A federal judge just dismissed the Department of Justice’s lawsuit against California over full access to the state’s voter registration database. The decision comes months after the department sued California and a slew of other states to force it to share voters' sensitive information. This includes data like voters’ drivers licenses and social security numbers. The Department of Justice argues that they need this information to tackle voter fraud. But election experts worry the Trump Administration is actually trying to put together a national voter file. LAist Orange County Correspondent Jill Replogle discusses the legal battle and why California was targeted in the first place.

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It’s been one year since two of the most destructive fires in California’s history – the Eaton Fire in Altadena and the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades – killed 31 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures. In this episode, we talk with LAist Climate and Environment Reporter Erin Stone on how families in the Palisades and Altadena are rebuilding. We'll also hear from LAist Reporter Libby Rainey on how some Altadena residents are coming together to build back quicker and more affordably. Finally, LAist Science Reporter Jacob Margolis takes us to the San Gabriel and Santa Monica Mountains for a check-in with nature.

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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 episode originally aired on March 19, 2025.

It’s hard to find people in Hollywood who are willing to speak publicly about their enthusiasm for AI, for fear of being seen as “siding with the machines.” And yet, many people are quietly using the technology already. In this episode, we interview two enthusiastic early adopters of AI in filmmaking about how they’re using it, its strengths and limitations, and how they respond to people who say AI is going to ruin Hollywood.

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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.