Podcasts about altadena

Concerns grow as the fourth storm in a week hits Southern California, bringing flood advisories and renewed worry for burn-scar areas and vulnerable foothill communities like Altadena. Michael Monks weighs in on the troubled Dodger Stadium gondola project, now facing turbulence as Los Angeles officials look to potentially halt it. The proposed $500 million aerial tramway would connect the stadium to Union Station, aiming to ease game-day traffic. Supporters argue it would reduce congestion, while critics cite studies showing minimal impact on car use. Jay Leno opens up about his 45-year marriage and the emotional challenges of wife Mavis’ declining health due to dementia, sharing that he still “melts” when she looks at him despite the difficult journey. As the storm moves through SoCal, another headline pops: Carmel, California considers banning pickleball in a city park after rising noise complaints from nearby residents.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first new home on a lot burned by the Eaton Fire has been completed. After LAist reported on a secretive $2 million payout to the CEO of L.A. County, supervisors may boost transparency. The new LAFD chief is attacking the media for what he calls a "smear" campaign. Plus, more from Evening Edition. Support The L.A. Report by donating at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.comThis LAist podcast is supported by Amazon Autos. Buying a car used to be a whole day affair. Now, at Amazon Autos, you can shop for a new, used, or certified pre-owned car whenever, wherever. You can browse hundreds of vehicles from top local dealers, all in one place. Amazon.com/autosVisit 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 the show: https://laist.com

Tavis Smiley Talks with Dominique about what's next with Edison Socal and Altadena.https://www.instagram.com/diprimaradio/

A new grant will fund low-income housing in Altadena. We dig into why the LAX People Mover has been delayed yet again. And we'll introduce you to the Orange County Hall of Fame. Support The L.A. Report by donating at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.com 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 the show: https://laist.com

Send us a textBe careful what you wish for. You just might get it. After Jack rescues an Old Man in distress, Jack finds he now has the ability to instantly manifest anything he wishes. Sounds great? Well, it's not so simple.Gary B. Lamb directs a cast that includes Michael Fletcher as Jack, Caitlin Bell as Laura, Annette Homewood as Sally, and Dennis Gersten as the Old Man.Gary B. Lamb is the playwright. He trained at L.A. City College Theatre Academy, University of California at Irvine, and Carnegie Mellon University. He wrote the book and lyrics for a musical version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the book for the musical Fion the Fair, the lyrics for Chicago Christmas Carol, and an adaptation of I'm Just Wild About Harry. He has acted in and directed many plays for Open-Door Playhouse.Support the showFounded by playwright and filmmaker Bernadette Armstrong, Open-Door Playhouse is a Theater Podcast- like the radio dramas of the 1940s and 1950s. The Playhouse launched on September 15, 2020. At the time, Open-Door Playhouse provided Playwrights, Actors and Directors a creative outlet during the shutdown. Since its inception. Open-Door Playhouse has presented Short and One-Act plays from Playwrights across the country and internationally. In 2021 Open-Door Playhouse received a Communicator Award for Content for the Play Custody and in 2023 the play What's Prison Like was nominated for a Webby Award in the Crime & Justice Category.Plays are produced by Bernadette Armstrong, Sound Engineer is David Peters, sound effects are provided by Audio Jungle, and music from Karaoke Version. All plays are recorded at The Oak House Studio in Altadena, CA. There's no paywall at the Open-Door Playhouse site, so you could listen to everything for free. Open-Door Playhouse is a 501c3 non-profit organization, and if you would like to support performances of works by new and emerging playwrights, your donation will be gratefully accepted. Your tax-deductible donations help keep our plays on the Podcast Stage. We strive to bring our listeners thoughtful and surprising one-act plays and ten-minute shorts that showcase insightful and new perspectives of the world we share with others. To listen or to donate (or both), go to https://opend...

On this podcast Dominique pays tribute to the pioneering Black journalist Jacquie Stephens, calls out the prevarications of Southern California Edison and looks at how to tell the facts from the spin in news. Dominique DiPrima is a talk radio host, producer, writer, creator and activist. DiPrima is a five-time Emmy Award winner and the first African American woman to host a solo talk radio show on LA primetime/drive time. Prior to her work on KBLA Talk 1580 she worked with Jacquie for many years during her 17-year tenure at Stevie's Wonder's Los Angeles station. https://www.instagram.com/mileslowmusic/ https://www.instagram.com/diprimaradio/

OJ Simpson’s estate has agreed to pay nearly $58 million to the family of Ron Goldman, who was killed along with Nicole Brown Simpson in 1994. Although Simpson was acquitted in criminal court, he was later found liable in a civil trial and ordered to pay more than $33 million; interest and penalties have pushed the total dramatically higher. A flood advisory is in effect, and the show will be broadcasting live from Smart & Final in Yorba Linda this Friday, where Tim jokes about auctioning everything in his garage while begging the clouds to stop the rain. Attorneys representing survivors of the Eaton Fire in Altadena have filed a lawsuit against Southern California Edison and Genasys Inc., alleging the utility sparked the blaze and Genasys failed to send critical evacuation warnings, contributing to the death of a woman in the fire zone. Construction crews in both Topanga Canyon and Altadena are dealing with the latest round of storm damage and heavy rain impacts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Storms are creating major issues in Palmdale and Lancaster, while construction crews in Altadena continue struggling to rebuild as more rain rolls through. Neil Saavedra, The Fork Reporter, will be broadcasting live from Wendy’s in Mission Viejo this Saturday and hosting on Thanksgiving morning from 6–9 a.m. to help listeners get their holiday meals ready. He explains the benefits of cooking a spatchcock (butterflied) turkey, which cooks faster and more evenly with crispier skin. Neil also shares a can’t-miss gravy recipe that the show highlights as a must-listen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Email me here.. ThanksA quick word. You must know this and completely understand this. God, makes it perfectly clear to those that have an ear to hear what the spirit is saying to the church.  Duet 6:4, Jn 4:24, Acts 4:12, Mark 16:16, Ja 2:19 and Col 2:9 to name a few scriptures. Why do the devils tremble? No better time than the present to get right or get left.  Support the showWelcome to A Better Way!! Commit your life to Jesus. @inntohisword238

