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Latest on NBC4 helicopter crash, Estuardo Mazariegos on CD-9, history of sports betting and more
Police and firefighters investigate the scene where a helicopter crashed and burst into flames Tuesday night in Chatsworth not far from a serious accident involving a Metro bus that also left three people dead.
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Ronaldo Bolanos
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Getty Images
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Jump to
- The latest on the fatal NBC4 news helicopter crash
- Gas is back above $6 a gallon – what happened?
- Los Angeles CD-9 candidate Estuardo Mazariegos
- The long history of sports betting
- OC Supervisor Don Wagner makes his case for Secretary of State
- Hollywood and its connection to the legal world
- Have we no shame?
Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses the latest on NBC4 helicopter crash, gas prices, CD-9 candidate Estuardo Mazariegos, history of sports betting, Don Wagner on Secretary of State, L.A. Law Summit and the death of shame.
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The latest on the fatal NBC4 news helicopter crash
The topic:
A news helicopter providing coverage of a bus crash in Chatsworth yesterday evening crashed into the ground just before 7 p.m., leaving three people including the pilot and reporter dead. Today on AirTalk, we look at the situation and the role helicopters play in L.A. news gathering.
Confirmed: NBC4 has confirmed the two people killed aboard the NewsChopper4 helicopter Tuesday night were reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marcinia. Both, the news outlet said, were employees of Angel City Air. In a story on NBC4's website, Moreno is described as "a familiar voice for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 during the station's aerial coverage."
Background: About two hours before the crash, an SUV slammed into the middle of a city bus, killing at least two people and injuring six others. Photos and videos online showed half of the SUV lodged into the side of an MTA bus. The helicopter crashed about a mile and a half from the bus crash.
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Latest: The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration said it will be investigating the cause of the helicopter crash.
With files from LAist and the Associated Press.
Guest:
- Karen Garcia, L.A. Times staff writer who has been following the latest on the crash
Gas is back above $6 a gallon – what happened?
Gas prices at a station in Northridge on March 9, 2026. Gas prices have recently increased in the state as the U.S. war with Iran intensifies.
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Zin Chiang
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CalMatters
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The topic:
The average price for a gallon of gasoline in Los Angeles County creeped back up above $6 a gallon this week, with Diesel this morning also up to over $8 per gallon. Today on AirTalk, we look at the reasons behind this surge.
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Rewind: Prices for oil-based fuels have been elevated since the beginning of the war with Iran earlier this year, with the gallon price for gasoline up about $1.30 from a year ago and diesel’s going rate up nearly $3 per gallon.
The latest: A Saudi oil pipeline responsible for transporting about 4% of the world’s oil was shut down on Friday after a drone attack. This, combined with an increase in oil buying from China, have led to concerns in the oil market of supply issues.
Guest:
- Alex Lawler, chief oil correspondent for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Reuters
Los Angeles CD-9 candidate Estuardo Mazariegos
Estuardo Mazariegos, who lives in Council District 9, says he takes his daughter on a walk through Exposition Park at least once a week.
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Carla Javier
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LAist
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The topic:
Following the June primary, the stage has been set for Los Angeles Council District 9, with candidates Estuardo Mazariegos and Jose Ugarte set to face off in November to represent the area. Currently represented by Councilmember Curren Price, the district is set to have its first Latino representative. Today on the show, we’re sitting down with CD-9 candidate Estuardo Mazariegos about his candidacy.
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History of the council district: Los Angeles City’s 9th council district has seen a lot of geographical change over the years. The district has had a Black representative since 1963, when Gilbert W. Lindsay took office. As councilmember Curren Price finishes his tenure, the district's demographics have become predominantly Latino.
What neighborhoods encompass CD-9? The district is predominantly in South Central, including neighborhoods like Exposition Park, Vermont Square, and Green Meadows. It also includes a portion of Downtown L.A., such as the Los Angeles Convention Center and L.A. Live.
