LA city officials will send notification about collecting and paying city hotel taxes to people advertising rentals on Airbnb and similar sites. Other cities, including San Francisco, have begun to enforce hotel taxes for Airbnb rentals with compliance from Airbnb and local hosts.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Airbnb hosts in Los Angeles will soon receive online warnings about tax payment for short term leases. City officials will send notification about collecting and paying city hotel taxes to people advertising rentals on Airbnb and similar sites.

Although sharing-economy rentals are technically supposed to charge and pay some of the same taxes for hotels, enforcing and collecting tax code has proven difficult: as Airbnb and other sites make finding exact addresses more difficult, city officials have a harder time tracking down the people renting properties. As Airbnb becomes more popular and legitimized as a reliable resource for travelers, more people have signed up as hosts, inspiring complaints about neighborhood disruption and property owners who evict tenants to turn apartment buildings into de facto hotels. Other cities, including San Francisco, have begun to enforce hotel taxes for Airbnb rentals with compliance from Airbnb and local hosts.

How should L.A. proceed in its relationship with Airbnb and other short term rental sites? Should L.A. hosts collect and pay hotel taxes? Should there be a crackdown on properties turned into pseudo-hotels?

Guests:

David Owen, regional head of public policy at Airbnb

Paul Krekorian, LA City Councilmember for the 2nd District, including Studio City, North Hollywood, and Van Nuys

A window sticker advertising Visa and MasterCard credit cards hangs in a window in San Francisco, California.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The conventional methods of building credit are being thrown out the window, as 6 out of every 10 millennials do not own a credit card, according to a new poll conducted by Bankrate.

Financial analysts say that millennials have a continued mistrust of bank systems in place, as they enter higher rates of unemployment and debt after college. Additionally, half of millennials admit to not paying their full balance off at the end of each month, which may be prompting them to opt out of a credit system that will further put them down the hole.

Why are millennials opting out of credit cards and opting for cash instead? How can they prepare for their financial future without the use of credit cards?

Guests:

Michelle Singletary, Personal finance columnist at the Washington Post

Kerri Anne Renzulli, Money reporter at Time, Inc. and a millennial

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell looks on prior to the start of the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on May 8, 2014 in New York City. ; Credit: Elsa/Getty Images

According to an Associated Press source, the video showing NFL player Ray Rice punching his now-wife was delivered to an NFL executive from a law enforcement officer in April. Since release of the tape by TMZ this week, NFL CEO Roger Goodell has maintained the league did not have video inside the casino elevator, just the tape showing Rice dragging out his unconscious fiancee. 

Today, the NFL has hired former FBI director Robert Mueller for an internal examination of its handling of the Ray Rice investigation.

If NFL executives had the visceral video since April, should they have made different business decisions? How does image matter in this case? Did Goodell fail in his primary task he often describes as “protecting the shield?”

Despite the pressure, Goodell's job is secure, Marc Ganis, president of Chicago-based consulting firm SportsCorp and a confidant of many NFL owners, told the AP.

"Roger Goodell is the best leader of any sports league on the planet today," Ganis said. "The NFL that he runs is managed better than any sports league - ever. The people that know this best are those who pay his contract, the owners."

"There is not any chance that they will ask him to step down. Not in this life or the next."

What if sponsors start to bristle? Will Roger Goodell and team ownership ride out this scandal? Will they change domestic-violence policies yet again? Should they?

Guest:

Steve Adelman, Sports and Entertainment lawyer based in Scottsdale, Arizona

Andrew Zimbalist,  Coauthor, “The Sabremetric Revolution: Assessing The Growth of Analytics in Baseball” (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014); Robert A. Woods Professor of Economics at Smith College, a frequent sports industry consultant and media commentator, and author of many books, including “In the Best Interests of Baseball? Governing the National Pastime”

Los Angeles Police Department officers are deployed around the police headquarters on February 7, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

In a self-declared “highly unusual” move, the union representing the LAPD’s rank-and-file has declared an impasse in salary negotiations with the city. The Los Angeles Police Protective League charges the city with a “lack of good faith bargaining” in trying to hammer out a contract that expired in June. 

