Imperfect Paradise

This episode first aired on July 24, 2024. One of Hollywood’s recent celebrities wasn’t a person, but a feline. The famed mountain lion made headlines in Los Angeles and nationwide. He became a household name for making his home in Griffith Park, right in the middle of L.A. But the overwhelming support for P-22 wasn’t enough to save him. LAist Correspondent Jill Replogle looks in...

A surprising performance art has taken off in Los Angeles – clowning – against the backdrop of an entertainment industry that has barely recovered after a lengthy strike . Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido and producer Victoria Alejandro look into the rise of clown culture in L.A., how Hollywood actors, writers and other creators found their way to it, and ask why this art form is resonati...

In what is one of the most consequential elections in modern US history, many high schoolers had to leave it to other adults to choose the next President, Donald Trump, which will directly impact their futures. Imperfect Paradise host Antonia, LAist K-12 Senior Reporter Mariana Dale, and LAist Studios producer Monica Bushman follow three Los Angeles high school students – progressive Lucia, modera...

Nathan Hochman defeated incumbent George Gascón in the Los Angeles County District Attorney race. Many see the outcome as a bellwether for the criminal justice reform movement nationwide. LAist Correspondent Frank Stoltze breaks down the LA DA race results and helps us understand what Hochman's decisive victory and Gascón’s loss means. Also,  Imperfect Paradise  host Antonia Cereijido speaks with...

As the country’s second largest group of eligible voters, Latino constituents will play a pivotal role in the upcoming election. As both parties try to capture and define the elusive “Latino vote,” Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido sits down with Republican strategist Mike Madrid to explore what Republicans and Democrats get wrong in their messaging, why Latino men have been drawn in by MA...

Marqueece Harris-Dawson is now one of the most powerful leaders in the city, as the new Los Angeles City Council President. He stepped into the position in September, two years after the council tape scandal shocked the city and the nation. Harris-Dawson speaks with Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido about the ongoing fallout from the scandal that could affect L.A.’s redistricting process,...

Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do has resigned and agreed to plead guilty for a conspiracy to steal millions of dollars in COVID relief funds meant to feed needy seniors. Do’s criminal charges and plea agreement follow an LAist investigation, which uncovered more than $13 million in public funds directed by Do to Viet America Society (VAS) without disclosing his daughter was a leader at the nonpr...

Artist, abolitionist, and co-founder of Black Lives Matter Patrisse Cullors shares her perspective on what's at stake in the 2024 election and reflects on the current state of the BLM movement. Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido’s conversation with Cullors is part of a series of interviews with notable Californians in the lead up to the election, in which they talk about a range of key issu...

In Butler’s latest book Who’s Afraid of Gender , renowned feminist and gender studies theorist Judith Butler maps out how the right has invoked a fear of gender ideology to galvanize their base. Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido sits down with Butler to discuss how they see this playing out in the U.S. presidential election and how they believe gender should be addressed at a societal and...

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón is locked in a tough reelection battle this November against Nathan Hochman. In candid, in-depth interviews with LAist Correspondent Frank Stoltze, Hochman and Gascón make the case for their differing approaches to running the country’s largest prosecutor’s office and differing views on criminal justice reform. Support for this podcast is made possible b...

George Gascón faces backlash from inside his own D.A.’s office and from the public. He’s become a national scapegoat  for right-wing media.  LAist Correspondent Frank Stoltze explores how Gascón’s policies have played out for people imprisoned, like Jose Santana, and families of victims. And Frank speaks to recalled San Francisco D.A. Chesa Boudin about his experience and whether the November elec...

George Gascón is unlike many prosecutors. His background and sweeping criminal justice policy reforms as Los Angeles District Attorney have made him a polarizing national figure. LAist Correspondent Frank Stoltze speaks with Gascón about his journey from hard-nosed LAPD cop to one of the most progressive prosecutors in the country and reports on the rebellion inside Gascón’s own DA’s office that b...

