#102: The federal COVID-19 emergency officially ended last week, but California still has another 6 months of protections. So... What does that mean, and what happens next? And are we really ready for this emergency declaration to sunset? 

To find out more, we're talking to LAist's senior health reporter, Jackie Fortier. She's got several guides on what all this means for you: 

The Federal COVID Health Emergency Is Over. What Happens Now?

The Historic Federal COVID Health Emergency Is Over, But The Pandemic’s Effects Are Here To Stay

Where Things Stand With COVID-19 In LA And California

#101: We've all heard everyone's hot takes in recent months about AI, ChatGPT and other developments in machine learning.

AI has also been a key point in negotiations between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. AND one of the many reasons writers have been on strike since the start of May.

But can AI really write the next critical hit? 

Today, we explore what artificial intelligence really is, how technology like ChatGPT is changing the game and how this currently does -- and does NOT -- impact creative writing jobs.  

Guests: Meredith Broussard, data journalism professor at New York University; Mike Ananny, associate professor of communication and journalism at University of Southern California

#100: Silver Lake and hipsterdom may go hand in hand, but tucked between the murals, high-end shops and corporate chains, there are some stellar, chef-driven eats to be found at a bargain. The HTLA team is celebrating 100 episodes by eating their way down Sunset... joined yet again by LAist food editor, Gab Chabrán.

Check out his write-up to find his full list of neighborhood knock-outs: Cheap Fast Eats, Silver Lake Edition: Hong Kong-Style French Toast, 'Bomb AF' Mariscos Tacos, And — Of Course — Smash Burgers

Eateries featured: Bodega Park, Needle, Simón

Music in this episode composed by: Austin Cross, Dexter Thomas, E Ro 3, Hafo Safo, Modarchive

#99: I’m sure you’ve noticed... fast fashion brands have become super popular over the past 30 years. Before fast fashion hit the market – beginning with Zara in the 70s and Forever 21 in the 80s –  fashion brands produced clothes seasonally. Most Americans purchase new clothing only a few times a year. These days, Americans buy a new piece of clothing on average every five days. And in more recent years, a new cohort of companies have taken it to the next level.

Many may think fast fashion is being produced "overseas" (i.e. NOT here). But zip up, because today, we're exploring fast fashion's tight grip right here in Los Angeles, and the many destructive impacts of this industry.  

Guests: Josie Huang, Asian American communities reporter for LAist; Nayantara Banerjee, industry researcher and strategist for Garment Worker Center; Tracie Tung, assistant professor in fashion design and merchandising at CSUN

#98: Today we're diving deep into the history of Queer LA. Our LA Explained reporter, Caitlin Hernández, is taking us back in time to explain how West Hollywood became recognized as a mecca for LA's gay community. It's part of their research for the LAist series, Queer LA, where Caitlin's highlighting the joy, culture, and history of queerness in this city.

You can find more of their reporting at laist.com/QueerLA

Music in this episode composed by: Rae Bourbon, Austin Cross, Kylie Minogue, Masayoshi Takanaka, Fats Waller, Woo.

Archival audio courtesy of the Library of Congress.

#97: "The writer's room is completely being decimated. It's no longer a big room with professional writers. Now it's mini rooms. It's like, you know, four to six people expected to do all the work that 10 to 12, 13 people used to do in the past." - TV writer Rafael Agustin

Being a Hollywood writer these days isn't quite what it used to be.

Writers say everything started to change with the rapid rise of streaming services: Netflix, Amazon, Apple…and ALL those limited series they are known for, like The Drop Out, Inventing Anna, The Queen's Gambit.

These days, folks find themselves writing a whole year worth of episodes in two months – and sometimes these projects aren’t even greenlit. There’s more work but fewer episode guarantees, and THAT equals less pay.

HTLA host Brian De Los Santos gets the T from two TV storytellers. 

Guests: Rafael Agustin, TV writer and CEO of the Latino Film Institute

Caroline Renard, TV writer and Writers Guild Association captain

#96: Hollywood writers are officially on strike. The Writers Guild of America failed to reach a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on Monday night, forcing the walk out.

The two sides were negotiating over things like pay and residuals, which have decreased significantly with the onset of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon and Apple.

Today we’re gonna talk about why this is happening, and why it matters. Because when writers go on strike, a lot of different people feel it throughout L.A.

Guest: John Horn. host of Retake, the LAist Studios podcast all about Hollywood stories. 

Read John's latest story here: TV And Movie Writers Strike Over 'Gig Economy' Conditions. What’s At Stake In The WGA Walkout

#95: HTLA host Brian De Los Santos has been sharing his experiences living with DACA – and returning to Mexico for the first time ever – in our special series, Finding Home con DACA. If you haven't heard those yet, that'd be a good place to start.

The series was intended to be three episodes long... But, as is often the case with this kind of wide-scoped project, we found more threads to pull on as we were wrapping things up. One big loose end was the fact that so many immigrants who came to the United States don't end up staying. So, in today's postscript, we're doing just that.

Guest: Caroline Tracey, author of the New Yorker piece "Fighting For The Right to Come and Go"

(Update) #2: Despite all the rain and snow, LA still has its water restrictions in place from June of 2022. Angelenos have been a doing a pretty good job at conserving... But even though it might look like we're sitting on a major water surplus, all that rain and snow only covers our water needs for about a year.

So... what DO you do with a water surplus? Well, you save it.

Last fall, HTLA host Brian De Los Santos and LAist climate emergency reporter Erin Stone met up with a sustainability role model to get a handle on how it's done.

We're revisiting that scene, but we've got all the new numbers for you from our recent stormy winter.

Guest List: Erin Stone, Climate Emergency Reporter, LAist
Lynetta McElroy, Leimert Park resident and water conservationist

#42: We're celebrating Earth Week by bringing you some of our favorite outdoor episodes. This episode first aired on December 1, 2022. 

Southern California has more wild food than you might expect. There's a long history of foraging in and around Los Angeles. These foods have been everything from staples for indigenous communities, to delicacies for high-end chefs. (and, of course, food for critters!) Today, Jess Starwood is taking HTLA host Brian De Los Santos on a foraging hike. He tries his hand at mushroom hunting, acorn gathering, and berry plucking, to prepare some truly unique wild-food tacos.

Guest: Jess Starwood, professional forager & author of Mushroom Wanderland: A Forager's Guide to Finding, Identifying, and Using More Than 25 Wild Fungi