1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: It is the News Blitz with Randy Wang on Talk 2 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: radio seven to ninety KABC. Let's get right into today's 3 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: California report at Randywangradio dot substack dot com. Well, there 4 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: was a big bust yesterday from the Feds, including Bill 5 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:21,440 Speaker 1: A Sale as we look into all of the hospice 6 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:25,279 Speaker 1: fraud going on in the state of California. Cbsla's Ross 7 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: Palumbo has been one of the people investigating this for 8 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: a very long time, including that building in Van Eyes 9 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:36,159 Speaker 1: that has eighty seven registered hospices. There's over seven hundred 10 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:40,480 Speaker 1: of these businesses in La County. And the fight that's 11 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 1: going on right now between Asie and Gavin Newsom is 12 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: just so silly because Gavin Newsom's press team, being as 13 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: catty as they are, are trying to be like, well, 14 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 1: this is the federal government's the responsibility to root out 15 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: this fraud, which may be true, but California put out 16 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: its own audit showing all the red flags for how 17 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: many of these businesses were fraudulent, and California did not 18 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:09,960 Speaker 1: follow its own audit. They did put a moratorium in 19 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: any new businesses, but they didn't do anything about the 20 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: hundreds of existing businesses. So this was eight big arrests 21 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: and people that have major federal charges, and I'm sure 22 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: it is the first to come, but it's one of 23 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:28,319 Speaker 1: these situations where not everything has to be a political fight. 24 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 1: Everybody should be on the same page that fraud is bad. 25 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: We don't have the money even if everything was working well, 26 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 1: But we can't be wasting all of our precious healthcare 27 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: dollars on criminal activity. So we should all be on 28 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 1: the same page and all be assisting and helping each 29 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: other out. And while Bill A. Saley is out there 30 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:56,559 Speaker 1: doing this, my question is where is California's Attorney general 31 00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 1: on this? Because he was all over the story when 32 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 1: it was on CBS News. He said, yes, we need 33 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: to do more, and we need to do better. But 34 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 1: where is the doing more? Where is the doing better? 35 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: Where is Bob Bonta Bob because Bob Bonte has been 36 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 1: busy banning blackjack instead of taking this seriously. Again, just 37 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: going by what California's auditors have already found all these 38 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: red flags, over half the businesses in that one building 39 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 1: in Van Eyes had at least three of the red flags. 40 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: But we need to stamp this out and we should 41 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: all be on the same page about doing it, because 42 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: part of the reason our healthcare system is so expensive 43 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:43,920 Speaker 1: is because there are so many people defrauding it. And 44 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:46,919 Speaker 1: it really for all the people that push for, you know, 45 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: maybe we need to do a single payer system. If 46 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 1: it's this easy to scam medicare, there's no way you're 47 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 1: going to have the trust to do that on an 48 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 1: even bigger scale. So for the people that want that, 49 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: and maybe that is the right down the line, you've 50 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 1: got to be able to stamp out the fraud immediately. 51 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 1: So that's what's going on there. Now Here is a 52 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: story that was only a matter of time. The La 53 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 1: County Department of Public Health, headed by Barbara Ferrer, put 54 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 1: out a report saying that Los Angeles County is facing 55 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: the largest outbreak of fleaborn typhus that we have ever seen. 56 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 2: Next. 57 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: This is notable because fleaborn typhus that comes from rats 58 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: come from homeless encampments. And for all the talk that 59 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: Karen Bass is cleaning up the encampments, even though we 60 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 1: know that is not happening, we are seeing a huge 61 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: spike in this. And do you know who predicted that? 62 00:03:57,160 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: Us letting the homeless and the trash and the garbage 63 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: to linger would lead to a massive outbreak of typhus. 64 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: Well as actually somebody on this very radio station about 65 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: eight years ago, and what do you know, we still 66 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: have the video on our YouTube page, doctor Drew from 67 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen. Take it away. 68 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:19,279 Speaker 3: Hey, I'm doctor Drew. We have an endemic typhus outbreak 69 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:21,480 Speaker 3: here in southern California. This had to happen. I've been 70 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,679 Speaker 3: predicting it for six months. It's because of the overpopulation 71 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 3: of rats around the homeless populations. This was inevitable. It's 72 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 3: dangerous and here are three things you need to know. 73 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 3: Febrile illness with a rash on your palms or soles 74 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 3: of your feet that hurts, that is typhus. See you, doctor, 75 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 3: immediately be on the lookout for this. Number two, you 76 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 3: must control the fleas on your pets. That's how it 77 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:45,599 Speaker 3: gets to us. It comes off the rodents, onto our pets, 78 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 3: onto our hands into us. That's how we catch this. 79 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 3: It's not human to human transmission. And number three, you've 80 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 3: got to control the rodent population. We must pay attention 81 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:56,799 Speaker 3: to this. This is not over. It's going to get worse, 82 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:59,480 Speaker 3: and it is very serious that was. 83 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: In twenty eighteen predicting that this would happen, and here 84 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 1: we are because we did not listen, because we don't 85 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 1: want to do anything about not just the homeless encampments, 86 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 1: but the illegal dumping and the garbage and the pallets 87 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:15,839 Speaker 1: and pallets of rotten fruit that are in the produce 88 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: district every single day. When the government stops functioning and 89 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: doing the basics like cleaning up the garbage, we're going 90 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:28,479 Speaker 1: to see outbreaks of diseases like this. So be careful 91 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: out there now. Speaking of the homeless crisis. Matthew Seedorf 92 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:35,039 Speaker 1: has been doing such an incredible job at Fox eleven 93 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 1: and this is just it's awful. It's tragic, but it 94 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: was so preventable. Three days ago we told you about 95 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: Seedorf going to near Griffith Park at the La River 96 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 1: where there was a whole bunch of people living in 97 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 1: an encampment in the river and there was trash, there 98 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:58,280 Speaker 1: was drug paraphernalia, there was needles, there were people who 99 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 1: were obviously living in conditions that are completely unacceptable. That 100 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:07,360 Speaker 1: story ran. Nithia Rahman, whose district this is, who happens 101 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: to be running for mayor, puts out a statement saying 102 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:13,239 Speaker 1: that this is a really hard area to get into 103 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 1: because of all the terrain, and oh, we wish we 104 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:18,720 Speaker 1: could do something about this. Well, three days later, one 105 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:20,800 Speaker 1: of the people that was in that story, that was 106 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,279 Speaker 1: living in the encampment, was found dead in his tent 107 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:27,119 Speaker 1: from an overdose. And it's just one of the seven 108 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:30,280 Speaker 1: people that we see every single day dying from this. 109 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:36,040 Speaker 1: It is a complete failure of every level of government. 110 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: And I don't want to hear any nonsense about how 111 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:41,920 Speaker 1: Nithia couldn't have done anything about this. For as much 112 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 1: as she wants to talk about, well, she needs to 113 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: be mayor and then she can do something about this. 114 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:49,159 Speaker 1: The way the city Council and the way the city 115 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 1: Charter is structured is we have a weak mayor and 116 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:54,559 Speaker 1: a strong city council. The fifteen members of the City 117 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 1: Council are de facto many mayors of their districts. She 118 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 1: could have by response to this piece, because she knew 119 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 1: where the encampment was, because the news cameras were not 120 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:06,919 Speaker 1: only down there and they asked for her for a comment, 121 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 1: she could have done something about that. She could have 122 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 1: cleaned up that encampment, maybe saved that life. Maybe connected 123 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: him to treatment, but no, that's not what we do. 124 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 1: We offer outreach and we decide that we need to 125 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 1: meet these people where they are, give them all the 126 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 1: access to all the drugs they want until they're ready 127 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 1: to stop. And that ideology has killed so many people. 128 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 1: It is complete insanity and it is the number one 129 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 1: litmus test for anyone that wants to take this issue seriously. 130 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: If your answer to the crisis on the streets is 131 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: to allow people to continue using these drugs, then you 132 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 1: have no idea what you're doing. Now here's an interesting story. 133 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: Santa Monica has had a little bit of a downturn 134 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: ever since the expo line was completed and the homeless 135 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 1: were able to get to Santa Monica, and of course 136 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 1: Barbara Rares program that has been heavily noted by the 137 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 1: Santa Monica Coalition of passing out needles near the Third 138 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 1: Street promenade in the parks. It's been a complete disaster. 139 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 1: But Santa Monica wants to turn things around. They want 140 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 1: to get rid of that bad image and they want 141 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 1: people to go down. You think about it, I mean, 142 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 1: it seems like a long time ago, but it really wasn't. 143 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:26,239 Speaker 1: Do you remember how happening and how huge the Third 144 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: Street Promenade was in like twenty ten, this was the 145 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: place to be. You'd fight through the traffic and the 146 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:36,679 Speaker 1: parking nightmare that was Santa Monica to get there. There 147 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:39,080 Speaker 1: was so much stuff going on, there were so many 148 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 1: shops bustling in great restaurants. It was the place to be. Well, 149 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 1: they want to get that going back, and they've come 150 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:49,200 Speaker 1: up with a few ideas, and of course I'm sure 151 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: you've heard. One of the things is, well, we've got 152 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: to turn the promenade. We've got to turn downtown Santa 153 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:58,560 Speaker 1: Monica into an entertainment zone. And that means that you 154 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 1: can open carry alcohol from venue to venue. And I 155 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: just don't understand the appeal of that. First off, now 156 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 1: all of your drinks are going in a plastic sippy cup, 157 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 1: and I kind of like the feeling of glass on 158 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:16,600 Speaker 1: my beverage. So I don't like that. I mean, think 159 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:20,400 Speaker 1: about if you're a wine drinker and how wine's supposed 160 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: to hit just the right part of your tongue because 161 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:26,600 Speaker 1: you're in the right glass and plastic sippy cup is 162 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 1: not the right way to enjoy a nice cabernet. Hey, 163 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:32,600 Speaker 1: that rhymed. But it's not just the open container and 164 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: open drinking that the thing is gonna save Santa Monica. 