What the new CIF track and field regulations mean for the future of transgender athletes

The governing board for California high school sports is changing its competition rules at this weekend’s state track-and-field championships to allow more girls to take part amid controversy over the participation of a trans student-athlete. The California Interscholastic Federation said it was extending access for more “biological female” athletes to participate in the championship meet. The group announced the change Tuesday after President Donald Trump posted on his social media site about the participation of a trans athlete in the competition. “Under this pilot entry process, any biological female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark for one of their Section’s automatic qualifying entries in the CIF State meet, and did not achieve the CIF State at-large mark in the finals at their Section meet, was extended an opportunity to participate in the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships,” the federation said in a statement. “The CIF believes this pilot entry process achieves the participation opportunities we seek to afford our student-athletes.” This comes as the Justice Department opens an investigation into California’s possible violation of Title IX for its policies on transgender athletes. Today on AirTalk, we’ll discuss what the CIF regulations are and what laws are at play. We’re joined by Eric He, education and budget reporter for Politico, Katie Eyer, law professor at Rutgers, and Elana Redfield, Federal Policy Director at the Williams Institute, which is part of UCLA’s law school.

New book 'Historic Los Angeles Roadsides' highlights underrated scenery in LA neighborhoods

With Los Angeles's many freeways always being the lead topic of conversation in local travel, it's easy to forget what the area offers in terms of its roads, which is why Historic Los Angeles Roadsides book author Mimi Slawoff felt it appropriate to compile some of our local roadside attractions, putting the focus back into the historic architecture and scenery that you'll find across the town. So set your car in cruise control (if you still have the functionality), and join AirTalk for this conversation with Mimi Slawoff, Los Angeles-based freelance travel journalist and author of the new book Historic Los Angeles Roadsides: Towns Off the Beaten Path in the City of Angels. Do you have an underrated roadside attraction in Los Angeles? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.

Mimi will be having a discussion and signing for the book at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena on Saturday, June 14, from 1-2 pm. Click here for more information.

Highly skilled immigrants boosted California’s population last year. Will Trump change that?

Earlier this year, AirTalk covered California’s population rebound, with the state managing to reverse a population decline with two steady years of growth. During that conversation, the role immigration played in the state’s recovery became very evident. Foreign-born persons make up about 25% of the state’s population as of 2023, and nearly 80,000 of those persons hold H-1B visas. These visas are given to immigrants in specialized fields who are sponsored by and work for an American company, and are a staple of Silicon Valley’s recruitment pipeline. While the most widely known, the H-1B visa isn’t the only avenue for high-skilled foreign workers. People with skills that can be described as “extraordinary” can apply for a different type of visa, known as an O visa. The threshold to receive an O visa is much higher than for an H-1B visa, with applicants having to prove to officials that they are, in fact, extraordinary. But as fears grow around the Trump administration potentially changing the H-1 visa program mount, and the number of H-1B applicants declines, can immigration continue to prop up California’s population? Joining AirTalk today to help answer that question is Wall Street Journal West Coast correspondent Jim Carlton.

Rite Aid’s Thrifty ice cream scoop: a SoCal institution

As Rite Aid undergoes bankruptcy and closes numerous locations, its iconic Thrifty ice cream scoop counters are disappearing, raising concerns about the future of the beloved brand. Thrifty ice cream, a Southern California staple since 1929, has long been cherished not just for its nostalgic flavors like Chocolate Malted Krunch, but for the entire in-store experience of getting a scoop while shopping.

With many Rite Aid stores shuttered and no official statement on Thrifty's fate, fans are left wondering whether the brand will survive. The ice cream is still available in pre-packaged form at retailers and even in bulk with advance notice, but fans argue that it doesn’t match the quality of what’s served at the scoop counters. While Thrifty ice cream may continue in some form, the end of the scoop counter era marks the loss of a cherished ritual for many Angelenos. Joining us today on AirTalk to discuss the legacy and future of Rite Aid’s Thrifty Ice Cream is senior editor of Los Angeles Magazine, Chris Nichols. We’d love to hear from you. Call us at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.

TV Talk: ‘Dept. Q,’ ‘And Just Like That…,’ ‘The Last of Us,’ and many 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 Danette Chavez, editor in chief of The A.V. Club and Liz Shannon-Miller, senior entertainment editor at Consequence.

TV Shows:

• And Just Like That… (HBO) 
• Dept. Q (Netflix)
• The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy (Amazon Prime Video)
• Mountainhead (HBO Original)
• The Last of Us (HBO)
• Hacks (HBO)
• Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney (Netflix)