Headlines From The Times

This summer, some of the biggest names in music decided that we all need to dance. Drake, Beyoncé, Charlie XCX, Bad Bunny — they all departed from their usual styles to create albums inspired by a genre called house music. Today, we talk about how house music became the sound of liberation and why it’s back and more mainstream than ever. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests...

Today, we offer episode 2 of “A Line in the Land,” from our friends at Texas Public Radio and the Houston Chronicle. It’s a podcast that explores the human story behind the Haitian immigration journey. On this episode, hosts Elizabeth Trovall and Joey Palacios try to answer the question of why many Haitians went to Chile after Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake. And what happened to those refugee...

Last week, Nancy Pelosi became the first House Speaker  in a quarter century to visit Taiwan. China viewed Pelosi’s trip as a direct challenge. As tensions over the self-governed island ratchet up, Taiwan is preparing for war. But are its people ready?

Jennifer Coolidge has a career full of memorable roles, from the “American Pie” franchise to the “Legally Blonde” series and the mock documentaries of Christopher Guest. But it wasn’t until her role in HBO’s hit “The White Lotus” that she finally earned critical respect. Today, Coolidge talks about her life and career — and what’s next. Read the full transcript here. Hosts: Mark Olsen and Yvonne V...

Vin Scully was the broadcaster for the Dodgers baseball franchise for 67 years, from its time in Brooklyn through its move to Los Angeles. In the process, he not only became a sports legend; he became a summer soundtrack for generations of fans in Southern California and beyond. Today, we remember the life and legacy of Vin Scully. Read the full transcript here. Host: Former fellow for The Times,...

On the U.S.-Mexico border, where San Diego ends and Tijuana begins right next to the Pacific Ocean, there’s a place called Friendship Park. It opened over 50 years ago and was meant to be a symbol of the binational community that stretches across the border. Friendship Park eventually became an unlikely place for poignant cross-border reunions. But since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Friends...

We bring you episode 1 of “ Line in the Land ,” a new podcast from Texas Public Radio and the Houston Chronicle that explores the human story behind the Haitians traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border in search of a better life. Read the full transcript here. Hosts: Joey Palacios with Texas Public Radio, and Elizabeth Trovall with the Houston Chronicle. More reading: Inside the brutal 10,000-mile jou...

On July 16, Gabriella Walsh carried out a decision months in the making; a process involving her loved ones and medical providers. She drank a fatal dose of medication prescribed under California’s so-called death-with-dignity law, which allows some terminally ill patients to request drugs to end their lives. Today, we tell the story of Walsh, and hear her talk about why she decided to end her lif...

Monkeypox is on the rise, and now officially considered a global health emergency. Cases in the U.S. number in the thousands and only took a week to double here in Los Angeles. The viral disease has, so far, mostly affected the LGBTQ community, but anyone can get it. So how worried should we be? Today, we talk about what to know and answer listener questions. Read the full transcript here. Host: G...

A drought has drained the reservoirs that provide most of the water for 5 million residents who live around Monterrey, the financial capital of northern Mexico. The crisis has sparked widespread upheaval. Anger is mounting at government officials who allow the region’s factories to continue pulling water from the strained aquifer via private wells while some residents are left without water for da...

The Jan. 6 House subcommittee investigating the events of that day have poured through thousands of hours of videos. But during the hearings, the public also got a sneak preview of even more moments caught on tape — from a documentary that tells the events of the U.S. Capitol insurrection through a behind-the-scenes view of Donald Trump. Today, we’re talking with documentary filmmaker Alex Holder...

It’s Emmy season, so we’ve got another episode of the “Envelope” for you. This time, it’s an in-depth conversation with Gillian Anderson, who plays Eleanor Roosevelt in “The First Lady.” Anderson talks about how Eleanor Roosevelt was the brains behind the FDR presidency, the focus on Roosevelt’s loving relationship with journalist Lorena Hickok in “The First Lady,” and why it took her some time to...

