Podcasts about Central Valley

California's long-delayed high speed rail project is finally ready to start laying tracks in the Central Valley next year. But the Trump administration has called it a “rail to nowhere,” pointing to construction delays and a budget that's ballooned by $100 billion. The federal government has clawed back $4 million in grant funding – a move Governor Newsom says is illegal and that California plans to fight in court. With federal money tied up in the lawsuit, state lawmakers are pooling funds and pushing public-private partnerships to keep construction on track. We'll get the latest on this slow-moving project from two transportation journalists. And we want to hear from you: What questions do you have about the future of California's high speed rail? Guests: Colleen Shalby, staff writer covering transportation and mobility, The Los Angeles Times Ralph Vartabedian, independent journalist who has written about California's high-speed rail for over a decade Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's show, we're chatting with Alison Nagatani, the founder of Maui Mood Swing and Mad Kimono. Alison is a fourth-generation farmer turned vintage entrepreneur who made the bold move from California's Central Valley to Maui and has since reimagined her life, living new passions. What started as sourcing vintage for a friend's store evolved into two unique vintage destinations: Maui Mood Swing, an antique mall experience with a Hawaiian twist, and Mad Kimono, a curated women's vintage boutique inspired by her personal closet spanning pieces from the 1930s to 1990s. And I loved hearing about how Alison brings vintage full circle - literally bringing Hawaii souvenirs back home to the islands where they started. I think you're really going to enjoy it –  let's dive right in! DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE: [3:34] Growing up in Bakersfield, Alison got into vintage and thrift through dressing in punk and grunge styles in high school. [7:43] Alison is a fourth-generation  Japanese-American farmer and grew up on the family farm. [10:14]  While making the bold move to Maui, Alison started her own vintage businesses. [13:18] Building a team and community around the vintage stores [19:42] Building Maui Mood Swing, during COVID, from afar. [21:04] After Maui Mood Swing, the team opened Mad Kimono, just nine months ago.  [25:02] Sourcing vintage in Hawaii and bringing Hawaiian souvenirs back to the islands [29:04] Alison also specializes in ‘Made in Hawaii' clothing. [33:13] Traveling to California and Japan to source vintage. [39:38] Alison's kimonos, and other special pieces in her personal vintage collection. [40:32] Her philosophy on letting go of vintage pieces EPISODE MENTIONS:  Maui Mood Swing @mauimoodswing Mad Kimono  @madkimonomaui Jerry's Pizza in Bakersfield Kahala shirts Crazy tees - vintage tags Gecko Hawaii Wings Hawaii Blossom Vintage Jamie from Blossom on Pre-Loved Podcast Heartbreak Vintage Kimono Dragon LET'S CONNECT: 

RE-RUNLonliness-JACKED UP DAILYIn this episode Jack and Tim discuss lonlienss and answers for it. Our website is www.LetsGetJackedUp.com Welcome to Jacked Up Daily with Tim, Jack, Bobby, and Karen, a dynamic daily podcast on the Fringe Radio Network. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 AM for conservative commentary, Bible prophecy, and insights from a modern American Christian perspective. Based in Fresno, California, in the heart of the Central Valley, Jacked Up Daily brings a unique West Coast viewpoint to everything from politics and social issues to fringe topics like aliens, ghosts, and the anti-Christ. Whether discussing the rapture, end times prophecy, or offering analysis on current events, this show is perfect for your morning drive. Catch the latest episode on FringeRadioNetwork.com and join us as we explore the mysteries of the world from a bold, Christian viewpoint. Don't miss a moment of this thought-provoking and engaging show, where no topic is off-limits!FringeRadioNetwork.com LetsGetJackedup.com  E-mail us at letsgetjackedup@gmail.comFollow us on X @LetsGetJackedUp  and Facebookgo to www.StrawHatPizza.com to order your pizza if you live in Clovis or Fresno Californiamusic for this episode was from Back to the 80'shttps://youtu.be/0QKQlf8r7ls?si=dOoU1o_-HRiNm0Pv 

Climate change and tariffs may be shaking up the coffee industry. But young people are still abuzz these days about specialty drinks like lattes and macchiatos. And a Merced coffee shop is even giving this industry a boost, by training more people to serve up the delicious drinks. Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have filed suit against Southern California Edison, over its alleged role in starting a pair of deadly wildfires. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED A bill that would have created career pathways for incarcerated firefighters was shelved by a Senate committee on Thursday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biden English BCN-JACKED UP DAILYIn this episode, Bobby's Crazy News goes back to 2022 and we listen to what President Joe Biden had to say with his interesting selection of words. This episode will get you laughing and crying at the same time!Our website is www.LetsGetJackedUp.com Welcome to Jacked Up Daily with Tim, Jack, Bobby, and Karen, a dynamic daily podcast on the Fringe Radio Network. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 AM for conservative commentary, Bible prophecy, and insights from a modern American Christian perspective. Based in Fresno, California, in the heart of the Central Valley, Jacked Up Daily brings a unique West Coast viewpoint to everything from politics and social issues to fringe topics like aliens, ghosts, and the anti-Christ. Whether discussing the rapture, end times prophecy, or offering analysis on current events, this show is perfect for your morning drive. Catch the latest episode on FringeRadioNetwork.com and join us as we explore the mysteries of the world from a bold, Christian viewpoint. Don't miss a moment of this thought-provoking and engaging show, where no topic is off-limits!FringeRadioNetwork.com LetsGetJackedup.com  E-mail us at letsgetjackedup@gmail.comFollow us on X @LetsGetJackedUp  and Facebookgo to www.StrawHatPizza.com to order your pizza if you live in Clovis or Fresno Californiamusic for this episode was from Back to the 80'shttps://youtu.be/0QKQlf8r7ls?si=dOoU1o_-HRiNm0Pv 

Opening Reflections and California Concerns The AgNet News Hour began with hosts Nick Papagni and Lorrie Boyer sharing lighthearted Friday greetings before shifting to California's serious agricultural challenges. Papagni noted worsening Central Valley air quality caused by wildfires, likening the smoke to winter fog. He warned that tensions between state and federal governments over forest management may intensify as fall approaches. Boyer added that federal intervention could even extend to California's 2028 Olympic preparations. Policy Spotlight: Mexican Wolf Debate Boyer reported on a House Natural Resources Subcommittee hearing on the Enhancing Safety for Animals Act of 2025. The legislation would delist the Mexican wolf from the Endangered Species Act, a move supported by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the Arizona and New Mexico Cattle Growers Associations, and the Public Lands Council. Tom Patterson, President-elect of the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, testified that wolf populations have shifted from a livestock concern to a community safety threat, citing attacks on pets, horses, and even children. In regulatory news, the EPA declined stricter wastewater rules for meat and poultry processors, concluding that current Clean Water Act requirements suffice. The National Chicken Council applauded this decision as a balanced approach to water quality regulation. Immigration Reform and the Dignity Act The program's central feature was an interview with Manuel Cunha, President of the Nisei Farmers League, who addressed farm labor shortages and immigration policy. He highlighted the bipartisan Dignity Act (H.R. 4393), introduced by Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX), as the most promising reform since the early 2000s. The Act includes a three-pronged approach: Long-Term Residents – renewable work authorization cards with penalties for undocumented status. Legal Pathways for New Workers – stronger background checks and legal entry channels. Criminal Entrants – removal of individuals linked to crime or gang activity. Cunha emphasized that the Act also provides protections for Dreamers and addresses Social Security benefits for long-term contributors who have paid into the system for decades. Coyotes, Fear, and Fake Documents Cunha warned about coyotes—human smugglers who charge up to $15,000 per person and often supply migrants with fraudulent documents. Workers fall into debt while employers unknowingly hire with false credentials. He called the system a “disaster” and urged growers to pressure congressional leaders like David Valadao, Jim Costa, Jimmy Panetta, and Vince Fong to support the Dignity Act. Despite federal assurances, many farmworkers still live in daily fear of deportation. Some alter their appearance to avoid suspicion, while enforcement remains concentrated in large metropolitan sanctuary cities. Farm Labor: Hard Work Few Will Do Papagni stressed that farm labor is not unskilled work, pointing to strawberry, lettuce, melon, and table grape harvesting as examples requiring years of expertise. Cunha agreed, noting that domestic welfare recipients are unlikely to take on such demanding jobs—something proven during the 1996–1998 Welfare to Work Program. With many long-time workers nearing retirement and fewer young people entering agriculture, Cunha pressed for a comprehensive guest worker program. A Call to Action Cunha's message to farmers and ag communities was clear: contact your congressional representatives and urge support for the Dignity Act. He highlighted Vince Fong as a key California lawmaker yet to sign on. If passed, the bill would initiate a five- to six-month rule-writing process, during which workers would receive documentation verifying employment, providing immediate protection while regulations are finalized. Farm Income and Market Updates According to the U.S. Economic Research Service (ERS): Net farm income in 2025 is projected at $179.5 billion, up 40.7% from 2024—the second-highest on record. Median farm household income, however, is projected to decline by $1,189 in 2025, reflecting weaker off-farm earnings. Government payments are forecast at $40.5 billion, the highest since 2020. The dairy sector is also strengthening, with exports reaching 18.7% of domestic production in June—the highest since 2022. Domestic yogurt consumption rose 12.2%, while overall use of milk solids grew 3%. Competitiveness and Global Pressures Papagni noted the difficulty of competing with countries paying $10–20 per day compared to California's $16 per hour wages, combined with stricter U.S. regulations. Boyer emphasized that despite higher costs, U.S. agriculture provides the world's safest and most affordable food supply, thanks largely to immigrant labor. Citrus Greening and Global Potato Trends Rick Dantzler of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation reported promising progress in the fight against citrus greening disease. Oxytetracycline trunk injections are showing strong results, with healthier canopies and improved fruit quality, though production costs rose 7%. Meanwhile, the global frozen potato market has shifted dramatically. Between 2019 and 2024, China and India moved from net importers to exporters of frozen fries and processed potato products, expanding markets into Asia and the Middle East. Criminal Provisions in the Dignity Act The legislation also strengthens criminal enforcement, including: Tougher penalties for illegal re-entry after multiple deportations. DNA testing to confirm family ties. Stricter penalties for voting by non-citizens. Increased minimum penalties for child sex trafficking. Boyer linked these provisions directly to combating coyote networks and broader exploitation. Wrapping Up The episode closed with Papagni and Boyer urging farmers to engage in the policy debate, follow updates at AgNetWest.com, and recognize that immigration reform is essential to keeping U.S. agriculture competitive and sustainable.

More with CGP boxing analyst, Derek X. Derek shines a light on rising boxing stars from the Central Valley, Richard Torrez Jr. and Jordan Fuentes. Also, is boxing interest in the Central Valley where it was five years ago? The Christopher Gabriel Program ----------------------------------------------------------- Please Like, Comment and Follow 'The Christopher Gabriel Program' on all platforms: The Christopher Gabriel Program is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever else you listen to podcasts. --- The Christopher Gabriel Program | Website | Facebook | X | Instagram | --- Everything KMJ KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A day of mourning in Santa Cruz for the thousands of children who have been killed in Gaza over the last two years. And, Monday marks 60 years since the Delano grape strike began in the Central Valley.

