Beach Weekly S10E9: Commencement ceremonies, the Willow Project & more

In Season 10: Episode 9 of Beach Weekly, Lei Madrigal discusses local, national and worldwide news. This spring’s commencement ceremonies will be held at the Angel Stadium in Anaheim, but graduates will not be walking across the stage or having their names read aloud. Over 15,000 people are upset by this and have signed an online petition opposing the university’s decision. On Wednesday, March 15, Long Beach health officials closed coastal swimming areas in the city after the ocean was contaminated by an 18,000-gallon sewage spill caused by heavy rainfall. The Long Beach Animal Care Services facilities are, for the first time, considering euthanizing dogs to make more space as they are over capacity. To encourage adoption, the shelter is waiving all adoption fees for the month of March. The LAPD chief has banned ‘thin blue line’ flags from being displayed on officers’ uniforms, city-issued vehicles, and in station lobbies because the symbol can be seen as divisive by some people. Many LAPD officers disagree with this decision and said in a statement through their union that they will continue to display the thin blue line proudly and will not let its true meaning be distorted. California’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation is a state mandate that requires all cities, towns, and counties to provide affordable housing for their residents around every decade. To avoid building housing, Huntington Beach would usually pay a huge fine instead, but the government will no longer allow the city to ignore its responsibility. After resistance from Huntington Beach, the state of California sued the city for failing to provide affordable housing. Then, Huntington Beach sued the state right back, saying the mandate is too impractical to follow. President Joe Biden approved the Willow Project, an $8 billion plan for oil company ConocoPhillips to drill into Alaskan federal lands and extract 600 million barrels of oil. Many people worldwide are upset by the project’s approval as it is going to disturb natural habitats and native lands. The French president used special constitutional powers to impose a new, very unpopular bill that changes the country’s retirement age from 62 to 64. Opposing lawmakers and outraged citizens are protesting the president’s decision since he went against the majority’s preference and the French parliament is going to hold a vote of no confidence for the president. Last week Long Beach city lifeguards had to save a tiny dog that had swam into the ocean unattended before reuniting it with its owner. Host: Lei Madrigal Editor: Andy Nguyen Producers: Leila Nunez, Isabel Silagy Like, comment, and follow us on your favorite platform for more content! Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beach-weekly/id1488484518?uo=4 Google Podcasts https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9kMzEwMjEwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/4HJaqJep02kHeIQy8op1n1 Overcast https://overcast.fm/itunes1488484518/beach-weekly