
heating up and we didn't realize the world was about
to end.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Yeah, and that was before it was global. Yeah, you know,
it was kind of everyone was gone, this is maybe
it's affecting China, maybe it's oh there's some people that
are getting it, and then yeah, what a thing. And
my you obviously we were able to keep working. Sure,
(09:02):
but my sort of world just was put on pause.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Well, now is it your wife also has was potentially
susceptible to it?
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Right, yeah, sort of immunity compromise. Yeah, whatever, that should
be a shorter name. Screwed I, I kind of yeah,
And so it was really difficult. So I went I
was touring. When I started touring again, well, first of all,
(09:31):
we had seven months where I just was at home
because we live in New York City, so we were
just kind of trapped in our apartment thankfully has a
little bit outdoor space, but I just was not touring.
So we were just hemorrhaging money. And you know, luckily
we get along or I get along well with her.
I don't know university, I don't know about all that,
(09:52):
but I really felt like, uh, you know what's going
to happen here. And then as soon as I was
able to start touring, I thought, well, here's a really
weird sort of situation where if people are willing to
come together and laugh, then my job is suddenly very important.
That's what I felt. So because of that, I said,
(10:13):
all right, we gotta you know, I gotta go on
the road. But because she's immunocompromised or well, it's it's screwed.
She she she was sort of, you know, we just
kind of couldn't take any risks. So I would go
and perform Friday, Saturday, you know, usually sometimes Sunday, also
(10:34):
sometimes Thursday. But I would perform Friday Saturday. Then I
would come home Sunday and we would quarantine from each
other until Thursday, and I would be able to get
We'd calculated we'd have some doctors and so even then
we calculated that if I get the I would have
to wait two days get the rapid test. But I
(10:56):
been at a hospital, so it was the real test.
They just could turn it around really quickly.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
As opposed to a guy on the street.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
But you know what, I like that guy, and I
think he's just trying to help out.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
He wants you to spit in the cup, that's all.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
His name's Darren, and he loves spit cups. It's easy
for me because I always do spit takes. Wednesday. I
would get the test Thursday morning, would know if I
had it, and then I and I never got it,
and then she and I would sleep in the same
bed Thursday night, and then I would go and do
(11:27):
the whole time, and so it's really something, you know,
And I think for me, not having sex in marriage
during the pandemic is the same as not during the pandemic. Kidding,
but I really feel like that did something to our
marriage in a positive way. It just felt like I
(11:49):
was sleeping downstairs and it's and I think in the beginning,
I was kind of everybody was sort of drinking more.
And then you get kind of to a stage where like, well,
that's not how we're going to help. Yeah, it's not
gonna I weighed fifteen pounds more than I. But I
think it really showed sort of a real commitment to
one another because we were so much trying to protect
(12:10):
each other. And you know, for the first you know, Sunday, Monday,
Tuesday or whatever, I didn't know if I had COVID.
I mean, I'm going to these places like Nashville, Tennessee,
and they're just laughing the COVID at this.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
Great your own spit coming yeah on stage.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
And so I kind of yeah, so I I you know,
it was sort of a weird time. But after about
a month and a half, I realized, all right, I'm
not I'm not going to get this necessarily from performing. Right.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
You mentioned Nashville Zany's Comedy Club in Nashville. I've been there.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
I had a blast when I was there. It's a
cool club. You did a special there, and if I
remember correctly, I think that's the last time you hear
is you were talking about Dear Dear Jenny, and it
was the story was basically that you were there to
record a special, to do an hour that you had prepared,
and without giving away too much for people who haven't
(13:09):
seen it, there's a guy in the audience who kind
of overtakes the story, and it was I loved it.
It was what I sat my wife down and we
watched it and we absolutely.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Really thank you so much. I mean that means so
much to me nowadays because nobody will watch anything it's
longer than a minute, right to get somebody to do
forty three of those. But it was exceptional. It was
like beautiful because I couldn't believe I kind of talked
to this guy he's sort of special needs or however
(13:41):
you can say that without people screaming at you. But
and then throughout the show we kind of interacted and
then he became kind of the star of the show.
