One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
Rob Bonta on state's legal battles, income disparities in relationships, Mokja, FilmWeek and more
California Attorney General Rob Bonta fields questions during a press conference on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, in Los Angeles.
(
Marcio Jose Sanchez
/
AP
)
Today's show: AirTalk Friday host Austin Cross discusses the latest California legal battles with state Attorney General Rob Bonta, income disparities in relationships, Korean-inspired convenience mart Mokja, FilmWeek and remembering Tim Curry. Cross also hosts LAist's local Morning Edition.
Have a question or comment about a segment? Want to pitch us a story?
Fill out the form below, and please include an email address so we're able to follow up if necessary! We're not able to respond to every inquiry, but all submissions are read and reviewed by our production team.
California’s many legal battles and how they’re playing out
The topic:
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has been a busy guy. Meta, the social media company that owns Facebook and Instagram, just settled a major lawsuit filed by dozens of states, including California. The state is also in the middle of an antitrust lawsuit over Paramount’s plans to take over Warner Bros. These are just a couple of legal battles the state is fighting. Bonta joins AirTalk to talk about the latest.
Mail-in voting: Another legal battle is brewing over mail-in ballots. The Supreme Court weighed in and fresh court documents were filed as preparations for the November general election are well underway.
Guest:
- Rob Bonta, California attorney general
How income disparities affect relationships
How does income affect your relationship?
(
Miljan Živković
/
iStockphoto
)
The topic:
When it comes to going on vacations, dates or just spending quality time with your significant other, it'd be great if money and the budget were the last things on your mind. Oftentimes though, the person who ends up footing the bill tends to be the higher earner. So what does this mean for relationship dynamics? Today on AirTalk, we are going to be talking about how couples are navigating their financial differences.
Sponsored message
The breadwinner: The concept of a ‘breadwinner’ in which a household relies on one individual’s income may be a concept of the past, as American families today are more likely to be dual income, mostly due to the elimination of gendered barriers in the workforce.
Guest:
- Annie Wright, licensed family and marriage therapist and Psychology Today columnist
Mokja brings Korean-inspired convenience store charm to Highland Park
The topic:
Mokja is a business born from a similar goal — to bring a local street market inspired by Korean convenience store culture to Los Angeles. With a mix of snacks, sweets, and specialty drinks, this market-cafe in Highland Park brings a unique vibe from its other local businesses. This week on Food Friday, we’ll sit down with one of its owners to hear about their concept and how it's being received.
Market details:
- Prior to Mokja, chef Debbie Lee was a finalist on Next Food Network Star Season 5 and also released a cookbook titled Seoultown Kitchen. She also has another business in Highland Park, Yi Cha, which is a Korean-style pub.
- The other folks behind Mokja are Frank and Michelle La, who are also behind Be Bright Coffee, a coffee shop and wholesaler on Melrose. Frank La won the 2024 U.S. Barista Championship.
How to visit:
Address: 5715 N. Figueroa St. Ste 102, Los Angeles
Hours: Open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sponsored message
Guest:
- Debbie Lee, co-owner of Mokja, a Korean-inspired market-cafe in Highland Park
FilmWeek: ‘Coyote vs. Acme,’ ‘The Dog Stars,’ ‘Finding Emily’ and more!
Paige (Lana Condor), Wile E. Coyote and Kevin (Will Forte) in Coyote vs. Acme (2026).
(
Courtesy Ketchup Entertainment
)
The topic:
Larry Mantle and this week’s critics review the long-awaited Coyote vs. Acme, starring Wile E. Coyote and the other Looney Tunes. They’ll also talk about Ridley Scott’s newest sci-fi movie The Dog Stars, starring Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin.
The films:
- Coyote vs. Acme, Wide Release
- The Dog Stars ,Wide Release
- Finding Emily, Wide Release
- The Last Blossom, In Select Theaters
- The Marching Band, Laemmle Royal [West L.A.], Laemmle Town Center [Encino], Regency Theaters [Laguna Niguel]
- Dreams in Nightmares, Laemmle Glendale & AMC Burbank Town Center
- Idiots, In Select Theaters
- How to Divorce During the War, In Select Laemmle Theaters
The critics:
- Lael Loewenstein, film critic for LAist
- Charles Solomon, film critic for LAist, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine
- Katie Walsh, film critic for LAist, the Tribune News Service and L.A. Times
Remembering Tim Curry
Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
(
Courtesy 20th Century Fox
)
Sponsored message
The topic:
Tim Curry, a character actor who created a gallery of delicious, very loony villains for stage and screen, including Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the smug concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, has died. He was 80. Larry Mantle and our FilmWeek critics remember some of Curry’s most iconic roles on the screen and on the stage.
With files from the Associated Press
The critics:
- Lael Loewenstein, film critic for LAist
- Charles Solomon, film critic for LAist, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine
- Katie Walsh, film critic for LAist, the Tribune News Service and L.A. Times
-
Today on AirTalk: Latest on LAHSA, Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, Meta settlement, AI op-ed writing and TV Talk. -
Today on AirTalk: Remembering Dolly Parton, college enrollment decline and the power of imagination. -
Today on AirTalk: New study on NFL players with CTE, Iran sanctions, how technology affects school learning, latest on Colorado River and selfishness in relationships.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
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.
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.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
