Greater LA

The Silver Lake restaurant staple, Casita del Campo, has been serving margaritas for 60 years. And the downstairs theater, The Cavern Club, hosts raucous drag shows. A new TikTok series began as a way for kids to get news, then became a collection of lost stories of classic LA restaurants and fun food facts. Gillian Chamberlin, a 17-year-old senior from the San Gabriel Valley, is one of the five talented storytellers found through KCRW’s Young Creators Project. She creates poetry, music, and film.

“CARE Court” aims to help Californians with mental health and addiction disorders, but civil liberty activists question its effectiveness and legality. Thousands of people with mental health issues have been sent (by courts) to a program that diverts them away from jail and into supportive housing. But funding has dried up for that program. An Orange County judge overturned second-degree murder convictions for two men after they served nearly 30 years behind bars.

LA’s youth climate leaders keep up with their schoolwork as they lobby for climate legislation, rally a generation, and try to secure a liveable future. Books depicting racism, sexuality, and genocide shouldn’t be banned. Educators should be better trained in teaching sensitive literature. That’s according to Sungjoo Yoon. P-22, the beloved LA mountain lion, has reached the ripe old age of 12, which is the normal life expectancy for a wild cougar. How much longer might he be around?

Nearly 50 Starbucks shops nationwide have voted to unionize this year. Now LA County’s Starbucks baristas are brewing up change. The University of California is waiving tuition for Native American students, but only if they’re members of federally recognized tribes. At LACMA, Lee Alexander McQueen’s designs are paired with museum objects in a new show. And separately, Barbara Kruger plays with text and pop culture. 

KCRW hears reactions from Angelenos on the leaked opinion draft that says Roe v. Wade will be overturned, leaving room for states to ban abortions. The president and CEO of Planned Parenthood LA explains how overturning Roe v. Wade could affect abortion providers and other family planning services in SoCal. A new short documentary called “Valerie” looks at the early career of actress Valerie Perrine and her current battle with Parkinson’s disease.

The nightlife is hopping at downtown LA gay bar Redline, but its owner is staring down almost half a million dollars in debt, and he’s not alone. Housing shortages left many UC Santa Barbara students struggling to secure roofs over their heads back in the fall. The school year is ending — where are they now? Maurice Harris says he and his brother and business partner have been able to save Bloom & Plume, their floral shop and cafe, to the point where they’re no longer in debt.

This episode was supported in large part by FOUND/LA, supporting local entrepreneurs with funding, education, and community. Greater LA’s new special series closely looks at changing neighborhoods across Southern California. “Born & Razed” kicks off today in Echo Park. The Mexican restaurant El Nayarit thrived for almost 50 years. “Waitstaff … had all been outsiders that became insiders, and they wanted to share that spirit with you,” says Natalia Molina. Sunset Beer Company has been called an oasis in the middle of LA, where customers feel like they’re on the set of “Cheers.” But it’s closing for good on May 1. Marriage skateshop quickly became a hangout spot for many young skaters after it launched earlier this month. Owner Ronnie Campone has been skating for 30 years. 

“Peanut Man” (Robert Sanchez) has been selling concessions at Dodger Stadium for some 50 years. “You're gonna get hurt. You might slip on nacho cheese,” he says. Nashville-style hot chicken and dessert nachos are some of the new food options at Dodger Stadium. Eater LA’s Mona Holmes gives a taste of all the best stuff. A mask mandate still applies on public transit, but not in most other places in LA County. Should you still wear one? Will it help if other people aren’t wearing theirs? 

Ketamine clinics are popping up all over Los Angeles offering to treat depression, anxiety, and other ailments. But are their claims legitimate? Psilocybin or magic mushrooms could be offered as medical treatment in LA in the near future. How is the city preparing for the next psychedelic wave? Wednesday is Denim Day. Advocates are encouraging Angelenos to throw on a jean jacket and head down to City Hall to rally against sexual violence.

More than 15,000 Ukrainians have passed through Tijuana on their way into the U.S. Some struggle with nightmares and trauma as they wonder what comes next. When Daisy De La O was murdered in Compton, her friends thought they knew her killer, but police couldn’t find him. Using social media, they tracked him down. Brea and Cypress, in Orange County, say they will not switch from at-large to district elections, like many other CA cities are doing. That’s even after both cities faced legal threats.