AirTalk Oct. 28, 2026

Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses new polls on CA gubernatorial and L.A. mayoral race, Cole’s French Dip reopening, Tom Rosenstiel on new book, this week in AI, Prop 38 and new Bob Newhart bio.

Labor and civil rights leader Dolores Huerta dead at 96

Dolores Huerta, known for founding the United Farm Workers and her work in the civil rights space, has died at age 96. Having been one of the most prominent women organizers in California, her acknowledgements are a long list, with one such example being the state announcing earlier this year that April 10, Huerta’s birthday, would be Dolores Huerta Day. Today on AirTalk, we look back at her life and legacy.

Guest:

• Fernando Guerra, professor of political science and Chicana/o Latina/o studies at Loyola Marymount University; he's also the founding director of their Center for the Study of Los Angeles.

New polling shows how local and state races are shaping up in the final stretch

Two recent polls have found interesting developments in Los Angeles and statewide races. Today on AirTalk, we dive into the data to see how Angelenos and Californians are thinking about the November 3 election.

Guests:

• Mark DiCamillo, director of the Berkeley IGS Poll
• Mark Baldassare, statewide survey director at the Public Policy Institute of California

Cole’s announces reopening with new management

After the official closure of Cole’s French Dip, an over-100-year institution in downtown Los Angeles, many wondered what would happen to the business that hospitality group Pouring With Heart most recently owned. Roughly seven months later, Sean Maloney and Jeremy Fall announced plans to bring the beloved restaurant back.

Guests:

• Sean Maloney, co-owner of Cole’s French Dip in downtown Los Angeles
• Jeremy Fall, co-owner of Cole’s French Dip in downtown Los Angeles

New book looks at democracy and journalism’s survival in the twenty-first century

It is no understatement that modern-day journalism faces a crisis. As shown by the current administration’s White House media ban and Congress’ defunding of public media, newsrooms all around the country face a real challenge to stay alive. A new book by a veteran journalist highlights key factors and solutions to reinvent the press.

Guest:

• Tom Rosenstiel, journalist, media critic, researcher, novelist, and professor. He is the author of seven influential nonfiction books, including The Elements of Journalism, and his latest book is The Next Journalism: How the Press Must Change to Serve Democracy.

This week in AI: Anthropic to go public, AI agents accessing bank accounts, and more

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:

• Madison Mills, Axios senior AI reporter
• Nic Perez, AirTalk producer

Prop 38: immunology research bond

Proposition 38 allows California to borrow $8.4 billion in bonds to pay for the study of the human immune system and to develop treatments that help it fight diseases. It requires the state to enter into a partnership with — and allocate about half of the bond funds to — a University of California-affiliated institute that meets specific criteria. The other half of the funds would go toward competitive research grants. The measure would require at least half of the bond funds be used for immunology research on cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

Guests:

• Robin Swanson, spokesperson for the Yes on Prop 38 campaign
• Robert Kaplan, senior scholar at the Stanford School of Medicine Clinical Excellence Research Center and co-chair of the No on Prop. 38 campaign

A new biography on the comedian and actor Bob Newhart

Comedian and actor Bob Newhart burst onto the scene with his award-winning comedy album 'The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart' in 1961 and soon became a household name with two successful sitcoms. Younger generations may know him from his role in the movie Elf and as a guest star on the series The Big Bang Theory. Today, the author of the new biography Bob Newhart: The Life and Laughter of an American Treasure, joins AirTalk.

Guest:

• Michael Seth Starr, author of numerous biographies including William Shatner and Don Rickles. His latest book is Bob Newhart: The Life and Laughter of an American Treasure