You're listening to wake Up Call on demand from KFI AM six forty KFI and KOST HD two, Los Angeles, Orange County. It's time for your morning wake up call.
And good morning. This is your wake up Call for Thursday, December twenty six, twenty twenty four. I'm Michael Monks filling in for Amy King. Well you made it through Christmas. Today you might still be a little bit busy. You've got big families and maybe some people to catch up with today that you haven't gotten to yet. It's also a big shopping day and underappreciated shopping day if you're willing to brave the madness out there a lot of great deals as stores are trying to get rid of
some stuff. Find some pretty good markdowns. I think a few years ago I got really lovely Hommy Hill figure sweater for like forty five cents. Get out there, have some fun, be careful as always, of course, happy continued holidays. As we march our way to a brand new year, and we've got a brand new edition of wake Up Call right ahead. We've got a leadership change that's taken
place at La County. The Board of Supervisors has a new chair Supervisor Katherine Barker explains how she'll approach the role now that the gavel is in her hand and the county government prepares to expand. The Marilyn Monroe House in Brentwood, where the mid century Hollywood leading lady died, was saved from demolition this year. Other local landmarks haven't been so lucky. We'll review the year in historic preservation, what made it, what didn't. And if you love shopping
at Costco, there is a book for you. A couple created it together after visiting hundreds of the chain's warehouses. We'll hear from them now. If you were listening yesterday morning, I made you this same promise, and then I made a technical error that prevented me from being able to play that recorded interview from Amy's archives, and today I want you to know I've got it fixed, Mark my word.
We will hear this interview together this morning, and then coming up at the top of the six o'clock hour, we've got handle on the news. Bill Handel and Company are still out this week, so we've got our good friend Wayne Resnik filling in and we'll look forward to running through some of the biggest headlines in the country and around the world. With Wayne coming up at six h five, we do want to start with some of the stories coming out of the KFI twenty four hour newsroom.
The US Coast Guard has suspended the search today for two men who went missing early Tuesday while fishing in heavy waves off the palas Vera Day's coast. The wreckage of a boat that is believed to be theirs was found later on Tuesday, but there was no sign of the men. News is brought to you by Ruterhroo dot com.
The Republican Party is prepared to take over the US Senate, which should be good news for President elect Trump and his nominees for cabinet positions, but the AP reports this morning the path for some of those nominees still isn't clear. Scrutiny is being focused on Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Junior and his views on vaccines, their accusations of sexual misconduct against Defense Secretary nominee Pete
Hegseith and National Intelligence Director Taulcy Gabbard. The nominee there twenty seventeen meetings she had with then President Basharshad of Siria's also raised some questions. Some GOP senators have indicated they are all in for all of Trump's picks, but others have withheld their support for now and the Mega Millions drawing set for Friday is over a billion dollars, and a couple other jackpots have also grown. Nobody won the Powerball on Christmas, so that next drawing is worth
one hundred and forty five million dollars. California Superlatto also passed by without a winner, most recently so that one is up to eleven million bucks. Nothing to say, sneeze that. I only bring this up to remind you if your goal in twenty twenty four was to become a millionaire, You've got a few days and a few chances left, so dream on. Earlier this month, LA County Supervisor Catherine Barker took over as chair of the Board of Supervisors. I spoke with her shortly after about her plans now
that she holds the gavel at meetings. Supervisor Katherine Barker, now Madam Chair of the La County Board of Supervisors, thank you for being with us.
It's my pleasure.
I saw in your opening remarks as chair of the board. You identified your top priorities among your top priorities anyway, as unity and safety. So do you believe the board suffered any lasting harm due to any division that came up over Measure G and the expansion of the Board of Supervisors? Wish you opposed.
Well, I opposed it because I truly do believe, especially given the fact that I have been with this county for over thirty five years. The board expansion issue was not where I had the heartburn. It was the elected CEO. But for me, it was more about the way this whole thing was rolled out that that upset me. It was done in a way that I feel is very, very secretive and not transparent. And so I've moved on.
You know, the voters have spoken. Mitchell brought in emotion, as did Suppers or horror BAP to implement this this this group that they're putting together, and they came together and came to an agreement on what that would look like. And I'm gonna you know, I am really about doing the will of the voters, and obviously the voter spoke.
I feel it's a mistake, but at the end of the day, I still have an obligation to make sure whatever does come forward isn't the best interest of the County of Los Angeles.
