NBCUniversal is now under investigation by the city of Los Angeles for
trimming the trees outside of their studio lot.
Now, it's a free country, you can trim trees.
It's just the potential reason for
why they trim the trees could be an issue here, okay.
So, apparently the trees are located where people in
the entertainment industry have been picketing.
And it's really hot in LA right now.
>> Speaker 1: Yeah. >> Really hot, okay.
So the workers don't have any shade to protect themselves from the brutal LA heat
as a result of those trees being trimmed.
>> Speaker 2: Well, what, so sometimes trees get overgrown.
>> Speaker 2: They do. >> They just trimmed a little bit, right?
A tiny little bit.
>> Speaker 1: Well, this tweet went viral on Monday of this week.
So you tell me.
>> Speaker 2: Are those alive?
[LAUGH] >> Speaker 1: [LAUGH] No, look, okay,
to be fair, to be fair, whenever the city decides to trim the trees on our streets,
which doesn't happen often, but when they do it, the trees are bare.
They really do it, and there's, like, nothing left.
I'm guessing they do that because they don't wanna have to come back often and
do it again.
>> Speaker 1: The trees exist for reason.
>> I don't know, and we want to be fair, we want to be fair-
>> All right.
>> Because they're launching an investigation,
I'm glad they're doing that.
I'd like to wait to find what the results of that investigation end up being.
However fascinating timing that as workers are picketing, they're like,
it's really hot out there, and those trees are providing shade,
maybe we should do something about that.
I don't know if that's what they did, I don't know if that was the motivation.
What say you?
You had to bet money on it.
>> Speaker 2: I think that those are trimmed down even more than the city
normally does.
That looks malicious both towards the strikers and to nature itself.
That said, you're right, sometimes they go too far.
There was this amazing tree on the corner where I live, it's beautiful and
they came through and they destroyed it.
And I wanted to fern gully the machinery [LAUGH] I was so mad.
I don't know why they do it, but anyway, I'm gonna set aside my issues.
>> Speaker 1: So, okay, sometimes you do need to prune plants and
trees- >> Speaker 2: That's not pruning.
>> Speaker 1: No, no, that's not pruning, but let me just be clear,
to keep the plant healthy.
We planted a pomegranate tree, we don't have a yard, so we had to do it
in the grassy area right next to the sidewalk so the city can enjoy it.
And we're taking care of it, but my husband doesn't like to cut
the lower branches, which he needs to do so the tree can grow.
And it's like you need to cut those branches, you just have to, right?
So it really depends on the tree, it depends on how much sunlight it's getting.
Anyway, let's move on, we don't need to make this personal.
>> Speaker 1: Yeah, anyway, I would say- >> But there is more detail here that I
wanna share with you that's also adding to suspicions.
So pine trees on the opposite side of the street weren't touched, and neither
were a row of pepper trees behind the Universal fence near the production gate.
So there's mounting evidence that makes this look even shadier.
Well, no pun intended, and that is a problem-
>> It is shedding light on what they did.
It is shedding light, exactly, exactly.
>> And I just want to show you what the temperatures are in North Hollywood,
where the Universal lot is.
So a high of 92 degrees today, on Thursday 96,
Friday 96, once we get to Sunday 100 degrees.
>> Speaker 2: Yeah, that's hot.
>> Speaker 2: Yep. >> Yeah, I hate it, I don't like it,
it seems pretty clear.
It would be great, I don't know to what extent.
I imagine wouldn't it be great to crowdfund, like, those sales people
put in their backyard to connect the now bear trees to provide some shade?
I don't know if you're legally allowed to do that.
They'd probably get torn down, but
I would love some sort of solution that provides shade.
I don't know, a shipment of umbrellas or something, maybe some tents that they
could or those little coverings that you put over like a backyard area, but
you can line the sidewalk with it.
It would be nice to see something done to equal it out.
>> Speaker 1: Well, we already have an update on this investigation.
You ready for it?
>> God.
>> Speaker 1: It's pretty amazing.
So the LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia previously tweeted this, our Office is
investigating the tree trimming that occurred outside Universal Studios where
workers, writers, and actors are exercising their right to picket.
So today, though, he tweeted this UPDATE.
What's the update?
With cooperation from the Bureau of Street Services, bro,
you're the controller, okay.
We have found that no tree trimming permits have been issued over the last
three years for this location outside Universal Studios.
Also, the city did not issue any tree trimming permits for
the latest tree trimmings.
So basically, NBC Universal has been exposed here.
>> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: Okay. >> Speaker 2: This looks terrible.
>> Speaker 1: Will they face any consequences?
Look, I don't know for sure, it seems unlikely.
If the city of LA decides that the incident warrants an administrative
citation, then the fine would start at a whopping, wow,
it's a lot of money, $250, $250, that's it.
>> Speaker 2: I get why right now they're not doing certain things that they could
do during the strike.
There's a lot of tweets and articles about, can I still go see your movies?
Am I crossing the picket line?
And they're all like, no, the work has been done, go watch.
But if they were to just go into the mode of,
we're gonna actively encourage people to boycott all of this work.
I don't know, I feel like the Studios are asking for it.
I understand why the actors don't wanna do that,
why the writers don't wanna do that, but I feel like at a certain point,
I think more drastic actions need to be taken.
>> Speaker 1: I mean, I'm not going to the movies, that's just my personal decision.
>> Speaker 2: I mean, they say that they still want you to see the work that they
made and everything, and I respect what they're saying, but.
>> I've been painting with watercolors instead of watching movies and
television lately.
>> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Yeah. >> That seems relaxing.
>> Speaker 1: It's been great, [LAUGH] >> Okay.
>> Cuz I actually didn't know, what the,
I didn't know that some of the picketers had said that.
>> Speaker 2: I think that's the general that is the messaging from the union is
that they are not asking for people to boycott the work.
That's generally what I've seen.
>> Speaker 1: Well, I mean, I would say go with their wishes but-
>> Or watercolors.
>> Speaker 1: If they change their minds,
then have you considered painting flowers with watercolors?
>> So many times. >> Maybe you should, all right.
And by the way, SAG-AFTRA and the WGA have also accused NBC Universal of
blocking their picket line with construction fencing, Jesus.
Forcing their workers to march on a road where two of them were actually
hit by a car.
So there should be actual criminal consequences for that.
That remains to be seen, the unions did not say if those workers were injured.
And NBC Universal says it has tried its best to work around their
multi-year construction project to accommodate the workers.
Something tells me that might not be true.
>> Speaker 2: Check the permits.
>> Speaker 1: Just a guess, yeah.
>> [LAUGH]