Greater LA

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 their original stand-up comedy, music, spoken word poetry, and more.

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?

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 Mesa, and school board elections in Placentia-Yorba Linda. What’s at stake as voters cast ballots on Tuesday? Strippers at North Hollywood’s topless bar, Star Garden, have been protesting against what they say are unfair labor practices, and voting on whether to organize as union members.

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 streets and into the kitchen. Rad Na Silom is a family-run food stand deep in Thai Town serving traditional Thai food to big crowds nightly.

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 your name. That could mean racking up bad credit and fighting fraudulent claims and creditors for years. Los Angeles Football Club has qualified for the playoff finals for the first time, and this Saturday, they’ll play Philadelphia at Banc of California Stadium.

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 disinformation problem for many Americans. Social media is adding fuel to the fire.

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, Brad Hodson and Tommy Bui.

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 for grabs during the midterm elections: District 5 (parts of Santa Monica mountains), 11 (Pacific Palisades), 13 (Hollywood), and 15 (San Pedro).

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 people gathered in Griffith Park earlier this year for Satrang Family Day, a celebration of community and safe space for South Asian and queer families. A new exhibit of 96-year-old artist Thaddeus Mosley’s abstract wooden sculptures is on view at Art + Practice. Inspired by jazz and improvisation, he hand-crafts all his work with simple tools.

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 political landscape than he did four years ago — and a strong opponent in former Long Beach PD Chief Robert Luna.