165 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:36,880 Speaker 1: I'll tell you one of the things that they did 166 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:39,480 Speaker 1: say in this that I think would be a huge 167 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 1: boon is they are changing how much they're charging for 168 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:50,199 Speaker 1: parking in Santa Monica. They're gonna do one dollar parking 169 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 1: for the first ninety minutes. That might entice people. I 170 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:54,959 Speaker 1: don't know what it costs after that, but that might 171 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:57,560 Speaker 1: entice people to go check it out. Because when you 172 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 1: make parking so unbelievably prohibitive and there is no real 173 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 1: other way to get there, the Expo Line is only 174 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 1: accessible if you're coming from downtown LA. And the thing 175 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 1: with the Expo line is it's a little dangerous. So 176 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: I think that is the right solution. You want more 177 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:18,200 Speaker 1: people to come, and the more people you have, the 178 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 1: more safer one's going to feel. Reducing the parking fees, 179 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:26,079 Speaker 1: that's a huge one right there. Now here's a story 180 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 1: that hits close to my heart because well, I have 181 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 1: small dogs, but apparently coyotes just don't go after small 182 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 1: dogs anymore. They also go after small children. And a 183 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:39,680 Speaker 1: coyote attacked a four year old boy in Carson. The 184 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 1: video is gruesome. Now here's the thing, and I understand this, 185 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:52,400 Speaker 1: but it still irritates me. The county and state parks 186 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 1: and whoever has to get involved with this acted very quickly. 187 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:59,000 Speaker 1: This video made all the news channels last night. They 188 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: found the coyote and they euthanized it. Great. Don't hear 189 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 1: a lot of uproar like with the bear the other day. 190 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 1: But here's the thing that bothers me and I. Look, 191 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:13,680 Speaker 1: I know there's a world of difference between a child 192 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:19,319 Speaker 1: and your dogs, but no, there's no incentive to go 193 00:11:19,520 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 1: capture and kill the coyote that's killing all the dogs 194 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 1: and cats in the neighborhood. But it bites one kid, 195 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 1: and then we kill the coyote. I think we can 196 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:31,599 Speaker 1: do better. Look, I know their habitat's been destroyed and 197 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:37,120 Speaker 1: they're moving out, but I am here to protect my family. 198 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:39,880 Speaker 1: My family includes my small dogs, and I would like 199 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:42,480 Speaker 1: to know that we would take it a little more 200 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:45,960 Speaker 1: seriously when there's a coyote prowling the neighborhood looking to 201 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:50,960 Speaker 1: snack on people's dogs and cats. I can tell that 202 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 1: we don't have a coyote in the neighborhood if there 203 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:55,439 Speaker 1: are still cats running around the neighborhood, and right now 204 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:57,800 Speaker 1: there are, but for a while there weren't, and there 205 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:01,440 Speaker 1: was a coyote roaming around the neighborhood, and it drove 206 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:05,240 Speaker 1: me crazy that there's nothing we can do about this. 207 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 1: And I'm not anywhere near the foothills. I'm in the 208 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:13,679 Speaker 1: middle of the valley. So can we just get rid 209 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:16,640 Speaker 1: of the coyotes as soon as we see them? We 210 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:20,000 Speaker 1: not wait for them to attack a child, because that's 211 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 1: what's gonna happen. As long as we continue to have 212 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 1: them feasting on small dogs and cats, they will go 213 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 1: after the kids. So the first time we see them, 214 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 1: we should be allowed to get rid of them. Now, 215 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:37,400 Speaker 1: I'm sure you have noticed it has gotten very expensive 216 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:41,280 Speaker 1: to drive lately. Gas prices are going through the roof 217 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:44,520 Speaker 1: because of the war in Iran, and we don't know 218 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 1: when this thing is ending. We're really what the victory 219 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:51,959 Speaker 1: means at this point. I don't have time to get 220 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 1: into whatever the hell is going on over there, but 221 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 1: I do know that everything's about to get a hell 222 00:12:57,440 --> 00:13:00,200 Speaker 1: of a lot more expensive. And it's one thing for 223 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:04,080 Speaker 1: your gasoline prices to go up. You do see that 224 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 1: on every corner, and that's going to affect you directly. 225 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 1: But what's about to affect you indirectly is diesel prices 226 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:15,000 Speaker 1: going through the roof. Because as soon as diesel starts 227 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:19,280 Speaker 1: going up, and it's happening now, that means that transportation 228 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:22,920 Speaker 1: and trucking goes up, which means the cost of everything 229 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:26,440 Speaker 1: goes up. You know what we really missed all that 230 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 1: inflation in twenty twenty two. Well it's back in full force. 231 00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 1: And yes, I could tell you for days and days 232 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:35,079 Speaker 1: and days about all. In fact, we'll do the story 233 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:38,600 Speaker 1: in just a minute about how California is to blame 234 00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:40,720 Speaker 1: for a lot of its own high gas prices. But 235 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 1: that is true. And at the same time, everything's about 236 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 1: to get a lot more expensive because of this war 237 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 1: in Iran, this war that we don't know when it's 238 00:13:50,679 --> 00:13:54,200 Speaker 1: going to end. So I'm not too happy about that. 239 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:56,920 Speaker 1: Getting a lot of flashes of two thousand and three 240 00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:59,679 Speaker 1: right now. And I thought the whole point was we 241 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 1: didn't want to do that anymore, But here we are. Hey, 242 00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:08,960 Speaker 1: look at this. More delivery robots are roaming around La County. 243 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 1: And I know they're cute, they're silly looking. John Mulaney 244 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: puts one on his talk show on Netflix that I 245 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:20,640 Speaker 1: sure hope is coming back for a third season, but 246 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 1: these are taking away jobs. The door dashers will be 247 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 1: going away and the robots will be taking over. It's 248 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:31,360 Speaker 1: just a foregone conclusion. And what we need to start 249 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 1: thinking about is what is everybody going to do when 250 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:39,760 Speaker 1: the robots take all of the courier jobs and all 251 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:43,000 Speaker 1: the delivery jobs, and all the ride share jobs. What 252 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 1: are those people going to do If you work in 253 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:48,600 Speaker 1: one of those industries, you got to start thinking about 254 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 1: what is your backup plan? Mine suggest plumbing. I don't 255 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:55,240 Speaker 1: think the robots are going to be able to figure 256 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:57,880 Speaker 1: that one out for quite some time. A couple of 257 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:01,400 Speaker 1: Oakland stories to get to, including a sixty day blitz 258 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:06,080 Speaker 1: targeting gun violence. And here's what's notable. OPD straight up says, 259 