LA Podcast - There's a New Tariff in Town

Alissa, Mike, and Rachel talk about how the Trump administration is attempting to stoke fear and uncertainty at the port, schools, and cultural organizations — and how some local institutions are resisting. Plus: LA28 is getting challenged on Olympics venues, and LA’s budget-busting $2.2 billion convention center expansion lives to see another day.

Listen below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

LA Times: “As a center of global trade, L.A. could be in for a bumpy ride after Trump tariffs”

“Expensive cars, expensive trains, expensive bikes, expensive everything,” writes Streetsblog

Rebuilding after the fires is also going to get more expensive

At least 600 student visas have been revoked, with at least 83 California campuses, and the federal government seems to be targeting Muslim students

The Guardian: “Gaza protesters sue UCLA for civil rights violations after ‘brutal attack’ in 2024”

A House investigation requested information on USC’s 5,993 Chinese national students, saying the students posed a “direct threat to our national security”

USC also removed DEI from its list of values and replaced the phrase with “community”

But some institutions refuse to back down: “Our community is based on diversity, equity is guaranteed to us in the Constitution, and inclusion is what we believe in,” said Japanese American National Museum board chairman Bill Fujioka

More on the JANM’s program that lost its funding and how you can support the museum

LA Times: “Federal agents sought access to students at two Los Angeles elementary schools this week and were denied access”

Spectrum’s Kate Cagle reported that Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the federal agents claimed they had permission to question the students — which was a lie

Alissa’s coverage of LA28 venue battles including beach volleyball in Santa Monica and sailing in Long Beach (and since we recorded, Galway Downs in Temecula suddenly learned it was no longer the equestrian venue)

LA Daily News: “$2.2 billion LA Convention Center expansion moves forward as council votes to keep project alive”

Listen to Mike’s most recent episode of “What’s Next Los Angeles” on LAHSA funding with guests LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and LA City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield

And join LA Forward for a city/state budget-focused zoom with Kenneth Mejia on April 15 and a community happy hour on Monday, April 21 for a first look at the Mayor’s budget proposal

Produced by Sophie Bridges