Headlines From The Times

Latest Episodes:

Michelle Yeoh can finally be herself: ‘Thank you for seeing me’ Mar 13, 2023

Show notes

Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh has been a worldwide movie star for decades, known for action-packed roles in films such as “Supercop” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and as a Bond girl in “Tomorrow Never Dies.” But it’s her leading role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” that Yeoh says finally let her show what she’s capable of.

In this episode of “The Envelope,” Yeoh discusses her first impressions of “Everything Everywhere’s” genre-bending script and bold gags. She reflects on her dangerous early-career stunts and how she was treated when she arrived in Hollywood (she makes a gloriously unimpressed sound while recalling that people were “quite stunned” when they realized she could speak English). Yeoh also goes deep on tokenism, aging, and why she had been praying every night to win an Oscar. To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at latimes.com.

Hosts: Gustavo Arellano and Mark Olsen
Guest: Michelle Yeoh

Our Masters of Disasters take on toxic spills Mar 10, 2023

Show notes

The recent release of toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, after a train derailment was a reminder of how devastating such environmental events are for poor communities. Can we prevent the next one?

Today, our Masters of Disasters reconvene to talk toxic contamination and cleanup — and why toxic spills will probably never go away. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times environmental reporter Tony Briscoe, L.A. Times energy reporter Sammy Roth, and L.A. Times reporter Erin B. Logan

More reading:

Essential Politics: Shock waves from East Palestine train derailment reaching beyond Ohio

Do you live near the old Exide lead-acid battery smelter? Check your property’s cleanup status

Boiling Point: Fossil fuel ads galore

California's ballot-box fast-food fight Mar 08, 2023

Show notes

Last year, the California State Legislature approved a bill that aimed to improve wages and conditions for fast-food workers, but the fast-food industry raised millions to oppose it. As petitioners collect signatures, voters allege that they were lied to by petitioners.

Today, we get into the food fight — and California’s murky world of signature-gathering. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times reporter Suhauna Hussein

More reading:

‘I feel duped’: Inside the fast-food industry’s push to dismantle a new California labor law

UC Riverside should investigate ‘phony’ economics research center, faculty say

Column: The fast-food industry gears up to kill another pro-worker state law

Academy Nominees aren't Box Office Hits. Do Oscars Still Matter? Mar 06, 2023

Show notes

The Oscars ceremony is a night to celebrate the best the industry has to offer — but the nominated films are rarely box office hits, and viewership of the awards broadcast has declined. Will we see a rebound?

Today, we talk about the future of the Academy Awards, and who might win Sunday. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times film and television reporter Glenn Whipp

More reading:

Oscar voting has begun. Do we have a winner?

Three Oscar voters share their super-secret ballots

‘Everything Everywhere’ won the guild trifecta. Now it’s the Oscars frontrunner

The California Dream in Nevada Mar 03, 2023

Show notes

Californians have long moved to Nevada in search of new business and personal opportunities. But a massive business park near Reno is drawing in businesses like never before. Some long-timers aren’t happy.

Today, we visit the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center to learn more. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times national enterprise reporter Noah Bierman

More reading:

Californians are pouring into Nevada. Not everyone is happy about it

‘Don’t move to Texas’: Billboard warns L.A., San Francisco residents about moving to Lone Star State

Nashville’s Southern hospitality — and affordability — beckon Californians

Legal weed, massive worker exploitation Mar 01, 2023

Show notes

When California voters legalized cannabis, growers vowed a break from decades of worker exploitation in the state’s agricultural industry. A Times investigation found otherwise.

Today, where it all went wrong and what’s being done to stop it. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times investigative reporter Paige St. John

More reading:

Dying for your high: The untold exploitation and misery in America’s weed industry

The reality of legal weed in California: Huge illegal grows, violence, worker exploitation and deaths

Lawmakers want investigation, hearings into ‘Wild West’ of California cannabis and farm work

A new age for mental health in workplaces? Feb 27, 2023

Show notes

Faced with high levels of worker stress, anxiety and burnout as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies pledged that employee mental health would become a top priority. But actions haven’t always followed promises.

Today, we look into what bosses and employees can do to better the workplace. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times business reporter Samantha Masunaga, and The Times senior producer Denise Guerra

More reading:

Bosses say they care about mental health — can workers trust them?

Use these mental health resources to help yourself — or anyone else

Newsletter: How to boost mental health at your workplace

America’s first Black prima ballerina: Bernice Harrison Feb 24, 2023

Show notes

When you think of Black ballerinas, names like Misty Copeland or Janet Collins may come to mind. But did you know that a classical ballet dancer from L.A. named Bernice Harrison predated both of them?

Today, the lesser-known story of Harrison’s rise to become the first Black prima ballerina, and the legacy of the First Negro Classical Ballet Company. Read the full transcript here.

Host: L.A. Times producer Ashlea Brown
Guest: Kenneth Marcus professor of history at the University of Laverne

More reading:

First Negro Classical Ballet and Bernice Harrison

L.A. Times Today: In ‘Kylie,’ a Black ballerina shares her experience in the ballet community

Misty Copeland, Calvin Royal III and the rarity of a black couple dancing lead roles

The war against Drag Queen Story Hour Feb 22, 2023

Show notes

Drag performers are more visible than ever after decades in the underground, but will recent protests, threats of violence, and restrictive laws set them back?

Today, we dive into the origins of the backlash and how drag performers are reacting to it. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times national correspondent Jaweed Kaleem

More reading:

Drag Queen Story Hour disrupted by men shouting slurs and threats at Bay Area library

Children’s drag queen event at Costa Mesa church draws protest

Arkansas legislative panel advances bill to restrict drag performances

One year into the Russia-Ukraine war Feb 20, 2023

Show notes

The first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is this month. L.A. Times global affairs correspondent Laura King has visited Ukraine at four key moments since the war started: Russia’s spring invasion, Ukraine’s summertime counteroffensive, Russia’s attack on civilians and infrastructure in the fall, and during the winter fatigue.

Today, she tells us about what she has seen and what has changed. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times global affairs correspondent Laura King

More reading:

Lviv was once a safe haven for Ukrainians fleeing the war. Now it’s suffering too

The weaponization of winter: Ukraine aims to stop Russia from regrouping as temperatures drop

In Ukraine’s war-shrouded capital, a play about a murderous dictator rings true