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Secret LAPD recordings, latest in AI, food influencers in restaurants, TV Talk and more
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman faces criticism for prosecuting a police officer who secretly recorded colleagues.
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Robert Gauthier
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Getty Images
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Jump to
- LAPD cop recorded colleagues' racist and sexist remarks, faces prosecution
- AI Roundup: capabilities across biology and math on full display
- What’s a vintage-era thing you’ve grown smitten with?
- What could a supercharged El Niño mean for SoCal’s beaches?
- How have food influencers changed the restaurant industry?
- TV-Talk: ‘Lanterns,’ ‘Mourinho,’ ‘My Brilliant Career’ and more!
Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses secret LAPD recordings, the latest in AI, vintage discoveries, coastal erosion, food influencers in the restaurant industry, and TV Talk.
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LAPD cop recorded colleagues' racist and sexist remarks, faces prosecution
The topic:
The L.A. County district attorney’s decision to file criminal charges against an LAPD officer who recorded colleagues has sparked controversy, with critics saying the charges will create a chilling effect on people who want to report misconduct at the department. The officer says the recordings capture colleagues making racist, sexist and anti-gay remarks.
The backstory: Officer Daniel Flores made 122 recordings of colleagues in the department's Recruitment and Employment Division.
The details: District Attorney Nathan Hochman alleges Flores violated California privacy laws and that he should be prosecuted regardless of his motives to root out bigotry.
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Backlash: L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and others have denounced the prosecution, saying it could "send the wrong message that calling out egregious behavior could land you in prison."
Read more: LAPD cop recorded colleagues' racist and sexist remarks. Will his prosecution chill whistleblowers?
Guest:
- Eugene Volokh, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford and professor of law emeritus at UCLA School of Law
- Frank Stoltze, LAist civics & democracy correspondent
AI Roundup: capabilities across biology and math on full display
Handheld smartphone displaying the icons of some of the main artificial intelligence based apps including LLMs, chatbots and generative AI, in Saint-Mande, east of Paris, on July 15, 2026.
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Martin Lelievre
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The topic:
There’s seemingly a new AI headline just about every day, if not every hour. Each week on AirTalk, we set aside some time to catch you up on the biggest stories and developments of the week.
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AI on math: Frontier AI companies have shown that their models can be used for coding, and now are demonstrating their high-level math capabilities. A number of longstanding conjectures and problems have been resolved in just the last few weeks, with Anthropic announcing this week they’ve made seemingly extensive progress on the Riemann hypothesis, a sort of white whale in math.
AI on biology: Another STEM domain, biology is also being subsumed by AI. A paper in the journal Science explained how scientists created 16 novel viruses (ones not capable of infecting humans) using AI.
Yes, but: Designing viruses on a computer is one thing, synthesizing them in a lab and getting them to be stable is still a barrier to a potential biological weapon.
Guests:
- Benjamin Guggenheim, author of the Washington Post AI & Tech Brief newsletter
- Kai Williams, reporter at Understanding AI, a newsletter focused on AI trends and debates
What’s a vintage-era thing you’ve grown smitten with?
Have you gotten into something before your time?
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thomasandreas
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The topic:
One benefit of living in the year 2026 is how widely accessible older art and entertainment are. Some people become devoted fans of music released before they were born; others go back to old Westerns, classic literature, or dress in immaculate recreations of flapper fashion. Today on AirTalk, we ask listeners what older things they’re passionate about.
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Join the conversation: Have you recently discovered something vintage that you’ve been really interested in? Was it something popular before you were born? Were you alive but just missed it as a trend? Tell us about it by calling (866) 893-5722 or emailing us at atcomments@laist.com.
What could a supercharged El Niño mean for SoCal’s beaches?
High tides and a small swell overtop berms along the Long Beach peninsula in early July.
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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The topic:
California is known for its sandy beaches and majestic bluffs, but could coastal erosion threaten beaches? Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at UC Santa Cruz, Gary Griggs, joins AirTalk to discuss the reality of coastal erosion.
On the horizon: This year’s El Niño may break records and reshape California’s coastline.
Read more: High tides provide glimpse into rising sea levels. A Long Beach neighborhood is on the front lines
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Guest:
- Gary Griggs, professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at UC Santa Cruz
How have food influencers changed the restaurant industry?
The snacks from the tasting menu at Maru San Restaurant photographed on June 6, 2026 in Washington, D.C.
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Scott Suchman
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Getty Images
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The topic:
As influencers have become a mainstream way for people to learn about goods and services before making a purchase, they’ve become an unavoidable part of marketing a business. So how do local restaurants feel about working with influencers?
The pros: Collaborating with micro-influencers with small but engaged audiences can give restaurants a real return on their investment, and help bring new patrons in the door.
The cons: A bad review on Yelp may be seen by a handful of people, but its overall impact is largely tied to its weight in a restaurant’s average rating. A bad review from an influencer can be seen by potentially thousands, with little to no way for a restaurateur to respond and reach the same audience.
Join the conversation: Are you a restaurant or business owner who has worked with influencers? How did that go? Or hey, if you’re a food influencer, what is your process in working with restaurants like? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.
Guests:
- John Sungkamee, owner of Emporium Thai in Westwood and Emporium Thai Market in Sawtelle
- Taylor Somae, director of marketing and social media for Bacari, which has multiple locations across greater L.A., including in Silverlake, Glendale and Culver City
TV-Talk: ‘Lanterns,’ ‘Mourinho,’ ‘My Brilliant Career’ and more!
What are you watching this week?
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Pituk Loonhong
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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 (HBO Max)
- Mourinho (Netflix)
- My Brilliant Career (Netflix)
- The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th (Bravo | Peacock)
- The Map of Longing (Netflix)
- Whitmer Thomas: Terminal Crew of Dudes (HBO Max)
Guests:
- Steve Greene, freelance television critic
- Marcus Jones, awards editor for TV & Film at IndieWire
-
Today on AirTalk: LAUSD's first day of school, the state of regional theaters, whether LA Metro could go 'fare-free', book on resistance to hate groups and Lakers sale. -
Today on AirTalk: Social media trial, what makes social media safe, Big Bear eagle Jackie dies, California ballot counting and friendslop gaming. -
Today on AirTalk: Trump and California's coasts, favorite L.A. auditoriums, LA28 Olympics tickets, Sally Field on her Emmy nomination and what evolution says about dieting.
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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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