AirTalk Nov. 9, 2026

Today's show: Austin Cross, filling in for AirTalk host Larry Mantle, discusses Stephen Miller, Nithya Raman as mayor, the new Endeavour exhibit, the latest with the local L.A. elections, SoCal History and what it means to be a 'difficult' child. Cross is LAist's local Morning Edition host and also hosts Friday AirTalk.

Stephen Miller is President Trump’s new chief of staff

President Donald Trump appointed Stephen Miller as the new White House chief of staff, a position that officially starts this week. Miller, who is from Southern California, is one of Trump’s longest serving aides and has been behind much of the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies. We'll discuss Miller's career and his new tenure as chief of staff with Jean Guerrero, author of Hatemonger: Stephen Miller, Donald Trump and the White Nationalist Agenda.

What will Nithya Raman be able to do as mayor?

Last week, Angelenos elected Nithya Raman to be their next mayor. Her progressive agenda is a stark departure from previous administrations, but how much of it will she be able to accomplish in the office? Today on AirTalk, we look at how the city’s next mayor can use the position to accomplish her goals with L.A. Times reporter David Zahniser and Raphe Sonenshein, executive director of the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation.

New Space Shuttle Endeavour exhibit opens this week

The California Science Center’s new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, which includes the nearly 20-story-tall vertical display of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, officially opens to the public this week on Nov. 13. We talk to the science center’s president and CEO, Jeffrey Rudolph, about the exhibit and what it took to get the space shuttle to stand vertically in the launch position.

The latest on LA elections and politics

Los Angeles city politics has gotten a bit of a shakeup, outside of the much-talked-about mayor’s race. Two city council races, one representing much of South L.A. and the other representing southwest San Fernando Valley, are still too close to call. We get an update on those races, where other local races stand and what's at stake. Today, we're joined by Julia Wick, co-founder and editorial director for L.A. Material, and Frank Stoltze, LAist civics and democracy correspondent.

SoCal History: When LA last ousted a sitting mayor

Mayor-elect Nithya Raman’s triumph over incumbent Mayor Bass represents the first time an L.A. mayor has been ousted in over two decades. This has drawn some parallels to the historic 2005 ousting of then-Mayor James Hahn by Antonio Villaraigosa. Today on AirTalk, we take a look back at what was different for Angelenos then and what remains the same for voters today with Mindy Romero, sociologist and director of the Center for Inclusion and Democracy (CID).

What does it mean to be a ‘difficult’ child?

Whether you knew one or were one, the "difficult child" descriptor can hold a lot of meaning. It could mean they struggle to pay attention or sit still, they ask too many questions or can’t stop talking, or maybe they have big emotions that feel hard to manage. But maybe these qualities actually deserve some praise instead. That’s the sentiment from an article in The Atlantic that was released earlier this year. Today on AirTalk, we discuss how to rethink being a "difficult child" with The Atlantic's Russell Shaw and Arturo Garcia, professor of psychology.