For her role as the ethically flexible attorney Kim Wexler in “Better Call Saul,” Rhea Seehorn is nominated for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series. She joins “The Envelope” host Yvonne Villarreal to delve into the show’s last twists and turns and talk about the scariest day on the set. Seehorn also discusses her efforts to balance gratitude with confidence and shares stories about how her father’s alcoholism shaped her. Read the full transcript here. Host: Yvonne Villarreal Guests:...
Aug 18, 2022•47 min
Decades ago, when you couldn’t conceive or carry a child, your options for becoming a parent were limited. But then in 1978, in-vitro fertilization became possible. But IVF can be very expensive. And one method in particular can lead to heartache and scandal. Today, how one woman’s attempt to offer more affordable surrogacy services collapsed, leaving in its wake heartbroken couples, frustrated surrogates and an FBI investigation. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: For...
Aug 17, 2022•22 min
To get to the U.S. border from South America, Haitians have to trek through an isolated stretch of jungle called the Darién Gap. In the latest episode of “ Line in the Land ,” a podcast produced by the Houston Chronicle and Texas Public Media, Haitian migrants take listeners with them on a jungle journey like no other. Read the full transcript here. Hosts: Joey Palacios and Elizabeth Trovall More reading: Lost in the deep of Darien Crossing the Darién Gap This remote sliver of northwest Colombia...
Aug 16, 2022•26 min
Last year, frustrations over COVID-related school closures slammed into the nation’s culture war and tipped an election. It all started in Virginia’s Loudoun County, whose schools became a lightning rod as they grappled with mask mandates, a bathroom policy for transgender students and efforts to fix systemic racial discrimination. Today, we discuss how conservative parents in Virginia began a powerful nationwide movement and how Democrats are trying to win this important voting bloc back. We al...
Aug 15, 2022•25 min
You might know Liz Cheney for her recent leadership of the House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol insurrection. Her prominent role in the televised hearings has boosted her status nationally, but back at home, in conservative Wyoming, Cheney has effectively been disowned. Her vote to impeach President Trump and the decision to take part in the investigation has forced her into a sort of exile from her home state.
Aug 12, 2022•23 min
Bill Hader became popular on "Saturday Night Live" with silly characters like Stefon, but his titular character on the HBO show "Barry" is more twisted and brilliant. It’s a great dark comedy about a hitman who wants to become an actor and how his worlds collide. In this conversation with “The Envelope” host Mark Olsen, Bill brings both the fun and the darkness: He’s pleasant and light, and he laughs while talking about some of the most disturbing things on his show. Read the full transcript her...
Aug 11, 2022•37 min
This summer, some of the biggest names in music decided that we all need to dance. Drake, Beyoncé, Charlie XCX, Bad Bunny — they all departed from their usual styles to create albums inspired by a genre called house music. Today, we talk about how house music became the sound of liberation and why it’s back and more mainstream than ever. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times pop music reporter August Brown More reading: Beyoncé returns with liberating house jam...
Aug 10, 2022•25 min
Today, we offer episode 2 of “A Line in the Land,” from our friends at Texas Public Radio and the Houston Chronicle. It’s a podcast that explores the human story behind the Haitian immigration journey. On this episode, hosts Elizabeth Trovall and Joey Palacios try to answer the question of why many Haitians went to Chile after Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake. And what happened to those refugees when the Chilean government became more hostile to immigration.
Aug 09, 2022•23 min
Last week, Nancy Pelosi became the first House Speaker in a quarter century to visit Taiwan. China viewed Pelosi’s trip as a direct challenge. As tensions over the self-governed island ratchet up, Taiwan is preparing for war. But are its people ready?
Aug 08, 2022•22 min
Jennifer Coolidge has a career full of memorable roles, from the “American Pie” franchise to the “Legally Blonde” series and the mock documentaries of Christopher Guest. But it wasn’t until her role in HBO’s hit “The White Lotus” that she finally earned critical respect. Today, Coolidge talks about her life and career — and what’s next. Read the full transcript here. Hosts: Mark Olsen and Yvonne Villarreal Guests: Jennifer Coolidge More reading: Column: Jennifer Coolidge has been a big deal for ...