We’re expecting back-to-back storms in Southern California, and communities like Altadena and Malibu are already preparing as the next system builds. Conway shared his great story about Lakers legend James Worthy, and we talked about how the Tim Conway & Carol Burnett Show once brought families together for true appointment viewing—something that feels almost extinct today. We’re also live on remote at Smart & Final in Yorba Linda for the 11/21 Pastathon kickoff. There was a pursuit of a stolen car in the San Fernando Valley, and former LAPD Bomb Squad member Johnny Hanson joined us to explain why these dangerous chases are so unpredictable and how officers stay safe. In local developments, Costco plans to open a stand-alone gas station in Mission Viejo in 2026, and the LA Olympics are preparing to use air taxis to move VIPs, fans, and staff around the city during the Games.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How has the classical music industry approached representation and how has the new music community forged new paths to embrace diverse musics? On tonight's episode of Obbligato on APEX Express, Isabel Li is joined by violinist Shalini Vijayan, who discusses her vibrant career and reflects upon the ways contemporary classical music can build community.  Violinist Shalini Vijayan, deemed “a vibrant violinist” by Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times is an established performer and collaborator on both coasts. Always an advocate for modern music, Shalini was a founding member and Principal Second Violin of Kristjan Jarvi's Absolute Ensemble, having recorded several albums with them including 2001 Grammy nominee, Absolution. Shalini was also a founding member of the Lyris Quartet, one of Los Angeles' most beloved chamber ensembles. With Lyris, she has performed regularly at Walt Disney Concert Hall on the Green Umbrella series, for Jacaranda Music and helped to found the Hear Now Music Festival in Venice, California, a festival dedicated to the music of living composers in Los Angeles.  Shalini performed for over a decade with Southwest Chamber Music and can be heard on their Grammy nominated Complete Chamber Works of Carlos Chávez, Vol. 3. She has been a featured soloist with the Los Angeles Master Chorale in Chinary Ung's Spiral XII and Tan Dun's Water Passion, including performances at the Ravinia Festival. As a chamber musician, Shalini has collaborated with such luminaries as Billy Childs, Chinary Ung, Gabriela Ortiz, and Wadada Leo Smith on whose Ten Freedom Summers she was a soloist. Shalini joined acclaimed LA ensemble, Brightwork New Music in 2019 and also serves as the curator for Brightwork's Tuesdays@Monkspace series, a home for contemporary music and performance in Los Angeles. As a teacher, she has been on the faculty of the Nirmita Composers Workshop in both Siem Reap and Bangkok and coaches composition students through the Impulse New Music Festival.  Shalini received her B.M. and M.M. degrees from Manhattan School of Music as a student of Lucie Robert and Ariana Bronne. As a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida, Shalini served as concertmaster for Michael Tilson Thomas, John Adams, Reinbert de Leeuw and Oliver Knussen. She was also concertmaster for the world premiere performances and recording of Steven Mackey's Tuck and Roll for RCA records in 2000. Shalini was a member of the Pacific Symphony Orchestra for ten seasons and also served as Principal Second Violin of Opera Pacific. She lives in Los Angeles with her son, husband and two dogs and spends her free time cooking Indian food and exploring the culinary landscape of Southern California.  Check out more of her work at:  https://brightworknewmusic.com/tuesdays-at-monk-space/  https://www.lyrisquartet.com/    Transcript  Opening: [00:00:00] Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It's time to get on board the APEX Express.    00:01:03 Isabel Li  You're listening to Obbligato, which is a segment about the Asian American Pacific Islander community, specifically in classical music.  00:01:11 Isabel Li  I'm your host, Isabel Li, and today joining me is Shalini Vijayan, who is a violinist, established performer, and always an advocate for modern music.  00:01:21 Isabel Li  Shalini is also a founding member of the Lyris Quartet, one of Los Angeles most beloved chamber ensembles. With Lyris, she has performed regularly at Walt Disney Concert Hall on the Green Umbrella series for Jacaranda Music, and helped to found the Here and Now Music Festival in Venice, California, a festival dedicated to the music of living composers in Los Angeles. She joined acclaimed LA ensemble Brightwork New Music in 2019, and also serves as the curator for Brightwork's Tuesdays at Monk Space series. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her son, husband and two dogs, and spends her free time cooking Indian food and exploring the culinary landscape of Southern California.  00:02:04 Isabel Li  Well, Shalini, thank you so much for joining me in this conversation today.  00:02:09 Shalini Vijayan  I'm so happy to be with you.  00:02:11 Isabel Li  Awesome. I'd like to just get to know you and your story. How do you identify and what communities do you consider yourself a part of?  00:02:18 Shalini Vijayan  I use the pronouns she, her, and I. Um, I identify as South Asian. I grew up in an Indian family. My parents immigrated to the US in the sixties to teach at medical school. And I grew up with a great deal of Indian culture. And I've spent a lot of time going back and forth to India from the time that I was very young. You know, it's interesting because I feel like in LA, where I live and work specifically, there is so much overlap between all of our different musical communities. You know, I went to school in New York, and I feel like there I was much more, I'm very connected to the new music community in New York and felt really kind of entrenched in that at the time I was there. And after coming to LA, I realized that, um, there are a lot of musicians doing so many different things. That's one of the things I love about Los Angeles, actually. And, you know, I'm definitely very, very rooted in the new music community in LA. And that was where I made my first sort of connections when I first moved to Los Angeles. But I also, you know, worked in an orchestra when I first came to LA. I played in the Pacific Symphony for almost ten seasons, and so I became a part of that community as well. And you know, as the years went on, I also became much more involved in the studio music community of LA studio musicians playing on movie scores, playing on television shows, records, what have you, Awards shows, all sorts of things. And these are all very distinct communities in LA in music. But I see a ton of overlap between all of them. There are so many incredibly versatile musicians in Los Angeles that people are able to really very easily move from one of these groups to the other and, you know, with a great deal of success. And I feel like it gives us so much variety in our lives as musicians in LA, you don't feel like you're ever just in one lane. You can really occupy all these different kinds of spaces.  00:04:23 Isabel Li  Right, yeah. So you're classically trained, from what I know, and you describe yourself as an advocate for modern music. So why modern music?  00:04:33 Shalini Vijayan  That's a great question. I have have had to answer this question quite a bit over the years, especially to non-musicians. And it's always an interesting story for me. You know, as a violinist in particular, you know, we have such a storied history of repertoire and pedagogy, and there is such an incredible, um, library of music that we have access to from the very standard classical repertoire. And there is a great deal to be learned about the instrument and about music from playing all that repertoire. I think at some point when I was in high school, I started to become interested in more modern music. And actually I grew up in Davis in Northern California.   My parents both taught at the university there, at the medical school and in Sacramento. Nearby there was a festival of modern American music that I think still goes on to this day at Cal State University, Sacramento. And it was really a great festival. And at that time, you know, they would bring professional artists, they'd have composers, they'd have commissions, all sorts of things. But at the time that I was like in high school, they also had a junior division to the festival, and I was asked to play a couple pieces in the Festival of, um, Modern Works, and I can't remember at this time what the pieces were, but it left such a huge impression on me. And I think what I really took away from that experience as a kid is that in my studies as a violinist, I was always being asked to sort of live up to this history and this legacy of violin music and violin playing in Western classical music. And it's a very high bar. And it's, um, you know, of course, there's so much great stuff there. But there was something so freeing about playing this music that had either never been played or not been recorded. So there was nothing to reference in terms of listening to a recording, um, and listening to how you, you know, quote, should be playing it that it made me feel, uh, you know, all this, this freedom to really interpret the music, how I felt, rather than feeling like I had to live up to a standard that had been set for me, you know, decades or centuries before. And I think that really something really clicked for me with that, that I wanted to have that kind of freedom when I, when I was playing. And so from there on out, um, you know, when I went to college and I really sought out opportunities in new music as much as I could.  00:07:00 Isabel Li  So you were first exposed to new music when you were in high school. Did that influence your decision to become a musician at all? Or were you already set on becoming a musician and that was just part of what shaped your works over the years.  00:07:15 Shalini Vijayan  I think by that time, I had already decided that I wanted to be a musician. I mean, as you know, so many of us as musicians and I think particularly string players, we decide so young because we start our instruments at such a young age and we start studying so early. Um, that I think by that time I, I had decided I wanted to do music, but this sort of opened another door for me that made me realize that it wasn't just one path in music necessarily. I think it's very easy as a, as a kid and as a violinist to think you admire these great soloists that you see and, you know, people like Perlman and, you know, Isaac Stern, who were the stars of the time when I was growing up. But, you know, you get to be in high school and you realize that hasn't happened yet. It's probably not going to happen. And so, you know, what's then then what's your path forward? How do you find a life in music if you're not going to be one of these stars? And I think, you know, new music really opened up that opportunity for me. And yeah, made me look at things a little differently for sure.  00:08:18 Isabel Li  And currently you're in the contemporary classical music ensemble, Brightwork newmusic, and you curate the ensemble's concert series, Tuesdays @ Monk Space. So how do you go about curating concerts with music by contemporary or living composers? What do you look for?  00:08:33 Shalini Vijayan  Well, right now I'm really focused on trying to represent our new music community in LA at Monk Space, which is such, you know, we have such a diverse community of musicians, not just in the makeup of who the people are making the music or writing the music, but also in just the styles of music. And so I think I try to really represent a very diverse set of aesthetics in our season. Um, you know, everything from, you know, last season we had, uh, Niloufar Shiri, who is a traditional Persian kamancheh player, but she also she can play very in a very traditional way, but she also plays with a jazz pianist. And, you know, it does all this very improvisatory stuff. And, you know, then we would have other programs where everything is very much written out and very through, composed and you know, it's been a very wide variety. And, you know, when I try to build the season, I try to make sure that it's really balanced in terms of, you know, the different types of things you'll be hearing because not every audience member is going to want to engage with every type of music. Um, or, you know, if we if we really stuck to one style and it was just in that language for the whole season, then I feel like we would, you know, alienate potential audience members. But with this, I feel like if we can bring people in for one concert and they're really into it, then hopefully they'll come to something else that is new and different for them and be exposed to something that they may really get into after that. So yeah, I think diversity and variety is really where I try to start from.  00:10:09 Isabel Li  How does that engage the community? Have you observed audience reception to this type of new music when there are composers from all different types of backgrounds?  00:10:20 Shalini Vijayan  Yeah, definitely. I mean, I think that each composer and each artist brings their own community into the space, which and so that's another. I feel like another strong reason why I try to make things very different from concert to concert. And, you know, we have some younger players who come in and bring in, you know, everyone from college students to, you know, their friends and family. And then, you know, really established composers. Like this season we have Bill Roper, who is kind of a legend in the music community in LA. Mult instrumentalist and composer who has been around for decades. And, you know, I think people will come out just because they want to see him and he's such a draw. And, um, you know, I, I also would love to be able to incorporate more world music into the series. Like I said, we did do Niloufar concert, which I felt like I really hoped would like engage with the Persian community in LA as well. And a couple seasons ago we had Rajna Swaminathan, who is, I just think, an incredible artist. Um, she plays mridangam, which is a South Indian percussion instrument, but she also writes for Western instruments, uh, and herself. And we had her and a pianist and then Ganavya, who's a vocalist who's amazing. And, you know, Ganavya had her own following. So we had and Rajna has her own following. So we had a whole full audience that night of people who I had never seen in the space before. And that was for me. That's a success because we're bringing in new friends and new engagement. And, um, I was really excited about that. When I'm able to make those kinds of connections with new people, then that feels like a success to me.  00:12:05 Isabel Li  Certainly.  00:12:06 Isabel Li  Let's hear one of Shalini's performances. This is an excerpt from the 10th of William Kraft's “Encounters”, a duologue for violin and marimba, performed here by Shalini Vijayan with Southwest Chamber Music.  00:12:20 [MUSIC – Encounters X: Duologue for Violin & Marimba]  00:17:18 Isabel Li  An excerpt from William Kraft's Encounters, the 10th of which is called Duologue for Violin and Marimba, that was performed by Shalini Vijayan, the violinist, with Southwest Chamber Music.  00:17:31 Isabel Li  And Shalini is here with me in conversation today. We've been discussing contemporary music and her involvement in the new music scene, specifically in Los Angeles.  00:17:40 Isabel Li  Music is all about community, drawing people together. So going back to how you describe yourself as an advocate for modern music, what are other ways that you have advocated for modern music besides curating the concert series?  00:17:53 Shalini Vijayan  Well, over the years, um, you know, I feel like in all the ensembles I've been in, there's been a real focus on commissioning composers and on performing works that have not been, uh, either performed or recorded before. And I feel like the only way to really get the music out there is to, obviously, is to play it and hopefully to be able to record it. We've worked especially with the lyrics quartet. We've worked with so many young composers in LA either just strictly, you know, contemporary classical composers or even film composers who, um, have works that they'd like to have recorded. And, you know, it's been great to see a lot of those people go on to really amazing things and to be a part of their journey, uh, and to help support them. And, uh, the other thing that the quartet has been heavily involved in and now Bright Work Ensemble has been involved in as well, is the Here Now music festival, which has been going on in LA for well over a decade now. We were involved in the first, um, seasons of that festival. We've been one of the resident ensembles since the very beginning, and that festival is dedicated to the music of LA and Southern California composers. And, um, we have a call for scores every year that we, the four of us in the quartet, are part of the panel that reviews all the scores, along with a lot of our other colleagues, um, who are involved with the festival, and Hugh Levick, who is the artistic director of the festival and has we've worked side by side with him on this for a very long time. And that's also been a fantastic avenue for, um, meeting new composers, hearing new works, having them performed. And the thing I always say about that festival every time it comes around, usually in the spring we have at least three concerts. It's this incredible coming together of the new music community in Southern California, where all these great composers and all these amazing players come together and play these series of concerts, because there's such a vast number of pieces that end up getting programmed. They can't rely on just like one group or one or two groups to play them. So it really pulls in a lot of players from all over town. And I don't know, it always just feels like a really fun time, a fun weekend for all of us to see each other and connect. And, um, and again, just build our community to be even stronger.  00:20:20 Isabel Li  That's really cool. How do you ignite interest in new music? Because this is a genre that I think is slightly underrepresented or just underrepresented in general in both the classical music community and the music industry as a whole.  00:20:35 Shalini Vijayan  That's a great question, and I think it's a really important question for our whole industry and community. How do you engage people in new music and get them into a concert? Um, you know, I think one of the biggest hurdles for classical music in general, I will say, um, when I talk to people about why they don't want to come to a concert or why they don't want to, you know, let's say, go see the LA Phil or, you know, wherever, whatever city they're in, the major cultural music institution. I think there is a misconception generally that, oh, it's, you know, I have to be dressed a certain way or I it's going to be really stuffy. And, um, I, you know, I don't know what to wear or I don't know how I'm supposed to dress or how I'm supposed to act when I'm in the concert. Am I going to clap at the wrong time? You know, is it going to be really long? And, you know, and I and I get it, you know, I mean, I understand why that would be uncomfortable for a lot of people.   And it's not, um, it's something that necessarily everyone has grown up with or that it's been a part of their life. So I think it's really up to us, as you know, when we're on the side of programming concerts or putting together festivals or whatever, um, that we make things more accessible in terms of, um, concert length and interaction with audience. And, um, you know, I think it's I know I've been told so many times and I really think it's important that I think audiences love it when performers talk to them, when they talk about the music and, and set things up for a listener. I think that puts a kind of context on things that makes it so much easier for perhaps a new audience member, someone who's never come to a concert before to feel at ease and feel like, okay, I know what I'm getting into.   One of our, actually our former executive director at Brightwork, Sarah Wass, who was fantastic, and I was very happy to work with when I was just starting out programming, Monk Space had the idea of putting on the program the running time of the pieces, and I think even that is just something that, like, can prepare people for what they're getting into when they're about to listen to something new. And in terms of the music itself, I think that if someone, especially a younger person, doesn't feel like they have any connection to Beethoven or Brahms or Mozart, they might actually feel more connected to someone who is their age or a little older.   Someone who has had similar life experiences to them, or grown up in the same era as them, rather than someone who grew up, you know, in the seventeen hundreds. You know, there can be more of a real connection there, and that that person is writing this music and reflection of their life and their experiences. And, um, you know, again, I think that kind of context is important for a listener. And yeah. And then just lastly, I would say also, I feel like our space at Monk space is very inviting. It's very low key. It's, um, you know, it's casual, it's comfortable. Role. Um, we have, you know, snacks and a bar and, you know, everyone is very relaxed at intermission and has a good time. And I mean, for me, every time we host one of those concerts, I feel like I'm hosting a little party, you know? That's what it feels like for me. And that's what I want it to feel like for the audience as well.  00:23:52 Isabel Li  That brings up a really good point in that new music can make classical music or a new classical music, contemporary music, more accessible to different audiences. And certainly I've definitely heard the complaint from people over the years about classical music being a little too uptight. Would you say that these are two different genres?  