Deepseek AI vs. US Stock Market
Wall Street’s superstars are tumbling Monday as a competitor from China threatens to upend the artificial-intelligence frenzy that’s created a spending bonanza. The S&P 500 was down 1.7% in midday trading and heading for its worst day in more than a month. Big Tech stocks took some of the heaviest losses, with Nvidia down 14.4%, and they dragged the Nasdaq composite down 2.8%. Stocks outside of AI-related industries held up much better, though, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down just 54 points, or 0.1%, as of 11:05 a.m. Eastern time. The Dow, which has much less of an emphasis on tech than the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, had briefly been on track for a small gain earlier in the morning. The shock to financial markets came from China, where a company called DeepSeek said it had developed a large language model that can compete with U.S. giants but at a fraction of the cost. DeepSeek’s app had already hit the top of Apple’s App Store chart by Monday morning, and analysts said such a feat would be particularly impressive given how the U.S. government has restricted Chinese access to top AI chips. Joining to discuss what we should know about the technology is Gerrit De Vynck, a Washington Post tech reporter covering artificial intelligence.
With files from the Associated Press
What President Trump’s environmental policies mean for California’s own climate goals
President Donald Trump spent his first week back in office making good on his campaign promise to roll back environmental initiatives made by the previous Biden administration. One of the major executive orders signed by President Trump last week was the U.S.'s exit from the Paris Agreement, a pact amongst 195 countries to limit the emission of fossil fuels in an effort to stop global warming. President Trump re-emphasized his commitment to gas and oil by declaring "an energy emergency" and increasing oil drilling. This was paired with his order to halt new offshore wind projects and de-emphasize the move to EV vehicles. Today on AirTalk, we will explain what these new policies and initiatives mean for the U.S.'s environmental sector and how these changes will impact California's own climate goals. We're joined by Maxine Joselow, climate policy and politics reporter for the Washington Post and Blanca Begert, California climate reporter at Politico.
Using history as a guiding force when rebuilding for LA’s future
The devastation and loss from the Eaton and Palisades fires can’t be overstated. As Angelenos try to get their heads around rebuilding and moving forward, a lot of questions remain about what that will look like. Bill Deverell, professor of history at the University of Southern California and director of the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West, penned an essay last week about the loss of history and sense of place due to the fires. He says we should look to Southern California’s past as we rebuild and prioritize stitching the fabric of our history here back together. He joins to discuss how we can do that and why he thinks it’s important. Do you have thoughts or questions? Call 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
After weeks of closures, how will LA schools navigate reopening and repairs?
Now almost three weeks since a series of wildfires broke out around Los Angeles, most school districts have reopened. But some schools have been destroyed entirely. The Palisades Fire destroyed Palisades Charter Elementary and Marquez Charter Elementary schools. On top of a massive cleanup effort, the district relocated the 410 students who attend Palisades Charter Elementary to the campus of Brentwood Science Magnet and the 312 students who attend Marquez Magnet Elementary to Nora Sterry Elementary. Hundreds of Pasadena Unified staff members were affected by the Eaton Fire, and as many as 10,000 students may be displaced. Two other schools, Altadena Arts Magnet and Webster Elementary, are in evacuation zones and have not yet been assessed, although the former is expected to be heavily damaged. How are school administrators, parents and teachers navigating this difficult time? Joining us today on AirTalk we check in on local schools, enrollment, repairs, and how it’s all paid for with Mariana Dale, K-12 senior reporter at LAist and Carolyn Jones, K-12 Education Reporter at CalMatters.
Was AI used in ‘The Brutalist?’ Understanding the role of AI audio in entertainment
Recent controversy arose when audiences discovered Respeecher, an AI audio software that can generate synthetic speech, was used to enhance the Hungarian pronunciations of Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones’ performances in The Brutalist. While the creators behind the film have argued the performances of the actors were preserved and not altered by the software, the conversation has raised questions for those unfamiliar with the technology about where the line between actor and AI lives, especially now as both Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones have been nominated for Oscars for their respective roles. While The Brutalist has been front and center in this discussion, it is not alone in its use of the technology, even among its Oscar-nominated cohorts. Though some may find the use of this software to be contentious, those in support of the technology say tools like Respeecher offer filmmakers, particularly those on a smaller budget, a speedier and more accessible route to sound design techniques — like blending and cloning voices — that have been with us for some time. Joining us on AirTalk to discuss the use of AI audio software in entertainment is Sam Adams, staff writer and senior editor for Slate, and Tom Efinger, president and creative director for post-production studio Red Hook Post.
Does the MAGA movement spell death for progressive culture? Or a cry for a makeover?
A recent CNN poll found that supporters of the Democratic Party feel “burned out” by politics. A whooping 58% majority of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents said that the party needs major changes, or to be completely reformed. During President Trump's reelection campaign, a new wave of MAGA support from influencers, comedians, and celebrities signaled the growing popularity of a different brand of social conservatism. One far more cohesive, then what the Democratic Party had to offer. It is now clear that Brat summer and coconut trees were never going to be enough to unify the party. So what will? Today on AirTalk, we’re joined by Wall Street Journal reporter, Aaron Zitner, to talk about this shifting tide in American popular culture and how the Democratic party might attempt to shift it back.
