LA Made: The Barbie Tapes

Part 7: Looking For Community? Go Find Your 'Church' 

How To LA is back with our series on How NOT To Be Lonely in LA.

Today we explore the connection between religion…or lack thereof…and loneliness.

For decades, Americans relied on their church, temple or mosque, or other religious institutions, for a sense of built in community. But with more and more people disaffiliating from organized religion in recent decades — particularly since the 90s — we, as a society, haven't really found a replacement for those spaces, and the community and sanctity that comes with them.

Today, producer Megan Botel speaks to USC professor of religion Diane Winston about what has been lost on a personal and community level in the decline of religiosity. She also explores the Pico Union Project, a non-denominational church in L.A. that might offer a solution to some who are looking to find a place to gather with people and share in some sense of spirituality. 

Guests: Diane Winston, professor of media and religion at USC; Craig Taubman, founder and artistic director of the Pico Union Project; Ross Chait, talent booker at the Pico Union Project.

LAist Correspondent Emily Guerin gives us insights into the making of The Gen Z Water Dealmaker series. In this bonus episode, Emily speaks with Luke Runyon, the co-director of The Water Desk at the University of Colorado-Boulder's Center for Environmental Journalism about how she thought through the series that follows the epic negotiation over the Colorado River's future during the current historic water crisis.

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Listen to Reimagining Democracy for A Good Life, hosted by longtime equity advocate Angela Glover Blackwell. Available now at policylink.org/reimagining-democracy or wherever you get your podcasts

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

Revival House says goodbye for now with a look at one of the biggest programming groups in town, the American Cinematheque. 

Celebrating their 40th anniversary this year, screening 1500 movies a year in three iconic theaters across Los Angeles, the American Cinematheque has a movie for everybody, every night of the week. In this episode, How To LA producer Victoria Alejandro jumps into the history of these movie theaters and this programming group to shine a light on a little L.A. moviegoing history and spotlight the future of the American Cinematheque in this city.

Check out our deep dive into the Egyptian Theatre's history and reopening here:  https://omny.fm/shows/howtola/revival-house-the-egyptian-theater-redux

Guests: Professor and historian Ross Melnick, American Cinematheque artistic director Grant Moninger, Programmers Imani Davis and Cindy Flores, Senior Film Programmer Chris Lemaire

Host Antonia Cereijido speaks with negotiations expert Victoria Medvec about how to make the best possible deal. Medvec also helps  identify ways the Colorado River water rights representatives could still change tactics and reach an agreement before time runs out.

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Listen to Reimagining Democracy for A Good Life, hosted by longtime equity advocate Angela Glover Blackwell. Available now at policylink.org/reimagining-democracy or wherever you get your podcasts

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

JB Hamby and the other lead negotiators on the Colorado River have to come up with a long term solution to manage the river in the face of climate change. Will they reach a deal before it’s too late? 

LAist correspondent Emily Guerin examines how JB's position on water has dramatically evolved since he first won office a few years ago. She brings us back to the current water negotiations as the conflict between the Upper and Lower Basins becomes very public, and JB struggles to convince Imperial Valley farmers that they need to cut back.

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Part 6: Connect To Yourself — And Others — Through Dance 

We're back with another episode in our How Not To Be Lonely in L.A.series. 

Brian is out but, today, How To LA producer Megan Botel takes over the mic and explores these questions: What does it mean to connect to yourself, and why is it important for warding off feelings of loneliness? How do you do it? And in a group setting? 

One way is to do the things you loved as a kid and connect with that "inner child."  For Megan, that was ballet, so we are checking out Studio A, a funky little dance studio tucked behind the Hyperion Arts Building in Silver Lake. 

Guests: Cati Jean, dance instructor and choreographer at Studio A; Cat Moore, director of belonging at USC, dance student. 

For more on the importance of moving in sync with others while connecting to oneself, read her LAist article here: https://laist.com/news/how-to-la/in-a-social-funk-pickleball-dance-and-other-physical-group-activities-could-be-a-solution

Go back to the movies with us!

It's heating up in the city, so Revival House continues with a classic of spring and summertime in L.A. — a film at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Run by Cinespia, you can picnic and catch a revival film on the iconic grassy knoll. What keeps people coming back year after year? What's the history of it all? Listen along to find out.

Learn more about the cemetery tour here: https://www.cemeterytour.com/

Find more about Cinespia here: https://cinespia.org/

Guests: Cemetery tour guide Karie Bible, Cinespia founder John Wyatt.

