California Love

Host Antonia Cereijido speaks with negotiations expert Victoria Medvec about how to make the best possible deal. Medvec also helps  identify ways the Colorado River water rights representatives could still change tactics and reach an agreement before time runs out.

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Listen to Reimagining Democracy for A Good Life, hosted by longtime equity advocate Angela Glover Blackwell. Available now at policylink.org/reimagining-democracy or wherever you get your podcasts

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JB Hamby and the other lead negotiators on the Colorado River have to come up with a long term solution to manage the river in the face of climate change. Will they reach a deal before it’s too late? 

LAist correspondent Emily Guerin examines how JB's position on water has dramatically evolved since he first won office a few years ago. She brings us back to the current water negotiations as the conflict between the Upper and Lower Basins becomes very public, and JB struggles to convince Imperial Valley farmers that they need to cut back.

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Part 6: Connect To Yourself — And Others — Through Dance 

We're back with another episode in our How Not To Be Lonely in L.A. series. 

Brian is out but, today, How To LA producer Megan Botel takes over the mic and explores these questions: What does it mean to connect to yourself, and why is it important for warding off feelings of loneliness? How do you do it? And in a group setting? 

One way is to do the things you loved as a kid and connect with that "inner child."  For Megan, that was ballet, so we are checking out Studio A, a funky little dance studio tucked behind the Hyperion Arts Building in Silver Lake. 

Guests: Cati Jean, dance instructor and choreographer at Studio A; Cat Moore, director of belonging at USC, dance student. 

For more on the importance of moving in sync with others while connecting to oneself, read her LAist article here: https://laist.com/news/how-to-la/in-a-social-funk-pickleball-dance-and-other-physical-group-activities-could-be-a-solution

Japanese American Incarceration. The Third World Liberation Front. The 1992 Los Angeles Uprising. What you think you know isn’t always the full story. Inheriting is a show about Asian American and Pacific Islander families that explores how the past is personal. Hosted by NPR’s Emily Kwong, we go deep with families on how their most personal, private moments are part of history.

How can I support? Inheriting is entirely funded by supporters like you. If you want to hear future seasons of Inheriting, donate at LAist.com/Inheriting and click on the orange box to help us make Season 2.

JB Hamby is the dealmaker from California, and at 28 years old, he’s the youngest and least experienced among the representatives from the seven states involved with the Colorado River water negotiations. LAist correspondent Emily Guerin explores the beginnings of Hamby’s understanding of water growing up in the Imperial Valley, a desert farming area in California.

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The Colorado River is in the midst of one of the worst water crises in recorded history. Climate change and overuse are taking a significant toll. Seven states, including California, must compromise and reach a solution to prevent the river from collapsing.

In late 2023, the tensions were running high between the major players in the water world as they convened at the annual Colorado River conference in Las Vegas. LAist Correspondent Emily Guerin was there, seeking to learn as much as she can about the people with the most power on the river.

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She Has A Name is set against the backdrop of the drug epidemic in 1980s Detroit. The new podcast hosted by NPR's Tonya Mosley blends elements of investigative journalism and memoir to tell a story about loss and redemption, mending broken family ties, and the trauma experienced by countless individuals who've lost loved ones to violence.

Listen to all episodes of She Has A Name from APM Studios and Truth Be Told Presents here. 

CONTENT WARNING: This episode of She Has A Name includes discussion of some heavy topics, including murder and other acts of violence. Listener discretion is advised.

For support and resources, please visit:

Project Cold Case
National Organization for Victim Assistance
VictimConnect Resource Center

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Part 7: 

Adolfo learns about the dangers of Santa Barbara’s bluffs and gets a second opinion on Oscar’s death report. 

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussions about fatal injuries and suicide.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers services to talk to a skilled counselor. If you are feeling distressed and need to talk to a counselor, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or visit https://988lifeline.org/.

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This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Part 8:

Adolfo finds new information about the night Oscar died, and has to have a difficult conversation about what really happened to Oscar.

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This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Go back to the movies with us!

We're still profiling LA's repertory theaters in Revival House cause there are SO MANY to check out! In this episode, we explore a cool space with some deep, messy history.

Fashion label Brain Dead has taken over a site that some would consider....a little cursed. Originally opened in the 1940s as The Silent Movie Theater on Fairfax, the venue was home to premieres and parties. Until a theft and murder shut the theater down.

In the 2000s, it was taken over by Cinefamily, which programmed in that space until allegations of abuse came to light in 2017.

But today, Brain Dead Studios is keeping the lights on for nerds, artists, and skate punks in Los Angeles -- aiming to create an eclectic community space to inspire creatives and show good movies. Take a listen as we explain the history and present of this theater.

Guests: Professor and historian Ross Melnick, Brain Dead founder Kyle Ng  

Part 5:

Was Oscar going to leave the Chicano student movement? Adolfo discovers new information about Oscar’s last months. 

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This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Part 6:

Adolfo reckons with his own relationship to his past and the Chicano student movement. And he finds someone who may have clues about what happened the night Oscar died. 

