Imperfect Paradise: Prop 50: Is California’s redistricting push a threat to democracy or a defense of it?
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 & Democracy Engagement Producer Brianna Lee break down the arguments for and against ballot measure Prop. 50, and how the Nov. 4 special election could shape local and national politics for years to come. This LAist podcast is supported by Amazon Autos. Buying a car used to be a whole day affair. Now, at Amazon Autos, you can shop for a new, used, or certified pre-owned car whenever, wherever. You can browse hundreds of vehicles from top local dealers, all in one place. Amazon.com/autos Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
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Imperfect Paradise: An LA Commission created to tackle city government scandals is being stymied
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 struggling to do its job. There are calls for transparency around its very structure. LAist Watchdog Correspondent Jordan Rynning joins Imperfect Paradise to talk about the commission’s issues and how this work will affect the lives of Angelenos. This LAist podcast is supported by Amazon Autos. Buying a car used to be a whole day affair. Now, at Amazon Autos, you can shop for a new, used, or certified pre-owned car whenever, wherever. You can browse hundreds of vehicles from top local dealers, all in one place. Amazon.com/autos Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
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Imperfect Paradise: Reports about failures in response to the January LA fires and a 2018 fire have striking similarities
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. This LAist podcast is supported by Amazon Autos. Buying a car used to be a whole day affair. Now, at Amazon Autos, you can shop for a new, used, or certified pre-owned car whenever, wherever. You can browse hundreds of vehicles from top local dealers, all in one place. Amazon.com/autos Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
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Imperfect Paradise: How union organizing is being upended by private universities in Southern California
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 against labor groups. If this movement succeeds, it could make unionizing harder on a broader level. LAist higher education reporter Julia Barajas joins us to talk about why these universities are seemingly working against faculty attempting to organize and what it could mean for unions at universities – and beyond – in the long term. This LAist podcast is supported by Amazon Autos. Buying a car used to be a whole day affair. Now, at Amazon Autos, you can shop for a new, used, or certified pre-owned car whenever, wherever. You can browse hundreds of vehicles from top local dealers, all in one place. Amazon.com/autos Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
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Imperfect Paradise: Why California's protest law is flawed and the consequences to protesters
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 flaws in those laws. LAist Senior Editor Jared Bennett joins us to talk about an investigation around these flaws and what they mean for people exercising their right to free speech. This LAist podcast is supported by Amazon Autos. Buying a car used to be a whole day affair. Now, at Amazon Autos, you can shop for a new, used, or certified pre-owned car whenever, wherever. You can browse hundreds of vehicles from top local dealers, all in one place. Amazon.com/autos Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
“LA Made” is a series exploring stories of bold Californian innovators and how they forever changed the lives of millions all over the world. Each season will unpack the untold and surprising stories behind some of the most exciting innovations that continue to influence our lives today.
Season 3, "LA Made: The Other Moonshot," tells the story of three Black aerospace engineers in Los Angeles, who played a crucial role in America’s race to space, amid the civil unrest of the 1960s. When Joanne Higgins was growing up in Compton in Los Angeles, she heard her godfather, Charlie Cheathem, tell stories about his key role in the Apollo mission to the moon. As an adult, she realized that his experiences — and those of other Black engineers — had been left out of the history books. She set out to record for the first time the accounts of these men, now in their 90s, whose crucial contributions to the early days of the Apollo mission have been overlooked — or taken credit for by others — despite their ingenuity and determination.
Season 2, “LA Made: The Barbie Tapes,” tells the backstory of the world’s most popular doll, Barbie. Barbie is a cultural icon but what do you really know about her? Hear Barbie's origin story from the people who created her. Co-hosted by Antonia Cereijido and M.G. Lord, author of Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll, hear the wild stories from never-before-heard tapes of interviews with Barbie inventor Ruth Handler, her wardrobe designer and the sculptors and fabricators, and the innovative marketers who made her what she is today. This 3-part series premieres July 6, 2023.
Season 1, “LA Made: Blood, Sweat & Rockets,” tells the hidden story of the fearless, groundbreaking and ambitious crew who shaped our quest to outer space and ushered in the early days of space exploration at Pasadena’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at CalTech. Known as the “Suicide Squad,” the team’s road to triumph was fraught with controversies involving the occult, a suspected spy ring, unplanned explosions, and a suspicious death. Join writer and life-long aerospace fanatic M.G. Lord as she uncovers their story and reveals the shocking origins of rocket science in this 12 episode season.
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This podcast was made possible with support from the Committee for Greater LA in partnership with the Weingart Foundation.
USA