When reporter Sandra Dibble started covering Tijuana in the 1990s, many of her stories dealt with violence and corruption in the city. But like most Tijuanenses , Sandra actually felt pretty. She didn’t let the terrifying headlines she was writing stop her from settling into her new life and exploring her adopted home of Tijuana. Today, in the second episode of “Border City,” Sandra talks about that era and what she learned. Host: Sandra Dibble More reading: Tijuana: Through a Mirror, Darkly Tij...
Apr 13, 2022•34 min
In 1969, off California’s coast, an ecological disaster gained worldwide attention. The state’s largest oil disaster shocked a nation into action: It led to the creation of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and the passing of California’s Environmental Quality Act and the federal Environmental Protection Act. The catastrophe also inspired a day to reflect and learn about environmentalism — Earth Day. But in a world where climate change is ravaging the earth, what good is just a day an...
Apr 12, 2022•25 min
An L.A. Times investigation found that jet engine oil can leak into the air supply of passenger planes, creating a toxic cocktail that can lead to health problems. It happens with an alarming frequency across all airlines — and that’s despite the airline industry and its regulators saying otherwise. The Times investigation just might result in real-world change. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times investigations reporter Kiera Feldman More reading: After Times investigation, Congress is mo...
Apr 11, 2022•19 min
Black people are two and a half times more likely to be hospitalized, and 1.7 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than whites. That stat from the CDC is shocking. But it’s not exactly surprising. Not to people like L.A. Times reporter Marissa Evans. Her father, Gary Evans, is now one of nearly 97,000 Black people in America who’ve died from COVID-19 complications. And while Marissa is willing to accept her father’s death, on today’s episode, she says she refuses to accept that losing all thes...
Apr 08, 2022•27 min
Reporter Sandra Dibble spent more than 25 years covering the U.S.-Mexico border for the San Diego Union-Tribune. And what she found out after her first day on the job is that Tijuana is ... complicated. The impact of being home to the Western Hemisphere’s busiest border crossing — how the border has shaped Tijuana — is a big part of what Sandra spent her career digging into. And she pulls all that work together in "Border City," a new eight-part narrative podcast series. Today, we air its debut ...
Apr 07, 2022•33 min
Before Jan. 6, 2021, John Eastman was known as a fringe figure in conservative circles. But now, Eastman’s not so fringe anymore. A California-based federal judge said Trump probably committed felonies in connection with the events of that day. And he says that Eastman was the person Trump chose to find “a coup in search of a legal theory.” Today, in the second part of a miniseries on the Jan. 6 investigation, we get into Eastman’s career — and what his emails and actions on Jan. 6 might mean fo...
Apr 06, 2022•15 min
Hundreds of people have been charged with federal crimes in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. The amount of evidence against many of the insurrectionists is growing. But sorting through it all has ground many of these criminal cases to a halt. Today, in the first of a two-part series on the Jan. 6 investigations, why it might take years to prosecute all the rioters who invaded the Capitol, and how difficult it will be to make charges stick. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times...
Apr 05, 2022•21 min
Title 42 has plugged up the asylum system since it was put in place at the start of the coronavirus crisis. Since March 2020, U.S. border officials have used the policy to quickly remove migrants by sending them back to Mexico or to their home countries. But now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says migrants are not a public health threat, so Title 42 will come to an end on May 23. Today, we talk about the ramifications of the controversial public health order. Guests: L.A. Times ...
Apr 04, 2022•19 min
Beverly Hills resident Ray Mascolo died of a drug overdose in 2020. His passing led investigators to a sprawling, Hollywood-based drug-dealing network with a business model resembling a food-delivery app. We tell this saga today. Host: L.A. Times courts reporter Michael Finnegan More reading: How a man’s death in Beverly Hills exposed a sprawling Hollywood drug delivery business California lawmakers target fentanyl as opioid overdoses surge How drug overdose deaths surpassed 100,000 in one year...
Apr 01, 2022•24 min
When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during the Oscars for a joke the latter made about the hairstyle of Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, it brought forth the politics of Black hair, especially the hair of Black women. Long maligned, it’s getting more attention than ever, from the sisterlocks of prospective Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to anti-discrimination bills passed on the state and local level. Today, we talk about the issue with two L.A. Times writers who bring their own per...
