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Republican Steve Hilton, Meta's new AI assistant, Bill Essayli on fraud and more
California governor candidate Steve Hilton in Pomona.
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Robert Gauthier
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Los Angeles Times
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- Steve Hilton on why he should be California's next governor
- This week in AI: Meta’s new Muse assistant
- Federal prosecutor Bill Essayli on fraud, homelessness and more
- Poll Talk: Raman ahead of Bass? Plus the gender divide between Latinos and Latinas
- Pianist and composer David Benoit shares kidney transplant story through music
Today on AirTalk: Republican candidate Steve Hilton, Meta's new AI assistant, federal prosecutor Bill Essayli, Berkeley IGS polls and David Benoit on new cello concerto piece.
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Steve Hilton on why he should be California's next governor
The topic:
British and American political commentator and former political advisor Steve Hilton is running to be the next governor of California. He’s running as a Republican, and pitching himself as the change the state needs after years of Democrats controlling all levers of the state government.
Listen
25:00
Listen to the conversation:
Guest: Steve Hilton, California gubernatorial candidate running as a Republican.
The context: Hilton’s opponent in the November general election is former health secretary and democrat Xavier Becerra.
Voter Game Plan: Figure out who and what is on your ballot with the LAist voter game plan.
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This week in AI: Meta’s new Muse assistant
Meta is offering a new AI assistant it's calling Muse.
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Getty Images
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The topic:
These days it seems like AI chatbots have become omnipresent in the workplace, marketplace and even in our homes. For this week in AI, we take a look at how the premiere artificial intelligence models continue to optimize our everyday lives and explore Meta’s latest human concierge AI tool called Muse.
Listen
25:02
Listen to the conversation:
Guests: Katie Paul, reporter for Reuters covering technology, and Natalie Lung, tech reporter for Bloomberg.
More about our guests:
- Katie Paul, reporter for Reuters covering technology with a primary focus on Meta and social media companies
- Natalie Lung, tech reporter for Bloomberg
Federal prosecutor Bill Essayli on fraud, homelessness and more
Federal prosecutor Bill Essayli.
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Allen J. Schaben
/
Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
)
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The topic:
Last week, federal and Los Angeles County law enforcement announced an effort to investigate homelessness service fraud in the area, making multiple arrests in the process. This follows federal and county-level scrutiny of the Los Angeles Homelessness Services Authority (LAHSA) for the organization’s lack of oversight into the groups it chooses to fund. Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, joins AirTalk to discuss the federal government’s involvement in these local issues.
Listen
19:41
Listen to the conversation:
Guest: Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California.
Alleged misuse of funds: Charges have been made against three individuals who worked for separate local nonprofit organizations, with accusations ranging from the creation of shell corporations to mischaracterizing their influence as a homelessness provider in an effort to gain access to county funds.
LAHSA: LAist reported the homelessness authority dropped its legal battle with the federal government, which ultimately further limiting its funds.
Read more: $1 million in homeless funds for a nightclub? New LA fraud cases allege bribery and theft
Poll Talk: Raman ahead of Bass? Plus the gender divide between Latinos and Latinas
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman, left, talks with L.A. Mayor Karen Bass at Hazeltine Park in Sherman Oaks in 2024.
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Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag
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Los Angeles Times
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The topic:
Two new sets of data show a shifting political landscape here in Los Angeles and in greater California. Today on AirTalk, we look at this data in depth.
Listen
16:04
Listen to the conversation:
Guest: Mark DiCamillo, director of the Berkeley IGS Poll, and Fernando Guerra, professor of political science and Chicana/o Latina/o studies at Loyola Marymount University.
The mayor’s race: New polling data from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies shows that Los Angeles Councilmember Nithya Raman has a roughly 11-point lead over Mayor Karen Bass, with 39% of likely voters supporting her compared to 28% for Bass.
Yes, but: 33% of likely voters, many of whom the poll notes voted for Spencer Pratt in the primary, are still undecided on which candidate they’ll support.
Latino gender gap data: Research analysis from UCLA looked into voter sentiments of California Latinos and Latinas, with findings showing many issues split on gendered lines. The difference shows up largest among younger voters, with Latinas in the state being much more progressive than Latino men in areas like immigration, and other aspects of President Trump’s agenda that are impacting folks locally.
More about our guests:
- Mark DiCamillo, director of the Berkeley IGS Poll, a non-partisan survey of California public opinion on matters of politics, public policy and public affairs
- Fernando Guerra, professor of political science and Chicana/o Latina/o studies at Loyola Marymount University, he's also the founding director of their Center for the Study of Los Angeles
Pianist and composer David Benoit shares kidney transplant story through music
David Benoit performs at Bomhard Theater in 2015 in Louisville, Kentucky.
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Stephen J. Cohen
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Getty Images
)
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The topic:
Longtime KJazz host and Grammy-nominated musician and composer David Benoit underwent a lifesaving kidney transplant three years ago. While in recovery, he wrote the cello concerto "Resonance & Renewal.”
Listen
21:29
Listen to the conversation:
Guest: David Benoit, Grammy-nominated pianist, composer, arranger and KJazz host.
Event details: Benoit will premiere the piece on Sept. 26 at the Soka Performing Arts Center in Aliso Viejo. He will conduct a 40-piece orchestra alongside world-renowned cellist Cecilia Tsan and later play some favorites from his catalog on the piano. You can learn more about the event here.
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Research group Circana found that in the first half of the year, adult-only households made up 55% of toy sales and are driving industry growth. AirTalk gets into why. -
New Burbank airport terminal, Prop 4, acne do's and don'ts, American Dream economics, California wine glut and the history of American bread. -
Latest on coastal flooding, Prop 1, Vroman's Bookstore and its new owner, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna, Bass and Raman debate and commonly misused words.
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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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