Reporting dire news out of America and at home, Russian news anchor Viktor Antonov attempts to guide his audience through what may be the beginning of the end. Everywhere is a battlefield. ‘SIGN OFF’ is a branded podcast from LA Times Studios paid for by Bleecker Street and LD Entertainment in support of the film ‘I.S.S.’ only in theaters January 19th.

Following a wave of cyber attacks against the U.S., news anchor Maria Mason finds herself at the center of an escalating crisis where the International Space Station emerges as a strategic foothold. ‘SIGN OFF’ is a scripted, branded podcast from LA Times Studios paid for by Bleecker Street and LD Entertainment in support of the film ‘I.S.S.’ only in theaters January 19th.

If you listened to our most recent episode, you may have heard that after two years, the Times Podcast, as you all know it, has come to an end.

Trans surfers are beginning to find community among themselves in a sport that too often isolates and even shuns them. Today, we hang out with some at the beach, to hear their joy and pain. Read the full transcript here.Host: L.A. Times senior producer Denise GuerraMore reading:Biden sports plan angers transgender advocates and opponentsBlack surfers find moments of reflection, rejuvenation at ‘A Great Day in the Stoke’For transgender kids, a frantic rush for treatment amid bans

In a live taping, three of our Masters of Disasters talk about how they got into covering catastrophes, why they continue to do it — and how they try to convey hope. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times earthquake reporter Rong-Gong Lin, L.A. Times wildfire reporter Alex Wigglesworth, and L.A. Times coastal reporter Rosanna XiaMore reading:Read Rong-Gong LIn II’s stories hereRead Alex Wigglesworth’s stories hereRead Rosanna Xia’s stories here

After a decades-long decline in automobile fatalities, numbers began to go up with the dawn of smart phones. Laws banning use of cellphones while driving haven’t stopped the rise — and the dawn of smart cars seems to be making things worse.Today, we talk about efforts to stop distracted driving — and why they don’t seem to work. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times auto industry reporter Russ MitchellMore reading:Highways are getting deadlier, with fatalities up 22%. Our smartphone addiction is a big reason why‘We are killing people’: How technology has made your car ‘a candy store of distraction’The DMV said it would investigate Tesla over self-driving claims. Then, crickets

“Trot” is a Korean music genre that has been around for decades. But in recent years, it has exploded in popularity in Southern California. The biggest fans? Immigrant seniors.Today, we talk about trot’s history, staying power and role in the Korean American community. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Asian American communities reporter Jeong ParkMore reading:K-Pop isn’t the only hot ticket in Koreatown — how ‘trot’ is captivating immigrantsKoreatown’s elderly immigrants find the lure of the casino bus a blessing and a curseClub helps older Korean immigrants find their political voice

When Joe Biden won in 2020, he became the oldest president in U.S. history. If he runs again in 2024 and wins, he’ll beat own record. Is that a problem?Today, we talk about the grumbles from Republicans and Democrats alike over Biden’s age. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporter Courtney SubramanianMore reading:Column: Are Joe Biden and Dianne Feinstein too old to do their jobs?Newsletter: Joe Biden, the bumbling old president who outwitted Republicans‘What an old politician understands’ — Biden turns the age issue to advantage

Farmacias Similares is the largest privately owned chain of pharmacies in Mexico, and has a cute mascot — Dr. Simi — who is beloved across the country. What could possibly be wrong about this scenario? Many things.Today, we talk about what the rise of Dr. Simi says about Mexico’s broken healthcare system. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times foreign correspondent Leila MillerMore reading:Mexico promised healthcare for all. Its failure to deliver made this smiling mascot famousEl Dr. Simi es una estrella de TikTok. También es una muestra de la crisis del sistema de salud de México

"Foretold" is the newest podcast from the L.A. Times, and we're sharing the first episode with you here today. In the fall of 2019, reporter Faith E. Pinho received a tip from a woman named Paulina Stevens. Paulina claimed she had grown up in an insular Romani community in California, where she was raised to be a wife, mother and fortuneteller — until she decided to break away. That first call unraveled a story spanning multiple continents, hundreds of years, and complex metaphysical realities.  Follow "Foretold" to hear new episodes every Tuesday. Check out photos and more information about this episode. Read the episode transcript. Dive deeper: Our Romani cultural consultant's op-ed describing how her heritage fits into her own life.

An FBI investigation tried to expose malfeasance in the world of NCAA men’s basketball. Instead, the mirror was turned on the agency itself when one of the lead agents abused his position.Today, you’ll hear the story of how that came to be — and whether the investigation turned up anything. Read the full story here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times sports investigative reporter Nathan FennoMore reading:How an FBI agent’s wild Vegas weekend stained an investigation into NCAA basketball corruption10 charged in college basketball corruption probeCongressional committee wants answers in college basketball bribery scandal

Democrat and Republican lawmakers are pushing for a U.S. ban on TikTok, arguing the Chinese-owned social media app is a national security risk. But many of its users argue that will severely harm their businesses.Today, we hear from some of them. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporter technology reporter Brian Contreras and L.A. Times business reporter Jaimie DingMore reading:For some, TikTok is a path to riches and the American dream. With a ban, it could all disappearTikTok might get banned after ‘disaster’ testimony. Why do some TikTokers not care?The Biden administration’s threat to ban TikTok: Here’s what you should know

For centuries, communities across Latin America have relied on curanderos — healers who rely on indigenous tradition — for their physical and mental health. Will mainstream American health ever embrace it?Today, we examine the subject. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times utility reporter Karen GarciaMore reading:Some Latinos don’t trust Western mental health. That’s where curanderos come inCurandera’s spell may soothe your soulBringing medicine from the village into the public eye

During the 2020 presidential campaign, Joe Biden decried U.S. border policies enacted by the Trump administration as racist. But Biden has not only not rolled some of them back — in some cases, he’s doubled down.Today, we try to figure out what changed. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times immigration reporters Hamed Aleaziz and Andrea CastilloMore reading:Top Democrats warn Biden: Don’t restart family detentionsBiden immigration plan could force asylum officers to break law, union warnsAsylum seekers face decision to split up families or wait indefinitely under new border policy

The indictment of former president Donald Trump has provoked praise and criticism alike. So what’s next? We talk to two of our political wizards to figure it out.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times political columnist Mark Z. Barabak, and L.A. Times national security reporter Sarah D. WireMore reading:Full coverage: Trump hush-money probeTrump indicted in alleged hush-money scheme, becoming first former U.S. president in history to be prosecutedColumn: Scandal after scandal, Trump has defied political physics. Will this time be different?

Lucy Jones, California’s beloved earthquake expert, sits down with environment reporter Rosanna Xia to discuss her new project: using music to inspire people to take action against climate change. Listen to hear Lucy go through her process, her collaborators explain the psychology behind it all, and  — of course — a sampling of the compositions. Read the full transcript here.Host: Rosanna XiaGuests: Lucy JonesMore reading:Column One: Can music inspire more people to care about climate change? Lucy Jones is leaving her job - to shake up more than just earthquakes

Over the last couple of years, RVs in Los Angeles turned from a vehicle for camping to shelter for people who are unhoused. That’s led to multiple complaints — and deaths.Today, we examine how L.A. got to this point. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times columnist Erika D. SmithMore reading:The real and complicated reasons why Los Angeles still has so many RV encampmentsQ&A: L.A. Mayor Karen Bass: ‘The city is demanding the tents go away’Los Angeles lifts moratorium on towing RVs, pledges to move problem campers

For over 100 years, college athletes couldn’t make money competing in their sports. A new NCAA rule around name, image and likeness, or NIL, has changed that. The biggest winners? Gymnasts.Today, we talk to a few current and former gymnasts at UCLA, including Olympians Jordyn Wieber and Jordan Chiles, about how this rule change has affected their lives. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times college sports and NBA reporter Thuc Nhi Nguyen More reading: Once empowered by Title IX, female athletes are now among big winners in new NIL era ‘My medals are my armor.’ Jordan Chiles’ persistence guides her pursuit of greatness How California paved the way for college athletes to cash in big

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, Ukrainian military officials have set up a hotline for Russian soldiers to call in and surrender. Is it working to end the war?.Today, we talk to the people behind it. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times global affairs correspondent Laura KingMore reading:Lots of Russian soldiers want to surrender. Ukraine makes it easier with a high-tech hotlineA soldier’s tale: Russian serviceman’s scathing memoir depicts a senseless warRead the L.A. Times’ full Ukraine coverage

This year’s historic storms have hit communities of color like Pajaro, Calif., especially hard. It’s a recurring problem that could’ve been avoided entirely.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times investigative reporter Susanne RustMore reading:Residents left in flooded California farm town feel ‘abandoned’ as levees failSpring storm sets sights on Southern California with strong wind, heavy rainHow a long history of racism and neglect set the stage for Pajaro flooding

Ariadna López was found murdered on the side of a road in Mexico, one of thousands of women murdered every year in the country. But her death outraged the country like never before.Today, the problem of femicide in Mexico — and whether Lopez’s death will help change that. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Mexico City bureau chief Patrick J. McDonnellMore reading:A single mother in Mexico was blamed for her own death. Now a well-connected playboy has been chargedFemicides in Mexico: Little progress on longstanding issueIn Mexico, a grisly killing inflames debate about femicide

When inflation is high, the Federal Reserve has historically raised interest rates. But the recent failures of banks like Silicon Valley Bank have sparked worries about the stability of our banking system. Now the feds must weigh whether the banking system could withstand the turmoil that raising interest rates could bring. To get inside the mind of Fed chair Jerome Powell, we look to a previous era of high inflation, the late 1970s and early ‘80s, and the decisions of then Fed chairs Arthur Burns and Paul Volcker.Today, we talk about what's next. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times economics reporter Don LeeMore reading:Did deregulation lead to Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse?Federal Reserve officials sound warnings about higher ratesU.S. inflation eases but stays high, putting Fed in tough spot

U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez is known for overturning gun bans. Derided and hailed in equal measures, he’s now presiding over a case with far-reaching consequences.Today, we talk about his history and impact. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times enterprise reporter Laura J. NelsonMore reading:The judge upending California’s gun laws: ‘Blessed’ jurist or ‘stone-cold ideologue’? Thanks to the Supreme Court, California gun cases hinge more on history than modern threatsWar on California gun laws revs up after Supreme Court’s ‘right to carry’ decision

Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh has been a worldwide movie star for decades, known for action-packed roles in films such as “Supercop” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and as a Bond girl in “Tomorrow Never Dies.” But it’s her leading role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” that Yeoh says finally let her show what she’s capable of.In this episode of “The Envelope,” Yeoh discusses her first impressions of “Everything Everywhere’s” genre-bending script and bold gags. She reflects on her dangerous early-career stunts and how she was treated when she arrived in Hollywood (she makes a gloriously unimpressed sound while recalling that people were “quite stunned” when they realized she could speak English). Yeoh also goes deep on tokenism, aging, and why she had been praying every night to win an Oscar.  To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com.Hosts: Gustavo Arellano and Mark OlsenGuest: Michelle Yeoh

The recent release of toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, after a train derailment was a reminder of how devastating such environmental events are for poor communities. Can we prevent the next one?Today, our Masters of Disasters reconvene to talk toxic contamination and cleanup — and why toxic spills will probably never go away. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times environmental reporter Tony Briscoe, L.A. Times energy reporter Sammy Roth, and L.A. Times reporter Erin B. LoganMore reading:Essential Politics: Shock waves from East Palestine train derailment reaching beyond OhioDo you live near the old Exide lead-acid battery smelter? Check your property’s cleanup statusBoiling Point: Fossil fuel ads galore

Last year, the California State Legislature approved a bill that aimed to improve wages and conditions for fast-food workers, but the fast-food industry raised millions to oppose it. As petitioners collect signatures, voters allege that they were lied to by petitioners.Today, we get into the food fight — and California’s murky world of signature-gathering. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporter Suhauna HusseinMore reading:‘I feel duped’: Inside the fast-food industry’s push to dismantle a new California labor lawUC Riverside should investigate ‘phony’ economics research center, faculty sayColumn: The fast-food industry gears up to kill another pro-worker state law 

The Oscars ceremony is a night to celebrate the best the industry has to offer — but the nominated films are rarely box office hits, and viewership of the awards broadcast has declined. Will we see a rebound?Today, we talk about the future of the Academy Awards, and who might win Sunday. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times film and television reporter Glenn WhippMore reading:Oscar voting has begun. Do we have a winner?Three Oscar voters share their super-secret ballots‘Everything Everywhere’ won the guild trifecta. Now it’s the Oscars frontrunner

Californians have long moved to Nevada in search of new business and personal opportunities. But a massive business park near Reno is drawing in businesses like never before. Some long-timers aren’t happy.Today, we visit the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center to learn more. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times national enterprise reporter Noah BiermanMore reading:Californians are pouring into Nevada. Not everyone is happy about it ‘Don’t move to Texas’: Billboard warns L.A., San Francisco residents about moving to Lone Star StateNashville’s Southern hospitality — and affordability — beckon Californians

When California voters legalized cannabis, growers vowed a break from decades of worker exploitation in the state’s agricultural industry. A Times investigation found otherwise.Today, where it all went wrong and what’s being done to stop it. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times investigative reporter Paige St. JohnMore reading:Dying for your high: The untold exploitation and misery in America’s weed industryThe reality of legal weed in California: Huge illegal grows, violence, worker exploitation and deathsLawmakers want investigation, hearings into ‘Wild West’ of California cannabis and farm work

Faced with high levels of worker stress, anxiety and burnout as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies pledged that employee mental health would become a top priority. But actions haven’t always followed promises.Today, we look into what bosses and employees can do to better the workplace. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times business reporter Samantha Masunaga, and The Times senior producer Denise Guerra More reading:Bosses say they care about mental health — can workers trust them?Use these mental health resources to help yourself — or anyone elseNewsletter: How to boost mental health at your workplace

When you think of Black ballerinas, names like Misty Copeland or Janet Collins may come to mind. But did you know that a classical ballet dancer from L.A. named Bernice Harrison predated both of them?Today, the lesser-known story of Harrison’s rise to become the first Black prima ballerina, and the legacy of the First Negro Classical Ballet Company. Read the full transcript here.Host: L.A. Times producer Ashlea BrownGuest: Kenneth Marcus professor of history at the University of LaverneMore reading:First Negro Classical Ballet and Bernice HarrisonL.A. Times Today: In ‘Kylie,’ a Black ballerina shares her experience in the ballet communityMisty Copeland, Calvin Royal III and the rarity of a black couple dancing lead roles

Drag performers are more visible than ever after decades in the underground, but will recent protests, threats of violence, and restrictive laws set them back?Today, we dive into the origins of the backlash and how drag performers are reacting to it. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times national correspondent Jaweed KaleemMore reading:Drag Queen Story Hour disrupted by men shouting slurs and threats at Bay Area libraryChildren’s drag queen event at Costa Mesa church draws protestArkansas legislative panel advances bill to restrict drag performances

The first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is this month. L.A. Times global affairs correspondent Laura King has visited Ukraine at four key moments since the war started: Russia’s spring invasion, Ukraine’s summertime counteroffensive, Russia’s attack on civilians and infrastructure in the fall, and during the winter fatigue.Today, she tells us about what she has seen and what has changed. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times global affairs correspondent Laura KingMore reading:Lviv was once a safe haven for Ukrainians fleeing the war. Now it’s suffering tooThe weaponization of winter: Ukraine aims to stop Russia from regrouping as temperatures dropIn Ukraine’s war-shrouded capital, a play about a murderous dictator rings true

California U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein announced this week she will not run for reelection next year, ending a legendary career that saw her go from San Francisco City Hall to Capitol Hill. With her upcoming retirement, there’s much speculation as to who will replace her.Today, we look back at the career of the storied politician and look ahead as to who’ll be running for Feinstein’s seat. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times political columnist Mark Z. BarabakMore reading:Sen. Feinstein makes it official: She will retire at the end of her current termDianne Feinstein retires: Looking back on tragedy, triumph and her contentious perseveranceColumn: Dianne Feinstein is one of California’s greats. Let’s remember her that way

The historic Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles reopened in 2021 with a commitment to make it easy for low-income and unhoused people to occupy its rooms. So why have so few people taken advantage of this offer?Today, we examine why this well-intentioned and funded solution to L.A.'s homelessness crisis is having trouble fulfilling its original vision. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Fast Break reporter Jaimie DingMore reading:A year after opening 600 rooms to L.A.’s unhoused, the Cecil Hotel is still mostly empty. Here’s whyLA Times Today: A year after opening 600 rooms to L.A.’s unhoused, the Cecil Hotel is still mostly emptyOnce a den of prostitution and drugs, the Cecil Hotel in downtown L.A. is set to undergo a $100-million renovation

An earthquake as devastating as the one that hit Turkey and Syria this month has been forecast to hit Southern California for decades. What can residents and governments do to prepare?.Today, our Masters of Disasters talk to us about how to prepare. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times earthquake reporter Ron-Gong Lin II, and L.A. Times coastal reporter Rosanna XiaMore reading: California faces threat from the type of back-to-back mega-earthquakes that devastated TurkeyA deadly building flaw common in California brings destruction and misery to Turkey, SyriaSubscribe to “Unshaken,” the L.A. Times’ earthquake newsletter

The Colorado River is supposed to end at the Gulf of California, but hasn’t done so for decades. A joint effort between the United States and Mexico seeks to change that.Today, we travel to the Colorado River Delta to see what’s happening. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times water reporter Ian JamesMore reading:A pulse of water revives the dry Colorado River DeltaThe river’s end: Amid Colorado water cuts, Mexico seeks to restore its lost oasisListen to our special Colorado River series here

Teenager Piper Rockelle and her friends created a multimillion-dollar YouTube empire. A lawsuit threatens it, and brings up questions about whether what young influencers do for a living constitutes “work.”Today, we examine the history of child labor laws in California, and what might happen in this digital age. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times senior entertainment reporter Amy Kaufman, and L.A. Times arts and culture writer Jessica GeltMore reading:Inside the blockbuster lawsuit threatening one teen YouTube star’s multimillion-dollar empireColumn: Social media platforms must stop the exploitation of child performers. NowWho’s protecting social media’s child stars? Inside the lawsuit against one YouTuber’s empire

For decades, NFL teams actively discouraged Black players from playing quarterback, the sport’s marquee position.Today, we go through this shameful history — and celebrate this year’s historic Super Bowl, which features two Black starting quarterbacks for the first time. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuest: L.A. Times opinion columnist LZ GrandersonMore reading:Column: The NFL should stop running from its racial historyNo one should forget about Doug WilliamsThe Big Book Of Black Quarterbacks

California’s Imperial Valley has some of the lowest rainfall in the state, yet uses the largest allotment of Colorado River water. Why is such an arid part of the state an agricultural powerhouse?Today, we look into how the region secured its rights. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times water reporter Ian JamesMore reading:In California’s Imperial Valley, farmers brace for a future with less Colorado River waterColorado River in Crisis: A Times series on the Southwest’s shrinking water lifelineCalifornia is isolated and alone in battle over Colorado River water cuts

Black people have been part of the American West for centuries. But mainstream cowboy culture long downplayed their contributions, even as they exist in the present day.Today, we hear from some of them. Read the full transcript here.Host: L.A. Times national reporter Tyrone BeasonMore reading:Black Californians have long celebrated cowboy culture. We’re just catching upA proud group of Black Californians keep the traditions of the Old West and cowboy culture alive.Excerpt: Cowboys in Compton find hope and healing on horseback

All across California, people are asking the same question: Why are eggs so expensive?Californians walk into grocery stores only to find them sold out, or that they’re going for $7 or more a dozen. Thanks to inflation, everything is more expensive right now. But when it comes to eggs, there’s more to the story.Today, how a history of California policy and a global bird flu scrambled the economics of a food staple. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times metro reporter Sonja SharpMore reading:$7 a dozen? Why California eggs are so expensive — and increasingly hard to findWatch: California eggs are becoming expensive, and increasingly hard to findOp-Ed: Why does California have an egg shortage?

For over a century, Native American tribes along the Colorado River have seen other entities take water that had nourished them since time immemorial. With the depletion of this vital source for the American West, Indigenous leaders see an opening to right a historical wrong.Today, we check in on one tribe doing just that. Read the full transcript here.Host: The Times senior producer Kasia BroussalianGuest: L.A. Times water reporter Ian JamesMore reading:Colorado River in Crisis, Pt. 1: A Dying RiverColorado River in Crisis, Pt. 2: The SourceInside the water crisis: A journey across the Colorado River Basin

In a span of 25 hours, three men of color died after encounters with Los Angeles police officers. Could a change in tactics long asked for by activists have prevented the deaths?Today, we talk about the incidents, the aftermath — and what’s next. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times investigative crime reporter Richard Winton and L.A. Times metro columnist Erika D. SmithMore reading:Column: MLK had a dream about ending police brutality. In L.A., we’re clearly still dreamingLAPD’s repeated tasing of teacher who died appears excessive, experts sayAmid concerns over three deaths, LAPD releases video

A gunman shot and killed 10 people just after a Lunar New Year celebration in Monterey Park, California. This attack, one of California's worst mass shootings in recent memory, is sparking concerns about public safety and conversations about anti-Asian hate — and renewing calls for gun control. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Asian American communities reporter Jeong Park More reading: Authorities identify 72-year-old man as suspected gunman in Lunar New Year mass shootingTerror at Monterey Park dance studio: What we know about Lunar New Year mass shooting Lunar New Year shooting: A grim moment in Monterey Park, America’s first suburban Chinatown

The main way the American West harvests the Colorado River for its water use is by dams that create reservoirs, which are quickly drying up because of climate change. Can knocking some dams down help?Today, in our continuing series on the Colorado River, we go to Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell to talk to some people who think so. Read the full transcript here.Host: “The Times” senior producer Denise GuerraGuests: L.A. Times water reporter Ian JamesMore listening:Colorado River in Crisis, Pt. 1: A Dying RiverColorado River in Crisis, Pt. 2: The SourceColorado River in Crisis homepage 

For decades, Republicans across the country looked to California for conservative stars and ideas even as the GOP lost its way in the state. Not anymore.Today, we talk about how how Kevin McCarthy’s tortuous path to become Speaker of the House was yet another loud death rattle for the California GOP. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times politics columnist Mark Z. BarabakMore reading:Column: Kevin McCarthy ‘won’ the House speakership. Now the country will pay the priceListen to “The Battle of 187”Today’s GOP could snub even Reagan

Something unexpected is going on in traditionally conservative Saudi Arabia.Over the last few years, the kingdom has been announcing a loosening of social restrictions at a surprising rate. Movie theaters are reopening, new professional opportunities for women are popping up and the country is hosting Western-style music festivals.It’s all part of a plan by the country’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who says he wants to dramatically transform his country.Today, how the prince’s push comes with a price: While dancing in Saudi Arabia might be in these days, political dissent is still most definitely out. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Middle East bureau chief Nabih BulosMore reading:Dancing is in, dissent is out as Saudi Arabia’s crown prince transforms his countrySaudi Arabia is giving itself an extreme makeover with ‘giga-projects.’ Will it work?Saudis sentence U.S. citizen to 16 years over tweets

The Colorado River begins in the Rocky Mountain snowpack, which provides the water that starts off the river on its epic journey. But as the American West gets hotter, that snowpack keeps getting smaller and smaller.Today, the second in our six-part special on the future of this vital waterway. New episodes will publish every Friday through Feb. 10. Follow the project here. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times water reporter Ian James and L.A. Times video journalist Albert Lee More reading:Our full Colorado River seriesListen to the first episode in this series, “Colorado River in Crisis, Pt. 1: A Dying River”Video: The Colorado River is drying up. Climate change and drought have taken a major toll.

This month’s record-setting rain and snow across California also comes with terms many of us know but can’t explain. Today, we do that with our Masters of Disasters. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times earthquake reporter Ron Lin, L.A. Times Fast Break disasters reporter Hayley Smith, and L.A. Times water reporter Ian JamesMore reading:California snowpack is far above average amid January storms, but a lot more is neededDeadly results as dramatic climate whiplash causes California’s aging levees to failCalifornia storm death toll reaches 17 as more rain, winds arrive. Damage could top $1 billion

The Golden Globes is going to air this week on NBC after a year-long hiatus in the wake of a scandal over its parent company, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Can its comeback stick? Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Company Town reporter Stacy Perman, and L.A. Times film business reporter Josh RottenbergMore reading:‘It took a crisis in order to make changes,’ says new Golden Globes ownerHollywood Foreign Press Assn. approves sale of Golden Globes assets to Todd BoehlyGolden Globes voters in tumult: Members accuse Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. of self-dealing, ethical lapses

The Colorado River is the water lifeline for tens of millions of people across the American Southwest, which couldn’t have developed the way it is today without it. But all the damming and diversion done to the Colorado has put it at a tipping point where a future with no water is no longer just fantasy but perilously possible.Today, “The Times” kicks off “a six-part special on the future of this vital waterway. New episodes will publish every Friday through Feb. 10. Follow the project here. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times water reporter Ian JamesMore reading:Colorado River in CrisisThey sounded alarms about a coming Colorado River crisis. But warnings went unheededVideo: Desert suburbia is growing. But the Colorado River, and Arizona’s groundwater, cannot keep up.

The Supreme Court appears ready to abolish affirmative action later this year. The case seeking to declare it unconstitutional has schools that consider race in admissions worried about how they can continue to build diversity among their students without affirmative action.Here in California, though, we already know what happens when programs like affirmative action are banned. In 1996, voters passed a first ballot initiative in the country to ban the consideration of race or gender and public education.Today, how the University of California system has dealt with a 25-year ban on affirmative action. And what we can learn if a national ban does happen. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporter Teresa WatanabeMore reading:California banned affirmative action in 1996. Inside the UC struggle for diversityAre Asian American college applicants at a disadvantage? Supreme Court debate stirs fearColumn: Affirmative action challenges aren’t about ending discrimination. Their goal is white supremacySome audio in this episode is courtesy of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. 

A new Republican-led House of Representatives convenes tomorrow, and after decades as a Democratic leader, Nancy Pelosi is stepping away from the helm. Undoubtedly, her strength was in unifying her caucus — something that Kevin McCarthy, the G.O.P frontrunner for the speakership, has already struggled to do. Today, we look back on Pelosi's career — and what could be ahead for House leadership. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Justice Department reporter Sarah D. WireMore reading:The end of a political era: Nancy Pelosi’s leadership legacy in WashingtonColumn: Nancy Pelosi’s indelible markColumn: ‘There’s this very toxic energy circulating.’ Alexandra Pelosi on her mom, dad and a new documentary

This year, Beyonce blessed fans with her album, “Renaissance,” the Daniels — Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert — released the surreal trip of a movie “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” and Bad Bunny released banger after banger after banger.And those were just some of the brightest cultural moments that we couldn’t stop talking about. 2022 had its dark side, too — who could forget Will Smith’s slap or the racist rants of Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West?Today, we review both the highs and lows of Hollywood, music, culture and more. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times pop music critic Mikael Wood, film and television critic Glenn Whipp, music reporter Suzy Expositoand film business reporter Ryan FaughnderMore reading:For global phenomenon Bad Bunny, Puerto Rico remains his playground, battleground and museThe top 10 Hollywood fiascoes that defined 2022 for the entertainment businessReview: Beyoncé's ‘Renaissance’ is a landmark expression of Black joy (and you can dance to it)What happens to ‘Emancipation’ after the slap? 

Ukraine, abortion, midterms, racist tape leaks — 2022 was a lot, politically. We gather our newsroom experts to break down the year. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times U.S. Supreme Court David G. Savage, California politics columnist Mark Barabak, and L.A. city politics reporter Julia WickMore reading:News Analysis: Supreme Court likes separation of powers, but not of church and stateHate grows, L.A. politics go berserk and Gen Z saves democracy: Columnists dissect 2022L.A. on the Record: KDL, absurdist theater and a trick play

This year, we saw a pandemic that just won’t quit, a face-melting heatwave and an underwater volcano eruption that wreaked all kinds of havoc. 2022 brought with it plenty of doom and gloom when it comes to natural disasters. But we also saw an effective new earthquake early warning system, a toilet sink that’s great at reducing water and energy use and more good news for our changing climate.Today, our Masters of Disasters kick off a week of looking back the biggest wins and fails of 2022 by talking about the year’s most memorable disasters. But it’s not all bad: the scribes of scary also offer up some hope as we enter 2023. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times earthquake reporter Ron Lin, L.A. Times coastal reporter Rosanna Xia and L.A. Times energy reporter Sammy RothMore reading:Massive volcano eruption in Tonga could wind up warming the EarthHow washing my hands with ‘toilet water’ cut my water bills in halfL.A. County coronavirus threat eases for now, but a second wave after Christmas possibleWhy NASA’s new mission will study Earth’s water from space

Dr. Anthony Fauci is one of the most prominent public health officials in history due to his work during the HIV/AIDS crisis and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He’s about to step down from his long-held roles as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical advisor, but before he goes, we wanted to get some last bits of advice about how to stay safe this holiday season and beyond.Today, he joins us to reflect on the lessons learned in his career, the future of public health, and high school memories of basketball and Catholic saints.Plus, stick around after the interview for a moving tribute to P-22. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony FauciMore reading:Fauci’s warning to America: ‘We’re living in a progressively anti-science era and that’s a very dangerous thing’Review: ‘Fauci’ illuminates even as it flatters ‘America’s doctor’Fauci: ‘There’s no way’ the coronavirus was made with U.S. research funds. Here’s why

Cryptocurrency started the year strong. But as 2022 ends, what was supposed to be a revolutionary way to buy, save and invest has collapsed. The price of nearly every cryptocurrency has plunged. Multiple businesses built specifically around them have cratered.Now, members of Congress are calling for more stringent regulations around crypto. But would regulations change cryptocurrency so much that it would essentially stop being crypto? Today, the over-talked-about, often under-understood world of crypto. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporter Michael HiltzikMore reading:Column: Crypto tycoon Sam Bankman-Fried didn’t lose a $16-billion fortune. His ‘fortune’ was never realColumn: Shame, suicide attempts, ‘financial death’ — the devastating toll of a crypto firm’s failureColumn: Thinking of putting crypto in your 401(k)? Think twice

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Biden administration authorized over a billion dollars in housing vouchers to help people stay off the streets. The program had problems, but one city — San Diego — succeeded in a big way.Today, we find out how they did it. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: Former L.A. Times fellow Anumita KaurMore reading:How San Diego achieved surprising success housing homeless peopleHow San Francisco fell behind on housing its homeless populationHomeless people wait as Los Angeles lets thousands of federal housing vouchers go unused

The Biden administration is pushing electric vehicles as the future. So are major auto makers. But how will that play out in red states? We travel to small-town Indiana to find out.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times White House reporter Noah BiermanMore reading: Can California’s electric-vehicle push overcome the red-state backlash?Majority of voters favor gasoline-car phaseout. But all-electric goal faces tough oppositionCalifornia bans sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035. Now the real work begins

After Ticketmaster botched sales for Taylor Swift’s upcoming concert tour, her die-hard fans, known as Swifties, did more than just whine on social media. They took political action, calling their representatives in Congress and flagging their concerns to other lawmakers across the country. Some Swifties even filed a lawsuit.This is far from the first time Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, have been accused of unfairly monopolizing the ticket market. And after another debacle last week that left Bad Bunny fans stranded outside his sold-out concert in Mexico City, it’s clear it won’t be the last time either.Today, we look at whether the latest backlash is big enough to finally break Ticketmaster’s stranglehold on the live music market.Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporter August Brown and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.More reading:More bad news for Swifties: Ticketmaster cancels Friday on-sale for Taylor’s Eras tourYou better lawyer up, Ticketmaster: Taylor Swift fans file Eras Tour lawsuitEssential Politics: Will Taylor Swift end Ticketmaster’s dominance?

