KCRW’s departing reporter Anna Scott talks about the gains and setbacks in housing and homelessness — after eight years covering the beat.  Zach Galifianakis talks about the nonprofit Comedy Gives Back, reflects on his own Hollywood career, and explains why comedy is tougher than dramatic acting.  To mark Greater LA’s last show, we re-air part of the first-ever episode, in which Steve Chiotakis visits a giant car shredder between the Ports of LA and Long Beach.

When you hear the word “clown,” you probably picture a hacky kid’s entertainer. Well, a group of super-talented LA-based performers are trying to change that. The Broad’s “LA Intersections” is an upcoming festival-style exhibit of the music and spoken word scenes of LA. Punk rocker Keith Morris speaks to the importance of LA music history. Gathering around the table for a meal can ease America’s loneliness crisis, says Natasha Feldman, author of “The Dinner Party Project.”

A convenience store in Skid Row is changing hands from the community-oriented Korean American family that runs it — to a Black-led nonprofit. “Existencia,” a new work by the experimental performance troupe Diavolo, explores the chaos and community that resulted from the 1994 Northridge earthquake. In an era of “hurriquakes,” heat waves, and fires, The Academy Museum screening series “Beware the Elements! Natural Disasters on Film” looks at the real-world implications of disaster films.

Cheri Pann and Gonzalo Duran have transformed their Venice home into The Mosaic Tile House, a living artistic tapestry reflecting their love story. Kate Berlant wants audiences to know that her semi-autobiographical show, “KATE,” is theater, not stand-up. It begins on Jan. 17 at the Pasadena Playhouse. At Regen Projects in Hollywood, Catherine Opie’s exhibition, “harmony is fraught,” features over 60 photographs of LA spanning three decades.

Food journalist Mona Holmes discusses how the LA restaurant scene fared in 2023 and anticipates dining trends for the new year. In response to complaints about customer service and mass transit safety, Metro is hiring hundreds of people to offer warm welcomes and help to passengers. The Autry Museum’s “Reclaiming El Camino” details the hardships Native populations faced under European settlement, and highlights Indigenous resistance.

At an East Hollywood bar, a once-a-month comedy show features four men competing for the heart of a bachelorette, as the host whips out jokes and games. “Renewing the Dream: The Mobility Revolution and the Future of Los Angeles” is a new book about how LA is developing alternatives to getting around by cars.

Last winter’s rains accelerated a slow landslide in Rancho Palos Verdes, leading to cracked homes and trail damage at a popular reserve. What will El Niño do? David Duchovny isn’t just an actor — he’s a musician, director and author. His latest novella, “The Reservoir,” is set in the early days of COVID in NYC. An OC congressional race in the upcoming elections could tip the political scales in the U.S. House of Representatives.

For people experiencing homelessness, it can be tough to stay in touch with friends and family. The nonprofit Miracle Messages aims to make it easier. Las Fotos Project teaches photography to young women and gender expansive youth from communities of color. And they don’t just use phone cameras. Underdog Community Project is a mutual aid group of volunteers and trained veterinarians who help unhoused Angelenos keep their pets happy and healthy.

TransparentSea Farm in Downey produces nearly 1 million shrimp a year. That’s great for some of LA’s top seafood restaurants, but how do the prawns feel?In sleepy Sierra Madre, an uptick in bears has spurred the city to declare the animal a “public safety threat.” But locals and officials aren’t sure how to handle the ursine explosion.You often can’t tell cats what to do, much less put leashes on them and take them on walks. But that’s just what LA Times writer Lila Seidman did, and continues to do.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Hollywood Sign. It’s been at the center of scandals, PR stunts, and more during its time perched up on Mount Lee. In 1978, the Hollywood Sign was in a sad state, so rock legend Alice Cooper spent $27,000 to buy an “O” to honor his friend Groucho Marx. Other celebs followed. Artist Zach Fernandez marked California’s marijuana legalization by turning the Hollywood Sign into “Hollyweed.” It was tough to pull off due to security around the sign.

Year after year, a Fullerton theater sells out a camped-up comedy about Santa Claus on Mars. The stage show is based on a 1964 B-movie. At least 15 productions of “A Christmas Carol” exist in SoCal, and each theater adds a twist to the play. Vendors at DTLA’s Piñata District say people from as far as New York go there to buy supplies like corn husks and nativity scenes for Christmas.

Since 1925, members of the Los Angeles Breakfast Club have been meeting bright and early to sing songs, solve puzzles, and eat ham and eggs. In 2024, a new California law will establish a retirement fund for mixed martial arts fighters. A similar law has been in place for boxers since the early 1980s. U.S. Postal Service mail carrier Lesly Gonzalez works 10-hour days leading up to Christmas. Does the heavy workload dampen her holiday spirit?

An affordable housing developer got $114 million from Gov. Newsom’s Homekey program. Now, with little to show for it, legal and financial problems are mounting.  Federal labor regulators are looking to forcibly reopen six Los Angeles area Starbucks locations, and labor researcher Saba Waheed says it just might happen. For many in the Latino community, the act of making and eating tamales offers a sense of togetherness during the holiday season.

Since October, the robotaxi company Waymo has been offering driverless rides in Los Angeles. Greater LA’s Steve Chotakis tried one out for himself. KCRW also looks at safety concerns of these vehicles, and Waymo’s head of city policy and government affairs shares the company’s future plans.

LA aficionados Patt Morrison and Fritz Coleman discuss where and how Angelenos can experience winter holiday charm despite the temperate weather.  Musician Arturo Sandoval discusses what makes a Christmas song “swing,” his relationship with Dizzy Gillespie, and his December 23 show at Disney Concert Hall.

The Fairfax District’s Diamond Bakery, iconic to generations of Jewish Angelenos, closed this month after 77 years. Its recipes will live on. David Edward Byrd designed some of the most iconic psychedelic concert posters during the 1960s and 70s. “Poster Child” is a new book that looks at his personal journey and many posters. At Lisson Gallery, Hugh Hayden’s new exhibition features strange, surreal sculptures and photographs placed in bathroom stalls. It runs through January 13, 2024.

As people look for eco-friendly solutions to non-recyclable wrapping paper, furoshiki, the Japanese art of wrapping packages in cloth, is becoming more widely adopted. Gifts for loved ones don’t have to be expensive or brand new. Consider buying from your local thrift store, upcycle an imperfect and pre-loved item, or make something by hand. And to further cut down on holiday waste, KCRW offers tips for sustainable decorations and the holiday dinner menu.

Governor Gavin Newsom’s CARE Court, a new mental health program, opened in LA on December 1 to uncertainty, conflicting concerns, and high hopes. This fall, a new major is available at UCLA’s campus: Disability Studies. The aim is to decrease stigma, highlight ableism, and create a more accessible world. After six years in Anaheim, Japanese baseball phenom Shohei Ohtani will play for the Los Angeles Dodgers after signing a 10-year, $700 million contract.

A composting program at The Wesley School helps the planet, with an added benefit: teaching kids to be hopeful about participating in climate action. The nonprofit Street Symphony will turn Skid Row into a music festival and community resource fair on December 10 for its Re/Sound Festival. A new exhibition at the Palm Springs Art Museum showcases the work of the trailblazing photographer “Kali,” whose psychedelic prints of SoCal life weren’t appreciated until long after her death.

The one-day Cal State LA faculty strike is the third of four planned statewide this week. Sunset’s bright purple Cafe Tropical, which shut down suddenly last week, was known for its excellent Cuban food and its role as a safe haven for those in recovery. From a zookeeper he met on Twitter to musician Phoebe Bridgers,Brandon Stosuy’s latest book features 115 essays, poems, and stories on sadness and crying.

The San Gabriel Mountains are the largest open public space in Los Angeles, but some of the range’s most popular spots are covered in piles of trash. SoCal is experiencing more droughts, wildfires, and rising sea levels — but UCLA’s Alex Hall believes LA can still be turned into one of the world’s most sustainable megacities by 2050. The OC Hall of Fame’s class of 10 includes a range of artists, athletes, and developers. Some of the inductees’ ties to the county are loose, at best.

In a town like LA that takes its food scene seriously, local chefs say coming together and breaking bread has taken on new meaning as the war in Gaza continues. Musician and photographer Henry Diltz captured rock history magic while hanging out with CSN&Y in the 1960s, and he’s sharing it all in his new photography book.

Want to contribute on Skid Row? Missions need your help, and not just in December. The Mutual Aid LA Network provides a central hub where Angelenos looking to help can find the best volunteer opportunity for them. Paula Poundstone has been making people laugh for over 40 years through her stand-up, writing, and podcasting. The Angeleno is performing in Long Beach this Saturday.

Homeschooling has long been common for religious families and those with aversions to public school, but the pandemic seems to have widened its appeal. A new law asks California schools to incorporate media literacy lessons into English, math, science, and social studies curriculums. Los Angeles-based artist Kelly Akashi reflects on her Japanese American family history during World War II for an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.

Vanessa Anderson says grocery stores are “anthropological treasure troves” — which is why she’s trying to visit every single one in LA. Curator Anuradha Vikram talks about AI’s integration into labor and art, what the tech means for creativity, and the implications of widespread data scraping. During the 1980s, ACT UP LA advocated for greater awareness of the AIDS epidemic. Now the organization is collecting 100 testimonies from its former members.

Urban falconer Adam Baz has carved out an interesting career for himself and his four birds of prey in a city with a lot of pigeons and crows to chase.Rob Bisel has earned eight Grammy nominations for engineering, producing, and writing songs for SZA's album “SOS.” He talks about collaborating with the artist.Ownership of the Bolsa Chica Mesa, a six-acre plot of land just north of Huntington Beach, was transferred to native Tongva and Acjachemen tribes after ancient remains were found.

Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest times of year for professional pie bakers. The hours are long and the payoff is big. We’ve all got family holiday traditions. Three KCRW listeners share their favorite unusual Thanksgiving celebrations. This holiday weekend is a perfect time to hike around LA due to cooler temperatures and red-orange autumn foliage. Cris Hazzard, aka The Hiking Guy, shows you where to go.

Honeybees have long been the face of the “Save the Bees” campaign, but according to bee researchers at UC Irvine, they aren’t the only bees who need help. Zach Phillips, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s “Bug Guy,” takes KCRW on a walk around the grounds to get some sights and sounds. UCLA scientists say the way ants build their nests might help humans improve traffic and transportation logistics.

Larry Li was inspired to create “Ask Your Ma About ‘89” after learning a harrowing story about how the Tiananmen Square protests affected his family. Free drinks, female attention, and fabulous parties are some of the upsides for super good-looking men in LA. But that’s not the whole story. Germans founded Anaheim in 1857. Chinese immigrants then built much of the city and developed a bustling Chinatown district. Today, few remnants of Anaheim’s historic Chinatown remain.

By 2035, LADWP plans to provide all power without coal or gas — just hydroelectric, geothermal, hydrogen, solar, and wind. They also vow no harm to low-income ratepayers. One workshop in Downtown LA has been tuning, restringing, and repairing broken instruments for LAUSD students for six decades. It’s among the last of its kind. Jeff Boynton, a Highland Park native and lifelong artist, is a “circuit bender,” making music by toying with the circuitry of old electronic devices, like children’s toys.

Now that both the SAG and WGA strikes are over, how are below-the-line workers in Hollywood faring?  Following big wins for SAG-AFTRA and WGA, members of IATSE — the union representing below-the-line workers — are preparing for their own negotiations. A new exhibit at LACMA is displaying more than 150 creations of textile art and modern abstraction that span over a century.

A book club that started at a Venice library in the 1990s spent almost three decades reading “Finnegans Wake.” Singer Engelbert Humperdinck’s new documentary premieres tonight in Hollywood, focusing on his career spanning more than 70 years. For 17 years, LA Skins Fest has been offering a platform for Indigenous filmmakers from around the world to showcase their stories.

Metro is doubling the number of public bathrooms on train lines from three to six. Despite the urgent need, some commuters are complaining that they require a phone to use. The fire in Tustin’s WWII Navy blimp hangar is still smoldering a week after it ignited. Schools and parks are closed due to asbestos in the ash and smoke. In “Keys to the Kingdom,” an eight-part audio documentary, co-hosts Matt Gourley and Amanda Lund highlight the lives of people who work as theme park characters.

Weeks after the end of cash bail for non-violent and non-serious crimes, reformers and LA Superior Court say the system is working. But the change has its critics. For the past year, researchers at UCLA have been working to understand hate — one of our most complex emotions — by way of neuroscience, sociology, social media, music studies, and more. Comedian Alex Edelman has brought his one-man show, Just For Us, to LA for a limited run. It explores antisemitism, microaggressions, and so much more.

After 188 days, some good news in Hollywood. The Screen Actors Guild negotiators have unanimously approved an agreement with the studios. In “If You Would Have Told Me,” John Stamos talks about his Orange County childhood, Hollywood career, and fame's ups and downs.

Since July, the state of Texas has sent nearly 1,000 asylum seekers to Los Angeles by bus. Local faith-based and non-religious groups are welcoming them. In 2016, Highland Park’s Judson Studios took on a years-long effort to create the world’s largest stained glass window. It’s chronicled in the new documentary Holy Frit. You often can’t tell cats what to do, much less put leashes on them and take them on walks. But that’s just what LA Times writer Lila Seidman did, and continues to do.

Almost a year after forming a union, performers at Medieval Times have been unable to win a contract. Such delays are common — new unions can go years without progress. The Florentine Codex contains over 2,500 pages of text and images detailing Nahua civilization from the Indigenous perspective. It’s available digitally thanks to UCLA and the Getty. In Santa Ana, a recall election to oust progressive Jesse Lopez is moving forward, despite being flagged for legal issues and a possible lawsuit from the councilmember should she lose.

One in four cars sold in California is now electric. EV drivers say switching saves money and the planet. Gas drivers are worried about running out of power. John Densmore, known as the Doors’ drummer, is out with a new book called The Doors: Unhinged Jim Morrison’s Legacy Goes on Trial. Amateur perfumers and nature lovers Jack Kelly and Natalie Coffen lead “scent saunters” through Griffith Park and Franklin Canyon Park. Enjoy the wild smells of LA!

Hollywood Forever Cemetery is home to dozens of feral cats, peacocks, turtles, and fowl that provide visitors with an “antidote to death.” Where did they all come from? Rick Castro has been photographing since 1986. A new show at Hollywood Forever Cemetery highlights decades of his queer, fetish, and fashion images. LA bakeries are preparing “pan de muerto,” a traditional Mexican “bread of the dead” that’s eaten to celebrate Día de los Muertos.

Elmer McCurdy had a troubled life and died in a shoot-out. His body got embalmed, became part of a traveling crime museum, then was bought by an amusement ride operator. LA’s Griffith Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country, and urban legend claims that it wouldn’t exist without a twisted 18th-century curse.  Sometimes called the “Pagan version of Halloween,” Samhain is a time to soothe and be soothed by the “unquiet spirits” of ancestors past. 

California is investing millions to change the way kids eat at school. Learn how one SoCal program is turning kids on to fresh produce, one watermelon at a time. The Where Has All The (affordable) Housing Gone? exhibit at the Beyond Baroque Gallery in Venice features photography, poetry and a giant map to examine the policies that led to the removal of nearly 1,500 rent-controlled units in the beachside neighborhood. Despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s veto of the “Cannabis Cafe Bill,” West Hollywood lounge PleasureMed is reimagining the way users can experience cannabis, dining, and sex positivity.

Rent-stabilized tenants in LA could see an increase in February as high as 7%. Landlords say it’s necessary to keep up with expenses. The Museum of Latin American Art hosts its annual Día De Los Muertos festival on Oct. 29. This year’s theme, Hecho con Amor, celebrates the diversity of Latin American cuisine. The nonprofit ActiveSGV’s ArroyoFest will shut down six miles of the 110 freeway from Lincoln Heights to South Pasadena for cyclists and pedestrians on October 29.

NewGround promotes relations and dialogue between Jews and Muslims in Los Angeles. The group calls itself “a convener.” running trainings and classes promoting interfaith engagement. LA is in the height of spooky (and spider) season, so the Nature Nexus Institute is holding a “Spooky Critter Crawl” to highlight some of the city’s creepiest residents. An LA start-up is tackling a problem that developed in tandem with the invention of polyester: how to divert clothes from the landfill when you’re done wearing them.

The Actors’ Gang’s new show, “Methusalem,” is directed by Brent Hinkley. He and fellow co-founder Tim Robbins discuss the show and the group’s legacy. Measure J requires LA County to allocate funds to incarceration alternatives and community/youth programs, instead of police. Some community groups say they still haven’t seen the money.

Each week on KCRW’s The Anti-Dread Climate Podcast, hosts Caleigh Wells and Candice Dickens-Russel answer a listener’s environmental question and give advice on how they can help the planet. As SoCal looks to fall and winter, scientist predictions say El Niño weather patterns will bring heavy rains, but climate change is making it tricky to predict. In 1973, Knott’s Berry Farm became the first theme park to transform itself completely for the Halloween season. Since then, many other parks, in SoCal and beyond, have followed its lead.  

Spine-tingling thrills, oddities, and costumes. A handful of small businesses in Burbank are keeping things scary beyond Halloween. The three co-directors of the 1980 parody film “Airplane!” recount their careers’ humble origins and the movie’s “endearing” comedy legacy. LA-based engineering and design nonprofit Miyamoto Relief is hosting “The Night of 1000 Drawings,” which raises money for reconstruction in Kyiv.

LAUSD student absences soared during the pandemic. Slowly, in large part due to school attendance counselors’ tireless work, kids are returning to class. Tom Morello, a political activist and Rage Against the Machine guitarist, is partnering with a nonprofit to launch music programs at schools across the country. Alex Da Corte’s solo exhibition, The Daemon, transforms the Matthew Marks Gallery into a 1960s house with a conversation pit and a splash of surrealism.

The Aetna Street Collective came together three years ago to advocate for a tight-knit unhoused community facing harassment and street sweeps. Scribble, a Highland Park-based nonprofit, launched on Oct. 3 to provide affordable therapy, music shows, game nights, tai chi classes, and more. Neighborhoods historically cut off from government-backed home loans continue to suffer the consequences. That includes smaller and less diverse bird populations. 

Three women in LA share their reasons to forgo parenting: more freedom, more travel, and more time to focus on their careers and passions. What’s up with the Dodgers? Despite winning 100 games during the regular season, again, the Dodgers’ were eliminated in the first round, again. Along Beach Boulevard, from Rosecrans to Orangethorpe, is Buena Park’s Koreatown, a name that’s only been official for a few weeks.

Unhoused Angelenos in temporary shelters will get priority for many city-funded affordable housing units — under policy shift enacted by Mayor Karen Bass. UCLA Professor Justin Torres’ new novel, Blackouts, is a “socratic dialogue” between an unnamed narrator and a dying man. It’s also a finalist for the National Book Award. Big Bear’s Oktoberfest has been running for 53 years, attracting locals and people from all across SoCal for revelry, beer, and the chicken dance.

A new exhibit at the Skirball Cultural Center details the story of one Jewish family’s fight to reclaim art that was stolen by Nazis. Walter Mosley is known for writing crime novels. But his latest book, Touched, is science fiction. It involves the Big Bang and threats to the planet. One of the laws that Gov. Newsom recently signed will give fast food workers higher wages, more on-site safety, and their own council. Meanwhile, he said cannabis cafes violate smoke-free workplace protections.

LA has large populations from both the Israeli and Palestinian diaspora, and many are reeling from Hamas’ attacks near the Gaza strip and the Israeli government’s retaliation. As burglaries and robberies rise at LA’s cannabis shops, owners double down on security measures. The Made in LA biennial features 39 local artists from various neighborhoods and backgrounds. Some of the work centers on quotidian scenes of domestic life.

The South Central Run Club is using the sport to build up community and wellness in the neighborhood. A year ago, three LA City Council members had an insiders’ talk about how to control Los Angeles’ redistricting. The racist audio was leaked, decimating trust in local government. Sacred Places Institute is a community-based organization working to protect land and water that once belonged to Indigenous tribes in California.

Vernon, an industrial city with a population of just 222, is poised to add up to 874 new units of housing. This weekend at The Ford theater, The Milk Carton Kids will host the LA Folk Festival, where “misfits” and folk musicians can connect. At Burbank’s IKEA, an art residency inspires people to get creative with furniture, monkey wrenches, and maybe even meatballs.

This past weekend, tenant advocates, labor unions, workers, and renters marched in Downtown LA to demand good wages, better employee benefits, and housing security. Curators Diana Nawi and Pablo José Ramiréz traveled across LA to put together the Hammer Museum’s biennial show, Made in LA. It features works by 39 local artists.

In the latest season of her podcast “The Dream,” skeptical journalist Jane Marie investigates the legitimacy of the life coaching industry. For the last 50 years, Robert Sanchez (a.k.a. Pnutman) has been a vendor at Dodger Stadium. He shares how he got the job, and climbed the ranks from selling soda to peanuts — and even pizza.  The Tom of Finland Foundation will be holding an Art & Culture Festival this weekend at SoHo Warehouse. All art shown will nod to founder Tom of Finland’s erotic work.

Two El Sereno residents opened a market to give their neighbors access to affordable and healthy food, plus a sense of community. For just 12 days, Hadestown is returning to Los Angeles – the city where two producers began to develop the original album into a hit musical. Jordan Brandman was a former Anaheim City Council member who resigned amid scandal and eventually became a whistleblower. He died over the weekend.

A new, three-year collective history project from the nonprofit Clockshop is gathering stories and memories from rapidly changing communities along the LA River. The iconic Roxy Theatre turned 50 this month. Neil Young kicked off the anniversary celebrations, and Rickie Lee Jones will keep them going with a performance in October. Artist Jane Tsong’s Underflow LA is a project is showcasing underground river sounds from across the city.

Last weekend, about 1,000 people gathered at the LA International Ukulele Festival in Torrance to celebrate the little instrument with a big following. Yunte Huang’s final book in his Rendezvous with American History trilogy focuses on the remarkable life of Chinese American actress Anna May Wong. The LA Public Library has acquired thousands of unpublished celebrity pictures by John Verzi. They were auctioned off to the library after the postal worker’s death in 2018. 

The Pizza Strike Fund is a grassroots effort to feed Hollywood writers and actors. Volunteers have delivered over 2,500 cheesy and meaty pies to picket lines since May. Nick Offerman is best known as an actor (Parks and Recreation), but he’s also an author. His latest book, Where the Deer and the Antelope Play, is coming out in paperback. For 15 years, the Hola México Film Festival has been bringing the best of Mexican cinema to Los Angeles. Now they’re celebrating with a big quinceañera party. 

The Writers Guild of America has reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP after months of strikes. What does that mean for SAG-AFTRA? The LA Unified school board is voting on a policy that could prevent charter schools from moving onto the campuses of some traditional public schools. Mooncakes are traditionally eaten to celebrate the annual Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the key holidays in Chinese culture. Here’s where you can buy them in LA. 

Beit T’Shuvah, a Jewish rehab facility, teaches people how to bake challah as a form of community building. The experience has special meaning during the High Holy days. As fall begins, LA will see big restaurant openings, including a world-renowned taquero and venues by Michelin-starred chefs. This week, renowned bass player Stanley Clarke began a three-year residency at the BroadStage. He gave SMC students a master class, and will perform on September 23.

The Vintage Synthesizer Museum draws keyboard fans to Highland Park for classes, vibey sound baths, and a chance to play on its rare synth collection. A lucrative industry has formed around moving rent-controlled tenants out of their homes. A new investigation from LA Public Press looks into it. Analia Saban’s new show, “Synthetic Self,” explores technology and global warming-related anxiety. It’s located at two LA galleries: Sprüth Magers and Tanya Bonakdar. 

John Waters talks about his exhibit at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and his boundary-pushing films. High school students from Boyle Heights built a hydrogen-powered race car and competed against teams from all over the world over the weekend. How did they fare? Rashaad Newsome’s new exhibit “Hands Performance” explores the history of queer Black cultural expression and how it’s shaping the future.

After facing discrimination and loss, Sara Reyes found temporary refuge at the HOPE house, a transitional program run by The TransLatin@ Coalition. More than a quarter of TV shows and films had queer representation in 2022, according to GLAAD. With Hollywood at a standstill, will that momentum continue? Julio Aranas came to the U.S. at age 8 without papers and now is a successful real estate agent. Gustavo Arellano says the American dream is an immigrant mindset.

Surf culture has an aggressive side, especially at premiere destinations like Topanga Beach. Some folks are working to change that. The novel “California Golden,” set on the sandy beaches of 1960s Malibu, shows what happens when a trailblazing surfer neglects her two daughters. Black walnut trees are essential in LA’s ecosystems and indigenous cultures. Some residents are pushing to preserve and repopulate them.

Heat is a year-round problem for some indoor workers in SoCal. State and federal officials have proposals to require AC access and cool water on the job. Over the past decades, hundreds of public housing units in LA have been demolished or sold to private developers. Why? The community journalism site KNOCK LA investigated. This weekend, the Academy Museum will debut newly restored versions of the iconoclastic filmmaker Gregg Araki’s cult 1990s trilogy.

If signed into law, a new bill would make it legal to possess small doses of naturally occurring psychedelics. At Occidental College, “The Iridescence of Knowing” is an exhibit showcasing works made on Tongva land by generations of artists.

Orange Unified School District is the latest in the state to require schools to notify parents if students come out as transgender. What’s driving these policies? With 18,000 seats, the now 30-year-old Honda Center has been home to the Anaheim Ducks hockey team and hosted concerts by Gwen Stefani and others. Kristin Hersh has been a frontwoman for the bands Throwing Muses and 50 Foot Wave. Her solo work is an acoustic departure for the indie darling.

Can Watts — the community famous for its political organizing and trucemaking — come together in the face of renewed violence? The owner of NoHo Printing and Graphics is now suing the LAPD for damages — more than a year since the department’s SWAT team destroyed his shop.

Food waste is part of any restaurant business. An increasingly popular app helps connect the leftovers — for a cheap price — with Angelenos who aren’t too picky. LA’s first bus route opened in 1923. A century later, the system still provides essential transportation to many Angelenos. For the first time since 2012, renowned text artist Jenny Holzer is back in LA – and her new LED pieces feature AI-generated text.

Workers throughout Hollywood are weighing the pros and cons of AI, which could disrupt careers of everyone from makeup artists to lighting techs to animators. UCLA’s Labor Center hosted a summer boot camp for future organizers, further cementing Los Angeles as the vanguard of the new labor movement. Last Thursday, the ACLU won a lawsuit against Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer to disclose the racial data of cases he prosecuted.

Surveys show Angelenos have ambivalent opinions about the LAPD. But the local government keeps giving the department more money. Guatemala last week elected Bernardo Arévalo as president. His campaign centered on anti-corruption and political reform. What do Guatemalan Angelenos think of him? From September 2 to 23, the American Cinematheque is hosting weekly screenings of films that feature public transit in LA, including “Speed” and “The Italian Job.”