Beyoncé is getting ready to bring the world her seventh studio album this Friday. Rumors are already swirling about what genre she’ll showcase, what themes she’ll explore and more. We already got a hint with the single “Break My Soul,” which has popped across dance floors all summer. Even if you’re not part of Beyoncé's Beyhive counting down the days until the album release, it’s hard to deny that...

Remember this number: 988. The new three-digit hotline is now the 911 equivalent for mental health emergencies. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people in the U.S., according to the National Institute of Mental Health . And experts say the pandemic, racial violence and political unrest are behind an uptick in suicides across the country. That’s why last weekend’s launch of th...

When the annual Glastonbury music festival happened this year, performers openly criticized on stage the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, which happened that same week. It recalled a similar movement nearly 30 years earlier, when feminist rock groups started Rock for Choice and rallied a generation to fight for abortion access. Today, the history of that movement — and whether it can happen again. Rea...

It’s Emmy season, so we’re dropping another episode of our sister podcast, the “Envelope." Today, an in-depth conversation with actor Simone Ashley.  Ashley has always been a fan of the romance genre, but before being cast as Kate in “Bridgerton,” playing the lead in a period drama seemed improbable to her. “I never imagined that a woman who looked like me could be a part of one,” she says. In thi...

In 2018, the L.A. Times began to follow Mckenzie Trahan, a pregnant homeless woman living in Hollywood. Over the next four years, a Times reporter, photographer and videographer tracked Trahan’s life as she tried to find housing and become a mom. Today, we hear about her journey. Read the full transcript here.  Host: L.A. Times photographer Christina House More reading: Pregnant, homeless and livi...

So many disasters, so little time. And it’s the same group of people on the front lines, year after year. What happens when they get tired? Today, our Masters of Disaster talk about burnout among firefighters, scientists, doctors and the people we trust to take on the biggest calamities nature throws at us — as well as how to hold on to a little hope. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo A...

He’s animal royalty in the City of Angels; an ambassador for conservation and for the random beauty this megalopolis offers. But P-22 is also a poster boy for something sadder. The mountain lion is thought to be about 12, and nearing the end of his life. He’s an eternal bachelor, cut off from the rest of his species and a symbol of what’s left of LA’s once-incredible ecosystems that are just barel...

It’s Emmys season, and the “Envelope” is here for it. So once a week for the next couple of weeks, we’re going to feature an episode of our sister podcast in “The Times.” First up: Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, who recently wrapped up their much-beloved Netflix series, “Grace and Frankie.” In this episode, the duo laugh and cry with us while reflecting on their decades long friendship, their mutual...

For over a year, L.A. Times entertainment reporter Stacy Perman tried to track down Lora Lee Michel, a former child star whose custody case scandalized 1940s Hollywood. Michel went through a string of marriages — and then disappeared. In Part 2 of our miniseries, Perman finds out Michel’s shocking fate. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times entertainment reporter...

Throughout the history of Hollywood, child entertainers have consistently clashed with their parents and guardians who manage their money and lives. The stories of kid stars like Britney Spears and Gary Coleman are well known. But long before them, was child actor Lora Lee Michel. In the 1940s, Michel became a famed Hollywood actress at age 7, working alongside screen legends like Humphrey Bogart...

Lawmakers want California to eliminate the state’s carbon footprint altogether by 2045. They’re taking all sorts of steps to get to that ambitious goal; from phasing out gas-powered engines in new cars and lawnmowers to electrifying home stoves. But there’s an even bigger plan ahead, one that environmental experts say could derail it all. Today, we talk about California’s plan to pump carbon gas i...

In the 5 months since Russia’s invasion, the American public’s attention has turned back to problems at home — and US President Joe Biden hasn’t gotten a good grade for his handling of them. But last week, he was able to lead major policy breakthroughs at the NATO and G7 summits. Today, can President Biden’s push to spread democracy abroad help him deal with various crises back home? Read the full...

Randall Emmett had built a career for himself in Hollywood over the past decade as a producer of schlocky action films featuring cameos of iconic actors like Bruce Willis and Al Pacino. But in recent years, he was at the cusp of finally gaining mainstream respect. He had a recurring role on the reality TV hit “Vanderpump Rules” and produced Martin Scorsese’s last two films. But a Times investigati...