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Last week, the Pacifica City Council approved an emergency declaration to demolish the beloved Chit Chat Cafe at the Pacifica Pier, as parts of the structure began to crumble into the ocean. Plans for the rest of the pier are still up in the air, as Pacifica residents reckon with the future of their coastal community in the face of coastal erosion, sea level rise, and climate change. Links: ‘You Can't Beat Mother Nature': Destroyed Cafe Gives Pacifica Look at Climate-Changed Future Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 14, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 13, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Six-time Grammy winner, acclaimed producer and Blue Note Records President Don Was has released his debut album with The Pan-Detroit Ensemble, a “nine-piece soul jazz group from Detroit” as he describes it. Groove in the Face of Adversity was released October 10, 2025 via Mack Avenue Records. Maggie & Don sat down to discuss his latest project and they dove into the deep musical roots, inspiration, and creative process behind The Pan-Detroit Ensemble and their debut album, Groove in the Face of Adversity. Don curated a lineup of elite, multi-generational Detroit musicians, which he discussed with Maggie and he group features longtime heavyweights like saxophonist Dave McMurray (Blue Note Records) and keyboardist Luis Resto (known for his Oscar-winning work with Eminem). The Full Nine-Piece Roster: The lineup is completed by Vincent Chandler (trombone), John Douglas (trumpet), Jeff Canaday (drums), Mahindi Masai (percussion), Wayne Gerard (guitar), and the powerhouse, "Aretha-like" vocals of Steffanie Christi'an. It's a deep dive into the music and the city and the essence of the City of Detroit. They also wrap up the interview with a sneak peak of Blue Note Records releases. Don Was (born Donald Fagenson on September 13, 1952) is an iconic American musician, six-time Grammy-winning record producer, and the President of Blue Note Records. Deeply rooted in the musical heritage of Detroit, he has spent over four decades shaping the landscape of rock, pop, funk, and jazz. This podcast is brought to you in part by Don Was & The Pan Detroit Ensemble performing live at the Lodge Room Tuesday July 7, 2026 at 7pm The Lodge Room is located at 104 N Ave 56, 2nd floor, Los Angeles 90042Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble celebrating their debut album Groove in the Face of Adversity and the 50th Anniversary of the Grateful Dead's Blues For Allah Tues July 7th at the Lodge Room in Highland Park. For more information & tickets visit lodgeroomhlp.com and https://www.kpfk.org/ click on the show banner for Don Was & the Pan Detroit Ensemble show July 7th at the Lodge Room. We'll see you there! Host Maggie LePique, a radio veteran since the 1980's at NPR in Kansas City Mo. She began her radio career in Los Angeles in the early 1990's and has worked for Pacifica station KPFK Radio in Los Angeles since 1994.Source: https://donwas.com/Source: lodgeroomhlp.comSource: https://www.jambase.com/show/don-was-the-pan-detroit-ensemble-lodge-room-20260707Send us Fan MailSupport the show@profileswithmaggielepique@maggielepique
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 7, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 6, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Ben and Eugene discuss Irwin Allen’s second attempt to get City Beneath the Sea going with this TV movie and seeming back door pilot. They discuss the survivability of an asteroid strike in the Pacific Ocean, Robert Wagner’s evil ‘tache, the fact that the unsuspecting people of Pacifica were always going to get saddled with the H128, and wonder if the US President’s name is Nelsonson. 00:00:34 Introduction to City Beneath the Sea00:07:18 Erwin Allen’s Recycling Tactics00:24:53 The H-128 Dilemma00:28:08 Asteroid Impact and Its Consequences00:29:50 The Science of Destruction00:33:52 Matthews’ Desperate Decision00:47:45 Behind the Scenes: Writers and Directors01:03:07 Final Thoughts on City Beneath the Sea Next Week: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Twiki is Missing Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Fediverse to receive updates directly in your feed.
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 31, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 30, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 25, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Forget range anxiety. The electric vehicle market is evolving fast. Host Trevor Freeman welcomes back Plug'n Drive CEO Cara Clairman to unpack Canada's new EV policies. They discuss the surge in used EV sales and the truth about public charging stations. Plus, learn how low-cost salt-based batteries could disrupt the global auto industry. Discover what these massive shifts mean for transportation and the future of energy. Listen to the full episode today. Related links Plug'n Drive: https://www.plugndrive.ca/ Cara Clairman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cara-clairman-84967318/ thinkenergy episode 71 (EV-olving Transportation): https://thinkenergypodcast.com/episodes/ev-olving-transportation/ Geotab: https://www.geotab.com/ Trevor Freeman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-freeman-p-eng-8b612114 Hydro Ottawa: https://hydroottawa.com/en To subscribe using Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinkenergy/id1465129405 To subscribe using Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7wFz7rdR8Gq3f2WOafjxpl To subscribe on Libsyn: http://thinkenergy.libsyn.com/ --- Subscribe so you don't miss a video: https://www.youtube.com/@thinkenergypod Follow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkenergypod/ Stay in the know on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thinkenergypod Keep up with the posts on X: https://twitter.com/thinkenergypod --- Transcript: [00:00] Trevor Freeman: Welcome to Think Energy, a podcast that dives into the fast-changing world of energy through conversations with industry leaders, innovators, and people on the front lines of the energy transition. Join me, Trevor Freeman, as I explore the traditional, unconventional, and up-and-coming facets of the energy industry. If you have any thoughts, feedback, or ideas for topics we should cover, please reach out to us at thinkenergy@hydroottawa.com. Hi everyone and welcome back. So, any discussion about the energy transition or our efforts to reduce emissions to mitigate the impact of climate change or even just the ongoing adoption of what once might have been considered futuristic technology, inevitably will include electric vehicles, or EVs as we're going to refer to them today. Transportation is one of the major interactions with energy, especially fossil fuel-based energy that most of us have. Heating being the other one. For the average Canadian, how they move around, going to work, going to school, shopping, recreation, etc., very often involves getting into a vehicle which up until maybe 10 years ago, would almost 100% for sure have been a fossil fuel burning vehicle with a few very small exceptions. Today, while the majority of vehicles are still internal combustion engines, there is at least a noteworthy percentage of electric vehicles out there. We probably all know someone who owns an EV, or know someone who knows someone who owns an EV. EVs aren't actually all that new. The first EV showed up in the late 1800s, believe it or not, and at that point and into the early 1900s, it really could have gone either way between electric-powered vehicles and internal combustion vehicles. As we know, internal combustion vehicles definitely won out, and the bulk of the 20th century was all about internal combustion vehicles, and still today that's the dominant method of transportation. But, there is some alternate reality out there where EVs just always were the transportation method of choice. Imagine what the world would look like if that was the case here. But alas, that is not the reality we're living in. The more recent modern EV era kind of sputtered a little bit in the mid-1990s, there was a bit of an attempt, it didn't really pan out, but really got going around let's say 2008-2009, and it's been a steady crawl forward ever since. But, if you are listening to this podcast, chances are you already know all this and you've likely either skipped forward or are listening to me on two times the speed just to get through this to the important stuff, which is EV policy. You never knew you were so excited about policy. So, most of us, including governments, inherently know that the move to EVs is a good thing. It's good for the climate, it's good for consumers, they're kind of better vehicles. But, societal changes don't just happen, and they certainly don't happen fast. So, there has been a suite of policy approaches over the past couple of years or many years to help us get there and help us get there a little bit quicker. In the past year, Canada's EV policy has changed quite a bit. Availability mandates are out, and incentives are back in. Tariffs on Chinese-manufactured vehicles are mostly out, so things are definitely changing. And to help us understand these changes and what they mean, and also just to check in on the state of EVs here in 2026, I'm really excited to have Cara Clairman back on the show. Cara is the President and CEO of Plug'n Drive, a non-profit that strives to accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles to maximize their environmental and economic benefits. And they do this by engaging with Canadians to help dispel myths and fears and uncertainties around EVs using approaches like their EV Discovery Centre, mobile EV education trailer, and their EVs Are for Everyone tour. And this is really about bringing the EV to the individual, to the person, letting them test drive it, touch it, feel it, ask questions of experts. Now, Cara has actually been on the show a number of years ago where she talked to my predecessor, Dan, about the back story of Plug'n Drive a little bit. So, if you're interested in the organization, I encourage you to go back and listen to that episode. We're not going to get into too much of that here today. Cara is a fantastic individual. She's got more than 25 years of experience working in the environmental and sustainability fields, including at Ontario Power Generation where she was OPG's environmental lawyer and later in the role of Vice President of Sustainable Development. Cara was the 2017 recipient of the Women in Renewable Energy's Woman of the Year award, and the 2021 winner of the Al Cormier EV Leadership Award from Electric Mobility Canada. And as you will hear, she is a big fan of EVs, and she thinks you should be, too. Cara Clairman, welcome to the show. [05:01] Cara Clairman: Thank you so much, Trevor. I'm pleased to be here. [05:03] Trevor Freeman: So, this isn't actually your first time on the show, Cara. It's the first time you and I have spoken on this podcast, but you were on our show with my predecessor, Dan, nearly 5 years ago now, and you talked then about how you took Plug'n Drive from just an idea during your time at OPG, to really a national non-profit that's now celebrating its 15th anniversary. And for our listeners, if you're curious about the back story on Plug'n Drive, definitely dig back in the archives and listen to that episode. But, a lot has changed in 15 years, and a lot has changed even in the 4 and a half years since you were last on Think Energy. EVs have gone from kind of this niche idea you'd maybe see one or two around here and there, to, you know, maybe not quite ubiquitous and they're not everywhere, but it seems like they're going in that direction. They're a lot more commonplace. Everybody knows somebody with an EV, or you see them around most times you're out and about. Um, and they are also a very much talked about cornerstone of our national policy. It's an often-talked-about tool for decarbonization. We're going to dive into some of the specifics throughout our conversation, but just looking at the work that you and Plug'n Drive are doing from your EV Discovery Centre to your EVs Are for Everyone tour, how has your mission shifted? Are you moving from convincing people that EVs are a real thing that worked to helping navigate how to get one, what's the complex web of, you know, incentives, etc. What's the difference in your mission now? [06:36] Cara Clairman: Well honestly, I feel like it's really uh the same in a lot of ways. The big difference, as you pointed out, is that we don't really have to explain what an EV is or that it's a decent car. You know, there's some sort of what I would call EV 101 that most people already know now. And like you said, most people have known somebody, or they've at least heard of it. But I would say there's still a high percentage of Canadians that have never ridden or driven one. Uh, and so that's an experience that we find is really the key, like getting the butts in the seats is really the key to helping people get over the hump. And uh, that's sort of the experience that we focus on. We really try to pair a test drive with every event that we do and encourage people to drive so that they can see the benefits go far beyond just the savings and the environmental benefits, that they're just really super fun cars to drive, and if you're a person that likes a quiet, peppy drive, this is the car for you. [07:51] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. Are people coming to your events knowing, "I'm going down the EV path, I'm going to buy one, I need to check this out," or they're coming in kind of thinking, "What are these people doing here at this event or in this parking lot?" Like what draws people to your events? [08:05] Cara Clairman: More more of the former and less of the latter as time goes on, but it depends on the event we're at. So, if it's just they've made an appointment to come see us, which often is the case, we have an appointment system, uh, then they know a little bit, and they're thinking about it, and they want to try it. Uh, if we're just at a festival or fair, which we do, you know, we just are at some event, and they didn't come specifically to see us, uh, then we still meet a lot of people who are like, "What is this?" you know, uh, and so they're earlier in their journey. But what we find is that they need the awareness building, and then they might, you know, make the move a few years down the road, so it still helps them. It's just they're at a different step. [08:50] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, for sure. No, that makes sense. Okay, so what I really want to dive into here today with you is kind of the shifting landscape, or maybe it's already a shifted landscape, um, regarding EV policy, some of the shifts that we've seen even in the last year or two. Um, so recently, you know, we're here in Canada, the federal government repealed the EV availability standard. So, this was the standard that said we want 100% of cars sold in Canada to be zero-emission by the year 2035. [09:27] Cara Clairman: Right. [09:28] Trevor Freeman: And we're moving towards more of an incentive-based strategy. So, a demand-side push rather than an incentive uh sorry, a supply-side push. Does this transition make sense for the average Canadian? Does it risk slowing down the momentum we've built? Kind of where do you stand on on this shift in our approach to EVs? [09:49] Cara Clairman: Right. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed that they repealed what we call a ZEV mandate or ZEV requirement. We were hoping instead of sort of throwing the baby out with the bath water, they would just make the ZEV requirement maybe less onerous and extend the time or something like that, because the benefit of a ZEV mandate um is that it does require dealers to have the vehicles on the lots. And so it actually increases choice, it increases availability, and that's why you hear some people calling it a ZEV availability standard. Trying to explain it to Canadians because it got a bit garbled in the news where it was like, "We're not going to be able to choose a gas car. You're going to be required to buy an EV." Well, that was way down the road. And uh, what it really did in the early years was make sure dealers would have some. And uh, so that's unfortunate, but, you know, got to move on. So, uh, now we're we brought back uh the Feds brought back the rebate, and sales shot up. So, that's good news. And, you know, hopefully, the dealer networks will make the cars available uh in Ontario. The big challenge is that there's still a ZEV availability standard or ZEV mandate in Quebec and British Columbia, which means they get the cars first. And, you know, you do hear, "Oh, this thing doesn't work. This thing is no good." Well, then why do they get the cars and we don't? You know, so it does work. And so, unfortunately, like if you happen to be listening from Quebec or BC, you'll get more choices than we will here in Ontario, and I I, you know, I hope that that, you know, with the demand-side push that, you know, there'll be more showing up. [11:51] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, and we've been through periods where even if you wanted to get uh an EV, even if you wanted if you kind of could afford it, you'd decided this is the right option for me budget-wise, [12:03] Cara Clairman: Yes. [12:04] Trevor Freeman: you're waiting 10 months, or you can't get the option you want and and so [12:08] Cara Clairman: Right. You have to be more tolerant of color or features or whatever. We probably will experience some of that. It's very brand dependent. Like, some brands are very available all across Canada, some aren't. Uh, so it's really quite varied. Um, but um the good news is right now um availability's decent, and there's actually lots available on the used market, and maybe we'll talk about that a little bit later to give people comfort around used, because it's really a great option for people to think about. [12:49] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, absolutely. Let's definitely uh put a pin in that and get back to it. The other big shift I I want to touch on is um or at least it's a big shift that's getting a lot of attention, is the reduction of the previously 100% tariff on Chinese-made EVs down to only a little over 6% now, which effectively opens the doors to Canadians to um have access to these vehicles, so they can be sold in Canada. How do you see this impacting you know, availability and adoption of EVs? Is this going to be a game changer? Are we going to see those kinds of sub-$30,000 EVs on the market? Or is this kind of, you know, one small shift in the market? [13:31] Cara Clairman: Well, the one thing it has done is created tons of curiosity and interest. You know, everybody wants to know about it, everyone wants to see one. Um, there are EV spies, as you may know, everywhere, like EV enthusiasts who are watch, and, you know, we saw some news report that there were a few Chinese EVs on a lot, you know, north of Toronto somewhere, and people are like, "Oh, what brand is this?" and But unfortunately, we