Podcasts about California Department

Rico Omarr Harris had once seemed destined for a life in basketball. Standing 6-foot-9, Rico was a standout player who attracted attention from college scouts, led Los Angeles City College to a state championship, and eventually played briefly for the Harlem Globetrotters. But years after his basketball career had taken an unexpected turn, Rico was preparing for a new chapter of his life. On October 10, 2014, 37-year-old Rico Omarr Harris left his mother's home in Alhambra, California, and began driving north toward Seattle, where he planned to reunite with his longtime girlfriend and start a new life. He spoke with his mother while driving through the Sacramento area and later left a voicemail for his girlfriend. Then, he vanished. Three days later, Rico's black Nissan was discovered abandoned at a remote Yolo County Regional Parks location along State Route 16. His vehicle was there, but Rico was nowhere to be found. Extensive searches of the surrounding area produced no trace of him, and despite the passage of more than a decade, Rico Harris remains missing. What happened to the former basketball star in Yolo County? Why did he leave his vehicle behind? And how does a man who stood nearly seven feet tall seemingly disappear without a trace? Anyone with information about the disappearance of Rico Harris can contact: Yolo County Sheriff's Department at (530) 666-8282 The case number to reference is 14-2964 Connect with us on Social Media!You can find us at:Instagram: @bookofthedeadpodX: @bkofthedeadpodFacebook: The Book of the Dead PodcastTikTok: BookofthedeadpodOr visit our website at www.botdpod.com Join hosts CJ and Carmita as they set out to cover cases of grizzly serial killers who have brought their nefarious crimes to our beautiful area of the PNW for many years.  Listen Here Fenno, N. (2017, March 18). His dreams of basketball stardom vanished first. Now his mother says, ‘I am not giving up on finding my son' - Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Mertz, A. (2014, October 22). Seattle girlfriend of missing former Harlem Globetrotter confident he will “come home.” FOX 13 Seattle.  MISSING IN AMERICA: Rico Omarr Harris. (2015, June 11). NBC News.  Rico Harris College Stats | College basketball at Sports-Reference.com. (n.d.). College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com.  Rico Omarr Harris. (2017, July 21). State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General. The disappearance of Rico Harris. (2019, June 27). Stories of the Unsolved.  Vanishing Man: The Disappearance of Rico Harris. (n.d.). FOX Sports.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In June of 1987, sixteen-year-old Theresa Ann Bier disappeared into the Sierra Nevada mountains of California.She had gone into the mountains with 43-year-old Russell “Skip” Welch, a man who was fascinated by Bigfoot and claimed to know where the creatures could be found. Theresa never returned.What followed was one of the strangest missing-person investigations imaginable.Welch gave investigators conflicting accounts of what had happened. A campsite he initially identified was later questioned by investigators, who believed the scene may have been staged. Another campsite was located miles away, in the remote area of Ghost Canyon. And eventually, Welch gave investigators an explanation that would make Theresa's disappearance infamous:He claimed Bigfoot had taken her.But was that really what happened?In this episode, we take a detailed look at Theresa's life before she disappeared, the circumstances surrounding her trip into the mountains, the search for her, Russell Welch's changing stories, the investigation and arrest, and the many theories that have surrounded the case for nearly four decades.We'll also explore the darker side of the story, including allegations surrounding Theresa's difficult childhood and the troubled environment in which she was living before her disappearance.Nearly forty years later, Theresa remains missing.There is no confirmed grave.No confirmed explanation.And no definitive answer to the question that has haunted her family for decades:What happened to Theresa Bier?A note about the caseSome of the information concerning Theresa's childhood, the allegations surrounding people in her life, and the theories involving other possible suspects comes from later interviews, investigative reporting and secondary sources rather than officially established facts. Those claims are presented as allegations or theories, not as proven facts.Theresa Ann Bier remains officially listed as missing by the California Department of Justice.If you have information about Theresa Bier's disappearance, please contact the Fresno Police Department.

