Headlines From The Times

We repeat our episode from last year on Cinco de Mayo because it’s that good. Axios reporter Russell Contreras takes us to the forgotten history of the holiday that’s more American than Mexican, and offers a case for why we should celebrate it. Read the transcript here. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: Axios reporter Russell ContrerasMore reading:If it’s Cinco de Mayo, the cooking should be MexicanOp-Ed: Cinco de Mayo -- a truly Mexican American holidayFive ways to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at home

On June 7, voters in Los Angeles will elect their preferred candidates in the primary. A couple of races — the mayor’s seat, L.A. County Sheriff, a possible recall of Dist. Atty. George Gascón — are earning national attention against a backdrop of voters angry with what they think is out-of-control crime and homelessness.Today, we air a live panel on all this and more, originally held during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times columnist Erika D. Smith, L.A. Times mayor’s race reporter Julia Wick, and L.A. Times sheriff’s department reporter Alene Tchekmedyian.More reading:Rick Caruso’s campaign spending tops $23 million in L.A. mayor’s raceColumn: Sheriff Villanueva acts like he’s above the law in L.A. County. What if he’s right?First eyewitness account of Sheriff Villanueva lying in a cover-up revealed in filing

In this installment of the podcast “Border City” from our sister paper, the San Diego Union-Tribune, longtime border reporter Sandra Dibble talks about what it was like covering the assassination of a police chief in Tijuana and the arrest of a powerful drug suspect.She also moonlights as an opera singer in Tijuana, puts on a concert for friends from both sides of the border and navigates living a binational life after 9/11, which changed the flow of traffic from one side of the border to the other.Read the full transcript here.Host: Sandra DibbleMore reading:Listen to all the “Border City” episodes

Streaming services were one of the few winners from the pandemic, especially Netflix. But the pandemic’s binge boom seems to have burst.Today, the winners and losers in the streaming wars and how providers are handling the post-quarantine subscriber drop. Read the transcript. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times film business reporter Ryan FaughnderMore reading:After Netflix’s week from hell, why streaming is becoming more like ‘just TV’Same-day streaming film releases are ‘dead,’ cinema group leader saysLayoffs at Netflix have some staffers questioning company strategy and culture

After South L.A. erupted in anger 30 years ago, government officials promised to end the community’s economic disparity once and for all, and invest. It’s a promise that many residents say remains unfulfilled. But is that finally going to change?Today, Part Two of our L.A. riots anniversary coverage will focus on the Crenshaw Line, a light-rail system that some South L.A. leaders say will help the neighborhood improve — and others fear will bring gentrification. Read the transcript. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times business reporter Samantha MasunagaMore reading:Facing schedule delays, L.A. Metro seeks $120 million more for Crenshaw LineMeet six artists making the public art you’ll soon see on Metro’s Crenshaw/LAX LineOpinion: The Crenshaw Line is a start, but L.A.'s most transit-dependent neighborhoods need more options

April 29, 1992. A date that forever changed Los Angeles. Six days of chaos erupted after the acquittal of four police officers in the videotaped beating of Rodney King, an unarmed Black motorist. This is the first of two episodes on the 30th anniversary of the L.A. riots.Today, Black, Latino and Asian communities reflect on the uprising. We also discuss the racial reckoning of the L.A. Times newsroom in its aftermath. Read the transcript. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times columnists Sandy Banks and Frank ShyongMore reading:Column: What we got wrong about Black and Korean communities after the L.A. riotsColumn: He was murdered during the L.A. riots. We can’t forget Latinos like himThe damage went deep

For more than a decade, #BlackTwitter — a community of millions that has harnessed the power of the social media platform to create real-world change — has been a cultural phenomenon. But with Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, many Black activists fret for the future of the space they created and say they might not stick around to see what changes the platform’s new owner will make.Today, how Twitter’s influential Black community is reacting to the controversial new leader — and where Black online social activism might thrive next. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times columnist Erika D. SmithMore reading:Column: With Elon Musk in charge, it’s the beginning of the end for #BlackTwitterElon Musk reaches $44-billion deal to buy TwitterBlack Tesla employees describe a culture of racism: ‘I was at my breaking point’