Its name's Jonah and and it was just so fun
because the big thing for me and what a lot
of people say online is that I was just so
kind to him and to me, that's like, well, yeah,
of course you should do that with everybody, but it
(14:03):
was it was interesting to see the response.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Well, I know there's a probably I don't know if
there's an actual debate that goes on between comedians on
the road. There's a lot there's a down playing I
guess of a lot of crowd work. Crowd work is
what makes a lot of uh makes a lot of
viral videos where you know, watch watch comedian TJ. Miller
take down the heckler or whatever. But that was like
(14:26):
the most positive version of I guess you would say
crowd work, right.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Yeah, I think so. And I it's very frustrating to
me because my tour is called the crowdsourcer or Tour,
which I need to change because of what you're saying.
And you know, I I'm I think there's about ten
comedians who can improvise an entire show and I am
one of those comedians. And I don't really talk to
(14:53):
the crowd as much as I talk about them and
it's it can be. It's frustrating a little bit that
people go, you know, do your act do material right,
that's only really happened once that somebody yeld that out.
But it's frustrating to me because I am that is
my strength. And now there's so many young comedians that
are like, well, I don't want to burn material, so
(15:15):
I'll go out there and go, hey, what's your name,
where are you from? What do you do? And then
and and a lot of it's the same.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
You know this tour, like you said, the crowdsource or tour.
Last year you released an album Smooth Peanut Butter.
Speaker 5 (15:27):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
There was a there was a time when stand up
comedy was all audio. It was all albums, cassette CDs
like that was that was the way to get stuff
out there. And now you've got that plus all of
the streaming services. You've got YouTube where you can control
a lot of your own content.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Yeah, which is where that's the only place that people
really watch stuff. Netflix kind of had a moment, Hulu
is trying to have a moment, but it's really all YouTube.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Is that beneficial for that for you in that career
that there's there's so many different places for you to
put it up.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
Oh, I it would be beneficial if everybody was watching
all these but your attention is so divided that you
almost have to do all of it to get that
one TV appearance. But yeah, it is for me because
also I do so much stuff. So I have on
my channel, I have the Spokane Special, which is forty
(16:21):
five It was an hour, but like forty five minutes
of me just riffing on Spokane. So if you don't
live there, then you have no idea what I'm talking about. Spoken, Yeah, right, exactly.
Every restaurant ends their name with and wine and beer, beizza,
burgers and beer. We have beer. There's a place called
(16:44):
the the Soup and Sip and all they serve as
soup and alcohol, which I always whenever I'm having clam chowder,
I'm like, vod Katonic would really pair with this, Well.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
Sounds like a gastrointestinal disaster.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
So I kind of I did that, and then I
did it kind of a Halloween special where I do
stand up making fun of the Stanley Hotel and we
also do like a ghost tour and I talk about
and then I have Dear Jonah and I'm coming out
with the Philosophy Circus, and I have a special on
me doing stand up in Chicago when we talk all
(17:21):
about kind of the food, and there's a special about
being in Philadelphia during the Super Bowl, the last super
Bowl that the Eagles were in, and that's sort of
stand up, but it's also us getting ready for the
game and talking about the game and seeing Philadelphia. So
I couldn't do those with Netflix, you know, because they
(17:43):
just wouldn't want that much material, with that much content.
But I can do that on YouTube, so I think
that's really helpful. But no, if I could go back
and be a part of when Steve Martin was making records, wow,
I mean imagine that, because I would be the only
one releasing, you know, a record every month or something
about Spokane, I would strictly do Spokane right comedy.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
The entire decade of seventies was you in Spokane, and
you know what, it's good.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
But I released my first sort of independent stand up
comedy album with aid fund Gorilla uh, and that's called
Smooth Peanut Butter because I love peanut butter. I sell
it on my website. TJ. Miller does not have website
dot com. I eat it. It's in my rider there
(18:33):
it is. And bananas from my friend Cash Levy. I
do a podcast with a guy, Cash Levy called cashing
In with TJ. Miller. But Smooth Peanut Butter is like,
really really cool. It was really cool to kind of
do that, And it's drawn from Deer Jonah, but there's
no material that's the same.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
How do you determine where you're going to record a special?
