Trans surfers are beginning to find community among themselves in a sport that too often isolates and even shuns them.  Today, we hang out with some at the beach, to hear their joy and pain. Read the full transcript here. Host: L.A. Times senior producer Denise Guerra More reading: Biden sports plan angers transgender advocates and opponents Black surfers find moments of reflection, rejuvenation at ‘A Great Day in the Stoke’ For transgender kids, a frantic rush for treatment amid bans ..read more

In a live taping, three of our Masters of Disasters talk about how they got into covering catastrophes, why they continue to do it — and how they try to convey hope. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times earthquake reporter Rong-Gong Lin, L.A. Times wildfire reporter Alex Wigglesworth, and L.A. Times coastal reporter Rosanna Xia More reading: Read Rong-Gong LIn II’s stories here Read Alex Wigglesworth’s stories here Read Rosanna Xia’s stories here ..read more

After a decades-long decline in automobile fatalities, numbers began to go up with the dawn of smart phones. Laws banning use of cellphones while driving haven’t stopped the rise — and the dawn of smart cars seems to be making things worse. Today, we talk about efforts to stop distracted driving — and why they don’t seem to work. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times auto industry reporter Russ Mitchell More reading: Highways are getting deadlier, with fatalities up 22%. Our smartphone addiction is a big reason why ‘We are killing people’: How technology has ..read more

When Joe Biden won in 2020, he became the oldest president in U.S. history. If he runs again in 2024 and wins, he’ll beat own record. Is that a problem? Today, we talk about the grumbles from Republicans and Democrats alike over Biden’s age. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times reporter Courtney Subramanian More reading: Column: Are Joe Biden and Dianne Feinstein too old to do their jobs? Newsletter: Joe Biden, the bumbling old president who outwitted Republicans ‘What an old politician understands’ — Biden turns the age issue to advantage ..read more

Farmacias Similares is the largest privately owned chain of pharmacies in Mexico, and has a cute mascot — Dr. Simi — who is beloved across the country. What could possibly be wrong about this scenario? Many things. Today, we talk about what the rise of Dr. Simi says about Mexico’s broken healthcare system. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times foreign correspondent Leila Miller More reading: Mexico promised healthcare for all. Its failure to deliver made this smiling mascot famous El Dr. Simi es una estrella de TikTok. También es una muestra de la crisis del ..read more

An FBI investigation tried to expose malfeasance in the world of NCAA men’s basketball. Instead, the mirror was turned on the agency itself when one of the lead agents abused his position. Today, you’ll hear the story of how that came to be — and whether the investigation turned up anything. Read the full story here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times sports investigative reporter Nathan Fenno More reading: How an FBI agent’s wild Vegas weekend stained an investigation into NCAA basketball corruption 10 charged in college basketball corruption probe Congressional committee wants answers ..read more

Democrat and Republican lawmakers are pushing for a U.S. ban on TikTok, arguing the Chinese-owned social media app is a national security risk. But many of its users argue that will severely harm their businesses. Today, we hear from some of them. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times reporter technology reporter Brian Contreras and L.A. Times business reporter Jaimie Ding More reading: For some, TikTok is a path to riches and the American dream. With a ban, it could all disappear TikTok might get banned after ‘disaster’ testimony. Why do some TikTokers not c ..read more

For centuries, communities across Latin America have relied on curanderos — healers who rely on indigenous tradition — for their physical and mental health. Will mainstream American health ever embrace it? Today, we examine the subject. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times utility reporter Karen Garcia More reading: Some Latinos don’t trust Western mental health. That’s where curanderos come in Curandera’s spell may soothe your soul Bringing medicine from the village into the public eye ..read more

During the 2020 presidential campaign, Joe Biden decried U.S. border policies enacted by the Trump administration as racist. But Biden has not only not rolled some of them back — in some cases, he’s doubled down. Today, we try to figure out what changed. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times immigration reporters Hamed Aleaziz and Andrea Castillo More reading: Top Democrats warn Biden: Don’t restart family detentions Biden immigration plan could force asylum officers to break law, union warns Asylum seekers face decision to split up families or wait indefinit ..read more

The indictment of former president Donald Trump has provoked praise and criticism alike. So what’s next? We talk to two of our political wizards to figure it out. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times political columnist Mark Z. Barabak, and L.A. Times national security reporter Sarah D. Wire More reading: Full coverage: Trump hush-money probe Trump indicted in alleged hush-money scheme, becoming first former U.S. president in history to be prosecuted Column: Scandal after scandal, Trump has defied political physics. Will this time be different ..read more