LA Podcast

Alissa, Mike, and Rachel break down last week’s election results and some major progressive victories. Zohran Mamdani is the new democratic socialist mayor of New York City! Prop 50 passes, temporarily redrawing California’s districts! And a blue wave produces downballot wins nationwide! What does it all mean for LA politics as our 2026 election cycle kicks into gear? Plus, surveying the state’s g...

Alissa, Godfrey, and Mike review a new city controller assessment of LAPD’s “armed-first, police-first, patrol-first” response to mental health crisis calls. Plus, what in the world is going on at LAX? The people mover is delayed to June 2026 at least, while billions in public transit investments are about to be undermined by new elevated roadways that are certain to make airport traffic worse. If...

Alissa, Mike, and guest co-host Liz Chou discuss a secretive $2 million payout to LA County’s CEO, who claims she suffered “reputational harm” from Measure G. An LA City charter reform proposal would bring dramatic changes to the Board of Public Works. Yet another fire investigation, this time from Republican senators who are trying to blame the flames on DEI. And remembering river advocate Melani...

Mike, Godfrey and Carla welcome former LAUSD superintendent Austin Beutner to the LA mayoral race as the first serious challenger to incumbent Karen Bass. The state’s housing department sends a blistering letter to the City of Los Angeles about its obstruction of affordable housing in Venice. Plus, Governor Gavin Newsom signs (and vetoes) major pieces of legislation, including the highly anticipat...

Alissa, Mike, and Kate recount a dramatic week as an arson suspect is taken into custody for allegedly starting a fire which smoldered underground for a week, then rekindled in high winds to become the deadly Palisades Fire. Analysis of LAFD’s after-action report reveals more communications breakdowns. Plus, ballots for Prop 50 hit mailboxes. Former Palisades resident Jonathan Rinderknecht, also k...

Alissa, Mike and Rachel recap Trump’s declared war on cities run by the “radical left” (we wish!) and fresh threats to Cal State campuses. LA County’s long-awaited after-action report on the failure to issue alerts and evacuations during the Eaton Fire raises more questions than answers. And will a $32.35 minimum wage for construction workers help LA build more homes? “California State University...

Mike, Rachel, and guest co-host TV writer Olga Lexell discuss censorship in Hollywood and how unions rallied to reinstate Jimmy Kimmel Live . How ICE is using Palantir’s data to track you, and how rapid response groups are fighting back. Plus a recap of LA’s divisive convention center vote and how Mayor Karen Bass saved city worker jobs, but not city services. We’re hosting a party for all paid su...

Alissa, Mike, and David discuss a contentious vote about expanding LA’s neglected convention center. The ULA transfer tax is making $387 million available for affordable housing right as a backroom deal to undermine ULA implodes in the state legislature. Plus, how LA’s tourism unions rallied with an epic signature revocation campaign to save the Olympic Wage. Weekly actions from #BoycottDisneyABC...

Alissa, Scott, Hayes, and Mike try to decipher the electoral intentions of LA City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez and preview other key city and county races as local candidates launch their campaigns for the June primary. Plus, a devastating Supreme Court decision upholds ICE’s discriminatory roving patrols. And remembering legendary California legislator John Burton: “I yell because I care.” The...

Alissa, Mike, and LA Taco ’s Memo Torres break down three months of ICE raids and explain why a Labor Day lull doesn’t mean the feds are letting up. LA County passes a law that says your landlord must keep your apartment below 82 degrees, and LA City may follow suit. California sets up its own CDC amid a major COVID spike. And yet another major setback for Frank McCourt’s gondola — will this proje...

Alissa, Rachel, Mike, and Godfrey discuss how LA’s Unarmed Model of Crisis Response had a very successful first year of diverting 911 calls away from LAPD. What is the Save Our Services campaign claiming to prevent budget cuts and why is Airbnb behind it? And a debate about housing between Scott Wiener and Imelda Padilla highlights all the ways LA’s leaders weaponize land-use decisions. LA City’s...

Alissa, David, and Carla sweat it out during LA’s first major heat wave of the summer and wonder if the city is any better prepared for catastrophic fires. Former LAFD chief Kristin Crowley files a defamation claim against LA Mayor Karen Bass. The Trump administration is trying to extort $1 billion dollars from UCLA. Plus, the latest state transit-upzoning bill, SB 79, makes its way through the Ca...

