Prop 39, a voter ID measure that would dramatically change voting in California is on the ballot this November. Proponents say that requiring voters to show a government ID when they cast a ballot would increase peoples’ trust in the election process. But opponents say the measure would add unnecessary hurdles – and that it plays into false claims of widespread election fraud that President Donald Trump has long promoted. In this episode of our Voter Game Plan series, LAist’s Orange County correspondent Jill Replogle joins Imperfect Paradise to share what she’s learned from the author of Prop 39, its opponents and election experts.

Check out Jill’s Voter Game Plan guide for Prop 39 on LAist.com.

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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.

Prop 39, a voter ID measure that would dramatically change voting in California is on the ballot this November. Proponents say that requiring voters to show a government ID when they cast a ballot would increase peoples&rsquo; trust in the election process. But opponents say the measure would add unnecessary hurdles &ndash; and that it plays into false claims of widespread election fraud that President Donald Trump has long promoted. In this episode of our Voter Game Plan series, LAist&rsquo;s Orange County correspondent Jill Replogle joins Imperfect Paradise to share what she&rsquo;s learned from the author of Prop 39, its opponents and election experts.
Check out Jill&rsquo;s Voter Game Plan guide for <a href="https://laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides/2026-election-california-general-proposition-39">Prop 39</a> on <a href="https://laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides">LAist.com</a>.
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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.

Imperfect Paradise: California Prop 39: What the voter ID measure may change

The midterm elections are nearly here and the stakes are high for two particular races: the California gubernatorial race and the L.A. mayor race. In the first episode of our Voter Game Plan series, fill-in host Josie Huang sits down with KQED’s Marisa Lagos and LAist’s Frank Stoltze to dive into affordability, immigration and other top issues for voters, as well as the rise of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the stakes for the Democratic Party. 

Check out Frank’s Voter Game Plan guide for the mayor's race on LAist.com.

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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.

The midterm elections are nearly here and the stakes are high for two particular races: the California gubernatorial race and the L.A. mayor race. In the first episode of our Voter Game Plan series, fill-in host Josie Huang sits down with KQED&rsquo;s Marisa Lagos and LAist&rsquo;s Frank Stoltze to dive into affordability, immigration and other top issues for voters, as well as the rise of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the stakes for the Democratic Party.&nbsp;
Check out Frank&rsquo;s Voter Game Plan guide for the mayor's <a href="https://laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides/2026-election-california-general-los-angeles-mayor">race</a> on <a href="https://laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides">LAist.com</a>.
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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.

Imperfect Paradise: Guide to LA mayor & California governor races: Bass vs Raman, Becerra vs Hilton

It took days to put out the Lineage warehouse fire in Los Angeles this summer. Once the flames were out, the cleanup of rotting food took weeks. Residents suffered health problems, businesses lost customers and many questions are still unanswered. Who should be held accountable and what’s being done to prevent a similar disaster in the future? On this episode of Imperfect Paradise, Boyle Heights Beat reporters Laura Anaya-Morga and Alejandra Molina trace what happened and how the community has responded.

*Update: Since the taping of this episode, the Los Angeles City Attorney has confirmed its office has been investigating the Lineage fire since July.

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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.

It took days to put out the Lineage warehouse fire in Los Angeles this summer. Once the flames were out, the cleanup of rotting food took weeks. Residents suffered health problems, businesses lost customers and many questions are still unanswered. Who should be held accountable and what&rsquo;s being done to prevent a similar disaster in the future? On this episode of Imperfect Paradise, Boyle Heights Beat reporters Laura Anaya-Morga and Alejandra Molina trace what happened and how the community has responded.
*Update: Since the taping of this episode, the Los Angeles City Attorney has confirmed its office has been investigating the Lineage fire since July.
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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.

Imperfect Paradise: What went wrong with the Lineage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights?