SoCalGas wants to expand gas storage capacity again at the site of the largest methane leak in U.S. history. Porter Ranch residents beg the state to say no. LA’s universal basic income pilot program “BIG: LEAP” provided a life-changing safety net for many Angelenos. What happens when that money goes away?

Black fans of electronic dance music say they love raves for the mentality of peace, love, unity, and respect. But they wish the scene were more diverse. Is the tide turning? In her forthcoming book, journalist Rosanna Xia explores how rising tides might inspire Californians to rethink their relationship with the sea. In “Time’s Mouth,” author Edan Lepucki follows three generations of Californians who’ve dealt with inherited trauma and more.

A new air quality rule requires the biggest commercial ovens in SoCal to become fully electric. It’s the first industrial regulation of its kind in the U.S. Alianza Nacional de Campesinas and Polo’s Pantry are giving household products, water, and food to SoCal farmworkers who are struggling, especially after Tropical Storm Hilary. As a tribute to the anniversary of Ruben Salazar’s death, Orange County is recognizing August as Chicano Heritage Month. What does that designation mean?

This weekend would have been jazz musician and spiritual leader Alice Coltrane’s 86th birthday. Her family celebrates and remembers her legacy. The extinction of large, Ice Age mammals coincided with the arrival of humans, according to researchers who studied bones from the La Brea Tar Pits and Lake Elsinore. Black Restaurant Week is back and bigger than ever, focusing on diverse offerings of LA’s Black-owned eateries, food trucks, and coffee shops.

Pico Boulevard is home to dozens of Oaxacan businesses. Now, less than a year after an LA City Councilmember disparaged Oaxacans, locals want city recognition. In her new book, “Strip Tees: A Memoir of Millenial LA,” Kate Flannery gives an insider's look at the problematic rise of scandal-plagued American Apparel. The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery’s annual showcase of mid-career grant recipients returns for the first time since the pandemic.

Many of Hollywood’s behind-the-scenes crew members support actors and writers striking, but they feel left out of the conversation as they’re struggling financially. With school back in session, two LAUSD teachers discuss the challenges they’re facing, like students losing social skills and skipping classes. ParaCliffHangers aims to adapt rock climbing experiences so people of all physical abilities can participate.

In a win for Mayor Karen Bass, LA’s City Council voted 12-2 to purchase the Mayfair Hotel in Westlake and convert it to transitional housing. A new podcast by journalist Sonari Glinton examines how broken systems allow some criminals to get away with the unthinkable.

LA’s iconic hillside stilt houses have been destroyed in many disaster movies, but in real life, they offer residents a thrilling perch in the clouds. As the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes roll on, animal actors are finding themselves with a lot of time on their paws. Their handlers are trying to figure out how to get by.

Southern Californians have donated lots of supplies to help those displaced by the Lahaina fire. Shipping containers are full, but there are other ways to help. Ivy Pochoda’s latest novel, “Sing Her Down,” focuses on two formerly incarcerated women making their way to and through LA in the early days of the COVID pandemic. Art historian Thuy N.D. Tran aims to shed light on a lost “golden era” of South Vietnamese modernism by piecing together collective memories from the diaspora.

With COVID slightly up in LA, residents are wondering about masking up again and getting boosted. John Eastman, a former Chapman Law School dean, faces nine counts in an indictment accusing him of designing the plan to reverse Joe Biden’s presidential victory. An ecologist, an urban planner, a conservationist, and a filmmaker spent six days exploring all 51 miles of the LA River — even the sections without paths.

Los Angeles Unified has opened a new grade to all 4-year-olds called universal transitional kindergarten. Who’s enrolling, and why are some choosing not to? AP African American Studies became an official course at Dorsey High School in Crenshaw last year, and soon it’ll expand to the rest of LAUSD. Schools around the state are feeling the effects of climate change. Now, after heavy parental lobbying, LAUSD plans to “green” 30% of all its campuses by 2035 to create more shade.

Born in Mississippi but drawn to the West, Minerva Hamilton Hoyt was behind the push to make Joshua Tree a special place on the map. The millions of people who visit Joshua Tree have an abundance of vacation rentals to choose from — but that also means challenges to the local community. For eight years, Ken Layne has been keeping desert wanderers company with his esoteric musings about the lore, legends, and landscape of the Mojave — via his periodical and radio show Desert Oracle.

As the Hollywood writers’ strike drags past 100 days, the financial pain is widespread for business owners and tradespeople who need production to earn a living. In 2021, LA passed a law to ban tenant harassment, which can be used to displace tenants from their rent controlled units. But the city has done little to enforce it. The LA Art Book Fair returns to the Museum of Contemporary Art this weekend. It’s the first time the fair is being held in-person since 2019.

TransparentSea Farm in Downey produces nearly 1 million shrimp a year. That’s great for some of LA’s top seafood restaurants, but how do the prawns feel? Goats are being used more often to clear vegetation and prevent wildfires. But some say the immigrant workers who manage them 24/7 aren’t getting a fair deal. You can help the Natural History Museum count bats and learn more about their roosting behaviors in urban Los Angeles.

Outside SoFi stadium, fans who didn’t have tickets to Taylor Swift’s concert still find a way to sing, dance, and exchange friendship bracelets. In a new podcast, two Amoeba Music staffers share their discoveries about favorite albums from the iconic record store’s collection. Anaheim’s former political leaders Harry Sidhu and Todd Ament are alleged to have been involved in a “potential criminal conspiracy,” according to a new report. 

This is the year of extravagant “revenge weddings,” and members of the nupital party are paying the price in money, time, and emotional energy. Chicano Batman, often known as “LA’s house band,” will perform at the Hollywood Bowl this weekend for the first time. You can head to El Segundo to hear a 13-piece big band while dancing the night away at the sixth annual Summer Swing Nights, which runs August 4, 5, and 6.

Students in Ramona Gardens, one of LA's most polluted neighborhoods, are helping create a green space that will act as a barrier between homes and the freeway. When it comes to climate questions, KCRW listeners wanted the most help with recycling. Here’s a list of what you can and can’t recycle, plus the bottom line on plastic bags. Koreatown’s Beverly Hot Springs is a spa fed by natural hot springs. A developer has bought it and plans to build housing units and retail in its place. 

What daily climate questions do you have? Help with the recycling bin was by far the most common response. Here are some answers. Paul Reubens, famously known as Pee-Wee Herman, died from cancer on July 30. Friends and collaborators remember the joy he brought to many lives.

Eviction filings in LA County are at their highest level in recent years. An August 1 deadline for some indebted renters could mean even more tenants forced out. With the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes lingering into summer, more actors and writers need economic aid. The World Harvest Food Bank has teamed up with comedian Kristina Wong to help. If the Anaheim Angels want to hold on to star player Shohei Ohtani, they’ll likely have to pay more — and win more. 

LA’s hotel workers, actors, writers, and Teamsters are all throwing their weight behind striking workers in a way that hasn’t been seen in town for decades. Some of the world’s best surfers will compete at the U.S. open in Huntington Beach starting this weekend. The nine-day festival includes freestyle motocross, concerts, family-friendly activities, and giveaways. Spiral croissants are having a moment on the food scene in LA and all over Instagram. One baker in Pasadena is bringing her own Iranian flavors into the mix.

Amid climate change, shade is increasingly important — and so is the question of who can access and control it. On July 21, the Santa Barbara News Press filed for bankruptcy, leaving employees, creditors, and the community wondering what happened to the over 150-year-old paper. In separate exhibitions, artists Suchitra Mattai and Acaye Kerunen create powerful images of their ancestors and their visions of the future — by weaving colorful fabrics, fibers, and textiles.

In sleepy Sierra Madre, an uptick in bears has spurred the city to declare the animal a “public safety threat.” But locals and officials aren’t sure how to handle the ursine explosion. Henry Hoke’s latest novel, “Open Throat,” was inspired by LA’s own big cat P-22 and Nick Cave’s song “Hollywood.” It’s told from the perspective of a mountain lion. Sick sea lions have washed up on beaches due to a toxic algae bloom. San Pedro’s Marine Mammal Care Center is keeping visitors out to make space to nurse these animals back to health.

Since 1923, LA’s Roman-inspired stadium has hosted key moments in U.S. history, including Olympic Games, plus visits from international luminaries and U.S. presidents. Ahead of the 1932 Olympics, LA officials planted tens of thousands of Mexican fan palm trees around the city of Angels — to help beautify the burgeoning metropolis and solidify its place on the world map. Those trees may be dying soon. As the need for mental health services grows, Fullerton is testing a new way to de-escalate police encounters by bringing social workers into the 911 mix.

This summer’s ramp-up to the “Barbie” movie’s release has made her and her signature pink inescapable. One “immersive experience” in Santa Monica takes it even further. Actor and singer Darren Criss is performing at the Ford Theater this weekend. Expect the show to be a sing-along dance party. Every year, starting in late July through September, the Griffith Observatory holds monthly “Star Parties,” where you can look at the night sky through dozens of different telescopes.

Conflict over a proposed aerial gondola to carry fans to and from Dodger Stadium is heating up. Is it a traffic solution or a dubious development plan? Fast food workers at McDonald’s are organizing against low wages, tough working conditions, and the highest levels of homelessness of any workers in LA. Hundreds of Filipinos in LA will march to the Philippine Consulate on Sunday to protest President Marcos’ State of the Nation address. Why do Filipinos in LA care about this?

Gov. Greg Abbott has sent a third bus — carrying 30 migrants — from TX to LA. What are the experiences of these asylum seekers, and who’s helping them in LA? As excessive heat becomes more common in Los Angeles, some local officials say air conditioning should be a necessity, not a luxury.

As summers get hotter, the City of LA is trying to keep neighborhoods cooler by painting streets with lighter colors. And it actually works. De Los, launched this month, aims to cover stories written by and for Latinos in LA and beyond. The content will all be free. Disneyland must follow Anaheim’s minimum wage law, an appellate court recently ruled. That means all employees at the theme park will soon be earning a minimum of nearly $20/hour. 

With the writers’ strike in week 10, SAG-AFTRA actors are walking off the job at Friday 12 a.m. What does this mean for workers, studios, and media consumers? Three art shows to check out this summer: “Wishing Well” supports research for a rare genetic disorder; “Variations on a Theme” shows different rules artists employ in their craft; “20” celebrates the 20th anniversary of David Kordansky Gallery.

Upscale camping, or “glamping,” took off during the pandemic. Now anyone with a property and beautiful tent can add to their profits during the camping season. Cris Hazzard, aka “The Hiking Guy,” recommends some great camping spots around LA for the adventurous among us. Who ventures to the great outdoors? It’s not always as diverse as the natural flora, which is exactly what Outdoor Asian is trying to change in Southern California.

The new short film “Merman” follows nurse André Chambers as he explains navigating racism and homophobia from an early age, and finding a place for himself in the world. Camarillo’s Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology houses more than 1 million preserved bird eggs — one of the largest collections in the world. The 1994 “Crime Bill” stripped people in prison of eligibility to access federal Pell Grants for college education. This July, that changed. 

A local comedian developed a game show that taps into our anxiety about AI while trying to answer one question: Can computers make us laugh? The Santa Monica Police Department is now using drones to appear as “first responders” at crime scenes. Some privacy rights activists are concerned. A judge recently blocked the city of Fullerton from enforcing a ban on people parking their recreational vehicles (RVs) on the streets without a permit. It’s a victory for advocacy groups such as Housing is a Human Right Orange County, but will it last?

A developer using a California law known as the “builder’s remedy” plans to construct as many as 1,000 apartments in Beverly Hills. City officials are not happy. Miki Dora was a legendary Malibu surfer in the 1950s-70s — and a con man who led the FBI on a global manhunt. The latest season of the “Lost Hills” podcast tells his story. Cancer for College is an organization that says it’s given more than $5 million to students with cancer, plus cancer survivors who missed school because of treatments. 

Renewable energy is sparse at night, and EV batteries stop holding a full charge long before they’re worthless. One company is solving both 1problems at once. Silent film actress Alla Nazimova threw the biggest parties in 1920s Hollywood. Romy Nordlinger brings her back to life in the new “Garden of Alla.” Welcome to dog hell, or as human Americans call it, Independence Day. If fireworks caused your pet to flee in a panic, here’s what you can do.

Thousands of SoCal hotel workers are on strike to demand better pay and benefits. More than 60 hotels and Unite Here Local 11 haven’t reached a new contract. This July 4, LA Chief Heat Officer Marta Segura advises Angelenos to find shade, wear light-colored clothing, take cold showers, and – sorry – avoid alcohol. The Huntington Beach City Council recently moved ahead with a plan to restrict books deemed “obscene” at public libraries.

LA’s last lesbian bar closed in 2017. Now, two new bars for queer women have opened in East Hollywood and Silver Lake, and they’ve been packed. At two Pride events in LA, KCRW asked queer-identifying people what’s on their minds as several states have been trying to enact anti-trans and anti-drag legislation. Author Susan Straight’s latest project, 1,001 Novels: A Library of America, was her attempt to find the “real” U.S., far from the blue and red states of TV news.

Voice actors work on cartoons, commercials, video games, and more. Now that artificial intelligence makes cloning voices easier, jobs are in trouble, even as other jobs may be created. Musician Jessy Lanza has turned a move from Canada to LA into a love letter to the city, with a little help from her artistic director partner, Winston Chase. In the third clay biennial at Craft Contemporary, California artists showcase work embodying their connection to land and water.

Unionized hotel workers in Los Angeles and Orange Counties are demanding raises, saying they can no longer afford to live in the cities where they work. At a summit today and Wednesday in LA, political leaders, activists, and philanthropists are discussing the challenges and needs facing immigrants. The original El Cholo, the Mexican restaurant in Mid-City, turns 100 this year. The dishes served by waiters in white shirts and black ties trace the history of a changing city.

A movement to bring tenant protections Southeast LA started with conversations about a very different topic: family planning. James Kim’s new fiction podcast “You Feeling This?” focuses on love and connections in LA. The stories are about real Angelenos who live in Montebello, Long Beach, and more. Many motels along Beach Blvd. are now known for prostitution and drug dealing. Anaheim, Buena Park, and Stanton are looking to revitalize the strip.

A year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed the right to an abortion, Sue Dunlap, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood LA, talks about the changes she’s seen and the threats to come. California providers are navigating a thorny and shifting legal landscape as they care for out-of-state patients

A housing development approved in 2005 is just beginning construction, and local residents want to delay it until the 20-year approval expires. Bernie Taupin’s new show at Choice Contemporary gallery highlights lyrics from songs he wrote for Elton John. 

A growing movement of boundary-pushing art installations and cutting-edge devices seek to induce altered states. No drugs required. With summer officially starting this week, Heal the Bay has released their annual beach card to help people find the cleanest beaches around SoCal. Anaheim voters will decide in a special election whether or not to bump the minimum wage for hotel workers to $25. The union representing the workers isn’t happy.

As California’s reparations task force wraps up, professor Cheryl Grills reflects on their findings, and activist Kavon Ward looks to the “land back” movement for change. “The Cape Coast Castle Symphony” by composer Joyce Solomon Moorman was written in response to a visit to Ghana, and is now a part of LA Juneteenth celebrations. Angels & Saints PoBoys offers traditional New Orleans cuisine. Its owner, chef Roneka “Neek” Conley, shares why feeding the soul is at the core of Juneteenth. 

If you’re scared or sad about our warming planet, the best solution is to solve the climate crisis. But in the meantime, sharing feelings can help you cope. At this weekend’s Garagiste Festival, upstart micro producer winemakers from across California are coming together to share their wares. Artist Faith Ringgold, age 92, has created oil paintings, sculpture, quilts, and more. Her work is on display at the Jeffrey Deitch gallery.

LA Councilmember Curren Price has been charged with 10 counts of embezzlement, perjury, and conflict of interest. He will step down as council president pro tempore and withdraw from all committee assignments. Former third baseman Ron Cey may have left the Dodgers, but he’s staying active, putting out a new book and a podcast this year.

Finding second-hand clothing in extra-large sizes can be frustrating. LA’s first all plus-size flea market is here to help. The word “queer” insinuated someone’s sexual “deviance” in the 19th century. Now it’s used proudly to refer to the LGBTQ+ community. KCRW traces this evolution. This month, environmental educator Jason Wise is leading a free series of hikes that unpack the hidden queerness in LA’s natural landscape.

California will ban the sale of new gas-powered leafblowers next year. They’re a nuisance to those who hear them — but prized by those who use them. The new newspaper Street Views includes original reporting, practical guides for people navigating homelessness, and first-person accounts from encampment residents. OC supervisors voted last week 3-2 to only allow U.S. government and military flags to fly on county property. That means no rainbow flag for Pride Month.

Reproductive health workers nationally have been turning to unions for support since the fall of Roe v. Wade. Planned Parenthood in Orange County could be next. Unions across industries are staging more strikes and showing more solidarity, prompting some experts to forecast a “hot labor summer.”

California and LA are seeing major pushes for “social housing,” which is government-supported, not owned by a for-profit entity, and is affordable to people of different income levels. Public housing used to be enormously popular in Los Angeles, but that changed amid a surge in anti-communist sentiment in the 1950s. Underdog Community Project is a mutual aid group of volunteers and trained veterinarians who help unhoused Angelenos keep their pets happy and healthy. 

Some disabled veterans are shut out of supportive housing due to VA disability income. It’s a catch-22 that reflects larger challenges in filling subsidized units. Across from LA City Hall, a vacant lot has signs that boast, “Good things are coming!” The signs have been there for a decade. What’s going on? As summer approaches and Angelenos head toward the beach, it turns out that lots of sharks are swimming in the waters off the SoCal coast, says a CSULB study.

If you put food scraps into a green bin with your yard waste, are you truly helping the planet? For LA residents, the answer is definitely yes.  With over 80% of major event ticket sales in California, Ticketmaster/Live Nation has a stronghold on the industry. State Senator Scott Wilk is leading a bipartisan charge to change that. Some 30,000 unhoused kids may be living in Orange County, says a new report from an OC grand jury.

As bumble bees decline, local volunteers fan out to find them. Together they’ll create the California Bumble Bee Atlas to help guide conservation decisions. June ushers in Pride month and with it celebrations and remembrances. Brody Levesque of the Los Angeles Blade gives a survey of SoCal happenings. Eater’s Mona Holmes explains where to grab breakfast, lunch, dinner — and maybe even dessert — on your next Central Coast adventure. 

Sometimes the best way to cope with anxiety over the climate crisis is to focus on something you can control. So why not start with your trash? The beloved video store Vidiots reopens its doors this week with a bigger collection of film rarities, and a new movie theater. Artist Keith Haring is known for painting radiant babies and barking dogs through simple line work. His first-ever LA museum exhibition is now at the Broad Museum.

Small businesses that support the film/TV industry are feeling the economic ripple effects of the ongoing Hollywood writers’ strike. A proposed expansion of the city’s “adaptive reuse” ordinance could make it easier to transform unused commercial and office buildings into residential units. A litter of three female mountain lion kittens was found in the Simi Hills. Can they capture the public’s imagination like P-22, not to mention survive as long?

After a record-breaking rainy season, LA’s hills are blanketed in fresh, green foliage. That’s great news for local foragers who spend their free time harvesting edible plants. A local designer, a clothing line using dyes from plants, and an environmental group are collaborating to make clothes using these invasive plants. Festive and messy jacaranda trees are usually blooming this year. But it’s already late May, and some Angelenos are wondering where those purple leaves are.

Last year, the state approved hundreds of millions of federal dollars to help child care providers through the pandemic. Eight months later, most payments haven't arrived. Set in California and Florida, TC Boyle’s latest novel “Blue Skies” finds humor plus hope in the climate change crisis. As the WGA strike continues, a Santa Monica-based nonprofit is distributing grocery gift cards to writers who are struggling to make ends meet.

Catalytic converter thefts more than tripled in LA County last year, and some victims are replacing the $3,000 car part just to have it stolen again. So Yun Um’s new documentary “Liquor Store Dreams” explores her upbringing in and around her family’s Hawthorne business, plus her complicated relationship with her immigrant parents. The Nickel Diner opened in 2008 in its “Skid Row adjacent” Downtown LA digs. After a pandemic and inflation, it’s shutting down this weekend.

LA boasts the largest population of Iranian immigrants in the world. Learn how they’ve shaped the area’s landscapes and neighborhoods with a new car tour. LA City Council members on Thursday committed an unprecedented $1.3 billion to the homelessness crisis. Is that enough to make a visible dent? Rep. Katie Porter’s bid for Senate is adding drama in California’s 47th district, with OC Democrats scrambling to find a strong contender.

After more than two weeks of striking, film/TV writers and their supporters are finding new ways to keep up the energy at the picket lines. WGA West Vice President Michele Mulroney says they’re prepared for a lengthy strike to meet “desperately” needed goals. More labor unrest could be on the horizon in Hollywood, as actors and directors ramp up their own negotiations.

Kids are carrying on the tradition at the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Artist Sarah Rosalena’s new show “Standard Candle” focuses on women’s uncredited work that explores the cosmos and Native American traditions. Joshua Tree resident Andrea Zittel has crafted personal uniforms for herself since the early 1990s. A new exhibit at the Regen Projects showcases 48 handmade garments. 

Scientists and fly-fishers work to return the endangered Southern California steelhead to its native waters in Malibu Creek by removing invasive fish and an obsolete dam. USC goes all in on artificial intelligence with a $1 billion “Frontiers of Computing” initiative, which focuses on computer science literacy and ethics. A tiny hillside farm in Lincoln Heights is using regenerative farming practices to create healthy, affordable produce for the community.

Prop HHH, the LA voter-approved $1.2 billion homeless housing bond measure, has been slow and costly. But six years in, thousands of units are finally opening. In East West Players’ “On This Side of the World,” theater-goers hear stories of Filipinos immigrating to America. An OC public defender is alleging that deputies used the same drugs as evidence in two separate intent-to-sell cases for men in adjoining hotel rooms.

Asian American artists in LA are working to break apart the “Asian American monolith” by telling more nuanced stories and experimenting with form. LA-based Native American theater creators are also having a moment. Larissa FastHorse and DeLannaStudi talk about what this means and why it took so long.

Feeling lonely is normal. It’s also a sign you’re looking for community. Here’s a list of practical suggestions for making friends in LA. Americana artist Doug Levitt has traveled over 120,000 Greyhound bus miles, turning stories he’s heard into songs for his album “Edge of Everywhere.” Dozens and dozens of kites will take flight over downtown LA’s State Historic Park this weekend as the People’s Kite Festival makes its high flying return.

Part restaurant, part in-your-face comedy show, Hollywood pop-up Karen’s Diner is where staff scream at you. Terrible service is actually a selling point here. “Romeo and Juliet Suite” hits the stage and the screen this week in Benjamin Millepied’s multimedia production of the timeless love story. 826 LA mentors guide kids through the process of telling and publishing their own stories.

Residents in southern LA County face increased asthma and cancer risk. One state legislator is trying to bring them relief by closing air pollution loopholes. Workers in LA’s massive fashion district fought to rewrite a new community plan that will shape the development of downtown LA for decades. Orange County drivers who shuttle people with disabilities around the region have walked off the job after six months of failed union negotiations.

For many years, Californians have converged on Manzanar to remember the Japanese Americans who were incarcerated there during World War II. A new community science project from NASA and UCLA is teaching the public to listen to and identify the sounds of “space weather.” Young Storytellers teach and mentor students in LA and beyond in the art of storytelling, bringing the tales of kids in underserved communities from idea to stage.

The dating app Snack helps its users cut through the small talk by employing artificial intelligence to have conversations with their matches for them. After 152 years, Calle de los Negros – site of the most lethal act of racial violence in LA history – will finally get the memorial it deserves. Artist Coady Brown’s new show “Rabid Heart” at Shulamit Nazarin Gallery focuses on deeply saturated, sometimes intimate scenes of female and androgynous figures.

In John Wray’s new novel “Gone to the Wolves,” the characters travel from Florida swamps to the 1980s Sunset Strip to Norway –– all in the name of metal. More than 11,000 film and TV writers hit the picket lines today to demand higher pay, better working conditions, and more. KCRW hears from a set dresser, plus a stunt driver and actor. Some 71,000 people died from fentanyl overdoses in 2021, according to the CDC. Orange County’s civic leaders are looking for ways to do something about it.

LA County, the epicenter of the state’s mental health crisis, is rushing to be one of the first with a CARE Court that could require treatment for mental illness. California is facing an unprecedented mental health crisis that has been decades in the making. KCRW takes a look at how we got here and whether there’s a remedy.

From kelp farming to underwater robots, Los Angeles is becoming the Silicon Valley of the sea. For people experiencing homelessness, it can be tough to stay in touch with friends and family. The nonprofit Miracle Messages aims to make it easier. Tracy Ann of KnowRealityPie is the winningest pie maker ever at KCRW’s Good Food Pie Fest. And it all began with trying to recreate her mom’s recipes.

As more restaurants ask for tips and service fees, it can be hard to know where gratuity really counts. KCRW offers your go-to guide. The City of LA is writing new rules to keep pandemic-era outdoor dining going strong. But restaurants say they’re still too strict and expensive. 

The City Nature Challenge began as a friendly rivalry between LA and San Francisco. Now millions of people globally are helping biologists by taking photos of their local plants and animals. Local governments must provide green bins for California residents. What to put in there, how to keep the waste from getting gross? KCRW answers your questions. Downtown LA’s Grand Central Market has remained an LA institution since 1917. How has it managed to stick around so long? By embracing change.

SoCal has long been home to Armenian Americans, but now more of them are migrating in the other direction to build stronger ties to their heritage in Armenia. The Hillside Villa apartments in Chinatown were under a city covenant to provide housing for decades. That covenant has expired and tenants are fighting for a way to stay. A 700-foot section of train tracks in San Clemente is still vulnerable to landslides and sand depletion.

Shodekeh Talifero is a beatboxer, composer, and “breath artist.” Before he hits the Broad Stage this weekend, he’s teaching Santa Monica College students about breath and movement. Former LA Mayor Richard Riordan died this week. The businessman-turned-politician led LA after the Rodney King uprisings and through the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

LA’s community land trusts aim to keep housing affordable by letting residents own the buildings they live in. They’re also a radical experiment in living cooperatively. LA County’s mental health hotline is 988, but long wait times and bureaucratic rigmarole have hobbled the program, leaving many without help when they need it most. The LA Times Festival of Books is returning for its 27th year of programming. On April 22-23, they’re featuring over 500 writers, poets, celebs, musicians, and more.

A group of doulas with the Los Angeles Abortion Support Collective are organizing to protect abortion access as states respond to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The Queen Mary has stayed afloat for almost 90 years. After a multimillion dollar renovation, it’s now open to the public again. What keeps people coming back? And what does it take to stay in business? 