Jessica Roy was hanging with friends at a piano bar when her wallet was stolen — and became a victim of identity theft. Roy filed the necessary reports and thought she’d be able to handle everything pretty quickly. That didn’t happen.Today, she shares her ordeal and explains why fixing identity theft is a never-ending nightmare and why recovering from it is so much harder than you think.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: Assistant Utility Journalism team editor Jessica RoyMore reading:My wallet was stolen at a bar. Then my identity theft nightmare beganAre you the victim of identity theft? Here’s what to doIs identity theft protection worth it? Here’s what you should know

Keke Palmer has already racked up two decades in show business. She acts, sings, hosts a TV show and is the face of numerous memes — and she has big plans for more. Fresh off hosting "SNL" and starring in “Nope,” Palmer recently sat down with our sister podcast "The Envelope." She shares what it was like to work with Jordan Peele on his blockbuster sci-fi thriller, how she felt about being her family’s breadwinner during her childhood and the advice Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett gave her on the set of “Akeelah and the Bee.” Read the full transcript here. Hosts: Mark Olsen and Yvonne VillarrealGuests: Keke PalmerMore reading:Surprise! Keke Palmer announces pregnancy and SZA reveals album release date on ‘SNL’Is there anything better than Keke Palmer on a press tour? NopeReview: A superb Keke Palmer keeps underdeveloped ‘Alice’ mostly on track

The workload for graduate students, researchers and assistants who take on-campus jobs for their discipline is notoriously underpaid and endless. That’s why 48,000 of those workers throughout the University of California system have gone on strike, demanding better pay and conditions. The strike is happening even as finals loom.Today, we examine the background and what’s next. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times education reporter Teresa WatanabeMore reading:Nearly 48,000 UC graduate students poised to shut down many classes, labs and research with strikeUC postdoctoral scholars and researchers reach tentative deal but strike continuesChaos over grades, finals and ongoing classes erupts as UC strike continues

Mainland China is roiled by protests, the size of which have not been seen in a generation. People are calling for an end to the government’s strict “zero-COVID” restrictions. The moment has also brought rare public criticism of its architect, President Xi Jinping. Just months ago, he secured an unprecedented third term, but now is as vulnerable as he’s ever been.Today, we examine whether the zero-COVID policy could be Xi’s downfall. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times China correspondent Stephanie YangMore reading:‘Zero COVID’ is roiling China. But ending the policy may cause a massive health disasterProtests over China’s strict COVID-19 controls spread across the countryDreams of a Red Emperor: The relentless rise of Xi Jinping

This week, Congress passed a bill that effectively imposed an agreement between rail workers and their companies and prohibited a strike. Politicians feared that any work stoppage would cripple the U.S. economy for the holidays, costing the country billions of dollars.Today, we talk about the unique, violent history of rail workers trying to fight for better union contracts. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: University of Rhode Island history professor Erik LoomisMore reading:Senate moves to avert rail strike amid dire warningsBiden calls on Congress to head off potential rail strikeBig rail unions split on contract deal with railroads, raising possibility of a strike

Few people associate urban and suburban Southern California with floods anymore, mostly because many of its rivers were dammed up or transformed into concrete gulches long ago. But scientists say a megaflood could hit the entire state and would submerge cities, hitting communities of color particularly hard.The state is nowhere near prepared for that. Today, our Masters of Disasters talk about this upcoming flood, what it could mean for a rising sea and more. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times earthquake-COVID reporter Ron Lin, L.A. Times coastal reporter Rosanna Xia, and L.A. Times environmental reporter Louis SahagúnMore reading:Major flood would hit Los Angeles Black communities disproportionately hard, study findsRisk of catastrophic California ‘megaflood’ has doubled due to global warming, researchers sayMore than 400 toxic sites in California are at risk of flooding from sea level rise

For the last decade, about 800,000 individuals who came to the United States as children but have no legal status have been protected from deportation by a program commonly referred to as DACA. It has allowed them to legally work, apply for driver's licenses and even travel abroad. But the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to strike DACA down, leaving the individuals enrolled with no clear step on how to legalize their status.Today, we hear from DACA recipients who aren't going to wait to find out and have moved from the U.S.. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuest: L.A. Times immigration reporter Andrea CastilloMore reading: Why these DACA recipients traded living in the U.S. for other countries ‘I can’t keep fighting the system’: DACA recipients are leaving the U.S., disheartened by years of instability On the 10th anniversary of DACA, Janet Napolitano reflects on program she helped create

Right now, the eyes of much of the world is on the FIFA World Cup in Qatar as 32 teams fight for national pride. One team is Mexico, whose unique fanbase sets it apart from the world. With loyalties to both Mexico and the United States, it’s a representation of resilience, controversy and so much more.Today, we examine the phenomenon. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: Univisión News anchor León KrauzeMore reading:Watch “Al Grito de Guerra”Gracias Fútbol: Reliving our favorite World Cup memoriesThis soccer-mad L.A. Latina has attended seven World Cups. Qatar will make it eight

Grasshopper hunting has been going on in Mexico for thousands of years, but lately eating them has gained wider acceptance. Consumption of the jumpy little protein-packed insects is booming, and more and more restaurants are putting them on the menu ... and not just in Mexico.Today, chapulines, the world of harvesting and eating grasshoppers in Mexico. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Latin America correspondent Leila MillerMore reading:Are grasshoppers as delicious as ham? Mexico’s insect hunters would like you to find outReview: ‘Bugs’ documentary explores insect-eating as a cure for world hungerThis pop-up dinner menu is full of bugs. Yes, those kinds of bugs

The Inn Between in Salt Lake City offers a revolutionary program: hospice care for homeless individuals. We visit to see what resistance they have met — and what hope they've inspired.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times California politics reporter Mackenzie MaysMore reading: The place where homeless people come to die with dignity Column: He was homeless and in hospice. His recovery is a lesson in what it takes to save a life Column: Stalked by death, they are gathered off the streets and cared for by an army of angels

Taiwan has more than 25,000 enthusiasts of ham radio, the antiquated communication technology that is increasingly being used in war zones when all other communications is down. If China declares war on Taiwan, then these ham radio enthusiasts could be crucial for civilians and officials alike — and can offer lessons for the rest of us.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times China correspondent Stephanie YangMore reading:If China declares war, these ham radio enthusiasts could be crucialLiving in space can get lonely. What helps? Talking to random people over ham radioChina on Taiwan: ‘External interference’ won’t be tolerated

Right now, there’s a lot of attention being paid to Black male celebrities and their controversial statements and actions. Dave Chapelle has been criticized for his comments about trans people. Artist Ye (formerly Kanye West) and star NBA player Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets are under fire for pushing antisemitic sentiments.It’s something we’ve seen before — but is there a double standard when the bigot is Black? Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times columnist LZ GrandersonMore reading:Column: Kanye West’s life and art are one. You don’t have to keep watchingKyrie Irving suspended by Brooklyn Nets for failure to disavow antisemitismColumn: What I want Dave Chappelle to understand about the color of queerness

Political violence has been a part of this country since its founding. But right now, many people feel it’s a disturbing trend on a sharp and dangerous upswing. Such acts of political violence started ramping up long before the midterm elections. And the people who study it are worried.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times national politics reporter Melanie MasonMore reading:‘We are a tinderbox’: Political violence is ramping up, experts warnRead our full coverage of the violent attack on Paul PelosiRep. Steve Scalise and three others shot on a Virginia baseball field in apparent act of political violence

Election day has come and gone... kinda. Many races, both local and national, are still too close to call. And while the Republican Party is expected to take Congress, it’s not by the margin many had predicted. So what does all this mean for both parties? And what about 2024?Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times politics reporter Seema Mehta and L.A. Times L.A. mayoral race reporter Julia WickMore reading:Tapping into ‘a simmering rage’: Democrats’ emphasis on abortion stopped GOP gainsDemocrats’ risky bet on GOP election deniers paid off. Should they do it again?Why it could take weeks to get final L.A. election results. ‘We aren’t sitting on ballots’

The results of the midterm elections are still being tabulated, but it looks like California Congressman Kevin McCarthy is likely to be the next speaker of the House if the Republican Party gains control. McCarthy has tied himself to former President Trump and all that comes with that affiliation, but what does the Bakersfield Republican really stand for, and how is he most likely to wield his new power?Today, as part of our coverage of the 2022 midterms, what the early election results say about the power shift in Congress, the election in 2024, and the Republican leader at the center of it all.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuest: L.A. Times senior writer Jeffrey FleishmanMore reading:Ambition keeps him loyal to Donald Trump. But what does Kevin McCarthy stand for?2022 U.S. midterm elections: Live resultsDemocrats defy history with control of Congress still up for grabs

Tuesday’s midterms are among the most consequential elections in decades. As Democrats and Republicans fight for control, there’s one group with millions of eligible voters that both parties desperately want: Generation Z.Pundits point out that this generation is on track to be better educated, more ethnically diverse and more liberal than others. That would seem to bode well for the Democratic party and spell doom for the Republicans. But both parties wonder: Will Gen Z actually go out and vote?Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times staff writer Arit JohnMore reading:Will young voters save Democrats in the midterm elections?Gen Z students want better mental healthcare access on campusIs it apathy or anxiety? What’s keeping some young Californians from voting

Rishi Sunak made history last month as the first nonwhite person to become prime minister of the United Kingdom. But he inherits a country, a party and people in chaos. Sunak is the third prime minister in seven weeks for the U.K, as it grapples with economic problems and an identity crisis. Can a new face stop the decline?Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times foreign correspondent Jaweed KaleemMore reading:Rishi Sunak to be Britain’s new prime minister, the first person of color in the roleWith another prime minister gone, what’s next for an already diminished Britain?It’s a good time to be an American in Britain, as the pound declines in value

On Día de los Muertos, people across Mexico and the United States set up altars to remember loved ones who have died. But new traditions arise every year to commemorate the holiday: online tributes, public festivals and more.In that spirit, we have decided to turn this episode into an audio ofrenda — a place to let listeners remember their loved ones. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Latino affairs editor Fidel Martinez, and our listenersMore reading:Latinx Files: Why we built a Día de los Muertos digital altarDía de los Muertos: How we remember our dearly departedFor this Oaxacan merchant, marigolds mean more than ever this Día de los Muertos

The overturning of Roe vs. Wade this summer offered Democrats a new playbook for the Nov. 8 midterm elections when it comes to winning the Latino vote; promise to protect abortion rights. It’s a move that goes against the long-held assumption that Latinos skew socially conservative and hold antiabortion views rooted in their religious beliefs.Today, as part of our ongoing coverage of the midterm elections; how a race in New Mexico gives us a window into the gamble that access to abortions can help Democrats win over Latinos. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times national political correspondent Melanie MasonMore reading:Democrats are trying out a new pitch with Latino voters, one centered on abortion rightsYour guide to the 2022 California midterm electionWill young voters save Democrats in the midterm elections?

Who doesn’t like a nice breeze? A gorgeous zephyr? But the bad winds: They’re bad. And in Southern California right now, we’re going through some of the most notorious, bad winds of them all: the Santa Anas.Today, our Masters of Disasters talk about the howling devil winds in honor of the spooky season. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times earthquake reporter Ron Lin, L.A. Times coastal reporter Rosanna Xia, and L.A. Times energy reporter Sammy RothMore reading:No emergency outages after Santa Ana winds prompted Southern California fire danger warningsWhy it’s been so warm and windy in Southern California this winterDiablo winds can feed Northern California fires. Here’s how they form 

It was the audio leak that created a political earthquake in Los Angeles.Soon after the racist comments recorded during a private conversation among three council members and a labor leader leaked to the public, the fallout began. There’ve been resignations, rowdy protests at City Hall and more. The controversy has created a political opening that might fundamentally change the makeup of the City Council by pushing it even further to the left.With midterms just two weeks away, today we talk about what’s next at L.A. City Hall. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporters Julia Wick and David ZahniserMore reading:Racist audio leak could push L.A. City Hall further left in Nov. 8 electionAmid noisy protest, the L.A. City Council — listening via earbuds — conducts its businessKrekorian says he’ll work to restore trust in City Hall as L.A. City Council president

Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law last month to remove the word ‘Squaw’ from nearly 100 landmarks and place names across California. Native Americans and others are celebrating the new law because they find the term 'Squaw' offensive. But in Squaw Valley, an unincorporated area outside of Fresno, some residents want to keep the name. And Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig is siding with them.  Read the transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporter Lila SeidmanMore reading: New law will remove the word ‘squaw’ from California place namesNative Americans want to ditch the name Squaw Valley. A county supervisor says context mattersRetiring its racist name, historic Squaw Valley resort will become Palisades Tahoe

In June, at a Manhattan Beach City Council meeting, residents lined up to share their concerns about a predator that roams their streets, terrorizing them and killing their pets: coyotes. They’re an important part of the American West, but suburbanites are now advocating for their wholesale extermination. But is there another option, a way to co-exist peacefully?Today, we examine this controversy. 

Los Angeles for decades advertised itself as an American Eden. But it ignored repeated warnings about the consequences of overcrowding on the working class. Now, when the situation is worse than ever, calls to fix it continue to go nowhere.Today, we talk about an L.A. Times analysis that found that more people are squeezing into fewer rooms in L.A. than any other large county in America. And it’s been a disaster for public health, even before COVID-19 began to spread. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times housing reporter Liam Dillon and features reporter Brittny MejiaMore reading:Packed In: Overcrowded housing in Los Angeles has brought death by designL.A.’s love of sprawl made it America’s most overcrowded place. The poor pay a deadly priceOne family’s desperate act to escape overcrowding

For decades, late night television talk shows were where America snuggled up together and we laughed. The hosts were household names, but also very male and white. Things diversified a bit last decade with hosts like Trevor Noah and Samantha Bee. But now Bee’s show is gone and Noah is on his way out.Today, what’s next for late-night television? It’s a uniquely American genre whose obituary has been written again and again, yet somehow continues to stumble along. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times television critic Lorraine AliMore reading:Trevor Noah’s exit won’t just hurt ‘The Daily Show.’ It’ll hurt all of late night‘Full Frontal With Samantha Bee’ is the latest casualty in late-night TV’s reshuffleAfter a major cast shake-up, ‘SNL’ confronts its weaknesses — but can’t overcome them

There’s a lot to unpack when it comes to Alex Villanueva’s path to becoming the top cop in Los Angeles County. And that’s exactly what LAist Studios and KPCC do in a new five-part podcast series hosted by Frank Stoltze. Today, we play episode 1 of “Imperfect Paradise: Sheriff.”The show begins with a scene of a very strange press conference: Villanueva is threatening to open a criminal investigation into L.A. Times reporter Alene Tchekmedyian and Stoltze questions the sheriff about it. From there, Stoltze reflects on his time covering policing in L.A. County and explains how Villanueva is the product of a department that has been riddled with scandals for decades: racial profiling, jail violence and deputy gangs.Host: Frank StoltzeMore reading:Your guide to the L.A. County sheriff election: Alex Villanueva vs. Robert LunaDozens of Sheriff Villanueva’s donors received permits to carry guns in publicColumn: L.A. County’s sheriff leans on his Latino identity. Does he exemplify our worst traits? 

Art Laboe’s voice filled Southern California airwaves for more than 70 years. But beyond being a beloved disc jockey whose show was eventually broadcast across the nation, Laboe spread a radical message of racial unity way before such messages became mainstream.The prolific “Oldies but Goodies” radio legend died Oct. 7 of pneumonia. His death comes at a time when we need his message of tolerance more than ever. So today, a tribute to Art Laboe. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: TimesOC feature writer Gabriel San RománMore reading:L.A.’s radio community pays tribute to Art Laboe, a legend and mentor: ‘End of an era’Column: I’m playing an Art Laboe album to counteract the noxious vibe from L.A. City HallArt Laboe dies; his ‘Oldies but Goodies’ show ruled the L.A. airwaves

This week, the Los Angeles City Council made national headlines for all the wrong reasons. In a closed-door meeting, City Council President Nury Martinez made racist and disparaging remarks about colleagues to fellow council members, Kevin de León, Gil Cedillo and a well known labor leader.The subsequent fallout has upended L.A. politics just before a crucial mayoral election. So now what? Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporter Benjamin OreskesMore reading:L.A. council members made racist comments in leaked audio. Read our full coverageBreaking down crucial moments in the racist leaked recording of L.A. councilmembersThe fall of Nury Martinez: A blunt talker undone by her words 

It’s hard to avoid Gov. Gavin Newsom these days, even if you don’t live in California. He frequently attacks other governors, lobs daggers at members of his own Democratic Party, and expounds on the “California way” when talking about everything from abortion access to combating climate change and more. All this action on the national stage has people asking, is Newsom low-key testing the waters for a presidential run in 2024? And if not, what’s his endgame? Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times columnist Mark BarabakMore reading:Column: Is Gavin Newsom running for president? Or is he just desperate for attention?Column: If Newsom sees himself as president, he should move into position to run. That’s what he’s doingNewsom slams red state governors on D.C. trip, stoking speculation about his future 

For hundreds of years, Mexican fermented drinks like tepache, tejuino and pulque were looked down upon by polite society. But a younger generation in Mexico has embraced them for their taste and curative powers.Now, they’re having a moment in the United States — and becoming a multimillion-dollar industry. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times food editor Daniel HernandezMore reading:Foggy, fizzy, buzzy: Searching for the fermented drinks of Mexico on the streets of L.A.Between heaven and earth, a spirited communion on Day of the DeadRecipe: Homemade tepache

Mahsa Amini died Sept. 16 in Iran after an encounter with the country’s so-called morality police. Since her death, Iranians have taken to the streets in protest of the country’s modesty laws. But what began as a call for women’s rights in Iran has since ballooned into something so much bigger.Today, we hear from the Iranian diaspora about why they’re protesting in solidarity. Read the full transcript here.Host: L.A. Times podcast producer Asal EhsanipourGuests: L.A. Times diaspora reporter Sarah ParviniMore reading:‘Woman, life, freedom’: L.A. protest over Iran draws thousands‘Nothing to lose’: Iran’s protesters step up their defiance as a potential showdown loomsIn protests over death of Mahsa Amini, internet is key to planning. Can Iran block access?

There’s a test used across Latin America to determine whether a baby was born dead or alive. And depending on the result, it could allow prosecutors to bring murder charges against mothers who might have had a still-born birth. And there’s an even bigger problem. This test is 400 years old and very unreliable.Today, how the so-called flotation test is sending women to prison for killing their newborns, when they say that they’re innocent. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times foreign correspondent Leila MillerMore reading:An unreliable 400-year-old test is sending mothers to prison for killing their newbornsAcross Latin America, abortion restrictions are being loosenedThousands of feminists march in Mexico City: ‘I am scared to simply be a woman in Mexico’

Brazilians are heading to the polls on Sunday to choose between two very different candidates: current president Jair Bolsonaro and a former one, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, more popularly known as Lula. The icon of the left spent years in prison on corruption charges but is now on the cusp of regaining the presidency.Today, we talk about how that happened. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Latin America correspondent Kate LinthicumMore reading:Three years ago he was in prison. Now he’s poised to be Brazil’s next presidentEchoing Trump, Brazil’s president prepares for election loss by declaring vote riggedCOVID-19 cautionary tales from India and Brazil 

Alex Villanueva was elected as Los Angeles County sheriff in 2018 with support from progressives riding an anti-Trump wave. But since he took office, he has shifted to the right. His opponent in the November election, retired Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna, leads in the polls.But at a time when issues surrounding law enforcement are part of a national conversation, how much do they differ? We talk about it, as we hear from both candidates at a debate this month. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times law enforcement reporter Alene TchekmedyianMore reading:Luna, Villanueva trade charges in antagonistic L.A. sheriff debateAlex Villanueva thought his ‘Quien es más Latino?’ strategy would sink his opponent. NopeSheriff Villanueva in tight race as challenger Robert Luna has edge in new poll

Record heat. Record drought. Record floods. Record hail. Record bad air. In a world where climate disasters seem to break records every year, do records even mean anything anymore? And if not, then what’s next when it comes to measuring climate misery?Today, we reconvene our Masters of Disasters to examine this existential question. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times wildfire reporter Alex Wigglesworth, L.A. Times energy reporter Sammy Roth, and L.A. Times air quality reporter Tony Briscoe.More reading:Destructive rain in Death Valley, flooded Vegas casinos mark a summer of extreme weatherAs forests go up in smoke, so will California’s climate planCalifornia’s epic heat wave is over. Here’s what we learned

There are dozens if not hundreds of cases involving prosecutors using rap lyrics that are about crimes as evidence of actual crimes, even when there was no other credible evidence. But finally, the recording industry and California lawmakers are pushing to put an end to the practice.Today, we talk about groundbreaking legislation that could limit how music is used as evidence in criminal court. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times columnist Erika D. SmithMore reading:Column: America loves rap, not Black people. Don’t be fooled because this bill protects lyricsRapper ‘Tiny Doo’ and college student arrested under controversial gang law get day in court against policeSan Diego council approves $1.5M payout to two men jailed under controversial gang law

Ever since California legalized cannabis in 2016, the state’s weed market has become a multi-billion dollar industry. It’s estimated to be the largest legal market of its kind in the world. But whenever you get that much money anywhere; well, you’re gonna get political corruption.Today, our investigation into how illegal moves around marijuana are plaguing city halls across the state. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times investigative reporter Adam ElmahrekMore reading:$250,000 cash in a brown paper bag.’ How legal weed unleashed corruption in CaliforniaLegal Weed, Broken Promises: A Times series on the fallout of legal pot in CaliforniaWould this California town have become so pro-cannabis if not for a councilwoman’s pot industry ties?

Housing L.A.’s homeless population has unsurprisingly proved to be a herculean task. With tens of thousands of people on the streets, it’s become a top issue for this year’s mayoral election in November. But until now, neither candidate — Congresswoman Karen Bass and real estate developer Rick Caruso — had offered specifics on the type of housing they would create, where it would be or how much it would cost.So we asked. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporters Ben Oreskes and Doug SmithMore reading:Bass and Caruso have talked big on homelessness. Now they’re offering some detailsCan Bass or Caruso solve the L.A. homeless housing crisis? Here are their divergent plansBass, Caruso sling mud over USC scholarship, alleged hacks and homelessness fixes

Sometime soon, NASA plans to launch a powerful new rocket. The launch is part of an ambitious quest to get people back to the moon for the first time in half a century — and just maybe, even further.Today, why the U.S. and its partners are determined to go back to the moon and the role politics plays when we reach for the stars. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times business reporter Samantha MasunagaMore reading:NASA’s return to the moon is delayed again after scrub because of fuel leakColumn One: 50 years after Apollo 11, the moon’s allure still resonatesReaders remember the Apollo 11 moon landing, 50 years later

California voters legalized cannabis in 2016, and one of the issues that was supposed to be solved was the violence and environmental wreckage associated with the drug’s illegal trade. But that hasn’t happened.Inside California’s famed “Emerald Triangle,” a region north of San Francisco known for its weed, there’s an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 illegal cannabis farms alone. The under-the-radar cultivation is messing with once-peaceful communities. Today, we get into this issue. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times investigative reporter Paige St. JohnMore reading:Legal Weed, Broken Promises: A Times series on the fallout of legal pot in CaliforniaNobody knows how widespread illegal cannabis grows are in California. So we mapped themThe reality of legal weed in California: Huge illegal grows, violence, worker exploitation and deaths

A Los Angeles Times analysis found that thousands of short-term Airbnb rentals are in California’s most hazardous fire zones. But the company does not provide warnings or evacuation information to guests when they make a reservations, and some customers say the company’s refund policy adds to the potential dangers.Today, as climate change threatens so many aspects of our lives, are even our vacations not safe anymore? Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporters Ben Poston and Alex WigglesworthMore reading:In California’s high-risk fire country, Airbnb offers guests no warning or escape planIs your vacation rental in a risky wildfire zone? What you need to knowCalifornia fires are burning faster, hotter, more intensely — and getting harder to fight

Street takeovers. Street races. Burnouts. They’re the latest manifestations of car culture in the region — cousins to the drag races, lowrider cruises, V-dub love-ins and other gear-head gatherings that’ve gone on here for decades. But what you’re seeing right now — a lot of people say the scene feels different. And some people say the film franchise “Fast & Furious” is to blame.In a region where car culture is king and stunts are all over social media, residents, politicians and law enforcement have had enough. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporter Nathan SolisMore reading:Inside L.A.’s deadly street takeover scene: ‘A scene of lawlessness’19 cars seized, 27 arrested in illegal street takeover in PomonaLA Times Today: Dangerous street takeovers take a deadly toll on L.A.

There’s a Gold Rush right now happening in Wyoming — for wind. Billionaire developers are putting up wind turbines to help power California and turn the American West, long a place where fossil fuels ruled, into a green energy powerhouse.But not everyone is happy. Today, we get into the challenges around what’s planned to be the largest wind farm in the country. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times energy reporter Sammy RothMore reading:Read our “Repowering the West” series hereThis power line could save California — and forever change the American WestSign up for our Boiling Point newsletter

Mexico president Andrés Manuel López Obrador came into office promising to get the military off the streets. Instead, he’s more than doubled their numbers. He claims there’s just no other way to handle Mexico’s narco-violence.Today, we look at Mexico’s delicate dance with its military. It’s an institution that’s among the most trusted in the nation, and potentially its most dangerous. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Latin America correspondent Kate LinthicumMore reading:Mexico’s president vowed to end the drug war. Instead he’s doubled the number of troops in the streetsMexico’s military gains power as president turns from critic to partnerMexico sent in the army to fight the drug war. Many question the toll on society and the army itself

For her role as Shauna in “Yellowjackets,” Melanie Lynskey has an Emmy nomination for lead actress in a drama series. Today, we've got another episode from our sister podcast "The Envelope." Lynskey joins host Yvonne Villarreal to dish on how this year has helped her feel more empowered and less underestimated, arriving at a place of self-love after struggling with an eating disorder, and why now is the time for ferocious female characters. She also busts out her Drew Barrymore impression and gets a brief, adorable visit from a special guest. Read the full transcript here. Host: Yvonne Villarreal Guest: Melanie LynskeyMore reading: ‘Yellowjackets’ star Melanie Lynskey is celebrating her Emmy nod by ... buying a fridge‘Yellowjackets’ creators break down ‘heartbreaking’ finale — and your fan theoriesSebastian Stan, Melanie Lynskey and more discuss teaching directors about acting

Millions of Americans who attended college could have their debt completely canceled or reduced under a plan announced by President Joe Biden last week. But the move is unsurprisingly stirring debate among the right and left, but for completely different reasons.Today, we talk about how this announcement might impact the midterms. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times national reporter Arit JohnMore reading:For many with student loans, the interest hurts the most. This congressman would knowStudent loan forgiveness: Everything you need to knowWhy Californians with student loans will gain massively from forgiveness plan

After displacement from Haiti, an exodus from South America and an epic journey through the Americas, what became of Haitians’ American dream? Today, in the final episode of the “Line in the Land” podcast produced by Texas Public Radio and the Houston Chronicle, we hear from Haitian migrants about where they ended up. Read the full transcript here.Hosts: Joey Palacios of Texas Public Radio, and Elizabeth Trovall with the Houston ChronicleMore reading:Listen to all “Line in the Land” episodesThe Times podcast: Our nation’s Haitian double standardHaitians in L.A. Spread Out and Blend InThis podcast is made possible by the Catana Foundation, supporting the asylum seeker advocacy project, providing more than 100,000 asylum seekers in the U.S. with community and legal support. Learn more at asylum.news. For the Spanish version of this episode, listen here.

One year ago this month, U.S. forces left Afghanistan after 20 years of war. Some 94,000 Afghan nationals, American citizens and lawful permanent residents have arrived in the U.S. as part of Operation Allies Welcome, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Today, we hear some of their stories. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times diaspora reporter Sarah Parvini and photojournalist Marcus YamMore reading:They escaped Afghanistan for California and beyond. But war’s struggles followed themThe things they carried when they fled AfghanistanThe cadence of war and its human toll: A photojournalist’s perspectiveA Times journalist’s diary inside the fall of Afghanistan 

In 1999 in New York, Serena Williams won her first major tennis title at the U.S. Open. Everyone knew she was gonna be a star in the sport and a transformational one too, but few thought she would become the greatest of all time.Today, we talk about the legacy of Serena Williams, not just as an athlete, but as a woman — a Black woman. And what’s next for the tennis icon. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: Broadcast journalist Cari ChampionMore reading:Column: Serena Williams makes a conscious choice to give up tennis and focus on her familyColumn: The mind of Serena WilliamsLA Times Today: Serena Williams’ legacy on and off the court

For his role as Ali in “Euphoria,” Colman Domingo has an Emmy nomination for outstanding guest actor in a drama series. Today, we've got another episode from our sister podcast, "The Envelope." Domingo joins "The Envelope" host Mark Olsen to discuss how his character — who is the sponsors to a struggling teenage drug addict played by Zendaya — is a symbol of redemption and forgiveness, which he feels our culture desperately needs. He also dishes on why he calls himself a nerd, how he almost walked away from his career, and why being “a shapeshifter” means his real-life looks take people by surprise. Read the full transcript here.More reading:Colman Domingo creates a theater award for Black menThe lives of Colman Domingo: acting in ‘Fear the Walking Dead,’ writing ‘Dot,’ directing ‘Barbecue’ at the GeffenZendaya hopes ‘Euphoria’ fans ‘still see the good’ in Rue after she ‘hits rock bottom’

Surprise, surprise: California cities are banning new gas stations and other cities across the world are watching. The bans are part of an ongoing quest to combat climate change, this time on a local municipal level. The movement is small so far, but now even the car capital of the world, Los Angeles, is thinking about it.Today, what would happen if L.A. hops on this no-new-gas-station brigade. And what we can learn from the cities that’ve already done it. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Fast Break Desk reporter Grace TooheyMore reading:California cities ban new gas stations in battle to combat climate changeEditorial: Ban new gas stations? There are better ways for L.A. to ditch fossil fuelsLA Times Today: California cities ban new gas stations to combat climate change

When an earthquake devastated Haiti in 2010, the international community pledged billions of dollars toward recovery. Much of that aid never went to rebuilding Haiti – or even to the Haitian people. But Haiti’s instability goes back even farther. In fact, it has a lot to do with outside political forces dating back to the country’s origin story as the world’s first Black republic.Today, episode 4 of “Line in the Land,” a podcast from Texas Public Radio and the Houston Chronicle. We’ll be back with episode 5 next Tuesday. We’re airing an episode from “A Line in the Land” every Tuesday through the end of August.Read the full transcript here.Host: Joey Palacios with Texas Public Radio and Elizabeth Trovall with the Houston Chronicle.More reading:Haiti’s struggle has worsened in the year since the slaying of its presidentAs Haiti reels from crises, U.S. policy decisions are called into questionOp-Ed: The West owes a centuries-old debt to HaitiBinge all the episodes of "Line in the Land" here. Episodes are in both English and Spanish. "Line in the Land" was made possible, in part, by the Catena Foundation, providing more than 100,000 asylum seekers in the U.S. with community and legal support. Learn more at asylum.news

Two of the largest race discrimination cases investigated by the federal government in the past decade allege widespread abuse of hundreds of Black employees by supervisors and coworkers at warehouses in Southern California’s Inland Empire. Anti-black bias on the job is sadly nothing new. But as the Latino population across the US, and especially California continues to grow, anti-Black bias by Latinos in the workplace is drawing renewed scrutiny.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times labor reporter Margot RooseveltMore reading:In California’s largest race bias cases, Latino workers are accused of abusing Black colleaguesHorrific allegations of racism prompt California lawsuit against TeslaFight over jobs divides interests of Blacks, Latinos

Since the start of 2021, L.A. Times national correspondent Tyrone Beason has been on the road. He’s doing what a lot of us are thinking about: he’s on a quest to find out what’s up with the United States. In a year-long series called “My Country,” Beason has been trying to find the things that bind us, while also trying to make sense of the issues that keep tearing us apart.Today, we check in with Beason and hear some of his dispatches. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times national correspondent Tyrone BeasonMore reading:Read Tyrone Beason’s full “My Country” series hereIn the vastness of the Inland Empire, people of color find ‘peace in these troubled times’This California wine country town is multicultural. So why do so many feel invisible?

For her role as the ethically flexible attorney Kim Wexler in “Better Call Saul,” Rhea Seehorn is nominated for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series. She joins “The Envelope” host Yvonne Villarreal to delve into the show’s last twists and turns and talk about the scariest day on the set. Seehorn also discusses her efforts to balance gratitude with confidence and shares stories about how her father’s alcoholism shaped her. Read the full transcript here.Host: Yvonne VillarrealGuests: Rhea SeehornMore reading:Rhea Seehorn knows her ‘Better Call Saul’ character is toast. And she’s loving every minuteA couple that schemes together, dreams togetherRhea Seehorn on reading a ‘Better Call Saul’ script: ‘I’m not dead yet. Are you dead?’

Decades ago, when you couldn’t conceive or carry a child, your options for becoming a parent were limited. But then in 1978, in-vitro fertilization became possible. But IVF can be very expensive. And one method in particular can lead to heartache and scandal.Today, how one woman’s attempt to offer more affordable surrogacy services collapsed, leaving in its wake heartbroken couples, frustrated surrogates and an FBI investigation. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: Former L.A. Times national correspondent Emily BaumgaertnerMore reading:She promised babies at bargain prices using surrogates in Mexico. Now the FBI is investigatingLA Times Today: Why the FBI is investigating surrogates in MexicoThe audio of the first test tube baby, Louise Brown, is from a video news release produced by London Television Service and made available by the BFI National Archive. 

To get to the U.S. border from South America, Haitians have to trek through an isolated stretch of jungle called the Darién Gap. In the latest episode of “Line in the Land,” a podcast produced by the Houston Chronicle and Texas Public Media, Haitian migrants take listeners with them on a jungle journey like no other. Read the full transcript here. Hosts: Joey Palacios and Elizabeth TrovallMore reading:Lost in the deep of DarienCrossing the Darién GapThis remote sliver of northwest Colombia is one of the world’s busiest migration corridorsBinge all the episodes of Line in the Land here. Episodes are in both English and Spanish. A Line in the Land was made possible, in part, by the Catena Foundation, providing more than 100,000 asylum seekers in the U.S. with community and legal support. Learn more at asylum.news

Last year, frustrations over COVID-related school closures slammed into the nation’s culture war and tipped an election. It all started in Virginia’s Loudoun County, whose schools became a lightning rod as they grappled with mask mandates, a bathroom policy for transgender students and efforts to fix systemic racial discrimination.Today, we discuss how conservative parents in Virginia began a powerful nationwide movement and how Democrats are trying to win this important voting bloc back. We also explore how parents in Loudoun County really feel. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuest: L.A. Times White House reporter Courtney SubramanianMore reading:Focus on the economy, not ‘critical race theory’ or sex ed: Inside Democrats’ plan to win back parentsSchool boards become battle zones over COVID-19 rules, critical race theory, trans studentsOpinion: Teachers have to put the welfare of transgender students before their own beliefs

You might know Liz Cheney for her recent leadership of the House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol insurrection. Her prominent role in the televised hearings has boosted her status nationally, but back at home, in conservative Wyoming, Cheney has effectively been disowned. Her vote to impeach President Trump and the decision to take part in the investigation has forced her into a sort of exile from her home state.

Bill Hader became popular on "Saturday Night Live" with silly characters like Stefon, but his titular character on the HBO show "Barry" is more twisted and brilliant. It’s a great dark comedy about a hitman who wants to become an actor and how his worlds collide. In this conversation with “The Envelope” host Mark Olsen, Bill brings both the fun and the darkness: He’s pleasant and light, and he laughs while talking about some of the most disturbing things on his show. Read the full transcript here.

This summer, some of the biggest names in music decided that we all need to dance. Drake, Beyoncé, Charlie XCX, Bad Bunny — they all departed from their usual styles to create albums inspired by a genre called house music.Today, we talk about how house music became the sound of liberation and why it’s back and more mainstream than ever.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times pop music reporter August BrownMore reading:Beyoncé returns with liberating house jam ‘Break My Soul’The Gold Line carries house music to downtown L.A.The Beyoncé effect: ‘Break My Soul’ propels ’90s star Robin S and the Great Resignation

Today, we offer episode 2 of “A Line in the Land,” from our friends at Texas Public Radio and the Houston Chronicle. It’s a podcast that explores the human story behind the Haitian immigration journey. On this episode, hosts Elizabeth Trovall and Joey Palacios try to answer the question of why many Haitians went to Chile after Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake. And what happened to those refugees when the Chilean government became more hostile to immigration. 

Last week, Nancy Pelosi became the first House Speaker  in a quarter century to visit Taiwan. China viewed Pelosi’s trip as a direct challenge. As tensions over the self-governed island ratchet up, Taiwan is preparing for war. But are its people ready?

Jennifer Coolidge has a career full of memorable roles, from the “American Pie” franchise to the “Legally Blonde” series and the mock documentaries of Christopher Guest. But it wasn’t until her role in HBO’s hit “The White Lotus” that she finally earned critical respect. Today, Coolidge talks about her life and career — and what’s next. Read the full transcript here.Hosts: Mark Olsen and Yvonne VillarrealGuests: Jennifer CoolidgeMore reading:Column: Jennifer Coolidge has been a big deal for years; with an Emmy nod, she’s starting to believe itJennifer Coolidge gets vulnerableJennifer Coolidge dreamed of being a dramatic actor. ‘White Lotus’ was her chance e-envelope-podcast

Vin Scully was the broadcaster for the Dodgers baseball franchise for 67 years, from its time in Brooklyn through its move to Los Angeles. In the process, he not only became a sports legend; he became a summer soundtrack for generations of fans in Southern California and beyond.Today, we remember the life and legacy of Vin Scully. Read the full transcript here.Host: Former fellow for The Times, Angel CarrerasGuests: L.A. Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Jaime Jarrín, sportscaster Bob CostasMore reading:Complete coverage: Remembering the life of Dodgers announcer Vin Scully (1927-2022)Column: Vin Scully’s voice, a serenade of rebirth, will live on forever in Los AngelesColumn: Vaya con Dios, Vin Scully — a beacon of possibility for generations in L.A.

