PODCAST · education
Yeah No, I’m Not OK
by LAist Studios
Growing up, I was taught to say that I was “ok” when I really wasn’t. Mental health just wasn’t something that anyone in my family or community talked about or even had access to. Yet pretty much everyone was affected by it. Today, young people of color are disproportionately affected by mental health issues and are not getting the resources they need, and I want to change that. And this is why this podcast exists.Yeah No, I’m Not Ok, my new podcast made in collaboration with LAist Studios, is here to open up the conversation about mental health. Every week we will explore issues that youth face all over the world (addiction, depression, anxiety, suicide, radical self love, and much much more) through conversations with friends, colleagues, activists, artists and health care professionals, all people who have gone through something life-changing and are now healing from it. We want to start a mental health revolution. A movement that can start by talking about how we feel. One whe
Episodes
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Imperfect Paradise: California Prop 39: What the voter ID measure may change
Prop 39, a voter ID measure that would dramatically change voting in California is on the ballot this November. Proponents say that requiring voters to show a government ID when they cast a ballot would increase peoples’ trust in the election process. But opponents say the measure would add...
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Imperfect Paradise: Guide to LA mayor & California governor races: Bass vs Raman, Becerra vs Hilton
The midterm elections are nearly here and the stakes are high for two particular races: the California gubernatorial race and the L.A. mayor race. In the first episode of our Voter Game Plan series, fill-in host Josie Huang sits down with KQED’s Marisa Lagos and LAist’s Frank Stoltze to dive into...
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Imperfect Paradise: What went wrong with the Lineage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights?
It took days to put out the Lineage warehouse fire in Los Angeles this summer. Once the flames were out, the cleanup of rotting food took weeks. Residents suffered health problems, businesses lost customers and many questions are still unanswered. Who should be held accountable and what’s being...
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Imperfect Paradise: Why some chefs are trading high-end dining for home kitchens
In the infamously cutthroat industry of restaurants, some chefs are finding untraditional paths towards success. LAist food writer Gab Chabrán dives into the state of restaurants through the story of one chef who traded in his high-end dining job for a home kitchen operation. Grow your business –...
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Imperfect Paradise: President Trump says ‘Hollywood is dead.’ What’s being done to revive it?
In 2025, California majorly boosted its film and TV tax credit program for the first time since 2014 in an effort to keep jobs in the Golden State. One year out, is it working as planned? And why is President Trump now calling for a national incentive program? On this episode of Imperfect…
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Imperfect Paradise: Is your smoke-damaged home safe? The toxic aftermath of LA’s 2025 fires
Many of the homes that survived the Palisades and Eaton fires are still not habitable because of contamination from smoke damage. Residents have been left battling with insurance companies over who is responsible for post-fire cleaning and testing. LAist’s David Wagner dives into where we are…
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Imperfect Paradise: Is LA becoming a public transit city?
Los Angeles has long been considered a “car-centric” city, but is that changing? On this episode of Imperfect Paradise, LAist transportation correspondent Kavish Harjai joins to talk about the history of transit in L.A., the backstory behind the much-delayed People Mover train at LAX, and whether...
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Imperfect Paradise: How one man rebuilt his life, 100 miles at a time Redux
This episode originally aired on January 8, 2025. Struggling with addiction and reentry after multiple stints in prison, Cesar Quijano discovers ultrarunning, a hobby that turns into his addiction and salvation. Through Cesar’s story to complete a 100-mile race, Imperfect Paradise host Antonia...
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Imperfect Paradise: Most Californians don't own a home until 47. What that says about the CA Dream
Is homeownership falling out of reach for millennials and Gen Z in the Golden State? LAist housing correspondent David Wagner joins Imperfect Paradise to examine this trend, the obstacles to homeownership and why we may need to shift our conception of what housing looks like in California. Grow...
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Imperfect Paradise: More than an internet star. The life & legacy of Big Bear’s famous eagle Jackie
The death of Jackie signals the end of her story with Shadow – as well as for Big Bear Lake, and for millions of fans who followed the eagles’ saga on livestream for years. LAist reporter Makenna Cramer joins Imperfect Paradise to examine how the eagles turned the tides for a fight against luxury...
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Imperfect Paradise: After two years of progress, homelessness went up in LA. Why?
Homelessness increased in Los Angeles this year following two previous years of declines, according to the recently released 2026 “point-in-time” homeless count. It’s a setback for the region, and for L.A. Mayor Karen Bass who’s touted prior declines as evidence that her approach to addressing…
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Imperfect Paradise: Can a city built by the oil industry stop drilling for good?
The city of Los Angeles is home to over two thousand active oil wells, many concentrated in communities of color where residents have long reported serious health issues. On this episode of Imperfect Paradise, LAist’s Erin Stone takes us inside one neighborhood’s fight to shut down a drill site,...
