Greater LA

For people experiencing homelessness, a gym membership can offer more than an opportunity to exercise. It acts as a safe place to use the restroom, take a shower and keep the appearance of being housed.

The goods movement is the backbone of Southern California’s Inland Empire. With the threat of automation looming, what’s going to happen to the people getting replaced by robots?

KCRW speaks with members of LA's Jewish community, plus Israeli and Palestinian expats about Tuesday's Israeli election. We ask about their perspectives on watching Israeli politics from afar.

One homeowner was foreclosed on earlier this year because of her participation in a program which provides LA County homeowners with no-money-down loans for eco-friendly home improvements. Borrowers repay the loans in installments that get rolled into their property taxes. Critics of the program say lax lending standards have paved the way for predatory contractors.

KCRW joins a group of forest firefighters who are working to prevent wildfires. We get a firsthand look at what firefighters do when a blaze breaks out near Tujunga.

The state legislature has passed Assembly Bill 1482, which would cap rent increases for many buildings across the state at 5% annually. Governor Gavin Newsom said he will sign it. We discuss the pros and cons of this legislation.

Over the past year, China has almost stopped accepting America’s recyclables. More than 200 recycling centers in California closed last month. Meanwhile, plastic production has gone way up. Democratic State Senator Ben Allen has a bill that would phase out nearly all single-use non-recyclable products by the year 2030. Will his bill get enacted?

An LA Times business columnist discusses the difficult time he’s had coming off antidepressants. The LA Opera kicks off its season this weekend under a dark cloud of sexual harassment allegations. And a new exhibit at LACMA uses hundreds of millions of Snapchat posts.

Broadway Federal Bank was founded more than 70 years ago to serve LA's African-American community. It currently stands as the only black-owned bank headquartered in the Western U.S. President and CEO Wayne-Kent Bradshaw discusses how the institution has changed.

The fur industry in California is worth $300 million, and fur is an important part of some people's family history. But some say the industry is cruel. One bill in Sacramento threatens to shut it down.