California Sun Podcast

Eleni Gastis, the journalism department chair at Oakland's Laney College, was shocked to discover that half her students weren't human. California's community colleges are under siege by sophisticated "ghost students" — bots designed to steal financial aid money. What started as a $3 million-a-year problem exploded to $13 million over the last 12 months, with fraudsters exploiting system vulnerabilities. Gastis is now leading the fight for transparency while teaching the next generation of journalists to navigate truth in an age of digital deception.

Matthew Specktor, in his new memoir "The Golden Hour," offers a unique perspective on Hollywood's transformation — as both the son of legendary talent agent Fred Specktor and a thoughtful cultural observer. He explores how the movie industry shifted from a close-knit "family business," where art and commerce balanced, to today's corporate-dominated landscape. Specktor reflects on how this mirrors broader American cultural changes, the diminishing role of movies in our collective imagination, and what's lost when filmmaking becomes primarily about algorithms and franchises rather than human stories.

Adam Nagourney, a veteran New York Times reporter based in Los Angeles, wrote recently about whether the California Dream had become a mirage. Even as the state has grown into the world's fourth-largest economy, the promise of reinvention that defined the Golden State feels increasingly elusive. As young people flee, wildfires destroy neighborhoods, and a hostile White House turns its back, Nagourney believes California is still resilient and capable of that dream. 

Joe Kloc spent nine years immersed with Richardson Bay's "anchor-outs," a community living on abandoned vessels just offshore from multimillion-dollar Sausalito homes. In his book "Lost at Sea," Kloc chronicles their struggles against the authorities and residents who ultimately dismantled the century-old floating community. Kloc captures the anchor-outs' resilience amid displacement, exploring what happens when society pushes its most vulnerable members to the margins.

Laurie Kirby, the founder of FestForums, brings insider expertise on what makes music festivals succeed. She explores California's vibrant festival scene from Coachella and Stagecoach to BottleRock and Outside Lands, examining how these events reflect the state's economic trends and cultural influence. She discusses how California's festivals function as economic indicators of changing consumer habits and whether the state's market has reached saturation.

Ben Fritz, who covers the entertainment industry for The Wall Street Journal, explores Hollywood's perfect storm of existential threats — empty theaters, streaming wars, production flight, artificial intelligence. If that wasn't enough, as Fritz has reported: audiences today seem to be rejecting both franchise tentpoles and original films. He discusses whether Hollywood can reinvent itself as it has done in the past and adapt to technological change while maintaining its global cultural influence and economic importance to California.

Erica Hellerstein's reporting for El Tímpano follows the story of Pedro Romero Perez, a survivor of the 2023 Half Moon Bay mass shooting that left seven people dead, including his brother Jose. The tragedy exposed deplorable conditions in San Mateo County's agricultural industry: farm workers earning less than minimum wage while living in shipping containers without running water. Perez, who survived five gunshot wounds, emerged as an unexpected voice for change through a lawsuit against his former employer.

Olaf Groth, a futurist and professor at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, examines how global trade tensions, artificial intelligence advancements, and economic shifts are reshaping California's position in the world economy. He analyzes how intensifying tariff wars threaten the state's tech sector while driving up consumer prices. Groth explores AI's transformative effects on employment, the emerging defense-tech ecosystem, and California's strategic challenges as it navigates global trade pressures and growing climate vulnerabilities.

New York Times film critic Alissa Wilkinson discusses her new book, "We Tell Ourselves Stories: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine," which explores the California author's prescient understanding of how entertainment would colonize American political life. Wilkinson examines Didion's work through the lens of a Hollywood insider and cultural critic, revealing how she anticipated our drift toward manufactured realities and endless performance — from Ronald Reagan's performative presidency to modern reality television-style governance.

Rep. John Garamendi, a Bay Area Democrat, draws on his experience during two terms as California's insurance commissioner to discuss the state's insurance challenges. Garamendi argues that the state's current insurance chief, Ricardo Lara, has surrendered much of his authority to industry, creating market instability while failing to require transparency. Garamendi also discusses farmers' concerns over tariffs and market access, and water issues that have become increasingly politicized at the national level.

Journalist Chris Roberts discusses the long-forgotten history of the U.S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory at San Francisco's Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Following atomic bomb tests in 1946, the Navy towed radioactive ships to San Francisco, creating a research program that exposed more than a thousand people to varying levels of radiation. Roberts' seven-part series in the San Francisco Public Press, "Exposed," details how the lab conducted human experimentation with questionable consent, incomplete record-keeping, and environmental contamination that plagues redevelopment efforts today. The former shipyard remains a Superfund site marred by cleanup fraud scandals, while surrounding communities face potential health impacts that remain largely unstudied.

