Imperfect Paradise: The fallout over LAFD funding: Bass vs. Crowley

Amid the devastating Palisades and Eaton Fires that killed more than two dozen people, a political conflict came sharply into focus surrounding the funding of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). Finger-pointing as to who was to blame included former LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley and LA Mayor Karen Bass. The two women would be lambasted for their handling of one of the most destructive natural disasters in Southern California history. But instead of coming together to fend off attacks and manage the fire response, Bass and Crowley ended up engaging in a very public feud. We look back at each side's accusations, the funding of the LAFD, the political futility of blame, and what it might tell us about preventing future wildfires in Los Angeles. Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! 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.

Hollywood is getting ready for luncheons and deleting old tweets, which is why this episode is all about the Oscars. When you give an awards speech in your bathroom mirror, we know what statue you’re pretending to hold. So this week on NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING, Oscar nominees Peter Straughan, Kris Bowers, and actress Caitlin Reilly duke it out for the ultimate award -- winning a game show where the points are made up by our host, Franklin Leonard. Guests: Screenwriter Peter Straughan (“Conclave”), composer Kris Bowers (“The Wild Robot”), and actress and comedian Caitlin Reilly (“Hacks,” “Loot”). NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List and LAist Studios, in partnership with The Ankler. Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live.New episodes premiere Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m.

The biggest question hanging over most people in Los Angeles who lost homes in the Palisades and Eaton Fires is whether to rebuild or leave -- a question that's especially fraught for Altadena's Black community, who faced a long history of redlining. Charel Bailey’s parents have lived in Altadena since 1977, and she desperately wants them to rebuild after the fire. Her dad has been on the fence. We follow the Baileys as they grapple with this question and ultimately, come to a decision. Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! 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 been through a lot this year. It’s hard to find a single person in Los Angeles who hasn’t been affected in some way by the recent wildfires. There’s so much to be sad and even scared about right now, but since we can’t fix all of that, we’re here to do what we know best — in the words of the great Donald O’Connor: “Make ‘em laugh.” In this episode, we honor all of our friends, neighbors, and nemeses that call Los Angeles home, and put on a show that’s all about the movies that make us proud to be Angelenos. Guests: Writer/director Jason Reitman (“Saturday Night,” “Up in the Air”);  writer/director/producer Julie Plec (“The Vampire Diaries,” “The Originals”); and actor and host Joe Manganiello (“Deal or No Deal Island,” “Magic Mike”). NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List and LAist Studios, in partnership with The Ankler. This episode is presented by NEON, and the movie "Anora." Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live. New episodes premiere Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m.

Renée DiResta joined the Stanford Internet Observatory to analyze how propaganda spreads online. But in 2023, she went from studying the online disinformation machine to becoming its target. We dive into what happened when a right-wing conspiracy made Renée its villain, as well as how disinformation has changed over the last three presidential elections and where Renée is finding hope for a better future online. Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! 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 troubled childhood, the meteoric rise to fame, the tragic fall… We all know the basic outline of a music biopic, so how hard can it be to write one? Find out (along with our guests!) in this episode of NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING. Guests: Writer/director Dana Ledoux Miller ("Moana 2"); actor Jason Ritter ("Matlock"); and writer Joshua Zetumer ("Say Nothing"). NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List and LAist Studios, in partnership with The Ankler. This episode is presented by FX. Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live. New episodes premiere on Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m.

Like most of America, Hollywood has a…weird relationship with the rest of the world. The land of The Oscars, Westerns, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck is afraid of subtitles and loves to remake an international hit in English. Say bonjour to the NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING episode all about foreign films!  Guests: Writer Zach Baylin (“King Richard,” “The Order”); actress and writer Stephanie Koenig (“English Teacher”); and actress and comedian Alyssa Limperis (“What We Do in the Shadows,” “Dexter: Original Sin”). NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List and LAist Studios, in partnership with The Ankler. This episode is presented by FX. Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live. New episodes premiere Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 on weekends.

It’s hard to find people in Hollywood who are willing to speak publicly about their enthusiasm for AI, for fear of being seen as “siding with the machines.” And yet, many people are quietly using the technology already. In this episode, we interview two enthusiastic early adopters of AI in filmmaking about how they’re using it, its strengths and limitations, and how they respond to people who say AI is going to ruin Hollywood. 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.

This episode of NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is all about breakthrough stars. We'll focus on film and television debuts and first-timers who struck gold, because if there's anything we’re certain that Hollywood loves, it's someone who's younger and more talented than the last young and talented person.Guests: Actress and singer Jasmine Cephas Jones (“Hamilton,” “Blindspotting”); writer and actor Tommy Dewey (“Casual,” “Saturday Night”); and writer Liz Hannah (“The Post,” “The Girl from Plainville”)NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List and LAist Studios, in partnership with The Ankler. This episode is presented by FX.Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live.New episodes premiere Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 on weekends.  

Hollywood taught us to be afraid of a super powerful artificial intelligence that will one day conquer humanity. So not surprisingly, many screenwriters and actors are very skeptical of AI, and concerns about AI were central to the Hollywood labor strikes in 2023. But animators may actually be the most at risk of losing their jobs to AI.In this episode, we’ll talk about why the first AI generated movies you will see will likely be animated, and what it means for the people who make them, and for everyone else in Hollywood.  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.