Today on AirTalk: new poll on voter opinion, tipping culture, HO TOK Korean Pocket Pancake, FilmWeek and a documentary on Mel Brooks.
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New Berkeley IGS polling shares voter opinion on ballot measures
The topic:
As the election season trudges on, new polling data released this week has shed light on the viability of some of the ballot measures voters will weigh in on this November, and how the electorate feels about our choices for governor.
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Listen to the conversation:
Guests: Marisa Lagos, correspondent for KQED’s California Politics and Government Desk, and Fernando Guerra, professor at Loyola Marymount University.
Wealth tax: Proposition 40, the one-time tax on billionaire wealth to increase funds for the state’s health care system, has a plurality of voters in support (48%). The popularity of the tax is divided mostly by party lines, with more than 70% of Democrats in support and 80% of Republicans opposed.
Voter ID: Proposition 39, which would create a more thorough identification process for voting, has overall support for the prop at 42%. It faces an uphill battle among Democrats, with just 12% in support.
More about our guests:
Marisa Lagos, correspondent for KQED’s California Politics and Government Desk and co-hosts the podcast Political BreakdownFernando Guerra, professor of political science and Chicana/o Latina/o studies at Loyola Marymount University where he is the founding director of the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles
What’s your view on tipping?
How do you go about tipping?
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Jacob Wackerhausen
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iStockphoto
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The topic:
Tipping was in the headlines again this week after an incident at an airport Shake Shack where a man alleges he was upcharged on some milkshakes for not tipping. While the company has denied this is policy, it has sparked a conversation about tipping yet again.
Listen to the conversation:
Austin Cross talks with LAist listeners.
To tip or not to tip: That is increasingly not the question, but seemingly the expectation. Since the pandemic, more and more places are asking patrons to tack on a tip to their bill, and studies have shown an increase in people’s general disdain of the practice.
Ho Tok Korean Pocket Pancake is Korean-inspired street food with a California twist
The topic:
Leo Jeong originally started his pop-up HO TOK Korean Pocket Pancake — a California take on Korean street food — more so as a hobby than a business. His spin on Hotteok, a pancake that contains fillings like bulgogi or chicken, has been a popular food for customers and allowed him to make vending his full-time job.
Listen to the conversation:
Guests: Leo Jeong, chef-owner of HO TOK Korean Pocket Pancake, a Korean-inspired street food pop-up, and Lisa Park, co-owner of HO TOK Korean Pocket Pancake.
Pop-up details:
Their first attempt began at Tustin Farmers Market in October 2025, with more than a dozen folks from his local church coming by to support. Since then, they have been vending at places like 626 Night Market and the Culver City Farmers Market.Along with their Ho Tok, they’ve also been selling more traditional items like kimbap and fusion items like their takes on burritos and hot dogs.
What we tried:
Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef) Ho TokJeyuk (Spicy Pork) Ho TokDakgalbi (Spicy Chicken) Ho Tok
How to visit:
Schedule: every Tuesday at the Culver’s City Farmers Market; every Wednesday at the Cedars Sinai Farmers’ Market; check Ho Tok Korean Pocket Pancake’s Instagram for more details.
Cost: A two-piece Ho Tok order costs $14.
FilmWeek: ‘The End of Oak Street,’ ‘Don’t Say Good Luck,’ ‘Late Fame’ and more!
Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway star in The End of Oak Street, directed by David Robert Mitchell.
Listen to the conversation:
The critics: Christy Lemire, film critic for LAist, and co-host of the ‘Breakfast All Day’ YouTube and podcast series, and Maureen Lee Lenker, LAist film critic and freelance journalist.
The films:
The critics:
Christy Lemire, film critic for LAist, and co-host of the ‘Breakfast All Day’ YouTube and podcast seriesMaureen Lee Lenker, LAist film critic and freelance journalist formerly of Entertainment Weekly who’s written for Gold Derby, The Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and Turner Classic Movies. She’s also the author of three novels set in the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Directors Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio on their Emmy-nominated Mel Brooks documentary
Mel Brooks and Judd Apatow for Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
The topic:
The two-part documentary Mel Brooks: The 99 Year-Old Man! has garnered 6 primetime Emmy nominations including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special and Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program. Co-directors Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio join Larry Mantle on FilmWeek to talk about the legendary filmmaker himself (now 100 years-old) and what it was like to talk to Brooks about his generation-defining comedy.
Listen to the conversation:
Guests: Judd Apatow, co-director and executive producer of the two-part HBO documentary ‘Mel Brooks: The 99 Year-Old Man!’, and Michael Bonfiglio, co-director and executive producer.
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year-Old Man! is available to stream on HBO Max.