Japanese American Incarceration. The Third World Liberation Front. The 1992 Los Angeles Uprising. What you think you know isn’t always the full story. Inheriting is a show about Asian American and Pacific Islander families that explores how the past is personal. Hosted by NPR’s Emily Kwong, we go deep with families on how their most personal, private moments are part of history.

How can I support?Inheritingis entirely funded by supporters like you. If you want to hear future seasons of Inheriting, donate at LAist.com/Inheriting and click on the orange box to help us make Season 2.

JB Hamby is the dealmaker from California, and at 28 years old, he’s the youngest and least experienced among the representatives from the seven states involved with the Colorado River water negotiations. LAist correspondent Emily Guerin explores the beginnings of Hamby’s understanding of water growing up in the Imperial Valley, a desert farming area in California.

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The Colorado River is in the midst of one of the worst water crises in recorded history. Climate change and overuse are taking a significant toll. Seven states, including California, must compromise and reach a solution to prevent the river from collapsing.

In late 2023, the tensions were running high between the major players in the water world as they convened at the annual Colorado River conference in Las Vegas. LAist Correspondent Emily Guerin was there, seeking to learn as much as she can about the people with the most power on the river.

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She Has A Name is set against the backdrop of the drug epidemic in 1980s Detroit. The new podcast hosted by NPR's Tonya Mosley blends elements of investigative journalism and memoir to tell a story about loss and redemption, mending broken family ties, and the trauma experienced by countless individuals who've lost loved ones to violence.

Listen to all episodes of She Has A Name from APM Studios and Truth Be Told Presents here. 

CONTENT WARNING: This episode of She Has A Name includes discussion of some heavy topics, including murder and other acts of violence. Listener discretion is advised.

For support and resources, please visit:

Project Cold Case
National Organization for Victim Assistance
VictimConnect Resource Center

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Part 8:

Adolfo finds new information about the night Oscar died, and has to have a difficult conversation about what really happened to Oscar.

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Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Part 7: 

Adolfo learns about the dangers of Santa Barbara’s bluffs and gets a second opinion on Oscar’s death report. 

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussions about fatal injuries and suicide.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers services to talk to a skilled counselor. If you are feeling distressed and need to talk to a counselor, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or visit https://988lifeline.org/.

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Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Go back to the movies with us!

We're still profiling LA's repertory theaters in Revival House cause there are SO MANY to check out! In this episode, we explore a cool space with some deep, messy history.

Fashion label Brain Dead has taken over a site that some would consider....a little cursed. Originally opened in the 1940s as The Silent Movie Theater on Fairfax, the venue was home to premieres and parties. Until a theft and murder shut the theater down.

In the 2000s, it was taken over by Cinefamily, which programmed in that space until allegations of abuse came to light in 2017.

But today, Brain Dead Studios is keeping the lights on for nerds, artists, and skate punks in Los Angeles -- aiming to create an eclectic community space to inspire creatives and show good movies. Take a listen as we explain the history and present of this theater.

Guests: Professor and historian Ross Melnick, Brain Dead founder Kyle Ng  

Part 6:

Adolfo reckons with his own relationship to his past and the Chicano student movement. And he finds someone who may have clues about what happened the night Oscar died. 

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Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Part 5:

Was Oscar going to leave the Chicano student movement? Adolfo discovers new information about Oscar’s last months. 

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Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

We're back with another episode of Revival House, but this time we're not heading to a 100 year old theater...

The David Geffen and Ted Mann theaters at the Academy Museum of Motion Arts and Pictures are a new addition to L.A's revival programming. In this episode, we explore what the theaters, which only opened in 2021, have to offer our city's moviegoing landscape. And hopefully, we demystify what seeing a movie here is actually like! (Did you know that tickets are only $10? And no, they don't just show Oscar winners.)

In this episode, How To LA producer Victoria Alejandro sits in the red velvet seats of the David Geffen theater with Academy Museum Director of Programming, K.J. Relth-Miller, to talk community access, screening trends, and the power of movie theaters.

If you're curious about the Academy Museum, you can check out our other LAist Studios series, The Academy Museum Podcast here.

Guests: Academy Museum Director of Programming K.J. Relth-Miller 

Part 4:

Adolfo finds a briefcase with information that could lead to clues about Oscar’s death. 

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This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Part 3:

Adolfo gets his first lead on a person possibly involved in Oscar’s death.