In a two-part Fresnoland investigation, journalist Gregory Weaver exposed the false promise of California's Williamson Act, a tax break created in 1965 to protect agricultural lands from suburban sprawl. The program, tax records showed, now primarily benefits 120 mega-farms that collect roughly half of its $5 billion tax shelter, benefiting Wall Street investors and foreign pension funds. Weaver's reporting details how the system ultimately harms small farmers and depletes precious public resources.

Randy Shaw is the director of San Francisco's Tenderloin Housing Clinic, founder of the Tenderloin Museum, editor of Beyond Chron, and author of the newly updated book "The Tenderloin: Sex, Crime, and Resistance in the Heart of San Francisco." For over 45 years, he has advocated for this unique neighborhood which has maintained its character and resisted gentrification. Shaw discusses the Tenderloin's rich history as a refuge for marginalized communities, its struggles during the Covid-19 pandemic when it became a "containment zone" for homelessness and drug problems, and his hopes that Mayor Daniel Lurie will fulfill promises to improve safety and support local businesses.

Dr. Shayan Rab, associate medical director at Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, explains his revolutionary, if controversial, approach to helping mentally ill homeless individuals. As the county's first street psychiatrist, he created the Homeless Outreach and Mobile Engagement, or HOME Team, despite resistance from some quarters over concerns about liability and diagnostic protocols. His innovative program combines medical treatment, housing assistance, and human connection. While challenging conventional wisdom, Dr. Rab's work has become a model for how to approach the intersection of mental health and homelessness.

Lili Anolik, author of the new book "Didion & Babitz," delves into the complex and largely unexplored relationship between literary icons Joan Didion and Eve Babitz in 1960s Los Angeles. Through newly discovered letters and extensive research, Anolik explains how these contrasting personalities — Didion's calculated reserve and Babitz's uninhibited sensuality — shaped our understanding of them and the era. Their story illuminates broader themes about women's voices in American letters, the nature of literary persona, and the price of artistic ambition.

As the first Latina chancellor of the California State University system, Dr. Mildred García is seeking to transform the nation's largest public university system. Beyond focusing on diplomas and graduation rates, she is emphasizing career success and employment outcomes for CSU's more than 460,000 students. Her vision includes integrating artificial intelligence education, allowing campuses to reflect their unique communities, and launching programs like Second Start, which helps students who dropped out restart their studies.

Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA and the University of California's Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources reveals why Los Angeles' recent devastating fires weren't just another disaster, but a harbinger of California's volatile future. Swain explains how climate change created the conditions for unprecedented destruction, and how "hydroclimate whiplash" — or dramatic swings between wet and dry periods — is reshaping our understanding of extreme weather events and challenging traditional approaches to disaster response.

Stephen Pyne, a renowned fire historian, discusses how climate change is creating unprecedented conditions for "mean fires" that overwhelm traditional firefighting approaches. He challenges the "war on fire" mindset, arguing instead for viewing fire as a biological force requiring public health-style interventions. Pyne talks about the need to distinguish between urban and wildland fire management, advocating for both hardened cities and controlled burns in wild areas. Drawing from historical lessons and Australia's experience, he warns that without fundamental changes in our approach, California's fire conditions will only worsen.

Jim Carlton, reporting for the Wall Street Journal, takes us beyond the headlines and into the thick of Los Angeles' wildfire battles. For a recent article, he embedded with a wildfire strike team in Topanga Canyon, where he witnessed the harsh realities faced by the men and women fighting flames in some of the most punishing terrain. From the relentless grind of hand crews to the life-saving precision of aerial bombardments, Carlton gives us an unforgettable look at what it takes to stand against the inferno.

David Ulin, one of Los Angeles's most perceptive chroniclers and an editor of Joan Didion's collected works, reflects on the city's unprecedented urban wildfires through the lens of history, identity, and belonging. Ulin talks about how disasters in Los Angeles paradoxically forge deeper connections between Angelenos and their landscape. Drawing parallels to 9/11 and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, he explores how this watershed moment — with its destruction of thousands of structures across a burn area of roughly 60 square miles — may reshape Southern California's future. 