Explore APSC's My Family Audio Series A story-driven 3-part audio project about Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, Vietnamese, and other Southeast Asian families doing everything possible to breathe with ease and live freely besides the people we love.  Created by the Asian Prisoner Support Committee and APEX Express, and hosted by writer and activist Michelle MiJung Kim, My Family seeks to answer many of the questions countless families in our communities are grappling with today. Mass deportation and family separation are fueled by isolation and silence. With My Family, we aim to dismantle both with stories full of heart, compassion, and an honest look at the tangled paths many of us take to reckon with the past, rebuild our lives, and make a new place home.  Our deep gratitude extends to all the community members who shared their stories with us, even while painful to recount. Their commitment to creating stronger, more informed communities is unparalleled.    My Family Ep. 1: How did we get here?  In our first episode, we talk to Roger Viet Chung to bring APSC's longstanding Restoring Our Original True Selves (ROOTS) program from inside San Quentin to listeners outside. Roger is faculty in the Department of Ethnic Studies at Laney College and a founder and faculty lead of Restoring our Communities (ROC), Laney College's program for formerly incarcerated students and justice involved juveniles. He previously served as the lead instructor and curriculum designers of ROOTS.  We also speak with NC, Pam, and T. NC was deported to Laos this past year. Pam was deported to Cambodia three years ago, and T was deported to Cambodia six years ago.  Music from episode 1, as well as related resources, can be found below in the show notes. If you are an impacted community member in California or have a family member who is directly impacted by detention and deportation, we encourage you to contact APSC at info@asianprisonersupport.com or our partners at New Light Wellness and the Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants.   Music: Somleng Tro Khmer by Satiya, a Cambodian Australia singer and songwriter Pka Kompong Thom by Satiya   Resources: My Family Episode 1 discussion guide  APSC Data Report on Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Asians and Pacific Islanders Asian Law Caucus legal resources and video explainers for Southeast Asians facing deportation threats Eddy Zheng's story    Transcript Michelle MiJung Kim: [00:00:00] All across the United States, ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is terrorizing immigrant neighborhoods. Every time I scroll on social media, I see horrifying videos of children being ripped apart from their parents as they get shoved inside unmarked cars of ICE agents. You can hear the family's cries for help, children wailing, neighbors and protesters yelling at the abductors.   The scene is [00:01:00] pure chaos, swirling with desperation and fear. I notice I'm clenching my jaw as I imagine the trauma of the moment that will last a lifetime for these families. But the scene usually ends here, and not long after I scroll away, I'm met with another slew of videos of similar intensity. But what happens to the people after this painful moment?   What happens to the families after the protesters depart? What happens when their loved ones actually get detained, get deported? where do they go, and what happens to those who remain? I'm your host, Michelle MiJung Kim, and I'm partnering with the Asian Prisoner Support Committee and APEX Express to bring you stories from families who are grappling with the impossible choices amid the cruelty and horrors of mass detention and deportation, stories full of truth, understanding, and lived experiences that are too often hidden or silenced. [00:02:00]   Tony (pseudonym): Even though I don't have no family and I don't even have no family over there, and I don't even know nothing about Vietnam because I left the country when I was 10 years old.”   My dad raised all four of m- you know, me and my sibling all by himself. So just emotion and everything rush in, it's just like, you know, heartbreaking.   So every time, when my dad come to visit me, he always break down and cry because he just like, feel sad that his oldest son is gonna get shipped back to his country.   Pam (pseudonym): My son bought a car for me. He bought a car. He's like, “Mama, you're not getting deported. I got you a Honda Civic already. I got you a car. I got a place for you.” You know how, that affect me when your family member bought you stuff be thinking they'd be coming home?   Michelle MiJung Kim: [00:03:00] Every family threatened by ICE is different, with their unique traditions, memories, and inside jokes. But there are also fears and questions that every community being ripped apart shares, whether our families are Asian, Latino, Black, or Arab. For many Southeast Asians in the United States, there's one other thing in common.   Their families found refuge here in the '70s and '80s, fleeing unthinkable genocide and war in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Most have loved ones who didn't survive. The ones who made it out, around one point one million, are the largest refugee community ever resettled in the United States. Upon arriving here, families were forced into impoverished and under-resourced neighborhoods.   Parents who just lived through war and genocide never got the mental and physical healthcare they critically needed. To survive poverty and attacks in their neighborhoods and schools, some youth turned to gangs and [00:04:00] crimes. After serving their time, they've since grown up, transformed, and found their ways to heal.   They are now mentors, parents, small business owners, homeowners, just everyday neighbors who, like most of us, take their kids to school and pick up groceries and call this country home. And yet, around sixteen thousand of these Southeast Asian community members are facing imminent deportation based on convictions from years, if not decades ago, and despite the fact that they already served their sentence.   Today, California is home to the largest Southeast Asian American population, followed by Texas, Washington, and Minnesota. And these families are seeking answers. How did we get here? What can we do to keep our family safe and together? And their friends and neighbors are asking questions, too. How can this be?   What can we do? That's where these stories come [00:05:00] in. We're taking a closer look at what happens to families after the headlines pass and the blaring noise quiets down. You'll hear directly from people who are living on all sides of this nightmare, all trying to do what's best for their kids, their parents, their loved ones.   Welcome to My Family.   As some listeners may know, the Asian Prisoner Support Committee based in Oakland, California, was born out of the campaign to support the San Quentin 3, Eddy Zheng, Viet Mike Ngo, and Rico Riemedio. The San Quentin 3 advocated for ethnic studies in the California State Prison, and in retaliation, the prison administration sent them to solitary confinement.   Out of that struggle, they started the Restoring Our Original True Selves, or ROOTS program at San Quentin, which the Asian [00:06:00] Prisoner Support Committee continues today, teaching hundreds of people under the motto, ” No history, no self. Know history, know self.” Together in ROOTS, community members incarcerated in California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation prisons, or CDCR, learn immigrant and refugee histories, address intergenerational and inherited trauma, and build lifelong leadership and community skills.   Many ROOTS alumni are now mentors and counselors in California, while others are working in reentry, violence prevention, faith, and other community organizations across the state.   To kick off our first episode, we'll start with some context from Roger Viet Chung. Roger is faculty in the Department of Ethnic Studies at Laney College in Oakland, and founder and faculty lead of Restoring Our Communities, Laney's program for formerly incarcerated students and justice-involved youth.   He has served as the lead instructor and curriculum developer of the ROOTS in San [00:07:00] Quentin.   A content warning for our listeners that in today's episode we'll be discussing war and genocide, inherited trauma and self-hatred, depression, and family separation. Here's Roger.   Roger Viet Chung: My name is Roger Viet Chung. Uh, I'm from Oakland, California, and I currently work for Laney College. At Laney College I instruct in the Department of Ethnic Studies, a range of classes that range from Southeast Asian studies all the way to courses like race, gender, and sports.   In 2013, um, I had the honor and privilege of, supporting and facilitating a course for Asian Americans and others in San Quentin State Prison, and which launched me on a, a journey of understanding more about incarceration, the prison industrial complex, abolition, the way pipelines form. And since 2013, I've been deeply involved in figuring out how to work reentry, how to support those in custody, how to help people come home, how to help people on parole tell their stories.   Um, [00:08:00] and so since 2013, uh, I've been working for a program called Restoring Our Communities, which is a reentry program at Laney College, where we support the reentry of folks coming home from prison, jail, juvenile hall and help them explore their post-secondary pathways and dreams. In addition to that, I also run our Laney College, a satellite campus inside the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center, where, we work with, uh, young people who are interested in going to college, transferring to four-year universities, um, and, uh, reuniting with their families.   Uh, I'm a Vietnamese American. I was born in, uh, 1978 and, born in the United States, my proximity to incarceration and the entire carceral landscape you know, was pretty distant up until I went to graduate school. Uh, when I was in graduate school in, um, the early 2000s, I heard a story about a person named Eddy Zheng, who at that time was incarcerated in San Quentin State Prison.   We heard this story about how Eddy and two other folks were asking for ethnic studies programming at their [00:09:00] prison when there was a growing movement for education inside CDCR. Uh, we understood that, you know, that movement, um, you know, landed Eddy in solitary confinement, got him transferred, uh, to another prison.   And I think for me, that was my first moment where as an Asian American, I connected both with this idea that Asian Americans were doing time, but also you know, it intersected with my field of study, ethnic studies. And so, that was probably my first moment where I saw myself possibly in the work.   Michelle MiJung Kim: Before we come back to Roger, we had a chance to talk to Eddy Zheng about his fight for ethnic studies at San Quentin, the early days of APSC, and how he continues to support incarcerated and formerly incarcerated community members. Let's hear from Eddy   Eddy Zheng: Happy New Breath everyone. My name is Eddy Zheng.   The importance of ethnic studies, Asian American study, [00:10:00] is really focuses on the long tradition of the struggles, that many of the immigrants and refugees, the people who came to this country, uh, for multiple reasons, right? Some of them came voluntarily, and some of them came as refugee because the forced migration as a result of the United States' foreign policies, and then many of the push and pull challenges that came from other, uh, countries across the world.   The long tradition of, of that struggle really is a internal one, right? The internal struggle is finding a sense of belonging in a foreign country or in a country even though we may be born here sometimes, there's still this sense of being treated and being respected as an American versus a perpetual uh, foreigner.    And for many of the people who were impacted by the criminal legal system [00:11:00] and by this type of oppressive foreign policy and systemic racism oftentimes people don't necessarily get an opportunity to understand their culture and history that informs their identity. So therefore as even I was learning how to read and write and speak English and to eventually to become thinking critically I have experienced the power of when I was able to comprehend and articulate the connection that I have, right, with my ancestors and my culture and the history that informs my identity.   Immediately, I was able to, find confidence and find that sense of belonging that I was not alone, that there, there was a long lineage of the knowledge, The connected point to, not only who I am as an individual, but then who I am connected [00:12:00] to, the rest of the humanity, right?   I think when we talk about that lineage really ties back to the 1968 Third World Liberation Front, when students and people in the community, the activists that who stood up fighting for the opportunity to have curriculums and, or materials that really teaches a more well-rounded history around, the makeup of the United States of America, So the fight for the Asian American studies, women's studies, and global studies was very important, as it continue to 1969 in UC Berkeley, and then also later on in 1999, where students are also facing threats of having ethnic studies and Asian American studies eliminated, from the university curriculum, right?   So I have experienced all those lineage of struggles to fight for what the basic academic right, for people [00:13:00] to learn about each other's culture and history and how that historically has been continued to also trying to erase history. when I was in San Quentin State Prison, then once I was able to start to become a thinker, then I realized especially after September 11, the scapegoating of people of color, scapegoating of people that who came from other countries is perpetuated within the prison industrial complex, myself and three of my friends, we were advocating for, uh, the opportunity to be able to, uh, engage, in this process of, Asking to have Asian American studies or ethnic studies within the prison college program, And so that, that was when we signed a proposal, you know, advocating not only for the opportunity, to study, Asian American histories a- and cultures, but other people's culture and [00:14:00] histories at the same time, and then also honoring the prisoners' rights, right?   To choose, what we want to learn and how we participate in the decision-making process within the volunteer-ran college program in the San Quentin State Prison. The outcome was the three of my friends who signed the proposal you know, Mike Ngo Rico Riemedio we were, uh, put into solitary confinement uh, for signing that proposal.   And then my other friend that, who signed the proposal, Stephen Liebb, you know, even though he didn't go to solitary confinement, that he, but he was punished as a result of signing the proposal. That's when the forming of an unexpected Asian American movement, right, in the Bay Area, which is the Asian Prisoner Support Committee, where volunteers and activists that who have heard of the struggles, of the activism inside San Quentin advocas- in advocacy for Asian American studies, ethnic studies, and prisoners rights, that they [00:15:00] came together to support us, you know, inside the prison system.   And so it's very interesting in that, the dynamic, uh, between, we want you to, uh, learn and we wanna give you opportunity to learn, but then learning and applying what you learn comes at a price, that's where the importance of why ethnic studies of Asian Americans are important because it allow us to gain power, right? when we gain power of thinking, and critical thinking, then there's this fear from the, the people that, who have power and don't wanna share that power.   And so that's why it's very important. So fast-forward to post-incarceration after… first of all, I spent 11 months, uh, in solitary confinement as a result of that advocacy in San Quentin. And then later on, uh, when I was finally released after, uh, being incarcerated for 21 years, [00:16:00] I've never forgotten the importance of, creating more learning opportunities within the prison system for those that who are still incarcerated.   Around 2012, that's when we, you we meaning that, you know, that's when I me and members of the Asian Prisoner Support Committee, we started thinking about how do we go inside the prison and create Asian American studies and ethnic studies program inside, We were able to went under you know, as volunteers, we were able to go into San Quentin State Prison to participate, uh, in in this program called, TRUST. I believe the acronym is, uh, Teaching Responsibility Utilizing Sociological Training, uh, which is designed to transform incarcerated men, uh, from social liabilities into assets, right?   So, Uh, while we were participating, we were able to get an opportunity to engage The participants who are [00:17:00] AAPIs to ask them if they are interested into creating a program where we're able to, learn about our culture and history, And they all agreed that it's important.   After about, like, almost like a year or more of kind of like a collaboration, brainstorming, and advocacy from within the prison, finally in 2013, I think that's when, we started the first cohort of the ROOTS program. The ROOTS acronym is Restoring Our Original True Selves, uh, which is, really came about as a result of the brainstorming of the prisoners, a lo- of many of the lifetime prisoners who were inside.    Because they felt that along the way they have lost themselves, right, as they were trying to find a sense of belonging.   So the goal is to, uh, use that as a way to heal intergenerational trauma that many of the prisoners experience when they came to the United States, and that ended up, making poor choices and then, [00:18:00] uh, involved in the criminal legal system.   that's when the first ROOTS program was started in 20, uh, 13. And then what is interesting was that when it started, I wasn't allowed to go in to participate in the program that I co-founded with the people inside, it wasn't, uh- Until the graduation of the first cohort of ROOTS, uh, that they allow me to go in to do a keynote speech, right? Because the participants inside, advocated saying that, “Hey, we would like Eddy to come in to be our keynote speaker at our graduation.”   And so that's when I was able to go in and really, experience this fruition of all the advocacy. seeing many of those leaders and participants graduating from the first year of the ROOTS program really solidified why an Asian American study is so important, right? It really focuses on, uh, for the participant to [00:19:00] learn about the connection the, to the ancestors and the culture and, and the history.   I mean, That sense of belonging they had lost along the way or for many was not able to learn in traditional economic environment, and then part of this is also even though the curriculum focused Asian American studies, but then it also connects to other people's colors of histories and how the intersection of that of that experience domestically, internationally, are connected to the same systems of oppression in, in that space.   I think what, what is also important is that once they were able to learn about their own culture and history, they inform their identity. They're able to also learn about other people's history, other people's culture that inform their identities. So immediately there's opportunity to, humanize each other And so that's why this is so important that we must engage in the collective learning [00:20:00] process that allow us the opportunity for collective healing. And when the collective learning, collective healing is invested and engaged in racial solidarity, that's how we can embark on this journey of collective liberation.   The ROOTS program is the first ever Asian American studies ethnic studies program in the history of the penal system, and then this continues on to today, right? since 2013.   Michelle MiJung Kim: That was Eddy Zheng. In 2017, Eddy founded the New Breath Foundation to help underserved frontline groups empower, heal, and change the lives of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community members with a focus on the incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, and those who have been impacted by immigration and criminal legal [00:21:00] systems.   Let's return to Roger and what stood out to him when he first started working in San Quentin.   Roger Viet Chung: I think when I first went into San Quentin State Prison in 2013, um, again, I mentioned I was born in 1978, and, um, you know, I looked across the room to people who were around my age, um, none of whom were actually born in the United States. And so I think there's this really interesting question that needs to be pursued around Southeast Asians, Asian Americans that have immigrated at a young age, you know, largely through, the pathways of war that make that experience so much different than a, an experience like my own, right?   Born here in the United States, but also different than my parents, who immigrated to the United States as adults. And so the 1.5 generation as we will frame it today, we're gonna be talking about Asian Americans, Southeast Asians, refugees, immigrants that came to the United States at a, a young age, you know, all the way up until their adolescence. We're looking at a population that has had significant experience with [00:22:00] social institutions like schools, uh, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools that their parents may not have.   This was a time in California where we began to see more prisons being built, more apparatuses designed to be able to figure out how to work with young people, mainly through the lens of punishment and deterrence.   And so I think the idea of coming into, a state like California during a political landscape where, punishment, prisons and tough on crime positions were being applied to both adults and young people is something to consider when we're thinking about the 1.5 generation, um, that has been incarcerated.   I think that as the 1.5 generation immigrated into the United States you know, through various refugee and immigration policies, you know, they're inheriting a context in California where they've already been criminalized and their pathways into, uh, juvenile halls, into county jails, and into state prisons are being mapped out, without them really even knowing.   In [00:23:00] ROOTS, um, which was an Asian Prisoner Support Committee sponsored program, everyone has an, a unique and individual story, but, you know, the more we learned about people's stories, there just seemed to be a lot of collective threads that, tied everyone together. so if we were to talk about the 1.5 generation, you know, like a common collective journey would be something like this, right?   You know, whether a person escaped from Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos a lot of the common stories were, young people were born in Southeast Asia during or at the tail end of the wars in Southeast Asia, and most of them were not part of the original refugee exodus, which mainly featured, the elite and the educated.   And so one of the collective stories has been that a lot of the 1.5 generation, who would have otherwise left at much younger ages or even been born in the United States were experiencing significant transitions in countries that, were returning from civil [00:24:00] war. a lot of that destruction and a lot of the, the trauma and those experiences, right, began right around there.   And when people began thinking about, exiting, these positions, whether it be for political or, or class-based reasons or both, one of the collective stories that we tended to hear very often was that young people were really able to visualize, remember, right, even today, a lot of violence, a lot of trauma, that, you know, really propelled their, either their escape or, their emigration Young people met, went to camps oftentimes.   If they left Vietnam, they were in the Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong or Thailand. And if, you left Cambodia or you left Laos, you ended up in a variety of different forms of camps in Thailand awaiting for United Nations sponsorship. I think this is an important part of understanding the journey, because a lot of the one point five generation that became incarcerated were exposed to a variety of different traumas at [00:25:00] young ages that they still had kind of these vivid memories of.   And so as they, they left camps, you know, many stayed in camps for months, some even years. They were resettled into the United States, often in places that didn't have a lot of Asian Americans. And so at the time, United States refugee policy really asked all the states to share, right, some sort of, right, burden in resettling refugees.   And so a lot of the one point five generation that we met inside San Quentin, you know, their story in the United States didn't actually originate in California. Many of them were in Wisconsin or Ohio or Florida or Arkansas as their first stop into the United States before their parents did a secondary migration into a place that had more support, had a stronger ethnic community, um, and in some cases, right, just had, more protection against racial discrimination.   And so as parents, moved into ethnic communities and, and sought spaces that could protect themselves from racial [00:26:00] discrimination, the young students, right, the one point five generation didn't have, those same protections. And so many of them were enrolled into public schools, oftentimes schools that were underfunded and oftentimes schools that, uh, were in districts that had young people of color competing for resources.   When it came to that, that 1.5 generation, that journey into United States schools, was, I think, the beginning of understanding how to survive in a place where, a unique form of racial discrimination, a unique form, right, of class identity had to be navigated as they began their journeys in education, a lot of them feeling a lot of pressure to be, strong students in order to, you know, deliver their parents out of poverty. A lot of themes came up. One of the approaches that we took in the ROOTS program was looking at trauma.   We're not the first program to look at this, but I, I do think that it's a very important and interesting way to think about, [00:27:00] understanding the stories of people who are incarcerated. You know, oftentimes the, the narrative of people who are incarcerated is that they have committed an act that has traumatized another person, and therefore, right, their own trauma is something that we often either don't allow, ignore, or outright say, right?   “You don't deserve your own trauma because of the things that landed you in custody.” And so I think one of the projects that we really wanted to look at was to help people kind of, like, name their trauma, explore it, and, right, heal from it. And so when we thought about, the activities and the curriculum design, you know, we had people kind of, share stories of immigration, share stories of how, their parents came to name them, stuff like that.   And, you know, one humongous theme that came out in the ROOTS program was this idea of self-hatred and how much being in, right, the United States and being in places where you experience discrimination and you experience poverty led to really, really low concepts of [00:28:00] self and, , really resulted in, people, literally writing, right, reflections, saying things like, “I hated myself.   I hated how I looked,” right? “I hated my name.” Those are some of the themes that kind of were fleshed out as we explored the ROOTS program. And we wanted to take a look at, How that trauma not only would h-help people kind of understand their own trajectories more, but how that trauma could also be translated into, right, a more institutional form of advocacy for themselves and understanding how to do things like describe and explain, right, and be introspective about the things in their youth that led to, right, their incarceration.   Because one of the things we also noticed was that people were struggling to tell stories about their families because they didn't wanna bring shame, they didn't want to blame their families. And so, a lot of our 1.5 generation folks struggled with being able to tell a story to a parole board that kind of held their freedom in their hands.   And so being [00:29:00] able to have people tell their stories, right, to engage, right, some of the things that they experienced as traumatic, help them heal from those things, but also name them, , through ethnic studies concepts, through, history and through culture, was in a lot of ways, very freeing.   I think I'd be remiss to not mention that, you know, when we did programming inside ROOTS, there was a very, very, I think collective agreed upon, workshop that people inside wanted to do, and it was a workshop about gangs. Not just the criminalization of gangs and how gangs have become criminalized into the '90s, into the 2000s, but I think, incarcerated people, were really advocating around things like gang prevention. And so a lot of stories came out around, like, why people join gangs in the first place and, , it's not a brand-new story at all, but it was something that they wanted to explore and they were really, I think, very adamant about exploring among themselves.   And, you know, I think if you talk to incarcerated people, one of the things that they're so passionate about is [00:30:00] making sure their stories reach young people, which has also inspired me to go into juvenile hall to do a lot of work. But, one of the things that they wanted to develop, I think conceptually, was the idea of the migration to school-to-gang pipeline.   And, you know, whether or not the gang itself, should be conceptualized as, right, a protective, mechanism against racism, against bullying, against harassment, against exploitation. I mean, those are all things that we know, young people are looking for, as they join gangs, especially those that are immigrating from Southeast Asia or even, right, Latin America.   I think the folks inside were really, really adamant about making that connection and understanding that, not only their participation in gangs, but the criminalization of the gangs through that participation was one of the pathways that led them to places like juvenile hall, the California Youth Authority, the Division of Juvenile Justice.   I think the folks inside would, um, say that they need to be accountable to you know, the decisions that [00:31:00] they made and they wish that they were stronger about not making decisions to do things like join, criminal-based organizations. But, I think that there is a reality that, you know, there are a lot of social forces that, drove, that type of youth behavior.   And so, when we were in San Quentin, I think a lot of the folks were like, we need to improve this idea by, you know, understanding that, part of our journey has been, as 1.5 generation young people is , our responses to our trauma, our responses to racism, our responses to, disconnects between us and our families, particularly our parents, right, led us through a path, that was laden with policies that were designed to punish us.   You know, I think something that's really important that that I would wanna mention is, you know, the apparatuses that were designed to control and to rehabilitate and to correct youth, those apparatuses have been abolished because they didn't work.   And so when I think about the 1.5 generation that immigrated to the United States during a time of [00:32:00] heavy, heavy juvenile punishment, had they immigrated today, right, and, these systems not existing, you know, would they have done a significant time in state prison? You know, I don't know.   Would they been criminally adjudicated as adults? I don't know. And so I think that when we think about, you know, Asian Americans and Southeast Asians and Pacific Islanders that are coming to the United States at a very specific time, specifically those guys we worked with in ROOTS, you know, history was just not on their side, and that's not something that individuals can control.   And so when we think about the situations that we're put in, I reflect on my own life about, you know, looking at people that look like me that were the same age as me and, just weren't born in the United States and had privileges like I did. You know, I think those are some of the things that, I would ask the community to reflect upon.   That, you know, we're looking at, such a traumatic and punished time in California and U.S. history to really kind of take, a broader approach and to be able to, you know, deconstruct some of the things that have happened to help understand the lives of people who, you know, are in ICE detention today   Michelle MiJung Kim: [00:33:00] That was Roger Viet Chung, faculty in Laney College's Department of Ethnic Studies and founder of Restoring Our Communities. This is APEX Express. We'll return after a short break. [00:34:00]   NC (pseudonym): We were refugees. It was because of the, the war, the secret war in Laos, I guess.   Michelle MiJung Kim: This is NC. He grew up in California after his parents' harrowing escape from war and persecution in Laos. He was incarcerated for 24 years as a result of a conviction when he was a young person. He earned parole last year in [00:35:00] 2025.   NC (pseudonym): You know, I don't know for sure, but I'm just going off what people say and what they tell me is because- we were refugees, and we were hunted, and, so we fled, and crossed the river into Thailand.   And from Thailand we were, um, we were sent to the US. That's it.   When my, when I came here, my dad says, ” Well, you gotta learn everything here, know the language and everything, because this is your country now.   You're gonna live here.” So that's, that's what he told me.   Things were tough because my parents don't know nothing about this country, so they don't, You know, it's help was very, I would say, I think the best word I can use is help was very narrow, because we had, like, an…   I had, like, an uncle who knew the language, and they would help my, dad and my mom. And then, um, my dad actually went to a vocational training school to learn how to do auto body, This was in when we were in, in Long Beach, but they [00:36:00] came over to, uh, Stockton to open up a, um, garage, you to fix cars and do auto body. Growing up it was just hard because, you know, we were, uh, always poor and we didn't know how to adjust to the c- you know, the community.   America is, like, totally different, 'cause we go to school and then we read, write, speak English, and then we don't, we don't do none of that inside the house. So there's kind of that culture clash where, you know, the parents wanna teach you something and then you go to school and you learn something else, and then you're s- you struggle with your, um, you know, everyday life because, those are two different things   I was basically working while I was in prison, taking a lot of self-help classes and, um, earning certifications and trying to better myself, um, learning job skills. So when I, parole, I can, become a productive member of society. So while I was in, also incarcerated, I was taking college courses, to try to, attain a [00:37:00] AA degree.   So I was doing a lot of that stuff while I was in prison programming. My plan was… when I got out, as far as for work I would just like any job will do, just as long as I got work, any job will do.   But the goal was to continue my education, get my, uh, degree in, um, sociology, try to to open up a, a place and to be, um, LCSW certified, a licensed clinical social worker so I can help people, just like how, um, when I was, um, incarcerated, I was talking to, um, an LCSW so they can like, help you when you get back from this environment to the streets to help you adjust. First of all, it's helping people, and a lot of people, when you come out and get out, there's really nothing, like nobody's… the way I see it is, like- I don't see a lot of help, you know?   I don't see a lot of help or any [00:38:00] help, in my community that I'm at. I figured that, you know what? More help or help is always good, and a lot of times people… While, while I was in, um, incarcerated, you know, incarceration does affect you, it, in a way, institutionalizes you and makes you think a certain way, act a certain way, be a certain way, and when you come out, you have to, like, try to adjust to, you know, the norms of, outside living.   When I was talking to my, um, social worker, she was giving me a lot of those pointers. So I was thinking, like, “Okay, you know what? This is something I could do.” I could help, you know, like, a youth who's been incarcerated or young people coming out or anybody of any ages from anywhere that has, um, cultural issues, You know, like, if they're coming from a different country and they're, they're coming to the US and they're having, like, cultural issues. it's just about transitioning from one place to another place.” when I paroled from prison and they told me that, I have a ICE hold, an immigration hold. And [00:39:00] then I wasn't sure, like, what that was, if it's happening or not. And then when they paroled me, uh, immigration came and picked me up and took me to a detention facility.    ICE came and picked me up at the prison and, um, I went to a detention facility in Bakersfield called Mesa Verde   Michelle MiJung Kim: We're gonna come back to NC and what he experienced at Mesa Verde on the next episode, and what happened after he was deported to Laos just four months ago. Right now, I want to introduce you to another community member, Pam. Pam also grew up in California. She was incarcerated for 16 years. Three years ago, she was detained by ICE and then deported to Cambodia   Pam (pseudonym): [00:40:00] So I'm gonna start it off when the day I find out that, um, I probably get deported in 2000… yeah, 2012. ICE came and see me, and they say, ” Well, we got you on record that, you know, you're on a list that you're gonna get deported when you parole.” So if I have any kind, like American citizen to prove that, you know, I can't parole, and this and that.   I was like, “Okay.” I really didn't pay attention. My mind was more like stuck. On that day, my mind was more like, “Wait, my attorney told me I'm not ever gonna get deported,” and it just, my mind is like wondering off, like, why is this happening now? So other than that, I started doing research. I just signed the paper.   I didn't even hear exactly what they told me because I, my mind's already like blow. So I just signed the paper. Didn't even know what I'm signing, so I just signed the paper like so they can leave me alone. I just [00:41:00] need to process something on my own.   When I finally process, I start doing research and…   But before I start doing research, I call my parent up and told them, “What's gonna happen?” And they, you know, and my parents tell me, “Just tell them you don't have a family over there. There's nobody over there that could support you, take care of you. You've been, uh, here in America all your life. There's nobody.   Nobody. So why they came and… why did someone send it to you, send you over there, and since you already did your time?” So it's some kinda- mixed feeling. It's a lot of mixed feeling as I can see there's a lot of hurt inside my family. I can see what they go through, and then I was like, “Okay, now just too much.”   So after I talk to my parent and then see how they feel about it, and I understand, and I do feel them, too.   And I do understand, and, um, ‘ cause I've never been really separate from my family that long until I got [00:42:00] locked up. So it's harder difficulty than anything. I don't even move away from my mom that far.   I live across the street. So it's hard for me to see that, I'm really, like, can't see my mom ever again. I started doing research for years and years and still, hoping that I could fight and why I'm in prison, but people keep on telling me, “You can't fight your case until you get through, um, the ICE detainer, and that's how you fight your case.”   And it's like, eh, I need to find a… You know, I started doing more research on the law library about ICE and, you know, about deportation, everything about the law. I did all that, but it's nothing that really helped me unless it's something against my life. So and I did more research about, like anything They say the only way you could get away from it is, like, something affects your life, something that danger you. It's like, it mean life or death. [00:43:00] But I even do research on that. They say if they stop the war in Cambodian… So it was hard. It was just a lot. It was just a lot of paperwork that I would have to go through and try to do the research and find out.   So I started talking to more about with my family about that, and then my dad say, “You know, I can see this is really stressing you out, and I can see that you're looking through a lot of stuff that don't help you to get out. But we still have hope that you're gonna come home to us.”   Michelle MiJung Kim:  Every person who shared their story with us talked about the family members and friends who supported them through these traumatic experiences, those who have stood with them in the darkest of times. Those relationships are what keeps people going, and it's no different for the person you're about to hear from, T.   T served his time in prison many years ago. After he got out of prison, he led a [00:44:00] full life. He got married, became a father, and grew in his career as a superintendent of a welding business, including jobs for the US Navy. And then one day, everything changed.   T (pseudonym): You know, I, I'd been reporting, uh, as scheduled, to the, you know, the ICE agent e- every, you know, I start out once a month, once every three months, once every six months, once every year.   And I, I, I've been reporting perfectly how they want. And then one day, you know, I, I came home and I went look at, check my mail and, there's a, a mail from them. So I opened the mail up and it tells me, the mail tells me they're gonna detain me. They give me a date to be there, and they say they're gonna detain me.   You know, I, and my, my heart just sank, you know. When I saw that letter- Mm … I'm like, “Oh my God.” And you know, I, I, it broke me down right there, standing over there by the mailbox. And then I told my wife and, , we [00:45:00] both, sat and, you know, did a little, a little crying.   And it's just like depressed knowing that they can, uh, detain me, that scheduled date that they gave me, yeah, it, it, it was tough. It's like a, a little… I think they gave us like a, a month or something. No, three weeks, half a month, something like that. it, it, it was tough 'cause I, I, me, me and my wife and my two daughter we, you know, we have family.   They, they okay, you know. yeah, I, I've checked in and, uh, they, they, they did detain me and, uh, of course my wife's all crying and, you know, my daughter, my, both my daughters young at that time. They're still young. They don't know what, what happened, you know. They asked my wife, “Hey, where's Dad?”   And you know, my, my wife didn't tell them what happened yet because they didn't, my wife didn't want them to, you know, worry. So my wife just told them, “Oh, you know, uh, your dad went to work. Maybe he'll be gone maybe a month or so.” She just don't want them to feel bad.   But yeah, my wife went through some stuff and trying to figure things out while I was in the detention center. and uh, [00:46:00] yeah, I got interview and got deported. and my wife, she was struggling at that time. She didn't work either because she's the, you know, she stayed home as a housewife, take the kids to school and stuff like that.   Michelle MiJung Kim: T's wife and daughter are now with him in Cambodia. He's currently serving as a staff member at New Light Wellness in Phnom Penh providing mental health and healing services to other people and families who are deported and separated   T (pseudonym): Yes. To me it's very important, to have someone to talk to 'cause when you're deported, uh, you, you already broken. you feel like you're a broken person, and, and sometime you don't know who to talk to because you're at a new, new place.   You don't really know no one, you know? And, uh, it, it, it's heartbreaking you trying to, uh, find someone to talk to. You, you feel like you're alone.   But at New Light, [00:47:00] we provide all that. You need someone to talk to, here. We, we, here you could pick one of our team here to talk to. You can go to the facility that we have over there and just talk to someone and just relax over there and just, you know, we, we have, always have someone there to help, talk about anything you want, to guide to bring closure, that, that's the thing, uh, about our team here.   We wanna make sure we have all that, everything Cause we understand, we understand, uh, being deported need someone to talk to, because that's what I, I did when, uh, the first couple years when I got deported here and I, I was so stressed out, and I don't know who to turn to, where to go.   Luckily, I found New Light, and I'm so glad, and I'm still with them now.   Deportation to me, I feel it is very cruel. It breaks families apart, and then it'll change the life and future of, your children. You know, it, it… Deportation, it, it's just a sad [00:48:00] word, it's just a sad word. It, it's just… It's like pain. It's a lot of pain, that word deportation.   It's a lot of pain. I mean, I, I… It, it's just… To me, it's just a lot of pain. It is just getting ripped off from your family, and affect everyone. It affect, you know, your brother and sister, your cousin, your niece, your nephew. You know, that's how, that's how I, I sees it,   Roger Viet Chung: Yeah, I think it's, um You know, I, I think it's important to, understand that, um, you know, deportation, isn't something that existed, since 1776, right?   Michelle MiJung Kim: That familiar voice is Roger, who you heard from earlier. Here's what he thinks about previously incarcerated people getting deported despite having already served their time.   Roger Viet Chung: And so I think when we kinda think about the logics of a [00:49:00] person who is serving a sentence and is being released by even authorities around in the carceral state and determining that they're not a threat to society, that they're no longer harmful to society, that they've done their rehabilitation in order to continue to contribute to, right, the nation and to their families and their communities, I think we have a very contradictory message where, you know, you actually have, a, a carceral apparatus naming a person as no longer a harm to society, but then, right, being deported.   And so when we think about these stories and, you know, I remember talking to a life term prisoner who has children who were born in the United States. And, he's going up to the parole board, and he has, an ICE hold. He has, you know, a mandatory deportation because of his conviction. He's asking the questions to himself, you know, “What do I do? do I fight to be released from prison? If that's the case, I might get taken to ICE custody right away and, [00:50:00] get my travel documents prepared to be deported. Or do I stay in prison so that my family can continue to see me in the United States, right?   And maybe, I don't do the types of things that are gonna win me my freedom in front of a parole board.” And I think those are the types of contradictions in the stories that I think illuminate the contradictions and, right, like, the problems with the way that we approach, deportation today.   There's, the idea of deportation, we often, I think because it's related to law, oftentimes, right, you know, our communities, see that as an objective or neutral phenomenon, that's always been that way. And so I think, when we try to get folks to kinda understand the ways that deportation and, you know, immigration policy, has been shaped, one of the things that I'll ask students, I remember being inside San Quentin, and I, I ask this of my Laney students all the time, you know, I ask them, “When was Immigration and Customs Enforcement founded?”, “What year was like the birth of what we understand now as ICE?” And, [00:51:00] students will guess, they'll guess, they'll guess, and maybe they'll look it up online, and they'll say, ” Oh, Roger, it's 2001.” Then I'll ask people, “Who's older, you or ICE?”   And most of the time, the people that I ask are older than ICE. And so I think one of the ways that we kind of approach this is, you know, by understanding that what's happening now is a, a very new and contemporary phenomenon immigration in its most brutal form, right? Or deportation in its most brutal form.   And I ask people, right, you know, “What was ICE called before it was called ICE?” There was an, a, an organization that existed before. And, you know, people will struggle a little bit, and then, you know, I'll say the initials, uh, INS. And then people will say, “What does that stand for?” INS stands for, uh, Immigration Naturalization Services.   And so you have this really significant institutional difference, just in the name itself around how a migrant is being treated and perceived. Right? On the one hand, right, you have enforcement through [00:52:00] ICE. But for the most part, right, immigration policy in the United States was not ICE. It was Naturalization Services, right?   It was about welcoming people to come to the United States, contribute, be taxpayers, right? And, become citizens, become naturalized. And so I think that's one of the ways that we begin thinking about how to deconstruct the idea that deportation is just a matter of law, it's a neutral idea, and that it's always existed in the form that it has.   And, you know, we know that the law that really is driving Asian American deportation or a- and other immigrant-based deportation today is a law that was designed in 1996. And so- The way that we see, right, immigration today is really kind of like a parcel, a very small piece of immigration history and deportation history for that matter in the United States.   And I think that's one way that I think helps people understand that you know, what we're seeing now is, a phenomenon that doesn't have to be what it is.   I'm lucky enough to be able to be [00:53:00] part of a post-secondary system that is, you know, one of the largest in the world and one of the most welcoming in the world.   I feel like part of my passion or my drive to keep going is I feel like there are some things that are still very much unexplored around this concept of re-entry. When I was in juvenile hall a couple of years ago, I met a young person who told me that he didn't have a good relationship with his dad.   His dad wasn't in his life. His dad has been in and out of prison and learned mostly about his dad through his sister, but began reconnecting with him a little bit. this young person had, a pretty significant conviction inside the juvenile hall which, like I mentioned earlier, which had it happened 10, 15 years ago, he would be in the California Youth Authority.   And, you know, he was telling me about his dad and, you know, there were so many things that felt like I knew him. He told me the job that his dad had, which was a very unique job [00:54:00] that is not very common. And I wrote who I thought his dad was on a piece of paper and I showed it to him and he said, “Yes, that's my dad.”   And so his dad, came to Laney College, um, joined the machining program after years in prison and got you know, a living wage job, in the steel industry, was able to buy a home and he was able to put his daughter through graduate school. but he never mentioned a son to me. And I left the hall that day and, I called him walking to my car and I said, “Hey, like, um, I think I met your son.   I didn't know you had one.” And he said, “Yeah, that's still a shameful part of my life that I'm, still trying to figure out.” And so I, I think that there's something that we're missing still. I think, you know, when in San Quentin we talked about, intergenerational trauma and the trauma that you can inherit from your parents and your parents' parents, and I think there's something here where, you know, we, we can engage both generations at [00:55:00] once to really kind of figure out some of this healing.   I feel like there's still something that, we as a team as a family and as a community are on the verge of understanding a little bit better and breaking those cycles.   Michelle MiJung Kim: I can't stop thinking about what T said about the word deportation. It's cruel. It's a painful word. It's a sad word that rips you off from your family. Many of our listeners are here because you believe a different world is possible, one that replaces isolation with kinship, trauma with repair, and loss with transformation.   You want a future full of families together and safe. That's the kind of future we at My Family want, too. Each story we share is not only a reminder about the violent systems that harm so many communities, but it's also a reminder of how much each of us is [00:56:00] needed in this fight for a more just and liberatory future.   There is so much pain and trauma in each person's story, there's also so much strength, resilience, and a steadfast belief in community and hope. I'm taking a deep breath as I reflect on these stories, and I invite you to do the same.   And if you're impacted by mass deportation and detention, there are organizations and advocates who can help you, from mental health and wellness to legal help and family support. In Northern California, where we are based, we encourage you to reach out to the Asian Prisoner Support Committee, the Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants, and New Light Wellness.   You'll [00:57:00] find links to these organizations in the show notes at kpfa.org/programs/APEX-express. The music in today's program is by Cambodian Australian singer and songwriter Satiya. We'll include links to his songs in the show notes, too.   We hope you'll join us for episodes two and three of My Family, where we'll deep dive into what happens when our family and neighbors are detained, and what happens when they are forced to move to a country they've never known. Thank you for joining, and we'll see you next time on My Family.   I'm your host, Michelle Mijung Kim, and this podcast is brought to you by APEX Express and the Asian Prisoner Support Committee. APEX Express is produced by Ayame Keane-Lee, Anuj Vaidya, Isabel Li, Jalena Keane-Lee, Miko Lee, Miata Tan, Preeti Mangala Shekar and Swati Rayasam.   Have a great night.   [00:58:00]    The post APEX Express – 8.20.26 – My Family Ep. 1 appeared first on KPFA.