On the U.S.-Mexico border, where San Diego ends and Tijuana begins right next to the Pacific Ocean, there’s a place called Friendship Park. It opened over 50 years ago and was meant to be a symbol of the binational community that stretches across the border. Friendship Park eventually became an unlikely place for poignant cross-border reunions.But since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Friendship Park has been shut down. And there’s a good chance it might not reopen. We get into its history and future today. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: San Diego Union-Tribune border reporter Kate MorrisseyMore reading:Once a symbol of binational unity, Friendship Park could close to cross-border reunions foreverWall going up in Friendship Park at U.S.-Mexico borderU.S. side of a binational garden at Mexico border bulldozed

We bring you episode 1 of “Line in the Land,” a new podcast from Texas Public Radio and the Houston Chronicle that explores the human story behind the Haitians traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border in search of a better life. Read the full transcript here.Hosts: Joey Palacios with Texas Public Radio, and Elizabeth Trovall with the Houston Chronicle.More reading:Inside the brutal 10,000-mile journey Haitian migrants make in search of a homePodcast: Our nation’s Haitian double standardOpinion: Helping one child at a time in Haiti 10 years after the devastation

On July 16, Gabriella Walsh carried out a decision months in the making; a process involving her loved ones and medical providers. She drank a fatal dose of medication prescribed under California’s so-called death-with-dignity law, which allows some terminally ill patients to request drugs to end their lives.Today, we tell the story of Walsh, and hear her talk about why she decided to end her life on her own terms. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporter Marisa Gerber, and L.A. Times photographer Dania MaxwellMore reading:One last trip: Gabriella Walsh’s decision to die — and celebrate life — on her own termsDeath-with-dignity movement springs back to life in CaliforniaCalifornia lawmakers vote to speed up state process for terminally ill to end their lives 

Monkeypox is on the rise, and now officially considered a global health emergency. Cases in the U.S. number in the thousands and only took a week to double here in Los Angeles. The viral disease has, so far, mostly affected the LGBTQ community, but anyone can get it. So how worried should we be?Today, we talk about what to know and answer listener questions. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times breaking news reporter Grace TooheyMore reading:Monkeypox spreads in L.A. County, but vaccine shortage persists. What to knowWorld Health Organization declares monkeypox a global emergencySan Francisco officials declare state of emergency as monkeypox spreads

A drought has drained the reservoirs that provide most of the water for 5 million residents who live around Monterrey, the financial capital of northern Mexico. The crisis has sparked widespread upheaval. Anger is mounting at government officials who allow the region’s factories to continue pulling water from the strained aquifer via private wells while some residents are left without water for days.Today, we take a look at the city and an unfolding crisis that experts say is a stark warning for the rest of Mexico and the American West. Read the full transcript.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times foreign correspondent Kate LinthicumMore reading:Taps have run dry in Monterrey, Mexico, where there is water for factories but not for residentsPodcast: Drought wants your carne asada and iPhoneWestern megadrought is worst in 1,200 years, intensified by climate change, study finds 

The Jan. 6 House subcommittee investigating the events of that day have poured through thousands of hours of videos. But during the hearings, the public also got a sneak preview of even more moments caught on tape — from a documentary that tells the events of the U.S. Capitol insurrection through a behind-the-scenes view of Donald Trump.Today, we’re talking with documentary filmmaker Alex Holder about his movie “Unprecedented,” which aired this month on Discovery Plus. The documentary offers an inside view into the Trump organization right as Jan. 6 was happening. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: Filmmaker Alex HolderMore reading:Jan. 6 panel to receive Trump family footage from 2020 election and Capitol insurrectionFive takeaways from the Trump Jan. 6 documentary ‘Unprecedented’A new Trump doc was subpoenaed by Jan. 6 committee. It’s not as revelatory as it sounds

It’s Emmy season, so we’ve got another episode of the “Envelope” for you. This time, it’s an in-depth conversation with Gillian Anderson, who plays Eleanor Roosevelt in “The First Lady.” Anderson talks about how Eleanor Roosevelt was the brains behind the FDR presidency, the focus on Roosevelt’s loving relationship with journalist Lorena Hickok in “The First Lady,” and why it took her some time to click with “Sex Education.” Taking on a historical figure isn’t new for Anderson — who also plays Margaret Thatcher in “The Crown” and Catherine’s mother, Joanna, in “The Great.” Nor is portraying a character who stays in her lane, which wasn’t a stretch from Anderson’s own personality. Follow the "Envelope" wherever you listen to podcasts.  Read the full transcript here.

Beyoncé is getting ready to bring the world her seventh studio album this Friday. Rumors are already swirling about what genre she’ll showcase, what themes she’ll explore and more.We already got a hint with the single “Break My Soul,” which has popped across dance floors all summer. Even if you’re not part of Beyoncé's Beyhive counting down the days until the album release, it’s hard to deny that the artist is iconic — a total game changer.But how did she get here, and how does she remain relevant? We get into that today. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times pop music critic Mikael WoodsMore reading:Beyoncé has made music history — again — with chart-topping ‘Break My Soul’Beyoncé's ‘Renaissance’ album cover is here. Saddle up and bow down to the queenBeyoncé returns with liberating house jam ‘Break My Soul’ 

Remember this number: 988. The new three-digit hotline is now the 911 equivalent for mental health emergencies. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people in the U.S., according to the National Institute of Mental Health. And experts say the pandemic, racial violence and political unrest are behind an uptick in suicides across the country. That’s why last weekend’s launch of the nationwide mental health crisis hotline couldn’t come soon enough.Today, as part of “For Your Mind,” Los Angeles Times’ new initiative exploring mental health from multiple angles, we talk about the hopes and challenges ahead for the 988 hotline. Will it help fundamentally change how the U.S. treats and considers mental health, or will it fail like so many efforts before it? Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: Jaclyn Cosgrove, assistant editor at the Los Angeles Times and manager of “For Your Mind”More reading:Op-Ed: Will the new 988 hotline be a game changer for mental health or a missed opportunity?New 988 hotline is the 911 for mental health emergenciesEditorial: For crisis response, press 988 — and pass a bill to keep it funded

When the annual Glastonbury music festival happened this year, performers openly criticized on stage the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, which happened that same week. It recalled a similar movement nearly 30 years earlier, when feminist rock groups started Rock for Choice and rallied a generation to fight for abortion access.Today, the history of that movement — and whether it can happen again. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times music reporter Suzy ExpositoMore reading:In the ’90s, a new breed of rock stars organized for abortion rights. Could that happen today?Phoebe Bridgers, Olivia Rodrigo and other performers slam Supreme Court at GlastonburyPOP MUSIC REVIEW : Bands get together for Rock for Choice

It’s Emmy season, so we’re dropping another episode of our sister podcast, the “Envelope." Today, an in-depth conversation with actor Simone Ashley. Ashley has always been a fan of the romance genre, but before being cast as Kate in “Bridgerton,” playing the lead in a period drama seemed improbable to her. “I never imagined that a woman who looked like me could be a part of one,” she says. In this episode of "The Envelope" podcast, Ashley discusses embracing the political aspects of her career, how acting on “Sex Education” prepared her for "Bridgerton" and how her upbringing taught her to dream big. Subscribe to the "Envelope" here and never miss an episode.

In 2018, the L.A. Times began to follow Mckenzie Trahan, a pregnant homeless woman living in Hollywood. Over the next four years, a Times reporter, photographer and videographer tracked Trahan’s life as she tried to find housing and become a mom. Today, we hear about her journey. Read the full transcript here. Host: L.A. Times photographer Christina HouseMore reading:Pregnant, homeless and living in a tent: Meet MckenzieShe spent decades as a nomad. But her daughter’s pregnancy brought her back to L.A.We chronicled one homeless woman’s motherhood journey since 2018

So many disasters, so little time. And it’s the same group of people on the front lines, year after year. What happens when they get tired? Today, our Masters of Disaster talk about burnout among firefighters, scientists, doctors and the people we trust to take on the biggest calamities nature throws at us — as well as how to hold on to a little hope. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporters Rong-Gong Lin II, Rosanna Xia and Alex WigglesworthMore reading:Hellish fires, low pay, trauma: California’s Forest Service firefighters face a morale crisisAlmost 9 in 10 Californians live in areas with high COVID-19 levels as BA.5 fuels infectionsEditorial: Let’s make 2022 the year we all get angry about climate inaction

He’s animal royalty in the City of Angels; an ambassador for conservation and for the random beauty this megalopolis offers. But P-22 is also a poster boy for something sadder. The mountain lion is thought to be about 12, and nearing the end of his life. He’s an eternal bachelor, cut off from the rest of his species and a symbol of what’s left of LA’s once-incredible ecosystems that are just barely holding on.Today, the story of the cougar who stole L.A.'s heart. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times enterprise reporter Laura J. NelsonMore reading:He’s terminally single and getting old. What’s next for P-22, L.A.’s favorite wild bachelor?A week in the life of P‑22, the big cat who shares Griffith Park with millions of peopleMust Reads: Mountain lions are being killed on freeways and weakened by inbreeding. Researchers have a solution 

It’s Emmys season, and the “Envelope” is here for it. So once a week for the next couple of weeks, we’re going to feature an episode of our sister podcast in “The Times.” First up: Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, who recently wrapped up their much-beloved Netflix series, “Grace and Frankie.” In this episode, the duo laugh and cry with us while reflecting on their decades long friendship, their mutual admiration for their “9 to 5” co-star Dolly Parton, who reunited with them for the final episode, and the lies people tell about aging and death. Subscribe to the "Envelope" here or wherever you listen to podcasts. Read the full transcript here. 

For over a year, L.A. Times entertainment reporter Stacy Perman tried to track down Lora Lee Michel, a former child star whose custody case scandalized 1940s Hollywood. Michel went through a string of marriages — and then disappeared.In Part 2 of our miniseries, Perman finds out Michel’s shocking fate. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times entertainment reporter Stacy PermanMore reading:Podcast: What happened to Lora Lee? Part 1A child star at 7, in prison at 22. Then she vanished. What happened to Lora Lee Michel?Explaining Hollywood: Your child wants to act. What do you need to know?

Throughout the history of Hollywood, child entertainers have consistently clashed with their parents and guardians who manage their money and lives. The stories of kid stars like Britney Spears and Gary Coleman are well known. But long before them, was child actor Lora Lee Michel. In the 1940s, Michel became a famed Hollywood actress at age 7, working alongside screen legends like Humphrey Bogart and Gary Cooper. But by the time she was 22, she landed in prison. Then she disappeared.Today, part 1 of a two-part series tracing Michel’s life. It’s a story that reveals the underbelly of Hollywood’s Golden Age and the perils facing child actors. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Company Town reporter Stacy PermanMore reading:A child star at 7, in prison at 22. Then she vanished. What happened to Lora Lee Michel?An old VHS tape gives a son a glimpse of his father’s shot at fame in 1960s HollywoodExplaining Hollywood: Your child wants to act. What do you need to know?

Lawmakers want California to eliminate the state’s carbon footprint altogether by 2045. They’re taking all sorts of steps to get to that ambitious goal; from phasing out gas-powered engines in new cars and lawnmowers to electrifying home stoves. But there’s an even bigger plan ahead, one that environmental experts say could derail it all.Today, we talk about California’s plan to pump carbon gas into the ground. It sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel, but that’s exactly what California says is key to be able to make the state carbon neutral. Can it work? Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times air quality reporter Tony BriscoeMore reading:Pollution from California’s 2020 wildfires likely offset decades of air quality gainsHow California will fight Supreme Court’s limits on EPA climate enforcement

In the 5 months since Russia’s invasion, the American public’s attention has turned back to problems at home — and US President Joe Biden hasn’t gotten a good grade for his handling of them. But last week, he was able to lead major policy breakthroughs at the NATO and G7 summits.Today, can President Biden’s push to spread democracy abroad help him deal with various crises back home? Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times White House reporter Eli StokolsMore reading:News Analysis: Bold in shoring up democracy abroad, Biden is criticized as timid on the domestic frontBiden commits to more U.S. forces in Europe as NATO invites Sweden and Finland to joinImplored by Zelensky, Biden and G-7 allies will increase Ukraine defense aid, economic support

Randall Emmett had built a career for himself in Hollywood over the past decade as a producer of schlocky action films featuring cameos of iconic actors like Bruce Willis and Al Pacino. But in recent years, he was at the cusp of finally gaining mainstream respect. He had a recurring role on the reality TV hit “Vanderpump Rules” and produced Martin Scorsese’s last two films. But a Times investigation found that multiple former assistants and people who worked for Emmett alleged improper behavior.Today, we get into the rise and fall of Emmett, and what it says about the Hollywood of today. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times corporate media reporter Meg James and L.A. Times senior entertainment writer Amy KaufmanMore reading:The man who played Hollywood: Inside Randall Emmett’s crumbling empireBruce Willis halts acting career after diagnosis with cognitive disorderRandall Emmett’s drive to produce films is paying off

Few things are more beautiful on a California summer evening than the sight of lowriders cruising slow and low and bouncing up and down through the streets. But for decades, municipalities across the Golden State have been declaring war on lowriding.Today, why cities banned car cruising in the first place and how activists are finally winning. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: San Diego Union-Tribune reporter Tammy MurgaMore reading:California Assembly urges cities to repeal bans on cruisingPodcast: Lowriders. Cruising. A Southern California ritual returnsDuring pandemic, trash and crime increased on Whittier Boulevard. Lowrider clubs said: Enough

Classic cars are a staple of California culture, but they have a dirty secret – they're gas guzzlers. And with gas prices so high, collectors are beginning to convert their cars into electric vehicles. In this episode, L.A. business reporter Ronald D. White talks about the creative ways that Californians are getting their hands on electric cars.

A 22-year-old woman and an abortion doctor from California played key roles in the legal fight that eventually led to Roe vs. Wade. But now that Roe’s been struck down, is that history our future? Today, we look at what it was like for women seeking abortions in California and the doctors who served them before the procedure was legalized, and what that past might say about a future without the constitutional right to abortion. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporter Brittny MejiaMore reading:Her illegal abortion paved the way for Roe. 56 years later she shares her story“The Future of Abortion” seriesCalifornia will see rush of people from out of state seeking abortion care, study says

For decades, weekly lunches between the American president and his vice president have piqued the interest of D.C. insiders. Today, we take a look at this unique tradition and examine what the most exclusive meal in D.C. tells us about the evolution of the vice presidency. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times White House reporter Noah BiermanMore reading:It’s not just a meal: Inside the nation’s most secretive and exclusive power lunchOpinion: Obama and Biden do lunchGorbachev, Reagan, Bush to Lunch

President Biden has vowed to help protect the ability of those who seek abortions to travel to other states. California and other states have stepped up to offer expanded access. And now companies are vowing to do what they can to help their employees continue to access abortion. But how much do those vows from private businesses really matter?Today, we talk about how corporations are stepping up when the government won’t. But are they actually changing anything in a meaningful way? Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuest: L.A. Times business reporter Sam DeanMore reading:Companies vow to help employees access abortion after Roe vs. Wade is overturnedHollywood companies vow to pay travel costs for abortions after Roe vs. Wade decisionHow Apple, Levi Strauss and other U.S. companies are creating a brand-new abortion benefit

We’ll be having fun all summer long ... or not. Hazards are everywhere this season — in the bonfires we set, the trash we leave behind, the sunburns we get. Today, our Masters of Disasters talk about all the hazards out there, including us. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times earthquake reporter Rong-Gong Lin II, L.A. Times wildfire reporter Alex Wigglesworth and L.A. Times coast reporter Rosanna XiaMore reading:In California’s high-risk fire country, Airbnb offers guests no warning or escape planWhere are California’s dirtiest beaches? This list might surprise youFirst suspected cases of monkeypox in Riverside and Santa Clara counties reported

More than 20 states have already worked to ban or severely limit abortion in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe vs. Wade. But in California, access to abortion will continue to be protected. In fact, the state’s Democratic leaders want to expand the right to abortion — for those who live here, and even for those who don’t.Today, how and why California is setting itself up as a “beacon of hope” for people who want an abortion.Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times California government reporter Melody GutierrezMore reading:What happens in California with Roe vs. Wade now dead?Newsom signs bill protecting California abortion providers from civil liabilityIn an America divided by abortion, guns and COVID, California and Newsom seize the moment

Roe vs. Wade protected the constitutional right to an abortion for nearly 50 years. Now that the Supreme Court has overturned it, at least 20 states are banning or putting extreme limitations on access to abortion.The outcome was expected, but the country still erupted when the ruling posted — abortion opponents gathered in celebration while abortion-access advocates reacted with anger.Over the last few months, The Times has looked at the issue of abortion from a number of perspectives to help understand how we got to this historic moment. Today, we revisit five episodes from “The Future of Abortion” series.Listen to the full episodes here:Future of Abortion Part 1: MedicineDr. Warren Hern has performed abortions since before Roe vs. Wade. He speaks about his career — and the fears he has for the future.Future of Abortion Part 2: ChurchThe complicated story of how evangelicals mobilized around restricting abortion, and one Christian woman’s place in it all.The Future of Abortion Part 3: MoneyHow Texas has made it nearly impossible for low-income women to get an abortion. And how other states want to copy that.The Future of Abortion, Part 4: Keeping ItPregnancy centers have grown in numbers with the backing of antiabortion religious organizations. What’s their future like in a post-Roe vs. Wade world?The Future of Abortion, Part 5 : LawWhat went wrong with Roe vs. Wade and why the court’s effort to resolve the abortion controversy back in 1973 has instead led to decades of division.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporters Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Jaweed Kaleem and David G. SavageMore reading:“The Future of Abortions” print seriesIn historic reversal, Supreme Court overturns Roe vs. Wade, freeing states to outlaw abortionThe four key turning points that led to the fall of Roe vs. Wade

In celebration of Juneteenth, this week we're running some of our favorite episodes about the Black experience. L.A. Times features writer Jeanette Marantos takes us from modern-day Southern California back to 1860s Massachusetts and Maryland for a look at an unsung civil rights hero. This episode first aired on Sep 24, 2021.Read the full transcript here. Host: L.A. Times features writer Jeanette MarantosMore reading:She was the Rosa Parks of her day. So why was she in an unmarked grave for 129 years?How we got the story of Ellen Garrison Jackson Clark and her courageous, unsung lifeLA Times Today: The ‘Rosa Parks of Concord MA,’ discovered in an unmarked grave in Altadena

In celebration of Juneteenth, this week we're running some of our favorite episodes about the Black experience. Today, we revisit the showdown centering on proposals to ban menthol cigarettes and how the tobacco companies enlists Black community leaders to ensure that any ban never happens. This episode first aired on Apr 26, 2022.Read the show transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times medical investigations reporter Emily Baumgaertner, and Ben Stockton of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

In celebration of Juneteenth, this week we're running some of our favorite episodes about the Black experience. Today, housing and affordability reporter Liam Dillon dives into the historical and continuing impact of the 10 freeway on Black communities in Santa Monica. This episode first aired on Jan. 31, 2022.Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times housing reporter Liam Dillon, and Santa Monica native Nichelle MonroeMore reading:Santa Monica’s message to people evicted long ago for the 10 Freeway: Come homeFreeways force out residents in communities of color — againTour Santa Monica’s once-vibrant Black neighborhoods, nearly erased by racism and ‘progress’ 

The Supreme Court’s decision on Roe vs. Wade in 1973 was supposed to end the debate on abortion once and for all. But instead, it has led to decades of division. In our “Future of Abortion” series, The Times looks at abortion from a number of perspectives. Today, we dig into where Roe went wrong.Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporter David G. SavageMore reading:Where Roe went wrong: A sweeping new abortion right built on a shaky legal foundationSupreme Court’s pending abortion ruling: What it may meanWhen will the Supreme Court make a decision on the fate of Roe vs. Wade?

In the wake of the Uvalde massacre, Emmett Till’s name is again at the forefront of a national conversation, this time about gun control. Till was the 14-year-old boy lynched by a group of white men in 1955 in Mississippi. Images of his mutilated body shocked the country and galvanized civil rights activists.As people inside and outside newsrooms struggle with whether showing brutal images of slain children might move people and politicians toward collective action, Emmett’s family talks about power and pain, and the impact and limitations of an image.Today, in honor of Juneteenth, we kick off a week of episodes about the Black experience with the question: Is this country in the middle of another “Emmett Till” moment?Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporter Marissa EvansMore reading:After Uvalde shooting, people consider an ‘Emmett Till moment’ to change gun debateHearts ‘shattered’: Here are the victims of the Texas school shootingHouse passes gun control bill after Buffalo, Uvalde attacks 

Just this year, Singapore’s top court upheld section 377A. That’s a British colonial-era law prohibiting consenting sex between men. And while the government says it doesn’t strictly enforce that law, anyone who breaks it could face up to two years behind bars.Meanwhile, thousands of Queer Singaporean activists and LGBTQ allies will gather in Hong Lim Park this weekend for an annual gay pride event — and send a clear message to lawmakers that they’re done being denied their basic human rights. Read the full transcript here.Host: The Times producer David ToledoGuest: L.A. Times Asia correspondent David PiersonMore reading:Pink Dot: Singapore’s yearly pride celebration gets bigger and brighterA Singaporean erotic OnlyFans star faces months in prison — and sparks a debateSame-sex penguin parents spark literary controversy in Singapore 

After more than a year of investigations and thousands of hours of depositions, the Jan. 6 committee is looking to prove that former president Donald Trump had a plan to overturn the 2020 election.Today, a look at the most explosive moments so far — and to come — as the committee lays out its case to show Trump’s connection to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection and the role he may have played in spreading debunked conspiracy theories that the election he lost two years ago was rigged.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporter Sarah D. WireMore reading:Jan. 6 attack on Capitol was the ‘culmination of an attempted coup,’ panel chairman saysTrump ignored repeated warnings from Barr, advisors that election fraud claims were ‘bogus’What’s the TV schedule for the next Jan. 6 committee hearings? 

Pregnancy centers offer services like free pregnancy tests, and sometimes resources like diapers or baby clothes — even classes and counseling. Their main focus, though, is to persuade women not to have abortions — and support those who continue their pregnancies.Today, how religious organizations and state funding have led to the rise of these pregnancy centers, as abortion rights fall nationwide. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Houston bureau chief Molly Hennessy-FiskeMore reading:The antiabortion movement fuels a growth industry: Pregnancy centersRead and listen to the rest of the L.A. Times “The Future of Abortion” series hereEven with Roe vs. Wade in place, low-income women struggle to get abortions in Texas

For most renters across the United States, having a refrigerator come with your unit is a given. Not in Southern California. For reasons no one can fully explain or understand, renters must furnish their living spaces with their own fridges, which has created an underground economy for the essential unit. Today, we try to crack this mystery.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times housing reporter Liam DillonMore reading:Why do so many L.A. apartments come without fridges? Inside the chilling mysteryReal Estate newsletter: Where are all the fridges?Landlords in California aren’t required to provide refrigerators

In the late 1980s, the Diggs family of Southern California came across a family Bible with an incredible backstory. Notes written in the margin documented their family history to an enslaved ancestor who learned to read and write — rare at the time. The Diggs eventually donated their heirloom to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., where it’s now on display. Historians say artifacts like the Bible are rare and offer a valuable portrait into legacy and resistance.Read the full transcript here.Host: L.A. Times Washington D.C. reporter Erin B. LoganMore reading:How a Black family’s Bible ended up at the Smithsonian InstitutionBlack genealogists get help tracing their rootsBehind these names, you’ll find stories of L.A.’s Black history

Drag culture is one of the most iconic forms of expression within the LGBTQ community. For outsiders looking in, drag culture looks fun and flamboyant. But for lots of queens, it’s about so much more than the flashy fun. It’s about family.Today, we dig deep into drag, specifically drag mothers who keep the culture afloat and show us what family can be for some in the LGBTQ community.Read the full transcript here.Host: Times producer Ashlea BrownMore reading:All hail the drag queens raising L.A.’s tight-knit familiesEssential California: A drag laureate for West Hollywood?How drag has changed the face of art, fashion, and beauty

This year’s midterm elections were expected to be a referendum on the economy, but as gun violence is on the minds of Americans, yet again, millennials and zillennials, who’ve grown up in an era of massacres, might prove a constituency that no politician can ignore. If they show up to the ballot box, that is.Today, we talk about how gun violence affects the politics of young voters.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times 2021-22 Los Angeles Times Fellow Anumita KaurMore reading:Newsletter: Essential Politics: Do mass shootings affect young voters?School shootings have increased recently; the violence in Texas is among the deadliestThousands protest outside NRA convention in Texas days after massacre in Uvalde

The Summit of the Americas. It’s when the leaders of all the nations of the Western Hemisphere get together every three to four years and and talk shop. This year’s edition is in the United States, for the second time ever — and the Summit will happen right here in Los Angeles.Today, we get into this conference — how it began. What usually happens. And whether the U.S. wields the same influence in the Americas as it has for two centuries.Read the full transcript. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Washington D.C. correspondent Tracy WilkinsonMore reading:Summit of the Americas opens in L.A. as U.S. grapples with deteriorating relations and influence‘No more dictatorships’: The slogan that rings in the streets at the start of the Summit of the AmericasSummit of the Americas hobbles to its opening as Mexico’s president declines to attend 

Ocean breezes, mountain views, stunning architecture, great food. Fala vocé português? Even if you don’t; Portugal is it right now, and has been for years. But recently, more Americans and especially Californians are looking to make their vacations in the small European country permanent.Today, why more Americans are trading in their SUVs and fast food drive-throughs for the affordable homes and easy living of Portugal. And what that means for local residents.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times European correspondent Jaweed KaleemMore reading:Welcome to Portugal, the new expat haven. Californians, please go homeThese Californians relocated to Portugal. They share their storiesGoodbye, L.A. and San Francisco. Hello, Riverside and Central Valley. California moves east 

The U.S. has lost more than 1 million people to COVID — and the virus isn’t done with us yet. Frontline hospital workers have experienced the devastation up close and in real time. And for one L.A. Times photographer who documented the losses and wins against COVID, looking back at the images she captured and revisiting the hospital rooms where people fought for their lives — spaces a hospital chaplain now calls ‘sacred ground’ — has helped her process the pain and remember the moments of connection and hope.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times photojournalist Francine OrrMore reading:The fight against COVID, a chaplain says, unfolded on ‘sacred ground’U.S. reaches 1 million COVID deaths — and the virus isn’t done with us 

Ukraine was never a utopia for gays and transgender people, but activists there say things have improved over the years. Now, though, people are worried that Russia’s invasion could put all of that progress at risk. Today we talk to two LGBTQ+ Ukrainians, one who’s fighting against Russia for his country — and another who fled Ukraine but is continuing her fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Read the full transcript here.Host: The Times: Daily News from the L.A. Times producer David ToledoGuests: L.A. Times Latin America correspondent Kate Linthicum

Patriots for America patrols the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas, stops migrants, and questions children. They call it faith-based ministry work; civil rights groups say they’re just another racist group of extremists. Today, we follow them in action. Read the full transcript here.Host: Molly Hennessy-FiskeMore reading:Texas border militia stops migrants and shoots video of kids. Rights groups say they’re racistTexas militia sanctioned by sheriff seeks government support to halt flow of migrantsMinutemen Project begins recruiting volunteers to man U.S. border

Unprecedented water restrictions in Los Angeles County are going to ensure the slow demise of lawns. And now, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is ready to deal green lawns a final blow. Today, how Southern Californians will have to get used to browner lawns — and why even that might not make a dent in a historic drought.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times water reporter Ian JamesMore reading:Newsom urges aggressive water conservation and warns of statewide restrictionsCalifornia just adopted new, tougher water restrictions: What you need to knowCalifornia bans watering ‘nonfunctional’ grass in some areas, strengthening drought rules

It’s pitting neighbors against neighbors in suburbs across the United States. Tempers are flaring. Tension is high. And nope, all the drama has nothing to do with politics or COVID or any of the usual suburban suspects. The culprit now: pickleball.Today, we serve you the rapid rise of a sport whose popularity boomed during the pandemic and the intense backlash rising right alongside it. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuest: L.A. Times investigative and enterprise reporter Connor SheetsMore reading:Pickleball noise is fueling neighborhood drama from coast to coastPickleball is a godsend for older players. L.A. needs to fund new courts Pickleball is a smash hit in SoCal. Now younger players are picking up the paddle

Overdose deaths in the United States have risen rapidly during the pandemic. It’s a trend driven largely by the spread of fentanyl.In California, the push to save lives and stop the fallout has led some activists and politicians to propose safe injection sites — places where people can take drugs with clean needles, without fear of arrest. There’s already one site like this operating in San Francisco.But in Vancouver, Canada, there’s a neighborhood that has hosted a safe injection site for almost 20 years. In today’s episode, we go visit it.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuest: L.A. Times columnist Anita ChabriaMore reading:Column: Vancouver’s safe drug-use sites are wrenching to see. California should open them anywayIn a bid to stop overdose deaths, California could allow drug use at supervised sitesWith overdose deaths rising, here’s how to test drugs for fentanyl 

Today we talk about California’s huge role in influencing gun control laws in the U.S. and about the backlashes. We discuss the state’s historic 1989 ban on assault weapons and why a federal judge issued an order to overturn that ban. And we talk to the mayor of San Jose, who wants his city to be the first in the United States to require gun owners to buy liability insurance.Read the full transcript here.  An earlier version of this episode was published Aug. 23, 2021. 

Last week, we partnered up with KCRW for a live mayoral debate with some of the city’s top candidates for the top job.It was the final group debate before the primary on June 7. And in it, three candidates talked a lot about a housing-first approach and took progressive stances on the issue of homelessness.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo Arellano and KCRW housing reporter Anna ScottGuests: Rep. Karen Bass, L.A. councilmember Kevin de León, and activist Gina ViolaMore reading:With Caruso absent, L.A. mayoral candidates argue for progressive moves on homelessnessL.A. on the Record: Renters are getting short shrift in the mayor’s race, advocates sayL.A.’s mayoral candidates agree homeless encampments need to go. The question is how

In this episode of the “Border City” podcast from our sister paper, the San Diego Union-Tribune, longtime U.S.-Mexico border reporter Sandra Dibble brings us to an awful time for Tijuana: the three-year window from 2008 to 2010. Cartels ramped up violence to horrifying levels, targeting cops and doctors. Police tried to purge traitors from their ranks — and went too far. But through it all, the spirit of Tijuana stayed alive. In the darkness, there were still sparkles of music and art and joy.Read the full transcript here.Host: Sandra DibbleMore reading:Must Reads: Meth and murder: A new kind of drug war has made Tijuana one of the deadliest cities on EarthImages from the front lines of Tijuana’s deadly drug warReporter’s Notebook: Behind the story: How The Times reported on Tijuana’s massive rise in homicides

The pandemic has made a lot of us rethink a lot of things. On the forefront of that existential rethink: restaurant workers. This realignment of priorities and personal interests drove lots of restaurant workers to quit. Now, two years after COVID-19 upended the restaurant industry, so many food spots are still short-staffed and help-wanted signs are seemingly everywhere. That's motivating employers to offer better pay, conditions and perks. Today, L.A. Times business reporter Samantha Masunaga discusses why the labor shortage is still a big problem for restaurant owners across the country and how they can persuade workers to come back. Read the full transcript here. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which detains hundreds of thousands of people nationwide, typically says fewer than a dozen detainees die in its custody each year. But if the agency releases a person in dire health, they're not in custody when they die — so ICE doesn't need to count that death. Today, L.A. Times immigration reporter Andrea Castillo tells the stories of two people who were abruptly released by ICE just days before their deaths and pulls back the curtain on the system that allows this to happen. Read the full transcript here. 

The ups and downs of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin can bring quick wealth — or quick bankruptcy. It's the hope for a huge payoff that keeps people hooked on these fluctuations, to the point where their attention turns to addiction. Today, in the wake of the crypto market's recent crash, we look at how obsessing over digital currency can affect people and their lives. Read the full transcript here.

On Saturday, a heavily armed 18-year-old white man rolled up to a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood of Buffalo, N.Y., and killed at least 10 people. The suspect is said to have committed the act to stop the so-called “Great Replacement,” a conspiracy theory that gained popularity among the far right across the world in recent years.Its premise says that a secret cabal of elites are supposedly helping people of color take the place of white people. In the United States, the great replacement theory was turned into political strategy and policy long ago. And it started here, in California.Today, we hear how the Golden State helped the fringe conspiracy go mainstream. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times columnists Erika D. Smith and Jean GuerreroMore reading:Column: I’m part of the ‘great replacement.’ It’s not what believers say it isColumn: Buffalo shooting is an ugly culmination of California’s ‘Great Replacement’ theoryColumn: How the insurrection’s ideology came straight out of 1990s California politics

In the late 1990s, a turf war between the Arellano-Felix and Sinaloa cartels in Tijuana led to mayhem and corruption. But as the cartel-fueled violence continued, residents in the city lived their lives.Sandra Dibble was a reporter for the San Diego Union-Tribune at the time, and she treated her visiting mom to handmade corn tortillas, Cafe de la olla, and eggs drenched in mole in Tijuana’s upscale neighborhood. She took her brother to Tijuana’s famous Mercado Miguel Hidalgo to buy tamales. And she got on stage to play a noblewoman in a Tijuana Opera performance of “Romeo and Juliet.”During the day, though, she reported on the mayhem. She talks about this dichotomy in Episode 5 of “Border City.” Read the transcript here.Host: Sandra DibbleMore reading:The collapse of Mexico’s ‘invincible’ drug cartelLos Tucanes de Tijuana: Banned in their namesake border cityArts are beginning to blossom in Tijuana

Roe vs. Wade is expected to be struck down this summer, which would mean abortion will no longer be a federally protected right. If that happens, about half the states will probably ban abortion altogether, or make getting one a lot more difficult. But for those who live in Texas, especially in the Rio Grande Valley, it’s already hard to get an abortion.Today, we look at how Texas has made it nearly impossible for low-income women to get an abortion. And how other states want to copy that. Read the transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Houston Bureau Chief Molly Hennessy-FiskeMore reading and listening:Even with Roe vs. Wade in place, low-income women struggle to get abortions in TexasPodcast: Future of Abortion Part 1 | MedicineFuture of Abortion Part 2 | Church

It’s barely spring in 2022 and California has already broken record heat and drought levels never before seen in 1,200 years. Major reservoirs across the American West are at record lows. Groundwater is drying up. It’s projected to get even worse in the upcoming summer months. Come June 1, millions of Southern Californians will have to learn how to live with the region’s most severe water restrictions ever.So who can we blame? Today, our Masters of Disasters tell us. Read the transcript here. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times earthquake reporter Rong-Gong Lin II, L.A. Times wildfire reporter Alex Wigglesworth and L.A. Times breaking news reporter Hayley SmithMore reading:A drought so bad it exposed a long-ago homicide. Getting the water back will be harder than everIt’s not even summer, and California’s two largest reservoirs are at ‘critically low’ levelsYour lawn will suffer amid the megadrought. Save money and put it out of its misery

The arrest in Russia earlier this year of WNBA superstar Brittney Griner made worldwide headlines. But few dug into why she was playing abroad in the first place.Today, we hear how Griner is just one of many female athletes who find themselves abroad year after year to play the games they love, geopolitics be damned. All because they can’t get a fair wage in the United States. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuest: L.A. Times sports editor Iliana Limón RomeroMore reading:Brittney Griner’s arrest in Russia: What you need to knowWNBA to honor Brittney Griner with decal on teams’ floorsCommentary: Why Brittney Griner was in Russia, and what it says about women’s sports in the U.S.

