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NBA Clippers investigation, USPS whistleblower, El Niño, college football and more
The logo of the Los Angeles Clippers is seen during a press conference in Los Angeles on July 24, 2019.
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Frederic J. Brown
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Jump to
- NBA finds Clippers and Kawhi Leonard conspired to circumvent salary cap rules
- USPS whistleblower and the concerns over mail-in voting
- What it was like being an L.A. strip club heiress
- El Niño is coming in stronger than usual — how are we preparing locally?
- The big takeaways from week one of college football
- TV Talk: ‘Stamptown,’ ‘Dalliance,’ ‘Taskmaster’ and more
Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses the latest with the NBA Clippers investigation, USPS whistleblower and mail-in voting, Strip Club Heiress book, local El Niño preparations, first week of college football and TV Talk.
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NBA finds Clippers and Kawhi Leonard conspired to circumvent salary cap rules
The topic:
The NBA has determined that the Los Angeles Clippers and player Kawhi Leonard collaborated to circumvent the player union’s collective bargaining agreement by initiating “off-court income opportunities” for Leonard. Today on AirTalk, we dig into the details of what the league found.
Context: The NBA launched an investigation with the help of an independent law firm last year into the Clippers not long after independent journalist Pablo Torre reported on his podcast that Leonard had allegedly signed a $28 million endorsement deal that had no duties tied to it. The Clippers have maintained they have done nothing wrong, and rejected the findings.
The penalties: Team owner Steve Ballmer has been suspended for one year, the team will forfeit five first-round draft picks across the next few years, and a team will pay a $30 million fine. For his part, Leonard has been fined $700,000.
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Guest:
- Law Murray, NBA reporter for The Athletic who has been following this
USPS whistleblower and the concerns over mail-in voting
Election workers receive vote by mail ballots on May 28, 2026 in City of Industry, California.
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Gary Coronado
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The topic:
A federal judge in Boston will hear arguments Thursday on whether to extend her prohibition against the U.S. Postal Service requiring states to use a new mail balloting system for the midterms as part of an executive order by President Donald Trump.
Background: In June, the judge prohibited the administration from trying to implement Trump’s order for the November election, ruling the changes came too close to the election for the federal government to embark on such a project. But the Supreme Court late last month ruled that Talwani’s order was premature because the Postal Service had not yet published regulations governing how it would apply Trump’s order.
Now: The agency published guidelines right before the high court ruling, prompting Democrats and voting rights groups to swiftly re-file their lawsuits. Last week, the judge imposed a 14-day temporary restraining order to keep it from being used. That order expires next week as more states begin sending out mail ballots.
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USPS whistleblower: A whistleblower is alleging USPS is poised to launch a hastily built, error-riddled computer system that could jeopardize the process of mail voting relied upon by one-third of all voters. The disclosure from the unidentified whistleblower contends the agency has been scrambling to try to build a complex system that would normally take a year or more in only three months, sometimes in defiance of the judge’s orders halting work. The goal is to have it ready for use in the midterm elections.
Today: We look at how local election officials are gearing up for the November election as these potential mail voting changes hang in the background.
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
- Bob Page, registrar of voters for Orange County
What it was like being an L.A. strip club heiress
Laurel Woods is the author of Strip Club Heiress The Jet Strip, My Father's Conviction, and the Murder of Mac McKenna.
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The topic:
A family business can take on many different shapes and sizes, and in the case of the Woods family in L.A. — it was a strip club. Author Laurel Woods recalls how her father, a former California Highway Patrol officer became a successful strip-club owner, how she grew up around it and how her father was convicted of murdering his business partner in her new book: Strip Club Heiress, The Jet Strip, My Father's Conviction, and the Murder of Mac McKenna (Bloomsbury Academic, 2026).
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Event: Wood will be discussing the book tonight at 7 p.m. at Book Soup in West Hollywood. You can find more information at Book Soup’s website.
Guest:
- Laurel Woods, author of Strip Club Heiress The Jet Strip, My Father's Conviction, and the Murder of Mac McKenna
El Niño is coming in stronger than usual — how are we preparing locally?
High tides and strong surf have vexed Southern California coastal areas this summer. Emergency managers now are warning the upcoming winter may feature a stronger-than-usual El Niño season.
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The topic:
Emergency management officials Tuesday told L.A. County supervisors they're preparing for the worst ahead of this winter’s potentially historic El Niño weather system. The climate pattern usually brings significant rain and ocean swells to Southern California, elevating the risk of flooding and mudslides.
L.A. County prep: The county’s Office of Emergency Management said it plans to hold a practice El Niño response exercise on Sept. 13. It will include county departments and community disaster management coordinators.
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United Nations’ El Niño Forecast: Its agency, focused on weather and climate, provided an update today which found that it’s expected to be stronger than usual, and is expected to last until February 2027.
Read more on LAist: Why LA County emergency managers are prepping for the worst ahead of this year's El Niño
Contact the county: for more information at ready.lacounty.gov or by calling 1-800-933-0930.
Guests:
- Alex Hall, professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at UCLA, he’s also director of its Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
- Mark Pestrella, director of L.A. County Public Works
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The big takeaways from week one of college football
Luke Weaver of the San Jose State Spartans throws a pass during a game against the USC Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Aug. 29, 2026.
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Kevin Terrell
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The topic:
After its soft launch last week, college football holds its grand opening on Labor Day weekend. Today on AirTalk, we look at how the race for the College Football Playoff begins is already shaping up.
The big ones to watch: The only game pitting two Associated Press Top 25 teams is Sunday when No. 24 Louisville meets No. 9 Mississippi in Nashville. The game of the week, of course, is Clemson at No. 11 LSU on Saturday night. Drama seems to follow Lane Kiffin wherever he goes, and there’s been no lack of it in Baton Rouge since he arrived, with most of it in the courtroom lately.
Other games of note: No. 2 Oregon opens at home against Boise State on Saturday, and don’t let the point spread keep you from watching. The Ducks are 24.5-point favorites, but the Broncos have been pointing to this game for a long time and they bring back big playmakers. Oregon won 37-34 on a last-second field goal in Eugene the last time these teams met, in 2024.
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
- Ben Bolch, senior college sports reporter for California Post
TV Talk: ‘Stamptown,’ ‘Dalliance,’ ‘Taskmaster’ and more
What are you watching this long weekend?
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The topic:
Have you felt completely overwhelmed when deciding what new show to watch these days? Us too. There’s just so much content out there between network TV and numerous streaming platforms. This week, listeners will get the latest scoop on what’s worth watching.
TV Shows:
- Stamptown [Variety Special] (Netflix)
- UNTOLD: Raygun Breaking Badly [Documentary] (Netflix)
- Dalliance [Season 1] (Paramount+)
- The Varnell Hill Show [Season 1] (B.E.T.)
- Blood Sacrifice [Limited series] (Netflix)
- The Robot Chicken special (Adult Swim)
- Taskmaster [Season 22] (Channel 4)
Guests:
- Liz Shannon Miller, senior entertainment editor at Consequence
- Steve Greene, freelance TV critic
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Today on AirTalk: L.A. Rams owner buys Anaheim Angels, AI in LAUSD and healthcare, latest in street vending, AMC launches indie distribution and jury deliberation tips. -
Today on AirTalk: Wildfire damages deal, Nithya Raman and DSA-LA, Grand Theft Auto VI, prediction market law and Santa Ana Unified School District lunch changes. -
Today on AirTalk: Latest on Grand Canyon flood, history of CA fast food, data centers and Flock cameras, celebrating John Williams and divisive TV habits in the household.
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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.
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