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 1: if we catch you with illegal guns, we're taking those 260 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 1: charges to the feds. The reason that's important is because 261 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 1: of California's laws that are so soft on criminal justice, 262 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 1: even if you are arrested with an illegal gun, you 263 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 1: might get very minimal prison time unless you go federal 264 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 1: and you get federal charges because you have to serve 265 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:33,720 Speaker 1: eighty five percent of that sentence. So you know anytime 266 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 1: police are saying that we're working with the Feds and 267 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:39,320 Speaker 1: we're gonna charge you federally. That's why we've told you 268 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:42,200 Speaker 1: about another tiny home shelter getting shut down because the 269 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 1: city of Oakland has run out of money to fund it. 270 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 1: And every single person in that tiny home shelter has 271 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: the same story. They were promised services to get them 272 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:54,600 Speaker 1: back on their feet. All they got was a room 273 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 1: and that's it. And this is an unacceptable way to 274 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 1: run things. And yet another nonprofit that's not being held 275 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:06,000 Speaker 1: accountable at all for its lack of results. When people 276 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:10,040 Speaker 1: are in these transitional temporary places for five, six, seven years, 277 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: that is a complete failure. You think that's how the 278 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:16,880 Speaker 1: Union Rescue Mission operates, You think that's how the Salvation 279 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:22,200 Speaker 1: Army operates. No, it's not. But their goal is to 280 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:25,560 Speaker 1: solve the problem, maybe not the grand problem, but the 281 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:28,360 Speaker 1: problem for that one person they're supposed to help. And 282 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:32,600 Speaker 1: what we're seeing is organizations getting paid to just warehouse 283 00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:36,120 Speaker 1: people and because of housing first, bring your drugs. Now 284 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:39,240 Speaker 1: here's an interesting one. A different kind of nonprofit is 285 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 1: bottom apartment building in Oakland, and they're going to turn 286 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:47,320 Speaker 1: that into a sort of subsidized public housing for teachers, 287 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:50,240 Speaker 1: because of course it's so expensive for teachers to live 288 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:55,400 Speaker 1: where they teach. I don't know if I'm supporting this 289 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:59,040 Speaker 1: or I'm against it. It's an interesting idea. I mean, 290 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 1: right now, we do this, but we subsidize it with 291 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: people that have no income. So you're subsidizing it, but 292 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:06,640 Speaker 1: you're subsidizing it to where you're going to make back 293 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:09,520 Speaker 1: some of your money. But how do you pick and 294 00:17:09,600 --> 00:17:13,040 Speaker 1: choose the industries that are deserving of this low cost housing? 295 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:15,800 Speaker 1: Once again, you're picking winners and losers and you're not 296 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:19,159 Speaker 1: helping everybody. It's like the lottery system with the homeless. 297 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:23,359 Speaker 1: And this story is just so infuriating. San Francisco is 298 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 1: the tech capital of the world, yet Muni is run 299 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 1: by the way you pay for Muni. The transportation service 300 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:35,359 Speaker 1: in San Francisco is a company called Clipper. You know 301 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:37,760 Speaker 1: the Clipper card. Well, they had an update to their 302 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:42,159 Speaker 1: system and it's full of errors and the machines don't work. 303 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 1: And why can't you just tap to pay with your 304 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:51,320 Speaker 1: Apple Pey or your credit card like every other point 305 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:54,359 Speaker 1: of sales system. Why is it something that we make 306 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:57,080 Speaker 1: on the government side is not as efficient as the 307 00:17:57,119 --> 00:18:01,520 Speaker 1: private industries that are right across the stret in some instances, 308 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:05,439 Speaker 1: and it looks like voter ID may make the November ballot, 309 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:08,800 Speaker 1: and polling shows that he would probably pass. Apparently, the 310 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:11,720 Speaker 1: way they deal with mail in voting is that you 311 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 1: put in the last four ditches of your social or 312 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:17,399 Speaker 1: your driver's license number. I'm gonna pick the driver's license number. 313 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:20,880 Speaker 1: And finally I had to put this on here. I'm 314 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:23,480 Speaker 1: a big fan of Julie Watts, the investigative reporter for 315 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 1: CBS News California. She put out a seven minute piece 316 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:33,479 Speaker 1: diving deep into why California's gas is so expensive and 317 00:18:33,520 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 1: why Gavin Newsom's claims that the oil companies were price 318 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:43,560 Speaker 1: gouging and screwing you are actually completely unfounded. It is 319 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:46,399 Speaker 1: a fascinating watch. Of all the stories that I have 320 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:50,280 Speaker 1: on the California Report today, I highly recommend you watch 321 00:18:50,359 --> 00:18:53,119 Speaker 1: that one and you share it because it has a 322 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:55,720 Speaker 1: lot of soundbites of Gavin when he was talking tough 323 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:58,600 Speaker 1: with these special sessions that did nothing but drive two 324 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:03,359 Speaker 1: more refiners out of the state. And I understand that 325 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 1: we have climate goals we want to hit, but we 326 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 1: are not going to hit them with what we're doing 327 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:11,119 Speaker 1: right now. And you're going to see a massive revolt 328 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 1: when we get up to eight dollars gas, when the 329 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:15,760 Speaker 1: gas station and Gorda hit nine to ninety nine and 330 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:18,639 Speaker 1: it can't go any higher because there's no more room. 331 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:22,960 Speaker 1: Things need to change. Yes, the Iran War is to 332 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:27,040 Speaker 1: blame for a lot of this, but also California's policies 333 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 1: have made it so expensive to live here, and the 334 00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:32,760 Speaker 1: easiest way to see that every single day is the 335 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:35,520 Speaker 1: gas prices. So check that out. Julie Watts did a 336 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:40,240 Speaker 1: great job. Randywangradio dot substack dot com. It's the News 337 00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:43,960 Speaker 1: Blitz with Randy Wang on KABC. It's the News Blitz 338 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 1: with Randy Wang on KABC. Coming up, we're gonna talk 339 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 1: to Christina Pascocci. You remember her from KTLA and Fox eleven. 