In July, the union rejected a proposed one-year contract that would have raised officers’ starting pay from $49,000 to $57,000 and restored overtime pay, because the contract didn’t include pay raises. Officers complain that their salaries do not compare with those of law enforcement in neighboring cities and they allege that that has led to an officer drain to other municipalities and agencies. They’re also frustrated with a disciplinary process that they say is unfair. Usually it’s the employer, not the union, that calls and impasse. Police officers are prohibited from going on strike, but in 1994, when the union was at an impasse with the city over salary pay, officers called in sick in a three-day planned union protest they called the "blue flu." We talk about next steps and what the implications might be for the city and Mayor Garcetti.

Guest:

Tyler Izen, President of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union representing LAPD officers

The Airbnb website is displayed on a laptop on April 21, 2014 in San Anselmo, California. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Services like Airbnb and VRBO have proven to be a boon for travelers who want cheap lodgings and folks looking to make easy money from renting out their homes. But as the popularity of these short-term rental services grow, problems have arisen. From landlords angry at tenants for subletting their places, to cities struggling to create a regulatory framework, to residents concerned about what these itinerant renters are doing to the fabric of their neighborhoods, how to regulate and tax these short-term rentals have become a major issue in many cities across the country.

On AirTalk yesterday, we heard from LA City Councilman Paul Krekorian on how the city is trying to deal with short-term rentals and how LA might work to collaborate with Airbnb on tax collection. Today, we hear about what San Francisco and New York are doing to address these issues. Is it enough to tax those who rent their homes on sites like Airbnb and VRBO? How do different neighborhood dynamics change perceptions of short term rentals and potential approaches to regulation?

Guests:

Bradley Silverbush, New York City attorney who specializes in landlord-tenant litigation

Judson True, Legislative Aide for David Chiu, lawmaker and president of the San Francisco City Board of Supervisors. Chiu has proposed a law to regulate services like Airbnb in San Francisco. The full SF Board of Supervisors is expected to take up the legislation in mid-September

Journalist Anna Maria Barry-Jester, FiveThirtyEight's "burrito correspondent," has determined America's best burrito.; Credit: FiveThirtyEight

QUIZ | MAP

Nate Silver’s burrito bracket collected 64 great burritos from across the country, and with a dedicated burrito journalist, FiveThirtyEight took on a mission to find the best burrito in America.

Armed with a statistical guide to burrito awesomeness Anna Maria Berry-Jester narrowed the bracket down to four, and finally declared a winner: La Taqueria in San Francisco.

Any Angeleno can tell you that the best of the burrito bracket is in our own backyard -- the L.A. picks from Barry-Jester’s list all had scores high enough to be contenders in the finals, had they not been knocked out early in killer bracket, any many other SoCal greats were excluded from the list completely.

Garrett Snyder, associate editor at LA Magazine, recommends Al & Beas and Mexicanos 30-30. He says that Boyle Heights is LA's burrito epicenter, and that the Wilmington/Long Beach area has a vast collection of all-star breakfast burritos. 

"The first place to ever have a burrito on their menu was actually El Cholo, in the 30s," Snyder says. Since then, Southern California burritos have come a long way, with a burrito roster that has grown to include Korean-infused burritos, sushi burritos, and more. 

How do SoCal burritos stand out from others across the state? Snyder says that San Francisco's mission-style burritos are more "everything but the kitchen sink" than L.A.'s more "minimalist" offerings. San Diego sets itself apart with true "California" burritos, an "intermingling of American culture, Tex-Mex, and Mexican culture," with more Americanized burritos that sometimes include fries. 

We want to know about the greatest burritos here in the L.A. area: the simplest bean and cheeses, masterfully cooked meats, innovative fusion, and succulent seafood.

Should there be rice in burritos? Avocado? Can breakfast burritos compete alongside the best of the rest? Where have you found your most beloved Southern California burritos?

