AirTalk Oct. 26, 2026

Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses high tide concerns in SoCal, Prop 3, a new book on Biddy Mason's story, the shift in digital media engagement thanks to AI and navigating Alzheimer's in relationships.

High tide coastal outlook

A coastal flood warning is in effect for the entire Orange and San Diego coastline from Sunday through Thursday. “Astronomical” high tides could create significant coastal flooding according to the National Weather Service. Morning high tides could reach nearly 7 feet and are likely to exceed 7.5 or 8 feet by this morning. 

Guests:

• Mark Orgill, mayor of Laguna Beach
• Jill Replogle, Orange County correspondent for LAist who has been covering the coastal storms
• Lucas Brady Woods, LAist reporter covering the weather and disasters

Prop 3: existing taxes on high incomes would become permanent

Currently the state’s richest earners pay a temporary higher income tax rate, which was last approved by voters in 2016. It’s due to expire in 2031. Most of the state’s money comes from income tax. It helps pay for spending that comes out of the general fund, which covers public services like education, healthcare and prisons. Proposition 3 proposes making that higher tax permanent.

Guests:

• Susan Shelley, vice president of communications at the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and opinion columnist and editorial writer for the O.C. Register
• David Goldberg, president of the California Teachers Association

Biddy Mason’s story of traveling across the American West and building Black Los Angeles

Biddy Mason’s story is one that begins in bondage and concludes with freedom in the Southwest and building the foundation of Black Los Angeles. Today on AirTalk, Larry speaks with the author of The Boundless Biddy Mason: An Odyssey from Slavery to Freedom Across the American West.

Guest:

• Kevin Waite, distinguished professor of history at the University of Texas at Dallas. His new book is The Boundless Biddy Mason: An Odyssey from Slavery to Freedom Across the American West. (University of California Press, 2026)

AI is causing big shifts in how we consume digital media

For over a decade, digital media — any content distributed primarily over the internet — has relied on web users to engage with content via search engine algorithms or SEOs. These SEOs are designed to reel in consumers using a browser’s search bar or a social media’s feed into the original digital media outlet’s landing page. Now that most browsers offer AI summaries, forms of hyperlink discovery are suppressed, decreasing the engagement digital media outlets have come to rely on. So what does the future look like?

Guests:

• Megan Garvey, editor-in-chief at LAist
• Kelly McBride, senior vice president and chair of Newmark Center for Ethics at Poynter
• Mitra Khalita, co-founder and CEO of URL Media and founder of Epicenter NYC

How do you navigate Alzheimer's in a relationship?

Alzheimer’s is a disease that not only affects the person afflicted with it, but also those around them. Today on AirTalk, we look at how relationships change when one person is experiencing Alzheimer's.

Guest:

• Nita Tucker, author of the book How Not to Stay Single When ... Your Husband Has Alzheimer’s and Two Girlfriends