LA Riots Retrospective
This week marks the 16th anniversary of the Los Angeles riots when four Los Angeles police officers were acquitted of beating motorist Rodney King. The city erupted into flames and violence from people angry at the verdict. Reporter Sonata Lee talks to two people who experienced the Los Angeles Riots first hand. Judy Muller covered the riots for ABC News. Community activist Earl Ofari Hutchinson offers perspective on how the Los Angeles Police Department has changed in the last 16 years. (posted 4/29/08)
By Sonata Lee

LA Riots - 16 Years Later
Henry Watson was one of the "L.A. Four." During the riots, he and four others dragged driver Reginald Denny out of his truck and beat him almost to death. Now, Watson is asking: what was it all for? Nothing has changed in this part of South Central - the area continues to be ignored despite the yearly media attention when 4/29 comes around. What drove him to get involved with the chaos, and how does he feel about it now? (posted 4/29/08)
By Emily Henry

Latino Catholics
One of the main audiences of Pope Benedict's visit to the United States this week will be Latino Catholics. They're the fastest growing Catholic group in the country. They are expected to be a key group in shaping the direction of the church's future. David de Sola looks at the issues that matter to them and how they see their role in the church. (posted 4/17/08)
By David de Sola

Barriers to Prison Visitation
Nearly 11,000 women are locked up in California prisons.. Many of them are mothers, but few get a chance to see their kids. Often they need the help of family and friends who can’t always make the long drives or get prison approval to visit. David Chong talks to some visitors at a women's prison in Southern California and learns about the challenges in bringing children and their incarcerated mothers together. (posted 4/17/08)
By David Chong

Emiliano Zapata march conference
Members of the United Front of People of the Americas gathered in Lincoln heights to garner support for a community march honoring the legacy of the revolutionary Mexican leader. (posted 4/10/08)
By Jean-Luc Renault

Jessica:  Did her decision to become an egg donor prove fatal?
Jessica Grace Wing had just returned from a trip to Japan and had begun film school at Columbia University when she got the devastating news. Now four years later, her mother, Dr. Jennifer Schneider, argues the billion dollar fertility industry may have played a role in her daughter’s death. Lilly Fowler has the story. (posted 4/08/08)
By Lilly Fowler

Misperceptions of the Homeless Cause Policy Problems
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has found that L.A. County has more homeless people than any other county in America. But who exactly are the homeless? Hanna Ingber Win looks at the public's perceptions of people who don't have shelter, and how those perceptions affect public policy. (posted 4/01/08)
By Hanna Ingber Win

Trojan Fresh Market
The Trojan Fresh Market provides USC and the surrounding community with a chance to buy locally grown produce and other healthy food items. (posted 3/27/08)
By Jean-Luc Renault

Million word challenge
Los Angeles schools are hoping to promote literacy in school and in the home by challenging students to read a million words outside of school. (posted 2/21/08)
By Sonata Lee

Restaurant Recycling
A Los Angeles program works to promote greener restaurants. (posted 2/19/08)
By Victoria Sanchez

Valentine, Arnold Style
Well-wishers and do-gooders sent Governor Schwarzenegger valentines today, only these weren't the lovey-dovey kind. Organizations statewide wrote valentines to tell the governor to have a heart and reconsider his budget cuts. Hear how different people will be affected by the governor's proposed budget. (posted 2/14/08)
By Daryl Paranada

Mayme Clayton:  Collector of African American Memorabilia and More
For nearly 40 years, one of the largest collections of African American literature, film, music and memorabilia sat in a dusty garage in West Adams. Amanda Becker reports on a family's quest to move their mother's collection out of the back yard and into a world class museum. (posted 12/10/07)
By Amanda Becker

Augustus Hawkins
A profile of Congressman Augustus Hawkins by those who knew and worked with him. (posted 12/08/07)
By Sam Farber

Ex-Offenders Face Difficulties Finding Jobs
ARN reporter Hanna Ingber Win speaks with Tony Scarbough, a convicted felon whose record gets in the way of him finding a better job. He attended a recent job fair in South LA hosted by Assemblyman Mike Davis (pictured). (posted 12/08/07)
By Hanna Ingber Win