 There has been a sharp spike in silicosis diagnoses among workers who work with engineered stone countertops. The ATS released a report in 2026 on the subject, “Silicosis in the Artificial Stone Countertop Industry: An Official American Thoracic Society Workshop Report”. One of the report's authors Kristin Cummings, MD, MPH, California Department of Public Health, and expert Maeve McMurdo, MBChB, Cleveland Clinic, discuss why engineered stone can cause severe, rapidly progressive lung disease in young workers as well as the limitations of current workplace protections. On this episode of the ATS Breathe Easy podcast, they also highlight safer alternatives, the importance of recognizing occupational exposures, and what clinicians, employers, and consumers can do to help protect workers. Important resources: Read the full ATS report: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42363709/ Failure of wet methods to control silica exposures: Soo et al. Respirable dust and respirable crystalline silica exposures among workers at stone countertop fabrication shops in Georgia from 2017 through 2023: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40249150/ Prevalence of silicosis among Australian countertop workers: Hoy et al. Prevalence and risk factors for silicosis among a large cohort of stone benchtop industry workers https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37328266/Rapid progression of artificial stone silicosis after exposure cessation: Leon-Jimenez et al. Artificial Stone Silicosis: Rapid Progression Following Exposure Cessation: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32563682/ California engineered stone silicosis dashboard (updated weekly): https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/OHB/Pages/essdashboard.aspx 

We think of range maps as static representations of where plants and animals belong. It doesn't often occur to us that maps are just snapshots of a constantly changing world. In the Mojave Desert, two sister species of desert ground squirrel coexist nearly side by side. A field guide's range maps will tell you where those species live right now. But those maps also convey hints out of Deep Time, and those hints can explain not only why the squirrels live where they do, but also how the two species evolved in their own directions. Host Chris Clarke shares the story of those sister species: the Mohave and Round-tailed ground squirrels. One is doing well and is abundant. The other has been designated as a threatened species. Each of them is a library of history... if we know how to read them. Chris also announces the launch of our Fellowship for Desert Reporting: prospective Fellows can start by filling out the application form at https://thedamn.org/fellowship-application. Resources Mohave ground squirrels California Department of Fish and Wildlife: Mohave Ground SquirrelSpecies overview, conservation status, recordings and access to the state conservation strategy.CDFW Mohave Ground Squirrel Philip Leitner, “Current Status of the Mohave Ground Squirrel: An Update Covering the Period 2013–2020”Reviews the animal’s current distribution, apparent losses from portions of its historical range and continuing conservation concerns.Status update PDF Mohave Ground Squirrel Technical Advisory GroupCDFW’s archive of technical documents and meeting materials from researchers, agencies and other specialists.Technical Advisory Group Mohave Ground Squirrel Conservation Council: PublicationsA bibliography covering the species’ taxonomy, ecology, genetics, distribution and conservation.Publications list Separation, contact and hybridization Kayce C. Bell and Marjorie D. Matocq, “Regional Genetic Subdivision in the Mohave Ground Squirrel: Evidence of Historic Isolation and Ongoing Connectivity in a Mojave Desert Endemic”Animal Conservation 14 (2011): 371–381. Examines genetic structure and historical isolation within Mohave ground squirrel populations.Article and abstract Philip Leitner, Jennifer S. Rippert and Marjorie D. Matocq, “Genetic Structure Across a Contact Zone Between Xerospermophilus Ground Squirrels in Southern California”Western North American Naturalist 77 (2017): 152–161. Documents both species and genetically admixed animals near Hinkley. It also reports expansion across the former barrier of no more than approximately 30 kilometers—an average of no more than five meters per year.Full article “Distribution and Genetic Status of Xerospermophilus Ground Squirrels in the Barstow Region”Includes useful maps of trapping records and genetically identified Mohave, round-tailed and hybrid or backcrossed animals around Barstow and Hinkley.CDFW-hosted report Mojave River and vanished lakes Marith C. Reheis et al., “Geomorphic History of Lake Manix, Mojave Desert, California: Evolution of a Complex Terminal Lake Basin”Geomorphology 392 (2021). A detailed modern synthesis of the lake basin’s development, changing river routes, tectonics and climate history.USGS publication page USGS: Surficial Geology and Stratigraphy of Pleistocene Lake ManixDetailed geologic mapping of Lake Manix, its component basins and the deposits exposed by the Mojave River and Afton Canyon.USGS Lake Manix map and report Marith Reheis and Joanna Redwine, “Lake Manix Shorelines and Afton Canyon Terraces: Implications for Incision of Afton Canyon”Discusses the overflow of Lake Manix and relatively rapid initial incision of Afton Canyon at approximately 25,000 calibrated years ago.USGS publication record USGS: Mojave River and Associated LakesAn accessible introduction to the Mojave River, Lake Manix, Lake Mojave and the modern Soda and Silver Lake playas.Mojave River and Associated Lakes Range maps and Joshua trees USGS: High-resolution distribution maps for western and eastern Joshua treesDescribes empirical and modeled range maps for Yucca brevifolia and Yucca jaegeriana across four states.USGS Joshua tree distribution study Smith et al., “Genome-Scale Data Resolves the Timing of Divergence in Joshua Trees”American Journal of Botany 108 (2021). Estimates that the two Joshua tree species diverged approximately 100,000–200,000 years ago.Journal article Become a desert defender!: https://90milesfromneedles.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Gov Tech Today, host Jennifer Saha speaks with Chris Given, California's new state CIO and director of the California Department of Technology, about his first 10 weeks in the role and priorities for the state's tech organization. Given shares his background across 10 federal agencies via the U.S. Digital Service and work with several states, then discusses how CDT must adapt as departments modernize away from legacy data center services, reshaping CDT's budget and service model. He outlines CDT's push to act as a broker of services through SITES (Statewide IT Shared Services), aiming to consolidate common software purchases, reduce duplicative negotiations, and expand beyond initial AI contracts such as Anthropic's Claude. They also cover Poppy as a safe AI experimentation tool, updates to California's AI risk assessment process (5305F) with tiered review, leadership transitions including state CISO Vitaly Panich, and CalSecure 2.0 and CalNet's expanded managed security offerings. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:28 New CIO Hot Seat 00:48 Career Journey to California 01:51 GovOps and Federated IT 03:55 Meeting Departments Where They Are 05:37 Early CIO Priorities 06:31 Budget Shifts and Data Centers 08:25 CDT as Service Broker 11:09 What SITES Means 11:36 SITES vs SLP Explained 12:13 First Deal Anthropic Claude 12:47 What's Next for SITES 14:14 Poppy AI Sandbox 15:09 Power Users and Community 15:54 Power Users Scale AI 16:39 Responsible AI Guardrails 18:04 Risk Tiers and 5305F 19:50 Communicating Policy Changes 21:51 Cybersecurity in AI Era 23:17 Leadership Turnover and CalSecure 25:51 CalNet Adds Managed Security 27:04 Modernization and Vendor Flexibility 29:39 Budget Cycles and Agile Reality 31:46 Pre-Solicitations Build Trust 33:07 Transition Plans and Closing  