340 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:54,639 Speaker 1: She even ran for Senate, So stay tuned. It's the 341 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 1: News Blitz with Randy Wang on KABC. It is the 342 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:02,520 Speaker 1: News Blitz with Randy Wang on Radio seven ninety KABC. 343 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:05,919 Speaker 1: Make sure to subscribe to The California Report, my daily 344 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:08,679 Speaker 1: curated list of all the local news stories that I 345 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:12,080 Speaker 1: found interesting up and down the state of California at 346 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 1: Randy Wangradio dot substack dot com. Our next guest is 347 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:20,760 Speaker 1: a very familiar voice that you have heard on local 348 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:24,680 Speaker 1: news in southern California for many years on KTLA and 349 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:28,440 Speaker 1: Fox eleven, and she ran for Senate in twenty twenty four. 350 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 1: Christina Pascocchi. Welcome to the news Blitz. 351 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:35,399 Speaker 2: Hi, it's an honor to be here with you. Thanks 352 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:37,359 Speaker 2: for having me now. 353 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:41,040 Speaker 1: Christina, I follow you on Instagram and I had my 354 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 1: jaw dropped when I saw this story that you have 355 00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:49,440 Speaker 1: been working on about Project Home Key in the state 356 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:53,800 Speaker 1: of California, specifically in LA, where we were turning motels 357 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 1: and hotels into shelters for the homeless, and at least 358 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:01,280 Speaker 1: a thousand of these units are tell us about that. 359 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:05,080 Speaker 2: I wish I could say I was shocked, and I 360 00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:08,640 Speaker 2: think people who hear this, I mean, it just never 361 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:11,359 Speaker 2: gets old. You can never get shocked enough because then 362 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:14,680 Speaker 2: there's another crazy thing that you unveil that's happening. And 363 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:18,359 Speaker 2: in this case Project Home Key, the intent was during 364 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:21,160 Speaker 2: COVID to cut some of the bureaucracy so we could 365 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:24,040 Speaker 2: get people housed more quickly, and it was an utter 366 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:27,840 Speaker 2: failure at least according to these numbers, because one third 367 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:32,320 Speaker 2: of the units, or one thousand units, are currently empty. 368 00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:36,640 Speaker 2: Those are units that means people are not being housed 369 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:39,679 Speaker 2: when they could be. Now there's a whole flew of 370 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:41,959 Speaker 2: reasons for this, and I'm sure we'll get into it, 371 00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 2: but I mean, essentially to no one's surprised, perhaps millions, 372 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:51,480 Speaker 2: if not billions of dollars wasted yet again. 373 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: Well, in one of these properties that you show in 374 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 1: this is a property in Marina del Rey that it 375 00:21:58,119 --> 00:22:01,119 Speaker 1: seems like you asked the neighbors has been perpetually just 376 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:07,240 Speaker 1: under construction, sitting completely empty and costing millions and millions 377 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:10,360 Speaker 1: of dollars, and there's no timeline as to when any 378 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:13,080 Speaker 1: of the stuff gets done. 379 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:16,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, and that's what's so frustrating. I mean, we looked 380 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:20,560 Speaker 2: at the city's own documents in their own report, and 381 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 2: that was where the number for the thousand units came from. 382 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:27,680 Speaker 2: And we talked to sources. We looked at LA County 383 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:30,280 Speaker 2: documents and LA City documents. We went to the site 384 00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 2: ourselves and also looked at court documents, and it was 385 00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 2: stunning what we found that this has been a serial 386 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:41,320 Speaker 2: issue since at least the early two thousands. LASA, who 387 00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:46,040 Speaker 2: oversees the homelessness issue in Los Angeles, knew and there 388 00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:50,040 Speaker 2: was these oversights were known years in advance, and yet 389 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:54,600 Speaker 2: they still are the overseeing agency, which I don't understand now. 390 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:57,520 Speaker 2: In the Project home Key case, these units that were 391 00:22:57,520 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 2: supposed to be quickly inhabited have remained vacant for now 392 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:04,840 Speaker 2: six years, and some of them are twenty five million 393 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:09,760 Speaker 2: dollars plus per project and they sit there abandoned, boarded up, 394 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:11,440 Speaker 2: with nobody inside. 395 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:15,399 Speaker 1: We're speaking with Christina Pascucci and now we are also 396 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:19,560 Speaker 1: joined by documentarian Laura Hand. Now, Christina and Laura, tell 397 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:21,919 Speaker 1: us about what you two have been working on in 398 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:22,640 Speaker 1: skid Row. 399 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:27,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, thank you so much for asking about that. Laura, 400 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:29,560 Speaker 2: I'll toss it over to you in a sect, but 401 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:31,359 Speaker 2: I just want to sing her praises for a moment 402 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:33,920 Speaker 2: because she is due to give birth in about a week. 403 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:38,440 Speaker 2: And we have been going traversing all of Los Angeles 404 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:42,440 Speaker 2: together now for a few months, including on skid Row, 405 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:45,119 Speaker 2: and Laura, I'll let you talk about some of what 406 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:47,960 Speaker 2: we found, including the harm reduction policy, which I think 407 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:49,159 Speaker 2: is really important to touch on. 408 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:53,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, thank you so much for having us and really 409 00:23:53,359 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 4: shining a light on what's going on. It's really unfortunate. 410 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:01,280 Speaker 4: I did a documentary on homelessness and we had an 411 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 4: Emmy Award winning narrator, was funded by Procter and Gamble. 412 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:07,359 Speaker 4: We sold it to Amazon and it has not gotten 413 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:10,800 Speaker 4: better at all since I did that project, And all 414 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:14,560 Speaker 4: I've seen is it get worse. And what we were 415 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:19,560 Speaker 4: doing on skid Row with the harmless harm reduction policies, 416 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:22,240 Speaker 4: we went and saw one of the jeeps which was 417 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:26,680 Speaker 4: driving around passing out these kits. And these kits they 418 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:28,920 Speaker 4: have a couple of them. One of them is giving 419 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:31,920 Speaker 4: out narcan, but the other one is actually giving out 420 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:36,199 Speaker 4: needles so that people can continue to do drugs. And 421 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:39,240 Speaker 4: I don't think a lot of people realize that's being 422 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:44,040 Speaker 4: framed as harm reduction, but is it really. 