Check-in on November’s regional storm

Check-in on November’s regional storm

It’s been a rainy few days for the region. Rainfall records fell across Southern California as a storm dropped between 2 and 13 inches across Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties, according to the National Weather Service. Although debris-flow thresholds were exceeded, no major landslides were reported in recently burned areas. The region could see more rain on Thursday and Friday as well, but the forecast is a bit uncertain. Joining us to discuss the recent storm and its impact on fire season is LAist science reporter, Jacob Margolis.

With files from LAist.com

What are the potential effects of regular gun range use?

There have been a few studies that have explored the link between repeated blast wave exposure in soldiers to brain injuries. But what about repeated exposure to gun fire in domestic settings, such as indoor gun ranges? The New York Times set out to test if gun blasts at gun ranges would have similar effects. In the piece “How Gun Blasts From Indoor Shooting May Cause Brain Injuries,” reporters documented their findings, and although gun blasts are smaller than those experienced in the military and fall within the “safe” PSI threshold (below 4 PSI), it only takes minutes of firing for users to exceed the proposed daily threshold of cumulative exposure. More research is being done to determine if prolonged exposure to gunfire blast waves cause brain damage. Joining us to discuss their reporting and test findings are Dave Philipps, reporter for the New York Times covering war, the military and veterans, and Thomas Gibbons-Neff, national correspondent for The New York Times, covering gun culture and policy.

Gut check: The state of microbiome research

Each of our bodies contains roughly 100 trillion microbes and over 3000 species of bacteria that affect our health and bodies in a myriad of ways. And many of those ways have yet to be discovered. Recent research has been focusing on interaction between our guts — where a lot of this microbiome is contained — and our brains, showing links between the microbes and neurological and psychiatric conditions. This link has the potential to provide new avenues of treatment for diseases like Parkinson’s and ALS. Joining us today to discuss the present and future of microbiome research are Shelly Buffington, assistant professor of neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine, and Stephanie DeMarco Managing Editor of The Scientist, a magazine for life science professionals.

UC could see tuition hikes at the same time international student enrollment is down

On Wednesday, the University of California Board of Regents is scheduled to vote on a potential tuition hike — a move that has already received pushback from students. This has come at a time when sources for student financial aid are under pressure, with the Trump Administration having recently stepped away from a plan to cut Pell grant funding. Still, other actions from the Trump Administration have been blamed for a decline in the number of international students coming to the U.S. this year to study. Those students have been a vital source of funding for colleges including the UC system, as they pay a premium price for their education compared to domestic students. So what’s the overall financial picture in higher ed look like, for both students and the institutions they attend? Joining us to dig into this is Jaweed Kaleem, higher education reporter at the Los Angeles Times.

Take the bust out of block: October becomes the worst box office month in 2025

Despite a combined $425 million haul, October 2025 was the worst October for the box office in almost 30 years. Studios have attempted to churn out star-studded titles like After the Hunt starring Julia Roberts or Die my Love featuring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, but expected blockbusters in North America have not turned a profit, playing on the silver screen in all but nearly empty theaters. Many in the industry blame the loss of revenue on an overall lack of exciting movie releases and the increased viewership of sports events like the World Series. Regardless, this year has begun to look like the bottom line is falling out as the box office is hurting across the board with highly anticipated and critically acclaimed titles like Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn, taking in just $70 million after seven weeks of release. Here to discuss the current state of the box office is Brooks Barnes, Hollywood reporter for the New York Times. We are also joined by Matthew Frank, reporter for The Ankler, who travelled to 58 theaters across the country to check in on moviegoers in October. We also want to hear from you! What factors do you think have contributed to this box office flop? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.

AirTalk listeners weigh in on the their best gets from abroad

Sometimes, a cigar is in order. Other times, a Cuban cigar is in order. Sometimes, that sandwich needs a bit of mustard from a region that does not practice daylight savings. Sometimes you just need something from somewhere else. And today on AirTalk, we want to hear what that thing is, and where you get it from. Maybe you travel to South Korea regularly to get the latest skincare products, or you have a friend in France who sends you cheeses to try. Whatever your must-have is, we want to hear about it. Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.