Stu Burguiere and Dave Landau preview today's primary election in Michigan and try to choose between which Democratic option for Senate nominee would be the most perilous (and idiotic) for the future of the state and the country. Then, Alexandra Lyashchenko joins Stu and Dave to share her story after her daughter was removed from her custody by California Department of Child and Family Services. Lyashchenko discusses the legal battle, her family's experience, and the events surrounding her refusal to consent to her daughter's gender transition. TODAY'S SPONSORS Raycon Go to BuyRaycon.com/STUANDDAVE to get 20% off.LeanVisit TakeLean.com and enter code “STUANDDAVE” for 20% off and rush shipping. Frontier Visit BlazeUnlimited.com/STU and use the promo code FREEDOM40 for $40 off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, host Sloan Simmons is joined by Lozano Smith's Title IX Practice Group Co-Chairs, Sarah Fama and Monica Batanero, to discuss the Supreme Court's opinion on two cases addressing transgender participation in girls' school athletics:  West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox.  The discussion covers the Court's holdings, legal reasoning, and implications for schools navigating student participation, safety, and competitive fairness. The episode also explores the impact on California schools, including related Title IX issues, pending litigation, and challenges to California's existing legal framework. Show Notes & References 1:28 – Supreme Court rulings in West Virginia v. B.P.J. (2026) 609 U.S.  2:25 – Background on B.P.J. and Hecox cases 5:32 – What the Supreme Court decided 6:50 – Reasoning and analysis of the Court 8:00 – Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing for the majority: “The term ‘sex' in the 1972 Title IX statute, the 1974 Javits Amendment, and the 1975 Title IX regulations cannot plausibly be interpreted to refer to anything other than biological sex. The ordinary meaning of the term ‘sex' at the time of enactment in the early 1970s was biological sex and not gender identity, particularly in the sports context.” 9:17 – Safety and competitive fairness 11:56 – Bostock v. Clayton County Georgia (2020) 590 U.S. 644 – (Client News Brief 86 – December 2020) 15:12 – Biological females who identify as male in male sports 17:31 – Concurrences and dissents of justices 19:16 – What happens now?  The state of the law in California 20:49 – Pending litigation in lower courts 21:28 – United States v. California Interscholastic Federation and California Department of Education, July 9, 2025 – (Client News Brief 31 – July 2025) 21:53 – United States v. Maine Department of Education (No. 1:25-cv-00173) 22:33 – Viability of challenges to U.S.A. v. CIF/CDE; AB 1266 and CIF Bylaws For more information on the topics discussed in this podcast, please visit our website at: www.lozanosmith.com/podcast   Disclaimer: As the information contained herein is necessarily general, its application to a particular set of facts and circumstances may vary. For this reason, this podcast episode does not constitute legal advice. We recommend that you consult with your counsel prior to acting on the information contained herein.

Send us Fan Mail27 States Are Writing AI Rules for Your Kid's School. I Run One. Here's What They're All Missing.    Twenty-seven states have active AI-in-education bills in 2026. Five are already law. Ohio's House Bill 96 required every public, community, and STEM school district in the state, more than 600 of them, to adopt a formal board-approved AI policy by July 1, 2026. California released a statewide model AI policy for districts on June 25. Virginia's law took effect July 1. And on August 5, the Florida State Board of Education takes up a rule that would require public and charter schools to address artificial intelligence in their internet safety policies.    M.A. Aponte is the Executive Director of a charter school in Gainesville, Florida. That Florida rule governs his building.    So this is not policy analysis from the outside. This is a practitioner explaining what happens when a mandate lands on a real school: what he has to tell teachers, how he answers parents, and what he does when a student turns in an essay a machine wrote.    His concern is simple and uncomfortable. A mandate produces a document. It does not produce a change in practice. And if districts confuse those two things, the next two years will be spent celebrating paperwork while nothing improves for a single student.    WHAT THIS EPISODE COVERS    The full national map of school AI legislation, including Ohio's July 1 deadline, California's model policy, Idaho's AI literacy standards, Oklahoma's parental opt-out provision, Maryland Senate Bill 720 requiring teacher professional development, Connecticut's AI instruction mandate, and South Carolina House Bill 5253, which would establish the strongest guardrails in the country.    What is happening in Florida specifically, including the Department of Education's internet safety directive, the August 5 State Board workshop, and the AI Bill of Rights that passed the Florida Senate 37 to 1 before dying in the House.    The strongest argument against moving this fast. MIT professor Justin Reich has said that writing a guide for AI in 2026 is like writing a guide for aviation in 1905, before there were airlines, airports, or commercial flight. Aponte takes that seriously and explains where he lands anyway.    The four things most school AI policies get wrong:  1. They regulate tools instead of teaching thinking. The real question is not whether a student used AI. It is whether AI helped them think or thought for them.  2. They assume detection works. AI detection tools flag authentic student work at rates that make them unusable as the basis for a disciplinary finding.  3. They do not fund the training. Teachers repeatedly report having to navigate AI entirely on their own.  4. They confuse having a document with having made a change.  RESOURCES    Free AUDIT Framework worksheet, including a parent version with five questions to bring to a school board meeting: maaponte.substack.com    School AI policy consulting and advisory services: link in description.    Sources cited include the FutureEd 2026 State AI in Education Legislative Tracker, Stateline, the California Department of Education, the Florida Department of Education, the OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026, UNESCO, and research from the University of Florida Education Policy Research Center.FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q: Which states require schools to have an AI policy in 2026?  A: As of mid-2026, 27 states have active AI-in-education bills and five have enacted laws. Ohio House Bill 96 required every public, community, and STEM school district to adopt a board-approved AI policy by July 1, 2026. Idaho requires districts and charter schools to create AI policies and ensures AI cannot replace a human teacher. Oklahoma requires age-appropriate AI tools, teacher review of AI output, and parental opt-out. Maryland Senate Bill 720 requires state-provided teacher professional development on AI. Virginia Senate Bill 394 directs its education department to issue guidance. Connecticut mandated AI instruction. California released a model AI policy for districts on June 25, 2026.    Q: What should a school AI policy include?  A: According to the AUDIT framework developed by charter school director M.A. Aponte, an effective school AI policy must address five areas. Assumptions: does it reflect how students actually use AI, including gradual over-reliance rather than only deliberate cheating. Usability: can a teacher apply it in real time without stopping instruction. Detection: does it acknowledge that AI detection software produces false positives, and does it rely on process artifacts and oral defense instead. Instruction: does it teach AI literacy rather than only restricting tools. Training: is there a funded, dated, ongoing professional development plan for teachers.    Q: Is Florida requiring schools to have an AI policy?  A: The Florida Department of Education has directed school districts to add artificial intelligence use to their existing internet safety policies. A rule development workshop was held June 22, 2026, and the Florida State Board of Education scheduled a workshop for August 5, 2026 on a proposed rule requiring public and charter schools to include AI in their internet safety guidelines. Separately, Florida's proposed AI Bill of Rights, which would have restricted student access to AI instructional tools before sixth grade, passed the Florida Senate 37 to 1 but died in the House.    Q: Do AI detection tools work in schools?  A: AI detection tools produce false positives at rates that make them unreliable as the basis for academic dishonesty findings, flagging authentic student work as AI-generated. Education leaders recommend assessment design strategies instead of detection strategies: requiring drafts and revision history, conducting device-free in-class writing, and asking students to orally defend submitted work. A student who wrote the work can explain their reasoning. A student who outsourced it cannot.    Q: What questions should parents ask their school about AI?  A: Five questions. Does our school have an AI policy, and can families read it? Has a classroom teacher reviewed it for whether it is usable during instruction? What happens if a student is wrongly accused by AI detection software? What are we teaching students about AI, not just what are we forbidding? When are teachers trained on this, how often, and who pays for that time? If a school cannot answer the last question, that is the gap that determines everything else.    Q: Why do most school AI policies fail?  A: Four reasons. They regulate tools instead of teaching thinking, so they cannot distinguish between a student using AI to learn and a student using AI to avoid learning. They assume detection is possible when detection software is unreliable. They do not fund teacher training, leaving educators to navigate AI on their own. And they confuse producing a compliant document with changing classroom practice. A mandate produces a document. It does not produce a change in practice. Support the showAbout the host: M.A. Aponte is a former JPMorgan banker, former Merrill Lynch wealth manager, former NYPD officer, Army Officer, and Executive Director of a Charter School in Florida. He is the author of The Logical Mind and host of Thinking 2 Think. Join My Substack for more content: maaponte.substack.comConsulting/Advisory Services: MAAponte.comProfessional LinkedIn Page: www.linkedin.com/in/maaponteFinancial Budget/Wealth Management app (FREE): https://centsora.com/CHECK OUT OUR NEW CRITICAL THINKING GAME APP! Currently in BETA: Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.base692af669b00f0dc8d8ad6653.appWeb: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.base692af669b00f0dc8d8ad6653.app*Coming soon to Apple Store

To combat negative effects of climate change, we all need to do our best to reduce the use of fossil fuels, water and land. California is confronting all three of these challenges simultaneously with Project Nexus, a pilot project to:Reduce the use of fossil fuels by deploying solar generation farms with battery storage.Avoid taking land away from agricultural uses by deploying them over existing canals.Conserve water by using solar arrays to cover canals, thus reducing evaporation.This project is also an unusual nexus of public, private and academic institutions, bringing together the consultancy Solar AquaGrid as project manager, the California Department of Water Resources as operator of the canals and solar farms and the University of California Merced to provide scientific assessment of the project.Joining us for this episode are ceo and co-founder Jordan Harris, chief creative officer and co-founder Robin Raj.Jordan Harris co-founded Solar AquaGrid to address one of California's most urgent challenges: water scarcity. Before committing his energy to advancing large-scale sustainability projects, Jordan had a background as a social impact entrepreneur and music business executive, including co-founding and chairing Virgin Records US, as well as leadership roles at Sony Music and A&M Records. Jordan launched many high-profile projects and pro-social initiatives – among them, co-founding Rock The Vote to engage young people in the political process by engaging the entertainment community. Jordan saw the dual-use opportunity hiding in plain sight long before anyone else was ready to act on it, and led Solar AquaGrid in commissioning the University of California Merced 2021 research study that sparked Project Nexus. After nearly a decade of advancing the water-energy nexus from concept to construction, Project Nexus is the proof of concept he hopes will unlock replication across California and beyond.In 2017, Robin Raj joined Jordan to co-found Solar AquaGrid to help conserve water and land, and generate renewable energy at scale by reimagining our water/energy infrastructure and covering large swaths of California's exposed canals with solar canopies. As an award-winning creative director, veteran of purpose-driven communications, and founder of Citizen Group, Robin has harnessed the power of media, storytelling, and community engagement throughout his career to advance social responsibility, sustainability, and climate action for some of the world's best-known brands and organizations for three decades – from Amnesty International, Bloomberg Philanthropies, NRDC, Sierra Club, Rock the Vote, and World Wildlife Fund, to Levi's, Major League Baseball, NBC Universal, Stanford Medicine, and Walmart Sustainability program.In this episode, we cover such topics as:The scale of California's canal system, stretching 4,000 miles in total.How Project Nexus is funded through the California's general fund.How Project Nexus will be evaluated. For more information on Project Nexus and the organizations running it, see:​Solar Aquagrid - Project NexusTurlock Irrigation District - Project NexusUniversity of California Merced - Project NexusSupport the showVisit us at climatemoneywatchdog.org!

Joel Metzger, deputy director of Statewide Water Resources and Enterprise Project Management for the California Department of Water Resources, joins MyAgLife to discuss the future of water management in California. Metzger explains how SGMA implementation, changing hydrology, aging infrastructure and long-term planning efforts are shaping water reliability for agriculture. He also shares insights from the San Joaquin Valley Water Resilience Summit and discusses why grower participation will be critical as California develops its next Water Plan. 

The decision of who conducts an investigation carries important legal implications and shapes how the process unfolds. In this episode, host Sloan Simmons is joined by Lozano Smith attorneys Trevin Sims and Kara Walton to explore how public agencies approach selecting internal, outside, and attorney investigators and how those choices can affect confidentiality and attorney-client privilege. The discussion covers disclosure decisions around how investigative findings are shared or released, and how those choices can affect whether information remains protected or subject to waiver. Join us as we examine practical considerations for managing investigations while balancing transparency, privilege, and related legal obligations. Show Notes & References 1:39 – Selecting an investigator 3:55 – The process of retaining an attorney investigator 6:56 – Outside investigators and attorney-client privilege 8:05 – Who holds attorney-client privilege 10:05 – The pros and cons of intentional, partial waivers of attorney-client privilege and inadvertent disclosures which risk waiver of the privilege 13:28 – “Clawing back” disclosures (Ardon v. City of Los Angeles (2016) 63 Cal.4th 1 and Newark Unified School District v. Superior Court (Brazil) (2015) 239 Cal.App.4th 33) 14:15 – Releasing a Summary of Findings verses full disclosure of investigation report 17:06 – Complaints and litigation possibilities post-disclosures 17:33 – Uniform Complaint Procedures (UCP) and appeals to the California Department of Education (CDE) 18:10 – CDE requests for full disclosure of investigation reports 20:30 – Discrimination and harassment investigations (BP/AR 4030s) and appeals to California’s Civil Rights Division (CRD) 21:03 – Litigation and discovery requests for attorney-client privileged reports 23:26 – Investigations into employee misconduct and union requests for information (RFI) 26:23 – Requests for reports under the California Public Records Act (CPRA)   For more information on the topics discussed in this podcast, please visit our website at: www.lozanosmith.com/podcast   Disclaimer: As the information contained herein is necessarily general, its application to a particular set of facts and circumstances may vary. For this reason, this podcast episode does not constitute legal advice. We recommend that you consult with your counsel prior to acting on the information contained herein.