“Trejo’s Cantina” features stories about Danny Trejo’s time on the streets, in prison, and on film sets — plus recipes for non-alcoholic drinks and “Fight Night Nachos.” The California Air Resources Board keeps car companies honest by checking whether vehicles’ pollution levels are as low as reported — at a new emissions lab. Irvine officials plan to pay $284 million to shut down an asphalt plant despised by some residents. And the resulting cleanup may cost them even more. 

Dave Alvin formed Americana band The Blasters in Downey with his brother Phil, then went solo in the 1980s, but returned to show KCRW around. In the 1990s, Downey rapidly shifted its demographics to become mostly a Latino area. It was then labeled “Mexican Beverly Hills,” but longtime residents say that’s unfair. A nonprofit gallery in downtown Downey has been instrumental in developing an art scene in the city. Now it faces possible closure.

One of LA’s gas power plants will start burning hydrogen to meet clean energy goals. The controversial decision has some worried about air quality and explosion risks. LA’s mosquito population has been on the rise for a decade, but a winter of rain has created better conditions than ever for the bloodthirsty creatures. Which city has the best burrito in California? San Francisco has a super-sized version, San Diego incorporates fries, LA has dozens of types from around the world. 

Los Angeles is the epicenter of indoor cannabis cultivation in Southern California, but how intensive is it on our environment, and is there a better way? In the San Fernando Valley and South LA, council seats have been left empty in the wake of multiple City Council scandals. But a special election and a new appointee mean they’ll soon be filled. Laguna Beach has long been known as an “art colony,” but rising prices are pushing artists out of once-affordab

Gov. Newsom announced plans to transform San Quentin into a Norwegian-style restorative environment. That would require overcoming gangs, racial divides, and structural inequality that runs deeper in the U.S. than Scandinavia. The pros and cons of electric vehicle purchases are getting murkier with coming changes to federal incentives. Is it time to make the switch?

Wear your Sunday best. At Drag March LA, scheduled for Easter Sunday, drag queens take the stage to protest the rise in anti-LGBTQ legislation. LA’s Rashida Holmes and Greg Dulan are James Beard Award finalists. The pandemic may have played a part in their nominations. One of LA’s most iconic art institutions just got a big makeover. The Hammer Museum in Westwood now occupies an entire city block on Wilshire Boulevard. 

A new business focused on training formerly incarcerated people is now diverting thousands of pounds of clothes from landfill each month. Director Colin K. Gray’s “Unzipped” follows housed and unhoused residents of Venice, California in the struggle for the soul of the neighborhood. Renters and activists in Buena Park have put a measure in front of the City Council to make them just the second city in Orange County to enact rent control.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Hollywood Sign. It’s been at the center of scandals, PR stunts, and more during its time perched up on Mount Lee. In 1978, the Hollywood Sign was in a sad state, so rock legend Alice Cooper spent $27,000 to buy an “O” to honor his friend Groucho Marx. Other celebs followed. Artist Zach Fernandez marked California’s marijuana legalization by turning the Hollywood Sign into “Hollyweed.” It was tough to pull off due to security around the sign.

As women rise to positions of authority within LA’s alcohol industry, they are using their experiences to support one another and create welcoming spaces. Americana at Brand, the elusive local internet celebrity, talks about his niche brand of humor, how he memes, and his abiding love of the account’s namesake mall. On baseball’s opening day, the Dodgers will host the Arizona Diamondbacks, as walking vendor Robert “Peanut Man” Sanchez starts his 50th season selling food to fans.

Robert Luna takes charge of the LA Sheriff's Department amid concerns about crime, deputy gangs, and poor jail conditions. Can he turn the department around?

Back-to-back winter storms in Southern California have got us feeling the blues. Could it be seasonal affective disorder? Tensions are rising in the Orange Unified School District boardroom, and the stakes are as high as defending democracy and protecting children. While Gov. Newsom stopped short of calling the drought over, the state is rolling back several mandates as rivers and dams replenish.

Are you having a hard time making friends as an adult? Speed friending events are popping up across LA to help folks connect. Balboa Island’s ferry has been making the trip back and forth across the harbor since 1919, but new state environmental mandates may sink it. Near LA, DDT is contaminating an area of the seafloor that’s larger than the city of San Francisco. Scientists and policymakers are racing to find solutions.

Two years after police cleared a large homeless camp and the city fenced Echo Park Lake amid massive protests, a new council member wants to bring down the chain link barrier. Reactions are mixed. A new exhibit at the Honor Fraser Gallery explores the history of drag. It features more than 40 artists who work in photography, painting, film, performance, and animation. LA County has seen record amounts of rain and snow this season, which means waterfalls are flowing. Here are some of the best hikes to see them.

SoCal’s drought restrictions are over for now, but this winter’s rainwater won’t last long. LA County captured lots of stormwater, but not enough to provide lasting relief. May 1 is the end of the contract between Hollywood studios and film/TV writers who are represented by WGA. This week, the two sides started negotiating. Las Fotos Project teaches photography to young women and gender expansive youth from communities of color. And they don’t just use phone cameras.

Two teachers — from an elementary school and a high school — explain why they’re striking in solidarity with LAUSD workers such as custodians and bus drivers. Plus, how to get resources for surviving the strike, and what’s driving this conflict? Louise Nevelson was one of the most iconic sculptors of the 20th century. LA’s Pace Gallery is showing her larger, monochromatic wooden sculptures as well as colorful collages.

KCRW hears from parents, teachers, LAUSD’s Jackie Goldberg, and SEIU’s Lester Garcia as the district sits on the verge of a three-day shutdown. Following unprecedented amounts of winter rain, Orange County is struggling to save hillside housing and railways.

Sidewalk vendors in LA are suing the city for access to no-vending zones as part of a broader push to make vending a viable legal business opportunity. The Actor’s Gang has been bringing theater classes to California prisons for over a decade, now some alumni of the program have written and will perform an original play.

Both USC and UCLA’s women’s basketball teams surpassed pre-season expectations by making the NCAA tournament. But how far can fans expect them to advance? Longtime LA politician Mark Ridley-Thomas finds himself on the wrong side of a 19-count federal corruption trial. He’s arguing his behavior was “unethical,” not “illegal.”

A local Inglewood church backs an entertainment company and studio to spread a message of hope. Residents in the San Bernardino Mountains are still digging out from the snow. Now another storm bringing rain complicates the situation. In “L.A. Painter: The City I Know. The City I See,” artist Karla Klarin shares essays and images spanning 40 years in the City of Angels.

Mayor Karen Bass’s efforts to shelter unhoused Angelenos is scaling up fast. But some participants say the rollout has been messy and confusing. There’s no Oscar for Best Location. If there were, a San Fernando couple might win. They own the laundromat featured in the movie “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” The state of California recently sued the City of Huntington Beach over failure to follow its mandate to build affordable housing. Huntington Beach sued right back.

The Corgi Nationals attract thousands of people to Santa Anita Park racetrack to watch 100 stumpy-legged dogs race … or maybe just play. Illegal gambling venues called “casitas” are popping up around Southern California. The real people making money, though, are members of the Mexican mafia. North Hollywood High School’s science bowl teams cleaned up at last weekend’s regional competition, and are now headed to the nationals in DC to defend their title.

Three decades after bringing “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992” to the stage, Anna Deavere Smith returns with a new cast and expanded vision. The Survivors Healing Garden offers a safe space for people who’ve been affected by crime and may be experiencing complicated feelings of anger, grief, and hopelessness.  

Students at Dorsey High School learn real-life business skills by creating and marketing an avocado-based sauce. Sales are strong. Maybe it’s the avocado-pit alien logo? “Don’t Fence Me In” at the Japanese American National Museum takes a unique look at the quest for normalcy by adolescents in concentration camps during World War II. A century ago, Florence Casler developed buildings in a booming LA. She left her mark on the city and the male-dominated real estate business.

One (very unauthorized) play about the king of pop had its performance schedule cut short by COVID-19. Now, the show is back on. But like all of us, it’s changed. Since 1976, the Kim family has owned the Gardena Cinema, one of the last single-screen movie theaters in Southern California. But times have changed, and now they have to move on. Deaths among homeless people have increased sharply over the past decade in Orange County. Supervisors want more data from the unhoused. Activists want more action.

Two years ago, LAUSD funded a plan aimed at closing the achievement gap between Black students and their peers. Now the impact is visible in the high school experiences of two sisters. Culver City has eliminated honors English classes for ninth and 10th graders in an effort to increase racial equity for students. Not all parents are happy. The world is heavy these days, but art doesn’t have to be when dealing with tough subjects. Two gallery shows in LA are good examples.

The Inflation Reduction Act includes billions of dollars for people to make climate-friendly improvements to their homes. Here’s how to qualify for it. Staying warm in LA recently hasn’t been easy or cheap. Angelenos share how they’ve been weathering this freezing winter. LA has plenty of soups — traditional and unique fusions. Here’s where to get Vietnamese pho, Japanese ramen, clam chowder, vegan pozole, and more.

Senator Steve Padilla’s SB 253 requires officials to calculate how much people need to earn to pay for basic needs in each California county. At two ICE facilities in California, detainees are on a hunger strike. They earn a dollar a day for eight-hour work shifts. Each year, kids in foster care and from low-income backgrounds receive free new dresses and suits for prom from the nonprofit Glamour Gowns Suit Up (GGSU). 

The LA River has been a flood management system for decades. But worsening storms and a call for more park space have sparked debate about how to change it. Big Bear and Mammoth Lakes have had many feet of snow dumped on them in the past few days. How are they handling the deluge? With Dianne Feinstein not seeking re-election, the two frontrunners seeking her Senate seat made their cases in Orange County. 

A new residency for Ukrainian artists in LA allows six filmmakers and art historians to take a break from Russian shelling and soak up LA’s art and culture. More rain is on its way to the LA area this weekend. A new report shows the 2018 ballot measure to improve stormwater capture hasn’t had a big effect. Artist Yolanda Gonzalez is having a career-spanning exhibition at the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) in Long Beach.

Every Monday at Club Bahia, Angelenos of all genders, sexualities, and dancing abilities are carrying on a legacy of queer line dancing that caters to ex-pats and natives alike. The Joshua Tree Tortoise Rescue once cared for desert tortoises. But it turned into “a nightmare,” until a local nurse got involved.

Realistic meat and seafood substitutions have changed what it means to be vegan, and cooks at this weekly Valley market are at the cutting edge of innovation. KCRW listeners also share how they incorporate meat alternatives into their daily lives. It’s not just poppies that grow abundantly after heavy rains in Southern California. Mushrooms like it too, and foragers are on the hunt to find the “supershroom.” 

Since 1933, The Los Angeles Sentinel has been a voice for the city’s Black community, who felt ignored by mainstream outlets. Nine decades later, it’s still publishing, but the media landscape is shifting. The Long Beach Opera is having a world premiere of Kate Soper’s new opera “The Romance of the Rose,” but this isn’t your grandma’s idea of opera. Four art festivals are opening in LA bringing together global creators: Frieze in Santa Monica, Felix in Hollywood, LA Art Show in downtown, and SPRING/BREAK in Culver City.

A factory east of Los Angeles that recycles lead in old car batteries has been breaking pollution rules for years. Despite protests, they’re not going anywhere. Prospering Backyards is a group that studies lead and other metals in soil surrounding the former Exide plant. Members are cleaning up the area while pushing the government to do more. LA’s Al Fresco program allowed restaurants to quickly put up outdoor dining spaces during the pandemic. Now the city wants to revert to some of the old requirements.

Angelenos are getting hitched at the Cute Little Wedding Chapel in Long Beach. They’re taking advantage of the $14 Valentine’s Day special. Trashy Lingerie, the hot pink store on La Cienega, has made costumes for the likes of Madonna and Reese Witherspoon. Valentine’s Day is their busiest day of the year. Hollywood has a Museum of Death — and now a Love Museum. Its founder, a psychology professor, wants to help you understand love better.

With eviction cases on the rise, LA City Council is weighing a law that would guarantee legal representation for those fighting to stay housed. Over the weekend, the OC public defender who died in Mexico had a memorial service. The family disputes Mexican authorities' belief the death was an accident. The new conservative majority on Huntington Beach’s city council has passed an ordinance limiting the kinds of flags the city can fly. It doesn’t include the rainbow flag, which didn’t sit well with a lot of constituents.

KCRW follows a fish’s journey from the ocean in Japan to a plate on one of LA’s most exclusive tables. LAX is constructing a people mover that will whisk you to its terminals and transport hubs. Artists are producing video installations for selected stations. KCRW listeners share their stories of love and strife, including who is (and isn’t) worthy of making a journey to LAX for.

LA groups are pulling together money and supplies to send to people affected by the recent series of earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Another big earthquake will hit Southern California someday, but many people are unprepared, and research shows why. Orly Israel wants to prove that everyone has the capacity to be a great communicator. So he sets up a table every Saturday, where he posts up and just listens.

Since 1959, the Navy has used marine mammals in aquatic missions such as identifying mines. Now their dolphins are resources for studies on aging. This weekend, the Academy Museum is planning to launch “Try a Little Tenderness,” a series focusing on movies that depict love and romance between Black characters. Hustler founder Larry Flynt’s vast array of 20th century paintings, glass lamps, statuettes, and other obscurities are up for auction. 

Because of “co-location,” a public school and a charter school in LA are sharing the same space. It’s happening district-wide, and few seem happy about it. CalOptima is a health care plan for low-income folks, serving almost 1 million Orange County residents. But a state investigation is asking who else it’s serving. LA has a lot of stairs hidden in hilly nooks and crannies. For many Angelenos, they can get you to where you need to be. They’re also a source of exercise and a fun way to see the city. 

Regenerative agriculture grows healthier food, captures carbon from the atmosphere, and fights climate change. So why isn’t every farmer doing it? After the recent storms, LA reservoirs in the San Gabriel Mountains are filling up, but not just with water — millions of cubic feet of mud and wilderness debris, too. Robot dogs made headlines in New York and San Francisco when those police departments added them to their forces. LA is next for the big debate.

Mayor Karen Bass has picked a new head of LA’s homeless services authority. Will a new regime make a difference in reducing the city’s unhoused population? Los Angeles’ universal basic income pilot program, BIG:LEAP, is about to wrap up after a year. How did their no-strings-attached income affect Angelenos’ lives?

Dry January is over but abstainers in LA have more options than ever to keep drinking less or not at all. The Laundry Truck LA helps unhoused Angelenos wash their clothes. The goal is to support families and help kids stay educated, says founder Jodie Dolan. Boyle Heights native Hadda Brooks (aka the “Queen of the Boogie”) was one of the most popular musicians of post-war 1940s America. Why isn’t she remembered today?

One week after the Monterey Park mass shooting, community members gathered in Alhambra to commemorate Lunar New Year and honor those who lost their lives. Retired LA lawyer and Chinese restaurant chronicler David R. Chan is undeterred from dining near the site of the recent Monterey Park mass shooting. As a rift between City Hall and the Santa Ana police union grows, the union is looking to oust two City Council members.

Rogét Chahayed’s work is nominated for six Grammys this year, including Album of the Year for Mary J. Blige’s “Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe).” That’s not bad for a kid from the valley. When you buy something that has an “organic” label on it, can you trust that it is? The USDA is implementing new rules to protect the integrity of the organic supply chain, and build consumer and industry trust. In the last year, there have been more calls for workers’ rights and higher wages. Locally, Assembly Bill 257 would raise wages and ensure safer environments for lower-paid food service workers.

Sue Carpenter ran a pirate radio station called KBLT from her Silver Lake apartment in the late 90s. Now it’s been reimagined as an interactive experience. The Pacific Opera Project aims to make the arts more affordable and entertaining. Their next show is “Superflute,” a retelling of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” with Nintendo characters. LA vocalist Amanda Achen never thought she would be singing songs written for the “Final Fantasy” video game franchise. But she’s embraced the journey it’s taken her on.

LA’s annual homeless count determines how resources get distributed to the region’s unhoused residents. But questions have been raised about its accuracy, and officials are making some changes. With LA’s COVID-era eviction rules expiring at the end of the month, the City Council voted unanimously to expand tenant protections. From a bookstore in a microvan to a pink brick-and-mortar selling young adult literature, LA’s book market is on the move.

Families and community members are still seeking answers following the shooting at a Monterey Park ballroom dance studio after a Lunar New Year celebration. The City of Beverly Hills has been increasing its use of street-level surveillance, which concerns some privacy and civil liberties advocates. Melahat Rafiei helped the FBI expose corruption in Anaheim City Hall, but only after she was caught soliciting illegal payments from a cannabis company. 

Rooftop solar is about to get more expensive, so local solar installers are busy but expecting tough days ahead. The Imperial Valley is known for agriculture. But some farmers there are switching from crops to solar panels, which would change important features of the region. Simone Forti, known for her dance “constructions” and multimedia pieces, has her first career-spanning West Coast exhibition up now at MOCA in downtown LA.

Mayor Karen Bass’s “Inside Safe” initiative has brought more than 100 unhoused people into shelters. But how fast permanent housing will materialize? Last year saw a decrease in women and underrepresented people behind the camera in Hollywood — following momentum from 2020’s #MeToo and #OscarsSoWhite. The record storms that pummeled California were a boon to surfers, who have been riding massive waves that they haven’t seen in years.

The California Botanic Garden in Claremont has a Noah’s Ark of native plants. That’s where freezers preserve seeds from plants that might go extinct. Three people who were apparently experiencing mental health crises have been killed by the LAPD. Many question where de-escalation teams were.

Unable to develop the land, the Bruce family decided to sell Bruce’s Beach back to LA County for $20 million. KCRW speaks to the attorney representing the family. California has created a reparations task force to study the history and effects of systemic racism on Black people, and to look at ways to atone for it and remedy it. 

Two refugees who escaped Nazi Germany on the Kindertransport meet for the first time since 1939, recounting stories of how they left Europe as children. Ammon Bundy, an anti-government militant, started a national group that’s gaining traction in LA among disaffected people on the extreme political right. Jessica Taylor Bellamy’s artwork tackles climate change and class inequality. Her first solo show opens on January 21 at Anat Ebgi gallery.

Heavy rains bring destruction to SoCal, and thousands of residents in Santa Barbara County remain stranded. President Biden declared a state of emergency. Where is the water coming from? Will it help alleviate the ongoing drought? New York publications often condescend to Los Angeles. The New York Times recently published a piece about NYC turning into LA, with all the usual clichés.

An e-bike lending library hopes to get people out of their cars in the San Fernando Valley. But it’s an uphill battle. The wholesale price of gas is way down in most of the U.S. and Europe. So why are prices in CA spiking, and what can you do to weather this increase? Last November’s elections brought slim conservative majorities to the Orange and Capistrano school boards. In recent weeks, there have been major shake-ups and firings in those OC districts. 

Massive solar projects will help California reach renewable energy goals, but not without costs to fragile desert ecosystems. After years of advocacy from the community and professors, East LA College is introducing a new major in 2023: Central American Studies. Pasadena Playhouse’s 2023 season celebrates the late Stephen Sondheim, and its first show is “Into the Woods.” 

Street medicine providers aim to meet — and treat — unhoused people where they are. And new state regulations are making it a lot easier for them to do that. Last year, the LA City Council passed an ordinance requiring most new buildings to be fully electric. Without gas, how people cook could fundamentally change. 

Repairing the Whittier Narrows Dam was reclassified in 2016 from “high urgency” to “very high urgency” by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. If the dam fails, the damage could be catastrophic. With major infrastructure projects underway and a wave of new female mayors in Orange County’s biggest cities, will 2023 bring big changes or more of the same? Varissa Brum — known as Miso Hungry on TikTok — shares her LA food experiences with hundreds of thousands of followers.

Three KCRW listeners share stories about their family relationships and special moments that happened on Christmas. For the first time in decades, the OC Board of Supervisors will soon be turning Democratic. But before the board changes hands in January, members pulled the plug on a deal with a renewable energy authority.

Traci Park joins the LA City Council at a time of turmoil and division. The moderate Democrat defeated a more progressive challenger, despite the council shifting left. During Hanukkah, Jews celebrate the miracle of oil, and cooking with oil is a tradition for Jewish Angelenos from around the world. Kwanzaa was created in 1966 to honor African American culture and heritage. Now, more than five decades later, how is the holiday celebrated?

After the pandemic led to financial troubles, Downey’s float returns this year to the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. It’s thanks to a community effort and beauty pageant fundraiser. People with properties worth over $5 million are trying to get around Measure ULA, while some advocates for ULA want to amend it for other reasons. Big Bear Mountain Resort has purchased property it plans to develop into worker housing, and for the past five seasons, it’s been focusing on increasing diversity on the slopes.

P-22, the mountain lion who lived alone around Griffith Park, was euthanized over the weekend. As people are mourning, what will happen with his remains and legacy? The U.S. economy shrank during the pandemic, but some industries thrived, including private air travel. Residents near Van Nuys Airport say it’s harming their health.

The La Brea Tar Pits hold the largest collection of Ice Age fossils in the world. Now its grounds, museum, and research facilities are being reimagined. The Long Beach Ballet gets ready to perform ‘The Nutcracker’ for its 40th anniversary. It all started with David Wilcox, the artistic director.

Less is more on TikTok, where LA’s small brands gain customers by showcasing their personality on modest marketing budgets this holiday shopping season. Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks have made movies together in front of the camera. This year, they teamed up behind-the-scenes to make ‘A Man Called Otto,’ a film about grief, loss, and community. The leader of Parliament Funkadelic is out with a new art exhibit that looks like his music sounds. ‘The Rhythm of Vision’ is on view now at Jeffrey Deitch gallery.

Protestors interrupted the first meeting of the new LA City Council today, continuing a chaotic string of days for the city’s government. It’s part of a trend that worries local officials and even one former mayor of Los Angeles. LA is a crowded and competitive restaurant market, so standing out from the noise is no small feat. With 2022 almost over, it’s time to look back at some of the best food LA has to offer. Niky's Sports is the largest family-run chain of soccer stores in Los Angeles. They started selling a mix of sporting goods, but eventually narrowed their offerings to cater to soccer players.

Street takeovers have become a dangerous nuisance in California over the past few years. The owners of the Irwindale Speedway are trying to persuade the lawbreaking racers to get their thrills legally at the racetrack. As a result of a couple of attacks on pets, the beloved cougar known as P-22 has been captured by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Park Service. The Orange County Board of Supervisors passed a bipartisan declaration stating that systemic racism and inequality are driving a public health crisis in their communities.

Students across the University of California system took final exams after weeks without instruction and feedback. How has the strike impacted them? Nikki Chase hosts the podcast “Adult Chicken.” It’s about escaping an abusive relationship and raising special needs kids as a single mom. 

Coach Gabriel Giangualano and junior Max Abrahamson are leading the St. John Bosco High School esports team. Ralph Lawler was the LA Clippers’ announcer for 40 years. Now he’s calling shots from the sidelines in a new memoir.

Dire staffing shortages have led to frequent lockdowns and violence inside LA’s juvenile halls. Officers, advocates, and inmates are desperate for relief. The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) was founded in Torrance in 1964. Its success earned the South Bay community the nickname “Soccer City.” 

LAHSA’s “reimagined” winter shelter program provides both beds and motel vouchers to unhoused Angelenos looking to stay warm. But fewer beds are being offered than ever, while many vouchers go unused.  Photographer Lev Rukhin moved to LA in 2010 and started shooting its street scenes from an old Volvo station wagon as a way to engage and spend time with his daughter. Twelve years later, he’s still going. A new park celebrates the decades-long anniversary of Mendez, et al. v. Westminster School District, et. al, a court case in the mid-1940s that challenged school segregation.

A Los Angeles journalist with brain trauma turned to specialists who recommended ketamine treatment. It’s known as the party drug “special K,” but it gives her relief. A pajarete is a party and Mexican drink made of chocolate, coffee, high-proof alcohol, and raw milk from goats and cows. The beverage is said to induce a mild high and kick-start the day.

The perfume industry is moving away from its commercial French roots to something a little more LA: more diverse, accessible, and artistic. Lindsey Horvath is the youngest woman ever elected to LA County’s Board of Supervisors, replacing Sheila Kuehl. She’ll be the only renter and millennial among her colleagues there. Two art shows in LA might look like your dining area after Thanksgiving. One features ceramic fruits and vegetables in varying states of freshness, and the other has topsy-turvy flower arrangements.

Decades ago, a legendary local soccer team called Hollywood United brought together expats from Europe, including rock musicians, movie actors, and even Milli Vanilli. Rex Richardson will be Long Beach’s first Black mayor. He wants to make the city a model for addressing housing, homelessness, and public safety.

About 10% of the water shuttled through the LA Aqueduct gets lost to evaporation. To stop it, LA DWP wants to cover some of those miles of water with solar panels. Desalination of ocean water, long-considered too energy-inefficient and environmentally destructive, is increasingly finding its way into California’s water future. But is it a wave that’s going to fizzle out? The City of Laguna Beach is poised to take control of several Orange County beaches. What will this mean for beachgoers?

The holidays are a time to be thankful for friends, family, and good health. Three Angelenos share their most unforgettable tales. Tony Tetro has forged pieces by Dalí, Caravaggio, and Picasso — and sold them to dealers who didn’t care about authenticity. In their KCRW Radio Race story “Heaven by the Highway,” Angel Carreras and Nisha Venkat tell the story of a hidden hideaway.

California is spending billions revamping traditional public schools as community schools, which offer families more support. Questions about whether they improve academic results and enrollment remain. The LA Auto show runs through Sunday, and these days, it’s all about electric vehicles. But have engineers worked out all the kinks in the technology? David Levinson’s organization Big Sunday has distributed bags of food on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving for the last decade. It also organizes sing-a-longs, boat rides, and other events — year-round.

Supporting the hometown team in Major League Soccer is a no-brainer, but deciding which country to root for on the international stage can be trickier. Angelenos weigh in on the World Cup in Qatar. Activists say OC Animal Care, a shelter in Orange County, is euthanizing too many pets there and not making it easy for the public to adopt cats and dogs.

LA City Councilmember-elect Hugo Soto-Martinez credits his South LA-based upbringing, union organizing, and time studying criminology at UC Irvine for giving him a different perspective on housing and policing. Susan Straight wrote a love letter to SoCal with “Mecca,” her newest book. She tells a vivid tale of her many characters’ interwoven lives as the Santa Anas blow.

A group of 14 unhoused veterans in Los Angeles have filed a civil rights lawsuit against the VA, alleging the federal agency is depriving them of housing. LA is home to many cultures and traditions that share a common thread: bread. The Natural History Museum celebrates them in the multimedia exhibit “Kneaded: LA Bread Stories.” “My Caldera” is artist Cauleen Smith’s search for meaning in volcanoes. “Locating Perception” features the late artist Nancy Holt’s room-sized lighting fixture — the kind you’ve never seen before.

Two years after they fought for the right to live in vacant, state-owned houses in El Sereno, a group of activists are facing eviction. They hope to stay in the houses for good. Democratic State Senator Sydney Kamlager has been elected to replace LA mayoral hopeful Karen Bass in Congress. Can she find her way in a divided Washington?