423 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:48,639 Speaker 2: Yeah, because when we were there on site, there was 424 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 2: a lot of people who were working on skid Row 425 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:54,640 Speaker 2: and they were talking about how they've found increasing numbers 426 00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:57,240 Speaker 2: of bodies. Like the whole idea of harm reduction was 427 00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:01,399 Speaker 2: so that people would use clean needles and wait contract HIV. 428 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:05,040 Speaker 2: But now instead of dying of that many more people 429 00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 2: are dying of drug overdoses because we know that seanol 430 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:09,959 Speaker 2: is a problem now more than ever. And it's not 431 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,480 Speaker 2: only needles. They're giving away crack pipes, they're giving away 432 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:17,000 Speaker 2: tourniquits and water and everything that you need to do drugs. 433 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:20,000 Speaker 2: And we stood there as this woman who looked like 434 00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:25,760 Speaker 2: really not well, who needed real help. She was offered 435 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 2: or she was asking them for a pipe because she 436 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:31,600 Speaker 2: knew exactly who to go to to get that in 437 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:34,480 Speaker 2: order to get her fixed. And that's not right. 438 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:39,200 Speaker 1: It's a real mess out there. And this is something 439 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:41,359 Speaker 1: that we've been talking about for years and years and 440 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:43,920 Speaker 1: years specific organizations, and I think I know the one 441 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:47,320 Speaker 1: that you're talking about, Homeless Healthcare Los Angeles that gets 442 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:50,480 Speaker 1: taxpayer money from the La County Department of Public Health. 443 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:53,919 Speaker 1: They pass out the kits that you're talking about, meth pipes, 444 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:57,479 Speaker 1: crack pipes, what have you, all the other paraphernalia. And 445 00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:02,240 Speaker 1: it's so brazen that literally outside of their storefront that 446 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:05,320 Speaker 1: they have on skid row, the drug dealers are just 447 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:07,520 Speaker 1: sitting right out there. So you go inside, you get 448 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 1: your pipe, and then there's the drug dealer just sell 449 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:12,480 Speaker 1: your drugs and everyone's just like treating this is a 450 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 1: massive success. 451 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:18,399 Speaker 2: Yeah exactly. I mean, how can you call it that 452 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:22,760 Speaker 2: when people are literally dying on the streets in cars, 453 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:26,160 Speaker 2: I mean, all along skid Row and the fact that 454 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:29,280 Speaker 2: these drug dealers are just standing there on the corners 455 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:33,080 Speaker 2: these you know, it's almost like bringing in the gangs more, 456 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:36,600 Speaker 2: making it even more unsafe. It's this never ending pit 457 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 2: that we are perpetuating with these broken policies. And anyone 458 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 2: who's worked on skid row or in homelessness for years 459 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 2: and seeing firsthand what's happening there can tell you that 460 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:51,480 Speaker 2: harm reduction policies are in fact harmful. Maybe well intended 461 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:54,560 Speaker 2: by some, but overall it's a net loss for all 462 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:55,240 Speaker 2: of us. 463 00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 1: When you listen to people like the La County Department 464 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:01,600 Speaker 1: of Public Health Director Barbara for Rare talk about her 465 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:05,359 Speaker 1: advocacy for things like harm reduction, which is a big 466 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:08,440 Speaker 1: portion of what the County Public Health does with their 467 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:12,200 Speaker 1: funds that are supposed to go towards drug treatment, they say, well, 468 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:14,600 Speaker 1: we need to meet people where they are, and we 469 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:18,159 Speaker 1: need to have them trust us by giving them everything 470 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:20,680 Speaker 1: that we can do to help them do their drugs safer. 471 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:23,640 Speaker 1: Until they're ready for treatment, but we're not seeing that. 472 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:27,359 Speaker 1: We're seeing statewide enabling pretty much. 473 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:31,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I'll let Laura talk to this also, But 474 00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:35,000 Speaker 2: you know, I have a family member who's been at it, 475 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:42,000 Speaker 2: and I've seen firsthand how these policies can harm because 476 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:44,159 Speaker 2: the last thing that you want to do is enable 477 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:49,000 Speaker 2: someone who is who they don't. All they want is 478 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:51,320 Speaker 2: their next fix, and you're making it easier for them. 479 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:54,520 Speaker 2: I think we need to spend a lot more time 480 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:57,960 Speaker 2: and energy figuring out how to actually get these people 481 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 2: the help they need, then enabling their addiction and bringing 482 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 2: on their demise in the name of harm reduction. And Laura, 483 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:08,560 Speaker 2: I don't know if you want to speak to you 484 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:11,240 Speaker 2: know when you slept on skid row for that project, 485 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:13,840 Speaker 2: that you did what you saw and you have really 486 00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:15,440 Speaker 2: a chilling account. 487 00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:18,560 Speaker 4: Yeah. I did spend a night on skid row in 488 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:21,720 Speaker 4: a ten just to experience it firsthand for myself, and 489 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:28,080 Speaker 4: it was quite a jarring experience. I honestly don't blame 490 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:31,280 Speaker 4: somebody for wanting to use drugs. If you are living 491 00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:35,359 Speaker 4: on skid row, it is a scary place. I will 492 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:38,160 Speaker 4: just be very candid about that. But I will also 493 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:42,520 Speaker 4: say there are places like the Midnight Mission, and their 494 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:47,560 Speaker 4: whole method is, yes, we give people handouts when they 495 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:51,120 Speaker 4: really need it, food shelter, but it's also about giving 496 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 4: somebody a hand up, and just giving somebody a handout 497 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:58,360 Speaker 4: is not enough to actually get somebody back on their 498 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:03,320 Speaker 4: own two feet to really change things. I truly believe 499 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:05,440 Speaker 4: you cannot continue to enable people. 500 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:07,440 Speaker 2: Things really need to shift. 501 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:11,480 Speaker 4: And also leaving people on the streets, it's not helping anyone, 502 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:14,000 Speaker 4: and it's definitely not safe for the community. 