Mickey Mouse has been the mascot for Disney going back to the days of, well, Walt himself. But the copyright for the mouse that Disney has zealously guarded for decades is set to expire in just two years. That means the black-and-white version of Mickey Mouse depicted in “Steamboat Willie” would be in the public domain, where anyone can do anything with him and all of his magic and fame.A group of Republicans, mad at some of Disney stances on social issues recently, want that to happen. Disney though, ain’t going to let Mickey go without putting up a hell of a fight. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times travel reporter Hugo MartínMore reading:Republicans are trying to exterminate Mickey Mouse. Does anyone care?Whose mouse is it anyway?Disney Wins Big in Battle to Keep Company IconsDisney Led Push to Add 20 Years to Copyrights

Aerial strikes, targeting civilians, cutting off supply chains: Russia’s brutal war tactics in Ukraine are shocking, but also hauntingly familiar. These are tactics the country has used before.Six years before Russia launched its brutal attack on Ukraine, it began another horrific military operation in Syria. Today, we talk about what we can learn about Russia’s strategy in Ukraine from its involvement in Syria. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Middle East correspondent Nabih BulosMore reading:Syrian fighters ready to join next phase of Ukraine warHumanitarian corridors, from Syria to Ukraine, explainedRussia has been Assad’s greatest ally — as it was to his father before him

More and more companies worldwide are making the switch to a 32-hour work week. And in California, there’s even talk of making it the law. Today, we discuss what the State Legislature is discussing. And we hear from people at companies that already have done that. And guess what? Worker productivity, at least according to them, is as great as ever. Read the transcript. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times breaking news reporter Hayley Smith, and Andrew Barnes, 4 Day Week Global co-founderMore reading:Proposed bill would shorten California workweek to 32 hours. Here’s what you need to knowEditorial: What if every week was a four-day workweek?Working 7 to 5—Four days a week : Companies are increasingly turning to a compressed workweek to meet anti-pollution laws and to recruit workers.

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has been campaigning to become the next president of the Philippines via the power of TikTok and other social media. And Bongbong’s whitewashing of his family’s violent past has him on the cusp of victory.Today we go to the Philippines, where the presidential election is taking place next week. And we talk about how social media disinformation, yet again, might put a populist onto the global stage of power. Read the transcript.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Asia correspondent David PiersonMore reading:Dictator’s son uses TikTok to lead in Philippine election and rewrite his family’s pastTroll armies, a growth industry in the Philippines, may soon be coming to an election near youThe Marcos diary : A lust for power, an eye on glory

We repeat our episode from last year on Cinco de Mayo because it’s that good. Axios reporter Russell Contreras takes us to the forgotten history of the holiday that’s more American than Mexican, and offers a case for why we should celebrate it. Read the transcript here. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: Axios reporter Russell ContrerasMore reading:If it’s Cinco de Mayo, the cooking should be MexicanOp-Ed: Cinco de Mayo -- a truly Mexican American holidayFive ways to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at home

On June 7, voters in Los Angeles will elect their preferred candidates in the primary. A couple of races — the mayor’s seat, L.A. County Sheriff, a possible recall of Dist. Atty. George Gascón — are earning national attention against a backdrop of voters angry with what they think is out-of-control crime and homelessness.Today, we air a live panel on all this and more, originally held during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times columnist Erika D. Smith, L.A. Times mayor’s race reporter Julia Wick, and L.A. Times sheriff’s department reporter Alene Tchekmedyian.More reading:Rick Caruso’s campaign spending tops $23 million in L.A. mayor’s raceColumn: Sheriff Villanueva acts like he’s above the law in L.A. County. What if he’s right?First eyewitness account of Sheriff Villanueva lying in a cover-up revealed in filing 

In this installment of the podcast “Border City” from our sister paper, the San Diego Union-Tribune, longtime border reporter Sandra Dibble talks about what it was like covering the assassination of a police chief in Tijuana and the arrest of a powerful drug suspect.She also moonlights as an opera singer in Tijuana, puts on a concert for friends from both sides of the border and navigates living a binational life after 9/11, which changed the flow of traffic from one side of the border to the other.Read the full transcript here.Host: Sandra DibbleMore reading:Listen to all the “Border City” episodes

Streaming services were one of the few winners from the pandemic, especially Netflix. But the pandemic’s binge boom seems to have burst.Today, the winners and losers in the streaming wars and how providers are handling the post-quarantine subscriber drop. Read the transcript. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times film business reporter Ryan FaughnderMore reading:After Netflix’s week from hell, why streaming is becoming more like ‘just TV’Same-day streaming film releases are ‘dead,’ cinema group leader saysLayoffs at Netflix have some staffers questioning company strategy and culture

After South L.A. erupted in anger 30 years ago, government officials promised to end the community’s economic disparity once and for all, and invest. It’s a promise that many residents say remains unfulfilled. But is that finally going to change?Today, Part Two of our L.A. riots anniversary coverage will focus on the Crenshaw Line, a light-rail system that some South L.A. leaders say will help the neighborhood improve — and others fear will bring gentrification. Read the transcript. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times business reporter Samantha MasunagaMore reading:Facing schedule delays, L.A. Metro seeks $120 million more for Crenshaw LineMeet six artists making the public art you’ll soon see on Metro’s Crenshaw/LAX LineOpinion: The Crenshaw Line is a start, but L.A.'s most transit-dependent neighborhoods need more options

April 29, 1992. A date that forever changed Los Angeles. Six days of chaos erupted after the acquittal of four police officers in the videotaped beating of Rodney King, an unarmed Black motorist. This is the first of two episodes on the 30th anniversary of the L.A. riots.Today, Black, Latino and Asian communities reflect on the uprising. We also discuss the racial reckoning of the L.A. Times newsroom in its aftermath. Read the transcript. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times columnists Sandy Banks and Frank ShyongMore reading:Column: What we got wrong about Black and Korean communities after the L.A. riotsColumn: He was murdered during the L.A. riots. We can’t forget Latinos like himThe damage went deep

For more than a decade, #BlackTwitter — a community of millions that has harnessed the power of the social media platform to create real-world change — has been a cultural phenomenon. But with Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, many Black activists fret for the future of the space they created and say they might not stick around to see what changes the platform’s new owner will make.Today, how Twitter’s influential Black community is reacting to the controversial new leader — and where Black online social activism might thrive next. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times columnist Erika D. SmithMore reading:Column: With Elon Musk in charge, it’s the beginning of the end for #BlackTwitterElon Musk reaches $44-billion deal to buy TwitterBlack Tesla employees describe a culture of racism: ‘I was at my breaking point’

Menthol-flavored cigarettes have been controversial for decades, and the Food and Drug Administration is weighing a national ban on them. But tobacco companies are not a fan of losing out on millions of dollars with that possible move. So they’ve enlisted leaders in a community that has long been the biggest consumer of menthols: Black people.Read the show transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times medical investigations reporter Emily Baumgaertner, and Ben Stockton of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.More reading:How Big Tobacco used George Floyd and Eric Garner to stoke fear among Black smokersAddicted to menthol: Big Tobacco’s targeting of Black communities could soon endOp-Ed: Big Tobacco helped destroy Black Americans’ health. Banning menthols could help improve it

As Russia’s war against Ukraine enters its third month, ordinary Ukrainians continue to upend their lives to protect their homeland. Today, we’ll hear the stories of three Ukrainians who came to the aid of their country in its hour of greatest need.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times foreign correspondent Kate LinthicumMore reading:Full coverage of the war in UkraineUkraine war heroes: A student spiriting supplies to soldiers. A DJ answering calls about the missingUkrainian citizens trapped as Russia attacks hospitals, schools and refuses evacuations

The strict lockdowns and zero-tolerance COVID policies that were once praised for keeping China largely infection-free; they’re back. And they’re now pushing people to their limits.Today, how the recent lockdown in Shanghai is testing China’s zero tolerance strategy, and what it means for the country’s communist government. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times China correspondent Stephanie YangMore reading:Strain of Shanghai’s COVID lockdown tests China’s zero tolerance resolveHuman toll from Shanghai lockdown fuels public frustration‘It’s a nightmare’: Hong Kong runs low on coffins as Omicron exacts deadly toll

Earlier this month, Mexico had an election. But it wasn’t business as usual. The vote was a first in Mexico — a recall referendum on the country’s president. The person pushing to recall the president … was the president himself.Today we get into the curious history of Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times foreign correspondents Leila Miller and Kate LinthicumMore reading:Mexicans vote on whether to recall the president, an election he pushed forLópez Obrador on track to retain control of Mexico’s Congress, but with reduced majorityAmid journalist killings, Mexican president tries to shame famous reporter who wrote about his son

Since AriZona iced tea launched in 1994, a can of the stuff has cost 99 cents. It’s a business anomaly, yet one that has turned the company into a multibillion-dollar outfit. And the owner vows to keep his iced tea at that price even during the worst inflation the United States has seen in 40 years, which is eating into the company’s revenue.Today, we get into this odd business ideology.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuest: L.A. Times business reporter Sam DeanMore reading:As inflation soars, how is AriZona iced tea still 99 cents?Read the episode transcript

In Chapter 3 of “Border City,” a podcast from the San Diego Union Tribune and L.A. Times, Sandra Dibble continues her story about living and working as a journalist in Tijuana. It’s both sides of Tijuana that eventually make Sandra feel like she’s not just passing through anymore, but like she’s finally found her place and purpose.From drug cartels, a kidnapping and an attempted murder of a journalist, to building real friendships, a surprise birthday party, tennis lessons, aerobics and intimate concerts in Tijuas, Sandra’s real-life experiences bring the border town’s sharp contrasts into focus — the bitter and the sweet.Host: Sandra DibbleMore reading:Jesus Blancornelas, 70; writer exposed actions of drug cartelsHere’s something you didn’t know about Tijuana: It’s a great weekend escape for food loversFrom the Archives: Amid all the bustle, Tijuana has classic lilts

Some of the biggest names in the music industry have played the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival since it debuted in 1999 on large grass fields out in the California desert. It turned into a global phenomenon and tastemaker in the process. But for the past two years, along with the rest of the live-music industry, Coachella went on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic...but it’s BACK.Today, what Coachella’s return this past weekend and next weekend says about the state of the music industry.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times pop music reporter Mikael WoodMore reading:Live updates from Coachella 2022The best moments of Coachella 2022 in photosInside the Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia’s very last-minute Coachella collab

In anticipation of the Supreme Court making its landmark abortion decision this summer and very likely undoing Roe v Wade, The Times is looking at the issue from a number of perspectives. Today, we’ll tell the complicated story of how evangelicals mobilized around restricting abortion — and one women’s place in it all.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times national correspondent Jaweed KaleemMore reading:Read the L.A. Times’ “The Future of Abortion” seriesAs Supreme Court weighs abortion, Christians challenge what it means to be ‘pro-life’The pastor thought Trump was ‘evil.’ So he quit his conservative church

In 1945, five families sued school districts in Orange County to challenge the practice of so-called Mexican schools, which kept Latino students from attending white schools with better resources. The daughter of one of the plaintiffs, Sylvia Mendez, has spent her retirement telling the story of the landmark desegregation case, which was decided 75 years ago on April 14, 1947.But she goes from school to school talking about the importance of this case at a time when Latino students are, in many ways, more segregated than ever.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times education reporter Paloma EsquivelMore reading:Mendez vs. segregation: 70 years later, famed case ‘isn’t just about Mexicans. It’s about everybody coming together’Op-Ed: How Mexican immigrants ended ‘separate but equal’ in CaliforniaWestminster council takes steps to recognize historic civil rights case

When reporter Sandra Dibble started covering Tijuana in the 1990s, many of her stories dealt with violence and corruption in the city. But like most Tijuanenses, Sandra actually felt pretty. She didn’t let the terrifying headlines she was writing stop her from settling into her new life and exploring her adopted home of Tijuana.Today, in the second episode of “Border City,” Sandra talks about that era and what she learned.Host: Sandra DibbleMore reading:Tijuana: Through a Mirror, DarklyTijuana killings may signal fall of Arellano Felix cartelMaking a Tijuana art scene built to last

In 1969, off California’s coast, an ecological disaster gained worldwide attention. The state’s largest oil disaster shocked a nation into action: It led to the creation of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and the passing of California’s Environmental Quality Act and the federal Environmental Protection Act. The catastrophe also inspired a day to reflect and learn about environmentalism — Earth Day.But in a world where climate change is ravaging the earth, what good is just a day anymore?Today, we get into Earth Day’s fails and wins.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times earthquake reporter Ron Lin, L.A. Times wildfire reporter Alex Wigglesworth and L.A. Times coastal reporter Rosanna XiaMore reading:Editorial: Happy 50th birthday, Earth DayAn Earth Day message for California: Move faster on climate change8 ways to get active on Earth Day

An L.A. Times investigation found that jet engine oil can leak into the air supply of passenger planes, creating a toxic cocktail that can lead to health problems. It happens with an alarming frequency across all airlines — and that’s despite the airline industry and its regulators saying otherwise. The Times investigation just might result in real-world change.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times investigations reporter Kiera FeldmanMore reading:After Times investigation, Congress is moving to curb toxic fumes on airplanesHow toxic fumes seep into the air you breathe on planesSmells on a plane: Have you been exposed to toxic chemicals while flying?

Black people are two and a half times more likely to be hospitalized, and 1.7 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than whites.That stat from the CDC is shocking. But it’s not exactly surprising. Not to people like L.A. Times reporter Marissa Evans.Her father, Gary Evans, is now one of nearly 97,000 Black people in America who’ve died from COVID-19 complications.And while Marissa is willing to accept her father’s death, on today’s episode, she says she refuses to accept that losing all these Black men is normal ... or OK.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times healthcare reporter Marissa EvansMore reading:The way we lose Black men never makes sense. Losing my father to COVID is another exampleBlack L.A. residents have highest COVID hospitalization rate: ‘A deplorable reality’Op-Ed: A COVID diary: My Black family’s struggle with vaccine hesitancy

Reporter Sandra Dibble spent more than 25 years covering the U.S.-Mexico border for the San Diego Union-Tribune. And what she found out after her first day on the job is that Tijuana is ... complicated.The impact of being home to the Western Hemisphere’s busiest border crossing — how the border has shaped Tijuana — is a big part of what Sandra spent her career digging into.And she pulls all that work together in "Border City," a new eight-part narrative podcast series. Today, we air its debut episode.Host: Sandra DibbleMore reading:Border City: A podcast about beauty, violence and belonging in Tijuana from a journalist who spent more than 25 years reporting at the borderThe Backstory: Sandra Dibble discusses “Border City,” her upcoming podcast about reporting in TijuanaOpinion: After writing about Tijuana for decades, I can’t imagine my life without this city 

Before Jan. 6, 2021, John Eastman was known as a fringe figure in conservative circles. But now, Eastman’s not so fringe anymore.A California-based federal judge said Trump probably committed felonies in connection with the events of that day. And he says that Eastman was the person Trump chose to find “a coup in search of a legal theory.”Today, in the second part of a miniseries on the Jan. 6 investigation, we get into Eastman’s career — and what his emails and actions on Jan. 6 might mean for Trump’s future.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Justice Department reporter Sarah D. WireMore reading:How a California lawyer became a focal point of the Jan. 6 investigationJudge rules against Trump lawyer John Eastman in dispute with Jan. 6 investigatorsJohn Eastman, Trump’s lawyer on overturning election, under investigation by California Bar

Hundreds of people have been charged with federal crimes in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. The amount of evidence against many of the insurrectionists is growing. But sorting through it all has ground many of these criminal cases to a halt. Today, in the first of a two-part series on the Jan. 6 investigations, why it might take years to prosecute all the rioters who invaded the Capitol, and how difficult it will be to make charges stick.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Capitol Hill reporter Sarah D. WireMore reading:The evidence in the Jan. 6 investigations is overwhelming — literallyJan. 6 defendant pleads guilty to a single charge after prosecutors forgot to indict himBeverly Hills anti-vaccine doctor pleads guilty in Jan. 6 Capitol riot case

Title 42 has plugged up the asylum system since it was put in place at the start of the coronavirus crisis. Since March 2020, U.S. border officials have used the policy to quickly remove migrants by sending them back to Mexico or to their home countries.But now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says migrants are not a public health threat, so Title 42 will come to an end on May 23.Today, we talk about the ramifications of the controversial public health order.Guests: L.A. Times immigration reporter Andrea CastilloMore reading:Biden administration could revoke controversial border policy blocking asylum in weeksBiden administration announces asylum system overhaul: What you need to knowFearing for their lives, Mexicans fled a gang-ruled town. Now they seek political asylum in California 

Beverly Hills resident Ray Mascolo died of a drug overdose in 2020. His passing led investigators to a sprawling, Hollywood-based drug-dealing network with a business model resembling a food-delivery app.We tell this saga today.Host: L.A. Times courts reporter Michael FinneganMore reading:How a man’s death in Beverly Hills exposed a sprawling Hollywood drug delivery businessCalifornia lawmakers target fentanyl as opioid overdoses surgeHow drug overdose deaths surpassed 100,000 in one year 

When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during the Oscars for a joke the latter made about the hairstyle of Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, it brought forth the politics of Black hair, especially the hair of Black women. Long maligned, it’s getting more attention than ever, from the sisterlocks of prospective Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to anti-discrimination bills passed on the state and local level.Today, we talk about the issue with two L.A. Times writers who bring their own personal history to the subject.Host: L.A. Times D.C. reporter Erin B. LoganGuests: L.A. Times columnist Erika D. SmithMore reading:Column: Will Smith’s Oscars slap of Chris Rock settles it. We’re done with Black hair jokesCalifornia becomes first state to ban discrimination based on one’s natural hairThe world of Black hair magic, according to an icon of L.A.’s hair avant-garde

L.A. Times foreign correspondent Patrick J. McDonnell has covered Ukrainian refugees flooding into Poland and the funerals for Ukrainian soldiers in Lviv. He’s heard from mayors urging Americans to approve a no-fly zone over Ukraine, and men returning to their country to fight on the front lines.Today, we hear some of Patrick’s stories.Guests: L.A. Times Mexico City bureau chief Patrick J. McDonnellMore reading:A funeral for Ukraine soldiers brings war to small townRefugee flows from Ukraine mount. Meantime, aid and would-be fighters head in other directionIn Ukraine, the flood of displaced people fleeing the war only grows

Two brothers near Sacramento are fighting for compensation for the land they say was taken from their formerly enslaved ancestors during the Gold Rush. Their story got pulled into an even bigger debate happening right now in California. A first-of-its-kind task force is trying to decide: Will the state pay reparations to Black people? And if so, who should get it?Guests: L.A. Times columnist Erika D. SmithMore reading:Column: They say California stole their ancestors’ land. But do they qualify for reparations?Column: It’s a guaranteed income program, but think of it as a test case for reparationsCalifornia created the nation’s first state reparations task force. Now comes the hard part

“Binge Sesh” is a new L.A. Times podcast taking a deep dive into the television shows everyone is talking about. For its inaugural season, the series gets into the HBO show “Winning Time,” which talks about the Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s who dominated the NBA with its Showtime approach to basketball.Host: Matt Brennan and Kareem MaddoxGuests: Author Jeff PearlmanMore reading:‘Winning Time’ began as the seminal book on the Showtime Lakers; it’s Hollywood nowHow a pair of unknowns made themselves into Lakers legends for HBO’s next big dramaFour years. Four coaches. Inside the off-court drama that made the Showtime Lakers 

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has added and subtracted elements to this year’s Oscars. A roundtable of L.A. Times film and television experts discuss those changes, plus offer up other commentary and criticism about this Sunday’s Academy Awards.Today, we’ve got a special episode from our sister podcast, “The Envelope.”Host: Mark OlsenGuests: Justin Chang, Glenn Whip, Mary McNamaraMore reading:The Oscars are embracing better movies. The show acts like it’s embarrassed by themHow the Oscars have, and haven’t, changed since Halle and Denzel’s historic victoriesColumn: ‘Belfast’ isn’t my favorite movie in the Oscar race. But it gave me the most hope 

What lengths would you go to find someone you love? Even as their disappearance edges closer and closer to becoming a cold case? Today, we have the story of a family working to find their missing loved one.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporter Lila SeidmanMore reading:Was Jack here? A sister asks the beach community whether they’ve seen her missing brotherHelp Find Jack Stein Facebook page

In the war for Ukraine, it’s Zelensky versus Putin. Two men with essentially the same first name fighting for their place in history — not just for their respective countries but for the ancestral roots that Russia and Ukraine share, and that both rulers claim to be the true defender of.And a prince, who ruled more than 1,000 years ago — known in Russia as Vladimir the Great and in Ukraine as Volodymyr the Great — lies at the heart of that intertwined history. We get into that today.More reading:Putin’s rationale for Ukraine invasion gets the history wrongUkrainian TalesIn battle between Russia and Ukraine, even God is in dispute

For the past two decades, Disney’s reputation in the LGBTQ community has been stellar. It was one of the first Fortune 500 companies to offer same-sex couple benefits. And tens of thousands of people attend their unofficial Gay Days. More and more out characters are appearing in television shows, movies and cartoons. But critics now say Disney has thrown away all that goodwill. Just another thing to blame on…Florida.  

Today, hearings will begin to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the seat of retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. Jackson’s a different type of judge, a Black woman for starters — she’d be the first ever on the Supreme Court — but she also brings unprecedented professional and life experiences. But even if she’s confirmed, how much influence can a history maker really have?More reading:Jackson supporters gear up to protect her historic Supreme Court bid from racist, sexist attacksBiden nominates Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to Supreme Court in historic pickColumn: The unsubtle racism of questioning Ketanji Brown Jackson’s qualifications

Thousands of students apply to UC Berkeley every year. It’s one of the most applied-to universities in the entire U.S. But the city of Berkeley is also emblematic of our nationwide housing crisis. Which is why residents and the university have been locked in a legal battle over enrollment numbers.Today, we delve into the latest town-versus-gown throw-down.More reading:Lawmakers unveil rescue effort to help UC Berkeley avoid enrollment cuts after court battleHow much will UC Berkeley have to cut admissions after Supreme Court decision? What we knowUC Berkeley will meet court-ordered enrollment cap with online, deferred admission offers

Last May, the Palisades fire ripped through the Santa Monica Mountains. About 1,000 people were put under mandatory evacuation orders, and about 500 homes were threatened by the flames. As that emergency was unfolding, the guy in charge of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s operations center overseeing the fire was allegedly intoxicated. That’s according to an investigation commissioned by city officials.Today, we talk about what came next.More reading:LAFD chief deputy allegedly drunk during a major fire gets no discipline, $1.4-million payoutLAFD received complaints that a top official was drunk on duty. Some say it was covered upRaging Palisades fire is a dangerous warning of California’s new year-round fire reality

There’s been a new Cold War brewing for years now between the United States and China. And a big battleground on that front is Central America.Today, we look into how China’s billions of dollars and influence in Central America could strengthen a new generation of regimes hostile to the U.S.More reading:In Latin America’s new Cold War, will China lift up autocrats?Taiwan loses one of its last diplomatic allies as Nicaragua recognizes ChinaIs China good for the Americas? 

Something disturbing has happened since the last time most of us took vacations — it’s getting harder to clean rooms because of COVID-19 protocols. Hotel workers say ever since the pandemic started, their work has been harder and dirtier than ever.Today, we hear from one of those workers.More reading:How the pandemic made hotel housekeeping more difficult — and disgustingTourists are back: L.A. hotel bookings reach 100% of their pre-pandemic levels‘Tsunami’ of hotel closures is coming, experts warn 

Dr. Warren Hern has seen the past, present and future of the abortion debate in the United States. The Colorado doctor remembers treating women for illegal abortions, was there for the opening arguments of the landmark Supreme Court case Roe vs. Wade — and now fears what might happen if it’s struck down.Today, Dr. Hern talks about his career.More reading:As a med student, he saw women nearly die from illegal abortions. At 83, he sees no end to his work60 hours, 50 abortions: A California doctor’s monthly commute to a Texas clinicCalifornia plans to be abortion sanctuary if Roe vs. Wade is overturned

Here in the United States, we’re already feeling the cost of Russia’s war in a place none of us can escape: the rising price of oil.Today, we look into how global conflicts upend global energy supplies and efforts to fight climate change, how gas prices keep getting higher and might continue to rise, and what can be done about it.More reading:How high could gas prices go? More pain at the pump likely comingUkraine is a climate story. Because everything is a climate storyThe truth about L.A.’s most notoriously expensive gas stations

Greg Bledsoe is a former morning news anchor for NBC 7 in San Diego. About a year ago, he, his wife and their two children got into an SUV and began to drive. Forty-four states, more than 20 national parks and more than 27,000 miles later, they’re still at it.Today, Greg shares with us some of their stories — and lessons.More reading:Follow the Bledsoes’ adventures on InstagramOpinion: I live on the road with my wife and two young kids — and I highly recommend itCoronavirus ruined our family vacation this year. We turned to an RV for a new adventure 

For more than a month now, L.A. Times Middle East Bureau Chief Nabih Bulos has been on the ground in Ukraine, covering the escalating Russian invasion. Bulos has seen fierce fighting by Ukrainians, nonstop bombardment by Russians, hope and fear and chaos. He’s crisscrossed Ukraine to hear residents tell their stories.Today, he talks to us about what he has seen.More reading:Raining rockets, scattered corpses, an existential battle: A 500-mile journey across a week of war‘We’re keeping watch’: What foreign correspondents Nabih Bulos, Marcus Yam are seeing in UkraineDead soldiers. An icy river. Ukraine town on the front lines prepares to battle Russians

The European Union is doing everything possible to welcome Ukrainian refugees. And people around the world have donated money and supplies to help. But this open-arms response has people in similar situations wondering: Why so much goodwill toward Ukrainians, and not us?Today, we talk about the media’s role in deciding who is the “right” type of refugee — and how that helps or hinders displaced people around the world.More reading:In Ukraine reporting, Western press reveals grim bias toward ‘people like us’20 years after 9/11, an American Muslim recalls the costs of war you didn’t see on TVTrevor Noah slams media for racist remarks on Ukraine: War ‘was Europe’s entire thing’

Ariana DeBose has made history as the first Afro-Latino and openly queer woman to be nominated for an acting Academy Award. In this crossover episode with “The Envelope,” DeBose talks about the expectations she must carry, her experience with “West Side Story” and more.More reading:Ariana DeBose wants you to feel Anita’s presence before you even hear her‘West Side Story’s’ Ariana DeBose makes the case against ‘ethnically ambiguous’Here’s how Oscar nominee Ariana DeBose could make history

Aaron Bray is a San Diego native who’s lived the last couple of years in Kharkiv, Ukraine, after a stint with the Peace Corps. And now, alongside over a million Ukrainians and foreigners, he’s had to flee the country in the wake of Russia’s invasion.Today, we hear Aaron’s first-person story about what it was like to leave his adopted home behind … and why he says he’s going back.More reading:Read the L.A. Times’ full coverage of the war in UkraineCosta Mesa couple barely escape Ukraine with days-old newbornCommentary: ‘I’m scared, bro’: Inside Ukraine, through the harrowed eyes of two U.S. athletes‘A lot of innocent people will die’: Ukrainians in California decry Russia’s attack‘When there are troubles, we go to God’: Ukrainian Americans gather in grief at L.A. church 

A small, tight-knit community grew inside an abandoned building in L.A.’s Koreatown. The people who found shelter there felt lucky. In a city where unhoused people have to set up encampments wherever they can — in parks, on sidewalks, beneath freeway overpasses — this old building offered a real sense of home.But the people who lived there knew their community couldn’t last.More reading:In an abandoned Koreatown building, homeless Angelenos create a community‘Gimme Shelter’: The gap in California’s homelessness plan‘Remember that can easily be you’: Angelenos closest to the homelessness crisis urge compassion 

On Feb. 4, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping just hours ahead of the opening ceremony for the Beijing Winter Olympics. The meeting made headlines, and has people asking: Could China be the overlooked player in the Russia-Ukraine crisis?Today, we dive into the complicated history between the two countries — and whether Russia’s moves on Ukraine might serve as a template with China and Taiwan.More reading:Beijing may be tempted to side with Putin in the Ukraine conflict. But at what cost?Putin heads to China to bolster ties amid Ukraine tensionsOp-Ed: Whether it sides with Russia or not, China will pay a price 

Gun violence has killed more than 100,000 people in Mexico over the last decade. Yet most of the guns involved are illegal, smuggled into the country from the U.S. Now, the Mexican government has had enough.Today, we talk about a federal lawsuit filed by Mexico against American gun manufacturers that seeks to reduce the bloodshed.More reading:Column: Don’t shield U.S. gun makers from liability for Mexico’s gun violenceThere is only one gun store in all of Mexico. So why is gun violence soaring?Op-Ed: For Mexico, taking a stand against gun trafficking is a moral imperative

As more and more workplaces have instituted COVID-19 vaccine mandates, a cottage industry has sprung up to help skeptics evade them. Today, we look into what constitutes a deeply held religious belief, how those beliefs can play out in the workplace, and what employers can do about shady religious exemption requests.More reading:Online pastors, form letters: The cottage industry helping workers avoid vaccine mandatesNew workplace mandate for COVID-19 vaccine pushed by California lawmakersColumn: L.A.'s unvaccinated public workers go Ayn Rand, throw fit over city’s vaccine mandate 

In this crossover episode with “The Envelope” podcast, Maggie Gyllenhaal speaks about “The Lost Daughter,” her directorial debut.More reading:Review: ‘The Lost Daughter’ is quintessential Maggie Gyllenhaal, even though she’s never on screenOlivia Colman and Maggie Gyllenhaal dig into that ‘Lost Daughter’ endingMaggie Gyllenhaal is a natural-born director. Netflix gives her the spotlight

Americans eat billions of dollars of Mexican avocados every year. Demand is such that drug cartels and other criminal elements have muscled in on the business, centered around the Mexican state of Michoacán. This reality got worldwide attention Super Bowl weekend, when the American government announced it was temporarily suspending any avocado imports from Mexico.Today, we talk about this development — and why Americans are so obsessed with avocados in the first place.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Mexico correspondent Leila Miller, and L.A. Times acting deputy food editor Daniel Hernandez.More reading:Avocado imports from Mexico are blocked. What does that mean for you? How we got to peak avocado: Super Bowls to Mexico’s drug cartelsInside the bloody cartel war for Mexico’s multibillion-dollar avocado industry

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his country would recognize the independence of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine and send Russian troops there for “peacekeeping” purposes. The move immediately drew worldwide condemnation — but signaled the culmination of a decades-long desire by Putin to bring Ukraine closer to Russia’s control.Today, we talk to our reporter on the ground about this past, what’s happening now — and what’s next.More reading:Russian troops move into eastern Ukraine, EU says, as fear of war growsArtillery fusillades from Russian-backed separatists set Ukraine’s east on edgeWill war come to a town called New York in Ukraine? 

Uber’s under fire over its treatment of transgender drivers after the Los Angeles Times published a story about the alleged mistreatment.Today, we’ll hear from the L.A. Times reporter who broke the story. And we’ll also hear more from an Uber driver who hopes other trans people won’t ever have to go through what she went through.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times business reporter Suhauna HussainMore reading:Uber blocks transgender drivers from signing up: ‘They didn’t believe me’Uber faces ‘serious questions’ over transgender drivers’ treatment after Times reportUber’s self-driving cars put tech’s ‘move fast, break things’ credo to the test 

Marfa, Texas, is known internationally for its arts scene. But on the south side of the city, there’s this old school. It’s a school where teachers once paddled Latino students for speaking Spanish. Now, some of those same students — grandparents and retirees in their 80s — are working to save the long-shuttered segregated Blackwell School and make it a national historic site to teach the history of segregated schools for Latinos in the United States.This episode has been updated. An earlier version included audio of Jessi Silva describing an integrated school she attended in addition to  the Blackwell School in Marfa, Texas. That school was in California, not Marfa.More reading:Saving the school where kids were paddled for speaking SpanishLorenzo Ramirez, late plaintiff in famed school desegregation case, honored by OrangeMendez vs. segregation: 70 years later, famed case ‘isn’t just about Mexicans. It’s about everybody coming together’

A new podcast series from KPCC and LAist Studios called "Imperfect Paradise: Home Is Life" zeroes in on the battles over homelessness in suburban communities. Today, we air Episode 2 of this three-part series, which focuses on an effort in 2018 to build housing for unhoused people in the Orange County city of Fullerton.More reading:Listen to “Imperfect Paradise”Fullerton will start enforcing parking regulations on street where homeless live in RVs‘No place to go’: Fullerton ordinance, on hold for now, could force out homeless living in RVs 

For decades, California voters and politicians have vacillated over the future of the death penalty. Currently, Gov. Gavin Newsom has put a moratorium on them and has ordered that death row at San Quentin State Prison — the largest in the United States — be emptied. Is this the end of the line for capital punishment in the Golden State — for real?More reading:California moves forward on plans to shut down death rowCalifornia is closing San Quentin’s death row. This is its gruesome historyEditorial: Dismantle death row, but don’t stop there

The U.S. labor movement has experienced a resurgence in recent years in sectors that historically have hired younger people. And one of the biggest battlegrounds is where you get your lattes. Today, we’re taking you to a Starbucks in Santa Cruz, where workers are demanding more from their corporate employer.This episode has been updated to clarify when the Starbucks store in Buffalo, N.Y. filed its union petition, who resigned at the Starbucks in Santa Cruz, Calif. and to include a response from a Starbucks spokesperson about the conditions at the Santa Cruz outlet mentioned. More reading:Starbucks workers at Santa Cruz store file union petition, joining a national pushDid baristas lose their jobs because of COVID-19 or because they tried to unionize?Starbucks workers vote to unionize at a store in Buffalo, N.Y.

