AirTalk Oct. 19, 2026

Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses the No Kings protests, Prop. 37, a new LACMA exhibit on past visions of the future homes, Latino voters on Trump, and the history and downfall of gay and lesbian bars in Southern California.

Were you at a No Kings protest this weekend?

Rallies organized by the No Kings network opposed to President Donald Trump were held Saturday in cities and communities across the U.S., with an aim of getting people out to vote early in the midterm elections. Join the conversation: Did you attend a protest over the weekend? Have you attended previous ones? Why did you feel it was important to turn out, and what was your takeaway? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.

Guest:

• Andrew Campa, staff writer for the L.A. Times; he attended a No Kings protests Saturday in Temecula

Prop 37: low-cost mortgages

Proposition 37 seeks to create a “middle class” down payment assistance program funded by revenue bonds of up to $25 billion. Under the proposed program, homebuyers earning up to 200% of their area’s median income could apply for state funding to cover down payments of up to 17% for newly-built homes. We lay out the pros and cons of the proposition and how it would work.

Guest:

• David Wagner, LAist housing correspondent

New LACMA exhibit looks at past visions of the future homes

LACMA’s new exhibit, Home of the Future, 1925–1985: Designing Domestic Utopias, explores visions of how living in American homes would be transformed by future technologies. Some of these predictions, like rooms centered around television sets, would come to pass while ideas like self-cleaning kitchens remain tantalizingly out of reach. We talk with the curator.

Guest:

• Wendy Kaplan, curator and department head of decorative arts and design for LACMA

Latino voters helped put Trump back in the White House. What’s their next move?

As a group, Latinos shifted toward Trump two years ago, helping return him to the White House with a Republican-controlled Congress. Now, many are souring on the president and his party, which could upend the balance of power in Washington in the Nov. 3 elections.

Guest:

• Mike Madrid, Republican political consultant and co-founder of The Lincoln Project; he is author of the book The Latino Century: How America's Largest Minority Is Transforming Democracy

SoCal History: The economic downfall of gay and lesbian bars

Over the last century, Southern California’s gay and lesbian bar scene has helped build cultural hubs throughout the region. From the Coast Inn’s historic Boom Boom Room in Laguna Beach to The Boulevard in Pasadena, many historic venues have since shut down due a sharp decline in standalone gay and lesbian bars. We look at the history and the various economic factors that’ve hit the region and beyond.

Guest:

• Joseph Hawkings, former director of ONE Archives at the USC Libraries