But here in Southern California, something more is in the air: a dense, motionless tsunami of something foul and inexplicable. But as we would find out, our smog — photochemical smog — made the air taste like poison and look like something you’d put out with the garbage. Listen to Smoglandia This is the first of a series of articles based on the Smoglandia podcast. Hosted by L.A. Times columnist Patt Morrison, Smoglandia traces the rise, impact, and retreat of the city’s most insidious pollution. But the war ended, and the smog didn’t, and L.A. wiped its weepy red eyes and demanded some solutions, dammit.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 27, 2026 04:03 UTC