Greater LA

By KCRW

Local

What's Greater LA about?

Host Steve Chiotakis connects you to the people and places of Southern California.

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This LA native produces mus...

01.26.2023

Rogét Chahayed’s work is nominated for six Grammys this year, including Album of the Year for Mary J. Blige’s “Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe).” That’s not bad for a kid from the valley. When you buy something that has an “organic” ...

Greater LA episodes:

01.26.2023 This LA native produces music for J. Lo, Mary J. Blige. Meet Rogét Chahayed Rogét Chahayed’s work is nominated for six Grammys this year, including Album of the Year for Mary J. Blige’s “Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe).” That’s not bad for a kid from the valley. When you buy something that has an “organic” ...
01.25.2023 1990s pirate radio station KBLT gets new reincarnation Sue Carpenter ran a pirate radio station called KBLT from her Silver Lake apartment in the late 90s. Now it’s been reimagined as an interactive experience. The Pacific Opera Project aims to make the arts more affordable and entertaining. Their ...
01.24.2023 How to get homeless count right? LA to try new app and more staff LA’s annual homeless count determines how resources get distributed to the region’s unhoused residents. But questions have been raised about its accuracy, and officials are making some changes. With LA’s COVID-era eviction rules expiring at the end of the month, ...
01.23.2023 Monterey Park shooting: Healing is possible, but will take a long time, says resident Families and community members are still seeking answers following the shooting at a Monterey Park ballroom dance studio after a Lunar New Year celebration. The City of Beverly Hills has been increasing its use of street-level surveillance, which concerns some ...
01.19.2023 SoCal solar industry’s future may be dimmer due to CA rule changes Rooftop solar is about to get more expensive, so local solar installers are busy but expecting tough days ahead. The Imperial Valley is known for agriculture. But some farmers there are switching from crops to solar panels, which would change ...
01.18.2023 Some unhoused Angelenos are now ‘Inside Safe.’ But will they get permanent homes? Mayor Karen Bass’s “Inside Safe” initiative has brought more than 100 unhoused people into shelters. But how fast permanent housing will materialize? Last year saw a decrease in women and underrepresented people behind the camera in Hollywood — following momentum ...
01.17.2023 LA seed bank works to save CA’s diverse plants from extinction The California Botanic Garden in Claremont has a Noah’s Ark of native plants. That’s where freezers preserve seeds from plants that might go extinct. Three people who were apparently experiencing mental health crises have been killed by the LAPD. Many ...
01.12.2023 As Bruce’s Beach sells for $20M, what’s the future of reparations? Unable to develop the land, the Bruce family decided to sell Bruce’s Beach back to LA County for $20 million. KCRW speaks to the attorney representing the family. California has created a reparations task force to study the history and ...
01.11.2023 Holocaust survivors who used Kindertransport finally reunite Two refugees who escaped Nazi Germany on the Kindertransport meet for the first time since 1939, recounting stories of how they left Europe as children. Ammon Bundy, an anti-government militant, started a national group that’s gaining traction in LA among ...
01.10.2023 Montecito faces record storm damage. When can evacuees return home? Heavy rains bring destruction to SoCal, and thousands of residents in Santa Barbara County remain stranded. President Biden declared a state of emergency. Where is the water coming from? Will it help alleviate the ongoing drought? New York publications often ...
01.09.2023 Can cheap e-bikes spark cycling in San Fernando Valley? An e-bike lending library hopes to get people out of their cars in the San Fernando Valley. But it’s an uphill battle. The wholesale price of gas is way down in most of the U.S. and Europe. So why are ...
01.05.2023 CA desert sees solar energy boom. How will it affect local plants, animals? Massive solar projects will help California reach renewable energy goals, but not without costs to fragile desert ecosystems. After years of advocacy from the community and professors, East LA College is introducing a new major in 2023: Central American Studies. ...
01.04.2023 Explosion of street medicine teams means good news for unhoused Angelenos Street medicine providers aim to meet — and treat — unhoused people where they are. And new state regulations are making it a lot easier for them to do that. Last year, the LA City Council passed an ordinance requiring ...
01.03.2023 Whittier Narrows Dam critically needs an upgrade to protect 1.2 million Angelenos Repairing the Whittier Narrows Dam was reclassified in 2016 from “high urgency” to “very high urgency” by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. If the dam fails, the damage could be catastrophic. With major infrastructure projects underway and a wave ...
12.22.2022 Power of a parent’s love on Christmas: Hear from KCRW listeners Three KCRW listeners share stories about their family relationships and special moments that happened on Christmas. For the first time in decades, the OC Board of Supervisors will soon be turning Democratic. But before the board changes hands in January, ...