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Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

In our next installment of our series on How Not To Be Lonely in LA, we’re covering all the ways moving in synchrony together promotes closeness. Really, it’s just an excellent way to make friends.

Luckily in LA, there are unlimited amounts of classes, courses, leagues and clubs one can join based on your particular interests. Whether it’s a dance class, sports league or a mixed martial arts training, there’s literally something for everyone.

How To LA producer Megan Botel discovers why moving in what’s called "behavioral synchrony" is so good for connection, and learns about how one really popular activity in L.A. is bringing people together.

Guests: Sana Kim Davis, marketing director at Santa Monica Pickleball Center; Jamie Krems, assistant professor of psychology at UCLA; Micah Mumper, Longbeach resident and pickleball fan

Revival House is breaking format for this episode, and we’re saying goodbye to a historic first-run movie theater.

The Highland Theatre in Highland Park was one of the only movie theaters in Northeast LA. A designated historic cultural monument, the exterior will remain intact, but its future is uncertain. 

In this episode, How To LA producer Victoria Alejandro chats with host Brian De Los Santos about community memories, the history of the theater, and what might be next…

Links we mentioned in this episode:

Eastsider LA

Los Angeles Theatres

Guests: Highland Park Independent Film Festival co-founder and executive director, Marita De La Torre; historian and film professor Ross Melnick, and local employee Denise Hernandez

Part 2:

Adolfo learns that there was a dark side to Oscar’s experience in the Chicano student movement. 

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Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Imperfect Paradise: The Forgotten Revolutionary, the 2022 podcast from LAist Studios, has been optioned by Participant and is simultaneously being developed as a scripted and documentary limited series. 

Part 1:

Oscar Gomez was a star of the 1990s Chicano student movement and then, unexpectedly, he died. A rattling event in host Adolfo Guzman-Lopez’s life spurs him to investigate Oscar’s death. 

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Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

As we continue our series "Revival House," How To LAproducer Victoria Alejandro is taking us to the South Bay of LA. We're checking out the Gardena Cinema, which pivoted to revival screenings relatively recently. 

The theater has been owned by the Kim family since 1976, and is now a non-profit run by Judy Kim and a team of 40 volunteers. Kim has saved the cinema from closures a handful of times now, and has also built up an incredible community of folks dedicated to keeping the cinema running. 

Join us as we explore this theater's past and future. 

Guests: Theater owner Judy Kim and volunteers Adela Tobon, Bill DeFrance, Cifen, and Conor Holt.

Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido is joined by LAist Senior Health Reporter Jackie Fortier and Higher Education Correspondent Adolfo Guzman-Lopez to break down their investigation into why many students and faculty across California's public universities don't know that medication abortion is mandated on their campuses. This is the latest LAist Investigates episode on Imperfect Paradise that highlights reporting from our newsroom.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode includes first-hand description of an outpatient abortion procedure.

For additional information and resources, you can visit https://abortion.ca.gov/

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Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

Part 3: Building A Music Community To Feel Less Alone

For the next installment of our finding community series, we're talking music! 

Writer's 'Round LA is a Nashville-style, singer-songwriter showcase and hang for artists and non-artists alike. Think a 60s or 70s era Laurel Canyon open mic night. Good vibes all around.  

Today, How To LA producer Megan Botel explores how people are creating strong connections and building community through groups like Writer's 'Round LA. 

Guests: Greg Gilman, singer, songwriter for Greg in Good Company and founder of Writer's 'Round LA; Kat Hamilton, curator for Writer's 'Round LA and singer-songwriter. 

Here are the musicians you heard in the episode, check them out! 

Leah Ashton, listen to her latest album here.

Erica Dawson (who has a show coming up). 

Dylan Kanner, who played the open mic. Check out his dreamy music. 

Greg In Good Company, check out their new single, "Home."

Part 4: Why Are Men So Lonely These Days?

For the next installment of our series on How to Not Be Lonely in LA, we're honing in on one demographic: Men.

In all the conversations we’ve been having with people about loneliness and human connection...be it with experts or every day Angelenos …this theme kept coming up:

In a nation in the midst of a loneliness epidemic, A LOT of people are lonely. But men, typically, are the loneliest. 

Today, How To LA producer Megan Botel speaks to experts in the male experience to unpack the reasons why men tend to be lonelier than women, the importance of male friendships, and how men can create meaningful connections.

Guests: Richard Reeves, writer, professor and president of the American Institute for Boys and Men; Shannon Carpenter, author of the book The Ultimate Stay-At-Home Dad. 