How do you figure out which is the best?
Speaker 3 (18:56):
You're so inquisitive that it feels inauthentic.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
Is this what are you talking about?
Speaker 3 (19:01):
You just you know so much and you genuinely love
asking questions. But I think to the people that you're
talking to, they're like, is he serious? Is he seriously
that interested?
Speaker 4 (19:12):
Is it the architecture?
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Is it?
Speaker 4 (19:14):
Do you know what's going to look good visually? Is
it the crowd?
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Is it because you have a special personal relationship to
the city.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Or I chose Nashville. Again, that's a very funny question
that I've never been asked. I chose Nashville because in
the backdrop when you're on stage, there's this really silly
sign that says like Zany's and a couple of the
letters are like a little off kilter, Oh no, And
(19:39):
I just came up with this idea. It's a great club.
I mean it's it's one of the best clubs. But
I came up with this idea that like, what if
I made, you know, fifteen of those and they were
all fake names for comedy clubs because Zany's is so stupid.
So it was like the chuckle Bucket and like crickets
(20:00):
and was pun ponderful something like that, you know, And
and that just stuck in my head and I thought
it was so funny. So I said, that's where I'm
gonna do what became Dear Jonah. But then I did
one in Tampa that's the Philosophy Circus and that's not
out yet, but it's really really I'm very proud of that,
(20:23):
and that I wanted. It's kind of juggling and vaudeville,
and so I thought, it's got to be in a theater,
and so the Tampa improv is an old theater. I
couldn't in San Jose, but those California audiences aren't. They're
not my speed as much Northern California obviously, right, And
then you know, and then I did one called the
(20:45):
gentle Giant, and that's really very personal. It's about me.
It's about my brain injury, which is maybe lightheaded, and
why I came in a little bit late, but that
I wanted to do in San Diego because it's so
small and so personal, and it's such a like club club.
You know, it's almost like the Comedy Seller, but with
(21:06):
better audiences.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Comedian TJ. Miller, You're going to be at the Irvine
Improv tonight, two shows.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
I'm so excited Brown Night.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
Two shows.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
First shows, early shows are sold out, So guys, let's
get into the late shows. That's when things get raucous wild.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
TJ.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Miller does not have a website dot com. Yeah, it's
the website.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
I've tried for.
Speaker 6 (21:26):
T J.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
Mailer does not have a website dot gov. But I
gotta tell you the amic government I have. I had.
I had a misunderstanding with the federal government. It's since
been resolved. They they they took something that I said
and they've kind of took it the wrong way. It
happened when they admitted to that, and now we're good.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
We are actually going to give away a pair of
tickets and we have a couple of different options for people.
Speaker 4 (21:51):
So, uh, what exciting?
Speaker 3 (21:54):
No, it's exciting.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
I thought you wanted us to pay for him.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
No, I'm really excited. I keep turning if you saw
this before, I keep turning to the right, thinking that
there's a booth with somebody behind the glass.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Oh, there's somebody behind the wall, but but no.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
No clear glass to see it. And you've got let's
count them, six televisions plus seven seven. Oh yeah, I
didn't see that one.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
Soon's turned off, so you can't.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Oh my god, I didn't even see it. What what
is this? Just so that you take in everything and
you can talk about it. I don't like why is
it on? Because they're also all different channels.
Speaker 4 (22:27):
I don't like a light stream of information. I like
a fire.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Why is that? Were you like that as a kid?
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Probably some form of ADHD? Like this is calming to me.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
That's how I feel about living in New York. There
you go ahead, I a second. I step out into
the sea of people and this and this store and
this It really like calms me. Really, I like it.
I have ADHD also.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Eight hundred five to zero one five three four eight
hundred five to one k five are.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
They gonna come on the Do I get to hear them?
Oh to talk to them?