In this episode of the Family Protection Ministries Podcast, Nathan Pierce discusses the latest developments affecting homeschool freedom in California, across the United States, and internationally.Topics include:Updates on key California legislation, including mandatory kindergarten proposals and changes to the California Department of Education.Why recent homeschool restrictions in Nebraska and Connecticut could signal a broader national trend.A troubling case in Brazil where homeschooling parents have been imprisoned and separated from their children, and why Christians and homeschool advocates should be praying for the family.How you can get involved in protecting parental rights and educational freedom.Nathan also shares details about Homeschool Freedom Day on September 12 at the Reagan Library, featuring speakers from HSLDA, Classical Conversations, CHEA, and Family Protection Ministries. Learn why this event is an important opportunity to understand the history of freedom, current legislative challenges, and practical ways to make a difference.If you care about parental rights, religious liberty, and homeschool freedom, be sure to like, subscribe, and share this episode to help spread the message.Learn more about Family Protection Ministries: https://fpmca.orgRead about the case in Brazil: https://hslda.org/post/brazilian-family-sentenced-to-prison-for-homeschooling #Homeschool #HomeschoolFreedom #ParentalRights #ReligiousFreedom #California #FamilyProtectionMinistries #Education #Legislation #ChristianFamilies

The Uncuffed My Mixtape is a selection of our producers' favorite songs. Uncuffed producer Rahim Bradshaw interviewed HabenMichael about an Eritrean song that reminds him of his family and culture. It's “Seyomay” by Tareke Tesfahiwet.This piece was created by student producers in the Uncuffed audio storytelling training program, in partnership with journalists at KALW Public Media. Our work in prisons is supported by the California Arts Council, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, independent foundations, and donations from listeners like you. Content is approved by an information officer.Follow @WeAreUncuffed on Instagram and Facebook Learn more, sign up for Uncuffed news, and support the program atwww.uncuffed.org

California homeowners are about to absorb the steepest home insurance rate increase of any state in the country — a 16% spike that isn't a rounding error but the compounding result of years of regulatory failure. Gavin Newsom's California Department of Insurance kept a stranglehold on rate approvals for so long that major carriers like State Farm and Allstate simply walked away. Residents were left relying on an underfunded state plan nobody wanted, and when the Palisades fire hit and billions in claims came due, the math finally caught up.Now the bill is landing inside escrow accounts and monthly mortgage payments that millions of California families cannot absorb. Overregulation didn't protect consumers — it guaranteed this crisis. The reinsurance market priced the risk that Sacramento refused to acknowledge, and every homeowner in the state is now paying for that bet.This is just one more notch on California's affordability belt. Insurance isn't optional when you carry a mortgage, and when the unavoidable cost of staying becomes unsustainable, people leave. They already are — and this 16% shock is going to accelerate it. The state is not getting cheaper. It is getting more expensive on every axis simultaneously, and the exits are wide open.Subscribe to @reasonablenews for daily news from a perspective the mainstream skips — no spin, no nonsense.#California #InsuranceCrisis #CostOfLivingGO PREMIUM WITH REASONABLE+ FOR UNCENSORED ACCESS

The Uncuffed My Mixtape is a selection of our producers' favorite songs. Uncuffed producer Ryan Pagan interviewed Louis Sale about a song that reminds him of a complicated time in his life.This piece was created by student producers in the Uncuffed audio storytelling training program, in partnership with journalists at KALW Public Media. Our work in prisons is supported by the California Arts Council, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, independent foundations, and donations from listeners like you. Content is approved by an information officer.Follow @WeAreUncuffed on Instagram and Facebook Learn more, sign up for Uncuffed news, and support the program atwww.uncuffed.org

Former California game warden John Nores reveals the hidden war being fought deep inside America's forests — where cartel-run marijuana farms have taken over remote public lands, poisoned wildlife, stolen water, and turned California's mountains into dangerous territory. In this episode, John breaks down how Mexican cartel growers set up massive hidden weed farms, how they camouflage camps and irrigation systems, why game wardens became involved in marijuana raids, and what happened when his team came face-to-face with armed growers in the woods. We also discuss the environmental destruction caused by illegal grows, toxic pesticides, cartel tactics, California legalization, the black market, and why this problem is still far from over. John Nores is a former California Department of Fish and Wildlife game warden and author of Hidden War, where he documents his years tracking cartel activity in America's wildlands. Topics include: Cartel weed farms, California forests, game wardens, illegal marijuana grows, Sinaloa cartel, toxic pesticides, water theft, wildlife destruction, armed growers, and the hidden war on public lands. Go Support John! Book: https://www.johnnores.com/hidden-war.html Website: https://www.johnnores.com/ This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following: Hims! To get simple, online access to personalized, affordable care for ED, Hair Loss, Weight Loss, and more, visit https://hims.com/connect Prescription required. See website for details and important safety information. Sildenafil is the generic version of Viagra®. Viagra® is a registered trademark of Viatris Specialty LLC. Hims is not affiliated with or endorsed by Viatris. Lucy! Save 20% on your first online Lucy order at https://lucy.co/connect with promo code CONNECT! Join The Patreon For Bonus Content! https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow 00:00 Intro: California's Weed War 01:00 Meet John Norris: Game Warden Turned Cartel Hunter 04:00 Why Game Wardens Battle Cartels 09:00 Inside Cartel Grow Tactics 17:00 Water Theft & Ranch Infiltration 24:00 Deadly Encounters: Gunfights in the Hills 26:00 This Episode Is Sponsored By Hims 27:58 Cartel Structure & Operations Unveiled 41:00 Cat-and-Mouse: Grow Raids vs Apprehensions 46:16 This Episode Is Sponsored By Lucy 47:52 Cartel Incentives: Who's Growing & Why 55:00 Hidden Health Dangers: Pesticides & Poisons 01:03:00 Environmental Fallout: Wildlife & Water 01:08:00 Legalization Backfires: Black Market Thrives 01:16:00 Chinese Cartels & the Evolving Threat 01:25:00 Why the Legal Market Can't Compete 01:36:00 From Gunfights to Game Wardens: War Stories 01:43:00 Cartels, China, and the Fentanyl Pipeline 01:53:00 Northern Border, Drugs, and the Hidden War 02:03:00 Solutions: Law, Education, & Real Change 02:10:00 Impact of Legalization Laws in Other States 02:12:00 Organic Growers vs Cartels: The Forgotten Warriors 02:16:00 Wrap Up: The Fight for America's Wildlands & Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New World screwworm: a successful eradication program rid the U.S. of this devastating pest 60 years ago, but it's back. 19 cases detected in Texas as of 6/24/26. To explain what exactly the insect is, how it infects living mammal tissue, and what is being done about it, we're joined by UC Riverside veterinary entomologist Dr. Amy Murillo, who leads a monitoring and education program funded by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

On this episode of On Location, join host David Kilgore (CGITechnologies and Solutions) and guests Kristen Donadee (IV-D Director, California Department of Child Support Services) and Hannah Roots (Attorney at Law).  They highlight the vital work and goals of the NCSEA International Subcommittee, a dedicated group fostering partnerships with jurisdictions across the world to elevate international advocacy. Byfocusing on their core work of professional development, they equip practitioners with the global insights needed to navigate complex, cross-border cases. Ultimately, their mission is about breaking down barriers to discover how they can provide better, more seamless support and services to families around the world.

Washington is one of 19 states that have received federal approval to enroll people in Medicaid before they leave jail or prison — a radical change in Medicaid policy that health care and law enforcement leaders believe will save lives. But this experiment in bringing Medicaid behind bars is now colliding with H.R. 1, the sweeping federal law that is forcing states to make major changes to Medicaid.Guest(s):Autumn Boylan, Deputy director, California Department of Health Care ServicesLauren Brinkley-Rubinstein, Professor, Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of MedicineCody CoughenourPete Croughan, Deputy secretary, Louisiana Department of HealthBruce Greenstein, Secretary, Louisiana Department of Health Tyron Nixon, Medicaid Reentry Transformation Implementation Manager, Washington State Health Care AuthorityEmma Sandoe, Medicaid director, OregonPenelope Sapp, Chief of corrections, Kitsap County Sheriff's OfficeMarc Stern, Former assistant secretary for health care at the Washington Department of CorrectionsTamara Vanover, Mental health specialist, Clallam County Sheriff's OfficeLearn more: Read the full reporting and explore additional resources on our website.Want more Tradeoffs? Join more than 5,500 readers who trust Tradeoffs for clear, deeply reported health policy insights. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter.Tradeoffs helps you cut through the noise with clear, deeply reported journalism on the forces driving health care's toughest choices — reporting you won't find anywhere else. If our work helps you stay informed, support it with a donation today.This episode was reported by Julie Wernau, edited by Dan Gorenstein and Ryan Levi, and mixed by Andrew Parrella and Cedric Wilson.The Tradeoffs theme song was composed by Ty Citerman. Additional music this episode from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.Special thanks to Gabrielle de la Gueronniere, Jody Rich and Kinda Serafi. Tradeoffs reporting for this story was supported, in part, by Arnold Ventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rocky Pipkin checks in with Philip Teresi with the latest on the mountain lion chase. According to Hanford police, they have received numerous calls about a mountain lion in the city and have contacted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife about the reports. Please Like, Comment and Follow 'Philip Teresi on KMJ' on all platforms: --- Philip Teresi on KMJ is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever else you listen to podcasts. -- Philip Teresi on KMJ Weekdays 2-6 PM Pacific on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM KMJ | Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | Podcast | Amazon | - Everything KMJ KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rocky Pipkin checks in with Philip Teresi with the latest on the mountain lion chase. According to Hanford police, they have received numerous calls about a mountain lion in the city and have contacted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife about the reports. Please Like, Comment and Follow 'Philip Teresi on KMJ' on all platforms: --- Philip Teresi on KMJ is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever else you listen to podcasts. -- Philip Teresi on KMJ Weekdays 2-6 PM Pacific on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM KMJ | Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | Podcast | Amazon | - Everything KMJ KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Green Rush is over and we are dealing with the consequences. Abandoned cannabis farms speckle the landscape. And on these abandoned farms are a variety of environmental harms that need remediation: improperly graded roads and undersized culverts send sediment into salmon-bearing streams; piles of garbage rotting in the wildlands; pesticides, fertilizers and petroleum improperly stored and at risk of failing; and poorly-constructed ponds at risk of sudden collapse. That's where Scott Bauer, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Cannabis Remediation Manager steps in. Working together with nonprofits, local governments, and cannabis farmers, Scott works to coordinate clean up of abandoned sites. Scott joins the program to discuss the historic and ongoing impacts from cannabis production and what is being done to address them. And you are helping too: each time you buy cannabis products from a legal California market, a portion of your taxes go to environmental programs. Support the show

Americans love trucks, and high gas prices aren’t swaying automakers. Ram has a new line of fuel-guzzling muscle trucks, and some in-your-face ads to sell them. The California Department of Public Health says the state is “experiencing an unprecedented outbreak” of severe illness, liver failure and deaths from people accidentally picking and eating poisonous wild mushrooms. In particular, the department points to the consumption of Death Cap and Western Destroying Angel mushrooms. Please Like, Comment and Follow 'Philip Teresi on KMJ' on all platforms: --- Philip Teresi on KMJ is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever else you listen to podcasts. -- Philip Teresi on KMJ Weekdays 2-6 PM Pacific on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM KMJ | Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | Podcast | Amazon | - Everything KMJ KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Americans love trucks, and high gas prices aren’t swaying automakers. Ram has a new line of fuel-guzzling muscle trucks, and some in-your-face ads to sell them. The California Department of Public Health says the state is “experiencing an unprecedented outbreak” of severe illness, liver failure and deaths from people accidentally picking and eating poisonous wild mushrooms. In particular, the department points to the consumption of Death Cap and Western Destroying Angel mushrooms. Please Like, Comment and Follow 'Philip Teresi on KMJ' on all platforms: --- Philip Teresi on KMJ is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever else you listen to podcasts. -- Philip Teresi on KMJ Weekdays 2-6 PM Pacific on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM KMJ | Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | Podcast | Amazon | - Everything KMJ KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools speak with Leslie Hiner, Senior Advisor for Legal Policy at EdChoice, about the constitutional foundations and future of educational freedom in America. Hiner reflects on her distinguished career in law and public policy before examining the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have shaped the modern school choice movement. She discusses how Brown v. Board of Education's promise of equal educational opportunity influenced later efforts to expand parental choice and educational access. Hiner then explores the significance of Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, and Carson v. Makin, explaining how each expanded protections for families seeking religious and private educational options. She assesses the legal landscape following Carson, highlights key recent victories such as Loffman v. California Department of Education, and offers insights into the future of school choice litigation, educational tax credits, and parental rights nationwide. Finally, Hiner also examines current legal cases, including Hellman v. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and they could mean for the future of school choice in Massachusetts.

An estimated one in three Californians are insured by Medi-Cal, the state version of Medicaid. But as the federal government cuts billions in funding and imposes new work requirements and paperwork processes, many Californians could lose their coverage. Meantime, in anticipation of the cuts, hospitals and health clinics are already cutting services and closing locations; the state is scrambling to step in while maintaining a balanced budget. We take stock of what the new Medi-Cal landscape means for everyone's access to health care in California and the Bay Area. Guests: Tyler Sadwith, California State Medicaid Director; Chief Deputy Director of Health Care Programs, California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Dr. Milana PeBenito, medical doctor of Family Practice, Maternal and Child Health; member, Sonoma County's Maternal Child, Adolescent Health Advisory Board Angela Hart, senior correspondent, KFF Health News Kristof Stremikis, director of market analysis and insight, California Health Care Foundation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the truth about Alzheimer's could change how we care, connect, and prepare for the future? Tune in for an empowering discussion with Lisa Skinner, CDP, CDT, CPD, on her new book Truth, Lies & Alzheimer's: Its Secret Faces.Moments with Marianne Radio Show airs in the Southern California area on KMET1490AM & 98.1 FM, an ABC Talk News Radio Affiliate!  https://www.kmet1490am.comLisa Skinner, CPD, CDT, CPD, is a behavioral expert in the field of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. In her 20-year career as a community counselor and regional director of senior care facilities, she has helped thousands of families find the best care options for their loved ones. She holds an Administrator's License through the California Department of Social Services. As a trainer, adviser and public speaker, she has dedicated her career to teaching people the skills to effectively manage brain disease. https://www.mindingdementiasummit.comOrder on Amazon https://a.co/d/027HVcHY To learn more about the show and interview opportunities contact us at: https://www.mariannepestana.com 

What does it actually take to build a lasting cross-sector community arts partnership?In this episode, I return to a lesson I learned more than forty years ago in one of the most unlikely classrooms imaginable: the California prison system during one of the most violent periods in its history. At the center of the story is Verne McKee, an incarcerated artist and leader whose practical wisdom about trust, power, responsibility, and human relationships became a blueprint for understanding how successful community arts partnerships are built—and why so many fail.Drawing on Verne's ten rules for survival and collaboration, I explore the hidden dynamics that determine whether partnerships become transformative long-term alliances or short-lived projects that leave communities worse off than before. Along the way, I unpack the difference between outreach and partnership, why artistic excellence remains essential to social change work, and what shared power actually looks like when artists, institutions, and communities work together.You'll discover:• Why trust—not funding, programming, or good intentions—is the real currency of sustainable partnership.• How Verne McKee's ten rules reveal the conditions that help cross-sector collaborations thrive and the warning signs that often predict failure.• Why communities deserve more than one-time projects, and what artists and institutions owe the people they invite into a creative process.If you've ever wondered why some community partnerships flourish for decades while others collapse despite talent, resources, and enthusiasm, this episode offers hard-earned lessons from the front lines of creative community change.NOTABLE MENTIONSKey FigureVerne McKee — Former president of the Art and Musicians Guilds at California Medical Facility and a respected leader within California's prison arts community. Over many years of conversations about how teaching artists could work effectively and responsibly inside correctional institutions, McKee shared insights drawn from lived experience that became the foundation for the “Verne's Rules” framework discussed in this episode. His observations about respect, artistic excellence, humility, responsibility, self-care, and the central importance of relationships continue to inform approaches to community-based arts partnerships far beyond prison walls. McKee is featured in the documentary Art and the Prison Crisis and was released from prison before his death in 1990.Art and the Prison Crisis (California Revealed)Organizations & ProgramsWilliam James Association — A pioneering nonprofit organization that helped develop, expand, and sustain California's Arts in Corrections programs for decades. Through partnerships with artists, correctional institutions, and community organizations, the Association played a central role in establishing prison arts as a nationally recognized model for rehabilitation, education, and personal transformation.California Arts in Corrections Program — One of the nation's longest-running state-supported arts-in-prison initiatives, providing instruction in multiple artistic disciplines throughout California correctional institutions.California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) — The state agency responsible for California's prison system and a long-term partner in the development of arts programming within correctional facilities.Center for the Study of Art & Community — Research, training, and consulting organization focused on art and social change, community cultural development, and cross-sector partnerships.Animating Democracy — A national resource center documenting and supporting arts-based civic engagement, social justice practice, and community cultural development.Places MentionedSan Quentin Rehabilitation CenterFolsom State PrisonCorrectional Training FacilityCalifornia Medical FacilityHistorical ContextThe episode references a period during the late 1970s and early 1980s when California prisons were experiencing intense racial, political, and gang-related violence. Organizations mentioned include:Nuestra FamiliaBlack Guerrilla FamilyAryan BrotherhoodCalifornia Correctional Peace Officers Association (CCPOA)These references are included to provide historical context for the environment in which California's prison arts programs were operating.Related ResourcesGood Partners Are… — A collection of partnership-building tools and reflections developed by the Center for the Study of Art & Community, including The Hard Questions for Community Arts Partners and The Partnership Commandments. The publication explores trust, shared power, accountability, reciprocity, and the practical challenges of building effective long-term community partnerships.Art and the Prison Crisis (California Revealed) — Historic documentary featuring incarcerated artists, arts leaders, and correctional staff involved in California's pioneering prison arts movement during the 1970s and 1980s, including Verne McKee.Art and Upheaval: Artists on the World's Front Lines — William Cleveland's examination of artists working in situations of conflict, social division, and community transformation around the world.National Endowment for the Arts – Arts & Well-Being Research — Research exploring the relationship between arts participation, individual well-being, and community health.Sound Effects CreditsExplodeAlert by AndroidonatorRetro-ring remix by TimbreR19-53-Old Telephone Ringing.wav by craigsmithbang prison door LOOP by klankbeeldPodcast 27_Crackle by PodcastAC

The office of Los Angeles City Attorney doesn't always get the same attention as races for mayor or city council, but it plays a major role in how the city functions — overseeing legal advice to city departments, enforcement of city laws, and misdemeanor prosecutions, while also shaping how the city approaches issues like housing, labor standards, consumer protection, and civil rights.Today's guest is Marissa Roy.Roy currently works as a Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice, where her work has included consumer protection and tenant rights enforcement. Earlier in her career, she worked in the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office, handling labor and worker protection matters. Her campaign has focused heavily on using the office more aggressively to protect renters from illegal evictions, pursue wage theft and worker exploitation cases, crack down on consumer fraud, and take legal action against polluters and corporate misconduct. She has also argued that the City Attorney's Office should play a larger role in challenging actions by the Trump administration that affect Los Angeles residents. https://www.marissaroy.com/What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

