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When the celebrity bigot is a Black man Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

Right now, there’s a lot of attention being paid to Black male celebrities and their controversial statements and actions. Dave Chapelle has been criticized for his comments about trans people. Artist Ye (formerly Kanye West) and star NBA player Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets are under fire for pushing antisemitic sentiments.

It’s something we’ve seen before — but is there a double standard when the bigot is Black? Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times columnist LZ Granderson

More reading:

Column: Kanye West’s life and art are one. You don’t have to keep watching

Kyrie Irving suspended by Brooklyn Nets for failure to disavow antisemitism

Column: What I want Dave Chappelle to understand about the color of queerness

How to end political violence Nov 14, 2022

Show notes

Political violence has been a part of this country since its founding. But right now, many people feel it’s a disturbing trend on a sharp and dangerous upswing. Such acts of political violence started ramping up long before the midterm elections. And the people who study it are worried.

Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times national politics reporter Melanie Mason

More reading:

‘We are a tinderbox’: Political violence is ramping up, experts warn

Read our full coverage of the violent attack on Paul Pelosi

Rep. Steve Scalise and three others shot on a Virginia baseball field in apparent act of political violence

The slow trickle of election day Nov 11, 2022

Show notes

Election day has come and gone... kinda. Many races, both local and national, are still too close to call. And while the Republican Party is expected to take Congress, it’s not by the margin many had predicted. So what does all this mean for both parties? And what about 2024?

Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times politics reporter Seema Mehta and L.A. Times L.A. mayoral race reporter Julia Wick

More reading:

Tapping into ‘a simmering rage’: Democrats’ emphasis on abortion stopped GOP gains

Democrats’ risky bet on GOP election deniers paid off. Should they do it again?

Why it could take weeks to get final L.A. election results. ‘We aren’t sitting on ballots’

Can Kevin McCarthy control Congress? Nov 09, 2022

Show notes

The results of the midterm elections are still being tabulated, but it looks like California Congressman Kevin McCarthy is likely to be the next speaker of the House if the Republican Party gains control. McCarthy has tied himself to former President Trump and all that comes with that affiliation, but what does the Bakersfield Republican really stand for, and how is he most likely to wield his new power?

Today, as part of our coverage of the 2022 midterms, what the early election results say about the power shift in Congress, the election in 2024, and the Republican leader at the center of it all.

Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guest: L.A. Times senior writer Jeffrey Fleishman

More reading:

Ambition keeps him loyal to Donald Trump. But what does Kevin McCarthy stand for?

2022 U.S. midterm elections: Live results

Democrats defy history with control of Congress still up for grabs

The Gen Z vote battle Nov 07, 2022

Show notes

Tuesday’s midterms are among the most consequential elections in decades. As Democrats and Republicans fight for control, there’s one group with millions of eligible voters that both parties desperately want: Generation Z.

Pundits point out that this generation is on track to be better educated, more ethnically diverse and more liberal than others. That would seem to bode well for the Democratic party and spell doom for the Republicans. But both parties wonder: Will Gen Z actually go out and vote?

Read the full transcript here.
Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times staff writer Arit John

More reading:

Will young voters save Democrats in the midterm elections?

Gen Z students want better mental healthcare access on campus

Is it apathy or anxiety? What’s keeping some young Californians from voting

Uh-oh for U.K.'s new P.M. Nov 04, 2022

Show notes

Rishi Sunak made history last month as the first nonwhite person to become prime minister of the United Kingdom. But he inherits a country, a party and people in chaos. Sunak is the third prime minister in seven weeks for the U.K, as it grapples with economic problems and an identity crisis. Can a new face stop the decline?

Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times foreign correspondent Jaweed Kaleem

More reading:

Rishi Sunak to be Britain’s new prime minister, the first person of color in the role

With another prime minister gone, what’s next for an already diminished Britain?

It’s a good time to be an American in Britain, as the pound declines in value

An audio ofrenda for Día de los Muertos Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

On Día de los Muertos, people across Mexico and the United States set up altars to remember loved ones who have died. But new traditions arise every year to commemorate the holiday: online tributes, public festivals and more.

In that spirit, we have decided to turn this episode into an audio ofrenda — a place to let listeners remember their loved ones. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times Latino affairs editor Fidel Martinez, and our listeners

More reading:

Latinx Files: Why we built a Día de los Muertos digital altar

Día de los Muertos: How we remember our dearly departed

For this Oaxacan merchant, marigolds mean more than ever this Día de los Muertos

Dems try abortion-rights pitch with Latinos Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

The overturning of Roe vs. Wade this summer offered Democrats a new playbook for the Nov. 8 midterm elections when it comes to winning the Latino vote; promise to protect abortion rights. It’s a move that goes against the long-held assumption that Latinos skew socially conservative and hold antiabortion views rooted in their religious beliefs.

Today, as part of our ongoing coverage of the midterm elections; how a race in New Mexico gives us a window into the gamble that access to abortions can help Democrats win over Latinos. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times national political correspondent Melanie Mason

More reading:

Democrats are trying out a new pitch with Latino voters, one centered on abortion rights

Your guide to the 2022 California midterm election

Will young voters save Democrats in the midterm elections?

Our Masters of Disasters know it's windy Oct 28, 2022

Show notes

Who doesn’t like a nice breeze? A gorgeous zephyr? But the bad winds: They’re bad. And in Southern California right now, we’re going through some of the most notorious, bad winds of them all: the Santa Anas.

Today, our Masters of Disasters talk about the howling devil winds in honor of the spooky season. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times earthquake reporter Ron Lin, L.A. Times coastal reporter Rosanna Xia, and L.A. Times energy reporter Sammy Roth

More reading:

No emergency outages after Santa Ana winds prompted Southern California fire danger warnings

Why it’s been so warm and windy in Southern California this winter

Diablo winds can feed Northern California fires. Here’s how they form

The scandal at LA City Hall — again Oct 26, 2022

Show notes

It was the audio leak that created a political earthquake in Los Angeles.

Soon after the racist comments recorded during a private conversation among three council members and a labor leader leaked to the public, the fallout began. There’ve been resignations, rowdy protests at City Hall and more. The controversy has created a political opening that might fundamentally change the makeup of the City Council by pushing it even further to the left.

With midterms just two weeks away, today we talk about what’s next at L.A. City Hall. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times reporters Julia Wick and David Zahniser

More reading:

Racist audio leak could push L.A. City Hall further left in Nov. 8 election

Amid noisy protest, the L.A. City Council — listening via earbuds — conducts its business

Krekorian says he’ll work to restore trust in City Hall as L.A. City Council president