Greater LA

LA’s iconic hillside stilt houses have been destroyed in many disaster movies, but in real life, they offer residents a thrilling perch in the clouds. As the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes roll on, animal actors are finding themselves with a lot of time on their paws. Their handlers are trying to figure out how to get by.

Southern Californians have donated lots of supplies to help those displaced by the Lahaina fire. Shipping containers are full, but there are other ways to help. Ivy Pochoda’s latest novel, “Sing Her Down,” focuses on two formerly incarcerated women making their way to and through LA in the early days of the COVID pandemic. Art historian Thuy N.D. Tran aims to shed light on a lost “golden era” of South Vietnamese modernism by piecing together collective memories from the diaspora.

With COVID slightly up in LA, residents are wondering about masking up again and getting boosted. John Eastman, a former Chapman Law School dean, faces nine counts in an indictment accusing him of designing the plan to reverse Joe Biden’s presidential victory. An ecologist, an urban planner, a conservationist, and a filmmaker spent six days exploring all 51 miles of the LA River — even the sections without paths.

Los Angeles Unified has opened a new grade to all 4-year-olds called universal transitional kindergarten. Who’s enrolling, and why are some choosing not to? AP African American Studies became an official course at Dorsey High School in Crenshaw last year, and soon it’ll expand to the rest of LAUSD. Schools around the state are feeling the effects of climate change. Now, after heavy parental lobbying, LAUSD plans to “green” 30% of all its campuses by 2035 to create more shade.

Born in Mississippi but drawn to the West, Minerva Hamilton Hoyt was behind the push to make Joshua Tree a special place on the map. The millions of people who visit Joshua Tree have an abundance of vacation rentals to choose from — but that also means challenges to the local community. For eight years, Ken Layne has been keeping desert wanderers company with his esoteric musings about the lore, legends, and landscape of the Mojave — via his periodical and radio show Desert Oracle.

As the Hollywood writers’ strike drags past 100 days, the financial pain is widespread for business owners and tradespeople who need production to earn a living. In 2021, LA passed a law to ban tenant harassment, which can be used to displace tenants from their rent controlled units. But the city has done little to enforce it. The LA Art Book Fair returns to the Museum of Contemporary Art this weekend. It’s the first time the fair is being held in-person since 2019.

TransparentSea Farm in Downey produces nearly 1 million shrimp a year. That’s great for some of LA’s top seafood restaurants, but how do the prawns feel? Goats are being used more often to clear vegetation and prevent wildfires. But some say the immigrant workers who manage them 24/7 aren’t getting a fair deal. You can help the Natural History Museum count bats and learn more about their roosting behaviors in urban Los Angeles.

Outside SoFi stadium, fans who didn’t have tickets to Taylor Swift’s concert still find a way to sing, dance, and exchange friendship bracelets. In a new podcast, two Amoeba Music staffers share their discoveries about favorite albums from the iconic record store’s collection. Anaheim’s former political leaders Harry Sidhu and Todd Ament are alleged to have been involved in a “potential criminal conspiracy,” according to a new report. 

This is the year of extravagant “revenge weddings,” and members of the nupital party are paying the price in money, time, and emotional energy. Chicano Batman, often known as “LA’s house band,” will perform at the Hollywood Bowl this weekend for the first time. You can head to El Segundo to hear a 13-piece big band while dancing the night away at the sixth annual Summer Swing Nights, which runs August 4, 5, and 6.

Students in Ramona Gardens, one of LA's most polluted neighborhoods, are helping create a green space that will act as a barrier between homes and the freeway. When it comes to climate questions, KCRW listeners wanted the most help with recycling. Here’s a list of what you can and can’t recycle, plus the bottom line on plastic bags. Koreatown’s Beverly Hot Springs is a spa fed by natural hot springs. A developer has bought it and plans to build housing units and retail in its place.