503 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 1: And it's definitely that helping the it's definitely not helping 504 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:22,320 Speaker 1: the residents of skid Row who have just been victims 505 00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:25,040 Speaker 1: of this for years and years and years. And you 506 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:26,960 Speaker 1: have mayors go in and go out and say that 507 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:29,680 Speaker 1: we're dedicating everything we can to the homeless, but where 508 00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:33,520 Speaker 1: it's most visible, we don't see any improvement whatsoever. 509 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 4: Yeah, exactly. 510 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:39,080 Speaker 2: I just want to mention the Union Rescue Mission. I 511 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:42,920 Speaker 2: adore them and I've worked with them for years. One 512 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:47,600 Speaker 2: thing that's interesting is that if a mission accepts county money, 513 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:50,400 Speaker 2: they have to allow the harm reduction policies, and so 514 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:55,080 Speaker 2: in their case, they don't accept a lot of government 515 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:58,400 Speaker 2: money for that exact reason, because they see that their 516 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:02,800 Speaker 2: people do better when they aren't allowed to use drugs 517 00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:07,080 Speaker 2: within their walls. Also another thing, back to the project 518 00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 2: home Key and sorry Randy, to go back and forth, 519 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:10,680 Speaker 2: but there's so much I want to share with you 520 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 2: about what we found. Just an interesting point I want 521 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:16,360 Speaker 2: to make is that you may have seen there were 522 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:20,520 Speaker 2: people like the CFO of Shangri Law, the development company 523 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:23,520 Speaker 2: who was charged with embezzling millions of dollars of tax 524 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:25,680 Speaker 2: payer money. Did you hear about that. 525 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:28,600 Speaker 1: I'm sure you reported it. Oh yeah, We've seen so 526 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:31,680 Speaker 1: many of this, including the guy who was paid of 527 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 1: Inside Safe money to feed the homeless and an Inside 528 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:38,920 Speaker 1: Safe project and he was buying them Ramen noodles and 529 00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:40,800 Speaker 1: pocketing the rest of the money for himself. 530 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:46,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, which I mean. People were outraged, as I totally understand, 531 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:48,600 Speaker 2: and I think they should be, But I just want 532 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:52,840 Speaker 2: to make the point that it is also upon it. 533 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:56,440 Speaker 2: It's a reflection of the broken system and the fact 534 00:30:56,440 --> 00:30:58,840 Speaker 2: that they're even able to do this or existing in 535 00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:02,960 Speaker 2: a system that allows it is also something that people 536 00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:07,120 Speaker 2: should look at and focusing on them and what they 537 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:10,200 Speaker 2: did almost could be a distraction. In my opinion from 538 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:12,800 Speaker 2: actually solving the issue and how it was able to 539 00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:14,560 Speaker 2: happen in the first place. If that makes sense. 540 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:18,120 Speaker 1: Well, that's a really really important point because yes, we 541 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:20,720 Speaker 1: can all look at the people that took advantage of 542 00:31:20,720 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 1: the system and personally profited from it, but who's being 543 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:27,080 Speaker 1: held accountable that signed those checks that didn't do any 544 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:31,400 Speaker 1: actual looking in if these nonprofits, if these organizations had 545 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 1: any track record of success, and apparently the track record 546 00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 1: of success for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority is 547 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:40,880 Speaker 1: how many checks can we write? Not what are the 548 00:31:40,920 --> 00:31:43,240 Speaker 1: outcomes for the people that were supposed to help, Because 549 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:45,600 Speaker 1: you asked the people on the streets, they're not seeing 550 00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:46,080 Speaker 1: any of. 551 00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:50,840 Speaker 2: That money, right, Yeah, exactly, and it's very apparent. And Laura, 552 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:53,720 Speaker 2: you can talk about how they actually Shangri Law was 553 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:55,920 Speaker 2: under investigation when they got the grants. 554 00:31:56,760 --> 00:32:00,280 Speaker 4: Yeah, they were under investigation when they were with eating 555 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:03,920 Speaker 4: the public funding. It just goes to show that, you know, 556 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:07,240 Speaker 4: developers are not incentivized to use the money. Well, because 557 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:10,200 Speaker 4: there's no oversight, there's no audit. And the only way 558 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:13,280 Speaker 4: we finally got in audit was when the courts got involved, 559 00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:16,760 Speaker 4: and when they did, they found billions in homeless misfunding 560 00:32:16,760 --> 00:32:18,240 Speaker 4: that couldn't be fully trapped. 561 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:23,680 Speaker 1: It's just something that we're seeing more of and more 562 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:27,000 Speaker 1: of every day. But it's thanks to journalism like this 563 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:30,040 Speaker 1: that the more people see it with their eyes, they 564 00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:33,480 Speaker 1: realize what's going on, maybe they'll start demanding better from 565 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:36,360 Speaker 1: the people in elected office, and if they're incapable, that 566 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:40,680 Speaker 1: we need different leaders because this is a completely unacceptable 567 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:44,840 Speaker 1: situation where we are actually making the situation worse out 568 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:47,840 Speaker 1: there when we're supposed to be dedicating all the money 569 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:50,840 Speaker 1: in the world to helping the least of these, helping 570 00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:53,640 Speaker 1: the people that need the help most, and we're just 571 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:58,680 Speaker 1: making their lives worse while profiting from it, and said. 572 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:01,840 Speaker 2: That might not reach the high piece go is something 573 00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:04,960 Speaker 2: might not surprise people is that we saw a or 574 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,920 Speaker 2: we spoke personally to a man who was part of 575 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:12,560 Speaker 2: a loss of homeless count and he suggested to them, 576 00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:14,400 Speaker 2: you know, we need to go out during the day 577 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:16,560 Speaker 2: when you can actually see people and you can make 578 00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:18,600 Speaker 2: contact and you can offer them help, because that's part 579 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:20,280 Speaker 2: of the point of the whole count to begin with. 580 00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:25,600 Speaker 2: And he did that. He got the number for his area, 581 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:28,120 Speaker 2: which is one hundred and twenty nine or something like that, 582 00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:30,719 Speaker 2: and then Losso went out that night and they counted 583 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:33,040 Speaker 2: zero in the same area. Pretty much. It was, you know, 584 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:36,280 Speaker 2: a very minimal single digit number. And whose number do 585 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:39,840 Speaker 2: you think they took when they were considering the homeless count? 