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Imperfect Paradise: Who gets due process? Inside the fight over immigration bond hearings at Adelanto
Immigration bond denials have jumped sharply under the second Trump administration — nowhere more than at the Adelanto ICE detention center in Southern California. On this week's Imperfect Paradise: LAist's Jared Bennett follows the case of a 70-year-old L.A. street vendor held at Adelanto for…
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Imperfect Paradise: The World Cup is more than just soccer. How it’s a flash point for politics, the economy and ICE for host cities like LA
The stakes are high for this year’s FIFA World Cup. For the first time in the tournament's history, 48 national teams will compete across 16 cities. That includes Los Angeles. And despite the sport’s biggest names battling it out on the field, high ticket prices, ICE’s role at the games, and…
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Imperfect Paradise: Voter Game Plan Part 5 – Your last chance to cram before the June 2 primary
If you still haven’t voted and need some help, listen to this encore of the first episode in our Voter Game Plan series – LAist Community Engagement Senior Producer Brianna Lee previews the key races and answers burning questions on navigating the primary election. And be sure to check out all…
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Imperfect Paradise: Voter Game Plan Part 4 — What you need to know about the key Orange County races
In the fourth installment of our Voter Game Plan series, we cover a number of hotly contested primary races in Orange County. These include races for jobs that determine how the county spends billions of taxpayer dollars, to another that oversees the county’s education system, serving nearly a…
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Imperfect Paradise: Voter Game Plan Part 3 — The primary races for LA mayor and LA County sheriff heat up
The stakes are high for two of the most high profile local races on the June primary ballot. The L.A. mayor and L.A. County sheriff are hugely influential positions, and the incumbents in each race face crowded fields of challengers. LAist Civics and Democracy correspondent Frank Stoltze breaks...
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Imperfect Paradise: Inside a Southern California church, where Muslims, Jews, and Christians all pray
Although religion is an inescapable element in conflicts around the world and a polarizing topic here at home, one place of worship in Pasadena, California, is defying religious labels. Amid the crosses and stained glass windows depicting the life of Christ, the First United Methodist Church…
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Imperfect Paradise: 'Astronomical' LA28 Olympics ticket prices have shocked fans. But could a more expensive games benefit taxpayers?
Despite an initial promise that LA Olympic events would start at $28, tickets for the games are costing fans hundreds to thousands of dollars. LAist Olympics reporter Libby Rainey joins us to discuss why the ticket prices are so expensive, what they can tell us about the money behind the games…
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Imperfect Paradise: Big Bear Valley’s ‘royal couple’ Jackie and Shadow & their emotional journey to parenthood
The famed Big Bear bald eagle couple Jackie and Shadow have become a global internet sensation. Tens of thousands of fans tune in to watch every season as the couple expands their family. LAist Reporter and resident Jackie & Shadow expert Makenna Cramer discusses the recent mating season and the...
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Imperfect Paradise: Rotten food, disease, isolation – what we know about conditions at the Adelanto ICE detention center
At least four people have died in custody at an ICE detention facility in Adelanto, California. A recent lawsuit alleges that living conditions there are inhumane, and some are comparing the facility to "concentration camps." LAist reporter Julia Barajas has been reporting on Adelanto and takes…
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Imperfect Paradise: Looming strike, budget deficit, and superintendent under federal investigation. What it could all mean for LAUSD's 400,000 students and staff
Los Angeles Unified School District could face an open-ended strike if multiple labor deals are not made by April 14. The potential strike comes at a time when the district faces significant challenges, including a budget deficit and a superintendent under FBI investigation. LAist K-12 Education...
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Imperfect Paradise: Whistleblower alleges manager asleep on job during Eaton Fire response. Complaint raises questions about accountability and preparedness
A whistleblower at the L.A. County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) filed a complaint alleging a colleague with a history of sleeping on the job was in charge of emergency workers sending evacuation alerts during critical moments of the Eaton Fire. LAist Climate and Environment Senior…
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Imperfect Paradise: Women speak a quarter of words in the 2026 Oscars Best Picture nominated films. What that tells us about the movies Hollywood values
The Academy has historically favored men when it comes to giving out its Oscars statuettes. Women are once again not only underrepresented among this year’s Best Picture nominees, but also fared worse than last year. Emily Tarinelli analyzed how much female characters speak across the 10…
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Imperfect Paradise: Route 66 has a 100-year legacy of American road trips and expansion, but the Main Street of America had its problems too
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 of transportation for family road trips. The historic route was also a primary path for Black...
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Imperfect Paradise: California is not tracking whether its multi-billion dollar public preschool program is working. So how do we know if it’s helping or hurting students?