Speaker 4 (23:00):
I don't know. I mean we can go outside and
answer the phone if you like.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
But a pair of tickets to TJ's show, you can
actually pick which show and we'll tell you that the
choices that we've got when you when you win. But
caller number six is going to win, pick tickets again.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
TJ.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
Miller does not have a website dot com. You can
go to improv dot com slash Irvine for information about
the show. Two shows tonight at the Irvine Improv. Two
shows tomorrow night. One show on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Sunday's always a fun day. That's uh, That's God's Day.
And so I do a lot of sort of religious material.
I'm sure it's hard, you know, and I talked about
not just one religion. I'll talk about you know, I'll
talk about all of it. Can I just stop myself
from saying Islamic? So how do you choose that it's
coller number six?
Speaker 4 (23:45):
Because that's how many buttons they have on the phone
over there?
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Really kind so is it a kind of you're walking
that back right away?
Speaker 4 (23:54):
They have ten? But I can only count as high
as six.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
That's a big part of it. But do you change it?
Is it sometimes calling a three, sometimes it's calling number five?
But this time is the only one. But that's I wondered,
like a six year lucky number, you know, but it
sounds like five and six? You know, good to it.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
Thanks for coming in, man, appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
So how did you come in? I can't believe that
I book ended the pandemic. I think I only remember
coming before it because they tried to erase everything after it.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
If I'm not mistaken, you were wearing a full tiex
suit when you came in.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
Well yeah, well you know it looks good. I was
gonna wear it today, but somebody told me this was formal,
so I am in a tie and slide. I'm really
serious about it.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
We do have to get to this chief. The mayor
has fired the chief of the La Fire Department.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
How do you feel about that?
Speaker 4 (24:43):
It was coming? They can't get think someone has to
get fired.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
Yeah, right, because everybody needs to feel like there's some
sort of justice. But the thing is like it was
the wins.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
Yeah, you can't fire the God.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
That's what you get on k f I is the
lesson that all of us learn, which is you can't
fire the win.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
All right, let's go to that news conference. Thanks for
coming in, TG, please thank you.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
So it was after the fire started, but let me
just be clear. Los Angeles needs to move forward. This
is a new day. I am excited to welcome our
new chief, who was a forty one year veteran of
this fire department.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
He is well known.
Speaker 4 (25:23):
He is well liked.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
He knows most of the members of the city Council
except for our two members that were recently elected. And
it is our plan to continue moving forward. We want
to have the full investigation that the governor has ordered
and the investigation that we will do locally.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Yes, I wanted to a little because I think you
actually spoke with the chief that I heard five cans
at twelve forty seven mobal times, very much after the
GIEVUS year. And you all can't talking about the fire. Yes,
and you're crazy.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Cheap positions necessarily involve places also prising home leadership.
Speaker 7 (26:06):
And you said something you.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
And needless to say, I did not know all the facts,
but I had spoken.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
To her maybe a couple of hours before that.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Yes, two good questions in terms of the investigations and
the calls for you firing you know, least cheap what were.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
The issue.
Speaker 8 (26:29):
In that area.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
There will be an investigation of the UH water situation
as well, and that will be done by the governor. Yes,
all of that is being examined at the governor's initiation,
and we might do something locally as well. And those
who might say that you've said now as explained as
(26:53):
it is, and it's also in the action work with
system to you you office. About budget, let me just
be clear about the budget. The fire department was not cut.
I have done two budgets in my time here. In
both budgets the budget was increased and I will anticipate
(27:13):
that it will be increased this time as well.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 9 (27:22):
That other members council will Yeah, sir, you want to day.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
Do you think that you're enough port on the council.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
To I believe that there is a lot of support
on the city council.
Speaker 6 (27:34):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Is this always says about people who have been going
up and lost by leads and attentions with Tildy Urdos.
You have back and forth focused so.
Speaker 6 (27:44):
Off and.
Speaker 4 (27:48):
UH the city is not in upheaval.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
I am very happy that the the rebuilding, the restoration,
the clean clearing of the fire, of the debris is
moved forward way ahead of time. We have just experienced
the worst natural disaster that our city.