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This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

We're back with another episode of Revival House, but this time we're not heading to a 100 year old theater...

The David Geffen and Ted Mann theaters at the Academy Museum of Motion Arts and Pictures are a new addition to L.A's revival programming. In this episode, we explore what the theaters, which only opened in 2021, have to offer our city's moviegoing landscape. And hopefully, we demystify what seeing a movie here is actually like! (Did you know that tickets are only $10? And no, they don't just show Oscar winners.)

In this episode, How To LA producer Victoria Alejandro sits in the red velvet seats of the David Geffen theater with Academy Museum Director of Programming, K.J. Relth-Miller, to talk community access, screening trends, and the power of movie theaters.

If you're curious about the Academy Museum, you can check out our other LAist Studios series, The Academy Museum Podcast here.

Guests: Academy Museum Director of Programming K.J. Relth-Miller 

Part 3:

Adolfo gets his first lead on a person possibly involved in Oscar’s death.

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This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Part 4:

Adolfo finds a briefcase with information that could lead to clues about Oscar’s death. 

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This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

In our next installment of our series on How Not To Be Lonely in LA, we’re covering all the ways moving in synchrony together promotes closeness. Really, it’s just an excellent way to make friends.

Luckily in LA, there are unlimited amounts of classes, courses, leagues and clubs one can join based on your particular interests. Whether it’s a dance class, sports league or a mixed martial arts training, there’s literally something for everyone.

How To LA producer Megan Botel discovers why moving in what’s called "behavioral synchrony" is so good for connection, and learns about how one really popular activity in L.A. is bringing people together.

Guests: Sana Kim Davis, marketing director at Santa Monica Pickleball Center; Jamie Krems, assistant professor of psychology at UCLA; Micah Mumper, Longbeach resident and pickleball fan

Revival House is breaking format for this episode, and we’re saying goodbye to a historic first-run movie theater.

The Highland Theatre in Highland Park was one of the only movie theaters in Northeast LA. A designated historic cultural monument, the exterior will remain intact, but its future is uncertain. 

In this episode, How To LA producer Victoria Alejandro chats with host Brian De Los Santos about community memories, the history of the theater, and what might be next…

Links we mentioned in this episode:

Eastsider LA

Los Angeles Theatres

Guests: Highland Park Independent Film Festival co-founder and executive director, Marita De La Torre; historian and film professor Ross Melnick, and local employee Denise Hernandez

Part 2:

Adolfo learns that there was a dark side to Oscar’s experience in the Chicano student movement. 

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This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Imperfect Paradise: The Forgotten Revolutionary, the 2022 podcast from LAist Studios, has been optioned by Participant and is simultaneously being developed as a scripted and documentary limited series. 

Part 1:

Oscar Gomez was a star of the 1990s Chicano student movement and then, unexpectedly, he died. A rattling event in host Adolfo Guzman-Lopez’s life spurs him to investigate Oscar’s death. 

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Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

As we continue our series "Revival House," How To LA producer Victoria Alejandro is taking us to the South Bay of LA. We're checking out the Gardena Cinema, which pivoted to revival screenings relatively recently. 

The theater has been owned by the Kim family since 1976, and is now a non-profit run by Judy Kim and a team of 40 volunteers. Kim has saved the cinema from closures a handful of times now, and has also built up an incredible community of folks dedicated to keeping the cinema running. 

Join us as we explore this theater's past and future. 

Guests: Theater owner Judy Kim and volunteers Adela Tobon, Bill DeFrance, Cifen, and Conor Holt.

Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido is joined by LAist Senior Health Reporter Jackie Fortier and Higher Education Correspondent Adolfo Guzman-Lopez to break down their investigation into why many students and faculty across California's public universities don't know that medication abortion is mandated on their campuses. This is the latest LAist Investigates episode on Imperfect Paradise that highlights reporting from our newsroom.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode includes first-hand description of an outpatient abortion procedure.

For additional information and resources, you can visit https://abortion.ca.gov/

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Part 4: Why Are Men So Lonely These Days?

For the next installment of our series on How to Not Be Lonely in LA, we're honing in on one demographic: Men.

In all the conversations we’ve been having with people about loneliness and human connection...be it with experts or every day Angelenos …this theme kept coming up:

In a nation in the midst of a loneliness epidemic, A LOT of people are lonely. But men, typically, are the loneliest. 

Today, How To LA producer Megan Botel speaks to experts in the male experience to unpack the reasons why men tend to be lonelier than women, the importance of male friendships, and how men can create meaningful connections.

Guests: Richard Reeves, writer, professor and president of the American Institute for Boys and Men; Shannon Carpenter, author of the book The Ultimate Stay-At-Home Dad. 

If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs immediate help, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or visit the 988 website for online chat.

Neon! Mullets! Video stores! Relive the 80s with us...

