AirTalk

Have you felt completely overwhelmed when deciding what new show to watch these days? Us too. There’s just so much content out there between network TV and numerous streaming platforms. Each week, we will try to break through the noise with TV watchers who can point us to the must-sees and steer us clear of the shows that maybe don’t live up to the hype. This week, listeners will get the latest scoop on what’s worth watching with Dominic Patten, executive editor for Deadline, and Marcus Jones, awards editor for TV & Film at IndieWire.

Shows:

• House of the Dragon (HBO/Max)
• Throwback (Peacock)
• Love Island USA (Peacock)
• Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia (Sundance Now)
• Hollywood Black (MGM+)
• Bad Monkey (Apple TV+)
• Yo Gabba GabbaLand (Apple TV+)

Residents around the Salton Sea have been plagued by persistent foul odors emanating from the lake, along with increased incidences of asthma and other respiratory illnesses. In fact, a soon to be released study by UC Riverside shows that the Salton Sea’s rotting odors have become a yearlong nuisance for people living near the lake. As the Salton Sea continues to shrink and expose more toxic dust, the health risks only grow. Amid these challenges, some see a glimmer of hope in the region’s lithium deposits. Proponents argue that harnessing this valuable resource could not only spur economic development but also fund efforts to revitalize and restore the lake. What does the future hold for the Salton Sea? Here to discuss is Timothy Krantz, professor emeritus of the environmental studies program and program manager of the Salton Sea Database at the University of Redlands.

If you feel like you’ve been running into a lot of spiders recently, you’re not alone. Whether catching a glimpse of them in the corner of your eye or walking straight into a spider web, it’s almost like they’re everywhere at the moment. So what’s going on? After a healthy season of rain the past two years, Los Angeles is welcoming a more robust and flourishing community of our local, arachnid friends. But where are you most likely to run into them? From Jumping Spiders and Orb-Weavers to differentiating between Black and Brown Widows, we’re talking all things spiders this morning to help us get a sense of why we’re seeing so much spider activity this time of year. Joining us to talk about it is Lisa Gonzalez, program manager of invertebrates for the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. We also want to hear from you! Have you been seeing an uptick in spiders recently? Or have a question about spiders in Los Angeles? Give us a call at 866-893-5722. Or email us at [email protected].

Orange County officials are expanding demands for refunds of millions in tax dollars that county Supervisor Andrew Do gave to a nonprofit his daughter was listed as leading. And they’re threatening to take the group to court.

A letter issued Wednesday by the county, obtained by LAist through a public records request, demands Viet America Society return the millions in public funding earmarked to feed needy residents and warns millions more may be at issue.

Last Friday, LAist was the first to report that the county recently demanded a $2.2 million refund from Viet America Society (VAS), as well as $1 million from another group — Hand to Hand Relief Organization — that passed much of it to VAS, according to public records obtained by LAist.

Now, county officials are ramping up the pressure. Joining to discuss the latest on this and detail an investigation launched into a local homeless service provider is Nick Gerda, LAist senior reporter covering unhoused communities.

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games are set to wrap up in the next several days. Whether watching on cable, streaming, or TikTok viewers have been treated to a stunning display of athleticism from around the globe. From a controversial opening ceremony to the triumphant return of Snoop Dog, the Paris games have been nothing short of pure entertainment. Today on AirTalk, we are breaking down everything you need to know about the 2024 Paris Olympic Games as they come to a close. Joining us to discuss the latest from Paris is David Wharton, staff writer for The Los Angeles Times Covering The Olympics, and Sarah T. Roberts, professor and director of UCLA’s Center for Critical Internet Inquiry. We also want to hear from you. What have been your favorite moments of the Olympics?

Today on AirTalk, the latest on the delays and challenges facing the return of the Boeing Starliner crew. Also on the show, we learn about a new peanut allergy treatment that’s been introduced in Australia; we preview the newest episode of LAist’s podcast ‘Imperfect Paradise;’ we check-in with SoCal school districts ahead of the new school year; California State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas talks about the new self-checkout bill; and more.

• Latest on the NASA Boeing Starliner delays (00:17)
• An update on peanut allergy treatments (15:42)
• Preview: newest episode of ‘Imperfect Paradise’ (36:05)
• Check-in with SoCal school districts (52:01)
• How we became ‘Extremely Online’ (1:18:20)
• Follow-up on the new self-checkout bill (1:35:47)

Today on AirTalk, Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Also on the show, we dig into what exactly a Vice President does; we get a behind-the-scenes peek at how ‘The Simpsons’ became so good at predicting the future; we explore how false rumors ignited a weekend of violence in the UK; we check-in with the California legislature as they head back into session; and more.

• Kamala Harris selects Gov. Tim Walz as running mate (00:17)
• What exactly does a Vice President do? ( 21:44)
• How ‘The Simpsons’ predict the future (35:20)
• How false rumors ignited violence in the UK (51:23)
• Checking-in with the CA legislature (1:09:56)
• What's the best taco in SoCal? (1:26:46)

Passing the Mantle is a new podcast from LAist Studios about family, curiosity and the things that change — and stay the same — across generations. In this episode, Desmond and Larry talk about being homegrown Angelenos and how the city has shaped them over the years.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

Today on AirTalk, what the latest from Wall Street tells us about the possibility of a recession. Also on the show, we look into why U.S. based generic drug manufacturers are struggling to survive; we dive into the history of Southern California’s freeway system and its impact on Los Angeles; what’s behind tech companies scraping subtitles from hundreds of thousands of Youtube videos; listeners tell us about their first cars; and more.

• Are we heading into a recession? (00:17)
• Why are U.S. generic drug manufacturers struggling? (15:11)
• SoCal History: CA Freeways (28:08)
• What’s behind the CA self-checkout bill? (51:24)
• How tech companies are using Youtube data for AI (1:09:50)
• What does your first car mean to you? (1:27:58)

A new investigation finds big tech companies scraped scores of YouTube video subtitles for data

The rise of AI means a lot of the things you might do on the internet -- writing emails, posting to Instagram, working in a Google doc, and even posting a video to YouTube -- could be content that a major tech company could use to train its AI. A recent investigation from the nonprofit news organization Proof News and WIRED found that tech giants like Apple, Nvidia and others scraped subtitles from hundreds of thousands of YouTube videos across over 48,000 channels…without the knowledge of the people who created the videos. With us to share the investigation and\ why that was an issue for some of these creators is Annie Gilbertson, investigative reporter for Proof News.