Social media companies to appeal landmark ruling, LA Metro vote on K Line extension, City of LA's unspent homelessness funds— Morning Edition

A budget deficit, an acting superintendent, a looming strike.

The LA Unified School District is facing multiple challenges.

The consequences for the District's 400,000 students listen on imperfect paradise a weekly

news magazine from LAist.

Today on the LA Report Morning Edition, Metta and YouTube are vowing to fight a landmark

ruling on social media addiction.

Team mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app.

LA Metro votes on a key extension to the K-line, and the city of LA is sitting on hundreds

of millions in unspent homelessness funds.

Good morning, it's Thursday, March 26, I'm Austin Cross, and this is the LA Report

from LAist News.

Metta and Google are promising to appeal yesterday's landmark ruling that found the companies

are to blame for the depression and anxiety of a woman who compulsively used social media

as a child.

In LA, Jury awarded the 20-year-old $6 million with Metta on the hook for 70 percent

of it.

Breiters Entertainment Business Corp. Don Chimaleski spoke with two jurors on the case.

They said they hoped to provide her with income over the next 40 years of her life and also

compensate her for the injuries.

They also wanted to send a message to the two tech companies who are at the heart of this

dispute.

Metta and Google say teen mental health is complex and can't be linked to a single app.

The Metro Board of Directors is set to vote today on a route for the northern extension

of the K-line.

Metro staff have recommended a San Vicente Fairfax route that would add nine stations and connect

travelers to spots like Cedar Sinai, West Hollywood and the Grove.

Some mid-city residents oppose that choice, though, because they don't want tunnels dug deep

under their historic homes.

The project's estimated to cost between $11 and $15 billion.

L.A.'s city controller says nearly half a billion dollars in homelessness funding

went unspent last year.

Aaron Schrank explains.

The city budgeted $1.1 billion for homelessness, but held $473 million of it.

Controller Kenneth Mejia told air talk part of the reason is the city gets state grants

designed to be spent over several years, but puts all the money in a single year's budget.

He wants to change that.

So one of my recommendations is don't put everything in one year.

You know, you're not going to spend it.

So that would take care of, you know, maybe close to half of the unspent funds.

Mejia says bureaucratic delays also account for some of the gap.

He's recommending monthly spending updates to catch those issues.

Mayor Bass says she supports the reforms, Aaron Schrank, L.A.'s to news.

Coming up the newest L.A. restaurants to earn a spot in the Michelin Guide.

Plus, it's time for Dodger Baseball, like a Pavlovian reaction to that.

As boys and blues start their quest for a three-peat under the name of a new field,

stick around.

Support for this podcast comes from Enviro Voters.

Californians are in an insurance affordability crisis.

More than one in five California homeowners are uninsured because of canceled policies

and unaffordable premiums.

Enviro Voters believes that Californians deserve accessible home insurance with affordable

rates.

We're at affordableinsurancenow.org.

Looking for something different in L.A.?

Roe is a city within a city in L.A.'s arts district.

Browse independent shops like Sneaker-Heaven, Bodega, and Vegan-Favorite Besties.

Pause for coffee at Go Get Him Tiger or lunch at Picuniko for Japanese fried chicken.

Norgesburg, Pop-ups, and other events add life to every corner.

With easy, free, two-hour parking, it's the kind of L.A. experience that invites you

to slow down and explore.

Visit roe dtla.com

Back now with the L.A. report, I'm Austin Cross.

Six L.A. restaurants have been added to the Michelin Guide.

They include the 11-seat corridor 109 in Melrose Hill, which focuses on fish, sourced from

Japan.

Also, the Mandarin Plaza, Chinese American restaurant, first born, and the Italian Korean

pasta spot La Paba in K-town.

Some of these restaurants could earn Bib Gourmond or Star Awards at the annual Michelin

Guide ceremony later this year.

Finally, sports.

It's time for Dodger Baseball.

It's opening day for the Dodgers who are on a quest to win three world series in a row.

They take on the Arizona Diamondbacks at 5.30 in the newly named Uniqlo Field.

Meanwhile, in hoops, the Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers 137 to 130 last night.

Luca Doncic had 43 points.

The Clippers beat the Toronto Raptors 119-294.

Hey, thanks for listening to the L.A. reports Morning Edition, hosted by me, Austin Cross,

and produced by Kyle Christ.

Our engineer is Federico Garcia Rodriguez.

Back here at 1 for the afternoon edition.

You can read more on our website, L.A.S.T. dot com, or listen live anytime on the L.A.S.T.

app, or on the radio at 89.3 at 10.

Hey, everybody, it's Kyle Riznal, the host of Marketplace, inviting you to come see

me live on stage at the Aratani Theater on Sunday, March the 29th for an afternoon of

digging into the headlines of this economy and this moment.

The only thing that's going to be missing is you, unless you're good to tickets right

now at L.A.S.T. dot com slash events.

Hope to see you there.