L.A. Material

Interview with an Arson Suspect

The untold story of the eight hours when Palisades fire suspect Jonathan Rinderknecht welcomed two detectives into his home — and went hiking with them.

Matt Hamilton

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Jun 23, 2026

Five Takeaways On Air Quality After the Boyle Heights Fire

L.A. Material hosted a panel with three air quality experts, who broke down what residents need to know to understand air quality and how to protect themselves.

Antonia Cereijido

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Jun 25, 2026

The Better Banana You Can't Get in L.A.

Los Angeles expects the best when it comes to produce. So why is a more ethical banana out of our reach?

Vanessa Anderson

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Jun 16, 2026

The Illegal Fireworks Pipeline Behind L.A.’s Nightly Explosions

A Fourth of July season disaster last year revealed a sprawling alleged fireworks trafficking network — and raised urgent questions about why state and local officials failed to stop it sooner.

Jessica Garrison

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Jun 29, 2026

Where do L.A.'s illegal fireworks come from?

Plus, L.A.’s two home teams, an Olympics agreement and competitive campsite no-shows.

Julia Wick

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Jun 29, 2026

VIDEO: A Journey to the Weird McDonald's of Glendale

What can marble walls and a parking garage drive-thru tell us about the history of L.A. development?

Greg Ruben

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Jun 23, 2026

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Featured

The Strange, Twisted Story of the Frat Troll at UCLA

Joseph Freeman went viral for bashing Sigma Chi. But there’s a darker story off screen. Why hasn’t UCLA stopped him?

Tomo Chien

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Apr 29, 2026

Trump's Man in L.A.

Bill Essayli is the face of Trump’s immigration and fraud crackdown in Southern California. Defending his own family’s fraud case, with the ACLU’s help, pitted him against the office he now leads.

Matt Hamilton

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Apr 21, 2026

The Unwritten Rules of Celebrity Podcasts

How Hollywood built a press machine out of friendly conversations, discreet edits, and the tacit understanding that no one is going for the jugular.

Amy Kaufman

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Apr 6, 2026

How Many Cars Are Allowed To Turn Left at a Yellow Light?

Two? Three? FOUR?

Lauren Bans

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Mar 22, 2026

Why Is There a Mosaic of Jim Jones Outside a Silver Lake Elementary School?

The cult leader’s portrait was put up almost two years ago. We found the guy who made it.

Hayes Davenport

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Apr 8, 2026

Five Days That Blew Up The L.A. Mayoral Race

How a handful of strange bedfellows, united by ambition and frustration with the mayor’s leadership, scrambled to marshal a challenge to Mayor Karen Bass.