The birth rate is the lowest it’s been in U.S. history. Meanwhile, climate change is a growing reason why Gen Zers and millennials are not having kids. SNAP, hosted by Deirdre O’Donoghue, premiered on KCRW in 1982 and ran through 1991. It was a weekly three-hour love letter to alternative music and independent culture both locally and around the world. For the first time in 50 years, Democrats have a chance to control the OC Board of Supervisors. But Huntington Beach — famous for its waves — just got hit by a red one.

Restaurant and coffee shop owners are aware they are often seen as gentrifiers. Some are taking steps to avoid behaviors that can accelerate displacement. California’s Three Strikes Law is still in effect. But since 2012, “non-serious” and “non-violent” felonies have stopped counting as third strikes, and thousands of people have been released. The Los Angeles Gay Freedom Band has been making music since 1978. This weekend, they’ll be performing original songs, each focused on causes important to the organization.

It could take weeks to get official results of the midterms. KCRW looks at where candidates stand in key California House races, and the battles for LA’s next mayor and sheriff. At Soapbox Sessions Open Mic in Tarzana, performers practice their original stand-up comedy, music, spoken word poetry, and more.

Voting early, in person, by mail, or a dropbox are overseen by registrars. These officials are facing lies and conspiracies about voter fraud, plus safety threats. How are officials increasing transparency?

Experts say the best way to teach kids about the climate crisis without scaring them is to talk about it more, discourage doomscrolling, and find hope to share. KCRW looks at the mayoral race in Anaheim, Measure K in Costa Mesa, and school board elections in Placentia-Yorba Linda. What’s at stake as voters cast ballots on Tuesday? Strippers at North Hollywood’s topless bar, Star Garden, have been protesting against what they say are unfair labor practices, and voting on whether to organize as union members.

Proposition 31 aims to ban the sale of almost all flavored tobacco in cigarettes, vapes, and enhancers in California. Visoth Tarak Ouk grew up in Long Beach’s Cambodia Town and joined a gang. He later found his way off the streets and into the kitchen. Rad Na Silom is a family-run food stand deep in Thai Town serving traditional Thai food to big crowds nightly.

The Hollywood Forever cemetery held its annual Dia de los Muertos celebration on Saturday. The event features altars that must be built in 24 hours. Losing your wallet can lead to someone stealing your identity and opening bank accounts in your name. That could mean racking up bad credit and fighting fraudulent claims and creditors for years. Los Angeles Football Club has qualified for the playoff finals for the first time, and this Saturday, they’ll play Philadelphia at Banc of California Stadium.

Measures ULA and LH both aim to increase LA’s stock of affordable housing in different ways: with new tax funds and a new license to build. The proliferation of politically slanted “news” outlets across the country is leading to a disinformation problem for many Americans. Social media is adding fuel to the fire.

Every year, Angelenos transform their homes into spine-chilling Halloween displays. SoCal Haunt List catalogs hundreds you can visit for free — if you dare. KCRW brings you three spooky, real-life stories from around SoCal, as told by listeners Catherine Lydon, Brad Hodson and Tommy Bui.

Give a Beat is a nonprofit that trains incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people to be DJs and engineers in the music industry. Co-founder Lauren Segal talks about their programs. Four of the 15 LA City Council districts seats are up for grabs during the midterm elections: District 5 (parts of Santa Monica mountains), 11 (Pacific Palisades), 13 (Hollywood), and 15 (San Pedro).

Mayoral candidates Rick Caruso and Karen Bass defend their plans of quickly moving tens of thousands of unhoused people indoors if elected. To cover new shelter beds and rental vouchers, they plan to turn to the feds. More than 80 people gathered in Griffith Park earlier this year for Satrang Family Day, a celebration of community and safe space for South Asian and queer families. A new exhibit of 96-year-old artist Thaddeus Mosley’s abstract wooden sculptures is on view at Art + Practice. Inspired by jazz and improvisation, he hand-crafts all his work with simple tools.

An exhibit at the Central Library in downtown collects memorabilia of LA social groups — from scuba divers to microscope lovers — for a glimpse into the many ways Angelenos make community. LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva faces a different political landscape than he did four years ago — and a strong opponent in former Long Beach PD Chief Robert Luna.

School board elections affect LA Unified’s half-million students, and powerful players spend big bucks on their chosen candidates. Who are they? What began as a protest of Mahsa Amini’s death has grown to over a month of political outcry within Iran and around the world. Iranians in LA are especially vocal. About two weeks are left to vote in the midterm elections. Democrats from LA are getting involved in politics in Orange County and are pitting themselves against each other.

Olvera Street is an LA tourist attraction that’s been around for 92 years. When it turns 100, will any of its legacy businesses still be here? After meeting Cesar Chavez in the 1970s, Father Luis Olivares adopted a more radical ministry, and made his La Placita church the heart of the sanctuary movement in SoCal. The Tellez family’s Aztec dance group, In Tlanextli Tlacopan, has been performing at Olvera Street every Sunday for two decades — to share and preserve their culture.

New LA City Council President Paul Krekorian says he supports having more members on the council and creating an independent redistricting commission. Identity politics is almost inevitable in LA, says writer Jay Caspian Kang, but it’s important to appeal to people beyond race and consider all backgrounds, including socioeconomic. Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am grew up in Boyle Heights, and this Friday, he’ll be performing at the half-time show during the East LA Classic.

A congressional race unfolding in Riverside County between longtime GOP incumbent Ken Calvert and political newcomer Will Rollins, a Democrat, has experts saying the path to the U.S. House majority could run through California’s 41st District. Kid Congo Powers has played with The Cramps, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and co-founded The Gun Club. He discusses his new book “Some New Kind of Kick.” The MacArthur Foundation named Martha Gonzalez as one of this year’s fellows. She talks about being an “artivista” and using music to keep her energy replenished.

A sports betting proposition on the November ballot is raising questions about the long-term consequences for card rooms and the cities where they operate. Kroger announced last week that it’s in talks to buy Albertsons, which would bring a lot of SoCal supermarket chains under one umbrella, in a $24 billion deal. What would that mean for local shoppers? The OC sheriff’s department used jailhouse informants in an illegal way, and the district attorney’s office hid evidence. Federal authorities have released a damning 63-page report.

Former City Council President Nury Martinez attacked LA’s large Oaxacan community in a leaked recording. Oaxacan Angelenos share their reactions and how they want local government to make amends. LA County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan explains where you can submit your completed ballot — and how to track it — for the November 8 election. Rebecca Morris’ vibrant work is displayed in a 21-year retrospective at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Lindsay Preston Zappas talks about Morris’ process and inspiration.

In recently leaked audio, three LA City Council members made racist remarks when discussing how to gerrymander District 4, which is represented by Nithya Raman. What’s her way forward? Eunisses Hernandez will soon fill the LA City Council seat occupied by Gil Cedillo. She talks about her responsibility as a Latina woman in local politics. ​​The California Fish and Game Commission once again delayed the vote on whether to list the western Joshua tree as endangered. Its fate won’t be decided until next year.

Kourtney Turner co-hosts the “Holding Kourt” podcast with her husband, the Dodgers’ third baseman Justin Turner. She talks about her love for baseball and her nonprofit work. In “Common Ground: Multifamily Housing in Los Angeles,” Frances Anderton tracks a history of housing centered on shared space.

After racist audio involving LA City Council members was leaked, Angelenos must make their feelings clear about whether the involved parties should keep their seats, says former member Jan Perry. The opening of LA’s first new light-rail line in 10 years raises hopes for new investment – and fears of gentrification – in historically underserved South LA.

The Pebble Plains ecosystem, found only in the San Bernardino Mountains, survived six ice ages and human development. Now it’s facing its biggest threat. Girls’ flag football is now an official high school sport in SoCal, thanks to a vote by the California Interscholastic Federation’s southern section. It’s the fastest-growing version of the sport globally, says Paula Hart Rodas from CIF. This Sunday, CicLAvia will close seven miles of roads to cars. The route goes through Echo Park, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, and Boyle Heights. There will be food trucks, water refill stations, bike parking, and more.

The City of Santa Monica is making its outdoor dining program permanent and charging restaurants thousands in upfront costs and monthly fees. 2nd Chance Soul Food Fish Fry, a casual restaurant in Ladera Heights, offers job opportunities to formerly incarcerated men and women who live in transitional housing. Venice restaurant James’ Beach shut down last month. But it wasn’t a pandemic casualty. Instead, its owners say they were ready to move on.

Californians ages 18-24 are experiencing more anxiety and depression compared to past years, and many are struggling to get help due to financial costs or a lack of access to services. That’s the result of a new survey from the California Endowment. Months into this school year, some LAUSD students are anxious, depressed, and lonely, says teacher Aviva Alvarez-Zakson. There aren’t enough campus psychologists and counselors, while technology and the pandemic have exacerbated the situation.

Ballona Creek carries water – and garbage – from Griffith Park to the ocean. LA County is using new tech to try to keep it clean. California will expand union rights for farmworkers, boost disability and family paid-leave programs, not enforce other states’ anti-abortion rules. That’s thanks to Gov. Newsom signing several bills into law. This Friday, Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner is suspending service between Irvine and San Diego for emergency repairs. The year’s heavy rains and high surf severely impacted the track.

LA is on average more than 4 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than it was in the 19th century. Warmer air can hold more moisture, and the ocean is evaporating faster, which means extra humidity too. Jaime Jarrín has been the Spanish language voice for the Dodgers over the last 64 years. He’s called thousands of games, and his retirement comes at the end of this season.

The founders of ChargerHelp! want to repair the nation’s electric vehicle charging stations while bringing equity to the workplace. For years, the government has offered incentives to help people purchase electric cars. Now, city and state programs are pushing people toward electric too, all with different requirements. In the new exhibition “Promised Land,” artist Patrick Martinez uses landscape paintings to reflect on a changing LA and how his family life fits into it.

Health codes and food regulations used to be so complex that many vendors on California sidewalks and at beaches couldn’t get permits. It all changes thanks to Gov. Newsom signing SB 972. SoCal is facing a third year of La Niña, meaning drier and hotter conditions with no end in sight, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Eric Boldt. Mission Viejo City Councilmembers Wendy Bucknum, Greg Raths, and Ed Sachs were sued by a resident last month for improperly extending their term limits. Will they be forced to step down?

With freeway-adjacent land filling up and cities pushing back, is the golden age of the goods movement coming to a close in the Inland Empire? In the play “Moniece Clark,” a woman goes missing in the California desert, so a community of online true crime fans and a TV detective try to figure out what happened. A meal per person at the fine dining restaurant Providence can run customers nearly $300. The culture and staff’s services make it worth it, customers say. 

LA Metro plans to hire 300 unarmed “transit ambassadors” to help riders navigate the system and keep an eye on passengers and employees. Will more bodies ease safety concerns on the system? Fresh off her Grammy win, Arooj Aftab returns to LA to headline the final performance in The Broad Museum’s summer series “Now We’re Here.” The history of great jazz on South LA’s Central Avenue is celebrated in the latest concert by MUSE/IQUE, a nonprofit performing arts organization.

Growing up, David Ambroz had a mom with mental illness, and his family experienced homelessness before he moved to the foster care system, which can be especially hard for LGBTQ youth. The City and County of LA are phasing out pandemic-related eviction moratoriums. What will it mean for struggling renters and landlords?

A wave of young union leaders are making the LA labor movement cool and winning elections. But where are the contracts? California scientists are looking to beavers to help mitigate fire damage through a new office called the Beaver Restoration Unit. Why are these animals so necessary? The Orange County Power Authority is set up to provide greener power to hundreds of thousands of residents in the area. But officials want more oversight over the agency.

The new documentary “Mija” follows Doris Anahi Muñoz, the daughter of immigrants, as she makes her own path in the music industry while supporting her family. Fritz Coleman retired as a longtime LA weatherman in 2020, but he couldn’t stay away from the mic. He and comedian Louise Palanker have created the Media Path podcast. At the Other Places Art Fair, which takes place this weekend in San Pedro, visitors can expect conceptual kites, mealworms munching on styrofoam sculptures, and more.

Tomatoes grown in greenhouses use 90% less water than ones grown outdoors. Why isn’t it catching on in drought-stricken California? LA is developing one of the most robust “street psychiatry” programs in the nation. The goal is to meet unhoused individuals experiencing mental health issues where they are.

The transformation of one South Central building from juvenile courthouse to community center underscores a shift in LA County’s youth justice system. Musician Angélique Kidjo returns to the Hollywood Bowl on the heels of a Grammy win and a new album with composer Phillip Glass. A face-off between Republican Congresswoman Michelle Steel and Democratic challenger Jay Chen in Orange County could shape the strategy for the national Democratic and Republican parties moving forward.

Greater LA reairs its interview with Laurie Leshin, who formally started her job as JPL’s director in May. She wants to explore the far reaches of space, find evidence of life on Mars, and make the institution more inclusive. Also, listen back to how Angelenos can rent the historic telescopes at LA’s Mt. Wilson Observatory for one night. It’s complete with snacks and a guide — all for $1,700. How did this sanctuary of science become a fun night out for anyone with a credit card?

The results of LA’s annual homeless count show a 4.1% increase in the number of people living on the streets and in shelters countywide since 2020, and a 1.7% increase in the City of LA. The world premiere of Indigenous choreographer and activist Emily Johnson’s immersive piece, “Being Future Being,” takes place at The Broad Stage from September 8 to 10. Food pop-ups are a popular way for chefs to reduce overhead costs while building a following. The Compton soul food duo behind Trap Kitchen pioneered the model nearly a decade ago.

Asking prices have been falling for many Southern California homes over the last few months. Is this a blip or a sign of a long-term trend? The Los Angeles Public Library has millions of books at more than 70 branches. But it also loans out several non-book items — all you need is a (free) library card. It’s not too late to catch up on summer reading — and look ahead to titles coming out this fall. Katie Orphan of Chevalier's Books recommends “Pink Hotel” “The Long Answer,” “Bad City,” and more.

A major water utility in Southern California has asked 4 million of its customers to stop watering their yards for two weeks while the company repairs a pipe. In the race to elect LA’s next mayor, Congresswoman Karen Bass is in the lead after her June primary win. How can real estate mogul Rick Caruso catch up? More Black and Brown Californians are seeking respite in the affordable and spacious Inland Empire, but the area’s long history of inequality can’t be erased overnight.

LA City Council is considering a proposal to end COVID-era eviction protections. Landlords say they need the income amid inflation. Activists worry that this will lead to more displacement. The need for physical touch climbed amid coronavirus quarantine and isolation. Trevor James, a professional touch therapist and cuddler, aims to help people reconnect.

Despite crowds, some businesses on the Venice Beach Boardwalk say inflation and the end of stimulus checks mean summer visitors aren’t spending like they used to. When the Dust Bowl sent thousands fleeing to California, LA’s police chief deployed armed officers to the border to keep them out. Author Bill Lascher discusses this little-known piece of history. “Unprotected” is a new virtual art show at Epoch gallery, where a collection of artists are responding to the Supreme Court’s decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.

Garment workers are getting higher pay thanks to a new 2022 state law — following a long history of wage theft. Organizers are making a national push for laborer protections. California’s labor commissioner fined Playa Vista Car Wash $2.3 million for underpaying its workers. That was in 2019. Now workers still haven’t received any of that back pay. Animal Assistance League of OC cares for lost or abandoned pets. They also help low-income seniors, disabled people, and those experiencing homelessness meet their pets’ basic needs.

Fifty-two years ago, the Chicano Moratorium sought to underscore the costs of the Vietnam War among Latinos. California could soon have a law that protects rap lyrics and other creative expressions from being used against defendants in court cases. Owner Arte Moreno has announced his search for someone to buy the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. What are the scandals and legacy of his longtime ownership?

Ventura’s Petty Ranch has cultivated about 185,000 pounds of avocados so far this year. Mission Produce sorts, packs, and distributes the fruit to retail chains statewide. Yeastie Boys Bagels uses 175-225 avocados during a typical five-day period. Two hospitality veterans at Santa Monica-based Crudo e Nudo are changing the restaurant game through their sustainable practices and unconventional staffing.

The U.S. Forest Service knows it needs to set prescribed burns on thousands of acres in Big Bear every year. This year, it's only burned 20. The musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” is about a queer East German rock star. It came out in the 1990s, but new generations are relating to it today.

The Los Angeles City Council could vote this Wednesday on an initiative that’d make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. The late Kaari Upson’s drawings, looping videos, and castings of household items are on view at the Sprüth Magers Gallery. Her work always dealt with struggle and trauma.

“A Forest for the Trees” is an immersive exhibit that raises questions about nature. How is it different from art designed for taking selfies in a pool of sprinkles? By the end of the year, more than 750,000 LA residents will be required to participate in the City of LA’s food waste reclamation program, which produces compost that can help farmers grow crops. State regulators last month hit Orange County Supervisor Andrew Doh with a $12,000 fine for violating pay-to-play laws involving CalOptima.

Mel’s Drive-in Restaurant in Santa Monica is an example of Googie architecture: a retro futuristic style featuring stretched roofs, large glass windows, and neon signs. LA’s sex workers are at a higher risk for monekypox, and they’re working with local agencies to gain access to vaccines.

Workers at the Buena Park Medieval Times want to unionize. They’re part of a growing labor movement sweeping smaller workplaces and unexpected industries. Burbank Congressman Adam Schiff talks about the January 6 hearings, the November midterm elections, and what the Inflation Reduction Act means for Californians. 

Governor Gavin Newsom has rolled out an ambitious, multi-billion dollar plan to fight the historic drought facing the American West. What needs to happen? Las Vegas is a diverse place to eat. Try an unconventional French steakhouse, plant-based fine dining, a modern spin on traditional Chinese noodles, and more.

Mayoral candidates Rick Caruso and Karen Bass defend their plans of quickly moving tens of thousands of unhoused people indoors if elected. To cover new shelter beds and rental vouchers, they plan to turn to the feds. Museums, a library, botanical gardens, and maybe even a veterans’ cemetery are part of a redevelopment plan for the Great Park. It all might face challenges from former Irvine Mayor Larry Agran. On this first day of LAUSD’s new academic term, Heidi Kalin is excited about her eighth grade son having more structure back in his life, and more campus events to choose from.

Guelaguetza means offering or gift in Zapotec, an indigenous language of Mexico. It’s also the name of the biggest celebration for Oaxacans in LA, which is set for August 14. LAUSD begins its new term on August 15. Superintendent Carvalho talks about pandemic-induced building upgrades, more digital and tutorial resources, and teachers’ union contract negotiations. 

The slow return of performing arts is threatening the existence of some small theaters in the North Hollywood Arts District. As part of The Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival, Angelenos can watch “Macbeth” every Wednesday to Sunday at 7 p.m. through September 4. KCRW learns what goes into each performance. Micro forests can be as small as 10 by 10 feet, but they go a long way in enhancing biodiversity, reducing carbon in the atmosphere, and infusing soil with nutrients.

Fingerboards, the palm-sized skateboards you steer with your fingers, are tokens of 1990s nostalgia that’s gaining interest among a new generation of riders. LA’s recently expanded “anti-camping” law will have a disproportionate impact on Black Angelenos, who make up nearly 45% of the city’s unhoused residents. The Echo Park Trash Club gathers a few times a month to help keep LA streets clean. They also serve homeless encampments, where they’ve had to spend time building trust with residents.

Employing what it calls “fractional ownership” for second homes, real estate startup Pacaso has left communities scrambling to regulate its model. East Hollywood used to have a tightly-knit Japanese immigrant community known as Madison/J-Flats. Boarding houses there offered people affordable rent, home-cooked meals, and community. After pressure from San Clemente residents, the City Council turned down Steven Knoblock’s proposal banning abortion facilities from opening.

The 5,000-square-foot Hollyhock House in East Hollywood was renovated during COVID, and on August 18, it’ll reopen to the public. It’s the first house that Frank Lloyd Wright designed in LA. Former President Barack Obama added LA-based author Antoine Wilson's “Mouth to Mouth” to his reading list. The suspenseful book has been out since January.

LA is in mourning after iconic Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully died Tuesday at age 94. He called Dodgers games for 67 seasons before retiring in 2016. Mo Ostin died this week at age 95. He ran Warner Brothers Records from the 1960s to the 1990s, then helped create the record label arm of DreamWorks. 

Psychedelics are catching on in a big way. A hidden ayahuasca retreat builds connections and exposes dangerous vulnerabilities. Compton native Keb’ Mo’ says “it’s good to be home.” The blues musician is performing at the Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday. 

The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo is the only nationally recognized Black rodeo in the U.S. Today it reaches more than 130,000 spectators, which makes it more popular than ever. “If I Go Will They Miss Me” follows a father and son who live in the Imperial Courts housing project in Watts, which sits directly under the flight path at LAX. A member of the Santa Ana City Council wants green card holders and undocumented residents to have voting rights in local elections. It won’t be a measure on the November ballot, but the issue will come back.

Scientists are checking LA sewage for coronavirus. As fewer people report test results, health officials say the data helps them see what’s next with the pandemic. “Working Together: The Photographers of the Kamoinge Workshop,” a new exhibit at the Getty, highlights the daily lives of Black people in the 1960s and 1970s. 

Laurie Leshin, JPL’s new director, wants to explore the far reaches of space, find evidence of life on Mars, and make the institution more inclusive. Emily Haag spent 85 days running from Jacksonville, Florida to Santa Monica to help raise funds and awareness for the group Students Run LA.

Hundreds of unhoused Angelenos are seeking shelter in the Mojave Desert, having been pushed out of nearby Lancaster due to aggressive policing. Deaths are rising with few solutions on offer. LA nun Sister Mary Sean Hodges has helped more than 10,000 parolees adjust to life after incarceration. Their recidivism rate has been under 1% since 2002. Little Tokyo Table Tennis, founded a year ago, has brought together people from all walks of life: Gen-Z kids with nose piercings, a man sweating in Gucci, a nurse in scrubs, and more.

Dying is a complicated process. Death doulas want to make it better. That can mean helping with your will, spiritual issues, or just a great going-away party. California might make human composting legal. It’s a process by which recently deceased bodies are transformed into nutrient-rich soil that can be used to grow things. Police officers shot and killed two young men, Manuel Diaz and Joel Acevedo, in Anaheim 10 years ago, which led to big protests in Orange County.

The redevelopment of the Jordan Downs housing project in Watts will more than double its size and is expected to show what decent public housing could be. Six Starbucks stores across LA are set to shut down by the end of July, and more closures are expected. Some union organizers say it’s an intimidation tactic so employees don’t unionize. Avant Garde composer Julias Eastman is known for his provocative minimalist compositions. On July 23, LA-based ensemble Wild Up will perform his “Femenine” at the Broad Museum.

Satellite imagery can show whether households are complying with watering rules during the drought. One Ventura County science teacher is ready to hold people accountable. The language of the Serrano tribe native to the San Bernardino Mountains almost went extinct. Now historians and a new generation of Indigenous Californians are working to keep it alive. Hundreds of millions of birds die annually from colliding with buildings. In LA, some animal advocates want to see architectural designs that are safer for avian inhabitants.

Rates of domestic violence have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The United Nations declared the rise as a “shadow pandemic.” One young woman’s experience of being unhoused and pregnant in Hollywood is the focus of a new series from the Los Angeles Times.

Faustino Benites has worked at The Huntington Gardens for over 30 years. Now he’s sharing plant tips in Spanish on the organization’s TikTok account to thousands of fans. Hundreds of animators, colorists, background painters, and more walked out of Disney during summer 1941. They demanded fair wages and overtime. A new book chronicles the five-week strike. Anaheim may impose a 2% ticket tax on Disneyland and The Honda Center. The move could bring tens of millions of dollars to help the city boost revenue and pay off bonds. 

Supporters of a new Santa Ana streetcar say it will bring more people downtown, but business owners say they don’t know if they will last to see the benefit. This week marks the start of the 40th annual Outfest in LA, which includes more than 200 films and comedy programming featuring Margaret Cho and Kathy Griffin. Go There Wines is trying to help more winemakers access the marketplace. It’s highlighting grape varieties, growing regions, uncommon wine blends, and stories of winemakers.

As the ultra-contagious BA.5 Omicron subvariant sweeps through LA, the county is poised to issue a new universal mask mandate for indoor spaces by the end of July.

Mayoral candidates Karen Bass and Rick Caruso are making big promises on homelessness, but can they deliver? Outgoing Mayor Eric Garcetti says good luck. Starting next year, loitering for the purposes of prostitution will be decriminalized. Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 357 into law on July 1.  As recycling centers shut down statewide, it’s tougher for OC residents to trade in cans and bottles for extra bucks. Now there’s a push to make it easier to obtain California Redemption Value fees.

Two November ballot initiatives would legalize sports betting in California. It could provide a windfall for the state, but gambling addicts are worried. Seeing her neighbors struggle during COVID inspired Eunisses Hernandez to run for LA City Council. Her progressive messaging helped her oust incumbent Gil Cedillo.  Bars might be able to stay open for longer hours — if a new California bill is signed into law. Plus, a new state program means people must be certified to pour those drinks behind the bar. 

There are two ways to survive California’s drought: Conserve water or innovate to create more usable water. Santa Monica and Avalon are trying to do both. Marta Segura will create new early warning systems for heat waves throughout LA’s microclimates, and long-term strategies to reduce heat exposure, particularly for unhoused Angelenos. Sister Simone Campbell will receive the nation’s highest civilian honor this week. She’s an activist, lawyer, poet, and co-founder of the “Nuns on the Bus” movement.

The world’s only flying deep-space telescope zigzags over the Pacific, taking images from a hole in the side of the plane. The program is set to end this fall. Jerry Stahl delves into despair, depression, and the Holocaust tourism industry in his darkly funny new memoir “Nein, Nein, Nein!”

The Hollywood Bowl celebrates its centennial this July. KCRW looks at its origin story and legacy in LA. Listeners also share their favorite experiences there. Plus, at Craft Contemporary, a new exhibit includes portraits of farm workers that are drawn onto cardboard boxes, and another features quilts that reference a 1960s LGBTQ magazine.

Greater LA’s special series closely looks at changing neighborhoods across Southern California. Episode two of “Born & Razed” focuses on Oxnard. That’s where Cola Boyy, a musician and activist, is from. He released his debut album “Prosthetic Boombox” in 2021, and he filmed much of the music video for the song “Penny Girl” in Oxnard. 

Many gas stations in LA are charging over $6 per gallon for regular unleaded gas. AAA says the national average is $4.86. Why are Southern Californians paying so much more? LA will ban the construction of new gas stations — to try to relieve climate change. That’s if a new proposal from LA City Councilmember Paul Koretz passes. Angel City FC is LA’s first women’s pro team since the LA Sol disbanded 12 years ago. With about 18,000 people attending each game, Angel City says it’s here to stay.

