Robert Garrova
I cover mental health at a time when L.A. — and the nation — is failing people who live with a serious mental illness. The L.A. County jail system is the de-facto mental health institution for our region, and people who want help with their mental health often can’t get it, even if they can afford it. I’ll work to help Angelenos understand how we got here and what reforms aim to change things. I’ll do this through the stories of people struggling with their own mental health and those trying to get care for a loved one.
My reporting has taken me to the edge of wildfires in California, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, steps away from a robot that’s now exploring Mars, and into the homes of countless Angelenos.
I’ve had many jobs in radio. I used to help produce and direct the flagship show for Marketplace, a daily business and economic news show. I also spent a couple years in the Northeast working as a reporter. I found my love of audio journalism while interning on LAist's (formerly KPCC’s) Off-Ramp in 2013.
I was born and raised in SoCal. I’m most proud when my journalism can help raise the voices of people struggling in this beautiful region stricken by inequality.
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In L.A. County there's a push to get a better understanding of not just the number of veterans who are lost to suicide, but more information on the individuals behind the numbers. -
How a devastating fire underscored the crisis of veteran homelessness in L.A.
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Dozens of low-income vets were slated to move into the Nuevo Amanecer complex by the end of the year. L.A. County's latest count found about 3,900 unhoused vets.
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The board committed to moving forward with a plan that aims to eventually replace juvenile detention halls and camps with home-like housing and programs that provide a range of supportive services.
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Instead of holding young offenders in the county's two juvenile halls and six probation camps, the board agreed to explore how it could place them in "more of a home-like setting."
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The city competed with communities across the country to be Space Command headquarters; it's not on the list of six finalists.
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Competing against communities in 26 states, Palmdale says it would make the best site for the new U.S. Space Command, because of the city's long history with air and spacecraft.
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Some call the Antelope Valley "Aerospace Valley," and Palmdale boasts a rich history with air and spacecraft.
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"Once President Roosevelt declared war, I went down the next day to the recruiting station to join up, and I was told they didn't take coloreds in the Marines," Luther Hendricks said.
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President Roosevelt opened all branches of the military to Black troops in 1941, but for African-American service members like Luther Hendricks, racism still was prevalent.