Katherine Goyette is an author, learner and educational leader who advocates for inclusive educational opportunities for all students within the communities they reside. She is co-author of The Complete EdTech Coach: An Organic Approach to Supporting Digital Learning. Katherine's second book, History Matters in an AI Era: Interdisciplinary Approaches for K-8 will be released in late June of 2025. Katherine was primary writer for California's inaugural Computer Science Standards and has been a keynote speaker, featured presenter, and panelist for organizations across the globe on a variety of educational topics. Formerly, Katherine was an administrator, coach, and classroom teacher in California's Central Valley. Katherine spends her free time writing poetry, playing piano, and vacationing with family.www.WonderExploreLearn.comContact Kat:goyettekat@gmail.comX: kat_goyetteInstagram, bluesky, linkedin: katgoyette ______________________________________________________________________ The Edupreneur: Your Blueprint To Jumpstart And Scale Your Education BusinessYou've spent years in the classroom, leading PD, designing curriculum, and transforming how students learn. Now, it's time to leverage that experience and build something for yourself. The Edupreneur isn't just another book; it's the playbook for educators who want to take their knowledge beyond the school walls and into a thriving business.I wrote this book because I've been where you are. I know what it's like to have the skills, the passion, and the drive but not know where to start. I break it all down: the mindset shifts, the business models, the pricing strategies, and the branding moves that will help you position yourself as a leader in this space.Inside, you'll learn how to:✅ Turn your expertise into income streams, without feeling like a sellout✅ Build a personal brand that commands respect (and top dollar)✅ Market your work in a way that feels natural and impactful✅ Navigate the business side of edupreneurship, from pricing to partnershipsWhether you want to consult, create courses, write books, or launch a podcast, this book will help you get there. Stop waiting for permission. Start building your own table.Grab your copy today and take control of your future.Buy it from EduMatch Publishing https://edumatch-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/new-releases/products/the-edupreneur-by-dr-will

September 4th, 2025Prayer and a Relationship-JACKED UP DAILY!In this episode, Jack, Tim, and Bobby discuss prayer, sin, religion and a relationship with Jesus Christ. Is there such of a thing of not sinning after being a true Christian? Some people think so.Our website is www.LetsGetJackedUp.com Welcome to Jacked Up Daily with Tim, Jack, Bobby, and Karen, a dynamic daily podcast on the Fringe Radio Network. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 AM for conservative commentary, Bible prophecy, and insights from a modern American Christian perspective. Based in Fresno, California, in the heart of the Central Valley, Jacked Up Daily brings a unique West Coast viewpoint to everything from politics and social issues to fringe topics like aliens, ghosts, and the anti-Christ. Whether discussing the rapture, end times prophecy, or offering analysis on current events, this show is perfect for your morning drive. Catch the latest episode on FringeRadioNetwork.com and join us as we explore the mysteries of the world from a bold, Christian viewpoint. Don't miss a moment of this thought-provoking and engaging show, where no topic is off-limits!FringeRadioNetwork.com LetsGetJackedup.com  E-mail us at letsgetjackedup@gmail.comFollow us on X @LetsGetJackedUp  and Facebookgo to www.StrawHatPizza.com to order your pizza if you live in Clovis or Fresno Californiacheck out www.christianrock.net 24/7 or download the app from Google Play Store or Apple Store.  

Send us a textThis week Denny and Rob talk to Tehachapi High School baseball coach Guy Dees. Denny and Guy talk about their philosophy on coaching. Plus Guy shares some insight on this year's team and the challenges and advantages of coaching in the Central Valley."Swing Hard in case you hit it!" Denny Barrett

Morning Reflections and California's Challenges The AgNet News Hour with Nick Papagni and guest host Lorrie Boyer began lightheartedly, reflecting on post-Labor Day routines, before quickly turning to the serious challenges facing California agriculture. Recent thunderstorms in the Central Valley brought rare lightning-sparked fires near Madera, while wildfires threatened vineyards in Napa Valley, raising concerns about crop damage and smoke exposure. Boyer praised first responders who not only battle flames but also protect livestock, property, and agricultural operations during these crises. Wildfires and Insurance Struggles Papagni highlighted California's ongoing forest management concerns. Vast tracts of unmanaged forest continue to fuel devastating wildfires. He recalled earlier calls to strengthen the lumber industry as part of the solution, but progress has been slow. Insurance further complicates recovery. While crop insurance now covers smoke damage for vineyards, rural homeowners and farm operators face skyrocketing premiums—or outright withdrawal of coverage by major insurers. The Decline of Family Farms The program featured an interview with Brian Reisinger, author of Land Rich, Cash Poor. Reisinger described modern agriculture as an era of turbulence, where economic crises, shifting policies, soaring costs, and technological pressures are pushing many farmers to the brink. California farmers, already burdened by water shortages, must also contend with labor shortages, rising fertilizer prices, and high freight costs. These economic pressures are forcing many family farms to close, sell, or consolidate into larger corporate operations. Engaging Farmers and Communities Reisinger announced a book signing in Redding, California, to encourage open dialogue with farm families. He emphasized that while the problems are immense, solutions emerge when farmers, consumers, and policymakers work together. Communities remain deeply engaged and eager to find ways to sustain agriculture. Politics, Regulations, and Taxes Despite widespread political claims of “supporting farmers,” Reisinger argued that real action is rare. Farmers need policies that encourage entrepreneurship and access to new markets, not just rhetoric. California's heavy regulatory burden and high taxes, he said, harm small and medium farms just as much as large operations. Instead of helping “the little guy,” many rules unintentionally drive more farms out of business. Misunderstood Farmers and Vanishing Farmland Reisinger pointed to cases like dairy producer Stephanie Moreda in Petaluma, where NGOs attempted to seize farmland, as examples of farmers being unfairly vilified. He urged the public to recognize that family farmers are environmental stewards who care for soil, water, and livestock. Meanwhile, urban development in the Central Valley continues to devour farmland, adding pressure on limited water resources. Reisinger warned that the U.S. has already lost over 4 million farms in the last century, with fewer than 2 million left. If trends continue, many could vanish within 40 years. Trade Pressures and Unfair Competition Papagni shared the struggles of a Central Valley winery family facing unfair foreign competition. Reisinger explained that U.S. farmers face high labor and regulatory costs, while imports from countries with lower standards flood domestic markets. He called for smarter, commodity-specific trade negotiations, ensuring imports meet the same standards as U.S. products while protecting critical markets like raisins, beef, and tomatoes. Lessons from the Farm Crisis Reisinger drew parallels to the 1980s farm crisis, when government policies on debt and interest rates devastated many farm families. He warned that today's policymakers risk repeating mistakes by misunderstanding agricultural realities and placing additional burdens on producers. Water, Energy, and Political Missteps Water policy remains California's defining agricultural challenge. Papagni criticized priorities like solar panel expansion while 70% of the state's water flows unused to the ocean. Farmers, he argued, need real water storage solutions. Reisinger added that collaboration between environmentalists and farmers could yield shared benefits—if politics did not keep both sides entrenched. Education, FFA, and Generational Shifts Agricultural education programs like FFA play a vital role in reconnecting youth to farming. Boyer noted that membership is at an all-time high, reflecting renewed interest, but Papagni cautioned that many farm families still see younger generations leaving agriculture altogether. This generational gap extends beyond farming to related industries like trucking, creating labor shortages across the supply chain. Automation and Drones: Farming's Future Technology offers one path forward. Papagni encouraged youth to pursue careers in agricultural automation, from precision irrigation to drone technology. Farmers already save up to 30% of water with precision systems, and drones promise even more efficiency in spraying, scouting, and monitoring. Boyer agreed, noting the potential for oversaturation but affirming automation's inevitability in agriculture. Immigration Reform and the Dignity Act Immigration remains a central concern. Papagni highlighted the efforts of Manuel Cunha, president of the Nisei Farmers League, to advance HR 4393, the Dignity Act. The bill offers pathways for long-term farmworkers who have contributed to U.S. communities, while tightening border security, mandating E-verify, and reforming asylum procedures. Papagni broke the immigration issue into three groups: Long-term workers who deserve legal protections. New entrants who must undergo background checks and proper vetting. Criminal entrants who bypass the system entirely and must be removed. Coyotes and cartels, he warned, exploit migrants with exorbitant fees and violent threats, making reform urgent. Political Courage and the Road Ahead Boyer added that fear extends even to legal workers, underscoring the need for reform. Papagni lamented that many politicians delay action, waiting to see what the Trump administration does instead of leading decisively. Representative Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida has emerged as a key sponsor of the Dignity Act, but broader bipartisan support is still needed. Conclusion California agriculture sits at a crossroads. Wildfires, water shortages, shrinking farms, international competition, and a broken immigration system are reshaping the industry. Yet hope remains in innovation, community engagement, and legislative reforms like the Dignity Act. As Papagni and Boyer closed the program, they reminded listeners that farming is not just an industry—it is the backbone of California's communities, economy, and food security. For more agricultural updates, visit AgNetWest.com and subscribe to the AgNet West podcast.

The Republican spending bill signed into law by President Trump last month slashes an estimated $150 billion in federal Medicaid funding to California over the next 10 years. Nearly 40% percent of Californians rely on Medi-Cal for health coverage, and now millions are expected to fall off the rolls. That's leaving medical providers bracing for impacts, especially in places already struggling to serve all who need care. We talk to heads of clinics in the Central Valley, Shasta County and Los Angeles to hear how they're coping. Guests: Mitesh Popat, chief executive officer, Venice Family Clinic David Quackenbush, president and chief executive officer, Golden Valley Health Centers Jo Campbell, chief executive officer, Hill Country Community Clinic Miranda Dietz, interim director, Health Care Program, UC Berkeley Labor Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

September 3, 2025Abortion Part 2-JACKED UP DAILY!In this episoce, Tim, Jack, and Bobby, discuss abortion and what does the Bible have to say about it if anything, this is part two.Our website is www.LetsGetJackedUp.com Welcome to Jacked Up Daily with Tim, Jack, Bobby, and Karen, a dynamic daily podcast on the Fringe Radio Network. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 AM for conservative commentary, Bible prophecy, and insights from a modern American Christian perspective. Based in Fresno, California, in the heart of the Central Valley, Jacked Up Daily brings a unique West Coast viewpoint to everything from politics and social issues to fringe topics like aliens, ghosts, and the anti-Christ. Whether discussing the rapture, end times prophecy, or offering analysis on current events, this show is perfect for your morning drive. Catch the latest episode on FringeRadioNetwork.com and join us as we explore the mysteries of the world from a bold, Christian viewpoint. Don't miss a moment of this thought-provoking and engaging show, where no topic is off-limits!FringeRadioNetwork.com LetsGetJackedup.com  E-mail us at letsgetjackedup@gmail.comFollow us on X @LetsGetJackedUp  and Facebookgo to www.StrawHatPizza.com to order your pizza if you live in Clovis or Fresno Californiacheck out www.christianrock.net 24/7 or download the app from Google Play Store or Apple Store.  

September 2, 2025Abortion Part 1-JACKED UP DAILY!In this episoce, Tim, Jack, and Bobby, discuss abortion and what does the Bible have to say about it if anything.Our website is www.LetsGetJackedUp.com Welcome to Jacked Up Daily with Tim, Jack, Bobby, and Karen, a dynamic daily podcast on the Fringe Radio Network. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 AM for conservative commentary, Bible prophecy, and insights from a modern American Christian perspective. Based in Fresno, California, in the heart of the Central Valley, Jacked Up Daily brings a unique West Coast viewpoint to everything from politics and social issues to fringe topics like aliens, ghosts, and the anti-Christ. Whether discussing the rapture, end times prophecy, or offering analysis on current events, this show is perfect for your morning drive. Catch the latest episode on FringeRadioNetwork.com and join us as we explore the mysteries of the world from a bold, Christian viewpoint. Don't miss a moment of this thought-provoking and engaging show, where no topic is off-limits!FringeRadioNetwork.com LetsGetJackedup.com  E-mail us at letsgetjackedup@gmail.comFollow us on X @LetsGetJackedUp  and Facebookgo to www.StrawHatPizza.com to order your pizza if you live in Clovis or Fresno Californiacheck out www.christianrock.net 24/7 or download the app from Google Play Store or Apple Store.  

