L.A. Times reporter Alana Semuels asked a group of UCLA economists visiting the L.A. Times offices what it's going to take to launch a sustained recovery.

L.A. Times reporter Alana Semuels asked a group of UCLA economists visiting the L.A. Times offices<br> what it's going to take to launch a sustained recovery.

Episode 37: America Out of Work (12/17)

The clock is ticking down the final 72 hours of the campaign, and we touch base with California politics reporter and editor Cathleen Decker about the polls, plans and prospects of the candidates for governor and senator.

Episode 36: The final countdown to the election (10/29)

As part of the "America Out of Work" series, which chronicles the U.S. unemployment crisis, The Times' Stuart Pfeifer writes in Sunday's paper about scams targeting job seekers.

Episode 35: As jobs are scarce, scams are plenty (10/22)

Fatima Bhutto

Fatima Bhutto Times staff writer Lori Kozlowski recently had a chance to speak with author Fatima Bhutto, the niece of Benazir Bhutto, for an upcoming piece in Books.

Episode 34: The story behind Fatima Bhutto's story (10/15)

Markets columnist Tom Petruno talks about how bond funds performed in the third quarter, which ended Sept. 30. Are they really the safe havens that shelter-seeking investors may think they are? And what should you do if you own them?

Episode 33: Quarterly review: Tom Petruno on bond funds (10/8)

We touch base with California politics editor Cathleen Decker for a status update on the gubernatorial and senate races. We also get some insight on recommendations on the governor's race and on Propositions 19 and 23 from Robert Greene, who heads up the endorsement process for the Times' editorial board.

Episode 32: Voters guide: Race update and endorsements (10/8)

Entertainment reporter Amy Kaufman takes us inside the upcoming movie about the first friends of Facebook, "The Social Network." She spent time with Jesse Eisenberg, who portrays Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg.

Episode 31: Getting inside 'The Social Network' (10/1)

Steve Lopez

Columnist Steve Lopez ponders how likely charges are to stick in the scandal in the city of Bell. And data team editor Megan Garvey gives listeners an audio preview to a feature coming to Latimes.com on Sept. 29

Columnist Steve Lopez ponders how likely charges are to stick in the scandal in the city of Bell. And data team editor Megan Garvey gives listeners an audio preview to a feature coming to <a href="http://Latimes.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Latimes.com</a> on Sept. 29

Episode 30: Steve Lopez on Bell wringing and a preview of Crime L.A. (9/24)

Laura Bradbury

Every so often, the Los Angeles Times revisits stories that have faded like the newsprint that once heralded urgent national headlines. One such story is that of the 1984 disappearance of Laura Bradbury. Reporter Kurt Streeter connects with the Bradbury family and recaptures the heartbreaking emotion and journey the family has undergone over the last 26 years.

Episode 29: The story behind the story of Laura Bradbury (9/20)

This edition of the Pacific Time podcast checks in with state politics editor and writer Cathleen Decker for an update on California's gubernatorial race. She gives a round-up and preview of what's to come before the November election.

Episode 28: Update on the California gubernatorial race  (9/17)

Pacific Time is a weekly podcast that checks in with Los Angeles Times reporters and editors on a selection of the week's stories, coverage, columns and ongoing conversations.

As the sunny summer days give way to evenings that stretch ever longer, autumn brings a number of new titles to real and virtual bookshelves to fill them. Times Book Critic David Ulin highlights a few titles he's looking forward to leafing through. Alison Kornberg, assistant editor at LA Los Angeles Times Magazine, is planning a wedding. Actually, you're planning her wedding, from the date to the dress and everything in between. It's "nuptials by committee."

Episode 27: Making plans for books and bells  (9/10)

Shortly after President Obama wrapped up his speech Wednesday assailing GOP leaders and outlining the administration's economic proposals to prop up the ailing economy, Doyle McManus, The Times' Washington-based Op-Ed columnist, delivered a quick assessment of the president's remarks, focusing primarily on politics.