Speaker 4 (28:13):
Has ever experienced.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
It would be wonderful to think that everything would be
smooth every step of the way, but I don't believe
that that is realistic. I think we are standing together.
I think we're standing strong, as evidenced by leadership of
the city Council being here with me, with with members
of the city Council, and there's many more that are
not here. We have worked very well together. Now are
(28:36):
there differences along the way? Of course they are, yes.
Speaker 9 (28:42):
Getting all probably you know, I think that some people
they see you at the top.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Of the bore one getting information.
Speaker 4 (28:54):
From people, and you're lay hot.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
And you're to be responsible.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Let me say that, yes, as the mayor. As the
mayor of the city, the buck stops with me. I
am in charge, however, the person in charge of the
fire department. As I mentioned before, whenever there was a
fire emergency, a weather emergency, or a hint of a problem,
(29:20):
I am contacted directly, and not just by Chief Crowley,
but by any of the heads of the departments.
Speaker 4 (29:25):
As you know, we have over forty departments. I'll take
a couple more.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Yes, of the city house was chief?
Speaker 10 (29:40):
I do not know that.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
From your age and chiefs and things like that.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
Or do you want fathers outside news sources?
Speaker 7 (29:48):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (29:48):
I watch news all the time.
Speaker 4 (29:49):
Yes, I'm sorry. What did you say, Stas?
Speaker 9 (29:55):
I do not know.
Speaker 4 (29:57):
Okay, one final question from you.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
You've not asked a question any blast for the wartment
you come in.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Yes, I just plan on moving forward.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
I want to move the apartment forward, uh and take
care of our firefighters. So I don't want to look backwards.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
I don't want to look to a pass like the
mayor stated, I just want to look for the for
the future en Espanol. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:26):
Well, you've been listening to.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
This news conference from Mayor Karen Bass and the new
interim chief of the LA Fire Department, Ronnie van Awava.
He is a forty one year l A l a
f D veteran. He has been named as the interim
fire chief.
Speaker 6 (30:41):
Again.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
This broke a couple of hours ago.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
An hour and a half or so ago, LA Mayor
Karen Bass met with and removed Kristin Crowley as the
fire chief effective immediately some of the questions that you
heard there, asked and answered, She the mayor fought back
against the assertion that the city was in some sort
of upheat and instead instead said that this was the
smart way to get past everything that we know about
(31:06):
that's been discussed when it comes to the Palisades fire
and the LA Fire Department, whether it was in a
state of readiness, and then whose responsibility it was to
be in that state of readiness. She claimed that in
fact it was the chief, that it was Kristin Crowley
who sort of had the department on its back feet,
and she, in a statement earlier today, said that there
(31:28):
were one thousand firefighters that could have been on duty
on the morning of the fires, that they broke out
and were instead sent home on Chief Crowley's watch. And
then a necessary step to an investigation was the President
of the Fire Commission telling Chief Crowley to do an
after action report on the fires now, and that Chief
Crowley apparently refused to do so. Again, that's from the
(31:49):
mayor specifically, so we don't know exactly what the response
will be or has been from the now former Chief Crowley,
she said, acting in the best interests of public safety
and for the operations of the fire Department, I have
removed Kristin Crowley as chief. She also, as I said,
(32:10):
suggested that the chief refused to participate in the after
action report on the fires after being asked to do
so by the commissioned President, and she said those issues
required her removal. The fire department, at least according to
the La Times, decided not to assign for emergency deployment
about a thousand available firefighters and dozens of the water
(32:30):
carrying engines in advance of the fire, and the fire
officials said they chose not to order firefighters to remain
on duty for a second shift as the winds were
building back on January seventh. That would have doubled the
personnel on hand and in fact staff just five of
the forty engines that are available to help in fighting wildfires. Again,
this is all that. Part of it is the investigation
(32:52):
that was found from the La Times. Monica Rodriguez, a
city council member, said this is the absolute wrong decision.
Said she was going to work to get the ten
votes from the city council that could overturn this dismissal.
