Larry Mantle is the host of LAist 89.3’s AirTalk, the longest-running daily talk show in Southern California — and even though his son Desmond is studying law and pursuing a different career, he shares his dad’s fascination with the world and his drive to understand why things are the way they are. On Passing the Mantle, Larry and Desmond dive into societal trends, share unexpected life experiences that have shaped their values — and reveal stories that neither of them has ever heard before. They will give listeners an honest look at their relationship as father and son and new insight into Lar...
Latest episodes
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39 min
Imperfect Paradise: How the Rent Brigade took on LA’s landlords
In the days after LA’s early-January wildfires, tenant advocate Chelsea Kirk noticed a trend: rent gouging. Rents were shooting up past their legal limit. In the wake of the fires,…
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26 min
Imperfect Paradise: From ranchers with guns to gurus with crystals: How extremism in the American West has evo…
When Portland, Oregon-based reporter Leah Sottile began covering extremism in the American West a decade ago, she was interviewing ranchers, fundamentalist Mormons and “sovereign c…
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35 min
Imperfect Paradise: Can Oakland point the way for the future of liberal cities
Journalist Alexis Madrigal is obsessed with the port of Oakland. He even has a tattoo of a shipping container! In his new book, The Pacific Circuit, he makes the case that Oakland…
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36 min
Imperfect Paradise: The fallout over LAFD funding: Bass vs. Crowley
Amid the devastating Palisades and Eaton Fires that killed more than two dozen people, a political conflict came sharply into focus surrounding the funding of the Los Angeles Fire…
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40 min
Imperfect Paradise: Rebuild or leave? One Black family in Altadena decides their future after Eaton Fire
The biggest question hanging over most people in Los Angeles who lost homes in the Palisades and Eaton Fires is whether to rebuild or leave -- a question that's especially fraught…
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40 min
Imperfect Paradise: When the disinformation machine comes for you
Renée DiResta joined the Stanford Internet Observatory to analyze how propaganda spreads online. But in 2023, she went from studying the online disinformation machine to becoming i…
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44 min
Imperfect Paradise: ‘Free the Tee’ Redux: Fighting back against LA golf course scalpers
This episode originally aired on June 12, 2024. LA was rocked on March 4 when Dave Fink, a golf influencer, posted a viral video on Instagram detailing how brokers - largely using…
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34 min
Imperfect Paradise: Meet the filmmakers who love AI
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 ar…
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36 min
Imperfect Paradise: How AI became a Hollywood villain – especially for animators
Hollywood taught us to be afraid of a super powerful artificial intelligence that will one day conquer humanity. So not surprisingly, many screenwriters and actors are very skeptic…
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37 min
Imperfect Paradise: Highland Park: Land of the snake
Tucked away in Highland Park - a neighborhood that’s been dubbed “ground zero” for gentrification - sits a small park dotted with native plants and spiraling mosaic sculptures. La…
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42 min
Imperfect Paradise: Is it possible to build a fire-proof house?
Some of the most striking images to come out of the Los Angeles wildfires are photos of a single intact house, surrounded by rubble. We wondered: why do some houses burn down and n…
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35 min
Imperfect Paradise: Why fires happen in Southern California — and how we can prevent them
The same factors that make Los Angeles an appealing place to live, like large urban scale development intertwined with nature, are also the reason we need a fundamentally different…
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44 min
Imperfect Paradise: The first five days: Inside LA’s most destructive wildfires
Larry Mantle has been a radio host in Los Angeles for nearly 40 years. Over the course of hosting his live, daily, public affairs call-in show on LAist 89.3, he’s covered the regio…
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24 min
Imperfect Paradise: LAist newsroom answers your questions about the fires
Los Angeles County has been ravaged by multiple fires. Thousands of structures were destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of Angelenos have evacuated. Imperfect Paradise host Antoni…
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48 min
Imperfect Paradise: How one man rebuilt his life, 100 miles at a time
Struggling with addiction and reentry after multiple stints in prison, Cesar Quijano discovers ultrarunning, a hobby that turns into his addiction and salvation. Through Cesar’s st…
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26 min
Imperfect Paradise: Lions, Coyotes, & Bears: Part 4 Redux - The Eagle Lovebirds
This episode first aired on August 14, 2024. Jackie and Shadow are two beloved bald eagles who live in Big Bear, a ski town a couple hours northeast of L.A. They went viral in 2024…
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46 min
Imperfect Paradise: Lions, Coyotes, & Bears: Part 3 Redux - The Bear Nuisance
This episode first aired on August 7, 2024. The first deadly black bear attack in California’s history was confirmed recently in a small mountain town in Northern California. While…
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46 min
Imperfect Paradise: Lions, Coyotes, & Bears: Part 2 Redux - The Coyote Villain
This episode first aired on July 31, 2024. If the mountain lion is thought of as a celebrity, then, many would think of the coyote as a villain. LAist Correspondent Emily Guerin lo…
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46 min
Imperfect Paradise: Lions, Coyotes, & Bears Part 1 Redux - The Mountain Lion Celebrity
This episode first aired on July 24, 2024. One of Hollywood’s recent celebrities wasn’t a person, but a feline. The famed mountain lion made headlines in Los Angeles and nationwide…
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48 min
Imperfect Paradise: Hollywood’s flopping, send in the clowns
A surprising performance art has taken off in Los Angeles – clowning – against the backdrop of an entertainment industry that has barely recovered after a lengthy strike. Imperfect…