This year, we saw a pandemic that just won’t quit, a face-melting heatwave and an underwater volcano eruption that wreaked all kinds of havoc. 2022 brought with it plenty of doom and gloom when it comes to natural disasters. But we also saw an effective new earthquake early warning system, a toilet sink that’s great at reducing water and energy use and more good news for our changing climate. Today, our Masters of Disasters kick off a week of looking back the biggest wins and fails of 2022 by ta...
Dec 26, 2022•23 min
Dr. Anthony Fauci is one of the most prominent public health officials in history due to his work during the HIV/AIDS crisis and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He’s about to step down from his long-held roles as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical advisor, but before he goes, we wanted to get some last bits of advice about how to stay safe this holiday season and beyond. Today, he joins us to reflect on the lessons learned in his career, th...
Dec 23, 2022•24 min
Cryptocurrency started the year strong. But as 2022 ends, what was supposed to be a revolutionary way to buy, save and invest has collapsed. The price of nearly every cryptocurrency has plunged. Multiple businesses built specifically around them have cratered. Now, members of Congress are calling for more stringent regulations around crypto. But would regulations change cryptocurrency so much that it would essentially stop being crypto? Today, the over-talked-about, often under-understood world ...
Dec 21, 2022•27 min
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Biden administration authorized over a billion dollars in housing vouchers to help people stay off the streets. The program had problems, but one city — San Diego — succeeded in a big way. Today, we find out how they did it. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: Former L.A. Times fellow Anumita Kaur More reading: How San Diego achieved surprising success housing homeless people How San Francisco fell behind on housing its homeless populat...
Dec 19, 2022•22 min
The Biden administration is pushing electric vehicles as the future. So are major auto makers. But how will that play out in red states? We travel to small-town Indiana to find out. Read the full transcript here . Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times White House reporter Noah Bierman More reading: Can California’s electric-vehicle push overcome the red-state backlash? Majority of voters favor gasoline-car phaseout. But all-electric goal faces tough opposition California bans sales of new ga...
Dec 16, 2022•22 min
After Ticketmaster botched sales for Taylor Swift’s upcoming concert tour, her die-hard fans, known as Swifties, did more than just whine on social media. They took political action, calling their representatives in Congress and flagging their concerns to other lawmakers across the country. Some Swifties even filed a lawsuit. This is far from the first time Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, have been accused of unfairly monopolizing the ticket market. And after another debacle la...
Dec 14, 2022•21 min
Jessica Roy was hanging with friends at a piano bar when her wallet was stolen — and became a victim of identity theft. Roy filed the necessary reports and thought she’d be able to handle everything pretty quickly. That didn’t happen. Today, she shares her ordeal and explains why fixing identity theft is a never-ending nightmare and why recovering from it is so much harder than you think. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: Assistant Utility Journalism team editor Jessi...
Dec 12, 2022•22 min
Keke Palmer has already racked up two decades in show business. She acts, sings, hosts a TV show and is the face of numerous memes — and she has big plans for more. Fresh off hosting "SNL" and starring in “Nope,” Palmer recently sat down with our sister podcast "The Envelope." She shares what it was like to work with Jordan Peele on his blockbuster sci-fi thriller, how she felt about being her family’s breadwinner during her childhood and the advice Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett gave her...
Dec 09, 2022•33 min
The workload for graduate students, researchers and assistants who take on-campus jobs for their discipline is notoriously underpaid and endless. That’s why 48,000 of those workers throughout the University of California system have gone on strike, demanding better pay and conditions. The strike is happening even as finals loom. Today, we examine the background and what’s next. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times education reporter Teresa Watanabe More readin...
Dec 07, 2022•16 min
Mainland China is roiled by protests, the size of which have not been seen in a generation. People are calling for an end to the government’s strict “zero-COVID” restrictions. The moment has also brought rare public criticism of its architect, President Xi Jinping. Just months ago, he secured an unprecedented third term, but now is as vulnerable as he’s ever been. Today, we examine whether the zero-COVID policy could be Xi’s downfall. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests:...