Scott Hermann joined the Journey to discuss the latest in orchard equipment, some of the history behind these machines, and the path toward autonomous equipment in the almond industry. Hermann is the general manager and CEO of TOL Incorporated, which manufactures and distributes pruning equipment and their Twin D Shaker throughout North America. Hermann also shares some of his work on the Almond Board of California's Production Stewardship Workgroup. This interview was another one of the many valuable conversations recorded at the Almond Conference 2024.“ Maybe they're not ready to go full off-ground (harvesting), but semi off-ground in this level. We see a lot of people now saying, yeah, that works. That makes sense. I can save money and I can get rid of the dust.” - Scott HermannIn Today's episode:Meet Scott Hermann, the general manager and CEO of TOL IncorporatedExplore the latest in pruning and harvest equipmentDiscover the industry insight Hermann has found and the value he has added to the Almond Board's Production Stewardship WorkgroupThe Almond Journey Podcast is made possible by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

On today's AgNet News Hour, host Nick Papagni and co-host Josh McGill tackled two of the big issues shaping California agriculture right now—innovation in organic production and the political battle over Proposition 50. Organic Farming Innovation with Wilbur Ellis Josh sat down with Gina Colfer, Sustainable Solutions Agronomy Manager at Wilbur Ellis, to talk about the future of organic farming and the launch of their innovative new fertilizer product, Benvireo TerraLux. Gina explained how this nitrogen fertilizer is created by capturing and converting dairy waste into a clean, safe, plant-available nutrient source. The process not only provides organic farmers with a reliable tool for meeting crop needs, but also turns an environmental waste stream into something useful. Colfer also emphasized the challenges organic producers face, from high input costs to strict regulations. She stressed that success in organic farming requires a whole-systems approach—managing soil health, irrigation, habitat diversity, and biological inputs together. While markets for organics are strong, the costs of production continue to rise, making new tools like TerraLux crucial for growers looking to stay competitive. Assemblyman David Tangipa on Proposition 50 Later in the show, Nick welcomed Assemblyman David Tangipa, a former Fresno State Bulldog and strong advocate for Central Valley farmers. Tangipa spoke passionately about his fight in Sacramento against Proposition 50, calling it a partisan power grab designed to weaken the political voice of the Valley and rural California. He described the measure as a gerrymandered redistricting plan aimed at consolidating coastal political power while diminishing representation for farmers and rural communities. Tangipa urged farmers across the Valley to get involved, display signs, and most importantly, vote No on 50. He warned that if passed, the measure would make it even harder to address critical issues like water policy, regulation, and the economic survival of small farms. A Call to Action From innovative solutions to sustain organics, to the urgent need for farmer voices in California's political fight, today's AgNet News Hour highlighted the challenges—and opportunities—facing agriculture. Farmers are reminded that innovation is critical on the ground, but so is advocacy in the political arena.

Cabinet secretaries in the Trump Administration discuss their first jobs and what they learned from them. Lori Chavez-DeRemer/US Secretary of Labor is from the Central Valley and gives a shout out to Hanford, CA. Please Like, Comment and Follow 'Broeske & Musson' on all platforms: --- The ‘Broeske & Musson Podcast’ is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you listen to podcasts. --- ‘Broeske & Musson' Weekdays 9-11 AM Pacific on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM KMJ | Facebook | Podcast| X | - Everything KMJ KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

September 1, 2025Truths or Myths-JACKED UP DAILY!In this episode, Tim, Jack, and Bobby explore if some stories in the Bible are True or are they Myth?Our website is www.LetsGetJackedUp.com Welcome to Jacked Up Daily with Tim, Jack, Bobby, and Karen, a dynamic daily podcast on the Fringe Radio Network. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 AM for conservative commentary, Bible prophecy, and insights from a modern American Christian perspective. Based in Fresno, California, in the heart of the Central Valley, Jacked Up Daily brings a unique West Coast viewpoint to everything from politics and social issues to fringe topics like aliens, ghosts, and the anti-Christ. Whether discussing the rapture, end times prophecy, or offering analysis on current events, this show is perfect for your morning drive. Catch the latest episode on FringeRadioNetwork.com and join us as we explore the mysteries of the world from a bold, Christian viewpoint. Don't miss a moment of this thought-provoking and engaging show, where no topic is off-limits!FringeRadioNetwork.com LetsGetJackedup.com  E-mail us at letsgetjackedup@gmail.comFollow us on X @LetsGetJackedUp  and Facebookgo to www.StrawHatPizza.com to order your pizza if you live in Clovis or Fresno Californiacheck out www.christianrock.net 24/7 or download the app from Google Play Store or Apple Store.  

On this Labor Day edition of the AgNet News Hour, Nick Papagni and Josh McGill welcomed Daniel Jackson of Family Tree Farms to discuss the state of California agriculture, from tree fruit and blueberries to nuts and water policy. A Strong Year for Fruit Quality Jackson explained that the 2024 season brought some of the best weather in recent memory, creating excellent conditions for peaches, plums, and nectarines. “This has been one of the coolest summers we've ever had,” he said, noting that milder temperatures allowed trees to thrive and boosted packouts. While the overall crop was lighter, the quality and percentage of premium fruit were higher than recent years. Family Tree Farms is in the final quarter of its tree fruit season, but Jackson emphasized that late-season varieties are still delivering strong flavor and appearance. Beyond stone fruit, the company is also harvesting blueberries, citrus, nuts, and even working with new warm-weather apple varieties like the Sugarburst. Rain, Trade, and Tariffs Recent storms across the Central Valley raised concerns about damage to late-harvest crops. Jackson said it is too soon to tell the full impact, but some almonds on the ground and late-hanging fruit may be affected. He also discussed the ongoing trade and tariff challenges, particularly with plums, which face higher costs to enter China. That creates obstacles but also opportunities: “Challenges create opportunities for us. You look for other markets, develop other markets, and get stronger in other areas.” The Ongoing Water Battle As always in California, the conversation circled back to water. Jackson warned that water scarcity and high costs could push farmers to pull out almond and pistachio acreage in coming years. “It all comes down to water,” he said, stressing the need for long-term infrastructure to capture and store more of the state's rainfall. Without it, California risks losing valuable farmland while urban growth continues to demand more water. Despite these challenges, Jackson remains optimistic, citing the resilience of California farmers and the global demand for the state's fruit and nut crops. For the full conversation with Daniel Jackson of Family Tree Farms, listen to today's AgNet News Hour at AgNetWest.com

August 29th, 2025Freaky Oddities BCN-JACKED UP DAILY!In this episode, its Bobby Crazy News day! Bobby talks about Freaky Oddites and more in this episode. Our website is www.LetsGetJackedUp.com Welcome to Jacked Up Daily with Tim, Jack, Bobby, and Karen, a dynamic daily podcast on the Fringe Radio Network. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 AM for conservative commentary, Bible prophecy, and insights from a modern American Christian perspective. Based in Fresno, California, in the heart of the Central Valley, Jacked Up Daily brings a unique West Coast viewpoint to everything from politics and social issues to fringe topics like aliens, ghosts, and the anti-Christ. Whether discussing the rapture, end times prophecy, or offering analysis on current events, this show is perfect for your morning drive. Catch the latest episode on FringeRadioNetwork.com and join us as we explore the mysteries of the world from a bold, Christian viewpoint. Don't miss a moment of this thought-provoking and engaging show, where no topic is off-limits!FringeRadioNetwork.com LetsGetJackedup.com  E-mail us at letsgetjackedup@gmail.comFollow us on X @LetsGetJackedUp  and Facebookgo to www.StrawHatPizza.com to order your pizza if you live in Clovis or Fresno Californiacheck out www.christianrock.net 24/7 or download the app from Google Play Store or Apple Store.  

Small Wineries Under Pressure: On today's AgNet News Hour, the Ag Meter hit the road for an on-location interview at Ziveli Winery, tucked between Kerman and Fresno. Host Nick Papagni spoke with John and CalebCaleb Caleb, who shared their family's rich Croatian winemaking roots, the challenges of keeping small wineries afloat, and what it takes to market wine in a rapidly changing industry. A Family Legacy in Wine John Nale explained how his grandparents immigrated from Croatia in 1928, eventually settling in the Central Valley and planting vines that would lay the foundation for generations of winemaking. Their winery today blends that family heritage with a modern vision for community, offering weddings, events, and tastings in a beautifully restored barn. “Every year we do a little project, and this is what we get,” John said, noting the pride in carrying on the tradition. Struggles Facing Small Wineries The Nales were candid about the headwinds California wineries face. Declining wine sales, high labor and equipment costs, and rising regulations have left many operations in the red. “There might be three or four wineries that are making any money,” John admitted. The family has been forced to take on off-farm jobs to make ends meet, with John warning that small wineries often need 1,000 acres and no debt to stay sustainable. Caleb added that younger consumers often see wine as intimidating, preferring seltzers, cocktails, or sugary alternatives like Stella Rosa. He emphasized the importance of educating new wine drinkers and offering sweeter, approachable wines to attract them. Wine slushies and canned wines may not appeal to traditionalists, but they're entry points for a new generation. Competing in a Global Market The interview also highlighted how imports from Italy, Chile, and Mexico are undercutting California growers. John noted it can even be cheaper to ship frozen grapes from Chile than to buy locally in Lodi. “If that's true, we have a lot of issues,” he said. High costs and strict regulations, they argue, are pushing small farmers to the brink while international competitors thrive. Despite the challenges, the Nales remain committed to keeping their family winery open. “We decided a long time ago that we're going to keep farming until we're made to put a sign up for sale,” John said. For the full conversation with John and Caleb Nale of Ziveli Winery, listen to the AgNet News Hour.

Governor Gavin Newsom is deploying California Highway Patrol crime suppression teams to six major regions—Los Angeles, San Diego, Inland Empire, Sacramento, Central Valley, and the Bay Area. These teams will target high-crime zones, repeat offenders, and organized crime, building on successful efforts in Oakland, Bakersfield, and San Bernardino. This comes on the hells of Pres. Donald Trump telling Governors to clean up crime in their states. Please Like, Comment and Follow 'Broeske & Musson' on all platforms: --- The ‘Broeske & Musson Podcast’ is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you listen to podcasts. --- ‘Broeske & Musson' Weekdays 9-11 AM Pacific on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM KMJ | Facebook | Podcast| X | - Everything KMJ KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matthew Adams and I talk about comedy and politics. He is running for state assembly in district 9 Central Valley, California. You can find his website here: https://sites.google.com/view/adams4assembly/home

In this episode of The Blaze Talks, we sit down with Marso, a hip hop artist based out of the Central Valley. In this talk, we get to hear about his music process and mentioned local artists he has worked with. Marso is multi-faceted and mentions his history about starting music with stand-up comedy and also starting his own food business. So make sure to follow your local artist by listening to Marso's latest project “Never Not Working” on all your streaming services. This podcast is a way to support your local artist, so make sure to like and share.

Ultimate Prey: The True Story Behind The Yosemite Sightseer MurdersCary Stayner was found guilty for the Yosemite Sightseer Murders, but some people closely associated with the investigation believe that Stayner did not act alone. Law enforcement had the right guys from the beginning, so what in the hell happened? The stories of the victims - Carole and Juli Sund, Silvina Pelosso, and Joie Armstrong did not end with their savage murders, February of 1999. Stephen Sanzeri, former police officer, private investigator and bounty hunter, has investigated their tragic deaths. What he found includes: drug trafficking, child porn, white supremacy, sexual molestation, rape, and bloody violence in the Central Valley of California and stretching to the Foothills. Even more disturbing is the corruption by law enforcement connected to the murders; an unwelcome burden added to Stephen's investigation. Now, for the first time, the real story is finally being told. First hand account of Stephen's initial investigation of a bail jumper that soon leads this x-cop to Alabama and the most dangerous manhunt he's ever experienced; and that's only the beginning. Stephen's investigation spanned over two years with plenty of roadblocks. Law enforcement's lack of cooperation and protection of suspects, to negligent dismissal of statements, reports and evidence by the FBI task force. After reading Ultimate Prey, you will be convinced that Cary Stayner did not act alone. Along with the tragedies of "Waco" and "Ruby Ridge," the Yosemite Sightseer Murders is considered the 3rd worst blunder in the FBI's history, according to Senator Grassley, Iowa. Kind of sums it up...https://amzn.to/3Va5FFXBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

August 28th, 2025Bible Questions-JACKED UP DAILY!In this episode, Tim and Bobby discuss trade Bible Questions with each other and Bobby shares what his Sunday School Teens questions are, plus a little visitor makes a cameo.Our website is www.LetsGetJackedUp.com Welcome to Jacked Up Daily with Tim, Jack, Bobby, and Karen, a dynamic daily podcast on the Fringe Radio Network. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 AM for conservative commentary, Bible prophecy, and insights from a modern American Christian perspective. Based in Fresno, California, in the heart of the Central Valley, Jacked Up Daily brings a unique West Coast viewpoint to everything from politics and social issues to fringe topics like aliens, ghosts, and the anti-Christ. Whether discussing the rapture, end times prophecy, or offering analysis on current events, this show is perfect for your morning drive. Catch the latest episode on FringeRadioNetwork.com and join us as we explore the mysteries of the world from a bold, Christian viewpoint. Don't miss a moment of this thought-provoking and engaging show, where no topic is off-limits!FringeRadioNetwork.com LetsGetJackedup.com  E-mail us at letsgetjackedup@gmail.comFollow us on X @LetsGetJackedUp  and Facebookgo to www.StrawHatPizza.com to order your pizza if you live in Clovis or Fresno Californiacheck out www.christianrock.net 24/7 or download the app from Google Play Store or Apple Store.  

