One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
Lifeguards rescue thousands at CA beaches, dining solo, LAX people mover, road trip stops and more
Commission Chair Robert C. Bonner, right, long-time head of L.A. Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission, speaks to commissioners during their meeting at St. Anne's Family Services in Los Angeles on June 26, 2025.
(
Genaro Molina
/
Getty Images
)
Jump to
- Why the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission hasn’t used its subpoena power yet
- SoCal Surf is unusually high — here’s how to stay safe
- What goes into a good solo dining experience?
- The latest on LAX’s people mover
- What makes the classics ripe for adaptation?
- Let’s pull over! What’s your go-to road trip stops?
Today on AirTalk: Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission, SoCal water rescues, solo dining, LAX people mover, adapting the classics and road trip stops.
Have a question or comment about a segment? Want to pitch us a story?
Fill out the form below, and please include an email address so we're able to follow up if necessary! We're not able to respond to every inquiry, but all submissions are read and reviewed by our production team.
Why the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission hasn’t used its subpoena power yet
The topic:
In 2020, L.A. County passed Measure R, which gives the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission subpoena power to better hold law enforcement agencies accountable during conduct reviews. However, even six years in, challenges remain to get the L.A. County Sheriff Department to comply.
Listen
11:31
Listen to the conversation:
Guest: Frank Stoltze, civics and democracy correspondent at LAist.
Why the delay? State labor law requires the county meet with the unions that represent sheriff deputies whenever the law may be affected, including subpoena power. The Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission is challenging this requirement.
Why now? This challenge comes as the oversight commission wants access to case files regarding a 2023 incident in which a L.A. County sheriff’s deputy (who later pleaded guilty) beat up a transgender man in Whittier.
Sponsored message
For more: You can read more of LAist’s Frank Stoltze’s reporting on the issue here.
SoCal Surf is unusually high — here’s how to stay safe
Surfers make their way through the early morning mist after catching a few waves in Santa Monica on March 13, 2026.
(
Genaro Molina
/
Getty Images
)
The topic:
A high surf advisory along the Los Angeles coast is in effect today, with a beach hazard statement also currently in effect. Today on AirTalk, we look at what’s causing these conditions, and how beachgoers can stay safe.
Listen
19:28
Listen to the conversation:
Guests: Kanoa Pick, graduate student at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institute of Oceanography, and Ed Castillo, owner of Golden State Lifeguards.
The cause: The elevated swells are due to Hurricane Genevieve, which is meandering in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California. It reached Category 5 status briefly on Monday, but has since weakened and is expected to stay out at sea.
Sponsored message
Staying safe: Forecasters recommend staying out of the water altogether, noting that rock jetties can become deadly in current conditions. If you do choose to enter the water, forecasters say to stay near occupied lifeguard towers.
More about our guests:
- Kanoa Pick, graduate student at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institute of Oceanography who studies waves
- Ed Castillo, owner of Golden State Lifeguards, a private company providing lifeguards for private pool and beach events
What goes into a good solo dining experience?
Do you like dining alone?
(
Iryna Semeniuk
/
iStockphoto
)
The topic:
On its face, there isn’t anything inherently wrong about getting a reservation for one. However, social stigma has made many folks believe that dining with a group is the only acceptable way to dine at a restaurant. Today, we’re getting into why that might be the case, and digging into the best practices for solo dining.
Listen
18:27
Listen to the conversation:
Guest: Elazar Sontag, food critic for the Washington Post.
Sponsored message
What data is saying: The reservation platform, OpenTable, shared with the Washington Post that reservations for solo dining were up by 23% in the last year, the largest increase for any party size.
More about our guest:
- Elazar Sontag, food critic for the Washington Post, his piece is I love dining alone. So should you.
The latest on LAX’s people mover
The workers represented by the union have been testing and commissioning the LAX Automated People Mover, which is seen here going through reliability and safety testing in April 2026.
(
Kavish Harjai / LAist
)
The topic:
Today on AirTalk, we look at the latest on LAX’s beleaguered people mover project after the contractor building the system filed a lawsuit against the city.
Listen
14:46
Listen to the conversation:
Guest: Kavish Harjai, LAist transportation correspondent.
Sponsored message
The lawsuit: In the suit, filed with the L.A. County Superior Court on July 9, LINXS alleges that the city is misplacing blame in construction-related disputes and refusing to extend contract deadlines. LINXS also alleges it’s owed additional compensation as a result of the delays.
The status of the People Mover: The project, a 2.25-mile-long elevated train designed to transport riders between airport terminals and local transit, is currently undergoing testing. Work on the train is scheduled to be complete “in a few months,” according to a June interview with Los Angeles World Airports CEO John Ackerman on the L.A. in a Minute podcast.
Go deeper: Read the full story here
What makes the classics ripe for adaptation?
Mia Goth as Melantho and Anne Hathaway as Penelope.
(
Melinda Sue Gordon
/
Courtesy Universal Pictures
)
The topic:
The success of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey can’t be overstated — it's made more than $600 million worldwide, and it's tracking to be the director’s most commercially successful film. So what exactly has made audiences interested in this centuries-old poem?
Listen
19:19
Listen to the conversation:
Guests: Monica Cyrino, professor of classics at the University of New Mexico and Alex Purves, professor of classics at UCLA.
Straightforward examples: Other projects that choose to closely recreate the world-building in Homer’s literature include the 1954 film Ulysses and the 2024 film The Return.
Abstract examples: The Coen brothers did a loose interpretation of Homer’s The Odyssey with their 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou? Another example that was released during the aughts was the Percy Jackson book series, which was eventually adapted for film.
More about our guests:
- Monica Cyrino, professor of classics at the University of New Mexico who focuses on classical reception in pop culture and media
- Alex Purves, professor of classics at UCLA
Let’s pull over! What’s your go-to road trip stops?
What are your road trip stops?
(
Bun Lee
/
Getty Images
)
The topic:
It’s easy to get stuck in the mundane of just driving from point A to point B, especially in L.A. But what about those longer trips where you aren’t in such a rush to beat traffic or take a bathroom break? Today on AirTalk, we want to hear from you about the bites and sites that have become their own destinations along the way.
Listen
15:48
Listen to the conversation:
Guest: Doug Kirby, publisher and co-founder of roadsideamerica.com.
-
Californians share how they think about their Jewish identity. -
Today on AirTalk: A new report on resident health after the Lineage fire, an ode to the humanities, Taqueria Tijuanero, FilmWeek and best films set in school. -
Today on AirTalk: LA mayoral debate, new poll on voter trends, study shows dogs understand feelings, anti-camping ordinance, Trump road construction and logging and TV Talk.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
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.
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.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
