Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen
  • Listen Now Playing Listen
News

Trump's national address, beach canopy bans, World Cup final and more

President Trump stands at a podium pointing at the audience, wearing a bright red tie and dark navy suit. An American flag serves as the backdrop.
President Trump speaks during a White House event to announce new tariffs on April 2.
(
Mark Schiefelbein
/
AP
)

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.

Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses Trump's national address and how newsrooms and networks decide whether to air it live, Newport Beach's recent teen takeover, beach canopy bans, the World Cup final, Ross McElwee and TV Talk.

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.

Networks are mixed on whether to air President Trump’s national address

The topic:

President Donald Trump is set to address the nation on Thursday night on topics like elections and voting machines, suggesting he is likely to revisit some of the unproven claims he’s made about Republican losses, particularly his own in 2020.

Coverage: News outlets have been mixed on airing and covering his speech, with a recent piece published in Poynter laying out some of the rationale for the decisions.

Speech time: President Trump’s speech is expected to start at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time/9:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Sponsored message

Guest:

  • Christina Bellantoni, professor of professional practice and director of USC Annenberg's Media Center

Newport Beach looks at potential causes and solutions after July 4 chaos

A sailboat passes by as motorists and pedestrians load onto the Balboa Island Ferry on Balboa Island in Newport Beach. A "Welcome to Balboa Island" sign stands on the pier. Rows of apartments and a large tree canopy are seen in the background.
A sailboat passes by as motorists and pedestrians load onto the Balboa Island Ferry on Balboa Island in Newport Beach Tuesday, April 25, 2023.
(
Allen J. Schaben
/
Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
)

The topic:

Fourth of July brought thousands of teens and young adults to Newport Beach’s Peninsula who caused chaos and vandalism. Newport police officers arrested more than 400 people as a result. Today on AirTalk, we look at what happened in the first city council meeting since the incident.

Background: School’s out, and thousands of teens and young adults have descended upon SoCal’s cities. Police departments in places like Newport and Huntington Beach are on alert for “teen takeovers,” raucous gatherings of hundreds of young people in publicly touristed spots.

Other cities’ response: Cities like Palm Springs and Santa Barbara’s Isla Vista have had success over the years quelling large, disruptive groups of spring breakers and college students alike.

Sponsored message

Guests:

  • Erika Ritchie, staff writer for the Orange County Register and 10 other Southern California News Group newspapers
  • Georgia Rios, public information manager for Newport Beach

Are beachgoers’ shade canopies getting a little too big?

A person surfs in the distance as another person sits in a beach chair on the sand and under an umbrella.
Shane Enete of La Mirada relaxes under an umbrella while watching a surfer ride a wave after surfing on a warm day at Bolsa Chica State Beach.
(
Allen J. Schaben
/
Getty Images
)

The topic:

Summer is well underway, and as Southern Californians flock to the beach, they are bringing with them large canopies to block out the sun. But some are concerned the canopies are getting too large, with some groups tying multiple canopies together and threatening public safety.

Crackdowns: Both Newport Beach and Laguna Beach have enacted rules meant to curtail the number of canopies dotting their beaches, arguing that a beach packed full of canopies limits the ability of lifeguards and first responders to both see and react to emergencies.

Join the conversation: What do you think about the cities’ point of view on this? Do you think people are going too far with the level of gear they bring to the beach? Or is this an overreaction? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722, or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.

Sponsored message

Guest:

  • Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, Explore LA correspondent for LAist

Argentina returns to the FIFA World Cup final to face Spain

A male-presenting person with light skin wearing a blue and white sports jersey with the number 10 on the front sits, smiling, on the shoulders of another male presenting person. A group male-presenting people stand around him, smiling. He is holding a water bottle in his left hand and has tattoos on his right arm.
Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates with teammates after the 2-1 win during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi Final match between England and Argentina.
(
Buda Mendes
/
Getty Images
)

The topic:

The best offense. The best defense. The World Cup final is set, and fittingly, a clash of styles awaits. Lionel Messi — the most prolific goalscorer in the tournament’s history — and defending champion Argentina will take on Spain’s defensive juggernaut on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to decide the title.

Argentina’s path: They’re coming off Wednesday's match against England, launching a late-game comeback to win 2-1. This follows other nail-biting victories over Switzerland, Egypt and Cabo Verde.

Spain’s path: Their most recent match was a convincing 2-0 victory over frontrunners France, who were finalists in the 2022 World Cup. Despite a rocky group stage, their knockout matches have seen them consistently win the possession battle and eventually find the goals to advance.

Sponsored message

Guest:

  • Hannah Vanbiber, senior editor at The Athletic, who hosts the podcast The Athletic FC: Daily Cup and writes for their World Cup Briefing newsletter

Documentarian Ross McElwee’s latest autobiographical film about his late son

A young male-presenting child with short, dark hair looks into the camera. One of his eyes is closed and he is holding a fork in front of his open eye.
Adrian McElwee in Remake.
(
Courtesy Music Box Films
)

The topic:

Documentary filmmaker Ross McElwee joins the show to talk about his new film Remake and the 4K restoration release of Sherman's March, the documentary that helped define McElwee’s autobiographical style.

Remake: McElwee is known for turning the camera on himself to document moments in his own life. In his new film, Remake, McElwee reflects on his relationship with his son, Adrian, who died in 2016 from a fentanyl overdose. Using excerpts from his previous films, many of which featured Adrian, Remake is both a love letter to McElwee’s son and a dissection of his own life and career as a documentarian.

Screenings: You can see Remake and a new 4K restoration of Sherman’s March at Laemmle Royal Theater in West L.A. starting Friday, July 17.

Helpline: If you or someone you know needs help or treatment, you can reach SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Guest:

  • Ross McElwee, documentary filmmaker and director of the new film Remake. Best known for his 1985 documentary Sherman’s March

TV Talk: ‘The Hawk,’ ‘Lucky,’ ‘The Man Will Burn’ and more!

Old television isolated on white background, retro vintage style tv
What's worth watching this week?
(
Pituk Loonhong
/
iStockphoto
)

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:

  • The Hawk [Season 1] (Netflix)
  • Lucky [Limited Series] (Apple TV)
  • Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed [Season 1 FINALE] (Apple TV)
  • Ride or Die [mini-series] (Prime Video)
  • The Vampire Lestat [Season 3 FINALE] (AMC)
  • Hot Ones: Extra Heat [Season 1] (Netflix)
  • The Man Will Burn [mini-series] (HBO Max)

Guests:

  • Liz Shannon Miller, senior entertainment editor at Consequence
  • Saloni Gajjar, staff writer covering TV at the A.V. Club
More AirTalk episodes

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.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today