Headlines From The Times

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...

Black people have been part of the American West for centuries. But mainstream cowboy culture long downplayed their contributions, even as they exist in the present day. Today, we hear from some of them. Read the full transcript here. Host: L.A. Times national reporter Tyrone Beason More reading: Black Californians have long celebrated cowboy culture. We’re just catching up A proud group of Black...

All across California, people are asking the same question: Why are eggs so expensive? Californians walk into grocery stores only to find them sold out, or that they’re going for $7 or more a dozen. Thanks to inflation, everything is more expensive right now. But when it comes to eggs, there’s more to the story. Today, how a history of California policy and a global bird flu scrambled the economic...

For over a century, Native American tribes along the Colorado River have seen other entities take water that had nourished them since time immemorial. With the depletion of this vital source for the American West, Indigenous leaders see an opening to right a historical wrong. Today, we check in on one tribe doing just that. Read the full transcript here. Host: The Times senior producer Kasia Brous...

In a span of 25 hours, three men of color died after encounters with Los Angeles police officers. Could a change in tactics long asked for by activists have prevented the deaths? Today, we talk about the incidents, the aftermath — and what’s next. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times investigative crime reporter Richard Winton and L.A. Times metro columnist Erik...

A gunman shot and killed 10 people just after a Lunar New Year celebration in Monterey Park, California. This attack, one of California's worst mass shootings in recent memory, is sparking concerns about public safety and conversations about anti-Asian hate — and renewing calls for gun control. Read the full transcript here.  Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times Asian American communities rep...

The main way the American West harvests the Colorado River for its water use is by dams that create reservoirs, which are quickly drying up because of climate change. Can knocking some dams down help? Today, in our continuing series on the Colorado River, we go to Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell to talk to some people who think so. Read the full transcript here. Host: “ The Times” senior producer...

For decades, Republicans across the country looked to California for conservative stars and ideas even as the GOP lost its way in the state. Not anymore. Today, we talk about how how Kevin McCarthy’s tortuous path to become Speaker of the House was yet another loud death rattle for the California GOP. Read the full transcript here.  Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times politics columnist Mark...