Mar 31, 2022•24 min
L.A. Times foreign correspondent Patrick J. McDonnell has covered Ukrainian refugees flooding into Poland and the funerals for Ukrainian soldiers in Lviv. He’s heard from mayors urging Americans to approve a no-fly zone over Ukraine, and men returning to their country to fight on the front lines. Today, we hear some of Patrick’s stories. Guests: L.A. Times Mexico City bureau chief Patrick J. McDonnell More reading: A funeral for Ukraine soldiers brings war to small town Refugee flows from Ukrain...
Mar 30, 2022•19 min
Two brothers near Sacramento are fighting for compensation for the land they say was taken from their formerly enslaved ancestors during the Gold Rush. Their story got pulled into an even bigger debate happening right now in California. A first-of-its-kind task force is trying to decide: Will the state pay reparations to Black people? And if so, who should get it? Guests: L.A. Times columnist Erika D. Smith More reading: Column: They say California stole their ancestors’ land. But do they qualif...
Mar 29, 2022•17 min
“ Binge Sesh ” is a new L.A. Times podcast taking a deep dive into the television shows everyone is talking about. For its inaugural season, the series gets into the HBO show “Winning Time,” which talks about the Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s who dominated the NBA with its Showtime approach to basketball. Host: Matt Brennan and Kareem Maddox Guests: Author Jeff Pearlman More reading: ‘Winning Time’ began as the seminal book on the Showtime Lakers; it’s Hollywood now How a pair of unknowns made...
Mar 28, 2022•27 min
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has added and subtracted elements to this year’s Oscars. A roundtable of L.A. Times film and television experts discuss those changes, plus offer up other commentary and criticism about this Sunday’s Academy Awards. Today, we’ve got a special episode from our sister podcast, “The Envelope.” Host: Mark Olsen Guests: Justin Chang, Glenn Whip, Mary McNamara More reading: The Oscars are embracing better movies. The show acts like it’s embarrassed by th...
Mar 25, 2022•36 min
What lengths would you go to find someone you love? Even as their disappearance edges closer and closer to becoming a cold case? Today, we have the story of a family working to find their missing loved one. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times reporter Lila Seidman More reading: Was Jack here? A sister asks the beach community whether they’ve seen her missing brother Help Find Jack Stein Facebook page...
Mar 24, 2022•17 min
In the war for Ukraine, it’s Zelensky versus Putin. Two men with essentially the same first name fighting for their place in history — not just for their respective countries but for the ancestral roots that Russia and Ukraine share, and that both rulers claim to be the true defender of. And a prince, who ruled more than 1,000 years ago — known in Russia as Vladimir the Great and in Ukraine as Volodymyr the Great — lies at the heart of that intertwined history. We get into that today. More readi...
Mar 23, 2022•19 min
For the past two decades, Disney’s reputation in the LGBTQ community has been stellar. It was one of the first Fortune 500 companies to offer same-sex couple benefits. And tens of thousands of people attend their unofficial Gay Days. More and more out characters are appearing in television shows, movies and cartoons. But critics now say Disney has thrown away all that goodwill. Just another thing to blame on…Florida.
Mar 22, 2022•20 min
Today, hearings will begin to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the seat of retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. Jackson’s a different type of judge, a Black woman for starters — she’d be the first ever on the Supreme Court — but she also brings unprecedented professional and life experiences. But even if she’s confirmed, how much influence can a history maker really have? More reading: Jackson supporters gear up to protect her historic Supreme Court bid from racist, se...
Mar 21, 2022•18 min
Thousands of students apply to UC Berkeley every year. It’s one of the most applied-to universities in the entire U.S. But the city of Berkeley is also emblematic of our nationwide housing crisis. Which is why residents and the university have been locked in a legal battle over enrollment numbers. Today, we delve into the latest town-versus-gown throw-down. More reading: Lawmakers unveil rescue effort to help UC Berkeley avoid enrollment cuts after court battle How much will UC Berkeley have to ...
Mar 18, 2022•24 min
Last May, the Palisades fire ripped through the Santa Monica Mountains. About 1,000 people were put under mandatory evacuation orders, and about 500 homes were threatened by the flames. As that emergency was unfolding, the guy in charge of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s operations center overseeing the fire was allegedly intoxicated. That’s according to an investigation commissioned by city officials. Today, we talk about what came next. More reading: LAFD chief deputy allegedly drunk during ...
Mar 17, 2022•20 min
There’s been a new Cold War brewing for years now between the United States and China. And a big battleground on that front is Central America. Today, we look into how China’s billions of dollars and influence in Central America could strengthen a new generation of regimes hostile to the U.S. More reading: In Latin America’s new Cold War, will China lift up autocrats? Taiwan loses one of its last diplomatic allies as Nicaragua recognizes China Is China good for the Americas?...