Environmental bud failure showed up in almonds in a big way in 2025. From a subtle delay of leafing in parts of Nonpareil canopies throughout the Central Valley to some orchards in the northern Sacramento Valley with only half leaf out. This disorder also called leafing failure, severely affected many growers in the northern Sacramento Valley. Dr. Tom Gradziel (UC Davis) gets into the complexities of this disorder, as well as discussing the unusual bloom in 2025. Come to an upcoming extension meeting!2025 International School on Microirrigation for Crop Production: Class Lectures at UC Davis October 13-15, and field trips October 16-17. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker's own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandvThank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.

August 27th, 2025Doubting Thomas Plus-JACKED UP DAILY!In this episode, Tim, Jack, and Bobby talks about Doubting Thomas and gets into other topics. Our website is www.LetsGetJackedUp.com Welcome to Jacked Up Daily with Tim, Jack, Bobby, and Karen, a dynamic daily podcast on the Fringe Radio Network. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 AM for conservative commentary, Bible prophecy, and insights from a modern American Christian perspective. Based in Fresno, California, in the heart of the Central Valley, Jacked Up Daily brings a unique West Coast viewpoint to everything from politics and social issues to fringe topics like aliens, ghosts, and the anti-Christ. Whether discussing the rapture, end times prophecy, or offering analysis on current events, this show is perfect for your morning drive. Catch the latest episode on FringeRadioNetwork.com and join us as we explore the mysteries of the world from a bold, Christian viewpoint. Don't miss a moment of this thought-provoking and engaging show, where no topic is off-limits!FringeRadioNetwork.com LetsGetJackedup.com  E-mail us at letsgetjackedup@gmail.comFollow us on X @LetsGetJackedUp  and Facebookgo to www.StrawHatPizza.com to order your pizza if you live in Clovis or Fresno Californiacheck out www.christianrock.net 24/7 or download the app from Google Play Store or Apple Store.  

Freight Safety and Dairy Market Pressures: The AgNet News Hour delivered another wide-ranging discussion today, spotlighting California's unpredictable weather, pressures in the dairy and hay markets, and major safety concerns in the state's freight industry. Rainfall Raises Questions for Crops Unexpected rainfall across the Central Valley sparked concern for sensitive crops like peaches, plums, nectarines, and grapes. While some crops may benefit from the added water, hay and alfalfa growers risk damage when fields are cut before storms hit. “We love the rain, but sometimes we don't love the rain,” host Nick Papagni noted, reminding listeners that timing makes all the difference for growers. Federal Pushback on California Policies Papagni and co-host Josh McGill also highlighted recent federal actions to counter what they described as California's regulatory “twilight zone.” The EPA has moved to block the state from imposing trucking rules on out-of-state carriers, while the USDA has announced efficiency standards for energy projects on federal lands. Both developments, the hosts argued, mark important steps to limit California's regulatory overreach. Nick Folio on Freight, Dairy, and Hay The centerpiece of the program was an in-depth interview with Nick Folio of Folio Commodities, who provided updates on hay markets, dairy economics, and trucking industry challenges. Folio explained that alfalfa markets remain soft, with prices aligning closely to weakened milk futures. Hot weather continues to reduce cow productivity, while out-of-state inventories linger due to weaker export demand. Perhaps most alarming, Folio warned of serious safety issues in the freight sector, noting that “50 percent of owner-operators shouldn't be on the road.” He described how lax licensing standards, fraudulent testing practices, and aging equipment create risks for both professional truckers and families sharing the highways. “Our families travel the 99,” Folio said. “It's a huge concern when you have somebody on the road that probably shouldn't be operating this kind of equipment.” Folio also noted that while almond turnouts are lower this season, the reduced supply is beginning to firm up prices, providing cautious optimism for growers. Looking Ahead Folio urged listeners to watch winter inventories, commodity prices, and the milk market as key indicators for where hay and dairy will head in the coming months. “At the end of the day, it's going to be about consuming inventory,” he said. For the full interview with Nick Folio and more ag policy insights, tune into the AgNet News Hour at AgNetWest.com

August 26th, 2025Superman and Nephilim-JACKED UP DAILY!In this episode, Tim plays audio from Neil Socarras, and discuss Superman and the Nephilim from the Bible. Very interesting topics. Our website is www.LetsGetJackedUp.com Welcome to Jacked Up Daily with Tim, Jack, Bobby, and Karen, a dynamic daily podcast on the Fringe Radio Network. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 AM for conservative commentary, Bible prophecy, and insights from a modern American Christian perspective. Based in Fresno, California, in the heart of the Central Valley, Jacked Up Daily brings a unique West Coast viewpoint to everything from politics and social issues to fringe topics like aliens, ghosts, and the anti-Christ. Whether discussing the rapture, end times prophecy, or offering analysis on current events, this show is perfect for your morning drive. Catch the latest episode on FringeRadioNetwork.com and join us as we explore the mysteries of the world from a bold, Christian viewpoint. Don't miss a moment of this thought-provoking and engaging show, where no topic is off-limits!FringeRadioNetwork.com LetsGetJackedup.com  E-mail us at letsgetjackedup@gmail.comFollow us on X @LetsGetJackedUp  and Facebookgo to www.StrawHatPizza.com to order your pizza if you live in Clovis or Fresno Californiacheck out www.christianrock.net 24/7 or download the app from Google Play Store or Apple Store.  

Waldo Moraga, founder of ECO2MIX, talks with Monte about the huge strides carbonic acid has taken in farming, and even the golf industry as sustainable water pH control. Learn how carbonic acid is a safer alternative to sulfuric acid, and plays a significant role in soil health by breaking down minerals in the soil and releasing essential nutrients plants need to grow. Carbonic acid also improves soil structure by promoting the formation of soil aggregates, which enhances water retention and infiltration, ultimately supporting healthy plant growth. Join Monte and Waldo as they uncover the science behind this innovative solution and its promising future. Learn how carbonic acid is a safer alternative to sulfuric acid, and plays a significant role in soil health by breaking down minerals in the soil and releasing essential nutrients plants need to grow. Carbonic acid also improves soil structure by promoting the formation of soil aggregates, which enhances water retention and infiltration, ultimately supporting healthy plant growth. Join Monte and Waldo as they uncover the science behind this innovative solution and its promising future. Waldo Moraga: Waldo earned his B.S. of Agriculture and has a passion for water related topics, from conservation to treatment. More than 30 years in irrigation, fertigation, and water pH control in Chile, Peru, Mexico and since 2016 fully committed to change the paradigm on how farmers deal with water pH in the Central Valley of California and the US. ECO2MIX: https://www.eco2mix.com We decided to find a better solution, specifically designed for agriculture, to reduce pH in irrigation water with a more sustainable process. That's when we designed a system that uses carbonic acid to acidify water, mimicking nature. CO2 is not new to the world of agriculture. There's plenty of research and publications about its biological and soil benefits and yields improvements. With this in mind, we decided to design a highly efficient system using this natural compound. Our mission is to provide a sustainable solution for water pH control, using an eco-friendly technology that helps the plant and soil biology by replacing the use of toxic and dangerous mineral acids with innocuous carbonic acid (CO2 + water). We are the only carbon pH control designed with the grower's problem in mind.

 August 25, 2025Creepy Ice Cream Truck-JACKED UP DAILY!In this episode, Tim talks about the Creepy Ice Cream truck going around late at night in Virgina that is possibly snatching kids. Later in the episode, Johnny McMahon and Tim discuss Revelation and the end times, and when does the Beast from the Abyss take place. Then Bill Gates becomes an topic when discussing digital tattoos coming to replace smart phones in the next 10 years.Our website is www.LetsGetJackedUp.com Welcome to Jacked Up Daily with Tim, Jack, Bobby, and Karen, a dynamic daily podcast on the Fringe Radio Network. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 AM for conservative commentary, Bible prophecy, and insights from a modern American Christian perspective. Based in Fresno, California, in the heart of the Central Valley, Jacked Up Daily brings a unique West Coast viewpoint to everything from politics and social issues to fringe topics like aliens, ghosts, and the anti-Christ. Whether discussing the rapture, end times prophecy, or offering analysis on current events, this show is perfect for your morning drive. Catch the latest episode on FringeRadioNetwork.com and join us as we explore the mysteries of the world from a bold, Christian viewpoint. Don't miss a moment of this thought-provoking and engaging show, where no topic is off-limits!FringeRadioNetwork.com LetsGetJackedup.com  E-mail us at letsgetjackedup@gmail.comFollow us on X @LetsGetJackedUp  and Facebookgo to www.StrawHatPizza.com to order your pizza if you live in Clovis or Fresno California  

RE-RUNCrazy Humankind-BCN-JACKED UP DAILY!In this episode, we have an all new Bobby's Crazy News for you. Bobby discovers man kind is a bad work, appearently, we are just supposed to say humankind, plus much more entertaining and interesting news for you!Our website is www.LetsGetJackedUp.com Welcome to Jacked Up Daily with Tim, Jack, Bobby, and Karen, a dynamic daily podcast on the Fringe Radio Network. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 AM for conservative commentary, Bible prophecy, and insights from a modern American Christian perspective. Based in Fresno, California, in the heart of the Central Valley, Jacked Up Daily brings a unique West Coast viewpoint to everything from politics and social issues to fringe topics like aliens, ghosts, and the anti-Christ. Whether discussing the rapture, end times prophecy, or offering analysis on current events, this show is perfect for your morning drive. Catch the latest episode on FringeRadioNetwork.com and join us as we explore the mysteries of the world from a bold, Christian viewpoint. Don't miss a moment of this thought-provoking and engaging show, where no topic is off-limits!FringeRadioNetwork.com LetsGetJackedup.com  E-mail us at letsgetjackedup@gmail.comFollow us on X @LetsGetJackedUp  and Facebookgo to www.StrawHatPizza.com to order your pizza if you live in Clovis or Fresno Californiamusic for this episode was from Back to the 80'shttps://youtu.be/0QKQlf8r7ls?si=dOoU1o_-HRiNm0Pv 

RE-RUNDifferent Dimensions with Holly-JACKED UP DAILY!In this episode Holly Baglio talks about different dimensions in the universe. Tim and Captain Epoch join in this adventures conversaion!Our website is www.LetsGetJackedUp.com Welcome to Jacked Up Daily with Tim, Jack, Bobby, and Karen, a dynamic daily podcast on the Fringe Radio Network. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 AM for conservative commentary, Bible prophecy, and insights from a modern American Christian perspective. Based in Fresno, California, in the heart of the Central Valley, Jacked Up Daily brings a unique West Coast viewpoint to everything from politics and social issues to fringe topics like aliens, ghosts, and the anti-Christ. Whether discussing the rapture, end times prophecy, or offering analysis on current events, this show is perfect for your morning drive. Catch the latest episode on FringeRadioNetwork.com and join us as we explore the mysteries of the world from a bold, Christian viewpoint. Don't miss a moment of this thought-provoking and engaging show, where no topic is off-limits!FringeRadioNetwork.com LetsGetJackedup.com  E-mail us at letsgetjackedup@gmail.comFollow us on X @LetsGetJackedUp  and Facebookgo to www.StrawHatPizza.com to order your pizza if you live in Clovis or Fresno Californiamusic for this episode was from Back to the 80'shttps://youtu.be/0QKQlf8r7ls?si=dOoU1o_-HRiNm0Pv 