If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs immediate help, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or visit the 988 website for online chat.

Neon! Mullets! Video stores! Relive the 80s with us...

As we continue our series "Revival House," How to LAproducer Victoria Alejandro is taking us to Eagle Rock to check out Vidiots. The iconic video store opened in Santa Monica in the 80s, and closed its doors in 2017. But, Vidiots reopened last year in the historic Eagle theater. And yes, all of its 60,000 DVDs made the move too.

Vidiots has made renting a movie cool again – and you can check out any DVD in their massive catalog for just $3.

And, the renovated theater will be hosting screenings as part of the new Los Angeles Festival of Movies this coming April. 

Check out the past and present of Vidiots and the Eagle theater with us.

Guests: Executive director Maggie Mckay, founding member and filmmaker Noah Segan, programmer Saila Reyes, and film professor and theater historian Ross Melnick.

Part 4: Half a year after Star Garden reopens as a union club, the dancers are still negotiating a contract. LAist producer Emma Alabaster brings you the latest. Plus, some of the dancers have set their sights on a different dream: a worker-owned cooperative strip club. 

Here are some resources that informed our reporting:

For more resources 

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As we continue our series "Revival House," How to LA producer Victoria Alejandro is taking us to The New Beverly Cinema over in Fairfax, where movies are always on film.

The theater, owned by Quentin Tarantino, has a long history as complex as LA's. Join us as we explore the building's history and discover what makes it a special place to catch a double feature today. 

Guests: Theater and operations manager Jules McLean, projectionist Danielle Wakin, and film professor and theater historian Ross Melnick. 

Part 3: The Star Garden Topless Dive Bar reopens as a union strip club, but the fight doesn’t end there. What happens after the victory? LAist Producer Emma Alabaster has the story.

Here are some resources that informed our reporting:

Click here for more resources 

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Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

How To LA is kicking off a new 10-part series we’re calling Revival House.  We are going to take you inside these spaces — the vintage spots and some newer ones — to explore their past and their present…and help you connect with some indie theaters in YOUR neighborhoods.

Our guide is How to LA producer Victoria Alejandro.our Los Feliz girly who loves to explore entertainment and the arts in LA. 

In this episode, Victoria is taking us to a midnight movie at the historic Nuart Theatre.

The Nuart Theatre's art deco marquee lights up Santa Monica and Sawtelle — so head west with us to a screening of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and discover cult cinema past and present. 

Guests: Austin Fresh and Nina Minnelli, performers in the Nuart's "Rocky Horror" shadow cast; longtime, retired Nuart film programmer Mark Valen; president of Landmark Theatres Kevin Holloway; and theater historian Ross Melnick.

Read her love letter to LA's indie theaters: https://laist.com/news/how-to-la/revival-house-movies-hollywood-essay

Part 2: When the Star Garden strippers go public with their union campaign, they get pushback from the club’s management and a group they didn’t anticipate - other strippers. LAist Producer Emma Alabaster reports.

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From LAist Studios, How to LA producer Megan Botel explores how people are dealing with feelings of loneliness – which have recently been declared a nationwide epidemic by the U.S. Surgeon General – and how some Angelenos are dealing with it by creating communities and finding new connections in the city.
Through this series, we explore the depths of these feelings for people in all walks of life. And dig into how folks are easing these feelings by creating connections and all sorts of communities around the city.
To kick it off part one, we speak to loneliness expert Cat Mooreto understand and, in many ways, re-define our understanding of how loneliness is experienced. We'll also cover specific ways to begin building community.
Guest: Cat Moore, Director of Belonging at the University of Southern California
If you are struggling with your mental health, please reach out for help and check out these resources.

Part 1: In 2023, North Hollywood’s Star Garden reopened as the only unionized strip club in the U.S. LAist Producer Emma Alabaster tells us the behind-the-scenes story of the workplace conditions that pushed the dancers into action. 

CONTENT WARNING: This episode includes sensitive content about sexual assault.

For sexual assault and harassment support and resources, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673, which is a service of RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network).

For more, visit https://LAist.com/ImperfectParadise

Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/donate

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Imperfect Paradise Host Antonia Cereijido speaks with philosopher and author of Elite Capture: How The Powerful Took over Identity Politics (And Everything Else) Olúfemi O. Táíwò. They examine the question: are identity politics over? It’s a question that was raised and we began to explore with Imperfect Paradise’s Nury & The Secret Tapes series. Antonia examines that question more deeply with Táíwò and presses him on why he believes identity politics have failed to deliver on their promise to create greater social equity and what he thinks is the more effective political alternative. Antonia’s conversation with Táíwò kicks off the first Imperfect Inquiry, a recurring Imperfect Paradise segment in which Antonia interviews thinkers, experts, and stakeholders on themes, issues, and questions that we examine on the show. 