Menthol-flavored cigarettes have been controversial for decades, and the Food and Drug Administration is weighing a national ban on them. But tobacco companies are not a fan of losing out on millions of dollars with that possible move. So they’ve enlisted leaders in a community that has long been the biggest consumer of menthols: Black people.Read the show transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times medical investigations reporter Emily Baumgaertner, and Ben Stockton of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.More reading:How Big Tobacco used George Floyd and Eric Garner to stoke fear among Black smokersAddicted to menthol: Big Tobacco’s targeting of Black communities could soon endOp-Ed: Big Tobacco helped destroy Black Americans’ health. Banning menthols could help improve it

As Russia’s war against Ukraine enters its third month, ordinary Ukrainians continue to upend their lives to protect their homeland. Today, we’ll hear the stories of three Ukrainians who came to the aid of their country in its hour of greatest need.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times foreign correspondent Kate LinthicumMore reading:Full coverage of the war in UkraineUkraine war heroes: A student spiriting supplies to soldiers. A DJ answering calls about the missingUkrainian citizens trapped as Russia attacks hospitals, schools and refuses evacuations

The strict lockdowns and zero-tolerance COVID policies that were once praised for keeping China largely infection-free; they’re back. And they’re now pushing people to their limits.Today, how the recent lockdown in Shanghai is testing China’s zero tolerance strategy, and what it means for the country’s communist government. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times China correspondent Stephanie YangMore reading:Strain of Shanghai’s COVID lockdown tests China’s zero tolerance resolveHuman toll from Shanghai lockdown fuels public frustration‘It’s a nightmare’: Hong Kong runs low on coffins as Omicron exacts deadly toll

Earlier this month, Mexico had an election. But it wasn’t business as usual. The vote was a first in Mexico — a recall referendum on the country’s president. The person pushing to recall the president … was the president himself.Today we get into the curious history of Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times foreign correspondents Leila Miller and Kate LinthicumMore reading:Mexicans vote on whether to recall the president, an election he pushed forLópez Obrador on track to retain control of Mexico’s Congress, but with reduced majorityAmid journalist killings, Mexican president tries to shame famous reporter who wrote about his son

Since AriZona iced tea launched in 1994, a can of the stuff has cost 99 cents. It’s a business anomaly, yet one that has turned the company into a multibillion-dollar outfit. And the owner vows to keep his iced tea at that price even during the worst inflation the United States has seen in 40 years, which is eating into the company’s revenue.Today, we get into this odd business ideology.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuest: L.A. Times business reporter Sam DeanMore reading:As inflation soars, how is AriZona iced tea still 99 cents?Read the episode transcript

In Chapter 3 of “Border City,” a podcast from the San Diego Union Tribune and L.A. Times, Sandra Dibble continues her story about living and working as a journalist in Tijuana. It’s both sides of Tijuana that eventually make Sandra feel like she’s not just passing through anymore, but like she’s finally found her place and purpose.From drug cartels, a kidnapping and an attempted murder of a journalist, to building real friendships, a surprise birthday party, tennis lessons, aerobics and intimate concerts in Tijuas, Sandra’s real-life experiences bring the border town’s sharp contrasts into focus — the bitter and the sweet.Host: Sandra DibbleMore reading:Jesus Blancornelas, 70; writer exposed actions of drug cartelsHere’s something you didn’t know about Tijuana: It’s a great weekend escape for food loversFrom the Archives: Amid all the bustle, Tijuana has classic lilts

Some of the biggest names in the music industry have played the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival since it debuted in 1999 on large grass fields out in the California desert. It turned into a global phenomenon and tastemaker in the process. But for the past two years, along with the rest of the live-music industry, Coachella went on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic...but it’s BACK.Today, what Coachella’s return this past weekend and next weekend says about the state of the music industry.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times pop music reporter Mikael WoodMore reading:Live updates from Coachella 2022The best moments of Coachella 2022 in photosInside the Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia’s very last-minute Coachella collab