Guest:
- Estuardo Mazariegos, candidate for Los Angeles City Council District 9, Vermont Square, Exposition Park and parts of DTLA
The long history of sports betting
The Monmouth Park Sports Book is viewed on the first day of legal sports betting in the state, in Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey on June 14, 2018.
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Dominick Reuter
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Getty Images
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The topic:
Football season is underway, and in the past few years that has also meant football betting season is too. But how did we go from sports betting being something that happened under the table to something that happens in between scrolling Instagram Reels? Today on AirTalk, we speak with the author of a new book who aims to answer that.
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The book: Over/Under: An Unexpected History of Sports Betting takes a look at the long arc of history that brought sports betting to its current moment, and argues sports betting isn’t just an industry coasting off sports but rather helping to bolster its popularity overall.
Guest:
- David Bockino, associate professor of sport management at Elon University in North Carolina and author of Over/Under: An Unexpected History of Sports Betting (June 2, 2026)
OC Supervisor Don Wagner makes his case for Secretary of State
O.C. Supervisor Don Wagner speaks during a board meeting on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.
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Samanta Helou Hernandez
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LAist
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The topic:
Current Orange County supervisor, former mayor of Irvine, and ex-state assemblymember Don Wagner is challenging California Secretary of State incumbent Shirley Weber for the position as he plans to be the Republican alternative for voters.
Partisan divide over ballots: During Weber’s tenure, she has faced criticisms for California’s slow ballot-counting, including from Wagner, who claims the office does too little to speed up the process and that projected winners of legislative positions are often sworn in before the Secretary of State certifies the results.
Supermajority’s opposition: Wagner believes that he would be able to use the Secretary of State’s capacity as a “bully pulpit” in response to the state’s Democratic supermajority, which has not given up a statewide legislative seat since 2006. As Supervisor, he has criticized the state’s COVID-19 response, questioned the county’s investment in diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and pushed for the release of sensitive voter information to President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice over claims of voting irregularities.
Guest:
- Don Wagner, Candidate for Secretary of State and currently serving as a member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors representing the Third District
Hollywood and its connection to the legal world
The Hollywood sign.
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David McNew
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Getty Images
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The topic:
From high-profile celebrity defense attorneys to intellectual property cases, entertainment law has done much more than just stay in the tabloids, as attorneys continue to safeguard Hollywood’s actors and creators.
L.A. Law Summit: To highlight and commemorate the importance of this, Deadline Hollywood is hosting an L.A. Law Summit that will feature a variety of entertainment law topics. Here with us to talk about it is co-host of the event and Executive Editor for Deadline Dominc Patten, and television writer and producer Courtney Kemp.
Learn more about the event here.
Guests:
- Dominic Patten, executive editor at Deadline Hollywood
- Courtney Kemp, television writer and producer
Have we no shame?
How do you deal with shame?
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mapo
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iStockphoto
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The topic:
In an ongoing series of columns for the New Yorker, writer Jay Caspian Kang explores the idea of shame and argues that our use of social media and technology has caused us to forgo it. But some may argue that the internet has caused people to shame others on a heightened scale.
What is shame? Shame is a self-conscious emotion that relates to our perception of ourselves. And it can be beneficial in some instances just as much as it can be harmful.
Join the conversation: We want to hear from you! Do you think our modern society has lost shame? What was a time when you felt shame and how did you deal with it? Does the internet shield us from shame or help to spur it on? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
Guests:
- Jay Caspian Kang, staff writer for the New Yorker and author of a series of columns about the decline of shame in the age of social media
- Jess Tracy, professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia and author of Pride: The Secret of Success and the forthcoming book Why We Matter: The Science Behind What Brings Life Meaning
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Today on AirTalk: O.C. coastal emergencies, Emmys, hate speech in America, managing households, Marissa Roy on L.A. city attorney's race and musician Masego. -
Ray Jayawardhana is Caltech's 10th president -
Today on AirTalk: Developments in AI, later start times in schools, mixed race identity, cameras in special ed classes, Jose Ugarte on CD-9 race and independence in kids.
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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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