One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
AirTalk Oct. 15, 2026
Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses LAUSD school closures, Mark Swed on his retirement, handling high-profile patrons, Triple Play, hospitality business after World Cup and TV Talk.
Have a question or comment about a segment? Want to pitch us a story?
Fill out the form below, and please include an email address so we're able to follow up if necessary! We're not able to respond to every inquiry, but all submissions are read and reviewed by our production team.
LAUSD begins to make the case for school closures
LAUSD concluded the first round of public meetings Monday in a process that could lead to a board vote on school closures within the next year. And under growing scrutiny from state and L.A. County officials, district administrators are also considering a series of budget cuts that could lead to the elimination of thousands of jobs to avoid running out of money.
Guest:
- Mariana Dale, senior reporter K-12 education
LA Times classical music critic Mark Swed on his retirement
Los Angeles Times classical music critic Mark Swed has retired. When he announced his retirement last month, he was the only remaining classical music critic at a major newspaper in the United States. He joins Larry Mantle to discuss his career.
Sponsored message
Guest:
- Mark Swed, L.A. Times classical music critic from 1996 to 2026 who retired in September
Dos and don'ts for handling high-profile patrons
A dispute between singer Kelly Clarkson and a small store in Brooklyn has led to some angry fans and heated commentary. The conflict, involving a high-priced mechanical bird, is raising more issues than just the quality of customer service. It’s also a case study in power dynamics between someone with a high profile and those without.
Guests:
- Bob Phibbs, retail consultant whose known as “The Retail Doctor;” author of the book The Sales Floor Problem
Triple Play: the Dodgers need a 4-win streak to stave off elimination
The star-studded Los Angeles Dodgers, so used to winning year after year, find themselves in unfamiliar territory lately — on the brink of playoff elimination. The Triple Play joins to discuss what's at stake.
Guests:
- Nick Roman, host of Roman on the Radio; he's also a former host of All Things Considered on LAist
- Molly Knight, sportswriter and author of The Long Game baseball newsletter
The World Cup games underwhelmed SoCal hotels
Hotels in Southern California were anticipating a huge boost in their bookings ahead of the FIFA World Cup games this year, but by almost every metric that 2026 international sporting event failed to deliver that boost. As the hospitality business looks ahead to LA28, we talk with two experts.
Sponsored message
Guests:
- Kevin Klowden, a fellow at the Milken Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank with a focus on financial, physical, mental, and environmental health based in Santa Monica
- Jackie Filla, president and CEO of the Hotel Association of Los Angeles
TV Talk: ‘Crystal Lake,’ ‘VisionQuest,’ ‘The Diplomat’ and more!
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. This week, listeners will get the latest scoop on what’s worth watching.
TV Shows:
- Crystal Lake, Season 1, Peacock
- VisionQuest, Season 1, Disney+
- The Diplomat, Season 4, Netflix
- The Lowdown, Season 2, Hulu
Guests:
- Saloni Gajjar, staff writer covering TV at the A.V. Club
-
Bass and Raman debate recap, Prop 39, what you thought the future would be like as a kid, Triple Play, this week in AI and Chuck Lorre on new memoir. -
Research group Circana found that in the first half of the year, adult-only households made up 55% of toy sales and are driving industry growth. AirTalk gets into why. -
New Burbank airport terminal, Prop 4, acne do's and don'ts, American Dream economics, California wine glut and the history of American bread.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