Powered by Interact

Didn't find what you were looking for in the quiz? Tell us where you get your favorite burrito in the comments below. And check out all of these options that our listeners recommended. 

Guest:

Garrett Snyder, associate dine editor at Los Angeles Magazine

Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig star in "The Skeleton Twins."

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Wade Major, Lael Loewenstein and Charles Solomon review this week’s releases, including “Dolphin Tale 2,” “The Drop,” “The Skeleton Twins” and more. TGI-Filmweek!

Also, Toronto’s 10-day festival running from Sept. 4-14 kicked off with the premiere of a father-son tale starring Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall in “The Judge.” TV’s comical liberal Jon Stewart makes his directorial debut with the biopic “Rosewater.” Gael Garcia Bernal plays Newsweek journalist Maziar Bahari, who was captured in Iran in 2009 following an uprising. Much like his weekly satire on Comedy Central, his film does not disappoint.

The festival’s second day, dubbed “Bill Murray Day” was celebrated with attendees outfitted in their favorite Murray characters. Steve Carrell plays a killer in “Foxcatcher” and Benedict Cumberbatch returns to the filmfest with “The Imitation Game.” KPCC film critic Peter Rainer has been there all week and checks in with the latest.

Dolphin Tale 2: 

The Drop:

The Skeleton Twins: 

Guests:

Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and host for IGN’s DigiGods.com

Lael Loewenstein, film critic for KPCC and Variety

Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC and Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine

Peter Rainer, film critic for KPCC and the Christian Science Monitor

“Showmanship: The Cinema of William Castle” by Joe Jordan

The mastermind behind 56 feature films, including House on Haunted Hill, Strait-Jacket and The Tingler is now the central figure in Joe Jordan’s new book “Showmanship: The Cinema of William Castle,” which provides production background to some of Castle’s most infamous stunts.

Castle could perhaps be coined as the father of marketing gimmicks, as he presented quirky ideas into his work. In his feature film “The Tingler,” for instance, Castle attached a vibrating device attached to theatre seats during the movie’s creepiest moments. The filmmaker even had skeletons flying inside theatres during his film “House on Haunted Hill” and provided “Illusion-O” glasses for patrons watching his “13 Ghosts” movie.

Jordan’s book arrives just in time for the Academy’s centennial tribute to the prolific filmmaker, which is being every Friday in September at the Bing Theatre at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

What are some of your favorite William Castle films? How does Castle’s legacy live on in contemporary film and marketing plans?

Guest:

Joe Jordan, author of “Showmanship: The Cinema of William Castle”

People ride along a controversial bike lane on Prospect Park West on August 17, 2011 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.; Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

A new California law will require drivers to stay three feet from bicycles. The legislation takes effect on September 16, and is intended to clarify existing laws, which say only that drivers must pass cyclists by a “safe distance.”

But is the new law enforceable? Assemblyman Steven Bradford says that “Law enforcement won’t have a ruler or yard stick out to measure that,” and that the heart of the law is focused on education. The Auto Club of Southern California is part of the awareness campaign for the bike buffer -- proponents are hoping that the law will help people consider bikers more seriously.

Is the bike buffer the best way to keep bikers safe? Is it possible that it could make the road more dangerous for cars trying to keep a legal distance? How will law enforcement in the LA area approach the new law?

Guest:

Sergeant Stephen Egan, LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division

Sushi rice. ; Credit: Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

A class action lawsuit filed against Sacramento-based Farmer’s Rice Cooperative is accusing the company of selling tainted rice to thousands of grocery stores, brokers and sushi restaurants throughout the state.

Jinju Sushi Inc. filed the suit in July alleging the cooperative packaged inedible rice into their premium grade packages. The inferior rice known as “flush rice” is allegedly used, broken or recycled rice that may contain traces of insects, rodents, black mold and bird remains.  Restaurant and store owners were led to believe they were buying rice that didn’t contain flush rice. The cooperative denies the accusations.

Guests: 

Jeremy Zwinger, CEO and President of The Rice Trader, a trade publication dedicated to the global rice industry based in Durham, Calif.  He has no relationship to FRC.