  In this episode, Brian Tate, the IPA's CEO, discusses the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation's recent consent order against Yotta Technologies.   He covers what led up to the order, how it might herald a new age of regulation for Fintechs, and why it shows that companies shouldn't do business with jerks.  This podcast was recorded on May 19, 2026. Things may have changed by the time you hear it.   Listeners can learn more about the world of payments by attending one of our upcoming events:  2026 Education Forum Hosted by the Retail Gift Card Association and Best Buy, June 10, 2026, at Best Buy Headquarters in Richfield, Minnesota  IPA Payments Policy Briefing , July 9, 2026, at Bancorp's Offices in Sioux Falls, South Dakota  Compliance Boot Camp, September 10, 2026, at Discover's Headquarters in Riverwoods, Illinois, on September 10  

In this powerful episode of the Live a Dynamic Lifestyle Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Alex Spinoso to unpack the real story behind building a purpose-driven life and business.    From working as an MD for the California Department of Corrections to renting out every room in his home with his wife to save money and take a leap into entrepreneurship Dr. Alex shares the sacrifices, risks, failures, and lessons that shaped his journey.   We dive into the realities of scaling too fast, grassroots marketing, leadership, urgency, discipline, and what it truly means to serve people with a "one person mindset." This conversation also goes deeper into family, faith, fulfillment, legacy, and the emotional price success can demand behind the scenes.   If you're an entrepreneur, leader, coach, or someone chasing a bigger vision for your life, this episode will challenge you to raise your standards, stay patient through the process, and focus on what truly matters before time runs out.   3 Key Takeaways: Success requires sacrifice, humility, and the willingness to endure uncomfortable seasons before breakthrough happens. Scaling fast without the right foundation can create costly lessons in leadership, systems, and sustainability. The most impactful businesses are built by obsessing over serving people at the highest level one person at a time.   Make sure your notepad is ready. This one hits differently.   Keep taking action, pursuing personal excellence, and impacting lives!   In This Episode, We Discuss: Why Dr. Alex walked away from a stable medical career to pursue entrepreneurship and fulfillment The mindset, routines, and principles that helped him build Genesis into a multi-location business Lessons on faith, family, legacy, aggressive patience, and living with urgency before time runs out   Dr Alex Spinoso Bio: Dr. Alex Spinoso is a medical doctor and high-growth entrepreneur best known for scaling numerous medical and wellness businesses to 7-, 8-, and even 9-figure revenues, including co-founding Genesis Lifestyle Medicine. He also hosts The Spinoso Podcast, mentors other medical entrepreneurs, and blends his business expertise with passion projects like comic books and cars.   Follow Dr Alex Spinoso:   •      Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dralexspinoso/ •      Website:https://dralexspinoso.com/   Follow Us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisandericmartinez/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Dynamicduotraining Website: https://www.liveadynamiclifestyle.com/     Attention Nutrition & Fitness Coaches: "Join our Free Dynamic Fit Pros Community Skool Group Where we help you Discover, Develop, & Deploy your skills, gifts, and greatness to help others."  See HERE   Attention Nutrition & Fitness Coaches: "Enrollment is Open for our Accelerator Mentorship to build a 6-Figure Online Fitness Coaching Business"  See HERE     See the full Show Notes to this episode here: https://www.liveadynamiclifestyle.com/podcast/the-5-success-standards-that-separate-the-elite-with-dr-alex-spinoso/

Grizzly bears were once native to California, from the redwoods all the way to the Mexican border. Euro-American settlers wiped out the species in roughly 75 years, with the last reported grizzly bear seen near what is now Sequoia National Park in 1924. Despite that literal absence from the state, grizzlies are also still everywhere: from the California state flag, to place names (like Los Osos, meaning "the bears" in Spanish), to college football team mascots, like the Berkeley Golden Bears. A new effort led by the Yurok and Tejon Tribes is proposing to study the feasibility of bringing back our grizzlies to the state. A new bill in the legislature, SB 1305 (Richardson), would direct the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to study potentially reintroducing the species to the state through scientific, socioeconomic, and tribal consultations to assess its feasibility.Tiana Williams Clausen, Director of the Yurok Tribe Wildlife Department, and Peter Alagona, professor at UC, Santa Barbara, join the program to talk about grizzlies in California, both in the past and hopefully the future. Support the show

New firearm restrictions and hunting access proposals could reshape California's outdoor future for sportsmen. California takes center stage this week as lawmakers debate firearm restrictions, hunting access, and new opportunities for young outdoorsmen facing life-threatening illnesses. The conversation digs into Senate Bill 948, a controversial proposal requiring extensive firearm training for purchases and transfers while potentially creating major hurdles for hunters and gun owners relocating to the state. The discussion also explores concerns over implementation costs, instructor shortages, and how the legislation could affect lawful firearm ownership in California. On the positive side, listeners get a detailed breakdown of Assembly Bill 1912, legislation that would finally allow archery hunters to carry a concealed firearm for self-defense during deer season. The episode explains why this issue matters for western hunters dealing with mountain lions, bears, and remote backcountry conditions, while highlighting how similar laws have evolved in other states. The conversation also covers Senate Bill 1021, a proposal designed to expand hunting and fishing opportunities for youth with life-threatening illnesses through partnerships with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Alongside the California updates, the show touches on pro-sportsmen legislative victories in Tennessee, Sunday hunting discussions in Massachusetts, and conservation funding priorities in Michigan. If you care about hunting rights, firearm legislation, conservation policy, and the future of outdoor access, this is a timely look at the policies shaping America's sporting landscape. Get the FREE Sportsmen's Voice e-publication in your inbox every Monday: www.congressionalsportsmen.org/newsletter   Follow The Sportsmen's Voice wherever you get your podcasts: https://podfollow.com/1705085498  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A rare form of hantavirus is believed to have spread person-to-person on board a cruise ship. Iran's leverage depends on President Trump feeling political pressure at home. Gas prices are up and support for the war is not. The California Department of Insurance is accusing State Farm, the nation's largest home insurance company, of delaying, denying and underpaying claims after last year's wildfires. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

OA1255 - Has the Southern Poverty Law Center really just been indicted for helping to provide information to the FBI? Did the Trump administration really just tell a federal judge that building a White House ballroom was a matter of “national security”? Did the 5th Circuit really just require Texas to display the 10 Commandments in every public school classroom? We take on these questions and many more before getting to our footnote: Did a Rolls-Royce hating bear really just commit insurance fraud in California? Indictment in U.S. v. Southern Poverty Law Center (filed April 21, 2026) Trump Administration Finally Discloses White House Ballroom Funding Contract in Response to Public Citizen's FOIA Lawsuit, Public Citizen (April 22, 2026) “The Reckoning of Morris Dees and the Southern Poverty Law Center,” Bob Moser, The New Yorker, (March 21, 2019) Memorandum opinion in National Trust For Historic Preservation in the United States v. National Park Service et al, DC Dist. Ct. (Leon, J., 3/31/26) Nathan et al v. Alamo Independent School District, No. 25-56095 (5th Cir. April 21, 2026) “Operation Bear Claw,” California Department of Insurance Check out the OA Linktree for all the places to go and things to do!  

A heartbreaking and heavy moment led the show as the crew reacted to the devastating mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, where authorities say a father, Shamar Elkins, killed eight children—seven of them his own—in what has been described as the nation’s deadliest mass shooting in more than two years. The conversation centered on grief, domestic violence, and the urgent need for mental‑health intervention, with faith leaders and mental‑health professionals urging families to take warning signs seriously and reminding listeners that help is available before tragedy strikes. In celebrity news, Jada Pinkett Smith made headlines after reports resurfaced about her longtime secret crush on Ted Danson, whom she worked with on her 2008 film The Human Contract, reinforcing her openly discussed attraction to what she calls “soft‑spoken alpha males”. Mary J. Blige also opened up about a painful chapter from her career, revealing she still regrets her controversial Burger King commercial, saying the fallout deeply affected her personally and professionally and remains “not a laughing matter” years later. Plus, Tory Lanez is demanding $100 million in a lawsuit against the California Department of Corrections, claiming prison officials failed to protect him after he was stabbed 16 times by another inmate, leaving him with serious injuries including a collapsed lung. Website: https://www.urban1podcasts.com/rickey-smiley-morning-show See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tory Lanez is demanding $100 million in a lawsuit against the California Department of Corrections, claiming prison officials failed to protect him after he was stabbed 16 times by another inmate, leaving him with serious injuries including a collapsed lung. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest episode of the Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast being released today tackles one of the most consequential developments in bank–fintech litigation in recent years: the Los Angeles Superior Court's tentative decision in Opportunity Financial, LLC v. Hewlett (read more here). This case squarely addresses the long-debated "true lender" doctrine which has for decades bedeviled banks and Fintechs and "bricks and mortar" non-banks that have entered into joint ventures with one another to engage in interstate lending programs which take advantage of interest rate exportation rights afforded to banks. After applying application California and federal law, the Court granted summary judgment to OppFi and against the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) which unsuccessfully maintained that OppFi is the true lender and not OppFi's partner, FinWise Bank. In this episode, host Alan Kaplinsky, founder and former chair of the Consumer Financial Services Group and now Senior Counsel, is joined by two leading voices with sharply contrasting perspectives: Professor Emeritus Arthur Wilmarth, a prominent critic of bank–fintech partnerships, and Ballard Spahr Senior Counsel Ron Vaske, who regularly advises banks and fintech companies on structuring such programs. Their discussion offers a deep and balanced exploration of the court's reasoning and its broader implications.   A Tentative Decision with Significant Implications At the center of the case is a partnership between OppFi, a fintech platform, and FinWise Bank, a Utah-chartered, FDIC-insured institution. The program allowed FinWise to originate consumer loans at interest rates permissible under Utah law and export those rates nationwide under Section 27 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act. The DFPI challenged the arrangement, arguing that OppFi—not FinWise—was the "true lender," which would subject the loans to California's 36% interest rate cap. In a tentative ruling, the court rejected the DFPI's position and granted summary judgment in favor of OppFi. The court emphasized traditional indicia of lending authority, including: •           FinWise's role in funding the loans •           Its control over underwriting criteria •           Its retention of a 5% ownership interest •           Its ongoing oversight of compliance and marketing Critically, the court also relied on the longstanding California law principle that usury is determined at the inception of the loan. (See the discussion below.) Because FinWise originated the loans, the court concluded they were not rendered unlawful by OppFi's subsequent purchase of a 95% participation interest giving which gave it a predominant economic interest.   Competing Views on "True Lender" The podcast highlights a fundamental divide in how courts and commentators approach the true lender doctrine. Professor Wilmarth argues that the court failed to meaningfully engage with the "predominant economic interest" test, which focuses on who bears the majority of the economic risk and reward. In his view, OppFi's 95% participation interest suggests that it—not the bank—is the real lender in substance. He also raises broader concerns about whether such arrangements undermine state usury laws and expose consumers to excessively high-cost credit. Ron Vaske, by contrast, emphasizes the legal and structural realities of the transaction. He underscores that FinWise is the named lender, funds the loans, and remains legally responsible to borrowers. From this perspective, the allocation of economic interests after origination should not redefine the identity of the lender or override federal law permitting rate exportation.   The Role of "Valid When Made" Another key related theme explored in the episode is the "valid when made" doctrine—the principle that a loan that is lawful at origination remains lawful after assignment. The court's reliance on this concept reinforces the importance of determining lender status at the moment the loan is made, rather than based on subsequent transfers or participations. The discussion also touches on the interplay between state and federal law, as well as the continuing relevance of regulatory interpretations following the Supreme Court's decision in Loper Bright, which curtailed Chevron deference.   What Comes Next? It is important to note that the court's ruling is still tentative. In accordance with California procedure, OppFi must submit a proposed final opinion and order to the Court. If adopted, an appeal by the DFPI appears likely—potentially setting the stage for further appellate guidance on the true lender doctrine in California and beyond.   Why This Matters This case is part of a broader and ongoing policy debate: ·                 Supporters of bank–fintech partnerships argue they expand access to credit and operate within well-established federal banking frameworks. ·                 Critics contend they can be used to circumvent state consumer protection laws, particularly interest rate caps. As the regulatory and judicial landscape continues to evolve, OppFi v. Hewlett represents a significant—and closely watched—development. It may be significant to note that, unlike several other states, California does not have a statute stating that the holding of a "predominant economic interest" in a loan makes the holder the true lender  Be sure to listen to the full podcast episode for a deeper dive into the case and the competing legal and policy perspectives shaping the future of bank–fintech partnerships. Consumer Finance Monitor is hosted by Alan Kaplinsky, Senior Counsel at Ballard Spahr, and the founder and former chair of the firm's Consumer Financial Services Group. We encourage listeners to subscribe to the podcast on their preferred platform for weekly insights into developments in the consumer finance industry.

This is an interesting election season for California — and not just because of the competitive races for governor and superintendent of public instruction. The superintendent's job description might dramatically change in the coming months before a new superintendent takes office. That's because Gov. Gavin Newsom — in one of his last bold acts in education — is planning to hand over management of the California Department of Education from the superintendent to the next governor. We check in with veteran education reporter John Fensterwald, who has been covering the upcoming primary race and Newsom's proposal to overhaul the California Department of Education. Guest: John Fensterwald, Editor-at-Large, EdSource Read more from EdSource: Here's how Gov. Newsom proposes to revamp the state education department What does the state superintendent actually do and how might that drastically change? California's next governor to face tough choices for education as state budget tightens Legislative Analyst sees merit in Gov. Newsom's plan for realigning California's school bureaucracy California school boards fault state government's failure to narrow the achievement gap And more ongoing election coverage at EdSource Education Beat is a weekly podcast. This week's episode was hosted by EdSource's Emma Gallegos and produced by Coby McDonald. Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube

In this episode, we speak with Veronica Bowie, Branch Chief of the Driver Safety Branch at the California Department of Motor Vehicles, about California's new Forwarded Actions for Speeding Tickets (FAST) pilot program to take drivers caught going over 100 MPH off the road faster. Host: Ian Grossman Producer: Claire Jeffrey, Chelsey Hadwin, and Kayle Nguyen Music: Gibson Arthur

Glenn Leung is the Vice President of the Surplus Line Association of California (SLA), which serves as the statutory surplus line advisory organization of the California Department of Insurance. Glenn leads a team focused on analyzing the financial solvency of nonadmitted insurers in California, and his team reviews 150 U.S. and Alien insurers that write more than $20 billion of premium each year. He received his bachelor's degree in Economics & American Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and is the President of the Golden Gate CPCU Chapter, past chair of the RE&S Interest Group, and current interest group governor. In this episode of In the Know, Chris Hampshire and Glenn discuss his background and experience with the surplus lines sector, his interaction with the CPCU Society, and the impact that AI has had in his field of expertise.   Key Takeaways ● Glenn's college experience taught him that there is a place for government regulation. ● Glenn's jump into surplus lines insurance. ● Considerations for entities when considering surplus lines insurance. ● The evolution of the surplus lines sector. ● Indicators that are driving sector growth. ● Tactics for carriers when approaching a new jurisdiction like California. ● Glenn's insights into knowing and publicizing his brand. ● Strategies for entering the insurance analysis sector. ● A thirst for knowledge first drew Glenn to the insurance industry. ● Glenn's most rewarding experiences to date. ● The future of the surplus lines sector of the industry. ● The impact of AI in the surplus lines market. ● A five-year look to the future of the industry. ● Glenn's advice to his early career self.   In the Know podcast theme music written and performed by James Jones, CPCU, and Kole Shuda of the band If-Then.   To learn more about the CPCU Society, its membership, and educational offerings, tools, and programs, please visit CPCUSociety.org.   Follow the CPCU Society on social media: X (Twitter): @CPCUSociety Facebook: @CPCUSociety LinkedIn: @The Institutes CPCU Society Instagram: @the_cpcu_society   Quotes ● "There has been tremendous growth in the surplus lines industry."   ● "The insurance industry has a huge and wide breadth of different careers that can be pursued."   ● "There is something for everybody in the insurance industry."   ● "I was first drawn to the CPCU Society because of a thirst for knowledge."   ● "The CPCU Society offered me the ability to understand all aspects of the insurance industry."  

