Imperfect Paradise

“Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes” tells the story of the biggest political scandal in recent Los Angeles history. A secret recording leaked online in 2022 exposed then-LA City Council President Nury Martinez making racist and derogatory remarks. A year after the scandal and her resignation, Nury breaks her silence in an exclusive interview with LAist. From LAist Studios, “Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes,” coming September 27, 2023.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

We are excited to announce LAist Studios' award-winning narrative podcast "Imperfect Paradise" relaunches in September as a weekly show with Antonia Cereijido as our host! Be sure to follow and subscribe to "Imperfect Paradise" wherever you get your podcasts. From LAist Studios: "Imperfect Paradise", new weekly episodes coming September 27th. Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

In this episode, Ruth and Elliot Handler are gone, and the new Mattel team, led by a man who feared the volatility of the toy business, diversified the company and made a big gamble on electronics. It didn’t work. Fortunately, Barbie ends up in the sure hands of some trailblazing women executives, who could see that the culture was moving in a direction very compatible with Barbie’s persona. From the workforce to the workout, Barbie was a doll of her times. This podcast is supported by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

For Barbie, the cultural upheaval of the 60s and 70s incites one identity crisis after another as Mattel tries to keep up with the times. On top of that, she has a new boyfriend to deal with. Ken's creation is a big hit for Barbie fans, but he’s facing a few growing pains of his own. In this episode, we investigate Ken's origin story, delve into the inner workings of Mattel, and hear how Barbie's inventor, Ruth Handler, was ousted from her own company. This podcast is supported by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

"LA Made: The Barbie Tapes," from LAist Studios, tells the true story of the making and marketing of the most famous doll in the world, Barbie, told by the people who did it. We’ll hear from Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler, who spent years trying to convince her own company to make a teen aged fashion doll.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

LAist Studios & USC Annenberg's School of Journalism Present: How COVID Changed Everything A series where graduate students in the USC Annenberg School of Journalism examine the many ways—both dramatic and nuanced—that the pandemic has changed life in ways we are only now beginning to understand. Part 3: Acting While the pandemic caused a lot of stasis, it also inspired plenty of action. Once we accepted the changes that the pandemic brought, what did we do with them? How did we take action? In this episode: LA cultural workers fight for better work conditions, one survivor decides to fight back against domestic violence, a small foundation keeps the legacy of a ground-breaking Finnish gay artist alive, and a nurse rethinks the way we process death and dying. Content Warning: This series contains sensitive subject matter and mentions of domestic violence. Listener discretion is advised.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

LAist Studios & USC Annenberg's School of Journalism Present: How COVID Changed Everything A series where graduate students in the USC Annenberg School of Journalism examine the many ways—both dramatic and nuanced—that the pandemic has changed life in ways we are only now beginning to understand. Part 2: Adapting Change is a given, but COVID-19 truly forced the hand of change. In this episode we explore the ways people have found to adapt and rethink how we accept change. In this episode: the fate of a beloved Hollywood record store, the reflections of an American Hockey League player, the impact of COVID-19 on a sickle cell patient, and the challenges of pandemic-related gentrification in Mexico City. Content Warning: This series contains sensitive subject matter. Listener discretion is advised. Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

LAist Studios & USC Annenberg's School of Journalism Present: How COVID Changed Everything When the World Health Organization declared an end to COVID-19 as a global health emergency last month, it marked an over 3 year journey through the deadliest pandemic in US history. While COVID-19 may no longer be an official public health emergency, the effects it's had on every fabric of society can’t be overlooked. In this series, graduate students in the USC Annenberg School of Journalism examine the many ways—both dramatic and nuanced—that the pandemic has changed life in ways we are only now beginning to understand: in the workplace, the family and the world. Every story is about change. Every narrative involves a moment or moments when everything was different from before. Part 1: Rethinking The pandemic forced us to rethink how we approach both daily life and life’s milestones. People had to get creative with how they held ceremonies, how they coped with stress and how they would carve a new way of life post pandemic. In this episode: a wedding that takes place in a video game, services at one of the oldest synagogues in the western hemisphere, the de-stressing power of ice baths, and a group of international Gen Zers re-examines the meaning of life and work. Content Warning: This series contains sensitive subject matter. Listener discretion is advised. Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

Brian returns to Los Angeles. But his ideas of "home" have changed. Music from this episode composed by: Geir Sundstøl, Modarchive, Natalia Lafourcade, Old Saw, Woo, Yeahman Support How To LA and other LAist Studios podcasts by donating now at LAist.com/joinSupport LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

