News Reports Podcast

News Reports

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1830 episodes

Interested In Worm Composting? Here's How To Get Started

Worm composting became especially popular during the pandemic, but it's never too late to get in the dirt.

1m
Dec 09
Keeping It Local: LA County Taking Steps To Capture Stormwater

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors took steps to implement the new LA County Water Plan https://lacountywaterplan.org/Plan#thePlanSection, oriented towards improving our water resilience as the climate continues to change. Securing our water supply: A big part of the plan is to make local water safer to consume, and to become less reliant on imported water. One of the big goals: To double the amount of stormwater the county captures each year to 300,000 acre feet, by 2045.

59s
Dec 06
Community College Can Often Be A Fresh Start. For Author Reyna Grande, It Was A Lifeline

An English professor convinced her that she had a story worth telling — and the capacity to write professionally.

4m
Dec 06
LA Mayor Promised To Fast-Track Affordable Housing. But Plans Near Single-Family Homes Have Stalled

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass took office last year with a big promise: she would get new affordable housing projects approved much faster across the city. But since then, her administration has stalled nine projects proposing more than 1,400 low-income apartments. 

4m
Dec 06
Legacy Little Tokyo Restaurant Suehiro Cafe Will Close Its Doors Next Month

For half a century, Suehiro Cafe has been a Little Tokyo staple popular with local seniors and downtown workers alike. But it’s been facing the threat of eviction for months. January 16 is the date agreed to in court by Suehiro and its landlord, who wants to make the space available for a new tenant. The restaurant owner’s Kenji Suzuki, who was on a month-to-month lease, said he had wanted to stay open at least that long he could at least keep his workers employed through the holidays. Suzuki’s struggle to stay in Little Tokyo has become emblematic of the changes facing the historic neighborhood. Little Tokyo activists say rising rents and land values have only been accelerated by the arrival of a new Metro station. They’re calling on the city to help preserve legacy businesses like Suehiro, which they say give the neighborhood its character. A rally in support of Suehiro will be held Sunday afternoon outside the Little Tokyo Metro station.

53s
Dec 06
LA County Overdose Deaths In 2022 Climb To More Than 3,200

Fentanyl, a dangerously potent synthetic opioid, has surpassed methamphetamine for the first time to become the most common drug in fatal overdoses in Los Angeles County, authorities said. A record 3,220 people died of drug overdoses in Los Angeles County in 2022. That’s a nearly 7% increase from 2021, when 3,010 people died of drug overdoses in the county.

56s
Dec 05
LA's Hate Flier Proposal Aimed At Anti-Semitic Messaging Raises First Amendment Concerns

First Amendment advocates are raising concerns about a Los Angeles proposal to use anti-littering laws to outlaw mass dissemination of antisemitic fliers that have appeared in some city neighborhoods.

1m
Dec 05
Concerned About Your Winter Gas Bill? This Text Service Could Help

While SoCalGas isn’t expecting huge increases like last winter, it’s trying to help customers avoid any surprises.

1m
Dec 05
After Surviving Pandemic, Little Tokyo Mainstay Now Faces Eviction

On Tuesday, the eatery is scheduled to have an eviction hearing Tuesday. Suehiro’s owner Kenji Suzuki says his landlord Anthony Sperl last year asked for a $100,000 rental renewal and raised the monthly rent from $6,400 dollars to $10,000, then stopped cashing rent checks and started eviction proceedings. Suzuki, whose mother opened the restaurant in 1972, said at first he stayed quiet about his eviction woes. But as patrons and activists expressed outrage and concern about the loss of Little Tokyo businesses like his to the pandemic and gentrification, he changed his mind.

58s
Dec 05
How Shopping Local This Holiday Season Can Help The Environment

As the holiday season approaches, it becomes imperative to recognize the intricate connection between environmental justice and our shopping habits, particularly in the context of supporting local businesses. While the surge in online shopping during this time may seem convenient, it is important to continue to acknowledge the environmental repercussions of this trend. The most clear consequences of e-commerce can be seen in the construction of over 1 billion square feet of warehouses in the Inland Empire. The subsequent increase in emissions from long-distance transportation exacerbates existing environmental inequalities, disproportionately impacting marginalized communities. This realization of global commerce underscores the significance of embracing a shift towards local shopping, not only to mitigate environmental harm but also to promote economic equity within communities.

3m
Dec 04
JANM DEMOCRACY CENTER HAS A NEW NAME

The Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo has renamed its Democracy Center after the late Daniel Inouye, the first Japanese American elected to both the House and the Senate. The Democrat from Hawaii served on congressional committees investigating the Iran-Contra and Watergate scandals. The renaming marks a new era for the center. Upcoming programming and lecture series focus not just on democracy but race, civil rights and the arts. 

56s
Dec 01
Vietnamese American Community Reacts to Controversy Surrounding Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do

An LAist investigation into Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do is creating waves in the Vietnamese American community.  ANDREW DO IS THE COUNTY’S MOST POWERFUL VIETNAMESE AMERICAN OFFICIAL KNOWN FOR MENTORING *OTHER* VIETNAMESE AMERICAN CONSERVATIVES. BUT HIS ABILITY TO SERVE IS NOW BEING QUESTIONED.   

1m
Nov 30
USC Acquires A Half Century Of Archives From Premiere Latino Journalist Advocacy Group

For more than 50 years, the California Chicano News Media Association-California Latino Journalists participated in the rise of Latinos in journalism in California and the United States.

1m
Nov 30
Get Moving, Long Beach College Students: Applications For City Corps Due Soon

The paid fellowship prioritizes students from Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State Long Beach, and Long Beach City College.

1m
Nov 29
California Makes Strides Toward Improving HBCU Transfer Pathway For Community College Students

This fall, California made it easier for community college students to transfer to out-of-state Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

1m
Nov 29
What You Need To Know When Bass Says She Has Housed 17,000 Angelenos

Mayor Karen Bass says her administration has housed “about 18,000” unhoused Angelenos since she came into office. That means she’s kept her campaign promise of housing 17,000 people in her first year. LAist Civics and Democracy producer Brianna Lee has more.

54s
Nov 28
With Evictions On The Rise, LA Lawyers Volunteer To Defend Tenants

With evictions rising https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/las-expiring-covid-protections-raise-fears-of-an-eviction-crisis-for-many-renters-the-crisis-is-already-herelos-angeles-county-eviction-covid-pandemic-protections-moratorium-landlord-renter-housing-homelessness as the city of Los Angeles peels away https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/los-angeles-city-covid-19-rent-debt-august-1-repayment-deadline-landlord-eviction-tenant-housing-homelessness pandemic-era tenant protections, more tenants are going to court without an attorney. To try to meet demand, new efforts are underway to get lawyers from some of the city’s top law firms to help out.  The Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles https://www.mayorsfundla.org/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA6vaqBhCbARIsACF9M6lXQVslpZj_V2-bHkRFwhEbeWWky0FC6CnPr1e4MKG5HjPQuk16yy4aAoP4EALw_wcB, a nonprofit that supports homelessness prevention priorities outlined by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, has so far recruited about 200 lawyers through an initiative launched in October to increase pro bono eviction defense aid across the city. 

1m
Nov 27
Millions Of Fruit Flies Are Being Dropped On LA. Here's How They're Raised

Los Angeles is currently under quarantine from mediterranean fruit flies that were detected in October. To help combat their invasion, the county will be dropping millions of sterile fruit flies each week over the area. LAist science reporter Jacob Margolis visits the facility at the forefront of our battle against these invasive pests.

3m
Nov 27
An Interview With Author Caroline Paul

LAist host Sharon McNary interviews Caroline Paul on her upcoming book, "Tough Broad: From Boogie Boarding to Wing Walking - How Outdoor Adventure Improves Our Lives as We Age.”

3m
Nov 24
LA County Wants To Compensate Incarcerated People Caring For Peers Living With Mental Illness

The county worked to expand its jail mental health assistants program. Now it wants to incentivise the program for incarcerated people. LAist's Robert Garrova has more.

53s
Nov 23
Thanksgiving’s ‘Largest Potluck’ Is Still Feeding Those Who Don’t Have A Home To Go To, 26 Years Later

A local non-profit is serving tens of thousands of Thanksgiving meals Thursday to people who don’t have a home to go to. LAist reporter Makenna Sievertson has the details.

40s
Nov 23
Service Dog Program Gives LA Veteran A Reason To Give Thanks

This Thanksgiving, one veteran in L.A. says he’s eternally grateful for his very special dog. LAist’s Robert Garrova has more.

56s
Nov 23
Demolition Underway Of Fire Damaged OC Blimp Hangar

After a fire that burned 11 days destroyed an historic wooden hangar, excavators have moved in to begin tearing it down. 

47s
Nov 22
LA Latinos Took A Big Financial Hit During The Pandemic. Here’s How Some Are Trying To Bounce Back

LA’s Latinos were hit hardest by the pandemic. This included financial hardship like income loss and the costs of illness. Now, as inflation soars, financial recovery has been tough. A few local schools, after hearing stories of extreme belt-tightening from parents, have brought Spanish-language financial literacy classes to campus in hopes of helping their families recover. We attend one of these in Bell and hear from parents trying to get back on their feet, and from experts who can put what they’re facing in perspective and offer a way forward. We have USEFUL FINANCIAL ADVICE that multi-generational families can relate to.

3m
Nov 21
Child Poverty Rises Post Covid

Poverty increased most sharply among California families with young children in 2022 as many pandemic-era policies ended, according to a new analysis by the California Budget and Policy Center.

1m
Nov 21
'In Every Life': The Children's Book About Wonders, Hopes, And Hard Times

This is a season where kids and adults alike might be looking for a little comfort. As part of our holiday gift guide series, LAist K-12 education reporter Mariana Dale has a picture book that could help. 

58s
Nov 21
Changing Situations, Family Stress: The Children's Book 'Only For A Little While'

As part of our holiday gift guide series, LAist K-12 education reporter Mariana Dale got recommendations for books that kids— and adults— could relate to. Here’s more on one of those titles. It’s called "Only For A Little While."

1m
Nov 21
At Santa Monica College, Students Rethink Trash — And Their Careers

Santa Monica College's recycling and resource management program is among a growing list responding to the climate emergency's impact on the economy.

4m
Nov 21
3 Tips For A Food Poisoning-Free Thanksgiving

Take it from doctors, Thanksgiving can be dangerous. Raw poultry can have salmonella and other bacteria that can cause miserable GI symptoms - and ruin the holiday. Dr. Lello Tesema offered some food safety tips to keep everyone around the table healthy.

55s
Nov 21