In anticipation of the Supreme Court making its landmark abortion decision this summer and very likely undoing Roe v Wade, The Times is looking at the issue from a number of perspectives. Today, we’ll tell the complicated story of how evangelicals mobilized around restricting abortion — and one women’s place in it all.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times national correspondent Jaweed KaleemMore reading:Read the L.A. Times’ “The Future of Abortion” seriesAs Supreme Court weighs abortion, Christians challenge what it means to be ‘pro-life’The pastor thought Trump was ‘evil.’ So he quit his conservative church

In 1945, five families sued school districts in Orange County to challenge the practice of so-called Mexican schools, which kept Latino students from attending white schools with better resources. The daughter of one of the plaintiffs, Sylvia Mendez, has spent her retirement telling the story of the landmark desegregation case, which was decided 75 years ago on April 14, 1947.But she goes from school to school talking about the importance of this case at a time when Latino students are, in many ways, more segregated than ever.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times education reporter Paloma EsquivelMore reading:Mendez vs. segregation: 70 years later, famed case ‘isn’t just about Mexicans. It’s about everybody coming together’Op-Ed: How Mexican immigrants ended ‘separate but equal’ in CaliforniaWestminster council takes steps to recognize historic civil rights case

When reporter Sandra Dibble started covering Tijuana in the 1990s, many of her stories dealt with violence and corruption in the city. But like most Tijuanenses, Sandra actually felt pretty. She didn’t let the terrifying headlines she was writing stop her from settling into her new life and exploring her adopted home of Tijuana.Today, in the second episode of “Border City,” Sandra talks about that era and what she learned.Host: Sandra DibbleMore reading:Tijuana: Through a Mirror, DarklyTijuana killings may signal fall of Arellano Felix cartelMaking a Tijuana art scene built to last

In 1969, off California’s coast, an ecological disaster gained worldwide attention. The state’s largest oil disaster shocked a nation into action: It led to the creation of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and the passing of California’s Environmental Quality Act and the federal Environmental Protection Act. The catastrophe also inspired a day to reflect and learn about environmentalism — Earth Day.But in a world where climate change is ravaging the earth, what good is just a day anymore?Today, we get into Earth Day’s fails and wins.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times earthquake reporter Ron Lin, L.A. Times wildfire reporter Alex Wigglesworth and L.A. Times coastal reporter Rosanna XiaMore reading:Editorial: Happy 50th birthday, Earth DayAn Earth Day message for California: Move faster on climate change8 ways to get active on Earth Day

An L.A. Times investigation found that jet engine oil can leak into the air supply of passenger planes, creating a toxic cocktail that can lead to health problems. It happens with an alarming frequency across all airlines — and that’s despite the airline industry and its regulators saying otherwise. The Times investigation just might result in real-world change.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times investigations reporter Kiera FeldmanMore reading:After Times investigation, Congress is moving to curb toxic fumes on airplanesHow toxic fumes seep into the air you breathe on planesSmells on a plane: Have you been exposed to toxic chemicals while flying?

Black people are two and a half times more likely to be hospitalized, and 1.7 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than whites.That stat from the CDC is shocking. But it’s not exactly surprising. Not to people like L.A. Times reporter Marissa Evans.Her father, Gary Evans, is now one of nearly 97,000 Black people in America who’ve died from COVID-19 complications.And while Marissa is willing to accept her father’s death, on today’s episode, she says she refuses to accept that losing all these Black men is normal ... or OK.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times healthcare reporter Marissa EvansMore reading:The way we lose Black men never makes sense. Losing my father to COVID is another exampleBlack L.A. residents have highest COVID hospitalization rate: ‘A deplorable reality’Op-Ed: A COVID diary: My Black family’s struggle with vaccine hesitancy