12.21.2022 How Traci Park plans to rebuild Angelenos’ trust with City Council Traci Park joins the LA City Council at a time of turmoil and division. The moderate Democrat defeated a more progressive challenger, despite the council shifting left. During Hanukkah, Jews celebrate the miracle of oil, and cooking with oil is ...
12.20.2022 Downey Rose Parade float back on its wheels after 2 years of financial struggles After the pandemic led to financial troubles, Downey’s float returns this year to the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. It’s thanks to a community effort and beauty pageant fundraiser. People with properties worth over $5 million are trying to get ...
12.19.2022 Hangar anger: More private flights at Van Nuys Airport mean unhappy residents P-22, the mountain lion who lived alone around Griffith Park, was euthanized over the weekend. As people are mourning, what will happen with his remains and legacy? The U.S. economy shrank during the pandemic, but some industries thrived, including private ...
12.15.2022 At La Brea Tar Pits, glimpse into Ice Age LA The La Brea Tar Pits hold the largest collection of Ice Age fossils in the world. Now its grounds, museum, and research facilities are being reimagined. The Long Beach Ballet gets ready to perform ‘The Nutcracker’ for its 40th anniversary. ...
12.14.2022 Shopping on TikTok: Small brands gain customers among Gen Z Less is more on TikTok, where LA’s small brands gain customers by showcasing their personality on modest marketing budgets this holiday shopping season. Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks have made movies together in front of the camera. This year, they ...
12.13.2022 ‘Rome was burning’: Antonio Villaraigosa on LA in crisis Protestors interrupted the first meeting of the new LA City Council today, continuing a chaotic string of days for the city’s government. It’s part of a trend that worries local officials and even one former mayor of Los Angeles. LA ...
12.12.2022 Stopping street takeovers: Irwindale Speedway promotes safe racing Street takeovers have become a dangerous nuisance in California over the past few years. The owners of the Irwindale Speedway are trying to persuade the lawbreaking racers to get their thrills legally at the racetrack. As a result of a ...
12.08.2022 UC strike drags into finals week, causing confusion, academic disruption Students across the University of California system took final exams after weeks without instruction and feedback. How has the strike impacted them? Nikki Chase hosts the podcast “Adult Chicken.” It’s about escaping an abusive relationship and raising special needs kids ...
12.07.2022 Video games as a high school sport? It’s happening in LA Coach Gabriel Giangualano and junior Max Abrahamson are leading the St. John Bosco High School esports team. Ralph Lawler was the LA Clippers’ announcer for 40 years. Now he’s calling shots from the sidelines in a new memoir.
12.06.2022 Both officers and incarcerated youth fear for their safety inside LA’s juvenile halls Dire staffing shortages have led to frequent lockdowns and violence inside LA’s juvenile halls. Officers, advocates, and inmates are desperate for relief. The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) was founded in Torrance in 1964. Its success earned the South Bay ...
12.05.2022 Unhoused Angelenos are freezing as winter vouchers go unused LAHSA’s “reimagined” winter shelter program provides both beds and motel vouchers to unhoused Angelenos looking to stay warm. But fewer beds are being offered than ever, while many vouchers go unused. Photographer Lev Rukhin moved to LA in 2010 and ...
12.01.2022 Angeleno credits ketamine with helping her heal brain trauma A Los Angeles journalist with brain trauma turned to specialists who recommended ketamine treatment. It’s known as the party drug “special K,” but it gives her relief. A pajarete is a party and Mexican drink made of chocolate, coffee, high-proof ...
11.30.2022 LA’s independent perfume makers are drawing international attention The perfume industry is moving away from its commercial French roots to something a little more LA: more diverse, accessible, and artistic. Lindsey Horvath is the youngest woman ever elected to LA County’s Board of Supervisors, replacing Sheila Kuehl. She’ll ...
11.29.2022 Long Beach Mayor-elect Rex Richardson believes city must renew commitment to residents Decades ago, a legendary local soccer team called Hollywood United brought together expats from Europe, including rock musicians, movie actors, and even Milli Vanilli. Rex Richardson will be Long Beach’s first Black mayor. He wants to make the city a ...
11.28.2022 To save more water and create more renewable energy, turn to solar canals About 10% of the water shuttled through the LA Aqueduct gets lost to evaporation. To stop it, LA DWP wants to cover some of those miles of water with solar panels. Desalination of ocean water, long-considered too energy-inefficient and environmentally ...
11.23.2022 Your stories of cheer and jeer — on this Thanksgiving Eve The holidays are a time to be thankful for friends, family, and good health. Three Angelenos share their most unforgettable tales. Tony Tetro has forged pieces by Dalí, Caravaggio, and Picasso — and sold them to dealers who didn’t care ...
11.22.2022 Community schools: Will kids benefit from CA’s new education model? California is spending billions revamping traditional public schools as community schools, which offer families more support. Questions about whether they improve academic results and enrollment remain. The LA Auto show runs through Sunday, and these days, it’s all about electric ...