California has spent billions of dollars on a free universal preschool program available to all eligible 4-year-olds in the state. However, there are no official plans in place from the state to evaluate the success of the program, also known as transitional kindergarten, or TK. LAist Early...
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Imperfect Paradise: Money, politics and power: Casey Wasserman remains head of LA28 Olympics despite connections to Jeffrey Epstein. What does this mean for Olympics planning?
LA 2028 Olympics head Casey Wasserman is facing growing pressure to resign from his post after recently released Epstein files revealed emails Wasserman exchanged with Ghislaine Maxwell. The board behind LA28 — the private planning committee in charge of organizing the 2028 Games — has voted to...
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Imperfect Paradise: Inside an Orange County immigration court. What it reveals about the Trump Administration’s changing policies
As the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown continues, we explore what’s happening on the legal side of immigration enforcement. A group of court observers at Santa Ana Immigration Court is trying to help immigrants and asylum-seekers who appear there get a fair shot under the law. LAist...
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Imperfect Paradise: After disasters, California mandates timely reports. Why it matters that more than 100 of them are years overdue
Catastrophic fires are becoming more and more common across California. After-action reports about the fires and other disasters can help officials prevent past mistakes. But the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, or CalOES, has failed to deliver legally mandated reports on time...
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Imperfect Paradise: A Cambodian Genocide survivor was undergoing the legal immigration process and had protections against deportation. So why was she detained by ICE indefinitely?
Sithy Yi and her family fled Cambodia to the U.S. following the takeover of their home country by the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. But Yi’s visa application process has taken years, and despite complying with ICE, she’s been detained. LAist Watchdog Correspondent Jordan Rynning joins us to…
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Imperfect Paradise: LAPD requested nearly $100 million from the city for the Olympics. Will taxpayers be footing the bill?
The 2028 LA Olympic Games were initially promised to be no-cost to taxpayers. However, the Los Angeles Police Department requested nearly $100 million from the city for additional resources to police the games. LAist reporter Libby Rainey tells us what’s in LAPD’s request, how this could impact…
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Imperfect Paradise: The Trump Administration wants your confidential voter data. What’s behind their battle with CA and other states?
The legal battle with the Trump administration to get access to your sensitive voter data began in Orange County, but is now playing out nationally. The outcome could affect hundreds of millions of people across the country and determine how the federal government uses your private voter...
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Imperfect Paradise: Where is LA a year after the fires? Checking in with survivors, rebuilding and nature
It’s been one year since two of the most destructive fires in California’s history – the Eaton Fire in Altadena and the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades – killed 31 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures. In this episode, we talk with LAist Climate and Environment Reporter Erin...
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Imperfect Paradise: Meet the filmmakers who love AI (Redux)
This episode originally aired on March 19, 2025. It’s hard to find people in Hollywood who are willing to speak publicly about their enthusiasm for AI, for fear of being seen as “siding with the machines.” And yet, many people are quietly using the technology already. In this episode, we…
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Imperfect Paradise: How AI became a Hollywood villain – especially for animators (Redux)
This episode originally aired on March 12, 2025. Hollywood taught us to be afraid of a super powerful artificial intelligence that will one day conquer humanity. So not surprisingly, many screenwriters and actors are very skeptical of AI, and concerns about AI were central to the Hollywood labor...
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Imperfect Paradise: Shuttle Endeavour’s final mission for a new home and space exploration
Los Angeles is an integral part of space shuttle Endeavour’s journey. The California Science Center is building a new, larger home for the shuttle, which will make it the only place in the world to see a complete shuttle system with its equipment in launch position. The project – years in the...
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Imperfect Paradise: Residents left behind at elder care facilities in LA raise serious questions about evacuation preparedness
In the early morning hours of January 8, the Eaton Fire raced closer to the MonteCedro retirement community in Altadena, California. Nearly 200 of the facility’s residents were evacuated, but two women were left behind, raising serious questions. In this episode of Imperfect Paradise, LAist…
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Imperfect Paradise: Altadena childcare providers' struggle to rebuild raises questions about government disaster response
At least 280 childcare spaces were affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires in January. LAist reporter Libby Rainey and early childhood senior reporter Elly Yu followed two women who ran childcare businesses out of their homes until the Eaton Fire destroyed them. In this episode of Imperfect...
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Imperfect Paradise: Gender-affirming care for transgender youth is at risk in LA and nationwide
Nearly 3,000 patients have been forced to find gender-affirming care elsewhere after the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles closed their LA Center for Trans Youth Health and Development in July. The closure comes amid threats of cuts to federal funding for providers of gender affirming-care and…
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Imperfect Paradise: Health workers say ICE agents at hospitals are compromising patient care
Amid the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration, there’s been an uptick in ICE presence in hospitals across the country. At Adventist Health White Memorial hospital in Boyle Heights, doctors say that hospital administrators have even allowed immigration agents to interfere with patients’...