The California Department of Justice has announced sweeping reforms to how the El Monte Union High School District will handle future sexual abuse allegations after years of misconduct. The cause of death for Emily Beutner, the daughter of former LAUSD superintendent Austin Beutner has been released. Exploring a gibbons sanctuary in Santa Clarita. Plus, more. Support The L.A. Report by donating at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.com Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency!Support the show: https://laist.com

In this episode, we dive into the world of Medicare and Medicaid fraud, specifically in California's hospice industry. Michael discusses a recent CBS News report exposing widespread abuse and the state's slow response to address the issue. He questions the lack of action from the California Department of Public Health and the federal government, highlighting the need for greater accountability. Michael also touches on the human impact of this fraud, including real victims who've been denied necessary care due to stolen Medicare numbers. He also shares his thoughts on the government's inefficiencies and the need for change.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DAMIONBroadcom CEO Pay Soars to $205.3 Million After AI-Fueled Rally. WHO DO YOU BLAME?The workers: “The median of the annual total compensation of all our employees is $378,281. Therefore, the Ratio calculated in accordance with Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K is 543 to 1.”Board chair Henry Samueli: completely non-independent.Owns $27B of Broadcom stockDirector Since: 2016. Chairman of the Board since 2018. served as Chief Technical Officer (2016-2018)co-founded Broadcom Corporation in 1991 and held several executive leadership positions at Broadcom Corporation until its acquisition by Broadcom Inc.Compensation Committee chair Harry L. You337,162,605 against votes at 2025 AGMThe other 8 directors combined: 252,626,537Annoyingly preoccupied:Current RolesChairman: Rain Enhancement Technologies Holdco, Inc.Executive Chairman: Berto Acquisition Corp. (2025 – Present)Interim CEO: dMY Squared Technology Group, Inc. (2025 – Present)CFO: dMY Squared Technology Group, Inc. (2022 – Present)Chairman: dMY Squared Technology Group, Inc.Past Roles (Operating Companies)Vice Chairman: GTY Technology (2019 – 2022)Director: IonQ, Inc. (2021 – 2025)Director: Coupang, Inc. (2021 – 2023)Director: Genius Sports Limited (2021 – 2022)Director: Rush Street Interactive, Inc. (2019 – 2022)Director: Korn/Ferry International (2005 – 2016)Past Roles (SPACs)Co-CEO: dMY Squared Technology Group, Inc. (2022 – 2023)Director: Coliseum Acquisition Corp. (2023 – 2024)Director: dMY Technology Group, Inc. VI (2021 – 2023)Director: dMY Technology Group, Inc. II (2020 – 2021)Director: dMY Technology Group, Inc. IV (2020 – 2021)CEO Hock E. TanMcDonald's CEO awkwardly samples his company's new burger in viral videoThe disgusting food at McDonald'sHyper-Salinity: Contains up to 75% of daily sodium in one meal, causing immediate "salt bloat" and dehydration.Low Moisture: High salt and thin patties "mummify" the meat, preventing natural decay and creating a "plastic" texture.Dough Conditioners: Buns use enzymes and monoglycerides to stay unnaturally soft and shelf-stable for weeks.Insulin Spikes: Added sugars (dextrose/HFCS) in the buns trigger rapid blood sugar crashes and lethargy.Industrial Additives: Use of sodium citrate (for plastic-like cheese melt) and antifoaming agents (in frying oils).Flash-Freezing: Destroys meat cell structures, resulting in a gray, rubbery texture rather than a juicy sear.The McDonald's attack on societyThe "Bliss Point": Engineered ratios of salt/sugar/fat that override the brain's "full" signal, feeling predatory rather than nourishing.The Uncanny Valley: Extreme consistency makes the food feel "fake" or "soulless" compared to artisanal, imperfect meals.Industrial Stigma: Global face of factory farming, mass land use, and high methane emissions.Disposable Culture: The lack of dining ritual (eating fast in a car/bag) leads to a psychological "guilt" or "grossness" post-consumption.Commodity Perception: Ultra-low pricing subconsciously signals "low quality" or "trash" ingredients to the brain.The controversial stain of CEO Chris Kempczinski"Failed Parents" Texts (2021): Leaked texts to Chicago's Mayor blaming the parents of Jaslyn Adams (7) and Adam Toledo (13) for their shooting deaths, stating they "failed those kids."The "Numbers Don't Matter" Remark: Reportedly told Black executives "numbers don't matter" when confronted with the decline of Black leadership from 42 to 7 executives.$10B Byron Allen Settlement (2025): Settled a massive racial stereotyping lawsuit regarding the company's refusal to contract with Black-owned media.VP "Purge" Allegations: Lawsuits from high-ranking female executives alleging a "war against the African American community" via demotions and ad-spend cuts.Peaster Retaliation Case: Allegations that Kempczinski "shunned" his Head of Security for challenging his "racist" texts during a company town hall.The "Franchisee Gap": Confirmed a $400,000 annual cash-flow deficit between Black-owned and White-owned franchises.Enforcement Loophole: Revealed that "Global Brand Standards" are largely unenforceable suggestions for the 95% of restaurants owned by franchisees.DEI Backsliding: Criticized for quietly removing DEI goals from executive bonus structures shortly after the audit concluded."Tough Love" Comments (2026): Blasted for "corporate gaslighting" after telling workers "nobody cares about your career as much as you do.""Broke Customer" Blame: Attributed declining sales to "low-income/broke" consumers while simultaneously defending aggressive menu price hikes.Predatory Pricing Tactics: Leaked internal documents showed teams targeting "budget-constrained" families with high-margin "add-on" items.Extreme Pay Inequality: Scrutiny over an $18–$20M compensation package, creating a 1,200:1 pay ratio compared to median workers.Franchisee Revolts: Intense friction over $70M in new tech fees and the 2025 cut of $100M in subsidies for worker tuition and Happy Meals.Cultural Legacy: Ongoing criticism for failing to dismantle the "boys' club" atmosphere inherited from predecessor Steve Easterbrook.Lead Independent Director Miles D. WhiteDirector since 2009.What was really behind Jack Dorsey laying off nearly half of Block's staff? CEO cited AI advances in cutting 4,000 workers, but a weak crypto market and declining stock price may also be at play. WHO DO YOU BLAME?Co-founder and CEO and Chair Jack Dorsey: 46% influence/41% voting powerIt is also the Board's duty to oversee senior management in the competent and ethical operation of the Company … ensure that the Company is committed to business excellence, ethical and honest conduct, and the highest levels of integrity.”Gender Diversity: The benchmark we reference for gender diversity is 50% representation for women.Board is 30% with 5% influenceLeadership is 27%Co-founder and director James McKelvey: 35% influence/10% voting powerThe Classified board structureThe Class B shares worth 10 votes (co-founders control 99.6% of these shares, Dorsey with 80%)Would have lost management vote on 2025 Equity Incentive Plan769,264,245:171,645,010… 171,343,335:171,645,010Jay-ZGEO Group leadership transitionOn February 6, 2026, J. David Donahue, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, provided notice to The GEO Group, Inc. (“GEO” or the “Company”) of his retirement effective February 28, 2026 (the “Separation Date”).(i) $104,167 per month commencing on March 1, 2026 and continuing through February 28, 2028 in accordance with the terms of the Consultant Agreement(ii) health insurance premiums for himself and any covered dependents for up to twenty-four (24) months(iii) the outstanding unvested stock options and restricted stock previously granted to Mr. Donahue will continue to vestOn February 9, 2026, George C. Zoley, GEO's founder and Executive Chairman, was appointed Chief Executive Officer effective March 1, 2026$1.2M/200%/300%Days after Trump's 2024 reelection—which private prison companies funded to the tune of over $1 million—Zoley hailed the “unprecedented opportunity” of the incoming administration's mass deportation campaign.“The GEO Group was built for this unique moment in our company's [and] country's history, and the opportunity that it will bring,” he beamed.George C. Zoley founded GEO in 1984; was appointed Executive Chairman on July 1, 2021; served as CEO from the time the Company went public in 1994 through June 2021; served as Chairman since May 2002; served as Vice Chair from January 1997 to May 2002. Prior to 1994, he served as President and Director from the Company's incorporation in 1988Feb 2026: completed a US$92.45 million share buybackWHO DO YOU BLAME?The GEO Group Emperor: George C. Zoley 84% influence!founded GEO in 1984; Chair (2002-2021); Executive Chair (2021-present); CEO (1994-2021); Vice Chair (1997-2002). Prior to 1994, Director (1988-)3% stock ownerThe Trump bromance:Days after Trump's 2024 reelection—which private prison companies funded to the tune of over $1 million—Zoley hailed the “unprecedented opportunity” of the incoming administration's mass deportation campaign: “The GEO Group was built for this unique moment in our company's [and] country's history, and the opportunity that it will bring,” he beamed.Pam Bondi: The current Attorney General was a former lobbyist for The GEO GroupA GEO Group subsidiary, GEO Acquisition II Inc., donated $1 million to a pro-Trump Super PAC. Additionally, the company contributed $500,000 to the 2025 inaugural committee—double what it gave for the 2017 inaugurationThe economic opportunism of private prisons with ICE contracts2/13/26: Private prison company GEO Group on Thursday reported a company record of $254 million in profit last year—a roughly 700% increase over 2024—driven by asset sales and contracts with the Trump administration to build several new US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities across the US.The top 4 sleepy institutional investors (34%)Blackrock 13.8% Vanguard 9.5% Wolf Hill Capital Management 5.5% FMR 5.0%The CEO clown car after June 2021 meant to keep Zoley powerfulJose Gordo (1/1/21-12/31/23); was also directorBrian Evans (1/1/24-12/31/24); was not directorJ. David Donahue CEO (1/1/25-2/28/26); was not directorThe intentionally incompetent Compensation Committee in charge of succession planning2025 proxy: Jack Brewer (Chairman), Thomas C. Bartzokis, Scott Kernan, Terry MayotteBrewer is former NFL playerBartzokis is cardiologistKernan is Agency Secretary of the California Department of Corrections and RehabilitationMayotte has stepped down2024 proxy: Terry Mayotte (Chairman), Thomas C. Bartzokis, Scott Kernan, Andrew Shapiro2023 proxy: Terry Mayotte (Chairman), Anne N. Foreman, Andrew Shapiro2022 proxy: Richard H. Glanton (Chairman), Anne N. Foreman, Terry Mayotte2021 proxy: Richard H. Glanton (Chairman), Jose Gordo, Duane Helkowski, Guido Van HauwermeirenGEO Group's weird lack of transparency: maybe the only public website or investors website i've ever seen that does not list management or board membershttps://www.geogroup.com/about-us/management_team/Page not found :(Sam Altman Is Realizing He Made a Gigantic Mistake"Opportunistic and sloppy."OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is continuing his apology tour, conceding OpenAI "shouldn't have rushed" its Department of Defense deal.OpenAI CEO Sam Altman went into full damage control mode over the weekend. A day before the United States attacked Iran, the embattled CEO announced that the company had signed a new agreement with the Pentagon over how its AI models could be used — and the blowback is clearly impacting the company's bottom line, because Altman is sounding deeply defensive.Many users saw the military terms move as an attempt to swoop in and yank a multibillion-dollar government contract from the clutches of its rival, Anthropic. Last week, Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei refused to give in to the Department of Defense's demands, drawing a line in the sand and insisting that its AI models may not be used for autonomous killing machines or mass surveillance of Americans, a decision lauded by many users of its chatbot Claude.WHO DO YOU BLAME?Sam AltmanWAR WITH IRANA “business”-”man” (baby) running the country used to transaction approach to everything, including trading young girls with Epstein, leads the US into war with Iran for speculative and imaginary reasons - WHO DO YOU BLAME??Founder fetish (President/CEO!)Sycophantic boards (Congress!)Investors (Voters!)China! (China!)

A video of this podcast is available on YouTube, Spotify, or PwC's website at viewpoint.pwc.com.Energy demand is rising at a pace few anticipated, driven by AI, data centers, electrification, and industrial growth. In this episode, host Heather Horn speaks with Gayle Miller, Head of Strategic Investor Engagement for Brookfield's Global Client Group and Senior Advisor to its Renewable Power & Transition business, about what an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy looks like in practice—and how investors are evaluating risk, value, and sustainability reporting in this new era of energy security.In this episode, we discuss:3:59 – The forces influencing energy demand to accelerate6:28 – What an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy means in practice12:04 – How utilities, hyperscalers, and investors are working together to secure power16:49 – Grid constraints, demand smoothing, and AI-enabled optimization22:40 – The evolving energy mix: renewables, storage, gas and nuclear36:48 – Cap-and-trade, renewable standards, and emissions policy tools42:20 – Corporate climate commitments and the role of sustainability reportingLooking for the latest developments in sustainability reporting? Follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app and subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay in the loop for the latest thought leadership on sustainability standards. About our guestGayle Miller is Head of Strategic Investor Engagement for Brookfield's Global Client Group and a Senior Advisor to the Renewable Power & Transition business. In this role, she oversees critical touchpoints and programs tailored for institutional clients and continues to advise on the energy transition.Prior to joining Brookfield in 2024, Ms. Miller was chief deputy of policy to the California Department of Finance and senior counselor on infrastructure and clean energy finance to the Governor, where she championed the state's landmark clean energy agenda. She previously was vice chair of the investment committee for the California Teachers' Retirement System and served as an advisor to the Governor for the California Public Employee Retirement System.About our hostHeather Horn is the PwC National Office Sustainability and Thought Leader, responsible for developing our communications strategy and conveying firm positions on accounting, financial reporting, and sustainability matters. In addition, she is part of PwC's global sustainability leadership team, developing interpretive guidance and consulting with companies as they transition from voluntary to mandatory sustainability reporting. She is also the engaging host of PwC's accounting and reporting weekly podcast and quarterly webcast series.Transcripts available upon request for individuals who may need a disability-related accommodation. Please send requests to us_podcast@pwc.com.Did you enjoy this episode? Text us your thoughts and be sure to include the episode name.