Reporter Sandra Dibble spent more than 25 years covering the U.S.-Mexico border for the San Diego Union-Tribune. And what she found out after her first day on the job is that Tijuana is ... complicated.The impact of being home to the Western Hemisphere’s busiest border crossing — how the border has shaped Tijuana — is a big part of what Sandra spent her career digging into.And she pulls all that work together in "Border City," a new eight-part narrative podcast series. Today, we air its debut episode.Host: Sandra DibbleMore reading:Border City: A podcast about beauty, violence and belonging in Tijuana from a journalist who spent more than 25 years reporting at the borderThe Backstory: Sandra Dibble discusses “Border City,” her upcoming podcast about reporting in TijuanaOpinion: After writing about Tijuana for decades, I can’t imagine my life without this city

Before Jan. 6, 2021, John Eastman was known as a fringe figure in conservative circles. But now, Eastman’s not so fringe anymore.A California-based federal judge said Trump probably committed felonies in connection with the events of that day. And he says that Eastman was the person Trump chose to find “a coup in search of a legal theory.”Today, in the second part of a miniseries on the Jan. 6 investigation, we get into Eastman’s career — and what his emails and actions on Jan. 6 might mean for Trump’s future.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Justice Department reporter Sarah D. WireMore reading:How a California lawyer became a focal point of the Jan. 6 investigationJudge rules against Trump lawyer John Eastman in dispute with Jan. 6 investigatorsJohn Eastman, Trump’s lawyer on overturning election, under investigation by California Bar

Hundreds of people have been charged with federal crimes in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. The amount of evidence against many of the insurrectionists is growing. But sorting through it all has ground many of these criminal cases to a halt. Today, in the first of a two-part series on the Jan. 6 investigations, why it might take years to prosecute all the rioters who invaded the Capitol, and how difficult it will be to make charges stick.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Capitol Hill reporter Sarah D. WireMore reading:The evidence in the Jan. 6 investigations is overwhelming — literallyJan. 6 defendant pleads guilty to a single charge after prosecutors forgot to indict himBeverly Hills anti-vaccine doctor pleads guilty in Jan. 6 Capitol riot case

Title 42 has plugged up the asylum system since it was put in place at the start of the coronavirus crisis. Since March 2020, U.S. border officials have used the policy to quickly remove migrants by sending them back to Mexico or to their home countries.But now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says migrants are not a public health threat, so Title 42 will come to an end on May 23.Today, we talk about the ramifications of the controversial public health order.Guests: L.A. Times immigration reporter Andrea CastilloMore reading:Biden administration could revoke controversial border policy blocking asylum in weeksBiden administration announces asylum system overhaul: What you need to knowFearing for their lives, Mexicans fled a gang-ruled town. Now they seek political asylum in California

Beverly Hills resident Ray Mascolo died of a drug overdose in 2020. His passing led investigators to a sprawling, Hollywood-based drug-dealing network with a business model resembling a food-delivery app.We tell this saga today.Host: L.A. Times courts reporter Michael FinneganMore reading:How a man’s death in Beverly Hills exposed a sprawling Hollywood drug delivery businessCalifornia lawmakers target fentanyl as opioid overdoses surgeHow drug overdose deaths surpassed 100,000 in one year

When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during the Oscars for a joke the latter made about the hairstyle of Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, it brought forth the politics of Black hair, especially the hair of Black women. Long maligned, it’s getting more attention than ever, from the sisterlocks of prospective Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to anti-discrimination bills passed on the state and local level.Today, we talk about the issue with two L.A. Times writers who bring their own personal history to the subject.Host: L.A. Times D.C. reporter Erin B. LoganGuests: L.A. Times columnist Erika D. SmithMore reading:Column: Will Smith’s Oscars slap of Chris Rock settles it. We’re done with Black hair jokesCalifornia becomes first state to ban discrimination based on one’s natural hairThe world of Black hair magic, according to an icon of L.A.’s hair avant-garde

L.A. Times foreign correspondent Patrick J. McDonnell has covered Ukrainian refugees flooding into Poland and the funerals for Ukrainian soldiers in Lviv. He’s heard from mayors urging Americans to approve a no-fly zone over Ukraine, and men returning to their country to fight on the front lines.Today, we hear some of Patrick’s stories.Guests: L.A. Times Mexico City bureau chief Patrick J. McDonnellMore reading:A funeral for Ukraine soldiers brings war to small townRefugee flows from Ukraine mount. Meantime, aid and would-be fighters head in other directionIn Ukraine, the flood of displaced people fleeing the war only grows