For more, visit https://LAist.com/ImperfectParadise

Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/donate

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Imperfect Paradise: Yoga's "Queen of Conspiracies": Part 4: RFK Jr. - The Presidential Candidate for Wellness Conspiracists?
A year after Yoga’s “Queen of Conspiracy Theories”first release, Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido explores a new, unexpected chapter in this story with Conspirituality podcast host Matthew Remski, Politicojournalist David Freedlander, and LAist Correspondent Emily Guerin, who reported the series. This episode examines how the conspiracy theories, once relegated to a subset of yoga and wellness communities, are being brought into the political mainstream through the presidential candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is campaigning on a mix of conspiracies from both the wellness world and the far right.

For more, visit https://LAist.com/ImperfectParadise

Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/donate

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Part 3: Kundalini Yoga’s #MeToo Moment
In early 2020, just as fears about coronavirus are worsening, women begin accusing the founder of Kundalini Yoga, Yogi Bhajan, of sexual assault. Guru Jagat’s surprising response sets the stage for her radicalization during the pandemic.

CONTENT WARNING: Mentions of Sexual Assault

(Original Air Date: Jan. 18, 2023) 

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Part 2: Kundalini Royalty
Katie Griggs, a young woman from rural Maryland, discovers Kundalini yoga in her early 20s and goes all in. She transforms herself into Guru Jagat, a beloved and controversial yoga and wellness influencer in Los Angeles. In this episode, her friends, family, and coworkers grapple with how she changed in the final years of her life. And we explore the connections between yoga and conspiracies like QAnon.

(Original Air Date: Jan. 11, 2023) 

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Before her sudden death in 2021, Guru Jagat had become a famous Kundalini yoga teacher based in Los Angeles. But as the global pandemic grew, she started talking like a far-right coronavirus conspiracy theorist. What does her journey down the rabbit hole tell us about the appeal of conspiracies in the yoga and wellness community?

Yoga's "Queen of Conspiracy Theories"explores Guru Jagat’s rise to fame and follows along as she responds not just to the pandemic, but to a #metoo movement scandal that rocked the Kundalini yoga world in early 2020. It also explores themes of misinformation, how a healthy distrust in government and medicine can turn dark, the "relativism around truth" in the wellness industry and the influence of social media on radicalization.

The series first came out in December 2022. We're republishing it because it's one of our favorites and remains relevant. We've updated the series with a fourth episode.

In this first episode, Guru Jagat starts the pandemic with an understandable skepticism of official medical advice, but quickly grows to embrace an array of far-right conspiracy theories. 

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Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

This week, Imperfect Paradise is featuring Part 3 & Part 4 of a four-part series from How To LA. 

HTLA host Brian De Los Santos and producer Evan Jacoby are taking a closer look at L.A. Mayor Karen Bass's "Inside Safe" program. They also recap some of the big questions we've asked throughout the series, and bring a new question to many of our guests from the previous episodes: "What should the relationship be between mutual aid volunteers and government agencies?"

If you want to learn more about mutual aid in Los Angeles, check out Evan's reporting on LAist.com

Or, if you want to learn about mutual aid groups in your neighborhood and maybe join them, check out these resources:

Los Angeles: 

National:

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains strong language and includes sensitive content about drugs, rape, suicide, and death.

For substance dependency and mental health support and resources, call SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or text 988.

Guests in Part 3: Nono, unhoused resident of an Inside Safe motel in Palms; Nick Gerda, LAist Unhoused Communities Reporter; LA Mayor Karen Bass; Councilmember Kevin de León of Council District 14; Councilmember Nithya Raman of Council District 4; Hawk, U.S. Veteran & Skid Row Resident

Guests in Part 4:Aria Cataño, founder of WaterDrop LA; Ndindi Kitonga, founder of Palms Unhoused Mutual Aid (PUMA); Councilmember Nithya Raman of Council District 4; Benjamin Henwood, PhD, professor of social policy and health at the University of Southern California

Music in Part 3 episode composed by:Chris Schlarb, Dexter Thomas, Evan Jacoby, Geir Sundstøl, Meitei, Ricky Eat Acid, Woo

Music in Part 4 episode composed by:Dexter Thomas, Evan Jacoby, Ill Considered, Meitei, Nala Sinephro, Ricky Eat Acid

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This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

This week, Imperfect Paradise is featuring Part 1 & Part 2 of a four-part series from How To LA. 

