After the Los Angeles Times released an investigation disputing Richard Montañez’s longtime claim as the creator of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, the piece ignited a controversy around culinary ownership, race and how the histories of people of color should be told.

Richard Montañez’s famous story begins when he was a janitor at Frito-Lay’s Rancho Cucamonga plant, where he conceived of an idea for a chile-coated Cheeto. He called the chief executive at the time and pitched the idea, resulting in the extremely popular Flamin’ Hot Cheetos line and vaulting him into such stratospheres of success that a feature film of his life is currently in development.

But reporter Sam Dean’s LA Times article, which is based off of the claims made by several Frito-Lay executives, claims that Montañez did not actually invent Flamin’ Hots. Many readers, however, were not convinced by the story. Some felt that the LA Times’ reporting tactics were too sensational and not nuanced enough, particularly in regards to Montañez’s significance  as a prominent Latino success story in a white corporate industry.

Today on AirTalk, we speak to Gustavo Arellano about his new piece in response to the criticism of the LA Times. But we want to hear from you— how do you think the story should be told? Give us a call at 866-893-5722.

Guest:

Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times columnist covering Southern California; his recent column is “What the anger over Flamin’ Hot Cheetos origin story is really about”; he tweets @GustavoArellano

Among the more challenging aspects of reopening society as it gets a better handle on the coronavirus pandemic have been dealing with events and attractions that feature large crowds of people packed in close quarters, like theme parks.

A number of our local attractions, including Disneyland, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Universal Studios Hollywood, LEGOLAND California Resort and others reopened last month, and others like Raging Waters in Los Angeles are set to finally reopen their gates to visitors in the coming days.

Today on AirTalk, we’ll hear from representatives with local theme parks and attractions about how the reopening process has been going and we’ll take calls from listeners who have visited a theme park or work at one to hear about their experience. Join the conversation by calling us at 866-893-5722.

Guests:

Mike Roe, reporter covering arts, entertainment and theme park attractions for LAist; he tweets @MikeRoe

Al Garcia, director of marketing and sales for Raging Waters Los Angeles in San Dimas

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, we speak with UCSF’s Dr. Peter Chin-Hong. 

Today’s topics include: 

Some counties are frustrated, confused with CA’s delay on lifting masking rules

CA weighs dropping mask, distancing rules for fully vaccinated workers

Orange County moves into the yellow tier 

“Very disturbing” racial disparities remain in vaccination trends

Why many Latino men haven’t been vaccinated yet

EU moves to allow in fully vaccinated visitors 

India sets global record for daily COVID-19 deaths 

Trained dogs may be able to sniff out the coronavirus in humans

Can vaccine passports help enforce the CDC’s mask guidance?

Guest:

Peter Chin-Hong, M.D., infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center; he tweets @PCH_SF

Today on AirTalk, we analyze what's in Governor Gavin Newsom's $100 billion California Comeback Plan. Also on the show, we get the latest COVID-19 news; check in on the retail industry's recovery; and more.

In a new book by the acclaimed author of several bestselling nonfiction titles, the bloody “Punitive Expedition” and early 20th century conflicts between Mexico and the U.S. take center stage.

Author Jeff Guinn, whose previous subjects include Jim Jones and Charles Manson, chronicles how Pancho Villa’s raid of a small border town in 1916 resulted in a bloody conflict between Mexico and the United States. On the U.S. side, General John J. Pershing recruited the Army, National Guard and and the Texas Rangers (little more than vigilantes at the time) into a militarized force that would foreshadow future military conflicts. The U.S.’s mission to capture Villa ultimately failed, but the conflict is still remembered in the border towns where it was fought over a century ago.

Today on AirTalk, we are joined by Jeff Guinn to learn more about his new book and the history of the Punitive Expedition. Questions? Leave them below or give us a call at 866-893-5722.

