California City

Imperfect Paradise: George Gascón’s reelection loss and whether there’s a future for the progressive prosecutors' movement

Nathan Hochman defeated incumbent George Gascón in the Los Angeles County District Attorney race. Many see the outcome as a bellwether for the criminal justice reform movement nationwide. LAist Correspondent Frank Stoltze breaks down the LA DA race results and helps us understand what Hochman's decisive victory and Gascón’s loss means. Also, Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido speaks with Alyssa Kress from the Prosecutors Alliance of California (PAC), a nonprofit that supports progressive prosecutors including Gascón, about the future of the broader social justice movement and their strategy moving forward. Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at <a href="http://shopify.com/paradise">SHOPIFY.COM/paradise</a> 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.

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.