In John Wray’s new novel “Gone to the Wolves,” the characters travel from Florida swamps to the 1980s Sunset Strip to Norway –– all in the name of metal. More than 11,000 film and TV writers hit the picket lines today to demand higher pay, better working conditions, and more. KCRW hears from a set dresser, plus a stunt driver and actor. Some 71,000 people died from fentanyl overdoses in 2021, according to the CDC. Orange County’s civic leaders are looking for ways to do something about it.

LA County, the epicenter of the state’s mental health crisis, is rushing to be one of the first with a CARE Court that could require treatment for mental illness. California is facing an unprecedented mental health crisis that has been decades in the making. KCRW takes a look at how we got here and whether there’s a remedy.

From kelp farming to underwater robots, Los Angeles is becoming the Silicon Valley of the sea. For people experiencing homelessness, it can be tough to stay in touch with friends and family. The nonprofit Miracle Messages aims to make it easier. Tracy Ann of KnowRealityPie is the winningest pie maker ever at KCRW’s Good Food Pie Fest. And it all began with trying to recreate her mom’s recipes.

As more restaurants ask for tips and service fees, it can be hard to know where gratuity really counts. KCRW offers your go-to guide. The City of LA is writing new rules to keep pandemic-era outdoor dining going strong. But restaurants say they’re still too strict and expensive. 

The City Nature Challenge began as a friendly rivalry between LA and San Francisco. Now millions of people globally are helping biologists by taking photos of their local plants and animals. Local governments must provide green bins for California residents. What to put in there, how to keep the waste from getting gross? KCRW answers your questions. Downtown LA’s Grand Central Market has remained an LA institution since 1917. How has it managed to stick around so long? By embracing change.

SoCal has long been home to Armenian Americans, but now more of them are migrating in the other direction to build stronger ties to their heritage in Armenia. The Hillside Villa apartments in Chinatown were under a city covenant to provide housing for decades. That covenant has expired and tenants are fighting for a way to stay. A 700-foot section of train tracks in San Clemente is still vulnerable to landslides and sand depletion.

Shodekeh Talifero is a beatboxer, composer, and “breath artist.” Before he hits the Broad Stage this weekend, he’s teaching Santa Monica College students about breath and movement. Former LA Mayor Richard Riordan died this week. The businessman-turned-politician led LA after the Rodney King uprisings and through the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

LA’s community land trusts aim to keep housing affordable by letting residents own the buildings they live in. They’re also a radical experiment in living cooperatively. LA County’s mental health hotline is 988, but long wait times and bureaucratic rigmarole have hobbled the program, leaving many without help when they need it most. The LA Times Festival of Books is returning for its 27th year of programming. On April 22-23, they’re featuring over 500 writers, poets, celebs, musicians, and more.

A group of doulas with the Los Angeles Abortion Support Collective are organizing to protect abortion access as states respond to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The Queen Mary has stayed afloat for almost 90 years. After a multimillion dollar renovation, it’s now open to the public again. What keeps people coming back? And what does it take to stay in business? 

“Trejo’s Cantina” features stories about Danny Trejo’s time on the streets, in prison, and on film sets — plus recipes for non-alcoholic drinks and “Fight Night Nachos.” The California Air Resources Board keeps car companies honest by checking whether vehicles’ pollution levels are as low as reported — at a new emissions lab. Irvine officials plan to pay $284 million to shut down an asphalt plant despised by some residents. And the resulting cleanup may cost them even more.