00:24:11 Shalini Vijayan  I think that there is overlap, and I think, you know, for an ensemble like ours, like Brightwork, we have chosen to make our focus new music. So that's our thing. That's what we do. Um, and, uh, all of our concerts and our programming reflect that. Very rarely do we do anything that's not considered a contemporary piece. Um, but, you know, if you do look at some of our major institutions, like I think the LA Phil and I think the San Francisco Symphony, um, earlier, you know, like in the nineties under MTT, really started to pave the way for incorporating contemporary music into a standard classical format. And, you know, I think that's been very important. And I think it's really changed the way that orchestras have programmed across the country. And there has been such a nurturing of contemporary music in larger spaces. Now that I think that kind of overlap has started to happen much more frequently. I think that in more conservative settings, sometimes there's pushback against that. And even even, you know, in some of the places that I play, you know, sometimes with with the lyrics quartet, um, we are asked to just purely program standard classical repertoire, and we will occasionally throw in a little short piece, you know, just to try and put something in there, you know, something that's very accessible. Um, and, uh, you know that we know the audience will like so that we can help them, you know, kind of get over that fear of connecting to a newer piece. And I, I think in some ways, that's where the path forward lies, is that we have to integrate those things, you know, in order to keep kind of the old traditions of classical music alive. I think we have to keep the newer tradition alive as well, and find a way to put them in the same space.  00:26:00 Isabel Li  I certainly agree with that.  00:26:01 Isabel Li  Let's hear more of Shalini's work in new music. This is a performance of the first movement of Atlas Pumas by Gabriela Ortiz. Violinist Shalini Vijayan is joined by percussionist Lynn Vartan.  00:26:18 [MUSIC – Atlas Pumas, mvt 1 by Gabriela Ortiz]  00:29:21 Isabel Li  The first movement of Gabriela Ortiz's Atlas Pumas played here by violinist Shalini Vijian, and Lynn Vartan plays the marimba.  00:29:30 Isabel Li  And Shalini is actually joining us here for a conversation about new music, performances, identity, and representation.  00:29:38 Isabel Li  Many Asian American Pacific Islander artists in music have varying relationships between their art and their identity. I was wondering, to what extent do you feel that perhaps your South Asian identity intersects or influences the work that you do with music?  00:29:54 Shalini Vijayan  Growing up, um, you know, I grew up in a in a university town in Northern California and, you know, a lot of highly educated and, you know, kids of professors and, you know, but still not the most terribly diverse place. And then going into classical music. And this was, you know, in the early nineties when I went to college, um, it still was not a particularly it was very much not a diverse place at all. And, um, there certainly were a lot of Asian students at, um, Manhattan School of Music where I did my my studies.   But I would say it was a solid decade before I was ever in any sort of classical music situation where there was another South Asian musician. I very, very rarely met any South Asian musicians, and it wasn't until I went to the New World Symphony in the early late nineties, early two thousand, and I was a musician there. I was a fellow in that program there for three years that I walked into the first rehearsal, and there were three other South Asian, I think, of Indian descent musicians in the orchestra, and I was absolutely blown away because I literally had not, um, other than here and there at some festivals, I had not met any other South Asian classical musicians.   So it was really like that was the hallmark moment for me. It was a really big deal. And coming with my family, coming from India, you know, there is such a strong tradition of Indian classical music, of Carnatic music and Hindustani music. And, um, it's such a long, long tradition. And, you know, the people who have studied it and lived with it are, you know, they study it their whole lives to be proficient in it. And it's such an incredible, incredible art form and something that I admire so much. And I did as a kid. Take a few lessons here and there. I took some Carnatic singing lessons, um, and a little bit of tabla lessons when I was very young. Um, but I think somewhere in middle school or high school, I kind of realized that it was, for me at least, I wasn't, um, able to put enough time into both because both of them, you know, playing the violin in a Western classical style and then studying Indian classical music require a tremendous amount of effort and a tremendous amount of study. And I at that point chose to go with Western classical music, because that's what I'd been doing since I was five years old. But there has always kind of been this longing for me to be more connected to Indian classical music. Um, I'll go back again to Rajna. When I presented Rajna Swaminathan on Monk Space a couple of years ago, it was a really meaningful thing for me, because that's kind of what I'd always wanted to see was a joining together of that tradition, the Indian tradition with the Western tradition. And, um, I'm so happy that I'm starting to see that more and more with a lot of the artists that are coming up now. But at the time when I was young, it just it felt almost insurmountable that to to find a way to bring the two together. And, um, I remember very clearly as a kid listening to this, um, there was an album that Philip Glass did with Ravi Shankar, and I thought that was so cool at the time. And I used to listen to it over and over again because I just again, I was so amazed that these things could come together and in a, in a kind of successful way. Um, but yeah, there is, you know, there there's a part of me that would still love to go back and explore that more that, that side of it. Um, and but I will say also, I'm very happy now to see a lot more South Asian faces when I, you know, go to concerts on stage and in the audience. And, you know, a lot of composers that I've worked with now, um, of South Asian descent, it's been, you know, I've worked with Reena Esmail and Anuj Bhutani and Rajna and, um, there's so many more, and I'm so glad to see how they're all incorporating their connection to their culture to, to this, you know, Western kind of format of classical music. And they're all doing it in different ways. And it's it's really amazing.  00:34:22 Isabel Li  That's fantastic.  00:34:24 Isabel Li  I was wondering if you could maybe describe what this merging or combination of different styles entails. Do you think this makes it more accessible to audiences of two different cultures?  00:34:36 Shalini Vijayan  For me, one example, before I started running the series at Tuesdays at Monk Space, Aron Kallay, who is our Bright Work artistic director, had asked me to come and do a solo show on Monk Space, which I did in November of 2019.  00:34:52 Shalini Vijayan  And at the time, I wanted to commission a piece that did exactly that, that, that, um, involved some sort of Indian classical instrument or kind of the language of Indian classical music. And so I actually did reach out to Reena Esmail, and she wrote me a very cool piece called blaze that was for tabla and violin. Um, and I really had so much fun doing that. And Reena, Reena really has a very fluid way of writing for the violin, which she actually was a violinist, too. So she's she's really good at doing that. But being able to write for any melodic instrument or for the voice, which she does quite a bit as well, and incorporating sort of the tonality of Indian classical music, which obviously has its own scales and, um, has its own harmonic, harmonic world that is different from the Western world, um, but finds a way to translate that into the written note notation that we require as, uh, Western classical musicians. And, you know, I think that's the biggest gap to bridge, is that in Indian classical music, nothing is notated. Everything is handed down in an oral tradition, um, over the generations. And for us, everything is notated. And in Indian classical music, you know, there's much more improvisation. And now, of course, with modern classical music, there now is a lot more improvisation involved. But in our old standard tradition, obviously there isn't. And in the way that we're trained, mostly we're not trained to be improvisers. And um, so it's it was great. She has a great way of writing so that it kind of sounds like things are being tossed off and sounding sounds like they're being improvised, but they are actually fully notated, um, which I really appreciated.  00:36:50 Isabel Li  Yeah.  00:36:51 Isabel Li  So your career has spanned orchestras, recording ensembles, chamber music. Having had so much experience in these types of performance, what does representation in classical music mean to you?  00:37:04 Shalini Vijayan  Well, representation is is very important because we're talking about a tradition that was built on white men from centuries ago, European white men. And and it's again, it's an incredible tradition and there's so much great repertoire. But I'm going to circle back to what you were saying or what you asked me about connecting to audiences and, you know, connecting to audiences with new music. It's I think people like to see themselves reflected in the art that they choose. They choose to consume. And, you know, whether that's movies or television or music, I think that's how you connect with your audience is by being a bit of a mirror.  I think the only way that we can really continue to connect with a diverse audience is by having that type of diverse representation on our stages and on our recordings. And again, also not just the people, but the types of music, too. You know, musical tastes run wide, genres run wide as well. And it's I think It's good for all of us to be exposed to a lot of different kinds of music, to figure out what we connect with the most. And, um, yeah, the only way we can do that is by really, you know, opening our arms to a, a much wider variety of styles of music. And so I, you know, I mentioned improvisation, improvisation earlier. And I think that is something that's now starting to happen so much more in modern classical music. And, you know, I think there's something about the energy that a player has when they're improvising that is maybe not something that an audience member could quantify verbally, but there's a looseness and a freedom there that I think, you know, for a lot of audience members, they probably really can connect to. And, you know, that's a lot of why people go and listen to jazz is because there's so much freedom and there's so much improvisation.   I've been very lucky to be able to work with, um, Wadada Leo Smith, who's a trumpet player and composer. I've worked with him for probably almost ten years now. And um, through Wadada, actually, I have learned to become much more comfortable with improvising on stage and not within a jazz language of any kind or any kind of harmonic structure necessarily, but within the language of his music, which is very unique and very open and very free and, um, but also has a really strong core in its connection to history. And, um, you know, he's written a lot of amazing works about the civil rights movement and about a lot of, you know, important moments in history for our country. And, um, that's been a real learning experience for me to connect with him in that, in that way and learn from him and learn to be more comfortable with improvisation. Because I think growing up, improvisation for me always meant jazz, and that was not a language I was comfortable in. And um, or even, you know, jazz or rock music or folk music or whatever, you know, it was just not something that came naturally to me as a kid to, I mean, I listened to all of it. I listened to everything when I was a kid, but I never played in any of those styles. And I think the older you get, the scarier it gets to start branching out in those ways. But, um, I think, uh, that's been a an incredible, like, new branch of my life in the last decade has been working with Wadada.  [MUSIC – “Dred Scott, 1857,” from Ten Freedom Summers, by Wadada Leo Smith]  00:42:23 Isabel Li  An excerpt of Wadada Leo Smith's music to give you a sense of the jazz influences in these types of contemporary new music pieces that also touch on pieces of history. This was an excerpt from his album, Ten Freedom Summers, which also consists of compositions based on pieces of American history. For example, what we just heard was from a piece called Dred Scott, 1857.  00:42:49 Isabel Li  Now that I realize that we've been having a conversation about new music, I realize that, hmm, when does new music really start? So if you take a look at maybe music history, when does new music really become new music?  00:43:07 Shalini Vijayan  I guess it depends on who you ask, probably. Um, it's it's pretty recent. You know, it has to be really legitimately pretty new. And, um, again, you know, if you ask an audience member, um, and I think of some of my friends or family who are maybe who are not musicians who come to concerts, and I'm always so interested in talking to them and hearing their opinions about things. Um, you know, they will listen to Bartok and say, oh, that sounds like new music to me. But, you know, Bartok, Bartok passed away a long time ago, and it's, you know, and for me, that's more like canon now. You know, that's like now for me, part of the the standard repertoire. But there was a time when Bartok was new music. And I think for, you know, maybe the listeners who are more comfortable with the very diatonic, you know, world of Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, then something like Bartok really does sound so modern for me. Boy, maybe around the time that minimalism started, you know, John Adams and Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Philip Glass, all of that for me feels like maybe that's the older like the The edge of new music now even though that was that would be the eighties, probably seventies 80s, you know, but that we're talking about like, you know, fifty years ago. So yeah, I mean, it's not that new, but those are all still living composers. So maybe, maybe that's part of what it is for me is that it's the composers of our era, the composers who are alive, who we can communicate with and ask questions of. And, um, you know, at the very least, if you can't talk to John Adams, you can talk to somebody who has worked directly with him and get their impressions of how something should be played, um, as opposed to composers who have been gone for hundreds of years. And you can't have that level of communication with them. I think that, for me is what new music, new music is about. It's about working with living composers and, um, having that type of interaction.  00:45:15 Isabel Li  Yeah. So would the word or the phrase contemporary classical music, be a little oxymoronic in a sense?  00:45:26 Shalini Vijayan  No, I don't think so. I think it's still part of the same tradition. Um, yeah. I really do think it is, because I think there is a lineage there. Um, for a lot of composers, not all of them, um, that I mean, I think particularly if you're writing for, let's say, an orchestra or a string quartet or sort of one of these very standard classical ensembles. Um, even if you're writing in a very new language and you're writing in a very different way, I think there is still a through line to the canon of classical music. I guess for me, new music and classical music are not mutually exclusive. I think they can be the same. So I don't I don't think they're totally different. I think that there is a lot of a lot of overlap.  00:46:16 Isabel Li  For sure, considering how new music fits into the classical music or the classical music industry as a whole. Have you noticed any sorts of shifts in the classical music industry in the past several decades in regards to diversity, equity, inclusion? And have you just noticed any changes?  00:46:35 Shalini Vijayan  I have noticed some changes. I mean, I think that most organizations in this country are making an effort to be more inclusive in their programming now. And, um, you know, another another South Asian composer who I just think is fantastic is Nina Shekhar. And, um, she has had pieces played by the New York Phil for the last couple seasons. I mean, you know, so on on major, major stages, I feel like now I'm seeing more representation and that is definitely Encouraging and, um, you know, uh, same for Anuj and Rajna and Reena. They've all, you know, had their works done by major ensembles. And, um, I think I think there is definitely movement in that direction, for sure. I think it could always be more.   I think also for women and women composers, women performers, I think that has also always been a struggle to find enough representation of women composers and you know, especially if like as I mentioned before, when you're in a situation where an organization asks you to program a concert, like, let's say, for our quartet and wants much more standard repertoire than it does limit you, you know, how because there isn't much from the older canon. You know, there is. You know, there's Fanny Mendelssohn and Clara Schumann and, um, you know, I think in the last five to ten years they've both been played a lot more, which is great. But, you know, I think, uh, there's so many amazing female composers right now that I think are starting to get much more recognition. And I think that just needs to be more, more and more, um, but, uh, you know, that is why, again, like on those programs, sometimes we try to just sneak one modern piece in because it's important for those voices to be heard as well. But yes, I do see some forward movement in that direction with, um, classical programming. And, you know, you just have to hope that the intent is always genuine in those situations. And I think, um, you know, I think that's the most important thing. And giving a platform to those voices is really important.  00:48:59 Isabel Li  How would you go about arts advocacy during this current time when, well, the arts are being defunded and devalued by our current administration and how everything is going on right now?  00:49:10 Shalini Vijayan  Yeah, it's really, really difficult right now. And, um, you know, I think a lot of arts organizations are losing a lot of government funding. Obviously, I know of a couple projects that lost their NEA funding because of DEI, and which is so disheartening. And, um, I think, you know, there's going to be a lot of leaning on private donors to try and, uh, make up that difference or, you know, private foundations to make up the difference in funding, hopefully. And, um, uh, you know, it's yeah, it's scary. It's  a scary time. And I think, you know, even for private funding and, um, private donors, it's, you know, everyone is feeling stressed and feeling concerned about our future right now, just as a country. and there's so much uncertainty. And, um, but I think people who really rely on the arts for all the things that it can provide, you know, an escape and pleasure and, you know, stimulation of a different kind. And especially in a time like this, when you want to be able to get away from maybe what's going on around you, you know, I'm hoping we can find a way to really come together and, um, kind of, you know, rally around each other and find a way to support each other. But, um, I think it is going to be hard for the next few years if we can't find ways to replace that funding that so many people have lost. And I certainly don't think that anyone wants to back away from the progress that's been made with inclusion and representation, you know, just to get funding. So I know we have to be very creative with our path ahead and find a way to, to keep doing what we're doing in this current environment.  00:51:07 Isabel Li  Yeah, on a brighter note, I read about your work with Lyris Quartet earlier this year when you presented a concert with Melodia Mariposa called Altadena Strong with the Lyris Quartet, raising funds for those who have been affected by the LA fires. Can you talk a bit about the power of music? And we're going to end on a stronger note here about the power of music in bringing communities together and accelerating community healing.  00:51:31 Shalini Vijayan  Well, I have to say that concert was really a special one for us. You know, um, so many musicians were affected by the fires in LA. And, you know, I, I've lived in LA for over twenty years now, almost twenty five years and, um, certainly seen my share of wildfires and disasters, but this one hit so much more close to home than any of the other ones have. And, you know, I know at least twenty five people who lost their homes in between the Palisades and Altadena and Altadena in particular.   When I moved to LA, it was a place where a lot of musicians were moving to because you could it was cheaper and you could get a lot of space, and it's beautiful. And, you know, they really built a beautiful community there among all the musicians out there. And it's just heartbreaking, um, to see how many of them have lost everything. And I have to say, Irina Voloshina, who is the woman who runs Melodia Mariposa, and just an amazing violinist and an amazing, wonderful, warm, generous person. You know, she started that series in her driveway during COVID as a way to just keep music going during the pandemic, and it really turned into something so great. And she's, you know, got a whole organization with her now and puts on multiple concerts a year. And when she asked us if we would play that concert for the community in Altadena is, you know, there's no question that we were going to do it. I mean, we absolutely jumped at the chance to support her and support the organization and that community. And people really came out for that concert and were so excited to be there and were so warm and, um, you know, and and she talked to the crowd and really connected with everybody on a very personal level, because she also lost her home in Altadena and, um, you know, it was it was a really meaningful show for all of us. And again, those are the moments where you realize that you can use this art to really connect with people that you may have never met before and show your your love for them, you know, through music, as corny as that may sound, but it's true.  00:53:54 Isabel Li  Yeah, definitely. Well, thank you so much, Shalini, for sharing your visions, your knowledge with new music and community building with us today. Thank you so much for being on Obbligato.  00:54:07 Shalini Vijayan  Thank you so much for having me, Isabel. It was really a pleasure.  00:54:10 Isabel Li  What a wonderful conversation that was with LA-based violinist Shalini Vijayan. If you go to kpfa.org, you can check out more of her work. I put the links to two of her ensembles, Brightwork New Music and Lyris Quartet up on kpfa.org. And thank you for listening to our conversation here on Obbligato on Apex Express.  00:54:32 Isabel Li  We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating, and sharing your visions with the world. Your voices are important.  00:54:42 Isabel Li  APEX Express is produced by Miko Lee, Jalena Keane-Lee, Preeti Mangala Shekar, Anuj Vaidya, Swati Rayasam, and Cheryl Truong. Tonight's show was produced by Isabel Li. Thanks to the team at KPFA for their support. Have a great night.  [OUTRO MUSIC]  The post APEX Express – 11.13.25 – Obbligato with Violinist Shalini Vijayan appeared first on KPFA.