The Roots drummer and music legend Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson sifted through 40 hours of archival footage of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival for his documentary, “Summer of Soul.” It was a festival where legends like Nina Simone and Stevie Wonder performed in the same summer as Woodstock.The film is now in the running for Best Original Documentary at this year’s Oscars. So today, we’re airing an episode with Questlove from our sister podcast, “The Envelope.”More reading:Review: ‘Summer of Soul’: A rousing cultural and musical revolution, now finally seenQuestlove’s ‘Summer of Soul’ is much more than a music documentaryMeet the archivist who saved the historic footage that became ‘Summer of Soul’

With more economic development and rents on the rise, Inglewood is struggling to meet its goal of encouraging more investment while trying to preserve one of California’s last remaining Black enclaves. Today, we examine this through the prism of SoFi Stadium, which is hosting the Super Bowl this Sunday.More reading:Op-Ed: For Inglewood, it won’t be a Super Sunday‘A crisis for renters’: Football sent Inglewood home prices and rents skyrocketingMust Reads: One of California’s last black enclaves threatened by Inglewood’s stadium deal

 Even if you don’t like football, you probably have opinions about the Super Bowl halftime show. Today, we look at the history of this curious spectacle, from its humble beginnings to the mega-star extravaganzas of today. And along the way, we’ll take a look at how this roughly 15-minute intermission became an unlikely reflection of American culture.More reading:At SoFi Stadium, Dr. Dre assembles a hip-hop dream team for Super Bowl halftime showJanet Jackson says she and Timberlake ‘have moved on’ from Super Bowl scandalAdam Levine thanks you for hating Maroon 5’s Super Bowl performance

In a league where Black players make up 70% of active rosters, the NFL currently has only two Black head coaches. League officials and even fans have offered all sorts of excuses about this discrepancy for decades. But now there’s an explosive federal lawsuit about the matter. It was filed this month by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. In it, he puts this persistent and longstanding problem on stage.Today, we dive into why the NFL just can’t seem to hire Black head coaches.More reading:Seven things you need to know about Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFLOp-Ed: The NFL fails on Black leadership. So do most institutions in AmericaColumn: Brian Flores’ lawsuit features memorable receipts that could force the NFL to change

For the latest installment of our “Masters of Disasters” series, we talk tsunamis in the wake of a volcanic eruption near Tonga last month that caused waves felt across the Pacific. There was none of the devastation like the world saw in Fukushima in 2011, or across the Indian Ocean in 2004. But what happened in Tonga got us thinking: How are the effects of tsunamis so devastating, yet so little is known about them?More reading:The tsunami that battered Santa Cruz highlights the threat facing California’s coastCan a tsunami happen in Southern California? What should you do about it?Surprising tsunami triggers may lurk off California’s coast, scientists say 

Everybody is talking about the metaverse right now. But Times host Gustavo Arellano didn’t want to just talk about it; he wanted to experience it firsthand.And so off he went inside the metaverse with a guide. Is it all it’s cracked up to be?More reading:Explainer: What is the metaverse and how will it work?Want to glimpse our metaverse future? Theme parks are already on the caseOp-Ed: Mark Zuckerberg makes a ‘mwahahaha’ metaverse move

A first-of-it’s kind case in Los Angeles County is going to play a big role in determining culpability whenever self-driving cars get into accidents. Prosecutors have charged a driver with felony manslaughter after his Tesla crashed into a car in 2019, killing two people. The accused was in the driver’s seat, but prosecutors say his Tesla … was on autopilot.More reading:A Tesla on autopilot killed two people in Gardena. Is the driver guilty of manslaughter?Are self-driving cars safe? Highway regulator orders industry to cough up the dataWhy do Tesla cars keep crashing into emergency response vehicles? Federal safety agency is investigating

There’s a growing realization that the brilliance of the world’s best athletes isn’t enough anymore to cover some glaring problems that come with putting on the Olympics every two years.The International Olympics Committee has always claimed the Games are about promoting goodwill and celebrating the brotherhood of mankind. But as it turns out, not only do Olympics not do that, they tend to make democratic states… more authoritarian.So what does that mean for the Games coming to Los Angeles in 2028?Guests: Human Rights Watch China Director Sophie Richardson, and Pacific University political science professor Jules BoykoffMore reading:The ‘Feel Guilty Games’?: China human rights issues have forever marked the Beijing Olympics2028 L.A. Olympics: Agreement outlines key issues but final price tag remains unclearOp-Ed: Tokyo’s Olympics have turned nightmarish. L.A., are you watching?

Mexico trails just Syria and Iraq as the deadliest country in the world to be a journalist. That’s according to data collected from 2000 through 2022 by the Committee to Protect Journalists. And the Mexican government has done little to stop it.But in the wake of the murder of four reporters so far this year — José Luis Gamboa, Margarito Martínez Esquivel, Lourdes Maldonado López and Roberto Toledo — Mexican journalists are openly criticizing President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador and government officials like never before.More reading:Journalists throughout Mexico say enough to killings and crimes against pressPhotojournalist shot to death outside his home in TijuanaShe told Mexico’s president she feared for her life. Then she was killed  

Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, is a national holiday, not just in Vietnam but all over the world wherever Vietnamese may be. And in the United States, red envelopes filled with money, special dishes and other traditions have become a part of life in major American cities such as San Jose, Houston and especially in Orange County, which is home to the largest Vietnamese expat community in the world.Today, we talk about Tet memories and its evolution with the authors of the recently released “The Red Boat Fish Sauce Cookbook.”More reading:Buy “The Red Boat Fish Sauce Cookbook”A new nuoc mam: Red Boat ‘first press extra virgin’ fish sauceGifts for food lovers: Red Boat fish salt, kids chef caddy, cooking classes

In Santa Monica during the 1950s and ‘60s, city leaders evicted hundreds of Black families to build what ended up being the 10 Freeway. But now, in an act of civic penance, Santa Monica is trying to bring some of those families back. It comes at a time when municipalities across the United States are reckoning with their racist actions from the past.We’ll talk about Santa Monica’s attempt to redress a historical wrong. And we’ll also talk to a woman whose family was one of many Black households that Santa Monica wants to make right by.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times housing reporter Liam Dillon, and Santa Monica native Nichelle MonroeMore reading:Santa Monica’s message to people evicted long ago for the 10 Freeway: Come homeFreeways force out residents in communities of color — againTour Santa Monica’s once-vibrant Black neighborhoods, nearly erased by racism and ‘progress’ 

It was the Taylor Swift diss heard around the world. “She doesn’t write her own songs.” That’s what Damon Albarn, the lead singer for the British bands Blur and Gorillaz said to L.A. Times pop music critic Mikael Wood.The drama between Taylor and Damon got real. But it also hit on something really interesting — songwriting, and who gets the credit for it, is a thing … now more than ever.More reading:For Damon Albarn, modern life is still pretty much rubbishColumn: Taylor Swift slapped back for all the women who have been told ‘you didn’t write that.’After insulting Taylor Swift, Damon Albarn says he was cast into ‘social media abyss’

Just when it seemed schools and parents and teachers were figuring out how to do in-person learning again, Omicron hit.The highly contagious variant really blew up while schools were on winter break in California. So when schools reopened and students returned, there were problems.Today, we hear from a parent and high school students who are trying to navigate their teenage years while worrying about COVID-19.More reading:California schools under intense strain, fighting to stay open during Omicron surgeAmid high absenteeism, incoming L.A. schools chief says campuses are safeOmicron surge anxiety, absences and confusion mark first day of new LAUSD semester

On New Year’s Day, comedian Jen Murphy boarded a cruise ship out of Miami and got ready to perform for 1,800 people. She never did end up getting on that comedy stage, though. Instead, she ended up getting trapped in a COVID cruise quarantine.Today, Murphy gives us a hilarious and intense look into why she got on a cruise ship in the middle of the pandemic in the first place and what she learned from it.More reading:Shame and fish filets: Diary of a comedian trapped in COVID cruise ship quarantineCruise passengers share what it’s like to be on a ship with COVID casesVisit Jen Murphy’s website

Xiomara Castro is about to be inaugurated as the first-ever female president of Honduras. But la presidenta has a daunting task in front of her. Her countrymen continue to leave the nation, tired of poverty, government corruption and violence.And the legislative majority she was counting on to help her reform Honduras is now gone.Today, we’ll talk about how Castro promises to solve her country’s problems. But, in light of what’s happening right now in the National Congress of Honduras, will she even get a chance?More reading:Honduran Congress splits, threatens new president’s plansKamala Harris headed to Honduras for inauguration of country’s presidentLa diáspora hondureña en EE.UU mira a Xiomara Castro como el ‘cambio’ y la ‘esperanza’

Native American culture and history have long been ignored or romanticized as vestiges of a lost people — or both.The Serrano people of Southern California have seen their Indigenous language nearly vanish. But tribe member Ernest Siva has been working to save it. Among his efforts: The octogenarian contributes to Cal State San Bernardino’s language program.Then, 25-year-old Mark Araujo-Levinson found the classes through a Google search — and started making YouTube videos of himself learning the language.Today, we hear their voices. And L.A. Times Metro reporter Nathan Solis takes us through their story and how their efforts have gained momentum.More reading:The Indigenous Serrano language was all but gone. This man is resurrecting itSan Bernardino County recognizes Serrano language and museums sitting on tribal landTongva, Los Angeles’ first language, opens the door to a forgotten time and place

Felicia Rangel-Samponaro used to live a fairly normal life as a suburban stay-at-home mom in the border city of Brownsville, Texas. But now the half Black, half Mexican-American mom crosses the border to help Black and Latino migrants, many of them asylum seekers stuck in camps in the border town of Reynosa, Mexico. Today, we hear her story.More reading: The woman defending Black lives on the border, including her own Podcast: Our nation’s Haitian double standard Podcast: Biden shut a migrant camp. Then this bigger one appeared

For over 140 years, street vendors hawking Mexican food have been a staple of life in Southern California. Horse-drawn tamale wagons turned into taco trucks, turned into hot dog carts, turned into pop-up tents — …and, eventually, hipsters caught on and these trends went national.But even as SoCal has become famous worldwide for its street food scene, government officials have amped up their war on it.Today, we examine one city’s crackdown on street vendors. And we also talk to an East L.A. taquero affected by code enforcement.More reading:Column: He’s L.A. food royalty. He began with a taco cart. Let street vendors thriveAnaheim teams with county to take down taco stand pop-upsWhere to get beef birria, and a haircut. Seriously. 

This past December brought record-high amounts of snow to the Sierra Nevada, California’s main mountain range. The state, of course, has suffered for years from bad, bad drought, so we should all be happy that the dry days are over with all this snow, right? In fact, those who monitor such things are saying we should be saving water more than ever. Because there’s a real possibility that one day, blizzards in the West might be gone. Today, our Masters of Disasters reconvene to talk about this possible future. More reading: A ‘no snow’ California could come sooner than you think California is suddenly snow-capped and very wet. But how long will the water rush last? Editorial: Welcome the bout of winter storms, just don’t call them drought busters

The COVID-19 era is rough, to say the least. But let’s put it in perspective. Every pandemic ends eventually, and this one will too.Today, assistant editor Jessica Roy with the L.A. Times’ utility journalism team walks us through a century of past pandemics — from the 1918 flu to SARS — and the different ways they resolved, and she describes what’s likely to happen in our future.Then medical historian Frank Snowden, a professor emeritus at Yale, reaches further back to explore how pandemics have changed society and what we’ve learned from them.More reading:Will this pandemic ever end? Here’s what happened with the last onesCDC shifts pandemic goals away from reaching herd immunityFrom the archives, April 2020: From the Black Death to AIDS, pandemics have shaped human history. Coronavirus will too

Two years ago, Nikole Hannah-Jones launched “The 1619 Project,” a collection of New York Times Magazine articles, photography and podcasts. That project became a launching point to talk about Black people’s roles in shaping the United States. Hannah-Jones has been praised and vilified for her work ever since.Today, we share highlights from a L.A. Times Book Club chat between Hannah-Jones and L.A. Times executive editor Kevin Merida. They talked about how Black people can be patriotic despite centuries of mistreatment … and about using mountains of research to get back at haters. More reading:Nikole Hannah-Jones dives into the origins and language of ‘The 1619 Project’Nikole Hannah-Jones became a political target. What she’s learned from the ‘hurtful’ attacksHoward-bound Nikole Hannah-Jones plans to ‘even the playing field’ for HBCUs. Here’s how 

COVID-19 has been devastating for everyone, but in the United States, there’s one demographic hit particularly hard: Latinos. According to the California Department of Public Health, Latinos make up about 39 percent of the state’s population but nearly half of all cases and 45 percent of all deaths. A perfect storm of factors made Latinos especially vulnerable to the coronavirus: Multigenerational households. Crowded neighborhoods. Essential jobs that required us to show up in person. Vaccine hesitancy among too many. Today, we hear about the devastation.More reading: Pandemic portraits: The Latino experience COVID stole the heart of my family. It also divided it Column: Don’t be a ‘pandejo.’ Take the pandemic seriously

How the hell does a chain based on an orphaned mouse who plays in a band survive and thrive? Very carefully. Today, we’ll talk to L.A. Times business reporter Samantha Masunaga about the company, and we’ll hear from its new chief executive about everything Chuck E. Cheese, including its infamous animatronic band.More reading:How do you make a 44-year-old animatronic rodent appeal to today’s kids? Chuck E. Cheese unveils a new look for its mousy mascotListen to Chuck E. Cheese's Spotify playlist

A Gallup poll last fall found that 45% of full-time U.S. employees were still working from home at least some of their hours. A full quarter of them exclusively work from home. Because of this, companies are increasingly using technology to monitor the activities of their workers while they’re on the clock, wherever they are. Today, we examine how and why companies are spying on their workers at home… and whether there’s a backlash coming.More reading: Is your company secretly monitoring your work at home? Since COVID, the practice has surged How your employer can keep track of your work at home So your employer is monitoring you. What you should know

Issa Rae is the brilliant, hilarious mind behind the recently concluded HBO show “Insecure.” In this crossover episode with The Envelope, Rae talks about the incredible trajectory of her career, from a YouTuber turned Hollywood powerhouse, and how she repped South Los Angeles in a way that wasn’t just real but uplifting.More reading: Issa Rae almost ended ‘Insecure’ differently. But she couldn’t ‘deny Issa her soulmate’ Issa Rae on the music business: ‘It’s an abusive industry... it needs to start over’ How ‘Insecure’ achieved its ‘mission’ to forge a real bond with South L.A.

To fight climate change, municipalities across the United States are banning natural gas lines from being installed in new buildings. That means no gas stoves. Politicians and policymakers in those places — Berkeley being one of the first — want people to use electric appliances, such as electric stovetops or the more advanced induction stovetop. (There’s a health factor too. Open flames put out some gases you might not want to breathe.)But the natural gas industry is fighting back. Today, L.A. Times national correspondent Evan Halper talks about the multimillion-dollar battle being fought between gas companies and municipal and state governments. And that battle is being waged in your kitchen.More reading:Clash of the kitchens: California leads the way in a new climate battlegroundVideo: Would you get rid of your gas stove and go electric?California ditched coal. The gas company is worried it’s next

It’s been a season of crime in California. Smash-and-grab thefts, follow-home robberies, high-profile murders — national, even international news accounts have painted a Golden State of chaos.The numbers tell a different story: Some major crime indicators are up, but others are down, and they’re nowhere near historical highs. But that reality isn’t placating anyone. And when Californians get mad about crime — watch out, America.Today, L.A. Times columnist Erika D. Smith discusses California’s legacy of crackdowns. And business reporter Sam Dean discusses how some stores may be taking advantage of public fear.More reading:Column: Don’t let Jacqueline Avant’s shooting get pulled into L.A.'s crass politics of crimeSan Francisco confronts a crime wave unusual among U.S. citiesRetailers say thefts are at crisis level. The numbers say otherwise

Across Latin America, the political left is making a comeback not seen since the 2000s. Izquierdista presidential candidates won recent elections in Peru and Honduras. Activists are mounting protests against the conservative presidents of Brazil and Colombia.The left’s biggest win so far is in Chile, where Gabriel Boric was elected president last month. He’ll take office in a country that’s about to rewrite its constitution, which was put into place by dictator Augusto Pinochet.Today, L.A. Times Mexico City bureau chief Patrick J. McDonnell and Universidad de Chile professor Claudia Heiss speak with us about this “pink tide” and what it could mean for a region coming to terms with soaring inequality, a legacy of colonialism and a bloody, authoritarian history.More reading:Leftist lawmaker Boric wins polarized election in Chile, to become nation’s youngest presidentChile’s new president (Taylor’s version): Gabriel Boric is a SwiftieChileans approve rewriting of constitution in landslide vote

Hopefully the COVID-19 nightmare will soon wane, but it’s unlikely to be the last pandemic of our lifetimes. Because the virus that will cause the next pandemic is probably already out there.Animals carry hundreds of thousands of viruses that have the potential to infect humans. Buffer zones between where people live and where wild animals live lower the risk of viruses jumping from another species to our own. But now human behaviors such as deforestation and urbanization, along with climate change, are erasing those zones.Today, L.A. Times foreign correspondent Kate Linthicum, who recently traveled to the Amazon rainforest, and national correspondent Emily Baumgaertner, who focuses on medical investigations, explain the issue. And they talk about ways to solve the problem — or at least dial down the risks.More reading:Where will the next pandemic begin? The Amazon rainforest offers troubling cluesOp-Ed: What it will take to keep the next pandemic at bayLetters to the Editor: Want to help prevent the next pandemic? Go vegan

Los Angeles Times congressional correspondent Sarah D. Wire knew she was in for a historic day when she walked into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. She was there to cover the counting of the electoral college votes for the 2020 presidential election.Because of then-President Trump’s allegations of election fraud, she was expecting controversy. But she didn’t expect to be caught in the middle of an insurrection.Today, Sarah tells us about the day a mob of pro-Trump extremists stormed the Capitol, and she shares never-before-heard interviews with the Congress members who sheltered with her for hours. It’s a glimpse into the minds of our lawmakers as they worried for their lives while chaos invaded the seat of American democracy.More reading:I’m in a roomful of people ‘panicked that I might inadvertently give away their location’Jan. 6 committee prepares to go public as findings mountColumn: The Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol was bad. It may have set the stage for worse

Kevin Merida became the Los Angeles Times’ executive editor last summer at a tumultuous time. Newsroom morale was down, the publication had lost $50 million in 2020, and several of his recent predecessors hadn’t endeared themselves to staffers. So what drew him to the job?Today, Merida reflects on the first six months of his tenure, talks about his vision for the L.A. Times and answers the eternal Southern California question: What does he think about In-N-Out?More reading:ESPN’s Kevin Merida named L.A. Times executive editor‘I see nothing but opportunity.’ Meet L.A. Times’ new top editor Kevin MeridaVideo: Kevin Merida takes helm of L.A. Times

Skateboarding is a mainstay of California street culture, from San Diego to San Francisco and beyond. It’s so popular that L.A. County filled outdoor skateparks with sand earlier in the pandemic so no one could grind on them.But during the pandemic, skateboard sales surged — and communities long marginalized from the sport are now making their own spaces.Today we talk to reporter Cerise Castle, who’s covering and participating in this rise, and skateboarders from various parts of America — including Washington, D.C., and the Navajo Nation — tell us why they skate.An earlier version of this episode was published Nov. 5, 2021. More reading:Skating can be a bridge in L.A. These 3 crews show how bonds form on four wheelsSkateboarding improves mental health, helps build diverse relationships, USC study saysFrom the archives: Skateboarders in urban areas get respect, and parks

Video games had always been a point of division between L.A. Times science reporter Deborah Netburn and her 12-year-old son. Then the pandemic hit, and the gap between them seemed to widen. Today, Netburn shares her journey from ignorance to understanding. She did it by playing the games.An earlier version of this episode was published May 7, 2021. More reading: Video games came between me and my son in the pandemic. Could they bring us back together?

This year, the Chinese Communist Party kicked off its 100th anniversary by celebrating China’s economic success and ambitions to create a new world order. The festivities, of course, are carefully choreographed. For decades, the Communist Party has crushed any counter-narratives to promote a whitewashed version of Chinese history. Those who deviate from the party’s official narrative suffer retribution — and in recent days, records of that punishment have been expunged as well. Today, we focus on a newly revised volume of Communist Party history that aims to airbrush its past for a younger generation who have come of age in a tightly controlled social environment. And we highlight the young activists who are trying to bring attention to this whitewashing — and are getting jailed or exiled for doing so. Our guest is L.A. Times Beijing bureau chief Alice Su.An earlier version of this episode was published July 2, 2021. More reading:As Communist Party turns 100, China’s Xi rallies his compatriots and warns his criticsHe tried to commemorate erased history. China detained him, then erased that too China offers a minority a lifeline out of poverty — but what happens to its culture?

Two years ago, the world watched as millions of people in Hong Kong marched in the streets to call for autonomy from China. Beijing responded by passing a national security law last summer that broadly defined acts of subversion, foreign collusion and terrorism. Critics say the law crushed civil liberties. Since it was enacted, many people have fled Hong Kong — some to neighboring Taiwan. Yet Taiwan, a self-governing island that China claims as its territory, is at risk as well. Today, we start a two-part series on the Chinese Communist Party’s ambitions as it celebrates its 100th anniversary. This episode gets into the continued crackdown on freedom and democracy in Hong Kong, where authorities have arrested thousands of pro-democracy activists and shut down a major daily newspaper. We’ll also discuss China’s growing threats to absorb Taiwan. Tomorrow, how the Chinese Communist Party is rewriting China’s history.An earlier version of this episode was published July 1, 2021. More ReadingBeleaguered pro-democracy Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily says it’s closing downAs democracy fades, Hong Kong’s political opposition become political prisonersThe most important company you’ve never heard of is being dragged into the U.S.-China rivalry

QAnon or New Age? Increasingly, in California’s vast health, wellness and spiritual worlds, there's an intersection between the two communities so pronounced that the phenomenon has a new nickname: “Woo-Anon,” and it’s coming to a yoga studio near you. Today, we speak with L.A. Times investigative reporter Laura J. Nelson and yoga instructor Seane Corn about the growing movement, as well as the broken friendships and business partnerships that are happening in a once-placid scene.An earlier version of this episode was published July 13, 2021. More reading:California’s yoga, wellness and spirituality community has a QAnon problem‘Woo-Anon’: The creep of QAnon into Southern California’s New Age world Former La Habra police chief, now yoga instructor, indicted on Capitol riot conspiracy charges

For a few days this week, we’re highlighting the work of students from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.Maya Abu-Zahra started college with every intention of becoming a doctor. But about half of pre-med students end up choosing a different path. Today, she brings us down two of those paths, speaking with former pre-meds who ended up in very different careers.

For a few days this week, we’re highlighting the work of students from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.Today, Jillian Carmenate introduces us to her older sister, Madison, who’s forging into the entertainment industry. Madison Carmenate hopes to create movies and TV shows that feature people with disabilities, like her — and like a full quarter of U.S. adults.More reading:How entertainment professionals with disabilities are fighting for inclusionThis manager is working toward diversity in Hollywood — and that includes those with disabilitiesHollywood’s reluctance to welcome disability shuts out a lot of fresh talent and stories 

For a few days this week, we’re highlighting the work of students from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.Today, Cari Spencer guides us through her journey of figuring out her identity. Half Taiwanese and half white, she felt all her life that she had to “pick a side” — or that she wasn’t enough of one thing or the other. Then she found another option.Host: USC student Cari SpencerMore reading:Five takeaways from the new U.S. census dataFrom the archives, 2001: Census’ multiracial option overturns traditional views

Today we’re doing something a little different: channeling our inner holiday spirit and sharing stories from some of our awesome colleagues across the L.A. Times newsroom.They submitted stories about losing a loved one to COVID-19. Finding new ways to bond with family. Reconnecting with choirmates after months of virtual performances. And the exploits of one seriously sassy pet rabbit. (Thank you, Steve Padilla, Karen Garcia, Wendy Lee and Jazmín Aguilera!)We at The Times have been working remotely throughout the pandemic, and we miss chitchatting with coworkers. Hearing these stories is kind of like kicking back at an old-school office potluck and catching up. It made us feel good and cheery. We hope it does the same for you.More reading: Just some holiday stuff to set the moodThe L.A. Times 2021 holiday cookie recipes8 fun, festive and free phone and Zoom backgrounds made by L.A. artistsHow to handle another COVID holiday season

His nicknames: El Hijo del Pueblo — the People’s Son. El Ídolo de México — Mexico’s Idol. El Rey — the King. Or just plain Chente.Ranchera legend Vicente Fernández passed away this week at age 81, and millions of his fans in the U.S., Mexico and beyond are mourning a man who was their soundtrack of love and sadness and resistance for over half a century.Today, L.A. Times journalists who grew up with Chente’s music — host Gustavo Arellano, deputy sports editor Iliana Limón Romero, video journalist Steve Saldivar and culture writer Daniel Hernández — talk about his legacy. We even sing some of his songs — badly.More reading:Vicente Fernández, a Mexican musical icon for generations, dies at 81Column: Vicente Fernández’s journey was our parents’ journey. Long may they liveAppreciation: 10 essential songs of ranchera legend Vicente Fernández

Need a quick, yummy gift for Christmas or any other occasion? For generations of Californians, the answer has been a box of See’s Candies. With stores that sport a black-and-white checkerboard design and offer a galaxy of sweets — chocolates, peanut brittle, butterscotch lollipops — the South San Francisco-based company is nostalgia in a box or bag.Today, L.A. Times food columnist Jenn Harris talks with host Gustavo Arellano about See’s on the occasion of the chain’s 100th anniversary. And you'd better believe some taste tests are involved. (What’s that white-chocolate one that Gustavo has never liked?)More reading:Is See’s Candies the best in the world? It’s certainly the most memorableEverything you ever wanted to know about See’s CandiesTimeline: 100 years of See’s Candies

2021 has been a bad year for disasters: Drought. Oil spills. Bomb cyclones. Wildfires. Delta. Omicron. Yet if you’re reading this, you’ve survived.Our Masters of Disasters — L.A. Times reporters Ron Lin, Alex Wigglesworth and Rosanna Xia — reflect on the year and offer a bit of hope on apocalyptic issues such as the coronavirus, the environment and wildfires.More reading:The American West went through climate hell in 2021. But there’s still hopeMore than 400 toxic sites in California are at risk of flooding from sea level riseNewsletter: We write about environmental calamity. Here’s what gives us hope

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is political royalty in the City of Angels. His father was a district attorney. Eric Garcetti won his last election with over 80% of the vote. There were even rumors he would run for president in 2020. This summer, the Biden administration has tapped Garcetti as the U.S. ambassador to India. A Senate panel will consider his nomination this week. And people from Kolkata to Calexico are still saying ... huh? Him?Today, we speak to L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez, who says Garcetti’s ambition might actually make him good for the position, and to former City Council candidate Dinesh Lakhanpal, who’s open to the idea, if a bit skeptical.An earlier version of this episode was published June 10, 2021. More reading:Garcetti’s India move is no surprise. But it still stirred emotions and speculationWaiting for Garcetti: India evaluates its ties with a post-Trump U.S.Garcetti’s Senate committee nomination hearing scheduled for Tuesday

Hungry? The Los Angeles Times' annual list of the 101 best restaurants just dropped. Whether you live here, want to visit or are just craving inspiration for types of food to explore near your own home, the list has something for you. Today, L.A. Times restaurant critic Bill Addison tells us about some of his favorite local restaurants — high-end spots, mom-and-pop places, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Korean and beyond — and how he chose which ones made the cut. He also talks about how food journalism is changing and why journalists used to give so much positive attention to chefs who made great food but behaved like toxic jerks. More reading: These are the 101 best restaurants in L.A.11 must-try pop-ups, the next generation of L.A. dining10 places to drink (wine, beer, cocktails, caffeine) right now

The Miss Navajo Nation pageant has been going on almost every year since the 1950s. It’s not about swimsuits or evening gowns, though. This tradition is all about making sure the culture of the largest Native American tribe in the United States remains alive — and vibrant.In this episode, you’ll hear from this year's contestants, judges and the winner. And you’ll get a sense of why the Diné — what Navajos call themselves — place such importance on something nonmembers, at first glance, might dismiss as a mere beauty contest or country fair frivolity.More reading: A pageant like no other: ‘Can you imagine Miss USA or Miss Universe butchering a sheep?’ Navajo shepherds cling to centuries-old tradition in a land where it refuses to rainNavajo Nation surpasses Cherokee to become largest tribe in the U.S.

Jacqueline Avant was a force many times over in Black Los Angeles and beyond. She was a renowned philanthropist, a political king and queen maker, a patron of the arts. She was also a wife, mother, a friend to community activists and U.S. presidents alike. Last week, an intruder fatally shot her in her Beverly Hills home. Tributes from across the world have poured in to mark a life ended too soon. Today, we devote our episode to the life and legacy of Jacqueline Avant, who was 81 years old.More reading: The killing of Jacqueline Avant: What we know ‘Unfathomable’ slaying of Jacqueline Avant stuns Hollywood and political world Philanthropist Jacqueline Avant helped unite the worlds of Black politics and entertainment

There are about 20 million people in the United States with felony records and unemployment rates among the formerly incarcerated is especially high — 27%, a few years ago, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. Compare that with the overall unemployment rate around the same time, which was less than 4%. The stigma of a criminal record has long influenced this reality, but with the Great Resignation unfolding before us, the situation for these folks seems to be looking up. Today, we'll hear from L.A. Times business reporter Don Lee, who has written about the issue, and from someone who's working to connect formerly incarcerated people with jobs — and who was formerly incarcerated himself. More reading: Once shunned, people convicted of felonies find more employers open to hiring them Tight job market is good for felons, people with disabilities and others who are hard to employ. But can it last?Visit the Honest Jobs website

Our sister podcast “The Envelope” — which does deep-dive interviews with movie and TV stars — just started a new season, so we’re giving you a taste.In this episode, Kirsten Dunst shares stories about growing up in Hollywood, why she decided to publicly address her mental health break, and the joyful — though sometimes awkward — moments of acting opposite her real-life partner, Jesse Plemons, in “The Power of the Dog.”More reading:‘Power of the Dog’ writer-director Jane Campion explains her enigmatic career choicesReview: ‘Power of the Dog’ reasserts Jane Campion’s mastery and reveals a new side of Benedict CumberbatchKodi Smit-McPhee walks us through that ‘Power of the Dog’ endingThe Envelope podcast homepage

On Nov. 2, Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai published a letter on her verified social media account that accused a former top Chinese government official of sexual assault. Then suddenly, she disappeared. But it’s not just people with name recognition who are disappearing in the country. Human rights group Safeguard Defenders estimates that more than 45,000 people were subjected to a form of secret detention since President Xi Jinping assumed power in 2013.Today, we speak with L.A. Times Beijing Bureau Chief Alice Su, who has been investigating this phenomenon. And we’ll also hear from a writer who studies feminism in China.More reading:They helped Chinese women, workers, the forgotten and dying. Then they disappeared Women’s tennis tour suspends events in China over Peng Shuai concerns EU wants ‘verifiable proof’ that Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai is safe

Today, we’ll spend the show with food personality David Chang to talk about his new Hulu series, "The Next Thing You Eat," which — full disclosure — our host Gustavo Arellano appears in. We’ll discuss what David found, why he thinks Southern California is such a great place for food, and also the future of the food industry in the era of COVID-19.He also has a raw conversation about how the harsh working conditions in restaurants can be improved, and about his own anger.More reading:Watch "The Next Thing You Eat" on HuluDavid Chang on restaurants and his own life: ‘The old ways just don’t work anymore’David Chang doesn’t want your compliments

For more than a century, California's approach to incarcerating people has gone mostly like this: Incarcerate them. But now, there’s a program offered by the Cal State University system that helps incarcerated folks not only develop skills but also reimagine themselves — as people who could have lives after serving long prison terms, as scholars. Today, we’re going to talk about this new educational opportunity for those on the inside with L.A. Times education reporter Colleen Shalby.More reading:They were supposed to die in prison. Instead, they earned freedom as college graduates Editorial: For former prisoners to have a shot at a normal life, we need successful reentry programs Apodaca: UC Irvine law professor sees college degrees as a way to reduce recidivism 

An L.A. Times investigation found that from 2017 to July of this year, 70% of bicyclists that L.A. County sheriff’s deputies pulled over were Latinos, even though the group makes up only about half of the county’s population. And they searched 85% of bike riders they stopped, even though deputies often had no reason to think they’d find something illegal. They ended up making arrests or writing citations 21% of the time. Today, we talk to the L.A. Times journalists who reported this story. And we talk to a Latino cycling activist about how it is to cycle around Los Angeles.More reading:L.A. sheriff’s deputies use minor stops to search bicyclists, with Latinos hit hardest Bicyclists share stories of being stopped by L.A. County deputies: ‘Everybody is a suspect until proven otherwise’ L.A. County supervisors seek to decriminalize bike violations after Times investigation

Our guest host Faith E. Pinho, a Metro reporter at the L.A. Times, speaks with Times culture writer Daniel Hernandez about the cast of characters and cars that have been lining the wide boulevards of Southern California for decades. They look at who is embracing cruising culture and its uneasy relationship with law enforcement.An earlier version of this episode was published May 28, 2021. More reading:The lowrider is back: The glorious return of cruising to the streets of L.A. Here are 8 key lowrider moments in pop films and TV, according to Estevan Oriol During pandemic, trash and crime increased on Whittier Boulevard. Lowrider clubs said: Enough

Alison Roman is a chef, food writer, cookbook author and video maker whose unfussy recipes pack a punch. Those recipes, along with her fun persona, made her a bright spot for many fans especially as the pandemic began taking hold. Then Roman, who is white, lobbed some criticism at celebrities Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo — women of color — and controversy engulfed her. Roman was canceled. Or was she? What exactly does being canceled mean, anyway? What can a person learn, and where can they go from there? L.A. Times reporter Erin B. Logan asks Roman these questions. But first: What's Roman making for Thanksgiving, how did she get into the food world, and how does she make simplicity taste so good?  (Psst: This is the last episode before The Times' Thanksgiving break. We'll be back Monday!)More reading: Alison Roman moves beyond Chrissy Teigen backlash and vows to grow from itWhen Alison Roman insulted Chrissy Teigen: Everything to know about their online spatColumn: Cancel culture is as American as apple pieAlison Roman's website  

Sohla El-Waylly is famous for her cooking videos for outlets like the History Channel’s “Ancient Recipes,” Bon Appetit’s “Test Kitchen,” and so, so much more. She also writes a column at Food52 and contributes to the cooking section at the other big-time Times newspaper (the one on the East Coast).Today, we do another crossover episode with our sibling podcast “Asian Enough,” where El-Waylly talks about food appropriation, her inspirations and much more.Hosts: Johana Bhuiyan and Tracy BrownGuest: Chef Sohla El-WayllyMore reading:Babish expands as pandemic boosts YouTube cooking showsVulture: Going SohlaSohla’s website

This story of Los Angeles’ 1930s era of gambling boats — and Tony Cornero, the underworld boss at the center of the action — is a portal to another version of the city, one that’s glamorous and seedy. Business reporter Daniel Miller spent months chasing down the tale, poring over FBI records, reviewing newspaper accounts and interviewing the few people alive who remember when barges bobbing off the coast of Santa Monica offered the chance at a sea-sprayed jackpot. He tells us about this world of water-cannon gangsters and floating vice dens — which paved the way for the popularity of Las Vegas and dramatically met its end 82 years ago this month.More reading:The secret history of L.A.’s glitzy gambling boat kingpin — and the raid that sank him

Last month, former Facebook employee Frances Haugen revealed she had released thousands of documents that showed how the company knew yet did little to curb harmful content for its billions of users. Those documents also showed that Facebook’s parent company, Meta, knew disinformation on its platforms was particularly corrosive to Latino communities — yet the company did little to stop it. Today, we talk about the damage and what activists are doing to try to stop it.More reading:What Facebook knew about its Latino-aimed disinformation problem Misinformation online is bad in English. But it’s far worse in Spanish Facebook struggled with disinformation targeted at Latinos

When it rains, it pours, and when it pours after a long dry spell, water can become dangerous. Fire-scarred lands see mudslides devastate homes. Parched soil can’t absorb the rain that comes. Water, water everywhere, and California is still on the brink.Today, we reconvene our Masters of Disasters to discuss how too much rain after a drought can be bad. And who knew the term "mudslide" could be so controversial?More reading:Threat of mudslides returns to California after devastating fires. How do they work?California rains break all-time records, spurring floods and mudslidesOctober’s torrential rains brought some drought relief, but California’s big picture still bleak