Dec 05, 2022•21 min
This week, Congress passed a bill that effectively imposed an agreement between rail workers and their companies and prohibited a strike. Politicians feared that any work stoppage would cripple the U.S. economy for the holidays, costing the country billions of dollars. Today, we talk about the unique, violent history of rail workers trying to fight for better union contracts. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: University of Rhode Island history professor Erik Loomis Mo...
Dec 02, 2022•18 min
Few people associate urban and suburban Southern California with floods anymore, mostly because many of its rivers were dammed up or transformed into concrete gulches long ago. But scientists say a megaflood could hit the entire state and would submerge cities, hitting communities of color particularly hard. The state is nowhere near prepared for that. Today, our Masters of Disasters talk about this upcoming flood, what it could mean for a rising sea and more. Read the full transcript here. Host...
Nov 30, 2022•24 min
For the last decade, about 800,000 individuals who came to the United States as children but have no legal status have been protected from deportation by a program commonly referred to as DACA. It has allowed them to legally work, apply for driver's licenses and even travel abroad. But the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to strike DACA down, leaving the individuals enrolled with no clear step on how to legalize their status.Today, we hear from DACA recipients who aren't going to wait to find out ...
Nov 28, 2022•17 min
Right now, the eyes of much of the world is on the FIFA World Cup in Qatar as 32 teams fight for national pride. One team is Mexico, whose unique fanbase sets it apart from the world. With loyalties to both Mexico and the United States, it’s a representation of resilience, controversy and so much more. Today, we examine the phenomenon. Read the full transcript here . Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: Univisión News anchor León Krauze More reading: Watch “Al Grito de Guerra” Gracias Fútbol: Reliving...
Nov 25, 2022•26 min
Grasshopper hunting has been going on in Mexico for thousands of years, but lately eating them has gained wider acceptance. Consumption of the jumpy little protein-packed insects is booming, and more and more restaurants are putting them on the menu ... and not just in Mexico. Today, chapulines, the world of harvesting and eating grasshoppers in Mexico. Read the full transcript here . Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times Latin America correspondent Leila Miller More reading: Are grasshopper...
Nov 23, 2022•20 min
The Inn Between in Salt Lake City offers a revolutionary program: hospice care for homeless individuals. We visit to see what resistance they have met — and what hope they've inspired. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times California politics reporter Mackenzie Mays More reading: The place where homeless people come to die with dignity Column: He was homeless and in hospice. His recovery is a lesson in what it takes to save a life Column: Stalked by death, they...
Nov 21, 2022•19 min
Taiwan has more than 25,000 enthusiasts of ham radio, the antiquated communication technology that is increasingly being used in war zones when all other communications is down. If China declares war on Taiwan, then these ham radio enthusiasts could be crucial for civilians and officials alike — and can offer lessons for the rest of us. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times China correspondent Stephanie Yang More reading: If China declares war, these ham radio ...
Nov 18, 2022•23 min
Right now, there’s a lot of attention being paid to Black male celebrities and their controversial statements and actions. Dave Chapelle has been criticized for his comments about trans people. Artist Ye (formerly Kanye West) and star NBA player Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets are under fire for pushing antisemitic sentiments. It’s something we’ve seen before — but is there a double standard when the bigot is Black? Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times colum...
Nov 16, 2022•28 min
Political violence has been a part of this country since its founding. But right now, many people feel it’s a disturbing trend on a sharp and dangerous upswing. Such acts of political violence started ramping up long before the midterm elections. And the people who study it are worried. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times national politics reporter Melanie Mason More reading: ‘We are a tinderbox’: Political violence is ramping up, experts warn Read our full c...
Nov 14, 2022•22 min
Election day has come and gone... kinda. Many races, both local and national, are still too close to call. And while the Republican Party is expected to take Congress, it’s not by the margin many had predicted. So what does all this mean for both parties? And what about 2024? Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times politics reporter Seema Mehta and L.A. Times L.A. mayoral race reporter Julia Wick More reading: Tapping into ‘a simmering rage’: Democrats’ emphasis ...
