AirTalk Oct. 21, 2026

Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses the latest on Russia-Ukraine war, Prop. 43, NBA preview, misdiagnoses with autoimmune diseases and this week in AI.

An update on the Russia-Ukraine war

Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed Wednesday to resume trilateral negotiations with Washington and Kyiv on ending the war in Ukraine, a Kremlin official said. The Russian leader has agreed “in principle” to resume the talks after Nov. 10, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters following a meeting in St. Petersburg between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff. However, there was little progress beyond exchanges of prisoners of war as Moscow and Kyiv stuck to their basic demands.

Guest:

• Brian Taylor, professor of political science at Syracuse University who studies Russian Politics

Prop 43: Special Tax Measure limits

Proposition 43 would make it harder to create or raise certain local taxes. It would raise the share of votes needed to pass local special tax measures proposed by citizens from a simple majority to two-thirds. The measure grew out of a deal between state lawmakers and the anti-tax Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association to keep a more restrictive tax proposal off the ballot.

Guests:

• Susan Shelley, vice president of communications at the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
• Bill Barnes, campaigns director for the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California

NBA Preview: The California showdown

The Los Angeles Lakers are officially in their post-Lebron James era, as they take on Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors at home tonight for their season opener. This marks the first time in 8 years that the Lakers were not scheduled to play on opening night for the NBA. Along with the Lakers/Warriors showdown tonight, there is also another battle of California taking place in Inglewood, where the Sacramento Kings take on the L.A. Clippers. This will be the first time all four in-state teams play each other across the first two days of a NBA season.

Guest:

• Dan Woike, covers the Los Angeles Lakers for The Athletic.

Christina Applegate says she was misdiagnosed with MS – how common are misdiagnoses?

Christina Applegate, who has candidly shared raw details about her journey with multiple sclerosis for years, revealed Monday her doctor says she doesn’t have the autoimmune disease and was misdiagnosed.

Guest:

• Marwa Kaisey M.D., assistant professor of neurology at Cedars-Sinai

This week in AI: Political ads and Anthropic’s AI bill

There’s seemingly a new AI headline just about every day, if not every hour. Each week on AirTalk, we set aside some time to catch you up on the biggest stories and developments of the week.

Guests:

• Bob McMillan, reporter for the Wall Street Journal who covers computer security, hackers and privacy
• Benjamin Guggenheim, author of the AI & Tech Brief newsletter at Washington Post Intelligence