Mar 16, 2022•20 min
Something disturbing has happened since the last time most of us took vacations — it’s getting harder to clean rooms because of COVID-19 protocols. Hotel workers say ever since the pandemic started, their work has been harder and dirtier than ever. Today, we hear from one of those workers. More reading: How the pandemic made hotel housekeeping more difficult — and disgusting Tourists are back: L.A. hotel bookings reach 100% of their pre-pandemic levels ‘Tsunami’ of hotel closures is coming, expe...
Mar 15, 2022•16 min
Dr. Warren Hern has seen the past, present and future of the abortion debate in the United States. The Colorado doctor remembers treating women for illegal abortions, was there for the opening arguments of the landmark Supreme Court case Roe vs. Wade — and now fears what might happen if it’s struck down. Today, Dr. Hern talks about his career. More reading: As a med student, he saw women nearly die from illegal abortions. At 83, he sees no end to his work 60 hours, 50 abortions: A California doc...
Mar 14, 2022•20 min
Here in the United States, we’re already feeling the cost of Russia’s war in a place none of us can escape: the rising price of oil. Today, we look into how global conflicts upend global energy supplies and efforts to fight climate change, how gas prices keep getting higher and might continue to rise, and what can be done about it. More reading: How high could gas prices go? More pain at the pump likely coming Ukraine is a climate story. Because everything is a climate story The truth about L.A....
Mar 11, 2022•21 min
Greg Bledsoe is a former morning news anchor for NBC 7 in San Diego. About a year ago, he, his wife and their two children got into an SUV and began to drive. Forty-four states, more than 20 national parks and more than 27,000 miles later, they’re still at it. Today, Greg shares with us some of their stories — and lessons. More reading: Follow the Bledsoes’ adventures on Instagram Opinion: I live on the road with my wife and two young kids — and I highly recommend it Coronavirus ruined our famil...
Mar 10, 2022•24 min
For more than a month now, L.A. Times Middle East Bureau Chief Nabih Bulos has been on the ground in Ukraine, covering the escalating Russian invasion. Bulos has seen fierce fighting by Ukrainians, nonstop bombardment by Russians, hope and fear and chaos. He’s crisscrossed Ukraine to hear residents tell their stories. Today, he talks to us about what he has seen. More reading: Raining rockets, scattered corpses, an existential battle: A 500-mile journey across a week of war ‘We’re keeping watch’...
Mar 09, 2022•24 min
The European Union is doing everything possible to welcome Ukrainian refugees. And people around the world have donated money and supplies to help. But this open-arms response has people in similar situations wondering: Why so much goodwill toward Ukrainians, and not us? Today, we talk about the media’s role in deciding who is the “right” type of refugee — and how that helps or hinders displaced people around the world. More reading: In Ukraine reporting, Western press reveals grim bias toward ‘...
Mar 08, 2022•22 min
Ariana DeBose has made history as the first Afro-Latino and openly queer woman to be nominated for an acting Academy Award. In this crossover episode with “The Envelope,” DeBose talks about the expectations she must carry, her experience with “West Side Story” and more. More reading: Ariana DeBose wants you to feel Anita’s presence before you even hear her ‘West Side Story’s’ Ariana DeBose makes the case against ‘ethnically ambiguous’ Here’s how Oscar nominee Ariana DeBose could make history...
Mar 07, 2022•29 min
Aaron Bray is a San Diego native who’s lived the last couple of years in Kharkiv, Ukraine, after a stint with the Peace Corps. And now, alongside over a million Ukrainians and foreigners, he’s had to flee the country in the wake of Russia’s invasion. Today, we hear Aaron’s first-person story about what it was like to leave his adopted home behind … and why he says he’s going back. More reading: Read the L.A. Times’ full coverage of the war in Ukraine Costa Mesa couple barely escape Ukraine with ...
Mar 04, 2022•22 min
A small, tight-knit community grew inside an abandoned building in L.A.’s Koreatown. The people who found shelter there felt lucky. In a city where unhoused people have to set up encampments wherever they can — in parks, on sidewalks, beneath freeway overpasses — this old building offered a real sense of home. But the people who lived there knew their community couldn’t last. More reading: In an abandoned Koreatown building, homeless Angelenos create a community ‘Gimme Shelter’: The gap in Calif...
Mar 03, 2022•19 min
