The political path ahead for Zohran Mamdani and concerns from the Democratic party

When he announced his run for mayor back in October, Zohran Mamdani was a state lawmaker unknown to most New York City residents. On Tuesday evening, the 33-year-old marked his stunning political ascension when he declared victory in the Democratic primary from a Queens rooftop bar after former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo conceded. While the race’s ultimate outcome has yet to be confirmed by a ranked choice count scheduled for July 1, Mamdani is likely to secure the nomination. But can Mamdani carry his primary momentum into the general election, and what political roadblocks is he likely to face? Joining AirTalk this morning to answer these questions is assistant professor of politics at Pomona College Sara Sadhwani and Pete Peterson, dean of the School of Public Policy and senior fellow at The Davenport Institute at Pepperdine University.

LAPD pilot program will see drones used as first responders

The civilian oversight body for the Los Angeles Police Department has approved a policy change allowing for the use of drones for routine emergency response calls. Previously, unmanned aerial vehicles were approved for use only during dangerous emergency situations. The Los Angeles Police Commission cited the success other jurisdictions have seen utilizing drones as one of the reasons for this expansion. The decision will allow LAPD to implement a pilot program at four divisions across the city: Topanga, West L.A., Harbor and Central. But how effective will these drones be at aiding police work, and are there privacy concerns surrounding their use? Joining AirTalk to help answer these questions is Sergeant Anthony Molina, public information officer for the Chula Vista police department, Charles Werner, director at Drones Responders, a non-profit focused on expanding the use of drones in public safety operations, and Beryl Lipton, Electronic Frontier Foundation Senior Investigative Researcher.

How the man behind Ricky Ricardo is still shaping American television today

The man behind I Love Lucy's Ricky Ricardo, Desi Arnaz, left a lasting mark on the entertainment industry. According to the new book, Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television (Simon & Schuster, 2025), it continues to influence American television today. Today on AirTalk, journalist and author Todd S. Purdum joins to discuss Arnaz and his influence. What did Desi Arnaz mean to you as a viewer? Call 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.

SCOTUS decisions loom: Birthright citizenship, what to know about Trump shadow docket and more

The end of June typically means the end of the Supreme Court’s term, with the justices most often opting to make decisions on their docket by that point. This year’s cadence is expected to be similar, although emergency appeals made by the Trump Administration this year may complicate the highest court’s usual case load at this time of year. Remaining cases on the docket with outstanding decisions could impact the future of birthright citizenship, redistricting in Louisiana, and access to online pornography. Joining us to help round up these remaining cases is Josh Gerstein, senior legal affairs reporter for Politico.

California schools are found in violation of Title IX over trans student athletes. What’s next?

The Trump administration has found that the California Department of Education and the state’s high school sports federation violated civil rights law by allowing transgender girls to compete on girls sports teams. The federal Education Department announced the finding Wednesday and proposed a resolution that would require California to bar transgender women from women’s sports and strip transgender athletes of records, titles and awards. It’s the latest escalation in the Republican administration’s effort to bar transgender athletes from women’s sports teams nationwide. If California rejects the proposal, the Education Department could move to terminate the state’s federal education funding. “The Trump Administration will relentlessly enforce Title IX protections for women and girls, and our findings today make clear that California has failed to adhere to its obligations under federal law,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said. “The state must swiftly come into compliance with Title IX or face the consequences that follow.” Joining us to discuss are Brooke Migdon, staff writer for The Hill reporting on LGBTQ issues, and Josh Blackman, professor and Centennial Chair of Constitutional Law at South Texas College of Law, Houston.

We reached out to the California Interscholastic Federation. They said they do not comment on legal matters. We also reached out to the California Department of Education. Their Director of Communications, Liz Sanders, said in a statement:

“The California Department of Education believes all students should have the opportunity to learn and play at school, and we have consistently applied existing law in support of students’ rights to do so.”

TV Talk: ‘The Bear,’ ‘Squid Game,’ ‘Ironheart,’ and more

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. Each week, we will try to break through the noise with TV watchers who can point us to the must-sees and steer us clear of the shows that maybe don’t live up to the hype. This week, listeners will get the latest scoop on what’s worth watching with Kristen Baldwin, tv critic for Entertainment Weekly and Saloni Gajjar, staff writer covering TV at the A.V. Club.

TV shows:

• The Bear (FX on Hulu)
• Squid Game (Netflix)
• Ironheart (Disney+)
• Smoke (Apple TV+)
• Nautilus (AMC)