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists.   Important Resources: Asian Refugees United: Website | Instagram | Learn about the Disappearances of Bhutanese American refugees: Website | Toolkit Hmong Innovating Politics: Website | Instagram Lavender Phoenix: Website | Instagram Minjoona Music: Instagram   Transcript: Cheryl (Host): Good evening. You're tuned in to Apex Express. I'm your host, Cheryl, and tonight we're diving into the vibrant summer programming happening across the AACRE network. That's the Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality Network. AACRE is made up of 11 Asian American social justice organizations working together to build collective power and create lasting movements .  Throughout tonight's show, we'll be spotlighting a few of these groups [00:01:00] and the incredible work they're leading this summer. First up, we're joined by Pratik from Asian refugees United Pratik. Thank you so much for being here. Do you mind introducing yourself and to kick things off in the spirit of tonight's show, maybe share what's something that's been bringing you joy this summer? Pratik (ARU): Hello, namaste everyone. My name is Pratik Chhetri. He, him. I'm the program manager at ARU, Asian Refugees United in Pennsylvania. I'm originally from Nepal. I grew up in Nepal. I am an immigrant, came to the for college long time ago. And I've been working in social justice, health justice field for over 15 years now. Initially it was mostly around advocacy policy relating to access to medicines, issues, especially in lower and middle income countries, and the past six, seven. More than seven [00:02:00] years. I also started an organization, a nonprofit organization in Nepal, that works at the intersection of social, economic and climate justice. And with ARU, I got introduced to ARU back in 2020. So by that time I had some skills that I felt I could bring to the community. Even though I'm not from Bhutanese refugee community, I speak the language, I understand the culture to a certain extent. So I felt with the linguistic skill I could be of some help. I think right around that time COVID happened, everything and end of 2021 is when I reconnected with Robin and started talking about possibilities. For about two years, I was part of the CAMP for Emerging Leaders, the leadership program ARU has, and [00:03:00] starting last year, early this year formally, I am a staff, for ARU. I'm in charge of programs under wellness, education, and civic engagement largely but depending on time and resources, I become available for other programs as well. It's a joy working with ARU. I was just telling Cheryl earlier that it doesn't feel like work ‘ cause I enjoy it, working with people, getting to work on impactful programs, and being a part of an organization that has so much potential, so much responsibility, but also trying to find new ways to become, useful for the community. That's very exciting. Yeah.  Cheryl (Host): That's great. I'm glad that your work is what's bringing you joy this summer. That's so special. And before we get into some of that impactful programming that you've been running this summer, could you [00:04:00] tell us a little bit about, ARU, Asian Refugees United  Pratik (ARU): Sure. ARU started back in 2016 in California and back then all of the programs used to be in California. The community that ARU serves since then, and even to this day are Nepali speaking, Bhutanese refugee community and Vietnamese community, Korean and other Pan-Asian community. After the pandemic, there has been a lot of secondary migration of the Bhutanese folks from across the United States to two major locations. One being central PA around Harrisburg area and Pennsylvania, and the second one around Columbus, Ohio, and other major cities in Ohio. The secondary migration mostly to Pennsylvania triggered a, shifting of ARU programs, to Pennsylvania as well in addition to [00:05:00] California. So at this point in 2025, the Pennsylvania side of ARU caters to the Nepali speaking Bhutanese folks. And the California side of ARU works with Vietnamese, Korean, and other Asian communities. I work with the Pennsylvania, ARU, and here we have four different pillars around health and wellness, education, art and storytelling. And the fourth one is civic engagement, and that is the newest one. I can talk about programs under each of the pillars but for summer the programs that is bringing me joy, not only for me, but also ARU's staffs is this longitudinal five month long leadership program called Camp for Emerging Leaders, where we recruit Nepali speaking folks from all across United States, and they go through virtual sessions every other [00:06:00] week on, history to the story of displacement, intergenerational trauma. How it started, how it used to be back in Bhutan, how it used to be in the refugee camps in Nepal, and now how it is in the US and Canada, wherever they are. So end of summer, end of July, early August is when all of those cohort members, the youth leaders will come physically to Harrisburg and we'll spend a few days here connecting with each other, building that trust, but also working together to build projects for the community, addressing community challenges that's happening. And for that I think five or six of the ARU staff from California are also coming. We have guest speakers. I think one of them is coming from all the way from Australia. It's fun. Largely I think [00:07:00] I'm looking forward to meeting with all of these youth leaders who have so much potential to do, so much good, not only for Bhutanese community, Nepali speaking, south Asian community, but also, their potential goes beyond that, yeah.  Cheryl (Host): It is powerful to hear how ARU's work has evolved and now spans across the nation, and also how Camp for Emerging Leaders is creating space for Nepali speaking Bhutanese youth to reflect their community's history, build deep connections, and grow as leaders. You mentioned that during the summer youth leaders gather in Harrisburg to create community projects. Could you share more about what kinds of projects they're working on and what kind of issues they're hoping to address? Pratik (ARU): For education, one of the main ones that we just concluded is, so we started high school success program called First Step Forward. And the interesting thing, the exciting thing about this program [00:08:00] is the concept of First Step forward from one of the Camp for Emerging Leaders cohort from two years ago. And similarly so that's how most of ARU programs have been. The ARU Youth Center, the ARU Office, that concept also started from the camp for emerging leaders. There are a couple other programs ARU does. Youth Wellness Day. That started from the camp as well. For the First Step Forward, what we do is early winter of, I think January or February we accepted a cohort of 10. These were high school juniors and seniors, and largely the purpose of the program is to make sure that they are well equipped for college and for any other professional avenues they end up going even if higher education is not for them. We did a lot of like leadership sessions, public speaking [00:09:00] sessions, like how to write essays, how to apply for different scholarships. We just concluded it literally last Saturday, we went hiking and went to one of the Six Flags amusement parks. But learning from that program, we are scaling it up. We're taking 20 people next year, and we will do it a year long cohort. So starting from September up until May, June. We'll integrate college tours, not only for the kids, but also for their family because in Bhutanese community and Nepali speaking folks a lot of the times the parents do not understand how the system works, even with their best intent and best intention. So along with the students, it is very important for us to work with the family, the parents as much as possible to take them through the process, right? On education, we also do a lot of cultural navigation training to [00:10:00] different county level and different governance agencies. Some of the cultural navigation trainings that we did in the past year that I can think of is we did one for the. Panel of judges from Dauphin County, which is where Harrisburg is. We did similar thing for different school districts in Dauphin and Cumberland County, different nearby counties for juvenile probation unit, child and youth services. And while we do that, as an organization, it gave us a better sense of where the gaps are, especially for parents to run into difficulties. 'cause a lot of times, for example, if a kid is sent home with a sheet of paper, even when it's bilingual, because their movement happened from Nepal to Bhutan, such a long time ago, a lot of the folks in the community speak the language but do not understand how to read or write the [00:11:00] language. So there are double language barrier, right? When a kid is called into a meeting or a disciplinary meeting, the parents a lot of times don't even look at the sheet of paper or don't know where to show up or how to show up or what to expect. Based on those things we're using that knowledge and experience to design further programs in the future. That's just for education. With civic engagement, for example, this 2024 cycle was the first election for our community members to vote in their lifetime. Back in Bhutan they didn't have that opportunity and then they spent decades in refugee camps, and it took most of them some time to get the green cards and five years after Green card to secure their citizenship. So we saw a lot of even elderly folks show up to voting. That was their first time that they were voting. And when that happens, it's not [00:12:00] just generic voter education. It's teaching the community how to register, where to register, where to show up at the precincts. A lot of precincts we were seeing, 30 to 40% of the folks show up to the wrong precincts. So there's a lot of need, but also in 2024 we saw, unfortunately, a lot of folks fall victim to misinformation and disinformation. So there's that need to do something about that part as well in the future. One of the things we started doing under civic engagement work is not just teach folks where to register, how to register on voter education, but also preparing some of the community members to run for office.  Two or three weeks ago, mid-June, we did our first round of run for office training. We partner up with another organization called Lead PA. And even for the folks who showed up, all of us [00:13:00] are politically inclined, educated to a certain extent, and a lot of the things that were shared in that training, it was mostly new to us, especially around local government. Like what are the positions that they are and how so many important positions, people run unopposed and what kind of ramifications that might have for our daily lives. Right. Starting 2026 election cycle, we're hoping some of our trainees run for office as well, starting from school board to all the way, wherever they want to. And there are wellness focused events, youth wellness Day that I talked about, around mental health is one of the great needs for the community. One piece of data might be very important to mention, based on CDCs 20 12 data, there was a report out, the research was conducted in 2012, and the report came out in 2014, basically what it said [00:14:00] was, Bhutanese folks in the US have the highest of suicide in the whole nation, and that's something that has not received a lot of attention or resources because generally those numbers get mixed up with generic Asian data and the numbers get diluted. Right. So one of the things, what, as an organization, what we are trying to do is bring awareness to that number. And the other thing is like, it's been over 10 years since that study happened and there has not been a follow-up study. What we are seeing is previously how mental health and it's ramifications how it was affecting the community, it was mostly about 10 years ago, mostly affecting older folks. Now we are seeing a lot of younger folks commit suicide or suicidal attempts. So there is a lot of work in that respect as [00:15:00] well. These are also some of the very crucial topics to work on. But as an organization, we are taking baby steps toward being able to efficiently address the community needs. I missed some of them, but overall, our organizational goal is to empower the community in one way or the other. And one of the tools that we use is focusing on youths because youths in the community, similar to other immigrant communities, our youths are mostly bilingual, bicultural, and many times they're the translators and system navigators for their whole family. And in many cases their extended family as well. Yeah.  Cheryl (Host): Wow. There are so many layers to the work that you all do. From developing leaders to run for office, to supporting mental health, to helping folks navigate voting and helping folks access higher education or career pathways.[00:16:00]  That's such a wide scope, and I imagine it takes a lot to hold all of that. How do you all manage to balance so much, especially with a small team, is that right?  Pratik (ARU): Yes. Technically we only have one full-time staff. Most are part-time, but ranging from. 10% to 80%. Largely we rely on the community members, volunteers, and we pay the volunteers when we can. And other times, I think it speaks to how much time and effort and how genuinely, folks like Robin, who is the co ED of ARU and Parsu who is the office manager, and other folks in Harrisburg, connected with different community leaders, folks of different subgroups over the years. So. When ARU moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania post pandemic, it took them a while to get the hang of the community, the growing community. Back then it used to [00:17:00] be 10, 20,000 max in central PA and now our estimation is like 70, 80,000 in central PA. It took them a while to create space of trust, that ARU are people that they can come for when they run into problems. And even when we don't have a lot of resources, people show up. People volunteer. People volunteer their time, their spaces for meetings and events. Yeah. And that's how we've been running it. I feel like we do five or 10 x amount of work with the resources that we have, but that's largely because of the perception the community has about Robin, about Parsu, about other individuals, and about the organization.  Cheryl (Host): That's so amazing. ARU clearly has such deep community roots, not just through the incredible work that of course Robin, [00:18:00] Parsu and so many others you have named have done to build lasting relationships that now sustain the work in the organization, but also I think it's also evident in the examples you've shared through Camp for Emerging Leaders, how you all really listen to youth and learn from their experiences. And you all shape programs that respond directly to the needs that you're seeing. And in that same spirit of care and commitment that is reflected in ARU's amazing staff and volunteers. I'm curious, are there any moments or memories from camp for emerging leaders that stand out to you? I imagine there must be so many.  Pratik (ARU): Yeah. Many stories. I started attending and facilitating the sessions for the camp I from 2022 cohort and maybe even 23 cohort. I think this is the third one that I'm doing. I'll talk about Kamana. [00:19:00] Kamana joined the 23 cohort and at that time she was still in high school. But you know, she was bubbly, full of energy and she was one of the pretty active members of the cohort and eventually after the cohort, she ended up joining ARU as initially, I think as an intern, and now she is the lead of the education program. She will be a sophomore or rising junior, starting this fall. But now she'll be running the education program, First Step Forward. Primarily it was internally us staff, we see the growth in them with experience. But also I think one of the things that ARU does is we create a sort of non-hierarchical structure within our office space in the sense that anyone can [00:20:00] design a program or any idea, and they do not feel intimidated to speaking up. I think because of that, people like Kamana, I can talk about other folks like Nawal. Them growing within ARU space shows not just with experience, but also I think the kind of open and inclusive and non hierarchical space that we create they feel comfortable enough in leading. A lot of times when we have , X, y, and Z needs to be done in the group chat, people just volunteer. Even when they don't get paid, we see our staff, our volunteer base just show up time and time again. Yeah.  Cheryl (Host): Wow. ARU is such a special container. You've created this beautiful space where people can grow and then also have agency to shape that container in whatever way that they want. That is so special. How can listeners support your work this [00:21:00] summer? Whether that's showing up or donating or volunteering or spreading the word.  Pratik (ARU): One of the things is for the listeners, I feel like not a lot of folks know about Bhutanese community much. So yes, they speak Nepali. They sometimes they identify as Nepali because it's just easy. , Bhutanese folks normally identify as either Bhutanese or Nepali or American or any combination of those three identities. A lot of folks do not know, including folks from Nepal about the atrocity, the trauma that the community went through had to go through the forced persecution out of Bhutan and then living under very limited means while in the refugee camps in Nepal and even the number of challenges the community still [00:22:00] faces. I talked a little bit about mental health needs. There's. There are needs around, health seeking behavior and similar to other immigrant communities as well, but also, on education. Because of the historical division around caste and class and other demographic details, certain folks in the community are geared towards success versus others aren't. And we see that. We see the pattern quite distinct by their indigeneity, by their caste, by their last names. In our community you can tell what their caste is, what their ethnic background is with their last names. So I would invite the audience to learn a little bit more about this community and if you have that space and resources [00:23:00] to be, if you're a researcher, if you want to do some research studies, if you want to bring some programs. If you have scholarship ideas, if you want to create any scholarship for the kids in the community, or if you have means, and if you can donate, either or. It doesn't have to be just, financial resources. It can be sometimes being available as mentor to some of the kids to show them these are the possibilities. To summarize, learn more about the community if you don't know already including some of the new atrocities, the community's facing right now with ICE detention and deportation, even when the community was brought in to this country after years and years of approval through the process. And if you have resources and means help with knowledge sharing, being available or with [00:24:00] financial means either or. I just wanted to mention that I work with ARU and I work with the Bhutanese community, but like I said, I'm not from the Bhutan community. I grew up in Nepal. I speak the language, I understand the culture to a certain extent, but I definitely cannot speak for the experience of going and living as a refugee. So,, if you have any question, if you want to learn more about that, Cheryl and I, we are happy to put you in touch with folks with incredible stories, inspiring stories of resilience in the community. Cheryl (Host): Thank you so much. All of the links, whether to learn more, donate or get involved, as well as information about the disappearances impacting the Bhutanese American community will be included in our show notes. A huge thank you to Pratik from Asian Refugees United for joining us tonight. We're deeply grateful for the work you do and the love you carry for our [00:25:00] communities. To our listeners, thank you for tuning in. We're going to take a quick music break and when we come back we'll hear more about the summer programming happening across the AACRE network with folks from Lavender Phoenix, and Hmong innovating politics. So don't go anywhere. Next up, you're listening to a track called “Juniper” by Minjoona, a project led by Korean American musician, Jackson Wright. This track features Ari Statler on bass, josh Qiyan on drums, and Ryan Fu producing. Juniper is the lead single from Minjoona's newest release, the Juniper EP, a five track p roject rooted in indie rock, 60 throwback vibes, and lyric forward storytelling. You can follow Minjoona on Instagram at @minjoonamusic or find them on Spotify to keep up with upcoming releases. We'll drop the links in our show notes. Enjoy the track and we'll be right back. [00:26:00] [00:27:00] [00:28:00] [00:29:00] [00:30:00]  And we're back!!. You're listening to APEX express on 94.1 KPFA, 89.3 KPFB in Berkeley. 88.1. KFCF in Fresno and online@kpfa.org. That was “Juniper” by Minjoona.  Huge thanks to Jackson Wright and the whole crew behind that track [00:31:00] Before the break, we were live with Pratik from Asian Refugees United, talking about the powerful summer programming, supporting the Nepalese speaking Bhutanese community in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Now I'm joined by from Blair Phoenix. From Lavender Phoenix, who's here to share about her experiences as a summer organizer In Lav N'S annual summer in Lav N's annual summer organizer in Lav N'S annual summer organizing program. Hi Mar. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much for being here. Do you mind introducing yourself to our listeners? Okay. Mar, do you mind for our listeners out there who are just tuning in, do you mind introducing yourself? Mar (LavNix): Yes. Thank you, Cheryl. Hi, y'all. My name is Mar Pronouns, [00:32:00] she/siya/any! I come from the lands of the Ibaloi people in the Philippines or “Maharlika”. I am a queer Muslim and yeah, I'm just happy to be here. Cheryl (Host): Yay. We're so happy to have you here, mar! For those who might not be familiar, Mar is joining us from Lavender Phoenix as part of this year's summer organizing program. Mar,, could you start by giving our listeners a quick introduction to Lavender Phoenix? And then could you tell us a little bit about the summer organizing program and what it's all about? Mar (LavNix): Yeah, of course. Cheryl. Let's start with Lavender Phoenix. Lavender Phoenix is a really awesome nonprofit over here in the Bay Area who focus on trans queer, API. Work basically. I really love Lavender Phoenix because of their unwavering commitment to collective liberation [00:33:00] and the very specific focus and centering around trans queer API leadership because our leadership is often underrepresented and because there's so many intersections there, we need to have trans queer API leadership to be able to move the work. And so really fond of lavender Phoenix's ethos and mission values. This year for the summer 2025, I'm part of their summer organizer program, which is a cohort of organizers both emerging, established and wanting to learn, and we learn a lot of transformative interpersonal organizing skills, but also building our more technical skill sets alongside with that. So we're actually three weeks from graduation [00:34:00] nooooooooo!. Anyways, yeah, just really happy to be in this cohort. I'm feeling really aligned in that I am here and it is transforming me in the way I had intentions for when I applied for it. Cheryl (Host): Wow. It sounds like this was a really impactful program for you. I wanna know what kinds of projects are you all working on?  Mar (LavNix): Yeah, so it's really beautiful because it's not just like a single project the cohort works on, it's kind of a myriad of things. We have two folks who are doing projects with other organizations, and then we have the rest of the folks working on two projects within Lavender Phoenix's programming. And so for my group, my very awesome group, we are doing the River of Life Project, and the River of Life Project is a five week long cohort where we practice storytelling in a very vulnerable and honest way, and this is for the [00:35:00] purpose to really witness one another and to cultivate our storytelling skills because our stories and narratives is so important. There's whole states and governments trying to take that away from us, and so our project is to guide and facilitate this project and meet with members across rank. It's super cool seeing the different facets of lavender Phoenix come together and be down, to be in the act of vulnerability and honesty and that is their praxis for collective liberation. Yeah.  Cheryl (Host): Yeah. Yeah. That's so well said. And it's so important that we have these spaces to practice that vulnerability because we are so often punished for being who we are. Right. So, mm-hmm. These programs are so crucial as you have uplifted for us. I am so curious to learn more about this River of Life project, but [00:36:00] also before we even get to that, I wanna zoom out a little bit and focus on your growth and who are you now as you get closer three weeks from graduation?  Mar (LavNix): Ooh, that is such a beautiful question, Cheryl. Yeah. I've been really reflecting on how this program transformed me this summer and to bring us back to when I first applied. I first applied sometime in March, I believe. I remember 'cause it was around Ramadan. I was at a point in my life where I felt stagnant in my organizing journey. I would attend all these workshops, I would keep reading, but there was a disconnect in how my mind wanted to move next. So here we are in 2025, I was accepted into the program. I was like, yay, my people. And you know, [00:37:00] my expectations was met. In fact, it was exceeded. Very exceeded because I didn't know these things that i'm learning now. I didn't know how much I needed them until I learned them. In my time with Lavender Phoenix, as I'm reflecting to this point, graduation being three weeks out, I realized that before joining this cohort, my heart and my spirit was in a really bad place, and I think a lot of people could resonate. There's genocides, ethnic cleansings, and just terrible things happening all over the world, and there's like a dichotomy of people who are trying so hard and then there's a dichotomy of people who are unaffected by it. And so my spirit and my heart was so broken down seems really dramatic, but it wasn't being rejuvenated for sure. And so, being in this space and being in a [00:38:00] container that's just honesty and vulnerability and it's all rooted in each other's liberation really replenish that cup. The teachings and the knowledge and the wisdom that I'm getting, it's helping me add more to my North Star, which I'm really thankful of because I didn't know this is what I needed in March. Cheryl (Host): That is so beautiful. So much of what's going on right now by the systems that be, the powers that be, it's meant to isolate us and to make us feel exactly what you said. Capitalism isolates us and keeps us in that place because that's how it benefits . So Lavender Phoenix is summer organizing program, what I'm hearing from you is this revolutionary space that is counter to that. It's filled with hope and dreaming for a better world. So how is that being informed in River of Life, in the storytelling leadership development that you are developing within Lavender Phoenix's membership?  Mar (LavNix): Oh, yes. I'm [00:39:00] understanding the responsibility on how I move in this space. And so before the cohort of the River of Life project presents, it's actually gonna be me and another facilitator going to share our stories. And so we're also in the act of being vulnerable and honest and really wanting the others to witness us as we will witness them. We've removed kind of that superiority in that space. When I think of this, it brings me back to Freire's idea of an engaged pedagogy, but not necessarily like an educator and a student, but like removing hierarchies, which I think is really, a value that's rooted in, or lavender Phoenix is rooted in that value. There's no hierarchy, but there is ranks and we all see each other as equals. It's really beautiful to be able to see that and then know how I move in this [00:40:00] space to prepare our cohort. I hope that my storytelling, I can only hope, I do not know how it's gonna be received inshallah it's received super well. But I really do hope that they see how vulnerable I also get and how I'm doing this so that I could build deeper relationships with these people as I continue my journey with Lavender, Phoenix and to them as well. I hope these values, if not already present in our people, this project helps them cultivate that even further.  Cheryl (Host): I wanna ask what is something you want to share with our listeners who were in a similar space as you who felt lost and that they wanted something to grow in. What advice would you give?  Mar (LavNix): This is a really beautiful question [00:41:00] and So many things flooded my brain as you were asking this question, but i'm feeling more pulled and called to share this one thing . As I'm going through the summer organizer program, I really realized the importance of tending to myself so that I could show up for others. I have to be able to know how to advocate for my needs and what I need so that I can be in spaces with other people. It's so important that I know how to acknowledge my shame or whatever pain points I'm experiencing and let that not be a hindrance to the work, but integrate it in a way that I will tend to it, and by tending to it, I can continue doing the work. And I know it's really [00:42:00] hard to prioritize yourself when it feels like you should prioritize everything else in the world right now, but I am really learning that that's what I needed to do. When I say prioritize myself, I'm not saying oh, I need to go do this and I need to go drink all my water. Yes, also care for our physical bodies and our mental bodies, but also taking time to know who I am as a person and what I could offer to the movement, and knowing how to communicate to others in the movement so that I could show up as a better organizer. And so the final words that I will have to share is I hope everyone who's hearing this shows the love that they have for other people to themselves [00:43:00] too.  Cheryl (Host): That was so beautiful. What you just shared right now about tending to yourself that's part of the work too. And that's so counterintuitive, I feel. This project that you're leading, the river of life where the focus is so much on your story and honoring who you are, I think that is the true essence of what it means to be trans and queer. Showing up with your whole self and embracing that. And in turn, by doing that, you are holding everybody else too, that very practice. To find out more about Lavender Phoenix Mar, how can our listeners plug into Lavender Phoenix's work?  Mar (LavNix): Follow us on Instagram or check out Lavender, Phoenix website. We post a lot. Sign up for the newsletter. Volunteer. We're really cool. Or just look at the staff and see if anybody calls you and you wanna hit them up. We're so awesome. Cheryl (Host): Thank you for joining us on tonight's show, Mar, and for sharing your experiences on Lavender Phoenix's [00:44:00] summer organizing program with all of All of the links that Mar mentioned on how to stay in touch with Lavender Phoenix's work be available in our show notes as per usual. We are so grateful, thank you again, Mar! Next up, we're joined by Katie from Hmong Innovating Politics. Katie. Welcome, welcome. I'm so happy to have you on our show tonight. Would you mind introducing yourself to our listeners? Katie (HIP): Hi everyone. My name is Katie. I use she her pronouns. My Hmong name is ING and I mainly introduce myself as ING to my community, especially elders because one ING is my given name. Katie is like a self-assigned name. In my work with HIP I've been trying to figure out what feels more natural when, but I do catch myself introducing myself to my Hmong community. And yeah, I'm totally cool if folks referring to me as Katie Oring and my ask is just pronouncing my name correctly. Who are my people? Who's my community? I would say my community is my family. And then the young people that I work [00:45:00] with, the elders in my community, the ones who would like to claim me, my team. I would say Hmong women that I've met through some of the work that I do at my volunteer org, and oh my goodness, there're so many people. My friends, oh my gosh, if my friends are listening to this, my friends are my community, they're my people. They keep me grounded, alive and fun. My siblings. All of the folks in Fresno and Sacramento that have been a part of the spaces that I've shared at HIP and the spaces that we've created together.  Cheryl (Host): You are a community leader through and through . For folks who are listening and don't know, Hmong Innovating Politics is one of the AACRE groups and it has two different hubs basically in Central California, one in Sacramento, and one in Fresno. Katie, do you mind sharing a little bit about HIP and the work that you all do? Katie (HIP): Yeah. So, we are a power building organization and what does that mean, right? One is that we are [00:46:00] a part of empowering and supporting our community to become active change makers in their community. We believe that those who are most impacted by issues should also be the ones that receive resources and training to lead solutions and design, the dreams of their community. A framework that we use is called Belong Believe Become. We want to create space where young people feel their belongingness, know that they are rooted here in their community, and that they have a place. The believing part of our framework is that we want young people to also see themselves and see themselves as leaders. In their community and leadership can mean many forms, right? There's like passive and active leadership, and we want young people to know that there is enough space in this world for everyone in whichever capacity, they're choosing to show up in their community. The important piece of believing is that, believing that you also like matter and that your decisions are also impactful. And then become is that. [00:47:00] we share this framework and it's circular because we notice that some people can come into our space feeling like I know exactly who I'm gonna be. I know exactly what I wanna do, and feel really disconnected from their history and their, and the multiple parts of their identities. belong, believe become is cyclical and it's wherever you're at. And in this third piece of becoming it is that our young people know that they are leading the charge and transforming systems. That they are shifting the narratives of our community, that they get to own the narratives of our community, and that they are a part of the Power building our community as well. Cheryl (Host): Yeah, I love that . As we're talking, I'm noticing that you talk so much about young people and how so much of your work's framework is centered around young people. Do you mind giving context into that? So much of HIP's programming is on youth leadership, and so I'm wondering what does that look like programming wise and especially right now in the summer? Katie (HIP): Yeah, so it's more [00:48:00] recently that HIP has been identifying ourselves as a power building organization. Before we had claimed our work as base building, and this is through our civic engagement work for voter engagement and empowerment, and turning out the vote that, that is like what we, our organization was like centered on. Through that work, what we noticed was that like cycles and seasons after season, it was young people coming back and then they started asking are you all gonna have like consistent programming space for us, or is it just gonna always be around the election cycle? Through our civic engagement work, a framework that we use is the IVE model, integrated voter engagement. And that is that you are relationship building year after year, even outside of the election season. And so then it was how do we be more intentional about centering the people who are coming to us and centering the people who are shifting and challenging and pushing our leadership. And that was to [00:49:00] then move and prioritize the young people in our community. I think it's been maybe four or five years since this shift where we've really prioritized young people and really centered our work around youth justice. So then we had to create these spaces. Civic engagement work had primarily consisted of phone banking and canvassing and through that I think a lot of young people were then getting firsthand experience of this is like what it's like to be angry about these issue in my community. This is also what it's like to hold space for other people to go through and process their emotions. And then it was like, how do we train and skill up our young people to not only listen to their community, but be able to strategize and lead and take their ideas and dreams and put 'em into action. At the time folks working in our civic engagement programs were high school youth, college transitional age, young adults who are not in college. And we even had parent [00:50:00] age folks in our programs as well. In figuring out how do we better support our young folks was that a lot of young people were asking for more like designated space for youth that are in high school. The other request was can you all not be college based because not all young adults go to college in our community, yet we still wanted to access the programs. We had to strategize around these pieces. Also at the time when we were running civic engagement program, we were also building up our trans and queer work in the Central Valley and figuring out like what is HIP's place in this work? So that landed us into three programs. We have a program called Tsev which is TSEV. Um, and that means House in Hmong, but it's an acronym. It stands for Transforming Systems, empowering Our Village, and the reason why we named our youth program that is in the Hmong community, we refer to our community a lot “lub zos” which means village in English. And so that is why we wanted to name our program with something around the word village and then also [00:51:00] home, belongingness, right? We wanted our program to signify belonging. And so that is what landed us in this program. This program is based at a high school and we train cohorts of youth and the curriculum that we cover in all of our programs are pretty similar, but they are adjusted to be more relevant to the age group and the experiences that we are serving. So we have our high school program. We have our trans and queer young adult program called QHIP, queer Hmong intersectional Pride. And then we also have a young adult program called the Civic Engagement Fellowship, but I feel like we're gonna be revamping next year, so we might have a new name next year. And that one is, open to all young adults of all gender and sexuality. The projects that is focused in that is what's coming up on the election. So specific propositions and measures or whatever we are bringing to the ballot. And then with QHIP, it is very focused on intentionally building up leadership in the trans and queer community. [00:52:00] Yeah.  Cheryl (Host): You all tackle power building in so many different intersections, and I think that's so brilliant. You really tailor these spaces to the needs of your community and you're always listening to your community. That is honestly such a theme within the AACRE network. Could you tell us how these groups stay active during the summer?  Katie (HIP): Yeah! During the summer, we close off the cohort in June when the school year ends. And so we're actually in the assessment phase of this program right now. Our seniors throughout the summer go through a one-on-one exit with one of the staff in Fresno or Sacramento. After the senior exit closes out, then we'll be doing a overall annual assessment with all of the young people that were in the program this year. We're actually closing both these pieces out next week. We try to make things fun, right? So for the one-on-ones, we'll all come to the office and we'll have the one-on-one exit interviews and after that we'll go get lunch. somewhere cute, somewhere fun. Then with the end of the year evals, after we complete them for everyone, we'll just hang out. This [00:53:00] year we're planning to do like a paint by numbers night. And then we always somehow end up karaoking. For QHIP, our trans and queer young adult program we actually partner with Lavender Phoenix and have them attend the leadership exchange program that's happening right now. We did our own onboarding and then we celebrated the month of pride. And we also celebrated the trans march. Then after that transition into the leadership exchange program at Lavender Phoenix. After that program, I believe our lead members are going to be designing some projects this summer. And then they'll have the rest of the summer and hours to do their projects, and then we'll eventually close out with a retreat with them. Cheryl (Host): And for our listeners out there, do you mind giving a quick a preview on what lavender, Phoenix's leadership exchange program is and how you all work in tandem with each other?  Katie (HIP): Yeah. Okay. I know in the past, we've sent our more new to organizing leaders [00:54:00] to the leadership exchange program. This year the intention is that we wanted to send leaders from our community who might already have some organizing experience who have some experience in social justice and movement work. And so, during this I think some of my favorite things from the leadership exchange program is teaching folks how to ask for help. I think a lot of our young adults navigate their lives not knowing who to turn to for help and how to formulate and ask that is clear and supportive of their needs. So that's something that we really appreciate through the leadership exchange program. And another piece is mutual aid funding. Lavender Phoenix trains up leaders around fundraising support and that's something I'm really looking forward to our young people gaining. The other piece is ultimately training of trans and queer leaders in our community so that we can continue to sustain this movement and this lifelong work of trans and queer liberation. The leadership exchange program has been able to equip folks with very necessary skills so that they can continue to sustain trans and queer [00:55:00] leadership. I bring in the fundraising piece because, I think a lot of young people that I work with, they're so scared to ask for resource support, especially money. And I think a lot of it comes with our own family trauma around finances, right? So, I'm excited to see what they debrief about and what they reflect on.  Cheryl (Host): That's so amazing. It really sounds like all of these programs that you all do are really building up leaders for the long term of our movements. Asking for help is so related to navigating money, trauma and is so key in shaping liberatory futures. For folks out there who wanna get plugged into some of HIP's programming work, how can we stay in touch with you all? Katie (HIP): Our Instagram is the best spot. And then on our Instagram you can click on the little short link to sign up for our newsletter. We have some volunteer opportunities coming up in the month of August so if folks in the Central Valley wanna support with one of our community engagement [00:56:00] surveys, either to partake in the survey or to support us in doing the outreach and getting the word out so that folks complete the survey. There's two ways that you can participate with us. Yeah.  Cheryl (Host): Thanks, Katie, and of course all of those links will be available in our show notes. Thanks so much for coming on our show tonight, Katie, and thank you to our listeners for tuning in. We'll see you next time. [00:57:00] [00:58:00]  The post APEX Express – August 21, 2025 Sumer Programming in the AACRE Network appeared first on KPFA.

