What if there was a way that California could build the housing it needs and drastically cut carbon emissions at the same time? City planners and environmentalists say this unicorn does exist: transit-oriented housing. It sounds great in theory, but in practice, it’s more complicated. This episode explores how one California city, built around cars, is tryin ... Show More
Feb 2025
California Wildfires and the Insurance Crisis: What's Next for Palisades, Altadena and the L.A. Area
In January, communities in Los Angeles were devastated by wildfires, permanently displacing thousands and destroying property and lives. Prior to the fires, thousands of L.A. residents in fire-prone areas were dropped from their insurance, leaving them with no protection or safet ... Show More
37m 49s
Feb 2023
One Uprooted Life At A Time, Climate Change Drives An American Migration
Margaret Elysia Garcia tried hard to rebuild her life in Greenville, California after it was devastated by a wildfire in 2021.But the difficulty of life there — power outages, mud slides, razed streets she could barely recognize — eventually it all became too much. She left her h ... Show More
11m 42s
Jan 2022
The Sunday Read: ‘This Isn’t the California I Married’
<p>Elizabeth Weil, the author of today’s Sunday Read, writes that, in her marriage, there was a silent third spouse: California.</p><p>“The state was dramatic and a handful,” Weil writes. “But she was gorgeous, and she brought into our lives, through the natural world, all the tr ... Show More
46m 39s
Nov 2018
Cities Have Turned Into Fire Bait—But We Can Fix Them
The Northern California city of Paradise is gone—the Camp Fire, by far the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history, has reduced home after home to ashes. It conjures images of a tsunami of flame tearing through the town, destroying everything in its path. Curious ... Show More
9m 30s