California City
Deep in the Mojave Desert, there is a little town with a big name and a bizarre history: California City. For decades, real estate developers have sold a dream here: if you buy land now, you’ll be rich one day. Thousands of people bought this dream. Many were young couples and hard-working immigrants looking to build a better future. But much of the land they bought is nearly worthless. In this new podcast from LAist Studios, host Emily Guerin tells a story of money, power and deception.
Episodes
“Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes” tells the story of the biggest political scandal in recent Los Angeles history. A secret recording leaked online in 2022 exposed then-LA City Council President Nury Martinez making racist and derogatory remarks. A year after the scandal and her resignation, Nury breaks her silence in an exclusive interview with LAist.
From LAist Studios, “Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret T...
What happens when a city on the verge of collapse tries to reinvent itself? How much will it cost? Who will pay the price? Reporter David Weinberg spent years following one city in California’s Mojave desert as it tried to transform itself from a city of prisons to a city of pot. And it worked...for a while. Until it, spectacularly, didn’t.
From Crooked Media, this is Dreamtown: The Story of Adelanto.
The recent election fills Adelanto’s city council with fresh faces, including the conservative hippie John “Bug” Woodard Jr. But his plan to bring weed to the city is far from complete. He needs to actually pass a cannabis legalization ordinance via City Hall. There’s just one problem: he doesn’t have the votes. You can find the full season of Dreamtown: The Story of Adelanto wherever you get your podcasts.
We are excited to announce LAist Studios' award-winning narrative podcast "Imperfect Paradise" relaunches in September as a weekly show with Antonia Cereijido as our host! Be sure to follow and subscribe to "Imperfect Paradise" wherever you get your podcasts.
From LAist Studios: "Imperfect Paradise", new weekly episodes coming September 27th.
K-Pop has put Koreatown on the map for a lot of people who might not have known about the neighborhood otherwise. Fans from around the country visit the area for concerts, special K-Pop events, and to find rare or one-of-a-kind merch. Learn what these establishments in K-town reveal about the history of the neighborhood and the music, and how those connections have shaped Korean Americans who have grown up in Los Angeles. Features ...
The LA Uprising exploded racial and economic injustices simmering under the surface of Los Angeles into the open. From LAist Studios, season 2 of California Love: K-Pop Dreaming, host Vivian Yoon takes a look at the events leading up to the Uprising, and the efforts following the protests to promote racial harmony in Los Angeles, including the staging of an African music festival in South Los Angeles that featured a performance by ...
Silver Saddle Ranch gets sold, and the people who still believe it’s worth something stage a protest. Plus, a former employee comes forward with a disturbing story.
This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.
For decades, Californians have been obsessed with trying to profit off desert land. In this bonus episode of California City, host Emily Guerin, the Desert Oracle’s Ken Layne, and artist and curator Kim Stringfellow explore the myths of the Mojave Desert as "wasteland," failed schemes and utopias, Instagram-driven tourism and coronavirus refugees. The audio was recorded during a live virtual event on Septe...
Silver Saddle gets shut down and accused of fraud. Will the company - and the dream Ben Perez believed - survive?
California City is a limited series with 8 episodes. Show support by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts.
California City sponsors include:
Sun Basket is offering $35 off your order when you go right now to SUNBASKET.com/calcity and enter promo code calcity at checkout.
Try SimpliSafe today at SimpliSafe.com/...
Fear, rumors, and looking the other way. How salesmen have sold the fantasy of California City for so long.
California City is a limited series with 8 episodes. Show support by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts.
California City sponsors include:
Sun Basket is offering $35 off your order when you go right now to SUNBASKET.com/calcity and enter promo code calcity at checkout.
Try SimpliSafe today at SimpliSafe.com/CALCIT...
Emily confronts the owner of Silver Saddle and walks away doubting herself. Plus, Ben becomes part of Silver Saddle's sales machine.
California City is a limited series with 8 episodes. Show support by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts.
California City sponsors include:
Sun Basket is offering $35 off your order when you go right now to SUNBASKET.com/calcity and enter promo code calcity at checkout.
Try SimpliSafe today...
Ken Donney is a hero to some, but most people would call him a villain.
California City is a limited series with 8 episodes. Show support by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts.
California City sponsors include:
Sun Basket is offering $35 off your order when you go right now to SUNBASKET.com/calcity and enter promo code calcity at checkout.
This LAist Studios podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get...
Nat builds an army of salespeople to sell his dream. And then, then Ralph Nader intervenes.
California City is a limited series with 8 episodes. Show support by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts.
California City sponsors include:
Sun Basket is offering $35 off your order when you go right now to SUNBASKET.com/calcity and enter promo code calcity at checkout.
This LAist Studios podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our...
The vision that Ben Perez was sold in 2017 began in 1958, with one man's dream to build a utopian desert city from scratch.
This LAist Studios podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/LAist
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.
This...
In 2017 Ben Perez goes to a Mojave Desert resort for a free vacation and ends up signing away his life savings. Turns out Ben is one of tens of thousands to believe a version of this dream over the past 60 years.
It was supposed to be a simple story about the California drought. Instead, reporter Emily Guerin became obsessed with the bizarre history of a sprawling, half-built desert city.
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