Brian finally sets foot in Mexico. His audio diary chronicles what it was like to feel at home while feeling like an outsider. Music from this episode composed by: Floating Points, Geir Sundstøl, Modarchive, Yeahman Support How To LA and other LAist Studios podcasts by donating now at LAist.com/joinSupport LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

Brian is surprised by a letter from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. It’s his Advance Parole document. He can travel to Mexico – his country of birth – for the first time in 30 years. The days ahead become a sprint to prepare and make travel plans. He only has a month to return to the U.S., or he could lose DACA and be denied reentry. Guest: Roberto Gonzales, a professor of sociology at University of Pennsylvania, who has testified before Congress on immigration policy. Music from this episode composed by: Chris Schlarb, Dexter Thomas, Geir Sundstøl, Mamman Sani, Nicklas Nygren, Old Saw, and Yeahman Support How To LA and other LAist Studios podcasts by donating now at LAist.com/joinSupport LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

California is home to around 2 million undocumented people. And in Southern California, roughly 80,000 of them have DACA, Deferred Action Childhood Arrival (although some stats put that number higher). It allows people to get a work permit, to pay in-state tuition, and to get a drivers license. But there are a lot of freedoms it doesn't grant, like freely traveling outside the US. How to LA host Brian De Los Santos has had DACA for about a decade. He recently got approved to do something big: he's going to Mexico for the first time since he was 2 years old, through a process called advance parole. It's a travel permit that allows DACA recipients to leave the country and come back. However, the permit is issued with a very specific time window, and is only given for certain travel reasons. And the big one: it doesn’t guarantee admission back into the country. But despite the stress, Brian's taking the opportunity to go Mexico and see family he hasn't seen since he was a toddler. In the first part of this series, Brian's bringing in a couple of his friends and fellow DACA recipients to talk about all of his hopes and fears for the trip, and what it's like to live with DACA in the U.S., which is very much like living in limbo every day. We've got more of Brian's story over on LAist.com, so be sure to check that out. As A DACA Beneficiary, I’ve Been Waiting For This Trip To Mexico All My Life If you have DACA and want to apply for advance parole, it's very important that you consult with an immigration attorney. These organizations can help get you started: CALIFORNIA MEXICO CENTER https://www.california-mexicocenter.org/cmdsummer2023/ CARECEN LA https://www.carecen-la.org/can_i_apply_for_advance_parole?locale=en Guests:Chris Farias, LAist social media producer; José Alonso Munoz, deputy communications manager for United We Dream, an immigrant youth-led support network Music Credits This Week:Chris Schlarb, The Mod Archive, Quetzal, Naran Ratan, Natalia Lafourcade, Austin Cross, Old Saw, & Anthony Barilla Support How To LA and other LAist Studios podcasts by donating now at LAist.com/joinSupport LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

Hey, Imperfect Paradise listeners, this is Emily Guerin. I'm one of the hosts and senior producers of this show. We're doing something a little different and we're bringing you an episode of the NPR podcast Code Switch. My colleague Josie Huang is talking to one of their hosts about the mass shooting in Monterey Park, California, and what it says about the dark side of the Asian American dream. I hope you like it.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

In early 2020, just as fears about coronavirus are worsening, women begin accusing the founder of Kundalini Yoga, Yogi Bhajan, of sexual assault. Guru Jagat’s surprising response sets the stage for her radicalization during the pandemic.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

Katie Griggs, a young woman from rural Maryland, discovers Kundalini yoga in her early 20s and goes all in. She transforms herself into Guru Jagat, a beloved and controversial yoga and wellness influencer in Los Angeles. In this episode, her friends, family, and coworkers grapple with how she changed in the final years of her life. And we explore the connections between yoga and conspiracies like QAnon.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

Guru Jagat starts the pandemic with an understandable skepticism of official medical advice, but quickly grows to embrace an array of far-right conspiracy theories.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

Before her sudden death in 2021, Guru Jagat had become a famous Kundalini yoga teacher based in Los Angeles. But as the global pandemic grew, she started talking like a far-right coronavirus conspiracy theorist. What does her journey down the rabbit hole tell us about the appeal of conspiracies in the yoga and wellness community? This 3-episode season explores Guru Jagat’s rise to fame and follows along as she responds not just to the pandemic, but to a #metoo movement scandal that rocked the Kundalini yoga world in early 2020. It also explores themes of misinformation, how a healthy distrust in government and medicine can turn dark, the "relativism around truth" in the wellness industry and the influence of social media on radicalization. Episode #1 will be available to stream on January 3rd.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