LGBTQ teens can have a good time in a safe space at the annual Santa Monica High School Queer Prom without the fear of experiencing hate or discrimination. The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade set a new precedent in the United States. Does that mean other rights are at stake, too? A local hospitality company is restoring Tail o’ the Pup, an iconic hot dog stand in West Hollywood. It’s set to reopen on July 20, also known as National Hot Dog Day.

LA has been preparing for more traveling patients seeking abortions. Meanwhile, anti-abortion advocates plan to now focus on states like California where the procedure remains legal. KCRW asked listeners for personal thoughts on the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Here are some of their responses. Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano describes how his experience in Catholic school made him a pro-choice advocate. 

The Pride Poets hotline writes custom, on-the-spot, free poems for anyone who dials in. This year, its creative team took more than 200 calls. In his debut novel, “Cookies and Milk,” author Shawn Amos – son of the entrepreneur behind Famous Amos cookies – finds joy from a troubled childhood.

New drought restrictions limit millions of Southern Californians to watering their yards once or twice weekly. Cemeteries are looking for ways to avoid turning brown. The state committed $1.5 billion for wildfire prevention and forest health in 2021. The California Newsroom investigated how Cal Fire has been spending that money. It finds the department wanting in key areas. Before the U.S. Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021, John Eastman was a respectable conservative voice in Orange County. What happened?

One LA family morphed their weekly Black Lives Matter protests into a racial equity and wellness movement that’s drawing hundreds to a park for yoga and fellowship every week. California might’ve been a slavery-free state on paper when it joined the Union in 1850. But it turned out that people remained enslaved for years afterward. Juneteenth is a day for honoring Black freedom. Whether you love history, food, music, dance, or dessert – there’s something for everyone to celebrate this weekend.

More new moms in LA are deciding to eat their placentas. But why? And what’s the best way to do it? Patricia Krenwinkel, a follower of Charles Manson who was found guilty in the murders of Sharon Tate and others, has been recommended for parole by a California panel. Mariachi Arcoiris is the first LGBTQ+ mariachi band in the world. Its founder talks about representing both the LGBTQ+ community and the Mexican community.

Rufus Wainwright will play at The Ford Theatre in LA on June 14 to perform songs from his new album: “Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Records.” Zipper merging means switching lanes late — fully using both lanes and taking turns moving over when the lane ends. It’s gained endorsements from 34 states, but remains a controversy in California.

For generations, Catholic schools have represented a pathway to the middle class for immigrants. But thousands have closed, the latest in Boyle Heights. A feud between PIMCO founder Bill Gross and neighbors involving a large glass sculpture and the Gilligan’s Island theme song was finally settled. Maybe. This year’s list of 50 best bars in North America includes three from LA: Genever in Historic Filipinotown, Death & Co. in downtown LA, and Thunderbolt in Echo Park.

Local atheist volunteers started taking down illegally posted religious signs in public places less than a year ago. Now their plunders and crowdsourced maps are gaining traction. Republicans are attempting to retake control of the House of Representatives, and November will bring several closely-watched races for LA and OC seats.  This week, KCRW’s Young Creators Project is highlighting the work of two visual artists: Cici Apitz, a senior student at Redondo Union High School, and Kaia King-Hall, a 20-year-old from Venice.

Record inflation means the prices Angelenos pay for locally-made food are headed in one direction — up. Businesses that serve the budget-conscious really notice. And looking to November, Rick Caruso and Karen Bass both say they’re in good positions to win as LA mayor, while political watchers say Alex Villanueva will have a tough fight to remain sheriff.

As COVID rises, a restaurant server in Burbank says customers are pressuring her to remove her mask, but she doesn’t qualify for health insurance due to work limited hours. In the volunteer-run West Adams bookstore called All Power Books, neighbors receive food, clothes and community. Now they face an uncertain future. This week, KCRW’s Young Creators Project is highlighting the work of two visual artists: Minnie Learner from Polytechnic High School, and Arianna Louie from South High School.

Wildfire-prone communities can earn better insurance coverage and discounts if they work to prevent wildfires. But it takes time and money that some poorer places don’t have. The LA County sheriff’s race has been confusing for many. KCRW goes over the nine candidates, their endorsements, and policies. In the primary election, Orange County will elect new local supervisors, and members to the State Assembly. What policies could change if Democrats take control of the OC Board of Supervisors?

For its 100th anniversary, the secluded San Simeon retreat of publisher William Randolph Hearst is celebrating architect Julia Morgan with a new tour. Actor Pepe Serna has appeared in “Scarface,” “Man from Reno,” “The Jerk,” and more. A documentary about him, “Pepe Serna: Life is Art,” will premiere at the Latino Film Festival in LA on June 4. The new exhibition called “Your Perfect Plastic Heart” focuses on the female body and exploitation of nature. The show “it’s not My Music” suggests that music belongs to everyone.

The LA Phil’s festival, “Power to the People!,” focuses on the role that artists play in advancing social change. Conductor Gustavo Dudamel says he wants people to be “united by the message of art.” LA’s favorite cougar, P-22, has risen to fame over the last decade or so. Miguel Ordeñana first caught him on camera roaming Griffith Park in 2012.

Southern California bird rescues are dealing with an influx of sick or injured brown pelicans. No one knows why, but many birds appear to be starving. Water restrictions are set to take effect on June 1 for many Southern Californians. They apply to lawns, swimming pools, car washing, and more. KCRW breaks down the rules. Shorten showers to five minutes, don’t let the faucet run while brushing your teeth, rethink what you eat and what your yard looks like. These are some tips to conserve water.

Days after the school shooting in Uvalde, KCRW checks in with two LA teachers. They say they’ve come up with their own plans to protect students, but things could go awry during a real incident. The Tayo Help Desk is a virtual platform with COVID-19 resources that all Filipinos can use. People can also dial 800-899-5090 if they want to speak with someone for help.

Southern Californians are struggling with anxiety and depression as they process the aftermath of recent mass shootings and racist attacks in Texas and New York. And on a different note, an Indian pizza parlor and sports bar recently opened in Silver Lake. Pijja Palace is “full of vibe with really great food,” says Eater LA’s Mona Holmes.

Dancers at a North Hollywood strip club say owners and security guards don’t keep them safe. What do they want workplace safety to look like? The monarch butterfly population has been dwindling over the years, so the Monarch Fellowship has decided to take things into their own hands to save the species in California. Karla Benavides went from trying to save some cash as a new mom to becoming a coupon savant and going viral on TikTok. 

A new coffee shop in Long Beach brings together community, coffee, and job skills under one roof. The business aims to help house insecure families. It is challenging enough finding an affordable apartment to rent in LA. It’s even harder to find one that is both affordable and has a refrigerator. But why? The sale of Angel Stadium of Anaheim has been paused due to a federal investigation into Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu for public corruption.

Parents and teachers describe changed relationships with school as the 2021-2022 academic year ends. For many, the new normal was difficult after COVID-19 fractured the educational system. Actor Dennis Hopper and his wife, Brooke Hayward, became the nexus of art and film during 1960s LA. They’re the focus of a new book called “Everybody Thought We Were Crazy.”

Business is booming for a maker of the prefab homeless shelters known as tiny homes. Can a company banking on homelessness also help alleviate it? A newly installed arch over Beverly Boulevard, designed by Eliseo Silva, proudly welcomes people to Historic Filipinotown. It’s titled “Talang Gabay: Our Guiding World.” Kevin Beasley’s new art exhibition in LA features mixed media that explores the Black experience and how it shapes American history and culture.

To prevent small businesses from being priced out of Boyle Heights, a nonprofit is buying commercial property and offering tenants a share in ownership. On May 15, a gunman entered a Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods, killing one person and injuring five others. How are SoCal’s Taiwanese and mainland Chinese American communities processing what happened? In LA, more than 2500 species were identified by about 1400 observers in this year’s City Nature Challenge. The western fence lizard was the most observed species.

Landmark Theatres will close their arthouse location on Pico Boulevard after 15 years. Is this the beginning of the end of indie theaters? Plans for a Poseidon Water desalination plant in Huntington Beach were unanimously rejected by the California Coastal Commission. What’s the future for desalination in the state

Southern Californians are taking their own approaches to the drought. One man waters his yard daily. Another has native plants and hardly ever waters. Measure W is meant to raise money to clean and capture rainwater. LA County residents voted to pass it in 2018. Is it making a difference? Jacqueline Chow, an 11-year-old student in Arcadia, is part of KCRW’s Young Creators Project. She likes to write and read about bugs. Her poetry speaks to the beauty of nature.

The next LA County supervisor from the San Fernando Valley and Westside will represent over 2 million people and control billions of dollars. But where’s the campaign? In the LA city attorney’s race, two candidates previously ran for office as Republicans, but they say they’ve been with the Democratic Party for many years now. With the June primary election ahead, KCRW gets an explainer on how mail-in ballots will work or where, and when, you can go to vote in person. High school student Salome Agbaroji is part of KCRW’s Young Creators Project. She writes and performs poetry about racism, oppression, femininity, and social change.  

The Silver Lake restaurant staple, Casita del Campo, has been serving margaritas for 60 years. And the downstairs theater, The Cavern Club, hosts raucous drag shows. A new TikTok series began as a way for kids to get news, then became a collection of lost stories of classic LA restaurants and fun food facts. Gillian Chamberlin, a 17-year-old senior from the San Gabriel Valley, is one of the five talented storytellers found through KCRW’s Young Creators Project. She creates poetry, music, and film.

“CARE Court” aims to help Californians with mental health and addiction disorders, but civil liberty activists question its effectiveness and legality. Thousands of people with mental health issues have been sent (by courts) to a program that diverts them away from jail and into supportive housing. But funding has dried up for that program. An Orange County judge overturned second-degree murder convictions for two men after they served nearly 30 years behind bars.

LA’s youth climate leaders keep up with their schoolwork as they lobby for climate legislation, rally a generation, and try to secure a liveable future. Books depicting racism, sexuality, and genocide shouldn’t be banned. Educators should be better trained in teaching sensitive literature. That’s according to Sungjoo Yoon. P-22, the beloved LA mountain lion, has reached the ripe old age of 12, which is the normal life expectancy for a wild cougar. How much longer might he be around?

Nearly 50 Starbucks shops nationwide have voted to unionize this year. Now LA County’s Starbucks baristas are brewing up change. The University of California is waiving tuition for Native American students, but only if they’re members of federally recognized tribes. At LACMA, Lee Alexander McQueen’s designs are paired with museum objects in a new show. And separately, Barbara Kruger plays with text and pop culture. 

KCRW hears reactions from Angelenos on the leaked opinion draft that says Roe v. Wade will be overturned, leaving room for states to ban abortions. The president and CEO of Planned Parenthood LA explains how overturning Roe v. Wade could affect abortion providers and other family planning services in SoCal. A new short documentary called “Valerie” looks at the early career of actress Valerie Perrine and her current battle with Parkinson’s disease.

The nightlife is hopping at downtown LA gay bar Redline, but its owner is staring down almost half a million dollars in debt, and he’s not alone. Housing shortages left many UC Santa Barbara students struggling to secure roofs over their heads back in the fall. The school year is ending — where are they now? Maurice Harris says he and his brother and business partner have been able to save Bloom & Plume, their floral shop and cafe, to the point where they’re no longer in debt.

This episode was supported in large part by FOUND/LA, supporting local entrepreneurs with funding, education, and community. Greater LA’s new special series closely looks at changing neighborhoods across Southern California. “Born & Razed” kicks off today in Echo Park. The Mexican restaurant El Nayarit thrived for almost 50 years. “Waitstaff … had all been outsiders that became insiders, and they wanted to share that spirit with you,” says Natalia Molina. Sunset Beer Company has been called an oasis in the middle of LA, where customers feel like they’re on the set of “Cheers.” But it’s closing for good on May 1. Marriage skateshop quickly became a hangout spot for many young skaters after it launched earlier this month. Owner Ronnie Campone has been skating for 30 years. 

“Peanut Man” (Robert Sanchez) has been selling concessions at Dodger Stadium for some 50 years. “You're gonna get hurt. You might slip on nacho cheese,” he says. Nashville-style hot chicken and dessert nachos are some of the new food options at Dodger Stadium. Eater LA’s Mona Holmes gives a taste of all the best stuff. A mask mandate still applies on public transit, but not in most other places in LA County. Should you still wear one? Will it help if other people aren’t wearing theirs? 

Ketamine clinics are popping up all over Los Angeles offering to treat depression, anxiety, and other ailments. But are their claims legitimate? Psilocybin or magic mushrooms could be offered as medical treatment in LA in the near future. How is the city preparing for the next psychedelic wave? Wednesday is Denim Day. Advocates are encouraging Angelenos to throw on a jean jacket and head down to City Hall to rally against sexual violence.

More than 15,000 Ukrainians have passed through Tijuana on their way into the U.S. Some struggle with nightmares and trauma as they wonder what comes next. When Daisy De La O was murdered in Compton, her friends thought they knew her killer, but police couldn’t find him. Using social media, they tracked him down. Brea and Cypress, in Orange County, say they will not switch from at-large to district elections, like many other CA cities are doing. That’s even after both cities faced legal threats.

From private yards to public parks, gardeners and landscape designers are trying to “rewild” the land with native plants and creatures, and restore the web of life. More people started gardening and composting during the pandemic, and the state passed a new composting law, which drove up demand for worms. Now there’s a shortage of these invertebrates. More than 1,200 scientists in 26 countries protested in downtown LA earlier this month, calling for stronger action against climate change. Some were arrested.

Metrolink is now powering its trains with recycled natural oils from Singapore and Finland, which it says will cut carbon emissions by up to 80%. But that doesn’t make it sustainable. Assimilation is not the key to belonging — that’s what Julissa Arce argues in her new book, “You Sound Like A White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation.”

Kick off election season in LA County with a roundtable discussion about the biggest races, what’s at stake, and what to watch in the June 7 primary. The old West LA Courthouse skate park is up for demolition and re-development. Skaters want a say in new plans for the space.

Photographer Emanuel Hahn’s new book, “Koreatown Dreaming,” includes interviews and images of 40 Koreatown business owners who’ve been trying to stay afloat amid COVID and gentrification. City officials in Malibu recently voted to explore setting up shelter beds for unhoused people outside city limits. Is that legal? And is it right? Anaheim officials say drug dealing, illegal gambling, and prostitution are happening at two motels on Beach Blvd. The City Council has set new rules for the motels to keep operating.

The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection is back in LA. “What we do is about illuminating a fuller scope of Blackness and humanity at large,” says the chief curator. LA artist Phung Huynh honors the kids of Cambodian American immigrants and refugees in her new exhibit, “Donut (W)hole.” High Desert Test Sites’ 2022 biennial is titled “The Searchers.” It features nine artists at various locations in the Mojave Desert. 

Inglewood residents are upset about a plan to close a local elementary school. But with enrollment down statewide, communities will likely see more permanent campus shutdowns. Hawthorne-based SpaceX just sent another rocket to the International Space Station. But for the first time, most of the crew members were private citizens. Tatiana Brunetti, owner of Healthy Indulgence Bakery in downtown LA, is sending proceeds to help animals wounded and abandoned in Ukraine.

Cameras, sensors, and palm-scanning technology — it’s not science fiction. It’s the new, cashierless Whole Foods in Sherman Oaks. The aggressive “ankle biter” Aedes aegypti mosquito is now in LA. They carry diseases, and can lay eggs in a space as small as a water-filled bottle cap. One company is preparing to release millions of genetically modified versions of the insect to try to get rid of them. Placentia-Yorba Linda is Orange County’s first school district to ban the teaching of critical race theory in its classrooms. What’s driving this decision?

California’s legal cannabis industry once promised to be the world’s most successful weed market. Now many legal operators are about to go out of business. What happened? After Oil Can Harry’s closed during the pandemic, LA lost one of its oldest LGBTQ bars and nightclubs. But LA City Council may designate the site as a Historic-Cultural Monument. The LA Angels will begin their season tonight against the Houston Astros, while the LA Dodgers will start on Friday against the Colorado Rockies. What can we expect during this baseball season?

LA county’s public health director says while people like complaining about getting another booster, it’s quick and comes with zero to mild side effects. Mandates for masks and vax proof may return if COVID surges again in places like nursing homes and schools. Highlighting racial disparities reduces fear of the virus among white people, says a new study. As a result, empathy for the most vulnerable people and support for masks and other safety measures drop, too.

Gas prices just reached a record high, so California will return a big chunk of its budget surplus to drivers. But for super commuters, a $400 rebate won’t last two weeks. Some LA transit officials are concerned that unhoused Angelenos aboard the county’s buses and trains are preventing ridership numbers from returning to pre-pandemic levels. Members of Crosswalk Collective LA have taken it upon themselves to paint crosswalks in the city. “If our city won’t keep us safe, we will keep us safe,” they tweeted.

LA’s Olvera Street is a Mexican marketplace created according to the vision of a white outsider, though generations of Latino Angelenos have since claimed it as their own. A new LA County program aims to combat poverty by giving 1000 Angelenos $1,000 a month for three years. Applications are open now through April 13. A U.S. district judge recently found that former President Trump and former Chapman Law School Dean John Eastman “dishonestly conspired to obstruct the Joint Session of Congress on January 6, 2021.” 

At People’s Pottery Project in Glassell Park, formerly incarcerated women can learn how to work with ceramics, earn a living wage, and find social support. Some young people are making videos in their bedrooms that draw millions of views. Brat TV wants to help them break into Hollywood. Through her collage work and painting, artist Deborah Roberts explores how race shapes perceptions of beauty and innocence, especially when it comes to Black youth.

LA salons are specializing in textured hair now more than ever. Does this mean the natural hair movement is here to stay? LA50K, an initiative in LA County, aims to prevent drug-related deaths by distributing 50,000 boxes of Narcan, a nasal spray used to revive someone from an overdose. Bird nesting season begins earlier in Southern California compared to other parts of the country. And for the Southland’s most common owl species, it happens even earlier. 

Over the weekend, the union for workers at Ralphs, Vons, and Albertsons voted to authorize a strike. Workers and management will continue to negotiate a new labor contract on Wednesday. Volunteers are counting gray whales and tracking their health near the California coast, as the population mysteriously declines. State Senator Tom Umberg’s bill would give some California transit funds to Anaheim Resort Transportation, which provides bus services to Disneyland and other commercial attractions. OCTA says those funds should go to public transport.

It’s now a year after LA’s police-led homeless encampment eviction. Controversy –– and fencing –– still surround Echo Park Lake. “Hooded or Being Black for Dummies” premiered on stage five years ago. As the play continues its LA run, the issues it explores remain relevant today. After two long pandemic years, cannabis consumption lounges are making their comeback in West Hollywood. 

More than 300 LA County public defenders signed a letter requesting that their office stop accepting certain cases because their workloads are unmanageable. Their plea was rejected. A slate of public defenders are running for Superior Court of LA County, which like most other courts, has not had many public defenders as judges. Many LAPD officers who were found to have violated the department’s deadly force policies have not been disciplined, according to a report from the LAPD’s inspector general.

Russia’s attack on Ukraine is stirring up memories and renewing interest in Cold War history for Southern Californians with connections to the region. Angeleno Dimitry Granovsky’s 71-year-old father headed to Ukraine to help with the war effort. Now Granovsky wonders if he should join him in the country their family emigrated from decades ago.

When politicians leave office, sometimes they become lobbyists for countries that don’t share our democratic values. These three used to represent Californians. Chinatown is a mecca for good food, but did you know that the neighborhood hasn’t had a supermarket for the past two years? State Assemblyman Tom Daly represents the majority-blue 68th district, which covers areas in Santa Ana, Orange, and Anaheim. After five terms in office, he won’t seek reelection.

Thousands of Californians left the state during the COVID pandemic. KCRW hears from three ex-Angelenos who moved away to get closer to their families. Loren Miller was one of the nation's most prominent civil rights lawyers. Now his home in Silver Lake has been tapped to become a historic city landmark. Gustavo Santaolalla reflects on his eclectic career of playing latin folk rock during Argentina’s “Dirty War,” to punk/new wave music in Los Angeles, to winning Oscars for his film scores.

Now that prom isn’t virtual anymore, volunteer stylists helped hundreds of LA teens who can’t afford to buy finery glam up for the big dance. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley put a hold on LA Mayor Eric Garcetti’s nomination to U.S. ambassador to India, saying he has proof that Garcetti lied to a congressional panel. LA Plaza Cocina is the U.S.’ first museum dedicated to the richness and diversity of Mexican cuisine. Its first exhibit focuses on corn. 

LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho says he’s looking to expand the school year, increase the frequency and quality of summer school, create a parent academy, and more.  Needle exchanges are an important part of heroin addiction treatment interventions in the majority of California counties. But Orange County just shut down their last one.

Eight oil platforms off California are set to be decommissioned in the next decade, but the fate of the structures themselves has yet to be determined. Before Hrishikesh Hirway started hosting the podcast “Song Exploder,” he was a musician himself. Now he has a new EP coming out: “Rooms I Used to Call My Own.” Tory DiPietro’s new neon art installation is lighting up the 3rd Street tunnel in downtown LA with rainbow colors and her love for Los Angeles.

Glendale wants to turn emissions from its landfill into electricity. Residents living nearby say the plant is a hazard in their backyard. The crypto social club, Friends With Benefits, offers members investment opportunities and a social network. How exclusive is it? In La Puente, the restaurant Campo é Carbón is set up in the home backyard of Adriana Alvarez and chef Ulysses Gálvez. 

It’s been nearly two years since the pandemic began. While the worst seems to have subsided, some COVID patients continue to suffer from mysterious symptoms. With COVID appearing increasingly less in the news media, will polarizing issues like mask wearing or vaccine mandates fade?

Two Angelenos — one Ukrainian and one Russian — discuss what their families are living through in their respective native countries. Gov. Newsom’s new proposal, CARE Court, could place some unhoused people with severe mental illness or substance use disorders under court-ordered care. OC District Attorney Todd Spitzer faces calls for his resignation after displaying what some have described as a racist attitude when discussing a murder case involving a Black defendant.

Millennials and Gen Zers have a lot of drinking options: hard seltzers, hard tea, cocktails, beer in a can. Can those who make wine and non-alcoholic beverages keep up? Tomatomania is popping up at plant nurseries across SoCal, where you can learn about different tomato varieties and get your hands on hard-to-find seedlings.

A new HBO miniseries, “Winning Time,” chronicles the glitz, glamour, and serious game behind the 1980s LA Lakers. California and LA County have lifted mask mandates for nearly all indoor settings for vaccinated people. This Friday, unvaccinated Angelenos get to join them. “WOMANHOUSE” focuses on feminism through paintings, photos, and more. Meanwhile, “Diedrick Brackens: heaven is a muddy riverbed” highlights the artist’s weavings with poetry.

The new corporate owner of a Huntington Beach mobile home park is increasing rents in March, part of a national and local trend. As Russian forces wage a grim battle across Ukraine, many Ukrainian expats in LA want their neighbors to understand what’s going on. 

A second attempt to recall LA District Attorney George Gascón has more money and more support than the last one. A new bill in the State Senate seeks to increase the amount of money granted to people leaving prison from $200 to closer to $2600. Many LA restaurants, including Taco Maria and Woodspoon, are among semi-finalists for the James Beard Awards, which are back after a two-year hiatus. 

California is on track to live with coronavirus as “endemic.” Gov. Newsom’s recently announced “SMARTER Plan” is an acronym for shots, masks, awareness, readiness, testing, education, and Rx. A new children’s book presents the late Betty White as a role model for kids. She was the first woman to host a TV talk show, and worked with animals off-camera. Join the Natural History Museum of LA County and fellow citizen scientists to document snails and slugs around your neighborhood. You could be the first to discover a species never before found in SoCal. 

Kids living in unstable housing are considered homeless by LA public schools. The data reveals that hundreds of thousands of people in LA are on the brink of being unhoused. Once a month, members of the East Side Riders club distribute food to unhoused Angelenos along their cycling route. The group has evolved since John Jones III founded it in 2008. The homelessness crisis remains a sore subject in LA — as revealed in backlash to a recent tweet by Gustavo Arellano.

Burning waste may be “greener” than dumping it in a landfill, but the process still creates a lot of air pollution. Environmental justice advocates are targeting Long Beach’s incinerator. Susy Thunder was a computer hacker in 1980s Los Angeles who never got caught. Writer and musician Claire L. Evans spent a year tracking her down during the pandemic. The Underground Museum has reopened after a pandemic-induced closure, and it’s featuring an exhibit by founder Noah Davis. The space is a community hub with a book shop, garden, and events.

Rams fans celebrated their Super Bowl LVI win at today’s parade and rally. It was the first parade for an LA sports championship since before the pandemic. High school football is less popular than basketball, soccer, and swimming in LA. Could the Rams’ Super Bowl victory inspire more kids to be running backs and wide receivers? A bus driver strike in OC was averted after final hour negotiations between the Orange County Transit Authority and the union representing drivers.

LA’s latest pop-up, The Break Up Bar, is a safe space for haters of Valentine’s Day. Patrons here can find healing together. Erik Braverman and Jonathan Cottrell talk about getting married on the pitcher’s mound at Dodger Stadium, and how it’s taking time for pro sports to accept the LGBTQ community. Flowers are in short supply worldwide due to the pandemic and supply chain issues. California florists are getting creative in case their orders can’t be filled.

LA Metro is losing bus operators faster than they can hire them. That’s led to overworked drivers, canceled routes, and service cutbacks. LA City Council wants to ban the repair or sale of bikes on city streets to prevent bike thefts and create more space. Opponents say it will criminalize unhoused people. Californians Chloe Kim, Nathan Chen, and Shaun White are all medaling at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Their success stems from their competitive drives, says one KTLA sports anchor.

Watson “Al” Allison discusses his decades on death row, and how his freedom and career path inspires others. Law professor Ellen Kreitzberg explains the bias behind the death penalty. LA’s ban on homeless camps in specific areas was supposed to be tied to offers of help. Those offers are not always coming, leaving everyone frustrated.

Actor Issa Rae admits that her hit HBO show, “Insecure,” has played a role in making neighborhoods south of the 10 freeway more popular and often more expensive. The LA Rams play in the Super Bowl this Sunday, but the team wasn’t always based here. KCRW hears the long, windy road of how they got to SoCal. 

The $5.5 billion SoFi Stadium is hosting the Feb. 13 Super Bowl, and while investment is pouring into Inglewood, some residents worry about being able to afford their community. After Cari Golden graduated from culinary school in 2020, she started cooking and distributing meals for unhoused residents of Skid Row. KCRW previews Frieze, Felix, and Spring Break Art Fairs that are returning to LA the weekend of February 17.

A bronze statue of Dana Point surfer Joyce Hoffman was recently unveiled. It’s believed to be the first life-sized statue of a female surfer in the country. The December storms weren’t enough to get Southern California out of the drought, and February has almost no rain in the forecast. The novel “Fiona and Jane” is about the 30-year friendship between two Taiwanese American women who grew up in LA.

