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Latest on LA28 Olympics, UC system history, LA CD-3 candidate Tim Gaspar and more
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg perform at the LA28 Olympic Games Handover Celebration.
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Emma McIntyre
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Getty Images
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Jump to
- LA28’s latest budget is light on key financial details
- Los Angeles CD-3 candidate Tim Gaspar
- The UC system and its influence on California as we know it
- Triple Play: Dodgers top NL West, fans break attendance record
- What the Protect College Sports Act means for student athletes
- NYT top 100 TV shows of the 21st century
Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses the latest on LA28 Olympics, LA CD-3 candidate Tim Gaspar, new book on UC system, L.A. Dodgers, college sports law and the top 100 TV shows of the 21st century.
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LA28’s latest budget is light on key financial details
The topic:
The latest budget from the Olympics organizing committee for the 2028 Games is now public, but like other reports from LA28, it’s light on key financial details.
The timing: It comes as L.A.’s city controller pressures LA28 to be more transparent and release more specific data.
The numbers: The newly public report from LA28, which includes a summary of the organization’s 2025 finances, puts the budget at $7.26 billion, up from a previous estimate of $7.15 billion. That includes expense line items such as $1.4 billion for venue infrastructure, $1.42 billion for “sport, games services & operations,” and $586 million for “other expenses.” It doesn’t provide a more comprehensive breakdown. It also doesn’t include budgets or schedules for specific venue construction projects or a list of contracts that LA28 entered into during the 2025 fiscal year.
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Also: The Los Angeles Police Department plans to deploy thousands of officers a day during the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and it estimates it will cost $732 million to do so. Added to the department’s typical staffing across the city, estimated personnel costs for the two-month period hosting the games soar to more than $1.15 billion. That’s more than half LAPD’s 2026-2027 budget.
With files from LAist
Guest:
- Libby Rainey, LAist reporter covering the 2028 Olympics
Los Angeles CD-3 candidate Tim Gaspar
Tim Gaspar is running for LA City Council District 3.
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Courtesy Tim Gaspar
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The topic:
Los Angeles City Council District 3 has been held by Bob Blumenfield since 2013. His third term comes to a close this year, meaning he's terming out. Candidates Tim Gaspar and Barri Worth Girvan are vying to take over his seat. Larry talked with Girvan on Sept. 24. Today on AirTalk, he talks with Gaspar about his candidacy.
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What encompasses LA CD-3? Most of the southwestern San Fernando Valley, including neighborhoods like Woodland Hills, Canoga Park, Reseda and Tarzana.
Endorsements: Most notably, Gaspar has the endorsement of Blumenfield. He also received support from former state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, and L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. Organizations backing his campaign include the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL), the Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA) and the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles.
Guest:
- Tim Gaspar, candidate for Council District 3; he’s the founder and CEO of insurance agency Gaspar Insurance Services
The UC system and its influence on California as we know it
Students walk past the Doe Memorial Library on the University of California, Berkeley campus.
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Thalia Juarez
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CalMatters
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The topic:
California’s public education system is a big part of the state’s history and eventually served as a major selling point for drawing people to the state. The University of California system would eventually comprise 10 universities. Today on AirTalk, we look into this history with Miriam Pawel, author of the new book California Dreams: The Making and Remaking of the University of California (Bloomsbury, 2026).
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Schools in the UC System: UC Berkeley (joined in 1868), UCLA (1919), UC Santa Barbara (1944), UC Riverside (1954), UC Davis (1959), UC San Diego (1960), UC San Francisco (1964), UC Irvine (1965), UC Santa Cruz (1965) and UC Merced (2005).
Politics: The book chronicles the controversies within the UC system, with places like UC Berkeley serving as a hub for young activists. Through cultural events like the Red Scare, the UC system has often been criticized for "indoctrinating" students into left-leaning politics.
Miriam will be in conversation with Bill Deverell, along with a book signing, today at 7PM at Vroman's Bookstore. Click here for more info.
Guest:
- Miriam Pawel, journalist and author of the new book California Dreams: The Making and Remaking of the University of California, which publishes Sept. 29
Triple Play: Dodgers top NL West, fans break attendance record
Shohei Ohtani after a hit. His double drove in one run in the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers.
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Duane Burleson
/
AP
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The topic:
The Los Angeles Dodgers ended the 2026 MLB season with 100 wins, with plenty of momentum ahead of a possible match against the Atlanta Braves or Philadelphia Phillies. Today on AirTalk, we’ll dig into their last stretch of games for the year, and where things stand ahead of their first postseason matchup.
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Dodgers get first-round bye: Although the team had been in a slump last month, the team rallied pretty well to end the season, finishing nine wins ahead of the San Diego Padres and clinching the NL West.
Fans making history: The Dodgers have surpassed the 4 million mark in attendance for the second straight year while setting a franchise attendance record. The team ended the 2026 regular season with total home attendance of 4,034,219, averaging 49,805 per game. The old mark was 4,012,470 last year, when the Dodgers went over 4 million for the first time in franchise history.
Join the conversation: Dodgers fans — how are you feeling ahead of this year’s postseason? Is a three-peat a serious possibility? Do you view this postseason run as the last dance for this current core of players? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
- Nick Roman, host of Roman on the Radio; he's also a former host of All Things Considered on LAist
- A Martinez, host of NPR's Morning Edition
What the Protect College Sports Act means for student athletes
Mark Sanchez #6 of the USC Trojans attempts a pass during an NCAA football game against Stanford in 2006.
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David Madison
/
Getty Images
)
The topic:
The Protect College Sports Act passed the Senate and is on its way to the House. The bill would create a cap on pay for athletes and limit them to one transfer.
Criticisms of the bill: The bill has received overwhelming bipartisan support with a 77-22 vote in the Senate. But it’s also received some pushback from organizations like the NAACP, which argues the law limits pay of athletes already on unequal footing.
Guest:
- Amanda Christovich, college sports reporter for Front Office Sports, an online publication covering the business of sports
NYT top 100 TV shows of the 21st century
Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul in Breaking Bad.
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Courtesy AMC
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The topic:
Television and its narrative form of storytelling has made big strides particularly in the last quarter century, as tropes such as ‘dark comedy’ or the ‘antihero’ have become increasingly common ways to portray nuance. The New York Times took matters into its own hands and released the top 100 ranked TV shows of the 21st century, which include super hits like Breaking Bad to quirky satires like Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Up for debate: With the scale of a list like this one, debates on show placement or snubs have naturally led to some critiques of the list — from us here on the AirTalk team to the Yellowstone fanatics.
Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! What did you think of the list? Is there something missing? Does a show NOT belong? What is YOUR best TV show of the 21st century? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
You can see the full list published by the New York Times here
Guest:
- Jeremy Egner, television editor for the New York Times
-
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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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