George Lavender

Independent Producer

George Lavender is an award-winning independent radio and print journalist. His radio reporting has aired on NPR, KCRW, WBUR, KQED, and Radio France International.

George Lavender on KCRW

Southern California has long been associated with street racing. And law enforcement officials say they’re gearing up for another deadly summer.

What's fueling the rise in illegal street racing?

Southern California has long been associated with street racing. And law enforcement officials say they’re gearing up for another deadly summer.

from KCRW Features

Businesses that grow or sell cannabis still face a challenge when it comes to what to do with the money they make. At the Higher Path dispensary in Sherman Oaks,…

The business of legal weed poses banking challenges

Businesses that grow or sell cannabis still face a challenge when it comes to what to do with the money they make. At the Higher Path dispensary in Sherman Oaks,…

from News Stories

Most banks are unwilling to serve an industry that is illegal in the eyes of the federal government.

Banking and cannabis

Most banks are unwilling to serve an industry that is illegal in the eyes of the federal government.

from KCRW Features

More from KCRW

Locals are frustrated as scenes of open drug use and misery play out day and night in a central LA park. Officials pledge outreach and cleanup.

from KCRW Features

The staff working for Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency are mostly inexperienced engineers in their early 20s. They now have direct access to the U.S.

from Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Metro’s existing free transit program will be extended to people who have been displaced in the ongoing wildfires, following a unanimous vote by the Metro Board on Thursday.

from KCRW Features

President Trump’s executive order seeks to cut federal funding for gender transition medical procedures. KCRW hears from a mom of a 17-year-old who’s been transitioning since age 4.

from Press Play with Madeleine Brand

KCRW unravels a disruptive White House week. Is the president just stirring outrage? Plus, we discuss Elon Musk’s influence on the foreign aid fight.

from Left, Right & Center

President Trump took office today and immediately signed a slew of executive orders related to immigration, energy, trade, and gender. They’ll almost certainly face legal challenges.

from Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Tariffs, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, electric cars: there is much to be said about the evolving relationship between China and the United States.

from Scheer Intelligence

Was the Palisades Fire caused by embers left over from another extinguished fire? Was Eaton the fault of power lines? It may take months before investigators know.

from Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Monica Motta runs a small house cleaning business and has lost her clients in Pacific Palisades, an area that accounted for two-thirds of her income.

from Press Play with Madeleine Brand