Greater LA

A movement to bring tenant protections Southeast LA started with conversations about a very different topic: family planning. James Kim’s new fiction podcast “You Feeling This?” focuses on love and connections in LA. The stories are about real Angelenos who live in Montebello, Long Beach, and more. Many motels along Beach Blvd. are now known for prostitution and drug dealing. Anaheim, Buena Park, and Stanton are looking to revitalize the strip.

A year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed the right to an abortion, Sue Dunlap, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood LA, talks about the changes she’s seen and the threats to come. California providers are navigating a thorny and shifting legal landscape as they care for out-of-state patients

A housing development approved in 2005 is just beginning construction, and local residents want to delay it until the 20-year approval expires. Bernie Taupin’s new show at Choice Contemporary gallery highlights lyrics from songs he wrote for Elton John. 

A growing movement of boundary-pushing art installations and cutting-edge devices seek to induce altered states. No drugs required. With summer officially starting this week, Heal the Bay has released their annual beach card to help people find the cleanest beaches around SoCal. Anaheim voters will decide in a special election whether or not to bump the minimum wage for hotel workers to $25. The union representing the workers isn’t happy.

As California’s reparations task force wraps up, professor Cheryl Grills reflects on their findings, and activist Kavon Ward looks to the “land back” movement for change. “The Cape Coast Castle Symphony” by composer Joyce Solomon Moorman was written in response to a visit to Ghana, and is now a part of LA Juneteenth celebrations. Angels & Saints PoBoys offers traditional New Orleans cuisine. Its owner, chef Roneka “Neek” Conley, shares why feeding the soul is at the core of Juneteenth. 

If you’re scared or sad about our warming planet, the best solution is to solve the climate crisis. But in the meantime, sharing feelings can help you cope. At this weekend’s Garagiste Festival, upstart micro producer winemakers from across California are coming together to share their wares. Artist Faith Ringgold, age 92, has created oil paintings, sculpture, quilts, and more. Her work is on display at the Jeffrey Deitch gallery.

LA Councilmember Curren Price has been charged with 10 counts of embezzlement, perjury, and conflict of interest. He will step down as council president pro tempore and withdraw from all committee assignments. Former third baseman Ron Cey may have left the Dodgers, but he’s staying active, putting out a new book and a podcast this year.

Finding second-hand clothing in extra-large sizes can be frustrating. LA’s first all plus-size flea market is here to help. The word “queer” insinuated someone’s sexual “deviance” in the 19th century. Now it’s used proudly to refer to the LGBTQ+ community. KCRW traces this evolution. This month, environmental educator Jason Wise is leading a free series of hikes that unpack the hidden queerness in LA’s natural landscape.

Reproductive health workers nationally have been turning to unions for support since the fall of Roe v. Wade. Planned Parenthood in Orange County could be next. Unions across industries are staging more strikes and showing more solidarity, prompting some experts to forecast a “hot labor summer.”