Best CALmatters and Studio To Be Podcasts (2025)

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Altadena childcare providers' struggle to rebuild raises questions about government disaster response 27:21

Play Pause

6d ago27:21

27:21

At least 280 childcare spaces were affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires in January. LAist reporter Libby Rainey and early childhood senior reporter Elly Yu followed two women who ran childcare businesses out of their homes until the Eaton Fire destroyed them. In this episode of Imperfect Paradise, they look at how these two childcare providers…

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Gender-affirming care for transgender youth is at risk in LA and nationwide 31:26

13d ago31:26

31:26

Nearly 3,000 patients have been forced to find gender-affirming care elsewhere after the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles closed their LA Center for Trans Youth Health and Development in July. The closure comes amid threats of cuts to federal funding for providers of gender affirming-care and other attempts to restrict LGBTQ rights nationwide. LAist…

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Health workers say ICE agents at hospitals are compromising patient care 28:16

20d ago28:16

28:16

Amid the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration, there’s been an uptick in ICE presence in hospitals across the country. At Adventist Health White Memorial hospital in Boyle Heights, doctors say that hospital administrators have even allowed immigration agents to interfere with patients’ medical care. LAist correspondent Jill Replogle has …

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California's new public preschool program for 4-year-olds: Exploring transitional kindergarten 31:40

27d ago31:40

31:40

All four-year-olds in the state of California now have access to a free preschool program in their local school district. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a plan to expand the state’s transitional kindergarten, or TK, program in May 2021, as part of a broader move to create the largest free early education program in the U.S. So what does transitional kind…

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‘Taken: The Agents Raiding Communities and the People Trying to Stop Them’ from Latino USA & CalMatters 50:18

29d ago50:18

50:18

This special episode on Imperfect Paradise is from our friends at Latino USA and CalMatters. It tracks the rise of Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino, a key figure in the Trump Administration’s deportation efforts and explores the consequences of the raids to the people captured here in LA and around the country. Support LAist Today: https://LAist.…

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Who pays for the 2028 Olympics? LA taxpayers may be on the hook 29:57

1M ago29:57

29:57

In less than a thousand days, Los Angeles will be hosting the summer Olympics. Many cities worldwide have been put into debt by the games, so what could they mean for Los Angeles? LAist reporter Libby Rainey joins Imperfect Paradise to look back at the history of the games when LA last hosted them, the financial outlook for the city, and what role …

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Why the site of the largest methane leak in US history still hasn’t been shut down 30:50

1M ago30:50

30:50

Regulations on gas storage facilities have been tightened since the detection of the Aliso Canyon leak, which started in 2015 and lasted nearly four months. But residents remain worried about long term health effects following the leak. LAist Climate and Environment Reporter Erin Stone discusses the 10-year anniversary of the disaster and what’s st…

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How becoming a US citizen just got harder under the Trump administration and what it means for Angelenos 21:51

2M ago21:51

21:51

The Trump administration’s immigration policies have resulted in raids and protests in Southern California and across the country, and the administration has also moved to tighten who gets citizenship. Recently, the federal government pushed out new guidelines for naturalization. The situation has raised fundamental questions around what it means t…

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Prop 50: Is California’s redistricting push a threat to democracy or a defense of it? 31:03

2M ago31:03

31:03

Proposition 50 is part of a nationwide battle over control of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Californians are being asked to take a side: Should the state be temporarily allowed to redraw congressional maps to counter the Trump administration and redistricting in Texas? LAist Civics & Democracy Correspondent Frank Stoltze and Civics & Democ…

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An LA Commission created to tackle city government scandals is being stymied 20:51

2M ago20:51

20:51

A charter reform commission was created in 2024 in response to multiple Los Angeles city government scandals, including the leak of a racist tape featuring City Council President Nury Martinez. One of the commission’s aims was to modify the LA charter, which is basically the city’s constitution. But reports indicate that this commission is struggli…

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Reports about failures in response to the January LA fires and a 2018 fire have striking similarities 23:27

2M ago23:27

23:27

A new report details the Eaton and Palisades fires, including failures in the emergency response. But this report bears striking similarities with another -- which chronicled the response to the 2018 Woolsey Fire in Southern California. LAist science reporter Jacob Margolis discusses the reports and what they mean for L.A. County moving forward. Th…

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How union organizing is being upended by private universities in Southern California 17:35

3M ago17:35

17:35

Big companies like Amazon and SpaceX are claiming that the National Labor Relations Board – an independent federal entity in charge of overseeing unionizing efforts – is unconstitutional. In addition to those companies, colleges like the University of Southern California and Loyola Marymount University are also joining the movement to push back aga…

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Why California's protest law is flawed and the consequences to protesters 24:29

