Reporter Megan Jamerson:  

“I’d been feeling hopeless,” said Margarita Penalosa, an Uber and Lyft driver. Over her eight years on the road, she watched her take-home pay slowly shrink. It’s now not unusual for her to pull a 12-hour day seven days a week. 

“I don’t have a life. I can’t take time off,” said Penalosa, who supports her elderly mother in Colombia.

Then, earlier this year, Penalosa learned about the California Gig Workers Union. She attended a meeting where they discussed a bill in the state legislature that gives rides-hail drivers the right to unionize. “This is where I need to be,” said Penalosa. 

When I met Penalosa at Vista Hermosa Natural Park to interview her, the bill was sitting on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk awaiting his signature. She was one of over 100 drivers who went to Sacramento to lobby for the bill. And now the group is at LAX daily, canvassing drivers to let them know about their new collective bargaining rights.

“I am very hopeful about the future,” said Penalosa. “And I tell every driver I have the opportunity to talk to, that better times are coming for us.”

Gig workers unite? Rideshare drivers can now unionize

Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill on October 3rd that allows Uber and Lyft drivers to select a union to represent them. Both companies spent years fighting the idea, and it's a big win for the labor movement, which has long sought to organize California’s over 800,000 app-based drivers. And it’s the latest twist in a struggle that began in 2018 over whether gig workers should have the same rights as employees.

KCRW’s Megan Jamerson talked to drivers involved in lobbying for the law and drivers at LAX who were waiting for passengers. They had different perspectives on unionizing, but shared a clear consensus about problems on the job, including low pay and being locked out of their accounts based on ratings or customer complaints.

ChatGPT was partly the downfall of Palisades Fire suspect

Jonathan Rinderknecht, a 29-year-old Florida man who had been living in Pacific Palisades, is accused of intentionally setting a fire at a popular hiking spot above the Palisades in the first few minutes of New Year’s Day. That flame was extinguished by firefighters, but then it reignited on its own a week later, on January 7th, amid fierce winds. It caused billions of dollars worth of destruction and the deaths of 12 people. If convicted, Rinderknecht faces a minimum of five years in prison. Evidence against him includes his actions from the night, including his ChatGPT searches.

The LA Times' Richard Winton tells KCRW, “He basically walked up the trail, and at some point, used a lighter, and he was smoking at the time, and ignited the fire with an open flame. … Seemingly in a panic, he started to then dial 911, he couldn't get through. And then he, a little bit later, tried to again. And then … this is probably the most obvious thing he did, which is … literally typed into his phone to ChatGPT: Are you at fault if a fire is lit because of your cigarettes?”

Winton adds, “Here he seems to be the first suspect I can recall for something of this scale, where ChatGPT is part of his downfall. … They are building what is essentially a circumstantial case where they put him in a certain place where the fire starts. They can say, ‘It was started with [an] open flame.’ … And they can say, ‘This guy has done the following with his electronic footprint in the days after and the days before.’”

This is the lead segment in Press Play’s full episode.

LA Taco: ICE is still ‘stopping people indiscriminately’ in SoCal

The LA ICE raids in June caused massive protests, legal showdowns, and extensive international media coverage. That reporting has moved on to Chicago and Portland. But that’s not the case at LA Taco, which began as a food blog in 2006. Now it has become the leading local news organization documenting the impact of deportations on LA’s immigrant communities. 

Memo Torres, director of engagement for the outlet, says, “We've always wanted to highlight all of LA, the best of LA, through its food and art and culture. So over the years, we've developed all these ties with the communities. And when Trump sent the troops and the Border Patrol … we just knew in our gut that this is what we needed to cover, because they're literally attacking our community. … How do you celebrate your communities when they're being under attack?”

He emphasizes that raids are still happening in the Southland. For example, recently in Orange County, a citizen under age 18 was pulled over by Border Patrol agents. He ended up having an obscenity-laden shouting match with one of the agents — who claimed to be part of the Florencia gang.  

This is the second segment (starts at ~11:43) in Press Play’s full episode.

Join Us at The Newport Beach Film Festival

The Newport Beach Film Festival returns October 16th–23rd, 2025, bringing world-class cinema to the heart of Southern California.

Discover an extraordinary lineup of international spotlights, award-winning independent films, and exclusive premieres. Beyond the screen, join thought-provoking conversations with filmmakers, engaging Q&As, and industry panels that connect audiences and creators in meaningful dialogue.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of one of the nation’s leading lifestyle film festivals. Secure your tickets today and take part in eight unforgettable days of film, culture, and conversation.

Little Tokyo retirees buy building to stave off gentrification

Little Tokyo in LA was established more than 140 years ago. Today, rising rents have made it one of the most endangered neighborhoods in America. And so, members of the Little Tokyo Community Impact Fund are pulling their money together to buy buildings and preserve the community's small businesses.

Bill Watanabe, president of the fund, tells KCRW, “The building that we just purchased last month, there's only three storefronts there. However, we are hoping to leverage that building, and build up the equity so that we can purchase a second and then maybe a third and a fourth building, and help to maybe keep gentrification from just pushing out a small business. We may not be able to help all of them, but I think we can at least help to keep the rates lower. We don't intend to become a mega organization, but to have enough assets that we can make a dent.”