Category: 1-HeadlineNews

Weeks after the devastating fires, many in Altadena still lack access to clean drinking water. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is facing a wave of lawsuits and has responded by hiring a top law firm, at rates of up to $1975 an hour. Meanwhile, California is at the center of the H5N1 bird flu outbreak, raising concerns that some crucial communities are not being properly monitored. Wildfires have devastated the state this year, sparking a major battle over fire prevention. In Los Angeles, the housing crisis deepens, and now one city is facing a lawsuit over its plan to address it.

According to the CDC, bird flu infections in dairy cows are more widespread than previously thought. When flames erupted in the Pacific Palisades, fire crews took 18 minutes to arrive—but by then, it was too late. Now, former LAFD officials say at least 10 more engines should have been deployed in advance to patrol the area. Immigration raids may be coming to Southern California, and activists are preparing to fight back. Amazon is bringing 2,000 new jobs to the Inland Empire. Meanwhile, Elon Musk is facing a major legal battle, as California and more than a dozen other states sue the Trump administration over his role as the President’s personal budget advisor.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sparks controversy by opting not to require soil testing after the Eaton and Palisades Fires. Meanwhile, economic losses from the wildfires have soared past $250 billion, hitting the entertainment and tourism industries especially hard. Tensions between Canada and the U.S. are on the rise—could Canada really become America’s 51st state? California is also battling one of its worst flu seasons in years, with hospitalizations surging across the state. And in an unexpected success story, Compton Unified School District is earning praise for its remarkable academic turnaround.

Trans surfers are beginning to find community among themselves in a sport that too often isolates and even shuns them. 

Today, we hang out with some at the beach, to hear their joy and pain. Read the full transcript here.

Host: L.A. Times senior producer Denise Guerra

More reading:
Biden sports plan angers transgender advocates and opponents

Black surfers find moments of reflection, rejuvenation at ‘A Great Day in the Stoke’

For transgender kids, a frantic rush for treatment amid bans

In a live taping, three of our Masters of Disasters talk about how they got into covering catastrophes, why they continue to do it — and how they try to convey hope. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times earthquake reporter Rong-Gong Lin, L.A. Times wildfire reporter Alex Wigglesworth, and L.A. Times coastal reporter Rosanna Xia

More reading:

Read Rong-Gong LIn II’s stories here

Read Alex Wigglesworth’s stories here

Read Rosanna Xia’s stories here

After a decades-long decline in automobile fatalities, numbers began to go up with the dawn of smart phones. Laws banning use of cellphones while driving haven’t stopped the rise — and the dawn of smart cars seems to be making things worse.

Today, we talk about efforts to stop distracted driving — and why they don’t seem to work. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times auto industry reporter Russ Mitchell

More reading:

Highways are getting deadlier, with fatalities up 22%. Our smartphone addiction is a big reason why

‘We are killing people’: How technology has made your car ‘a candy store of distraction’

The DMV said it would investigate Tesla over self-driving claims. Then, crickets

“Trot” is a Korean music genre that has been around for decades. But in recent years, it has exploded in popularity in Southern California. The biggest fans? Immigrant seniors.

Today, we talk about trot’s history, staying power and role in the Korean American community. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times Asian American communities reporter Jeong Park

More reading:

K-Pop isn’t the only hot ticket in Koreatown — how ‘trot’ is captivating immigrants

Koreatown’s elderly immigrants find the lure of the casino bus a blessing and a curse

Club helps older Korean immigrants find their political voice

When Joe Biden won in 2020, he became the oldest president in U.S. history. If he runs again in 2024 and wins, he’ll beat own record. Is that a problem?

Today, we talk about the grumbles from Republicans and Democrats alike over Biden’s age. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times reporter Courtney Subramanian

More reading:

Column: Are Joe Biden and Dianne Feinstein too old to do their jobs?

Newsletter: Joe Biden, the bumbling old president who outwitted Republicans

‘What an old politician understands’ — Biden turns the age issue to advantage

Farmacias Similares is the largest privately owned chain of pharmacies in Mexico, and has a cute mascot — Dr. Simi — who is beloved across the country. What could possibly be wrong about this scenario? Many things.

Today, we talk about what the rise of Dr. Simi says about Mexico’s broken healthcare system. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times foreign correspondent Leila Miller

More reading:

Mexico promised healthcare for all. Its failure to deliver made this smiling mascot famous

El Dr. Simi es una estrella de TikTok. También es una muestra de la crisis del sistema de salud de México

"Foretold" is the newest podcast from the L.A. Times, and we're sharing the first episode with you here today. 

In the fall of 2019, reporter Faith E. Pinho received a tip from a woman named Paulina Stevens. Paulina claimed she had grown up in an insular Romani community in California, where she was raised to be a wife, mother and fortuneteller — until she decided to break away. That first call unraveled a story spanning multiple continents, hundreds of years, and complex metaphysical realities. 

 Follow "Foretold" to hear new episodes every Tuesday. 

Check out photos and more information about this episode. 

Read the episode transcript. 

Dive deeper: Our Romani cultural consultant's op-ed describing how her heritage fits into her own life.