Alex Villanueva has conceded the election. The next sheriff of LA County will be Robert Luna. More analysis to come soon.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

By the end of 2021, Alex Villanueva has done a 180. Once supported by the local Democratic party, he’s become a darling of Fox News. Instead of working closely with immigration activists, he’s proposing a military-style approach to clear all the unhoused off the streets. He’s won the intense loyalty of the overwhelming majority of his deputies, but lots of people who voted for him in 2018 have changed their minds. Villanueva now faces an uphill fight to win another four years in office. Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

In 2019, LA County Sheriff’s deputies shot and killed Marco Vazquez, Jr. outside his home while he was having a mental health crisis. Later, members of Vazquez’ family say they were followed and harassed by Sheriff’s deputies. They’re not the only ones.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

There have been deputy gangs in the LA County Sheriff’s department for almost as long as anyone can remember. These groups can be violent, misogynistic, discriminatory and powerful – they can control much of what happens at some sheriff’s stations. Sheriff Villanueva simultaneously denies gangs exist and claims he has banned them.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

When retired Lt. Alex Villanueva announces his candidacy for sheriff in 2017, no one takes him seriously. But with the support of the local Democratic party, immigrant rights activists, and lots of political savvy, he pulls off a shocking defeat of the sitting sheriff – something that hasn’t happened in over 100 years. Almost as soon as he takes office, Villanueva re-hires a former deputy (and friend) who was fired for domestic violence and lying, and things begin to go off the rails. Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

We begin with a scene of a very strange press conference: Sheriff Alex Villanueva is threatening to open a criminal investigation into an LA Times reporter, and our host, Frank Stoltze, is questioning him about it. Through Frank’s reflections on his time covering policing in LA County, we learn that Villanueva is the product of a department that has been riddled with scandals for decades: racial profiling, jail violence and deputy gangs. We learn how Villanueva sees himself as the man to fix it.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

Alex Villanueva, an underdog maverick, runs for LA County Sheriff as a progressive reformer in 2018 and wins, surprising everyone. After taking office, he turns into a vindictive leader who mocks reform, protects his friends and attacks his enemies. And now he’s up for re-election. Follow veteran KPCC correspondent Frank Stoltze as he pieces together this story in a 5-episode season of Imperfect Paradise launching October 5, 2022. Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

Adolfo finds new information about the night Oscar died, and has to have a difficult conversation about what really happened to Oscar. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

Adolfo learns about the dangers of Santa Barbara’s bluffs and gets a second opinion on Oscar’s death report. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

Adolfo reckons with his own relationship to his past and the Chicano student movement. And he finds someone who may have clues about what happened the night Oscar died. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

Was Oscar going to leave the Chicano student movement? Adolfo discovers new information about Oscar’s last months. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

Adolfo finds a briefcase with information that could lead to clues about Oscar’s death. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American peopleSupport LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

Adolfo gets his first lead on a person possibly involved in Oscar’s death. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

Adolfo learns that there was a dark side to Oscar’s experience in the Chicano student movement. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American peopleSupport LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

Oscar Gomez was a star of the 1990s Chicano student movement and then, unexpectedly, he died. A rattling event in host Adolfo Guzman-Lopez’s life spurs him to investigate Oscar’s death. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

In the early 1990’s, hateful anti-immigrant political rhetoric roused California’s Chicano student rights movement, and college student and radio host Oscar Gomez was one of its most prominent voices. Some thought he was going to be the next Cesar Chavez. But on November 17, 1994, Oscar was mysteriously found dead on the Santa Barbara shore.  Imperfect Paradise: The Forgotten Revolutionary follows host and reporter Adolfo Guzman-Lopez as he investigates Oscar’s death and revisits his own past and ties to the Chicano movement. The Forgotten Revolutionary is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/imperfect Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

David attempts to rally his supporters, some of whom find themselves conflicted. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

A tour of similar housing projects goes off the rails, and ends up doing more harm than good to David’s cause. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join

David Gillanders wants to build housing for people experiencing homelessness in Orange County. When his idea hits more opposition than expected, city officials send him out to try to win over the neighborhood. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.Support LAist Today: https://laist.com/join