Episode 6: As the drug trade and gang violence of the 1980s engulf South Los Angeles, Big Willie Robinson finds himself without a racetrack and sees his influence waning. But after the city burns again, he seizes a chance to start anew. 

Learn more about the story, sign up for new episode alerts and go behind the scenes at latimes.com/LTL

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In 1960s Los Angeles, after the catastrophic Watts riots, an outsized character emerged — one who found an unexpected way to unite people across race and class. Odds are you’ve never heard of him. From L.A. Times Studios, the team behind “Dirty John” and “Man in the Window,” comes “Larger Than Life,” a docu-series about Big Willie Robinson, a 6-foot-6, muscle-bound street racer who preached peace a quarter-mile at a time. Cops and criminals, movie stars and miscreants, even Crips and Bloods — out at the drag strip, Big Willie could get them all to see eye to eye, easing tensions and making L.A. a safer and more unified place. For a time, he was a celebrated figure in L.A. — but today his legend has faded. What caused him to fall into obscurity? Reported, written and hosted by Daniel Miller from the L.A. Times. Produced by L.A. Times Studios and Neon Hum Media.

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True crime

Reporting dire news out of America and at home, Russian news anchor Viktor Antonov attempts to guide his audience through what may be the beginning of the end. Everywhere is a battlefield.

‘SIGN OFF’ is a branded podcast from LA Times Studios paid for by Bleecker Street and LD Entertainment in support of the film ‘I.S.S.’ only in theaters January 19th.

Moscow

Following a wave of cyber attacks against the U.S., news anchor Maria Mason finds herself at the center of an escalating crisis where the International Space Station emerges as a strategic foothold.

‘SIGN OFF’ is a scripted, branded podcast from LA Times Studios paid for by Bleecker Street and LD Entertainment in support of the film ‘I.S.S.’ only in theaters January 19th.

Minot

"Foretold" is the newest podcast from the L.A. Times, and we're sharing a preview of the first episode with you here today. 

In the fall of 2019, reporter Faith E. Pinho received a tip from a woman named Paulina Stevens. Paulina claimed she had grown up in an insular Romani community in California, where she was raised to be a wife, mother and fortuneteller — until she decided to break away. That first call unraveled a story spanning multiple continents, hundreds of years, and complex metaphysical realities. 

 Follow "Foretold" to hear new episodes every Tuesday.

Introducing 'Foretold'

One lawyer saw a broken system. But the system saw a vigilante killer. From Christopher Goffard, the Los Angeles Times reporter and host behind the hit podcasts Dirty John and Detective Trapp, comes a new eight-episode true crime podcast, The Trials of Frank Carson. This story of power, politics and the law centers around Carson, the famously caustic defense attorney, who dedicated his life’s work to the very thing that has turned against him — the justice system. 

 

The first two episodes premiere Tuesday May 25, available wherever you listen to podcasts. http://link.chtbl.com/FrankCarson. Special bonus episodes are available exclusively to L.A. Times subscribers. https://www.latimes.com/frank-carson-podcast.

L.A. Times presents The Trials of Frank Carson

Episode 7: Big Willie Robinson’s decision to make himself into a myth ends in tragedy. An effort to understand his legacy leads to a harrowing street race in Compton, and, ultimately, a question: What does it really mean to be larger than life? 

Learn more about the story, sign up for new episode alerts and go behind the scenes at latimes.com/LTL

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