With Thanksgiving around the corner, a check in on the roads and airports that we’re clogging up

With Thanksgiving around the corner, a check in on the roads and airports that we’re clogging up

A week after lifting the unprecedented flight restrictions it placed on commercial airlines during the shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration is preparing for its busiest Thanksgiving in 15 years, with more than 360,000 flights scheduled between Monday and next Tuesday. That’s more than 17.8 million people who will be screened at airports, according to the Transportation Security Administration. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday at a news conference that air traffic controller staffing levels have stabilized in time for what he says will be the busiest Thanksgiving on record for travel, while the head of the FAA reassured passengers that they can “fly with confidence” this week. AAA projects 1.3 million more travelers will be on the roads than last year, pushing the total number of people traveling by car to at least 73 million. For more, Doug Shupe, spokesperson for the Automobile Club of Southern California.

With files from the Associated Press.

AI music is making waves in the music industry

Turn your radio dial to your right and you may hear some music that sounds a little different. Recently, an AI country song topped the Billboard “Country Digital Song Sales” chart. Universal, Warner and Sony also recently announced Licensing Deals With AI Startup Klay. The music industry is changing rapidly and we could see a new generation of AI music coming to our devices soon. How did we get to this moment where music labels are partnering with AI start-ups? What will this mean for musicians? Joining us are Stephen Witt, journalist and author; Monica Chieffo, professional musician and musicology and music industry lecturer at UCLA; and George Howard, Professor of Music Business and Management at Berklee College of Music.

How's that New Year’s resolution going? (The 2025 one)

It’s a universal truth: AirTalk listeners can commit. We have a very loyal audience that tunes in as often as they can to listen to Larry, Austin, and the other AirTalk hosts discuss the biggest news of the day and shed light on the unique aspects of SoCal life. As we approach the end of the year, we want to find out if that level of commitment to AirTalk also bleeds over into your personal life. So with a little over a month to go, we want to hear from you: how’s that New Year’s resolution going huh? The made you made at the beginning of the year, that is. Tell us about it by calling 866-893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.

A look at how the department tasked with managing the nation's forests is doing

The National Forest Service oversees all 154 forests and 20 grasslands across the U.S. These lands total to about 200 million acres, with almost 200 thousand acres reforested annually. Since the start of the year, the Forest Service has lost nearly 6,000 staffers due to resignations, layoffs, and retirements amid massive budgetary cuts put in place by the Trump administration. This is being followed by larger budget reduction proposals for 2026 that could end up reducing crucial funding for wildfire management and essential ecological restorations. Joining us to talk about the current state of the U.S. Forest Service and its funding is Hannah Nathanson, reporter for The Washington Post covering the Trump administration, and Bill Lee, a U.S. Forest Service volunteer in Lander, Wyoming. We also want to hear from you! Have you noticed any changes to local forests here in SoCal? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com

Popular conservative X accounts are operated overseas —what does that say about social media?

A new transparency tool on X called ‘About This Account’ has exposed something big: many popular MAGA-aligned accounts are based in overseas locations, including Russia, Nigeria, and India. The new tool on the platform became available on Friday for users. It allows anyone to see the geological origin of an account, as well as when it was created and how often the user of a profile changes their name. This raises obvious questions about how foreign actors can infiltrate U.S. democracy and influence voters by way of political conversation online. Joining us to discuss the app’s new feature, as well as the proliferation of misinformation online, is Professor and Co-Director of the NYU Center for Social Media and Politics, Jonathan Nagler.

Curiosity, according to a new study, might diffuse intense political arguments this holiday season

It’s that time of the year, when families begin to convene for the holidays and with those reunions comes the dreaded political conversation. A new study from researchers at George Mason University and University of California Santa Barbara reveals that curiosity may be key when it comes to diffusing tense arguments before they even begin. We want to hear from you as well. How do you approach tough conversations with family over the holidays? How do you prepare yourself? Or maybe everyone knows to stay away from certain topics no matter what. Call us at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com. Joining us today on AirTalk is Jeannette York, licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who works with families and siblings and is based in Toluca Lake and Madeleine Gross, psychology researcher at UC Santa Barbara and co-author of the study.