In-person classes resumed at several UC campuses this week, but some students are pushing for a permanent hybrid learning option. A wildlife crossing over the 101 freeway is about to break ground just as new research shows LA’s mountain lion population is likely 12-15 years away from extinction. A slate of new SoCal restaurants will debut this year. KCRW gets a rundown of the hotly anticipated spots that serve burgers, barbeque, Japanese fare, and more.

Santa Monica bulldozed homes to build the I-10 freeway in the 1960s. Now it’s offering displaced families or their descendants affordable rent as reparations. Dangerous levels of lead exist in the soil underneath Santa Ana’s Logan barrio, a Grist investigation found. Activists blame the city for deciding to zone it as industrial nearly a century ago. The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District hasn’t been able to meet because some residents and trustees aren’t masking up. Now they’re considering meeting online. 

LA Times columnist Patt Morrison is back with an updated version of her 2011 bestseller: “Río L.A.: Tales from the Los Angeles River.” Mark Oliver Everett, singer of the LA band Eels, talks about the lack of a warm relationship with his quantum physicist dad, and eating strawberries and popcorn for dinner.

As LA makes safety improvements during rapid neighborhood development south of the 10 freeway, locals ask why now, and who are these changes meant to benefit? LAUSD is seeing a drop in COVID numbers and rise in attendance. KCRW checks in with third grade teacher Kristie Collette and high school teacher Aviva Alvarez-Zakson.

The City of Los Angeles is seven years into an ambitious plan to end traffic-related deaths by 2025. So why are fatalities going up? Former LA Rams running back Eric Dickerson talks about the team’s prospects, his untraditional family, and why retired players deserve better health care and pensions.

Long-term care facilities have made COVID testing requirements stricter just as tests have become harder to find. Now visitors can’t get inside. LA Fire Department Deputy Chief Kristin Crowley has been tapped to become the next fire chief, which would make her the first woman to ever lead the LAFD. A proposed bill would change when OC residents vote for the Board of Education, from the primary to the general election. Critics say the change is partisan and would create the same problem it’s intended to fix.

With Omicron, many offices resemble ghost towns again, and questions emerge about the future of in-person work. It’s especially true in Culver City. “Salt in My Soul” is a documentary and book about former KCRW intern Mallory Smith, who died of cystic fibrosis at age 25. Her mom Diane is raising awareness about CF and the new medical technologies to fight it. Marty Roberts — of the beloved jazz lounge duo Marty and Elayne — passed away this week. His wife Elayne says, “The two of us were like a unit. We didn't really need anything else.”

Assembly member Ash Kalra defends AB 1400, his bill that would establish California universal health care by taxing businesses and citizens. Two very different exhibits recently opened in LA: Rodrigo Valenzuela’s “New Work for a Post-Worker’s World” at Luis de Jesus, and Katherina Olschbaur’s “Live Flesh” at Nicodim.

Cutting or eliminating greenhouse gas emissions is the aim of two new developments in Valencia and Tejon Ranch. KCRW looks at how residents are living “net zero” at Five Point Valencia. LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva circumvented LA County District Attorney George Gascón in a high-profile case last week. And Governor Gavin Newsom reversed the state parole board in another. What might that mean for criminal justice reform efforts? The primary election for Orange County’s next district attorney is in June. Candidates Todd Spitzer and Pete Hardin are already duking it out in the public square.

LA City Council expanded restrictions on street camping this week, while advocates for the unhoused called for a pause on such bans during the Omicron surge. The nationwide shortage of blood is the worst in over a decade, according to the Red Cross. This week, a SoCal trauma center closed for a few hours because of it. The LA Rams have a chance to play in Super Bowl LVI on their home turf. But they first have to beat Arizona on Monday.

To get a COVID test now, you have to be a savvy consumer. KCRW shares tips on navigating options from LA County, pharmacies, and drugstores. Also, be careful about scams online and at pop-up tents. Thieves have taken 22 ornate bronze street lamps from the Glendale-Hyperion Bridge. Residents are upset, and the city is trying to save the remaining lamps. What’s being done to fix LA’s potholes during the rainy winter season, and prevent them from forming in the first place?

After nearly two years of free bus rides, LA Metro is resuming fare collection this week. The agency says it needs to charge to continue the service, but riders and public transit advocates aren’t buying it. “We The Unhoused” covers the stories and issues of Angelenos living on the streets. Host Theo Henderson personally knows the experience.

LAUSD requires students and staff to submit a COVID test before returning to school on Tuesday. More than 60,000 have tested positive, and that has parents worried. The recycling system is rampant with fraud and is costing consumers tens of millions of dollars a year, according to Consumer Watchdog. Kelly Ernby — a rising star in the California Republican Party and anti-vaxxer — died last week due to COVID.

Diablo Canyon is supposed to start closing in a few years, but a Stanford-MIT report says keeping it open would help California transition to clean energy more cheaply and cleanly. More than 700 people who broke into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 have been charged with crimes — many from LA and Orange County. A lot of them have made plea deals. Where do the cases stand? Jan. 6 is Erin Aubry Kaplan’s birthday — and the day of the U.S. Capitol insurrection last year. She writes, “The prospect of 1/6 becoming a kind of permanent memorial day for the unhinged right makes me want to give my birthday back, like damaged goods.”

SoCal water agencies are investing in cloud seeding programs to squeeze more moisture out of their winter storms. But playing rain god has risks and limitations. Some truck drivers live full-time — and cook — in their big rigs, driving across the country to keep the supply chain going. The human body is the focus of two artists with shows up in LA right now: Nevine Mahmoud at M+B and Julia Phillips at Matthew Marks Gallery.

Marine Mammal Care Center LA has survived struggles and the pandemic as it cares for injured sea life. Now the center has reopened to the public. The Black Phoebe, the Cassin’s Kingbird, and Pacific Slope Flycatcher are among the unusual birds found in the San Fernando Valley during the latest annual Christmas Bird Count. Bassist Frederick “Juice” Johnson suffered strokes, cancer, and then homelessness. His life turned around thanks to nonprofits, and now he’s giving back to those same organizations.

The supply chain backlog increased toxic emissions at the ports in 2021. There’s a plan to clean things up, but residents worry it’s not moving fast enough. The current COVID surge is “short, sharp, and fast,” says microbiology and immunology professor Paula Cannon. She adds that it’s moving toward “endemic” status, like measles and mumps. After less than six months on the job, Mater Dei High School’s president has resigned. The OC campus made headlines for a football hazing controversy that left a student severely injured.

On this holiday rebroadcast, Greater LA looks at the history of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, which sits on land that was the private domain of one woman 100 years ago, and why the first Black woman to own property in Los Angeles has a park named after her but no street.

This year included many stories of struggles and trauma, but Greater LA also highlighted hope through “The Helpers” series — about people making unique differences in their communities. Three of the Helpers we’ve featured over the past year are still active with their efforts, and they shared personal and professional updates as we reflect on 2021.

The leader of the Juaneńo Band of Mission Indians follows in the footsteps of her ancestors by foraging for acorns in the Angeles National Forest. And the tribal president of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians says more and more individuals are interested in learning about Native American culture and acknowledging the tribal land.

Some Angelenos haven’t seen their families since 2019. They share why they’re excited to go home for the holidays. Inflation rose nearly 7% from last year and most businesses have passed their price hikes on to customers. What happens when those consumers can’t afford more? Black workers are underrepresented in the hospitality industry. One man is trying to change that.

U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough made two big promises in October: To house 40 homeless veterans living at the high-profile Veterans Row encampment in West LA by November, plus another 500 veterans in LA County by December 31. Now VA officials say they’ve fulfilled those promises, but their success depends on how you define “housing” and “Los Angeles.” Outdoors for All is a new initiative aiming to expand access to nature in California. The state has budgeted $1 billion for it, says California’s Natural Resources Agency. And in Huntington Beach — the only city in Orange County in which the city attorney is not appointed by council — council members want the right to get a second legal opinion.

If you’re skeptical about gathering with unvaccinated family members over the holidays, a clinical psychologist offers suggestions to help avoid uncomfortable confrontations. The Pasadena Model Railroad Museum in El Sereno features hand-made miniature mountains, lakes, train stations and towns. Its next open house is December 18-19, 2021. Kevin Goetz’s new book, “Audience-ology: How Moviegoers Shape the Films We Love,” explains how focus groups watch a rough cut of a new film and give their honest opinions so directors and studios can not just salvage their blunders, but possibly turn them into hits.

LA city officials are responding to a rise in violent crime, and news headlines are painting a dramatic picture. But what are the real numbers versus public perception, and how does that play into the politics of crime? LA District Attorney George Gascón is facing a lot of resistance and a second recall attempt. There’s no evidence that his policies are tied to any rise in crime, but if some voters think that’s the truth, the recall will succeed, says The New York Times’ Jennifer Medina.

The so-called king tide shows what high tides will look like as sea level continues to rise. That’s why teams of volunteers and scientists flocked to the California shoreline to capture photos of the highest tide of the year as it crept up beaches and crashed onto sidewalks, staircases, and oceanfront balconies. The rising sea levels are making hundreds of the state’s toxic sites prone to flooding, and many communities of color live near these areas.  COVID-19 concerns continue for air travelers this holiday season as variants of the virus continue to spread.

Malibu was the private domain of one woman 100 years ago. A champion land preservationist and the scourge of squatters and railroad men, May Rindge fought the longest court battle in California history in an attempt to keep coastal Malibu all to herself. She lost it all in the end, but in a sense, she also won. Greater LA’s regular contributors also sum up 2021 when it comes to dining, art, and Orange County, and share their wishes for the new year.

“Safe Sleep Village” in Rampart Village is LA’s first ever city-funded homeless encampment. It opened this year, providing shelter and services without the typical restrictions. But it didn’t stay full, and now the pilot program’s ending. Some cities are trying to curb California’s new “duplex law” that takes effect in 2022, though proponents say it will provide relief for the state’s homelessness crisis. And Eater LA reporter Mona Holmes talks about two new restaurants featuring cannabis or hemp-infused menu items.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates that 250,000 to 750,000 coyotes exist statewide. They’ve been adapting to urban life and have become increasingly tolerant — and less afraid or respectful — of their human neighbors. KCRW gets tips on what to do if a coyote gets too close to you or your home. In “Apparently There Were Complaints: A Memoir,” actress Sharon Gless reveals stories behind her rise to fame, struggles with alcoholism, and reconciling with family expectations.

Car dealerships are benefiting from the global supply chain issues that are hurting many other businesses. Most dealerships are seeing record profits despite significantly reduced inventory. A research scientist and professional skier react to a new report projecting snowless winter seasons in the Western U.S. in the not-so-distant future. An art exhibition at Kayne Griffin in Mid-Wilshire spotlights artist Hank Willis Thomas’ textiles, which blend American flags with prison uniforms to question the phrase “land of the free.”

Christmas tree shoppers have to dig a little deeper in their pockets this year for the perfect tree, or settle for one that doesn’t quite reach the ceiling. That’s due to supply chain problems and drought. Meanwhile, a local tree farmer and a home decor business are having to adapt. On the second season of the “Lost Hills” podcast, a mother and son from Malibu drowned off the coast of Santa Cruz Island in 1981. The husband has been in prison for their murder. Did he do it? And at Mater Dei High School, a football player suffered a traumatic brain injury and a broken nose in a hazing incident. The family says the school tried to minimize the situation and didn’t cooperate with a police investigation.

Many Native American boarding schools closed long ago and are viewed as sites of trauma, but Sherman Indian High School in Riverside is different. It’s still open and thriving, and its mission is to support tribal traditions and identities. LA County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer says it’s highly likely the Omicron variant has already reached Los Angeles, and recommends people take advantage of rapid testing during the holiday season. And we talk to a nurse in Riverside about why her peers are leaving the profession and the toll it takes on hospital staff and patients.

In 1991, actor Steve Martin wrote and starred in “LA Story,” a satirical romantic comedy in which a wacky weatherman tries to win the heart of an English newspaper reporter struggling to make sense of early 1990s Los Angeles. Thirty years later, we speak with Martin about whether the LA stereotypes that made the film so hilarious still hold up. The global supply chain and American overconsumption has got many people reevaluating their holiday gift purchases. How about giving a local experience like bungee jumping or improv classes, instead of more … stuff? And the winner of the LA Award in the 2021 KCRW Radio Race tells the story of a coyote in Woodland Hills that got too close for comfort.

“Chicano I & II: The Mexican American Heritage Series” aired on KNBC-TV in July of 1971 and examined history from the Chicano perspective. The program reran once in 1972, then the film reels remained untouched in a garage for 50 years. Now the show’s original host and USC have revived nine of the 20 episodes for the public to view. To achieve its ambitious organic waste reduction goals, the state of California is supporting local governments and hunger relief organizations starting or expanding food rescue programs. Students and staff at Anaheim High School voted to keep their mascot, “the Colonist,” despite accusations that it’s culturally insensitive and racist.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s new movie, “Licorice Pizza,” is about growing up and falling in love in the San Fernando Valley in the 1970s. He looks back on growing up in LA and realizing he didn’t need to go to film school to make movies, and explains why winning awards is the last thing on his mind when trying to finish a 10-hour work day. Also, KCRW speaks with a real-life politician portrayed in “Licorice Pizza” — Joel Wachs, who sat on the LA City Council from 1971 to 2001. He explains the dramatic shift in LA politics during the 1970s, and why he chose to stay closeted for most of his life.

It’s been two months since Carson residents started smelling rotten eggs and getting headaches. LA County declared a state of emergency, paid for thousands of hotel rooms, and are spraying thousands of gallons of odor neutralizer on the nearby Dominguez Channel every day for weeks. Now the county says Carson is safe, and it will stop paying for rooms this week. But the residents who are already home say the problem isn’t solved. The LA Auto Show is back in action after being canceled last year due to COVID, and the spotlight has shifted from internal combustion engines (ICE) to electric vehicles (EVs). Plus, two new solo exhibitions in LA feature artists who mix landscapes with history, mythology, and more to create abstract paintings.

For the first time in the 68-year history of the California School for the Deaf in Riverside, their football team is one game away from capturing the division championship. This comes after suffering seven straight losing seasons. The Division 2 Final Championship takes place November 27 at the school’s home field. Also, how would statewide redistricting affect Congressional seats in Orange County?

Koreatown performance artist Kristina Wong suddenly had no work when the pandemic began, so she started creating face masks. Soon her so-called “Auntie Sewing Squad” included people nationwide, making masks for hospital workers, migrant workers, and more. Now eight times a week onstage in New York City, Wong recounts how she sparked a mini-movement at her red Hello Kitty sewing machine in Koreatown. Instagram’s “The Hood Foodie” shares his journey through sobriety and why reviewing mom-and-pop restaurants helped give him purpose. And the latest U.S. Census numbers have prompted redistricting processes all over the country, including in LA County.

The Santa Susana Field Lab — overlooking Chatsworth, Simi Valley, and Canoga Park — was a nuclear testing site for America’s space exploration programs from 1948 until 2006. In July 1959, it suffered a partial nuclear meltdown — which was covered up — that released clouds of radiation. In the decades since, arguments have dragged on about how to clean up the contaminated site and who will pay for it. This saga is the focus of a new documentary called “In the Dark of the Valley.” KCRW talks with director Nicholas Mihm and two people in the film — Melissa Bumstead, who lives near the site, and KNBC-4’s investigative reporter Joel Grover, who’s been following the story for the last six years. Journalist Warren Olney also shares how he helped break the story of the Santa Susana meltdown decades ago.

As the winter season approaches, LA County might be spared from another major COVID-19 spike. That’s due to rising vaccination rates and the lasting power of booster shots, says Paula Cannon, professor of microbiology and immunology at USC’s Keck School of Medicine.  On the first Saturday each month in Ladera Heights, a group of volunteers picks up trash along the stretch of La Cienega Boulevard by Slauson Ave. “Several residents and myself, we don't want to look at this anymore. If they're [city authorities] not going to do it, unfortunately, we're going to get out there and we're going to do it ourselves,” says Ray Craycraft, founder of the 28-month-old group. Also, desert tortoise populations are heading toward extinction. Can they be saved?

Why does affordable housing take so long and cost so much to build? KCRW’s Anna Scott and KQED’s Saul Gonzalez team up to find answers. They look at LA voter-approved bond measure Proposition HHH, which hits its five-year anniversary this month. “Freewaytopia” is a new book about the 527 miles of freeways that criss-cross LA County. And OC supervisors are preparing to vote on new district maps, but they’re being criticized for a lack of public debate over where to draw the new lines.

Starting in January and throughout 2022, the City of LA plans to give 3,200 families in poverty $1,000 a month — with no conditions. The $38 million program is called “BIG:LEAP.” To be eligible, families must live in LA, have at least one dependent child, and earn income at or below the federal poverty level. Theater students at California State University Channel Islands in Camarillo uncovered stories about the history of their campus, and transformed them into a collection of short plays called “Camarillo Tales: Echoes in the Hills.” And LACMA is currently displaying the famous Obama portraits plus a whole exhibition called “Black American Portraits,” while Kehinde Wiley is curating a show of other artists’ work called “Self-Addressed” at the Jeffrey Deitch gallery. 

The smell of freshly-grown cannabis surrounds specific parts of Carpinteria along California’s Central Coast. The county isn’t doing much, so some growers and fed-up residents decided to put their heads together. But will it make the neighborhood less stinky? The Netflix show “Gentefied,” about gentrification’s real-world implications in Boyle Heights, releases its second season on November 10. Greater LA speaks with two of the show’s creators.

A couple of dozen Malibu neighbors have been developing “community brigades” since the 2018 Woolsey Fire. The brigades are meant to fill in the resource gap when firefighters are stretched too thin. This model relies on training volunteers and coordinating with local agencies. It requires a lot less training and a smaller time commitment, and offers more roles than other volunteer firefighting programs. It also takes an “all hazards” approach that can be used in any natural disaster. A posthumously published memoir explains how Trader Joe’s founder Joe Coulombe built a quirky grocery empire by exploiting legal loopholes and product discontinuities. And the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments today in a class action lawsuit filed against the FBI by three Muslim men from Orange County who say they were spied on, due to their faith, after 9/11.

Cannabis has now been legal for recreational use in California for five years. When the state adopted Prop 64 in 2016, the idea was to bring in money from taxes, reel back the impacts of the years-long war on drugs, expunge marijuana misdemeanors, and legalize the state’s illicit cultivators and sellers. On this anniversary, Greater LA looks at how far we’ve come, what LA is doing right and wrong, and why the illegal market continues to boom.

New urban oil wells would be prohibited under new regulations proposed by the Newsom administration. But phasing out these lucrative drill sites will take time, and environmental activists are concerned the proposal doesn’t go far enough to protect California’s most vulnerable communities. Plus, a new report looks at which areas and residents of LA are most affected by extreme heat and droughts. And KCRW listeners share what actions they’re taking to make the earth a greener and cleaner place.

There may come a day when fire-prone areas like Malibu aren’t habitable as climate change makes wildfires more frequent and more difficult to control. Some homeowners are spending thousands of dollars to keep their homes from burning, or even risking their lives to stay and fight the fires themselves. LA Mayor Eric Garcetti is in Glasgow for the U.N. climate conference, and he tells KCRW that LA is among more than 1,000 cities worldwide committed to following through on ambitious carbon neutral goals. At Various Small Fires gallery, visitors can see Ashley Bickerton’s colorful seascapes made with man-made debris washed ashore.

Artists and activists from the Chicano civil rights movement of the 1970s helped dramatically expand appreciation of Día de los Muertos among Mexican Americans living in LA. The first public celebration in the city was held at Self-Help Graphics and Evergreen Cemetery in Boyle Heights. Also, a proposed solar array in Anaheim would power 2,000 homes, but some residents worry about how it’ll impact their views, property values, and the surrounding wildlife. In Orange County, the City of Irvine wants to become carbon neutral by 2030, and it has won a $1 million grant from the Cool City Challenge to meet that goal. 

The Arroyo Seco Tiny Home Village has 177 separate sheds for each person or couple who used to live on the streets. However, it’s not easy for everyone to adjust to a new life in the village, which comes with rules. Also, the LA Times analyzed data over the past year and a half of remote learning and found “deep drops in assessment scores or below grade-level standing in key areas of learning.” KCRW checks in with a third grade teacher and a high school history teacher. “Now I have more students who are working than ever. … Their managers forget that they are high school students and schedule them for really, really tricky hours,” says Aviva Alvarez-Zakson, who at Hamilton High School in Castle Heights.

Once a year, an all-female demolition derby at Irwindale Speedway offers a high-adrenaline night of destructive mayhem — all to benefit breast cancer research. The LA Zoo wants to expand within Griffith Park, but some say it’s an environmental mistake. And a retiring librarian shares a farewell to LA’s Central branch.

Native plants are vital to the health of the local ecosystem, particularly during a time of climate change, hotter weather, and droughts. KCRW tours the Theodore Payne Foundation to learn about the power of native plants and how to grow them yourself. Plus, there are 18 endangered butterfly and moth species that the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance works to protect. And Santa Ana is Orange County’s first city to adopt rent control.

According to a recent USC report, one in 10 households in LA County struggle to provide their family with three meals a day. Organizations and governments are trying to address nutrition insecurity through innovative approaches like doctors prescribing produce and farmers matching EBT dollars at markets. Plus, theater is beginning to return after almost a two-year hiatus, but female playwrights are feeling like they are getting the short end of the stick. A more diverse array of playwrights are having plays produced, but women and women-identifying playwrights are still getting left out.

What will it take to finally end veteran homelessness? U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough says progress in Los Angeles could have a domino effect across the country. He promises to revive a languishing plan to build affordable housing for needy veterans on the VA’s West LA campus.  Plus, LA’s first-ever Vegandale Festival this weekend will feature a smorgasbord of plant-based treats, including deep-fried oyster mushrooms and Hong Kong-style waffles stuffed with ice cream. And the company ReWerk distributes unwanted office and tech gear to schools and other nonprofits.

The ports of LA and Long Beach handle more shipping containers per ship than any other port complex in the world, and right now, dozens of cargo ships are anchored off the coast. Dock workers are hustling 24/7 to reduce the backlog, and one of them tells KCRW what it all looks like on the ground. As the holidays approach, many sought-after items won’t be on store shelves, but do people really need to buy so much stuff anyway? 

The recent oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach has raised questions about the state of offshore oil in California, like how many structures are there and who owns them. Plus, Angelenos share their landscape with thousands of chemical-releasing oil wells that can harm their health. Lastly, a bomb detonation killed Palestinian American activist Alex Odeh in 1985 in Santa Ana, and the case went cold, but now a local police officer who responded to the incident in the 1980s is finally speaking out.

Lester Solis was a junior at Belmont High School in Los Angeles when the pandemic caused his mother to lose her job and him to work full-time at Home Depot in addition to going to school. His story exemplifies the emotional strain COVID-19 continues to put on high school students, and how LAUSD is responding to an increased need for mental health support. Writer Raquel Gutiérrez shares part of their personal essay about how taking the 704 bus from Silver Lake to Santa Monica in the late 1990s helped shape their identity in LA. “Witch Hunt” — a new exhibition at the Hammer Museum and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles — explores what it means to be feminist in the age of Donald Trump.

The song "Nature Boy" was a huge hit for Nat King Cole and recorded by hundreds of artists, including Frank Sinatra, David Bowie, and Lady Gaga. But most people don’t know the story of the composer, Eden Ahbez, who wrote it about himself. He lived much of his life outside, despite all the royalties from his music. Also, Eater LA’s Mona Holmes helps navigate the patchwork of COVID-19 regulations at restaurants.

KCRW profiles a resident of Homekey, a statewide program to turn hotels and motels into homeless housing. But how do you build stability in a place designed for temporary stays? The LA Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants — two bitter rivals — face off in Game 3 of the National League Division Series. And as Orange County confronts a recent oil spill, political fallout ensues over what needs to change.

The broken oil pipeline off the coast of Huntington Beach is an environmental catastrophe that has killed fish, contaminated wetlands, and left nearby birds covered in oil. Now wildlife experts are rescuing sick and injured animals, one by one. Plus, a nonprofit organization called the Sidewalk Project supplies unhoused people with Narcan, clean syringes, condoms, pipes, and marijuana. And a new exhibition honors the history of the museum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale. 

The LA City Council passed a sweeping vaccine mandate today, requiring businesses and city employees to check your vaccine status when entering many indoor public locations, large events, and city buildings. If LA Mayor Eric Garcetti signs off — which seems highly likely — enforcement of this ordinance will begin on November 29. Reporter Benjamin Gottlieb explains how the rules work, who they apply to, and why this is happening now. Plus, an LA theater company examines veterans’ feelings about the Afghanistan War in its play “The Ninth Door.” And after 63 years behind the microphone, the LA Dodgers’ longtime Spanish language broadcaster Jaime Jarrín announced that next year will be his last.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a historic bill for California last week. Senate Bill 796 returns a parcel of land in Manhattan Beach, known as Bruce’s Beach, to the descendants of Willa and Charles Bruce. The Black couple bought the property in 1912, and ran a dancehall, cafe, and lodge on it. But by 1924, city officials condemned the land and forced the Bruces to sell and leave. Now, almost a century later, the ownership of the parcel will be transferred to Willa and Charles Bruce’s four remaining direct descendants. A new redistricting map in LA has two members of the City Council upset about losing most of the people who voted them into office. And a UCLA digital media scholar won a prestigious MacArthur “Genius” Grant.

A reported 126,000 gallons of crude oil is leaking out of a broken pipeline located some four miles off the coast of Huntington Beach. Some of it is making its way onshore. The pipeline connected an offshore oil platform named Elly to a refinery station in Long Beach. This spill is comparable to the 2015 spill at Refugio Beach in Santa Barbara — in terms of size, scope, and public sentiment. That’s according to CSU Channel Islands environmental professor Sean Anderson. Greater LA also looks at how the state’s Homekey program is trying to convert old motels into new housing for people living on the streets.

Beginning October 7, everyone who enters a bar, wine bar, brewery, lounge, or nightclub in LA County will be required to show proof of at least one COVID-19 shot. Full vaccination will be required by November 4. Augustine Wine Bar in Sherman Oaks has required proof since August. Despite some negative feedback, owner Gus Renaud says he made the right call. Camila Perry, owner of The North End Hollywood, is planning to comply with the new rule, and may have to fire unvaccinated employees. Meanwhile, other business owners say they don’t plan to enforce any vaccine mandate on employees or customers. Also, KCRW’s new DJ Tyler Boudreaux shares her music influences, and Pippa Garner’s solo exhibition at JOAN dives into the idiosyncratic inventor.

Piñatas are often the centerpiece at parties, birthdays, and quinciñeras. But they’re also artistic objects that have been overlooked. One art exhibit wants to change that: “Piñatas: The High Art of Celebration” at Craft in America in Mid-City. Also, Italian architect Renzo Piano has restored the 1939 May Company Building. It’s now the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which opens Thursday. Reusing the building preserves history and cuts the project’s carbon footprint.

