LA Podcast

A brutal week culminates in the forced removal of the unhoused community at Echo Park Lake amid hundreds of LAPD officers and almost as many arrests. And freelance reporter CERISE CASTLE returns to talk about her multi-part series for Knock LA on deputy gangs within the LA County Sheriff's Department.

COVID cases are way down: is it okay to wonder if the pandemic over? Unrest over the Hollywood Community Plan. Five people shot by LAPD in four days, and an unsettling criminal charge against a journalist. Joe Buscaino enters the race to be Mayor, and a candidate files to replace him on City Council. And ISAAC BRYAN, co-chair of the Measure J campaign and candidate for Assembly District 54, joins...

COVID numbers keep dropping and vaccine eligibility expands. A report documents LAPD's response to the May and June protests against police brutality. And Alissa and Scott debate whether or not they should be freaking out about Gavin Newsom's recall election. Housekeeping Scott was on Councilmember Mike Bonin's Podcast Covid COVID Hospitalizations Drop Below 1,000 Ahead of LA County's Move to Red...

LA is about to enter the red tier — what does it mean for dining, movies, and especially schools? The City Council overrides a veto in a contentious meeting. The stimulus package dumps billions of dollars on local budgets. And the concrete industry is trying to sneak a really bad motion onto the city books. Show Notes Quick Hits Assemblywoman Sydney Kamlager declares victory in state Senate race (...

Housekeeping Guest host JT the LA Storyteller and this week's The Ten guest Samanta Helou-Hernandez have a community series about redlining, gentrification and displacement in East Hollywood. First session Thursday at 6PM! Ask them questions at Hope.xyz/MakingOurNeighborhood! Check out the Ten here https://www.patreon.com/posts/ten-episode-48145292 Quick Hits 1 year of covid! Check out our predict...

Schools can now reopen... but will they? Some confusing and clarifying words from the Mayor on Project Roomkey. DA George Gascon seeks information on officer misconduct. Is Patrick Soon-Shiong selling the LA Times? Councilmember Nithya Raman changes course. And freelance reporter CERISE CASTLE joins the show to speak up about her experiences working at KCRW and their new #MyBlackLA project. We did...

More controversy over vaccine prioritization! A little (but not enough) momentum for expanding Project Roomkey! What's the deal with the LAPD union's new deal? And the major crisis at the Employment Development Department.

What kind of issues is LA experiencing with vaccine distribution? What's up with this debate on building preservation right now? Why did the police union finally decide to make a deal to delay their raises? Who's raising the most money in city races, and from where? And LAUSD Board President KELLY GONEZ joins the show to talk about the recent threat by a Councilmember to sue the district to reopen...

With deaths still at record highs, are we looking at the other side of the surge? Newsom's new rules on vaccinations, outdoor dining, evictions, and rent relief. Non-non-violent protest at Dodger Stadium. A former City Councilmember is sentenced to prison. And a big win at the Metro board meeting.

It rained! COVID hospitalizations and tests are falling, but CA's vaccine rollout is now the worst in the country. What are the ethics of vaccine chasing? And is there actually a new strain? New FEMA guidelines open a path for Project Twomkey. Mitch Englander is about to be sentenced, and the developments Huizar greased get approved in PLUM. Finally, Culver City Vice Mayor and State Senate candida...

Rain maybe! Dodger Stadium becomes the biggest vaccination site in the country. When can you get one? Are there more restrictions coming? LAPD and LASD participate in an attempted coup. More information on the deputy who killed Andres Guardado. And looking ahead to Wednesday's inauguration, Mitch Englander's sentencing, and whether John Lee will ever be held accountable.

As right-wing riots extended from DC to downtown, what does the end of the Trump administration mean for the next few years in LA? What could the a federal Dem trifecta potentially bring? Plus: new uncertainty around LA's testing provider, ADEM elections, Prop 22 fallout, and the passing of two LA legends.

