Reporter for the Los Angeles Times
Ben Welsh on KCRW
More from KCRW
Today’s Top Tune: L'Eclair ‘Run’ – (Feat. Gelli Haha)
Best New MusicGenre-hopping Swiss outfit L’Eclair are the sonic equivalent of the pastry they’re named after.
Fan of the late Pee-wee Herman? Reunion show honors his legacy
Entertainment“Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” premiered 40 years ago in theaters. Former cast members will reunite for a show at the Alex Theater in Glendale on June 14.
New home, old anxieties: KCRW staffer’s advice 5 months after wildfires
WildfiresAdria Kloke charts a new path forward following months of cleaning, moving, and embracing a new life outlook after the Palisades Fire.
Trump, Musk have public spat over the “Big Beautiful Bill”
PoliticsDonald Trump and Elon Musk’s whirlwind bromance comes to an end. Plus, why are Israel and the UN at odds over a new humanitarian aid group in Gaza?
Love letter to Compton: Annoying the landlady, knowing the churro man by first name
Los AngelesRoosevelt High School student Darlene Vazquez shares her love letter to Compton, and the grief and joy that keep her tied there.
Matcha, steelhead trout, the women of barbecue
Food & DrinkMen of barbeque loom large in America but Toni Tipton Martin and Morgan Bolling remind us that women also know their way around the pit.
Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys, and the ‘Pet Sounds’ goats (2016)
MusicFrom the vaults: Reporter Peter Gilstrap lives every audiophile’s dream — chatting with Brian Wilson about the goats from the “Pet Sounds” album cover.
The Persistent Dark Legacy of Eugenics
Health & WellnessFor more than a century, there has been a nefarious fascination with engineering society in ways that disadvantage the most vulnerable.
Toilets Prevent Disease—If You Can Find One
Health & WellnessUnhoused people lack safe bathroom access—an issue of public health, safety, and basic dignity we can no longer ignore.