Two brothers near Sacramento are fighting for compensation for the land they say was taken from their formerly enslaved ancestors during the Gold Rush. Their story got pulled into an even bigger debate happening right now in California. A first-of-its-kind task force is trying to decide: Will the state pay reparations to Black people? And if so, who should get it?Guests: L.A. Times columnist Erika D. SmithMore reading:Column: They say California stole their ancestors’ land. But do they qualify for reparations?Column: It’s a guaranteed income program, but think of it as a test case for reparationsCalifornia created the nation’s first state reparations task force. Now comes the hard part

“Binge Sesh” is a new L.A. Times podcast taking a deep dive into the television shows everyone is talking about. For its inaugural season, the series gets into the HBO show “Winning Time,” which talks about the Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s who dominated the NBA with its Showtime approach to basketball.Host: Matt Brennan and Kareem MaddoxGuests: Author Jeff PearlmanMore reading:‘Winning Time’ began as the seminal book on the Showtime Lakers; it’s Hollywood nowHow a pair of unknowns made themselves into Lakers legends for HBO’s next big dramaFour years. Four coaches. Inside the off-court drama that made the Showtime Lakers

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has added and subtracted elements to this year’s Oscars. A roundtable of L.A. Times film and television experts discuss those changes, plus offer up other commentary and criticism about this Sunday’s Academy Awards.Today, we’ve got a special episode from our sister podcast, “The Envelope.”Host: Mark OlsenGuests: Justin Chang, Glenn Whip, Mary McNamaraMore reading:The Oscars are embracing better movies. The show acts like it’s embarrassed by themHow the Oscars have, and haven’t, changed since Halle and Denzel’s historic victoriesColumn: ‘Belfast’ isn’t my favorite movie in the Oscar race. But it gave me the most hope

What lengths would you go to find someone you love? Even as their disappearance edges closer and closer to becoming a cold case? Today, we have the story of a family working to find their missing loved one.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporter Lila SeidmanMore reading:Was Jack here? A sister asks the beach community whether they’ve seen her missing brotherHelp Find Jack Stein Facebook page

In the war for Ukraine, it’s Zelensky versus Putin. Two men with essentially the same first name fighting for their place in history — not just for their respective countries but for the ancestral roots that Russia and Ukraine share, and that both rulers claim to be the true defender of.And a prince, who ruled more than 1,000 years ago — known in Russia as Vladimir the Great and in Ukraine as Volodymyr the Great — lies at the heart of that intertwined history. We get into that today.More reading:Putin’s rationale for Ukraine invasion gets the history wrongUkrainian TalesIn battle between Russia and Ukraine, even God is in dispute

For the past two decades, Disney’s reputation in the LGBTQ community has been stellar. It was one of the first Fortune 500 companies to offer same-sex couple benefits. And tens of thousands of people attend their unofficial Gay Days. More and more out characters are appearing in television shows, movies and cartoons. But critics now say Disney has thrown away all that goodwill. Just another thing to blame on…Florida.

Today, hearings will begin to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the seat of retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. Jackson’s a different type of judge, a Black woman for starters — she’d be the first ever on the Supreme Court — but she also brings unprecedented professional and life experiences. But even if she’s confirmed, how much influence can a history maker really have?More reading:Jackson supporters gear up to protect her historic Supreme Court bid from racist, sexist attacksBiden nominates Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to Supreme Court in historic pickColumn: The unsubtle racism of questioning Ketanji Brown Jackson’s qualifications

Thousands of students apply to UC Berkeley every year. It’s one of the most applied-to universities in the entire U.S. But the city of Berkeley is also emblematic of our nationwide housing crisis. Which is why residents and the university have been locked in a legal battle over enrollment numbers.Today, we delve into the latest town-versus-gown throw-down.More reading:Lawmakers unveil rescue effort to help UC Berkeley avoid enrollment cuts after court battleHow much will UC Berkeley have to cut admissions after Supreme Court decision? What we knowUC Berkeley will meet court-ordered enrollment cap with online, deferred admission offers