don't know uh really the answer to this question that you're asking yet. Um, we're told that the first Chinese EVs will be here in the last quarter of 2026. Uh, and we don't even know yet if they might be brands we already have, you know. They could be Teslas, they could be Volvos or Polestars. Which we already have. [14:22] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. [14:23] Cara Clairman: So, uh, we're hoping we'll see some low cost, you know, BYD or Geelys or whatever else, you know, but we don't know. Yeah. And uh, and it will be exciting to watch, and, you know, we're watching and trying to find out when the first vehicles are going to be available or shown, but nobody knows the answer yet. [14:48] Trevor Freeman: Are you getting like when you interact with people that are in the EV market, are you getting more questions about that? Are people kind of excited about this? Yeah, okay. That's good. [14:56] Cara Clairman: Yes. And it's a mixed bag. You know, some people are very wary about it. Um, and what I try to say is look, we already have you know, these phones. You know, so I'm not worried about the whole security and that someone's going to be watching you know, that part of it I really think is a bit of a red herring. We've already gone there, you know, so so and people's information is out there. You know, I mean, so that's not a big concern to me. Um, I think uh the quality we don't have to worry about. Uh, these cars are widely available in Europe, in uh Mexico, and in South America, and they're good. [15:47] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. [15:48] Cara Clairman: So, we don't have to worry about that. It's just going to be Canadians, you know, be willing to give them a try, and we'll see. Most people say that they would, so we'll see. [15:59] Trevor Freeman: And I guess the, you know, it's either you're trying that car or hopefully the presence of these cars, hopefully a little bit cheaper is also influencing what other manufacturers are doing and realizing, "I've got to compete in that marketplace." [16:11] Cara Clairman: Right, exactly, Trevor. Remember, I mean, you might be too young to remember when the Japanese cars first came to Canada in the 80s. And everyone had these exact same concerns. And you know, what it did was it made the American brands improve. And so, you know, I'm hopeful, and just to remember, these are coming in a very low quantity initially. They're not going to change the market in these next couple of years. If, you know, they open up the door more widely, you know, that's a different thing. But for now, it's a really tiny percentage. It's like less than 50,000 cars, and it's something like 3% of the Canadian auto market, so it's tiny. [17:01] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. Got you. So, the the new uh or the the renewed incentive that the federal government's brought in Electric Vehicle Affordability Program, um which is providing an incentive for electric vehicles or zero-emission vehicles, um there's a strict $50,000 price cap for any imports, meaning some of those higher-end EVs that are made elsewhere won't qualify for this. Is is $50,000 the right price point? I look at just the price of vehicles in general these days, it's definitely trending up, way higher than I would prefer it to be. Is that the right price point given what's available? Is there enough availability under that price point? Um, and you know, does this affect the kind of conversation that you're having with potential buyers? [17:56] Cara Clairman: Right now, there's not a lot available under that price point. I mean, I think it is encouraging certain brands to bring a version that is below the price point. Uh, and it has increased sales, so there obviously are some that, you know, qualify. Uh, the truth is, gas or electric, it's hard to find vehicles under that price point. Um, so yeah, would I have liked it to have been a little more generous? Sure. Uh, but it is helping, and I do see some automakers shifting prices. I mean, I don't know if you saw that Tesla now has brought out a car that fits just under there. Mhm. So it does do that, and uh it does just encourage people to look. And then maybe they'll buy a used EV. Yeah. You know, so it does sort of open the door, it encourages people to have a conversation, to look around, uh it sparks interest, which is a good thing. [19:04] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, and I mean, Ford is looking at how do we come out with a $30,000 truck, and that would qualify for this. [19:11] Cara Clairman: And the Bolt qualifies, the new Bolt, and it's a great car, and the new Leaf, uh, you know, is coming under there. So, there are good cars under there. I mean, Canadians do love their trucks and SUVs, and unfortunately, those do not make it. [19:30] Trevor Freeman: I know. Yeah, you're totally right. Um, so obviously Canadian manufactured EVs are exempt from that price cap. [19:38] Cara Clairman: Yes. [19:39] Trevor Freeman: Are you seeing a game of kind of buy local versus get an incentive? Um, you know, how does this come into play? Is that part of the conversation? [19:51] Cara Clairman: Well, right now, buying local is just about impossible. Yeah. I mean, there's there's literally two vehicles that are made partially in Canada, and, you know, we've heard a bunch of announcements recently that Canadian manufacturing of EVs has either been postponed or gone off the rails altogether, which is really unfortunate, cuz I was really looking forward to being able to buy a Canadian-made EV. Uh, you know, these plans change, they could come back, you don't know. Uh, but right now, it doesn't look that easy to buy a Canadian-made EV. I mean, there's basically the Pacifica and the Dodge Dart. Mhm. You know, that's it uh right now. Uh, and you know, Toyota's going to make some RAV4s, which will be great. Um, you know, Honda just announced they're not going ahead with their plans, um so it's really unfortunate. The thing that I try to remind people is manufacturing is one thing, and EV adoption in a way is completely separate from that, Yeah. because we manufacture cars primarily for the US market. I mean, Canada's almost an afterthought. And so, that's the reason this is happening, it's because of tariffs, it's because of bu- you know, America First policies, it's because of, you know, US politics. And uh, it's really unfortunate for the Canadian auto industry, but it doesn't mean EV adoption won't continue to really grow. It just means we're going to be buying cars that aren't made here. [21:39] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. Well, and that's kind of the next place I want to go with this conversation is our own manufacturing industry, as you've just pointed out, is so tied in with the United States um manufacturing industry and Mexico. That's actually where I grew up in Windsor. My family is an auto family. My first job was kind of in the auto industry. Um, and the intricacies and and interties between those two industries are very, very tight. But, we're at this stage where we seem to be, not seem to be, we definitely are, moving in different directions policy-wise, especially when it comes to EV policy and trade policy in general. Um, that creates challenges and friction. We're trying to build maybe more of a manufacturing base here. The US is trying to pull that back. And that pull is strong. Yeah. It is, yeah. [22:34] Cara Clairman: I mean, they have the population. I mean, we can't fight that very well, and, you know, we'll time will tell. I mean, Trump won't be there forever, but a lot of the damage will have been done. And I know there's a lot of folks really working hard on maintaining the automaker footprint we have here. It's a huge challenge. [22:54] Trevor Freeman: Mhm. Yeah, is there a way to kind of thread that needle for pushing EV adoption? You know, we're kind of falling behind adoption rates that we've seen elsewhere, Europe, Asia, etc. Pushing that while still bolstering our own manufacturing base, trying to maintain these ties with our largest trading partner? Like how how do you I have to admit I'm not an expert on the industrial side, like on the commercial and manufacturing side of things, but from people that are, what I hear is, you know, we may have to let the Chinese, Indian, uh, Vietnamese uh, manufacturers come in and manufacture here in Canada instead of the brands we're used to being manufactured here. And that's something that could happen. That's something that would sort of replace I mean, the ones that are a real problem are the American-made the American brands, you know. They're really feeling the pull to manufacture in the US. Uh, so time will tell. Uh, you know, we may just be making different cars than we were making before. I hope we'll still be making them. [24:14] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, well and there's I mean, you can kind of see the government trying to do exactly what you said, entice companies to do some part of manufacturing here. They've got this tradeable import credit system where, "Hey, if you invest in manufacturing in our country, you get credits to sort of buy your way through our import market. It can offset some of the tariffs that might be in place." You know, that's a mechanism to do exactly what you're saying we might see. [24:41] Cara Clairman: Right. And some of those brands don't mind sending their vehicles anywhere from Canada. You know, they're not as focused on the fact that Canada has what's considered quite a small market, um given our population size. Uh, and I think in the future, well maybe the tariffs are going to change if the American if American politics changes. Yeah. You know, so I do think that's possible, um like I said, some of the damage will have been done if you know, if GM moves production to Detroit or wherever else, you know, they're not going to move back. But um you know, time will tell. I mean, I do think we'll have some manufacturing still in Canada and hopefully more than what it looks like right now. [25:31] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, I mean it'll be interesting to see. As you say, these policies may not be in place forever, but some of the reaction that is going to happen now in terms of do I move my manufacturing base back to the US, that will persist, and you're not going to make two moves, you're going to kind of make a one time tough one. [25:46] Cara Clairman: No, and especially if it creates some job uh you know, a bunch of jobs in the US, the next US president, even if they're Democrat and they get rid of tariffs and stuff, they're not going to move it back. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. [25:57] Trevor Freeman: Okay, so um let's let's kind of zoom back in a little bit here. So, Plug'n Drive, um you've been doing these uh EVs Are for Everyone tours, um kind of as we talked about earlier, giving people access that might not otherwise have access to to understand, try out EVs. And you've been doing this kind of across the board, including in smaller communities. Is there something that you hear differently in a small town, a rural area, compared to a big urban center, you know, Toronto, Ottawa, etc. Oh definitely. [26:30] Cara Clairman: Well, the big thing is they don't have access, as you said. So in a smaller community, they might only have a handful of dealers, and those dealers may or may not carry EVs. And so they really don't get a chance to try them, and trying, as I mentioned at the off the top, is the key to buying. Yeah. And uh, whatever preconceived notion you might have had, you know, it kind of melts away once you get behind the wheel, even just the reality of like, "Oh, this is a great car." You know? And and so, whatever that experience, or whatever they thought it might be, it's it's gone. And uh, and so, it's a really important uh part of the process. And so, that's the main thing in a smaller community, they don't have that. Now, the other thing that we noticed is how far people drive. Now, people do drive farther in a smaller community, but what has surprised us is they don't drive as far as they think. Hmm, interesting. Yeah. And most of us actually don't drive as far as we think. Yeah. We might sit in traffic and stuff, even like us, you know, in big cities. Um, but we don't actually go that many kilometers, or not as many as we think. Um, and they don't either. And, you know, what they do is they, you know, into town, back and forth, for soccer, you know, same as anyone. Yeah. You know, so for for for sports or whatever for their kids, and then shopping or see Grandma or whatever. Um, and then once in a while, a long trip. And that is a thing that weighs heavily on Canadian minds is the road trip. Yeah. We are really obsessed with the road trip, and it's a one-off trip. And this is the thing we can't seem to shake loose, which is, you know, "What am I going to do if I need to drive to" and you fill in the X. Yeah. It could be across Canada, which hardly anyone does, or it could be like my trip to Algonquin, or my trip to Maine, or, you know, not right now, trip to uh, PEI let's say. Um, whatever. It's like, that one-off trip is so important to people, and we try to say, "Okay, yeah, that's more challenging in an EV. It can totally be done now, but it's still harder, and we sort of say try to think about your car for the 98-99%, not the 1% of trips." I might have even said this 5 years ago. Like, it's still a thing that we can't seem to, you know, stop people from fixating on, and we sort of say, "You know, with all the money you're going to save, you can" and we should talk about the savings because people do not understand that. Uh, all the money you're going to save, you can rent a car, or do something else, or what I do, once every 2 years, is swap with my brother-in-law who's got a minivan. Mhm. You know, and you can solve that problem for a one-time trip. Don't make that that's a bad way to choose a car anyway, gas or electric. Yeah. You know, because you're going to spend a lot more on gas hauling around a bigger, heavier car. Uh, so, even if you're not ready, it's a bad idea. [30:04] Trevor Freeman: So, in terms of So, availability of charging is one of them, and there's that road trip idea for sure. There's also, I mean, we hear, and me working at the utility, as people are trying to put chargers in, we hear this a lot. People's preferred charging location is at home. We know that, that's where people want to charge, they want to plug in at home. Yes. Not everybody has a driveway or a garage, not everybody can install a charger at home. So, one of the things the federal government has been doing over the last little while is trying to increase access to public charging. Yes. Where are we at with our sort of public charging infrastructure? Is the network kind of built out to handle those road trips, or to handle that kind of, you know, someone who lives in a multi-res building, a condo, an apartment that can't charge at home? Where are we on that front? [31:18] Cara Clairman: Okay. I would say, as a very early adopter, you know, I had my first EV in 2011, so, you know, from my perspective, the network's amazing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. There was one supercharger, or like, fast, I mean, it was a slow fast charger, uh, in all of Ontario at that time. I mean, so now, there's more than 40,000 chargers across Canada. Uh, there's, you know, about a quarter of those are fast chargers at highway stops and convenient places. If you live in urban suburban Canada, and you commute, it's basically solved. Like, it's so good. I'm- and then, I'm sure someone will listen and say, "Well, for me, it's not." Okay. There- there's still gaps. Is it perfect? No. But it's really quite good, and you just have to go to PlugShare or ChargeHub and take a look, and you'll be shocked at how many chargers there are. I mean, there are a lot. [32:27] Trevor Freeman: For our listeners, PlugShare and ChargeHub are both kinds of resources that map out all the chargers, the status, is it broken, is it fixed, here's what it costs, it's really great resources. [32:39] Cara Clairman: Yes, everything. All the information you need. And all EV drivers will have that app on their phone. Mhm. Uh, then where it is challenging, you know, we got to acknowledge, even like an EV enthusiast like me, got to acknowledge, it's not perfect. Where the big challenges still exist is multi-unit residential, still challenging, and rural remote. Mhm. Still challenging. So, not so much for people who live rural remote, who want to, let's say, drive to town or drive to somewhere, to the city. That's okay. It's if you want to take a really long trip into rural, let's say, from Ottawa to Thunder Bay or Toronto to, you know, Winnipeg. That's still a challenging drive. It's doable, but it's hard. Um, if you're a commuter, which, you know, most of us are, you know, and you can charge at home, I mean, it's done. It's great. I mean, for someone like me, it's fantastic. I mean, I drive about 80 kilometers uh every week, and it's a snap, you know. No problem. Most of the cars have 400-500 kilometers range. I don't even think about it, even on like a minus 30 day. Where where I do think there's the most work that needs to be done is on the MURBs, multi unit residential. And some of the funding that the Feds have put forward for chargers is going into multi-unit, which is great. Mhm. Uh, condos will get done. Condos are getting done. Uh, where it's hard is apartment buildings. I mean, they're so there you need to search for public charging near you. Mhm. And if you're in Quebec, you're probably going to find it pretty easily, BC, it's getting better. Uh, Ontario is still a bit rough, and the Maritimes and the Prairies, super rough. [34:39] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, we do, Hydro Ottawa actually was a recipient of federal funding to install public chargers. We did a lot of public chargers uh public access chargers in multi-unit residential, you know. It's so important, as you said. Everyone wants to charge at home. Exactly, yeah. And, it's the cheapest, it's and we haven't talked about super low night time prices, and being able to plug in overnight and, you know, right now with high gas prices, people are looking into it. It makes a difference. Well, let's talk about the price then, that's kind of the next barrier, is "Ah, it's too expensive, I can't get into it." Um, tell us about the economics around owning an EV. [35:16] Cara Clairman: So, this is a challenge because people see the higher stick- sticker price, and they say, "Oh, EVs are too expensive." Well, they aren't doing the math, and we are trying to, you try to help, we're trying to help. There's other groups trying to help. We have a great calculator on our website to show the total cost of ownership, and to explain that yes, you pay a little bit more upfront, and the $5,000 rebate if you can get it drops that down to about $5K on average. 