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Ebola outbreak latest, gut-brain connection, Cinerama Dome's history and more
A poster displaying Ebola emergency contact numbers is pinned to a tent.
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BADRU KATUMBA
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AFP / Getty Images
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Today on AirTalk: Guest host Austin Cross discusses the Ebola global health emergency; AI in dating; connections between gut and brain; the history of the Cinerama Dome and more. Cross hosts LAist's Morning Edition daily and AirTalk Friday.
Ebola emergency and disease response
The topic:
The World Health Organization declared the Ebola disease outbreak caused by a rare virus in Congo and neighboring Uganda a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday, after more than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths.
Background: Ebola is highly contagious and can be contracted via bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen. The disease it causes is rare, but severe and often fatal.
Context: WHO’s emergency declaration is meant to spur donor agencies and countries into action. By WHO’s standards, it shows the event is serious, there is a risk of international spread and it requires a coordinated international response.
Yes, but: WHO said the outbreak doesn’t meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency like COVID-19, and advised against the closure of international borders.
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With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
- Janice Kew, Africa health and consumer reporter for Bloomberg News based in Johannesburg, South Africa
- Peter Chin-Hong, M.D., infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center
California considers banning engineered-stone countertops
A stone fabricator places his hand on a table that he cut at his home in San Francisco on Oct. 17, 2023.
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Beth LaBerge
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KQED
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The topic:
Many of the workers fabricating engineered-stone countertops are left with the fatal lung disease silicosis. Now the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is considering a ban on these products. The group votes later this week.
Is there a similar precedent? Yes, Australia banned these products in 2024 in response to similar public health concerns.
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When is the vote? This Thursday, May 21
Read more: California may ban artificial stone countertops after lung disease outbreak
Guest:
- Jim Morris, executive director and editor-in-chief of Public Health Watch, a nonprofit investigative news organization
Can AI save the dating apps?
Women no longer have to make the first move on Bumble, the dating app that was launched in 2014 with the goal of putting more power in the hands of women.
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Nikos Pekiaridis
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Getty Images
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The topic:
Bumble’s founder and CEO, Whitney Wolfe Herd, announced earlier this month that the dating app will be forgoing the swipe: the feature synonymous with online dating indicating if a user is interested in a profile or not.
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What will replace the swipe? Instead, Bumble plans to implement AI features such as a dating assistant to help users improve their profiles and connect with potential matches. However, Bumble will not allow AI-generated photos on the platform.
Dating app fatigue: Trust in dating apps has dwindled over the years, users often citing concerns over over fake profiles and misleading self-presentation. Bumble’s total revenue dropped over 14% in 2025, with total paying users decreasing by about 20%. In 2026, Bumble’s first quarter results show a 14% decrease in revenue.
Join the conversation: Have you seen AI technology pop up in your dating apps? How does AI use on these platforms affect your trust in them? Call 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
Guests:
- Anna Iovine, associate editor of features at Mashable where she covers sex, dating, and relationships
- Marco Dehnert, assistant professor of Communication and Technology at the University of Arkansas. He also directs the AI and Robots for Connection (ARC) Lab at the Center for Communication Research
Gut Talk: the gut-brain connection
Image illustrating the connection between the brain and the gut's nervous system.
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Abdul Rauf
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iStockphoto
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The topic:
Perhaps one of the hardest things to do is talk about your tummy. But it turns out, your stomach makes those rumbles and growls in part to communicate with your brain. This week, we kick things off for our weeklong series on the gut with a conversation about the gut-brain connection.
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Gut-brain: Your gut has its own nervous system — the enteric nervous system — with roughly 500 million neurons. It communicates with your brain via the vagus nerve, produces about 90% of your body's serotonin, and may influence mood, decision-making, and mental health in ways science is only beginning to understand.
Join the conversation: Do you trust your gut? Has your gut told you something out of instinct that your brain caught up to after the fact? Tell us when you listened to your gut first and how that worked out. Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com
Guests:
- Emeran Mayer, M.D., director of the UCLA Center for Neurobiology of Stress and author of “The Mind-Gut Connection” (2016)
- Kirsten Tillisch, M.D., professor of medicine in the Division of Digestive Diseases at UCLA
SoCal History: the Cinerama Dome is still closed, but its legacy lives on
A person stands while taking photos of the famed Cinerama Dome at the shuttered ArcLight Hollywood movie theater in 2021.
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Mario Tama
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Getty Images
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The topic:
Hollywood's Cinerama Dome, the geodesic landmark on Sunset Boulevard, has been closed since the start of the pandemic. While a potential second act for the Dome remains uncertain, its place in Hollywood history is cemented.
Background: The Dome opened in 1963 as the world's only concrete geodesic-dome theater. It was built in 16 weeks to premiere the Stanley Kramer film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
And then: It became a flagship venue for premieres and 70mm screenings before closing in March 2020. The Dome operator announced in April 2021 it would not reopen.
Why it matters: Reopening timelines have slipped repeatedly since 2022. Grassroots advocates have garnered more than 30,000 signatures for a petition to press for action.
Guest:
- Wade Major, film critic for LAist and CineGods.com and author of the “Hollywood Heretic” Substack
- Adrian Scott Fine, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Conservancy
-
LAist sat down with the owner of Greyhound Bar and Grill in Highland Park to talk about their wings and the World Cup. -
A new book makes the case that adults are socialized away from being playful, but that being a little goofy has serious benefits for all ages. -
Today on AirTalk: State of the governor's race, a new book on living playfully, Food Friday: World Cup pub crawl, FilmWeek, and film projectionists.
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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.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
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