Long Beach Chisme

Tuck yourselves in to listen to the most chaotic bedtime story as Kevin Flores, co-founder and reporter with FORTHE, retells how Long Beach has repeatedly prioritized the interests of developers and the real estate industry over low-income renters. In part one, he discusses how the city's now-defunct redevelopment agency for decades shaped Long Beach by demolishing low-income housing and handing over millions of tax dollars to developers. Honestly, is it even a bedtime story if it doesn’t have sex workers, cigar-smoking cabals, and slush funds? Follow Long Beach Chisme on IG and TikTok @lbchisme and on Twitter at @LongBeachChisme. Show Notes and Sources Here.

This week’s episode is giving extreme heat, sea level rise, and crony capitalism. James and Daniel are joined by local Sunrise Movement organizer Kenny Allen to talk about all the chisme around how Long Beach is failing to do enough to address the climate crisis. Drill in baby, drill in! Follow Long Beach Chisme on IG and TikTok @lbchisme and on Twitter at @LongBeachChisme. Show Notes Here.

Y’all have been stopping us on the street and asking for it, so here it is: James and Daniel finally get to the bottom (or top) of Robert Garcia’s rise to political power. With the help of local criminal defense attorney and former Garcia staffer Stefan Borst-Censullo, we retell the highs and lows from Robert’s Cal State Long Beach days to his schmoozey cruise onto the City Council—plus all the chisme in between. This is a reaaaal juicy one so don’t miss it. Follow Long Beach Chisme on IG and TikTok @lbchisme and on Twitter at @LongBeachChisme. Show notes here.

James and Daniel chisme on the question everyone is asking: How does Long Beach have a $3 billion dollar budget but still has a 16% poverty rate? Our intrepid hosts cover the ins and outs of how our local government works and who decides how we spend our tax dollars. Featuring Tom Morello, puka shell necklaces, and Osmosis Jones. Follow Long Beach Chisme on IG and TikTok @lbchisme and on Twitter at @LongBeachChisme. Show Notes Here.

The story of regulating and fighting over cannabis is far from over--because of money, honey! James and Daniel dig into the “blood sport” of cannabis licensing, social equity, y más all while trying not to get sued. Follow Long Beach Chisme on IG and TikTok @lbchisme and on Twitter @LongBeachChisme.

LBChisme is produced and distributed by FORTHE.org.

Show Notes and Sources.

CW: Sexual assault and violence against women.

Women of color have always been at the forefront of social change, and the fight for worker protections in Long Beach is no different—especially when the City Council refused to support them. This is the story of the time hotel workers took on the city's powerful hoteliers and political establishment... and won. From 20-year-old Renaissance Hotel worker Claudia Sanchez who suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and fell into a coma after working a 14-hour shift to the badass women who took their fight to TIME Magazine and the ballot box, our hosts are joined by local organizer Marlene Montañez who recounts the struggle to pass labor protections in the form of Measure WW in 2018.

Follow Long Beach Chisme on IG and TikTok @lbchisme and on Twitter at @LongBeachChisme.

Show Notes and Sources

Do you know how cannabis was legalized in Long Beach? Do you have a feeling it’s a story filled with bureaucracy and political doublespeak? Well, you’d be right!

On our inaugural episode, Daniel and James trace the weird and wild history of cannabis legalization in Long Beach, involving police raids, recycle bins, ping-pong balls, ballots y más. But it all starts with a recent tweet by Mayor Robert Garcia.

Follow Long Beach Chisme on IG and TikTok @lbchisme and on Twitter at @LongBeachChisme.

Show Notes and Sources

Chismosas, we got a little too blazed on 4/20 and forgot to drop this teaser of our first episode, which traces the history of cannabis legalization in Long Beach.

Cannabis Pt. 1: How Robert Garcia Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bong drops on May 1.

However, if you can't wait that long to get the goss you can listen to the episode now by signing up to support FORTHE on Patreon for as little as $2 a month. You'll get access to the podcast's Patreon-only feed where we'll be dropping bonus episodes and other exclusive content.

Grab your concha and sit down for this chisme.

We’re launching a podcast that threads together the stories, politics, and people making up LA County’s biggest small town.

Long Beach Chisme will be hosted by local queer activists James Suazo and Daniel Speer. The pod will dive into local issues like labor, housing, police, environmental justice, and beyond. Get your chisme as James and Danial invite local activists and people-in-the-know to spill the frijoles.

First episode tracing the history of legalized cannabis in Long Beach drops May 1.