There are over 50,000,000 creators monetizing their online content. From TikTok to YouTube to Instagram, influencers are advertising products on their feeds. But there isn’t a lot of transparency on how much money they actually make and how much money brands are paying them. Enter F*** You Pay Me, a platform that’s being called the Glassdoor for influencers. Plus, LA County District Attorney George Gascon said he plans to dismiss almost 60,000 cannabis convictions. And a new investigation called “Dangerous Air” looks at how wildfire smoke is choking many parts of the U.S.

People can rent the historic telescopes at LA’s Mt. Wilson Observatory for one night — complete with snacks and a guide — for $1,700. How did this sanctuary of science become a fun night out for anyone with a credit card? Plus, a local watchdog panel wants the California attorney general to investigate the LA Sheriff’s Department for illegal activity. And there’s controversy in Orange County over who won a $200 million contract to build new toll lanes on the 405 freeway.

From “Back to the Future” to “The Jetsons,” when pop culture imagines the future, it often includes flying cars. KCRW recently looked at how LA is hoping to have flying cars zipping around in two or three years. But what if a more realistic future isn’t so high-tech, and instead involves more bikes and public transit? Plus, West Hollywood is about to have the strictest vaccine mandates in LA. And Thrillist’s LA editor gives a rundown of the best autumn activities in Southern California. 

Political leaders in LA are now turning to the race for LA’s next mayor and the candidates so far include Kevin de León, Joe Buscaino, Mike Feuer, and Jessica Lall. Congresswoman Karen Bass says she is also “seriously considering” a run. National forests in Southern California reopen on Thursday, but some say we should get used to annual closures due to climate change. And a proposed high-speed rail line between Southern California and Las Vegas could threaten the habitat of bighorn sheep in the Mojave Desert.

To get medical treatment without waiting weeks, you might have to break the bank. For those who can afford it, they’re increasingly turning to “concierge medicine,” so they can avoid crowded and potentially infectious waiting rooms. Some are concerned that this private option for the wealthy will complicate efforts to create an equitable health care system. Plus, LA Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer talks about transmission and vaccination rates, as LAUSD is back in session and Angelenos are heading into colder months. Also, one doctor in LA is helping Afghans get access to medical care and food. 

After the fatal stabbing of an unhoused military veteran outside the VA in Brentwood last week, county officials say they plan to move everyone at the camp into housing by the end of the year. It was the second homicide this year at the same location. Last week, the LA City Council took a step toward developing an unarmed crisis response program. The idea is to divert certain 911 calls away from armed police and into the hands of trained crisis specialists. OC police documented 112 hate crimes in 2020, a 35% increase from 2019. And among those, there was a 1,800% increase motivated by anti-Asian hate. That’s all according to a new report from the Orange County Human Relations Commission.

Flying cars are coming to LA, possibly as early as 2023. The “urban air mobility” industry sees the city as an ideal place to build highways in the skies, but there are safety and regulatory hurdles aplenty, and even sky highways won’t cure LA’s congestion problems. Also, you’ve likely seen an old couch or bedside table sitting idly on a sidewalk in LA. Writer Julissa James explores the sometimes controversial obsession of reclaiming abandoned furniture. 

The LA City Council has passed a motion that aims to curb street racing. According to City Council member Monica Rodriguez, the motion would push multiple government agencies to roll out traffic calming measures like street humps and curb extensions. Then, GLA breaks down local reactions to Gov. Gavin Newsom defeating his opponents in the recall election. Also, we get a preview of Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist’s new multimedia exhibition at MOCA that focuses on people’s TV obsession.

The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash is cultivating native plant species in its nursery — as a way to preserve its indigenous culture. Extreme heat is causing preterm pregnancies and even infant death in some cases. A new bill would allow farmworkers to cast remote votes in union elections, and it’s awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature.

California’s recall election has been powered by some small business owners who are disgruntled about pandemic-era restrictions and pessimistic about the state’s future. But in a state where Democrats outnumber Republican registered voters two to one, is there a path toward victory? Plus, LA police officers are collecting social media data on every civilian they stop, regardless of whether they are arrested or accused of a crime. That’s according to documents obtained by the Brennan Center for Justice. The City of Orange is asking Mary’s Kitchen, a nonprofit serving unhoused people, to shut down and vacate its lot by Saturday. Some residents are trying to save the 26-year-old organization. 

Wildfires are often sparked by residents struggling with homelessness. LA County recently banned encampments in some of the highest fire risk areas. Homeowners in Topanga Canyon are glad, but some of their unhoused neighbors don’t want to leave. Also, LAUSD announced today that all students ages 12 and up must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 10, 2022 — unless they have a medical or other exemption. And a new food hall in Montebello is giving Black and Brown entrepreneurs mentorship, kitchen space, and capital to grow their restaurant concepts.

UCSB classes are just two weeks away, and students are using words like “desperate” and “abandoned” to describe their search for housing. Some hope the school can provide motel rooms, while others are planning to live in their cars or quit school altogether. More than two dozen street medicine programs in California hope a new state bill will allow them to be reimbursed by Medi-Cal. One LA-based nonprofit provides unhoused residents with beauty services like haircuts, hair extensions, fake eyelashes, and makeup.

A multi-million dollar grant will expand Judy Baca’s iconic mural called “The Great Wall of Los Angeles” and invest in the area surrounding it. A nonprofit in Pasadena is helping formerly incarcerated firefighters find jobs after getting released. And some Orange County supervisors are making it tough for public health officials to answer questions and update residents on COVID-19.

On this holiday rebroadcast, Greater LA looks at the history of Roslyndale Avenue, a tiny working-class street in the San Fernando Valley that became famous thanks to the film “Back to the Future.” Also, Pico Boulevard is named after Don Pio de Jesus Pico — a real estate baron who became a penniless gambler.

Hawaii is experiencing its highest number of COVID cases, hospitalizations, and deaths since the pandemic began. Despite the governor’s plea to avoid traveling to the islands, visitors continue to flock there, especially those from Southern California. Plus, a new book reveals how popular fast food chains and restaurants started in Southern California. And we offer a guide to the traditional foods of the upcoming Jewish High Holidays.

Federal unemployment benefits and supplements are ending on September 4. Where does this leave folks who can’t find a job or are reluctant to return to public-facing positions such as restaurant servers? Also, vaccine mandates are popping up at companies, universities, and government offices across California. Employees can opt out for medical reasons or “sincerely held religious beliefs." And at the LA Fire Department, leaders are trying to get more than 1,000 firefighters vaccinated before the city’s vaccine mandate goes into effect in October.

With California’s housing shortage, some politicians want to tinker with zoning laws to build denser, multi-family housing in more areas. Two bills passed in the state legislature last week would do that, and they’re sparking a heated debate. Also, the Whale Safe program from UC Santa Barbara's Benioff Ocean Initiative aims to cut down on ship-whale strikes.

During the first week of LAUSD’s new semester, about 6500 students were sent home because they tested positive for COVID-19 or were around someone who tested positive. That’s roughly one in every 70 students. Some parents are applauding the rigorous testing and contact tracing, but others call it overboard and disruptive to education.

The City of LA is forming a new partnership with the state of California to eliminate all rental debt for low-income households financially impacted by the pandemic. The application period opens September 1.

The fate of LA’s street markets often rests in the hands of a few elected officials who, with a phone call or stroke of a pen, can decide whether or not they stay open.  Popping up here and there makes it tough to build a business and to establish a cultural space in neighborhoods. But moving indoors can be expensive for mom-and-pop operations, which are often run by immigrants unprepared to deal with city and county rules. KCRW goes to the new Alameda Night Market to hear from vendors about their challenges with city rules plus health and business codes.

California has recall fever. More than 70 elected officials across the state have faced recall efforts since the beginning of this year, most notably Governor Gavin Newsom. Petitions are circulating right now to oust three members of the LA City Council: Mike Bonin, Nithya Raman and Kevin de León. And some Californians have been pushing to remove George Gascon as LA County’s district attorney since he took office this year.

Biddy Mason was born enslaved in the southern U.S., then got moved to California by a plantation owner. She later sued for her freedom and won. In LA, she became a medical practitioner who served both Black and white local communities. For 10 years, Mason saved her money until she was finally able to purchase a piece of land on Spring Street in downtown LA and establish a family homestead. 

With back-to-school season here, questions about vaccine policies aren’t just being raised at the K-12 level. UC schools and Cal State campuses have established firm rules regarding vaccines. Students and faculty must submit proof of vaccination to have access to any and all on-campus facilities. But some individual community college districts aren’t enforcing a vaccine mandate. It’s a tale of two policies, and it’s unclear – to paraphrase Charles Dickens – if they’re indicative of an epoch of belief, or an epoch of incredulity.

Last year took a heavy toll on educators who had to pivot to teaching via video, sometimes with their own kids at home. Many of them watched hard-won education gains disappear into black boxes on Zoom. Those experiences led many of them to quit the profession. 

If you live in California, chances are your food scraps are still getting buried in landfills and contributing to a warmer planet. And so, California became the first U.S. state to require local jurisdictions to compost their organic waste. SB 1383 was signed into law in 2016, and it aims to reduce organic waste disposal 75% by 2025. It also requires that by January 2022, all cities and counties in California need to establish a plan to compost the organic waste going into trash cans.

LAUSD’s 2021-2022 school year kicked off today. Some parents, students, and teachers experienced long wait times entering campuses due to the district’s new Daily Pass program, but are confident the kinks will get worked out. Faculty and staff must be fully vaccinated by October 15, and some middle and high school teachers are encouraging their students to get the shots. Routine testing sites are set up on campuses for students and staff, regardless of vaccination status.

The 2021 wildfire season is here and on track to be the most devastating one in state history. Dozens of KCRW listeners have submitted questions about home insurance, fire prevention, and surviving the smoke. We dug up answers.

The City of LA estimates that 3-4% of street vendors have the proper documentation to operate legally, and advocates for street vending say it’s around 1%. City and county officials say the pandemic has severely impacted their ability to do outreach and help vendors get their permits. But activists and vendors alike say the city and county permitting processes are too costly, difficult to navigate, and foster a generally unsupportive environment.

The LA Philharmonic’s Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) is opening a permanent space for classes in September. Famed architect Frank Gehry remodeled an old bank building in Inglewood to be the program’s center. Mayor James T. Butts hopes the program and building will be an anchor for the community, offering intensive after-school music training to high schoolers.

LA will host the Summer Olympics for the third time in 2028. It has the infrastructure to do it, but an increasing number of people say the process is undemocratic and can come with unexpected financial and health consequences. A day after the closing ceremonies in Tokyo, KCRW hosts a panel discussion about what lessons LA should learn.

As Southern California enters the tensest months of fire season, a looming issue could keep critical air assets used to battle the big blazes stuck on the ground, or force them to go long distances between drops. A lack of truck drivers is making it hard to move jet fuel around all of the West. Rural airports that double as air tanker bases in Montana and Idaho have already seen their fuel tanks run dry and had to send fire planes elsewhere for supplies. Now it looks like that problem could be migrating south to the Golden State.

LA Metro ridership numbers have plummeted since the pandemic began. The transit agency reports that in 2020, just 213 million people used its trains or buses, as opposed to 370 million the year before. This year, Metro’s buses and stations are slow to fill up again, as more people turned to private cars for safety reasons amid the pandemic. To get riders back, Metro is expanding bus services and building new rail stations, but some people think they should improve their existing system instead and focus on the basics, like arriving on time. 

COVID cases have jumped in recent weeks, and if California were still using a tier-based system for lifting restrictions, the county would currently be in the most restrictive, purple one. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Unified School District is still planning to restart in-person instruction in less than two weeks. Aviva Alvarez-Zakson teaches world history and ethnic studies at LAUSD’s Hamilton High. She’s struggling to embrace excitement when there are so many unknowns about the semester ahead. Meanwhile, rapid response nurse Erin McIntosh at Riverside Community Hospital says the number of COVID patients coming in doubled over the past week or two. And this time, they’re in their 20s, 30s, and 40s.

Fire agencies, politicians, and tribal governments tout prescribed burns as an effective fire mitigation strategy. California needs to use every tool it has amid what’s shaping up to be the largest fire season in state history. But it’s different in Southern California’s chaparral and grasslands than in northern forests. Some residents and fire ecologists say prescribed burns here will do more harm than good.

High school senior Kelly Danielpour founded VaxTeen to give her peers reliable and easy-to-understand information about COVID. She had learned about a growing trend of teenagers turning to Reddit to figure out if they could get vaccinated in their state without their parents’ consent. Now Danielpour wants to use her website to advocate for straightforward legislation that allows teenagers to consent to all vaccinations.

Today the LA City Council approved new rules targeting people who sit, sleep and store their belongings near building entrances, freeway underpasses, parks, homeless shelters, day care centers, and other public facilities. Those who support the ordinance say it addresses many housed people’s concerns about impassable sidewalks and encampments becoming health and safety hazards. Those against it say the restriction punishes people for being poor and will shuffle unhoused people around while doing nothing to get them off the streets.

LA theaters are offering new performances — online and in-person. Culver City’s The Actors’ Gang is out with a new virtual play called “We Live On,” about life during the Great Depression and lessons for COVID recovery. Topanga Canyon’s Theatricum Botanicum is premiering an outdoor show this Saturday called “The Last, Best Town,” about two families from different cultures, and what the American dream means to them. KCRW also looks at the legislative challenges facing theaters as they reopen.

Project Roomkey, a statewide effort to place medically vulnerable unhoused people in hotel rooms during the pandemic, is scheduled to close at the end of September. In Los Angeles, more than 9,000 people have gone through the program. Was it a success or a failure?

Manufacturing jobs in California have migrated overseas in a race to the bottom on wages and regulations. It’s been happening for years. But now many industries face a new challenge: They depend on access to cheap endless water, and California's future looks increasingly dry. Textile factory owners are among the first to ask: Will we adapt or quit?

El Segundo has roughly 16,000 residents, and nearly three-fourths of them are white, according to the 2019 Census. It was once a sundown town, where signs made people of color know they were not welcome after dark, including those who worked within city limits. A new documentary called “Black in Mayberry” confronts the racist past and present of the city, through personal stories of more than a dozen Black residents.

Most of California is in a drought emergency, but Southern California has largely been spared. LA homeowners are watering green, manicured lawns while some Northern Californians have seen their wells run dry. So why are local reservoirs here still mostly full?

Roughly 53% of LA County residents are fully vaccinated, but cases and hospitalizations are rising. As the Delta variant spreads, people ages 18-29 are being hit hardest. Virologist and immunologist Paula Cannon attributes this spike to unvaccinated individuals, and pediatrician Dr. Leila Bozorgnia says it’s much more of a wildcard to get a COVID-19 infection than a COVID-19 vaccination.

More than a dozen children died in the last five years while in the custody of LA’s Department of Children and Family Services. A two-part investigation by reporter Deepa Fernandes looks into the story of 1-year-old Joseph Chacon, whose death left his mother with unanswered questions.

Getting a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine usually means leaving the house, but not always. LA County has teamed up with  home care specialists to vaccinate residents who are unable to easily leave their homes. “We can come to you,” says registered nurse Savannah Becker. “We can educate, provide that support, and demystify any misinformation they may have heard about the vaccine.”

A rise in violent crime in the City of Los Angeles, including homicides, is making for an ominous summer forecast. Fernando Rejón, executive director of the Urban Peace Institute, says the past year led to a convergence of many key issues, including a national reckoning with law enforcement and systemic racism. That coupled with the large loss of life, mental health issues, and isolation of the pandemic led to more anxieties, tension, and ultimately, violence. Gang intervention workers like Tina Padilla are out in the hardest hit neighborhoods to head off violence before it erupts. “We are out there trying to promote peace … trying to prevent a mother from losing their child,” she says. 

LA’s nightclubs are back, ushering in a “Roaring 20s” momentum. As venue promoters and operators clamor to meet booming demand, they must also navigate challenges around hiring and training staff, competing with other venues, and relying on club goers to be careful with coronavirus safety, especially as the Delta variant spreads.

It has become a seasonal tradition in California: Homes burn down, then we hear stories of resilient fire victims promising they’ll rebuild and recover. But many people who lost their homes to wildfires years ago still haven’t rebuilt, or have chosen not to, after discovering how difficult and long the process can be.

Morro Bay is a small fishing village of roughly 10,000 people, known for its iconic view of a volcanic rock off the coast. A new project would add about 200 floating wind turbines in the distance. Some local fishermen are worried that the “skyscrapers” may cause disruption to their livelihood and sea life. Others are banking on what the farm brings to the region — jobs and a big step toward California’s goal of reaching 100% clean electric power by 2045.

Roughly 3 million Americans picked up a golf club for the first time last year. That spike in popularity is playing out across Southern California, where courses are completely booked and golf stores can’t fill their shelves fast enough. Since most pandemic-era restrictions have been lifted and options for outdoor activities have expanded, some Angelenos wonder if these new golfers will continue playing.

An explosion rocked a South LA residential neighborhood on Wednesday when the LA Police Department tried to detonate a cache of illegal fireworks they seized earlier in the day. Seventeen people, including 10 law enforcement officers, were injured in the blast. Fireworks can cause injuries, pollute the air, increase the risk of wildfires, and terrify pets. But many LA residents can’t resist setting off fireworks anyway.

Fireworks won’t be the only thing causing a scene this July 4 weekend. LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has vowed to remove the homeless encampments from the Venice Beach boardwalk by Independence Day, and the city is planning to start sanitation cleanups on Friday. While LA City Councilmember Mike Bonin plans to move those living by the boardwalk to hotels over the next month and a half, unhoused advocates will likely show up to protest enforcement and displacement.

Downtown LA’s Tower Theatre officially became the site of a new Apple store on June 24. Some historical features of the building have been preserved, or even rebuilt, like the classic clock tower. But the building has also received many modern embellishments. The long-standing “Tower” lettering on the exterior is now illuminated with the Apple logo plastered above. With renovations like this and eased pandemic restrictions, are more people returning to downtown LA? 

Since August 2020, the mutual aid group Bicycle Meals has been delivering bags of sandwiches, fruit, snacks, masks, and hand sanitizer to unhoused residents of Koreatown. But now volunteers are back to work as the economy reopens, and they can’t donate so much time preparing meals and pedaling them to those in need. Also, the venture is largely self-funded, and contributions from local businesses aren’t constant. So how will the organization pivot post-pandemic?

Today’s show looks at various ways people can enjoy the summer across LA. First up, a kayaking trip down the LA River. Then, a visit to various locales where people can enjoy the sights and sounds of Europe without hopping on a plane. And lastly, all the best frozen treats to enjoy in the Southland.

Last year, LA cleared 80 tents from the south side of the Penmar Golf Course near Venice Beach. LA City Councilmember Mike Bonin held it up as an example of how to quickly and humanely break up large homeless encampments, and is fast-tracking a similar plan for Ocean Front Walk. But where did the people from Penmar go?

Just as air travel is ramping up this summer, rideshare availability is slowing down. People looking for an Uber or Lyft are finding spiking rates, long wait times, or a total lack of availability. Some people are seeking out taxis, while others are paying steep prices for a short ride.

OC Supervisors are expected to discuss reviving a proposal that would extend term limits, while also capping those terms for a lifetime. Currently, supervisors can hold office for two consecutive terms — each term lasting four years. After a break, they can run again later for up to two more terms at a time. The new ballot proposal would replace those rules with a lifetime limit of 12 years, meaning supervisors can serve three consecutive terms. Critics say the proposal’s language is a sneaky way for supervisors to stay on the board longer.

LA currently has zero lesbian bars. Since the closure of LA’s last remaining gay bar in 2017, the second-largest city in the U.S. has been left without any brick and mortar center of lesbian nightlife. It’s a trend reflected across the U.S., which only has 21 lesbian bars. Now young queer women are part of a new wave in LA to feed the hunger of LGBTQ Angelenos and are building new spaces.

More people are experiencing homelessness in New York City than in all of LA County. But fewer people sleep on the streets in  New York — partly because of its state law guaranteeing emergency shelter to every person who qualifies. Now one state lawmaker is proposing a similar law in California.

After 15 months of the pandemic, the Golden State is no longer requiring capacity limits, masks, or social distancing in most places. LA business owners and employees must make some decisions, like whether to ask customers for vaccination proof and whether to leave plexiglass at checkout counters. KCRW speaks with a bar owner and a grocery store worker as they try to navigate this new terrain.

Crowns & Hops, based in Inglewood, will be LA’s first Black-owned brewery. Co-owners Beny Ashburn and Teo Hunter are on a mission to protect Inglewood’s culture in the midst of a development boom while diversifying the craft beer industry.

Businesses on the road to reopening are traversing a complex path with rules about distancing, capacity limits, and masks. Now imagine having to deal with two separate rulebooks — one for restaurants and another for performance spaces. That’s what the Candlelight Pavilion dinner theater in Claremont is navigating. Over the nearly 15 months it was closed, the family that runs the Candlelight wondered how it would survive, but it faced the virus head-on, and jumped through a lot of hoops to bring guests back inside. 

High school seniors say their in-person graduation ceremonies this year are surreal and sentimental. Some graduates of 2020 waited a year so they could turn their tassels in-person with classmates.

The disappearance of Kristin Smart in San Luis Obispo has gone unsolved for 25 years, and among those demanding justice are local women who grew up following her case. As the prime suspect, Paul Flores, awaits trial, many women continue to unpack the ways her disappearance impacted their childhoods and personal experiences with sexual violence.

Some of the world’s largest corporations like Amazon, Walmart, Google, and UPS are all looking into using drones to deliver small packages. The Federal Aviation Administration is granting approvals right and left for growing these types of operations. However, there are questions of privacy and surveillance if thousands of drones are allowed to take up LA’s skies to take pictures and gather data. Could local control start regulating the skies for Angelenos? 

Locals identify Crenshaw Boulevard as the main artery of Black culture in Los Angeles, while the man it’s named for was white. But past efforts to rename the street after a Black hero have foundered on difficult questions. Who is a hero? And who decides?

Today’s entire show looks deeply at the Boyle Heights neighborhood of LA. It’s predominantly Latino these days, but through the years, it’s been home to Black Americans, Jewish Americans, and Japanese Americans. 

Southern California has some of the worst road conditions in the country. That’s just one of the many reasons why community activists, entrepreneurs, and local politicians are keeping tabs on President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure spending plan that’s currently being debated on Capitol Hill. Regardless of the final dollar amount, Southern California could experience a flood of investment, money for construction projects, and new job opportunities.

On this holiday, Greater LA replays two episodes of our “What’s In a Street Name?” series. Gaylord Wilshire — a land speculator, billboard tycoon, failed politician and inventor — built Wilshire Boulevard, which became LA’s primary escape route from the horse-drawn era. But as the city got bigger, Gaylord Wilshire got smaller. A stroll through Hollywood history reveals over 100 years of boulevard branding. But can the “Main Street of the movies” maintain its historic integrity — and keep its small businesses alive — while absorbing billions of private investment dollars?

A statewide program called Project Homekey converts motels, hotels, or vacant apartment buildings into long-term supportive housing for people living on the streets. The project is set to benefit thousands of homeless Angelenos and is much cheaper than building new affordable housing. But is it an effective permanent solution?

WE RISE is an initiative from the LA County Department of Mental Health that features 21 art experiences focusing on connection. It tries to raise awareness about what harms communities, and reduce mental health stigmas. 

One year after the murder of George Floyd, an event that catalyzed racial justice movements across the country, organizers in LA gathered at City Hall to encourage activists to continue putting pressure on local officials.

One year ago this week, George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis at the hands of former police officer Derek Chauvin. The killing set off the largest civil rights movement the U.S. has seen since the 1960s. For months, millions of Americans took to the streets to protest police brutality and demanded justice for Floyd and others who were killed by police. KCRW talks with Black Southern Californians about how their lives changed in the year since.

LA Councilman Mike Bonin, representing the Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, and Venice, is proposing that parts of some city-owned land, including parks and beach parking lots, be turned into sanctioned campground sites for unhoused Angelenos. But the idea is gaining criticism from some residents who want to keep the area free from encampments. KCRW speaks with Bonin about his proposal and the public outcry.

The number of businesses in the U.S. that no longer accept cash has doubled since the pandemic began, according to a recent survey by Square. Many made the switch based on guidelines from the CDC. Staff like it too, and most customers don’t mind. However, some cities have passed laws preventing businesses from banning cash, saying such rules are discriminatory. LA is buying into a cashless future and has an initiative to support business owners from low-income and disadvantaged communities.

Pico Boulevard may be the hardest working street in Los Angeles. Jonathan Gold called it “one of the most vital food streets in the world.” Today KCRW visits some of Gold’s favorite Boulevard eateries and finds the spirit of Pio Pico, the boulevard’s namesake, flourishing.  

California officials say they'll adopt the CDC’s relaxed mask guidelines on June 15, giving the state a month to boost vaccination rates. But several major retail and grocery chains like Trader Joe’s and Walmart already no longer require masks for vaccinated customers. Public health experts are divided on the issue, and grocery store workers are worried unvaccinated people will lie about their status.

Kids ages 12 to 15 are now eligible for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, and some LA families are wasting no time. Appointments at the Long Beach Convention Center are double what they were one week ago. Meet some of the kids first in line for the shot.

Risky Business is a private club in North Hollywood for fully vaccinated people, where people can drink and mingle without wearing masks or social distancing. At least 1,000 people have signed up to become members of this bar, which aims to achieve a sense of normalcy and safety. “There are no rules related to masks. There are no rules related to distancing. There is none of that,” says co-owner Ari Schindler. “This is a normal place. And it's made normal by the fact that there is 100% vaccination. It's really that simple.” The bar has received mixed reactions since its unveiling. Some were happy, while others deemed the businesses owners irresponsible or discriminatory. 

A new government effort aims to bolster what’s sometimes called the “missing middle” in California’s most expensive housing markets. Meaning: homes priced for households earning too much to qualify for subsidized housing but not enough to comfortably pay market-rate rent. In LA County, moderate-income ranges from an individual earning about $67,000 a year to a household of four earning nearly $127,000 a year. It’s currently unclear whether the benefits of this program will outweigh the costs in the long run.

Lincoln Heights Intel (LHI), a group of residents and organizers, was spurred into action by Avenue 34, a five-acre, 468-unit apartment complex featuring lots of retail space. Residents were concerned about being displaced and inhaling toxic fumes potentially emitted by the complex’s construction.  LHI believed the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council didn’t do enough to fight the development, so they put together a slate of 11 progressive candidates to replace all members of the council. After voters cast ballots in April, all 11 candidates won.   A neighborhood council mostly advises its LA City Council member, but that influence can be powerful.  “They can make it [development] more likely to happen, or less likely to happen by their support or opposition. And that's why even without formal power over land use, [neighborhood councils] are potentially going to become players in some of the land-use politics in the city,” says Raphael Sonenshein, who directs the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State LA. 

There’s a bold plan in LA’s Crenshaw neighborhood to purchase the local mall for north of $100 million and let the community profit from its redevelopment. The idea has a lot of support from business owners and residents. But the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall’s owners, lenders, and some community leaders aren’t convinced. “When someone comes in from the outside and [has] a completely different agenda, it might not be what’s best for the neighborhood,” says Malik Muhammad, who has owned and operated Malik’s Books at the Crenshaw Mall since the early 1990s. “It might be a plan to gentrify, uproot and push [us] out. … We need to develop our own communities.” Enter Downtown Crenshaw Rising, a community effort to buy the mall, redevelop it, and let the neighborhood profit from its economic revitalization. “We heard that the plan was to build luxury condos and townhouses here. We knew that we had to draw a line in the sand and really stop that type of gentrification from happening,” says Niki Okuk, a local entrepreneur and board president with Downtown Crenshaw.

A stroll through Hollywood history reveals over 100 years of boulevard branding. But can the “Main Street of the movies” maintain its historic integrity — and keep its small businesses alive — while absorbing billions of private investment dollars?

Seward Johnson’s, 26-foot tall, 2011 sculpture “Forever Marilyn” depicts the truly iconic Marilyn Monroe mid-subway breeze from that famous scene in “The Seven Year Itch” — face smiling with rapture and white skirt billowing upwards. The statue passed through Palm Springs almost a decade ago, but now a local tourism group has purchased “Forever Marilyn” for $1 million, meaning the desert will be her forever home. While many in town believe the towering statue is a perfect mix of kitsch and retro that jibes with Palm Springs’ mid-century vibe, some say a lot has changed since her 2012-2014 stint. 

The city of LA has locked basketball hoops in Venice Beach, even as more outdoor and indoor activities get the green light to restart. Some locals are trying to get the locks removed with the #FreeTheHoops social media campaign. Meanwhile, they’re trying innovative methods to get games going on the courts.

Now that kids are back on campus, teachers are bringing lessons outside to keep them safe. The health benefits for students extend far beyond COVID safety. Many local schools want to make a permanent change, but that’s a tall order for schools with asphalt playgrounds and little shade.

Gaylord Wilshire was a land speculator, billboard tycoon, failed politician and inventor. He built Wilshire Boulevard, a street that became LA’s primary escape route from the horse-drawn era. But as the city got bigger, Gaylord Wilshire got smaller.

Republicans are the most vaccine-hesitant group in the state, according to a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California. Nevertheless, the majority of Republicans are willing to get vaccinated, and rates of skepticism are on the decline.

In East Hollywood, a parking lot has been turned into LA’s first government-run homeless encampment. It offers 24-hour security and free meals for the 100 or so people who are expected to move there temporarily. But some advocates worry that officials are investing too much in short-term band-aids over permanent housing.

Earth Day is an annual reminder that everyone can help protect the planet. Lucy Jones — seismologist, author, and musician — is trying to inspire people to do more by tapping into their emotions. She wrote a song to synthesize climate change data going back nearly a century and a half. She sees music as a way to help people understand the real threat of climate change.  “We need to feel angry about it,” she says. “We need pride in addressing it … instead of just despair at ‘what can I do?’ And so it is an emotional change we need in our society to really deal with climate change. And what is music but a way to inspire emotion?”

Many people in LA and across the nation have long called for significant changes to policing and public safety. But that can mean different things to different people. Greater LA hears from Black Lives Matter-LA co-founder Melina Abdullah and LA civil rights attorney Connie Rice about their perspectives after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd.

The people getting COVID-19 vaccines tend to be whiter and more affluent. That’s why the city of LA deploys 10 mobile vaccination teams to some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods. For this site in Watts, volunteers made sure it wouldn’t be cut off by gang territory lines. They also knocked on doors to assuage residents’ vaccination fears.

With so many unaccompanied minors crossing the U.S.-Mexican border, the federal government is scrambling to find places to house them. Roughly 20,000 kids are in federal custody right now — the vast majority from Central America. In Long Beach, Mayor Robert Garcia said his city will take in 1,000 children at the Long Beach Convention Center. There are plans for the Fairplex in Pomona to receive roughly 2,000 children. While local officials stress these are not detention facilities, immigrant rights activists have mixed opinions on the plan.

A new Latinx-owned ice cream pop-up in Koreatown is using sweet treats to broach sensitive topics surrounding mental health and self care. Sue Mancini, who owns Sad Girl Creamery and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 26. “I figured sharing my own personal experiences with mental health could make people relate and feel a little alleviated with the sad feelings they’re having at home.” She would like to expand her business into a brick and mortar some day, where she could host ice cream socials and invite mental health nonprofits and professionals to talk with her customers.

ArcLight and Pacific Theater locations all over LA and the country are closed for good now. That includes the iconic Cinerama Dome, which said in a statement on Monday, “This was not the outcome anyone wanted, but despite a huge effort that exhausted all potential options, the company does not have a viable way forward.” The news sent shockwaves across Tinseltown, with Angelenos taking to social media to lament.

About 10,000 units of affordable housing in LA County are likely to flip to market-rate in the next five to 10 years. Officials say this could wipe out many of the gains from new construction in relieving the region’s housing crisis.

Six Flags Magic Mountain welcomed visitors again this past weekend as theme parks got the green light to reopen due to reduced COVID-19 case numbers. Maria Cruz visited with her husband and kids from the San Fernando Valley. “We're like, ‘Finally we get to breathe a little bit.’ [But] it’s not what I expected. I think it's too busy, I think the lines are extremely long. The waiting time is too much,” she said. Meanwhile, other park goers were happy and hopeful. 

As California gears up to reopen in mid-June, the prospect of returning to the office is creating anxiety for the workforce that was forced to work from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At least 70% of employees have been doing all or most of their work from home, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. That’s compared to pre-pandemic levels, when only about 20% of employees telecommuted. KCRW speaks with three experts on hybrid workplace models, receiving input from employees, and how to best equip offices for the post-pandemic future.

The City of LA fenced off Echo Park Lake more than a week ago, forcing roughly 200 unhoused people living there to leave. For several days, activists protested the city’s move to clear out the park, and even faced off against police. City and county officials offered to move the lake’s residents to shelters or hotel rooms through Project Roomkey, a program meant to house people during the pandemic. But some people chose to stay elsewhere on the streets instead. KCRW talks to three people who were displaced from the lake.

California's Wonder Valley is arid and sparsely populated, where property values have jumped close to 20% in the last year, according to an estimate by Zillow. The typical home price is now close to $180,000. That’s a far cry from LA County’s sizzling real estate market, where the median home price is more than $700,000, according to the financial services company CoreLogic. But people who have lived here for decades are wondering what all this change might mean for them.

Beloved LA video rental store “Vidiots” is reopening in Eagle Rock early next year. They’re banking on human connection post-pandemic to keep people coming back to this store and cinema.

Older adults and essential workers are currently flooding COVID-19 vaccination sites. But every once in a while, someone who’s not officially eligible jumps the line by finding an expiring dose, taking advantage of a loophole, or lying. Some of those people explain why they don’t regret doing whatever it takes to get vaccinated.

For decades, Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area has been the only California site to allow off-roading on the shores of the Pacific and in a seaside slice of the Sahara. But that all-terrain vehicle action hinged on a temporary permit from the state. After almost 40 years, the California Coastal Commission decided conservation outweighed recreation and voted to phase out off-roading at the dunes over three years. Some in the area say it’s past due, but others are worried it will hobble the local economy and end family traditions that span generations.

Tens of thousands of people are getting vaccinated in Los Angeles every day. The people putting those shots into arms say their patient interactions are so intimate, and working at vaccination centers is the most rewarding work they’ve ever done. These are their stories.

LA gyms reopened at 10% capacity after the county moved into the red tier of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s reopening plan. LA resident Cynthia Godslaw was happy and shocked to get the “welcome back” email from her local LA Fitness, which she returned to right away. Cesar Fonseca returned only after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Simone Cromer cancelled her gym membership immediately after driving by an LA Fitness parking lot filled with cars. 

The city of LA is expected to shut down Echo Park Lake, put up a fence, and move out all the unhoused people living there this week. The logistics are unclear, even as City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell says all the people experiencing homelessness there will be offered a bed. KCRW hears from people protesting the impending closure.

Long known as “the spa city,” Desert Hot Springs is looking to expand its relaxation and recreational offerings by going big on so-called “cannatourism.” The Coachella Valley community recently approved a pair of ordinances that will allow for consumption and sales of pot at hotels and entertainment venues. Already a hotbed of cannabis cultivation and production, the city is betting on tourists stopping to sample the industry’s wares as they explore nearby Joshua Tree National Park and the rest of the desert.

Why is affordable housing so expensive to build in Los Angeles? It’s all about the money — where it comes from and how long it takes to get it. Some developers are changing the traditional funding model to save on time and costs.

In the aftermath of the Atlanta shootings of six Asian women, some AAPI Angelenos are fearing their parents’ safety. Michelle Gonzales tells KCRW she has forbidden her mother from taking walks in their predominantly Filipino neighborhood in Carson. “That was just our way of protecting her from violence that could actually happen in our community, when before we would never have thought that something like that would ever be possible,” Gonzales says. Others, like Van Nguyen, describe why they’re worried for their own safety. “I just want to run errands and go home. I don't need to be walking down the street in an area that's unfamiliar to me. I'm a small Asian woman. I'm super petite, 5’2.’’ Who knows what would happen?”

Live music has mostly been on hold for the last year, but as LA County begins to reopen and allow for more activities, music venues are looking at potential in-person events. Venues with outdoor options are at an advantage, but there are still uncertainties about when events can take place and how big the crowd can be. KCRW hears from music industry insiders about how they are planning for future live shows to return.

The pandemic has altered streetscapes all across Southern California. In the San Fernando Valley, there is perhaps no better example of this than Van Nuys Boulevard. Brick and mortar stores have suffered the most, with “For Lease” signs visible on just about every block. KCRW speaks with business owners along a stretch of the boulevard.

Hawaiian Gardens has one of the lowest vaccination rates in LA county — 9%. That’s partly because there aren’t many vaccination sites nearby, and the closest appointments are typically 10 miles away in Downey. There’s been a lot of bureaucracy in trying to set up a vaccination site in Hawaiian Gardens   “We’ve been asking for these mobile unit sites, and we haven’t received any, and we haven’t received any leads either. So I don’t know. It’s just a waiting game, I guess. ... And we’re left to fend for ourselves in what seems to be like a Wild Wild West situation,” says Hawaiian Gardens Councilmember Myra Maravilla. 

Today LA County restaurants received the green light to reopen indoors at 25% capacity as soon as March 15.  Some think it's way too soon. Others restaurant owners are cautiously optimistic. 

Elderly people were among the first in line to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but many are now getting left behind as eligibility widens. There are language barriers and transportation issues. But the biggest problem has been the digital divide, especially for older people who live alone. KCRW shares the story of an elderly landlord, without family nearby, who gets help from his tenant.

As scientists and political leaders continue to fight climate change with new technologies and initiatives, a global movement of people are popularizing one of the oldest methods of conservation. They’re reusing, repurposing, and regifting.

California is banning the sale of new gas cars starting in 2035, as part of its goal to curb carbon emissions. People working in the automotive industry are nervous about what that means for their livelihoods. And people looking to purchase new automobiles must turn to the two main alternatives: electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen fuel cell cars.

Santa Barbara is the latest city in California to consider phasing out fossil fuels by requiring new construction to be all-electric. But with extreme weather events that can knock power out in an instant, some residents worry putting all our eggs in the electrical basket is unsafe. Supporters say making smart investments in solar panels and batteries will boost our safety and self-reliance while the electric grid becomes more secure.

This week, the Los Angeles City Council voted to override a veto by Mayor Eric Garcetti and approve a new proposal for how millions of dollars taken from the LA Police Department will be spent to address homelessness, poverty, unemployment. KCRW looks at how the vote played out, which communities will benefit, and who will oversee the money.

Online sales have skyrocketed during the pandemic, and so have the mountains of packaging that protect those orders in transit. Packaging designers are working to figure out how to lessen the environmental impact of their creations, but it’s a challenging question they have yet to answer.

During the pandemic, many renters have stayed in their homes because of local and state eviction protections, but are still on the hook for back rent. Some landlords are financially struggling too. A new rental assistance program is rolling out on March 15. It uses $2.6 billion in federal funds, and is meant to help the most vulnerable renters and their landlords.

LA County reached 20,000 COVID-19 deaths this week. The death rate has caused a backlog at cemeteries and funeral homes, affecting the physical and emotional wellbeing of those tasked with laying the dead to rest.

At a greenhouse in La Jolla, California, scientists are trying to harness the carbon-sucking power of plants to clean up the atmosphere. They’re behind the Harnessing Plants Initiative. When carbon isn’t polluting the atmosphere, it’s often in the ground, enriching the soil that plants need to grow. The goal is to genetically modify the plant’s cellular structure. Then the plants will sprout bigger roots, and more of them. And they’ll absorb more carbon.

The Ballona Wetlands are juxtaposed against busy streets and tech companies. The area is a small, serene stretch of marsh, mud flats and birds. The wetlands once stood at more than 2,000 acres, but only 577 acres remain today. The state has a plan to restore Ballona and make it more inviting to the public. However, not everyone agrees with that plan.

Many Angelenos are camping out on a sidewalk overnight to be first in a daily unofficial standby line for leftover COVID-19 vaccine doses. That’s raising equity questions at Kedren Community Health Center in the Historic South Central neighborhood of LA, where residents are predominantly Black and Latino, and the people in line are predominantly white and driving from more affluent neighborhoods.

College students have a lot on their plates these days: an upended academic career because of the pandemic, the specter of the virus itself, and the general stress of exams and assignments. All of that fretting and stressing prompted a UC Santa Barbara student and professor to team up and launch the Resilience Summit and Certificate Program. Built around concepts rooted in “positive psychology,” its mission is to equip participants with tips and tools for taking the mental edge off the pandemic. The duo thought they were creating an intimate program that would maybe get a couple dozen sign-ups. It turned out that hundreds wanted to participate.

Maurice Harris owns Bloom & Plume, a flower business with an adjacent coffee shop. Before the pandemic, his products were selling well and his social commentary was resonating. Harris now faces a sobering reality. “When the pandemic hit, we just stopped working because everything left and right was just getting canceled. Sister ‘Rona showed up and she was just like, shutting it all down,” he says. He secured a PPP loan last year from the U.S. Small Business Administration, but says he’ll need additional federal dollars this year to keep his employees on payroll and his rent paid.

As technology becomes more sleek and complex, repairing is more difficult and dangerous. When something breaks, it’s often easier to buy a new one. But California politicians and environmental activists are working to pass a Right to Repair bill to make it easier to fix technology and reduce the e-waste going to landfills.

Despite being stuck in a pandemic and the isolation that comes with it, a subsection of Angelenos are making their dating lives work. Using apps like Hinge and Bumble, prospective dating partners are meeting up in real life. For others, the pandemic has served as a time for self-reflection.

A few weeks ago, Los Angeles city and county officials were in the process of ending Project Roomkey, a program that places older and medically vulnerable people experiencing homelessness in empty hotel rooms. Now the promise of new federal funding from the Biden administration is bringing it back to life — if local government can find a way to front the costs.

Construction waste comprises almost a third of our landfills. That’s partly because the way we make buildings hasn’t changed much in more than a century. But now several construction startups are building homes quickly and affordably while creating minimal waste, with the help of giant 3D printers.

Northridge’s long-time Skateland roller rink will reopen as a homeless shelter by November 2021, if all goes according to plan. Hope of the Valley, a service provider for the unhoused, aims to provide around 100 beds, plus case managers, storage space, mental health services, and recovery programs on-site. More than 700 people are unhoused in the northwest San Fernando Valley, according to the latest count in January. Some community members are also concerned, but for different reasons.

Electronics have become the largest source of toxic waste in the U.S. But many devices and their parts are still usable. That’s why Homeboy Electronics Recycling is refurbishing, repurposing and reselling tens of thousands of pounds of electronics every week, all while employing formerly incarcerated and gang-affiliated people to do it.

Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing to get kids back in schools this month. Some parents, especially whose kids have special needs, say it’s about time. But LAUSD is pushing back, saying case rates are too high and school staff must be vaccinated first. It wasn’t until one teacher and her children got COVID that she agreed with the district.

In Los Angeles County, COVID-19 has exacerbated racial and economic inequality. Latino residents face the deadliest risk from the disease, while Black and Asian residents are also dying at higher rates than white residents. And the poorer you are, the greater your risk of dying from the virus. Housing is one part of what’s behind these disparities.

LA District Attorney George Gascón is getting intense blowback from prosecutors in his office. The union representing them says his sentence enhancement prohibition violates California’s three strikes law, which requires prosecutors to seek longer sentences for defendants with previous convictions. But Gascón stands by the legality of his new directives.

There’s a bit of optimism on the pandemic front. Cases are trending down, and projections show ICU capacity increasing in the coming weeks. Through the darkest days of the holiday season surge, rapid response nurse Erin McIntosh recorded audio diaries logging her thoughts and experiences as deadly records were set daily. Her hospital, Riverside Community, was one of the most overwhelmed. In a compilation of her entries, KCRW hears about the fear patients are struck with when they know the end is near, the family toll nurses deal with, and small moments of gratitude that still find a way to bubble up in dark times.

Nearly half of food grown in the United States gets thrown out. More food is tossed once it reaches a household fridge than at any other point in the supply chain. With every strawberry that doesn’t get eaten comes the wasted water to grow it, the wasted gas to transport it, the methane it emits while it rots, and crowded landfills.

One year after his passing, Kobe Bryant’s legacy continues. The Lakers’ 2020 championship victory was dedicated to him. LA artists have painted hundreds of murals around town to represent him and his daughter Gianna. A local youth basketball coach gains inspiration from Bryant on and off the court.

As LA’s queer community grapples with the closures of popular bars like Rage, Oil Can Harry’s and Flaming Saddles, other bars are struggling to keep the lights on. 

Santa Monica’s new City Hall East structure uses solar energy and captures rainwater. But the showstopper? It uses “foam-flush” toilets that turn human waste into nutrient-rich compost for the garden on site. But that makes some employees a little uncomfortable.

California is about 2,300 miles from Washington D.C., and despite recent violence and insurrection, some Angelenos still wanted to see the pomp and circumstance of the inauguration in person. Others, however, are staying put. KCRW talks with two LA residents on the swearing-in of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

With calls to stay home during the pandemic and threats of more violence in Washington, D.C., most Joe Biden supporters from Southern California will watch the inauguration virtually. But some are willing to take the risk. KCRW speaks with a Riverside resident from Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ sorority who canceled her trip to D.C. after the insurrection on January 6, and a Highland Park resident who’s heading to the nation’s capital.

Dodger Stadium went from the world’s largest COVID-19 testing site to the country’s largest vaccination site. By the end of the week, the goal is to be able to give 12,000 shots to patients per day. One disaster relief worker calls this the most important project in her 15 years of work. And one patient reports that the process is surprisingly efficient and smooth.

Following the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and this week’s impeachment vote, several California Republicans are attempting the delicate maneuver of being a Trump loyalist while recalibrating based on recent events. KCRW looks at how they’re making their political calculations.

In LA County right now, COVID-19 is killing one person every eight minutes. California Governor Gavin Newsom said earlier this week the state has vaccinated fewer than 800,000 people, even as millions of shots sit ready in freezers. Newsom announced today that California would be following the new CDC recommendations to prioritize anyone age 65 and up. KCRW looks at delays in distributing vaccines, efforts to speed up the process, and the latest changes to who gets the shots next.

Greater LA kicks off a new weekly series exploring neat solutions to waste. It begins with plastic, including why its popularity exploded in the 20th century, why it continues to pile up in our landfills and oceans, and how one toymaker is redefining playtime without it.

Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise among people experiencing homelessness in LA County. Group shelters are having a particularly hard time controlling the spread. Since October, coronavirus positivity rates within the sheltered homeless population have gone from about 2% to 10%, according to Dr. Heidi Behforouz, chief medical officer for LA County’s Housing For Health program.

After a mob of Trump supporters entered the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, many people are concerned about what the remaining weeks of Trump’s presidency will bring. California Congresswoman Karen Bass says, “I would love to see this presidency end today because I worry about our country over the next 13 days.” She talks about what she saw during the upheaval in DC, and what she expects in its aftermath.

Hundreds of thousands of California workers have applied for unemployment benefits, are eligible to receive them, but still haven’t been paid. Antiquated computer systems, staffing and training problems, and a massive fraud case are to blame. In the meantime, people are struggling.

Category 10 and World War III are descriptions of what’s happening inside LA’s hospitals and morgues. They underscore how serious the winter and holiday super surge of COVID-19 really is. Meanwhile, Orange County residents are still arguing over wearing masks in public. “There's so much mixed messaging, at least in the totality of Orange County. It's not surprising then that some people really do think coronavirus shouldn't be paid any attention to,” says Gustavo Arellano.

Greater LA offers a highlight reel of some of the year’s best stories. A community cookout was born out of the pandemic and helps feed those in need. Wave pools in Palm Springs help lure surfers to the desert hot spot. An outdoor space fosters community for dogs and humans alike. 

The COVID-19 pandemic presented many challenges in 2020, perhaps the least of which (and the last of which) is what to do about the holiday party. History shows that holiday parties — and particularly company holiday parties — are already fraught with the perils of drunken embarrassment and potential harassment suits. What changes as the whole production moves to Zoom? Will people learn anything that improves future get-togethers?

A hint of Christmas spirit is still alive in the quaint, Danish tourist town of Solvang, and despite stay-at-home orders, some people can’t help but see it for themselves. While the local chocolate shop and bakery owners say tourism is down to a fraction of what it usually is this time of year, some Californian travelers say the risk is worth a day escaping their worries in this fantasyland.

As the coronavirus pandemic tears through Los Angeles, city officials continue intensive cleanings of homeless encampments. Last week they expanded the sweeps to three new locations in San Pedro and Wilmington. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends allowing people experiencing homelessness to shelter in place, but city officials say they must balance a variety of public health concerns.

Jolly Old St. Nick is still coming to town this pandemic Christmas — straight to living rooms via Zoom, Skype, etc. With 2020 being a tough year emotionally and economically, Santa Ric Erwin, who’s based in Hemet, California, says digital visits have been a lifesaver on several fronts. “My economic season was saved. My emotional season has been salvaged. And I’m really having a ball.”

As TikTok gained popularity, talent management companies had an idea. Why not gather 10 or 15 of the most popular TikTok stars and put them in a fancy house to make videos together? What’s the appeal? Why do these TikTok accounts go viral? Does anyone make money from this? KCRW spends the day inside one of them, Honey House, to find out.

As the national COVID-19 rollout begins, frontline workers from different industries are vying for a top spot for the treatment. But not everyone is as excited for the vaccine.

The wind-driven Silverado Fire in Irvine burned 12,466 acres two months ago. The land is a scorched checkerboard with some areas black and barren, and others with signs of life.

KCRW investigates an affordable housing development in the Westlake neighborhood. The project, a renovation of an old motel into apartments for unhoused veterans, has already soaked up more than $30 million, including $10.2 million from LA taxpayers, and isn’t scheduled for completion until March. Why so much? Where has the money gone? And who in city government is following it?

Getting together for cocoa and Christmas caroling isn’t safe during this pandemic. But people can still hop in their cars to see drive-thru light displays. Irwindale Speedway and Dodger Stadium offer big professional light installations. Small communities around Southern California are also going all out. Plus, what’s this time of year without “The Nutcracker?” The Los Angeles Ballet is hosting an interactive digital tea party, where people can meet Clara and hum along to the “March of the Toy Soldiers.”

Rep. Adam Schiff has a bill that would more than double the size of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and preserve its wildlife habitats. “What it means is that those beautiful, open spaces will be there for future generations of Angelenos to enjoy, for our kids and grandkids,” he says. Schiff also talks about the likelihood of another coronavirus relief package, and weighs in on Donald Trump claiming that thousands upon thousands of general election ballots were illegally cast.

Some restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley have been struggling before the pandemic and are unlikely to make it. Others are adapting to — and even taking advantage of — the increase in digital orders. At family-run Chinese restaurant Jiang Nan Spring, co-owner Henry Chang says, “Before the pandemic, the majority of our business was about 75 to 85% indoor dining.” Now orders flood in through delivery apps. Their cordless landline rings constantly as waiters prepare large to-go orders on the front counter, which has been a big adjustment for the family.

Five years ago, an old well casing broke at the SoCalGas-owned Aliso Canyon gas storage facility near Porter Ranch, Los Angeles. Some 100,000 metric tons of methane unfurled into the air. It became the largest gas leak in American history. Many residents believe it led to long-term health effects such as chronic coughs and even cancer. They have unexpectedly become environmentalists, and they want the Aliso Canyon gas facility shut down.

Between March and July, California released 3,500 incarcerated people in response to the pandemic. The major outbreak at San Quentin prison prompted them to consider another 8,000 for early release. But who qualified for early release from prison under new pandemic rules?

Rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have forced LA County officials to scale back reopening plans for local businesses. Until at least mid-December, restaurants will be barred from offering outdoor dining, a service that has been allowed since last summer. Most restaurateurs have complied, albeit reluctantly. But Alex Jordan, owner of Eat at Joe’s in Redondo Beach, has decided to keep his patio open. His decision has become a rallying cry for critics of both Governor Gavin Newsom and LA County’s elected leadership in their handling of the pandemic. It is also the latest inflection point in LA concerning what to do about the pandemic moving forward.

Big Santa Anita Canyon, part of the Angeles National Forest, was an idyllic getaway for thousands of Southern California locals. Then the Bobcat Fire ripped through in September, destroying 17 of the 81 historic cabins there.  The U.S. Forest Service has not decided on rebuilding yet. It wants to see what the winter rains and likely mud will do. Big Santa Anita Canyon is not expected to reopen until April 2022.

Cooking and serving Thanksgiving meals to unhoused residents takes a lot of organization and help from volunteers. But during the pandemic, most homeless shelters aren’t allowing volunteers on-site. That doesn’t mean Thanksgiving is canceled. Staff members and the volunteers who typically help are getting creative.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, rats seem to be more prominent in every major city. Kat Herrera, owner of Kat’s Pest Solutions in South Pasadena, says her business has nearly tripled.  When LA restaurants shut down indoor dining, rats had to get scrappy for food. 

Starting Wednesday night, LA County will require restaurants to stop outdoor dining, which local health officials have linked to an uptick in new coronavirus cases. What does this mean for businesses and the economy? Also, a virologist and a psychologist discuss people’s feelings of COVID fatigue and how that affects their behavior.

Before COVID-19, street vendor Heleo Leyva ran Quesadillas Tepexco, an East Hollywood food stand. But as the virus began to spread, he was forced to shut down. Then he decided to team up with local volunteers and chefs to help feed his community — all for free. Since August, Leyva’s Community Cookouts has distributed more than 2,000 meals.