On the morning of December 2, 2025, a mother at work checked the surveillance camera in her Elk Grove home and saw her eleven-year-old son lying motionless on the floor. Officers from the Elk Grove Police Department responded to the 7600 block of Ferrell Way and found Mar Aris Untalan Morales with multiple stab wounds. The boy was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. His father, Marvin Morales, was gone.THE SUSPECT:Marvin Morales was a Sacramento County Sheriff's Office deputy from 2017 until his forced resignation in February 2024. His career unraveled on October 24, 2023, when fellow deputies found him unresponsive on the floor of a restroom at the Central Division station. Body camera footage captured deputies administering Narcan to revive him from what turned out to be a fentanyl overdose. The internal investigation that followed revealed Morales had confiscated narcotics from citizens during field stops, then kept them for personal use. He admitted to taking a methamphetamine pipe home and smoking the residue three to four times over four months, claiming the drugs gave him the energy he needed to write reports. On the day he collapsed, he had seized fentanyl from a suspect and smoked it in the station bathroom while still in full uniform.THE AFTERMATH:Morales resigned in February 2024 ahead of his termination and was subsequently decertified by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office released over four hundred pages of internal investigation documents, photographs, and body camera video detailing his drug use, evidence tampering, and dishonesty. Sheriff Jim Cooper called it a horrible embarrassment for the department.THE CRIME:Less than two years after his firing, Morales was watching his two children at the family home in Elk Grove when he fatally stabbed his eleven-year-old son. A six-year-old girl was also in the home at the time but was not physically harmed. She was later evaluated at a hospital and released to her mother.THE PURSUIT:After the stabbing, Morales fled in his vehicle. Law enforcement agencies across Sacramento County were alerted and spotted him driving southbound on Interstate 5. A pursuit ensued at speeds exceeding one hundred miles per hour. Near the intersection of Interstate 5 and Highway 12, Morales stopped his vehicle and, according to deputies on scene, produced what appeared to be a rifle and pointed it toward officers. Multiple officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office and other agencies fired, striking Morales. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The California Department of Justice opened an investigation into the officer-involved shooting.CURRENT STATUS:The Elk Grove Police Department Investigations Bureau continues to lead the homicide investigation into the death of Mar Aris Untalan Morales.Learn more about this case at https://www.mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura/Support Obscura: https://www.patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/Our Sponsors:* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com* Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA* Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/OBSCURA* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code OBSCURA20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Verizon hit by a major wireless outage. Poland blocks an attack on its power grid. A massive database of French citizens exposed. Microsoft shuts down a cybercrime-as-a-service operation. The UK backs away from digital ID plans. California probes Grok deepfakes. The FTC settles with GM over location data. Palo Alto Networks patches a serious firewall flaw. Plus, John Serafini of HawkEye on modern signals intelligence, and federal agents seize devices from a Washington Post reporter. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Today Maria Varmazis sits down with John Serafini, Founder and CEO of Hawkeye 360, on T-Minus to discuss commercial signals intelligence, advanced RF signal processing, and Hawkeye 360's recent acquisition of Innovative Signal Analysis alongside its Series E funding. To hear the full conversation, check out the episode on T-Minus. Selected Reading Verizon Says Service Restored After Thousands Affected by Outage (Bloomberg) Poland says it repelled major cyberattack on power grid, blames Russia (The Record) Massive breach leaks 45 million French records: demographic, healthcare, and financial data all leaked, here's what we know (TechRadar) Criminal Subscription Service Behind AI-Powered Cyber-Attacks Taken Out By Microsoft (Infosecurity Magazine) Government drops plans for mandatory digital ID to work in UK (BBC News) Attorney General Bonta Launches Investigation into xAI, Grok Over Undressed, Sexual AI Images of Women and Children | State of California (Department of Justice) FTC bans GM from selling drivers' location data for five years (Bleeping Computer) Palo Alto Networks warns of DoS bug letting hackers disable firewalls (Bleeping Computer) FBI executes search warrant at Washington Post reporter's home (Washington Post) US cargo tech company publicly exposed its shipping systems and customer data to the web (TechCrunch) Share your feedback. What do you think about CyberWire Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. Want to hear your company in the show? N2K CyberWire helps you reach the industry's most influential leaders and operators, while building visibility, authority, and connectivity across the cybersecurity community. Learn more at sponsor.thecyberwire.com. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger PictureThe EU economy is imploding, Germany the power manufacturing company is falling apart and now companies are moving to Hungary. Trump built the tariff system to compete the [CB]. Trump has now started the narrative of why the Fed should not be controlling the US economy. DOJ has begun a criminal investigation, soon the Fed will be restructured into the Treasury. The [DS] is panicking, they are losing the chess match and they have no more move except one. Trump has now set the stage and the [DS] will follow the path to their destruction. The money supply is in the process of being shutdown, the [DS] is struggling, the countries they controlled are struggling. Soon Trump will have all the leverage and the enemy will be at it’s weakest point. Game Over. Economy (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); https://twitter.com/WallStreetMav/status/2010625048856424506?s=20   countries. In the year 2023, Germany lost 123,000 manufacturing jobs. The trend has continued in 2024 and 2025. Lousy energy policy has consequences. https://twitter.com/RealPNavarro/status/2010480063091720266?s=20 https://twitter.com/RealPNavarro/status/2010480094662332678?s=20   factory jobs appear. https://twitter.com/Rasmussen_Poll/status/2010701202971935191?s=20 JUST IN: RINO Tillis Threatens to Block Fed Nominations Over Powell Criminal Investigation Federal investigators opened a criminal investigation into Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. Powell is under fire for the cost of renovating the Fed's DC headquarters. The cost ballooned from $1.9 billion to $2.5 billion. RINO Senator Thom Tillis is threatening to block any future Fed nominations over the Justice Department's federal criminal investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Source: thegatewaypundit.com FED Chairman Jerome Powell Attempts to Evade Legal Accountability by Hiding Behind His Office Regardless of how you feel about the Federal Reserve Board, I think we would all agree the construct of an autonomous central bank is outside the boundaries of our constitutional framework.  Factually, the Sea Island financial group set up the Federal Reserve as a system of control over the U.S. economy that was completely unnecessary.  . Last year facing ridiculous cost overruns, congress questioned Powell over the insane spending proposal by Powell for a new office building.  Chairman Powell characterized the construction changes that escalated the cost of the project from $1.9 billion to $2.5 billion as ‘minor modifications.'  That's $2.5 billions of taxpayer money. .[Transcript] – “Good evening. On Friday, the Department of Justice served the Federal Reserve with grand jury subpoenas, threatening a criminal indictment related to my testimony before the Senate Banking Committee last June. That testimony concerned in part a multi-year project to renovate historic Federal Reserve office buildings. I have deep respect for the rule of law and for accountability in our democracy. No one—certainly not the chair of the Federal Reserve—is above the law. But this unprecedented action should be seen in the broader context of the administration's threats and ongoing pressure. This new threat is not about my testimony last June or about the renovation of the Federal Reserve buildings. It is not about Congress's oversight role; the Fed through testimony and other public disclosures made every effort to keep Congress informed about the renovation project. Those are pretexts. The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President. This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions—or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation. I have served at the Federal Reserve under four administrations, Republicans and Democrats alike. In every case, I have carried out my duties without political fear or favor, focused solely on our mandate of price stability and maximum employment. Public service sometimes requires standing firm in the face of threats. I will continue to do the job the Senate confirmed me to do, with integrity and a commitment to serving the American people. Thank you.” Source:theconservativetreehouse.com Powell says criminal investigation by Trump's Justice Department threatens Fed's independence https://twitter.com/unseen1_unseen/status/2010547216906125721?s=20 https://twitter.com/jeffreytucker/status/2010520328389173522?s=20  would love to have been a fly on that wall, just listening in. Jerome caved. Now he is whining like a man-child that his supposed independence is being compromised by a threatened criminal indictment over a profligate building project. Historians will have a hard time making sense of this hilarity, including the faux-serious pose in this histrionic statement of pretend integrity. There is no place in a democracy for a secretive and all-controlling central bank. These conspirators are toast, if not now or tomorrow, then eventually. A peoples’ government needs a peoples’ money that people can own and control, and a banking system that is based on market competition, not a cartel of big shots. Sorry, Jerome, you showed your cards five years ago, revealing exactly who and what you serve, and that is not the American people. These are the end times for the Federal Reserve. https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/2010771831658107044?s=20 https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/2010761420082917557?s=20 Silver and Gold Hit New Highs on Fed Probe and Heightened Geopolitical Tensions   Gold and silver prices are climbing in response to concerns around geopolitical issues and policy independence at the Federal Reserve. Source: barrons.com    of Dollars! It would be a complete mess, and almost impossible for our Country to pay. Anybody who says that it can be quickly and easily done would be making a false, inaccurate, or totally misunderstood answer to this very large and complex question. It may not be possible but, if it were, it would be Dollars that would be so large that it would take many years to figure out what number we are talking about and even, who, when, and where, to pay. Remember, when America shines brightly, the World shines brightly. In other words, if the Supreme Court rules against the United States of America on this National Security bonanza, WE'RE SCREWED! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP Political/Rights  WBD is not just another studio. It is the home of HBO, DC Comics, the Harry Potter films, Game of Thrones, and one of the most important film archives in the world. Netflix itself boasts that the acquisition would combine Warner's “iconic franchises and storied libraries” with the world's largest streaming platform. If Netflix absorbs these assets, it will not just be the biggest streaming service. It will become the most dominant cultural gatekeeper the United States — and much of the world — has ever seen. Yet despite the obvious risks, WBD's leadership is pushing forward even though Paramount Skydance has launched an all-cash tender offer of $30 per share for the entire company — a bid that implies significantly higher value for shareholders than Netflix's offer.  At the same time, merging WBD's vast film and television library into Netflix would weaken competition in both streaming and content markets and concentrate cultural power in ways fundamentally at odds with the diversity of voices a free nation needs to survive. On these grounds alone, this merger should be stopped. Handing this machine control over Warner's franchises and future output would allow one company to rewrite characters, retell history, redefine social norms, and control which ideas reach audiences. Majority Of North Carolina Trucking Licenses Issued To Foreigners Are Illegal: Duffy A review of non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) granted in North Carolina found that 54 percent were issued illegally, the Department of Transportation (DOT) said in a statement on Jan. 8. The review was conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and is part of its ongoing nationwide audit of trucking licensing systems, the department said. DOT warned that if North Carolina does not “fix their serious failures” and revoke licenses issued illegally to foreign nationals, the department will withhold almost $50 million in federal funding. Source: zerohedge.com DOT Strips California Of $160 Million Over Foreign Truckers A showdown between the U.S. Department of Transportation and the State of California reached a breaking point on Wednesday after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will withhold approximately $160 million in safety program money from the state. The move follows California's failure to meet a January 5 deadline to cancel more than 17,000 commercial truck driver's licenses that Duffy asserts were unlawfully issued by the state to foreign truckers. The California Department of Motor Vehicles announced in late December that it would delay the cancellation until March 6, but FMCSA did not agree to the extension. The $160 million penalty marks the first year of potential sanctions. Under federal law, if California continues to defy the FMCSA's Final Determination, the amount withheld could double in the second year. Source: zerohedge.com DOGE Yes, Dina Powell McCormick worked in the Trump administration. She served as the United States Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy from 2017 to 2018 . She also held the role of Senior Advisor to the President for Entrepreneurship, Economic Growth, and the Empowerment of Women starting in January 2017 . For context, the Truth Social post you linked is Trump congratulating her on her new role as President and Vice Chairman of Meta (announced today, January 12, 2026)  1104 Q !xowAT4Z3VQ ID: 28003e No.967331 Apr 9 2018 12:09:25 (EST) Anonymous ID: db2d29 No.967224 Apr 9 2018 12:02:45 (EST) >>967123 YOU are being TRACKED. NO FB account required. WTF? Is it embedded in Android OS? This is BIGGER than you think. Agencies attached. Q >>967224 Think ‘Bridge’. GOOG. FB. TWITTER. IG. ‘Central’ algorithm. The stage had to be set. Q Geopolitical  U.K Asks Germany and France, EU NATO, to Support Expanded Presence in Greenland  President Trump wins again. Seriously folks, you would think that after all this time the Europeans would finally understand how President Trump manipulates the media cycle and gets them to do exactly what he wants – while they and the majority of their constituents think it's exactly the opposite.  This stuff is just too funny now. According to European media outlets, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is in discussions with Germany and France to send a NATO alliance to Greenland to establish a stronger NATO military footprint. {LINK} The media present this, hilariously, as if European NATO is going to defend Greenland against President Trump and the USA military. {{INSERT SEVERAL LAUGHING EMOJIS HERE}} I mean, think about it rationally. The U.K, France and Germany are unwilling to send troops into Ukraine without the protection of the U.S. military.  But somehow, for some reason, the U.K, France and Germany are going to send troops to Greenland to defend against the U.S. military. The narrative sounds silly when put into context, right? So, President Trump starts talking about the U.S. taking aggressive unilateral action to secure Greenland as a strategic national security matter.  Suddenly, ‘Voila!' European NATO, under the auspices of defending their Denmark democracy, wakes up and says, ‘No, wait, you can't just take Greenland, that's bad.'  Then they assemble urgent talks to send EU NATO military resources to Greenland.  Exactly what President Trump has been requesting to formerly deaf ears. See how that works?  Source: theconservativetreehouse.com https://twitter.com/thestinkeye/status/2010481974985560110?s=20  notes… JSOC   Step 4: seize narrative and news cycles for a week or two while all the large accounts get their marching orders and post the same stuff over and over. The EU threatens to mobilize to “protect Greenland” and quietly discovers they cannot project meaningful power outside their continent without the US. Step 5: DJT walks back the outrageous solution (invasion) to the somewhat radical solution (purchase). The big accounts feel like they matter, the little accounts feel like the have been heard. DJT gets what he wanted all along, and Denmark gets a pile of money to fritter away buying votes with socialist BS. https://twitter.com/amuse/status/2010567080802738660?s=20 https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/2010739799477354900?s=20 systemic instability. https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/2010605925342597449?s=20   Guard Corps (IRGC). https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2010532329303965733?s=20  Venezuela’s leader was a fugitive from US law enforcement and not a legitimate head of state, according to 60 different countries. He was apprehended, and Venezuela’s remaining leaders were asked to cooperate with US expectations. Greenland is likely to negotiate a compact of free association with the US and receive financial assistance, while maintaining self-governance, in exchange for military protection. Cuba is in rapid decline due to a loss of support from Venezuela (and other factors). China and Russia could offer assistance, but at considerable risk. Trump can wait and watch Cuba self-destruct, then come in and offer assistance to the Cuban people if and when they ask. Iran is in a similar situation to Cuba: a nation in rapid decline, with massive risk for Trump if he intervenes too quickly. The likely play there is to wait for the Ayatollah to flee. There would be no finger-pointing about “regime change” if the Islamic regime collapses on its own. Then, the US could offer assistance as an interim government is established. War/Peace https://twitter.com/WallStreetMav/status/2010435240079319153?s=20  specifically exclude any NATO troops from ever being put into Ukraine. All of these steps are designed to specifically undermine President Trump’s efforts at peace between Ukraine and Russia. The warmongers in Europe are determined to keep the war going as long as possible. They need to distract their voters with enemies so they don’t realize how Europe is collapsing economically and culturally. The European “leaders” desperately need enemies like Trump and Putin in order to point the finger and cast blame while things get worse in their own countries. Blame external forces, not their own policies. North Korean Hackers Using QR Codes to Steal Sensitive Information: FBI  North Korean state-sponsored cyber threat group Kimsuky is targeting American entities via a QR code scheme that can compromise sensitive information, the FBI said in a Jan. 8 alert. “As of 2025, Kimsuky actors have targeted think tanks, academic institutions, and both U.S. and foreign government entities with embedded malicious Quick Response (QR) codes in spearphishing campaigns,” the FBI stated. “This type of spearphishing attack is referred to as Quishing.” “Quishing (QR Code Phishing) is a phishing technique in which adversaries embed malicious URLs inside QR codes to force victims to pivot from their corporate endpoint to a mobile device, bypassing traditional email security controls.” In quishing campaigns, threat actors send QR images to targets as email attachments or embedded graphics, which typically evade URL inspection mechanisms. When targets scan the QR code, they are routed via redirectors to webpages that harvest their credentials. Such webpages impersonate Microsoft 365, Okta, or VPN portals. These operations typically end with hackers bypassing multifactor authentication (MFA) and hijacking cloud identities without triggering the usual “MFA failed” alerts. They can then establish persistence in the organizations' networks and use the compromised mailboxes to carry out further hacking operations, the agency warned. The FBI recommended that organizations adopt a multilayered security strategy to tackle the unique risks posed by QR hacking schemes. Source:  americafirstreport.com  https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/2010464207192371542?s=20 Medical/False Flags Cancer Drugs Drive Nearly One-Fifth Of Pharma Sales  The global pharmaceutical industry’s revenue is increasingly concentrated in a handful of high-value drug classes, with oncology, diabetes/obesity treatments and immunology leading the charge. As Statista’s Tristan Gaudiat details below, according to estimates from Statista Market Insights, cancer drugs alone generated over $217 billion last year, making oncology the largest therapeutic segment, driving nearly one-fifth (18 percent) of all pharmaceutical sales. You will find more infographics at Statista Antidiabetic medicines rank second, with estimated sales of over $85 billion in 2025, contributing 7 percent to global market revenues. Source: zerohedge.com   then Premiums will FALL, by 50% or more, for most people. I want to go back to the three year window where you can get in there for ObamaCare where you won't pay as much. Don't expand ObamaCare. Congress must make Trump Rules permanent. These were President Trump's 2018 Short Term Plans Rule that President Obama terminated. All Congress has to do is say, ‘Look, the Short Term Plans can last up to 36 months, your Insurer can sell you a Renewal Guarantee so it can last even beyond that period, and you will get lower priced Insurance, better Insurance, Longer Term Insurance and, it doesn't cost Taxpayers a dime or, it won't destabilize ObamaCare.' Much simpler than what President Trump's advisers are selling him, much better to assuage the fears of nervous Democrats, because we had these Rules in place for six years, and ObamaCare did not crater. Subsidies will not solve this problem. Government should be capping what it spends on Healthcare at ZERO. Send them a check. No need for subsidies. Congress has to get out of the way of Private Insurance Companies. Give the money to the Consumers to buy directly from the Health Insurance Companies.” [DS] Agenda https://twitter.com/ElectionWiz/status/2010347486783693056?s=20 https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2010445777676673233?s=20 https://twitter.com/RealAbs1776/status/2010549397969350845?s=20 https://twitter.com/amuse/status/2010554642107675018?s=20 https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/2010362097562013779?s=20 https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2010540542220726775?s=20 https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/2010537739767238962?s=20 https://twitter.com/TheStormRedux/status/2010374476819472477?s=20   dozens and dozens of those individuals to justice already. We're gonna keep hundreds of HSI officers there to continue to protect those children. Every day we get another individual that was sexual assault against a child. Sodomy against a child. I can't believe that the mayor and governor can defend allowing those people to go out there and victimize more of our children and grandchildren.” Infuriating. When see you see these dumbass leftists protesting in the streets, just know that they are out there protecting pedophiles. At this point, how can anyone claim that the Democrats are the “good guys”? https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2010755631972577560?s=20   rammed a Border Patrol vehicle, threatening the lives of federal law enforcement officers. He should NEVER have been in our country to begin with, and we will ensure he NEVER walks free in America again. President Trump's Plan https://twitter.com/amuse/status/2010487811732840449?s=20  A federal grand jury voted to indict the former FBI Director on two felony counts — and then three federal judges unraveled that indictment through conjecture, media narratives, personalized attacks on the United States Attorney, and procedural anomalies that have no precedent in federal criminal practice. https://twitter.com/RealSLokhova/status/2010247488826175976?s=20 https://twitter.com/realJeremyCarl/status/2010710384769151325?s=20 (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");

Rachel Maddow reviews how poorly Donald Trump's policies are being received by the American public as Trump continues to appoint laughably unqualified sycophants to top agency roles, and leadership failures mount. As a result, not only are Trump's poll numbers tanking, but even Republican politicians are recognizing that it's not in their interest to tie their fates to Trump's sinking ship.As Donald Trump fills the leadership roles of the U.S. public health system with quacks and kooks, sane states are taking it upon themselves to employ actual experts with real public health administration experience to make sure the public has credible guidance even if that guidance is not coming from the federal government. Dr. Debra Houry, former CDC official and new senior medical adviser to the California Department of Health, talks with Rachel Maddow about this new shift in public health authority as Donald Trump and his clown show are simply ignored.And the FBI is suffering a similar fate, with Trump lackeys in leadership driving out the agency's qualified staff and leaving behind only incompetent Trump loyalists to run the sadly weakened organization. Want more of Rachel? Check out the "Rachel Maddow Presents" feed to listen to all of her chart-topping original podcasts.To listen to all of your favorite MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.