Analysis of today’s US-Russia Summit in Alaska
This morning, President Vladimir Putin makes his first visit to the U.S. soil since 2015, meeting President Trump at a military base outside Anchorage, Alaska. The US-Russia summit is significant for Putin, who is hoping to advance Russia as one of the major global powers. There is significance to meeting in Alaska too, which was under Russian control until 1867 when the country sold it to the U.S. Joining us to discuss the agenda of this meeting and its political significance is Anatoly Kurmanaev, reporter for The New York Times, covering Russia and its transformation following the invasion of Ukraine and Brian Taylor, professor of political science at Syracuse University who studies Russian Politics.
The events are scheduled to begin around 12 pm Pacific Time (3 p.m. Eastern Time), including face-to-face talks between Trump, Putin and their translators, followed by a joint news conference. It’s unclear how long the two leaders will meet in private.
With files from the Associated Press.
Surveillance cameras in Huntington Beach’s majority Latino neighborhood raise questions
It’s now nearly impossible to pass through the majority Latino neighborhood of Oak View in Huntington Beach without being captured on camera. The city quietly signed two contracts in April to install 10 high-tech surveillance cameras trained on the main entrances, arteries and gathering areas of the densely-packed neighborhood that covers about half a square mile. The AI-equipped cameras have 360 degree vision, night vision, and most are capable of magnifying a subject up to 32 times, like a telescope, without losing image quality. They also expose long-simmering tensions in Oak View. Some residents of this historically neglected neighborhood told LAist they welcomed the added surveillance if it helps deter crime and catch criminals. But others question the city’s motives at a time when local officials have pledged to support the federal government’s efforts to find and deport hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants. Today on AirTalk, LAist Orange County Correspondent Jill Replogle joins the program for more.
We reached out to the Huntington Beach Police Department and Mayor for this conversation but did not hear back. With files from LAist.
Indian & Mexican food fuse together at Appu’s Turmeric Cafe in Long Beach
Years back, on AirTalk, we did a segment on fusion cuisines you can find in Southern California. At the time, we spoke to Vinod Venkataraman, otherwise known as Chef VR, the owner of Appu's Turmeric Cafe in Long Beach. Having immigrated to the United States from India, he’s served as a musician, professor, and chef for a restaurant that mixes Indian and Mexican cuisine. What originally began as a restaurant located in a medical office, their operations have now grown to another location in the city. So today on Food Friday, we welcome Chef VR back to the program to get further into the story behind him and his restaurant’s menu.
FilmWeek: ‘Highest 2 Lowest’, ‘Nobody 2’, ‘Americana’, and more!
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Tim Cogshell, Peter Rainer and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.
Films:
Highest 2 Lowest, Wide Release
Nobody 2, Wide Release
Americana, Wide Release
Fixed, Streaming on Netflix
The Musicians, Laemmle Royal [Santa Monica] & Laemmle Town Center [Encino]
East of Wall, In Select Theaters
Boys Go to Jupiter, Laemmle Glendale
The Knife, In Select Theaters
Anxiety Club, Streaming on Jolt.film
Songs From the Hole, Streaming on Netflix
How to adapt a film like Akira Kurosawa?
Akira Kurosawa is one of the world’s most revered directors, his films often cited as inspiration amongst other auteurs. Sometimes that inspiration has led to full-on remakes of Kurosawa’s films, such as Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest (2025), an adaptation of Kurosawa’s High and Low (1963). Other adaptations of Kurosawa’s work include Seven Samurai and Yojimbo. Kurosawa himself liked to adapt pre-existing stories. Many of his films are interpretations of Shakespeare plays. Even High and Low is based on a novel. So how does one go about adapting and remaking a film by a great director like Kurosawa? How is the story updated for new audiences? And what kind of films lend themselves to adaptations? Today on FilmWeek, we discuss Hollywood’s attempts to remake some of Kurosawa’s most beloved films and what makes a good adaptation. Joining Larry Mantle is Peter Rainer, film critic for LAist and the Christian Science Monitor, Tim Cogshell, film critic for LAist, Alt-Film Guide and CineGods.com, and Charles Solomon, film critic for LAist, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine.