3M ago24:29

24:29

After the George Floyd protests of 2020, California took steps to rein in violent policing of protests by passing laws restricting how law enforcement uses less-lethal weapons, like tasers and rubber bullets. But high profile protests in 2024 and 2025 – including this summer’s protests against the ICE raids in Los Angeles – have revealed major flaw…

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The Huntington Beach library at the center of America’s culture wars 32:06

3M ago32:06

32:06

Censorship efforts at libraries nationwide have increased steadily over the last several years. In the 2023 - 24 school year, more than 10,000 book bans were counted in the country’s public schools. These efforts have become a cornerstone of a larger national debate over cultural influences and parents' rights to restrict those influences. LAist Or…

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An update to the Bass vs. Crowley feud 37:07

3M ago37:07

37:07

Last month, former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristen Crowley filed a legal claim against Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass, alleging defamation, retaliation and negligence in the wake of Bass’ firing of her. It’s the latest chapter in a feud that erupted during the historic wildfires in January. In light of these new developments, we bring you our original…

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Former Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do is officially in prison. What questions remain? 28:13

4M ago28:13

28:13

Disgraced former Orange County supervisor Andrew Do reported to federal prison in Arizona on August 15th. Do had been found guilty of accepting bribes in exchange for directing millions of taxpayer dollars to a nonprofit that was supposed to be feeding hungry seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions of those dollars were diverted elsewhere. N…

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The cost of becoming a teacher in California. Who can afford to do it? 39:39

4M ago39:39

39:39

Across the U.S., states are constantly in the midst of teacher shortages. California's teaching prep and residency programs are supposed to be part of the solution. But many hopeful teachers struggle to balance their passion with the risk of debt and high cost of living. Imperfect Paradise guest host and K-12 Senior Reporter Mariana Dale and LAist’…

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Deputies severely beat a man struggling with mental health issues. Where are the records? 24:58

4M ago24:58

24:58

Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department deputies severely beat Joseph Perez in 2020, then arrested him. His mom Vanessa alleges that she had previously told law enforcement that Perez has a serious mental illness and would need to be placed in a psychiatric facility. Mother and son believe the deputies used unnecessary force on Perez and are the center of…

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Despite three 911 calls, how did two men with disabilities die in their home during the Eaton Fire? 30:10

4M ago30:10

30:10

West Altadena residents Anthony Mitchell Sr. and his son Justin Mitchell were stuck at home when the Eaton Fire erupted Jan. 7. Both had disabilities, and to evacuate, they needed help. Mitchell Sr. and family members called 911 multiple times as the fire spread. But first responders didn't make it in time to evacuate the father and son. Seven mont…

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The dirty secret of trash: Illegal dumping in the Southern California desert 28:35

4M ago28:35

28:35

Diapers, concrete and construction debris. The open secret about trash in Southern California is that some of the waste people assume is being properly handled is actually being disposed of on remote sites in the California high desert. The state agency in charge of waste, CalRecycle, has said the scale of illegal dumping has become an emergency. L…

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Inheriting: Leialani & The Occupation of Guam 38:31

5M ago38:31

38:31

In honor of Guam Liberation Day on July 21, this week we feature an episode from the Inheriting podcast. It's about a CHamoru woman untangling the deeply complex history between the U.S. and the island she was raised on. Leialani Wihongi-Santos is CHamoru and was raised on the island of Guam with a distorted view of history. She was taught that the…

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How one man rebuilt his life, 100 miles at a time 49:34

5M ago49:34

49:34

Struggling with addiction and reentry after multiple stints in prison, Cesar Quijano discovers ultrarunning, a hobby that turns into his addiction and salvation. Through Cesar’s story to complete a 100-mile race, Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido and producer Lucy Copp explore urgent questions around what support people need to successfully…

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Are Latino pollsters helping or hurting the Democratic cause? 53:08

5M ago53:08

53:08

As Democrats confront declining Latino support across three consecutive presidential elections, a fierce debate is unfolding within the party: Are Latino advocacy groups and polling firms helping or hurting the Democratic cause? Critics argue that a flawed messaging strategy — and a complacent advocacy infrastructure — have led to Latino voters dri…

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Trading in the American Dream for the Mexican Dream 26:30

5M ago26:30

26:30

For decades, there’s been a persistent story about Mexican immigrants crossing the border for a better life in the United States. But there’s a new trend emerging: Mexicans and Mexican Americans, disillusioned with American politics, moving to Mexico for a more fulfilling life. In the second episode of a three-part collaboration with Latino USA, Im…

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Getting lost in Latina trad wife TikTok 28:25

6M ago28:25

28:25

During a flurry of election-related anxiety, Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido re-downloaded TikTok and fell down a very specific rabbit hole: Latina trad wife content. Videos of women waking up at three in the morning, making “lonche” for their husbands and espousing traditional lifestyles – have become popular and gone viral on social med…