So no hard feelings there.
No, I mean I've moved on. If I if I harbored hard feelings, I'd get nothing done, you know, I mean politics is not for fan of heart.
You did also break with the board in a vote this week over an endorsement of what was called quote California Values. This was basically an endorsement of Governor Knewso's special legislative session, preemptively beefing up the state's legal arsenal ahead of the new Trump administration. What made you oppose that?
Well, you know, I want to be clear, Adopting a confrontational approach with the incoming Trump administration is not the best approach. We don't know what the agenda is for the incoming president, and so to automatically assume the worst. And oh, by the way, ask for money on the other side, you know, on transportation, we're asking for over three billion dollars to help us move forward transportation infrastructure
for in preparation for the Olympics. I feel that we need to be communicating with this administration about concerns that we may have and where we're going to disagree. At the end of the day, you know, the federal government is going to do with the federal government is going to do. And I pointed out that right now we have an immigration crisis taking place in this county. We have individuals that are living in tents on skid row that came over the border in San Diego that are
women and children. I've walked skid row and talked to these people, and so I mean, we've already got a crisis going on as it relates to immigration. So to take a stance that we're going to Trump proof the state based on concerns about immigration, you know, I would be asking the Trump administration to help us address the crisis that's currently taking place not only in La County, but probably in the state of California, but across the nation.
Do you get any indication from the incoming administration that there's interest in helping cities like La face those pressing crises.
I'll be honest, I'm going to reach out and I'm going to try to set up meetings to discuss my concerns and how I believe we need to move forward. But at this point. I think that that the governor, and believe it or not, I mean the governor softened his tone as it relates to what his original plan was in terms of California values and the legislature. But I think it would be wise to open dialogue and
recognize that there's got to be common grounds somewhere. I talk to people who are very much sympathetic to individuals that came to this country for a better life. But at the same time, if there are crimes that are being committed that are currently on the books. By the way, and if you look at the City of La sanctuary city language, they do carve out individuals that commit felonies as as not being protected under the sanctuary you know,
the city. I think it's important for us not to use ille ra is a pond, but in fact work together to address this.
And let's talk more do We're talking with Supervisor Catherine Barger, the new chair of the La County Board of Supervisors. You just referenced crime in the county, and you did break down the safety component of your priorities to reflect both public safety in general, it seems, but also the social safety net provided by the county. So regardless of what crime stats might say, and it seems that there's evidence to support lower or higher rates depending on who's
making the argument. What can the county do to make people feel safer here?
Put aside the political differences and work with now our new District Attorney, Nathan Hawkman, and work with our police chiefs across the county all eighty eight cities. Well, actually we've got the captains and the sheriff, Robert Luna, but have meaningful dialogue regarding what we as decision makers policymakers need to do to support law enforcement in protecting communities.
And that includes the district attorney and by the way, includes the public defender and the alternate public defender as well, because at the end of the day, their clients are going to need services if we want to make sure they don't end up back in our system. So we need to collaborate more and communicate more. Something that's missing. I mean, it's become so politically polarized. If you are
not with me, you're against me. Therefore we're not going to work together and for me And understand, my father worked for the State of California under President Reagan. My dad's attitude was, if you're willing to work, I don't care what party you're with. Let's sit down and talk and figure out where we can meet in the middle, and never compromise your core beliefs. But at the end of the day, set aside your differences for the betterment.
In this case of the County of Los Angeles, whether or the state of California.
Some areas where we're definitely going to need collaboration between local, state, and federal government, folks. Is the fact that we've got some pretty major events coming up here in the coming years in LA County, particularly the Olympics in twenty twenty eight. I look around and I see, of course we're not ready yet. You got four years, still less than four years at this point. But I'm not so sure we're
even on the right path yet to be ready. What do you think with the aesthetics, the infrastructure, the crime, the homelessness, that will La County move quickly to be prepared.
I'm confident that with the leadership of Mehribaths, we will. It is going to be a sprint, for sure. But I've talked to Mehribaths. I know the County of Los Angeles is engaged with the Olympic Committee, and we are going to do everything we can to make sure that this county and this city shines for the entire world to see. And I know it's going to be a heavy lift, but when it comes to transflasion infrastructure, we are definitely behind the eight ball. But we are moving
forward and we're going to make it happen. I know, having been born and raised here, want to make sure that we spotlight what an incredible what an incredible county this is.
