#174: We collected more ghost stories from Angelenos to share with you this Halloween! Join host Brian De Los Santos as we hear about hundred-year-old haunts LAist listeners submitted from all over Los Angeles County, from Long Beach to K-Town to Pasadena. 

#173: Marigolds – or cempasúchi as the Aztecs named them – have long been the flower of choice for Dia De Los Muertos celebrations. This time of year, you've probably seen these bright, orange flowers all around your local flower shops, farmers markets and grocery stores. But traditionally, they're used in the making of ofrendas, the alters set up to honor those who have died for the day of the day.  

To learn more about the meaning behind these beautiful, symbolic flower, HTLA heads over to Boyle Heights to speak to the owner of LatinX With Plants. 

Guest: Andi Xoch, artist and founder of LatinX With Plants

#172: Día de los Muertos is right around the corner, and the traditional Mexican holiday has a LOT of representation in L.A. People gather with their families to celebrate the lives of loved ones who have passed away, and make altares y ofrendas with flowers, food, and other worldly comforts.

Today, LAist food editor Gab Chabrán is taking host Brian De Los Santos on a cultural exploration of the holiday: its special treats, flavors, and of course, history.
Check out Gab’s piece over on LAist.com for more!

Music in this episode composed by: Ben Prunty, Dexter Thomas, Haruomi Hosono, Moon Mullins, Pedro Infante, Quetzal, Yeahman

#171: Back in August, we met up with film location scout and manager Rick Schuler in downtown L.A. for a guided tour of filming locations that were either meant to stand in for other places (like New York City or Italy) or to look like Los Angeles of the past or future. Today, we’re heading out with Rick again, east of downtown, in South Pasadena and Pasadena to talk about what their neighborhoods have to offer to film location scouts. The long story short: a wide variety of single-family homes that can stand in for the midwest, or the East Coast, or a nonspecific small town. The locations we visited were used in films like 'Halloween,' 'Back to the Future,' 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith,' and 'National Treasure.'

(Our thanks to Rick Schuler for heading out with us again, even while wearing a walking boot because of an injury. Get well soon, Rick!)

#170: Today, we’re talking about mental health — the stigma that exists around it and the barriers to accessing care for everyone, but specifically in this episode, for people who are undocumented.

Guests: filmmaker Armando Ibañez, creator of the "Undocumented Tales" web series; Aimee Hilado, assistant professor at the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice.

*This story includes references to suicide and self-harm: If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs immediate help, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or visit the 988 website for online chat.

Additional mental health resources:

• CalHOPE Connect
• Immigrants Rising: Mental Health Connector
  
  Related LAist articles:
• At LA Mission College, Spanish Speakers Find The Right Words To Improve Their Mental Health
  
  
• To Help Others, Young Latino Angelenos Open Up About Their Darkest Moments

In honor of The Biltmore Hotel's 100th birthday this month, we are bringing back an episode that delves into its history. This story's got movie stars, dignitaries and a whole lot of ghosts...just in time for Halloween.

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#143: Today we’re exploring one of L.A.’s most historic landmarks: the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. 

It celebrates its 100th birthday in October, and since How to LA just turned one (!) we thought it'd be fitting to feature some of the most iconic spots in Los Angeles that are hitting the century mark (Others to come: the LA Memorial Coliseum and the Hollywood sign).

The Biltmore opened to the public in 1923 and it has such an interesting history, including becoming the place to be in prohibition-era Los Angeles, its role in the origins of the Academy Awards and its significance to the notorious Black Dahlia murder case. And that’s just the beginning.

Guest: Journalist Hadley Meares, who's written about The Biltmore's history for LAist

Brian talks to LAist reporter Caitlin Hernandez about stories of queer joy in the face of difficult news this year about anti-trans bills and other negative rhetoric about LGBTQ rights. We also take a trip to a queer Quinceñera event to find community and joy.

You can find a video of Caitlin's Queer LA Live event here: https://laist.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/queer-la-live-los-angeles-events-lgbtq

Guests:

Caitlin Hernandez, LAist

Valentina, Drag Race Mexico

Salina Estitties, RuPaul's Drag Race Season 15

Ms. Benny, trans Latinx entertainer

This is How To LA – the podcast that helps you navigate this city. I’m Brian De Los Santos. We’re back with the 4th episode from Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes – an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the biggest political scandal in recent Los Angeles history.

In the year since the L.A. City Council tape scandal, a lot has changed.

Efforts are underway to reform the redistricting process. Nury Martinez and Gil Cedillo are gone from the council. Only Kevin De León remains. Progressive shifts in the council are influencing its policies, and new elected members are working to forge a new way forward in L.A. This is the last episode of Nury & The Secret Tapes. 

Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/donate

Go to Hellofresh.com/50imperfect and use code 50imperfect for 50% off plus 15% off the next 2 months! Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in.

Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

#168: The news coming out of the Middle East over the past couple of weeks has been terrifying. There have been thousands of reported deaths in the region following Hamas’ attack on Israel, and Israel's retalitory attacks in Gaza. 

It can be hard to keep up with the new headlines of the day or the stuff we see on social media. It’s…. a lot… and it's heartbreaking. We know a lot of people in L.A. are hurting over this. The Jewish community in L.A. is the second largest in the U.S. after New York… with more than half a million people. And there are nearly 95,000 people of Arab descent living here. 

Overall, there is just a lot of trauma people are experiencing now in different ways. Today, How To LA speaks to clinical psychologist Dr. Rick Williamson about how to cope with this collective trauma. 

Guest: Rick Williamson, clinical psychologist and executive director of the Emmada Institute of Behavioral Health and Wellness

If you live in California and are struggling with your mental health right now, you can call the state’s peer-run hotline for help at 1-800-845-6264.

#167:  Over a thousand bills were sitting on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk, and he had until last Friday to sign them. Now the results are in: 890 new laws, and 156 potential ones that got vetoed.

A lot of these laws only involved minor tweaks to existing legislation, and some were things that only affect Sacramento, but some could have a big impact right here in L.A. — on issues like increased pay for healthcare and fast food workers, a path to more housing development, and increased abortion access.

There were also some things that could have been big, but didn’t get the governors stamp — like decriminalizing psychedelics.

Today, Alexei Koseff, a reporter with Cal Matters, helps us make sense of some of these new laws, and the Governor's reasoning behind some vetoes.