From their Venice Beach studio, Charles and Ray Eames revolutionized design in post-war Los Angeles, shaping the modernist ethos of California and beyond. Known for their groundbreaking Case Study House No. 8, furniture, and films, their work seamlessly blended art, science, and functionality. In this week's conversation, Daniel Ostroff, editor of "An Eames Anthology," shares fresh insights into the married couple's philosophy and enduring relevance. Drawing from four years of curating their writings and his own work with the Eames organizations, Ostroff talks about the design team's moral vision and multidisciplinary impact in the year of the 75th anniversary of the Eames House.

Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archive, housed in a former San Francisco church with Greek columns that echo the ancient Library of Alexandria, discusses his three-decade mission to preserve humanity's digital knowledge and culture. Now facing unprecedented challenges, including a major cyberattack and legal battles with publishers over the site's distribution of copyrighted materials, Kahle reflects on the growing threats to digital preservation while reaffirming his commitment to universal access to all knowledge. We begin the year by looking back. 

James Tejani discusses his new book "A Machine to Move Ocean and Earth," which reveals the untold story of how the Port of Los Angeles was carved from 3,400 acres of marshland to become the Western Hemisphere's busiest container port. Unlike San Francisco's natural harbor, this massive engineering project defied both nature and expert opinion. Tejani explores how Civil War generals, Mexican landowners, railroad barons, and government scientists shaped the port's development. Now handling roughly $300 billion in cargo annually, the port represents both tremendous economic success and significant environmental transformation.

After a devastating oil tanker collision in San Francisco Bay in 1971, John Francis made an extraordinary decision that would reshape environmental activism. He chose to stop using motorized transportation and took a vow of silence that would last 17 years. His remarkable journey, captured in the new short documentary "Planetwalker," evolved into a profound meditation on human connection and environmental consciousness. In this conversation, we talk with Francis and the film's directors, Nadia and Dominic Gill, about a story that offers insights into how environmental activism has changed over 50 years, revealing the powerful connection between how we treat each other and how we treat our planet.

Architectural critic Aaron Betsky challenges conventional thinking about our built environment in his new book "Don't Build, Rebuild," in which he makes the case for transforming existing structures rather than constructing new ones. From San Francisco's empty offices to Los Angeles's historic core, Betsky explores how this approach can not only address housing shortages and climate change but also preserve the soul and stories embedded in our buildings. He discusses the economic challenges, policy hurdles, and gentrification paradox while arguing that reimagined architecture can be more beautiful and meaningful than new construction, carrying within it the patina of human experience.

Veteran journalist Joe Mathews offers a post-election analysis of California's future, arguing that the state's path lies not in isolation but in building global alliances — particularly at the local level. While many focus on tensions between the state and federal governments, Mathews suggests California's cities should forge connections with counterparts worldwide who face challenges from authoritarian forces. As national governments falter globally, he argues, local governance becomes increasingly crucial. Drawing from his international expertise, Mathews outlines how California's communities could learn from places all over the world.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Emily Hoeven examines Gov. Gavin Newsom's heightened relevance following the Democrats' stunning presidential defeat. As the party searches for new leadership, California's ambitious governor seems poised to step onto the national stage. But can the telegenic leader of the world's fifth-largest economy translate his West Coast progressive agenda into a winning formula for Democrats nationwide? Hoeven offers her sharp insights on whether Newsom has what it takes to become the kind of Democrat America would embrace. 

Elsa Devienne takes us behind the iconic beaches of Los Angeles to reveal a hidden history of transformation, conflict, and reinvention. The author of "Sand Rush," Devienne discusses how L.A.'s shores went from eroding, polluted strips in the 1920s and '30s to expansive public spaces that defined the city's image and culture. She details the social and political forces that played out, from the exclusion of minority communities to today's ongoing battles over coastal access. With echoes of "Chinatown" and insights into today's wealth-driven coastal fights, Devienne's work helps illuminate Los Angeles' evolving identity.

In a wide-ranging conversation, Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano dismantles the myth of a monolithic "Latino vote." Through his recent 3,000-mile journey across the Southwest, Arellano discovered communities far more focused on local concerns than national political narratives. He explores how Latinos navigate the complex dynamic of assimilation, while often maintaining a distinct cultural identity. Most striking was their passion for local politics, with leaders making their most significant impact far from the national spotlight.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning California poet Forrest Gander discusses "Mojave Ghost," his novel-poem blending personal grief with geological exploration. He explains how his background in geology shapes his writing, offering unique insights on landscape and emotion. Gander describes walking the San Andreas Fault to process loss, highlighting the desert's transformative power. He explores the connection between landscape and psyche, challenging conventional views of time and grief. Gander emphasizes the importance of presence in writing and life, reflecting on poetry's role in our media-saturated world.