Chris Weller, reporter for Medical Daily, who’s been following the story

Los Angeles mayoral candidate and City Councilman Eric Garcetti holds a union sponsored campaign flier, which is being distrubuted in the poor Latino neighborhoods of Los Angeles telling voters that Los Angeles mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel would raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour if elected mayor, standing next to a chart showing total cointributions for both candidates during a news conference on May 13, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Angelenos could be looking at a $13.25 minimum wage by 2017 if a new campaign by Mayor Eric Garcetti is successful.

Dubbed “the largest anti-poverty program in the city’s history” by Garcetti’s administration, the “Raise The Wage LA” campaign hopes to raise incomes by 21%, an average of $3,200 for an estimated 567,000 workers according to an analysis conducted by researchers from UC Berkeley. The analysis also found that 27% of Angelenos live below the federal poverty line of $23,850 a year in a family of four. The mayor’s new plan would require businesses to raise wages to $10.25 by 2015, $11.75 in 2016 and $13.25 in 2017.

Crtics of Garcetti’s campaign say that Los Angeles would lose workers to neighboring cities and create an “uneven playing field.” The mayor has requested a ripple effect, asking that all neighboring cities partake in this same campaign.

Should Los Angeles support the Mayor’s campaign? Would raising the minimum wage be beneficial to workers and companies alike? Would neighboring cities follow suit with the Mayor’s wishes?

Guest: 

Chris Tilly, Director of the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment

David Neumark, Professor of Economics and Director, Center for Economics & Public Policy at UC Irvine

Actress Danielle Watts arrives at a screening of Tribeca Film's "Struck By Lightning" at the Chinese Cinema 6 Theaters on January 6, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Actress Daniele Watts, who appeared in "Django Unchained," is complaining that she was handcuffed and briefly put in the back of a squad car after a public display of affection with her white companion.

Brian Lucas told KCBS-TV in a joint interview with Watts that he suspects police mistook the black actress for a prostitute "because he was asking me questions like, 'Who is she? How do you know her? Are you together?"

The Los Angeles Police Department said Sunday that officers detained the pair after a complaint that two people were "involved in indecent exposure" in a silver Mercedes. Watts was detained until police determined no crime was committed. 

Did the LAPD police officers follow procedure in responding to a call about lewd behavior? In what instances do citizens have a right to refuse to show identification? 

Guests: 

Tim Williams, Retired LAPD Senior Detective Supervisor (Robbery-Homicide Division), 1974-2003; Expert on police procedure and use-of-force for state and federal court

Lieutenant Andy Neiman, officer in charge of media relations for LAPD

Adrian Peterson #28 of the Minnesota Vikings takes the field against Chicago Bears on December 1, 2013 at Mall of America Field at the Hubert Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ; Credit: Adam Bettcher/Getty Images

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was indicted Friday on child abuse charges for hitting his 4-year-old son with a tree branch back in May. Peterson admitted to "whooping" his son, which resulted in cuts and bruises to the child's back, legs, and buttocks.

His lawyer says he regrets unintentionally injuring his son. The Vikings teams says they’ll let the courts work out the legal issues here and continue to play Peterson in this Sunday’s game, but the episode is reigniting the debate over corporal punishment.

Some like Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter have condemned Peterson’s alleged abuse, while others like Charles Barkley claim this is a cultural, regional issue, arguing, “I’m from the south, whipping, we do that all the time. Every black parent in the south is going to be in jail under those circumstances.”

Striking children with “reasonable” force is not prohibited in any state and 19 states still allow teachers in schools to use corporal punishment. Are attitudes on this evolving? For the better or worse? Where should you draw the line between disciplining children and abusing them? Under which circumstances is it okay to hit a child?

