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Local responses to yesterday's Islamic Center attack, nicotine pouches, gut conditions, and more
Police respond to a reported active shooter at the Islamic Center of San Diego in San Diego, California, on May 18, 2026.
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Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses the local response to Monday's attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, concerns about nicotine pouches, common gastro conditions, and why PCOS is being renamed.
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How yesterday’s attack at Islamic Center of San Diego is reverberating locally
The topic:
Yesterday, two teenagers opened fire outside a mosque in San Diego. Three people were killed, including a security guard, and the two suspects were found dead in a car from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Local response: Local law enforcement agencies, including the L.A. County Sheriff's Department and LAPD, announced heightened patrols at mosques and other houses of worship in the aftermath of the attack.
Join the conversation: Are you concerned about attacks based on your faith? How does that factor into your daily life? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.
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Guests:
- Frough Jahid, lieutenant with the Irvine PD
- Salman Khan, M.D., vice chair of the board of directors at the Islamic Center of Southern California
- Brian Levin, founder of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism and Professor Emeritus at California State University, San Bernardino
- Alam Akhtar, chairman of the Islamic Society of Orange County
As nicotine pouch marketing grows, WHO research outlines concerns
US President Donald Trump (2L) holds a pack of ZYN nicotine pouches as US First Lady Melania Trump (L) looks on as they greet attendees at the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 12, 2025.
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The topic:
Nicotine pouches, including brands like ZYN and VELO, have become widely popular globally. An alternative to tobacco-based products, they’ve become more widely marketed, according to research by the World Health Organization. Today, we’ll dig into their research and the concerns they lay out.
Past research: Nicotine pouches have been found to help tobacco users wean off well-documented, harmful substances like snus and cigarettes, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open last year.
The concern: WHO shared concerns that due to the products’ wide marketing campaigns, they could lead adolescents and young adults to get addicted, potentially impacting brain development.
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Guests:
- Vinayak Prasad, M.D., unit head of the Tobacco Free Initiative for the World Health Organization
- Abigail Friedman, associate professor of public health at Yale University, whose research focus is on tobacco and nicotine product use
Gut talk: what are the common issues with guts, and are they becoming more common?
Have you struggled to get a diagnosis for what is clearly a gut issue?
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The topic:
If you've ever struggled with bloating, reflux, cramping, or unexplained changes in your bathroom habits, you are far from alone. Conditions like IBS, IBD, GERD, and celiac disease are some of the most common things gastroenterologists see, and yet patients can go years without a clear answer.
The diagnostic problem: Many of these conditions don't have a clean biomarker or single blood test, and patients may be led to believe that there aren’t good treatments or solutions to the issues they are experiencing.
Background: A 2025 Cedars-Sinai study found IBS prevalence in U.S. adults nearly doubled between May 2020 and May 2022, going from about 6% to 11%. Researchers point to a combination of biological and psychological factors driving the rise.
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Join the conversation: Have you struggled to get a diagnosis for what is clearly a gut issue? Been told it's anxiety, or been on a medication to treat your issue and wondered if you should be? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
Guest:
- Trisha Pasricha, M.D., gastroenterologist and director of the institute for gut-brain research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston Massachusetts; she is the author of You've Been Pooping All Wrong: How to Make Your Bowel Movements a Joy (Avery, April 7, 2026)
PCOS gets its long-awaited rebrand: PMOS
Have you or someone you know been diagnosed with PCOS?
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The topic:
The condition known as polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is a common condition that affects as many as one in eight women of reproductive age, known to impact a person’s periods, physical appearance, weight, and fertility, as well as increase other health complications. It's being rebranded.
New name: PMOS — polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome. Many endocrinologists concur that this condition is not defined by ovarian cysts, as the new name aims to reflect a complete hormonal disorder with much broader effects than previously understood.
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Join the conversation: Have you or someone you know been diagnosed with PCOS? How has your personal experience been with treatment? What has or hasn’t worked? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
Guest:
- Andrea Dunaif, M.D., professor of molecular medicine at The Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai
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