That was Supervisor excuse me, that was Supervisor Catherine Barger talking to me earlier. That interview originally aired on a Saturday evening here at KFI. I'm hosting from seven to nine on Saturday nights, where we talked about local government and other trends in la I hope you can join us sometime for that as well. The search for two
men who haven't returned from fishing has been suspended. The US Coast Guard had been involved in the search for the men who didn't return as scheduled on Tuesday from a trip off the coast of Palas Verdes. The wreckage of a boat believed to be the one they were in was found later that day, but there was no sign of the men. They left from Cabrillo Beach on Monday and we're expected back by midnight. That didn't happen. Lakers big man Anthony Davis has suffered a spring to
ankle in last night's game against the Warriors. He didn't return after spraining his left ankle midway through the first quarter. Davis stepped awkwardly and rolled the ankle while moving through the paint toward the Lakers basket and exited with four forty eight left in the quarter. The Lakers did beat Golden State one fifteen to one thirteen. The norths From department store chain is set to be acquired by the Nordstrom family and a Mexican retail group and a six
point twenty five billion dollar deal. The company has agreed to that deal and to be taken private. Coming up at the top of the hour, six oh five, it's Handle on the news without Bill Handle and company. They're still away, but we've got Wayne Resnick, who always does a very fine job. Hope you'll join us all for
six ' oh five for Resnick on the news. Some landmarks in La faced possible demolition or some other irreversible change in the past year, but efforts by preservationists, often turning these places into official cultural historic landmarks, spared them. That includes Marilyn Monroe's house in Brentwood, where she died, and Norm's restaurant location on Los Sienaga, which almost became
a fast food destination. I spoke recently with the leader of LA's top historic preservation organization about why these fights matter. Adrian Scott Fine is the president and CEO of the LA Conservancy. Adrian, thank you so much for being with us.
Thanks for having me.
I'm wondering if you had degrade the year twenty twenty four. From the perspective of historic preservationists, how do we do in Greater LA saving old buildings?
Well, I mean it's a mixed track record. I don't know what the grade necessarily would be, but you know, we save some and that's always our goal to save more than we lose. But yeah, I mean, as part of the process in LA, you're always balancing growth with
development pressures and saving and reusing old places. But there's definitely you know, people care about historic places and when they're at risk, they often come out in force, and that's part of our job that the Conservancy is to mobilize people and to help people understand why a place is important, how it can be reused, and how to actually do something to affect change.
As I just noted, there are folks who have preservation instincts. There are folks who have generic affection for a memory that they hold deer from experiences at a certain place. And then there are folks who say, let people develop. And we just saw that play out very recently on a building that you would list has saved for now, and that's the old Norms restaurant, which was apparently very close to becoming a raisin raising canes chicken fast food joint.
What do you think inspired all of the commotion over that one?
The Norms is an interesting case. We first got involved with Norms when it was threatened with demolition in twenty fourteen, and back then as well, people came out in rogues. I think in part for a couple of reasons. One, people love the architecture and the look at the place. It's Googy style, so it's wild looking architecture and it
just stands out from everything else. The other reason, and maybe the one that resonates even more is that people have been coming to places like Norms and other kind of coffee shops and places like this. It's not just for years, but decades, and so they have a very strong connection to this place as being a part of their life or coming there, you know, at two am, after they've been out at restaurants and bars and things like that, and it's part of a cultural experience and
they don't want to see it lost. And I think that's the issue that's very much at play right now in terms of the building is safe, it's protected, it's now designated as a historic Cultural Landmark monument in the city, but the business itself is not, or the use, and so what's being considered right now is whether it stays as Norms or it turns into something else like a Raisings. And that's where people just said, wait a second, we
love Norms. It's not just the building, it's also the place and this business.
But in a way, if a business, a modern business like Raising Canes replaces a historic business like Norms, obviously there's going to be some sad feelings in nostalgia around that. But if they keep the building, that's better than a Raising Canes dropping in on that site, putting in a drive through with curb cuts and setbacks and all of that. I mean, you find that folks like you have to make concessions like that from time to time, right.