Last month, In-N-Out Burger made national news when health officials in San Francisco shut down one of its restaurants. The company’s sin: refusing to comply with a law that requires restaurants to ask customers for proof of COVID-19 vaccination. An In-N-Out spokesperson described the mandate as “intrusive, improper and offensive” — and suddenly, the burger chain became a flashpoint in the country’s culture wars. Today, we talk about this beloved company with L.A. Times reporter Stacy Perman, author of the best-selling 2009 book “In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules.”More reading: Column: What In-N-Out’s vaccine standoff reveals about the California dream Inside In-N-Out Burger’s escalating war with California over COVID-19 vaccine rules ‘We refuse to become the vaccination police’: In-N-Out Burger, and other restaurants defy COVID mandates

Over the last few years, Leyna Bloom has been the first in many categories. In 2017, she became the first trans woman of color to grace the pages of Vogue India. In 2019, she became one of the first trans women to walk Paris Fashion Week. And most recently, she broke barriers again as the first trans cover model for Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue.On this crossover episode with our sister podcast “Asian Enough,” Bloom talks about her ties to ballroom, her Black and Filipina identity and reuniting with her mom after decades apart.More reading:How Leyna Bloom became the first transgender actress of color to star in a film at CannesSports Illustrated Swimsuit goes bold: Megan Thee Stallion, Naomi Osaka, Leyna BloomReview: Luminous performances elevate trans romance ‘Port Authority’

In 2011, a group of Muslims in Orange County sued the federal government, alleging that the FBI violated the constitutional rights of Muslims by spying on them solely because of their religion. The feds denied the allegations, but they also said they couldn't disclose why they had spied on this community. To do so, according to the government, would reveal state secrets. Now the lawsuit is before the U.S. Supreme Court, and the feds want it dismissed. Today, we hear from L.A. Times reporter Suhauna Hussain, who is covering the case. We'll hear from some of the plaintiffs and Muslim activists. And we'll also hear from Craig Monteilh, the self-admitted FBI informant in the center of all this. More reading: Supreme Court skeptical of FBI’s claim in monitoring of Orange County MuslimsColumn: In Orange County case, the U.S. is hiding behind claims of ‘state secrets’From the archives: Man says he was FBI informant

This fall, a commemoration in downtown Los Angeles marked the 150th anniversary of when a mob lynched 18 Chinese men and boys — one of the biggest such killings in American history. The recent memorial comes in a year when many similar remembrances have bloomed across the United States. Anti-Asian hate crimes have soared during the pandemic, but that has also spurred an interest in learning the long, and long-hidden, history of such bigotry.  More reading: History forgot the 1871 Los Angeles Chinese massacre, but we’ve all been shaped by its violenceL.A.'s memorial for 1871 Chinese Massacre will mark a shift in how we honor historyThe racist massacre that killed 10% of L.A.’s Chinese population and brought shame to the cityWhite residents burned this California Chinatown to the ground. An apology came 145 years later

Marijuana use is now ubiquitous in mainstream culture — even Martha Stewart’s into CBD products thanks to her good pal Snoop Dogg. Despite this, the federal government classifies basically all cannabis-related products as illegal. That stands in the way of things like medical research. Can California, which sparked a revolution 25 years ago with the legalization of medical marijuana by voters, push the federal government to legalize marijuana once and for all? More reading: California changed the country with marijuana legalization. Is it high time for the feds to catch up?Thousands of California marijuana convictions officially reduced, others dismissedEditorial: What legalization? California is still the Wild West of illegal marijuana

At USC, hundreds of students have been protesting university officials and so-called Greek life itself over the last month after a series of drugging and sexual assault allegations that the school kept quiet about for weeks. It's the latest scandal to hit the school, and some of the loudest criticism has come from an unexpected source: fraternity and sorority members. Today, we talk to L.A. Times higher education reporter Teresa Watanabe about the matter. And a USC student who's a proud sorority sister tells us why she's pushing for change.More reading: USC students protest toxic Greek life after fraternity suspended for alleged drugging, sexual assaultUSC’s ‘Greek experience’ under fire even as fraternities gain in popularity post-pandemicUSC admits to ‘troubling delay’ in warning about fraternity drugging, sex assault reports

In this crossover episode with our cousin podcast “Asian Enough,” hosts Suhauna Hussain and Johana Bhuiyan speak with sociologist Anthony Ocampo. He’s spent his career studying the intersection of race, gender and immigration, which guided his groundbreaking book “The Latinos of Asia: How Filipino Americans Break the Rules of Race.”Today, Ocampo also speaks about another facet of his work: what it means to be brown and gay in Los Angeles. And he reflects on Filipino nurses’ role in battling the coronavirus in the United States.More reading:Filipino American trailblazers speak truth to Hollywood through jokes and rhymesHow the Philippines’ colonial legacy weighs on Filipino American mental healthFilipino-led micro-businesses blossom in the pandemic at L.A.'s Manila District

Skateboarding is a mainstay of California street culture, from San Diego to San Francisco and beyond. It’s so popular that L.A. County filled outdoor skateparks with sand earlier in the pandemic so no one could grind on them.But during the pandemic, skateboard sales surged — and communities long marginalized from the sport are now making their own spaces.Today we talk to reporter Cerise Castle, who’s covering and participating in this rise, and skateboarders from various parts of America — including Washington, D.C., and the Navajo Nation — tell us why they skate.More reading:Skating can be a bridge in L.A. These 3 crews show how bonds form on four wheelsSkateboarding improves mental health, helps build diverse relationships, USC study saysFrom the archives: Skateboarders in urban areas get respect, and parks

Less than 4% of Los Angeles’ firefighters are women — a number that, despite the mayor’s goals, has inched up only slightly in recent years. Many of the female firefighters say their ranks are so small because of a hostile, sexist culture pervading the Los Angeles Fire Department.Today, we talk about what women in the LAFD have been dealing with, including trash in their lockers, feces on bathroom floors and nasty remarks from co-workers they need to trust with their lives. We talk to L.A. Times City Hall reporter Dakota Smith, who has covered this hazing culture, and we also hear from Stacy Taylor, a retired battalion chief who pushed for better treatment during her 26 years in the department.More reading:Women say they endure ‘frat house’ culture at L.A. Fire Department. ‘The worst of my life’Female firefighters, civil rights advocates call for LAFD chief’s removalFirefighters sue over city of L.A.'s vaccine mandate

Every year, people in the American West die from scorching temperatures. Experts fear that the number of deaths is undercounted — and, that as the climate continues to heats up, the death rate is going to rise.Officially, California says 599 people died due to heat exposure from 2010 to 2019. But a Los Angeles Times investigation estimates the number is way higher: about 3,900 deaths.Today we talk to Tony Barboza and Anna M. Phillips, who, along with Sean Greene and Ruben Vives, spearheaded the L.A. Times investigation. We discuss why their count is so different from the state's, who's most vulnerable to the heat and how to protect yourself. More reading:Heat waves are far deadlier than we think. How California neglects this climate threatClimate change is supercharging California heat waves, and the state isn’t readyPoor neighborhoods bear the brunt of extreme heat, ‘legacies of racist decision-making’

The Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California is Mexico’s premier wine country, a lush valley that makes Napa seem as gorgeous as a parking lot.But a lot of development is coming to the Valle — and many locals aren’t happy.Today, we travel to this beautiful, contested space with two experts. Javier Cabral is the editor of LA Taco and wrote about a recent anti-development protest there. Javier Plascencia, a pioneering chef, has seen Valle grow and wants the world to come in — in a sustainable way.More reading:Is Valle de Guadalupe over? The fight to protect Mexican wine country10 things to know about Chef Javier PlascenciaBaja is making a lot more great wine than you might think

Over the next two weeks, leaders from nearly 200 countries are gathering in Glasglow, Scotland, for a United Nations climate summit known as COP26. They’ll tell us what we’ve heard before: that scientists have warned about rising oceans, sinking cities, famines and millions of refugees if we don’t dramatically reduce carbon emissions. Officials will tell us we all need to act ASAP. But the fate of humanity really rests with a handful of countries.Today, we’re gathering our panel of correspondents from across the globe – L.A. Times Beijing bureau chief Alice Su, Seoul correspondent Victoria Kim, Singapore correspondent David Pierson and Mexico City correspondent Kate Linthicum – to focus on a few crucial countries in the fight against climate change and why it’s been so difficult for them to reduce their emissions.More reading:G-20 summit fails to bridge divides on pandemic and climate changeThe Amazon is still burning. Can U.N. summit in Glasgow address such climate failures?What U.S.-China tension means for fighting climate change

For decades, late October meant one holiday in American popular culture: Halloween. But over the past couple of decades, more and more people are also marking another fall festival: Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.Today, we get into how this Mexican holiday took hold in the United States: its history, its customs, how it’s different here from the way it’s observed in Mexico. We talk to L.A. Times culture reporter Daniel Hernandez, who has written extensively about the subject. And we talk to Alexis Meza de los Santos, a mexicana who grew up in Kentucky and has seen Día de los Muertos spread across the South.More reading:Contribute to our digital Día de Muertos altarHere’s the story behind Día de Muertos altars — and how you can build oneTamales, salt and bread ‘bones’: How foods are central to Day of the Dead

On Oct. 11, 1985, Palestinian American activist Alex Odeh opened the door to the Orange County offices of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. He served as its West Coast regional director. The moment he turned the doorknob, a bomb went off. Thirty-six years later, his assassination remains officially unsolved, but his family thinks the United States government knows more than it wants to admit.Decades after Odeh’s killing, Hugh Mooney, one of the first police officers on the scene, has begun speaking about what he heard and saw. Today, we hear from him and talk with TimesOC reporter Gabriel San Román, who has followed the investigation into Odeh’s killing for more than a decade. We’ll also hear from Odeh’s daughter Helena and the voice of Odeh himself.More reading:Amid new revelations, Alex Odeh’s assassination remains unsolvedAnswers sought in 1985 slaying of Palestinian activist Alex OdehL.A.-Born JDL man a suspect in ’85 slaying of Alex Odeh

Vigils from Southern California to Albuquerque were held last weekend to mark the death of Halyna Hutchins. The up-and-coming cinematographer was working on the film “Rust,” a Western that featured Alec Baldwin as an actor and producer. Meanwhile, investigators are still trying to figure out how Baldwin was handed a gun with a live round despite being assured it was safe.Today, we talk about the fatal incident. We check in with L.A. Times reporters Wendy Lee and Meg James — who cover the business of entertainment — about what happened on that set, whether the tragedy could lead to workplace safety changes in the film and television industry, and whether the clash between unionized crew members and Hollywood producers is about to flare up all over again.More reading:Search warrant reveals grim details of ‘Rust’ shooting and Halyna Hutchins’ final minutes‘Rust’ crew describes on-set gun safety issues and misfires days before fatal shootingLack of gun safety killed Halyna Hutchins on the set of Alec Baldwin’s ‘Rust.’ How did this happen?

Hundreds of thousands of sailors worldwide are stuck on cargo ships far longer than they’d intended, with few chances to contact the outside. Usually ports offer opportunities for a break, but most of these sailors haven’t had access to COVID-19 vaccines, so they’re not allowed to set foot in the United States.Today, L.A. Times Business reporter Ronald D. White takes us to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the nation’s largest. A huge backlog of cargo ships is waiting offshore for a turn to unload merchandise. Meanwhile, the crews aboard are going nowhere fast — and there’s basically no internet access, no visitors, no nice restaurant food delivery. They’re trapped.More reading:They’ve been stuck for months on cargo ships now floating off Southern California. They’re desperateWhen will supply chains be back to normal? And how did things get so bad?A tangled supply chain means shipping delays. Do your holiday shopping now

Shea Serrano is beloved in the sports, movie and music worlds for his wickedly funny essays and podcasts on everything from Selena to the Houston Texans, Jay-Z to Jason from “Friday the 13th.” And yet his journalism is probably the least impressive part of the guy who’s probably the nicest cholo nerd in the world.His latest book, “Hip-Hop (and Other Things),” is dropping tomorrow, Oct. 26. We talk about Shea’s unlikely entry into journalism, why Mexicans are perfect, why representation matters — and why, again and again, without question, he pays for fans’ utility bills and college classes.More reading:Hip-Hop (and Other Things)Q&A: Shea Serrano ponders life and more in ‘Movies (and Other Things)’Here are the songs they play at a middle school danceA story about Tim Duncan

Disabled people get pregnant and give birth at the same rates as nondisabled ones. But their outcomes are often far worse — for reasons that can’t be explained by anatomical difference or medical complexity — and modern medicine has largely turned its back on them.L.A. Times Metro reporter Sonja Sharp has experienced the discrimination firsthand, and she’s reported on the issue as well.Today, she speaks with Dr. Marie Flores, a physician who uses a wheelchair and is trying to become a mother, and Dr. Deborah Krakow, the chair of UCLA’s obstetrics and gynecology department, about how our society treats the intersection of pregnancy and disability. She also shares her own story and describes why she sees disabled motherhood as a radical act.More reading:Disabled mothers-to-be face indignity: ‘Do you have a man? Can you have sex?’Video: How disabled mothers are neglected by modern medicineThree lessons from disabled mothers

Twenty-one years ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that national adult cases of syphilis had reached their lowest levels ever, and entirely eliminating the disease among newborns seemed to be within reach.But syphilis cases have risen dramatically over the last decade for both adults and infants — even though the disease is curable, and even though we could protect babies by getting pregnant people tested and treated in time.Today, L.A. Times public health reporter Emily Alpert Reyes discusses this disturbing trend, what it says about our society and how to get the fight against congenital syphilis back on track. We also hear from someone who had a stillbirth because of syphilis and wants everyone to learn from her story.More reading:The number of babies infected with syphilis was already surging. Then came the pandemicTwo crises in one: As drug use rises, so does syphilis1,306 U.S. infants were born with syphilis in 2018, even though it’s easy to prevent

Nearly half of imports in the United States go through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. They're the largest in the U.S., but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there's a humongous backlog of ships stuck at sea, making imported goods more expensive. The wait to unload cargo is so bad at the ports of L.A. and Long Beach that President Biden is taking action. Today, we're going to discuss the backup's repercussions with three L.A. Times reporters who cover the ports, the global market and the White House.More reading: Biden will announce expanded operations at Port of Los Angeles as supply chain crunch continuesNews Analysis: Ahead of holidays, Biden tries to untangle supply chain messPort truckers win $30 million in wage theft settlements

This month, comedy legend Dave Chappelle released his latest stand-up Netflix special, called "The Closer." It immediately drew criticism for jokes widely viewed as transphobic, and it has created turmoil behind the scenes at Netflix. But there’s also been a backlash to the backlash, by fans who say social justice warriors just want to cancel Chappelle. One group is particularly well positioned to have insights on the controversy: LGBTQ comedians. Today, we hear from three.More reading:What LGBTQ+ comedians really think of Dave Chappelle’s Netflix special Netflix’s Dave Chappelle PR crisis has been years in the makingNetflix takes a hit over fallout from Dave Chappelle special

Tall, bushy, spiny and fragrant, the pinyon pine is a beloved feature of the Mountain West — and not just for its beauty. The tiny piñon nuts in the tree’s cones are so good, people in the region have eaten them every fall for countless generations. But as climate change continues to affect the United States, something terrible is happening. The piñon harvest is getting smaller and smaller.Today we go to New Mexico, where the pinyon is the state’s official tree. We talk to Axios race and justice reporter Russell Contreras, who’s based out of Albuquerque and has an up-close view of the piñon’s slow disappearance. And a native New Mexican — Tey Marianna Nunn, director of the Smithsonian Institution's American Women’s History Initiative — tells us about the nut and tree’s cultural importance.More reading:Op-Ed: Pinyon and juniper woodlands define the West. Why is the BLM turning them to mulch?Locally foraged piñon nuts are cherished in New Mexico. They’re also disappearingPine nut recipes: From small seeds, inspiration

The Black Panther Party, a Black power political organization, was founded exactly 55 years ago in California’s Bay Area and grew into a nationwide group that pushed for housing, food equity, education and self-protection. Several famous figures emerged from the group, including Eldridge Cleaver, Angela Davis and Huey P. Newton.But history often overlooks those who do not serve in dynamic roles or who perform tasks away from public view. These people do the thankless but crucial work that keeps organizations running. Barbara Easley-Cox was one of these people.Today, Easley-Cox recounts what she experienced as a Black Panther, from California to Algeria to North Korea and beyond.More reading:Decades before Black Lives Matter, there were the Black Panthers in OaklandOpinion: 1969 SWAT raid on Black Panthers set the tone for police race problemsBobby Seale, Eldridge Cleaver tell Cal State Fullerton audience about militancy, civil rights work

California requires each publicly traded company based in the Golden State to have at least one woman on its board of directors and, soon, at least one nonwhite or LGBTQ person. That’s because of a pair of laws mandating diversity at those high levels — laws that are having effects nationwide.Today, we examine the topic with L.A. Times national reporter Evan Halper. We also talk with Dr. Maria Rivas, who has served on several boards and frequently found herself the only woman or person of color there.More reading:California outlawed the all-white-male boardroom. That move is reshaping corporate AmericaColumn: California’s controversial law requiring women on corporate boards is back in the crosshairsNewsom signs law mandating more diversity in California corporate boardrooms

Wildfires across the American West this summer spewed out smoke full of particulates that darkened skies, created unnaturally beautiful sunsets and boosted health risks far and wide. This problem has been getting worse as the years go by. So how will we move forward?Today, we convene our monthly Masters of Disasters panel — L.A. Times air quality reporter Tony Barboza, wildfire reporter Alex Wigglesworth and earthquake and COVID-19 reporter Ron Lin — to talk about what makes wildfire smoke special, how to protect yourself and what the future might be. We also discuss reasons to be optimistic. And no, we’re not apologizing for the corny jokes. You’re welcome.More reading:Wildfire smoke now causes up to half the fine-particle pollution in Western U.S., study findsWildfire smoke may carry ‘mind-bending’ amounts of fungi and bacteria, scientists sayAs ‘diesel death zones’ spread, pollution regulators place new rules on warehouse industryHow to keep the air in your home clean when there’s wildfire smoke outside

It’s been about a week since a big oil spill hit the Southern California shoreline near Orange County. Tar sullied sensitive wetlands. Birds and fish died. Miles of beaches were closed. The L.A. Times newsroom has produced dozens of stories trying to understand what happened, and what we’ve found so far isn’t pretty: aging offshore oil platforms and pipelines — being bought up by companies that have a history of safety violations.Today, we speak to L.A. Times investigative reporter Connor Sheets about the causes of the so-called Huntington Beach oil spill. And an environmental activist — Center for Biological Diversity oceans program director Miyoko Sakashita — describes what she found when visiting Southern California’s offshore drilling platforms in 2018.More reading:Full coverage: the Huntington Beach oil spillCalifornia attorney general launches investigation into Orange County oil spillFederal regulation of oil platforms was dogged by problems long before O.C. spillHow much would it cost to shut down an offshore oil well? Who pays?

Nearly a century ago, government officials pushed a Black family from their beachfront property in the Southern California city of Manhattan Beach. Now, in what could be a landmark in this nation’s efforts to correct past injustices to African Americans, the land is being returned to the family’s descendants.Today, we have an update to our June episode about the fight over Bruce’s Beach. And we hear from the historians, family members and grass-roots organizers who championed this cause for years until it could not be ignored. We also speak with L.A. Times environmental reporter Rosanna Xia about her work, which amplified the story of Bruce’s Beach to the world.More reading:Newsom signs bill to return Bruce’s Beach to Black familyOp-Ed: Bruce’s Beach will be returned to my family. I hope our fight will help othersEditorial: Beyond Bruce’s Beach is the tarnished American dream for Black AmericansManhattan Beach was once home to Black beachgoers, but the city ran them out. Now it faces a reckoning

Milwaukee is in the grips of the worst violence in its modern history. There were 189 killings there last year — the most ever recorded, almost twice as many as the year before.It’s not just Milwaukee. The nonprofit Council on Criminal Justice looked at 34 U.S. cities and found that 29 had more homicides last year than in 2019. What has caused this surge? How is it affecting members of the hardest-hit communities?Today, Los Angeles Times national correspondent Kurtis Lee takes us to Milwaukee’s north side to explore the neighborhood’s history and present and to hear from community members: victims’ families, as well as a pastor, a retiring police detective and a funeral home director. He also reflects on how it feels to be a young Black man covering the deaths of so many young Black men.More reading:On the front lines of the U.S. homicide epidemic: Milwaukee faces historic violenceA year like no other for L.A. crime: Homicides surge, robberies and rapes dropOp-Ed: Homicide rates are up. To bring them down, empower homegrown peacekeepers

Nursing is a tough job in good times, and the COVID-19 pandemic made it a lot tougher. Within a few months of the start of the pandemic, U.S. healthcare workers reported high rates of anxiety, frustration, emotional and physical exhaustion and burnout.Now we’re a year and a half in. We’ve got vaccines, but the Delta variant still poses a big threat. So how are nurses holding up?Today, nurses tell us about their experiences and how they’re coping, personally and professionally.Host: L.A. Times utility journalism reporter Karen GarciaMore reading:Nurses have had a tough year (and then some). You can learn from their resilience Op-Ed: As a doctor in a COVID unit, I’m running out of compassion for the unvaccinated. Get the shotTracking the coronavirus in California

To Project Roomkey’s architects, the program was a no-brainer. Thousands of hotel rooms were empty because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And there were thousands of people who lacked homes and seemed especially vulnerable to the coronavirus. The plan to put the people in the empty rooms and pay the hotel owners seemed to solve two problems at once.Sounds easy, right? But in practice, not so much. The program helped some people but certainly not everyone.Today we examine Project Roomkey — its promises, achievements, shortcomings and future. We talk to L.A. Times reporters Benjamin Oreskes and Doug Smith, who have covered the program from the start. We also talk to Stephanie Klasky-Gamer, the head of a nonprofit that helps people transition out of homelessness.More reading:L.A. had a golden opportunity to house homeless people in hotels — but fell short of its goalL.A. County won’t expand program to shelter homeless people in hotelsFederal aid allows L.A. to extend hotel-room rentals for homeless people

Rules against jaywalking are rarely enforced, but in many places, when someone does get a ticket, it's more likely than not a person of color — and the penalty is steep.Jaywalking tickets disproportionately affect communities of color in California’s biggest cities. Critics say that’s because of systemic racism, and state lawmakers want to address the disparity. A bill currently awaiting the signature of Gov. Gavin Newsom, known as the Freedom to Walk act, would get rid of penalties for pedestrians who try to cross the street when it’s safe, even against a red light.Today we talk to state Assemblymember Phil Ting, who introduced the bill. And walking advocate John Yi discusses getting from Point A to Point B with convenience and dignity.More reading:Editorial: Trying to cross the street shouldn’t be a crimeO.C. deputies argued over whether to stop Kurt Reinhold before fatally shooting him2018 Op-Ed: Cars are running over people left and right. So why is LAPD targeting pedestrians and not drivers?

We’re doing another crossover episode with our sister show, “Asian Enough.” Today, hosts Jen Yamato and Tracy Brown are joined by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, the breakout star of Netflix’s hit coming-of-age comedy “Never Have I Ever.” She talks about her Tamil roots, her high school self, her bond with Mindy Kaling and what it’s like getting mega-famous overnight — during a pandemic.More reading:You’ll want to learn the name Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. She’s Netflix’s next teen star‘Never Have I Ever’s’ heroine can be surprisingly cruel. Here’s what’s behind it‘Never Have I Ever’ is the L.A. immigrant tale I never thought I’d see on TV: My own

Trust Women Wichita is a clinic in Kansas that has long been a lightning rod in the abortion wars. Its former director, George Tiller, was assassinated in 2009 by an antiabortion extremist, and the clinic closed for years because of that.Since it reopened in 2013, the clinic slowly became known as a place for people from across the Midwest and South who want to end their pregnancies and must travel hundreds of miles. Now, with Texas passing one of the most sweeping antiabortion laws in the country, Trust Women Wichita is busier than ever.Today, L.A. Times Houston bureau chief Molly Hennessy-Fiske takes us to this abortion clinic. She talks to women who came from far away to get an abortion, staffers who feel their work is more important than ever — and antiabortion activists who are counting on even more restrictive laws to effectively shut down Trust Women Wichita.More reading:For many Texans, it’s a long drive out of state for abortionOp-Ed: What it’s like operating a Texas abortion clinic nowThe new Texas abortion law is becoming a model for other states

Lighting, cameras, sound props, costumes, editing and so much more: About 60,000 workers with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees — IATSE for short — are among the most forgotten of Hollywood’s magic makers. And now, citing unfair working conditions, they might go on strike. What does that mean for them? And what does it mean for people who like watching movies, TV shows and streaming services?Today we talk to L.A. Times entertainment industry reporter Anousha Sakoui, who has been following the issue. And a crew member — Marisa Shipley, who's also vice president of IATSE Local 871 — tells us about her own working conditions and why she’s anxious about the future of her job and her colleagues’ careers.More reading:Hollywood union calls for strike authorization vote by crew workersCelebs rally for IATSE: ‘Now is the time to speak for the people who make it possible’War of words escalates between producers group and crews union

Bagels and lox, pastrami on rye and maybe a dollop of sour cream or applesauce on your latkes: The Jewish deli is a staple of American city life, and it’s delicious. But over the last decade, icons of the genre, from New York to Los Angeles, have shut down — even as the food itself has become more popular. So why are the delis disappearing?Today we’re looking at the Jewish deli. It’s always been a nexus of tradition and assimilation, old country and new, with rugelach for dessert. Our guests: The Foward national editor Rob Eshman and Mort & Betty's chef and curator Megan TuckerMore reading:In search of perfect pastrami: Your guide to the Jewish delis of Los AngelesOn Greenblatt’s Deli’s last night, guests waited for one final tasteThe deli capital? It’s L.A.

Pudgy Penguins, Bored Apes and CryptoKitties — a Noah’s Ark of nonfungible tokens — are the latest trend for people trying to get rich and engage with art in a new way. NFTs might be a fad, but there’s a multibillion-dollar market for them.Today, L.A. Times business reporter Sam Dean gives us a crash course in what exactly NFTs are and how to think about whether they’re worth your money. And NFT collectors Cooper Turley and Tim Kang tell us why they think the digital tokens could change our lives even if we don’t buy them.Also: An update about last week’s episode “Our nation’s Haitian double standard.”More reading:$69 million for digital art? The NFT craze explainedWho can sell a Wonder Woman NFT? The guy who drew her or DC Comics?How NFTs could affect sports

Today, a crossover episode with our L.A. Times cousin podcast “Asian Enough.” Hosts Tracy Brown and Jen Yamato interview novelist Min Jin Lee about leaving her legal career to write books, expressing Asian pride at a time of hate crimes, dealing with people whose stances you dislike, and working to change the world five minutes at a time.The author also blows the hosts’ minds with her perspective on dealing with the pain of casual racism. “Min Jin, you’re giving me, like, a lifetime of therapy here.”More reading:Welcome to ‘Asian Enough,’ Season 2Violence has Asian Americans questioning how far they have really come in their American journeyHigh School Insider column: Exploring my Korean identity — A follow-up to Min Jin Lee’s ‘Pachinko’Op-ed: Coronavirus reminds Asian Americans that our belonging is conditional

Ellen Garrison Jackson Clark was the granddaughter of a freed man who fought in the Revolutionary War. She grew up educated and refined in Concord, Mass. Her mother was friends with families of some of America’s greatest thinkers, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. So how did she end up in an unmarked grave near Los Angeles for 129 years?Today, L.A. Times features writer Jeanette Marantos brings you the extraordinary story of how amateur historians nationwide got together to find Clark’s final resting place — and finally got her a tombstone.More reading:She was the Rosa Parks of her day. So why was she in an unmarked grave for 129 years?How we got the story of Ellen Garrison Jackson Clark and her courageous, unsung lifeLA Times Today: The ‘Rosa Parks of Concord MA,’ discovered in an unmarked grave in Altadena

Note: This episode mentions thoughts of suicide. Over the last month, the population of Del Rio, Texas, has jumped by half. The reason: refugees, many of them Haitian, have arrived and set up a tent city under a freeway overpass. They’re hoping for a chance to live in the United States, but the Biden administration isn’t so welcoming.This isn’t anything new for Haitians. For decades, the U.S. has treated them far differently than other migrants from the Western Hemisphere.Today, we go to the Del Rio camp and hear from Haitians who are staying there. And we dive into this refugee double standard that has immigration activists comparing President Biden to Donald Trump. Our guest is L.A. Times Houston bureau chief Molly Hennessy-Fiske. More reading:U.S. begins removing Haitian migrants, but they continue to flock to Texas borderConfined to U.S. border camp, Haitian migrants wade to Mexico for suppliesHaitian migrants pour out of U.S. into Mexico to avoid being sent back to Haiti

Latinos have long hidden in plain sight in U.S. society. Some do it to lessen the racism they might face from non-Latinos. But there’s another type of whitewashing that’s even more disturbing. It’s when Latinos downplay their distinct identities among themselves or suppress the visibility of fellow Latinos.Today we talk about the phenomenon of Latino erasure, who does it, why it happens and how it persists. We’ll focus on Culture Clash, the pioneering Chicano comedy troupe. This summer, two of its members “came out” as Salvadoran, not Mexican. Our guests:  L.A. Times arts columnist Carolina A. Miranda and Culture Clash members Ric Salinas and Herbert Siguenza. More reading:Watch “The Salvi Chronicles”For me, being Latino means living between two worldsOp-Ed: Why did so few Latinos identify themselves as white in the 2020 census?

Right now, migrant camps are popping up on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. They’re filled with people who escaped dire circumstances in their home countries and seek a chance at officially living in the United States. But the Biden administration is telling these people, much like in the Trump years: Better luck next time.Today, we launch the first in a two-part series on these camps. We start in Reynosa, Mexico, where about 2,000 Central Americans wait for their U.S. amnesty cases to be heard. Later this week, we’ll head to Del Rio, Texas, where more than 16,000 Haitians have gathered — and are currently getting deported. L.A. Times Houston bureau chief Molly Hennessy-Fiske explains the situation. More reading:Biden vowed to close a border migrant camp, then a worse one emerged under his watchSupreme Court rules Biden may not end Trump’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ policyWhat’s next for the ‘Remain in Mexico’ immigration policy?