Guest: 

George Holden, Professor of Psychology at Southern Methodist University in Texas. He has studied parenting, discipline and family violence for over 20 years

Duncan Thomson, Brian McCutcheon, John Patterson and Arthur Murdoch, from King of Scots Robert the Bruce Society, hold the Scottish flags as they prepare to vote in the Scottish independence referendum on September 14, 2014 in Loch Lomond.; Credit: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Later this week, Scots will vote on whether to secede from the United Kingdom. The latest polls show the "Yes to independence” vote has been picking up steadily and is nearly over-taking the "No" vote.

The impacts would be high-stakes and wide-ranging - from governance to economics to security and culture. Scotland’s relationships with NATO and the EU would be severed, at least temporarily. The UK would have to negotiate to keep its nuclear system in Scottish territory. The biggest change would be what brought this to the fore in the first place: Scots would govern themselves without the restrictions of the British parliament. How bad are Scottish grievances with the UK? Would independence solve them?

Guest: 

John “Jock” Campbell, Formerly of the Scottish Cultural Center of Vancouver

Euan Sinclair, Attorney and Scot residing in Vancouver 

A Los Angeles traffic officer assists a driver at the road closure where construction crews are demolishing a portion of the Mulholland Drive bridge that spans the 405 Freeway September 29, 2012.; Credit: Jonathan Alcorn/Getty Images

When former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa took office in 2005, he put in place a ban on construction during rush hour traffic. The move was popular, and did cut back on construction-related slow-downs during morning and evening commutes, but it came at a price: more than $20 million each year.

The logistics of the rush hour construction create a dilemma for construction workers, particularly DWP, which says the ban disrupts regular shifts, creating a strange workflow and forcing projects that could be finished in one afternoon to span days. The cost of these scheduling changes, fines and more adds up to about $91,000 per day for taxpayers. Since taking office, Mayor Eric Garcetti has begun to reevaluate the rush hour construction ban, but revoking the executive order may not be a popular decision -- many Angelenos only see benefits in cutting back on rush hour traffic.

Should L.A. allow construction during rush hour? How might things change to save money?

Guests:

Jim Newton, editor-at-large, Los Angeles Times

Randy Howard, Head of the power system, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP); he led the report that estimated the construction ban’s cost to taxpayers

Andrew Kaplan, right, a product marketing manager at Linkedin, leads a session of The Last Mile at San Quentin State Prison in San Quentin, Calif. ; Credit: Eric Risberg/AP

Entrepreneurship has long been thought of as the engine of the American economy, but research is showing that the number of people starting their own businesses have been in steady decline in the last three decades. According to Census data, the number of new companies on the map has dropped 28% between 1977 to 2011. It is a nationwide phenomenon, and touches even the Silicon Valley, the country’s start-up Mecca.

The drop-off is most drastic among one demographic group: millennials. The Los Angeles Times, citing the Census Bureau, reports that people between the ages of 20 to 34 started close to 23% of all start-ups last year, down from nearly 35% in 1996. 

What are the reasons behind this decline? Have you tried starting a business? What were the obstacles? What motivated you to start a business? What kept you from doing so?

Guests:

Ian Hathaway, founder and managing director of Ennsyte economics in San Francisco. He’s also a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. He’s the co-author of a study released in May 2014 looking at the state of entrepreneurship at 360 metropolitan areas in  the US. 

Barry Lynn,  Director of the Markets, Enterprise and Resiliency Initiative  at the New America Foundation

Gregory Hicks testifies May 8, 2013 about the Benghazi attack before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, while Mark Thompson, left, and Eric Nordstrom, listen.; Credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

L.A.-area Congressman Adam Schiff is introducing legislation today that would authorize military operations against ISIS for 18 months.   House Speaker Boehner and Minority Leader Pelosi both seem to think there’s no need for Congress to authorize the President’s actions in Syria and Iraq, but Rep. Schiff disagrees. 

Schiff is also involved in the bipartisan select Benghazi committee, which holds its first open hearing tomorrow in hopes of answering a wide range of still-unanswered questions about the 2012 attacks on a U.S. diplomatic compound in eastern Libya that killed four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens.

