Imperfect Paradise: President Trump says ‘Hollywood is dead.’ What’s being done to revive it?

Imperfect Paradise: President Trump says ‘Hollywood is dead.’ What’s being done to revive it?

Author: LAist Studios September 18, 2026 Duration: 22:08

In 2025, California majorly boosted its film and TV tax credit program for the first time since 2014 in an effort to keep jobs in the Golden State. One year out, is it working as planned? And why is President Trump now calling for a national incentive program? On this episode of Imperfect Paradise, we explore these questions with veteran entertainment journalist Dawn Chmielewski, and hear from local film and TV workers about how they’re faring.

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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.

(Correction: A previous version of this episode incorrectly stated the percentage that television production increased in the second quarter of this year. We regret the error.)


The story of Norco 80 begins on a quiet spring day in a small Southern California town, but what unfolded would become a chaotic and pivotal moment in American criminal history. This LAist Studios podcast, produced in collaboration with Futuro Studios and hosted by Antonia Cereijido, delves deep into the layers of a single violent bank robbery that escalated into an unprecedented urban firefight. The narrative, drawn from Peter Houlahan's book, goes beyond the mere chronology of events to explore the powerful undercurrents of faith, radical survivalism, and the burgeoning gun culture that set the stage for the tragedy. Each episode pieces together the lives of the young men involved, the law enforcement officers thrust into a battle they were unprepared for, and the terrified community caught in the crossfire. You'll hear how this single afternoon in Norco became a brutal catalyst, forcing a nationwide reckoning on police tactics and equipment that resonates to this day. Cereijido's meticulous reporting and compelling storytelling guide you through the complex aftermath-the investigations, the trials, and the lasting scars on everyone involved. This isn't just a true crime story about a heist; it's an examination of a violent rupture in the American psyche and the moment modern policing was forged in the heat of a desperate gunfight. The Norco 80 podcast reconstructs a forgotten piece of history with a clarity that is both gripping and profoundly human.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Norco 80
Podcast Episodes
Imperfect Paradise: Is LA becoming a public transit city? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:22
Los Angeles has long been considered a “car-centric” city, but is that changing? On this episode of Imperfect Paradise, LAist transportation correspondent Kavish Harjai joins to talk about the history of transit in L.A.,…