This month, Mexico’s Supreme Court decriminalized abortion in the country. Argentina legalized abortion last December, becoming one of just three countries in Latin America to fully allow it.Today, we talk about the slow liberalization of abortion rights in Latin America at a time that state governments in the United States have chipped away at access. It’s a dramatic flip of circumstances. L.A. Times Mexico City bureau chief Patrick McConnell and L.A. Times Latin America correspondent Kate Linthicum discuss what we can learn from the situation. More reading:Across Latin America, abortion restrictions are being loosenedMexico Supreme Court rules abortion is not a crimeArgentina legalizes abortion, a move likely to reverberate across Latin America

No state has lost as much as California in the war on terror after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks; 776 men and women who called the Golden State home have died — that’s 11% of the nation’s total casualties from the war. Nearly 20% of those Californians who perished were old enough to die for their country but too young to buy a drink. They left behind 453 children. For the families — and the state — the loss from the war on terror is incalculable. We spoke to three families about loss, grief and the years that have passed since their loved ones were killed in April 2004.More reading:What did California lose in the war on terror? More than any other state in the U.S. With prayers and promises, a California city remembers a fallen Marine The young Marines wanted to help. They were the last Americans to die in the Afghanistan war

We're delving into the term “Latinx.” Whom does it refer to? Who uses it? And why do people on both the left and the right, Latino and not, get so worked up about it?Fidel Martinez, who writes the Latinx Files newsletter for the L.A. Times, breaks it down. We’ll also hear from folks who identify as Latinx, and from L.A. Times columnist Jean Guerrero. She used “Latinx” in a tweet recently and has been weathering a backlash ever since.More reading:Sign up for our Latinx Files newsletterWhy we chose the name Latinx Files for our new newsletterLatinx Files: The story behind the name, and why Latinx voters are exhausted

The polls have closed, and even though the votes are still being counted, but the California gubernatorial recall election results seem decisive: Voters said no to recalling Gov. Gavin Newsom.If the results hold — and it sure looks like they will — Gov. Gavin Newsom will remain in office. Voters rejected the idea that his progressive policies on COVID-19, on climate change, on everything, were ruining the California dream and that someone else on the ballot could do a better job. So ... what’s next for the Golden State? L.A. Times politics reporter Seema Mehta and Sacramento bureau chief John Meyers fill us in. More reading:Newsom soundly defeats California recall attempt5 takeaways from Newsom’s big win in California’s recall electionColumn: The recall was a colossal waste. But don’t expect California’s GOP to learn from it

Over the past couple of years, a slew of weather disasters afflicting the United States have shown how fragile our energy system truly is, from electrical grids to solar panels, wind farms to coal. Add aging infrastructure and a clapback by Mother Nature, and zap: No power. For days.Today, we convene our monthly Masters of Disasters panel — earthquake and COVID-19 reporter Ron Lin, wildfire reporter Alex Wigglesworth and energy reporter Sammy Roth — to talk about the future of energy in a rapidly warming world.More reading:Sign up for our Boiling Point newsletterWill blackouts be Gavin Newsom’s downfall? A former governor weighs inRidgecrest earthquake packed the power of 45 nuclear bombs, but its impact was muted

Packed stadiums. Hard-fought games. Boisterous, mostly maskless fans. The National Football League kicked off its season this past weekend almost as if the coronavirus had never existed. But it didn’t get to this point by ignoring the pandemic — far from it. With careful planning and close attention to who in the league was getting sick, the NFL helped advance science and show us all how to live in a world with COVID-19.Today, as the 2021 football season begins, L.A. Times reporter Sam Farmer delves into the NFL’s coronavirus experiment: its successes, its failures and lessons for the rest of us.More reading:The NFL had a secret COVID-19 plan. Here’s why the league didn’t need itFive things we learned from behind-the-scenes look at the NFL’s COVID-19 season in 2020Column: The NFL discovers how to trounce vaccine hesitancy

Twenty years ago, the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and on United Airlines Flight 93 killed nearly 3,000 people. It’s a day that launched wars and shifted politics in the United States forever.It’s also the day that pushed the U.S. Muslim community under a microscope — and has kept them there ever since.Today, we focus on how 9/11 and its aftermath continue to loom over their lives.More reading:20 years after 9/11, an American Muslim recalls the costs of war you didn’t see on TVMuslim youth in America: A generation shadowed by the aftermath of 9/11Former Rep. Keith Ellison recalls how political opponents attacked his Muslim faith after 9/11

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, chair of the powerful House Intelligence Committee, became a household name as lead impeachment manager against former President Trump. Now the Southern California-based congressman is investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. It’s been an unlikely career path for Schiff. When he began his first term in the House of Representatives in January 2001, his big issue was U.S. recognition of the Armenian genocide. Then came Sept. 11. Today is Part 1 of our series on the legacy of 9/11 in California. We’ll begin with national political correspondent Melanie Mason interviewing Schiff on how that one day in 2001 changed the trajectory of his career and American politics forever.More reading: Adam Schiff’s command of impeachment hearings draws Trump’s anger and colleagues’ praiseColumn: Adam Schiff has finally been vindicated. But it brings him no pleasureOp-Ed: Adam Schiff: Why my colleagues and I are introducing the first major democracy reforms since Watergate

In 2018, Gavin Newsom was elected California’s governor with nearly 62 percent of the vote. It was the largest margin of victory in a California gubernatorial election in nearly 70 years and cemented Newsom’s reputation as the state’s marquee Democrat. But now Newsom faces a recall election, and all of liberal America is asking: What happened? Today, in the second part of our series on California’s recall election, we examine the rise and potential fall of Newsom. The former lieutenant governor and San Francisco mayor seems like the perfect official to lead deep-blue California,  but now there’s a chance he might be on the wrong side of a historical political upset.More reading: Read all of the L.A. Times California gubernatorial recall election coverage hereQ&A: What you need to know about the attempt to recall Gov. Gavin NewsomColumn: In California governor recall, Latinos have a chance to cause political ‘desmadre’

California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, faces a once-unthinkable scenario: a recall. Election day is Sept. 14, just a week away. If he loses, his putative replacement would be one of the most conservative governors California has ever seen.How did California, one of the bluest states, get to the point where a Republican might win the governor’s seat? How did that candidate, radio talk show host Larry Elder, become the top challenger? And what would Elder do if he wins?Today, we start a two-part series on the California recall election, starting with a focus on Elder: his life, his beliefs and his sudden political rise. Our guest is L.A. Times columnist Erika D. Smith. More reading:Everything you need to know about Larry ElderColumn: Larry Elder is the Black face of white supremacy. You’ve been warnedColumn: Larry Elder says he’s not a face of white supremacy. His fans make it hard to believeInside Larry Elder’s base — longtime fans, new converts, evangelicals, Trump fans

Growing up in Queens, N.Y., Lucy Liu felt like she was from another planet — until she found the arts. But when the fiercely independent daughter of Chinese immigrants set her sights on acting, she was told repeatedly she wouldn’t make it in Hollywood, where opportunities for Asian American talent were scant.Now she’s a household name.In this crossover episode with The Los Angeles Times’ “Asian Enough” podcast, the actor talks about how her memorable roles — including Ling Woo on “Ally McBeal” and O-Ren Ishii in the “Kill Bill” movies — helped move the needle on Asian representation in Hollywood. Liu also discusses why she had to stand up to Bill Murray on the set of “Charlie’s Angels” and her feelings about the Destiny’s Child song that name-drops her.More reading: Lucy Liu gets personal on fame, art and standing up for herself on the ‘Charlie’s Angels’ set

The U.S. has seen a historic number of illegal border crossings this summer — a 21-year high, according to federal figures. Why is this happening? One reason: Thousands of migrants are waiting in northern Mexico — some for months — to claim asylum in the U.S. because President Biden extended a Trump-era pandemic policy that effectively bars them from entering the country.In Mexico, the migrants — many from Central America — are at risk of being kidnapped, extorted or killed by smugglers. Yet more decide to make the dangerous journey to the border every day, seeking refuge in the U.S.41-year-old El Salvador native Rosario Yanira Girón de Orellana was one of them. Her body was found on a ranch in Texas in June. This is her story.More reading:Losing Rosario: A mother sent her daughter across the border. Before they could reunite, one diedLa muerte de Rosario: Una madre envió a su hija al otro lado de la frontera. Ella falleció antes de que pudieran reunirseWhy Border Patrol is doing more to rescue and identify missing migrants

Fewer ethnic groups in the U.S. have been harder hit by COVID-19 than Native Americans. It’s killed them at more than twice the rate of whites. The pandemic has exacerbated longstanding health inequities, and a deep-rooted distrust in the federal government made tribal leaders fearful that members would reject the government-endorsed vaccines.But the opposite happened. Native Americans now have the highest vaccination rates of any major racial or ethnic group in the United States. L.A. Times Seattle bureau chief Richard Read and Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez explain why.More reading:Despite obstacles, Native Americans have the nation’s highest COVID-19 vaccination rateCOVID-19 is crushing Native American reservations. But distrust of the government makes vaccines a hard sellThey know the sick. On Navajo Nation, contact tracers work to control coronavirus on vast lands

The pandemic has devastated national economies and the futures of young people. Few countries have been hurt more than Colombia. Since April, nationwide strikes — led by students, Afro-Colombians, and Indigenous people — have repeatedly shut down parts of the South American country. What’s happening here is a case study of whether the old adage of the Latin American left remains true in the age of COVID-19: Otro mundo es posible. Another world is possible.Today, L.A. Times Mexico City bureau chief Patrick J. McDonnell, who was in Colombia this summer, describes the social and political fallout and how the U.S. is involved. And we’ll hear from Colombians themselves about why they’re angry.More reading:The pandemic plunged millions of Latin Americans into poverty. Young people are inheriting the consequencesSlain Colombian activist becomes icon of resistance as protests and deaths mountColombia reaches 100,000 COVID-19 deaths as cases surge 

If you’ve worked from home during the pandemic, you probably haven’t used your local dry cleaner as much. Maybe you noticed a little bit more savings and thought, “Oh, cool.” But think about it: Your dry cleaner is run by people. If you’re in Southern California, they're most likely Korean immigrants. And if you’re not spending money, that means they’re not making it.Today, we talk about the history of the Korean dry cleaner in the United States. How did people get into this business? And are their days of dominating it over?Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuest: L.A. Times San Gabriel Valley reporter Andrew J. Campa and Arroyo Cleaners owners Yoon Dong Kim and Stacy KimMore reading:Long a path to success for Korean immigrants, dry cleaners struggle in the pandemicFrom the archives: Korean immigrants run 70% of Orange County’s dry cleaners and 27% of its neighborhood grocery storesFrom the archives: Korean Americans move on to franchises

Tequila is the national drink of Mexico, wrapped up in the country’s mythology via film, song and art. But makers have long relied on American consumers — 72% of all tequila produced last year was exported to the United States. Now celebrities see Mexican spirits as a way to expand their brand and make easy bucks.L.A. Times Latin America correspondent Kate Linthicum talks about the phenomenon. And host Gustavo Arellano gets a few people together for a taste test to see whether celebrity tequila can be ... good?After that: a profile of wheelchair basketball player Josie Aslakson, who is competing in the Paralympic Games.More reading:Kendall Jenner, Michael Jordan, the Rock. How American celebrities are changing Mexico’s tequila industryKendall Jenner has a new tequila brand, and Twitter wants to know whyFlamin’ Hot Cheetos, natural wine and toilet paper: Sara’s Market in East L.A. adapts to the times

Welcome, new listeners! Here's one of our favorite episodes from earlier this year, with a brand-new segment at the end. It's been quite the year for the Los Angeles Public Library — and the COVID-19 pandemic is only part of the story. Inauguration Day saw a reading by Amanda Gorman, who got her start with poetry readings via the L.A. Public Library's youth program. And teen punk group the Linda Lindas got worldwide fame after a concert at the library system's Cypress Park branch. Today, we talk to L.A. librarian Kevin Awakuni about how the city's public library has turned into an incubator for making libraries hip worldwide. We also get L.A. Times columnist Patt Morrison to explain how a city long dismissed as an intellectual wasteland learned to treasure its libraries in the wake of a devastating fire.Also: We hear from an athlete currently competing in the Paralympic Games: Team USA wheelchair rugby player Chuck Aoki. More reading:‘Whoa, this is crazy’: L.A. teen punks the Linda Lindas on going viral (just before finals)How a 22-year-old L.A. native became Biden’s inauguration poet Who started the 1986 fire at the Los Angeles Library? Susan Orlean investigates in her new book

The last time we talked to L.A. Times photographer and foreign correspondent Marcus Yam, he and L.A. Times Middle East bureau chief Nabih Bulos had just gone on a ride-along with the Afghan Air Force. Toward the end of the episode, the two mentioned how the Taliban was barreling through Afghanistan on the march to regain control over a country it last ruled 20 years ago. Now, the organization is busy setting up a government as the United States vows to withdraw completely by Aug. 31.Yam returns to tell us what he’s seeing in Afghanistan, what people are telling him, and how Taliban members assaulted him, detained him — then apologized and let him go.More reading:News Analysis: What went wrong in AfghanistanEncounter with the Taliban: Punched, detained — then offered an energy drinkAs Afghans try to figure out Taliban’s new rules, burqas are barometer of sorts

Mj Rodriguez has busted through a tough barrier as the first transgender performer nominated for an Emmy in a lead acting category. Now that she’s wrapped up her successful run in the hit FX show “Pose,” will there be more great mainstream opportunities for trans performers in the future?“Pose” took us into New York’s LGBTQ ballroom scene amid the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and early ‘90s, and Rodriguez brought it all together as Blanca, the mother of the House of Evangelista. Regardless of whether she wins the Emmy next month for outstanding lead actress in a drama series, she’s already made history.Today’s episode continues our collaboration with our sister podcast “The Envelope.” Rodriguez talks about her background as a musical theater performer and Berklee-educated songwriter, the night she learned that the part of Blanca was hers and how she feels the doors are opening up for trans performers. Plus we’ve got a clip of her new single.More reading:How Mj Rodriguez and Billy Porter are saying goodbye to ‘Pose’‘Pose’ cast celebrates Mj Rodriguez’s historic Emmy nomination: ‘About mf’n time’Queer actors are finally playing queer roles. Next up? More chances to play it straight 

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer hasn't played a Major League Baseball game since late June, when a woman received a temporary restraining order against him after alleging that consensual sexual encounters turned into sexual and physical assaults on two occasions. Bauer has not been charged with any crimes and denies the allegations, and a judge denied last week a request to make the restraining order permanent. But the controversy has cast a harsh light on sexism in baseball, which has been present in the sport since its start and continues to plague the national pastime. And this time, the reaction seems different. More reading:What we know about the Trevor Bauer case, and what we’ll never know2021 hindsight: Inside the Trevor Bauer disaster and how the Dodgers got hereCommentary: Trevor Bauer, faced with report of previous protective order, plays old card: Bullying

Today we talk about California’s huge role in influencing gun control laws in the U.S. and about the backlashes. We discuss the state’s historic 1989 ban on assault weapons and why a federal judge recently issued an order to overturn that ban. And we talk to the mayor of San Jose, who wants his city to be the first in the United States to require gun owners to buy liability insurance. Gun rights advocates are already threatening a lawsuit.More reading:California’s long history on assault weapons on the line in court battleThe judge upending California’s gun laws: ‘Blessed’ jurist or ‘stone-cold ideologue’?Biden huddles with local officials over gun violence as ownership rises

Democrats and progressives helped Alex Villanueva rise to power back in 2018, excited about his left-leaning campaign promises. But that support did not last long. The sheriff has been criticized over his response to issues including homelessness, COVID-19 and police brutality, as well as transparency and reinstating fired deputies.The Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission, a sitting county supervisor and the Democratic Party have called for him to step down. He’s up for reelection next year, and he doesn’t agree with the criticism.Today, we run a condensed version of a conversation Villanueva had on “Los Angeles Times Today” with host Lisa McRee.More reading:Column: Sheriff Villanueva is angry — at elected officials, at the L.A. Times, at lawlessness‘Running against the woke left’: Can Sheriff Villanueva’s shift to the right work in L.A.?Op-Ed: Villanueva’s bogus Venice ‘outreach’ is just a cover for criminalizing homelessness

The Dixie fire is now the largest single wildfire in California history. At more than 600,000 acres, it’s been burning in Northern California for over a month and has destroyed more than 500 homes in areas that never imagined wildfires to be a year-round risk.That inferno continues at the same time that the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has released its bleakest report yet, saying: “It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.”Today, we welcome our good-natured Masters of Disasters — L.A. Times earthquake reporter Ron Lin, coastal reporter Rosanna Xia and wildfire reporter Alex Wigglesworth — to make sense of these dark and hot times.More reading:Dixie fire generates fire whirl, pyrocumulonimbus cloud at 40,000 feetPG&E power line suspected in Dixie fire was set to be buried underground in safety moveCalifornia builds a ‘Noah’s Ark’ to protect wildlife from extinction by fire and heat

Today, we continue our collaboration with our sister podcast “The Envelope” and its host Yvonne Villarreal. In this episode, she talks with Hannah Waddingham about Waddingham’s Emmy-nominated performance in “Ted Lasso,” the feel-good Apple TV + comedy series that centers on the upbeat, fish-out-of-water American coach of an English soccer team. Waddingham plays the coach’s initially vindictive and cynical boss, Rebecca.Waddingham also discusses her turn as the “Game of Thrones” nun who infamously yelled “Shame! Shame!” at Cersei Lannister, recounts how doors have opened for her during her career and reflects on her childhood as the daughter and granddaughter of opera singers.More reading:Those biscuits in ‘Ted Lasso’ look delish. Not so much, says Hannah Waddingham‘Ted Lasso’s’ Christmas episode wasn’t part of the plan. Here’s how they pulled it off‘Ted Lasso’ isn’t just a TV show. It’s a vibe

Today we talk to L.A. Times education and science reporters about the full reopening of schools, which will affect millions of families in California and beyond. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mostly OKed this reopening, with the provision that everyone should mask up in schools and, if 12 or older, be vaccinated against COVID-19.But what if your kids are younger than that? How about if they develop symptoms or come into contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus? What safety measures should schools be prioritizing?More reading:California students are going back to school. We answer parents’ most pressing questions‘Que locura,’ this is madness. First-day-of-school delays frustrate students and parents$350 million. 1,000 healthcare workers. 500,000 tests weekly. Inside L.A. Unified School District’s virus testing effort

President Biden wants 40 percent of new cars to be electric by 2030. As automakers race to meet demand, they're setting off a mining rush worldwide from rare earth and critical metals. Cobalt, lithium, manganese and nickel here in the United States are hard to come by, but exist in sensitive habitats like the ocean floor and indigenous land. Now, environmentalists and activists are questioning whether electric cars are the wisest way to tackle climate change. In this episode we take you to the lithium mines of the Western U.S. in Nevada, to the geothermal vents of California’s Salton Sea, and to the seafloor of the Pacific Ocean.More reading:California’s electric car revolution, designed to save the planet, also unleashes a toll on itColumn: I was going to buy an all-electric car but chickened out. Here’s whyGood luck getting a state rebate on your new electric car

Black police officers are facing new challenges in the current atmosphere around policing, especially in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the many demonstrations against police brutality that have taken place over the last 18 months.In addition to heckling from activists on the streets, some of whom call them traitors, Black officers experience internal racism within the police department — which has always existed but has surfaced in new ways since last year’s protests began.Today, Officer Michael Silva talks to L.A. Times reporter Kevin Rector about why he joined the Los Angeles Police Department, what he’s experienced and where he thinks we can go from here.More reading:For a Black LAPD officer, police reckoning brings pressure from protesters and fellow copsIn court, BLM says LAPD ‘failed completely’ to punish officers in protest abusesPolice Commission reinstates one of LAPD’s first Black officers, undoing 120-year-old injustice2019 analysis: LAPD searches Blacks and Latinos more. But they’re less likely to have contraband than whites

Corn is a part of modern life in all sorts of ways: It fattens up livestock and gets turned into biofuels. We eat it on the cob, as grits, polenta and tortillas, and as syrup that sweetens so many other foods.Most of the corn used in the U.S. is sprayed with weed killers such as glyphosate and is genetically modified to survive those weed killers and to create bigger yields — controversial practices.Mexico, corn’s birthplace, imports millions of tons of U.S. corn each year. But there’s about to be a dramatic change. The nation is preparing to shut its doors to GMO corn and ban glyphosate. Today we talk with reporter Renée Alexander, as well as the head of a company that’s devoted to buying from Mexican farmers who grow non-GMO corn, about what that means for both Mexico and the United States.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: Journalist Renée Alexander and Masienda founder and CEO Jorge GaviriaMore reading:Mexico is phasing out imports of glyphosate and GMO cornChampion of poor or demagogue? Mexico’s president remains popularCourt upholds $25-million verdict against maker of glyphosate weed killer Roundup

In this collaboration with our sister podcast “The Envelope,” we talk all things Emmys, which are coming up Sept. 19. Who are the favorites? The snubs? The underdogs? In this roundtable, host Gustavo Arellano — who still subscribes to DirecTV and mostly watches local news and Bravo, so at least he’s familiar with “Below Deck” — joins his entertainment-side colleagues, columnist Glenn Whipp and television editor Matt Brennan. They know what’s up.More reading:Last year, we turned to TV for comfort. Emmy voters followed suitThis year’s Emmy nominations are clear: The age of the antihero is overThe BuzzMeter experts predict the 2021 Emmy winners — and so can you

The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing sounds like a bureaucratic borefest, but it’s actually pretty important. It files lawsuits against companies and landlords accused of discrimination.Now it’s tackling sexism in the world of video games.Today we talk about California’s lawsuit against Activision Blizzard. The Santa Monica company made $8 billion last year on the strength of classic video game titles like “Call of Duty” and “World of Warcraft.” But the state argues the company let fester a “pervasive frat boy workplace culture” that led to sexual harassment against women. The move comes during a years-long debate in video games about equity in a culture long dominated by white men.More reading:Activision Blizzard lashed out when accused of sexism. Workers don’t like that responseThis may be one of the most important entertainment lawsuits ever filed — and no one seems to careBlizzard president out in wake of discrimination lawsuit and employee walkout

The Medical Board of California was established to protect patients by licensing doctors and investigating complaints when things go wrong.But even when it accuses a doctor of causing patients to lose limbs, become paralyzed or die, the board often lets the doctor continue to practice. There’s no limit on the number of times the board can put a doctor on probation.Today we speak with L.A. Times investigative reporter Jack Dolan. He, along with our colleague Kim Christensen, looked into how and why the medical board rarely takes away doctors’ licenses and has long pushed back against calls to toughen its approach. We’ll also hear from people who were operated on by California doctors who were on probation and woke up from their surgeries worse off than they were before.More reading:Botched surgeries and death: How the California Medical Board keeps negligent doctors in businessA doctor was charged in a billion-dollar fraud scheme. But his license remains activeCritics say physicians ‘cartel’ obstructing efforts to punish bad doctorsFinding information about your doctor isn’t always easy. Here are some ways to dig deeper

When a warehouse filled with ammonium nitrate and fireworks exploded at the Port of Beirut on Aug. 4, 2020, it pushed out a fireball into the air, followed by a shock wave that raced inland at supersonic speed. A trail of devastation followed: 200 people dead, thousands wounded and 300,000 homeless.The Lebanese capital’s more than 2 million residents have spent the last year trying to rebuild not just their lives and buildings but also the pride and confidence of a city and country left in tatters. Their government hasn’t helped.Today we talk with L.A. Times Middle East bureau chief Nabih Bulos, who was injured in the explosion. And we hear from relatives of those affected.More reading:Once, they were symbols of promise. The Beirut blast turned them to monuments of despairLebanon’s people line up in ‘queues of humiliation’ as their country unravelsA roar, an explosion, then a blank: An L.A. Times reporter’s ordeal in the Beirut blast

Graceful, playful and tough, the gray whale is a beloved icon of the Pacific coast. The whales’ annual migration from the waters off Alaska to Baja California is one of the longest undertaken by any mammal, a journey that has happened for thousands of years.But in the last couple of years, fewer gray whales have made the trip. These magnificent giants are dying in numbers unseen in decades. Nobody knows exactly why, but there are some clues.Today, we speak with Los Angeles Times investigative reporter Susanne Rust about what’s happening.More reading:Something is killing gray whales. Is it a sign of oceans in peril?Gray whales: What to know about our West Coast leviathans and their uncertain futureAs cargo shipments boom, ship strikes imperil whales in California and worldwideHow we delved into the odyssey of whale deaths even as a pandemic raged

He was a legendary lawyer. She’s a Real Housewife. Together, Tom and Erika Girardi made a striking couple. He funded their lavish lifestyle with multimillion-dollar settlements. She used that money to create a career as a pop singer named Erika Jayne. But did they break the law to build their dream life?In this crossover episode with our sister podcast “The Envelope,” we get into a story straight out of a reality TV plotline. (The couple’s unraveling and legal travails are, in fact, included in this season of Bravo TV’s “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”)It’s way more than fluff: Tom Girardi was a big-deal attorney — one of his cases served as the basis for the Julia Roberts film “Erin Brockovich” — and he wielded substantial political clout. But a troubling side recently emerged: Clients, including widows and orphans, say they never received tens of millions of dollars his firm was supposed to pass along to them.We speak to the Los Angeles Times investigative reporters who are covering the Girardis’ downfall. And we talk to the Los Angeles Times television reporter about why the public just can’t turn away from this story.More reading:Vegas parties, celebrities and boozy lunches: How legal titan Tom Girardi seduced the State BarThe legal titan and the ‘Real Housewife’: The rise and fall of Tom Girardi and Erika Jayne‘Real Housewives’ attorney Tom Girardi used cash and clout to forge powerful political connections

It takes skills to get a tiny golf ball into a faraway hole. It also takes money, connections, power, time and privilege — things historically denied to people of color. Data compiled by the PGA of America show that people of color make up about 18% of golfers in the United States. Black people: only 3%.Pro basketball superstar Steph Curry has stepped up to change that, in partnership with Howard University, a historically Black institution. The school recently restarted a men’s and women’s golf team thanks to a donation from Curry that’ll fund it for six years. A few weeks ago, Howard’s golf program got a new pile of money at a fundraiser in California.Today we hear from Farrell Evans, a reporter and golfer who writes about the intersection of race and golf. And we check in with Howard’s golf team.More reading:Steph Curry brings golf back to Howard UniversityLee Elder, who broke the color barrier, honored during Masters ceremonial tee shotHoward’s Gregory Odom Jr. plays through grief to win PGA Works Collegiate golf title

Thanks to the Delta variant, the coronavirus is stronger than ever. Medical and government officials blame the rise largely on one group: the unvaccinated. So a debate that has persisted for months is now raging hotter: Does shaming persuade folks to finally get the shots?Today, we talk about what’s being done to increase vaccinations among Black people and Latinos. The two groups have suffered inordinately from COVID-19 — yet they don’t have nearly the same shot rates as whites and other groups.We talk to L.A. Times reporter Brittny Mejia, who recently attended a vaccination event in a working-class Latino neighborhood and talked to people about what finally convinced them to get the Fauci ouchie. And columnist Erika D. Smith talks with host Gustavo Arellano about whether shame can convince the vaccine-hesitant to get a shot. She says no. He really wants the answer to be yes.More reading:Why haven’t you been vaccinated? With COVID-19 raging, people explain what took so longColumn: I wish I could be angry with the unvaccinated. Being Black makes that complicatedColumn: Don’t be a ‘pandejo.’ Take the pandemic seriously

We conclude Drought Week with a panel of L.A. Times foreign correspondents who are reporting on droughts in their areas of coverage.In Mexico, a drought in the northern state of Sonora imperils the cattle industry. In Taiwan, water shortages threaten to disrupt the semiconductor industry. And in China, alternating years of drought and floods threaten the nation’s infrastructure.After that, stick around to hear from skateboarder Cory Juneau about his path to the Tokyo Olympics and why he never wants a coach.More reading:The current drought is worldwide. Here’s how different places are fighting itThe most important company you’ve never heard of: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.Amid crushing floods in China, officials focus not on climate change but on control

In Episode 4 of Drought Week, we focus on Lake Mead, created by the Hoover Dam and fed by the Colorado River. It’s the nation’s biggest reservoir, providing water to 25 million people in California, Nevada, Arizona and Mexico.Lake Mead is projected to shrink this year to levels that would trigger the first-ever official shortage declaration in the region. That means Nevada, Arizona and Mexico would have to make do with less water. If the trend continues another year, California gets partially cut off too.L.A. Times national correspondent Jaweed Kaleem visited Lake Mead and talked to cattle ranchers, fishermen and other stakeholders. What they had to say ain’t reassuring.After that, track and field athlete Christina Clemons talks about her road to the Olympics and what it’s like to be a Black woman representing the United States.More reading:‘Unrecognizable.’ Lake Mead, a lifeline for water in Los Angeles and the West, tips toward crisisLake Mead drops to a record low amid droughtApocalypse, cow — our growing drought and the great L.A. cattle escape

In Episode 3 of Drought Week, we take a journey through the American Southwest to Las Vegas, down to Arizona’s Sonoran Desert and through California’s Mojave Desert. We speak to a social scientist, a folklorist and a politician about their efforts to understand the plants and animals affected by this historic drought. We’ll focus on three iconic plants: Joshua trees. Saguaro cactuses. And, well, lawn grass.After that, pistol shooter Alexis Lagan describes the discipline of her sport and how she came to represent the United States at the Tokyo Olympics.More reading:Imagine no Joshua trees in Joshua Tree National ParkIs California ready for brown lawns and shorter showers?From the archives: With giant cactuses and sleek jaguars, Arizona’s Sonoran Desert has an edgy beauty

Today, in Episode 2 of our Drought Week series, we go to Upper Klamath Lake in southern Oregon. As water shortages become a permanent part of life in the American West, battles are brewing everywhere for what little remains. Even in long-verdant areas like the Beaver State.We’ll talk to L.A. Times reporter Anita Chabria and Don Gentry, the chairman of the Klamath Tribes. The tribes get first rights to the water of Upper Klamath Lake, which they use to help sustain a fish important to their culture. But farmers are angry because they’re not getting any water this year. Now, members of the far right are coming in to try to exploit the tension.After that story, stick around to hear Nick Itkin talk about how he got into fencing and came to represent the United States in the Tokyo Olympics. More reading:Racism, drought and history: Young Native Americans fight back as water disappearsWater crisis reaches boiling point on Oregon-California lineAs drought slams California and Oregon, Klamath farmers grow fish to quell a water war

Today we launch Drought Week, a five-part series looking at how water shortages across the West are profoundly changing life. We’ll swoop around, from Oregon to the Sonoran Desert, from cities to national parks, from Joshua trees to lawns. To start Drought Week, it’s only natural — pardon the pun — that we take the bigger view first with our Masters of Disasters, the L.A. Times reporters who focus on natural calamities. So get your five-gallon buckets and put them next to you when you shower, ’cause things are serious right now.Then stick around to hear from super-heavyweight boxer Richard Torrez Jr., a Californian representing the United States in the Tokyo Olympics, and his father and coach, Richard Torrez Sr. More reading:Drone photos reveal the shocking truth of California’s parched landscapeHe had 10 minutes to flee the Salt fire. Now his home is goneReady to scratch the grass? Here are 28 inspiring lawn-free yards

Because of California Proposition 187, conservatives turned into liberals, apathetic people got motivated and Latinos in the state truly found their political voice. Now members of that generation are all over Capitol Hill. Today, we speak with Los Angeles Times political reporter Sarah D. Wire about how Congress has changed, what has stayed the same, and whether Donald Trump's presidency created a new moment that galvanizes Latinos and makes them jump into politics. This is a brand-new coda of sorts for the L.A. Times-Futuro Studios 2019 podcast series “This Is California: The Battle of 187,” about the 1994 California ballot initiative that sought to make life miserable for undocumented immigrants but instead radicalized a generation of Latinos in the state.More reading:California’s immigrant crackdown propelled Latinos to Washington. After Trump, could it happen again?Prop. 187 flopped, but it taught the nation’s top immigration-control group how to winLatino voters tired of being taken for granted by baffled Democratic campaigns

When we originally recorded "This Is California: The Battle of 187," we tried and tried to get an interview with former California Gov. Pete Wilson. He’s the man most responsible for making Proposition 187 a success. But Wilson’s people kept saying he was too busy — likely story, am I right? Then, one sunny morning, Wilson decided he was ready to talk.This is Part Four of our rerun of the L.A. Times-Futuro Studios 2019 podcast series “This Is California: The Battle of 187,” about the 1994 California ballot initiative that sought to make life miserable for undocumented immigrants but instead radicalized a generation of Latinos in the state.More reading:Pete Wilson still defending Prop. 187 and fighting for a better place in history On Politics: Pete Wilson looks back on Proposition 187 and says, heck yeah, he’d support it all over again Column: Happy birthday, Pete Wilson. And thanks: You made California what it is

California's Proposition 187 won alongside Gov. Pete Wilson in the 1994 election. But the victories proved to be a double-edged sword. Wilson, who had aspirations to run for higher office, never won another election. And although Proposition 187 eventually was declared unconstitutional, torpedoed the California GOP and inspired many Latinos to get involved in their communities, it also laid lay the political groundwork for successful xenophobic campaigns nationwide. That paved the way for Donald Trump to win the U.S. presidency in 2016.This is Part Three of our rerun of the L.A. Times-Futuro Studios 2019 podcast series “This is California: The Battle of 187,” about the 1994 California ballot initiative that sought to make life miserable for undocumented immigrants but instead radicalized a generation of Latinos in the state. More reading:State GOP haunted by ghost of Prop. 187 Prop. 187 flopped, but it taught the nation’s top immigration-control group how to win The legacy of Proposition 187 cuts two ways

We hear from the Latinos who were about to lose the battle over Proposition 187 — but ended up winning California.This is Part Two of our rerun of the L.A. Times-Futuro Studios 2019 podcast series "This is California: The Battle of 187," about the 1994 California ballot initiative that sought to make life miserable for undocumented immigrants but instead radicalized a generation of Latinos in the state. Further reading:Giant steps: Walkouts against 187 trace the growth of an issue into a cause L.A. march against Prop. 187 draws 70,000Prop. 187 forced a generation to put fear aside and fight. It transformed California, and me

This week, we’re re-airing "This is California: The Battle of 187," a four-part podcast the L.A. Times did back in 2019 in collaboration with Futuro Studios (and we'll wrap up the week with a brand-new update). The series is about Proposition 187, the 1994 California ballot initiative that sought to make life miserable for undocumented immigrants but instead ended up radicalizing a generation of Latinos — and set the stage for Donald Trump to win the presidency in 2016 on a xenophobic platform. Today, in Part One of "This is California: The Battle of 187," we take you back to a time when the Golden State wasn’t a progressive paradise — and how Republicans decided that undocumented immigrants were California’s true problem and thus needed to be demonized. More reading: Initiative to deny aid and education to illegal immigrants qualifies for ballotProp. 187 creators come under closer scrutiny The Times Poll: Anti-illegal immigration Prop. 187 keeps 2-to-1 edge

This year, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele made his country the first in the world to embrace bitcoin as legal tender. That means that come September, Salvadorans will be able to pay bills and taxes in bitcoin and that all businesses will be required to accept the digital currency — from McDonald's to the fruit vendor on the corner.Today, L.A. Times Latin America correspondent Kate Linthicum explains how El Salvador got into the cryptocurrency game.More reading:How a California surfer helped bring bitcoin to El SalvadorEl Salvador makes bitcoin legal tenderA look at El Salvador’s meme-loving, press-hating autocratic president

For a century, California sterilized women in its prisons and hospitals, often without their consent. Government officials did it in the name of eugenics — of trying to curtail the number of working-class people and people of color. The Golden State apologized for its actions in 2003 but didn’t ban the practice until 2014. Now the state will try to address the wrong of its forced sterilization program with a historic move: It wants to pay survivors reparations.On today's episode, we speak with Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles), who sponsored the legislative bill that will create California’s reparations effort. And we also talk to one of the activists who have brought this dark chapter in American history to the public.More reading:California poised to pay compensation to victims of forced sterilizationEditorial: Paying $25,000 to every living forced-sterilization victim is the least California can doForced sterilization: A stain on California 

Shootouts. Armed guards. Stolen water. Killings. It’s not the dramatic climax of a Wild West movie. It’s what’s happening in California’s southern desert right now — thanks to illegal marijuana farms.Although marijuana is legal in California, it still isn’t in most of the United States. So drug cartels and out-of-state growers have set up scores of illegal farms among Joshua trees and tortoise reserves. And locals are begging law enforcement to do something about it.Today, we speak with L.A. Times reporter Jaclyn Cosgrove, who co-wrote a story with Louis Sahagún about how the Mojave Desert is suddenly awash in illegal marijuana. And we talk to a local politician who wants legal cannabis in his community — and the illegal stuff out.More reading:Illegal pot invades California’s deserts, bringing violence, fear, ecological destruction California offers $100 million to rescue its struggling legal marijuana industryCalifornia weighs steep new fines to combat illegal cannabis sellers

QAnon or New Age? Increasingly, in California’s vast health, wellness and spiritual worlds, there's an intersection between the two communities so pronounced that the phenomenon has a new nickname: “Woo-Anon,” and it’s coming to a yoga studio near you. Today, we speak with L.A. Times investigative reporter Laura J. Nelson and yoga instructor Seane Corn about the growing movement, as well as the broken friendships and business partnerships that are happening in a once-placid scene.More reading:California’s yoga, wellness and spirituality community has a QAnon problem‘Woo-Anon’: The creep of QAnon into Southern California’s New Age world Former La Habra police chief, now yoga instructor, indicted on Capitol riot conspiracy charges

For over 40 years, Daniel Ortega has loomed over Nicaragua like few others. He was part of the Sandinista rebel forces that in 1979 overthrew the Somoza family dynasty that had ruled the Central American nation for decades. Ortega then became part of the transitional government that instituted democratic elections, and served as president from 1985 to 1990, and again since 2007. Over those 40 years, critics say, Ortega has transformed into the very dictator he once fought against. Today, we talk to L.A. Times reporter Julia Barajas about a recent crackdown on opponents of Ortega in Nicaragua. We also speak with Pedro X. Molina, a political cartoonist living in exile after having drawn one too many unflattering portraits of the president.More reading:International pressure mounts against Nicaragua’s crackdown on government criticsLatinx Files: What is happening in Nicaragua? Pedro X. Molina uses cartoons to comment on the political and social realities of Nicaragua

Danny Trejo has lived a life worthy of a book. Addict. Prisoner. Actor. Owner of a donut and taco shop. And, now, author of a memoir. "Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood" tells his life story with many jaw-dropping anecdotes. Today, we pass the mic over to L.A. Times culture reporter Daniel Hernandez, who talks to Danny Trejo. Come for the "Machete," stay for the Edward James Olmos incident!More reading:Danny Trejo opens up about being typecast — and a close call with the Mexican MafiaDanny Trejo, a lethal talent Column: ‘Machete’ for U.S. Senate? The bold choice for California Gov. Gavin Newsom

Landing a job at one of the prisons in the northeastern California town of Susanville has been a sure way to get a middle-class life for decades. Now, one of the prisons, California Correctional Center, is scheduled to close. And this charming town of just over 13,500 residents, roughly 40 percent of whom are incarcerated, must confront a truism of small-town American life: when you rely on one industry for your economy, you’re eventually going to get left with the bill. Today, we get the story of Susanville from L.A. Times reporter Hailey Branson-Potts. We also hear from residents and an advocate for prison closure who says there is a future after a lockup gets closed up.More reading:California’s prison boom saved this town. Now, plans to close a lockup are sparking anger and fear A rural Northern California county had few COVID-19 cases, until an inmate transfer led to a large prison outbreak Town’s Last Mill to Be Shut Down

Conviction overturned. Those words cut through social media last week after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court freed Bill Cosby from prison. He was there on a 2018 indecent assault conviction, a significant victory for the Me Too movement. Today, we check in with Nicki Weisensee Egan, host of the LA Times podcast “Chasing Cosby.” After Cosby’s release, she spoke with several women who’ve accused him of sexual assault in the past. We also talk to John Manly, a lawyer who has long gone after sexual predators and the institutions that protect them.More reading:I first covered Cosby’s accusers in 2005. Why’d it take so long for America to believe them? Column: Bill Cosby is out of prison. What does that mean for his dozens of accusers?Introducing: ‘Chasing Cosby’

California's junior U.S. senator, Alex Padilla, is used to making history. The son of Mexican immigrants was the youngest-ever president of the Los Angeles City Council, at age 26. He became California’s first Latino secretary of state in 2014. Then last winter, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Padilla to replace Kamala Harris as U.S. senator — the first-ever Latino to represent the Golden State in this role. Today, Sen. Padilla joins us to talk about his roots, his career, and how he’s using his California background to help chart a path forward for the United States.More reading:Meet Alex Padilla, California’s first Latino U.S. senator and a rising political star since his 20s Sen. Alex Padilla, just months into the job, has a year and a half to convince voters he should keep it Column: The bittersweet victory of Alex Padilla, California’s first Latino U.S. senator

Behold, a special episode of The Times. It’s a crossover edition with our podcast colleagues at The Envelope. We’ll hear the conversation that Yvonne Villarreal, who covers television for the L.A. Times and cohosts our Envelope podcast, had with Academy Award winning actor Kate Winslet. They talk film, TV — and all about Kate’s latest starring role in the critically-acclaimed HBO series “Mare of Easttown." Going to the popular convenience store chain Wawa for research was a requirement to prepare for the role, Winslet said: "It almost felt like a mythical place." Villarreal and Winslet also discuss the long-anticipated film “Avatar 2” directed by James Cameron and how to hold your breath underwater for seven minutes.More Reading:How Kate Winslet mastered the near-impossible accent TV fans can’t stop talking aboutInside Kate Winslet’s Philly culture crash course for ‘Mare of Easttown’Need a really good mystery to watch? HBO’s new crime drama is just the ticket

On July 1, the Chinese Communist Party kicked off its 100th anniversary by celebrating China’s economic success and ambitions to create a new world order. The festivities, of course, are carefully choreographed. For decades, the Communist Party has crushed any counter-narratives to promote a whitewashed version of Chinese history. Those who deviate from the party’s official narrative suffer retribution — and in recent days, records of that punishment have been expunged as well. Today, we focus on a newly revised volume of Communist Party history that aims to airbrush its past for a younger generation who have come of age in a tightly controlled social environment. And we highlight the young activists who are trying to bring attention to this whitewashing — and are getting jailed or exiled for doing so. Our guest is L.A. Times Beijing bureau chief Alice Su.More reading:As Communist Party turns 100, China’s Xi rallies his compatriots and warns his criticsHe tried to commemorate erased history. China detained him, then erased that too China offers a minority a lifeline out of poverty — but what happens to its culture?

