In this episode, we delve into Senator Mitch McConnell's pivotal decision not to seek reelection in 2026, a move that stirs the political pot in the GOP and Kentucky. Beyond this headline, we touch on the contentious advance of affordable housing in the San Fernando Valley, a noteworthy trend towards fireproof 'SuperAdobe' homes in LA amid wildfire concerns, the persistent allure of U.S. universities for Chinese students despite geopolitical tensions, and the unusual spike in egg confiscations a...
Feb 21, 2025•4 min
When wildfires strike, some communities burn—but one neighborhood in Irvine proves that doesn’t have to be the case. A controversial procedure—leg lengthening surgery—is gaining popularity. LA County is taking steps to protect renters following January’s devastating fires. The LA Unified School District has implemented a cellphone ban. In the first month of President Trump’s administration, thousands of federal workers have been fired. And billionaire Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb, is donatin...
Feb 20, 2025•5 min
Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco enters the race for California governor. Insurers in California have been pulling out of high-risk wildfire areas, leaving home owners struggling to find coverage. President Donald Trump sparks controversy by renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. California lawmakers weigh the possibility of state-owned oil refineries. A new California state bill seeks to ban the sale of powerful anti-aging products to minors.
Feb 19, 2025•4 min
Egg prices are skyrocketing, hitting Californians hard. Freight trains loaded with Nike merchandise have become targets for thieves in California. U.S. inflation is on the rise again, while Trump’s proposed tariffs could push it even higher. A tragic day unfolds on the slopes at Tahoe Ski Resort.
Feb 18, 2025•4 min
Weeks after the devastating fires, many in Altadena still lack access to clean drinking water. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is facing a wave of lawsuits and has responded by hiring a top law firm, at rates of up to $1975 an hour. Meanwhile, California is at the center of the H5N1 bird flu outbreak, raising concerns that some crucial communities are not being properly monitored. Wildfires have devastated the state this year, sparking a major battle over fire prevention. In Los An...
Feb 17, 2025•5 min
According to the CDC, bird flu infections in dairy cows are more widespread than previously thought. When flames erupted in the Pacific Palisades, fire crews took 18 minutes to arrive—but by then, it was too late. Now, former LAFD officials say at least 10 more engines should have been deployed in advance to patrol the area. Immigration raids may be coming to Southern California, and activists are preparing to fight back. Amazon is bringing 2,000 new jobs to the Inland Empire. Meanwhile, Elon Mu...
Feb 14, 2025•4 min
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sparks controversy by opting not to require soil testing after the Eaton and Palisades Fires. Meanwhile, economic losses from the wildfires have soared past $250 billion, hitting the entertainment and tourism industries especially hard. Tensions between Canada and the U.S. are on the rise—could Canada really become America’s 51st state? California is also battling one of its worst flu seasons in years, with hospitalizations surging across the state. And in an une...
Feb 13, 2025•4 min
Trans surfers are beginning to find community among themselves in a sport that too often isolates and even shuns them. Today, we hang out with some at the beach, to hear their joy and pain. Read the full transcript here . Host: L.A. Times senior producer Denise Guerra More reading: Biden sports plan angers transgender advocates and opponents Black surfers find moments of reflection, rejuvenation at ‘A Great Day in the Stoke’ For transgender kids, a frantic rush for treatment amid bans...
Apr 28, 2023•27 min
In a live taping, three of our Masters of Disasters talk about how they got into covering catastrophes, why they continue to do it — and how they try to convey hope. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times earthquake reporter Rong-Gong Lin, L.A. Times wildfire reporter Alex Wigglesworth, and L.A. Times coastal reporter Rosanna Xia More reading: Read Rong-Gong LIn II’s stories here Read Alex Wigglesworth’s stories here Read Rosanna Xia’s stories here...
Apr 26, 2023•38 min
After a decades-long decline in automobile fatalities, numbers began to go up with the dawn of smart phones. Laws banning use of cellphones while driving haven’t stopped the rise — and the dawn of smart cars seems to be making things worse. Today, we talk about efforts to stop distracted driving — and why they don’t seem to work. Read the full transcript here . Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times auto industry reporter Russ Mitchell More reading: Highways are getting deadlier, with fatalit...
