Headlines From The Times

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 Gu...

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...

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: Gustav...

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 eas...

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 Cal...

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 r...

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 e...

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...

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 fi...

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:...

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: Gus...

The Oscars ceremony is a night to celebrate the best the industry has to offer — but the nominated films are rarely box office hits, and viewership of the awards broadcast has declined. Will we see a rebound? Today, we talk about the future of the Academy Awards, and who might win Sunday. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times film and television reporter Glenn Wh...

Californians have long moved to Nevada in search of new business and personal opportunities. But a massive business park near Reno is drawing in businesses like never before. Some long-timers aren’t happy. Today, we visit the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center to learn more. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times national enterprise reporter Noah Bierman More reading: C...

When California voters legalized cannabis, growers vowed a break from decades of worker exploitation in the state’s agricultural industry. A Times investigation found otherwise. Today, where it all went wrong and what’s being done to stop it. Read the full transcript here . Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times investigative reporter Paige St. John More reading: Dying for your high: The untold...

Faced with high levels of worker stress, anxiety and burnout as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies pledged that employee mental health would become a top priority. But actions haven’t always followed promises. Today, we look into what bosses and employees can do to better the workplace. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times business reporter Samant...

When you think of Black ballerinas, names like Misty Copeland or Janet Collins may come to mind. But did you know that a classical ballet dancer from L.A. named Bernice Harrison predated both of them? Today, the lesser-known story of Harrison’s rise to become the first Black prima ballerina, and the legacy of the First Negro Classical Ballet Company. Read the full transcript here. Host: L.A. Times...

Drag performers are more visible than ever after decades in the underground, but will recent protests, threats of violence, and restrictive laws set them back? Today, we dive into the origins of the backlash and how drag performers are reacting to it. Read the full transcript here .   Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times national correspondent Jaweed Kaleem More reading: Drag Queen Story Hour...

The first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is this month. L.A. Times global affairs correspondent Laura King has visited Ukraine at four key moments since the war started: Russia’s spring invasion, Ukraine’s summertime counteroffensive, Russia’s attack on civilians and infrastructure in the fall, and during the winter fatigue. Today, she tells us about what she has seen and what has cha...

California U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein announced this week she will not run for reelection next year, ending a legendary career that saw her go from San Francisco City Hall to Capitol Hill. With her upcoming retirement, there’s much speculation as to who will replace her. Today, we look back at the career of the storied politician and look ahead as to who’ll be running for Feinstein’s seat. Read th...

The historic Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles reopened in 2021 with a commitment to make it easy for low-income and unhoused people to occupy its rooms. So why have so few people taken advantage of this offer? Today, we examine why this well-intentioned and funded solution to L.A.'s homelessness crisis is having trouble fulfilling its original vision. Read the full transcript here . Host: Gusta...

An earthquake as devastating as the one that hit Turkey and Syria this month has been forecast to hit Southern California for decades. What can residents and governments do to prepare?. Today, our Masters of Disasters talk to us about how to prepare. Read the full transcript here . Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times earthquake reporter Ron-Gong Lin II, and L.A. Times coastal reporter Rosann...

The Colorado River is supposed to end at the Gulf of California, but hasn’t done so for decades. A joint effort between the United States and Mexico seeks to change that. Today, we travel to the Colorado River Delta to see what’s happening. Read the full transcript here . Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times water reporter Ian James More reading: A pulse of water revives the dry Colorado Rive...

Teenager Piper Rockelle and her friends created a multimillion-dollar YouTube empire. A lawsuit threatens it, and brings up questions about whether what young influencers do for a living constitutes “work.” Today, we examine the history of child labor laws in California, and what might happen in this digital age. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times senior enter...

For decades, NFL teams actively discouraged Black players from playing quarterback, the sport’s marquee position. Today, we go through this shameful history — and celebrate this year’s historic Super Bowl, which features two Black starting quarterbacks for the first time. Read the full transcript here . Host: Gustavo Arellano Guest: L.A. Times opinion columnist LZ Granderson More reading: Column:...

California’s Imperial Valley has some of the lowest rainfall in the state, yet uses the largest allotment of Colorado River water. Why is such an arid part of the state an agricultural powerhouse? Today, we look into how the region secured its rights. Read the full transcript here . Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times water reporter Ian James More reading: In California’s Imperial Valley, fa...