53 episodes

Deep in the Mojave Desert, there is a little town with a big name and a bizarre history: California City. For decades, real estate developers have sold a dream here: if you buy land now, you’ll be rich one day. Thousands of people bought this dream. Many were young couples and hard-working immigrants looking to build a better future. But much of the land they bought is nearly worthless.  In this new podcast from LAist Studios, host Emily Guerin tells a story of money, power and deception. 

California City LAist Studios

    • News

Deep in the Mojave Desert, there is a little town with a big name and a bizarre history: California City. For decades, real estate developers have sold a dream here: if you buy land now, you’ll be rich one day. Thousands of people bought this dream. Many were young couples and hard-working immigrants looking to build a better future. But much of the land they bought is nearly worthless.  In this new podcast from LAist Studios, host Emily Guerin tells a story of money, power and deception. 

    NPR & LAist Studios present 'Inheriting'

    NPR & LAist Studios present 'Inheriting'

    Japanese American Incarceration. The Third World Liberation Front. The 1992 Los Angeles Uprising. What you think you know isn’t always the full story. Inheriting is a show about Asian American and Pacific Islander families that explores how the past is personal. Hosted by NPR’s Emily Kwong, we go deep with families on how their most personal, private moments are part of history.

    How can I support? Inheriting is entirely funded by supporters like you. If you want to hear future seasons of Inheriting, donate at LAist.com/Inheriting and click on the orange box to help us make Season 2.

    • 3 min
    Imperfect Paradise: The Gen Z Water Dealmaker: Part 2

    Imperfect Paradise: The Gen Z Water Dealmaker: Part 2

    JB Hamby is the dealmaker from California, and at 28 years old, he’s the youngest and least experienced among the representatives from the seven states involved with the Colorado River water negotiations. LAist correspondent Emily Guerin explores the beginnings of Hamby’s understanding of water growing up in the Imperial Valley, a desert farming area in California.

     

    Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradiseSupport for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

    • 33 min
    Imperfect Paradise: The Gen Z Water Dealmaker: Part 1

    Imperfect Paradise: The Gen Z Water Dealmaker: Part 1

    The Colorado River is in the midst of one of the worst water crises in recorded history. Climate change and overuse are taking a significant toll. Seven states, including California, must compromise and reach a solution to prevent the river from collapsing.

    In late 2023, the tensions were running high between the major players in the water world as they convened at the annual Colorado River conference in Las Vegas. LAist Correspondent Emily Guerin was there, seeking to learn as much as she can about the people with the most power on the river.

     

    Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradiseSupport for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

    • 41 min
    NPR Host Tonya Mosley on ‘She Has A Name,’ Reporting Her Family’s Own True Crime

    NPR Host Tonya Mosley on ‘She Has A Name,’ Reporting Her Family’s Own True Crime

    She Has A Name is set against the backdrop of the drug epidemic in 1980s Detroit. The new podcast hosted by NPR's Tonya Mosley blends elements of investigative journalism and memoir to tell a story about loss and redemption, mending broken family ties, and the trauma experienced by countless individuals who've lost loved ones to violence.

    Listen to all episodes of She Has A Name from APM Studios and Truth Be Told Presents here. 

    CONTENT WARNING: This episode of She Has A Name includes discussion of some heavy topics, including murder and other acts of violence. Listener discretion is advised.

    For support and resources, please visit:

    Project Cold CaseNational Organization for Victim AssistanceVictimConnect Resource Center

     

    Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise

    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.

    • 54 min
    Imperfect Paradise presents The Forgotten Revolutionary Redux: Part 7

    Imperfect Paradise presents The Forgotten Revolutionary Redux: Part 7

    Part 7: 

    Adolfo learns about the dangers of Santa Barbara’s bluffs and gets a second opinion on Oscar’s death report. 

    CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussions about fatal injuries and suicide.

    The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers services to talk to a skilled counselor. If you are feeling distressed and need to talk to a counselor, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or visit https://988lifeline.org/.

     

    Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradiseSupport 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.

    • 38 min
    Imperfect Paradise presents The Forgotten Revolutionary Redux: Part 8

    Imperfect Paradise presents The Forgotten Revolutionary Redux: Part 8

    Part 8:

    Adolfo finds new information about the night Oscar died, and has to have a difficult conversation about what really happened to Oscar.

     

    Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradiseSupport 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.

    • 43 min

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