Last May, the Palisades fire ripped through the Santa Monica Mountains. About 1,000 people were put under mandatory evacuation orders, and about 500 homes were threatened by the flames. As that emergency was unfolding, the guy in charge of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s operations center overseeing the fire was allegedly intoxicated. That’s according to an investigation commissioned by city officials.Today, we talk about what came next.More reading:LAFD chief deputy allegedly drunk during a major fire gets no discipline, $1.4-million payoutLAFD received complaints that a top official was drunk on duty. Some say it was covered upRaging Palisades fire is a dangerous warning of California’s new year-round fire reality

There’s been a new Cold War brewing for years now between the United States and China. And a big battleground on that front is Central America.Today, we look into how China’s billions of dollars and influence in Central America could strengthen a new generation of regimes hostile to the U.S.More reading:In Latin America’s new Cold War, will China lift up autocrats?Taiwan loses one of its last diplomatic allies as Nicaragua recognizes ChinaIs China good for the Americas?

Something disturbing has happened since the last time most of us took vacations — it’s getting harder to clean rooms because of COVID-19 protocols. Hotel workers say ever since the pandemic started, their work has been harder and dirtier than ever.Today, we hear from one of those workers.More reading:How the pandemic made hotel housekeeping more difficult — and disgustingTourists are back: L.A. hotel bookings reach 100% of their pre-pandemic levels‘Tsunami’ of hotel closures is coming, experts warn

Dr. Warren Hern has seen the past, present and future of the abortion debate in the United States. The Colorado doctor remembers treating women for illegal abortions, was there for the opening arguments of the landmark Supreme Court case Roe vs. Wade — and now fears what might happen if it’s struck down.Today, Dr. Hern talks about his career.More reading:As a med student, he saw women nearly die from illegal abortions. At 83, he sees no end to his work60 hours, 50 abortions: A California doctor’s monthly commute to a Texas clinicCalifornia plans to be abortion sanctuary if Roe vs. Wade is overturned

Here in the United States, we’re already feeling the cost of Russia’s war in a place none of us can escape: the rising price of oil.Today, we look into how global conflicts upend global energy supplies and efforts to fight climate change, how gas prices keep getting higher and might continue to rise, and what can be done about it.More reading:How high could gas prices go? More pain at the pump likely comingUkraine is a climate story. Because everything is a climate storyThe truth about L.A.’s most notoriously expensive gas stations

Greg Bledsoe is a former morning news anchor for NBC 7 in San Diego. About a year ago, he, his wife and their two children got into an SUV and began to drive. Forty-four states, more than 20 national parks and more than 27,000 miles later, they’re still at it.Today, Greg shares with us some of their stories — and lessons.More reading:Follow the Bledsoes’ adventures on InstagramOpinion: I live on the road with my wife and two young kids — and I highly recommend itCoronavirus ruined our family vacation this year. We turned to an RV for a new adventure

For more than a month now, L.A. Times Middle East Bureau Chief Nabih Bulos has been on the ground in Ukraine, covering the escalating Russian invasion. Bulos has seen fierce fighting by Ukrainians, nonstop bombardment by Russians, hope and fear and chaos. He’s crisscrossed Ukraine to hear residents tell their stories.Today, he talks to us about what he has seen.More reading:Raining rockets, scattered corpses, an existential battle: A 500-mile journey across a week of war‘We’re keeping watch’: What foreign correspondents Nabih Bulos, Marcus Yam are seeing in UkraineDead soldiers. An icy river. Ukraine town on the front lines prepares to battle Russians

The European Union is doing everything possible to welcome Ukrainian refugees. And people around the world have donated money and supplies to help. But this open-arms response has people in similar situations wondering: Why so much goodwill toward Ukrainians, and not us?Today, we talk about the media’s role in deciding who is the “right” type of refugee — and how that helps or hinders displaced people around the world.More reading:In Ukraine reporting, Western press reveals grim bias toward ‘people like us’20 years after 9/11, an American Muslim recalls the costs of war you didn’t see on TVTrevor Noah slams media for racist remarks on Ukraine: War ‘was Europe’s entire thing’