Episode 26: Assessment: Doyle McManus on Obama Speech  (9/8)

As the nation prepares to honor its working population on Monday, the unemployment rate continues to edge upward. Reporter Alana Semuels explores in Sunday's paper the who, why and how to make ends meet and the what next among several people who have been out of work long-term.

Episode 25: America Out of Work (9/3)

We hear from reporters Jason Felch and Jason Song on what data from the LAUSD revealed about teaching success and failure in Los Angeles, why they embarked on the project and how parents can use the database, which will be made public early next week.  In Sacramento, there's a flurry of activity as the legislative session comes to a close early next week. Bureau chief Evan Halper talks us through some of what's going on in our state Capitol.

Episode 24: 'Grading the Teachers' and the Sacramento dash (8/27)

Sacramento bureau chief Evan Halper talks about questions being raised about CalPERS in light of its inaction on exorbitant Bell salaries when the pension system found out about them four years ago. Christopher Goffard offers his account of covering, over the last two years, a Los Angeles County program aimed at helping the 50 most vulnerable people on downtown L.A.'s skid row. And senior photo editor Alan Hagman talks about the role of photojournalism at The Times.

Episode 23: Developments in Bell saga, the story behind Project 50, a look behind the lens (8/6)

Times staff writer Scott Gold, who spent all of 2009 reporting on the progress, promise and peril in South Los Angeles, talks about the South L.A. of the mid-1980s, an environment so infused with economic distress, virulent drugs, rampant violence and pervasive cultural mistrust that serial killers could operate in obscurity and with impunity for about a decade.

Episode 22: Perspective on a decade of peril in South L.A. (8/4)

We focus on stories behind two of our stories. We chat with Los Angeles Times reporters Jeff Gottlieb and Ruben Vives whose reporting on the pay for city officials in Bell continues to echo throughout the community. And we speak with Gargi Dave, the subject of a recent Column One on the aftermath and legal tangle 20 years after surviving a hijacking in Pakistan.

Episode 21: The story behind our stories (7/23)

Geoff Boucher

Mild-mannered reporter by day, Geoff Boucher has swooped in to San Diego this week to cover the grand gala of all things pop culture -- Comic-Con International 2010. For the rest of the week, hordes descend on the city to the south to consume, converse and kvetch about the latest and greatest in comics.

Episode 20: Hero Complex blogger Geoff Boucher gets animated about Comic-Con 2010 (7/21)

Beginning Sunday, the Los Angeles Times will explore in an occasional series the future of reading, the technologies and their effect on the culture of reading and writing. In this episode, we speak with Times reporters Alex Pham and David Sarno, and L.A. Times book critic and former Book editor David Ulin.

Episode 19 - Part 1: What is a book? (7/16)

Beginning Sunday, the Los Angeles Times will explore in an occasional series the future of reading, the technologies and their effect on the culture of reading and writing. In Part 2, we speak with chief executive of the Assn. of American Publishers Tom Allen and author Jason Kelly.

Episode 19 - Part 2: What is a book? (7/16)

Great content and high production value. One wish: podcasts could be shorter. KCRW or NPR/PRI should pick up this show.

Good stuff. One suggestion.

This podcast series fleshes out some of the news stories printed in the Los Angeles Times. Each week several journalists are interviewed and invited to share their personal observations and opinions after having written news articles for the paper. A good news story covers the news, without the journalist&#39;s personal opinion. This is a chance for the journalist to offer his or her own reflections on important stories. I have listened to the podcast since the beginning, and have found it to be interesting and of high quality.

A peek behind the scenes

Pacific Time - Los Angeles Times

The best podcast episodes of the most interesting stories and things. From skyping someone while they're in space, to tracking down and meeting a telephone scammer in person, to the story of a Galapagos. These episodes will keep you and all your friends entertained and captivated for hours. Learn something new in every episode! Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Episodes: Interesting Stories & Things

The best podcasts about ourselves as well as the world through the lense of Science. Specific topics include things about our brain, emotions to biology, physics and more!