All the time. That's part of our job is balancing these competing interests. And yeah, it's better than losing the entire place. If we kept the building and guess it turns into a raising canes or some other business, it's not a complete loss. And it's about those kind of continuity of places they do take. They do take on new uses. Historic and older buildings are incredibly adaptable for
new uses. But at the same time, things like legacy businesses in this case Norms, it's been operating since it's opened in nineteen fifty seven, twenty four hours a day, and so in that particular case, that business that legacy businesses also be loved as well as the building. But yeah, we're often looking about how to weigh these two things and how to make the best possible outcome as much as possible.
We're talking with Adrian Scott Fine, the LA Conservancy President and CEO. We're taking a look back at the year twenty twenty four and wish Old LA Area buildings made it through wish Old LA Area buildings did not survive this year. I want to take you to Brentwood now and talk about the Maryland Monroe House. This was something that was a little polarizing as well, because of course,
Marilyn Monroe is a Hollywood icon. There's great affection for her that lingers all these years after her death inside this house. But there was also the argument raised that yeah, she died there, but she lived there for like fifteen minutes. We've got all these tourists coming up, and the neighbors wanted to tear this house down and expand their own footprint on the property site, and they got stopped from
doing that as of now. So take us to Brentwood and tell us why the Marylyn Monroe House was worth saving.
So this is an interesting one as well. Marilyn Monroe House probably generated the most media coverage that we've seen on any issue, perhaps maybe in all of our history, in terms of a single year, in terms of not just you know Los Angeles or California, but across the US and internationally. This house resonated with people. Primarily what we were hearing from many people that saved the house. It's important in terms of telling the story of Marilyn Monroe.
Certainly the owners of the house have a different opinion. They wanted to demolish it to build or expand their existing house. The issue here is this is the only house that really tells a particular slides are part of Marilyn Moreau's story. This is the only house that she bought on her own as a single person at the end of her life, when she was still very much active in doing her work. But she had very much a connection to this house. She talked about this house.
She famously said that, you know, if you like my house, we'll get along to a fine or something to that effect. So she had a connection here. And you know, in the case of celebrities, it's always a little tricky about how do you identify which property is the property to you know, preserve or to protect to help tell their story. In this particular case, it's really clear that she had a connection here, even though she was only here for about six months.
And we'll talk more with Adrian and our next segment about the Marilyn Monroe House and some of the landmarks that weren't so lucky around Greater LA. Also later on, we have a little more time at around five fifty love a married couple reveled the country to visit hundreds of costco locations. They've chronicled the adventure in a new book, and we're going to hear about that book from them coming up. I'm wondering if you're among these folks who have to return to work, as in returning to the
office for the first time in a long time. The AP reports this morning, thousands of workers are facing what is called an unsettling reality heading into twenty twenty five. After years of working from the comfort of home, they're being told it's time to return to the office full time for the first time since the pandemic. I can bring a host of challenges, the AP rights, including losing time with family. Workers at Amazon, At and T and other companies have been called back to the office five
days a week. Experts have advice to share about how to navigate the changes when an employer calls you back to the office, and that includes workers needing to convey what they need to seek flexibility and then if all else fails, seek other employment options. How about that a seventy eight year old man with dementia has been returned
home after briefly going missing in Malibu. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, partnering with Malibu Search and Rescue, deployed a drone, which was able to find this man twenty minutes after it launched. The man had been missing for about three hours after he went to check the mail. He was found cold and shivering and still holding a TV remote. A woman has died and three others have been injured when a car flew from the off ramp to the two ten Freeway in Azusa and smashed into
a parked car at a fast food restaurant. It happened just after five o'clock on Christmas morning. A seventeen year old boy driving a Ford Fusion lost control and plowed down an embankment, ending up in that parking lot. A fifty seven year old woman from Azusa died. A man accused of attempting to assassinate President elect Donald Trump in
South Florida won't be tried until September next year. US District Judge Eileen Cannon said in an order this week that Ryan Routh's trial will begin September eighth instead of the previously scheduled February tenth. Ralth has pleaded not guilty. His attorneys had asked the judge to delay the trial until next December, saying they need more time to review the evidenced against him and decide whether to mount and
insanity defense. Rauth's charge of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate carries a potential life sentence in the event of a conviction. Coming up at the top of the hour six oh five, we've got Handle on the news. Bill Handle and team are still out this week, but we've got Wayne Resnick filling in, so we'll have some fun with him as we go through the big stories across the region and across the nation and around the globe.
