Today’s show: Austin Cross, filling in for AirTalk host Larry Mantle, discusses the latest on the L.A. mayoral race, why this year’s California gubernatorial race is a little different, favorite DVD commentaries, President Trump’s China trip, the popularity of the Las Vegas Sphere, and cool AI stuff you’re doing. Cross is LAist’s local Morning Edition host and also hosts Friday AirTalk.
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Final L.A. mayoral debate cancelled — the state of the race
The topic:
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman dropped out of a televised forum between mayoral candidates slated to happen this week, leading the organizers to cancel the event. With no more broadcast events scheduled before the June 2 primary, we look at the state of the race.
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Context: Spencer Pratt, another leading candidate for the job, had previously declined to join the forum. A televised debate between the top three candidates last week showed Pratt’s prowess in handling screen time.
Guest:
- Noah Goldberg, reporter covering Los Angeles City Hall for the Los Angeles Times.
This year’s gubernatorial race is different
The four major candidates for California governor in 1998: Dan Lungren, left, Al Checchi, Jane Harman and Gray Davis.
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The topic:
With more than 60 people on the ballot for California governor and eight candidates making it onto the televised debates — is the oversaturation of choices helping or hurting voters when it comes to making a decision? How does this year compare to past races?
One reference point: Many point to the 1998 gubernatorial race as a similar primary. That election had 17 candidates on the ballot, with Gray Davis ultimately winning.
Join the conversation: Has there been a prior gubernatorial election that had you overwhelmed or indecisive? Tell us about it by calling (866) 893-5722 or emailing atcomments@laist.com.
Guest:
- Dan Walters, political columnist for CalMatters
Why were DVD commentaries so popular?
The topic:
One of the perks of owning a movie on DVD was the addition of bonus features, where audiences could get a glimpse of how their favorite films were made.
What are your favorite DVD commentaries?
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History: The first “running commentary” where someone talked over the duration of a film was in 1987 with the Criterion Collection’s re-release of 1933’s King Kong. Ronald Haver, a film historian, provided the commentary track, describing it as a “lecture.”
Join the conversation: What was your favorite DVD commentary? Maybe it was one you listened to more than you watched the film. Or perhaps it was a commentary that changed your perception or gave you greater appreciation for the movie. Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
Guest:
- Wade Major, film critic for LAist’s FilmWeek and CineGods.com and author of Hollywood Heretic on Substack. He has also been featured in several film commentaries.
What does a successful China trip look like for President Trump?
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping arrive at a state dinner in 2017 in Beijing.
The topic:
President Donald Trump is on his way to Beijing for multiple days of talks with his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping.
More details: The trip, rescheduled due to the war with Iran, comes nine years after the last presidential trip to the country — by Trump during his first term. The two leaders are expected to discuss the war with Iran, trade tensions and AI.
Why it matters: With the war in Iran dragging on past the president’s original timeline and the president’s rhetoric displacing allies, contemporary China presents itself to other countries as a stable alternative to U.S. hegemony.
Guest:
- Evan Medeiros, director of Asia Studies at Georgetown University. He previously served for six years on the staff of the National Security Council as Director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia during the Obama administration.
The Las Vegas Sphere’s immersive experience
Phish performs at the Las Vegas Sphere.
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The topic:
The venue that was created as a new form of live entertainment has become the highest grossing arena in the world. Since its opening three years ago, the Sphere has offered the residencies of legendary bands such as the Eagles, U2 and Phish.
The tech: The venue’s screens resemble that of a planetarium, standing 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide, functioning with the largest and highest-resolution LED screen on Earth.
Why it matters: More Sphere-like arenas are coming. So what does the future hold for immersive tech and entertainment?
Join the conversation: Have you been to the Sphere? What’s been your favorite immersive venue and why? Share your experience with us at (866) 893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
Guests:
- Glen Nowak, associate professor of architecture at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
- Joel Veenstra, chair of the department of drama and head of stage management at UC Irvine.
What neat stuff are you building with AI?
Have you tried vibe coding?
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The topic:
AI companies are expanding beyond chatbots and into coworking, coding and design. Today, we’re turning the mic over to listeners to hear about the cool stuff they’ve been building.
Context: AI research is veering more towards “agentic” AI, where autonomous systems do much more planning, decision making and work on their own. A few hours with the newest AI models can net you a computer project that would have taken days or weeks in the past with a minimal learning curve.
Also: Nicole Nguyen, personal tech columnist at the Wall Street Journal, recently took one of these models for a spin and vibe-coded her own app with only a few headaches.
Join the conversation: So what are you building, and how is AI helping? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.
Guest:
- Nicole Nguyen, personal tech columnist at the Wall Street Journal; her recent piece is “I Vibe-Coded the App of My Dreams and Only Lost My Mind Twice.”