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Ed Sheeran controversy, getting back with exes, Keno’s Restaurant, FilmWeek and more
Ed Sheeran performs onstage during iHeartRadio z100's Jingle Ball 2025 at Madison Square Garden on December 12, 2025.
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Kevin Mazur
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Getty Images
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Today's show: AirTalk Friday host Austin Cross discusses the Ed Sheeran saga and the repercussions for celebrities who speak up or stay silent, getting back with exes, Keno’s Restaurant, FilmWeek and TIFF's biggest releases. Cross is also LAist's local Morning Edition host.
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How should celebrities express their political opinions?
The topic:
Ed Sheeran’s tour of North and South America has been getting a lot of attention after a decision to drop Macklemore as an opener because of the rapper’s onstage pro-Palestinian comments. Since then, Sheeran’s other supporting acts have dropped out, including a group that plays with Sheeran during part of the show. Macklemore has said his removal was the result of an effort led by Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, where Sheeran’s tour is scheduled to perform later this month.
Politics and celebs: On Wednesday, Macklemore announced he would donate $1 million from his net earnings from the tour to six organizations helping Palestinians, including the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. Macklemore’s move is on par with the historic tradition of artists not only expressing their opinions, but also using their work as a tool for political and social commentary.
Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! How do you feel about Ed Sheeran’s position? Do you think an artist has the right to be able to express their opinions freely on stage with their fans and audiences? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
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With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
- Stephen Duncombe, professor of media and culture at New York University; he is the author of many books, including The Activism of Art: A Decentered Anthology (OR Books, 2025)
Is this a sign that you should get back with your ex?
Have you gotten back with an ex?
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Dima Berlin
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iStockphoto
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The topic:
Relationships can end for any number of reasons, but every now and then we overlook those reasons and head back for round two with the same person. So when is it a good idea to get back with an ex, and when is it a bad idea?
The data: Some estimates put the number of people who have ever gotten back with an ex close to 40 to 50%. The reasons are pretty plain to see: familiarity and comfort are nice, and the unknown peril of being single or dating can be a scary, seemingly unending place to be when you could just be with Brad even though his breath smells and he doesn’t wash his sheets.
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On again, off again: A University of Missouri survey found that 34% of respondents' relationships cycled. In other words, they were breaking up and getting back together with the same person chronically and such situations can have long-lasting negative impacts on mental health.
But love, no? The heart wants what the heart wants, and sometimes it wants what it already had. But when you date someone a second time, you aren’t just picking up where you left off. No, you’re dating a new version of that person, while also being a new version of yourself. And sometimes it does work.
Join the conversation: Did you ever get back with an ex? How did that go? Are you still together or did you go your separate ways again? Did you regret it? Did you reconnect with a past partner years down the line? However it happened, give us a call at (866)-893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.
Guest:
- Lauren Salaun, relationship expert and women’s embodiment coach based in Studio City
Keno’s in Anaheim Hills — lively steakhouse meets cafe
The topic:
Keno’s Restaurant in the Anaheim Hills is a family-run business with a vintage feel. Whether you’re spending time there for breakfast or grabbing a Tomahawk steak in the evening, Keno’s business model aims to serve a variety of food all the while providing quality ambiance. Today on AirTalk’s Food Friday, we talk to Keno’s general manager about how they accomplish that and more.
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Restaurant details:
- The restaurant first opened in 1983 by the Keno family, with the business changing hands to Steve Cooper and his family in 1993.
- Keno’s has a live event schedule, including solo acoustic acts and others that are more jazz-centric.
- Although they offer many traditional meals, they also have a very rare food find — the 15-pound burrito.
How to visit:
Address: 5750 E La Palma Ave, Anaheim Hills, CA 92807
Hours: Sunday – Thursday, open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Cost: The Lumberjack breakfast costs $23; the Monte Cristo costs $17.79; the California Chicken Sandwich costs $17.49; the 32-ounce Tomahawk steak costs $80.
Guest:
- Shauna Reyes, general manager of Keno's Restaurant, a steakhouse and cafe in Anaheim Hills
FilmWeek: ‘Resident Evil,’ ‘Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom,’ ‘The Weight’ and more!
Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is an animated film directed by Steve Cox and Matthew Walker.
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Courtesy Gkids
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The topic:
The Halloween season begins this week in earnest with the new Shaun the Sheep movie — The Beast of Mossy Bottom — from British stop-motion animation studio Aardman. And director Zach Cregger returns with another horror crowd pleaser, Resident Evil. Our critics also review the dark comedy, The Musical, about a vengeful teacher out to sabotage the school play.
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The films:
- Resident Evil, Wide Release
- Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, Wide Release
- The Weight, Wide Release
- The Musical, In Select Theaters
- Sunny Dancer, Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica] & AMC Orange
- The Oldest Person in the World, In Select Laemmle Theaters
- Goody Goody, Streaming on Shudder
- Arsa, Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica]
Guests:
- Charles Solomon, film critic for LAist, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine
- Tim Cogshell, film critic for LAist, Alt-Film Guide and CineGods.com
- Katie Walsh, film critic for LAist, the Tribune News Service and the L.A. Times
Feature: TIFF's biggest releases
Andrew Scott stars as Ian Charleston in the film Elsinore.
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Anthony Dickenson
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Courtesy Focus Features
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The topic:
It’s the final weekend of the 51st annual Toronto International Film Festival and a handful of movie premieres are already creating some buzz for this upcoming awards season. We talk to FilmWeek critics Amy Nicholson and Maureen Lee Lenker about their favorites from this year’s festival and what movies they think audiences should look out for when they hit theaters.
Films to watch for:
Guests:
- Amy Nicholson, film critic for LAist and the L.A. Times and host of the podcast ‘Unspooled’
- Maureen Lee Lenker, LAist film critic and freelance journalist who's written for Gold Derby, The Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and Turner Classic Movies; she is also the author of three novels set in the Golden Age of Hollywood.
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Today on AirTalk: Paramount's potential exit from CA, Insurance Commissioner candidates, L.A. City Attorney candidate John McKinney, American Idol's move and TV Talk. -
Today on AirTalk: NBC4 helicopter crash, gas prices, Estuardo Mazariegos, history of sports betting, Don Wagner on Secretary of State, L.A. Law Summit and the death of shame. -
Today on AirTalk: O.C. coastal emergencies, Emmys, hate speech in America, managing households, Marissa Roy on L.A. city attorney's race and musician Masego.
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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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