And at five point fifty, The Joy of Costco a treasure Hunt from A to Z. That's the new book from a married couple who visited hundreds of the popular chains warehouses. We will hear from them. In our last segment, we spoke with LA Conservancy President and CEO Adrian Scott Fine about the successful effort to save Marilyn Monroe's house
in Brentwood. We continue that conversation now one of the pieces of the aftermath of this that I thought was interesting was there were a lot of people who said we should save this because of its connection to Maryland Marilyn Monroe. It means a lot to folks. And now it seems like there's going to be an effort to stop people from going up there in mass right. There's going to be limits on tour buses, limits on people
kind of lurking outside of that area. So when we preserve a space like this because of people's affection for the person connected to it, what are we supposed to do when we turn around and say, but by the way, you're not going to be able to go take it in?
Yeah, I think it will still be an opportunity for an individual to be able to go and see the house. The thing here is you can't really see the house even today. There's a large wall in front of it. But still people want to go kind of almost the pilgrimage, to have a sense of like where does she live. But the idea of tour buses disrupting a neighborhood, that's completely a different thing. And I get that in terms
of kind of a nuisance to a neighborhood. So it's again about all about balancing those The street won't be blocked off, people can still go there as an individual, But it's really about, you know, in that is the issue about what does that mean, how does that change the entire feel and the kind of the nuisance factor in terms of the neighborhood.
We're joined by Adrian Scott Fine of the LA Conservancy as the president and CEO.
There.
We're talking about buildings that survived the wrecking ball this year in La of a historic nature and those that did not. I want to go to Venice now, to a historic lifeguard station. And I covered this at city Hall and looked it up and read about the history of this old lifeguard station. And this you know again, I see the charm, I see the character and the nostalgia associated with this. But what is the purpose of saving an old lifeguard station that isn't in use anymore?
It helps tell the story of just simple things like the lifeguard uard system that existed in Venice and certainly part of along the beach there in Los Angeles. It's kind of a quirky, unusual mid century modern building. The dates from the late sixties and until the early seventies, but it tells again a kind of a touch point in terms of what was happening in the whole operation of the county's lifeguard operations, and this building helps to
illustrate that. And there's a group of residents in Venice that want to keep it and repurpose it, so it means something to the community in terms of what it represents and also the idea that it could be repurposed rather than demolished.
There's another one that I think a lot of people have generic affection for, but isn't particularly unique, I might editorialize. I'm talking about the Arby's fast food sign on the shuttered location on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. I mean, this looks like a sign like any other Arby's from the twentieth century that's got the old western style hat and the word Arby's on it. But this one is so important that it's making its way through the city process
to be deemed a historic cultural landmark. What is so significant about the arby sign?
If you know, this cowboy hat shape sign resonates with people, and I think the part of this is they're one for many of these signs. Now there are very few so in terms of telling the story of Arby's. And this is one of the first Arby's that you know, landed in Los Angeles and has been a touchstone in terms of Sunset Avenue in this portion of the city with its very distinctive you know, like I said, cowboy hats sign that has this neon on it that people,
you know, think of it as a landmark. And we see this all the time with signage that people connect to these things that help tell the history of their experience in a community. And certainly the Arby's sign is part of that as well in terms of people loving it and don't wanting to see that, not wanting to see that go as well, even if there's no longer an army there.
I know that the LA Conservancy has celebrated the saving of various properties across the Greater LA area, including the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, the UCLA Faculty Club in Westwood, Paramount and Boyle Heights, and the Harbor House in San Pedro. But of course, at any given year you're also going to lose some properties. I'm wondering if there was one that struck you particularly difficult to take.
Yeah, They're always hard when we lose a place, especially if it's not necessary and there are options that otherwise could have kept the building. The one that probably does it for me this year is the Benign Risk Lodge in Westlake. This is a nineteen twenty four building that was important initially for the Jewish community, later with significant
for labor history. And it's also just an architecturally there was an architecturally stunning building in terms of on a corner site, very prominent building, three four story building that was demolished. It's just now finishing up the demolition right now, and it's being demolished for nothing. Catholic Charities entered into a deal with the City of Los Angeles that allowed them to demolish this, and we believe that you are very concerned it sets a precedent for other historic buildings
in the future. And like I said, it's one of those things that just kind of sticks in the crawl in terms of the building that didn't need to be demolished.