Santiago Canyon Fire
The sounds from the fire lines in Santiago Canyon. (posted 10/25/07)
By Sam Farber

Stomp and Chomp
Animals at the Los Angeles County Zoo got an early start to Trick or Treating. (posted 10/25/07)
By Whitney Wirth

A Mom’s Story with Sickle Cell Disease
Sickle cell patients need blood transfusions and blood marrow transplants to survive the disease. But there is a shortage of blood donated from black and Latino communities. (posted 10/18/07)
By Hanna Ingber Win

Army Recruitment in South Los Angeles
Learn about army recruitment in Los Angeles and how local residents feel about the war in Iraq (posted 10/16/07)
By Danya Burakoff

Taste Of Soul
What is exactly puts the "soul" in soul food? (posted 10/16/07)
By Christina Huh

From guns to buns
Former gang members are employed to run a local bakery (posted 10/09/07)
By Danya Burakoff

Mama Kim
In the outskirts of Los Angeles' Koreatown, one woman has made it her life mission to help people in need. Every day 65-year-old Gloria Kim gives her heart and soul to feeding and clothing the homeless. Download/view this article (.pdf). (posted 1/22/07)
By Shirley Shin

You’ve Ruined My Thanksgiving
For most Americans, Thanksgiving is a day to sit back with family and fill up a dinner plate, but for servers at one Beverly Hills restaurant, it's just another day on the job. I joined my co-workers and over 500 customers for my third Thanksgiving waiting tables at this popular "seafood grill" (which will remain nameless). Download/view this article (.pdf). (posted 12/12/06)
By Lindsay Watts

Grand Avenue Project
Two billion dollars are floating around downtown Los Angeles. Developers want to turn a profit. Community advocates want affordable housing and job training. And officials want to balance the two and get the project done.Download/view this article (.pdf). (posted 12/11/06)
By Tom Rippe

The Diner
Customers who come to diners at night have their own subculture. They spend hours enjoying the abundant food and discussion. David Kates went to the Original Pantry Cafe in downtown Los Angeles to hear some stories as dark and quirky as the still night outside the diner's windows. Download/view this article (.pdf). (posted 12/11/06)
By David Kates

A Very Wal-Mart Christmas
The most profitable season for retailers in America is the holiday season in November and December. The bulk of that profit comes from Christmas shopping which makes Christians a powerful group that retailers need to keep happy. But Wal-Mart, the biggest retailer of them all, has offended Christians in the past and it has cost them, so this year they are making some changes in store policy. (posted 12/08/06)
By Dan Abendschein

My Brother, the Rock Star in Nepal
One of the most popular recording artists in Nepal is Gajab Bahadur Gurung Lama, which translates in English to "strange and wonderful thing." But I know the artist as Josh Brody, my big brother.

Originally aired on NPR's Day to Day, November 28, 2006. Click here to read the article and watch videos at NPR.org. (posted 12/03/06)
By Alison Brody

Taking on Secret Laws
Internet advocate John Gilmore's life took a dramatic turn in 2002, after he was denied entry to a flight leaving Oakland Airport for Baltimore. Though Gilmore had a boarding pass, he was stopped for not carrying identification. In search of an explanation as to why the government keeps ID laws secret, he recently filed a case with the U.S. Supreme Court. Andy Sternberg met up with him on the road. Download/view this article (.pdf). (posted 11/30/06)
By Andy Sternberg

Ethnic Ink
In a small tattoo parlor off of Vermont and Jefferson, Mexican tattoo artists are making a permanent statement about cultural pride and identity. It's all part of a larger trend in tattooing where Mexican artists and clients are gleaming from their culture for inspiration for their ink. (posted 11/30/06)
By Adriana Padilla

Graffiti in Venice
Los Angeles city officials are looking for ways to stop graffiti vandalism. They think that taking away legal graffiti spots such as the famed Venice Beach graffiti walls may be one solution. Graffiti artists who frequent the walls see it differently. They have given up "tagging" the streets to go to the walls and work on their craft. (posted 11/29/06)
By Brooke Bentley

