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Artwork for California City

California City

LAist Studios
Los Angeles
California
Eaton Fire
Oscar Gomez
Homelessness
Hollywood
Mutual Aid
Immigration
Colorado River
ICE
Chicano Movement
George Gascón
Star Garden
World Cup
ICE Raids
Climate Change
Santa Barbara
LGBTQ Rights
Montecedro Retirement Community
Laist Studios

Deep in the Mojave Desert, there is a little town with a big name and a bizarre history: California City. For decades, real estate developers have sold a dream here: if you buy land now, you’ll be rich one day. Thousands of people bought this dream. Many were young couples and hard-working immigrants looking to build a better future. But much of the land they bought is nearly worthless. In this n... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes119Founded6 years ago
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Artwork for California City

Latest Episodes

Californians voted Democrat in many major races across the state, as part of the nationwide “blue tsunami.” Xavier Becerra will be the next governor, and progressive candidate Nithya Raman defeated incumbent Karen Bass to become mayor of Los Angeles.... more

This episode originally aired on March 6, 2026.

As Route 66 celebrates its centennial anniversary, we look back at its enduring impact as an iconic road that stretched from Illinois to California — and some of its darker past. It wasn’t just a mode... more

The midterm elections are days away and the stakes are high for two particular races: the California gubernatorial race and the L.A. mayor race. In our *updated* Voter Game Plan episode, fill-in host Josie Huang sits down with KQED’s Marisa Lagos and... more

Supporters of Prop 40 say it would fill gaps left by the Trump administration’s cuts on healthcare. The opposition isn’t billionaires…. It includes Planned Parenthood, the state’s biggest teachers union and Governor Newsom. In this episode of our Vot... more

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Recent Guests

Cato Hernandez
LA Explained reporter
LAist
Episode: Imperfect Paradise: Route 66 has a 100-year legacy of American road trips and expansion, but the Mother Road had its problems too Redux
Frank Stoltze
LAist civics and democracy correspondent
LAist
Episode: Imperfect Paradise: Bass and Raman in a dead heat for LA mayor and the 411 on CA governor race
Marisa Lagos
KQED California politics and government correspondent and co-host of Political Breakdown
KQED
Episode: Imperfect Paradise: Bass and Raman in a dead heat for LA mayor and the 411 on CA governor race
Kristen Hwang
Health reporter covering California healthcare policy at CalMatters
CalMatters
Episode: Imperfect Paradise: Prop 40: Should California tax its billionaires to fund health care?
Jennifer Gaudette
Assistant professor at UC Riverside's School of Public Policy
UC Riverside
Episode: Imperfect Paradise: Prop 40: Should California tax its billionaires to fund health care?
Jill Replogle
LAist Orange County correspondent reporting on voter ID and California elections.
LAist
Episode: Imperfect Paradise: California Prop 39: What the voter ID measure may change
Laura Anaya-Morga
Reporter with Boyle Heights Beat
Boyle Heights Beat
Episode: Imperfect Paradise: What went wrong with the Lineage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights?
Alejandra Molina
Reporter with Boyle Heights Beat
Boyle Heights Beat
Episode: Imperfect Paradise: What went wrong with the Lineage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights?
Gab Chabrán
LAist food and culture writer
LAist
Episode: Imperfect Paradise: Why some chefs are trading high-end dining for home kitchens

Host

Nereida Moreno
Journalist and host at LAist

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 1.5k ratings
  • One of the best podcasts I’ve ever heard!!!!

    Podchaser
    5
    heatherstyler
    20 days ago
  • A classic podcast formula; find a true but almost unbelievable story, then investigate it thoroughly. The 'California City' team certainly did, but I doubt they imagined some of the strange twists this story would take. Sad but fascinating, and worth a listen - and if anyone offers you a deal on land that sounds like it'll make you rich quick? Listen to this podcast first.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    TrinityWildcat
    22 days ago
  • No.