Unsheltered life in L.A. can be dangerous and even deadly — and there has been a massive increase in the death rate for unhoused people in the county over the last few years.
There is work being done by the mayor’s office to get people off the street and into temporary housing. But the promise of services — whether in the form of housing, treatment for substance addiction, or mental health counseling — cannot help if people aren’t alive in 6 months, a year — or 5 — to receive them.
While they wait, many unhoused people have come to rely on mutual aid volunteers to cover their immediate needs, from overdose prevention to fresh drinking water.
In this mini-series from How To LA, host Brian De Los Santos and producer Evan Jacoby explore what these mutual aid groups actually do for our unhoused neighbors, and where these service gaps come from in the first place.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains strong language and includes sensitive content about drug overdose and death.

For substance dependency and mental health support and resources, call SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or text 988.

Guests in Part 1:Ndindi Kitonga, founder Palms Unhoused Mutual Aid (PUMA); Jesse Goldshear, volunteer with PUMA and postdoc researcher studying public health at the University of California, San Diego; Aria Cataño, co-founder of WaterDrop LA; Sade Kammen, volunteer with WaterDrop LA and social worker in Skid Row

Guests in Part 2:LA Mayor Karen Bass; Councilmember Kevin de León of Council District 14; Councilmember Nithya Raman of Council District 4; Hawk, U.S. Veteran & Skid Row Resident; Sade Kammen, Volunteer With WaterDrop LA; Nick Gerda, LAist Unhoused Communities Reporter

Music in this episode composed by:Chris Schlarb, Dexter Thomas, Evan Jacoby, Floating Points, Geir Sundstøl, Ill Considered, Imaginary Softwoods, indiegamemusic.com, K. Leimer, Laurie Spiegal, Nala Sinephro, Laurie Spiegal, Meitei, Ricky Eat Acid, Woo

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Part 4: What’s the history behind the on and off-stage gender dynamics in Western magic? And what impact did the summer of 2020 have on the field of DEI? Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido explores these questions with magic historian Margaret Steele and Amber Johnson, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff of the Division for Equity and Inclusion at UC Berkeley.

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Part 3:  Carly Usdin is at risk of getting kicked out of the Magic Castle. Plus, after 2020, the Magic Castle makes changes to address issues of inclusion, including setting up a Diversity and Inclusion Committee. LAist Senior Producer Natalie Chudnovsky explores how the Castle’s promises to do better pan out, several years later. 

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Part 2: Once inside the iconic members-only Magic Castle, queer hobbyist magician Carly Usdin starts to become disillusioned with the club. LAist Senior Producer Natalie Chudnovsky dives into how this comes to a head in 2020, when the Magic Castle faces allegations of racism and sexism. 

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Part 1: When Carly Usdin moved to Los Angeles, they became obsessed with getting inside its iconic members-only club for magicians, the Magic Castle. LAist Senior Producer Natalie Chudnovsky tells the story.

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Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido is joined by LAist reporter Elly Yu for a special single episode of LAist Investigates, the first of many to come episodes dedicated to one of our newsroom’s investigations. Elly breaks down the history and reality of treatment that led to the “warehousing” of mental health patients in nursing homes across California.

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Part 4: LAist Correspondent Emily Guerin and Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido explore how and why Sadie and Eddie Martinez’s accuser, Katie Sorensen, went viral with her false accusation, plus how mom-fluencers can spread conspiracies. With insights from “Momfluenced” author Sara Peterson.  

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#SadieMartinez #ImperfectParadise #LAistStudios

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Part 3:  The white woman who falsely accused a Latino couple of attempting to kidnap her kids faces an investigation and goes on trial after her accusers fight to hold her accountable. Can the same criminal justice system that so-called Karens abuse be used to bring them to justice? LAist Correspondent Emily Guerin reports.

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Part 2: When a Latino couple, Sadie and Eddie Martinez, is falsely accused by a white woman of attempted kidnapping, their lives are upended as the accusation goes viral. LAist Correspondent Emily Guerin examines how the police’s investigation takes an unexpected turn and how the dark corners of the internet may have influenced the couple’s accuser. 

