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Governor's race, AI in healthcare, last day of school memories, and more
Tom Steyer speaks onstage at the 2023 TIME100 Summit at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 25, 2023, in New York City.
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Jemal Countess
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Getty Images
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Jump to
- With the governor’s race locked in, a look at why Tom Steyer didn’t make the cut
- New data suggests CA teaching programs lack prep in student reading comprehension
- Golf is having a moment — what's behind it?
- The latest with mosquito sterilization release programs
- AI in the healthcare sector
- Your favorite last day of school memory
Today on AirTalk: Governor's race, new data on CA teaching programs, golf's popularity, mosquito sterilization, AI in healthcare and last day of school memories.
With the governor’s race locked in, a look at why Tom Steyer didn’t make the cut
The topic:
Despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars, Democratic candidate and billionaire Tom Steyer failed to advance from the California gubernatorial primary and conceded Tuesday. Today on AirTalk, we look at his record-setting progressive campaign and what went wrong.
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10:32
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Guest: Nicole Nixon, Los Angeles Times staff writer covering politics in Sacramento
The latest: Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton are set to face off in the November general election after last Tuesday’s open primary was too close to call, and the picture only became clearer after days of ballot counting.
The money: Self-funded billionaire and climate activist Tom Steyer spent $216 million on the political campaign; he spent that money over the course of eight months, having announced his gubernatorial run in November of last year.
New data suggests CA teaching programs lack prep in student reading comprehension
Are California teachers prepared to teach reading comprehension?
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Andrew Reed
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EdSource
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The topic:
New research from nonprofit National Council on Teacher Quality digs into national and statewide teacher programs and whether or not they provide sufficient prep for student reading comprehension. California programs that were assessed varied in performance, with 23% of schools earning an A and 35% earning an F.
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13:21
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Guests: Heather Peske, president of the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a national nonprofit focused on education policy and practices, and Pedro Noguera, dean of the Rossier School of Education and a distinguished professor of education at USC
CA programs that performed well: 12 assessed programs got an A+ or A grade. That includes graduate programs like Chapman University and Stanford University. Undergraduate programs that ranked similarly include CSU Bakersfield and San Francisco State University.
Recommendations shared: In its California-centric report, the recommendations focused on having the state set detailed standards around preparation and ensuring teachers are following science-based research instruction.
Golf is having a moment — what's behind it?
Have you started playing golf?
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Somchai Sookkasem
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iStockphoto
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The topic:
After experiencing a surge in interest at the beginning of the pandemic, the game of golf has continued to see growth in the number of players and rounds played since. Today, we look at what's behind the trend and what's next for golf.
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6:25
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Driving the surge: It's not just older players returning to the game that's driving this growth. The number of new players jumped from about 2.5 million in 2019 to three million per year in 2020 — a number that’s held steady since. The number of "junior" players jumped 58% from 2019 to 2025.
New ways to play: The rise of golf entertainment venues like Top Golf and better simulator technology have created low-friction paths for non-golfers to become introduced to the sport and eventually find their way onto real courses.
Join the conversation: Are you a new golfer? Or maybe a former player who has returned to the green? Or maybe you're a longtime player who has seen a new cadre at your course of choice? Tell us about your experience by calling (866) 893-5722 or emailing us at atcomments@laist.com.
The latest with mosquito sterilization release programs
The Aedes species are becoming predominant in Southern California. The problem: they’re more difficult to get rid of.
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Mailson Pignata
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iStockphoto
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The topic:
Releasing male mosquitoes that have been sterilized into existing populations has become one of the more popular methods employed by state organizations to combat the growing number of mosquitoes that carry diseases. It's something the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District has been doing for three years with its SIT (Sterile Insect Technique) program. Now, Google wants to get in on the efforts.
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11:27
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Guests: Lila Seidman, reporter for the L.A. Times covering California wildlife, and Susanne Kluh, general manager for the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District
Why now: L.A. is home to an invasive species of mosquito called Aedes aegypti that originates from Africa. The Aedes aegypti are known to carry diseases such as dengue fever and chikungunya. The rise in temperature has caused mosquito season to be an almost year-round affair.
Google: Google started its “Debug Project," which is seeking clearance to release 32 million sterile male mosquitoes in California and Florida. Google plans to sterilize male mosquitoes by infecting them with a bacterium called Wolbachia, a different method from L.A. County’s SIT program, which uses radiation from X-rays to sterilize their population of males. Google hasn't publicly explained its motivation for joining the mosquito sterilization efforts.
AI in the healthcare sector
Do you want your doctor to use AI?
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nortonrsx
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Getty Images / iStockphoto
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The topic:
AI has been rolling itself out in the healthcare industry for some time now, but a new form of the tech is on the rise. Medical chatbots have become a viral hit with physicians across the nation, as many are able to bounce clinical ideas off AI applications like OpenEvidence.
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9:30
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Guests: Nicole Nguyen, personal tech columnist for the Wall Street Journal, and Raja-Elie Abdulnour, M.D., chief clinical innovation officer at N.E.J.M. Group, which publishes The New England Journal of Medicine, and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard
Accuracy: These tools are not like the common chatbots available in consumer markets. Instead, they pull and source their information directly from academic journals, clinical research, and publications.
Your favorite last day of school memory
Do you have any memories of the last day of school?
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Rogelio V. Solis
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AP
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The topic:
Today marks the last day of school for LAUSD, which means summer vacation is in full swing for SoCal students! The last day of school represents a certain type of freedom, accomplishment, and most importantly, time to sleep in!
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9:35
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Larry discusses with LAist listeners.
Join the conversation: School’s out! Tell us about your favorite memory of your last day of school! What do you remember about the last day of school? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722, or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.
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Today on AirTalk: L.A. mayoral election, PUSD turmoil, Broadway's historic movie palaces, Colorado River water use solutions, and the World Cup. -
What makes Irish food authentic? We sat down with the owner of O'Brien's Irish Pub to find out — and hear what sports fans can experience there. -
Today on AirTalk: Steve Hilton currently leads the governor race, Tournament of Roses president, O'Briens Irish Pub in Santa Monica, and FilmWeek.
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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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