Urban Removal
Investment dollars are pouring into the neighborhoods between downtown L.A. and the University of Southern California. Developers are scrambling to cash in on the markets for lofts and student housing. But long-time residents are being priced out of their homes. They're trying to find ways to improve their neighborhood without losing their neighbors. Download/view this article (.pdf). (posted 11/28/06)
By Tom Rippe

Thank You For Not Smoking
Smokers beware. The next time you light up in Santa Monica, you could be breaking the law. The city has taken the smoking ban to the streets -- Third Street Promenade to be exact -- along with most other outdoor venues.
Download/view this article. (posted 11/28/06)
By Shirley Shin

Ethanol—The Billion-Dollar Harvest, Part 1
Ethanol has dominated headlines recently as people invest in alternative forms of energy. The biofuel is made from corn kernels and is being touted as the fuel of the future. But for farmers and townspeople in Minnesota, the future has already arrived. Chantal Allan visited the state recently and found that ethanol has been a golden harvest for rural economies.

Also aired on CBC Radio, November 2006. (posted 11/27/06)
By Chantal Allan

Ethanol—The Billion-Dollar Harvest, Part 2
For months, ethanol has been making headlines as the fuel of the future. In the United States, corn ethanol plants in Minnesota have created thousands of jobs, and farmers have thrived on high dividends. But the spotlight is already shifting to another type of ethanol -- cellulosic ethanol. In the second part of her series on ethanol, Chantal Allan headed to Ottawa, Canada and visited the world's only cellulosic ethanol plant.

Also aired on CBC Radio in November 2006. (posted 11/27/06)
By Chantal Allan

Eminent Domain
The battle between a successful business and a city that wants to take away its land may be the first test for Proposition 90. Download/view this article (.pdf). (posted 11/26/06)
By David Kates

Special Beauties
Los Angeles' nightlife offers scores of bars and clubs, something for everyone. This particular Friday night I decide to venture somewhere new, Club 7969 in West Hollywood. The scene inside the club is familiar enough -- loud music, dry ice, wandering eyes. The men are fairly average looking, but the ladies are different. Many look like Amazon women and are tall, beautiful and expertly made-up. None of these "ladies" were born female.
Download/view the article (PDF). (posted 11/21/06)
By Lindsay Watts

Women Prisoners: ‘We’ve paid our debt’
When women are released from prison, they are given $200, a box of belongings and a bus ticket to skid row. Drug dealers know how to pick out these prey and 80 percent of these parolees will head right back to prison. With little to no rehabilitation programs on the inside, one woman took it upon herself to help female prisoners right when they get out. Download/view this article (.pdf). (posted 11/21/06)
By Rachna Khatau

Video the Vote
After weeks of mudslinging in advance of the midterm elections, many voters fear that problems that marred the 2000 and 2004 elections -- malfunctioning equipment, voter intimidation and long lines -- will continue this year at the polls. Andy Sternberg reports on a new, non-partisan coalition that will use the Internet and citizen journalism to monitor the elections. Download/view the article (PDF). (posted 11/16/06)
By Andy Sternberg

Healing on Vermont Ave.
Botanica San Andres, like many small businesses, is struggling. Most days, just a few customers frequent the Vermont Ave. shop. But the owner is confident his fortune telling services are needed in the University Park Hispanic and black communities. David Kates checks out the store's future -- and his own -- with a card reading. Download/view this article (.pdf). (posted 11/16/06)
By David Kates

Online Poker’s Bad Beat
More than 23 million Americans placed bets online last year. But soon they'll have to put on a pair of shoes and hit the casinos if they still want to play. Last month President Bush signed into law the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act. This effectively shuts down an industry worth an estimated $15.5 billion. You might call this a bad beat for online players and businesses, but not everyone's losing out.
Download/View the print version(.pdf). (posted 11/15/06)
By Caitlan Carroll

Courting the Youth Vote
"In 2004 young voter turnout spiked 11 percent to its highest number since 1992. On college campuses today student activists are doing everything they can to bring out even more young voters. At Cal State Fullerton student activists weren't afraid to take the stage for some theater they hoped would educate students who were not up to speed on the issues and candidates of this month's election." (posted 11/14/06)
By Dan Abendschein

