What is National Coming Out Day and why do we celebrate?

At the height of the AIDS crisis in 1988, two members of the LGBTQ+ community decided to declare a “National Coming Out Day.” Jean O’Leary and Robert Eichberg used the day to raise awareness around the unfolding crisis in their community. In doing so, they also hoped to destigmatize their community and the many prejudices they faced. Flash forward to 2024 and many of the same challenges of the community still persist. Joining us to talk about the importance of National Coming Out Day is John Sovec, licensed marriage and family therapist and the author of “Out: A Parent's Guide to Supporting your LGBTQ+ Kid through Coming Out and Beyond.

California test scores are rising but still behind pre-pandemic levels

While K-12 test scores haven’t returned to pre-pandemic levels, new data shows a steady incline in English language arts, math, and science scores since last year. The biggest jump in improvement came from low-income students, who also saw the biggest drop-off in test scores during and after the pandemic. Although the increase has created some optimism, there is some level of uncertainty about continued progress as COVID-era funding goes away this year, leaving districts having to find alternative ways of continuing tutoring programs that helped get these scores back on track. Joining us to discuss this data’s implications is Carolyn Jones, K-12 education reporter for CalMatters, and Tyrone Howard, professor of education at UCLA’s School of Education and Information Studies.

Pablito's Tacos provides a Peruvian twist to L.A.’s Mexican street food scene

Los Angeles is undoubtedly a taco town, with stands, trucks, and full-fledged restaurants dedicated to the dish on almost every corner and street. And they come in all different shapes, sizes, and flavor profiles. So, how can one make the staple that is the L.A. street taco into something unique? Well, for Danny Rodriguez, founder and chef of Pablito’s Tacos, it's about fusing the traditional Mexican food with the Peruvian favorites of his childhood, in the effort to bring more attention to the great food of Peru. Today on AirTalk, Danny joins us to discuss L.A.’s Peruvian food scene. And we’ll try his twist on the L.A. Mexican street taco, the lomo saltado taco.