Voters elected Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón in 2020 on his promises to undo decades of mass incarceration, tackle what many viewed as excessive prison sentences, and to generally create a fairer system. LAist Civics & Democracy Correspondent Frank Stoltze explores the criminal justice system Gascón set out to change. He examines decades-old practices and the impact on the people...

In the podcast series Radiotopia Presents: Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative , host and producer Jess Shane questions the value of some basic tenets of documentary storytelling — guidelines we follow here at LAist — like, never pay your subjects, and don’t share editorial control with them.  The five-part series sparked so many conversations for us at LAist that Imperfect Paradise Antonia Ce...

This week, Imperfect Paradise brings you the first episode of Radiotopia Presents: Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative . In the series, host and producer Jess Shane questions the value of some basic tenets of documentary storytelling and explores what really happens when stories about people’s lives are collected, edited, and consumed.  Listen to the five-part series Radiotopia Presents: Shock...

LAist Correspondent Jill Replogle speaks with Ben Goldfarb, an environmental journalist, wildlife enthusiast, and author of Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet. They discuss how roads impact the wild animals in our midst, what wildlife crossings can do to mitigate that impact, and some of the other ecological solutions that are taking shape. Grow your business–no matter...

Jackie and Shadow are two beloved bald eagles who live in Big Bear, a ski town a couple hours northeast of L.A. They went viral in 2024, as people tuned in to a livestream of their nest to see if their eggs would hatch. Fans around the world became deeply attached to the lovebirds, obsessing over the couple’s devotion to each other and their eggs. For Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido, the...

The first deadly black bear attack in California’s history was confirmed recently in a small mountain town in Northern California. While wildlife officials say fatal bear attacks are rare, this recent death and growing encounters between bears and people underscore how high the stakes are as wild and urban worlds merge. LAist climate reporter Erin Stone takes a deeper look at bears through the len...

If the mountain lion is thought of as a celebrity, then, many would think of the coyote as a villain. LAist Correspondent Emily Guerin looks into why we vilify coyotes, what scientists actually know about them, and how they’ve adapted and thrived in some of the most urban parts of Southern California. Emily also explores the historic and cultural baggage that may inform people’s attitudes about co...

One of Hollywood’s recent celebrities wasn’t a person, but a feline. The famed mountain lion made headlines in Los Angeles and nationwide. He became a household name for making his home in Griffith Park, right in the middle of L.A. But the overwhelming support for P-22 wasn’t enough to save him. LAist Correspondent Jill Replogle looks into P-22’s stardom, people’s obsession with him, and what his...

This week, Imperfect Paradise brings you New Hampshire Public Radio's Outside/In .  In this episode, host Nate Hegyi and producer Justine Paradis explore the new space race and how it could impact our views of the Big Dipper. What if you were to look up at the sky and see more visible satellites than stars? What if the Big Dipper and Orion were drowned out by a satellite traffic jam, criss-crossin...

In 2009, Gloria Arellano de la Rosa was banned from re-entering the U.S. for ten years, finding herself separated from her four children and husband. But unlike Daniel Zamora, she didn’t remake her life in Mexico. Every day she waited to go home to the U.S. Fernanda Echavarri tells the story of what happens when Gloria finally returns to the States and reunites with her family.    Grow your busine...

Passing the Mantle is a new podcast from LAist Studios about family, curiosity and the things that change — and stay the same — across generations. In this first episode, Larry Mantle and his son, Desmond, 23, talk about their wide-ranging interests and shared drive to understand why things are the way they are, and discuss whether today's generation is as intellectually curious as Larry's peers i...

Unable to return to the U.S., Daniel Zamora struggles to build a life in Mexico, until a trip abroad suddenly upends his perspective. Lorena Ríos reports.  Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise Listen to Reimagining Democracy for A Good Life, hosted by longtime equity advocate Angela Glover Blackwell. Available no...

Passing the Mantle is a new podcast from LAist Studios about family, curiosity and the things that change — and stay the same — across generations. It's co-hosted by Larry Mantle, host of LAist 89.3’s AirTalk , the longest-running daily talk show in Southern California, and his son Desmond Mantle. Even though Desmond is in law school pursuing a different career, he shares his dad’s fascination wit...