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Ban on pretextual police stops? Interviews with Steve Hilton and Matt Mahan, and more
LAPD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles.
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Chava Sanchez
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LAist
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Jump to
- LA City Council votes to ban pretextual police stops — but will LAPD comply?
- What to know about the CA insurance commissioner’s race
- TV Talk: ‘Citadel,’ ‘Amadeus,’ ‘Lord of the Flies,’ and more!
- In-depth with California governor candidate Steve Hilton
- In-depth with California governor candidate Matt Mahan
Today on AirTalk: Ban on pretextual police stops? CA insurance commissioner’s race; TV Talk; and California gubernatorial candidates Steve Hilton and Matt Mahan.
Today's show: Austin Cross, filling in for AirTalk host Larry Mantle, discusses LA City Council's vote to ban pretextual police stops; the CA insurance commissioner’s race; this week's TV releases; and he interviews gubernatorial candidates Steve Hilton and Matt Mahan. Cross is LAist's local Morning Edition host and also hosts Friday AirTalk.
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LA City Council votes to ban pretextual police stops — but will LAPD comply?
The topic:
L.A. City Council members voted yesterday to ask the Los Angeles Police Department to stop the use of pretextual stops, in which officers detain or pull over a person for a minor offense in order to investigate the person for a more serious crime.
Listen
16:43
Listen to the conversation:
Guests: Jeff Wenninger, retired LAPD lieutenant, and Marqueece Harris-Dawson, LA City Council Member and president of the city council
Context: Civil rights activists, including the ACLU, have long said that pretextual stops disproportionately impact communities of color, an argument that data backs up.
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Yes, but: The council’s proposal does not directly impact LAPD policy. The Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners will ultimately decide if the practice should be banned. LAPD leaders have said in the past that eliminating pretextual stops could diminish the department’s ability to detect illegal activity.
What to know about the CA insurance commissioner’s race
The charred remains of a house after the Eaton Fire in Altadena.
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Jules Hotz
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CalMatters
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The topic:
Nine candidates are looking to be elected as the head of California’s insurance office. We’ll briefly go through the candidates and the level of support they’re garnering.
Listen
16:32
Listen to the conversation:
Guest: Levi Sumagaysay, economy reporter for CalMatters
Why it’s important: Following the Los Angeles fires in 2025, many Eaton and Palisades Fire survivors have dealt with insurance-related challenges. The commissioner is a key figure in regulating insurance companies.
Sponsored message
Yes, but: Insurance companies are also seeing the California market as increasingly risky, and writing fewer home policies or leaving the state altogether. The commissioner will have to toe a careful line.
TV Talk: ‘Citadel,’ ‘Amadeus,’ ‘Lord of the Flies,’ and more!
A still from the "Lord of the Flies" TV series
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Netflix
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Netflix
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The topic:
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.
Listen
16:13
Listen to the conversation:
Guests: Angie Han, TV critic for The Hollywood Reporter, and Liz Shannon-Miller, senior entertainment editor at Consequence
TV Shows:
- Citadel [Season 2] (Amazon Prime)
- Amadeus [Limited Series] (STARZ)
- Lord of the Flies [Limited Series] (Netflix)
- The Bear “Gary” [SPECIAL EPISODE] (FX)
- Stranger Things: Tales From '85 [Season 1] (Netflix)
- M.I.A. [Season 1] (Peacock)
- Conbody vs Everybody [5-part series] (Criterion)
- Twenty Twenty Six [Limited Series] (BBC |Tubi)
In-depth with California governor candidate Steve Hilton
Steve Hilton, Republican gubernatorial candidate for California, speaks during a gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco in April.
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Pool
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Getty Images
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Sponsored message
The topic:
British and American political commentator and former political advisor Steve Hilton is running to be the next governor of California. He’s running as a Republican, and pitching himself as the change the state needs after years of Democrats controlling all levers of the state government.
Listen
25:58
Listen to the conversation:
Guest: Steve Hilton, California gubenartorial candidate running as a Republican
The Context: AirTalk is sitting down with candidates vying to be California’s next governor for longform, in-depth discussions leading up to the June 2 primary.
Voter Game Plan: Figure out who and what is on your ballot with the LAist voter game plan.
In-depth with California governor candidate Matt Mahan
California gubernatorial candidate and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan speaks after an April gubernatorial debate in San Francisco.
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Benjamin Fanjoy
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Getty Images
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Sponsored message
The topic:
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is running for California governor on what he's calling a back to basics platform. He's pitching himself as the pragmatic alternative in a very crowded Democratic field, and Silicon Valley's biggest names are betting on him.
Listen
26:04
Listen to the conversation:
Guest: Matt Mahan, Mayor of San Jose and candidate for California governor
The Context: AirTalk is sitting down with candidates vying to be California’s next governor for longform, in-depth discussions leading up to the June 2 primary.
Voter Game Plan: Figure out who and what is on your ballot with the LAist voter game plan.
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Today on AirTalk: Election updates, brains on fatherhood, new green card requirements, AI and religion, and polling on who Americans think is cool. -
Today on AirTalk: LA Phil next music director, L.A. and O.C. judicial races, annoying jingles, L.A. city attorney accusations, AI Google search, and Mono Lake basin. -
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Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
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