Speaker 4 (33:04):
That is still a possibility.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
The city Council has the power under the La City
Charter to overturn the mayor's decision like this. That would
be a very steep challenge, but it is possible, and
as much as Monica Rodriguez city council member wants to
do this, there may be some steam behind the other
city council members who would do this as well. In fact,
(33:27):
her statement Monica Rodriguez Rodriguez is it's absolutely unacceptable. Mayor
Bass clearly continues to change her posture. On January seventh,
she was praising the fire chief and her response, and
then it appears as the heat kicked up for her absence,
she continued to try and attribute blame to someone else.
Speaker 4 (33:46):
Again.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
We have not yet heard from Kristen Crowley since this
dismissal was announced. Just after eleven o'clock this morning, a
spokesperson for the LAFD a name you've heard many times
here on KFI, Eric Scott. The department was aware of
the mayor's announcement, but was going to have no further
comments or interviews at this time. So, as I mentioned,
(34:07):
you've got an LAFD veteran, a forty one year veteran
of the Department, Ronald Vanueva, who will serve as interim chief.
He did retire seven months ago as the deputy Chief
of Emergency Operations, but he's being brought back to do this,
being brought back in to lead the department until this
can be worked out however that ends. I mean, like
(34:28):
I said, the City Council does have the ability to
It's an uphill battle, but does have the ability to
reinstate Chief Crowley with ten votes of the fifteen member panel.
This of course stems from months now, at least a
month of friction between Mayor Bass and Chief Crowley from
(34:50):
immediately after the fire. As Monica Rodriguez pointed out, Karen
Bass was originally very supportive of the fire department. Granted,
I mean it was in the midst of literally the
fires were still burning and she was expressing support for
Chief Crowley and the Fire department. But on the tenth,
while the fire was out of control, Chief Crowley gave
(35:10):
an interview with Gigi Graciet on Channel eleven and said
that the City of La which you could read her
direct attack on Mayor Bass, that the City of La
had failed her and the La Fire Department and described
the agency as understaffed. She said they were underfunded by
millions of dollars and said that this was no longer sustainable.
(35:33):
She went on CNN later that day and told Jake
Tapper that the fire Department didn't have enough mechanics to
repair the emergency vehicles that were broken down. We've covered
that story a couple of times, and when asked whether
it was the city budget that was responsible, Chief Crowley said,
I want to be very very clear, Yes, it's the
(35:54):
city's budget cuts that affect the La Fire Department's ability
to fight the fund she was taken to task for
that called to the principal's office. Mayor Bass summoned Chief
Crowley to her office. They had a meeting that went
on for a very long time, to the point that
(36:16):
she didn't even show up. Karen Bass didn't even show
up for her own wildfire emergency news conference later that day.
They continue to appear at news conferences together. They continued
to say that they are not in the process of
fighting with each other, although that's exactly what was going
on behind closed doors, it appears, and the mayor and
her team gave a series of statements that suggested that
(36:38):
it was Kristin Crowley who didn't tell Mayor Bass or
the Mayor's office about the potential danger of the windstorm
that was predicted for January seventh. The interview that happened
on Wednesday, where Alex Michaelson sat down with Mayor Bass,
she pointed at not getting the notification from Chief Crowley
(37:01):
as the reason she followed through with the planned trip
to Ghana. Her spokesperson, the mayor's spokesperson until the La Times,
the Crowley routinely would call the mayor and her team
ahead of severe weather events, but did not do so
before the January seventh event. She also said she didn't
receive enough information about the weather and if she had,
(37:22):
she would have canceled her trip, which is hard that
on this end of it, that's a hard thing for
me to understand, because we were doing stories, we were
surprised at the nature of the warnings that were coming in,
not just from the National Weather Service, but from fire departments,
a state, local county fire departments saying the windstorm that's
(37:46):
coming on January seventh is not only one of the
worst windstorms that we've seen, it also comes at a
time where we haven't seen rain in months. We knew
that it was an unusually dangerous situation because of the
nature of those coins. How does the mayor's office not know,
regardless of whether or not the fire department calls her
(38:06):
and tells her. But Mayor Bass said if she realized
more information, if she had more information about the actual weather,
she would have canceled her trip. Eric Garcetti was the
one who hired Kristin Crowley to lead the department. She
was the first female chief in the history of the
La Fire Department. She was picked up at a time,
(38:26):
picked up, i should say, elevated at a time when
firefighters were talking about sexual harassment and hazing at the department.
