New York City Mayor Eric Adams is indicted following a federal corruption investigation

Nearly a year after FBI agents seized his phones, New York City Mayor Eric Adams faces an expanding constellation of federal inquiries involving his administration. In recent weeks, the investigations have produced a drumbeat of subpoenas, raids and whiplash-inducing developments for the first-term Democrat. Federal investigators have visited more than a dozen members of his administration, taking devices from the police commissioner (who then resigned), the head of the public schools and other trusted confidantes both in and out of City Hall. At least one high-ranking mayoral aide received a subpoena to testify before a grand jury. Federal prosecutors have declined to discuss the investigations but people familiar with elements of the cases have described multiple, separate inquiries involving senior Adams aides, relatives of those aides, campaign fundraising and possible influence peddling at the police and fire departments. Adams, a former police captain, has not been accused of wrongdoing and adamantly denies any knowledge of criminal activity. Today on AirTalk, we’re joined by Max Rivlin-Nadler, reporter at the news outlet Hell Gate in NYC.

With files from the Associated Press

Liberal gun ownership is on the rise. Who’s buying guns and why?

According to new surveys and polls, gun ownership amongst liberals is rising. Historically, as a new Wall Street Journal article points out, it wasn’t unusual for Democrats to own guns. But that ownership took a steep decline in the 90s when the party started advocating for stricter gun policies. While Republican gun ownership is still more common, a survey from the University of Chicago found that in 2022, 29% of Democrats said they own a gun at home. That percentage is the highest it's been in the last four decade. What accounts for the rise in liberal gun ownership? How does the changing political landscape and upcoming election factor in? Joining us on AirTalk for the discussion is Jennifer Hubbert, professor of anthropology at Lewis & Clark College in Portland and Tom Nguyen, founder and lead instructor at L.A. Progressive Shooters, at a gun range this week in Artesia, California.

‘Bowlarama’ celebrates the iconic architecture of the bowling alley

Few images invoke the same feeling of Americana as that of a bowling alley. Often featuring spectacular architecture, unique signage and snazzy lanes, bowling alleys hold a unique place in our community. Particularly in the boom years following World War II, bowling took off as more than just a hobby and the alleys that housed them were not just recreation centers, but also community centers -- a third place outside of the home and work where people could get together to play a game that most of us couldn’t just set up at home. And for the companies that owned the bowling alleys during those post-war boom years, designing and marketing them to customers became something of a competition to build a modern palace with the most appealing design, refreshments, lanes and bowling balls. It’s this unique place in American culture that bowling held, and the alleys that popped up in communities across the country during those boom years that are situated at the center of the new book Bowlarama: The Architecture of Mid-Century Bowling from historians Chris Nichols and Adriene Biondo.

Today on AirTalk, Larry talks with Adriene and Chris about their new book.

Netflix just dumped its viewing data for 2024 so far--What do the numbers say about the biggest name is streaming?

Netflix has always been a little stingy about their platform's metrics, particularly watch time. But the streaming company just released its viewing data for the first half of 2024, which shines some light on what were some of the streamer's biggest draws. Some of the year's most watched shows included the limited series Fool Me Once and Baby Reindeer. Netflix also saw large viewership for its exclusive comedy specials.

Today on AirTalk, we're joined by the Ankler's Sean McNulty, who broke down the numbers by genre and compared the 2024 data to last year's in his newsletter The Wakeup. He'll tell us what this data can tell us about where Netflix is headed in terms of original content and what audiences seem to be interested in watching.

California's 41st Congressional District: Democratic challenger Will Rollins

Back in 2022, Republican Ken Calvert nearly lost his position as the longtime representative for the Inland Empires 41st District. He managed to win by just over 11,000 votes but his competition, Democrat Will Rollins had made a household name for himself. Now, the two go head-to-head again in this closely watched race, both state and nationwide. Joining us this morning on AirTalk is former federal prosecutor and candidate for CA district 41, Will Rollins.

As of the airing of this broadcast, Representative Ken Calvert, who currently represents the 41st Congressional District, declined several invitations to join AirTalk for either a debate with Will Rollins or a one-on-one interview with Larry Mantle. AirTalk would welcome the chance to speak with Rep. Calvert should he and his campaign change their mind.

TV Talk: ‘Social Studies,’ ‘Nobody Wants This,’ Uzumaki,’ 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 Roxana Hadadi, TV critic for Vulture, and Whitney Friedlander, freelance entertainment writer. 

This week’s shows include:

• Social Studies (FX/Hulu)
• The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol (AMC) 
• American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez (FX/Hulu)
• Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror (Adult Swim/Max)
• Nobody Wants This (Netflix)