As we continue our series "Revival House," How to LA producer Victoria Alejandro is taking us to Eagle Rock to check out Vidiots. The iconic video store opened in Santa Monica in the 80s, and closed its doors in 2017. But, Vidiots reopened last year in the historic Eagle theater. And yes, all of its 60,000 DVDs made the move too.

Vidiots has made renting a movie cool again – and you can check out any DVD in their massive catalog for just $3.

And, the renovated theater will be hosting screenings as part of the new Los Angeles Festival of Movies this coming April. 

Check out the past and present of Vidiots and the Eagle theater with us.

Guests: Executive director Maggie Mckay, founding member and filmmaker Noah Segan, programmer Saila Reyes, and film professor and theater historian Ross Melnick.

Part 4: Half a year after Star Garden reopens as a union club, the dancers are still negotiating a contract. LAist producer Emma Alabaster brings you the latest. Plus, some of the dancers have set their sights on a different dream: a worker-owned cooperative strip club. 

Here are some resources that informed our reporting:

• LA Co-op Lab
• U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives
• 2021 Worker Cooperative State of the Sector Report
• Yes, A Stripper Podcast

For more resources 

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Part 3: Building A Music Community To Feel Less Alone

For the next installment of our finding community series, we're talking music! 

Writer's 'Round LA is a Nashville-style, singer-songwriter showcase and hang for artists and non-artists alike. Think a 60s or 70s era Laurel Canyon open mic night. Good vibes all around.  

Today, How To LA producer Megan Botel explores how people are creating strong connections and building community through groups like Writer's 'Round LA. 

Guests: Greg Gilman, singer, songwriter for Greg in Good Company and founder of Writer's 'Round LA; Kat Hamilton, curator for Writer's 'Round LA and singer-songwriter. 

Here are the musicians you heard in the episode, check them out! 

Leah Ashton, listen to her latest album here.

Erica Dawson (who has a show coming up). 

Dylan Kanner, who played the open mic. Check out his dreamy music. 

Greg In Good Company, check out their new single, "Home."

As we continue our series "Revival House," How to LA producer Victoria Alejandro is taking us to The New Beverly Cinema over in Fairfax, where movies are always on film.

The theater, owned by Quentin Tarantino, has a long history as complex as LA's. Join us as we explore the building's history and discover what makes it a special place to catch a double feature today. 

Guests: Theater and operations manager Jules McLean, projectionist Danielle Wakin, and film professor and theater historian Ross Melnick. 

Part 3: The Star Garden Topless Dive Bar reopens as a union strip club, but the fight doesn’t end there. What happens after the victory? LAist Producer Emma Alabaster has the story.

Here are some resources that informed our reporting:

• Working It: Sex Workers on the Work of Sex  (In particular, the essay "White Supremacy in Organizing" by Domino Rey)

• Yes, A Stripper Podcast
• Unequal Desires: Race and Erotic Capital in the Stripping Industry by Siobhan Brooks
• Tits and Sass: Service Journalism by and for Sex Workers
  
  

Click here for more resources 

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Part 2: Speed Dating

Sick of dating apps? Ever try speed dating?

It's part of series from How to LA that examines feelings of loneliness in this town and how people are dealing with it by making new connections. Today we are going with romantic connections. In a city that's perceived as being very hard to date in, speed dating is gaining in popularity, especially among Gen Z.

How To LA host Brian De Los Santos and producer Megan Botel went to two speed dating events – one for straight folks and one for people who identify as LGBTQ  – to check out how this whole thing works and give you some tips!

They also speak to dating and relationship expert Damona Hoffman for some general dating advice.

Guests: Damona Hoffman, certified dating and relationship coach and author of "F The Fairytale"; Andrea Ramirez, founder of The Next Fun Thing (Love In LA); David Greenberg, chief operating officer of The Next Fun Thing (Love In LA)

How To LA is kicking off a new 10-part series we’re calling Revival House.  We are going to take you inside these spaces — the vintage spots and some newer ones — to explore their past and their present…and help you connect with some indie theaters in YOUR neighborhoods.

Our guide is How to LA producer Victoria Alejandro. our Los Feliz girly who loves to explore entertainment and the arts in LA. 

In this episode, Victoria is taking us to a midnight movie at the historic Nuart Theatre.

The Nuart Theatre's art deco marquee lights up Santa Monica and Sawtelle — so head west with us to a screening of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and discover cult cinema past and present. 

Guests: Austin Fresh and Nina Minnelli, performers in the Nuart's "Rocky Horror" shadow cast; longtime, retired Nuart film programmer Mark Valen; president of Landmark Theatres Kevin Holloway; and theater historian Ross Melnick.

Read her love letter to LA's indie theaters: https://laist.com/news/how-to-la/revival-house-movies-hollywood-essay

Part 2: When the Star Garden strippers go public with their union campaign, they get pushback from the club’s management and a group they didn’t anticipate - other strippers. LAist Producer Emma Alabaster reports.