Oisin Heneghan, a Stanford engineering graduate and real estate developer, sees opportunity in San Francisco's challenges. His company N17 leads the Bay Area in pending planning applications for new housing. Heneghan explains San Francisco's cyclical nature, emphasizing the need to look five to seven years ahead, as conditions change by project completion. He's focused on addressing the housing crisis, leveraging political support for new housing, and using new laws for faster approvals. Heneghan remains confident in San Francisco's strong fundamentals, citing its tech industry, natural beauty, and ability to attract top talent.

Wall Street Journal reporter Zusha Elinson takes us through his reporting on the tragic encounter at a San Francisco Walgreens on April 27, 2023, when security guard Michael Anthony fatally shot Banko Brown, a homeless transgender man, over $14.64 worth of stolen candy. The story unfolds against a backdrop of shifting attitudes towards crime and policing in San Francisco. Both Anthony and Brown were at tumultuous points in their lives when their paths crossed. The confluence of personal struggles, corporate policies, and urban challenges culminated in a moment that sparked outrage and debate about justice, race, and transgender rights in San Francisco.

Sasha Abramsky, author of the new book "Chaos Comes Calling," talks about how America's deep polarization has cascaded from national politics down to local levels of governance. Abramsky reveals that even in small rural communities, once-mundane local issues like library policies, road repairs, and child care have become ideological battlegrounds. A quintessential example of this phenomenon is Shasta County, California, where far-right politicians won control of government. Abramsky illuminates how the pandemic, social media echo chambers, and talk radio amplified partisan voices, transforming school boards and city councils into microcosms of the broader red-blue divide. 

Elizabeth Rosner discusses the importance and difficulty of deep listening in our noisy, information-saturated world. The Berkeley author's new work "Third Ear: Reflections on the Art and Science of Listening" draws in part from her experience as a child of Holocaust survivors. Rosner weaves personal narratives with insights from various fields to illustrate how listening can enhance empathy and connection, and posits that listening is a transformative act with the potential to heal individuals and bridge societal divides.

Del Seymour, a former homeless addict known as the "mayor of the Tenderloin," and his biographer, Alison Owings, offer a raw, street-level view of San Francisco's most notorious neighborhood. Seymour, the subject of Owings' book, "Mayor of the Tenderloin," pulls no punches, exposing the paradoxical allure of homelessness and the failings of well-meaning nonprofits. His insights challenge conventional wisdom about addiction and urban poverty, while his Tenderloin walking tours and Code Tenderloin jobs programs demonstrate his enduring hope. 

Los Angeles author Carol Mithers discusses her new book, "Rethinking Rescue," which explores a groundbreaking approach to animal welfare pioneered by Lori Weise, the founder of L.A.'s Downtown Dog Rescue. Known as the "Dog Lady," Weiss focuses on preventing pets from entering shelters by addressing the root causes of surrender, particularly in underserved communities. Mithers highlights the complex interplay between poverty, pet ownership, and animal welfare, challenging traditional rescue paradigms and emphasizing community support and education to keep pets with their loving owners.

Patt Morrison, a veteran Los Angeles journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner, takes us on a journey through the city's ever-evolving landscape. With over five decades of experience chronicling L.A. across print, television, and radio, Morrison shares unique insights into the city's transformation, from its complex power structures to its diverse communities. She shares anecdotes about iconic figures, and discusses her role in reviving interest in the Los Angeles River. As the city prepares for the 2028 Olympics, Morrison's reflections on L.A.'s past and present offer an invaluable perspective on its future.

Roger BelAir and Dan Ostroff are bringing hope to California's toughest prisons through an unlikely source: pickleball. Their upcoming documentary, "Pickleball in Prison," explores how the simple paddle sport is transforming life behind bars, bridging gaps between inmates and staff, and fostering teamwork in high-security environments. From San Quentin to Folsom, the film captures wardens facing off against inmates across the net, revealing moments of shared humanity. 

Zoë Bernard's recent story in Vanity Fair looks at El Segundo, California's emerging tech scene, where young entrepreneurs are rejecting Silicon Valley's software focus in favor of hard tech and defense tech. These predominantly male founders emphasize bro culture, patriotism, religion, and traditional values while developing drones, nuclear reactors, and military weaponry. With more than $100 billion invested in defense tech since 2021, they see themselves as "saving America." The war in Ukraine has helped legitimize their efforts, while concerns about China drive their mission. 

