A River Runs Through Los Angeles
16 July 2024 - 43 minsWhen you hear the word "river," you probably picture a majestic body of water flowing through a natural habitat. Well, the LA River looks nothing like that. Most people who see it probably mistake it for a giant storm drain. It's a deep trapezoidal channel with steep concrete walls, and a flat concrete bottom. Los Angeles was founded around this river. But decades ago it was confined in concrete so that, for better or worse, the city could become the sprawling metropolis that it is today. All these years later the county is still grappling with the consequences of those actions.
Reported by Gillian Jacobs, guest hosted by 99PI producer, Vivian Le.
A River Runs Through Los Angeles
Subscrib...
Series Episodes
Citizen of the World
One man rejected nationality and dared the world to recognize him anyway.
40 mins
28 April Finished
Constitution Breakdown #9: Alondra Nelson
Roman and Elizabeth discuss Article VI and VII, which includes the all-important Supremacy Clause. Alondra Nelson, a leading expert on AI, is our guest.
1 hour 5 mins
24 April Finished
Co-op City
The world’s largest housing co-op—built to save New York City’s middle class—became the unlikely site of a resident revolt
37 mins
21 April Finished
RoboUmp Hits the Big Leagues
The surprisingly long history of trying to use robots to call balls and strikes in baseball. With an update!
31 mins
14 April Finished
Service Request #5: Dude, Where's My Car?
A missing car reveals the confusing rules, murky fees, and private actors behind modern towing.
32 mins
7 April Finished
Service Request #4: How Does the Grid in Phoenix Work?
In a place where losing power can turn deadly, keeping the lights on is a high-stakes balancing act.
33 mins
3 April Finished