It is such a gorgeous building. There are some others that have bit the bullet this year, including the Sportsman's Launch in Studio City. This was also controversial. It's going to be redeveloped by This was a place that had kind of run out of life anyway, So will this be missed.
I think it's absolutely going to be missed. I mean, for many the folks in Studio City, the Valley area, this is a legendary place that people have connections to. It's a place where you had your barmissa or weddings. All kinds of community events were connected to this place and it has resonated for the community in lots of
different ways. And it's also been a preservation issue that has been ongoing for almost twenty years in terms of various considerations about whether it is or isn't historic and then also how it could be redeveloped. So yeah, I think it's definitely a loss for Los Angeles.
And it was another place that I recall reporting was pretty well connected to old school Hollywood crowds. A lot of famous mid century actors also frequented that place. And so again we go back to people's affection for people and the spots that they're associated with. And do we lose some of the Hollywood history when we lose these spots, We absolutely do.
I think you hit your hit the nail on the head in terms of the reason we say places is for people. We don't save buildings just for the sake of saving old buildings. It's about how do they connect to us as people? How do they tell our stories? How do they help us feel rooted in terms of a place. And when we lose a place like that, it's almost like a losing a little bit of ourselves
because we have that connection and now it's gone. And this is something that holds so many different stories in terms of the community, whether it was Hollywood history or Jewish history or just valley history. Sportsman's Lodge was an epic, iconic place in Los Angeles, and that was.
Our conversation with Adrian Scott Fine of the LA Conservancy. That interview originally aired on the Saturday evening program I'm hosting. I hope you can join us on Saturday nights from seven to nine as we talk about LA politics, government, culture, life, trending issues, and whatever else might be on your mind. It's five point forty two on your wake up call. I am Michael Monks filling in for Amy King this morning. What did you think of the football games on Netflix yesterday?
Not without its hitches apparently just like during that Mike Tyson Jake Paul fight. Don't know if those streamers are ready for primetime. A lot of people tuned in for it and didn't quite get the showing that they wanted. The games weren't particularly close, but the big show, of course,
was Beyonce. She wrote into her halftime appearance on a White Horse, thirty two time Grammy winner, rocking her hometown Houston crowd in a nearly thirteen minute halftime performance and surprise fans also by bringing out Shabouzi and posts Malone. It was a big show. I also note that NFL games are still easily out drawing college football. A pair of games from the NFL on Saturday drew a larger
viewing audience than this new twelve team playoff. At the college level, the game between Southern Methodists and Penn State averaged six point four million viewers on TNT Networks, while the Texans Chiefs game on NBC averaged fifteen and a half million. And then later you have the big game against between Clemson and Texas eight point six million viewers on TNT fifteen point four million for the Steelers and
the Ravens on Fox NFL, still reigning Supreme. At least eight LA County Sheriff's deputies have been relieved of duty amid an investigation into the alleged cover up of a transman's beating. The deputy who arrested that man earlier this year for flipping him off, pleaded guilty and admitted he lied to the FBI about the arrest. He also claimed numerous other deputies and sergeants helped obstruct the investigation and
cover up the misconduct. The city of Santa Cruz has begun plans to clean up after the beach front was hammered by strong surf this week, an event that washed away a century old pier. The mayor says the city is going to focus on an immediate response. City official say engineering crews are working to assess the structural integrity of what remains of that local landmark. The Torrents Fire Department has announced the new digital alert system designed to
warn drivers when emergency vehicles are nearby. The goal is to lower the risk of collisions involving fire trucks responding to emergency calls. The HAAS Alert Safety Cloud system delivers real time messages to drivers through their infotainment screens and
through the waysapp and Apple Maps. It gives drivers a heads up of about thirty seconds coming up at the top of the hour six ' oh five ish its handle on the news bill Handle and company are still off this week, So Wayne Resnick will be and I'll be alongside them. Hope you will join us as well. So whether it's gnawing on one of the famously cheap hot dogs, sifting through tables full of slacks Banana Republic, or hauling a palette full of toilet paper away, there
is much joy to be found at Costco. The big box chain has a loyal following. I don't need to tell you that, but there's perhaps none more loyal than David and Susan Schwartz, authors of the book The Joy of Costco, A Treasure Hunt From A to Z. Kfi's Amy King spoke with the Schwartzes earlier. Here's that conversation.
Right now, though, let's say good morning to David and Susan Schwartz, the authors of the Amazon bestseller The Joy of Costco, A Treasure Hunt from A to Z. Good morning, David and Susan.
