Scott, Hayes, and Alissa look back on how the pandemic has changed LA, five years later. Then, a scathing audit of homelessness services at the city and LAHSA, a famous content creator’s burglary raises questions about LAPD response rates, and the brazenness of Huntington Park’s corruption scandal, "Operation Dirty Pond."

Listen to the March 16, 2020 episode of LA Podcast: “SoCal Distancing”

Coverage of the court-ordered audit of LA’s homelessness programs in the Daily News, LAist, and LA Times, plus the audit report ordered by Judge David O. Carter

Leaders at the county and city are calling for new oversight, with LA County leaders voting on whether to pull funding from LAHSA

Statement from LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and statement from LA City Councilmember Nithya Raman

Meanwhile, the number of homeless people who die in LA County has reached seven deaths per day

On "LA In a Minute” Evan Lovett said 911 didn’t pick up for an hour, then followed up with a correction, then talked about what happened next. The day before he asked what’s happening to the spirit of LA

The LA Times updated its story on Lovett clarifying 911 picked up after 78 seconds, but most local news outlets did not

One way to improve emergency response rates is by dispatching unarmed responders. LA’s pilot program is at risk of being zeroed out in the new budget. LA Forward is holding a teach-in on unarmed crisis response on March 25 at 7 p.m. RSVP here

Operation Dirty Pond: 11 Huntington Park locations were searched in an LA County District Attorney corruption probe

Huntington Park is reeling from the fallout with four former city employees suing for retaliation and constituents screaming at officials at a recent city council meeting

Produced by Sophie Bridges

Alissa, Rachel, and Mike recap former LAFD chief Kristin Crowley’s failed attempt to appeal her firing and discuss the political repercussions from the fire union, UFLAC. LA Mayor Karen Bass faces a recall campaign. And revenue shortfalls are forecast for LA, meaning leaders will have to take action to address the city’s park funding crisis.

Crowley lost her appeal to overturn her dismissal by LA Mayor Karen Bass; now she’ll take a new job as assistant chief of the Valley Bureau

LA Times: “Bass aides were warned of growing fire danger before she flew to Ghana”

And a follow up by the LA Times, published after we recorded: “Why is Mayor Karen Bass deleting her text messages?”

Meanwhile, as a reminder of where to place blame, LA County sued SoCal Edison for allegedly starting the Eaton Fire

Now Bass faces a right-wing recall with a bonkers campaign ad

LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia writes a dire revenue forecast: “Eight months into the current fiscal year, our best estimate is that revenue will fall approximately $140 million short of the adopted budget.” Also of note: “Our short-term focus on year-to-year balance neglects the need for a multi-year transition to service models that allow the City to live within its means”

LA is 88th out of 100 U.S. cities in the Trust for Public Land’s annual rankings for park equity and access 

An LA City parks needs assessment is currently being conducted, you can join meetings at parks and online 

Alissa’s story on LA’s park funding crisis for Torched

LA County’s Measure A, which voters approved in 2016, just secured 623 new acres of green space

The council is also considering CEQA exemptions for temporary and permanent projects related to the Olympics (which was supposed to be a “no-build” Olympics)

Compare LA’s lack of plans to the city of Long Beach’s Elevate ’28, a capital infrastructure plan timed to make citywide improvements by 2028

And as an update to a previous discussion, Bass now says she’s committed to getting charter reform on the November 2026 ballot and is looking for people to join the charter reform commission, you can apply here

Produced by Sophie Bridges

Hayes, Rachel, Mike, and LA Pod producer Sophie Bridges discuss the ongoing political soap opera over the firing of LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley and lament that deeper questions are getting lost amid the drama. Plus, a big victory for LA County tenants, and more evidence of racism in the LAPD.

Mayor Karen Bass fired LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley, then Crowley appealed her dismissal

Crowley’s appeal vote, originally scheduled for last Friday, has been changed to Tuesday, March 4

Libby Denkmann's deep dive into sexism, harassment and retaliation in LAFD in 2021 is important context for the events that led to the appointment of Crowley in 2022

Listen to the LA Podcast episode from 2021 detailing the allegations 

The Keep LA Housed coalition organized to win tenant protections in LA County and is gearing up to change the formula landlords use to hike rents

Community Coalition’s Alberto Retana shared his thoughts about the attacks on Bass, and called on Angelenos to focus on the real villains who are exploiting the crisis: billionaires.

