The latest with ICE raids, immigration policy, budget and more
President Trump’s pledge to deport the most people in American history has fallen short, largely due to staffing shortages and logistical setbacks. But that might change. After months of pressuring congress, Trump’s domestic policy law has passed, which includes $170 million in funding, most of which will go towards the Department of Homeland Security, putting the agency in a position to hire thousands of immigration agents. Meanwhile, raids across the state continue, including one at a cannabis facility in Camarillo over the weekend which resulted in the death of a framework who fell from a greenhouse roof during the raid. Joining us this morning on AirTalk to talk about the latest with ICE is Wendy Fry, reporter for CalMatters covering immigration and the border region and Ahilan Arulanantham, faculty co-director for the Center for Immigration Law & Policy at UCLA.
California’s Attorney General says fantasy sports betting is illegal in the state
California Attorney General Rob Bonta released a legal opinion last week that declared daily fantasy sports games fall under illegal sports wagering and therefore are prohibited in California. The opinion also stated that it does not matter what state the fantasy sports platforms operate in. If the player is in California, it is illegal. Daily fantasy sports, or DFS, games include platforms like DraftKings and FanDuel where players pick real-world athletes to form fantasy line-ups that then compete against each other. Proponents of fantasy sports argue that DFS games are games of skill, not chance, requiring knowledge of athletes and strategy for picking line-ups, delineating them from other forms of sports betting. Attorney General Bonta refuted this point in his opinion stating, “That is not a requirement for a 'bet' or 'wager' under [Penal Code] section 337a: the California Supreme Court has explained that, 'unlike a lottery,' betting or wagering 'may involve skill or judgment.’” Today on AirTalk, we discuss the legal opinion and what it may mean for DFS games in California moving forward. Joining us are Ben Horney, deals reporter for Front Office Sports and I. Nelson Rose, professor emeritus of law at Whittier College.
A Post-BRAT Era: what’s going to be the 2025 ‘song of the summer?’
Charli XCX’s BRAT served as a notable cultural force last year, not just being an album filled with club bangers for the youth, but reaching even greater coverage after the artist’s statement that Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is “brat.” With positive critical reception and publicity, there’s a solid argument that last year was truly a ‘Brat Summer’ from a music perspective. So as we reach mid-July, a very important question needs to be asked— what should we expect to be the 2025 ‘song of the summer’? It’s by no means as clear as it was last year, so helping us crack this puzzle is Mikael Wood, pop music critic for the Los Angeles Times. We also want to hear from you: What’s your candidate for song of the summer? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722 or emailing atcomments@laist.com.
Should plant-based plastics and packaging be allowed in compost?
Back in 2022, California’s landmark composting law went into effect after being passed back in 2016. The goal is to keep food scraps out of landfills, where they decompose and release methane, a potent gas heating up the planet. But what is considered to be and not to be compostable is a contentious question. Different definitions, and classifications, exist across the world, For California, compostable products must meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program requirements. These requirements currently bar synthetic materials with very few expectations from being considered compostable. But the USDA is expected to release new guidelines this fall which could open the door for what’s known as “bioplastics” to enter our compost stream. So what are bioplastics, and how should they be thought of in our overall waste management system? Here to explain more is Rhodes Yepsen, executive director at the Biodegradable Products Institute, which offers third-party verification of standards for compostable products in North America and Linda Norris-Waldt, executive director for the US composting council.
SoCal History: The Home Run Derby series that started in LA
Way before the Home Run Derby became an annual Major League Baseball tradition, big hitters were facing off against each other right here in Los Angeles at the original Wrigley Field — home to the first baseball team in California, the Pacific Coast League’s Los Angeles Angels. During the late 1950s, this South L.A. ballpark not only hosted the games for the then-minor league team, but it was also where a black and white TV series titled ‘Home Run Derby’ got its beginning. The show, just like the annual game today, hosted baseball’s biggest sluggers and featured all the OGs, from Mickey Mantle to Hank Aaron. The televised home run battle had a legacy that was uniquely SoCal. Joining us today on AirTalk are Nick Roman, former host of All Things Considered on LAist, and Mark Whicker, author and former sports columnist at the Orange County Register from 1987 through retirement in 2022—as we revisit LA’s pre-Dodger roots, the PCL-era Angels, and how a TV series established a ballgame tradition.
A new book catalogs the many of lives of actor James Gandolfini
On the screen, actor James Gandolfini had a way of powerfully portraying characters who held complicated, and at times contradictory, feelings. Off screen, the man best known for his role as Tony Sopranos in the HBO smash hit The Sopranos was just as complicated as the characters he inhabited. A new book explores the complexities of Gandolfini throughout his career and time in the limelight, including how his addiction issues and seeming admonishment of fame came to a head during the filming of the later seasons of The Sopranos. Today on AirTalk, Larry sits down with film critic and historian Jason Bailey to talk about his new book on the late actor, Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend (Harry N. Abrams, 2025).
