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LA mayoral election, the latest on PUSD, and more
Councilmember Nithya Raman at a campaign press conference in May 2026.
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Aaron Schrank
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LAist
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Jump to
- Councilmember Raman clinches second seat in mayor’s general election
- PUSD Board halts school closure plan
- Filling the seats of Downtown’s historic theaters
- HUD report shows a decrease in homelessness for California
- As states struggle to reallocate Colorado River water, we discuss proposed solutions
- The World Cup takes the stage in North America
Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses the L.A. mayoral election, PUSD's school closure plans, Broadway's historic movie palaces, Colorado River water use solutions, and the World Cup.
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Councilmember Raman clinches second seat in mayor’s general election
The topic:
After Monday’s vote count, L.A. City Councilmember Nithya Raman pulled ahead of reality TV star Spencer Pratt by three percentage points. The Associated Press declared that Raman had secured enough votes to face off Mayor Karen Bass in November.
Was this expected? Despite claims made around election fraud, many had expected this to happen. With California’s universal vote-by-mail system, it is common for those mail-in ballots counted later to skew more progressive.
Last LA mayoral runoff with an incumbent: That was in 2005, when L.A. City Councilmember Antonio Villaraigosa defeated incumbent mayor James Hahn.
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Guests:
- Frank Stoltze, civic and democracy correspondent at LAist
- Zev Yaroslavsky, director of the Los Angeles Initiative at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and former L.A. County supervisor and city councilmember
PUSD Board halts school closure plan
Students from Thurgood Marshall Secondary School's football team watch as the board of education considers cuts to Pasadena Unified athletics programs.
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Mariana Dale
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LAist
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The topic:
The Pasadena Unified Board of Education has halted its school consolidation process after a contentious meeting that resulted in the delivery of formal recall notices to board President Tina Fredericks and Trustee Scott Harden.
Context: Back in April, the district planned for a handful of schools to close in response to declining enrollment, which has led to a budget deficit and layoffs.
Join the conversation: Are you part of PUSD? What are your thoughts on the current state of the district? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
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Guests:
- David Wilson, reporter at Pasadena-Star News
- Pedro Noguera, Dean of the Rossier School of Education and a Distinguished Professor of Education at USC
Filling the seats of Downtown’s historic theaters
A line outside the Orpheum theater.
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Mike Hume
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The topic:
The Los Angeles Conservancy has been filling historic Broadway theaters for special screenings since 1987 with their series “Last Remaining Seats.” Sarah Lann, the director of education at the Los Angeles Conservancy, joins Larry Mantle to talk about the screenings and the Broadway theater district.
The history: The district was built between 1894 and 1931 as a flood of new residents arrived in L.A. The theaters represent a number of styles popular in that period including California Churrigueresque, Art Deco and Beaux-Arts.
The present: The Broadway Theater and Commercial District are officially recognized in the National Register of Historic Places. While no theaters remain in daily use, the Orpheum and the Million Dollar Theater both host screenings, and other theaters have been refurbished into retail spaces. Many movies have been shot in buildings on Broadway including Blade Runner, The Neon Demon, and The Prestige.
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Tickets are available to Last Remaining Seats screenings here.
Guest:
- Sarah Lann, director of education at the Los Angeles Conservancy, she heads Last Remaining Seats for the conservancy
HUD report shows a decrease in homelessness for California
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass (second from left) at the encampment operation in front of Sunset Sound in Hollywood in 2024.
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Nick Gerda
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LAist
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The topic:
The new federal report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development shows that homelessness in California dropped by almost 3% last year compared to 2024 and that homelessness nationwide also decreased.
Good news: California is one of five states with the largest decrease. Other states include Illinois, Hawaii, Florida, and New York, with Illinois having the most significant drop of 44%.
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Yes, but: Despite the yearly drop, HUD emphasized that homelessness has increased 27% overall in the U.S. since 2013, pointing to faults in "housing first" policies.
Guests:
- Marisa Kendall, homelessness reporter at CalMatters
- Ryan Finnigan, Deputy Director of Research at Terner Center for Housing Innovation at University of California, Berkeley
As states struggle to reallocate Colorado River water, we discuss proposed solutions
The Colorado River flows past public and private lands near Parachute, Colorado, on May 15, 2026.
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Jason Connolly / AFP
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Getty Images
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The topic:
The future of the Colorado River is at stake. The seven states, including California, that rely on the water supply still haven’t agreed on plans for its future. The United States Bureau of Reclamation may step in. Today on the show, we’ll dig into the solutions being considered.
The stakes: Acting Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation Scott J. Cameron has said the new plan for the river could govern water use for the next decade, although changes could be made within that time.
Seven states involved: The main players in these negotiations come from all seven states surrounding the river basin. You have states that are in the upper basin, like Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming; then there’s the downstream, lower basin states — California, Nevada, and Arizona.
Guests:
- Ian James, L.A. Times reporter who focuses on water and climate change in California and the West
- Kathryn Sorensen, director of research for the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University. Previously she served as the director of Phoenix Water Services — the largest utility in Arizona — for seven years
- Shivaji Deshmukh, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
The World Cup takes the stage in North America
How do you plan to watch the World Cup?
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LA County Library
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The topic:
As we gear up to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Fox has secured broadcasting rights for the majority of televised matches in the United States. Fox Sports reportedly spent just under $500 million for the rights, touting it as an investment for a new generation of fans.
Star-studded hosts: With a mix of American soccer broadcast icons like Rob Stone, to special debuts from former stars Zlatan Ibrahimović, Fox Sports has assembled a massive roster of hosts for this year’s World Cup coverage.
Join the conversation: How do you plan to watch the World Cup? What are you most excited about? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com
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Today on AirTalk: Steve Hilton currently leads the governor race, Tournament of Roses president, O'Briens Irish Pub in Santa Monica, and FilmWeek. -
Today on AirTalk: the latest on California vote counting, 60 Minutes, international games and conflict, network TV still tops ratings, and TV Talk.
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Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
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