Headlines From The Times

Earlier this month, Mexico had an election. But it wasn’t business as usual. The vote was a first in Mexico — a recall referendum on the country’s president. The person pushing to recall the president … was the president himself.Today we get into the curious history of Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times foreign correspondents Leila Miller and Kate LinthicumMore reading:Mexicans vote on whether to recall the president, an election he pushed forLópez Obrador on track to retain control of Mexico’s Congress, but with reduced majorityAmid journalist killings, Mexican president tries to shame famous reporter who wrote about his son

Since AriZona iced tea launched in 1994, a can of the stuff has cost 99 cents. It’s a business anomaly, yet one that has turned the company into a multibillion-dollar outfit. And the owner vows to keep his iced tea at that price even during the worst inflation the United States has seen in 40 years, which is eating into the company’s revenue.Today, we get into this odd business ideology.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuest: L.A. Times business reporter Sam DeanMore reading:As inflation soars, how is AriZona iced tea still 99 cents?Read the episode transcript

In Chapter 3 of “Border City,” a podcast from the San Diego Union Tribune and L.A. Times, Sandra Dibble continues her story about living and working as a journalist in Tijuana. It’s both sides of Tijuana that eventually make Sandra feel like she’s not just passing through anymore, but like she’s finally found her place and purpose.From drug cartels, a kidnapping and an attempted murder of a journalist, to building real friendships, a surprise birthday party, tennis lessons, aerobics and intimate concerts in Tijuas, Sandra’s real-life experiences bring the border town’s sharp contrasts into focus — the bitter and the sweet.Host: Sandra DibbleMore reading:Jesus Blancornelas, 70; writer exposed actions of drug cartelsHere’s something you didn’t know about Tijuana: It’s a great weekend escape for food loversFrom the Archives: Amid all the bustle, Tijuana has classic lilts

Some of the biggest names in the music industry have played the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival since it debuted in 1999 on large grass fields out in the California desert. It turned into a global phenomenon and tastemaker in the process. But for the past two years, along with the rest of the live-music industry, Coachella went on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic...but it’s BACK.Today, what Coachella’s return this past weekend and next weekend says about the state of the music industry.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times pop music reporter Mikael WoodMore reading:Live updates from Coachella 2022The best moments of Coachella 2022 in photosInside the Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia’s very last-minute Coachella collab

In anticipation of the Supreme Court making its landmark abortion decision this summer and very likely undoing Roe v Wade, The Times is looking at the issue from a number of perspectives. Today, we’ll tell the complicated story of how evangelicals mobilized around restricting abortion — and one women’s place in it all.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times national correspondent Jaweed KaleemMore reading:Read the L.A. Times’ “The Future of Abortion” seriesAs Supreme Court weighs abortion, Christians challenge what it means to be ‘pro-life’The pastor thought Trump was ‘evil.’ So he quit his conservative church

In 1945, five families sued school districts in Orange County to challenge the practice of so-called Mexican schools, which kept Latino students from attending white schools with better resources. The daughter of one of the plaintiffs, Sylvia Mendez, has spent her retirement telling the story of the landmark desegregation case, which was decided 75 years ago on April 14, 1947.But she goes from school to school talking about the importance of this case at a time when Latino students are, in many ways, more segregated than ever.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times education reporter Paloma EsquivelMore reading:Mendez vs. segregation: 70 years later, famed case ‘isn’t just about Mexicans. It’s about everybody coming together’Op-Ed: How Mexican immigrants ended ‘separate but equal’ in CaliforniaWestminster council takes steps to recognize historic civil rights case

When reporter Sandra Dibble started covering Tijuana in the 1990s, many of her stories dealt with violence and corruption in the city. But like most Tijuanenses, Sandra actually felt pretty. She didn’t let the terrifying headlines she was writing stop her from settling into her new life and exploring her adopted home of Tijuana.Today, in the second episode of “Border City,” Sandra talks about that era and what she learned.Host: Sandra DibbleMore reading:Tijuana: Through a Mirror, DarklyTijuana killings may signal fall of Arellano Felix cartelMaking a Tijuana art scene built to last

In 1969, off California’s coast, an ecological disaster gained worldwide attention. The state’s largest oil disaster shocked a nation into action: It led to the creation of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and the passing of California’s Environmental Quality Act and the federal Environmental Protection Act. The catastrophe also inspired a day to reflect and learn about environmentalism — Earth Day.But in a world where climate change is ravaging the earth, what good is just a day anymore?Today, we get into Earth Day’s fails and wins.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times earthquake reporter Ron Lin, L.A. Times wildfire reporter Alex Wigglesworth and L.A. Times coastal reporter Rosanna XiaMore reading:Editorial: Happy 50th birthday, Earth DayAn Earth Day message for California: Move faster on climate change8 ways to get active on Earth Day

An L.A. Times investigation found that jet engine oil can leak into the air supply of passenger planes, creating a toxic cocktail that can lead to health problems. It happens with an alarming frequency across all airlines — and that’s despite the airline industry and its regulators saying otherwise. The Times investigation just might result in real-world change.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times investigations reporter Kiera FeldmanMore reading:After Times investigation, Congress is moving to curb toxic fumes on airplanesHow toxic fumes seep into the air you breathe on planesSmells on a plane: Have you been exposed to toxic chemicals while flying?

Black people are two and a half times more likely to be hospitalized, and 1.7 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than whites.That stat from the CDC is shocking. But it’s not exactly surprising. Not to people like L.A. Times reporter Marissa Evans.Her father, Gary Evans, is now one of nearly 97,000 Black people in America who’ve died from COVID-19 complications.And while Marissa is willing to accept her father’s death, on today’s episode, she says she refuses to accept that losing all these Black men is normal ... or OK.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times healthcare reporter Marissa EvansMore reading:The way we lose Black men never makes sense. Losing my father to COVID is another exampleBlack L.A. residents have highest COVID hospitalization rate: ‘A deplorable reality’Op-Ed: A COVID diary: My Black family’s struggle with vaccine hesitancy