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LA heat and humidity, ethanol-blended fuel in CA, new study on Gen Z talking less and more
Tropical moisture from Hurricane Marie is causing extreme humidity in Southern California this week.
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Apu Gomes
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- It’s hot in SoCal. Worse: It’s also muggy.
- How important is neighborhood input in local events?
- New book looks at the forces that make winners and losers in the NFL
- Are younger people actually talking less?
- California clears the way for ethanol-blended fuel
- What differences surprised you about raising kids of different genders?
Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses L.A. heat and humidity, neighborhood input in local events, book on hidden forces behind the NFL, a new study on Gen Z talking less, CA ethanol-blended fuel and raising kids based on gender.
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It’s hot in SoCal. Worse: It’s also muggy.
The topic:
The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for much of Southern California from Wednesday morning through Thursday. Today on AirTalk, we look at what this forecast portends.
The details: This week’s combination of heat and humidity could be worse than it has been all summer. Forecasters say temperatures will peak on Wednesday. Highs could get up to the triple digits. Overnight lows will also stay elevated. They may only get down to the 70s in places, offering little relief from the heat.
The humidity: Climate experts say the humidity this week could be some of the highest on record in Southern California, even after a summer marked by repeated humid heatwaves. The moisture in the air, combined with the extreme heat, makes it increasingly difficult for the human body to cool down, especially when outdoors. It’s also bringing scattered rain and thunderstorms that will continue for the next few days.
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With files from LAist.
Guests:
- Lucas Brady Woods, LAist reporter covering the weather, disasters and other topics related to climate and science.
- Rose Schoenfeld, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Los Angeles
How important is neighborhood input in local events?
Vendors set up for Leimert Park's Juneteenth event on Wednesday, June 19, 2024.
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Mariana Dale
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The topic:
A run club known as Barrio Athletics preparing to have a 5K in Leimert Park was met with mixed responses by local residents. A number of community members said the language used by the club in promoting the event felt exclusionary of Leimert Park’s history as a Black hub. Today on AirTalk, we look at the complicated nature of this situation, and the differing perspectives around it.
About the group: According to their website, the run club started back in 2021 having grown the group and its social media following, with over 18,000 followers on Instagram. Building community through events like their 5k, they’ve set up events across South L.A. They have since moved their latest 5K out of Leimert park.
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Join the conversation: Do you think the neighborhood response is valid, and how could the situation have been better handled? Join the conversation by giving us a call at (866) 893-5722 or emailing us at atcomments@laist.com.
Guests:
- Gustavo Arellano, columnist for the Los Angeles Times
- Earl Ofari Hutchinson, president of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, recently wrote a column titled “Gentrification, Not Barrio Athletics, is the Real Threat to Black Leimert Park”
New book looks at the forces that make winners and losers in the NFL
The NFL logo is seen on the field ahead of Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, La.
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Patrick Smith
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The topic:
American football is an ever-evolving game, with winning strategies that can turn into losing ones over the course of a few seasons. A new book explores the hidden moves behind the scenes that help shape the outcomes we see play out on the field in the modern-day NFL.
The book: The Playbook: The Hidden Forces Shaping Winners and Losers in the Modern NFL explores the successes and failures of a number of teams, including the Eagles, the Ravens, and the Rams, to try and draw a picture of what works and what doesn’t.
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Guests:
- Joshua Robinson, sports editor for The Wall Street Journal and coauthor of The Playbook: The Hidden Forces Shaping Winners and Losers in the Modern NFL (Mariner Books, Sept. 8, 2026)
- Jonathan Clegg, executive news editor for The Wall Street Journal and coauthor of The Playbook: The Hidden Forces Shaping Winners and Losers in the Modern NFL (Mariner Books, Sept. 8, 2026)
Are younger people actually talking less?
Have you noticed younger people talking less?
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Drazen Zigic
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The topic:
Gen Z has garnered the reputation for being anti-social. Their reliance on phones has led many older generations to believe that Gen Z just don’t know how to have face to face interactions anymore. A new study published in Perspectives on Psychological Sciences seems to back up these claims, but with a caveat.
We are all talking less: The study found that overall, people are losing 338 spoken words a day. But, young adults under the age of 25 are losing 451 spoken words a day. This means that people are losing out on face-to-face conversations. However, it is important to note that young adults tend to speak more on average than older adults, and that we actually speak less as we get older.
Why should we care? Research shows that face-to-face conversations contribute to one’s overall well-being and help build stronger relationships.
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Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! Do you find yourself speaking less aloud? What conversations did you use to have in-person that you now find yourself having via text or not at all? And how do you try to keep yourself having face-to-face conversations and exercising those social muscles? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
Guest:
- Valeria Pfeifer, assistant professor of psychology and counseling at the University of Missouri-Kansas City
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California clears the way for ethanol-blended fuel
Gas prices displayed at a gas station in Monrovia on March 31.
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Zeng Hui
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Getty Images
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The topic:
When it comes to prices at the pump, Californians are among the highest payers in the country, mostly because of higher state tax rates and stricter environmental regulations relative to our peers. But just this week, the state unanimously passed the E15 Clean-Up Act, which would expand access to gasoline blended with 15% ethanol. Today on AirTalk, we’re taking a closer look at what’s changing at the pump, what effects this will have on air quality and what it could mean for California drivers.
Previous limits: The fuel has been limited in California in part because of concerns about emissions and how it performs in warmer weather. Critics argue this could further exacerbate poor air quality in the state and potentially contribute to smog formation.
Guest:
- Aaron Smith, Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California, Berkeley
What differences surprised you about raising kids of different genders?
How did you raise your kids?
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Jacob Wackerhausen
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The topic:
When it comes to raising kids, there’s some stuff that is pretty universal: they are going to need to eat, and you’re going to have to change a diaper or two. But pretty quickly, if you have kids with different genders, there are some differences on how you go about raising them that emerge. So today on AirTalk, we want to hear from you about those differences.
Join the conversation: What stood out to you that was different about how you went about raising your kids? Or if you only have kids of one gender, what were you surprised to learn about how a friend or relative raised their kids of the opposite gender? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.
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Today on AirTalk: Alex Villanueva on sheriff's race, Michael Gates on attorney general's race, LA28 transit, whether gap years are worth it, and a book on how leaders matter. -
We sat down with the co-owner of Yama Sushi Marketplace, an more than 40-year-old business that's focus is quality sushi at an affordable price. -
Today on AirTalk: Favorite parts about being single, Lizzo's new children's book, Yama Sushi Marketplace, FilmWeek and Michael Mann's Collateral.
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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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