Iconic journalist/activist/author Tavis Smiley shares the contents of an email from SCE International President and CEO Pedro Pizarro and we take your calls about how you receive the news and what our next steps should be.https://kbla1580.com/ https://www.dominiquediprima.com/ https://www.instagram.com/sce/ https://www.instagram.com/diprimaradio/

Is SoCal Edison's “Fast Pay” Program Truly Fast and Fair?In Part Two of this conversation, Tavis Smiley, Chief Visionary Officer and flagship host of KBLA Talk 1580, and KBLA host James Farr lead an Altadena Town Hall on Thursday, November 6, 2025, where fire survivors are still left without answers to critical questions about SCE's settlement fund.Tavis and James are joined by fire victims, community leaders, and advocates, including panelists Martin Gordon, Chair of the Pasadena Community Coalition; Jacque Robinson-Bailey, Former Pasadena Vice Mayor; Toni Bailey-Raines, Community Organizer and host of Altadena Talks; and Dr. William Syms, Vice President of Student Services at West LA College.If you or someone you know was affected by the Altadena/Eaton Canyon Fire and still needs answers, make your voice heard — contact Pedro Pizarro, President & CEO of Edison International, at pedro.pizarro@sce.com or call 626.302.2255 (press #1).Your Voice. Your Questions. Your Community.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Is SoCal Edison's “Fast Pay” Program Truly Fast and Fair?In part one in this town hall conversation, KBLA Talk 1580's Chief Visionary Officer and flagship host, Tavis Smiley, along with KBLA host James Farr, lead an important discussion in Altadena on Thursday, November 6, 2025, where fire survivors are still left without answers to critical questions about SCE's settlement fund.Tavis and James are joined by fire victims, community leaders, and advocates, including panelists Dr. Echelle Williams, MFL, Brandon Lamar (President, Pasadena NAACP), and Zaire Calvin, High School Football Coach.If you or someone you know was affected by the Altadena/Eaton Canyon Fire and still needs answers, make your voice heard. Contact Pedro Pizarro, President & CEO of Edison International, at pedro.pizarro@sce.com or call 626.302.2255 (press #1).Your Voice. Your Questions. Your Community.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Had an AHA or Insight? Share it:What happens when life strips away everything — your home, your art, your sense of self?In this episode of The Business Growth Architect Show: Founders of the Future, I speak with Christopher Wesley, a storyteller and transformation coach who lost everything in the Altadena fire. But instead of letting tragedy define him, he used it to rebuild his identity and purpose from the ground up. If you have had an event where you felt as if your world was falling apart, this conversation will give you ideas to reframe what “loss” really means—and how to find freedom in what's left. Christopher shares his storytelling blueprint and how he is transforming this catastrophe into his future opportunity.