RE-RUNBlocking Out the Sun-JACKED UP Daily!In this episode Tim discusses what they are doing in the UK, or what they want to do in the UK, and that is to block out the sun. He plays audio from a video from Nations Conspire Channelhttps://youtu.be/eXbNYix1zDI?si=gXQv6GMkBzGtaRW0find out who is behind this crazy idea. Our website is www.LetsGetJackedUp.com Welcome to Jacked Up Daily with Tim, Jack, Bobby, and Karen, a dynamic daily podcast on the Fringe Radio Network. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 AM for conservative commentary, Bible prophecy, and insights from a modern American Christian perspective. Based in Fresno, California, in the heart of the Central Valley, Jacked Up Daily brings a unique West Coast viewpoint to everything from politics and social issues to fringe topics like aliens, ghosts, and the anti-Christ. Whether discussing the rapture, end times prophecy, or offering analysis on current events, this show is perfect for your morning drive. Catch the latest episode on FringeRadioNetwork.com and join us as we explore the mysteries of the world from a bold, Christian viewpoint. Don't miss a moment of this thought-provoking and engaging show, where no topic is off-limits!FringeRadioNetwork.com LetsGetJackedup.com  E-mail us at letsgetjackedup@gmail.comFollow us on X @LetsGetJackedUp  and Facebookgo to www.StrawHatPizza.com to order your pizza if you live in Clovis or Fresno Californiamusic for this episode was from Back to the 80'shttps://youtu.be/0QKQlf8r7ls?si=dOoU1o_-HRiNm0Pv 