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Did the cellphone ban in high schools work? 46:11

6M ago46:11

46:11

On February 18th, 2025, the LA Unified School District, the second largest public school district in the country, implemented an all-day cell phone ban for its students. Now that it’s the end of the school year, we head to Venice High School to see how the ban actually went. This LAist podcast is supported by Amazon Autos. Buying a car used to be a…

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On the ground for LA's historic ICE protests 38:30

6M ago38:30

38:30

ICE raids began last Friday across Southern California. People have been detained and there have been confrontations between protesters and law enforcement. What exactly went down and where does Los Angeles go from here? We hear from family members of people detained by ICE and talk with LAist Civics and Democracy Correspondent Frank Stoltze about …

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Return from Mexico 39:42

6M ago39:42

39:42

In 2009, Gloria Arellano de la Rosa was banned from re-entering the U.S. for ten years, finding herself separated from her four children and husband. But unlike Daniel Zamora, she didn’t remake her life in Mexico. Every day she waited to go home to the U.S. Fernanda Echavarri tells the story of what happens when Gloria finally returns to the States…

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Inheriting: Nicole & the Third World Liberation Front 47:25

7M ago47:25

47:25

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we bring you an episode from Inheriting Season One. Inheriting is a show about Asian American and Pacific Islander families, which explores how one event in history can ripple through generations. Nicole Salaver’s uncle, Patrick Salaver, was one of the leaders of the Third World Libera…

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Inheriting: Bảo & the Vietnam War 47:14

7M ago47:14

47:14

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we bring you an episode from Inheriting Season One. Inheriting is a show about Asian American and Pacific Islander families, which explores how one event in history can ripple through generations. Bảo Trương’s parents both fled Vietnam in 1975 following the war. His father Thuận was a …

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Inheriting: Victoria & the Cambodian Genocide 43:09

7M ago43:09

43:09

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we bring you an episode from Inheriting Season One. Inheriting is a show about Asian American and Pacific Islander families, which explores how one event in history can ripple through generations. Growing up in Long Beach, California, Victoria Uce was surrounded by a loving and support…

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How the Rent Brigade took on LA’s landlords 39:27

7M ago39:27

39:27

In the days after LA’s early-January wildfires, tenant advocate Chelsea Kirk noticed a trend: rent gouging. Rents were shooting up past their legal limit. In the wake of the fires, as natural disaster collided with LA’s severe housing shortage, we trace how a collective of volunteers organized themselves to bring rent gouging to light in LA County.…

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From ranchers with guns to gurus with crystals: How extremism in the American West has evolved 26:03

8M ago26:03

26:03

When Portland, Oregon-based reporter Leah Sottile began covering extremism in the American West a decade ago, she was interviewing ranchers, fundamentalist Mormons and “sovereign citizens” who did not believe the federal government should own land. During the pandemic, she began noticing that New Age wellness leaders were talking about many of the …

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Can Oakland point the way for the future of liberal cities 34:50

8M ago34:50

34:50

Journalist Alexis Madrigal is obsessed with the port of Oakland. He even has a tattoo of a shipping container! In his new book, The Pacific Circuit, he makes the case that Oakland is where the real-world impacts of globalization are felt, and serves as a warning for other port communities. He documents the impact that the tech/logistics industry ha…

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The fallout over LAFD funding: Bass vs. Crowley 36:13

8M ago36:13

36:13

Amid the devastating Palisades and Eaton Fires that killed more than two dozen people, a political conflict came sharply into focus surrounding the funding of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). Finger-pointing as to who was to blame included former LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley and LA Mayor Karen Bass. The two women would be lambasted for thei…

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Rebuild or leave? One Black family in Altadena decides their future after Eaton Fire 40:25

8M ago40:25

40:25

The biggest question hanging over most people in Los Angeles who lost homes in the Palisades and Eaton Fires is whether to rebuild or leave -- a question that's especially fraught for Altadena's Black community, who faced a long history of redlining. Charel Bailey’s parents have lived in Altadena since 1977, and she desperately wants them to rebuil…

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When the disinformation machine comes for you 39:40

8M ago39:40

39:40

Renée DiResta joined the Stanford Internet Observatory to analyze how propaganda spreads online. But in 2023, she went from studying the online disinformation machine to becoming its target. We dive into what happened when a right-wing conspiracy made Renée its villain, as well as how disinformation has changed over the last three presidential elec…

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‘Free the Tee’ Redux: Fighting back against LA golf course scalpers 43:49

9M ago43:49

43:49

This episode originally aired on June 12, 2024. LA was rocked on March 4 when Dave Fink, a golf influencer, posted a viral video on Instagram detailing how brokers - largely using a Korean messenger app- were snatching up prime time tees at Los Angeles’ public golf courses and reselling them. Here’s how an unlikely crew of golf enthusiasts’ fight t…