11.22.2022 Amid World Cup, LA can be a town of divided loyalties Supporting the hometown team in Major League Soccer is a no-brainer, but deciding which country to root for on the international stage can be trickier. Angelenos weigh in on the World Cup in Qatar. Activists say OC Animal Care, a ...
11.17.2022 Can Hugo Soto-Martinez help make LA City Council more progressive? LA City Councilmember-elect Hugo Soto-Martinez credits his South LA-based upbringing, union organizing, and time studying criminology at UC Irvine for giving him a different perspective on housing and policing. Susan Straight wrote a love letter to SoCal with “Mecca,” her ...
11.16.2022 Homeless veterans sue VA for failing to deliver on housing promise in West LA A group of 14 unhoused veterans in Los Angeles have filed a civil rights lawsuit against the VA, alleging the federal agency is depriving them of housing. LA is home to many cultures and traditions that share a common thread: ...
11.15.2022 Facing eviction, ‘Reclaimers’ of El Sereno fight to stay Two years after they fought for the right to live in vacant, state-owned houses in El Sereno, a group of activists are facing eviction. They hope to stay in the houses for good. Democratic State Senator Sydney Kamlager has been ...
11.14.2022 How to think about family planning amid climate crisis? The birth rate is the lowest it’s been in U.S. history. Meanwhile, climate change is a growing reason why Gen Zers and millennials are not having kids. SNAP, hosted by Deirdre O’Donoghue, premiered on KCRW in 1982 and ran through ...
11.11.2022 In gentrifying neighborhoods, how to open a new restaurant responsibly? Restaurant and coffee shop owners are aware they are often seen as gentrifiers. Some are taking steps to avoid behaviors that can accelerate displacement. California’s Three Strikes Law is still in effect. But since 2012, “non-serious” and “non-violent” felonies have ...
11.09.2022 Why does LA take so long to count votes in midterm elections? It could take weeks to get official results of the midterms. KCRW looks at where candidates stand in key California House races, and the battles for LA’s next mayor and sheriff. At Soapbox Sessions Open Mic in Tarzana, performers practice ...
11.09.2022 How election officials are fighting conspiracies and skepticism Voting early, in person, by mail, or a dropbox are overseen by registrars. These officials are facing lies and conspiracies about voter fraud, plus safety threats. How are officials increasing transparency?
11.07.2022 How to teach kids the gravity of climate crisis — without dystopian fears Experts say the best way to teach kids about the climate crisis without scaring them is to talk about it more, discourage doomscrolling, and find hope to share. KCRW looks at the mayoral race in Anaheim, Measure K in Costa ...
11.03.2022 Proposition 31 could smoke out flavored tobacco sales Proposition 31 aims to ban the sale of almost all flavored tobacco in cigarettes, vapes, and enhancers in California. Visoth Tarak Ouk grew up in Long Beach’s Cambodia Town and joined a gang. He later found his way off the ...
11.02.2022 Dia de Los Muertos: Creating altars, finding peace at Hollywood Forever The Hollywood Forever cemetery held its annual Dia de los Muertos celebration on Saturday. The event features altars that must be built in 24 hours. Losing your wallet can lead to someone stealing your identity and opening bank accounts in ...
11.01.2022 Boosting affordable housing: Will Angelenos approve 2 new ballot measures? Measures ULA and LH both aim to increase LA’s stock of affordable housing in different ways: with new tax funds and a new license to build. The proliferation of politically slanted “news” outlets across the country is leading to a ...
10.31.2022 Cemetery front yard, ghoulish props: See Halloween home transformations Every year, Angelenos transform their homes into spine-chilling Halloween displays. SoCal Haunt List catalogs hundreds you can visit for free — if you dare. KCRW brings you three spooky, real-life stories from around SoCal, as told by listeners Catherine Lydon, ...
10.27.2022 Currently or formerly behind bars? LA nonprofit offers music job skills Give a Beat is a nonprofit that trains incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people to be DJs and engineers in the music industry. Co-founder Lauren Segal talks about their programs. Four of the 15 LA City Council districts seats are up ...
10.26.2022 Encore: How do Caruso, Bass respond to criticisms on homelessness? Mayoral candidates Rick Caruso and Karen Bass defend their plans of quickly moving tens of thousands of unhoused people indoors if elected. To cover new shelter beds and rental vouchers, they plan to turn to the feds. More than 80 ...
10.25.2022 ‘Something in Common’: Californians unite over food, sports, weeds An exhibit at the Central Library in downtown collects memorabilia of LA social groups — from scuba divers to microscope lovers — for a glimpse into the many ways Angelenos make community. LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva faces a different ...
10.24.2022 LA school board elections: What’s at stake, who’s running School board elections affect LA Unified’s half-million students, and powerful players spend big bucks on their chosen candidates. Who are they? What began as a protest of Mahsa Amini’s death has grown to over a month of political outcry within ...
10.20.2022 Born & Razed: What’s the future of business, immigration, culture for Olvera Street? Olvera Street is an LA tourist attraction that’s been around for 92 years. When it turns 100, will any of its legacy businesses still be here? After meeting Cesar Chavez in the 1970s, Father Luis Olivares adopted a more radical ...

