Category: 1-HeadlineNews

Art Laboe’s voice filled Southern California airwaves for more than 70 years. But beyond being a beloved disc jockey whose show was eventually broadcast across the nation, Laboe spread a radical message of racial unity way before such messages became mainstream.

The prolific “Oldies but Goodies” radio legend died Oct. 7 of pneumonia. His death comes at a time when we need his message of tolerance more than ever. So today, a tribute to Art Laboe. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: TimesOC feature writer Gabriel San Román

More reading:

L.A.’s radio community pays tribute to Art Laboe, a legend and mentor: ‘End of an era’

Column: I’m playing an Art Laboe album to counteract the noxious vibe from L.A. City Hall

Art Laboe dies; his ‘Oldies but Goodies’ show ruled the L.A. airwaves

This week, the Los Angeles City Council made national headlines for all the wrong reasons. In a closed-door meeting, City Council President Nury Martinez made racist and disparaging remarks about colleagues to fellow council members, Kevin de León, Gil Cedillo and a well known labor leader.

The subsequent fallout has upended L.A. politics just before a crucial mayoral election. So now what? Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times reporter Benjamin Oreskes

More reading:

L.A. council members made racist comments in leaked audio. Read our full coverage

Breaking down crucial moments in the racist leaked recording of L.A. councilmembers

The fall of Nury Martinez: A blunt talker undone by her words

 

It’s hard to avoid Gov. Gavin Newsom these days, even if you don’t live in California. He frequently attacks other governors, lobs daggers at members of his own Democratic Party, and expounds on the “California way” when talking about everything from abortion access to combating climate change and more. All this action on the national stage has people asking, is Newsom low-key testing the waters for a presidential run in 2024? And if not, what’s his endgame? Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times columnist Mark Barabak

More reading:

Column: Is Gavin Newsom running for president? Or is he just desperate for attention?

Column: If Newsom sees himself as president, he should move into position to run. That’s what he’s doing

Newsom slams red state governors on D.C. trip, stoking speculation about his future

 

For hundreds of years, Mexican fermented drinks like tepache, tejuino and pulque were looked down upon by polite society. But a younger generation in Mexico has embraced them for their taste and curative powers.

Now, they’re having a moment in the United States — and becoming a multimillion-dollar industry. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times food editor Daniel Hernandez

More reading:

Foggy, fizzy, buzzy: Searching for the fermented drinks of Mexico on the streets of L.A.

Between heaven and earth, a spirited communion on Day of the Dead

Recipe: Homemade tepache

Mahsa Amini died Sept. 16 in Iran after an encounter with the country’s so-called morality police. Since her death, Iranians have taken to the streets in protest of the country’s modesty laws. But what began as a call for women’s rights in Iran has since ballooned into something so much bigger.

Today, we hear from the Iranian diaspora about why they’re protesting in solidarity. Read the full transcript here.

Host: L.A. Times podcast producer Asal Ehsanipour

Guests: L.A. Times diaspora reporter Sarah Parvini

More reading:

‘Woman, life, freedom’: L.A. protest over Iran draws thousands

‘Nothing to lose’: Iran’s protesters step up their defiance as a potential showdown looms

In protests over death of Mahsa Amini, internet is key to planning. Can Iran block access?

There’s a test used across Latin America to determine whether a baby was born dead or alive. And depending on the result, it could allow prosecutors to bring murder charges against mothers who might have had a still-born birth. And there’s an even bigger problem. This test is 400 years old and very unreliable.

Today, how the so-called flotation test is sending women to prison for killing their newborns, when they say that they’re innocent. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times foreign correspondent Leila Miller

More reading:

An unreliable 400-year-old test is sending mothers to prison for killing their newborns

Across Latin America, abortion restrictions are being loosened

Thousands of feminists march in Mexico City: ‘I am scared to simply be a woman in Mexico’

Brazilians are heading to the polls on Sunday to choose between two very different candidates: current president Jair Bolsonaro and a former one, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, more popularly known as Lula. The icon of the left spent years in prison on corruption charges but is now on the cusp of regaining the presidency.

Today, we talk about how that happened. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times Latin America correspondent Kate Linthicum

More reading:

Three years ago he was in prison. Now he’s poised to be Brazil’s next president

Echoing Trump, Brazil’s president prepares for election loss by declaring vote rigged

COVID-19 cautionary tales from India and Brazil

 

Alex Villanueva was elected as Los Angeles County sheriff in 2018 with support from progressives riding an anti-Trump wave. But since he took office, he has shifted to the right. His opponent in the November election, retired Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna, leads in the polls.

But at a time when issues surrounding law enforcement are part of a national conversation, how much do they differ? We talk about it, as we hear from both candidates at a debate this month. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times law enforcement reporter Alene Tchekmedyian

More reading:

Luna, Villanueva trade charges in antagonistic L.A. sheriff debate

Alex Villanueva thought his ‘Quien es más Latino?’ strategy would sink his opponent. Nope

Sheriff Villanueva in tight race as challenger Robert Luna has edge in new poll

Record heat. Record drought. Record floods. Record hail. Record bad air. In a world where climate disasters seem to break records every year, do records even mean anything anymore? And if not, then what’s next when it comes to measuring climate misery?

Today, we reconvene our Masters of Disasters to examine this existential question. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times wildfire reporter Alex Wigglesworth, L.A. Times energy reporter Sammy Roth, and L.A. Times air quality reporter Tony Briscoe.

More reading:

Destructive rain in Death Valley, flooded Vegas casinos mark a summer of extreme weather

As forests go up in smoke, so will California’s climate plan

California’s epic heat wave is over. Here’s what we learned

There are dozens if not hundreds of cases involving prosecutors using rap lyrics that are about crimes as evidence of actual crimes, even when there was no other credible evidence. But finally, the recording industry and California lawmakers are pushing to put an end to the practice.

Today, we talk about groundbreaking legislation that could limit how music is used as evidence in criminal court. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times columnist Erika D. Smith

More reading:

Column: America loves rap, not Black people. Don’t be fooled because this bill protects lyrics

Rapper ‘Tiny Doo’ and college student arrested under controversial gang law get day in court against police

San Diego council approves $1.5M payout to two men jailed under controversial gang law