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Republicans lose CA Latino support, Laguna Beach history, drone warfare and more
Steve Hilton and Xavier Becerra during a break in a gubernatorial debate at Pomona College in April 2026.
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Eric Thayer
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Getty Images
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Jump to
- Latest CA Latino poll favors Democrats over Republicans
- SoCal History: Laguna Beach
- The times you tagged along with mom or dad to work
- Trump admin proposed big changes to preschool program Head Start
- What does the future of drone warfare look like?
- What's something you missed about home, only after traveling?
Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses a new Latino voter poll, the history of Laguna Beach, memories of going to work with parents, proposed changes to preschool program Head Start, the future of drone warfare and being homesick while traveling.
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Latest CA Latino poll favors Democrats over Republicans
The topic:
Recent polling from the Latino Working Class Project found that Republican support among California Latinos has dropped, with issues like cost of living and immigration moving more favorably toward Democrats.
Increasing margins: Latinos favored Democrats by 34% when it came to the question about who's better handling cost of living. Latinos polled also favored Democrats by 31% when it came to immigration.
Gubernatorial race impacts: An overwhelming amount of Latino voters are supporting Xavier Becerra over Steve Hilton, 72% to 24%.
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What this means for Democrats: As Latino Working Class Project’s Mike Madrid put it to Politico, this has a lot more to do with Republicans losing support than Democrats gaining support — essentially this doesn’t mean Latinos are suddenly feeling great about Dems.
Guests:
- Mike Madrid, Republican political consultant and founder of the Latino Working Class Project, a research initiative. He is also the author of the book The Latino Century: How America’s Largest Minority Is Transforming Democracy
- David Binder, founder of David Binder Research, a public opinion research and strategic consulting firm based in San Francisco
SoCal History: Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach's West Street Beach has been a popular gay beach for decades, shown here in 1990.
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Alan Light
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Flickr
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The topic:
The small seaside city of Laguna Beach is probably best known for its history as an art colony and its almost 100-year-old Pageant of the Masters. But Laguna Beach is far more interesting than just being a hub for bohemians.
A haven for LGBTQ: Laguna had a string of gay and lesbian bars, some of which started back in the 1940s. It also elected its first openly gay mayor in the 1980s, Robert F. Gentry, who was the only openly gay elected official in Orange County at the time.
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Beauty of the landscape: Many artists used to flock to Laguna Beach to capture the beauty of the ocean landscape, known as Plein Air Painters. In the 1970s, the Laguna Greenbelt was established to create a stretch of protected land for conservation.
Guests:
- Elaine Lewinnek, urban historian and professor and program chair of environmental studies at California State University, Fullerton. She is co-author of A People’s Guide to Orange County (University of California Press, 2022)
- Mark Orgill, mayor of Laguna Beach
- Craig Cooley, board member and president of Laguna Beach Pride, a non-profit organization that promotes the culture and diversity of Laguna Beach and the LGBTQ community
The times you tagged along with mom or dad to work
Did your parents ever take you to work?
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kevajefimija
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iStockphoto
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The topic:
Every so often, for whatever reason, your parents needed to bring you to work, and for some of us, it left a lasting impression. Whether it was how we viewed our parents, shaped our view of adulthood, or just created long-living memories. Today on AirTalk, we want to hear from you about the times you went to work with a parent and what it was like.
Random or planned? Sometimes daycare falls through. Sometimes it's “bring your kid to work day.” What was the reason you made your way to a worksite full of adults?
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Manners or Mayhem: It goes without saying, but offices, warehouses, and pretty much every type of place an adult can work aren’t typically designed with kiddos in mind. So did you mind your manners and sit nicely in a breakroom? Or did you run wild and do laps around the facility?
Join the conversation: Call in and tell us about what it was like being a little dude at a jobsite and why it created lasting memories. We’re at (866) 893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
Guest:
- Jenn Baughman, director of programming at LAist
Trump admin proposed big changes to preschool program Head Start
Family educator Lisa Benson-Nuyen addresses her students in a circle in the Northern Lights classroom at the Meadow Lakes CCS Early Learning, a Head Start center, in Wasilla, Alaska, in 2024. The center has since closed because of a lack of staff and money.
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Lindsey Wasson
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AP
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The topic:
The Trump administration is proposing major changes to Head Start, a federally funded preschool program for low-income children. The changes would eliminate many of Head Start's standards while adding others, including requiring most programs to only provide instruction in English.
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What does the research say? In a randomized controlled study authorized by Congress, researchers found initial positive effects from Head Start, but that these effects faded over time. Other studies have found long-term benefits, including a 50-year study that found participants were 39% more likely to finish college compared to ineligible peers.
Join the conversation: Are you a Head Start teacher or parent? What are your thoughts? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or can you email us at atcomments@laist.com.
You can see all of the proposed changes and information on how to submit a public comment at the Federal Register website linked here.
Guests:
- Melanee Cottrill, executive director of Head Start California, a nonprofit member association of federally funded early childhood education programs across the state
- Madison Marino Doan, policy analyst in the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, co-author of the report From Washington, DC, to the States: Rethinking Head Start
What does the future of drone warfare look like?
Denmark prepares for a Russian 'hybrid war' after repeated drone sightings.
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Ritzau Scanpix / Getty Images
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The topic:
The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the current war with Iran have shown that drones are changing the way wars are fought. Today on AirTalk, we look at what the future of drone warfare will look like.
Ukraine on offense: Ukraine has seen its position in its conflict shift more in its favor since its widespread adoption of drones. The country went from being on the defense to using targeted strikes to hurt Russia's economy and military infrastructure.
Lessons from the conflict: Ukraine's continued success appears to be rewriting long-held conventions of how wars are fought. Recent reporting from the Wall Street Journal showed that in joint exercises, Ukraine's drones beat the U.S. military handily.
The latest: Taiwan says that it will ramp up drone production to about 100,000 per month by 2030, expecting to keep half of these drones within the country. The small island nation wants to use these drones to create a "hellscape" between it and China in order to thwart any potential invasion.
So: Is the future of warfare going to be centered on drones? How will AI systems play into how these drones are managed? Will cheaper drones lead to more conflicts, or allow them to be resolved more quickly?
Guest:
- Hal Kempfer, CEO of Global Risk Intelligence and Planning (GRIP), a management consulting firm based in Long Beach, retired Marine lieutenant colonel; he has worked in military support for homeland security and defense both as an active member of the military and as a civilian.
What's something you missed about home, only after traveling?
Travelers wait in long security checkpoint lines at George Bush Intercontinental Airport Friday, March 27, 2026, in Houston.
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David J. Phillip
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AP
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The topic:
AirTalk producer Faheem Khan recently took a trip out of the country with his family. It didn't take long for him and others to realize they missed certain things about home. For Faheem, who's on the taller side, it was the showers. European showers are on the smaller size. For his dad, it was a weaker version of coffee. He'd had enough espresso.
Join the conversation: What's something you were surprised to miss about home after traveling? Something you'll never take for granted again? Share by calling (866) 893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
Guest:
- Faheem Khan, AirTalk associate producer
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LAist sat down with the owners of Ho Tok Korean Pocket Pancake to talk about the food they grew up with and the variety they provide for folks in Southern California. -
Today on AirTalk: new poll on voter opinion, tipping culture, HO TOK Korean Pocket Pancake, FilmWeek and a documentary on Mel Brooks. -
Today on AirTalk: secret LAPD recordings, the latest in AI, vintage discoveries, coastal erosion, food influencers in the restaurant industry, and TV Talk.
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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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