RE-RUNDigital ID Airports-JACKED UP DAILY!In this episode, Tim plays audio from a video about Aiports changing the ways to board a plane, thats right, digital ID is coming to an Airport near you soon. Here is the link to the video: https://youtu.be/IpzrhO1xUv4?si=vV1ycLC6eCE0yhXtOur website is www.LetsGetJackedUp.com Welcome to Jacked Up Daily with Tim, Jack, Bobby, and Karen, a dynamic daily podcast on the Fringe Radio Network. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 AM for conservative commentary, Bible prophecy, and insights from a modern American Christian perspective. Based in Fresno, California, in the heart of the Central Valley, Jacked Up Daily brings a unique West Coast viewpoint to everything from politics and social issues to fringe topics like aliens, ghosts, and the anti-Christ. Whether discussing the rapture, end times prophecy, or offering analysis on current events, this show is perfect for your morning drive. Catch the latest episode on FringeRadioNetwork.com and join us as we explore the mysteries of the world from a bold, Christian viewpoint. Don't miss a moment of this thought-provoking and engaging show, where no topic is off-limits!FringeRadioNetwork.com LetsGetJackedup.com  E-mail us at letsgetjackedup@gmail.comFollow us on X @LetsGetJackedUp  and Facebookgo to www.StrawHatPizza.com to order your pizza if you live in Clovis or Fresno Californiamusic for this episode was from Back to the 80'shttps://youtu.be/0QKQlf8r7ls?si=dOoU1o_-HRiNm0Pv 

At the Rangeland Trust, we are honored to work alongside people whose livelihoods are deeply tied to the health of the land. Ranchers know that caring for the land is more than a responsibility—it's a way of life built on stewardship, grit, and adaptability. Yet, the challenges they face are many: from water shortages and unpredictable weather to shifting regulations and rising costs, today's ranchers are navigating pressures from every direction.In this episode, CEO and host, Michael Delbar, revisits with the Elgorriaga family—whose story you may recognize from our documentary You Just Can't See Them From the Road. For generations, they have ranched in California's Central Valley, meeting each new challenge with persistence, passion, and creativity. Michael sits down with four members of the third generation of the Elgorriaga family—Stephen, Peter, Paul, and Christina—to reflect on their upbringing, the values that have sustained them, and their vision for the future of the ranch as the next generation grows on the land.More than just a family history, this conversation offers an intimate look at the everyday realities of ranching in modern California—and a powerful reminder of what's at stake when we talk about protecting working lands and the people who steward them.Want to learn more? Chat with us!Support the showLearn more about the work the Rangeland Trust does by following us on social media @rangelandtrust!