Good morning.
It's lovely to be here.
Okay, so I have you know, some people visit all the national parks in the US. They put that on like their bucket lists or something. Some visit all the baseball stadiums. But David and Susan went a little different direction and visited all of the costcos in the US and in thirteen other countries as well.
Well it's not quite oh, but we've got to be honest. We went to at least one in every one of the forty six states, and also each of the thirteen other countries. Okay, we lost count about two hundred and fifty warehouses.
Okay, and why did you decide to go to all these costcos?
Oh?
You know, we we love costco. We love the quality, we love the low prices, we love the curated selection. You know, they're only thirty eight hundred items in a Costco versus let's say, forty thousand your local supermarketer are one hundred and forty thousand at a Walmart. But most importantly, we love the fact that you never know what you're going to find there. You know, it's always going to
be a surprise, you know, treasure hunt. You know, it's just turned into the holiday season, and they're all sorts of incredible Christmas items and you know, stuff that you would never expect to find.
And you know, you just you kind of hit the nail on the head too, because you said, there's like thirty eight hundred things as opposed to thousands and thousands. There's not so much choice, and I think that that makes it easier for people to purchase because you don't get stymied by overstimulation.
That's totally right, man. Costco takes that problem away from you. At the home office in Seattle and also around the world. They select only thirty eight hundred items. To put that in perspective for you, a supermarket's got forty thousand, a Walmart has got one hundred and forty thousand. Amazon has literally called the Everything store. They have everything. But at Costco,
it's only thirty eight hundred items. They're carefully vetted, and they're only marked up at most fourteen percent above costs. So it's really a lot of fun, a lot of variety, and great you can rely on the quality and the pricing.
Okay, so you go to all these costcos, and you go into a Costco in California, and then you go to one in Oregon and then you go to one in Utah. I mean, do you have the same experience. Do you walk in and you just walk the halls? Do you purchase stuff at everyone or do you just go.
Check them out?
Okay, true confession. Since it's early in the morning, we take a lot of time. We walk the entire warhouse. And yes, we buy something everywhere. And it's a different around the world.
Okay, And I bet Costco must love you if you're buying it at every store. So you've bend all these different stores in all these different states and countries. What's are your what's your favorite Costco? There's got to be one.
Well, well, you know, it would be like revealing who your favorite child is. But I'll tell you a number that we really love. There's a there's a Costco in Mexico, right outside of Mexico City that has a rooftop that they put up there with a skateboard.
Oh you're cutting out.
It has a community center and it's just it's just wonderful.
It's beautiful and it has it has a skateboard. We had we lost you for a second.
It has a skateboard park on the roof along with a contemplative garden and a powerboard court and it's just a magnificent facility that's open to the community.
Oh we need one of those in the US, all right. So you guys are Costco pros. What are some secrets to getting and watching for the best deals at your favorite warehouse?
Well, first, a disclaimer, we do not work for Costco. We're totally independent, okay, and Costco did not fund this project. We did it ourselves. So I'll tell you one couple of things. One is early in early out. They are already full throttle in holiday season, so if you want to get in now and get it out, they'll be sold out quickly. Another thing is walk every aisle because
you never know what you'll find. And then a really favorite tip is the death star at the death start asterisk at the top of the price tag, and it indicates the item will be discontinued, either temporarily or permanently very soon.
So if you see that stock up, and does that also mean that it might be on sale, because there's a way to tell if stuff is actually marked down, right.
Yeah, if it doesn't end in nine to nine, then it's a sale that's either from the retailer or from the warehouse. It's it's a pretty complicated algorithm. We cover it in the book.
Okay, and your book is the joy of Costco, A treasure hunt from A to Z. I love this. Where can you get.
It anywhere in the US and Canada. It's sold widely. Your favorite bookstore, the bookstores, little bookstores, and also Costco and also Costco.
It is a Costco Okay, well, of course it is. I hope that they give you guys a lifetime membership or something. I think you deserve it. Thank you so much, David and Susan Schwartz, happy Costco ing. I know that are the host of Bill Handle or Handle in the morning here on KFI would probably love you guys, So he's a big Costco fano.
Thank you. We just we just finished our road trip from Youonkers, New York to Yorba Linda, California, and we're heading to LA today. We're so excited to see the LA stores.
They're really well.