But this only listen, it's not good. It's not good
for the city of La It's also not good for
Mayor Bass. That you've got city council members, at least
one who are very vocal about their disapproval of this move.
(38:50):
That Monica Rodriguez, as the city council member, hates this decision,
says she's going to try to rally the troops on
the rest of the city council to overturn the mayor's decision.
In one of the most high profile firings I think
we've seen in a decade or two in the city
of Los Angeles. I mean, this is one of the
bigger ones that we've seen in my time in LA
(39:13):
in twenty one plus years. Is the Mayor of LA
pointing the finger directly at the fire chief and saying
that things she did compromise the ability of the LA
Fire Department to respond to that fire. So, I mean,
this is a massive, massive story and will continue to
(39:34):
be so as even as the cleanup continues. I mean,
it was just yesterday they identified a couple of the
bodies that were found in the Palisades fire and the
Eaten fire just yesterday. That's how that's how fresh this
still is. Yeah, we're six weeks away from the actual
flames breaking out, but they're still dealing with the immediate
(39:54):
aftermath of these fires. And again the statement came in
from Mayor Bass that as of this morning, she said,
acting in the best interests of the LA Public safety
and for the operations of the LA Fire Department, I
have removed Kristin Crowley as fire chief. We know that
a thousand firefighters that could have been on duty this morning,
the fires broke out were instead sent home on Chief
(40:15):
Crowley's watch. Also said that the Chief refused to participate
in the after action report on the fires, that was
after she was asked to do so by the Fire
Commission President Jennethiah Hudley Hayes, and that those two issues
combined together were the ones that required her removal. So,
I mean, just pretty stunning, pretty stunning. As this decision
(40:39):
sort of continues to ripple through city Hall, of course,
we'll continue to bring you updates and any new new information.
I think the hottest ticket in town now is going
to be who gets to interview Chief Crowley first, And
I know that we're going to definitely effort that here
on KFI and see if we can get some comments
specifically about what this means about any push back she
(41:00):
might have about the allegations that were made against her
by the mayor in this case, and it is it's
not a great way to end the week, I'll tell
you that.
Speaker 4 (41:08):
Not so great.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
So let's do a quick gear shift here before we
wrap things up for our show. Obviously ran out of
time to do our nine news nuggets you need to know,
but we do have the ability to lighten things up
a little bit before we kick off here for the
weekend and welcome Shannon back on Monday. Let's talk about
some of the things that maybe I don't know, things
that you learned this week on the Gary and Shannon Show.
(41:31):
These are the things that we tried to inform you
about what was going on. We tried to get you
the best information about what was happening. So what did
you learn this week on the Gary and Channon Show.
Speaker 6 (41:42):
Hey, Gary, this is Steve from Texas. I just want
to say that I've learned this week. Is that your broadcast?
It's pretty darn good the former to the point and
not a lot of ask grab it. But anyway, I
still love you Shannon.
Speaker 4 (42:00):
Y'all take care, good trucker there in the state of Texas.
Speaker 3 (42:06):
This week on The Gary and Channon Show, I learned
that there are three factors that facilitate dream recollection.
Speaker 8 (42:11):
Number one, if dreaming is important to you, if you
think they mean something, you'll likely remember them.
Speaker 3 (42:16):
Number two the ability of the day dream. Number three
long periods of light sleep. Apparently, light sleep and brain
activity during those light sleeps help you recall the dreams
that you have. Anyway, y'all. Have a good weekend.
Speaker 4 (42:30):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 8 (42:32):
What I learned on the Garian Chanleng Show this week
is that apparently Channon's whereabouts or under the national secrets
at you know, captain of Vallas and Funk and waggles Port,
since you have today, yayats.
Speaker 4 (42:47):
Funk and Wagonle's porch. Haven't heard that a long time.