Kevin Fagan, a veteran San Francisco Chronicle reporter, discusses the state's evolving homelessness crisis. After the Supreme Court's recent Grants Pass decision, cities are taking more aggressive action on encampment sweeps. Fagan explores these sweeps, the state of homelessness, and the political implications as elections approach. With decades of experience, he provides unique insights into the human impact of homelessness, the challenges facing policymakers and communities, and how years of coverage have affected him personally.

Caroline Paul's youthful adventures began as one of the first women to join the San Francisco Fire Department back in 1989, a story she recounts in her bestselling memoir, "Fighting Fire." In her latest book, "Tough Broad: From Boogie Boarding to Wing Walking — How Outdoor Adventure Improves Our Lives as We Age," Paul demonstrates how a lifelong relationship with outdoor adventure enriches the lives of women well into their older years.  

Sara Fenske Bahat, the former interim chief executive of San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, explores the interplay between art, politics, and institutional responsibility. Bahat, who is Jewish, explains the museum's mission and history leading up to a crisis in February involving pro-Palestinian protests, questions of free speech, and accusations of antisemitism that ultimately led her to step down. She reflects on that decision, her concerns about safety within the museum, and the broader implications for arts institutions nationwide.

José Vadi, author of "Chipped: Writing from a Skateboarder's Lens," explores skateboarding as a unique window into California culture, both northern and southern. He discusses how skating serves as a form of self-empowerment and artistic expression, intertwining with music and writing. Vadi examines skateboarding's evolution from a rebellious subculture to a global phenomenon. He reveals how skateboarding shapes public spaces, confronts mortality, and offers new perspectives on community and creativity.

Markos Kounalakis, a visiting fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution and California's "second gentleman," married to Lieutenant Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, argued in a recent Washington Monthly piece that California, given its economic power and strategic location, is underrepresented in key U.S. Senate committees, including those on armed services, foreign relations, and intelligence. This limits the state's contributions on crucial foreign policy decisions, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.

Jan Sramek grew up enamored with the California dream. Today he tells us how he wants to transform that dream into the development of a new 21st-century city on 60,000 acres of rural Solano County. Dubbed California Forever, the project is designed, Sramek says, to reshape the Bay Area housing landscape by adding more than 25,000 homes, creating thousands of jobs, mitigating traffic congestion, and recapturing the spirit of a California that once dreamed big.

What were you doing at 22? Cecilia Lunaparra, a senior at UC Berkeley, was just elected to the Berkeley City Council at that age, making her the youngest and first undergraduate to hold the office. She's not new to activism and making a difference in her community, and thinks that the young people protesting on campus today may be at the forefront of a new revolution.238

Over the years, the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news reporting has typically been awarded to major legacy media brands. However, this year a hyperlocal online publication, the Santa Cruz Lookout, received the prestigious honor for its coverage of the once-in-a-century floods that devastated Santa Cruz in January 2023. Ken Doctor, who founded the Lookout in 2020, details how the newsroom covered the floods, and how it has emerged as a potential model for the future of local journalism.

California has often been identified with divorce, at least in the media. After all, California was the first state to introduce no-fault divorce in 1970 under then-Gov. Ronald Reagan, and celebrity divorces make lots of headlines. Our guest, Lauren Petkin, has been practicing family law in Los Angeles for 36 years. She lays out today's divorce landscape, including mediation vs. litigation, the rise in prenups, collaborative divorce, alimony reforms, and the use of private judges.

In his new book "Cast Out of Eden," Robert McNally removes John Muir from his pedestal and exposes his contempt for the Indigenous peoples whose homeland he helped expropriate. McNally contends that Muir, while rightly celebrated as a nature mystic who introduced the concept of wilderness to Californians and fought for the preservation of wild places, believed that Indigenous people had "no right place in the landscape." The author takes an unflinching look at the troubling aspects of Muir's legacy, arguing that his vision of a pristine wilderness erased the long history of Native Americans on the land.

Bay Area author Sylvia Brownrigg embarked on a captivating journey to uncover family secrets, set against the backdrop of California's allure of reinvention. In her new memoir, "The Whole Staggering Mystery," a lost package sparks an exploration that intertwines identity, hidden family histories, and the enduring influence of the past on the present. Through her evocative storytelling, Brownrigg juggles the essence of reinvention and the longing for self-discovery.

Max Podemski is an urban planner, writer, and illustrator who currently serves as a transportation planner for the city of Los Angeles. In his new book, "A Paradise of Small Houses," he traces the evolution of American housing types, from the Philadelphia row house and Chicago workers cottage to the California bungalow. Podemski argues that California's rich history of desirable multifamily housing could hold a solution to the state's housing crisis.