Alissa, Mike, and Rachel talk about how LAUSD plans to protect students from their federal government. ICE crashes Gavin Newsom’s redistricting press conference. DC is invaded by Trump, just like LA leaders warned would happen. Then: DIY crosswalk battles and why you should support a subway beneath the Sepulveda Pass. (Just say no to Fred Rosen’s monorail!) The first day of school included trainin...

Mike and Godfrey are joined by Spectrum 1 News’ Kate Cagle to talk about new “Trojan Horse” immigration raids, Trump launching a new LA28 White House task force while continuing to bash LA, and the escalating war over the potential redistricting of congressional seats in Texas and California. Plus, Kate discusses her recent interview with LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. Federal agents contin...

Alissa, Mike, and Godfrey discuss the next era for LA’s homeless services with a newly named interim CEO for LAHSA and a terrifying executive order from the Trump administration. Then LA’s charter reform commission is finally underway, starting with tackling much-needed infrastructure reforms. And Kamala Harris won’t run for governor — so what (and who) defines the race now? LA Councilmember Traci...

Alissa and Mike sit down for a full assessment of recovery efforts six months after the January fires — and discuss why a key rebuilding effort went off the rails. Plus, we check in on the accomplishments of the fire-recovery billionaires, and try to figure out why one of those billionaires, Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, announced he’s taking the paper public. Cleanup was astonishin...

Alissa, Rachel, and Sophie come bearing (some) good news as 2000 National Guard troops are withdrawn from LA and a federal court ruling invokes a temporary restraining order that stops ICE agents from racial profiling. Plus: Children’s Hospital LA closes a clinic that’s served trans kids for 30 years, and Trump’s transportation department tries to revoke California’s high-speed rail funding. Trump...

Alissa, Mike, and Godfrey on the terrifying U.S. military invasion of MacArthur Park that sent LA Mayor Karen Bass racing to the scene. Why homicides in LA have hit a 60-year low (hint: it’s not because of cops). And when LA County voters approved the governmental-reform Measure G in 2024 they inadvertently invalidated the anti-incarceration Measure J, passed in 2020. Whoops! The Guardian : “The t...

Alissa, Hayes, Mike, and Carla recap another week of relentless ICE raids. The Trump administration sues LA over its sanctuary city status, and a coalition of immigrants rights groups sue the federal government right back. A ruling in the Alliance lawsuit raises questions about LA City’s homelessness count numbers. And the biggest-ever rollback of California’s often-abused environmental quality la...

Alissa, Mike, and Godfrey track a third week of ICE raids that are more violent, more brazen, and raising more questions about how LAPD is assisting with these kidnappings. The Olympic Wage coalition strikes back with a new referendum to raise the minimum wage for *all* LA city workers. Plus, Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral primary win is huge news for New York City — and maybe for LA? ICE says 1,600 det...

Alissa, Mike, Rachel, and Oscar give an update on LA under siege as at least 500 people are taken from their families in federal raids. Plus, the massive No Kings rally in Downtown LA ends in police violence, how CHIRLA’s rapid response team is monitoring detention centers, and widespread fear fuels an economic crisis across a city of immigrants.  The June 14 No Kings rallies may have been the lar...

Scott, Alissa, Rachel, and Mike recap an astonishing week as Los Angeles is occupied by the federal government. How the city and state are responding to ongoing ICE raids, the federalization of the National Guard, the handcuffing of Senator Alex Padilla at a Homeland Security press conference, and the deployment of the U.S. Marines on the eve of nationwide protests. The Guardian : “ ‘Kidnapped’: f...

Alissa, Mike, Godfrey, and Rachel discuss charter reform at the city and county, including the powerful new LA County CEO position voters will elect in 2028. Then, a referendum to overturn the Olympic Wage attempts to gather signatures, and homeowners accept buyouts to escape an ancient landslide in Rancho Palos Verdes. Note: This episode was recorded before LA saw ICE raids and detainments, count...

Mike, Hayes, and Carla discuss the growing desire among LA Councilmembers to rein in mayoral oversight of homelessness as they’re potentially being called into Judge David O. Carter’s federal courtroom. Plus, new city and state efforts to lure the entertainment industry back to LA, and a journalist investigated by former sheriff Alex Villanueva sues him (and LA County) for violating her First Amen...

Alissa, Mike and Godfrey give a full update on how LA City’s budget went from disastrous to just “very bad” — including actions from the council’s budget committee to reduce over 1,600 proposed layoffs to 600. Then, a new minimum wage for tourism workers has hotels threatening to pull their Olympics deals. And LA’s former deputy mayor of public safety pleads guilty to calling in a City Hall bomb t...