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Imperfect Paradise: California's new free public preschool program for 4-year-olds
All four-year-olds in the state of California now have access to a free preschool program in their local school district. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a plan to expand the state’s transitional kindergarten, or TK, program in May 2021, as part of a broader move to create the largest free early…
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Imperfect Paradise: Who pays for the 2028 Olympics? LA taxpayers may be on the hook
In less than a thousand days, Los Angeles will be hosting the summer Olympics. Many cities worldwide have been put into debt by the games, so what could they mean for Los Angeles? LAist reporter Libby Rainey joins Imperfect Paradise to look back at the history of the games when LA last hosted…
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Imperfect Paradise: Why the site of the largest methane leak in US history still hasn’t been shut down
Regulations on gas storage facilities have been tightened since the detection of the Aliso Canyon leak, which started in 2015 and lasted nearly four months. But residents remain worried about long term health effects following the leak. LAist Climate and Environment Reporter Erin Stone discusses...
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Imperfect Paradise: How becoming a US citizen just got harder under the Trump administration and what it means for Angelenos
The Trump administration’s immigration policies have resulted in raids and protests in Southern California and across the country, and the administration has also moved to tighten who gets citizenship. Recently, the federal government pushed out new guidelines for naturalization. The situation…
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Imperfect Paradise: Prop 50: Is California’s redistricting push a threat to democracy or a defense of it?
Proposition 50 is part of a nationwide battle over control of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Californians are being asked to take a side: Should the state be temporarily allowed to redraw congressional maps to counter the Trump administration and redistricting in Texas? LAist Civics &...
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Imperfect Paradise: An LA Commission created to tackle city government scandals is being stymied
A charter reform commission was created in 2024 in response to multiple Los Angeles city government scandals, including the leak of a racist tape featuring City Council President Nury Martinez. One of the commission’s aims was to modify the LA charter, which is basically the city’s constitution....
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Imperfect Paradise: Reports about failures in response to the January LA fires and a 2018 fire have striking similarities
A new report details the Eaton and Palisades fires, including failures in the emergency response. But this report bears striking similarities with another -- which chronicled the response to the 2018 Woolsey Fire in Southern California. LAist science reporter Jacob Margolis discusses the reports...
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Imperfect Paradise: How union organizing is being upended by private universities in Southern California
Big companies like Amazon and SpaceX are claiming that the National Labor Relations Board – an independent federal entity in charge of overseeing unionizing efforts – is unconstitutional. In addition to those companies, colleges like the University of Southern California and Loyola Marymount...
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Imperfect Paradise: Why California's protest law is flawed and the consequences to protesters
After the George Floyd protests of 2020, California took steps to rein in violent policing of protests by passing laws restricting how law enforcement uses less-lethal weapons, like tasers and rubber bullets. But high profile protests in 2024 and 2025 – including this summer’s protests against…
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Imperfect Paradise: The Huntington Beach library at the center of America’s culture wars
Censorship efforts at libraries nationwide have increased steadily over the last several years. In the 2023 - 24 school year, more than 10,000 book bans were counted in the country’s public schools. These efforts have become a cornerstone of a larger national debate over cultural influences and...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Growing up, I was taught to say that I was “ok” when I really wasn’t. Mental health just wasn’t something that anyone in my family or community talked about or even had access to. Yet pretty much everyone was affected by it. Today, young people of color are disproportionately affected by mental health issues and are not getting the resources they need, and I want to change that. And this is why this podcast exists.Yeah No, I’m Not Ok, my new podcast made in collaboration with LAist Studios, is here to open up the conversation about mental health. Every week we will explore issues that youth face all over the world (addiction, depression, anxiety, suicide, radical self love, and much much more) through conversations with friends, colleagues, activists, artists and health care professionals, all people who have gone through something life-changing and are now healing from it. We want to start a mental health revolution. A movement that can start by talking about how we feel. One whe
HOSTED BY
LAist Studios
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How many episodes does Yeah No, I’m Not OK have?
Yeah No, I’m Not OK currently has 50 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Yeah No, I’m Not OK about?
Growing up, I was taught to say that I was “ok” when I really wasn’t. Mental health just wasn’t something that anyone in my family or community talked about or even had access to. Yet pretty much everyone was affected by it. Today, young people of color are disproportionately affected by mental...
How often does Yeah No, I’m Not OK release new episodes?
Yeah No, I’m Not OK has 50 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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You can listen to Yeah No, I’m Not OK on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Yeah No, I’m Not OK?
Yeah No, I’m Not OK is created and hosted by LAist Studios.
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