On January 8, 2025, Angelenos woke up to a city that had been irrevocably transformed overnight. On a special live show recorded on Zoom, Alissa, Mike, and Rachel discuss the fires, the city and county response, and where LA goes next. Also joining: Eater LA reporter Mona Holmes on Altadena, Hayes on housing, and Public Counsel’s Faizah Malik on emergency housing justice initiatives

The Guardian on LA’s “perfect storm” 

NPR: What LA did right before the fires — and why it wasn't enough

Julia Wick on LA Mayor Karen Bass’s fire response: "Only time will reveal the severity of the political fallout."

“Recovering Together:” Mike’s most recent newsletter includes a long list of resources

Alissa’s newsletter includes a story about the fires and questions about hosting the Olympics

Eater LA’s Mona Holmes wants you to eat at restaurants

Also on Eater: “Customers Are Not Coming In”: LA Restaurants Reach a Breaking Point Due to the 2025 Wildfire

De Los (LAT): "Advocates gather to demand equitable fire recovery for long-time Altadena residents, immigrants and others”

NYT: Shattered in the Fire: A Historic Black Haven

Hayes has a story about searching for the real arsonist and an pre-fire story about building housing in safer areas

Public Counsel’s comprehensive fire recovery resources

77 tenant groups are demanding emergency renter protections with Keep LA Housed

Mike Davis's provocative essay, The Case for Letting Malibu Burn, with a new postscript written after the Woolsey Fire 

Produced by Sophie Bridges

It’s the final episode of 2024! Scott, Alissa, Rachel, and Mike discuss the biggest (or most under-reported) stories of the year including the implosion of local media, trust in elected officials, 2028 Olympics leadership, and the breakdown of LA City services. Plus, the co-hosts make some predictions for 2025 and beyond.

Take Mike’s local media survey! Mike will be interviewing journalists on his podcast, What’s Next, Los Angeles?

The Guardian: “LA Times owner asks editorial board to ‘take a break’ from writing about Trump - report"

California Democrats shifted right due to the state’s cost of living: "A recent report from the Legislature’s fiscal advisor, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, says that living costs have risen nearly 20% since January 2020, driven by a 41.5% jump in housing and utility costs."

LAT columnist Mark Barabak on "how organized labor boosted California Democrats"

The Wrap: "Billie Eilish Dumps Casey Wasserman After Scandal Over Extramarital Affairs” & “Casey Wasserman Says He Won’t Step Down as LA Olympics Chair"

Alissa’s Torched story on Executive Directive 9

Investing in Place on LA’s "Comprehensive, Multi-Year Capital Infrastructure Plan”

Produced by Sophie Bridges

Alissa, Rachel, Mike, David, and Hayes discuss last week’s election results, including the déjà vu-inducing national swing to the right, a mixed bag of state props, and many local progressive wins, including the passage of Measure A. And then: where we're finding hope and focusing energy in the weeks ahead.

LA County election results

California State election results

The AP VoteCast data on the Latino vote nationally and @Vanessid’s thread on the disaggregated data

LA Times: “This election showed LA voters are fed up with City Hall corruption and scandal”

The Rachel Maddow Show: “Ballot measures deliver big wins for progressive policy priorities”

Hayes wrote about getting "off the feeds and into the streets”

Rachel recommends broadening coalitions and fighting back against Trump’s Games with NOlympics LA

Mike wrote about looking for silver linings and interviewed Assemblymember Isaac Bryan for the next What’s Next, Los Angeles?

Alissa recommends volunteering at your local LAUSD school and organizing with Angelenos for Green Schools, Trust for Public Land, and the LA Living Schoolyards Coalition

David invites everyone to join LA Forward’s Election Debrief & Processing event on Tuesday, November 12 from 7-8:30 p.m. on Zoom and getting involved with future in-person events all over the county — just find a group and plug in!

Produced by Sophie Bridges

Alissa and Rachel are joined by Mike Bonin, Godfrey Plata, and David Levitus to talk about all the tricks and treats on your ballot, including the key local races in next week’s election, a slew of state props, and very consequential county and city measures. Plus, some exciting changes are in store for the podcast!

LA Forward Voter Guide

"What is LACAHSA and how can it prevent homelessness?" Alissa’s Report Forward piece on the new housing authority funded by Measure A

The "more powerful offspring of Measure H”: read Hayes Davenport on Measure A (bonus: audio discussion with Scott!)