Another week of drip cribs, Christian rock rallies, packed malls, and record cases as LA continues to be the epicenter of the global pandemic. George Gascon's Deputy District Attorneys sue to block his reforms. And we offer a Place and Thank You to the 101 Coffee Shop. Articles referenced in this episode: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/31/style/los-angeles-new-years-eve-parties.html https://www.l...

LA County is… once… again… seeing a record number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. But the malls are open! Garcetti, in a surprising break from city council, vetoes the City Council's LAPD funding reallocation. Nury Martinez makes her City Council committee assignments. RIP SHAKE ALERT LA. And we look back at our predictions for 2020 and make our wishes for 2021.

LA County is now the worldwide epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic as cases, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to rise. What’s next? Mayor Garcetti announces that he won’t be taking a job in the Biden White House. What happened? And a rundown on what to expect for assignments to City Council committees.

COVID hospitalizations continue to surge in Los Angeles County. Preparations for vaccine distribution begin. A local judge puts onerous requirements on future public health closures. LA’s new DA is making huge changes. Governor Newsom gets to make another high profile appointment. And Garcetti’s cabinet hopes are fading fast. https://la.eater.com/2020/12/8/22160282/los-angeles-county-judge-ruling-...

LA reaches its more dangerous point in the COVID pandemic. How many hospital beds are available? What happens when we run out? How were the new restrictions rolled out? What's up with Garcetti's next job? Why is one downtown restaurant suing the county? And is the city going to defund a thousand police?

Spiking cases and hospitalizations prompt a new Safer at Home. Actions in El Sereno and outside the Mayor's house. The history and current status of Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. And three members of the Hillside Villa Tenants Association, RENE ALEXZANDER, ROSA HERNANDEZ, and MARINA MALOUF, talk about their fight to preserve their building as affordable housing.

LA reaches an unprecedented COVID emergency right before a holiday where people see their families. A photo throws Mayor Garcetti's career future into question. And BEN ORESKES and DOUG SMITH of the LA Times join to discuss their new reporting on the political and policy impacts of LA's bridge housing program for people who are homeless.

The LA Times op-ed section does it again. Who from LA is on Biden’s transition team? More Garcetti DOT murmurs. Villanueva in more trouble. COVID is very bad again and our leaders are not handling it well. And an interview with Councilmember-elect NITHYA RAMAN.

WHAT A WEEK. Local election results. LA is championed nationwide as the home of a progressive anti-carceral movement. Our long national nightmare is over but what does Biden mean for LA? Will Garcetti stay or go? And LAPD announces cuts.

It’s the day before the election. What did we see in the last week of early voting? How much money have candidates raised, and where from? What’s going to happen tomorrow? City Council votes once again on whether to recommence sweeps, with unexpected results. Links discussed in this episode: https://theappeal.org/the-past-present-and-future-of-the-los-angeles-district-attorneys-office/ https://loc...

A sexual harassment scandal in the Mayor’s Office blows up. New moves against the Sheriff and DA. The City’s headed for a financial cliff. Hollywood NOW at war with itself over endorsements. Target Husk becomes a real boy. Links referenced in this episode: https://thelapod.com/guide-to-la/ https://www.la101.guide/ https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtdOqppzwiGNHaD_c0Wz6Uvft4BocqcGiJ https:...

The Council District Four race leaves the rails, never to return. Garcetti plays coy about the Cabinet job he definitely wants. The history of the deadly Exide facility in Vernon, and the deal the federal government approved this week. Metro wants to widen more freeways and tear down your house. Articles referenced in this episode: https://www.lamag.com/mag-features/nithya-raman-david-ryu-council-...

One of the developers that bribed Jose Huizar signs a non-prosecution agreement. LA has to pay the accountant it's suing over the DWP billing fiasco. David Ryu goes negative against Nithya Raman. More endorsements for George Gascon. Playgrounds are open! And the hosts make ten predictions for what will win and what won't on November 3rd.