5k extra, that's the premium, yeah. 5k extra. Yep. Now, you would make that back in 2 to 3 years easily depending on how much you drive, because electricity is like 1/5 the price of gas, and even maybe more like 1/6 now that gas prices have gone up. Mhm. So, if you're paying $2 a liter, um which I hear, is what, you know, We're not far off, yeah. I don't know, I don't buy gas. Yeah. But, uh, $2 a liter, I'm paying the equivalent of, on time of use, of uh, 28¢, and now on ultra-low, 14¢. Um, I mean, a l- per liter equivalent. For the same driving range, yeah. For the same driving. And so, can you imagine that I can fully charge a 500-kilometer car for like 2 bucks overnight. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, you just can't believe how cheap it is. And if and so if we can get people to sort of understand the pay now to save later, which is hard for people. Yep. And if they lease, it's easier to understand because then they're not sort of shoveling out that money upfront necessarily. Mhm. It's a winner, you know, economically, you know, leaving aside the environmental and health benefits. Mhm. Uh, and so, we really try to help We have a great tool on our website that shows all this called Find Your EV Match, and you can compare any of your own, like all the historic gas cars, like any car that you own is in there. So, let's say you want to compare a 19 99 or a 2015 Civic to a Leaf or a Bolt, or whatever car you're thinking of, uh, you can do the comparison, and it will show you the savings month by month. Mhm. And then it will show you when your kind of hit that crossover and you're in the money. Yeah. And then you basically feel like you're earning money. [37:51] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. I will say, as also, as an EV driver, when I I have two vehicles, one's still a gas car and one's uh an EV, when I have to fill up the gas car, I'm I'm always I compare it to my EV that I don't have to fill up, it's it's night and day when it comes to the cost. It's absolutely night and day. [38:09] Cara Clairman: I mean, it's and also the maintenance. So, there's just no maintenance. I mean, obviously there's a little tiny bit. There's brakes, eventually, even that gets delayed because of the generative braking, Longer, yeah. and, you know, windshield wipers and tires, which you do anyway. I mean, I've now had a Leaf, a Bolt, a Model 3, and an Ioniq 5. Okay, and I have literally never had to do any maintenance except brakes, Mhm on any of them. Yeah, that's amazing. And, they've all been the first gen, right? Like my Leaf was the very first gen Leaf, my Bolt was a first gen Bolt 2017, and uh the Ioniq I think was the second year, which is what I drive now. Yeah. And uh, just nothing. And so, it just to me like, I'm almost like, "I can't believe everybody's not doing it! It's so cheap." Now, I understand some people, if you drive 250 kilometers each way and you, you know, I get it. It's not so simple for everyone. You live in a MURB, but if you live in a single-family home, it's a slam dunk. [39:27] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. So, we've kind of covered charging availability, we've talked about the cost implications. There's a battery performance question of is this battery going to be around for 10 years, the life of the car? [39:39] Cara Clairman: Yes. Especially when used, people are worried about it. [39:41] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, is the range going to get me there, and that kind of ties into charging? Where are we at? Have we seen that technology change in the 15 years that you've been in this space? Where are we at with that? [39:51] Cara Clairman: Yeah. In the early years, I always wanted to be honest, right, because it doesn't help to be overly glowing, and then, you know, people are disappointed, you got to be forthright with people where there are pluses and where there are the minuses. In the early years, of course, the range was really low, and so that was a challenge for people who had to drive long distances. Now the range of the EV is great, that's not an issue for most people anymore. Battery life, people used to say, "Well, how long will the battery last?" And the truthful answer 15 years ago was we don't know, Mhm because there was no information. I mean, Yeah, we hadn't done it. We thought we knew because the Prius had a similar type of battery, as a hybrid, and we thought it should be similar, and those are doing well. Well, now we have 15 years of information, and the batteries are lasting so well. Now, you hear in the news the odd story about a battery crapping out, and it really is anecdotal, and so you can't pay attention to it. Um, it's a lemon situation, right, and that's going to happen, right, there are going to be lemons, just like in a gas car. [41:03] Trevor Freeman: Exactly, yeah. You have to get your engine replaced randomly if you have a lemon, it happens. [41:07] Cara Clairman: Yes, it happens. But the data will tell you, and Geotab has some really good data on their website where they studied how long are these batteries lasting, like 15 years later, and it looks like, for the most part, they're going to outlast the body of the car. Like, 20 years, no problem. So, this idea that you would have to replace a battery is really unrealistic, like, most of us will never have to do that. And no one keeps their car for 20 years, or very few people keep their car for 20 years. No, it's a 10 year window, and if you're like most Canadians, 7 to 10 years, uh, you're not going to be replacing the battery. That's not going to happen. And most of them, uh, sort of a typical battery loss, battery degradation over time is 1 and a half to 2% a year. Hm. So, you're going to see some declines, so let's say at year 5, you should be down no more than 10%, and uh uh, so when you look at a used vehicle, you can do a test on the battery and see how it's doing, something called a State of Health check on the battery. It's a test that any dealer can do, like any service center can do. And you can be confident that it's fine. [42:33] Trevor Freeman: Mhm. So, let's say you brought up used vehicles a couple times here. Let's talk about that as an option for people wanting to get into the EV space maybe a bit more affordably. Yes. Like is the supply out there? Are there a bunch of these sitting around waiting to be scooped up? Yes. Great, now let's talk about it. [42:49] Cara Clairman: Yeah, that's a great news story. So, there's there's um a lot of supply, uh, there's, you know, if you think about it, all the vehicles that come off lease or whatever, you know, even there's now 2023s, you know, available, there're there's a lot of availability. And so, you know, you just go on your favorite, you know, auto trader type magazine, and you will see, uh online, there's tons of availability, and uh, you know, what I say to people if they're worried about battery life, they do that State of Health check on the battery. If you're buying it privately, uh, you can ask. Uh, it's only about a hundred bucks, I think it's worth it. Uh, the other thing you could do, if you just can't figure that out or you don't want to figure that out, is just trickle charge the battery overnight and see, you know, what does it say, how many kilometers uh range you have, and compare that to what the manual says it should have. That's sort of a rule of thumb type of test, it's not as good as the actual test, but it'll give you a good idea. So so the, you know, people should not be afraid of a used EV. And uh, also, if you are really concerned, most of them have, you know, the 8 to 10 year warranty on the battery. And so, if you are really concerned, just make sure you're still in in warranty. Yeah. Uh, you know, don't go older than 8 years, and also check, you know, because sometimes there's a kilometer limit and a year limit, so it's like 8 years or 180,000 kilometers, or you know, they're all a bit different, but um check it, and uh that's a great way of sort of if you still have a year or two left on the on the warranty, then you're sort of safe. Yeah. to see like see how it see how it does. And price point wise, these are coming in at like a reasonable for a used vehicle, a reasonable price point. Totally reasonable, you can get an EVs in the 20s, in the well you can get the oldest ones even lower than that, in like, um, apparently my 2017 Bolt, which we still keep and use, we love it, uh, would only be worth like, I don't know, $12 or $15,000. So, they're cheap, and this one got the battery fixed. I always say to people, the Bolt had a recall on the batteries, 2017 to 2019. And most of them got the battery fixed, so, and then the warranty goes back to year 1. Mhm. So, you basically can get a used Bolt that's almost like a new car because it got a new battery put in, and so those are like gems to find, yeah. Uh, so, they're, you know, that's why we're hanging on to ours, it's great. That's great. [45:41] Trevor Freeman: Okay, Cara, we're getting close to the end of our conversation here. So, uh you know, you've been at this for a while, 15 years of Plug'n Drive, um obviously an EV enthusiast on top of that. What's your general feeling about where we're at right now in 2026? Is it where you thought we would be, maybe looking back a few years ago? Is it, you know, we've got a long road to climb here, where are you? What are you thinking here? [46:08] Cara Clairman: Well, I do tend to be an optimist, but I was probably a little overly optimistic about how fast the transition would happen, and we have had some bumps in the road. Uh, but I would characterize all the stuff that's happened in the last year or two as bumps in the road to eventually everyone having an EV. I mean, I do think it's inevitable still, and I think most of even the, you know, automakers would say it's inevitable. The cars are better, mhm they last better, they perform better, and even without all the environmental and health benefits, they have a lot of other econ- economic benefits. Uh, so I do think it's inevitable. It has been slower than I expected. Mhm. Uh, but, um, I'm still really optimistic about the future, uh, and I think Canadians are going to embrace EVs maybe sooner than than some folks, and and I think all what's happened with with Trump and also this war and all these things has actually got more people asking questions about EVs than ever before, so he accidentally actually spurred on the interest in EVs, which is funny. [47:26] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, and I think we've seen that over over the years, these sort of starts and fits, and no doubt there will be another maybe slow down, but I I tend to agree, we're we're angling in that direction, and there's really no pulling back now. I would, so my oldest is 13, and I remember probably 5, 6, maybe 7 years ago, thinking, "You know, wow, by the time uh he's driving, he may never drive an ICE vehicle, because it'll just all be EVs." So, we haven't quite gotten there, [47:56] Cara Clairman: Yeah, my kids are in their 20s, and they both learned on electric, and they both have never driven a gas car, because we don't have one. Yeah, yeah, that's great. And so I am hopeful, and BC and Quebec have already passed what I would call the tipping point, mhm and so I do think that it's happening, and it's exciting, and it's also a great industry for young people to get into, so um there's lots of lots of pluses. [48:24] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, it's funny on this show, this comes up a lot, and I think all the things that we talked about from utility space to all the energy transition things, EVs being one of them, distributed energy resources, right like if you're a young person looking of what do I get into, what's the thing that I focus on, my goodness, we've got a whole range of things that are are on the cusp, I think of of really taking off, so EVs being one of them. [48:48] Cara Clairman: Electricity, energy, there's a lot of exciting stuff happening in decarbonization, and it's a great field for young people. [48:55] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, absolutely. Okay, so we always end our interviews with a series of questions to our guests, Cara, so I'm going to throw a few at you here. Um, what's a book that you've read that you think everybody should read? Ah. Uh, so professional or personal? Well, you can go either direction. I'll even give you two if you want to do one of each. [49:15] Cara Clairman: Okay. So, professional, uh, I read a book called, I think it's called, We're All in Sales. And it really helped me when I was starting Plug'n Drive. It sort of helps you get over this like, "Ugh, sales." Yeah. Which I think a lot of people have because they don't want to have to ask for money or you know, pitch for money or whatever. And it made you re- It was just helpful in that it talks about how, I mean, we're all in sales in one way or another. I mean, you have to sell yourself, you have to sell your ideas, you have to sell something. Some of us were more direct than others, but it helped me. Mhm. Um, um, and then, for women who are entering the workforce, uh, I read a book called The Feminine Mistake. And it's a play on The Feminine Mystique, which was a huge book in the 60s. Yeah. And, I found it really helpful as a working mom, and have little kids, and it's hard. It's a really hard phase. And that book really really helped me. Um, and then personal, uh, I just read uh a book that I really enjoyed, um, uh, it's actually just been made into a movie with uh, Sally Field, called Remarkably Bright Creatures. It's about an octopus, and it's from the octopus's point of view. [50:47] Trevor Freeman: Oh, very cool. I just saw a trailer for this movie, actually. Finding it. [50:50] Cara Clairman: Yeah. So read the book before you watch the show, Okay. because books are always better than the movie, and more in depth and everything. So it's a great book, especially if you love the ocean and mhm sea creatures and octo- pi? Octopuses? are so smart and it was just really adorable. It was a really fun book to read. It's not like it's great, it's written really well, but it's not hard to access, it's not, you know, it's it's great. [51:21] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. No, that's a good one, that's a good recommendation. Um, so kind of the same question, but um, you know, for a movie or a show, is there something you've watched recently that really has stood out to you that you kind of think everyone should take a look at? [51:32] Cara Clairman: I went back and watched This Is Spinal Tap, Nice. That's awesome. which I hadn't watched. And my husband had never seen it. Oh, gods. And I was like, "What?" Cuz you know, because of everything that happened with Rob Reiner, we went back and we watched it. Still hilarious. Oh yeah, so good. It really stood the test of time, so funny. [51:53] Trevor Freeman: I've got This has come up before with other guests, I've got a list of you know, those movies that were so great for me as whatever, a teenager, that I'm waiting for my kids, ridiculous though. I mean, I have to warn you, ridiculous. I'm waiting for my kids to get old enough that I can bring them into this or that one, and that's on the list for sure. So we'll crank it up to 11 here. Um, so if someone offers you a free round trip anywhere in the world, where would you go? [52:20] Cara Clairman: Oh wow. Uh, I actually just got back from Morocco, and it was so fantastic. Oh, gods. It was so beautiful. Um, but I've never been anywhere in Asia, I'd love to go to Japan. Mhm. I've never been there, and South Korea, because also they're very advanced in terms of technology and stuff, and I there's so many neat things, like autonomous vans and things that they're already using there, and vehicle-to-grid, and all this stuff, and at the base, I'm an electricity nerd, so I I would love to go there. [52:55] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. Uh, who's someone that you admire? [52:58] Cara Clairman: Oh my gosh, there's so many people I admire. Um, Louise Arbour. Um, our new, for our listeners, our new Canadian, uh, Governor General, yeah. New GG. That's awesome. She is fantastic. What a role model for women. She became a judge from being a professor. Mhm. Um, she ascended in a way that not very many people have. She worked internationally, she's, and, uh, she's also a really nice person, a really good person. Yeah. And, uh, an accessible person, what I would say is that she's not at all arrogant, she's funny, she's nice to talk to. I had the privilege of working with her when I was a student. Oh, very cool. And, uh, she's just amazing, and I watch her with, she's inspiring. [53:57] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, that's uh I I agree, I've been reading obviously about her because she's in the news right now, and for our listeners, that's our new uh Governor General, and if you're not from Canada, you can look up what a Governor General does for us here in Canada. Um, very, very exciting. Um, yeah, I agree. Um, last question, Cara. What's something about the energy sector or its future that you're particularly excited about? [54:21] Cara Clairman: Oh my gosh, well, you know, aside from all the stuff we've just been talking about, Yeah. um, actually, I saw a YouTube video about batteries uh just the other day, a Chinese battery maker. And what they're doing in batteries is really exciting with salt, you know, salt based batteries that are going to be so cheap. Mhm. And they basically have it, like it's not this futuristic thing, it's a salt-based battery that costs like a fraction, and so the cheapest EVs will get made with those, and that's going to be a game changer. Yeah. That's pretty cool. [55:05] Trevor Freeman: It is exciting to think about. Now that we're really focusing on EVs and letting sort of just that normal technological improvement iterative process happen, Right. how quickly we might see some of these barriers that we just talked about get solved. [55:19] Cara Clairman: Yeah, they're putting their new technology into drones, into like air taxis and all this stuff, mhm. It's now, it's not sort of this Jetson's futuristic thing, it's like really happening, so that's pretty exciting. [55:40] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, now the energy transition is here, we say it all the time on this show. It's here. It's here. When people say EVs are the future, I say no, they're right now. Exactly, yeah, exactly. Um, Cara, it's been great chatting with you, thank you so much for making the time this morning. I really appreciate your insight into what's happening. [55:56] Cara Clairman: Yeah, my pleasure, my pleasure, nice to talk to you too. [55:58] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, hopefully uh we'll talk again in a few years and be talking about how fast it's moved. [56:02] Cara Clairman: I hope so. [56:03] Trevor Freeman: Awesome. Thanks so much. Take care. Okay, you too. Okay, bye. Thanks for tuning in to another episode of the Think Energy podcast. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and it would be great if you could leave us a review, it really helps to spread the word. As always, we would love to hear from you, whether it's feedback, comments, or an idea for a show or a guest. You can always reach us at thinkenergy@hydroottawa.com.