Guest:

Jeff Guinn, bestselling author of numerous books including his latest, “War on the Border: Villa, Pershing, the Texas Rangers, and an American Invasion” (Simon & Schuster, 2021)

Last week Governor Newsom touted that due to federal aid and the state’s surplus, the government would be able to foot the bill for a “$100 billion California Comeback Plan,” part of California’s $276 billion budget. 

But the Legislative Analyst’s Office has a different take on the numbers, putting the surplus at $38 billion. That’s because Newsom is defining “surplus” differently and it does raise questions about the budget. So, what’s in it? What issues and political motivations are driving Newsom’s budget? And why is there a discrepancy in the surplus estimation?

Guests: 

Gabe Petek, legislative budget analyst at the Legislative Analyst’s Office; he tweets @gpetek

Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent and co-host of the Political Breakdown podcast at the San Francisco NPR affiliate KQED; she tweets @mlagos

Dan Walters, long-time California politics observer with CALmatters, a nonprofit public interest publication; he tweets @DanCALmatters

Although retail stores have dealt with fewer drastic coronavirus-related closures than indoor restaurants, museums and other recreational businesses, the pandemic has still radically restructured the industry.

With customers nervous to shop in person, e-commerce boomed during the pandemic and prompted thousands of shop closures across the country. And even with COVID-19 rates plummeting and more vaccinated civilians, the hits to in-person shopping aren’t not over yet; some studies are predicting thousands of new store closures still to come in 2021. But although a significant number of businesses have struggled, many big box retailers actually saw gains during the pandemic. Some small retailers also successfully pivoted to online selling, hybridizing their model for a future that will be increasingly (although likely not entirely) digital.

Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about how the pandemic has affected retail. Are you a retail business owner? How has the pandemic affected your business, and how are you adapting going forward? We want to hear from you! Give us a call at 866-893-5722.

Guests:

Rachel Michelin, president and CEO of the California Retailers Association, the trade group representing all aspects of retail in the state; she tweets @RachelEMichelin

Alexis DeSalva Kahler, senior research analyst focusing on retail and e-commerce at Mintel, a global market research firm; she tweets @acdesalva

Martin Breidsprecher, chief operating officer of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce; he tweets @mbreidsprecher

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Timothy Brewer from UCLA.

Today’s topics include: 

Mask update: CA to hold off on following CDC guidelines

LA County tells Trader Joe, other chains to continue enforcing mask usage 

Should we shift focus away from herd immunity at this point? 

LAUSD to use prizes, other incentives to get students vaxxed

Why are parts of Asia seeing a rise in cases? Could it happen here?

How COVID-19 proved poor indoor air quality makes us sick and what we should do about it

Guest: 

Timothy Brewer, M.D., epidemiologist and professor of medicine at UCLA’s school of public health; has served on the advisory boards of the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention

The service industry, specifically bars, restaurants and cafes, took a serious hit during the pandemic. As public health and other officials urged curbside orders, many found themselves amping up their tips.

For example, as mentioned in J.J. McCorvey’s recent story in the Wall Street Journal, one customer found herself tipping 50% on a $6 coffee as a way to increase her support for a struggling business. While that spending may have been okay for some during a time when they were spending less, things are starting to reopen. Experts say it’s time to reassess your financial situation, but to still consider tipping generously when and if you can.

Today on AirTalk, McCorvey walks us through the rules of tipping post-COVID-19. But we also want to hear from you! What are your thoughts? Did the pandemic change how you tipped? Will your tipping practices be forever altered? How and why, if so? What are you considering moving forward? Share your thoughts in the comments or call 866-893-5722 to join the live conversation. 

Guest: 

J.J. McCorvey, reporter for the Wall Street Journal and Noted, a journal publication for young people, his latest story is “The Post-Covid-19 Rules of Tipping;” he tweets @jjmccorvey

Today on AirTalk, we discuss the latest COVID-19 news. Also on the show, we talk with restaurant and brewery owners about the yellow tier reopenings; break down the latest EDD news; and more.