Join us for the LA Forward & LA Podcast Ballot Party in Grand Park on Sunday, November 3, 2-4PM.

Alissa’s new newsletter about LA and mega-events, Torched

What’s Next, Los Angeles? with Mike Bonin featuring interviews with George Gascon and Ysabel Jurado

"Now is the time to keep talking about policing in Los Angeles" from Mike’s newsletter

Let us know what you want to hear on the show! Follow and DM us at @thelapod and @laforward

And be sure to vote by Tuesday, November 5!

Produced by Sophie Bridges.

“Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it?” LA Times sports writer Bill Shaikin went in search of answers last year

“The secret to reducing car trips in LA is often much simpler than what well-connected consultants might want you to believe.” Alissa’s gondola story from 2020

Supervisor Hilda Solis’s motion with 31 requirements for the gondola developer

Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez’s motion requesting a Dodger Stadium traffic study

NOlympics LA’s 2021 report on community benefit agreements

Join one of LA Forward’s ballot-filling parties: February 29 in DTLA, March 4 on Zoom

“At the Beverly Hills fundraiser, the political consultant Jimmy Blackman told the crowd that unseating Raman would set the stage to go after other progressives in 2026.” Mike Bonin and Peter Dreier’s story in The Nation

Adam Conover's thread on Republican money in the CD 4 race

Rebecca Traister on California’s senate race

Voter guides from LA Forward, Initiate Justice, Knock LA

Revisit our emergency episode from one year ago

"I can still hear Nury’s poisonous slurs and cruel laugh, and Kevin’s conspiratorial whisper and malicious tone." Former Councilmember Mike Bonin reflects on what he hears one year later

Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo file lawsuits that claim they said nothing wrong on the recording but yet somehow it also ruined their reputations

Tavis Smiley hosted an excellent 2-hour special which aired after we recorded (Part 1, Part 2)

The third episode of LAist's "Nury & the Secret Tapes" podcast airs this week 

Alissa's Report Forward piece on the state of governance reform, including independent redistricting and council expansion

From 2021, Scott on the case against John Lee, "a co-conspirator on City Council"

On the eve of the storm, Scott, Alissa, and Rachel discuss the region's preparations for Hurricane Hilary, the first tropical storm to make landfall in LA since 1939. Plus, more union workers join LA's summer of solidarity, and the oh-so-swift response to a rash of smash grabs-slash-flash robs at local malls. But first, Rachel gets personal, and content warning, a conversation about child sexual abuse, rape, and grooming in an LAUSD school takes place from 12 minutes to 33 minutes if you want to skip that part.

"Fault Lines," Seyward Darby's story for The Atavist on systemic abuse at Cleveland High School

Seyward Darby discussing her story on 818s and Heartbreak

Resources from RAINN, the U.S.'s largest anti-sexual violence organization

The law firm representing all Jane Does from Cleveland High School

"Why 1 in 5 jobs in LA City government are vacant," from CD 13's newsletter

Gustavo Arellano on the solidarity between unions during LA's hot labor summer

Tuesday, August 22 is a national day of labor solidarity, find a picket near you

Scott, Alissa, and Rachel break down the charges for the latest LA councilmember indictment, including why the case against Curren Price is different. Plus, white supremacist fascists crash LA's Pride month, and final thoughts on the CD 6 election.

Scott Frazier on why "the alleged crimes of Curren Price are extremely confusing"

Jon Peltz with the full criminal complaint against Price

Cat Garcia's in-depth report on which right-wing extremists were at the Dodgers' Pride Night

Mike Bonin talks to Joey Scott and Sean Beckner-Carmitchel about who's behind local anti-Pride rallies

LA on the Record on how Price's charges might have affected the CD 6 race

Scott, Alissa, and Rachel discuss the WGA strike, Jordan Neely's murder and who gets to feel safe riding transit, the city's new budget and Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez's lone dissenting vote, and, of course, "La Sombrita."

WGA's 2023 demands and Week 4 picket schedule

George R.R. Martin on how "mini rooms" are affecting writers

SAJE and ACT-LA's fare-free transit report

LADOT’s first-of-its-kind gender equity transportation study

Watch Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez's remarks on the budget vote

Our own Scott Frazier on how Mayor Bass's climate agenda doesn't meet the moment