Calling For Change
Republicans are working overtime to mobilize their base, but the Democratic base has largely been left to mobilize itself. MoveOn.org is a major part of that effort. In the run-up to the election thousands of MoveOn members are calling voters across the country trying to influence tight congressional races. Thomas Rippe spent an afternoon with a group of volunteers in Venice, Calif. as they wage a last-minute fight to push Ohio senatorial candidate Sherrod Brown over the top. (posted 11/10/06)
By Tom Rippe

Living in Limbo
As America takes measures to slow the tide of immigration, European Union officials want to make immigrating even easier. Because Europeans are having fewer children, officials say they need an influx of more than 40 million immigrants by 2020 just to keep the economy stable. But as the face of Europe changes, the question of how to integrate all of these new cultures gets more complicated.
Download/View the print version(.pdf). (posted 11/10/06)
By Caitlan Carroll

Disc golf
It's considered one of the world's fastest growing pastimes, and in recent years, a professional sport, attracting tens of thousands of players worldwide. Disc golf has become an increasingly popular way to be active while at the same time enjoying nature's offerings. Shirley Shin has the story.
Download/View the print version (.pdf). (posted 11/10/06)
By Shirley Shin

Gearing Up For Success
East Los Angeles has the lowest-performing schools in the state. Lindsay Watts reports on one program that works to boost students' grades and prepare them for college. (posted 11/10/06)
By Lindsay Watts

Playing with Pinocchio
Puppet shows can pack in a surprising amount of fun for people of all ages, especially if they're designed by local legend Bob Baker. Baker runs L.A.'s oldest marionette theater in an unassuming concrete building on the edge of Echo Park. Caitlan Carroll sat in one of Baker's shows and found out why puppets aren't just for kids.
Download/View the print version(.pdf). (posted 11/10/06)
By Caitlan Carroll

Mexica Renaissance
It has been 500 years since Europeans first landed in the New World. At the time he effect on the indigenous population was devastating. Entire populations and cultures were destroyed. Today we think of that as ancient history. But the struggle for indigenous identity that began all those years ago is still going on. Download/view this article (.pdf). (posted 11/10/06)
By Tom Rippe

Get Out the Low-Income Vote
Members of low-income communities vote in smaller numbers than their wealthier counterparts. In 2004, the percentage of those in the highest income brackets voted at a rate nearly three times that of those in the lowest. Both political parties and lobbying groups often find targeting this population with voter turn out efforts a waste of time and resources. But getting out the low-income vote is exactly the goal of one organization in Los Angeles. Download/View the print version(.pdf). (posted 11/10/06)
By Alison Brody

Ice Cream Man Gives it Away
Since 2004, a Los Angeles-area man has made it his mission to give away half a million ice creams for free around the world. Andy Sternberg met up with Ice Cream Man to find out more. Download/view this article (.pdf). (posted 11/10/06)
By Andy Sternberg

It Started With a Bunny
People express their love in a variety of ways. Some buy flowers, others buy jewelry. And some... give bunnies. Shirley Shin met a couple whose bunny-loving courtship and marriage led to the world's first and only bunny museum.
Download/View the print version (.pdf). (posted 11/09/06)
By Shirley Shin

Slim Express
Slim Express sits nestled in the corner of a run-down strip-mall on Jefferson Boulevard in South Los Angeles. The year-old weight loss center borrows from some unconventional Asian workout trends to bring hope back to the unhealthily overweight. But their methods may be too good to be true.
Download/View the print version(.pdf). (posted 10/29/06)
By Alison Brody

So You Wanna Be a Roller Derby Doll?
Is a trip to the gym not enough to release your pent up energy and aggression after a long day of work? If you're a woman with evenings free and the occasional urge to knock people over, we may have identified your calling. Andy Sternberg visits the home of the L.A. Derby Dolls to find out what these roughhousing rollers are really about. Download/view this article (.pdf). (photo by Roger Snider) (posted 10/25/06)
By Andy Sternberg

Hispanics and Cancer
Cancer ranks second among fatal diseases for Hispanics. The American Cancer Society released a report saying Hispanics are more susceptible to the less common cancers, like stomach and cervical cancer. Download/view the article (PDF). (posted 10/25/06)
By Dominique Vargas