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Meet the filmmakers who love AI 34:04

9M ago34:04

34:04

It’s hard to find people in Hollywood who are willing to speak publicly about their enthusiasm for AI, for fear of being seen as “siding with the machines.” And yet, many people are quietly using the technology already. In this episode, we interview two enthusiastic early adopters of AI in filmmaking about how they’re using it, its strengths and li…

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How AI became a Hollywood villain – especially for animators 35:31

9M ago35:31

35:31

Hollywood taught us to be afraid of a super powerful artificial intelligence that will one day conquer humanity. So not surprisingly, many screenwriters and actors are very skeptical of AI, and concerns about AI were central to the Hollywood labor strikes in 2023. But animators may actually be the most at risk of losing their jobs to AI. In this ep…

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Highland Park: Land of the snake 36:32

9M ago36:32

36:32

Tucked away in Highland Park - a neighborhood that’s been dubbed “ground zero” for gentrification - sits a small park dotted with native plants and spiraling mosaic sculptures. La Tierra de la Culebra Park was established in the early 90s by guerilla artist Tricia Ward. In the decades since, the neighborhood has transformed massively and a battle h…

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NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING: And the Oscar Goes To… 1:03:08

10M ago1:03:08

1:03:08

With Hollywood getting ready for the biggest awards show in movies, this episode of the new LAist Studios podcast NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is all about the Oscars! Hear Oscar nominees Peter Straughan and Kris Bowers, and actress Caitlin Reilly duke it out for the ultimate award — winning a game show where the points are made up by our host, Franklin L…

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LA Made: The Other Moonshot - Part 4: The Landing 43:50

10M ago43:50

43:50

In the final episode of "LA Made: The Other Moonshot": Despite several stopgaps and hiccups, the moon landing is a monumental success, although many Black Americans feel it’s come at a cost to their progress. The discrimination Charlie, Nate and Shelby faced at work finally makes it into government hearings. And the trio today reflect on their cont…

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LA Made: The Other Moonshot - Part 3: Making an Impact 40:43

10M ago40:43

40:43

In this episode of "LA Made: The Other Moonshot": The launch of Apollo 6. Nate and Charlie must choose how to respond when their work is undermined by superiors, leading to tense stand-offs. Meanwhile Shelby works on a project which will define his legacy — and our view of Earth. Workplace pay disparities come to light, while the assassination of M…

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LA Made: The Other Moonshot - Part 2: Spring Loaded to Failure 45:21

10M ago45:21

45:21

In this episode of "LA Made: The Other Moonshot": Were these three engineers set up to fail? The space race starts to hit debilitating roadblocks, and the Black aerospace engineers are beginning to feel the weight of the workplace — and the clock ticking. Shelby, Nate and Charlie develop different ways to cope with the pressure. A tragedy during an…

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LA Made: The Other Moonshot - Part 1: Ignition Starts 45:10

10M ago45:10

45:10

In this first episode of "LA Made: The Other Moonshot": America aims for the moon. President John F. Kennedy stands proudly behind the mission to advance the country and welcomes a diverse team to get the job done. That team includes three Black engineers who have a studded background — Charlie Cheathem, Nathaniel LeVert and Shelby Jacobs. However,…

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Is it possible to build a fire-proof house? 42:26

11M ago42:26

42:26

Some of the most striking images to come out of the Los Angeles wildfires are photos of a single intact house, surrounded by rubble. We wondered: why do some houses burn down and not others? Is it possible to build a fire-proof house? Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido, correspondent Emily Guerin, and host of the LAist Studios podcast The Bi…

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Why fires happen in Southern California — and how we can prevent them 35:18

11M ago35:18

35:18

The same factors that make Los Angeles an appealing place to live, like large urban scale development intertwined with nature, are also the reason we need a fundamentally different approach to fire. Host Antonia Cereijido and science reporter and host of LAist podcast The Big Burn Jacob Margolis dive into what makes Southern California’s ecology un…

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The first five days: Inside LA’s most destructive wildfires 44:22

11M ago44:22

44:22

Larry Mantle has been a radio host in Los Angeles for nearly 40 years. Over the course of hosting his live, daily, public affairs call-in show on LAist 89.3, he’s covered the region’s biggest triumphs and tragedies, hearing from officials and Angelenos alike. Covering the Palisades, Eaton, and other current LA wildfires has been especially trying. …

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LAist newsroom answers your questions about the fires 24:18

11M ago24:18

24:18

Los Angeles County has been ravaged by multiple fires. Thousands of structures were destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of Angelenos have evacuated. Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido and correspondent Emily Guerin answer your most commonly asked questions about wildfires such as: Why are so many houses built in fire prone areas? How did th…

CALmatters And Studio To Be Podcasts