Video of police misconduct wasn’t as common 25 years ago as it is today. The spectacle of LAPD officers beating Rodney King was a wake-up call, but didn’t persuade a jury in Simi Valley. When the cops received not-guilty verdicts, the city exploded. We hear from veteran officers who say they’ve changed. What about their tactics? Have they gained the trust of marginalized communities and people of color?
    


Is 'Warfare' a Thing of the Past at the LAPD?

Porter Ranch and Vernon are mirror images of each other. In one, schools have been closed and thousands of residents are being moved away by the polluter—just months after a natural gas leak was discovered. In the other, residents complained for years about health risks to school children from exposure to lead and arsenic from a battery recycling plant— until the federal government finally stepped in.
    


Does California Have a Double Standard for the Public's Protection?

Urban planners got some bad news today. Ridership on public transit in Southern California is on the decline, despite the billions being spent in recent years to build light rail and subway lines. Why aren't more drivers leaving their cars at home, as traffic gets more congested than ever? Meantime, there's a shortage of money to repair aging roads, bridges and other parts of the infrastructure. We look at the impact on the state's economy.
    


Then and Now: Is LA Still the Car Capital of the World?

23 years ago, the fires of the Rodney King riots were burning and the sirens wailing when KCRW first asked, WWLA? We've been through fires, floods, earthquakes and massive social, cultural and economic change. While this is the last program titled WWLA? the question still needs to be asked. We talk with a group of important and thoughtful people about what LA has become and about the challenges to be faced in the future…as we continue.
    


Which Way, LA?  The Question that Won't Go Away

Governor Brown took it on the chin last night when some fellow Democrats failed to support his initiative to cut gasoline consumption by 50%. It's still not clear if he'll get the money to fix the state's dilapidated roads and freeways. With this year's legislative session ending tomorrow, we update the so-called "right to die" measure and look ahead to next year — when both the Assembly and Senate will be led by Latinos for the first time.
    


Legislative Scramble and Growing Latino Power in Sacramento

Los Angeles was once America's economic success story, but its economy is now just 25th in the nation, while the San Francisco Bay Area is Number One. Why as San Francisco boomed while LA has bottomed out? We get several viewpoints.
    


KCRW's Which Way, LA?