California Love

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.

Discover the origins of rocketry in a new podcast from LAist Studios. Subscribe to "LA Made: Blood, Sweat & Rockets" wherever you listen to podcasts.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Save 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/ROCKETS

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. 

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?  

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.

Introducing "Snooze," a new show from LAist Studios about things people put off, how they conquer them, but most importantly, how they conquer themselves. In each episode, host Megan Tan, the Snooze Squad and guest celebrities will strategize an action plan for people like you and me to face our fears. Take a listen and subscribe to Snooze wherever you get your podcasts!

Snooze fans: go to HelloFresh.com/snooze16 and use code snooze16 for up to 16 free meals AND 3 free gifts!

Feals: become a member and get 50% automatically taken off your first order with free shipping. Feals.com/SNOOZE

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.

When it comes to invasive plants, tree of heaven is public enemy number one. This week on the show, we get to the bottom of its bad reputation. We’ll discover which parts are science, and which parts are straight up racism. 

Human Nature is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/nature

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.

Introducing Human/Nature, from LAist Studios, a podcast with a wild yet inspiring thesis: if you step outside and reconnect with nature in your own city, you’ll feel better, reconnect with yourself, and find your place in the world. This podcast will empower you to reclaim your attention. 

In Episode 1, host and nature activist Marcos Trinidad talks with Jenny Odell, an artist and author of the book, “How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy.” O’Dell talks about birdwatching, the repose of Oakland’s bustling Morcom Rose Garden and why seeing a Wilson’s Warbler always puts her in a good mood.

Human Nature is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/nature

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 close the series with a meditation on how 28 years after the 1992 Riots, for many in L.A., things feel exactly the same.