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 24, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 23, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Hour 1: Don't miss Vinnie crying! Watch us on the Alice 97.3 YouTube. Bob's Movie Club has its next assignment: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). Brad Pitt's new Cliff Booth movie is coming to theaters this November! Memorial weekend is upon us! Is this really when summer starts? The Californian Michelin Guide recognized four new San Francisco restaurants. What are these orcas up to?! Plus, it's been a minute since we've harassed Matty, so let's do that. Hour 2: Vinnie literally can't wait for Bad Advice tomorrow. Stephen Colbert's final show is tonight! Is it wrong? Nick Lachey is tattle-telling on his ex wife Jessica Simpson. Tom Brady is doing something on YouTube. Is Ray Romano still making money from ‘Everybody Loves Raymond.' A woman dies after falling into an open manhole in Manhattan. This beach in Pacifica is one of the most polluted in the nation. Could you stay blindfolded for 24 hours for $10 Million Hour 3: Is it AI? Let's debate. A woman is eating a lot of pictures of Glen Powell. He's learning to navigate fame. Matthew Perry's prized possessions are being auctioned off. Apparently he was a big fan of Batman. How about a BIG bowl of guacamole? Beware of sausage! And consider cutting some of these ultra-processed foods. The price of doritos is going up. Bad news for books. A CIA scientist says there are FOUR alien species we've been visited by. Hour 4: A new Olivia Rodrigo single ‘The Cure' tomorrow! Kesha is embracing her sexuality with her new hit. Travis Kelce knows how to shop for Taylor Swift. A crowd surfing grandma! Air France flight bound for Detroit rerouted after possible Ebola exposure. Normal things that feel embarrassing. Oh no! Sarah forgot to make a game, but we can still play!
Vinnie literally can't wait for Bad Advice tomorrow. Stephen Colbert's final show is tonight! Is it wrong? Nick Lachey is tattle-telling on his ex wife Jessica Simpson. Tom Brady is doing something on YouTube. Is Ray Romano still making money from ‘Everybody Loves Raymond.' A woman dies after falling into an open manhole in Manhattan. This beach in Pacifica is one of the most polluted in the nation. Could you stay blindfolded for 24 hours for $10 Million?
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 17, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 16, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
INTERVIEW: Kiringāua Cassidy on the use of the N-word in Māori and Pacifica communities by Rihana Warsame on Radio One 91FM Dunedin
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 10, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 9, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – May 6, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Chances are, you've been to one of Gina Mariko Rosales' events, even if you weren't aware. In this episode, which kicks off our Asian-American/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month programming, meet Gina. Born in Daly City, she's lived most of her life on the Peninsula and in San Francisco. But let's talk about how she got to where she is today. Gina was born at Seton hospital in Daly City and her parents raised her in Pacifica. In her words, Gina "grew up with a bunch of skaters and surfers." Sounds fun. But she was one of only a few Filipinas in her hometown. She was also shaped from an early age by her time in Catholic school, which she went to beginning with her preschool days. She also a performer, dancing specifically, but we'll get to that. Gina is part of the first generation in her family to be born in the US. Her parents, Armando and Lillian, both came to this country from the Philippines for college in Ohio, where they met. Lillian's family moved around the Philippines because her dad was an engineer. Gina's dad is half-Filipino and half-Japanese—his Japanese lineage is from Okinawa. Lillian came to The States to pursue international law. But life had other plans. She ended up getting married and having kids, and instead did consulting work. In starting to talk more about her dad, Gina goes on a tangent about how, in 2025, she was able to visit both her mom's homeland in the Philippines and her dad's in Okinawa. Gina's mom was the first in her family to come to the US. Then one of Gina's aunts came. Then slowly, the family starting working on getting more and more members to relocate. Eventually, her grandparents and all her mom's siblings arrived in The Bay. Suddenly, Gina had hella cousins around. Her mom's family has done quite a job tracing their own lineage. Gina says they've been able to trace the line back six or seven generations. And many living members of that clan get together every couple of years for massive family reunions. Think 250–300 folks. I love that. Though she's not 100-percent certain, Gina believes that it was jobs that brought her parents the The Bay after they met at college in Ohio. Lillian worked at Levi's and Armando at Charles Schwab. They had their first child, Gina's older brother, out here. That was the early Eighties. Around mid-decade, Gina was born. Her early memories are of her time in Catholic preschool. Her school was pre-K through eighth grade, so Gina says that once you're labeled by your peers, it sticks. And those students are with you for a minute. Ninth grade provided a chance for Gina to get out of that situation. She "busted out" and attended Sacred Heart here in The City. She remembers being pretty little and visiting her mom at Levi's in San Francisco. She climbed on and ran around the now-defunct Vaillancourt Fountain. They'd go to Fisherman's Wharf. And they'd visit her grandfather's grave at the San Francisco National Cemetery in the Presidio, followed by trips to Japantown for sushi. We sidetrack here after Gina talks about how St. Mary's was their church and I mention that it's the "washing machine" and "city titty" church. Gina wasn't familiar with either term and I'll characterize her reaction as, simply, mind blown. Because her school, Sacred Heart, was nearby, Gina describes the scarce parking available for students and a lottery system they all had to operate under. We go on another sidetrack here to talk about ways to get around DPT's trickery—chalk marks and all that. At her school, Gina was in the choir and she was a member of the step team. She'd often stay around after a day of school to participate in both groups. She and her friends would frequent 1000 Van Ness movie theater and Venture Frogs, where they'd drink boba and eat popcorn chicken. I remember both spots from my early days in The City, around the year 2000. Gina says starting at Sacred Heart after doing K–8th in Pacifica was refreshing. She made friends with people who looked like her, finally. She was part of an Asian girl crew, in fact. Most of those girls were also on the step team and so much bonding was happening. So was "parking lot pimpin'," whether it was in San Francisco or Daly City, after school or on the weekends. She talks about the prevalence of unhoused folks around her school. Sacred Heart would have outreach days where students would make sandwiches to take to those people. Gina looks back fondly on that time. She and her friends would also hang out in Japantown, taking the bus up Geary or just walking the few blocks down. They also went to hella under-18 parties that had names and themes. There were rave rooms and hip-hop rooms. Gina calls them "the early party days." These were the days before "face the DJ" parties. For college, Gina went across The Bay to UC Berkeley. That meant moving out of her house in Pacifica for the first time. She lived in a dorm her first year, then moved into a co-op house and eventually into an apartment with friends. Philosophy and education were Gina's majors. She intended to graduate and become an English teacher. We go on another sidetrack about studying philosophy (something we have in common) before Gina explains how grad school ended up not working out for her. And we end Part 1 with Gina's story of graduating college in 2008 when the Great Recession hit. Her dreams were dashed and she moved back to Pacifica to live with her parents. She applied for countless jobs and ended up getting into AmeriCorps VISTA, a branch of the larger organization that focuses on alleviating poverty. The program wants its members to experience a level of poverty themselves. It paid just enough for Gina to move to San Francisco. Check back Thursday to hear Part 2 and the rest of Gina's story. We recorded this episode in the Brave New Spaces at Make It Mariko in South of Market/SOMA Pilipinas Cultural Heritage District in March 2026. Photography Mason J.
You know those dates where everything just works? That’s how Nate describes his night with Brianna in Pacifica. Smooth conversation, lots of laughs, and no awkward moments in sight. Then out of nowhere BOOM ghosted. What went wrong?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode: entrepreneurship, sustainable fashion, following omens, adaptability as a life skill, mindful parenting with Angela ArwadyEpisode SummaryAngela Arwady went from flipping secondhand clothes on eBay in 2008 to launching Unpacka (unpacka.com), a subscription-based sustainable fashion business supporting local artists. She and Adam discuss the mindset shifts required to leave corporate life after nearly 15 years at Google and YouTube, the Zelda-inspired "side quest" approach to opportunity, mindful dressing as a daily ritual, and building a business aligned with your values.Guest BioAngela Arwady is the founder of Unpacka, a curated marketplace for secondhand and handmade goods. Before entrepreneurship, she spent over a decade at Google and YouTube across HR, recruiting, and program management for YouTube TV — helping launch the Sports Plus package and primetime channels in multiple countries. She is a mom of three, a Poshmark pioneer with 75,000 followers, and is pursuing a sound healing certification.Resources & Books MentionedUnpacka — Angela's sustainable secondhand and handmade goods businessPoshmark — social resale marketplace where Angela first built her followingThe Alchemist by Paulo Coelho — Adam's book about following your personal legend and reading life's omensDan Arwady on the Mindful FIRE Podcast: Episode 39 and Episode 182Oakland Collective — Bay Area charity that receives clothing donations from Unpacka (free community popups)Guest Contact InformationWebsite: unpacka.comInstagram: @shopunpackaKey TakeawaysFollow the omens: Angela's pop-up at Golden Soul café in Pacifica snowballed into regular craft fair appearances — a small yes became the seed of her entire business model.AdapJoin the Mindful FIRE Legends community at MindfulFIRE.org/join. PS: Introducing the…
You're doing the things.Meditation. Yoga. Breathwork. Maybe even energy work.So why does something still feel… off?Why aren't you feeling more calm, more clear, more like yourself?In this episode, I'm coming to you from Athens, Greece, in the middle of ancient history, to share a realization that might completely shift how you think about your growth.Because here's what most people won't tell you:
The interview with Les Paul (1915-2009) took place in April 2008, coordinated from Los Angeles, I flew to New York just to have the opportunity to speak with the Les Paul earlier in the day before his performance that evening at the Iridium.Les typically played two shows every Monday night (8:00 PM and 10:00 PM). He performed with the Les Paul Trio, which often included Lou Pallo on guitar and Nicki Parrott on bass.His shows were famous for surprise appearances by guitar icons like Slash, Steve Miller, and Paul McCartney. Les Paul continued this Monday night tradition until his final performance on June 1, 2009, just months before he passed away in August 2009. Les Paul's accomplishments are so vast that he is often called the "Father of Modern Music". He is uniquely recognized as the only person inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Musical Inventions & Technology include, Solid-Body Electric Guitar: In 1941, he built "The Log," one of the first solid-body electric guitars, which eventually led to the iconic Gibson Les Paul model.Multitrack Recording: He pioneered the technique of recording separate tracks and layering them, effectively inventing the modern studio process.Studio Effects: He is credited with developing overdubbing (sound-on-sound), tape delay, phasing, and reverb.8-Track Tape Recorder: He commissioned the first 8-track "Octopus" recorder from Ampex, allowing for even more complex arrangements.The Paulverizer: A device attached to his guitar that allowed him to control recording and playback loops live on stage. He also achieved Chart-Topping Hits: Alongside his wife, Mary Ford, he had numerous #1 hits in the 1950s, including "How High the Moon" and "Vaya Con Dios". Les was a virtuoso guitarist: Known for his "brassy" playing style and lightning-fast runs, he influenced generations of guitarists from Eric Clapton to Slash. Les Paul won multiple Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award (1983) and a Technical Grammy (2001).National Medal of Arts: Awarded in 2007 by the National Endowment for the Arts for his contributions to American culture.Emmy Award: Received a Lifetime Achievement Award in Engineering in 2004.KPFK Music Director Maggie LePique interviewed then-92 year old Les Paul before his weekly performance at the Iridium Club in New York City on April 7th, 2008. On a chilly Monday afternoon before his first set, Les was in great form: what started out as a friendly conversation becomes a whirlwind overview of this legendary guitar player and inventor. From his early hard body electric guitar invention to the Les Pulverizer to his first ever multi-track recording to his blistering guitar technique, Les Paul is the original Guitar Hero. ENJOY!! Source: https://www.les-paul.com/Source: https://lespaulverizer.com/Host Maggie LePique, a radio veteran since the 1980's at NPR in Kansas City Mo. She began her radio career in Los Angeles in the early 1990's and has worked for Pacifica station KPFK Radio in Los Angeles since 1994.Send us Fan MailSupport the show@profileswithmaggielepique@maggielepique
A one-door BMW microcar shows up at a Texas cruise-in and instantly steals the whole parking lot. We're live from the Tailpipes and Tacos Cruise-In in Katy, and we sit down with the owner of a 1959 BMW Isetta to unpack why this tiny, strange-looking classic is actually a rolling masterclass in packaging and creative engineering. From the front-opening body to the steering wheel mounted on the door, the Isetta is proof that great design is not always about speed. We also zoom out into the real life of a collector who keeps an eclectic mix of classics and vintage trucks drivable, then share the kind of story every car person understands: tracking down the exact Porsche 911 you ordered new, sold after your wedding, and finally bought back years later for a full factory-fresh restoration. It's nostalgia, research, and commitment all in one garage. Then we flip to modern practicality with our 2026 Kia Carnival review, focusing on why this hybrid minivan that looks more like an SUV is winning people over. We talk design, interior space, captain's chairs, fold-flat third-row utility, the 1.6L turbo hybrid powertrain with 242 horsepower, real-world fuel economy, pricing, and how it stacks up against Pacifica, Odyssey, and Sienna. If you like car culture stories plus clear buying guidance, this one hits both. Subscribe for more honest car reviews, interviews with real car people, and weekly automotive talk, then share this with a friend and leave a quick rating and review so more listeners can find us.Be sure to subscribe for more In Wheel Time Car Talk!The Lupe' Tortilla RestaurantsLupe Tortilla in Katy, Texas Gulf Coast Auto ShieldPaint protection, tint, and more!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.---- ----- Want more In Wheel Time car talk any time? In Wheel Time is now available on Audacy! Just go to Audacy.com/InWheelTime where ever you are.----- -----Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast provider for the next episode of In Wheel Time Podcast and check out our live multiplatform broadcast every Saturday, 10a - 12nCT simulcasting on Audacy, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch and InWheelTime.com.In Wheel Time Podcast can be heard on you mobile device from providers such as:Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music Podcast, Spotify, SiriusXM Podcast, iHeartRadio podcast, TuneIn + Alexa, Podcast Addict, Castro, Castbox, YouTube Podcast and more on your mobile device.Follow InWheelTime.com for the latest updates!Twitter: https://twitter.com/InWheelTimeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inwheeltime/https://www.youtube.com/inwheeltimehttps://www.Facebook.com/InWheelTimeFor more information about In Wheel Time Podcast, email us at info@inwheeltime.com
The Automotive Troublemaker w/ Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier
Shoot us a Text.Episode #1309: The market cools after a hot start to 2025, the New York Auto Show brings fresh product and EV momentum into focus, and NASA launches humans back toward the moon for the first time in over 50 years.March brought the new car market back down to earth, as high prices, rising gas costs, and more cautious buyers cooled Q1 sales after last year's unusually hot start.Q1 U.S. light-vehicle sales fell 4.3% YoY to 2.78 million units, with many major automakers posting declines.GM dropped 9.6%, with steep losses at Buick and Cadillac, while Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru, Mazda, and BMW also lost ground.Hyundai and Kia were bright spots, both setting first-quarter records as hybrids surged.Stellantis kept its turnaround rolling with a 4.1% gain, helped by Jeep and a 20% jump at Ram, marking its third straight quarterly sales increase.Cox's Jeremy Robb summed up the mood: “Consumers haven't left the market, but they're getting more selective. Every new headline and cost increase makes them more cautious about pulling the trigger on a big-ticket item.”The New York Auto Show is back, bringing a mix of fresh, bold concepts, and future-looking EVs, giving dealers a glimpse at where product, design, and powertrains are heading next.Chrysler refreshed the Pacifica with a bold new look and trims, but notably dropped the plug-in hybrid, while still leaning on its Stow ‘n Go advantage.Kia and Subaru leaned into electrification, with the EV3 targeting ~320 miles of range and the Seltos adding a hybrid for the first time.Subaru's new all-electric, three-row “Getaway” SUV targets growing family demand for EV space and utility, with 300+ miles of range and arrival later this year.Hyundai's rugged Boulder Concept signals a move into true off-road competition, aiming squarely at Bronco and Wrangler territory.The show highlights the trend of more hybrids, more EVs, and more niche vehicles—all designed to give today's cautious buyer a reason to jump back in.NASA just launched humans back toward the moon for the first time in over 50 years, kicking off the Artemis II mission and signaling a major step toward putting astronauts back on the lunar surface.The mission kicked off with a powerful evening launch from Kennedy Space Center, marking the first time since 1972 that astronauts have blasted off on a mission bound for the moon.After launch, the crew will spend a full day testing the Orion spacecraft before committing to the multi-day trip around the moon.The mission won't land on the moon, but will loop around the far side—offering views no human has ever seen directly.This flight is a critical proving ground for future missions, including planned lunar landings and long-term moon operations later this decade.NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said: “This is the opening act… for missions that will send astronauJoin Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.Get the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/
- Fuel Crisis Drives Global Surge in EV Interest - Robotaxis Launch Globally Despite New Safety Concerns - Nissan Says It Can't Build Low-Cost Cars in U.S. - Toyota Joins Heavy-Duty Truck Fuel Cell Venture - Aeva Stock Surges After NVIDIA Partnership - Mercedes Invests $4 Billion In Alabama Plant - Mercedes Reveals Updated GLE and GLS Models - Volkswagen Debuts Redesigned Atlas SUV - Chrysler Pacifica Launches with Updated Exterior Styling - Kia Debuts New Seltos and Electric EV3 SUV
- Fuel Crisis Drives Global Surge in EV Interest - Robotaxis Launch Globally Despite New Safety Concerns - Nissan Says It Can't Build Low-Cost Cars in U.S. - Toyota Joins Heavy-Duty Truck Fuel Cell Venture - Aeva Stock Surges After NVIDIA Partnership - Mercedes Invests $4 Billion In Alabama Plant - Mercedes Reveals Updated GLE and GLS Models - Volkswagen Debuts Redesigned Atlas SUV - Chrysler Pacifica Launches with Updated Exterior Styling - Kia Debuts New Seltos and Electric EV3 SUV
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 31, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
What if the reason your life feels harder than it needs to… isn't your schedule, your job, or even your mindset?What if it's your life energy?In this episode, Justin Wenck, PhD, breaks down one of the most important concepts he's ever shared on the show: the idea that your entire life runs on energy — not just physical energy, but emotional, mental, and the more subtle connections.Drawing on his background in electrical engineering, Justin explains why the human system is far more advanced than any piece of technology we've built — and why learning to work with your own energy can change everything.If you've been feeling disconnected, drained, overwhelmed, or just not quite like yourself, this episode gives you a new lens to understand what's really going on… and what you can actually do about it.Key Points and TakeawaysWhy life energy is more than just “feeling energized”How the human system works like a far more advanced version of a phone: power, signal, information, and connection all matterWhy your body, emotions, intuition, and thoughts are all expressions of energyHow disconnection drains you, just like a phone constantly searching for signalWhy changing your energetic connection can shift your life faster than trying to force everything physicallyThe difference between surviving on low battery and actually being connected to what fuels youHow Justin's Life Energy Activation Process (LEAP) helps create a reset in just 4 minutesWhy a small, repeatable practice can create major compound results over timeReady to experience this for yourself?Join Justin's Four Level Recharge workshop on May 2nd and learn the Life Energy Activation Process (LEAP): https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/ws?studioid=3575&stype=-8&sView=day&sLoc=0&sTrn=100000354Want to bring LEAP to your team, group, or organization? Reach out through Justin's website:httpSend us Fan MailReady to stop just understanding this work… and actually experience it?Join Justin for a live, in-person 60-minute experience designed to recharge your system across your body, mind, emotions, and energy.
Rick & Kelly discuss dinner at Pacifica, their newly trimmed bushes, the best comments from yesterday, Chelsea Handler still isn't happy, and Shia LaBeouf goes wild in New Orleans again and again and again IN THE NEWS!Rick & Kelly are PROUD to be the OFFICIAL LAUNCH PARTNERS with SOULLIFE MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS here in America! Get the Rick & Kelly DOUBLE discount of $20 off per bottle by buying 2 or more bottles & hitting AUTO ORDER at:https://www.soullife.com/rickandkellyCheck out Rick & Kelly's favorite MAKE WELLNESS ingestible peptides:https://boards.com/a/vL3gBe.kypDicRick & Kelly proudly reveal their new DAILY SMASH MERCH WEBSITE is UP!!! Get your Smash hats, mugs, sweats and more at:https://dailysmashmerch.spiritsale.com/For more info on how to book Kelly, Rick or the two of them for coffee, lunch, dinner or drinks, go to:https://www.fansocial.coRick & Kelly would love for you to join them on Patreon, where they post full hour long, commercial free episodes every week, including celebrity interviews, cooking segments and other videos you won't find on their YouTube channel!Sign up for the Rick & Kelly Show on Patreon.com now by clicking on: www.patreon.com/rickkellyshow#shia #shialebeouf #chelseahandler #rfk #rfkjr #chelseahines #baseball #openingday #yankees #dinner #pacifica #socialmedia #addictive #lawsuit #facebook #youtube #meta #instagram #judgement #tsa #dhs #security #securitylines #loyola #chicago #illegal #governor #work #friday #makewellness #ohho #elevatedseltzer #palmdesert #kellydodd #wine #minerals #newsmax #newsmax2 #theleventhalreport #live #demonstrations #rhoc #kellydodd #cooking #kellydodd #realhousewives #patreon #jefflewislive #siriusxm #pickleballpartytown
Quick recap This meeting focused on election protection, renewable energy, and a discussion about Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. The participants discussed the upcoming No Kings, No Nukes, No War marches planned for Saturday, with expectations of millions of participants, and explored concerns about election integrity in various states including Arizona, California, Georgia, and Texas. Ron Leonard explained the growing popularity of balcony solar as a way for individuals to generate their own clean energy, while John Brakey and Ray McClendon shared concerns about potential election manipulation and voter suppression tactics. The conversation then shifted to a detailed discussion about Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, where Tatanka Bricca shared insights about the farm workers' movement and allegations against Chavez, suggesting that the movement itself should be celebrated rather than focusing on individual leaders. The meeting also touched on media concerns, with plans to discuss the state of CBS and other major media outlets in the second half. Next steps Ron Leonard: Provide contact information for purchasing solar panels to Sunny (and others) when they are ready to buy Christian Nunes: Post link to the Saving Our Cells Foundation webinar, flyer, and website in the chat Ray McClendon: Post contact information in the chat for people to get in touch regarding election protection in Georgia Micki Leader: Post election protection bills information in the chat for New York State Camilla Rees, John Steiner, and Sunny: Discuss reviving the US Grassroots.org election protection website John Brakey and Ken Bennett: Meet with Pima County Board of Supervisors tomorrow regarding election proof and AIB implementation John Brakey: Return next week with Ken Bennett to discuss election protection updates All interested parties: Participate in No Kings, No Nukes, No War marches this Saturday Sunny/organizers: Discuss what comes next after No Kings Day marches at next week's meeting Tatanka Bricca: Write up the story about Cesar Chavez's public confrontation All interested researchers: Utilize the archives being transferred to University of Santa Cruz for research on movement history Summary Election Protection and Renewable Initiatives The meeting focused on several topics, including election protection, media coverage, and renewable energy initiatives. Harvey Sunny Wasserman opened the call by discussing upcoming events, including the No Kings, No Nukes, No War marches and the importance of election protection in light of Trump's SAVE Act and potential Supreme Court decisions on mail-in voting. John Brakey was mentioned as a guest to discuss election protection in Arizona, and Tatanka Bricca was set to discuss news related to Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. The meeting also touched on the positive development of balcony solar, which is gaining endorsement in various states, and concluded with plans to discuss media coverage and the impact of Trump's attacks on reporters. Balcony Solar Installation Discussion Ron Leonard explained the concept of balcony solar, describing how small solar panels with inverters can be installed on balconies, garages, or even trash cans to provide electricity and reduce costs. Sunny shared his plans to implement this solution once California's Bill 868 passes, which would allow for easier installation of small solar panels. Myla provided updates on similar legislation passing in other states and discussed how distributed energy systems could make power grids less vulnerable to attacks. The discussion concluded with plans for an upcoming No Kings Day march on the 28th, which aims to draw millions of participants in a peaceful protest against nuclear power and war. Election Protection and Strike Planning The group discussed plans following upcoming "No Kings, No Nukes, No War" marches, with Ray McClendon noting the significance of Georgia's May 19th primaries where several key races are expected to be competitive. The discussion highlighted concerns about election protection, particularly in California where a Republican gubernatorial candidate has allegedly confiscated a million ballots in a jungle primary system. Myla suggested that unions are organizing a potential general strike for next May, while emphasizing the importance of protecting upcoming elections due to expected authoritarian tactics from those in power. The conversation also touched on the SAVE Act and concerns about billionaire funding in the November elections. Election Security and Protection Updates John discussed concerns about election security in Arizona, particularly following issues in Pima County and California's Riverside County, and mentioned an upcoming meeting with the Board of Supervisors to address these concerns. Christian Nunes announced the launch of her new nonprofit, Saving Our Cells Foundation, which aims to address gender-based violence and will host a virtual kickoff event on March 25th. Ray McClendon provided an update on election protection efforts in Georgia, highlighting concerns about potential vote intimidation and ongoing legislative efforts to restrict voting rights, while Charlie Lindahl shared information about election protection activities in Texas, including efforts by the Texas Democratic Party chair Kendall Scudder and initiatives like Beto O'Rourke's "We the People" program. Election Protection and Integrity Discussion The group discussed election protection and integrity issues, with Charlie encouraging people to volunteer as election officials and highlighting the importance of paper ballots over electronic machines. Micki shared insights from New York's Election Protection committee, noting that six bills addressing election issues are stuck in the Assembly due to lack of Democratic co-signers, and raised concerns about postal delays affecting ballot delivery. The discussion also covered the FBI's seizure of ballot information from Fulton County in 2020, which included sensitive voter data, and the broader issue of election information being targeted across multiple states. Impeachment and Infrastructure Discussion The discussion focused on impeachment procedures, with Steve Caruso advocating for a simplified approach without lengthy trials. Sunny clarified the constitutional requirements, explaining that impeachment by the House requires a majority vote, followed by a Senate trial where two-thirds majority is needed for removal. The conversation then shifted to infrastructure concerns, with Sunny expressing alarm about a recent Air Canada crash at LaGuardia Airport involving a fire truck on the runway, and criticizing the decision to have ICE agents handle airport screening. The conversation ended with plans to discuss Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, and media topics in upcoming segments. Election Protection and Security Systems The meeting focused on election protection and included a discussion about John Brakey's invention of the Audible Ballot Examination (Abe) system, which uses paper ballots and aims to secure the vote record database. Tatanka Bricca, a long-time associate of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, addressed concerns about recent developments involving Huerta, emphasizing the importance of non-violence and resilience in the face of current challenges to democracy. The discussion highlighted the need for unity among leaders and communities to address ongoing issues related to election security and environmental activism. Government Infiltration of Farm Workers Tatanka shared insights about potential government infiltration of the Farm Workers Union, drawing parallels to COINTELPRO operations against other movements in the 1960s and 70s. He described specific incidents from the mid-1970s, including a $25,000 assassination attempt on Cesar Chavez funded by Nixon's administration and tensions within the union leadership. Tatanka explained how he experienced conflict with Chavez at a national meeting, but ultimately reached a resolution through direct conversation, which led to his inclusion in key negotiations with the United Farm Workers leadership. Cesar Chavez Revelations Discussion Tatanka discussed the recent revelations about Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, highlighting how Dolores had kept quiet about being raped by Chavez due to concerns about the movement's survival. Tatanka emphasized the need to understand this history and mentioned that true heroes include not only Chavez but also other organizers like Larry Itlyong and Pete Velasco. Lynn Feinerman suggested the timing of these revelations might be strategically linked to current events involving Epstein and Trump, while Tatanka noted that while the revelations are just beginning, there is a movement to use them to distract from holding powerful figures accountable. Farm Workers Movement Discussion The discussion focused on the farm workers' movement, with Myla sharing her experiences as a college volunteer in Delano during the grape strike from 1965-1966. Tatanka emphasized the importance of honoring the movement as a whole rather than individual leaders, highlighting how the first two martyrs of the movement were a Jewish girl and an Arab farm worker. The conversation also touched on COINTELPRO's disruption of social movements and the law of unintended consequences, with Sunny sharing how FBI infiltration of Liberation News Service ultimately led to the creation of a farm in western Massachusetts that became a focal point for the organic food movement. Media Landscape Evolution Discussion The discussion focused on the impact of Barry Weiss on CBS and the broader changes in media landscape. Dave Saltman explained the historical significance of CBS Radio and its role in shaping American culture, contrasting it with current media dynamics. The conversation explored the transition from corporate-owned media to more diffuse internet-based platforms, including podcasts, and considered the implications for organizations like Pacifica. There was no clear decision or action item outlined, but the discussion highlighted concerns about the current state of traditional media and potential opportunities in new media formats. Media Coverage and Political Developments The discussion focused on media coverage and local news reporting, with David sharing insights about CBS News's approach to local reporting and how Bloomberg has successfully expanded with over 800 bureaus worldwide. The conversation then shifted to current political developments, with Bryan discussing how Trump's recent actions may be connected to the Katie Johnson allegations, and Tatanka explaining how the Ukraine-Russia conflict benefits Putin. The conversation ended with discussions about independent research archives and upcoming anti-war demonstrations, with participants planning to continue these discussions in next week's meeting.
