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AirTalk Oct. 15, 2026

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Listen 58:53
LAUSD school closures, Mark Swed on his retirement, handling high-profile patrons, Triple Play, hospitality business after World Cup and TV Talk.
LAUSD school closures, Mark Swed on his retirement, handling high-profile patrons, Triple Play, hospitality business after World Cup and TV Talk.

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Listen 10:50
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.
Listen 10:24
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.
Listen 7:56
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.
Listen 10:46
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.
Listen 10:39
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.
Listen 8:04
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.
More AirTalk episodes
  • The significance of an AAPI mayor, sneaking around parents, Yellow Paper Burger, FilmWeek and the American French Film Festival.
  • Jensen Huang resigns as Nvidia CEO, Lucy Jones on her new Center for Disaster Resilience, Caltech’s new exhibit, Prop. 45 and the future of CEQA and TV Talk.
  • Why Prop 40 failed, veterans' issues, Gen Z intimacy, LA's harm reduction program, Gen Z film culture and Route 66 turns 100.

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