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Kicking off summer travel, Gut Talk, CA governor candidate Katie Porter, LGTBQ music, and more
Travelers check-in for their flights ahead of Memorial Day weekend at Los Angeles International Airport on May 23, 2025.
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Frederic J. Brown / AFP
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Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle, discusses the kick-off to summer travel, neurological conditions and gut health, a new book on the history of LGBTQ music, interview with California governor candidate Katie Porter, and TV Talk.
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Kicking off summer travel – it’s not lookin’ pretty
The topic:
Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kick off to summer travel, but high gas prices and a turbulent air travel industry are making travel more complex. Today, we do an overview of the state of travel.
Background: Prices for travel have surged in recent months in large part because jet fuel costs in the U.S. have nearly doubled since the conflict with Iran began, and the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is now $4.56, up from $3.18 around this time last year and the highest pump price since 2022.
The forecast: AAA still projects a record 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home between Thursday and Memorial Day, including 39.1 million by car and 3.66 million by air.
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Join the conversation: Are you considering travel this summer, or scaling back? Tell us how rising costs are reshaping your plans at 866-893-5722 or atcomments@laist.com.
Guests:
- Kandace Redd, senior public affairs specialist at the Automobile Club of Southern California
- Teresa Murray, Consumer Watchdog director, U.S. Public Interest Research Group
- Brian Sumers, editor of The Airline Observer, an airline business newsletter
Gut Talk: Neurological conditions and gut health
Could Parkinson's and other neurological diseases be treated through the gut?
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The topic:
Over the last week, we have covered a variety of ways in which your gut can affect your day-to-day life. But recent research suggests that your gut health also affects predispositions to long-term neurological and psychiatric disorders, primarily through the gut-brain axis.
Why it matters: Recent studies suggest that the risks of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, autism, and eating disorders are linked to gastrointestinal issues, particularly because poor gut health can lead to immune system destabilization and inflammation.
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Join the conversation: Have you or a close one experienced gut-related issues or a change in eating habits in correlation to neurological disorders? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
Guests:
- Malú Gámez Tansey, professor of Neurology and director of Neuroimmunology Research at Indiana University’s School of Medicine
- Laurie Sanders, associate professor of Neurology at Duke University’s School of Medicine
New book explores the history of LGBTQ music
Which LGBTQ artist or song shaped how you thought about identity, sexuality, or yourself?
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The topic:
For 40 years, music critic Barry Walters has documented how LGBTQ artists, fans, and record-business insiders shaped American pop. His new book Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music, 1969-2000 argues they didn't just contribute to the mainstream, they reshaped it.
Context: Walters began at the Village Voice, where he came out publicly in a 1986 Pet Shop Boys review, and has since written for Spin, Rolling Stone, the Advocate, Out, and NPR. The book runs from the Velvet Underground to the dawn of the 21st century.
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Today: We talk with Walters about the artists, scenes, and labels that drove this history, from David Bowie and Grace Jones to Sylvester and the Indigo Girls. We also get into the strands he says even longtime fans tend to miss.
Join the conversation: Which LGBTQ artist or song shaped how you thought about identity, sexuality, or yourself? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
Guest:
- Barry Walters, music journalist and author of Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music, 1969-2000 (Viking, May 12, 2026)
In-depth with California governor candidate Katie Porter
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter speaks during The Western Growers California Gubernatorial Candidate Forum in Fresno on April 1, 2026.
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Larry Valenzuela
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CalMatters
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The topic:
Former U.S. representative for California's 47th congressional district from 2019 to 2025 Katie Porter is running for governor. She's leaning on her background in consumer protection and education in her pitch to voters.
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The context: AirTalk is sitting down with candidates vying to be California’s next governor for longform, in-depth discussions leading up to the June 2 primary.
Voter Game Plan: Figure out who and what is on your ballot with the LAist voter game plan.
Guest:
- Katie Porter, Democratic candidate for California governor and former U.S. representative for California's 47th congressional district from 2019 to 2025
TV Talk: ‘Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed,’ ‘Nemesis,’ ‘Star City,’ and more!
What should you watch over the long weekend?
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The topic:
Have you felt completely overwhelmed when deciding what new show to watch these days? Us too. There’s just so much content out there between network TV and numerous streaming platforms. This week, listeners will get the latest scoop on what’s worth watching.
TV shows:
- The Late Show With Stephen Colbert [FINALE] (CBS | Paramount+)
- SNL [Season 51 FINALE ] (NBC | Peacock)
- Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed [Season 1] (Apple TV)
- Star City [Season 1] (Apple TV)
- The Boroughs [Season 1] (Netflix)
- Nemesis [Season 1] (Netflix)
- Mating Season [Season 1] (Netflix)
- The Punisher: One Last Kill Rivals [TV Movie] (Disney+)
- The Boys [Season 5 FINALE] (Prime Video)
Guests:
- Dominic Patten, executive editor at Deadline Hollywood
- Liz Shannon-Miller, senior entertainment editor at Consequence
-
Today on AirTalk: SoCal fires, L.A. city street light funding, new exhibit on comic books, Gut Talk: immigrant health, and can meetings be fun? -
Today on AirTalk: local response to attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, concerns about nicotine pouches, common gastro conditions, and why PCOS is being renamed. -
Today on AirTalk: Guest host Austin Cross discusses the Ebola global health emergency; AI in dating; connections between gut and brain; and the history of the Cinerama Dome.
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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.
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