Imperfect Paradise
LAist Studios
<p>Imperfect Paradise, produced by LAist Studios, is a longform narrative podcast showcasing California stories with universal significance. Each of our stories takes on something essential about California -- its progressiveness, its reputation as a home for dreamers and schemers, its heartbreaking inequality, its varied and diverse communities, its unique combination of dense cities and wild places - and each season breaks it down into multiple 20-40 minute episodes that will be released sequentially</p> <p><em>Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.</em><br><br><em>This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.</em></p>
- 24 minutes 35 secondsCalifornia is not tracking whether its multi-billion dollar public preschool program is working. So how do we know if it’s helping or hurting students?
California has spent billions of dollars on a free universal preschool program available to all eligible 4-year-olds in the state. However, there are no official plans in place from the state to evaluate the success of the program, also known as transitional kindergarten, or TK. LAist Early Childhood Senior Reporter Elly Yu joins Imperfect Paradise to discuss why experts say research is needed, who is accountable for TK’s success, and what California can learn from other states with similar programs.
Read more of Elly’s reporting on California's TK program at LAist.com.
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Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
27 February 2026, 12:00 pm - 21 minutes 49 secondsMoney, politics and power: Casey Wasserman remains head of LA28 Olympics despite connections to Jeffrey Epstein. What does this mean for Olympics planning?
LA 2028 Olympics head Casey Wasserman is facing growing pressure to resign from his post after recently released Epstein files revealed emails Wasserman exchanged with Ghislaine Maxwell. The board behind LA28 — the private planning committee in charge of organizing the 2028 Games — has voted to keep Wasserman at the group’s helm, despite many city officials calling for his resignation, including L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. LAist reporter Libby Rainey has been tracking the Olympics and joins Imperfect Paradise to discuss what power the mayor has to remove Wasserman, the relationship between the city and LA28 and what it means if Wasserman does step down.
Disclosure: Los Angeles civil rights attorney Connie Rice, who LAist interviewed for this story, is a Life Trustee of LAist.
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Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
20 February 2026, 12:00 pm - 29 minutes 31 secondsInside an Orange County immigration court. What it reveals about the Trump Administration’s changing policies
As the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown continues, we explore what’s happening on the legal side of immigration enforcement. One group of court observers at the Santa Ana Immigration Court is trying to help immigrants and asylum-seekers who appear there get a fair shot under the law.
LAist Orange County Correspondent Jill Replogle tells us about her experience following the court observers and how what’s happening in these courtrooms determines the fate of undocumented immigrants across the U.S. We also discuss how immigrants, lawyers, and even judges are trying to keep up with the administration’s rapidly evolving immigration policies.
Read more of Jill's reporting at LAist.com.
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Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
13 February 2026, 12:00 pm - 20 minutes 19 secondsAfter disasters, California mandates timely reports. Why it matters that more than 100 of them are years overdue
Catastrophic fires are becoming more and more common across California. After-action reports about the fires and other disasters can help officials prevent past mistakes. But the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, or CalOES, has failed to deliver legally mandated reports on time following disasters for years. LAist Science Reporter Jacob Margolis looks at why the agency is so far behind, whether anyone is being held accountable and the worrying consequences for all Californians when we can’t learn from past emergencies until years later.
You can read all of Jacob Margolis’ reporting at LAist.com.
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Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
6 February 2026, 12:00 pm - 23 minutes 45 secondsA Cambodian Genocide survivor was undergoing the legal immigration process and had protections against deportation. So why was she detained by ICE indefinitely?
Sithy Yi and her family fled Cambodia to the U.S. following the takeover of their home country by the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. But Yi’s visa application process has taken years, and despite complying with ICE, she’s been detained. LAist Watchdog Correspondent Jordan Rynning joins us to breakdown Yi’s story and how new policy changes from the Trump administration will affect Yi’s fate and the legal status of so many other immigrants like her.
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Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
30 January 2026, 12:00 pm - 17 minutes 50 secondsLAPD requested nearly $100 million from the city for the Olympics. Will taxpayers be footing the bill?
The 2028 LA Olympic Games were promised to be no-cost to taxpayers. However, the Los Angeles Police Department requested nearly $100 million from the city for additional resources to police the games. LAist reporter Libby Rainey tells us what’s in LAPD’s request, how this could impact the city budget, and what it means for your tax dollars.
Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
23 January 2026, 12:00 pm - 26 minutes 32 secondsThe Trump Administration wants your confidential voter data. What’s behind their battle with CA and other states?
The legal battle with the Trump administration to get access to your sensitive voter data began in Orange County, but is now playing out nationally. The outcome could affect hundreds of millions of people across the country and determine how the federal government uses your private voter information. Shortly after suing Orange County, the Justice Department sued California and 22 other states, along with Washington D.C., for their full voter files. The Trump administration suffered its first legal setback this week with a federal judge’s ruling to dismiss the DOJ’s lawsuit against CA. But the legal and political battle is far from over. LAist Orange County Correspondent Jill Replogle dives into the Trump administration’s unprecedented push for states’ voter rolls, what’s behind it, and how it could end up in the Supreme Court.
Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
16 January 2026, 12:00 pm - 48 minutes 34 secondsWhere is LA a year after the fires? Checking in with survivors, rebuilding and nature
It’s been one year since two of the most destructive fires in California’s history – the Eaton Fire in Altadena and the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades – killed 31 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures. In this episode, we talk with LAist Climate and Environment Reporter Erin Stone on how families in the Palisades and Altadena are rebuilding. We'll also hear from LAist Reporter Libby Rainey on how some Altadena residents are coming together to build back quicker and more affordably. Finally, LAist Science Reporter Jacob Margolis takes us to the San Gabriel and Santa Monica Mountains for a check-in with nature.
Grow your business no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
9 January 2026, 12:00 pm - 34 minutes 9 secondsMeet the filmmakers who love AI (Redux)
This episode originally aired on March 19, 2025.
It’s hard to find people in Hollywood who are willing to speak publicly about their enthusiasm for AI, for fear of being seen as “siding with the machines.” And yet, many people are quietly using the technology already. In this episode, we interview two enthusiastic early adopters of AI in filmmaking about how they’re using it, its strengths and limitations, and how they respond to people who say AI is going to ruin Hollywood.
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
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Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency!
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
2 January 2026, 12:00 pm - 36 minutes 14 secondsHow AI became a Hollywood villain – especially for animators (Redux)
This episode originally aired on March 12, 2025.
Hollywood taught us to be afraid of a super powerful artificial intelligence that will one day conquer humanity. So not surprisingly, many screenwriters and actors are very skeptical of AI, and concerns about AI were central to the Hollywood labor strikes in 2023. But animators may actually be the most at risk of losing their jobs to AI.
In this episode, we’ll talk about why the first AI generated movies you will see will likely be animated, and what it means for the people who make them, and for everyone else in Hollywood.
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
Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise
Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency!
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
26 December 2025, 12:00 pm - 27 minutes 41 secondsShuttle Endeavour’s final mission for a new home and space exploration
Los Angeles is an integral part of space shuttle Endeavour’s journey. The California Science Center is building a new, larger home for the shuttle, which will make it the only place in the world to see a complete shuttle system with its equipment in launch position. The project – years in the making – still has a long road ahead. LAist reporter Makenna Sievertson takes Imperfect Paradise inside the museum’s expansion, discusses Endeavour’s significance to LA and space exploration.
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
Grow your business no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise
Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency!
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
19 December 2025, 12:00 pm - More Episodes? Get the App