They have food courts outside.
Yes they do. And check out the Burbank store. That's my personal favorite.
Oh we love that you're there all right there.
Thanks David and Susan take care.
Oh thank you.
Yes, you know what, what a fun job. We're going to go to every Costco in the United States and fourteen different countries, and then we're going to write a book about it. Too fun.
And that was our Amy King speaking earlier this year with David and Susan Schwartz, the authors of the book The Joy of Costco Hope. They enjoyed their visit to the southern California Costco locations. This has been a pretty big year for investors. US stocks in twenty twenty four went higher and higher. They carried the S and P five hundred to records. The economy kept growing, and the
Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The AP reports this morning the Benchmark Index posted its first back to back annual gains of more than twenty percent since nineteen ninety eight. The year featured many familiar winners, the AP says, such as big Tech, which got even bigger has their stock prices kept growing, But it wasn't just Apple, n VideA and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged, and Roaring Kitty
reappeared to briefly reignite the Memes stock craze. Meanwhile, the survey shows small business owners are feeling more optimistic about the economy following November's election. The National Federation of Independent Businesses small Business Optimism Index rose by eight points in November to one hundred and one point seven. That's its
highest reading since June of twenty twenty one. The Uncertainty index declined twelve points in November to ninety eight, following October's pre election record high of one hundred and ten. NFIB Chief economists Bill Dunkelberg said small business owners became more certain about future business conditions following the presidential election, breaking a nearly three year streak of record high uncertainty. The survey also showed more owners are also hoping twenty
twenty five will be a good time to grow. So a strong economy on paper, and now small business owners say they're finally starting to feel it. We got a few minutes left here in this hour of wake up call, so let's take a look at December twenty sixth in history. We've got five days left before twenty twenty four becomes history. So let's run through some historic moments and then some
celebrity birthdays. In nineteen oh eight, on this date, Jack Johnson became the first black boxer to win the World Heavyweight Championship when he defeated Canadian Tommy Burns in Australia. Back in nineteen forty one during World War II. On this date, Winston Churchill became the first British Prime Minister to address a joint meeting of the US Congress. Today is Kwanza, and in nineteen sixty six, Kwanza was celebrated
for the very first time. In nineteen ninety, Nancy Cruzan, a young woman in an irreversible vegetative state whose case led to a US Supreme Court decision on the right to die, died in a Missouri hospital. Big news in nineteen ninety one when the USSR was formally dissolved through a declaration by the Supreme Soviet And in two thousand and six, former President Gerald R. Ford died in Rancho Mirage, California, at the age of ninety three. We've got some big
birthdays today, famous people. America's most wanted host. All these this whole lists, by the way, made me feel quite old, so buckle up. America's most wanted host, John Walsh is seventy nine Baseball Hall of Fame Catcher Carlton Fisk is seventy seven, Baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith is seventy. Humorous, David Sedaris is sixty eight, rock musician Lars Orage of Metallica is sixty one. Actor musician Jared Leto is fifty three. Rock singer Chris Daltrey is forty five. Feels like they
were just on American Idol right. I saw Chris Dautree last month and Anaheim still putting on great shows. An actor Kit Harrington, best known as John Snow, the Bastard of Winterfell. He is thirty eight today, So happy birthday to all of those folks. Hope it's a good one. And this is KFI and KOSTHD two, Los Angeles, Orange County. We've got mostly cloudy skies to start the day here with your Southland weather forecast from KFI. It will be partly cloudy later as those fit clouds start to break
up a little bit. We are expecting some highs in the mid sixties around Metro La, cooler and windier of course in the Antelope Valley, highs in the mid fifties of the low sixties there, and then tomorrow partly cloudy to end the week with highs in the sixties to near seventy. Right now, it is fifty three in Malibu, fifty one in Huntington Beach, fifty one in Beverly Hills, and forty nine in Santa Ana. And we lead local
live from the k twenty four hour newsroom. We have producer Michelle Cube, today technical producer Kono, and we have our good friend Seth Blackman keeping eyes on traffic today. Michael Monks, this has been your wake up Call. Amy King will be back next week for part of it. I'll fill in for a couple of days. If you missed any of wake Up Call, you can listen anytime on the iHeartRadio app.
You've been listening to wake Up Call with me Amy King. You can always hear wake Up Call five to six am Monday through Friday on KFI AM six forty and anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app.