Ariana DeBose has made history as the first Afro-Latino and openly queer woman to be nominated for an acting Academy Award. In this crossover episode with “The Envelope,” DeBose talks about the expectations she must carry, her experience with “West Side Story” and more.More reading:Ariana DeBose wants you to feel Anita’s presence before you even hear her‘West Side Story’s’ Ariana DeBose makes the case against ‘ethnically ambiguous’Here’s how Oscar nominee Ariana DeBose could make history

Aaron Bray is a San Diego native who’s lived the last couple of years in Kharkiv, Ukraine, after a stint with the Peace Corps. And now, alongside over a million Ukrainians and foreigners, he’s had to flee the country in the wake of Russia’s invasion.Today, we hear Aaron’s first-person story about what it was like to leave his adopted home behind … and why he says he’s going back.More reading:Read the L.A. Times’ full coverage of the war in UkraineCosta Mesa couple barely escape Ukraine with days-old newbornCommentary: ‘I’m scared, bro’: Inside Ukraine, through the harrowed eyes of two U.S. athletes‘A lot of innocent people will die’: Ukrainians in California decry Russia’s attack‘When there are troubles, we go to God’: Ukrainian Americans gather in grief at L.A. church

A small, tight-knit community grew inside an abandoned building in L.A.’s Koreatown. The people who found shelter there felt lucky. In a city where unhoused people have to set up encampments wherever they can — in parks, on sidewalks, beneath freeway overpasses — this old building offered a real sense of home.But the people who lived there knew their community couldn’t last.More reading:In an abandoned Koreatown building, homeless Angelenos create a community‘Gimme Shelter’: The gap in California’s homelessness plan‘Remember that can easily be you’: Angelenos closest to the homelessness crisis urge compassion

On Feb. 4, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping just hours ahead of the opening ceremony for the Beijing Winter Olympics. The meeting made headlines, and has people asking: Could China be the overlooked player in the Russia-Ukraine crisis?Today, we dive into the complicated history between the two countries — and whether Russia’s moves on Ukraine might serve as a template with China and Taiwan.More reading:Beijing may be tempted to side with Putin in the Ukraine conflict. But at what cost?Putin heads to China to bolster ties amid Ukraine tensionsOp-Ed: Whether it sides with Russia or not, China will pay a price

Gun violence has killed more than 100,000 people in Mexico over the last decade. Yet most of the guns involved are illegal, smuggled into the country from the U.S. Now, the Mexican government has had enough.Today, we talk about a federal lawsuit filed by Mexico against American gun manufacturers that seeks to reduce the bloodshed.More reading:Column: Don’t shield U.S. gun makers from liability for Mexico’s gun violenceThere is only one gun store in all of Mexico. So why is gun violence soaring?Op-Ed: For Mexico, taking a stand against gun trafficking is a moral imperative

As more and more workplaces have instituted COVID-19 vaccine mandates, a cottage industry has sprung up to help skeptics evade them. Today, we look into what constitutes a deeply held religious belief, how those beliefs can play out in the workplace, and what employers can do about shady religious exemption requests.More reading:Online pastors, form letters: The cottage industry helping workers avoid vaccine mandatesNew workplace mandate for COVID-19 vaccine pushed by California lawmakersColumn: L.A.'s unvaccinated public workers go Ayn Rand, throw fit over city’s vaccine mandate

In this crossover episode with “The Envelope” podcast, Maggie Gyllenhaal speaks about “The Lost Daughter,” her directorial debut.More reading:Review: ‘The Lost Daughter’ is quintessential Maggie Gyllenhaal, even though she’s never on screenOlivia Colman and Maggie Gyllenhaal dig into that ‘Lost Daughter’ endingMaggie Gyllenhaal is a natural-born director. Netflix gives her the spotlight