Tavis Smiley pushes back on the push back after Southern California Edison's disastrous decision to pull out of the KBLA Town Hall Meeting for the Altadena/Eaton Canyon Fire victims and their PR spin after we called them out for dodging victims and disrespecting the community. Open phones follow. 

Is SoCal Edison's “Fast Pay” Program Truly Fast and Fair?In Part Two of this conversation, Tavis Smiley, Chief Visionary Officer and flagship host of KBLA Talk 1580, and KBLA host James Farr lead an Altadena Town Hall on Thursday, November 6, 2025, where fire survivors are still left without answers to critical questions about SCE's settlement fund.Tavis and James are joined by fire victims, community leaders, and advocates, including panelists Martin Gordon, Chair of the Pasadena Community Coalition; Jacque Robinson-Bailey, Former Pasadena Vice Mayor; Toni Bailey-Raines, Community Organizer and host of Altadena Talks; and Dr. William Syms, Vice President of Student Services at West LA College.If you or someone you know was affected by the Altadena/Eaton Canyon Fire and still needs answers, make your voice heard — contact Pedro Pizarro, President & CEO of Edison International, at pedro.pizarro@sce.com or call 626.302.2255 (press #1).Your Voice. Your Questions. Your Community.

Is SoCal Edison's “Fast Pay” Program Truly Fast and Fair?In part one in this town hall conversation, KBLA Talk 1580's Chief Visionary Officer and flagship host, Tavis Smiley, along with KBLA host James Farr, lead an important discussion in Altadena on Thursday, November 6, 2025, where fire survivors are still left without answers to critical questions about SCE's settlement fund.Tavis and James are joined by fire victims, community leaders, and advocates, including panelists Dr. Echelle Williams, MFL, Brandon Lamar (President, Pasadena NAACP), and Zaire Calvin, High School Football Coach.If you or someone you know was affected by the Altadena/Eaton Canyon Fire and still needs answers, make your voice heard. Contact Pedro Pizarro, President & CEO of Edison International, at pedro.pizarro@sce.com or call 626.302.2255 (press #1).Your Voice. Your Questions. Your Community.

Bronson Hill is based in Pasadena where he runs Bronson Capital. He lives a short distance from the Altadena fire and the Pallisades fire that devastated nearly 20,000 structures last year. On today's show we are talking about using modular construction to accelerate the rebuilding process. To connect with Bronson and to learn more, text the word "Inflation" to 33777. -------------**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

Altadena resident and consumer advocate Andrew Wessels talks about his report "Fix What You Broke: Survivor's Recommendations for a Fair and Fully Funded Edison Recovery Program" about holding Southern California Edison accountable for the unprecedented destruction of the Altadena community.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

David Goldblum's short film, "Big Rock Burning," is creating a lot of good heat for the pointed questions it's raising since the devastating fires that charred thousands of properties in Malibu and the Palisades (not to mention Altadena), and he joins our program LIVE to talk about his film and the harrowing experiences so many have had since leaving their homes on January 7th, returning to the ashes of a life that so many are struggling to put back together. The film depicts the stories of 49 Malibu residents impacted by the fires, and chronicles the resilient spirit of the residents of Big Rock, and their intent to rebuild. But little has happened in the months that have followed, and while people are still grieving, they want action and accountability. David says residents have been left to fend for themselves to sort through government red-tape and insurance nightmares, and they're growing weary. Their stories have attracted some celeb residents as well, such as Mark Hamill and Ricki Lake, who talks about losing her home and the emotional impact it's had on her and her friends and neighbors. Malibu is a multi-generational community and so many have lived in their homes since childhood. And while it's a peaceful community, it's not without its challenges, too, and the fire dangers are one of them. People know the risks, but many say they don't expect the lack of help and resources from local government, and the film addresses that. Please join our full interview with David Goldblum on all video and audio platforms of #DeborahKobyltLIVE, and please encourage your friends to join, too. I'm your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and it's my pleasure to welcome you here. The film is currently in the middle of its Oscar-qualifying theatrical run through 9/18 at the Laemmle in Santa Monica, so if you're close by, here's your opportunity to see it. @davidgoldblum @consciouscontactentertainment #filmmaker #movies