    “Transgender care” for children is at risk? Seriously? There is no such thing. Stop feeding into pure delusion. You are promoting ruining the lives of kids and their families. Get off this train.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    NKG120
    United Statesa year ago
  • A really thoughtful view of how people can be pulled into a grandstand fraud, complicity and loss.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    scattyscatty
    a year ago
  • Original story was good

    The original story was good three or four stars, but they just turned it into an advertisement for all their other shows. They uploaded like 100 episodes that had nothing to do with the original premise or the original reporter. It’s bad practice. Just advertise your other shows once or twice and leave this one for what it is.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Mehitchcock
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some listeners criticize perceived political bias and say editorial commentary can distract from the reporting.
Listeners often praise the investigative reporting, immersive narration and carefully developed stories, especially the California City reporting.
Several listeners say the storytelling is gripping and memorable, with personal accounts that make complex issues easy to follow.
A few reviews mention slow openings or frequent ads, while others find the reporting compelling enough to keep listening.
Some longtime listeners object to the shift from the original California City focus to a wider range of subjects.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Imperfect Paradise: Route 66 has a 100-year legacy of American road trips and expansion, but the Mother Road had its problems too Redux
Q: How did the interstate ultimately affect black neighborhoods in Southern California?
Freeway construction displaced Black and Latino communities, including Sugar Hill, which was divided by the 10 freeway. The disruption contributed to lost homes and generational wealth, while redlining and urban renewal compounded the effects.
Imperfect Paradise: Route 66 has a 100-year legacy of American road trips and expansion, but the Mother Road had its problems too Redux
Q: What were conditions like for Black folks who were traveling on that road?
Route 66 crossed many sundown towns, where Black travelers could face harassment, violence and danger after dark. Limited access to lodging also left some drivers exhausted, making advance planning and resources such as the Green Book important.
Imperfect Paradise: Bass and Raman in a dead heat for LA mayor and the 411 on CA governor race
Q: How would the candidates for governor tackle the cost of living?
Lagos says Steve Hilton proposes expanding oil production and cutting taxes, including eliminating state income tax on the first $150,000 of income. Javier Becerra has discussed two hours of free electricity, while Lagos characterizes his campaign's policy proposals as limited and largely focused on his record.
Imperfect Paradise: Bass and Raman in a dead heat for LA mayor and the 411 on CA governor race
Q: What are the top issues for voters in this election?
Lagos says affordability and the cost of everyday expenses are foremost, alongside opposition to the Trump administration, immigration, public education, and health care access. Stoltze adds homelessness, city services, Hollywood production jobs, and the city's response to the Palisades fire as concerns in Los Angeles.
Imperfect Paradise: Prop 40: Should California tax its billionaires to fund health care?
Q: How would you even assess, like, whether someone is a billionaire assets-wise, how would implementation work?
The state would need a new system to assess wealth, but publicly traded stock is easier to value than private startups and personal assets. The threshold and uncertain valuations could make fair implementation difficult.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About California City

What is California City about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Reported stories connect California politics and policy with the lives of people affected by them. Recent coverage ranges from elections, housing, homelessness and immigration to environmental health, public transit, food businesses and the entertainment industry. Episodes pair explanatory reporting with interviews from journalists, researchers, advocates, residents and people directly involved in the issues.

Nereida Moreno is a recurring host, joined by LAist correspondents and other reporters depending on the subject. The format blends policy context and data with personal accounts, often tracing how decisions and systems shape everyday life. The original California City story is an investigative narrative about land sales, real estate d... more

Where can I find podcast stats for California City?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for California City. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to California City and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does California City get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for California City, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for California City?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for California City, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does California City have?

To see how many followers or subscribers California City has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to California City?

These podcasts share a similar audience with California City:

1. Slow Burn
2. Criminal
3. Imperfect Paradise
4. Examined: The Backfire Effect
5. Scamfluencers

How many episodes of California City are there?

California City launched 6 years ago and published 119 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact California City?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for California City?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for California City from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for California City?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of California City. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on California City?

Recent guests on California City include:

1. Cato Hernandez
2. Frank Stoltze
3. Marisa Lagos
4. Kristen Hwang
5. Jennifer Gaudette
6. Jill Replogle
7. Laura Anaya-Morga
8. Alejandra Molina

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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