CONTENT WARNING: Sensitive subject matter 

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This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Part 1: Sadie and Eddie Martinez, a Latino couple, were falsely accused of attempted kidnapping by a white mom-fluencer in Petaluma, California. LAist Correspondent Emily Guerin tells us about Sadie’s quest to hold her accuser accountable, amid the “Karen phenomenon” when multiple white women were caught in viral videos falsely accusing people of color of crimes.

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In the year since the L.A. City Council tape scandal, a lot has changed.

Efforts are underway to reform the redistricting process. Nury Martinez and Gil Cedillo are gone from the council. Only Kevin De León remains. Progressive shifts in the council are influencing its policies, and new elected members are working to forge a new way forward in L.A. This is the last episode of Nury & The Secret Tapes.

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Host Antonia Cereijido presses former L.A. City Council President Nury Martinez to account for the racist, hurtful comments she made on the secret recording that rocked Los Angeles and led to her resignation.

CONTENT WARNING: Sensitive subject matter. 

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Before the L.A. City Council tape scandal, Nury Martinez, the former council president, was known as a champion of working class immigrants. After, she became the poster child of anti-Blackness and colorism in the Latino community. Host Antonia Cereijido examines how Nury's upbringing influenced her politics and the divisions that emerged within the council under Nury's leadership, leading up to the secretly-recorded conversation.

Listen to Imperfect Paradise.

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We take you behind the scenes of the L.A. City Council tape scandal, a year later. The secret recordings of the conversation among four of the city’s most powerful Latino leaders making racist, derogatory insults – exposed thorny, unresolved issues of race and politics. Host Antonia Cereijido explores those issues and speaks with the people who were most affected by the tapes, including former councilman Mike Bonin. And for the first time since resigning, former L.A. City Council President Nury Martinez breaks her silence.

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This podcast is supported by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.*

“Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes” tells the story of the biggest political scandal in recent Los Angeles history. A secret recording leaked online in 2022 exposed then-LA City Council President Nury Martinez making racist and derogatory remarks. A year after the scandal and her resignation, Nury breaks her silence in an exclusive interview with LAist.

From LAist Studios, “Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes,” coming September 27, 2023.

We are excited to announce LAist Studios' award-winning narrative podcast "Imperfect Paradise" relaunches in September as a weekly show with Antonia Cereijido as our host!  Be sure to follow and subscribe to "Imperfect Paradise" wherever you get your podcasts. 

From LAist Studios: "Imperfect Paradise", new weekly episodes coming September 27th. 

Until 1980, Barbie was always white. Mattel had made Black dolls before, but they were sidekicks to the brand’s main character with facial features that didn’t really distinguish them from the other dolls.

In this bonus episode of The Barbie Tapes, we’re bringing you the story of the first Black doll to have the name Barbie as told by WNYC Studios correspondent Tracie Hunte. Tracie speaks with Kitty Black Perkins, Mattel’s first Black designer who brought her own style and preferences to the task of creating the doll. We also hear from Lagueria Davis, director of Black Barbie: A Documentary, on what her research taught her about Mattel’s early efforts to be more representative.

Listen to more of “Notes From America with Kai Wright” from WNYC at www.notesfromamerica.org

This episode was produced by Alana Casanova-Burgess, mixed by Mike Kutchman of WNYC and hosted by Tracie Hunte, who you can follow on Twitter @traciehunte.

In this episode, Ruth and Elliot Handler are gone, and the new Mattel team, led by a man who feared the volatility of the toy business, diversified the company and made a big gamble on electronics. It didn’t work. Fortunately, Barbie ends up in the sure hands of some trailblazing women executives, who could see that the culture was moving in a direction very compatible with Barbie’s persona. From the workforce to the workout, Barbie was a doll of her times.

This podcast is supported by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

For Barbie, the cultural upheaval of the 60s and 70s incites one identity crisis after another as Mattel tries to keep up with the times. On top of that, she has a new boyfriend to deal with. Ken's creation is a big hit for Barbie fans, but he’s facing a few growing pains of his own. In this episode, we investigate Ken's origin story, delve into the inner workings of Mattel, and hear how Barbie's inventor, Ruth Handler, was ousted from her own company.

This podcast is supported by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

When Barbie arrives on the toy scene in 1959, her celebrity is instantaneous, and not just because of her controversial appearance. Worldwide, Barbie is still the best-selling doll of all time. But Barbie has always been more than just a doll - she's a cultural touchstone. From prototype to prestige, this episode kicks off the origin story of Barbie as told by her creators in their own words.

This podcast is supported by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

Season 2 of “LA Made” tells the true story of the making and marketing of the most famous doll in the world, Barbie, told by the people who did it. We’ll hear from Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler, who spent years trying to convince her own company to make a teen aged fashion doll.

From LAist Studios, “LA Made: The Barbie Tapes,” coming July 6, 2023. 

It's been more than 50 years since an American has set foot on the moon, or even gotten close to it. But on Monday, NASA named the four astronauts who will crew the upcoming Artemis II mission. One of the astronauts selected, Victor Glover, a Southern Californian from Pomona graduated from Ontario High School in 1994 and went on to study engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo before enlisting in the Navy in 1999 to become a pilot. Glover is the first African American assigned to a lunar mission and says of the experience, “This is well beyond my wildest dreams.”

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What is it about gazing at the stars that inspires humans — including our very own Suicide Squad — to attempt the impossible? And what is it about sunny Southern California that inspires them to do it here? In this episode we find out.

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We go inside the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and get a tour that’s not available to the public: watching technicians build spacecraft with Kobie Boykins, hanging out with Nagin Cox at the Mars Yard, and demystifying a campus famous for its secrecy.

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Frank Malina’s legacy has often been eclipsed by flashier figures in American aerospace (like Jack Parsons and Werner Von Braun). But in this episode, we’ll show how Malina’s work paved the way for modern spaceflight — and the future missions of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

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When Jack Parsons dies in an explosion, conspiracy theories foment. Was it murder by a disgruntled ex-cop? Assassination by the US government? In this episode we wrestle to make sense of both the circumstances surrounding Parsons' death and the legacy he left behind. 

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After WWII, the U.S. hired and promoted Nazi aerospace engineers in a program called Operation Paperclip — yet it drove away its own rocketeers, Malina and Tsien, for alleged communist activity. In this episode, we unpack that paradox. 

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While Frank Malina escaped the worst of the FBI's treatment, Suicide Squad member Tsien Hsue-Shen was not so lucky. This episode chronicles the shocking story of how the United States wound up losing one of its most brilliant minds in rocketry to China. 

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Malina leaves behind military work and brings his idealism to a new life and a new organization: UNESCO, in Paris. Back in the US, the FBI fumes, arrests Sidney Weinbaum, and makes every attempt to extradite Frank Malina… 

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Horrified that his new rocket design will become the vehicle for a nuclear warhead, Malina leaves JPL… just in time for the Red Scare to ramp up. Malina flees to France, but the FBI is hot on his trail. And one of Malina’s former Aerojet colleagues seems more than happy to tell them about Malina’s communist past.

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Jack Parsons’s involvement in sexmagick threatens his position at Aerojet. And his troubles at home reach a breaking point when a red-haired, thirtysomething science fiction writer named L. Ron Hubbard walks into his world… and catches the eye of Jack’s girlfriend.

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Women trailblazers in aerospace often weren’t credited — including one woman who accomplished critical work with the Suicide Squad: Barbara Canright. This episode explores her contributions, as well as those of two other women pioneers in the field.

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While Frank Malina struggles with the militarization of his work, Jack Parsons is not so bothered. Instead, he's having the time of his life enjoying the Squad’s success and giving in entirely to hedonism and Sexmagick. It's all fun and games until the FBI starts investigating.

Episode 5 will launch January 10th.

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Frank Malina is wracked with inner conflict over working for the military. His calls for scientific advancement for the purpose of bettering humanity fall on deaf ears, which leads him to embrace a political philosophy that the US government is increasingly hostile towards.

The semi-successful Halloween test earns the squad some legitimacy and some money. Without consistent funding, though, the Suicide Squad breaks up before they've really gotten started. Until the U.S. government is caught off guard by the Nazis’ technological advancements and decides it needs to accelerate its own rocketry production — fast. 

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Meet the Suicide Squad: Jack Parsons, Frank Malina, and their crew. They're a band of young engineers, chemists, and mathematicians who saw the limitless potential of aerospace before the field was even a field. In an effort to earn credibility, the squad plans a dramatic experiment — a critical proof of concept — to showcase a technology they believe could be the future of humanity. Will it succeed — or fail spectacularly?  

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From NASA sending astronauts to the moon to billionaires launching themselves into space, there’s something about the cosmos that inspires people to attempt the impossible. But none of those things might have happened if it weren’t for a group of unsung engineers in Pasadena back in the 1930s. They risked it all for the sake of blowing stuff up and changing the world. They were known as the “Suicide Squad.” This is their story.