Four LAPD officers are being investigated for "allegedly making racist and sexist remarks while working with new officer recruits,” according to the LA Times

Putting on his professor hat, Mike recommends commentaries and op-eds about racism in the LAPD by civil rights lawyer Connie Rice, and abolitionist essays in the New York Times and The Atlantic

Thanks to everyone who filled out our listener survey! Follow us on Instagram, share clips from your favorite episodes, and be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts

Produced by Sophie Bridges

Alissa, Hayes, and David discuss the local impacts of Elon Musk’s federal government takeover and reminisce about how he got his start right here in LA. And how other local billionaires are sucking up to Musk, including the one who owns the Los Angeles Times. Plus, new air and water quality testing results.

Please fill out the LA Podcast listener survey to let us know what we're doing well and how we can improve!

Join Big City Heat and LA Forward for LA Power Hour, a live comedy show where we fix all of LA’s problems forever. Saturday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m at the Elysian Theater in Echo Park. Tickets are $15, buy them here before they sell out.

South Coast AQMD’s air toxics testing results: “When levels of air toxic metals were above typical levels, the AQI was “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” or worse 98% of the time.”

LA County Public Health’s most recent town hall and all local public health testing results for air, water, soil, and beach sand

How to get your soil tested as part of research by the Community Action Project LA

Alissa’s air quality story for Torched back in January

Protests against Elon Musk’s takeover are being organized locally by the Federal Unionists Network and at Tesla stores, including the Americana at Brand

Musk’s business partner Rick Caruso has brought on Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia to donate modular homes to his rebuilding nonprofit. And Gebbia is also taking a role in Elon Musk’s White House

“It’s no secret that the owner of The Times, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, has been voicing his political opinions and, at times, misrepresenting our journalism — a stark change from when he saved the paper in 2018.” Read more from the Los Angeles Times Guild

The Wrap: ”LA Times Owner’s Comments About Reporter on Dr. Drew Show Could Stoke Further Harassment, Guild Says”
 

Produced by Sophie Bridges

Alissa, Mike, and Godfrey discuss yet another new LA rebuilding effort focused on climate — and why this one could be different. Plus, California becomes even more uninsurable, and city leaders are colluding to stop affordable housing in Venice. And remembering Donald Shoup, the UCLA professor who changed the way LA looked at parking.

UCLA’s new Blue Ribbon Commission "to promote a safe, resilient recovery” announced by LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath

The Science Moms Super Bowl ad that benefitted California Community Foundation’s wildfire recovery fund

LAT: “Palisades checkpoints to remain, Bass says, reversing course hours before reopening”

LAT: After critics blast move to pay L.A. wildfire recovery czar $500,000, he’ll do it for free"

“Lawmakers shouldn’t use the fires as an excuse to slow down on clean energy,” writes Los Angeles Times columnist Sammy Roth

The FAIR plan, California’s insurer of last resort has run out of money

California insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara confirmed that the state’s insurance customers will see temporary fee increases to cover the FAIR plan

Remembrances of legendary parking reform advocate Donald Shoup from UCLA, the Los Angeles Times, Henry Grabar, and Alissa’s piece at Torched

The High Cost of Free Parking video by Vox

Produced by Sophie Bridges

Alissa, Rachel, and Godfrey talk about the protests that are drawing attention to Trump’s mass deportation policies when California’s elected officials are not. Then: Rick Caruso launches his nonprofit, Steadfast LA, into a field that grows more crowded each day, and how Mayor Karen Bass should be thinking about rebuilding LA City infrastructure. 

De Los: "Why LA students walked out of school and protested mass deportations"

Boyle Heights Beat on how LAUSD is working to protect immigrant families

Here’s how you can order red cards or print your own

LA Times: "Who’s in charge of Palisades fire recovery? The answer has gotten complicated"

New rebuilding initiatives: Rick Caruso’s Steadfast LA and the Department of Angels, led by Snap’s Evan Spiegel and California Community Foundation’s Miguel Santana

Rick Caruso on the Joe Rogan Experience

Joe Mathews: “Why Didn’t L.A. Plan for This?”

Designing the Future of LA City: A Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for LA, an LA Forward Institute teach-in

Produced by Sophie Bridges

Alissa, Mike, and Hayes ask the big questions: is the fire department underfunded, who is really in charge of LA’s recovery, which electeds are taking all the blame, and why? Plus, emergency tenant protections are once again shelved by LA City Council.

Hayes’s Big City Heat story: “The question no one is going on TV about”

"24 hours that changed Los Angeles” by the Los Angeles Times’ Laura Nelson

UCLA study: "Altadena’s Black residents disproportionately hit by Eaton fire”

How Steve Soboroff, the city’s rebuilding czar, is going to help the Palisades

Alissa on Gavin Newsom’s LA Rises announcement at Torche

The Rent Brigade is a group of volunteers fighting price gouging 

LAist: "New fire eviction protections sent back to committee"

Produced by Sophie Bridges

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