Aug 05, 2022•39 min
Vin Scully was the broadcaster for the Dodgers baseball franchise for 67 years, from its time in Brooklyn through its move to Los Angeles. In the process, he not only became a sports legend; he became a summer soundtrack for generations of fans in Southern California and beyond. Today, we remember the life and legacy of Vin Scully. Read the full transcript here. Host: Former fellow for The Times, Angel Carreras Guests: L.A. Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Ja...
Aug 04, 2022•27 min
On the U.S.-Mexico border, where San Diego ends and Tijuana begins right next to the Pacific Ocean, there’s a place called Friendship Park. It opened over 50 years ago and was meant to be a symbol of the binational community that stretches across the border. Friendship Park eventually became an unlikely place for poignant cross-border reunions. But since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Friendship Park has been shut down. And there’s a good chance it might not reopen. We get into its history ...
Aug 03, 2022•27 min
We bring you episode 1 of “ Line in the Land ,” a new podcast from Texas Public Radio and the Houston Chronicle that explores the human story behind the Haitians traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border in search of a better life. Read the full transcript here. Hosts: Joey Palacios with Texas Public Radio, and Elizabeth Trovall with the Houston Chronicle. More reading: Inside the brutal 10,000-mile journey Haitian migrants make in search of a home Podcast: Our nation’s Haitian double standard Opinion...
Aug 02, 2022•24 min
On July 16, Gabriella Walsh carried out a decision months in the making; a process involving her loved ones and medical providers. She drank a fatal dose of medication prescribed under California’s so-called death-with-dignity law, which allows some terminally ill patients to request drugs to end their lives. Today, we tell the story of Walsh, and hear her talk about why she decided to end her life on her own terms . Read the full transcript here . Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times repor...
Aug 01, 2022•25 min
Monkeypox is on the rise, and now officially considered a global health emergency. Cases in the U.S. number in the thousands and only took a week to double here in Los Angeles. The viral disease has, so far, mostly affected the LGBTQ community, but anyone can get it. So how worried should we be? Today, we talk about what to know and answer listener questions. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times breaking news reporter Grace Toohey More reading: Monkeypox sprea...
Jul 29, 2022•20 min
A drought has drained the reservoirs that provide most of the water for 5 million residents who live around Monterrey, the financial capital of northern Mexico. The crisis has sparked widespread upheaval. Anger is mounting at government officials who allow the region’s factories to continue pulling water from the strained aquifer via private wells while some residents are left without water for days. Today, we take a look at the city and an unfolding crisis that experts say is a stark warning fo...
Jul 28, 2022•20 min
The Jan. 6 House subcommittee investigating the events of that day have poured through thousands of hours of videos. But during the hearings, the public also got a sneak preview of even more moments caught on tape — from a documentary that tells the events of the U.S. Capitol insurrection through a behind-the-scenes view of Donald Trump. Today, we’re talking with documentary filmmaker Alex Holder about his movie “Unprecedented,” which aired this month on Discovery Plus. The documentary offers an...
Jul 27, 2022•21 min
It’s Emmy season, so we’ve got another episode of the “Envelope” for you. This time, it’s an in-depth conversation with Gillian Anderson, who plays Eleanor Roosevelt in “The First Lady.” Anderson talks about how Eleanor Roosevelt was the brains behind the FDR presidency, the focus on Roosevelt’s loving relationship with journalist Lorena Hickok in “The First Lady,” and why it took her some time to click with “Sex Education.” Taking on a historical figure isn’t new for Anderson — who also plays M...
Jul 26, 2022•31 min
Beyoncé is getting ready to bring the world her seventh studio album this Friday. Rumors are already swirling about what genre she’ll showcase, what themes she’ll explore and more. We already got a hint with the single “Break My Soul,” which has popped across dance floors all summer. Even if you’re not part of Beyoncé's Beyhive counting down the days until the album release, it’s hard to deny that the artist is iconic — a total game changer. But how did she get here, and how does she remain rele...
Jul 25, 2022•21 min
Remember this number: 988. The new three-digit hotline is now the 911 equivalent for mental health emergencies. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people in the U.S., according to the National Institute of Mental Health . And experts say the pandemic, racial violence and political unrest are behind an uptick in suicides across the country. That’s why last weekend’s launch of the nationwide mental health crisis hotline couldn’t come soon enough. Today, as part of “ For Your Mi...