VJ Day 2025: Japan’s PM expresses remorse over Second World War Please Subscribe + Rate & Review Philip Teresi on KMJ wherever you listen! --- KMJ’s Philip Teresi is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever else you listen. --- Philip Teresi, Weekdays 2-6 PM Pacific News/Talk 580 & 105.9 KMJ DriveKMJ.com | Podcast | Facebook | X | Instagram --- Everything KMJ: kmjnow.com | Streaming | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

VJ Day 2025: Japan’s PM expresses remorse over Second World War Please Subscribe + Rate & Review Philip Teresi on KMJ wherever you listen! --- KMJ’s Philip Teresi is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever else you listen. --- Philip Teresi, Weekdays 2-6 PM Pacific News/Talk 580 & 105.9 KMJ DriveKMJ.com | Podcast | Facebook | X | Instagram --- Everything KMJ: kmjnow.com | Streaming | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Chavez joined the Journey to share his story of not coming from an agricultural background and thriving in a successful career in the almond industry. Today, Chavez is the director of almond trading at OFI and he reflected on his experiences trading almonds, partnering with a food company to explore regenerative almond production and joining the Almond Board of California's Environmental Stewardship Workgroup.“The almond industry in general is a very collaborative environment. Obviously, there are a lot of different handlers, and theoretically, we're all competitors, but really, I think before we're competitors, we're all almond industry members.” - Chris Chavez In Today's episode: Meet Chris Chavez, the director of almond trading at OFI Discover Chavez's journey into the agricultural industry, specifically in almonds Learn about OFI operations and the many industry partners they collaborate with globally Understand why Chavez is passionate about the work ABC's Environmental Stewardship Workgroup is doing The Almond Journey Podcast is made possible by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

Custom Produce in Parlier, California, has grown from a door-to-door startup into one of the most respected names in the produce supply chain, and founder Ted Torosian says the company's success comes from staying true to its roots while adapting to an evolving industry. Founded in 1989 by Torosian, his brother, and partners, Custom Produce began with a simple mission: offer a variety of high-quality fruits and vegetables in one stop for food service buyers. “We started from scratch, knocking on doors, selling fruit,” Torosian said. “Now we're one of the most successful companies in the Central Valley.” Today, the company operates on a 15-acre facility, handling over 80 commodities and specializing in consolidation — allowing customers to pick up a mix of products in a single load. This model is especially valuable for restaurants, small markets, and wholesale buyers who don't need full truckloads of a single commodity. “We can put two pallets of this, one pallet of that, all on one truck,” Torosian explained. “It's food service at its best.” Custom Produce's reach extends far beyond the Central Valley. While most sourcing comes from Central California growers, they also work with partners in Mexico, Chile, and Arizona to ensure year-round supply. Their offerings range from tree fruit and melons to peppers and grapes — though they leave leafy greens to other regions. Freight and packaging are major parts of the business. By brokering transportation and breaking pallets to meet exact customer needs, Custom Produce streamlines distribution and cuts costs for buyers. Torosian noted that packaging costs have soared, making careful handling and proper cooling critical for maintaining product quality across long distances. “Our specialty is making sure that when it gets there, it's still in great condition,” he said. While the company serves big names like Costco, their core focus remains on the “small guys” who need flexible, dependable service. “It's about relationships,” Torosian said. “We've built trust with our growers and our customers over decades.” From a handful of partners with a big idea to a major player in the produce industry, Custom Produce shows how vision, adaptability, and old-fashioned hard work can pay off in agriculture's competitive marketplace.

The Republican spending bill signed into law by President Trump last month slashes an estimated $150 billion in federal Medicaid funding to California over the next 10 years. Nearly 40% percent of Californians rely on Medi-Cal for health coverage, and now millions are expected to fall off the rolls. That's leaving medical providers bracing for impacts, especially in places already struggling to serve all who need care. We talk to heads of clinics in the Central Valley, Shasta County and Los Angeles to hear how they're coping. Guests: Mitesh Popat, chief executive officer, Venice Family Clinic David Quackenbush, president and chief executive officer, Golden Valley Health Centers Jo Campbell, chief executive officer, Hill Country Community Clinic Miranda Dietz, interim director, Health Care Program, UC Berkeley Labor Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our Season 6 premiere, James T. Morrison talks about how creative nonfiction provides an opportunity to discuss challenging topics like drug dependency and justice system involvement that counter the stereotypical portrayal of the addiction redemption arc. He and Jared also explore revision as a process to find your voice, Morrison's shift from a law school path to an MFA at age 40, the importance of accessible mentors over university prestige, and the underappreciated literary scene of Fresno.James T. Morrison is a recent graduate of California State University, Fresno, where he received his MFA in creative nonfiction in June of 2025. He serves as the nonfiction editor at The Normal School literary magazine, affiliated with Fresno State's MFA. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in Slate, Diode, River Teeth's "Beautiful Things," and Fugue. To hear him talk about his writing and American drug policy, check out his appearance on the award winning podcast, Death, Sex, and Money. James lives in California's Central Valley with his wife, Sara, their three cats, and brand new puppy (she is a real pistol). Find him at his website, www.james-t-morrison.com, and on Instagram @regularjamest.MFA Writers is hosted by Jared McCormack and produced by Jared McCormack and Hanamori Skoblow. New episodes are released every two weeks. You can find more MFA Writers at MFAwriters.com.BE PART OF THE SHOWDonate to the show at Buy Me a Coffee.Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.Submit an episode request. If there's a program you'd like to learn more about, contact us and we'll do our very best to find a guest who can speak to their experience.Apply to be a guest on the show by filling out our application.STAY CONNECTEDTwitter: @MFAwriterspodInstagram: @MFAwriterspodcastFacebook: MFA WritersEmail: mfawriterspodcast@gmail.com

Thomas Hall's unexpected path from applying for what he thought was a janitor position to leading as Director of Emergency Shelter and Outreach at Turlock Gospel Mission is a testament to the power of purpose-driven work. In California's Central Valley, homelessness is fueled by mental health struggles and skyrocketing housing costs. Thomas and his team respond to urgent needs by offering more than beds. They provide food boxes, clothing, hygiene facilities, and storage, all while fostering a culture where “everyone lifts each other up.” His personal growth, from realizing his stern demeanor could intimidate guests to intentionally creating a warmer, safer environment, has transformed the shelter's atmosphere for families, those fleeing domestic violence, and individuals facing addiction or mental illness.Beyond emergency relief, Thomas celebrates stories of lasting change, like a former guest now thriving with stable housing and employment. While he acknowledges they often don't see the final outcomes, he focuses on helping in the moment. To guard against burnout, Thomas leans on prayer, worship, basketball, church, and family time, encouraging his team to practice self-care as well. His message to the community is clear: whether through volunteering, donating, or showing kindness, everyone can help address homelessness. “When you see someone on the street, there's a long story behind what led them there,” he says. “Some was in their control, some wasn't. Say a prayer, offer help, and remember—we're all called to serve the less fortunate.”To learn more about TRM, Click Here!To support TRM, Click Here! Send us a Message!

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Congressman Tom McClintock of California's 5th District discusses illegal immigration, the realities of repatriation and deportation, and his forestry bills, the Put Out the Fire Act and the Proven Forest Management Act, which aim to improve wildfire response and expand successful forest management practices nationwide. Congressman Addison McDowell of North Carolina's 6th District shares his work to combat the fentanyl crisis, including the HALT Fentanyl Act and the BIDEN Act to end the use of automated signing devices for key presidential actions. Finally, Financial expert Gary Gygi joins with insight on whether the Federal Reserve should cut interest rates and what that could mean for the economy.   www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds X: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@breakingbattlegrounds Show sponsors: Santa Has A Podcast - This episode of Breaking Battlegrounds is brought to you by Santa Has a Podcast — a show for the whole family filled with kindness challenges, North Pole stories, elf updates, and a sprinkle of Christmas magic all year long. Listen now at SantaHasAPodcast.com. Invest Yrefy - investyrefy.com Old Glory Depot Support American jobs while standing up for your values. OldGloryDepot.com brings you conservative pride on premium, made-in-USA gear. Don't settle—wear your patriotism proudly. Learn more at: OldGloryDepot.com Dot VoteWith a .VOTE website, you ensure your political campaign stands out among the competition while simplifying how you reach voters. Learn more at: dotvote.vote 4Freedom MobileExperience true freedom with 4Freedom Mobile, the exclusive provider offering nationwide coverage on all three major US networks (Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile) with just one SIM card. Our service not only connects you but also shields you from data collection by network operators, social media platforms, government agencies, and more. Use code ‘Battleground' to get your first month for $9 and save $10 a month every month after. Learn more at: 4FreedomMobile.com About our guest: Tom McClintock represents the people of California's historic Sierra Nevada foothills and fertile Central Valley in a district that stretches from Placerville to Modesto, through the Yosemite Valley and on to Kings Canyon. Often described as "the gold standard" for fiscal conservatism in Congress, the National Taxpayers Union rated him the best vote for taxpayers in the House four times, most recently in 2020. Citizens Against Government Waste recently named him as one of the perfect votes in the House fighting wasteful government spending. McClintock is a member of the House Judiciary Committee where he serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement and also serves on the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government. He is a senior member of the House Natural Resources Committee where he serves on the Subcommittee on Federal Lands, which he chaired from 2015 to 2018, and on the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries, which he chaired from 2011 to 2015. The Congressman is also a member of the House Budget Committee and has proposed major fiscal reforms to curb unauthorized appropriations, control mandatory spending, balance the budget and protect the nation's credit. Prior to his election to Congress, McClintock served 22 years in the California legislature, where he became one of its most recognized conservative leaders. He twice received the Republican nomination for State Controller, narrowly missing election in 2002 by 23/100ths of one percent. He ran as the conservative standard bearer for Governor in California's historic recall election in 2003. - Addison McDowell proudly represents North Carolina's 6th Congressional District. Motivated by the tragic loss of his younger brother, Luke, to a fentanyl overdose, McDowell's top priority in Congress is to tackle the drug crisis and strengthen border security to protect families and communities from the dangers posed by illegal immigration. Addison currently serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Natural Resources Committee, and the Budget Committee. Through these committee assignments, he is fighting to make sure the critical needs of North Carolina's Sixth District are met. Prior to Congress, Addison's public service included serving on staff for Congressman (now U.S. Senator) Ted Budd and Congressman Richard Hudson, where he spent each day helping constituents in need. Addison earned his Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science and Government from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. During this time, he met his wife, Rachel, through YoungLife Ministry. A native of Lexington, North Carolina, Addison and Rachel now reside in Davie County, where they are raising their two daughters and are active in their local church.

As the planet hits record-breaking carbon emissions, the race is on to slash CO2 levels. A controversial technology —called carbon capture and storage— is getting pushed as a solution by politicians and private companies. But critics say it’s just another way to keep fossil fuels alive, and for taxpayers to foot the bill We traveled to California’s Central Valley —ground zero for new carbon capture projects— where locals have questions. Will this save the planet? What are the health risks, and who pays the price? Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa. Follow the show to get every episode. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.