Speaker 7 (42:49):
What I learned Gary and Sheman is that if you're
the mayor, you can skirt responsibility, blame somebody else for
your egree, this complete lack of leadership, and make it
seem it's okay. I am be fuddled at the firing
(43:09):
of the fire chief. When is Bass going to take
any responsibility?
Speaker 3 (43:14):
Vouch?
Speaker 6 (43:15):
Well? Hey Gary Box from HB.
Speaker 10 (43:18):
What I learned this week was you do a really
good solo act, although I do miss the ass part
of jas.
Speaker 4 (43:26):
Not sure what that means.
Speaker 3 (43:27):
Hey, this is John from sant Ana.
Speaker 2 (43:29):
What I learned this week was once football season was
officially over, Shannon went to hell in a handbasket.
Speaker 4 (43:39):
Have a good week, hope to see everybody back on Monday.
Speaker 6 (43:44):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
What I learned this week from the Gary and Cannon
Show it was how incredibly painful.
Speaker 7 (43:52):
It is to have to go through withdrawal from.
Speaker 9 (43:56):
Not having Shannon on the radio.
Speaker 4 (44:00):
But Gay, you get a good job. Thank you, Shannon,
come on back, come on see.
Speaker 3 (44:05):
Well.
Speaker 10 (44:06):
What I've learned after four weeks straight of the Gary
and Gary Show is that I miss Shannon way too
much more than I should.
Speaker 6 (44:15):
But I think we all feel that way.
Speaker 3 (44:18):
Shannon.
Speaker 6 (44:18):
I hope everything's working out for you, Okay, love your chicks,
see or hear from you whenever.
Speaker 3 (44:26):
She'll be.
Speaker 6 (44:27):
What I learned on the Gary and Shannon Show is yes,
I miss Shannon, but you know what, I'll miss Gary
just as much when he's not there too.
Speaker 4 (44:36):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (44:36):
And he can hit the post like a box.
Speaker 4 (44:39):
Yeah take it. By the way, did you pull that
so I could show my wife I hit.
Speaker 7 (44:42):
The post top in the morning, Gary, Mark fisher Man
just got these braces put on.
Speaker 3 (44:47):
What I learned this week I learned that Shannon don't
like coming to work. What's going on with that? You've
been broadcasting all week by yourself. How does that feel? Yeah,
we're going.
Speaker 6 (45:02):
To keep on doing.
Speaker 4 (45:03):
Yes we are.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
I have a good one.
Speaker 4 (45:05):
Thank you too.
Speaker 9 (45:07):
What I have learned is that Gary and Chan are
amazing together. But Gary does an amazing job and you've
got some mean listeners. You are both a team and
you're amazing to Gary, you and buy yourself.
Speaker 6 (45:22):
Thank you, love you all. This is the first time
I've done this.
Speaker 4 (45:27):
Do it again, Do it again next week.
Speaker 10 (45:28):
What I learned on the Gary and Shannon Show this
week is when Gary goes solo, he does a hell
of a good job on teaching us and filling in
what's going on internationally, nationally and locally with.
Speaker 3 (45:40):
The news stories, et cetera.
Speaker 10 (45:42):
You spell it out a really good, you know, understanding
way for all of us. And this appreciated very much.
That's not a slam on Shannon. Is this when you
go solo, you really do a good job of teaching us.
Speaker 3 (45:54):
How's that though?
Speaker 5 (45:55):
Thank you Gary, and not Channon still missing her. And
this is Tina from down Orange County. And what I
learned this week was that Gary knows what ty bo is.
I mean TiVo, remember Tibo with Billy Blanks.
Speaker 6 (46:14):
That was that was the.
Speaker 4 (46:17):
Okay, have a good weekend, all right.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
So the big story today, Mayor Karen Bass fires the
chief of the La Fire Department, but then said in
the news conference, the city of La is not in upheaval.
Speaker 4 (46:32):
You've been listening to The Gary and Shannon Show.
Speaker 1 (46:34):
You can always hear us live on KFI AM six
forty nine am to one pm every Monday through Friday,
and anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app
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