In this episode of The Dream Journal, host Katherine Bell talks with psychiatrist Greg Mahr and visionary artist/psychologist Heather Taylor-Zimmerman about how dreams—especially nightmares—can support healing, personal growth, and creativity. They introduce the Dream Wisdom Oracle Deck, explore “befriending” difficult dream imagery, and share practical ways to re-enter and work with dreams through reflection, art, and intuitive tools. Chapters: 00:00:23 — Welcome + what the show explores 00:01:26 — Catherine's falling-elevator dream as an opening metaphor 00:03:12 — Greg on nightmares, trauma, and why meaning matters 00:07:11 — Heather on dream rescripting + “active agency” in dreams and recovery 00:10:04 — Using an oracle deck to clarify a dream (simple draw + follow-up draw) 00:11:33 — What “visionary art” means + Jung's influence and active imagination 00:21:20 — Creative flow: reverie, atmosphere, and leaning into discomfort 00:23:38 — Dreams + psychedelics: overlapping brain states and how dreams are a “mini trip every night” 00:32:49 — Caller dream: foundation stone “portal,” money envelope, and houses as psyche 00:42:13 — Caller question: recurring “raw chicken” symbol + how to work it with cards BIOS: Greg Mahr, M.D., is a psychiatrist actively involved in teaching and research on acute trauma and nightmares. He is on the faculty of the medical schools at both Michigan State University and Wayne State University and has published more than 30 academic research articles. The author of The Wisdom of Dreams: Science, Synchronicity and the Language of the Soul. SoulofCreativity.com Heather Taylor-Zimmerman, Ph.D., is a psychologist trained at Pacifica, a Jungian program in California. She is the director of an experiential teaching program in personal transformation through visionary art, and her healing artwork has appeared in clinics and hospitals as well as in public and private collections. GregMahr.com This show, episode number 354, was recorded during a live broadcast on March 14, 2026 at KSQD.org, community radio of Santa Cruz. Videos available on YouTube at youtube.com/@experientialdreamwork. Popular playlists: “Dream Journal shorts” and “FULL LENGTH VIDEOS”. Here are links to some other Dream Journal episodes you might be interested in: Rewilding the Dream with Laura Smith-Riva Dreaming the Future with Paul Kalas, PhD Intro and outro music by Mood Science. Ambient music new every week by Rick Kleffel. Archived music can be found at Pandemiad.com. Many thanks to Rick for also engineering the show and to Erik Nelson for answering the phones. SHARE A DREAM FOR THE SHOW or a question or enquire about being a guest on the podcast by emailing Katherine Bell at katherine@ksqd.org. Follow on LI, IG, YT, FB, & LT @ExperientialDreamwork #thedreamjournal. To learn more or to inquire about exploring your own dreams go to ExperientialDreamwork.com. The Dream Journal aims to: Increase awareness of and appreciation for nightly dreams. Inspire dream sharing and other kinds of dream exploration as a way of adding depth and meaningfulness to lives and relationships. Improve society by the increased empathy, emotional balance, and sense of wonder which dream exploration invites. A dream can be meaningful even if you don’t know what it means. The Dream Journal is produced at and airs on KSQD Santa Cruz, 90.7 FM. Catch it streaming LIVE at KSQD.org 10-11am Pacific Time on Saturdays. Call or text with your dreams or questions at 831-900-5773 or email at onair@ksqd.org. Podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms the Monday following the live show. The complete KSQD Dream Journal podcast page can be found at ksqd.org/the-dream-journal/. Thanks for being a Dream Journal listener! Available on all major podcast platforms. Rate it, review it, subscribe, and tell your friends.
This week on America on the Road, roomy SUVs go under the microscope. Host Jack Nerad tests the family-focused 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 SEL AWD, Hyundai’s newest three-row electric SUV. And co-host Chris Teague details his week-long experience in the luxurious 2026 Lincoln Navigator. The hosts also discuss key industry developments, including Honda’s reverse exports and federal oversight of autonomous vehicles. Plus, Jack sits down with Cameron Creighton, an expert on the 2026 Toyota C-HR and bZ Woodland, to explore Toyota’s latest compact crossover and electric SUV offerings.
Una meditazione guidata per trovare la calma, la pace e la sicurezza. Dormi profondamente in meno di dieci minuti con questa meditazione per dormire che ti accompagnerà in una visualizzazione guidata. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Smelled smokey High pressure smooshNever expecting LBJThe not Pacifica...Pacifica: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Pacifica_%28crossover%29History of the Pacifica: https://www.miamilakesautomall.com/chrysler-blog/the-history-of-the-chrysler-pacifica/ Plymouth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Voyagerdefinitionally poserBrandon festivaled Official segment request…Things that I heard in 6th gradeFull on birdChapter 40, 41, 42astral projected rageCollin's haikuQuiet sliding doors hush,Highway hum, kids safe behind,Comfort on long roadsCheck out our other episodes: ohbrotherpodcast.comFollow us on InstagramCheck us out on Youtube
KPFA/Pacifica presents live coverage of the President's 2026 State of the Union address, with in-depth analysis, real-time fact-checking, and critical context you won't hear on commercial media. Anchored by Lauren Schmitt and Christina Aanestad of KPFA News, Following the speech, Mitch Jeserich (KPFA) joins the broadcast with immediate analysis, key takeaways, and responses to major claims, along with excerpts from counter-programming and additional fact-checking. The post The Pacifica Evening News: Special State of the Union Coverage – February 24, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Murshed Zaheed returns to The Great Battlefield podcast to talk about what he's been up to and starting his own consultancy, Pacifica Strategies.
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – February 16, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Reunião no Conselho de Segurança abordou transição política na nação árabe e esforços de estabilização; integração pacífica dos curdos sírios progride de forma positiva no nordeste; em Sweida novos confrontos foram relatados; no sul operações de Israel são motivo de preocupação.
APEX Express is 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. On this episode, the Stop AAPI Hate Pacific Islander Advisory Council discuss a new report on anti–Pacific Islander hate. They examine the documented impacts of hate, structural barriers Pacific Islander communities face in reporting and accessing support, and the long-standing traditions of resistance and community care within PI communities. Important Links: Stop AAPI Hate Stop AAPI Hate Anti-Pacific Islander Hate Report If you have questions related to the report, please feel free to contact Stop AAPI Hate Research Manager Connie Tan at ctan@stopaapihate.org Community Calendar: Upcoming Lunar New Year Events Saturday, February 14 – Sunday, February 15 – Chinatown Flower Market Fair, Grant Avenue (fresh flowers, arts activities, cultural performances) Tuesday, February 24 – Drumbeats, Heartbeats: Community as One, San Francisco Public Library (Lunar New Year and Black History Month celebration) Saturday, February 28 – Oakland Lunar New Year Parade, Jackson Street Saturday, March 7 – Year of the Horse Parade, San Francisco Throughout the season – Additional Lunar New Year events, including parades, night markets, and museum programs across the Bay Area and beyond. Transcript: [00:00:00] Miata Tan: Hello and welcome. You are tuning in to Apex Express, a weekly radio show uplifting the voices and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. I'm your host, Miata Tan and tonight we're examining community realities that often go under reported. The term A API, meaning Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is an [00:01:00] acronym we like to use a lot, but Pacific Islander peoples, their histories and their challenges are sometimes mischaracterized or not spoken about at all. Stop A API Hate is a national coalition that tracks and responds to the hate experience by A API communities through reporting, research and advocacy. They've released a new report showing that nearly half of Pacific Islander adults experienced an act of hate in 2024 because of their race, ethnicity, or nationality. Tonight we'll share conversations from a recent virtual community briefing about the report and dive into its findings and the legacy of discrimination experienced by Pacific Islanders. Isa Kelawili Whalen: I think it doesn't really help that our history of violence between Pacific Islander Land and Sea and the United States, it already leaves a sour taste in your mouth. When we Pacifica. Think [00:02:00] about participating in American society and then to top it off, there's little to no representation of Pacific Islanders. Miata Tan: That was the voice of Isa Kelawili Whalen, Executive Director at API Advocates and a member of Stop, A API hates Pacific Islander Advisory Council. You'll hear more from Isa and the other members of the advisory council soon. But first up is Cynthia Choi, the co-founder of Stop, A API, Hate and co-Executive Director of Chinese for affirmative action. Cynthia will help to ground us in the history of the organization and their hopes for this new report about Pacific Islander communities. Cynthia Choi: As many of you know, Stop API Hate was launched nearly six years ago in response to anti-Asian hate during COVID-19 pandemic. And since then we've operated as the [00:03:00] nation's largest reporting center tracking anti A. PI Hate Acts while working to advance justice and equity for our communities. In addition to policy advocacy, community care and narrative work, research has really been Central to our mission because data, when grounded in community experience helps tell a fuller and more honest story about the harms our communities face. Over the years, through listening sessions and necessary and hard conversations with our PI community members and leaders, we've heard a consistent. An important message. Pacific Islander experiences are often rendered invisible when grouped under the broader A API umbrella and the forms of hate they experience are shaped by distinct histories, ongoing injustice, and unique cultural and political [00:04:00] context. This report is in response to this truth and to the trust Pacific Islander communities have placed in sharing their experience. Conducted in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago, along with stories from our reporting center. we believe these findings shed light on the prevalence of hate, the multifaceted impact of hate and how often harm goes unreported. Our hope is that this report sparks deeper dialogue and more meaningful actions to address anti pi hate. We are especially grateful to the Pacific Islander leaders who have guided this work from the beginning. Earlier this year, uh, Stop API hate convened Pacific Islander Advisory Council made up of four incredible leaders, Dr. Jamaica Osorio Tu‘ulau‘ulu Estella Owoimaha Church, Michelle Pedro, and Isa Whalen. Their leadership, wisdom [00:05:00] and care have been essential in shaping both our research and narrative work. Our shared goal is to build trust with Pacific Islander communities and to ensure that our work is authentic, inclusive, and truly reflective of lived experiences. These insights were critical in helping us interpret these findings with the depth and context they deserve. Miata Tan: That was Cynthia Choi, the co-founder of Stop, A API, hate and co-Executive Director of Chinese for affirmative action. As Cynthia mentioned to collect data for this report, Stop A API Hate worked with NORC, a non-partisan research organization at the University of Chicago. In January, 2025, Stop A API. Hate and norc conducted a national survey that included 504 Pacific Islander respondents. The survey [00:06:00] examined the scope of anti Pacific Islander hate in 2024, the challenges of reporting and accessing support and participation in resistance and ongoing organizing efforts. We'll be sharing a link to the full report in our show notes at kpfa.org/program/apex-express. We also just heard Cynthia give thanks to the efforts of the Stop A API hate Pacific Islander Advisory Council. this council is a team of four Pacific Islander folks with a range of professional and community expertise who helped Stop A API hate to unpack and contextualize their new report. Tonight we'll hear from all four members of the PI Council. First up is Dr. Jamaica Osorio, a Kanaka Maoli wahine artist activist, and an Associate Professor of Indigenous and native Hawaiian politics [00:07:00] at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa . Here's Dr. Jamaica, reflecting on her initial reaction to the report and what she sees going on in her community. Dr. Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio: Aloha kākou. Thank you for having us today. I think the biggest thing that stood out to me in the data and the reporting that I haven't really been able to shake from my head, and I think it's related to something we're seeing a lot in our own community, was the high levels of stress and anxiety that folks in our community were experiencing and how those high levels were almost, they didn't really change based on whether or not people had experienced hate. Our communities are living, um, at a threshold, a high threshold of stress and anxiety, um, and struggling with a number of mental health, issues because of that. And I think this is an important reminder in relationship to the broader work we might be doing, to be thinking about Stopping hate acts against folks in our community and in other communities, but really to think about what are the [00:08:00] conditions that people are living under that make it nearly unlivable for our communities to survive in this place. Uh, the, the other thing that popped out to me that I wanna highlight is the data around folks feeling less welcome. How hate acts made certain folks in our community feel less welcome where they're living. And I kind of wanna. Us to think more about the tension between being unwelcomed in the so-called United States, and the tension of the inability for many of our people to return home, uh, if they would've preferred to actually be in our ancestral homes. And what are. How are those conditions created by American Empire and militarism and nuclearization, kind of the stuff that we talked about as a panel early on but also as we move away from today's conversation thinking about like what is. The place of PIs in the so-called United States. Uh, what does it mean to be able to live in your ancestral homeland like myself, where America has come to us, and chosen to stay? What does it mean for our other PI family members who have [00:09:00] come to the United States? Because our homes have been devastated by us militarism and imperialism. That's what's sitting with me that I think may not. Immediately jump out of the reporting, but we need to continue to highlight, uh, in how we interpret. Miata Tan: That was Dr. Jamaica Osorio, an Associate Professor of Indigenous and native Hawaiian politics at the University of Hawaiʻi at Māno a. Now let's turn to Isa Kelawili Whalen. Isa is the Executive Director of API Advocates and another member of the Stop A API hate Pacific Islander Advisory Council. Here Isa builds on what Dr. Jamaica was saying about feelings of stress and anxiety within the Pacific Islander communities. Okay. She also speaks from her experience as an Indigenous CHamoru and Filipino woman. Here's Isa. Isa Kelawili Whalen: [00:10:00] American society and culture is drastically different from Pacifica Island and our culture, our roots, traditions, and so forth, as are many ethnicities and identities out there. But for us who are trying to figure out how to constantly navigate between the two, it's a little polarizing. Trying to fit in into. American society, structure that was not made for us and definitely does not coincide from where we come from either. So it's hard to navigate and we're constantly felt, we feel like we're excluded, um, that there is no space for us. There's all these boxes, but we don't really fit into one. And to be honest, none of these boxes are really made for anyone to fit into one single box the unspoken truth. And so. A lot of the times we're too Indigenous or I'm too Pacifica, or I'm too American, even to our own families being called a coconut. A racial comment alluding to being one ethnicity on the inside versus the outside, and to that causes a lot of mental health harm, um, within ourselves, our [00:11:00] friends, our family, community, and understanding for one another. in addition to that. I think it doesn't really help that our history of violence between