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César Chávez day will likely be renamed — but what goes into a name?

A statue of a male-presenting person standing on a pedestal that reads 'Cesar Estrada Chavez'
A statue of labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez is displayed at the Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Park on March 18, 2026 in San Fernando, California.
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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Getty Images North America
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César Chávez day will likely be renamed — but what goes into a name?

Public officials across California are contemplating what to do with dozens of streets, parks and libraries named in honor of civil rights icon César Chávez in the wake of allegations he sexually assaulted two girls and a woman decades ago. The allegations surfaced in an investigation by the New York Times published earlier this week that sent shock waves across the country. Chávez, who was head of the United Farm Workers union, is widely recognized as one of the most influential labor leaders in U.S. history, known for founding the union and for leading national boycotts of grapes to improve working conditions for farmworkers. Chávez died in 1993. As part of this conversation, what to do with “César Chávez day,” which is enshrined on multiple levels of government as a day honoring the work of Chávez. Many proposals call for renaming the day to some version of “Farmworker’s day.” But what goes into a day’s name, and what exactly is the purpose of a day’s name? Today on AirTalk, we want to hear from you: what do you think the day’s purpose is? Is it to give Mexican-Americans an iconic figure to look up to? Or to honor farmworkers? Or something else entirely? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com,

With files from LAist.

Do AI guardrails lead to AI surveillance?

The wild west of AI is marching ever forward, with new advances seemingly happening just about every week. At the same time, concerns around AI have reached the point where laws regulating their use have been introduced in certain states, and in others like California they have been adopted. As of this year, AI chatbots that are used in the Golden State are supposed to inform users of suicide crisis resources should they express suicidal ideation. In a recent opinion piece in the Orange County Register, director of AI Innovation at the University of Texas School of Law and senior fellow at the Abundance Institute Kevin Frazier makes the case that government-imposed guardrails on AI chatbots infringe on users’ core liberties. He joins AirTalk this morning to explain further.

Henrietta is serving Italian deli goods from over-the-counter and stocked shelves

Although Los Angeles isn't known for its Italian delis, they've held enough of a presence to become a great lunch option for those craving cured meats and/or flavorful veggies. For those around the Echo Park area, you might be familiar with Henrietta, a one-stop shop to taste the flavors popularized in Roman delis. Today on AirTalk's Food Friday, we'll be talking about Henrietta and its reception since it opened early last year with Max Lesser, its owner.

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