In the infamously cutthroat industry of restaurants, some chefs are finding untraditional paths towards success. LAist food writer Gab Chabrán dives into the state of restaurants through the story of one chef who traded in his high-end dining job for a home kitchen operation.  

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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 episode contains explicit language.

In the infamously cutthroat industry of restaurants, some chefs are finding untraditional paths towards success. LAist food writer Gab Chabr&aacute;n dives into the state of restaurants through the story of one chef who traded in his high-end dining job for a home kitchen operation.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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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 episode contains explicit language.

Imperfect Paradise: Why some chefs are trading high-end dining for home kitchens

In 2025, California majorly boosted its film and TV tax credit program for the first time since 2014 in an effort to keep jobs in the Golden State. One year out, is it working as planned? And why is President Trump now calling for a national incentive program? On this episode of Imperfect Paradise, we explore these questions with veteran entertainment journalist Dawn Chmielewski, and hear from local film and TV workers about how they’re faring.

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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.

(Correction: A previous version of this episode incorrectly stated the percentage that television production increased in the second quarter of this year. We regret the error.)

In 2025, California majorly boosted its film and TV tax credit program for the first time since 2014 in an effort to keep jobs in the Golden State. One year out, is it working as planned? And why is President Trump now calling for a national incentive program? On this episode of Imperfect Paradise, we explore these questions with veteran entertainment journalist Dawn Chmielewski, and hear from local film and TV workers about how they&rsquo;re faring.
Grow your business &ndash; no matter what stage you&rsquo;re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at <a href="http://shopify.com/paradise">SHOPIFY.COM/paradise</a>
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. (Correction: A previous version of this episode incorrectly stated the percentage that television production increased in the second quarter of this year. We regret the error.)

Imperfect Paradise: President Trump says ‘Hollywood is dead.’ What’s being done to revive it?

Many of the homes that survived the Palisades and Eaton fires are still not habitable because of contamination from smoke damage. Residents have been left battling with insurance companies over who is responsible for post-fire cleaning and testing. LAist’s David Wagner dives into where we are  with rebuilding, the new rules around safety-testing and what they might mean for the future of home insurance in California.

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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.

Many of the homes that survived the Palisades and Eaton fires are still not habitable because of contamination from smoke damage. Residents have been left battling with insurance companies over who is responsible for post-fire cleaning and testing. LAist&rsquo;s David Wagner dives into where we are&nbsp; with rebuilding, the new rules around safety-testing and what they might mean for the future of home insurance in California.
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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.

Imperfect Paradise: Is your smoke-damaged home safe? The toxic aftermath of LA’s 2025 fires

Los Angeles has long been considered a “car-centric” city, but is that changing? On this episode of Imperfect Paradise, LAist transportation correspondent Kavish Harjai joins to talk about the history of transit in L.A., the backstory behind the much-delayed People Mover train at LAX, and whether there’s enough time for L.A. to deliver what organizers have said will be a “transit-first” 2028 Olympics.

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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.

Los Angeles has long been considered a &ldquo;car-centric&rdquo; city, but is that changing? On this episode of Imperfect Paradise, LAist transportation correspondent Kavish Harjai joins to talk about the history of transit in L.A., the backstory behind the much-delayed People Mover train at LAX, and whether there&rsquo;s enough time for L.A. to deliver what organizers have said will be a &ldquo;transit-first&rdquo; 2028 Olympics.
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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.

Imperfect Paradise: Is LA becoming a public transit city?

This episode originally aired on January 8, 2025.

Struggling with addiction and reentry after multiple stints in prison, Cesar Quijano discovers ultrarunning, a hobby that turns into his addiction and salvation. Through Cesar’s story to complete  a 100-mile race, Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido and producer Lucy Copp explore urgent questions around what support people need to successfully transition out of prison and into society.

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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 episode originally aired on January 8, 2025.
Struggling with addiction and reentry after multiple stints in prison, Cesar Quijano discovers ultrarunning, a hobby that turns into his addiction and salvation. Through Cesar&rsquo;s story to complete&nbsp; a 100-mile race, Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido and producer Lucy Copp explore urgent questions around what support people need to successfully transition out of prison and into society.
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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.

Imperfect Paradise: How one man rebuilt his life, 100 miles at a time Redux

Is homeownership falling out of reach for millennials and Gen Z in the Golden State? LAist housing correspondent David Wagner joins Imperfect Paradise to examine this trend, the obstacles to homeownership and why we may need to shift our conception of what housing looks like in California. 

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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.

Is homeownership falling out of reach for millennials and Gen Z in the Golden State? LAist housing correspondent <a href="https://laist.com/people/david-wagner">David Wagner</a> joins Imperfect Paradise to examine this trend, the obstacles to homeownership and why we may need to shift our conception of what housing looks like in California.&nbsp;
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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.

Imperfect Paradise: Most Californians don't own a home until 47. What that says about the CA Dream

The death of Jackie signals the end of her story with Shadow – as well as for Big Bear Lake, and for millions of fans who followed the eagles’ saga on livestream for years. LAist reporter Makenna Cramer joins Imperfect Paradise to examine how the eagles turned the tides for a fight against luxury housing development in the San Bernardino Mountains, as well as what celebrity animal culture can tell us about our relationship to nature and to ourselves.

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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.

The death of Jackie signals the end of her story with Shadow &ndash; as well as for Big Bear Lake, and for millions of fans who followed the eagles&rsquo; saga on livestream for years. LAist reporter <a href="https://laist.com/people/makenna-cramer">Makenna Cramer</a> joins Imperfect Paradise to examine how the eagles turned the tides for a fight against luxury housing development in the San Bernardino Mountains, as well as what celebrity animal culture can tell us about our relationship to nature and to ourselves.
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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.

Imperfect Paradise: More than an internet star. The life & legacy of Big Bear’s famous eagle Jackie

In May of 1980, the sleepy streets of Norco, California were turned into an all-out war zone in what is one of the most violent bank robberies in American history. From LAist Studios in collaboration with Futuro Studios comes the new podcast—Norco ’80 based on the book by Peter Houlahan. Listen as host and producer Antonia Cereijido tells the unbelievable true story about God, guns, survivalism and the bank robbery that changed policing in America forever. Using eyewitness testimony and never before heard police tapes, Norco ’80 takes listeners on a wild ride, and serves as a cautionary tale in the context of America being immersed in the middle of an economic crisis, revamped end of the world paranoia and a complex conversation about policing.

In May of 1980, the sleepy streets of Norco, California were turned into an all-out war zone in what is one of the most violent bank robberies in American history. From LAist Studios in collaboration with Futuro Studios comes the new podcast&mdash;Norco &rsquo;80 based on the book by Peter Houlahan. Listen as host and producer Antonia Cereijido tells the unbelievable true story about God, guns, survivalism and the bank robbery that changed policing in America forever. Using eyewitness testimony and never before heard police tapes, Norco &rsquo;80 takes listeners on a wild ride, and serves as a cautionary tale in the context of America being immersed in the middle of an economic crisis, revamped end of the world paranoia and a complex conversation about policing.

Norco 80

Listen as host and producer Antonia Cereijido tells the unbelievable true story about God, guns, survivalism and the bank robbery that changed policing in America forever. Using eyewitness testimony and never before heard police tapes, Norco 80 takes listeners on a wild ride, and serves as a cautionary tale in the context of America being immersed in the middle of an economic crisis, revamped end of the world paranoia and a complex conversation about policing.

Listen as host and producer Antonia Cereijido tells the unbelievable true story about God, guns, survivalism and the bank robbery that changed policing in America forever. Using eyewitness testimony and never before heard police tapes, Norco 80 takes listeners on a wild ride, and serves as a cautionary tale in the context of America being immersed in the middle of an economic crisis, revamped end of the world paranoia and a complex conversation about policing.

Norco 80

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