Apr 24, 2023•24 min
“Trot” is a Korean music genre that has been around for decades. But in recent years, it has exploded in popularity in Southern California. The biggest fans? Immigrant seniors. Today, we talk about trot’s history, staying power and role in the Korean American community. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times Asian American communities reporter Jeong Park More reading: K-Pop isn’t the only hot ticket in Koreatown — how ‘trot’ is captivating immigrants Koreatown’s...
Apr 21, 2023•23 min
When Joe Biden won in 2020, he became the oldest president in U.S. history. If he runs again in 2024 and wins, he’ll beat own record. Is that a problem? Today, we talk about the grumbles from Republicans and Democrats alike over Biden’s age. Read the full transcript here . Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times reporter Courtney Subramanian More reading: Column: Are Joe Biden and Dianne Feinstein too old to do their jobs? Newsletter: Joe Biden, the bumbling old president who outwitted Republi...
Apr 19, 2023•27 min
Farmacias Similares is the largest privately owned chain of pharmacies in Mexico, and has a cute mascot — Dr. Simi — who is beloved across the country. What could possibly be wrong about this scenario? Many things. Today, we talk about what the rise of Dr. Simi says about Mexico’s broken healthcare system. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times foreign correspondent Leila Miller More reading: Mexico promised healthcare for all. Its failure to deliver made this s...
Apr 17, 2023•19 min
"Foretold" is the newest podcast from the L.A. Times, and we're sharing the first episode with you here today. In the fall of 2019, reporter Faith E. Pinho received a tip from a woman named Paulina Stevens. Paulina claimed she had grown up in an insular Romani community in California, where she was raised to be a wife, mother and fortuneteller — until she decided to break away. That first call unraveled a story spanning multiple continents, hundreds of years, and complex metaphysical realities. ...
Apr 14, 2023•48 min
An FBI investigation tried to expose malfeasance in the world of NCAA men’s basketball. Instead, the mirror was turned on the agency itself when one of the lead agents abused his position. Today, you’ll hear the story of how that came to be — and whether the investigation turned up anything. Read the full story here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times sports investigative reporter Nathan Fenno More reading: How an FBI agent’s wild Vegas weekend stained an investigation into NCAA basketbal...
Apr 12, 2023•21 min
Democrat and Republican lawmakers are pushing for a U.S. ban on TikTok, arguing the Chinese-owned social media app is a national security risk. But many of its users argue that will severely harm their businesses. Today, we hear from some of them. Read the full transcript here . Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times reporter technology reporter Brian Contreras and L.A. Times business reporter Jaimie Ding More reading: For some, TikTok is a path to riches and the American dream. With a ban, i...
Apr 10, 2023•28 min
For centuries, communities across Latin America have relied on curanderos — healers who rely on indigenous tradition — for their physical and mental health. Will mainstream American health ever embrace it? Today, we examine the subject. Read the full transcript here . Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times utility reporter Karen Garcia More reading: Some Latinos don’t trust Western mental health. That’s where curanderos come in Curandera’s spell may soothe your soul Bringing medicine from the...
Apr 07, 2023•26 min
During the 2020 presidential campaign, Joe Biden decried U.S. border policies enacted by the Trump administration as racist. But Biden has not only not rolled some of them back — in some cases, he’s doubled down. Today, we try to figure out what changed. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times immigration reporters Hamed Aleaziz and Andrea Castillo More reading: Top Democrats warn Biden: Don’t restart family detentions Biden immigration plan could force asylum of...
Apr 05, 2023•20 min
The indictment of former president Donald Trump has provoked praise and criticism alike. So what’s next? We talk to two of our political wizards to figure it out. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times political columnist Mark Z. Barabak, and L.A. Times national security reporter Sarah D. Wire More reading: Full coverage: Trump hush-money probe Trump indicted in alleged hush-money scheme, becoming first former U.S. president in history to be prosecuted Column: S...
Apr 03, 2023•25 min
Lucy Jones, California’s beloved earthquake expert, sits down with environment reporter Rosanna Xia to discuss her new project: using music to inspire people to take action against climate change. Listen to hear Lucy go through her process, her collaborators explain the psychology behind it all, and — of course — a sampling of the compositions. Read the full transcript here . Host: Rosanna Xia Guests: Lucy Jones More reading: Column One: Can music inspire more people to care about climate change...