Jul 22, 2022•18 min
When the annual Glastonbury music festival happened this year, performers openly criticized on stage the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, which happened that same week. It recalled a similar movement nearly 30 years earlier, when feminist rock groups started Rock for Choice and rallied a generation to fight for abortion access. Today, the history of that movement — and whether it can happen again. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times music reporter Suzy Exposito M...
Jul 21, 2022•22 min
It’s Emmy season, so we’re dropping another episode of our sister podcast, the “Envelope." Today, an in-depth conversation with actor Simone Ashley. Ashley has always been a fan of the romance genre, but before being cast as Kate in “Bridgerton,” playing the lead in a period drama seemed improbable to her. “I never imagined that a woman who looked like me could be a part of one,” she says. In this episode of "The Envelope" podcast, Ashley discusses embracing the political aspects of her career, ...
Jul 20, 2022•55 min
In 2018, the L.A. Times began to follow Mckenzie Trahan, a pregnant homeless woman living in Hollywood. Over the next four years, a Times reporter, photographer and videographer tracked Trahan’s life as she tried to find housing and become a mom. Today, we hear about her journey. Read the full transcript here. Host: L.A. Times photographer Christina House More reading: Pregnant, homeless and living in a tent: Meet Mckenzie She spent decades as a nomad. But her daughter’s pregnancy brought her ba...
Jul 19, 2022•30 min
So many disasters, so little time. And it’s the same group of people on the front lines, year after year. What happens when they get tired? Today, our Masters of Disaster talk about burnout among firefighters, scientists, doctors and the people we trust to take on the biggest calamities nature throws at us — as well as how to hold on to a little hope. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times reporters Rong-Gong Lin II, Rosanna Xia and Alex Wigglesworth More readin...
Jul 18, 2022•21 min
He’s animal royalty in the City of Angels; an ambassador for conservation and for the random beauty this megalopolis offers. But P-22 is also a poster boy for something sadder. The mountain lion is thought to be about 12, and nearing the end of his life. He’s an eternal bachelor, cut off from the rest of his species and a symbol of what’s left of LA’s once-incredible ecosystems that are just barely holding on. Today, the story of the cougar who stole L.A.'s heart. Read the full transcript here. ...
Jul 15, 2022•27 min
It’s Emmys season, and the “Envelope” is here for it. So once a week for the next couple of weeks, we’re going to feature an episode of our sister podcast in “The Times.” First up: Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, who recently wrapped up their much-beloved Netflix series, “Grace and Frankie.” In this episode, the duo laugh and cry with us while reflecting on their decades long friendship, their mutual admiration for their “9 to 5” co-star Dolly Parton, who reunited with them for the final episode, an...
Jul 14, 2022•30 min
For over a year, L.A. Times entertainment reporter Stacy Perman tried to track down Lora Lee Michel, a former child star whose custody case scandalized 1940s Hollywood. Michel went through a string of marriages — and then disappeared. In Part 2 of our miniseries, Perman finds out Michel’s shocking fate. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times entertainment reporter Stacy Perman More reading: Podcast: What happened to Lora Lee? Part 1 A child star at 7, in prison ...
Jul 13, 2022•32 min
Throughout the history of Hollywood, child entertainers have consistently clashed with their parents and guardians who manage their money and lives. The stories of kid stars like Britney Spears and Gary Coleman are well known. But long before them, was child actor Lora Lee Michel. In the 1940s, Michel became a famed Hollywood actress at age 7, working alongside screen legends like Humphrey Bogart and Gary Cooper. But by the time she was 22, she landed in prison. Then she disappeared. Today, part...
Jul 12, 2022•18 min
Lawmakers want California to eliminate the state’s carbon footprint altogether by 2045. They’re taking all sorts of steps to get to that ambitious goal; from phasing out gas-powered engines in new cars and lawnmowers to electrifying home stoves. But there’s an even bigger plan ahead, one that environmental experts say could derail it all. Today, we talk about California’s plan to pump carbon gas into the ground. It sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel, but that’s exactly what California s...
Jul 11, 2022•19 min
In the 5 months since Russia’s invasion, the American public’s attention has turned back to problems at home — and US President Joe Biden hasn’t gotten a good grade for his handling of them. But last week, he was able to lead major policy breakthroughs at the NATO and G7 summits. Today, can President Biden’s push to spread democracy abroad help him deal with various crises back home? Read the full transcript here . Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times White House reporter Eli Stokols More r...
Jul 08, 2022•20 min