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From LAist Studios, How to LA producer Megan Botel explores how people are dealing with feelings of loneliness – which have recently been declared a nationwide epidemic by the U.S. Surgeon General – and how some Angelenos are dealing with it by creating communities and finding new connections in the city.
Through this series, we explore the depths of these feelings for people in all walks of life. And dig into how folks are easing these feelings by creating connections and all sorts of communities around the city.
To kick it off part one, we speak to loneliness expert Cat Moore to understand and, in many ways, re-define our understanding of how loneliness is experienced. We'll also cover specific ways to begin building community.
Guest: Cat Moore, Director of Belonging at the University of Southern California
If you are struggling with your mental health, please reach out for help and check out these resources.

Part 1: In 2023, North Hollywood’s Star Garden reopened as the only unionized strip club in the U.S. LAist Producer Emma Alabaster tells us the behind-the-scenes story of the workplace conditions that pushed the dancers into action. 

CONTENT WARNING: This episode includes sensitive content about sexual assault.

For sexual assault and harassment support and resources, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673, which is a service of RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network).

For more, visit https://LAist.com/ImperfectParadise

Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/donate

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Imperfect Paradise Host Antonia Cereijido speaks with philosopher and author of Elite Capture: How The Powerful Took over Identity Politics (And Everything Else) Olúfemi O. Táíwò. They examine the question: are identity politics over? It’s a question that was raised and we began to explore with Imperfect Paradise’s Nury & The Secret Tapes series. Antonia examines that question more deeply with Táíwò and presses him on why he believes identity politics have failed to deliver on their promise to create greater social equity and what he thinks is the more effective political alternative. Antonia’s conversation with Táíwò kicks off the first Imperfect Inquiry, a recurring Imperfect Paradise segment in which Antonia interviews thinkers, experts, and stakeholders on themes, issues, and questions that we examine on the show. 

For more, visit https://LAist.com/ImperfectParadise

Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/donate

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Imperfect Paradise: Yoga's "Queen of Conspiracies": Part 4: RFK Jr. - The Presidential Candidate for Wellness Conspiracists?
A year after Yoga’s “Queen of Conspiracy Theories” first release, Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido explores a new, unexpected chapter in this story with Conspirituality podcast host Matthew Remski, Politico journalist David Freedlander, and LAist Correspondent Emily Guerin, who reported the series. This episode examines how the conspiracy theories, once relegated to a subset of yoga and wellness communities, are being brought into the political mainstream through the presidential candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is campaigning on a mix of conspiracies from both the wellness world and the far right.

For more, visit https://LAist.com/ImperfectParadise

Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/donate

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Part 3: Kundalini Yoga’s #MeToo Moment
In early 2020, just as fears about coronavirus are worsening, women begin accusing the founder of Kundalini Yoga, Yogi Bhajan, of sexual assault. Guru Jagat’s surprising response sets the stage for her radicalization during the pandemic.

CONTENT WARNING: Mentions of Sexual Assault

(Original Air Date: Jan. 18, 2023) 

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Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

This episode is a collaboration with our friends at Oye and NPR's Code Switch about finding salvation in unexpected places.

After leaving the Pentecostal church, reporter Jess Alvarenga has been searching for a new spiritual home. They takes us on their journey to find spirituality that includes the dining room dungeon of a dominatrix, Buddhist monks taking magic mushrooms, and the pulpit of a Pentecostal church.

Special thanks to the Ferriss, UC Berkeley’s Psychedelic Journalism program for their support.

Part 2: Kundalini Royalty
Katie Griggs, a young woman from rural Maryland, discovers Kundalini yoga in her early 20s and goes all in. She transforms herself into Guru Jagat, a beloved and controversial yoga and wellness influencer in Los Angeles. In this episode, her friends, family, and coworkers grapple with how she changed in the final years of her life. And we explore the connections between yoga and conspiracies like QAnon.

(Original Air Date: Jan. 11, 2023) 

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Before her sudden death in 2021, Guru Jagat had become a famous Kundalini yoga teacher based in Los Angeles. But as the global pandemic grew, she started talking like a far-right coronavirus conspiracy theorist. What does her journey down the rabbit hole tell us about the appeal of conspiracies in the yoga and wellness community?

Yoga's "Queen of Conspiracy Theories" explores Guru Jagat’s rise to fame and follows along as she responds not just to the pandemic, but to a #metoo movement scandal that rocked the Kundalini yoga world in early 2020. It also explores themes of misinformation, how a healthy distrust in government and medicine can turn dark, the "relativism around truth" in the wellness industry and the influence of social media on radicalization.

The series first came out in December 2022. We're republishing it because it's one of our favorites and remains relevant. We've updated the series with a fourth episode.

In this first episode, Guru Jagat starts the pandemic with an understandable skepticism of official medical advice, but quickly grows to embrace an array of far-right conspiracy theories. 

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Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

This week, Imperfect Paradise is featuring Part 3 & Part 4 of a four-part series from How To LA. 

HTLA host Brian De Los Santos and producer Evan Jacoby are taking a closer look at L.A. Mayor Karen Bass's "Inside Safe" program. They also recap some of the big questions we've asked throughout the series, and bring a new question to many of our guests from the previous episodes: "What should the relationship be between mutual aid volunteers and government agencies?"