Nov 11, 2022•25 min
The results of the midterm elections are still being tabulated, but it looks like California Congressman Kevin McCarthy is likely to be the next speaker of the House if the Republican Party gains control. McCarthy has tied himself to former President Trump and all that comes with that affiliation, but what does the Bakersfield Republican really stand for, and how is he most likely to wield his new power? Today, as part of our coverage of the 2022 midterms, what the early election results say abo...
Nov 09, 2022•20 min
Tuesday’s midterms are among the most consequential elections in decades. As Democrats and Republicans fight for control, there’s one group with millions of eligible voters that both parties desperately want: Generation Z. Pundits point out that this generation is on track to be better educated, more ethnically diverse and more liberal than others. That would seem to bode well for the Democratic party and spell doom for the Republicans. But both parties wonder: Will Gen Z actually go out and vot...
Nov 07, 2022•25 min
Rishi Sunak made history last month as the first nonwhite person to become prime minister of the United Kingdom. But he inherits a country, a party and people in chaos. Sunak is the third prime minister in seven weeks for the U.K, as it grapples with economic problems and an identity crisis. Can a new face stop the decline? Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times foreign correspondent Jaweed Kaleem More reading: Rishi Sunak to be Britain’s new prime minister, the...
Nov 04, 2022•30 min
On Día de los Muertos, people across Mexico and the United States set up altars to remember loved ones who have died. But new traditions arise every year to commemorate the holiday: online tributes, public festivals and more. In that spirit, we have decided to turn this episode into an audio ofrenda — a place to let listeners remember their loved ones. Read the full transcript here . Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times Latino affairs editor Fidel Martinez , and our listeners More reading: ...
Nov 02, 2022•39 min
The overturning of Roe vs. Wade this summer offered Democrats a new playbook for the Nov. 8 midterm elections when it comes to winning the Latino vote; promise to protect abortion rights. It’s a move that goes against the long-held assumption that Latinos skew socially conservative and hold antiabortion views rooted in their religious beliefs. Today, as part of our ongoing coverage of the midterm elections; how a race in New Mexico gives us a window into the gamble that access to abortions can h...
Oct 31, 2022•25 min
Who doesn’t like a nice breeze? A gorgeous zephyr? But the bad winds: They’re bad. And in Southern California right now, we’re going through some of the most notorious, bad winds of them all: the Santa Anas. Today, our Masters of Disasters talk about the howling devil winds in honor of the spooky season. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times earthquake reporter Ron Lin , L.A. Times coastal reporter Rosanna Xia , and L.A. Times energy reporter Sammy Roth More re...
Oct 28, 2022•19 min
It was the audio leak that created a political earthquake in Los Angeles. Soon after the racist comments recorded during a private conversation among three council members and a labor leader leaked to the public, the fallout began. There’ve been resignations, rowdy protests at City Hall and more. The controversy has created a political opening that might fundamentally change the makeup of the City Council by pushing it even further to the left. With midterms just two weeks away, today we talk ab...
Oct 26, 2022•24 min
Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law last month to remove the word ‘Squaw’ from nearly 100 landmarks and place names across California. Native Americans and others are celebrating the new law because they find the term 'Squaw' offensive. But in Squaw Valley, an unincorporated area outside of Fresno, some residents want to keep the name. And Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig is siding with them. Read the transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times reporter Lila Seidman More ...
Oct 24, 2022•20 min
In June, at a Manhattan Beach City Council meeting, residents lined up to share their concerns about a predator that roams their streets, terrorizing them and killing their pets: coyotes. They’re an important part of the American West, but suburbanites are now advocating for their wholesale extermination. But is there another option, a way to co-exist peacefully? Today, we examine this controversy.
Oct 21, 2022•20 min
Los Angeles for decades advertised itself as an American Eden. But it ignored repeated warnings about the consequences of overcrowding on the working class. Now, when the situation is worse than ever, calls to fix it continue to go nowhere. Today, we talk about an L.A. Times analysis that found that more people are squeezing into fewer rooms in L.A. than any other large county in America. And it’s been a disaster for public health, even before COVID-19 began to spread. Read the full transcript h...
Oct 19, 2022•30 min