Send us a textTheater #183: Poetry on the Menu Poetry on the Menu​​​ In January 1967, writer/participatory journalist George Plimpton dreamed up a publicity stunt for heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali. He arranged for him to meet Marianne Moore, decorated American poetess – a showman who creates doggerel rhymes, together with one of the finest true poets in the history of the English language. The pair couldn't be more opposite – He a gigantic, athletic man of color, at his physicalpeak, age 25, not formally educated, a Muslim, loud, charismatic, a showman with the burgeoning edge for social causes and advocacy; She, elderly, age 80, pasty white, doggedly Presbyterian, incredibly well educated, shy, frail and a kind of dowager spinster. Ali's poems, so called, which predicted his fights, were little more than expanded limericks. Moore's balletic verses and images won her the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal in Literature and almost the Nobel Prize. Theirhost that day, Toots Shor, was a rough New York man of Jewish descent, who rubbed elbows, hosted, drank with, and incurred the wrath of entertainment giants of the first two-thirds of the 20th Century: Frank Sinatra, Charlie Chaplin, Ernest Hemingway, Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn Monroe, etc. The meeting only lasted a few minutes and produced a short poem, “On the annihilation of Ernie Terrell,” Ali's next title foe. The playwright has expanded the meeting in a deeper way, as a one-act play, using snippets ofMoore's poetry to frame the time, Ali's immediate and lasting appeal through his pithy quotes uttered over two decades, and foreshadowing his thoughtful future self.Bernadette Armstrong directs a cast that includes Omari Williams as Muhammad Ali,  Anne Cooper as Marianne Moore, Gary Lamb as Toots Shor, and Justice Davis as Kandu.James Anthony Merolla is the playwright. A journalist with a career spanning four decades, he is also a director. His most recent play is Jane Austen Ruptured My Spleen!Support the showFounded by playwright and filmmaker Bernadette Armstrong, Open-Door Playhouse is a Theater Podcast- like the radio dramas of the 1940s and 1950s. The Playhouse launched on September 15, 2020. At the time, Open-Door Playhouse provided Playwrights, Actors and Directors a creative outlet during the shutdown. Since its inception. Open-Door Playhouse has presented Short and One-Act plays from Playwrights across the country and internationally. In 2021 Open-Door Playhouse received a Communicator Award for Content for the Play Custody and in 2023 the play What's Prison Like was nominated for a Webby Award in the Crime & Justice Category.Plays are produced by Bernadette Armstrong, Sound Engineer is David Peters, sound effects are provided by Audio Jungle, and music from Karaoke Version. All plays are recorded at The Oak House Studio in Altadena, CA. There's no paywall at the Open-Door Playhouse site, so you could listen to everything for free. Open-Door Playhouse is a 501c3 non-profit organization, and if you would like to support performances of works by new and emerging playwrights, your donation will be gratefully accepted. Your tax-deductible donations help keep our plays on the Podcast Stage. We strive to bring our listeners thoughtful and surprising one-act plays and ten-minute shorts that showcase insightful and new perspectives of the world we share with others. To listen or to donate (or both), go to https://opend...

Dominique is joined by iconic broadcaster, author and activist Tavis Smiley and Black Lives Matter Grassroots Director Dr. Melina Abdullah. On this podcast we put Southern California Edison in the spotlight after they tried to gaslight, disrespect and disregard Black people in Altadena in the wake of the disastrous Eaton Canyon fire. Tavis is asking our delegation to call SCE CEO Pedro Pizarro at (626) 302-2255 then press 1.https://www.instagram.com/blmgrassroots/ https://www.instagram.com/diprimaradio/

Journalist Mike Rothschild has for the last decade studied and written about the rise and spread of conspiracy theories, hoaxes and scams. But after he lost his home in Altadena to the Eaton fire, Rothschild witnessed firsthand how conspiracies take hold of people in the throes of a traumatic event. We talk to him about why his community was vulnerable to disinformation about the causes of and responses to the fire — and why conspiracy theories spread when major disasters strike. His new piece for MIT Technology Review is “What it's like to be in the middle of a conspiracy theory (according to a conspiracy theory expert).” Guests: Mike Rothschild, journalist and expert on conspiracy theories and disinformation, author, “The Storm Is Upon Us" and “Jewish Space Lasers"; His new article in MIT Technology Review is “What it's like to be in the middle of a conspiracy theory (according to a conspiracy theory expert)” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a textA mysterious witch arrives at a suburban Halloween party with cupcakes and a purpose: collecting human fears. As guests fall under her spell, two friends must uncover her secret and stop her.Bernadette Armstrong directs a cast that includes Camille Ameen as Cyber Witch, Jon Paul Burkhart as Jax, and Goreti da Silva as Lana.Jessica Gale is the playwright.Jessica Gale (pen name) is a web content creator and writer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. She graduated from Fordham University in New York City.Jessica has written over a dozen ten-minute plays, several of which have been produced at festivals across the country, as well as a screenplay. Her work blends humor, suspense, and sharp insights into how people adapt to emerging technologies.Support the showFounded by playwright and filmmaker Bernadette Armstrong, Open-Door Playhouse is a Theater Podcast- like the radio dramas of the 1940s and 1950s. The Playhouse launched on September 15, 2020. At the time, Open-Door Playhouse provided Playwrights, Actors and Directors a creative outlet during the shutdown. Since its inception. Open-Door Playhouse has presented Short and One-Act plays from Playwrights across the country and internationally. In 2021 Open-Door Playhouse received a Communicator Award for Content for the Play Custody and in 2023 the play What's Prison Like was nominated for a Webby Award in the Crime & Justice Category.Plays are produced by Bernadette Armstrong, Sound Engineer is David Peters, sound effects are provided by Audio Jungle, and music from Karaoke Version. All plays are recorded at The Oak House Studio in Altadena, CA. There's no paywall at the Open-Door Playhouse site, so you could listen to everything for free. Open-Door Playhouse is a 501c3 non-profit organization, and if you would like to support performances of works by new and emerging playwrights, your donation will be gratefully accepted. Your tax-deductible donations help keep our plays on the Podcast Stage. We strive to bring our listeners thoughtful and surprising one-act plays and ten-minute shorts that showcase insightful and new perspectives of the world we share with others. To listen or to donate (or both), go to https://opend...

A big Bear has been seen roaming around the Altadena community. Karen Adams has the details.

The first story involves a woman receiving calls about a missing cat, Turbo, due to her phone number being mistakenly printed on a t-shirt. In Arkansas, emergency services helped free a raccoon's head from a soup can. In New York, a milk spill caused by an overturned tractor trailer results in a humorous 'don't cry over spilled milk' situation. A coyote and a black bear palling around in Altadena sparks debate about animal behavior. Lastly, Shelly the tortoise is reunited with her owners after being missing for 16 days and found at an ice cream parlor.Unlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media! Get all our shows on any player you love, hassle free! For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app. For Spotify or other players, visit caloroga.com/plus. No plug-ins needed!Subscribe now for exclusive shows like 'Palace Intrigue,' and get bonus content from Deep Crown (our exclusive Palace Insider!) Or get 'Daily Comedy News,' and '5 Good News Stories' with no commercials! Plans start at $4.99 per month, or save 20% with a yearly plan at $49.99. Join today and help support the show!We now have Merch!  FREE SHIPPING! Check out all the products like T-shirts, mugs, bags, jackets and more with logos and slogans from your favorite shows! Did we mention there's free shipping? Get 10% off with code NewMerch10 Go to Caloroga.comGet more info from Caloroga Shark Media and if you have any comments, suggestions, or just want to get in touch our email is info@caloroga.com

Election Day is almost here, and in most of California, there's just one measure on the ballot: Proposition 50. Backed by Governor Gavin Newsom, Prop 50 aims to create more Democratic-leaning districts. It's a move to counter Texas's redistricting plans favoring Republicans. And  some heavy hitters are lining up on both sides, including former President Barack Obama, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. KQED Politics and Government Correspondent Guy Marzorati joins us to talk about some of the finer points of the ballot measure. Plus we meet vocalist and musician Khatchadour Khatchadourian. He plays an ancient double reed woodwind carved from apricot wood called the duduk that has cultural ties to Armenia. Khatchadourian is one of the few in the Bay Area who plays the instrument, and his followers call him the “Duduk Whisperer.” Our producer Elize Manoukian brings us this profile of Khatchadourian, who uses the duduk to push the boundaries of traditional Armenian music, and along the way, is helping to preserve cultural identity through sound. And we head to Altadena where the the first handful of new homes are under construction in parts of fire ravaged city. Most people won't be moving back in for several months. But some neighborhoods that were completely wiped out in the Eaton Fire are already being resettled by property owners living in trailers and RV's. As reporter Steven Cuevas discovered, these residents could be key to restoring the spirit and resilience that's defined Altadena for decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coming up on today's Local: It's go time for the Dodgers in Toronto ... inflation is on the rise, once again ... voting is well underway in the Prop. 50 redistricting election.

Send us a textThe play centers on a Times Square tarot and palm reading storefront run by a married pair of grifters. Everything changes when a wealthy and mysterious new client appears.Bernadette Armstrong directs a cast that includes Camille Ameen as Mary, Matt Foyer as Dave and as a flyer distributor, Noelle Evangelista as The Mark, and Allen Wasserman as Happ.Cameron Scott is a Connecticut-based playwright who was educated at NYU. A previous play, That Day Is Coming, Every Day Is Coming, was produced by Open-Door Playhouse. His play Uphill was a winning play at ESTAFest (Eastern States Theatre Association). He has also served in administrative capacities on numerous Broadway shows.Support the showFounded by playwright and filmmaker Bernadette Armstrong, Open-Door Playhouse is a Theater Podcast- like the radio dramas of the 1940s and 1950s. The Playhouse launched on September 15, 2020. At the time, Open-Door Playhouse provided Playwrights, Actors and Directors a creative outlet during the shutdown. Since its inception. Open-Door Playhouse has presented Short and One-Act plays from Playwrights across the country and internationally. In 2021 Open-Door Playhouse received a Communicator Award for Content for the Play Custody and in 2023 the play What's Prison Like was nominated for a Webby Award in the Crime & Justice Category.Plays are produced by Bernadette Armstrong, Sound Engineer is David Peters, sound effects are provided by Audio Jungle, and music from Karaoke Version. All plays are recorded at The Oak House Studio in Altadena, CA. There's no paywall at the Open-Door Playhouse site, so you could listen to everything for free. Open-Door Playhouse is a 501c3 non-profit organization, and if you would like to support performances of works by new and emerging playwrights, your donation will be gratefully accepted. Your tax-deductible donations help keep our plays on the Podcast Stage. We strive to bring our listeners thoughtful and surprising one-act plays and ten-minute shorts that showcase insightful and new perspectives of the world we share with others. To listen or to donate (or both), go to https://opend...

