California Sun Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Cheech Sep 01, 2022

Show notes

Long before we knew him as a comedian or comic actor, Cheech Marin started collecting Chicano art. The result of that passion is now on permanent display at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture, known as "The Cheech," in Riverside. The story of how the museum came to be, of Marin's deep understanding of the links between Chicano art and culture, and of how his interest and knowledge evolved all comes to light on this week's podcast.

Severin Borenstein is all about the energy Aug 24, 2022

Show notes

Severin Borenstein is a professor of Business and Public Policy at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business and the director of the Energy Institute at Haas. One of California's premier experts on energy policy, his research focuses on business competition, strategy, and regulation in the airline industry, the oil and gas industries, electricity markets, and the economics of renewable energy. In this week's podcast, Borenstein talks about the link between California's energy policy and its economic growth; the state's oversize role in setting and exporting global energy policy; innovation and climate policy; and why banning new gas stations is a really bad idea.

Matt Doig responds to Paul Pringle Aug 17, 2022

Show notes

Matt Doig was the assistant managing editor of investigations for the L.A. Times when Paul Pringle pursued his story about disgraced USC medical school dean Dr. Carmen Puliafito. Doig takes issue with some of the assertions in Pringle's recent book "Bad City," and wrote about them several weeks ago in a Medium post entitled "Sex, Meth, Lies and Journalism." Last week on the California Sun Podcast, we spoke with Pringle about the evolution of his story and his interactions with Times editors. We felt it was worthwhile to give Doig an opportunity to tell his side of the story.

Paul Pringle's story of peril and power in L.A. Aug 11, 2022

Show notes

Paul Pringle is a long-time investigative reporter for the Los Angeles Times and a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner. His series of stories uncovering the drug use and criminal behavior of the dean of USC's Keck School of Medicine shifted the tectonic plates of both USC and Pringle's employer, the L.A. Times. It's a story of the power of investigative journalism, and the role of powerful institutions in a big city like Los Angeles. He writes about all of it in his recent book "Bad City," and shares, on this week's podcast, his anatomy of the investigation.

Erica Gies explains why water always wins Aug 02, 2022

Show notes

Erica Gies is a Bay Area native, a National Geographic Explorer, an independent environmental journalist, and the author, most recently, of "Water Always Wins: Thriving in an Age of Drought and Deluge." Gies details how we have over-engineered and mechanized water delivery in California. She explains how both our agriculture and our built environment have done almost irreparable damage to the future of our water supply. Based on her observations around the world, she tells us about "slow water" and offers some solutions and limited hope for the future.

Diane Zimmerman remembers the Nut Tree Jul 27, 2022

Show notes

Diane Power Zimmerman's great grandfather bought the property that would become the Nut Tree. Her grandparents founded and ran the roadside oasis that opened in Vacaville in 1921. Turning to a lighter note this week, we look at what was once the iconic stop on car journeys from San Francisco to Sacramento and Tahoe. The Nut Tree, in its heyday, reflected the intersection of midcentury design and Sunset Magazine's western ethos. The forerunner of the roadside fruit stand, it attracted renowned guests while it spawned innovations in design, dining, and hospitality.

Gale Holland & Claire Hannah Collins: Inside their LA Times Story on Mckenzie Trahan Jul 20, 2022

Show notes

When L.A. Times reporter Gale Holland and videographer Claire Hanna Collins met Mckenzie Trahan in 2018, she was 22 years old, seven months pregnant, and living in a tent above the 101 Freeway. Their recently published reporting project on Trahan, who had been living on the streets of Hollywood since she was 13, reminds us that stories about the homeless and the mean streets of our cities are more than just stories about policy: They are most importantly about people.

Jim Hinch on drugs, homelessness, and California policies Jul 14, 2022

Show notes

Journalist Jim Hinch tries to look objectively at what is and isn't working with respect to our state's policies surrounding the nexus of housing and drugs. In a recent story in Zocalo, Hinch notes the fact that 50% of America's unhoused population lives in just three states — California, Oregon, and Washington. In this week's podcast, he compares and explains policies such as "harm reduction," "housing first," "supportive housing initiatives," "drug decriminalization," and 12-Step faith-based sobriety programs.

Gary Kamiya on what is happening to San Francisco Jul 07, 2022

Show notes

Gary Kamiya, a long-time San Francisco writer and journalist, in a recent article in the Atlantic, zeros in on the tectonic political shifts resulting from San Francisco's voters' recall of three school board members and the district attorney. While few cities have personified the progressive vision more than San Francisco, Kamiya says there seem to be limits to its progressive agenda. Is it a harbinger for other "blue" cities?

David Koepp turns out the lights Jun 30, 2022

Show notes

David Koepp, one of our most distinguished and prolific screenwriters, turns to the novel for his latest work, "Aurora." Springboarding from our fear of over-dependence on technology, he creates a story sure to scare PG&E, Southern California Edison, and utility companies everywhere. Soon to be a major motion picture from director Kathryn Bigelow, Koepp redefines what "being prepared" really means, whether for the next pandemic, earthquake, or fire.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

California Sun Podcast

Related Podcasts

1

2

3

4

5

6