Two years ago, the world watched as millions of people in Hong Kong marched in the streets to call for autonomy from China. Beijing responded by passing a national security law last summer that broadly defined acts of subversion, foreign collusion and terrorism. Critics say the law crushed civil liberties. Since it was enacted, many people have fled Hong Kong — some to neighboring Taiwan. Yet Taiwan, a self-governing island that China claims as its territory, is at risk as well. Today, we start a two-part series on the Chinese Communist Party’s ambitions as it celebrates its 100th anniversary. This episode gets into the continued crackdown on freedom and democracy in Hong Kong, where authorities have arrested thousands of pro-democracy activists and shut down a major daily newspaper. We’ll also discuss China’s growing threats to absorb Taiwan. Tomorrow, how the Chinese Communist Party is rewriting China’s history.More ReadingBeleaguered pro-democracy Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily says it’s closing downAs democracy fades, Hong Kong’s political opposition become political prisonersThe most important company you’ve never heard of is being dragged into the U.S.-China rivalry

Today, we examine the Afghan Air Force — its history, its success, its tenuous future. We talk with two of my L.A. Times colleagues who went on a helicopter ride-along... that came under attack. Since 2010, the U.S. military and other allies have poured in $8.5 billion to support the Afghan Air Force, which dates back to 1918. In a long war characterized by inefficiencies and failures, it has proven one of the few success stories. Now, its days might be numbered.More Reading:Afghanistan’s air force is a rare U.S.-backed success story. It may soon failBiden tells Afghan leaders that despite U.S. withdrawal, ‘we’re going to stick with you’Troops bid goodbye to Bagram, once the heart of U.S. power in Afghanistan

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón has a policing pedigree like few others. Army veteran. Patrol officer in Los Angeles. Police chief in San Francisco before becoming D.A. there. Now, he’s in charge of the D.A.’s office in L.A., one of the largest in the country. He’s part of a wave of progressive district attorneys who have won elections in some of America’s largest cities with a promise to radically reform their offices. And he’s currently the subject of a recall effort. Today, we tackle this blowback, talking to L.A. Times crimes and policing reporter James Queally, a member of the Recall Gascón campaign, and Gascón himself.More Reading:An effort to recall Los Angeles D.A. George Gascón is underway: What happens now?Inside George Gascon’s justice revolution, a debate over what it is to be a crime victimFew police agencies have given L.A. prosecutors the names of dishonest cops

People expressing their sexuality in public by dressing up in kink fashions — leather, rubber, furry, dom and a whole other universe of expressions — have been mainstays of Pride parades and festivals since the earliest celebrations in the 1970s. But as these celebrations have slowly mainstreamed, some groups say the kink factor should go down, if not disappear altogether. And the attacks aren’t coming from the right. Today, we talk about kink — what’s its role in Pride, and how does its expression there benefit not just those who partake, but society in general? Our guests are Yale University professor Joe Fischel, who recently wrote an essay in the Boston Review advocating for kink to stay at Pride, and we also talk to the president of San Francisco’s Leather and LGBTQ District — yeah, it’s a thing.More reading:Can San Francisco’s famed leather district be saved in an era of high property values?Keep Pride NudeWhat are you willing to wear on your next Zoom? Fetish fashion is on the rise

Point Roberts, Wash., long prospered as an appendage of Canada. Its economy thrived on sales of gasoline, groceries and alcohol at prices considered a bargain by Canadians, whose frequent visits helped make the border station one of the busiest crossing points between the two countries. Then on March 21, 2020, in response to the pandemic, U.S. and Canadian officials abruptly closed the border to nonessential travel — squeezing the peninsula like a tourniquet. It’s stayed closed ever since. Today, L.A. Times Seattle bureau chief Richard Read brings you the story of a town where life has stopped and is slowly going away — another consequence of the ongoing pandemic.More reading:A U.S. town marooned at the tip of a Canadian peninsulaA Bit of U.S. Clinging to Canada, Point Roberts Waits for BoomA woodsy Northwest retreat gets the water it wanted--with a flood of development

In 2018, Katie Hill made national news when she beat an incumbent to win the 25th congressional district in Southern California. She was part of a wave of progressive, women Democrats who promised to take on then-President Trump. But less than a year later, congresswoman Hill resigned. Intimate photos of her leaked online. She was a victim of revenge porn. Now, the former congresswoman is pushing her former colleagues to make the sharing of intimate pictures without consent a federal crime. On today's episode, we talk to L.A. Times political reporter Seema Mehta, who has covered Hill's downfall and current advocacy work. And we hear from the former congresswoman herself.More reading:Katie Hill fights to make revenge porn a federal crime and ponders another run for office Katie Hill ordered to pay $220,000 in attorneys’ fees in revenge porn case Column: Why Katie Hill has to pay legal fees for a newspaper that published nude photos of her

Despite mass vaccinations and lower rates of infections in the U.S., the post-COVID-19 recovery is far from over. This includes Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, to new or continuing symptoms with little to no relief available. Today, we’ll talk about the lingering physical and emotional effects of COVID-19, and how we can get to a place where those afflicted can heal. Our guests are Dr. Jonathan Sherin, director of Mental Health for Los Angeles County, and Fiona Lowenstein, a COVID-19 survivor who started a support group for those who continue to endure its aftermath.More reading:‘I was just bawling in my PPE’: Surge fades, but anguish remains for healthcare workers Signs of depression have tripled in the U.S. since the COVID-19 pandemic got underwayOp-Ed: The kids who aren’t all right — the pandemic’s lasting toll on youth mental health

Whether by horse, on foot, or in a car, Americans have loved watching lawmen chase bad guys for ages, going all the way back to colonial times. In this era of social media and livestreaming, high-speed car pursuits are as popular as ever and now are broadcast everywhere. Today, we'll talk to University of South Carolina criminology professor Geoffrey Alpert, who studies car chases, and to Zoey Tur, a pioneering TV news helicopter pilot who was one of the first people to ever cover them in Los Angeles, the undisputed capital of car chases. We'll also hear from our senior producer Steven A. Cuevas. All three guests disapprove of our host Gustavo Arellano's car-chase obsession and will try to break him of his habit. Can they succeed?More reading:Are Los Angeles police chases worth the risk to bystanders? Last year saw record injuriesPolice pursuits cause unnecessary deaths and injuries, L.A. County grand jury says10 crazy Southern California police car chases

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics for a year, a debate has been raging in Japan and beyond over whether the worldwide competition should even happen. The vast majority of the country doesn’t want the event to go on, even as the Japanese government and Olympic officials push ahead. But for athletes who have trained for years, if not a lifetime, to represent their country in the Olympics, canceling the Games would be devastating — and a global reminder that we’re still not truly over the coronavirus yet. Today, we speak to L.A. Times Seoul correspondent Victoria Kim about Japan and the Olympics. We also speak to Brandon Loschiavo, an Orange County diver who just qualified for the Olympics and is excited to compete for a gold medal this summer.More reading:Tokyo Olympics loom, with only 2% of Japanese fully vaccinated and fears over thousands of visitors Will the Tokyo Olympics happen? NBC is banking on it Brad Loschiavo qualifies for Olympics

Nearly a century ago, government officials pushed a Black family from their beachfront property in the Southern California city of Manhattan Beach. Now, in what could be a landmark in this nation’s efforts to correct past injustices to African Americans, the County of Los Angeles wants to give Bruce’s Beach back to the family that once owned it. Today, our senior producer Denise Guerra speaks with the historians, family members and grassroots organizers who championed this cause for years until it could not be ignored. We also speak with L.A. Times environmental reporter Rosanna Xia about her work, which amplified the story of Bruce’s Beach to the world.More reading:Manhattan Beach was once home to Black beachgoers, but the city ran them out. Now it faces a reckoningBlack descendants of Bruce’s Beach owner could get Manhattan Beach land back under plan Editorial: Pay back the Bruces for Bruce’s beach

Last week, Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Central America and Mexico as part of the Biden administration’s strategy to address this country’s immigration issues. Supporters expected a kinder approach than that of the Trump administration. But with three simple words — “Do not come” — Harris ignited controversy. Today, we talk to L.A. Times immigration reporter Cindy Carcamo about the backlash over Harris’ remarks, and whether President Biden’s immigration policies are markedly different from those of his predecessor. We also hear from Giovanni Batz, a Guatemalan American scholar, about how U.S. foreign policy has long pushed Guatemalans out of their homeland and toward El Norte.More reading:‘Do not come’: Kamala Harris’ three words to Guatemalans stir debate and backlash Guatemalan lives are thrown into upheaval by failed immigration bidsDocuments Reveal CIA Guatemala Assassination Plots

The greaser. The hot tamale. The gangster. The maid. The narco. These and other stereotypes are how Hollywood has traditionally portrayed Latinos for over a century. Even as they have become America’s largest minority, and as their box-office clout has increased, tired tropes continue. Today, the L.A. Times published a huge package about Hollywood's Latino culture gap, and this episode is a continuation of that coverage. We’re going to talk about this forever trend with legend Edward James Olmos and beloved star Cristela Alonzo. Host Gustavo Arellano will also weigh in on controversy surrounding the recently released film "In the Heights" and its lack of full Afro-Latino representation.More reading:Hollywood has failed Latinos for 100 years. Here’s how to change thatKeeping Close to the Street : When It Comes to Being a Role Model, ‘Miami Vice’ ‘s Edward James Olmos, From East Los Angeles, May Be the Hardest-Working Man in Show Business Cristela Alonzo’s ‘Mixtape Memoir’ Is an Ode to Her South Texas Roots ‘We fell short’: Lin-Manuel Miranda is sorry for ‘In the Heights’ Afro-Latinx erasure

Scientists have determined a mega-earthquake happens every 100 years on average in California. The last time a Big One — like a magnitude 7.8 quake, like the stuff of nightmares — the last time one of those hit Southern California, it was about 164 years ago. Back then, L.A. had a population of just over 4,000 people. The metro area is now over 12 million. So to coach us through earthquake anxiety, we’re getting together today with L.A. Times reporters Rong-Gong Lin II, Rosanna Xia and Alex Wigglesworth, who cover wildfires, the coast and, of course, earthquakes. It’s our monthly panel of peril, our colleagues of catastrophes. In this episode, it's the second installment of our series — cue ominous voice — "Masters of Disasters."More reading:Read "Unshaken," the L.A. Times' guide to earthquake preparednessWhere would a major tsunami strike? Malibu, Venice and Long Beach, get ready From the archives: 112 years ago: Images from San Francisco’s devastating 1906 earthquake

On Sunday, Benjamin Netanyahu lost the prime minister's post after opponents in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, approved a coalition government led, for now, by his one-time protege, Naftali Bennett. Netanyahu will now serve as leader of the opposition.  The new government is an unlikely group of politicians and parties from the left, right and center, united only by their opposition to Netanyahu. The vote to oust him may prove easier than the next part: What happens now? Today, we speak to L.A. Times global affairs correspondent Laura King about Netanyahu’s legacy and his downfall, and whether the new government can bring any peace to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We’ll also hear from Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, a Palestinian Canadian who lost family members to an Israeli attack, yet has emerged as a leading advocate for ... peace.More reading:Benjamin Netanyahu ruled Israel as a man of many faces He ‘won the lottery’ of Israeli politics. But Naftali Bennett remains an enigmaFirst priority for anti-Netanyahu coalition: Stay united long enough to get sworn in

California has one of the lowest transmission rates in the country. More than 70% of adults have rolled up their sleeves for at least one dose of a vaccine. But many people still refuse to get the jab. Public health officials worry they will be at particular risk of infection from other unvaccinated people once the state reopens. Today, guest host Erika D. Smith takes us to the front lines, where canvassers are making a final push to get holdouts vaccinated in South L.A. before the state reopens. We’ll also hear from L.A. Times columnist Sandy Banks about her struggles to persuade her own sister to get the shot.More reading:Shorter lines and TikTok ads: California’s push to beat vaccine hesitancy Column: My dad was a COVID-19 skeptic. But he got vaccinated, and so can your ‘pandejos’ COVID-19 vaccines: What you need to know about hesitancy and access

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is political royalty in the City of Angels. His father was a former district attorney. The mayor won his last election with over 80 percent of the vote. There were even rumors he would run for president in 2020. Now, amid speculation that the Biden administration will tap Garcetti as the U.S. Ambassador to India, people from Kolkata to Calexico are saying ... huh? Him? Today, we speak to L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez — who says Garcetti's ambition might actually make him good for the position — and to former Los Angeles City Council candidate Dinesh Lakhanpal, who's welcoming of the idea, if a bit skeptical.More reading:Garcetti likely to be named ambassador to India, source says Column: If Garcetti leaves early for India ambassador post, how will he be remembered? Letters to the Editor: Eric Garcetti as ambassador to India? Talk about failing up

When it comes to serving California's Black, LGBTQ (and Black LGBTQ) communities, Charles Stewart's resume is impeccable. The native of South L.A. worked for Rep. Diane Watson and former state Sen. Holly Mitchell, who's now an L.A. County supervisor. He has previously served as secretary of the city of L.A.'s LGBT Police Task Force, and he was editor at large for BLK, a national magazine for the black LGBTQ community, the first of its kind. Stewart is now retired, but we recently caught up with him to talk about his life, the state of Pride Month today, and much more.More reading:Queering the Black Press: Remembering BLK Magazine An issue of BLK Magazine at the National Museum of African American History & CultureBLK Publications papers at the ONE Archives at the USC Libraries

It's been quite the year for the Los Angeles Public Library — and the COVID-19 pandemic is only part of the story. Inauguration Day saw a reading by Amanda Gorman, who got her start with poetry readings via the L.A. Public Library's youth program. And teen punk group the Linda Lindas got worldwide fame after a concert at the library system's Cypress Park branch. Today, we talk to L.A. librarian Kevin Awakuni about how the city's public library has turned into an incubator for making libraries hip worldwide. We also get L.A. Times columnist Patt Morrison to explain how a city long dismissed as an intellectual wasteland learned to treasure its libraries in the wake of a devastating fire.More reading:‘Whoa, this is crazy’: L.A. teen punks the Linda Lindas on going viral (just before finals)How a 22-year-old L.A. native became Biden’s inauguration poet Who started the 1986 fire at the Los Angeles Library? Susan Orlean investigates in her new book

California Rep. Katie Porter (D -Irvine) has been a political rock star ever since the progressive won the 45th Congressional District seat in South Orange County — long a bastion of conservative politics — in 2018. We talk to her about her Iowa roots, the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol invasion, her attempts at bipartisanship and the color of her favorite marker that she uses for her already-legendary whiteboard lectures during congressional hearings.More reading:Democrats loved Katie Porter when she bashed Trump. Now she is making them squirmVideo: Katie Porter’s “Whiteboard of Justice”Video: Rep. Katie Porter on impeachment and the consequences of Jan. 6

The Laotian community in California is not large enough to support newspapers or television news programs in Lao, leaving monolingual immigrants especially isolated. So these immigrants have created elaborate phone trees with designated leaders that can spread important information to thousands of people within an hour. In sprawling California suburbs, the phone trees are an attempt to re-create village networks from back home. And it's a crucial service — one that's especially important because there are not enough Lao speakers for government agencies to translate fliers, as is often done in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean. For instance, some Laotians did not know a COVID-19 vaccine existed until they received a call from the phone tree. On today's episode, our host is L.A. Times entertainment reporter Tracy Brown, and our guest is Times Metro reporter Anh Do.More reading:Elaborate phone tree links Laotian immigrants to COVID info, one another Column: Laotian Americans’ stories are obscured by history. That’s why we need ethnic studies San Diego’s Laotian community pushes for a place in California history books

On January 5, 2021, one day before the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters, there was another breach of a government building — in Northern California. Dozens of people, angered by COVID-19 lockdowns, let themselves into a Shasta County government building. There, the board of supervisors was holding a meeting. Although most of the supervisors were attending remotely, angry residents — including members of a local militia — still let them have it. It was a preview of things to come: a campaign to take Shasta County's local revolt national via videos, social media, violent rhetoric — and more. Our guests are L.A. Times Northern California reporters Anita Chabria and Hailey Branson-Potts, satirist Nathan Blaze, and Cottonwood Militia member Carlos Zapata.More reading:Threats, videos and a recall: A California militia fuels civic revolt in a red county A day before Capitol attack, pro-Trump crowd stormed meeting, threatened officials in rural CaliforniaIn California’s rural, conservative north, there are big dreams for cleaving the state

At just 23 years old, Naomi Osaka is already one of the best tennis players in the world. She was scheduled to play the French Open this month, which is one of the sport's biggest tournaments. But Osaka caused a stir when she announced before matches even began that she wouldn’t be at any news conferences. She cited the “huge waves of anxiety” she feels talking at them. French Open officials weren’t sympathetic and fined her $15,000. Then on Monday, Osaka stunned everyone. She announced she was withdrawing from the competition altogether. On today's show, we speak with L.A. Times sports columnist Helene Elliott about the importance of Osaka’s move. It's highlighted an issue long bubbling in the sports world: In a place where stress is a big part of the game, what's the best way to handle an athlete’s mental health?More reading:Why Naomi Osaka’s news conference boycott is a major tennis talking point Naomi Osaka withdraws from the French Open Naomi Osaka needs empathy and help, not condemnation, for showing strength

In 2019, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority estimated it hosted nearly 43 million tourists. Officials were expecting a record year for 2020, and the Nevada metropolis did set one … in the negative direction. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic barely 19 million visitors came to town — the lowest total in decades. Today, restaurants and casinos will return to full capacity. If the move is successful, you'll see a flip on the city's tagline. What happened to Vegas won't stay in Vegas. Our guests are Los Angeles Times national correspondent Kurtis Lee and Culinary Union Local 226 secretary-treasurer Geoconda Argüelo-Kline. Plus, a rant about loquats!More reading:Las Vegas is betting on the gamblers and tourists returning. Will lost jobs come back? Democratic candidates court Culinary Union, the kingmaker of NevadaCOVID pushed Cirque du Soleil into bankruptcy protection. Now for a Vegas comeback

On today's episode, we turn the mic over to the hosts of our Asian Enough podcast, L.A. Times entertainment reporters Jen Yamato and Tracy Brown. They share excerpts from a recent episode featuring actor Sandra Oh, in which Oh talks about her career, the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and whether she'd ever reprise her role of Dr. Cristina Yang on "Grey's Anatomy."More reading:Follow the "Asian Enough" podcast on Apple PodcastsSandra Oh won’t return to ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ before it ends: ‘I have moved on’Why Sandra Oh considers ‘Killing Eve’ a ‘transitional’ role

Our guest host Faith E. Pinho, a Metro reporter at the L.A. Times, speaks with Times culture writer Daniel Hernandez about the cast of characters and cars that have been lining the wide boulevards of Southern California for decades. They look at who is embracing cruising culture and its uneasy relationship with law enforcement.More reading:The lowrider is back: The glorious return of cruising to the streets of L.A. Here are 8 key lowrider moments in pop films and TV, according to Estevan Oriol During pandemic, trash and crime increased on Whittier Boulevard. Lowrider clubs said: Enough

They stand across the West in ruins, ghostly apparitions of one of the darkest moments in American history. Concentration camps, 10 in total, built during World War II to incarcerate 120,000 Japanese Americans for the crime of not being white. But only two are designated as national sites. Manzanar in California and Minidoka in Idaho. Now, a bill in Congress seeks to designate a third concentration camp as a historic site, the Granada War Relocation Center in southeast Colorado, better known as Camp Amache. At a time when hate crimes against Asian Americans continue to rise, activists say it couldn't come at a more important time. Today, we'll talk with Caitlyn Kim, a Colorado Public Radio reporter who's covering the push to turn Camp Amache into a national historical site. And we'll speak with Bruce Embry, who has been making an annual pilgrimage to Manzanar for over 50 years. Embry's mother was incarcerated there.More reading:Advocates For Historic Designation Of Colorado Japanese Internment Camp Say It Would ‘Help Tell A More Complete Story of America’ Sue Kunitomi Embrey, 83; Former Internee Pushed for Historic Status of ManzanarThe ‘No-Nos’ of Tule Lake

In 1981, Los Angeles Dodgers rookie pitcher Fernando Valenzuela uncorked a full-fledged revolution. Baseball, Los Angeles, Latinos, sports — none have been the same since Valenzuela dominated batters four decades ago. He helped to make the national pastime international, bridged racial divides in L.A. and gave Latinos a hero everyone could embrace. Even if you don’t like sports, even if you’re a Yankees fan or — heaven forbid — root for the San Francisco Giants, you gotta know about the legacy of Valenzuela’s magical year from so long ago. It influenced many levels of American society in ways that still resonate today. And you gotta call it by this name: Fernandomania. Our guest is L.A. Times sports columnist Dylan Hernandez.More reading:Column: Fernando Valenzuela’s lasting impact on baseball makes him worthy of Hall of FameColumn: The Gospel of Fernandomania: Forty years later, Fernando Valenzuela still a Mexican American iconWatch the "Fernandomania @ 40" episodes here

Today, on the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, we talk to three people who participated in last year’s actions. Joseph Williams is an organizer with Black Lives Matter Los Angeles. Brianna Noble is the owner of Mulatto Meadows, a business in Northern California that seeks to diversify the horse-riding world. And Carrington Pritchett is a student in Bakersfield who is also a freelance photographer. Three radically different backgrounds, one purpose last year and today: honoring the life of George Floyd.More reading:They lost loved ones to police violence. George Floyd’s killing has made the pain new againACLU sues Bakersfield police over arrest of black passenger in car stopped for dangling air freshenerGeorge Floyd billboard, rejected elsewhere for ‘violence,’ rises in West Hollywood

As the Israeli-Palestinian conflict keeps a cease-fire, its proxy wars continue to rage worldwide. One of the latest battlefronts has been in California classrooms. This past March, the California Department of Education approved an ethnic studies curriculum for K-12 students that schools can adopt voluntarily. It seeks to teach students a more diverse take on history. Not only does the move influence the next generation of students, but this could go on to affect school districts across the country. But it didn't come easy. One of the key points of contention? What California students should learn about the fraught history between Israel and Palestine. Our guests are Max Samarov, executive director of research and strategy for Stand With Us, and Samia Shoman, Palestine Teaching Project member and former advisory board member for California's ethnic studies curriculum program.More reading:California approves ethnic studies curriculum for K-12 schools after years of debateCease-fire holds during first day as Palestinians, Israelis take stockOpinion: Is California’s draft ethnic studies curriculum anti-Semitic?

Peter Daszak is president of the EcoHealth Alliance, where he leads a team of researchers working to identify emerging diseases around the world, the so-called zoonotic viruses that leap from animals to humans. This year, he went to China with the World Health Organization to track the origins of COVID-19. Daszak says cooperation with China — which theorizes that the coronavirus originated in the wet markets of Wuhan — is important to understanding and preventing future outbreaks. But some vocal skeptics — politicians, media pundits and a few scientists — don't believe the virus jumped from animals to humans. They think Chinese scientists let the virus loose somehow. L.A. Times staff writer James Rainey takes over the mic to explain why it’s a theory that just won’t go away.More reading:Trump administration ended pandemic early-warning program to detect coronavirusesWhy China’s wildlife ban is not enough to stop another virus outbreakCommentary: No, China’s fresh food markets did not cause coronavirus

This last year, we've seen multiple rallies in Los Angeles — organized by Black Lives Matter, against the clearing of a homeless encampment in Echo Park, in celebration of the Dodgers' World Series win. Each one of these events was for a different cause but they ended in the same way: with the Los Angeles Police Department coming in, declaring an illegal gathering and clearing the crowds with tactics that many activists have deemed heavy-handed and violent. Frequently the police also fired hard foam projectiles. In some cases, the protesters and reporters covering these events were arrested and even shot with these projectiles, with police alleging various offenses. The police contend that the people assembled at these rallies failed to follow orders. Today, we talk to freelance journalist Lexis-Olivier Ray about what it's been like to cover these protests and to L.A. Times reporter Kevin Rector about a federal injunction that would temporarily restrict the LAPD's use of less-lethal weapons.More reading:‘The Scariest Days of My Life:’ As a Black Journalist, Covering Civil Rights Protests Has Been HarrowingJudge grants preliminary injunction limiting LAPD projectile weapons at protestsPhotojournalists sue LAPD, L.A. County sheriff over alleged abuses at protests

Together, Brazil and India now have half the COVID-19 cases in the world. We speak to L.A. Times foreign correspondents David Pierson and Kate Linthicum about what the plight of these global powerhouses suggests about the spread of coronavirus around the world.

A junk snack may not seem like a big deal, especially in this current world. But the story of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos — a gnarled, messy, crunchy, bright-red corn puff that debuted in the early 1990s — and its creation has long been told as an inspirational fable from classrooms to boardrooms because of one man: Richard Montañez. His tale was irresistible: he was a former janitor at a Frito-Lay plant who became a high-ranking executive. That is all true. But he credited his rise to his creation of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Now, an L.A. Times investigation has cast doubts on those claims, and the internet is, well, aflame. We get some insight into the matter from Times business reporter Sam Dean and our very own senior podcast producer Denise Guerra.

Just five months into the year, the U.S. is on track to break a troubling record. Last year, 44 transgender people were killed in the U.S. and its territories. So far this year, the count is close to two dozen, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Those are just the cases that we know of. More than half the victims were Black trans women, and the region with the highest rate is Puerto Rico. Today, we’ll speak with Marc Ramirez about the rise in transgender violence in Puerto Rico and across the U.S. He’s a USA Today national correspondent who covers identity and inclusion issues. We’ll also speak to Maria José, a trans woman who heads a safe space in Puerto Rico for LGBTQ folks.

Four decades ago, Barry Rosen was one of 52 Americans held hostage for 444 brutal days in Iran. After their release in 1981, Rosen and the other hostages received a rare gift from Major League Baseball: a "golden ticket." Signed by then-Commissioner Bowie Kuhn under the words “In Gratitude And Appreciation,” the lifetime pass entitled each hostage and a guest admittance to any regular-season game. But when Rosen tried to attend a game this year, the New York Mets said they were no longer honoring his pass. What happened next showed just how much baseball continues to mean to Rosen.

The California dream comes with more than its fair share of disasters — earthquakes, wildfires, fire tornadoes, eroding coasts, and so much more. The L.A. Times has a disasters unit to cover them, and our reporters are some of the best in the business. So we invited three of them — Rong-Gong Lin II, Rosanna Xia, and Alex Wigglesworth — to talk about how to prepare for the unpreparable. Think of this as a regular monthly series about calamities, with our Masters of Disasters as your guides.

A populist becomes his country’s president with a historic win. He’s a brash outsider, a relative newcomer, and he promises to drain the swamp. No more politics as usual, he says, because his country is under attack — and he’s here to save it. But this new president begins to upend democracy. Ousts his opponents to consolidate power. Declares he wants to change the country’s constitution to suit him. And trolls his haters on social media all along the way. These are the hallmarks of Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador. If Bukele succeeds in his power grabs, it has big implications for the United States. Today, L.A. Times Latin America correspondent Kate Linthicum and El Faro reporter Jimmy Alvarado take us into the current crisis in El Salvador and explain how we got here. Author Roberto Lovato also talks about how Bukele’s actions affect the Salvadoran diaspora in the United States.

California's high-school athletes were bona fide ballers during the pandemic. They trained alone or over Zoom during lockdowns and are now facing off against each other on the field. How these student athletes coped with COVID-19 this past year offers lessons in resilience and ingenuity that all of us can learn. Today, we learn how the football team at Loyola High School in Los Angeles came together to help teammate Josh Morales and his family survive COVID-19. Then, we’ll chat with L.A. Times’ longtime high school sports columnist Eric Sondheimer about the bigger challenges ahead for young athletes.

Over the next couple of months, media from across the world will descend on California to cover the possible recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom. There have been only two successful recalls of governors in U.S. history — including the recall of California Gov. Gray Davis in 2003. Why is this famously liberal state so prone to conservative voter uprisings? It’s part of a decades-long trend that has rocked local and state politics, a trend that’s gone on to influence the rest of the U.S. Today, we examine the roots of the upcoming recall election against California Gov. Gavin Newsom with L.A. Times politics columnist Mark Z. Barabak and Randy Economy, one of the architects of the Recall Gavin 2020 campaign.Further reading:How three political novices with turbulent pasts helped spark the Newsom recall Column: Good news for Gavin Newsom — California is no longer the place it was in 2003From the Archives: Death Ends Career of Sen. Hiram Johnson

Video games have always been a point of division between L.A. Times science reporter Deborah Netburn and her 12-year-old son. Then the pandemic hit, and the gap between them seemed to widen. In today's episode, Netburn takes over the mic to share her journey from ignorance to understanding. And she does it all by playing video games.More reading:Video games came between me and my son in the pandemic. Could they bring us back together?

Stacy Perman and Josh Rottenberg cover the film industry for the L.A. Times. In February, just a week before the annual Golden Globes ceremony, they published a bombshell investigation about the operations of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The findings were ugly: Self dealing. Ethical lapses. No Black members. And the HFPA continued to make a series of missteps. Now, a group of powerful publicists in Hollywood have declared that they’ll keep their clients away from the Globes -- unless the institution announces real reforms. And this week, the HFPA finally did. We’ll hear from Perman, Rottenberg, and Kjersti Flaa, the Norwegian reporter who took the HFPA to court.More reading:Golden Globes leaders propose major reforms after Times investigationGolden Globes organization vowed to change. Then came turmoil. What went wrong?Golden Globes voters in tumult: Members accuse Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. of self-dealing, ethical lapses

Few take Cinco de Mayo seriously. For many of us, today is about restaurant specials on nachos and margaritas. Too many white people wearing sombreros and fake mustaches. But for Axios reporter Russell Contreras, May 5 takes him back to growing up in Houston, where a forgotten riot over the police death of a Mexican American in 1978 turned Cinco de Mayo from farce to reflection. He talks about the forgotten, radical roots of the holiday loved by few and celebrated mostly with drinko.More Reading:Op-Ed: Cinco de Mayo -- a truly Mexican American holidayThe Real Meaning of Cinco de Mayo Celebration

California businesses are starting to reopen, and for Bughra Arkin, owner of Dolan Uyghur Restaurant in Alhambra, keeping his restaurant open is also about saving his culture. Arkin belongs to an ethnic Muslim minority in China known as the Uyghurs. Their homeland, Xinjiang, is roughly the size of Iran. The famous Silk Road ran through it. For a long time, the region operated under its own local governments, outside the eyes of the Chinese Communist party. But in 2009, things began to change in Xinjiang. Arkin remembers parties ending earlier and earlier. Then people started disappearing. He says young Uyghurs were forcibly taken to inland China to work in factories. The houses and farmland they left behind were seized by the Communist government, which began encouraging the majority Han Chinese to move in. Recently, the world has increasingly decried China’s treatment of Uyghurs. Chinese officials deny any wrongdoing, but the United States and other nations around the globe have declared their actions a “genocide.” We speak with Arkin about his family's experience with the Chinese government, which includes the detention and disappearance of his father. We also talk to L.A. Times reporter Johana Bhuiyan about a company that the Chinese government has used to track Uyghurs and its efforts to expand in the United States.More Reading: Major camera company can sort people by race, alert police when it spots Uighurs‘They want to erase us.’ California Uighurs fear for family members in ChinaReview: At Dolan’s Uyghur Cuisine, a taste of northwest China’s cultural crossroads

Among everything that COVID-19 made worse, there is nothing more dire — or more visible — than its impact on homelessness. Over 66,000 people in Los Angeles County are homeless. It’s an issue that has bedeviled L.A., the land of sunshine and dreams, for decades. Everyone seems to have an idea on how to solve it. None seem to work. Then last month, a federal judge issued an order: House everyone in skid row, the historical epicenter of homelessness in Los Angeles. House everyone by October — or else. We speak with L.A. Times housing reporter Ben Oreskes and the Rev. Andy Bales, who runs Union Rescue Mission on skid row, about a move that could test whether there’s enough political will to solve homelessness once and for all.More reading: Judicial overreach? Some say judge went too far in ordering L.A. to clear skid row

Hosted by Gustavo Arellano, “The Times: Daily news from the L.A. Times” will bring you the world through the eyes of the West Coast. Expect award-winning reporting, hard-hitting investigations and random randomness from the biggest newspaper west of the Mississippi right to your ears. Whether it’s farmworkers, Silicon Valley, Hollywood or car chases, we’ll give you deep dives and snippets, rants and discourse, laughers and weepers, with a diversity of voices and a bunch of drama and desmadre. Our first episode premieres Monday May 3. Learn more at latimes.com/the-times.