Prop 85
Latinos in California have historically sided with the Catholic Church, not Planned Parenthood, on issues of abortion. That's why it came as a surprise when the state's Latino community cast critical "no" votes in last year's defeat of Proposition 73. The proposition called for minors to seek parental consent before receiving abortion services. Now a nearly identical initiative is on this year's ballot and organizations like Planned Parenthood are once again courting the Latino vote. Alison Brody Reports. (posted 10/19/06)
By Alison Brody

No Limits for Deaf Kids
Enid Wizig is a good mentor for the No Limits Theater Group students. She, like them, is profoundly deaf. Enid has volunteered in the oral education program since it started 10 years ago. Deaf children who are mainstreamed with hearing teachers and students sometimes feel self-conscious about their hearing aids. Enid makes them feel "cool." Download/View the print version(.pdf). (posted 10/14/06)
By David Kates

The Taiko Journey
The Japanese art of drumming is generally referred to as "taiko." It's part of old folk traditions and festivals, as well as a crucial element in Japanese classical music. All Japanese grow up hearing taiko. But now its popularity is quickly spreading throughout the world. As Thomas Kelley reports, a new generation of taiko practitioners, many of them non-Japanese, are carrying its different rhythms into the global village.
Click here for the print version of this story (.pdf).

Features music from Kenny Endo's albums "Eternal Energy" and "Jugoya," as well as one sample from On Ensemble's "Dust and Sand" album. (posted 12/14/05)
By Thomas Kelley

Homeless in Hollenbeck
On Thanksgiving morning, hundreds of homeless people sat down for a church-sponsored traditional Mexican breakfast in East Los Angeles. As Chantal Allan found out, everyone had a personal reason for being there.
Click here for a print version of this story (.pdf). (posted 12/13/05)
By Chantal Allan

A Carnival Like No Other
2006 marks the 150th anniversary of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but it's the first since Hurricane Katrina. Organizers and local officials face various challenges in staging parades in February, just six months after Katrina devastated this city. Leo Juarez recently returned to his hometown, where he found residents looking for something to celebrate. (posted 12/12/05)
By Leo Juarez

Belizean Dominoes
In South Los Angeles, there is a growing immigrant community from the Central American country of Belize. The Belizeans that have come here are mostly descendants of African slaves. The British brought slaves to Belize in the 17th and 18th centuries from other colonies like Jamaica and Bermuda to cut logwood and mahogany. The game of dominoes followed them. And as Thomas Kelley reports, it's a complex game Belizeans still play religiously today.
Click here to view the print version of this story (.pdf). (posted 12/12/05)
By Thomas Kelley

Latinos Discover God in Islam
Catholicism is top of mind when one considers the faith of most Latinos. But a growing number of people with roots in Central and South America are converting to Islam, and Los Angeles is at the forefront of the movement. The Latino Muslim population in the Unites States increased 50 percent between 1997 and 2002, and the trend was evident Saturday night at the Omar mosque. Here Latinos celebrated the breaking of the fast during this month of Ramadan. Megan Larson joined the festivities and spoke to some Latinos who converted to Islam, and a few who just wanted to see what being Muslim is all about. (posted 11/17/05)
By Megan Larson

Stock Cars Hit the Fair Circuit
Forget counting on the traditional county fair staples of cotton candy, 4-H livestock shows and turkey races to draw crowds. At the Southern California Fair in Perris, fairgoers have filled the bleachers to watch stock car racing. Refitted salvage cars called pick-a-part cruisers dominate the races, in a sport the announcer is jokingly calling "hi-tech" racing. Annenberg Radio's Chantal Allan is live at the scene. (posted 11/16/05)
By Chantal Allan

Swedish Festival
Duni Heimpel eats some sauna sausage, hears the lila Harpa and imbibes some Aquavit while he enjoys the Scandinavian American Association's festival in downtown LA. (posted 11/08/05)
By Duni Heimpel

Get your bahag on!
Every year, Philippino-American college clubs from around California gather at Cal State Fullerton for the Friendship Games. Every group tries to outdo the others in a spirit of fun. The University of Southern California's Troy Philippine