If you want to learn more about mutual aid in Los Angeles, check out Evan's reporting on LAist.com

Or, if you want to learn about mutual aid groups in your neighborhood and maybe join them, check out these resources:

Los Angeles: 

• https://mutualaidla.org/get-involved/
• https://thepeoplesproject.la/get-aid/

National:

• https://www.mutualaidhub.org/

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains strong language and includes sensitive content about drugs, rape, suicide, and death.

For substance dependency and mental health support and resources, call SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or text 988.

Guests in Part 3: Nono, unhoused resident of an Inside Safe motel in Palms; Nick Gerda, LAist Unhoused Communities Reporter; LA Mayor Karen Bass; Councilmember Kevin de León of Council District 14; Councilmember Nithya Raman of Council District 4; Hawk, U.S. Veteran & Skid Row Resident

Guests in Part 4: Aria Cataño, founder of WaterDrop LA; Ndindi Kitonga, founder of Palms Unhoused Mutual Aid (PUMA); Councilmember Nithya Raman of Council District 4; Benjamin Henwood, PhD, professor of social policy and health at the University of Southern California

Music in Part 3 episode composed by: Chris Schlarb, Dexter Thomas, Evan Jacoby, Geir Sundstøl, Meitei, Ricky Eat Acid, Woo

Music in Part 4 episode composed by: Dexter Thomas, Evan Jacoby, Ill Considered, Meitei, Nala Sinephro, Ricky Eat Acid

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Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

This week, Imperfect Paradise is featuring Part 1 & Part 2 of a four-part series from How To LA. 

Unsheltered life in L.A. can be dangerous and even deadly — and there has been a massive increase in the death rate for unhoused people in the county over the last few years.
There is work being done by the mayor’s office to get people off the street and into temporary housing. But the promise of services — whether in the form of housing, treatment for substance addiction, or mental health counseling — cannot help if people aren’t alive in 6 months, a year — or 5 — to receive them.
While they wait, many unhoused people have come to rely on mutual aid volunteers to cover their immediate needs, from overdose prevention to fresh drinking water.
In this mini-series from How To LA, host Brian De Los Santos and producer Evan Jacoby explore what these mutual aid groups actually do for our unhoused neighbors, and where these service gaps come from in the first place.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains strong language and includes sensitive content about drug overdose and death.

For substance dependency and mental health support and resources, call SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or text 988.

Guests in Part 1: Ndindi Kitonga, founder Palms Unhoused Mutual Aid (PUMA); Jesse Goldshear, volunteer with PUMA and postdoc researcher studying public health at the University of California, San Diego; Aria Cataño, co-founder of WaterDrop LA; Sade Kammen, volunteer with WaterDrop LA and social worker in Skid Row

Guests in Part 2: LA Mayor Karen Bass; Councilmember Kevin de León of Council District 14; Councilmember Nithya Raman of Council District 4; Hawk, U.S. Veteran & Skid Row Resident; Sade Kammen, Volunteer With WaterDrop LA; Nick Gerda, LAist Unhoused Communities Reporter

Music in this episode composed by: Chris Schlarb, Dexter Thomas, Evan Jacoby, Floating Points, Geir Sundstøl, Ill Considered, Imaginary Softwoods, indiegamemusic.com, K. Leimer, Laurie Spiegal, Nala Sinephro, Laurie Spiegal, Meitei, Ricky Eat Acid, Woo

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This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Part 4: What’s the history behind the on and off-stage gender dynamics in Western magic? And what impact did the summer of 2020 have on the field of DEI? Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido explores these questions with magic historian Margaret Steele and Amber Johnson, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff of the Division for Equity and Inclusion at UC Berkeley.

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Part 3:  Carly Usdin is at risk of getting kicked out of the Magic Castle. Plus, after 2020, the Magic Castle makes changes to address issues of inclusion, including setting up a Diversity and Inclusion Committee. LAist Senior Producer Natalie Chudnovsky explores how the Castle’s promises to do better pan out, several years later. 

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Part 2: Once inside the iconic members-only Magic Castle, queer hobbyist magician Carly Usdin starts to become disillusioned with the club. LAist Senior Producer Natalie Chudnovsky dives into how this comes to a head in 2020, when the Magic Castle faces allegations of racism and sexism. 

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Part 1: When Carly Usdin moved to Los Angeles, they became obsessed with getting inside its iconic members-only club for magicians, the Magic Castle. LAist Senior Producer Natalie Chudnovsky tells the story.

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Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido is joined by LAist reporter Elly Yu for a special single episode of LAist Investigates, the first of many to come episodes dedicated to one of our newsroom’s investigations. Elly breaks down the history and reality of treatment that led to the “warehousing” of mental health patients in nursing homes across California.

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Part 4: LAist Correspondent Emily Guerin and Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido explore how and why Sadie and Eddie Martinez’s accuser, Katie Sorensen, went viral with her false accusation, plus how mom-fluencers can spread conspiracies. With insights from “Momfluenced” author Sara Peterson.  

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#SadieMartinez #ImperfectParadise #LAistStudios

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Part 3:  The white woman who falsely accused a Latino couple of attempting to kidnap her kids faces an investigation and goes on trial after her accusers fight to hold her accountable. Can the same criminal justice system that so-called Karens abuse be used to bring them to justice? LAist Correspondent Emily Guerin reports.

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Part 2: When a Latino couple, Sadie and Eddie Martinez, is falsely accused by a white woman of attempted kidnapping, their lives are upended as the accusation goes viral. LAist Correspondent Emily Guerin examines how the police’s investigation takes an unexpected turn and how the dark corners of the internet may have influenced the couple’s accuser. 

CONTENT WARNING: Sensitive subject matter 

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Part 1: Sadie and Eddie Martinez, a Latino couple, were falsely accused of attempted kidnapping by a white mom-fluencer in Petaluma, California. LAist Correspondent Emily Guerin tells us about Sadie’s quest to hold her accuser accountable, amid the “Karen phenomenon” when multiple white women were caught in viral videos falsely accusing people of color of crimes.

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In the year since the L.A. City Council tape scandal, a lot has changed.

Efforts are underway to reform the redistricting process. Nury Martinez and Gil Cedillo are gone from the council. Only Kevin De León remains. Progressive shifts in the council are influencing its policies, and new elected members are working to forge a new way forward in L.A. This is the last episode of Nury & The Secret Tapes.

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Host Antonia Cereijido presses former L.A. City Council President Nury Martinez to account for the racist, hurtful comments she made on the secret recording that rocked Los Angeles and led to her resignation.

CONTENT WARNING: Sensitive subject matter. 

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Before the L.A. City Council tape scandal, Nury Martinez, the former council president, was known as a champion of working class immigrants. After, she became the poster child of anti-Blackness and colorism in the Latino community. Host Antonia Cereijido examines how Nury's upbringing influenced her politics and the divisions that emerged within the council under Nury's leadership, leading up to the secretly-recorded conversation.

Listen to Imperfect Paradise.

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We take you behind the scenes of the L.A. City Council tape scandal, a year later. The secret recordings of the conversation among four of the city’s most powerful Latino leaders making racist, derogatory insults – exposed thorny, unresolved issues of race and politics. Host Antonia Cereijido explores those issues and speaks with the people who were most affected by the tapes, including former councilman Mike Bonin. And for the first time since resigning, former L.A. City Council President Nury Martinez breaks her silence.

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This podcast is supported by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.*

“Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes” tells the story of the biggest political scandal in recent Los Angeles history. A secret recording leaked online in 2022 exposed then-LA City Council President Nury Martinez making racist and derogatory remarks. A year after the scandal and her resignation, Nury breaks her silence in an exclusive interview with LAist.

From LAist Studios, “Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes,” coming September 27, 2023.

LAist returns to KCON in LA! How To LA host Brian De Los Santos caught up with K-pop Dreaming host Vivian Yoon to tour this year's KCON LA. 

Guests: Peter Sohn, director of Pixar's Elemental; Vivian Yoon, host of LAist's K-pop Dreaming; & Steve Chung, CEO of CJ ENM America.

Music in this episode composed by: ATEEZ, BTS, Floating Points, Lamp, Masayoshi Takanaka, Maston, modarchive.org, Moon Mullins

Listen to How To LA at laist.com/podcasts/how-to-la

We are excited to announce LAist Studios' award-winning narrative podcast "Imperfect Paradise" relaunches in September as a weekly show with Antonia Cereijido as our host!  Be sure to follow and subscribe to "Imperfect Paradise" wherever you get your podcasts. 

From LAist Studios: "Imperfect Paradise", new weekly episodes coming September 27th. 

In this episode, Ruth and Elliot Handler are gone, and the new Mattel team, led by a man who feared the volatility of the toy business, diversified the company and made a big gamble on electronics. It didn’t work. Fortunately, Barbie ends up in the sure hands of some trailblazing women executives, who could see that the culture was moving in a direction very compatible with Barbie’s persona. From the workforce to the workout, Barbie was a doll of her times.

This podcast is supported by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

From LAist Studios, “LA Made: The Barbie Tapes". 

Listen now at https://laist.com/podcasts/la-made  

In episode two of LA Made: The Barbie Tapes, for Barbie, the cultural upheaval of the 60s and 70s incites one identity crisis after another as Mattel tries to keep up with the times. On top of that, she has a new boyfriend to deal with. Ken's creation is a big hit for Barbie fans, but he’s facing a few growing pains of his own. In this episode, we investigate Ken's origin story, delve into the inner workings of Mattel, and hear how Barbie's inventor, Ruth Handler, was ousted from her own company.

This podcast is supported by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

From LAist Studios, “LA Made: The Barbie Tapes". 

Listen now at https://laist.com/podcasts/la-made  

Season 2 of “LA Made” tells the true story of the making and marketing of the most famous doll in the world, Barbie, told by the people who did it. We’ll hear from Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler, who spent years trying to convince her own company to make a teen aged fashion doll.

From LAist Studios, “LA Made: The Barbie Tapes". 

Listen now at https://laist.com/podcasts/la-made  

Erick is excited about a trip to Mt. Rushmore, but he’s upset when one of Luna’s exes crashes the party. 

This is part two of a nine-part serialized rom-com for your ears. 

The scenes and characters in this episode are inspired by Erick Galindo's life, but it's a fictional story. 

What's the wildest thing you've done for love? Share with us at LAist.com/wildlove. You could be featured on the podcast.

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This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Erick Galindo tells Megan Tan a fictional story about the wildest thing he did for love. It's inspired by his life. It all goes back to meeting Luna, a woman from Southeast Los Angeles. She could be the one. 

This is part one of a nine-part serialized rom-com for your ears.

Have a WILD love story of your own? Share with us at LAist.com/wildlove. You could be featured on the podcast.

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The popularity of Korean beauty products has spread globally, just like K-Pop. And we thought you might enjoy this conversation on the origins and rise of K-Beauty -- not only as an industry, but as a new beauty standard. 

The conversation was part of a live event tied to the launch of the new book, "Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital," between the book’s author Elise Hu and NPR’s All Things Considered host Ailsa Chang. You can also watch this conversation here: https://laist.com/events/elise-hu-flawless 

To buy Elise Hu's book, visit https://northfigbookshop.com/

((originally published June 9, 2023))

To view and attend future LAist events, visit: https://laist.com/events/

WILD is a podcast about growing up… kind of. About those big and small moments that transform us forever. About how sometimes we come out on the other side of chaos or adversity with scars, but we come out stronger.
WILD is back for season two. This season, it's all about love with co-hosts Erick Galindo and Megan Tan.

You heard Megan's pandemic love story in season one. This time, Erick tells Megan a fictional love story, inspired by the wildest thing he once did for love... It starts with an invite on a cross-country road trip with the woman who stole his heart.

Join him and Melinna Bobadilla, Gabrielle Ruiz, and Atsuko Okatsuka. Does Erick find his one true love? Listen to WILD Season 2: I Think I’m Falling in Love now.

Support WILD and other LAist Studios podcasts by donating now at LAist.com/join 

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This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

This week, the K-Pop Dreaming team is bringing you a special episode from our friends at, “Shoes Off: A Sexy Asian Podcast” from the public radio station, WBEZ. It's a podcast that celebrates badass Asians who are making a mark on pop culture and entertainment.

In this episode stand-up comic, Atsuko Okatsuka, is taking the world by storm with her first HBO special, The Intruder, and her viral Drop Challenge on TikTok. She talks about how she learned English by watching Scooby-Doo, what it means to be named Margaret Cho’s comedy heir, and how she took her mom and grandma everywhere — including to her honeymoon.

In a special live event in partnership between LAist Studios and GYOPO, Vivian delves into the origins of K-Pop with Michello Cho, a professor at University of Toronto, and Jheanelle Brown, a California Institute of the Arts faculty member. The conversation goes deep on the influence of hip hop on K-Pop's sound and dance, the impact of American imperialism on the music, and more.
(originally published April 27, 2023)

This episode features clips from these videos:

Korean Kittens - What'd I Say: The Korean Kittens What'd I Say
Girls’ Generation - Genie: Girls' Generation 소녀시대 '소원을 말해봐 (Genie)' MV (Start at 00:35)
BTS - Intro Performance Trailer: BTS (방탄소년단) 가요대제전 Intro performance Trailer
Seo Taiji & Boys - Anyhow Song: 서태지와 아이들(Seotaiji and Boys) - 하여가(Anyhow Song) M/V
Yoon Mirae - Black Happiness: [MV] Yoonmirae(윤미래) _ Black Happiness(검은 행복) - 

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"Psycho" was an instant K-Pop hit when it came out in 2019. The Red Velvet song debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart, and the music video now has over 300 million views on Youtube.

In this bonus episode, we look at the creation of "Psycho". Vivian speaks to two of the songwriters behind the song -- and learns about a little-known incident that erupted just days before the song's release. 
(Originally published April 20, 2023)

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1TYM is one of the most iconic first-generation K-pop groups from the 90’s. The group is also one of Vivian’s all-time favorites.

This special bonus episode features an extended interview with Danny Im, the lead vocalist of 1TYM.

Danny talks to Vivian about meeting legendary K-pop producer YG in Koreatown for an impromptu audition, 1TYM’s rise to fame during K-pop’s infancy in the ‘90s and early 2000s, and Danny’s first impressions of Jennie and Lisa -- when the two auditioned for YG Entertainment before becoming members of BLACKPINK.
(originally published April 13, 2023)

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K-Pop has put Koreatown on the map for a lot of people who might not have known about the neighborhood otherwise. Fans from around the country visit the area for concerts, special K-Pop events, and to find rare or one-of-a-kind merch. Vivian hits up some of these establishments in K-town to see what they reveal about the history of the neighborhood and the music, and how those connections have shaped Korean Americans who have grown up in Los Angeles. Features Ryan Lee Wong, author of the novel, “Which Side Are You On”.
(originally published April 6, 2023)

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There’s no better place to experience K-Pop fandom in all of its passion and glory than KCON. In the span of a decade, the annual fan convention has grown to a nationwide event drawing hundreds of thousands of fans. And just like many things K-Pop-related in the US – the extravaganza started right here in Southern California. Vivian and her childhood friends visit KCON held in downtown Los Angeles to witness the impact of the music firsthand.
(Originally published March 30, 2023)

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The LA Uprising exploded racial and economic injustices simmering under the surface of Los Angeles into the open. Vivian looks at the events leading up to the Uprising, and the efforts following the protests to promote racial harmony in Los Angeles, including the staging of an African music festival in South Los Angeles that featured a performance by an up-and-coming Korean American rapper named Tiger JK. Years after the festival, he would go on to make a name for himself in South Korea as the “Godfather of Korean Hip-Hop”.
(Originally published March 23, 2023)

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The underground hip-hop scene in Los Angeles was thriving in the late 1980s. And there, soaking in the vibe, was a Korean American college student by the name of Jae Chong. He was also making music on the side, but didn’t think much was going to come of it. That is, until an out-of-the-blue invitation brought him and his friends to Korea when K-pop was taking off. Their group, Solid, would become the Kings of R&B and the first Korean American act to make a splash in the Korean music industry. Vivian reflects on the importance of Solid and sees the group's Korean-Americanness as the cornerstone of their success.
(Originally published March 16, 2023)

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In this episode, we head to an American military neighborhood in Seoul in the late 1980s. Tucked in an alleyway was a little grimy club that blasted American hip-hop, the place was for African American GIs to cut loose, but it pulled in an unexpected crowd – young Koreans who would become the pioneers of modern K-pop. Itaewon was also the setting for the beginning of another story – it was the place where Vivian’s parents met and fell in love. Features Kang Won Rae, one of K-pop's legends that came out of the Moon Night scene.
(Originally published March 9, 2023)

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Vivian begins her exploration of K-Pop's history with a genre of Korean music called trot that emerged during the Japanese colonization of Korea. Trot holds up a mirror to Korea’s history and gives rise to an enigmatic quality that, some say, informs K-pop. Vivian’s guide for this episode: her grandmother. Also features 2023 Korean Music Awards nominee and K-pop artist, 250.
(Originally published March 2, 2023)

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Vivian puts together a mixed CD with some of her favorite K-Pop songs from the 90’s and 2000’s. Each song is connected to a different moment in her life and they all happen to be some of K-pop’s greatest hits. And together, these songs tell the early history of the genre’s evolution and growth, as well as their migration to the Korean diaspora in Los Angeles.
(Original published February 23, 2023)

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Growing up in Koreatown during the 90s and 2000s, host Vivian Yoon was an emo-listening teenager who embraced American pop culture. At least that’s what it seemed from the outside. But at home, by herself, what she listened to was K-Pop. How Vivian's hidden love for the music is propelling her to explore the connections between K-Pop and her hometown. 

(Originally published February 23, 2023)

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 to discover movement that inspires.

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

K-pop disrupted pop culture in South Korea in the early 1990s and quickly the new and electrifying sound found fans across the world.

One of those fans was a kid growing up thousands of miles away in Koreatown, Los Angeles.

In K-Pop Dreaming, the second season of the acclaimed California Love podcast, host and writer Vivian Yoon takes listeners on a journey to learn about the history behind the music that had defined her childhood.

From an occupied Korea in the 1930s and a small hip-hop club in 1980s Seoul to the 1992 LA Uprising and the music’s booming popularity today, the surprising story of K-pop is juxtaposed against Vivian’s own coming of age as a second-generation immigrant, struggling to fit in and come to terms with her own identity.

The series premieres on February 23, 2023.

We close the series with a meditation on how 28 years after the 1992 Riots, for many in L.A., things feel exactly the same.

Eleuteria “Ellie” Hernández moved to Los Angeles from a small town in Mexico when she was 14 and fell in love with the city. In this episode, Walter sits down with Ellie, his mother, to understand her relationship to L.A. and how it shaped his own.  

California Love sponsors include:

UCLA Extension Fall Quarter starts September 28. Enroll now at https://www.uclaextension.edu/

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There’s a horse ranch in the heart of Compton that may hold the answers for salvation and redemption for the city’s black cowboys. 

Read the original NYTimes article, "For the Compton Cowboys, Horseback Riding Is a Legacy, and Protection." 

Read Walter Thompson-Hernández's book The Compton CowboysThe New Generation of Cowboys in America's Urban Heartland

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A first-parrot perspective into legends and myths of how L.A. became home to the world’s largest population of green parrots.

This LAist Studios podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/LAist

California Love is a limited series with 8 episodes. Show support by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts.