The LA Podcast

Episodes

March 29, 2021 Episode 167

A brutal week culminates in the forced removal of the unhoused community at Echo Park Lake amid hundreds of LAPD officers and almost as many arrests. And freelance reporter CERISE CASTLE returns to talk about her multi-part series for Knock LA on deputy gangs within the LA County Sheriff’s Department.

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March 22, 2021 Episode 166

COVID cases are way down: is it okay to wonder if the pandemic over? Unrest over the Hollywood Community Plan. Five people shot by LAPD in four days, and an unsettling criminal charge against a journalist. Joe Buscaino enters the race to be Mayor, and a candidate files to replace him on City Council. And ISAAC BRYAN, co-chair of the Measure J campaign and candidate for Assembly District 54, joins to talk about the ongoing struggle to reallocate resources to alternatives to policing.

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March 15, 2021 Episode 165

COVID numbers keep dropping and vaccine eligibility expands. A report documents LAPD’s response to the May and June protests against police brutality. And Alissa and Scott debate whether or not they should be freaking out about Gavin Newsom’s recall election.

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March 8, 2021 Episode 164

LA is about to enter the red tier — what does it mean for dining, movies, and especially schools? The City Council overrides a veto in a contentious meeting. The stimulus package dumps billions of dollars on local budgets. And the concrete industry is trying to sneak a really bad motion onto the city books.

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March 1, 2021 Episode 163

Guest host J.T. The L.A. Storyteller (@JIMBO_TIMES) joins the show. One year of COVID — what will things be like six months from now? The fallout from last week’s interview with Cerise Castle and KCRW’s response. Metro goes over budget on policing and pushes back on restoring bus service.

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February 22, 2021 Episode 162

Schools can now reopen… but will they? Some confusing and clarifying words from the Mayor on Project Roomkey. DA George Gascon seeks information on officer misconduct. Is Patrick Soon-Shiong selling the LA Times? Councilmember Nithya Raman changes course. And freelance reporter CERISE CASTLE joins the show to speak up about her experiences working at KCRW and their new #MyBlackLA project.

KCRW was not contacted for input or comment prior to publishing.

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February 15, 2021 Episode 161

More controversy over vaccine prioritization! A little (but not enough) momentum for expanding Project Roomkey! What’s the deal with the LAPD union’s new deal? And the major crisis at the Employment Development Department.

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February 8, 2021 Episode 160

What kind of issues is LA experiencing with vaccine distribution? What’s up with this debate on building preservation right now? Why did the police union finally decide to make a deal to delay their raises? Who’s raising the most money in city races, and from where? And LAUSD Board President KELLY GONEZ joins the show to talk about the recent threat by a Councilmember to sue the district to reopen, and what it’s going to take to make schools safe for kids and teachers.

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February 1, 2021 Episode 159

With deaths still at record highs, are we looking at the other side of the surge? Newsom’s new rules on vaccinations, outdoor dining, evictions, and rent relief. Non-non-violent protest at Dodger Stadium. A former City Councilmember is sentenced to prison. And a big win at the Metro board meeting.

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January 25, 2021 Episode 158

It rained! COVID hospitalizations and tests are falling, but CA’s vaccine rollout is now the worst in the country. What are the ethics of vaccine chasing? And is there actually a new strain? New FEMA guidelines open a path for Project Twomkey. Mitch Englander is about to be sentenced, and the developments Huizar greased get approved in PLUM. Finally, Culver City Vice Mayor and State Senate candidate DANIEL WAYNE LEE joins to talk about Culver City’s unique role as a laboratory for equitable housing policy in the 2020 election.

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