Reflecting On Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan And What He Did For The City

Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan has died at the age of 92. He died Wednesday night at his home in Brentwood. The moderate Republican and venture capitalist took office in 1993. He’s known for expanding the LAPD, reducing crime and rebounding the local economy. He served two terms. Today on AirTalk, we discuss what he meant to the city. Joining the conversation is Zev Yaroslavsky, director of Los Angeles Initiative at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and former L.A. County supervisor and city councilmember, Fernando Guerra, professor of political science and Chicano/Latino studies, director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University and emeritus member of the LAist Board of Trustees, and Raphael J. Sonenshein, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles.

CDC Approves Additional COVID Booster Dose This Spring, For Some. Here’s What To Know About Eligibility

Older Americans and people with weak immune systems can get an extra COVID-19 booster dose this spring. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday signed off on a more flexible booster schedule for people who remain at the highest risk from COVID-19 - giving them the choice of a second “bivalent” Pfizer or Moderna booster, the most up-to-date formula. The move came a day after the Food and Drug Administration took steps to make coronavirus vaccinations simpler for everyone. From now on, anyone getting a Pfizer or Moderna dose - whether it’s a booster or their first-ever vaccination - will get an updated version rather than the outdated original shots. People 65 or older who already had one Pfizer or Moderna updated booster can roll up their sleeves again as long as it’s been at least four months since that last shot. The schedule is a little different for people with weak immune systems. Most can choose a second Pfizer or Moderna updated booster at least two months after their first. Under the latest FDA and CDC guidelines, they also could get additional doses if and when their physician decides they need one.

Today on AirTalk, we’re joined by UCSF Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Peter Chin-Hong to find out what you need to know about eligibility for this new booster, and why the CDC is approving another one now.

I Make Cocktail Umbrellas, What Do You Do For A Living? Questioning Popular Small Talk

“So, what do you do?”, it’s one of the most straightforward questions you could ask a stranger at the punch bowl, but just because it's easy doesn’t mean it will result in a meaningful connection. Respondees could vary from a devoted office employee enthralled by their 9 to 5 to a recently laid-off freelancer taking respite from the latest job search by attending the apartment potluck. Maybe it’s better to avoid the gamble of an awkward conversation? Or maybe it's the best icebreaker ever? Today on AirTalk, Rachel Feintzeig, work & life columnist for the Wall Street Journal joins Larry to talk about why asking people what they do for a living may not always be the best first impression. Listeners also share their responses to this sometimes stressful question.

New Electricity Rate Structure Proposal Would, In Part, Use Incomes To Determine Bill

California utility companies, including SoCal Edison, are proposing significant rate reforms that experts say haven’t been done anywhere else in the world. Current rate pricing is determined by how much electricity people use, which is known as volumetric pricing. The new proposal would split the bill between a mandatory flat monthly fee in addition to charges determined by income. Some argue that the change would lead to more equity into the rates and encourage electricity use over fossil fuels. Others worry high fixed charges will negatively impact a wide range of customers. Plus, there are major questions about how utilities will collect income information. Joining to discuss the proposal and the implications is Kathleen Dunleavy, spokesperson for Southern California Edison, Ahmad Faruqui, energy economist, and Severin Borenstein, professor and faculty director of the Energy Institute at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and member of the California ISO Board of Governors.

TV-Talk: ‘Love Is Blind’ Season 4, ‘Mrs. Davis,’ ‘Dead Ringers’ & More

Have you felt completely overwhelmed when deciding what new show to watch these days? Us too. There’s just so much content out there between network tv and numerous streaming platforms. Each week, we’re going to try to break through the noise with TV watchers who can point us to the must-sees and steer us clear of the shows that maybe don’t live up to the hype. This week, Larry talks to New Yorker television critic Inkoo Kang and Kathryn VanArendonk, television critic for Vulture.

This week’s reviews include:

• Love Is Blind [Season 4] (Streaming, definitely not airing, on Netflix)
• Mrs. Davis (Peacock)
• Dead Ringers (Amazon Prime Video)
• John Mulaney: Baby J (Netflix)
• Rain Dogs (Airing on HBO & Streaming on HBO Max)
• Somebody Somewhere [Season 2] (HBO Max)