Mar 31, 2023•29 min
Over the last couple of years, RVs in Los Angeles turned from a vehicle for camping to shelter for people who are unhoused. That’s led to multiple complaints — and deaths. Today, we examine how L.A. got to this point. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times columnist Erika D. Smith More reading: The real and complicated reasons why Los Angeles still has so many RV encampments Q&A: L.A. Mayor Karen Bass: ‘The city is demanding the tents go away’ Los Angeles li...
Mar 29, 2023•19 min
For over 100 years, college athletes couldn’t make money competing in their sports. A new NCAA rule around name, image and likeness, or NIL, has changed that. The biggest winners? Gymnasts. Today, we talk to a few current and former gymnasts at UCLA, including Olympians Jordyn Wieber and Jordan Chiles, about how this rule change has affected their lives. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times college sports and NBA reporter Thuc Nhi Nguyen More reading: Once emp...
Mar 27, 2023•25 min
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, Ukrainian military officials have set up a hotline for Russian soldiers to call in and surrender. Is it working to end the war?. Today, we talk to the people behind it. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times global affairs correspondent Laura King More reading: Lots of Russian soldiers want to surrender. Ukraine makes it easier with a high-tech hotline A soldier’s tale: Russian serviceman’s scathing memoir depicts a sensel...
Mar 24, 2023•22 min
This year’s historic storms have hit communities of color like Pajaro, Calif., especially hard. It’s a recurring problem that could’ve been avoided entirely. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times investigative reporter Susanne Rust More reading: Residents left in flooded California farm town feel ‘abandoned’ as levees fail Spring storm sets sights on Southern California with strong wind, heavy rain How a long history of racism and neglect set the stage for Paja...
Mar 22, 2023•18 min
Ariadna López was found murdered on the side of a road in Mexico, one of thousands of women murdered every year in the country. But her death outraged the country like never before. Today, the problem of femicide in Mexico — and whether Lopez’s death will help change that. Read the full transcript here . Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times Mexico City bureau chief Patrick J. McDonnell More reading: A single mother in Mexico was blamed for her own death. Now a well-connected playboy has bee...
Mar 20, 2023•20 min
When inflation is high, the Federal Reserve has historically raised interest rates. But the recent failures of banks like Silicon Valley Bank have sparked worries about the stability of our banking system. Now the feds must weigh whether the banking system could withstand the turmoil that raising interest rates could bring. To get inside the mind of Fed chair Jerome Powell, we look to a previous era of high inflation, the late 1970s and early ‘80s, and the decisions of then Fed chairs Arthur Bur...
Mar 17, 2023•27 min
U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez is known for overturning gun bans. Derided and hailed in equal measures, he’s now presiding over a case with far-reaching consequences. Today, we talk about his history and impact. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times enterprise reporter Laura J. Nelson More reading: The judge upending California’s gun laws: ‘Blessed’ jurist or ‘stone-cold ideologue’? Thanks to the Supreme Court, California gun cases hinge more on history than...
Mar 15, 2023•21 min
Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh has been a worldwide movie star for decades, known for action-packed roles in films such as “Supercop” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and as a Bond girl in “Tomorrow Never Dies.” But it’s her leading role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” that Yeoh says finally let her show what she’s capable of. In this episode of “The Envelope,” Yeoh discusses her first impressions of “Everything Everywhere’s” genre-bending script and bold gags. She reflects on her...
Mar 13, 2023•34 min
The recent release of toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, after a train derailment was a reminder of how devastating such environmental events are for poor communities. Can we prevent the next one? Today, our Masters of Disasters reconvene to talk toxic contamination and cleanup — and why toxic spills will probably never go away. Read the full transcript here . Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times environmental reporter Tony Briscoe, L.A. Times energy reporter Sammy Roth, and L.A. Time...
Mar 10, 2023•26 min
Last year, the California State Legislature approved a bill that aimed to improve wages and conditions for fast-food workers, but the fast-food industry raised millions to oppose it. As petitioners collect signatures, voters allege that they were lied to by petitioners. Today, we get into the food fight — and California’s murky world of signature-gathering. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times reporter Suhauna Hussein More reading: ‘I feel duped’: Inside the f...
Mar 08, 2023•18 min