Older episodes

Greater LA

What's Greater LA about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Greater LA episodes:

This LA native produces music for J. Lo, Mary J. Blige. Meet Rogét Chahayed

1990s pirate radio station KBLT gets new reincarnation

How to get homeless count right? LA to try new app and more staff

Monterey Park shooting: Healing is possible, but will take a long time, says resident

SoCal solar industry’s future may be dimmer due to CA rule changes

Some unhoused Angelenos are now ‘Inside Safe.’ But will they get permanent homes?

LA seed bank works to save CA’s diverse plants from extinction

As Bruce’s Beach sells for $20M, what’s the future of reparations?

Holocaust survivors who used Kindertransport finally reunite

Montecito faces record storm damage. When can evacuees return home?

Can cheap e-bikes spark cycling in San Fernando Valley?

CA desert sees solar energy boom. How will it affect local plants, animals?

Explosion of street medicine teams means good news for unhoused Angelenos

Whittier Narrows Dam critically needs an upgrade to protect 1.2 million Angelenos

Power of a parent’s love on Christmas: Hear from KCRW listeners

How Traci Park plans to rebuild Angelenos’ trust with City Council

Downey Rose Parade float back on its wheels after 2 years of financial struggles

Hangar anger: More private flights at Van Nuys Airport mean unhappy residents

At La Brea Tar Pits, glimpse into Ice Age LA

Shopping on TikTok: Small brands gain customers among Gen Z

‘Rome was burning’: Antonio Villaraigosa on LA in crisis

Stopping street takeovers: Irwindale Speedway promotes safe racing

UC strike drags into finals week, causing confusion, academic disruption

Video games as a high school sport? It’s happening in LA

Both officers and incarcerated youth fear for their safety inside LA’s juvenile halls

Unhoused Angelenos are freezing as winter vouchers go unused

Angeleno credits ketamine with helping her heal brain trauma

LA’s independent perfume makers are drawing international attention

Long Beach Mayor-elect Rex Richardson believes city must renew commitment to residents

To save more water and create more renewable energy, turn to solar canals

Your stories of cheer and jeer — on this Thanksgiving Eve

Community schools: Will kids benefit from CA’s new education model?

Amid World Cup, LA can be a town of divided loyalties

Can Hugo Soto-Martinez help make LA City Council more progressive?

Homeless veterans sue VA for failing to deliver on housing promise in West LA

Facing eviction, ‘Reclaimers’ of El Sereno fight to stay

How to think about family planning amid climate crisis?

In gentrifying neighborhoods, how to open a new restaurant responsibly?

Why does LA take so long to count votes in midterm elections?

How election officials are fighting conspiracies and skepticism

How to teach kids the gravity of climate crisis — without dystopian fears

Proposition 31 could smoke out flavored tobacco sales

Dia de Los Muertos: Creating altars, finding peace at Hollywood Forever

Boosting affordable housing: Will Angelenos approve 2 new ballot measures?

Cemetery front yard, ghoulish props: See Halloween home transformations

Currently or formerly behind bars? LA nonprofit offers music job skills

Encore: How do Caruso, Bass respond to criticisms on homelessness?

‘Something in Common’: Californians unite over food, sports, weeds

LA school board elections: What’s at stake, who’s running

Born & Razed: What’s the future of business, immigration, culture for Olvera Street?