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E-bikes in Orange County, AI safety concerns, gas price pain, PetTalk and more
Orange County District Attorney is testing out a range of strategies to crack down on illegal e-bikes and e-motos, including a buyback event at Angel Stadium on Sept. 13, 2026.
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Jill Replogle
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LAist
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Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses e-bikes in Orange County, AI safety concerns, rising gas prices, PetTalk and artificial intimacy.
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Students, e-bikes and chaos in Orange County
The topic:
Newport-Mesa Unified voted to ban e-bikes from middle and elementary school campuses, citing safety concerns. But many students kept riding their e-bikes to school anyway, parking them in swarms in the surrounding neighborhood.
E-bike backlash: The neighbors did not like this. Shouting matches ensued between students and homeowners. At least one student returned from class to find her tires deflated.
Some "e-bikes" aren’t e-bikes: California law prohibits children under age 16 from riding Class 3 e-bikes with motors capable of reaching 28 mph. Any bicycle-shaped device that goes faster than 30 mph is technically an e-motorcycle, which requires a special driver’s license and, if ridden on public roads, insurance and registration.
Join the conversation: Do you ride an e-bike, or have a child who rides an e-bike? Has this created any issues at your local schools? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722, or email atcomments@laist.com.
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Read Jill’s full story here
Guest:
- Jill Replogle, Orange County correspondent for LAist
This week in AI: OpenAI scraps latest model over safety concerns, new agents and more
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and OpenAI president Greg Brockman.
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Godofredo A. Vásquez
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AP
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The topic:
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.
New model scrapped: OpenAI has scrapped the latest iteration of their most powerful “Astra” AI model, after safety concerns were raised by researchers during testing, according to the Wall Street Journal. The model, which would have gone by the moniker GPT 6.1 Astra, was found to conceal its actions from researchers and perform actions without asking for permission.
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Safety first? The move to scrap GPT 6.1 comes as the New York Times reports OpenAI ignored security researcher warnings about model misalignment (the term for models performing actions humans would not want) during testing earlier this year. After these warnings, internal OpenAI models went on to hack Hugging Face, setting off ongoing questions over AI safety.
Other stories we’re watching:
- President Trump and AI executives agree on voluntary standards
- OpenAI launches AI agent “Dots” to compete with Meta’s Muse
- How AI Agents could reduce economic friction
- U.S. Government launches America.gov AI website
- Google set to test whether Datacenters can operate in space
Guests:
- Sheera Frenkel, New York Times reporter covering technology
- Nic Perez, AirTalk producer
Gas price pain — how are you managing?
Gas prices at a gas station in Sacramento on March 19, 2026. Prices at the pump continue to rise amid the escalating conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
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Miguel Gutierrez Jr.
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CalMatters
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The topic:
The pain at the pump has not shown any signs of softening, particularly in California where gas prices are still climbing and nearing the state record of $6.44, and diesel prices reaching a new record high of $8.44, despite national averages mostly leveling off. Today on AirTalk, we talk with listeners about how they are dealing with the rising costs at the pump.
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Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! How has the rise in gas costs affected your driving habits? How have you adjusted? Are you a commuter or commercial driver? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com
PetTalk: your burning pet questions, answered
Have any questions about your pet?
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Krista Mangulsone
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Unsplash
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The topic:
Why is Fido barking at 3 a.m.? Why has Mr. Whiskers' palate suddenly shifted away from his favorite wet food? Why is Fido STILL barking at 4 a.m.? These are all valid questions, but also maybe ones not worth an entire trip to the vet. So today on AirTalk, we're bringing the vet to you!
Join the conversation: What are some burning pet care questions you have about your family's furriest member? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.
The vet is in:
- Dr. John Tegzes, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and professor of Health Systems Sciences at Western University of Health Sciences; he is also a board-certified specialist in toxicology
Intimacy in the age of AI
How intimate are you with AI?
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SvetaZi
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iStockphoto
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The topic:
Intimacy between human beings is a feeling of deep connection with another person that often involves affection, trust, vulnerability and an emotional bond. Think eye contact, synchronized laughter, intellectual discourse — all of which serve as ways we express and experience intimacy with each other. But experts believe that the fundamental human support system that intimacy offers is at severe risk in the age of artificial intelligence, where human reliance on each other for empathy is being simulated with machine learning and chatbots.
Guest:
- Sherry Turkle, author of Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become when We Talk to Machines (Little, Brown and Company, 2026) and the founding director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self
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Today on AirTalk: Latest on LA28 Olympics, LA CD-3 candidate Tim Gaspar, new book on UC system, Dodgers, college sports law and top 100 TV shows of the 21st century. -
Today on AirTalk: Cornell University sexual assault, candidate Richard Barrera, Shirley Weber on reelection, OpenAI pauses training, ASCO history and memories of grandparents. -
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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