586 00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:42,320 Speaker 2: So the numbers are clearly fudged, and we have first 587 00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:44,880 Speaker 2: hand accounts and witnesses who have shared that with us 588 00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:46,240 Speaker 2: as well. 589 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:49,360 Speaker 1: Not surprised at all about that. We are out of time, 590 00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:52,840 Speaker 1: but Christina Pascucci and Laura Hand thank you all so 591 00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:55,480 Speaker 1: much for sharing this with this. Christina, when can we 592 00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:58,000 Speaker 1: expect more of this incredible investigation? 593 00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:02,080 Speaker 2: Well, and Laura's about to go into labor any day, 594 00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:04,000 Speaker 2: but the second she can get back at it will 595 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:08,080 Speaker 2: be together investigating and I have some things coming out, 596 00:34:08,080 --> 00:34:10,880 Speaker 2: hopefully in the coming week, So I hope you'll have 597 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:12,760 Speaker 2: me on again and I can share more. 598 00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:16,520 Speaker 1: We definitely will. You can follow her on Instagram at 599 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:20,960 Speaker 1: Christina Pascucci. Christina Pascucci and Laura Hand. You could follow 600 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:25,720 Speaker 1: her on Laura Z Hand. Thank you so much for 601 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:30,400 Speaker 1: being here and continuing to uncover the corruption that is 602 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:33,839 Speaker 1: going on in the homelessness world in Los Angeles. Thanks 603 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:34,839 Speaker 1: you both so much for. 604 00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:37,759 Speaker 2: Coming on, Thanks for havings for having on. 605 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:41,840 Speaker 1: It's the News Blitz with Randy Wang on Talk Radio 606 00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:46,080 Speaker 1: seven ninety KABC. It's the News Blitz with Randy Wang 607 00:34:46,120 --> 00:34:51,120 Speaker 1: on KABC. Here's the most obvious study ever. Californians who 608 00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:54,200 Speaker 1: leave the state of California are much more likely to 609 00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:57,680 Speaker 1: become a homeowner. I don't know how much effort they 610 00:34:57,680 --> 00:35:00,880 Speaker 1: needed to put into that seems pretty obvious. Hits The 611 00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:04,320 Speaker 1: News Blitz with Brandy Wang on KABC. Hits The News 612 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:07,880 Speaker 1: Blitz with Randy Wang on KABC. There's a lot of 613 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:12,240 Speaker 1: fun stuff going on this weekend, including the La Zoo 614 00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:17,359 Speaker 1: Bloom Big Bunny Weekend. The Los Angeles Zoo is celebrating 615 00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:23,440 Speaker 1: spring with seasonal activities, including colorful photo ops, sprawling springtime 616 00:35:23,560 --> 00:35:29,440 Speaker 1: characters with the new conversation themed mission Safari Maze. This 617 00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:31,719 Speaker 1: is all going on through May twenty fifth, but this 618 00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:36,560 Speaker 1: Easter weekend kids can also take festive photos with Big Bunny. 619 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:40,800 Speaker 1: I'm sure those photos won't upset the children at all. 620 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:44,640 Speaker 1: When you're like two years old, you're one year old, 621 00:35:44,719 --> 00:35:47,200 Speaker 1: what do you think about being forced to take a 622 00:35:47,239 --> 00:35:51,799 Speaker 1: picture with Santa the Easter Bunny? You probably don't like it. Hey, 623 00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:55,399 Speaker 1: look at this. In Huntington Beach, We've got Corgy Beach Day. 624 00:35:56,000 --> 00:36:00,200 Speaker 1: The semi annual meetup invades the Huntington Dog Beach two 625 00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:03,800 Speaker 1: blocks south of the Huntington Beach Pier. The Tiki Bitch 626 00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:07,640 Speaker 1: Potty welcomes all dogs in their humans for a day 627 00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:12,160 Speaker 1: of Corgi contest, shopping at a pet centric marketplace, food trucks, 628 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:16,960 Speaker 1: photo ops, and goodie bags, and even a Corgi kissing booth. 629 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:21,359 Speaker 1: Oh boy, people do love their dogs. That's going on 630 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:23,239 Speaker 1: this Saturday from ten to three. I wonder if they 631 00:36:23,239 --> 00:36:25,840 Speaker 1: do a cavalier parade down there. At some point. I 632 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:27,680 Speaker 1: want to take my wife to Carmel because they do 633 00:36:27,719 --> 00:36:31,439 Speaker 1: an annual Carmel Cavalier parade, and then my wife will 634 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:35,440 Speaker 1: just explode with glee. Hey, this looks like a lot 635 00:36:35,480 --> 00:36:38,240 Speaker 1: of fun. It's the twenty twenty six LA beer Fest, 636 00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:42,280 Speaker 1: the twentieth anniversary of the beer Fest, LA's largest craft 637 00:36:42,280 --> 00:36:46,840 Speaker 1: beer festival. Featuring over eighty breweries, food trucks, live music, 638 00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:51,240 Speaker 1: and much more. The twentieth annual La beer Fest returns tomorrow, 639 00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:56,080 Speaker 1: April fourth. Eighty breweries, two hundred beers, LA's best food trucks, 640 00:36:56,120 --> 00:37:00,440 Speaker 1: live music, and so much more. General admission in includes 641 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:04,919 Speaker 1: unlimited beer tastings with food sold separately. If you want 642 00:37:04,920 --> 00:37:07,759 Speaker 1: to check it out, go to Labeerfest dot com. This 643 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:11,640 Speaker 1: is happening at Los Angeles Center Studios, where they probably 644 00:37:11,719 --> 00:37:15,120 Speaker 1: do more events than actually filming things. Now and it's 645 00:37:15,239 --> 00:37:22,160 Speaker 1: finally back the original Renaissance Pleasure Fair. Get ready for 646 00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:28,319 Speaker 1: corsets and very very very very busty matrons. The Renaissance 647 00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:32,000 Speaker 1: Pleasure Fare is nie good, Mistresses and masters, prepare my 648 00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:35,359 Speaker 1: schedules and costumes for the return of the oldest rent 649 00:37:35,440 --> 00:37:39,439 Speaker 1: fair in the country. Fully armored jous tournaments which people 650 00:37:39,520 --> 00:37:42,040 Speaker 1: might be really excited about after watching that Night of 651 00:37:42,040 --> 00:37:45,120 Speaker 1: the Seven Kingdoms on Game of Thrones, and tea parties 652 00:37:45,160 --> 00:37:48,160 Speaker 1: with the Queen, along with stage acts, rides, games, and 653 00:37:48,200 --> 00:37:52,799 Speaker 1: delicious edibles and ales about The event takes place Saturdays 654 00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:56,399 Speaker 1: and Sundays from ten to seven from April fourth till 655 00:37:56,600 --> 00:37:59,520 Speaker 1: May seventeenth. This is all going on at the Santa 656 00:37:59,520 --> 00:38:03,400 Speaker 1: fe Damn Recreation Area. Tickets are fifty three for adults, 657 00:38:03,440 --> 00:38:07,080 Speaker 1: forty eight for seniors, twenty eight for kids five to twelve, 658 00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:09,920 Speaker 1: and free for kids under four or you can get 659 00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:12,560 Speaker 1: a season pass if you want a ren Fair all 660 00:38:12,600 --> 00:38:15,960 Speaker 1: season long for two hundred and seventy five dollars. Regular 661 00:38:16,040 --> 00:38:20,840 Speaker 1: parking is fifteen, VIP parking is thirty. You gotta go 662 00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:22,120 Speaker 1: to the ren Fair at least once. 663 00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:22,560 Speaker 4: People. 664 00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:26,120 Speaker 1: Have a great weekend. Everyone, We'll see on Monday. It's 665 00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:28,440 Speaker 1: the News Blitz with Randy Wang on KBC