Greater LA

Dave Alvin formed Americana band The Blasters in Downey with his brother Phil, then went solo in the 1980s, but returned to show KCRW around. In the 1990s, Downey rapidly shifted its demographics to become mostly a Latino area. It was then labeled “Mexican Beverly Hills,” but longtime residents say that’s unfair. A nonprofit gallery in downtown Downey has been instrumental in developing an art scene in the city. Now it faces possible closure.

One of LA’s gas power plants will start burning hydrogen to meet clean energy goals. The controversial decision has some worried about air quality and explosion risks. LA’s mosquito population has been on the rise for a decade, but a winter of rain has created better conditions than ever for the bloodthirsty creatures. Which city has the best burrito in California? San Francisco has a super-sized version, San Diego incorporates fries, LA has dozens of types from around the world. 

Los Angeles is the epicenter of indoor cannabis cultivation in Southern California, but how intensive is it on our environment, and is there a better way? In the San Fernando Valley and South LA, council seats have been left empty in the wake of multiple City Council scandals. But a special election and a new appointee mean they’ll soon be filled. Laguna Beach has long been known as an “art colony,” but rising prices are pushing artists out of once-affordab

Gov. Newsom announced plans to transform San Quentin into a Norwegian-style restorative environment. That would require overcoming gangs, racial divides, and structural inequality that runs deeper in the U.S. than Scandinavia. The pros and cons of electric vehicle purchases are getting murkier with coming changes to federal incentives. Is it time to make the switch?

Wear your Sunday best. At Drag March LA, scheduled for Easter Sunday, drag queens take the stage to protest the rise in anti-LGBTQ legislation. LA’s Rashida Holmes and Greg Dulan are James Beard Award finalists. The pandemic may have played a part in their nominations. One of LA’s most iconic art institutions just got a big makeover. The Hammer Museum in Westwood now occupies an entire city block on Wilshire Boulevard. 

A new business focused on training formerly incarcerated people is now diverting thousands of pounds of clothes from landfill each month. Director Colin K. Gray’s “Unzipped” follows housed and unhoused residents of Venice, California in the struggle for the soul of the neighborhood. Renters and activists in Buena Park have put a measure in front of the City Council to make them just the second city in Orange County to enact rent control.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Hollywood Sign. It’s been at the center of scandals, PR stunts, and more during its time perched up on Mount Lee. In 1978, the Hollywood Sign was in a sad state, so rock legend Alice Cooper spent $27,000 to buy an “O” to honor his friend Groucho Marx. Other celebs followed. Artist Zach Fernandez marked California’s marijuana legalization by turning the Hollywood Sign into “Hollyweed.” It was tough to pull off due to security around the sign.

As women rise to positions of authority within LA’s alcohol industry, they are using their experiences to support one another and create welcoming spaces. Americana at Brand, the elusive local internet celebrity, talks about his niche brand of humor, how he memes, and his abiding love of the account’s namesake mall. On baseball’s opening day, the Dodgers will host the Arizona Diamondbacks, as walking vendor Robert “Peanut Man” Sanchez starts his 50th season selling food to fans.

Robert Luna takes charge of the LA Sheriff's Department amid concerns about crime, deputy gangs, and poor jail conditions. Can he turn the department around?

Back-to-back winter storms in Southern California have got us feeling the blues. Could it be seasonal affective disorder? Tensions are rising in the Orange Unified School District boardroom, and the stakes are as high as defending democracy and protecting children. While Gov. Newsom stopped short of calling the drought over, the state is rolling back several mandates as rivers and dams replenish.