Monique Marvez is a stand-up comedian and writer. See her live October 24 at the Garland Cultural Arts Center in Garland, TX, and October 25 at the Jones Center in Springdale, AR. Watch her Dry Bar special Waiting Wasn't Bad now on Angel.com, and find more tour dates at MoniqueMarvez.com. Follow her on Instagram and YouTube @MoniqueMarvez.Brittany Force is a professional drag racer and NHRA champion, announcing her retirement from full-time racing at the end of the 2025 season to start a family. Follow her on Instagram @brittanyforce.IN THE NEWS: Edwin Castro, fresh off a $2 billion Powerball win, is snapping up fire-damaged properties in Altadena, aiming to lead the city's rebuilding efforts and revitalize his hometown. Meanwhile, ABC's The View co-hosts say they want more Republican guests on the program, claiming many are “too scared” to appear and expressing a desire for more political diversity on the show.Subscribe to The Adam Carolla Show on Substack: https://adamcarolla.substack.com/FOR MORE WITH MONIQUE MARVEZ:Tour DatesOCT 24 - Garland Cultural Arts - Garland, TXOCT 25 - Jones Center - Springdale, AKWEBSITE: MoniqueMarvez.comINSTAGRAM: @MoniqueMarvezYOUTUBE: @MoniqueMarvezDRY BAR SPECIAL: WAITING WASN'T BAD - available on Angel.comFOR MORE WITH BRITTANY FORCE: INSTAGRAM: @brittanyforceFOR MORE WITH JASON “MAYHEM” MILLER: INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: @mayhemmillerWEBSITE: www.mayhemnow.comLIVE SHOWS: October 29 - Burbank, CANovember 6 - Boston, MANovember 7 - Buffalo, NYThank you for supporting our sponsors:BetOnlineHomes.comHydrow.com use code ADAM oreillyauto.com/adamSIMPLISAFE.COM/ADAMPluto.tvSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rebuilding after January's fires in Los Angeles County is underway for some people. But an Altadena family is facing what may be insurmountable financial obstacles. Reporter: Erin Stone/LAist Congressional Democrats plan to investigate reports that federal agents unlawfully detained U.S. citizens during the Trump administration's ongoing immigration crackdown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on a case asking whether using race as a factor in congressional maps violates the Constitution. If the justices decide it is, the decision could open the door for Republican politicians to redraw maps to eliminate a number of Black and Hispanic districts. Also: today's stories, including whether tungsten mining in Yukon might prove influential in mending the U.S.-Canada relations; how an Altadena family navigates the red tape that is hampering recovery after California's Eaton fire; and how volunteers are reconnecting communities along the Blue Ridge Parkway after mudslides from Hurricane Helene. Join the Monitor's Ira Porter for today's news.

President Trump met with President Javier Milei of Argentina at the White House to discuss the details of a $20 billion bailout for the financially ailing country. Bloomberg reports that the lifeline hinges on upcoming elections there. Buenos Aires–based journalist Natalie Alcoba joins to discuss the deal and Milei's waning support at home. New tariffs on timber and furniture took effect this week. CNN’s Matt Egan breaks down how the industry is reacting and what it could all ultimately mean for consumers. A California man who won a massive Powerball jackpot is using his winnings to buy burned real estate in fire-ravaged Altadena. The Wall Street Journal’s Rebecca Picciotto explains his plans for helping rebuild the community. Plus, why tensions are rising days into the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, U.S. forces destroyed another boat off the Venezuelan coast, and how the world’s worst men’s soccer team might make the World Cup. Today’s episode was hosted by Shumita Basu.

Send us a textPat and Robin meet at a dance and then head to Pat's basement apartment. They start watching a televised broadcast of the classic film Dracula. One of them is terrified by the film. The other counsels, “There's no such thing as vampires.” That's right…..Isn't it?Kim Hlavac directs Ann Noble and Rob Nagle. John Cimics, a writer based in Midland, Texas, is the playwright.Support the showFounded by playwright and filmmaker Bernadette Armstrong, Open-Door Playhouse is a Theater Podcast- like the radio dramas of the 1940s and 1950s. The Playhouse launched on September 15, 2020. At the time, Open-Door Playhouse provided Playwrights, Actors and Directors a creative outlet during the shutdown. Since its inception. Open-Door Playhouse has presented Short and One-Act plays from Playwrights across the country and internationally. In 2021 Open-Door Playhouse received a Communicator Award for Content for the Play Custody and in 2023 the play What's Prison Like was nominated for a Webby Award in the Crime & Justice Category.Plays are produced by Bernadette Armstrong, Sound Engineer is David Peters, sound effects are provided by Audio Jungle, and music from Karaoke Version. All plays are recorded at The Oak House Studio in Altadena, CA. There's no paywall at the Open-Door Playhouse site, so you could listen to everything for free. Open-Door Playhouse is a 501c3 non-profit organization, and if you would like to support performances of works by new and emerging playwrights, your donation will be gratefully accepted. Your tax-deductible donations help keep our plays on the Podcast Stage. We strive to bring our listeners thoughtful and surprising one-act plays and ten-minute shorts that showcase insightful and new perspectives of the world we share with others. To listen or to donate (or both), go to https://opend...

TALK TO ME, TEXT ITYour cheese might be hiding more than flavor. We dig into new research showing widespread microplastics in dairy—why aged cheeses often carry higher particle counts than fresh, how packaging and processing contribute, and a few low-effort habits (like switching to glass for hot foods) that meaningfully shrink daily exposure without forcing you to give up the foods you love. This isn't alarmism; it's practical steps to reduce a dose we're all already getting.Then we pivot to a branding shocker: Long John Silver's leaning into chicken and reworking its logo. We unpack what a seafood chain's clucking signal means for fast-food identity, how market gravity pulls legacy brands off course, and why a logo only works if the menu and experience back it up. If nostalgia made you love the golden fish, can a spicy chicken plank earn the same loyalty—or does the switch dilute the promise? We talk product quality, rollout timing, and the tightrope between evolution and confusion.Finally, we head to the foothills of Altadena, where Powerball winner Edwin Castro is buying wildfire-scorched lots with plans to rebuild single-family homes. We explore what responsible redevelopment looks like: fire-resistant materials, defensible space, modern codes, and design choices that foster real community rather than speculation. Money can speed permits and framing, but trust depends on transparency, fair deals with sellers, and homes that add safety and belonging.Along the way, we share a quick weekend recap, shout out a favorite performer, and leave you with a seasonal prompt to join the conversation. If you enjoyed the ride from kitchen to curb to community, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review—then tell us: which story changed how you'll eat, shop, or build next?Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREE Thanks for listening! Liberty Line each week on Sunday, look for topics on my X file @americanistblog and submit your 1-3 audio opinions to anamericanistblog@gmail.com and you'll be featured on the podcast. Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREESupport the showTip Jar for coffee $ - Thanks Music by Alehandro Vodnik from Pixabay Blog - AnAmericanist.comX - @americanistblog

Andy kicks off the show diving into the biggest stories of the night: from the newly announced Gaza peace deal between Israel and Hamas, with analysis from retired Marine Intelligence Officer Hal Kempfer to evacuation warnings near the Palisades and Eaton Fire burn scars.Then, Andy welcomes Gary and Larry Lane, the twin creators of the viral Burbank Clown House, for a wild in-studio chat about how their DIY haunted house became a neighborhood phenomenon. Later, Andy breaks down what really happens if you skip jury duty, gives a live Dodgers update, and wraps the hour with the inspiring story of Powerball winner Edwin Castro, who's reinvesting a portion of his $2 billion Powerball fortune into his hometown of Altadena.

Andy kicks off Hour 3 unpacking Mayor Bass's mysteriously quiet press conference and her absence during the January wildfires before breaking down the miraculous helicopter crash in Huntington Beach with former Sky5 pilot Tim Lynn. Then, Andy keeps listeners up to date on the incoming storm and evacuation warnings across Altadena's and Pasadena's burn scar areas. Later, he takes aim at LA's political optics and closes the hour with car talk: from the most reliable brands to the ones barely holding it together, before signing off with Coast to Coast's George Noory.

When you talk about Altadena, you can't not talk about its trees. It's why one young Altadenan is documenting the stories of the community's trees in the wake of the Eaton Fire. Reporter: Erin Stone, LAist A 29-year-old man has been arrested for starting a fire that eventually became the deadly Palisades Fire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coming up on today's Local: alleged arsonist blamed for starting the Palisades fire will likely face murder charges ... Altadena residents take united front to reject Edison's settlement ... first lawsuits filed in Chevron refinery explosion & fire.

When the Altadena fires devastated Southern California communities, two organizations came together in an extraordinary way. Binky Patrol Director, Jeanne Malgioglio found ROWW while we and Al's Angels were looking for a way to respond and directly help the fire victims in Altadena. Susan Finch sits down with John Brotherton, Outreach and Partnership Manager for Reach Out WorldWide (ROWW), to discuss how a charity founded by actor Paul Walker has evolved into a powerhouse of compassionate disaster response. From curating personalized care packages in garages to operating full-scale distribution centers, John shares the intimate story of how dignity, authenticity, and community mobilization transformed chaos into hope. This conversation reveals the unexpected ways everyday skills—from truck driving to coffee making—can save lives during a crisis. About ROWW: Reach Out WorldWide (ROWW) is a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit founded by actor Paul Walker. In January of 2010, after a massive earthquake devastated Haiti, Walker spontaneously organized a relief team that responded to the disaster. On the trip, he identified a gap between the availability of skilled resources and the requirement for such personnel in post-disaster situations. Upon returning from Haiti, ROWW was established with the purpose of fulfilling this unmet need. ROWW continues to respond internationally to natural disasters worldwide ranging from earthquakes to hurricanes. The organization's teams are small, allowing them to gather and deploy quickly. They pack efficiently so that they can carry their gear into the most remote and desperate regions. These are the people that have been excluded from the media attention and are too small or inconvenient for the larger non-profits to reach. It would have been far easier and cheaper for Walker to affiliate his efforts with an existing organization and check in from time to time, but he didn't. He chose to get dropped off from a helicopter in Haiti, during a very unstable time, without a plan, in hopes of personally helping those in need. He accomplished his goal and was hooked. Next, he shifted his schedule around to go to aid those in need in Chile. Again, he not only funded the trip but also gave his own time. After a few more deployments he was finally at peace with his profession as he knew it was allowing ROWW to exist. Reach Out WorldWide (ROWW): Website: https://roww.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reach-out-worldwide/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReachOutWW/ Instagram: @reachoutworldwide Twitter/X: @ReachOutWW Volunteer/Contact: responders@roww.org Binky Patrol: Website: https://binkypatrol.org Podcast Site: https://binkypatrol.show LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/binky-patrol/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BinkyPatrol/ Instagram: @binkypatrol Twitter/X: @BinkyPatrol

