Birthright citizenship, World Cup knockouts, transgender athletes, student loans and more

Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses birthright citizenship, World Cup knockout stages, Soccernomics, transgender athletes, student loans, and a new book on Christian women and the American right.

Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship

The topic:

The case: The decision firmly rejected the executive order that Trump issued on the first day of his second term. It sought to bar citizenship for babies born in the U.S. to parents who either entered the country illegally or who are living and working here legally with temporary visas.

The decision: By a 6-to-3 vote the justices interpreted the words, "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" to mean that all children born in the U.S. were automatically granted citizenship—with three limited exceptions, only one of which exists today—for the children of foreign diplomats.

Read more: Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship on constitutional grounds

Guests:

• Pratheepan Gulasekaram, professor of law at the University of Colorado Boulder, and director of the Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law
• Winnie Kao, senior counsel of Impact Litigation for the Asian Law Caucus, who were Co-Counsel for plaintiffs.

As the World Cup enters the knockout stage, a look at where things stand

The bracket is set for the knockout stage of the World Cup,

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The topic:

The latest: Yesterday’s games saw Brazil triumph over Japan 2-1, Morocco win against the Netherlands in a penalty shootout, and a close match between Paraguay and Germany end up in the former’s favor also in a penalty shootout.

How Team USA is looking: The U.S. faces Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32 in Santa Clara, California, on Wednesday night. The Americans are significantly favored — which is sort of an achievement in itself, given that this team has won exactly one knockout-round match in its entire World Cup history.

With files from the Associated Press

Guest:

• Kevin Baxter, staff writer for the L.A. Times covering soccer

The latest edition of the book 'Soccernomics' explores America’s relationship with soccer

Liverpool's Cody Gakpo (right) scores his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, on Aug. 15, 2025. Both teams are owned by Americans.

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The topic:

The book: Soccernomics was first published in 2009. Co-written by sports journalist Simon Kuper and economist Stefan Szymanski, the book discusses topics ranging from why club teams don’t make money to why outside shots produce more goals to why certain countries dominate, all with detailed statistical data that analyzes soccer not just as a beloved sport but as a type of science.

The latest edition: Soccernomics: Why European Men and American Women Usually Win―and American Men Don’t (Yet) includes new analysis on the United States’ team and Major League Soccer just as all eyes are on the U.S. as host country.

Guest:

• Stefan Szymanski, professor of sport management at the University of Michigan and co-author of Soccernomics, which recently published its 2026 World Cup Edition (2026, Bold Type Books)

Supreme Court allows states to ban transgender athletes 

The Supreme Court ruled on two cases involving transgender athletes

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The topic:

The backstory: At the heart of the case is Title IX, the landmark civil rights law that bars sex-based discrimination in education programs that receive federal money. Enacted in 1972, the law has revolutionized women's sports by requiring equal treatment for male and female athletes, including proportional scholarship funding and equal facilities.

The ruling: The Supreme Court ruled that since Title IX explicitly allows sex-segregated athletic teams, states are free to limit team players to their sex at birth.

Bans of trans women and girls in sports: In recent years, 27 states have barred trans women and girls from participating in girls' sports. The issue has become the newest flashpoint in both politics and law — especially after 2024 when the Trump presidential campaign aired attack ads on the subject more than 15,000 times, putting Democrats on the defensive.

With files from LAist

Guests:

• Jennifer C. Pizer, Chief Legal Officer and Eden/Rushing Chair for Lambda Legal, a legal organization that works on civil rights issues for the LGBTQ+ community;
• Josh Blackman, professor of constitutional law at the South Texas College of Law Houston

Student loan payments are set to change on July 1; here’s what to know

Student loan borrowers and advocates have been pressing for debt reliefs for many years.

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The topic:

Catching up: The nearly eight million borrowers on the SAVE Plan have not been required to make any payments towards their loans, as the plan was challenged in court soon after implementation. This unofficial pause also came with a pause in interest accrual for many borrowers that lasted until last August.

New to borrowing? Undergraduate limits are unchanged: dependent students can borrow $5,500 the first year, $6,500 the second, and $7,500 after that. Independent students start at $9,500, then $10,500, then $12,500.

Paying off your loans? Your options now depend on timing. Loans disbursed before July 1, 2026 keep the existing plans, including IBR, ICR, PAYE, and the new RAP. Any new loan on or after July 1 limits you to two: RAP or the new Tiered Standard Plan.

Guests:

• Yusra Farzan, LAist higher education reporter, her latest story is You are not alone in navigating student debt changes. Here is what you can do
• Dalié Jiménez, professor of law and director of the Student Loan

New book explores the women bolstering the American right

A supporter of President Donald Trump holds a Women for Trump flag outside Trump Tower on November 3, 2020 in New York City. After a record-breaking early voting turnout, Americans head to the polls on the last day to cast their vote for incumbent U.S. President Donald Trump or Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

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The topic:

The book: Esther’s Army, The Christian Women Who Power the American Right draws from over ten years of ethnographic research, with interviews with numerous women in the movement from grassroots activists to those closer to the campaign trail.

Guest:

• Katie Gaddini, visiting scholar at Stanford University and associate professor of sociology at University College London; her book is Esther’s Army, The Christian Women Who Power the American Right.