The investigation was reinvigorated after details emerged from an email between a White House advisor and ambassador Susan Rice. Previous investigations grew increasingly political, with republicans accusing the Obama administration of a cover up. Despite democrats’ claims that multiple investigations, including a bipartisan Senate Intelligence committee probe, have resolved the issue, a new committee led by South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy will pick up the reins this week. This week’s hearings will focus on the extent to which the State Department has implemented post–attack recommendations made by the Accountability Review Board.

Is there authentic hope that these hearings will lead to some kind of resolve? or will these merely serve to rally partisan rancor? We’ll speak with two members of the committee on opposite sides of the aisle.

Guest:

Adam Schiff, (D-CA), a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee and member of the Select Committee on Benghazi

Jonathan Wilcox, Republican strategist and former speechwriter for Governor Pete Wilson

The reflection of blue skies and palm trees are seen in the window of a Countrywide banking and home loans location offering "reverse mortgages" in Sun City, Arizona, 27 October 2007. ; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

The federal housing department is set to change reverse-mortgage applications. To help prevent defaults on the federally-insured loans, it's expected to require applicants to undergo a detailed financial assessment.

The current default rate is 10 percent - roughly double the level of regular mortgages. With the aging baby boomer population and dwindling prospects for retirement funds, that rate could grow. When a homeowner turns 62 years of age, they become eligible for a reverse mortgage. If approved, they can withdraw equity in their homes as monthly cash, lines of credit or lump sums. When the homeowner moves or dies, the amount borrowed, plus interest, fees and insurance is due. In theory, the product is a reasonable revenue source for retirees, but the small print can be vexing.

What are your experiences with reverse mortgages? Will the new rule limit your ability to borrow against your home's equity?

Guest:

Ramsey Alwin, Vice President of Economic Security, National Council on Aging; Alwin directs NCOA’s Home Equity Initiative, which educates older homeowners on the wise use of their home equity

A view of the power lines as evening settles December 11, 2000 in Pico Rivera.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

Southern California residents have tried to keep cool since last week, when temperatures reached the high 90’s in Los Angeles and 100’s in the San Fernando Valley. Today, the National Weather Forecast predicts that the temperature will reach 100 degrees in various cities and will slowly decrease through the weekend. In an effort to stay cool, Angelenos have exhausted electrical capacity, creating a power outage affecting over 4000 residents.

The heat has been problematic in some schools that are not equipped to handle the record-breaking temperatures. Schools in at least four districts in Orange County do not have air conditioning, leaving administrators the task to determine whether or not the buildings can continue without cooling systems during the hottest months of the year. Other schools have shortened their instruction time, while LAUSD cancelled all outdoor events Monday.

On the other side of the state, extreme heat has led to raging wildfires. Hundreds of homes have been burned in the northern California town of Weed, and orders of evacuation have been issued for at least 1,500 of its residents.

How can Los Angeles prepare for the next round of high temperatures? Should all schools be mandated to install air conditioning systems? What are everyday things residents can do to lower their energy usage?

Guests: 

Randy Howard, senior assistant general manager of the power system, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP)

Chris Ipsen, Public Information Officer of the Los Angeles Emergency Management Department

Marc Ecker, superintendent for the Fountain Valley School District, where 9 of its 10 schools are not equipped with air conditioning

Housekeeper Tarasita Cain changes the sheets at hotel in downtown Los Angeles.; Credit: KPCC / Sanden Totten

For many consumers, hotel tipping is an imperfect science. Now, Marriott brand hotels have teamed up with Maria Shriver in a campaign to boost tips for hotel housekeepers.

The effort, titled “The Envelope Please,” places envelopes in 160,000 rooms across North America with the intention of facilitating tipping for housekeepers by hotel guests.

Critics argue that unlike restaurant workers, who can be paid less than the minimum wage because they are expected to earn tips, hotel workers do earn the minimum hourly rate. They say that Marriott and thus other hotel chains are not responsible for the tips that their workers may or may not receive.

Do you tip the hotel housekeeping staff? Would you be compelled to do so if envelopes are provided?