Send us a textFor reasons he can't explain, Stephen feels compelled to enter a sketchy-looking tattoo parlor that any reasonable person would avoid altogether. Once inside, he encounters a peculiar old woman, who Stephen enlists to become the artist of his baptismal ink job. At the first prick of the needle, Stephen decides to make a move for the door, but the old woman bars his way with a terrifyingplan in store.Miranda Stewart directs a cast that includes Kevin Carr as Stephen/Storyteller, Anne Cooper as the Parlor Owner, Paul Sohm as the Doctor, and Ashley Law as Mrs. Dudley.Greg Burdick is the playwright. A graduate of Slippery Rock University, his previous plays include Accommodation, Insert Token, Secret's Out, Sign Here for All That Remains, Monessen Falls, and I'll Love You ‘Til the Cows Come Home. Also a director, he's helmed nearly one hundred productions.Support the showFounded by playwright and filmmaker Bernadette Armstrong, Open-Door Playhouse is a Theater Podcast- like the radio dramas of the 1940s and 1950s. The Playhouse launched on September 15, 2020. At the time, Open-Door Playhouse provided Playwrights, Actors and Directors a creative outlet during the shutdown. Since its inception. Open-Door Playhouse has presented Short and One-Act plays from Playwrights across the country and internationally. In 2021 Open-Door Playhouse received a Communicator Award for Content for the Play Custody and in 2023 the play What's Prison Like was nominated for a Webby Award in the Crime & Justice Category.Plays are produced by Bernadette Armstrong, Sound Engineer is David Peters, sound effects are provided by Audio Jungle, and music from Karaoke Version. All plays are recorded at The Oak House Studio in Altadena, CA. There's no paywall at the Open-Door Playhouse site, so you could listen to everything for free. Open-Door Playhouse is a 501c3 non-profit organization, and if you would like to support performances of works by new and emerging playwrights, your donation will be gratefully accepted. Your tax-deductible donations help keep our plays on the Podcast Stage. We strive to bring our listeners thoughtful and surprising one-act plays and ten-minute shorts that showcase insightful and new perspectives of the world we share with others. To listen or to donate (or both), go to https://opend...

The Burbank airport tries to get back to normal after it was left with no air traffic controllers. Corporations are buying up homes burned in the Eaton Fire. And Eaton Fire survivors are getting a new resource to help them recover. Plus, more from Morning Edition. Support The L.A. Report by donating at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.com This LAist podcast is supported by Amazon Autos. Buying a car used to be a whole day affair. Now, at Amazon Autos, you can shop for a new, used, or certified pre-owned car whenever, wherever. You can browse hundreds of vehicles from top local dealers, all in one place. Amazon.com/autos 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 the show: https://laist.com

Hallmark's movie 'The More the Merrier' stars heart transplant recipient Mackenzie and athlete DeMar Hamlin; Tricia Yearwood's holiday album 'Christmas Time' and tour; the Commemorative Air Force's '12 Planes of Christmas' fundraiser spotlighting WWII aircraft; the Doctor Who Christmas audio drama 'Lioness in Winter'; and the revival of the Christmas Tree Lane tradition in Altadena after devastating fires. Each story highlights resilience, festive spirit, and community efforts during the holiday season.Unlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media! Get all our shows on any player you love, hassle free! For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app. For Spotify or other players, visit caloroga.com/plus. No plug-ins needed!Subscribe now for exclusive shows like 'Palace Intrigue,' and get bonus content from Deep Crown (our exclusive Palace Insider!) Or get 'Daily Comedy News,' and '5 Good News Stories' with no commercials! Plans start at $4.99 per month, or save 20% with a yearly plan at $49.99. Join today and help support the show!We now have Merch!  FREE SHIPPING! Check out all the products like T-shirts, mugs, bags, jackets and more with logos and slogans from your favorite shows! Did we mention there's free shipping? Get 10% off with code NewMerch10 Go to Caloroga.comGet more info from Caloroga Shark Media and if you have any comments, suggestions, or just want to get in touch our email is info@caloroga.com

Layoffs are gut-wrenching and increasingly common, leaving many professionals reeling with grief and uncertainty. But they don't define your future. My guest, Steve Jaffe, has been through multiple layoffs and turned those experiences into The Layoff Journey: From Dismissal to Discovery, a book about reframing job loss as an opportunity for reinvention.Practical tools you can use right away to recover after a layoff.Fresh perspective on turning job loss into discovery and redefining your identity.The real meaning of resilience—why it's less about bouncing back fast and more about moving forward with purpose.Show Guest: Steve Jaffe, author and former advertising executive behind iconic campaigns, blends creativity, empathy, and strategic insight. Based in Altadena, he writes, consults, and inspires resilience and reinvention through authentic storytelling. His first book is The Layoff Journey From Dismissal to Discovery: Navigating the Stages of Grief After Job Loss . To learn more, visit TheSteveJaffe.comSupport the showJill Griffin, host of The Career Refresh, delivers expert guidance on workplace challenges and career transitions. Jill leverages her experience working for the world's top brands like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton Hotels, and Martha Stewart to address leadership, burnout, team dynamics, and the 4Ps (perfectionism, people-pleasing, procrastination, and personalities). Visit JillGriffinCoaching.com for more details on: Book a 1:1 Career Strategy and Executive Coaching HERE Build a Leadership Identity That Earns Trust and Delivers Results. Gallup CliftonStrengths Corporate Workshops to build a strengths-based culture Team Dynamics training to increase retention, communication, goal setting, and effective decision-making Keynote Speaking Grab a personal Resume Refresh with Jill Griffin HERE Follow @JillGriffinOffical on Instagram for daily inspiration Connect with and follow Jill on LinkedIn

Andy Riesmeyer kicks off the show with breaking coverage of the shooting at a Mormon church in Michigan, with two dead and eight wounded, plus a warning from Long Beach PD about scammers posing as police. He then dives into the January Altadena wildfire investigation, where systemic failures in evacuation orders cost 19 lives, and lightens the mood with a conversation on comedy in the workplace, and why it's not for everyone. Later, KTLA's Jasmine Simpkins joins Andy in studio to talk about Hollywood, and Leonardo DiCaprio's new Paul Thomas Anderson action-comedy One Battle After Another. Jasmine also shares insights from her reporting on the Sean “Diddy” Combs trial.

There was a crash near Long Beach, and a man barricaded himself inside a 7-11 for hours. We also have a health update on beloved KFI technical director and crash survivor The Foosh. The German beer Löwenbräu has been around for 642 years! Also, there's a Costco ban for Iranian diplomats in the USA! Tim and Mark continue talking about their shared love of football. As we gear up for early Christmas sales at the likes of Target, Tim asks the important question: What the hell is “Summerween”?! Also, Tim talks about Casa Bianca in Eagle Rock, which is apparently the best pizza place in LA! Tim recalls childhood memories of Hamburger Helper, which is making a comeback, with sales up more than 14%.

Dodger great Clayton Kershaw pitched his last home game last night. A day of free soil testing in Altadena for those impacted by the Eaton Fire. And we look into the 100 years of history of The Aztec hotel in Monrovia. Support The L.A. Report by donating at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.com 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 the show: https://laist.com

The Eaton Fire tore through the Los Angeles suburb of Altadena, part of a storm that killed 19 people. It became one of the most expensive natural disasters in U.S. history, but the ultimate cost won't be tallied in dollars and cents. That will be calculated on a different ledger: the number of residents who return to this block of West Las Flores Drive and the countless others like it.This story follows these residents. The Washington Post has spent months with three families from this Altadena street, the epicenter of the wildfire's destructive path, following their separate journeys as they asked themselves excruciating questions and struggled to imagine their futures in a place they fear will never again feel like home.Reis Thebault, Nick Kirkpatrick, Melina Mara and Alice Li reported the piece. Thebault wrote and narrated it. Bishop Sand composed music and produced audio.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Those standing up to climate and environmental injustice face challenges they weren't seeing a year ago. But Gloria Walton, head of The Solutions Project, sees a bigger picture: "The reality is that the same systems that created the climate crisis, whether that's colonialism, white supremacy, racism, and the patriarchy, those are the same ones that have harmed communities of color for generations,” she says. Her organization has channeled tens of millions of philanthropic dollars to grassroots efforts that build community resilience.  Black Girl Environmentalist founder Wawa Gatheru is helping more Black girls, women, and gender-expansive people enter and lead in the climate space. She says the climate fight has shifted from education to action, with over 70% of Americans now understanding that climate change is real. So what should this 'action phase' look like? Guests: Gloria Walton, President & CEO, The Solutions Project Wawa Gatheru, Founder & Executive Director, Black Girl Environmentalist Highlights: 00:00 – Intro 05:30 – Gloria Walton on the impact of the Altadena wildfires 10:30 – Walton's work as an organizer in South Central LA 13:00 – Living with idea of abundance 19:00 – Finding and keeping your individual power within our democracy 21:00 – Work of West Street Recovery Project in Houston 22:30 – Developing local resilience hubs 24:00 – Reframing frontline communities as victors, not victims 27:00 – Channeling philanthropy to climate resilience and frontline communities 36:00 – Story of Hoʻāhu Energy Cooperative Molokai  42:00 – Wawa Gatheru's start in climate and environmental advocacy 44:00 – Not seeing herself in climate spaces 48:00 – Climate storytelling can offer nuance and move people  55:00 – Work and growth of Black Girl Environmentalist organization 59:00 – Climate One More Thing For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you'll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices