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SCOTUS to review mandatory detention policy, AI detectors, CNN gubernatorial debate and more
The Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.
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Andrew Harnik
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Getty Images
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- SCOTUS to review Trump’s mandatory detention policy
- How accurate are AI writing detectors?
- The unsung WWII hero who promoted literacy to soldiers
- What you missed from the CA gubernatorial debate
- Triple Play: Who will the Dodgers play first in the postseason?
- TV Talk: ‘War,’ ‘Get Jiro,’ ‘East of Eden’ and more!
Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses SCOTUS reviewing President Donald Trump's mandatory detention policy, AI writing detectors, the new book A Librarian's War, CNN gubernatorial debate, MLB postseason and TV Talk.
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SCOTUS to review Trump’s mandatory detention policy
The topic:
The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to review a Trump administration policy denying bond hearings for immigrants as the government carries out a sweeping crackdown.
The latest: The justices will consider whether immigrants who have been living in the U.S. have a right to a hearing to determine if they should remain detained while challenging their possible deportation.
Context: The case will test a key pillar of the Trump administration’s hardline immigration agenda. Most appeals courts to have considered the issue have found that it violates federal law to detain immigrants, including those living in the U.S. without legal status, without a bond hearing. Those decisions conflict with rulings by the 5th and 8th circuits, which held that immigrants accused of illegally entering and remaining in the U.S. must be detained while their deportation cases are pending.
With files from the Associated Press
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Guests:
- Andrew Arthur, former immigration judge and resident fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, a research organization based in Washington, D.C.
- Talia Inlender, deputy director of the Miñana Family Center for Immigration Law and Policy at the UCLA School of Law
How accurate are AI writing detectors?
The Turnitin similarity score of a student essay in one of Adam Kaiserman’s classes at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita on May 6, 2025.
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Jules Hotz
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CalMatters
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The topic:
AI detectors like Pangram are being used to suss out authors’ writing — from the use of AI to help edit to using LLMs to generate whole sections of novels. Accusations of AI use in the literary world are damning and it can be hard for authors to defend themselves even if they know AI wasn’t used.
How accurate are AI detectors? It depends on the detector and how much text you are trying to analyze. But, according to researchers who tested Pangram’s technology, the leading AI detector has a near-zero false positive rate.
Yes, but: This does not mean that gold-standard detectors like Pangram do not make mistakes. Certain words and sentence structures that are commonly used by AI can get flagged even if it was written by a human and vice-versa.
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Guests:
- Brian Jabarian, assistant professor of economics and technology at Carnegie Mellon University
- Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of five thrillers, including We Were Never Here and the forthcoming Delete Your Account, a speculative AI thriller that comes out in May
The unsung WWII hero who promoted literacy to soldiers
Royal Navy officer resting on two large wicker crates as he leisurely reads a book on September 19th, 1912.
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The Montifraulo Collection
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Getty Images
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The topic:
As we near Banned Book Week (Oct. 4 to Oct. 10), we recognize the importance of literature and the value it holds amidst an era of censorship. According to the American Library Association, 92% of all book challenges last year were initiated by pressure groups and government officials. A new book looks at a historical figure who fought the same resistance, and advocated for literacy during one of the most turbulent times in America.
The book: A Librarian’s War: The Man Who Fought World War II with Books explores the life of Ray Trautman and the lengths he went through to promote the power of reading to soldiers during WWII. From building libraries to working under Dwight Eisenhower, Trautman was credited with distributing nearly a half billion books to troops.
Guest:
- Molly Guptill Manning, author, historian, curator and associate professor of law at New York Law School. She’s written four books, including When Books Went to War, The War of Words, and her latest, A Librarian’s War (Oxford University Press, 2026)
What you missed from the CA gubernatorial debate
From left, gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton, during CNN’s California Gubernatorial Debate at CNN’s studio in Burbank on Sept. 30, 2026.
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Grace Widyatmadja
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CNN
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The topic:
Last night saw the two leading candidates vying to be the state's next governor debate for what may be the only time during this election. Today on AirTalk, we’ll recap yesterday’s debate and offer analysis of the two remaining candidates for California’s highest statewide position.
Media interviews: Ahead of the debate, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton has done interviews with outlets like LAist, KQED, NBC’s Bay Area affiliate and Deadline. In the case of Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra, he’s only done an interview with the San Francisco Standard.
Join the conversation: Were you watching last night’s debate? What was your analysis of Becerra and Hilton’s performances? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
Guests:
- Nicole Nixon, politics reporter for the Los Angeles Times
- Jack Pitney, professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College
Triple Play: Who will the Dodgers play first in the postseason?
Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts after hitting a two-run home run against the Atlanta Braves during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles.
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Kevork Djansezian
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AP
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The topic:
The Los Angeles Dodgers ended the 2026 MLB season with 100 wins, with plenty of momentum ahead of a possible match against the Atlanta Braves or Philadelphia Phillies. Today on AirTalk, we’ll dig into their last stretch of games for the year, and where things stand ahead of their first postseason matchup.
Dodgers get first-round bye: Although the team had been flirting with a second-place NL West finish, the team rallied pretty well to end the season, finishing nine wins ahead of the San Diego Padres, clinching the NL West last Thursday.
Join the conversation: Dodgers fans — how are you feeling ahead of this year’s postseason? Is a three-peat a serious possibility? Do you view this postseason run as the last dance for this current core of players? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
- Nick Roman, host of Roman on the Radio; he's also a former host of All Things Considered on LAist
- Molly Knight, sportswriter and author of The Long Game baseball newsletter
TV Talk: ‘War,’ ‘Get Jiro,’ ‘East of Eden’ and more!
What are you watching lately?
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Pituk Loonhong
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iStockphoto
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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:
- Lanterns [Season Finale] (HBO Max)
- Tip Toe [Limited Series] (Channel 4 | STARZ)
- East of Eden [Limited Series] (Netflix)
- Get Jiro [Season 1] (Adult Swim)
- War [Season 1] (HBO Max)
Guests:
- Liz Shannon Miller, senior entertainment editor at Consequence
- Saloni Gajjar, staff writer covering TV at the A.V. Club
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Today on AirTalk: E-bikes in OC, AI safety concerns, rising gas prices, PetTalk and artificial intimacy. -
Today on AirTalk: Latest on LA28 Olympics, LA CD-3 candidate Tim Gaspar, new book on UC system, Dodgers, college sports law and top 100 TV shows of the 21st century. -
Today on AirTalk: Cornell University sexual assault, candidate Richard Barrera, Shirley Weber on reelection, OpenAI pauses training, ASCO history and memories of grandparents.
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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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