Pacific Islander Land and Sea and the United States, it already leaves a sour taste in your mouth. When we Pacifica. Think about participating in American society and then to top it off, there's little to no representation of Pacific Islanders, um, across. The largest platforms in the United States of America. It goes beyond just representation with civic engagement, um, and elected officials. This goes to like stem leadership positions in business to social media and entertainment. And when we are represented, it's something of the past. We're always connotated to something that's dead, dying or old news. And. we're also completely romanticized. This could look like Moana or even the movie Avatar. So I think the feeling of disconnected or unaccepted by American society at large is something that stood out to me in the [00:12:00] report and something I heavily resonate with as well. Miata Tan: That was Isa Kelawili Whalen, Executive Director at API Advocates and a member of the Stop A API hate Pacific Islander Advisory Council. As we heard from both Dr. Jamaica and Isa, the histories and impacts of hate against. Pacific Islander communities are complex and deeply rooted from ongoing US militarization to a lack of representation in popular culture. Before we hear from the two other members of the PI Advisory Council, let's get on the same page. What are we talking about when we talk about hate? Connie Tan is a research manager at Stop, A API hate and a lead contributor to their recent report on anti Pacific Islander hate. Here she is defining Stop A API hate's research framework for this project. [00:13:00] Connie Tan: Our definition of hate is largely guided by how our communities define it through the reporting. So people have reported a wide range of hate acts that they perceive to be motivated by racial bias or prejudice. The vast majority of hate acts that our communities experience are not considered hate crimes. So there's a real need to find solutions outside of policing in order to address the full range of hate Asian Americans and Pacific Islander experience. We use the term hate act as an umbrella term to encompass the various types of bias motivated events people experience, including hate crimes and hate incidents. And from the survey findings, we found that anti PI hate was prevalent. Nearly half or 47% of PI adults reported experiencing a hate act due to their race, ethnicity, or nationality in 2024. And harassment such as being called a racial slur was the most common type of hate. Another [00:14:00] 27% of PI adults reported institutional discrimination such as unfair treatment by an employer or at a business. Miata Tan: That was Connie Tan from Stop. A API hate providing context on how hate affects Pacific Islander communities. Now let's return to the Pacific Islander Advisory Council who helped Stop A API hate to better understand their reporting on PI communities. The remaining two members of the council are Tu‘ulau‘ulu Estella Owoimaha- Church, a first generation Afro Pacifican educator, speaker and consultant. And we also have Michelle Pedro, who is a California born Marshallese American advocate, and the policy and communications director at Arkansas's Coalition of the Marshallese. You'll also hear the voice of Stephanie Chan, the Director of Data and [00:15:00] Research at Stop A API Hate who led this conversation with the PI Council. Alrighty. Here's Esella reflecting on her key takeaways from the report and how she sees her community being impacted. Tu‘ulau‘ulu Estella Owoimaha-Church: A piece of data that stood out to me is the six out of 10 PIs who have experienced hate, noted that it was an intersectional experience, that there are multiple facets of their identities that impacted the ways they experienced hate. And in my experience as Afro Pacifican. Nigerian Samoan, born and raised in South Central Los Angeles on Tonga land. That's very much been my experience, both in predominantly white spaces and predominantly API spaces as well. As an educator a piece of data that, that really stood out to me was around the rate at which. Pacific Islanders have to exit education. 20 years as a high school educator, public high school educator and college counselor. And that was [00:16:00] absolutely my experience when I made the choice to become an educator. And I moved back home from grad school, went back to my neighborhood and went to the school where I had assumed, because when I was little, this is where. My people were, were when I was growing up, I assumed that I would be able to, to put my degrees to use to serve other black PI kids. And it wasn't the case. Students were not there. Whole populations of our folks were missing from the community. And as I continued to dig and figure out, or try to figure out why, it was very clear that at my school site in particular, Samoan, Tongan, and Fijian students who were there. We're not being met where they are. Their parents weren't being met where they are. They didn't feel welcome. Coming into our schools, coming into our districts to receive services or ask for support it was very common that the only students who received support were our students who chose to play sports. Whereas as a theater and literature educator, I, I spent most of my time advocating for [00:17:00] block schedule. So that my students who I knew had, you know, church commitments after school, family commitments after school I needed to find ways to accommodate them. and I was alone in that fight, right? The entire district, the school the profession was not showing up for our students in the ways that they needed. Stephanie Chan: Thank you, Estella. Yeah, definitely common themes of, you know, what does belonging mean in our institutions, but also when the US comes to you, as Jamaica pointed out as well. Michelle, I'll turn it over to you next. Michelle Pedro: Lakwe and greetings everyone. , A few things that pointed out to me or stood out to me. Was, um, the mental health aspect mental health is such a, a big thing in our community we don't like to talk about, especially in the Marshallese community. it's just in recent years that our youth is talking about it more. And people from my generation are learning about mental health and what it is in this society versus back home. It is so different. [00:18:00] When people move from Marshall Islands to the United States, the whole entire system is different. The system was not built for people like us, for Marshallese, for Pacific Islanders. It really wasn't. And so the entire structure needs to do more. I feel like it needs to do more. And the lack of education like Estella said. Back home. We have a lot of our folks move here who don't graduate from past like third grade. So the literacy, rate here in Arkansas my friends that our teachers, they say it's very low and I can only imagine what it is in the Marshallese community here. And. I hear stories from elders who have lived here for a while that in Arkansas it was a little bit scary living here because they did not feel welcome. They didn't feel like it was a place that they could express themselves. A lot of my folks say that they're tired of their race card, but we [00:19:00] need to talk about race. We don't know what internal racism is, or systemic racism is in my community. We need to be explaining it to our folks where they understand it and they see it and they recognize it to talk about it more. Miata Tan: That was Michelle Pedro, Policy and Communications Director at Arkansas Coalition of the Marshallese, and a member of the Stop, A API hate Pacific Islander Advisory Council. Michelle shared with us that hate against Pacific Islander communities affects educational outcomes leading to lower rates of literacy, school attendance, and graduation. As Esella noted, considering intersectionality can help us to see the full scope of these impacts. Here's Connie Tan, a research manager at Stop, A API hate with some data on how PI communities are being targeted the toll this takes on their mental and physical [00:20:00] wellbeing. Connie Tan: And we saw that hate was intersectional. In addition to their race and ethnicity, over six, in 10 or 66% of PI adults said that other aspects of their identity were targeted. The top three identities targeted were for their age, class, and gender. And experiences with hate have a detrimental impact on the wellbeing of PI Individuals with more than half or about 58% of PI adults reporting negative effects on their mental or physical health. It also impacted their sense of safety and altered their behavior. So for example, it is evidenced through the disproportionate recruitment of PI people into the military. And athletic programs as a result, many are susceptible to traumatic brain injuries, chronic pain, and even post-traumatic stress disorder. Miata Tan: That was Connie Tan with Stop. A API Hate. You are tuned [00:21:00] into Apex Express, a weekly radio show, uplifting the voices and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. You'll hear more about Connie's research and the analysis from the Stop. A API hate Pacific Islander Advisory Council. In a moment. Stay with us. [00:22:00] [00:23:00] [00:24:00] [00:25:00] Miata Tan: That was us by Ruby Ibarra featuring Rocky Rivera, Klassy and Faith Santilla. You are tuned into Apex Express on 94.1 KPFA, A weekly radio show [00:26:00] uplifting the voices and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. I'm your host Miata Tan. Tonight we're focused on our Pacific Islander communities and taking a closer look at a new report on anti Pacific Islander hate from the National Coalition, Stop A API hate. Before the break the Stop, A API, Pacific Islander Advisory Council shared how mental health challenges, experiences of hate and the effects of US militarization are all deeply interconnected in PI communities. Connie Tan, a research manager at Stop. A API Hate reflects on how a broader historical context helps to explain why Pacific Islanders experience such high rates of hate. Here's Connie. Connie Tan: We conducted sensemaking sessions with our PI advisory council members, and what we learned is that anti PI hate must be understood [00:27:00] within a broader historical context rooted in colonialism. Militarization nuclear testing and forced displacement, and that these structural violence continue to shape PI people's daily lives. And so some key examples include the US overthrow and occupation of Hawaii in the 18 hundreds that led to the loss of Hawaiian sovereignty and cultural suppression. In the 1940s, the US conducted almost 70 nuclear tests across the Marshall Islands that decimated the environment and subjected residents to long-term health problems and forced relocation to gain military dominance. The US established a compacts of free association in the 1980s that created a complex and inequitable framework of immigration status that left many PI communities with limited access to federal benefits. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a disproportionate health impacts in PI communities due to the historical lack of disaggregated data, unequal access to health benefits, [00:28:00] and a lack of culturally responsive care. And most recently, there are proposed or already enacted US travel bans targeting different Pacific Island nations, continuing a legacy of exclusion. So when we speak of violence harm. Injustice related to anti P hate. It must be understood within this larger context. Miata Tan: That was Connie Tan at Stop. A API hate. Now let's get back to the Pacific Islander Advisory Council who are helping us to better understand the findings from the recent report from Stop. A API hate focused on hate acts against the Pacific Islander communities. I will pass the reins over to Stephanie Chan. Stephanie's the director of Data and Research at Stop A API Hate who led this recent conversation with the PI Advisory Council. Here's Stephanie. [00:29:00] Stephanie Chan: The big mental health challenges as well as the issues of acceptance and belonging and like what that all means. I, I think a lot of you spoke to this but let's get deeper. What are some of the historical or cultural factors that shape how PI communities experience racism or hate today? Let's start with Estella. Tu‘ulau‘ulu Estella Owoimaha-Church: Thank you for the question, Stephanie. A piece of data that, stood out to me, it was around the six outta 10 won't report to formal authority agencies. And earlier it was mentioned that there's a need For strategies outside policing. I think that, to everything that, Jamaica's already stated and, and what's been presented in the, the data why would we report, when the state itself has been harmful to us collectively. The other thing I can speak to in my experience is again, I'll, I'll say that an approach of intersectionality is, is a must because says this too in the report, more than [00:30:00] 57% of our communities identify as multiracial, multi-ethnic. And so in addition to. Who we are as Pacific Islander, right? Like many of us are also half Indigenous, half black, half Mexican, et cetera. List goes on. And there's, there needs to be enough space for all of us, for the whole of us to be present in our communities and to, to do the work, whatever the work may be, whatever sector you're in, whether health or education. Policy or in data. And intersectional approach is absolutely necessary to capture who we are as a whole. And the other, something else that was mentioned in the report was around misinformation and that being something that needs to be combated in particular today. Um, and I see this across several communities. The, AI videos are, are a bit outta control. Sort of silly, but still kind of serious. Example comes to mind, recent a very extensive conversation. I didn't feel like having, uh, with, [00:31:00] with my uncles around whether or not Tupac is alive because AI videos Are doing a whole lot that they shouldn't be doing. And it's, it's a goofy example, but an example nonetheless, many of our elders are using social media or on different platforms and the misinformation and disinformation is so loud, it's difficult to continue to do our work. And educate, or in some cases reeducate. And make sure that, the needs of our community that is highlighted in this report are being adjusted. Stephanie Chan: Thank you. Yeah. And a whole new set of challenges with the technology we have today. Uh, Michelle, do you wanna speak to the historical and cultural factors that have shaped how PI communities experience racism today? Michelle Pedro: Our experience is, it's inseparable to the US nuclear legacy and just everything that Estella was saying, a standard outside of policing. Like why is the only solution incarceration or most of the solutions involve [00:32:00] incarceration. You know, if there's other means of taking care of somebody we really need to get to the root causes, right? Instead of incarceration. And I feel like a lot of people use us, but not protect us. And the experiences that my people feel they're going through now is, it's just as similar than when we were going through it during COVID. I. Here in Arkansas. More than half of people that, uh, the death rates were Marshallese. And most of those people were my relatives. And so going to these funerals, I was just like, okay, how do I, how do I go to each funeral without, you know, if I get in contact to COVID with COVID without spreading that? And, you know, I think we've been conditioned for so long to feel ashamed, to feel less than. I feel like a lot of our, our folks are coming out of that and feeling like they can breathe again. But with the [00:33:00] recent administration and ice, it's like, okay, now we have to step back into our shell. And we're outsiders again, thankfully here in, uh, Northwest Arkansas, I think there's a lot of people who. have empathy towards the Marshallese community and Pacific Islanders here. And they feel like we can, we feel like we can rely on our neighbors. Somebody's death and, or a group of people's deaths shouldn't, be a reason why we, we come together. It should be a reason for, wanting to just be kind to each other. And like Estella said, we need to educate but also move past talks and actually going forward with policy changes and stuff like that. Stephanie Chan: Thank you Michelle. And yes, we'll get to the policy changes in a second. I would love to hear. What all of our panelists think about what steps we need to take. Uh, Isa I'm gonna turn it over to you to talk about historical or cultural factors that shape how PI communities experience racism today. Isa Kelawili Whalen: [00:34:00] Many, if not all, Pacific Islander families or communities that I know of or I'm a part of, we don't wanna get in trouble. And what does that really mean? We don't wanna be incarcerated by racially biased jurisdictions. Um, we don't wanna be deported. We don't want to be revoked of our citizenship for our rights or evicted or fired. All things that we deem at risk at all times. It's always on the table whenever we engage with the American government. Even down to something as simple as filling out a census form. And so I think it's important to know also that at the core of many of our Pacifica cultures, strengthening future generations is at the center. Every single time. I mean, with everything that our elders have carried, have fought for, have sacrificed for, to bring us to where we are today. It's almost like if someone calls you a name or they give you a dirty look, or maybe even if they get physical with you on a sidewalk. Those are things we just swallow. ‘ cause you have to, there's so much on the table so much at risk that we cannot afford to lose. [00:35:00] And unfortunately, majority of the times it's at the cost of yourself. It is. That mistrust with everything that's at risk with keeping ourselves, our families, and future generations. To continue being a part of this American society, it makes it really, really hard for us to navigate racism and hate in comparison to, I would say, other ethnic groups. Stephanie Chan: Definitely. And the mistrust in the government is not gonna get better in this context. It's only gonna get worse. Jamaica, do you wanna speak to the question of the historical and cultural factors that shape how PI communities experience racism? Dr. Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio: Absolutely. You know, without risking sounding like a broken record, I think one of the most meaningful things that many of us share across the Pacific is the violence of us. Uh, not just us, but in imperial militarization and nuclear testing. and I think it's easy for folks. Outside of the Pacific to forget that that's actually ongoing, right? That there are military occupations ongoing in Hawaii, in [00:36:00] Guam, in Okinawa, uh, that our people are being extracted out of their communities to serve in the US military in particular, out of Samoa, the highest per capita rate of folks being enlisted into the US on forces, which is insane. Um, so I don't want that to go unnamed as something that is both historical. And ongoing and related to the kind of global US imperial violence that is taking place today that the Pacific is is this. Point of departure for so much of that ongoing imperial violence, which implicates us, our lands, our waters, and our peoples, and that as well. And that's something that we have to reckon with within the overall context of, experiencing hate in and around the so-called United States. But I also wanna touch on, The issue of intersectionality around, um, experiencing hate in the PI community and, and in particular thinking about anti-blackness, both the PI community and towards the PI community. Uh, [00:37:00] and I Understanding the history of the way white supremacy has both been inflicted upon our people and in many cases internalized within our people. And how anti-blackness in particular has been used as a weapon from within our communities to each other while also experiencing it from the outside. Is something that is deeply, deeply impacting our people. I'm thinking both the, the personal, immediate experience of folks experiencing or practicing anti-blackness in our community. But I'm also thinking about the fact that we have many examples of our own organizations and institutions Reinforcing anti-blackness, uh, being unwilling to look at the way that anti-blackness has been reinterpreted through our own cultural practices to seem natural. I'll speak for myself. I've, I've seen this on a personal level coming out of our communities and coming into our communities. I've seen this on a structural level. you know, we saw the stat in the report that there's a high percentage of PIs who believe that cross racial solidarity is [00:38:00] important, and there's a high percentage of PIs who are saying that they want to be involved and are being involved in trying to make a difference, uh, against racial injustice in this godforsaken. Country, Um, that work will never be effective if we cannot as a community really take on this issue of anti-blackness and how intimately it has seeped into some of our most basic assumptions about what it means to be Hawaiian, about what it means to be Polynesian, about what it means to be, any of these other, uh, discreet identities. We hold as a part of the Pacific. Miata Tan: That was Dr. Jamaica Osorio, an Associate Professor of Indigenous and Native Hawaiian politics and a member of the Stop A API hate Pacific Islander Advisory Council. Dr. Jamaica was reflecting on the new report from Stop. A API Hate that focuses on instances of hate against Pacific Islander [00:39:00] communities. We'll hear more from the PI Advisory Council in a moment. Stay with us. [00:40:00] [00:41:00] [00:42:00] [00:43:00] That was Tonda by Diskarte Namin . You are tuned into Apex Express on 94.1 KPFA, a weekly radio show uplifting the voices and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. I am your host Miata Tan, and tonight we're centering our Pacific Islander communities. Stop. A API Hate is a national coalition that tracks and responds to anti-Asian American and Pacific Islander hate. Their latest report found that nearly half of Pacific Islander [00:44:00] adults experienced an act of hate in 2024 because of their race, ethnicity, or nationality. Connie Tan is a research manager at Stop, A API Hate who led the charge on this new report. Here she is sharing some community recommendations on how we can all help to reduce instances of harm and hate against Pacific Islander communities. Connie Tan: So to support those impacted by hate, we've outlined a set of community recommendations for what community members can do if they experience hate, and to take collective action against anti P. Hate first. Speak up and report hate acts. Reporting is one of the most powerful tools we have to ensure harms against PI. Communities are addressed and taken seriously. You can take action by reporting to trusted platforms like our Stop API Hate Reporting Center, which is available in 21 languages, including Tongan, Samoan, and Marshall. [00:45:00] Second, prioritize your mental health and take care of your wellbeing. We encourage community members to raise awareness by having open conversations with loved ones, family members, and elders about self-care and mental wellness, and to seek services in culturally aligned and trusted spaces. Third, combat misinformation in the fight against. It is important to share accurate and credible information and to combat anti PI rhetoric. You can view our media literacy page to learn more. Fourth, know your rights and stay informed During this challenging climate, it is important to stay up to date and know your rights. There are various organizations offering Know your rights materials, including in Pacific Islander languages, and finally participate in civic engagement and advocacy. Civic engagement is one of the most effective ways to combat hate, whether it is participating in voting or amplifying advocacy efforts. Miata Tan: That [00:46:00] was Connie Tan, a research manager at Stop. A API Hate. As Connie shared, there's a lot that can be done to support Pacific Islander communities from taking collective action against hate through reporting and combating misinformation to participating in civic engagement and advocacy. I'll pass the reins back over to Stephanie Chen, the director of Data and Research at Stop A API Hate. Stephanie is speaking with the Stop, A API hate Pacific Islander Advisory Council, zeroing in on where we can go from here in addressing hate against Pacific Islander communities. Stephanie Chan: We've heard a lot, a lot about the pain of anti PI hate, we've heard a lot about the pain of just, ongoing militarization displacement government distrust problems with education. Anti-blackness. what three things would you name as things that [00:47:00] we need to do? What changes actions or policies we need to do to move forward, on these issues? And I'm gonna start with Isa. Isa Kelawili Whalen: Thank you Stephanie. Um, I'll try and go quickly here, but three policy areas. I'd love to get everyone engaged. One, data disaggregation. Pacific Islanders were constantly told that we don't have the data, so how could we possibly know what you guys are experiencing or need, and then. When we do have the data, it's always, oh, but you don't have enough numbers to meet this threshold, to get those benefits. Data informs policy, policy informs data. Again, thank you. Stop. I hate for having us here to talk about that also, but definitely continue fighting for data disaggregation. Second thing I would say. Climate resiliency, uh, supporting it and saying no to deep sea mining in our Pacifica waters. History of violence again with our land and sea. There's been a number in the, in the chat and one to name the nuclear warfare and bikini at toll, where after wiping out the people, the culture, the island itself, the United States promised reparations and to never harm again in that [00:48:00] way, but. Here we are. And then third language access, quite literally access, just access, um, to all things that the average English speaking person or learner has. So I'd say those three. Stephanie Chan: Thank you. Well, we'll move on to Jamaica. Uh, what do you think are the actions or policies that we need? Dr. Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio: Uh, we need to demilitarize the Pacific. We need to shut down military bases. We need to not renew military leases. We need to not allow the US government to condemn lands, to expand their military footprint in the Pacific. I think one of the points that came up time and time again around not reporting is again, not feeling like anything's gonna happen, but two, who are we reporting to and we're reporting to states and systems that have contained us, that have violated us and that have hurt us. So yeah, demilitarization, abolition in the broadest sense, both thinking about Discreet carceral institutions, but then also the entire US governing system. And three I'll just make it a little smaller, like fuck ice, and tear that shit [00:49:00] down. Like right now, there are policy change issues related to ICE and carceral institutions, but I'm really thinking about kind of. Incredible mobilization that's taking place in particular in, in Minneapolis and the way people are showing up for their neighbors across racial, gender, and political spectrums. And so outside of this discrete policy changes that we need to fight for, we need more people in the streets showing up to protect each other. and in doing so, building the systems and the, the communities and the institutions that we will need to arrive in a new world. Stephanie Chan: Great word, Michelle. Michelle Pedro: I'm just gonna add on to what, Isa said about language, access justice, equity, also protection of access to healthcare. in terms of what Ika said yes. Three West, Papua New Guinea, yeah, thank you for having me here. Stephanie Chan: Thank you. And Ella, you wanna bring us home on the policy question? Tu‘ulau‘ulu Estella Owoimaha-Church: I'm from South Central LA Ice melts around here. yes to everything that has been said, in [00:50:00] particular, I think the greatest policy issue. Impact in our folks is demil, demilitarization. And that also goes to the active genocide that is happening in the Pacific and has been ongoing. And as a broader API community, it's a conversation we don't ever have and have not had uh, regularly. So yes to all that. And risk, it sounded like a broken record too. I think, uh, education is a huge. Part of the issue here, I think access to real liberated ethnic studies for all of our folks is absolutely crucial to continuing generation after generation, being able to continue the demil fight to continue. To show up for our folks for our islands in diaspora and back home on our islands. You know, the, the report said that, uh, we are 1.6 million strong here in the United States and that our populations continue to grow, fortunately, unfortunately here in the us. And that [00:51:00] we are a multi-ethnic, um, group of folks and that, That demands, it's an imperative that our approach to education, to political education, to how we show up for community, how we organize across faith-based communities has to be intersectional. It has to be it has to be pro-black. It has to be pro Indigenous because that is who we are as a people. We are black. And Indigenous populations all wrapped up into one. And any way we approach policy change has to come from a pro-black, pro Indigenous stance. Stephanie Chan: Thank you, Estella. We did have a question about education and how we actually make. PI studies happen. do you have anything you wanna elaborate on, how do we get school districts and state governments to prioritize PI history, especially K through 12? Tu‘ulau‘ulu Estella Owoimaha-Church: I'm gonna say with the caveat of under this current regime. Any regular tactics I'm used to employing may not be viable at this current [00:52:00] moment. But my regular go-to will always be to tell parents you have the most power in school districts to show up at your local school board meetings and demand that there is liberated ethnic studies and be conscious and cognizant about the, the big ed tech companies that districts are hiring to bring. Some fake, uh, ethnic studies. It's not real ethnic studies. And there are also quite a few ethnic studies or programs that are out there parading as ethnic studies that are 100% coming from the alt-right. 100% coming from Zionist based organizations That are not, doing ethnic studies actually doing a disservice to ethnic studies. And the other thing I'll say for API organizations that are doing the work around ethnic studies and, and pushing for Asian American studies legislation state by state. We're also doing a disservice because in many situations or many cases where legislation has passed for Asian American studies, it's been at the [00:53:00] detriment of black, brown, queer, and Indigenous communities. And that's not the spirit of ethnic studies. And so first I'd say for parents. Exercise your right as a parent in your local district and be as loud as you possibly can be, and organize parent pods that are gonna do the fight for you, and then reach out to folks. My number one recommendation is always liberated ethnic studies model consortium curriculum, for a group of badass educators who were, who are gonna show up for community whenever called. Miata Tan: That was Tu‘ulau‘ulu Estella Owoimaha- Church discussing how we can help to encourage school districts and state governments to prioritize Pacific Islander education. A big thank you to the Stop, A API Hate team and their Pacific Islander Advisory Council. Your work is vital and we appreciate you all. Thank you for speaking with us [00:54:00] today. Miata Tan: [00:55:00] That final track was a little snippet from the fantastic Zhou Tian check out Hidden Grace. It's a truly fabulous song. This is Apex Express on 94.1 KPFA, A weekly radio show uplifting the voices and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Apex Express Airs every Thursday evening at 7:00 PM And with that, we're unfortunately nearing the end of our time here tonight. thank you so much for tuning into the show. And another big thank you to the Stop, A API Hate Team and their Pacific Islander Advisory Council. We appreciate your work so much. One final note, if you are listening to this live, then it's February 12th, meaning Lunar New Year is [00:56:00] just around the corner. For listeners who might not be familiar, Lunar New Year is a major celebration for many in the Asian diaspora, a fresh start marked by family, food, and festivities. This year we are welcoming in the Year of the Horse, and you can join the celebrations too. On Saturday, March 7th, San Francisco will come alive with the year of the horse parade, and this weekend you can check out the Chinatown Flower Market Fair Head to Grant Avenue for fresh flowers, arts activities, and cultural performances. On Tuesday, February 24th, the San Francisco Public Library will Drumbeats, Heartbeats: Community as One . this event will honor Lunar New Year and Black History Month with Lion Dancers, poetry, and more. Across the bay, Oakland celebrates their Lunar New Year parade on Saturday, February 28th. From more [00:57:00] parades to night markets and museum events, celebrations will be happening all over the Bay Area and beyond. We hope you enjoy this opportunity to gather, reflect, and welcome in the new year with joy. For show notes, please visit our website. That's kpfa.org/program/apex-express. On the webpage for this episode, we've added links to the Stop, A API Hate Report on Anti Pacific Islander, hate from data on how hate is impacting PI communities to information on what you can do to help. This report is well worth the read. Apex Express is produced by Ayame Keane-Lee, Anuj Vaidya, Cheryl Truong, Isabel Li, Jalena Keane-Lee, Miko Lee, Miata Tan, Preeti Mangala Shekar and Swati Rayasam. Tonight's show was produced by me , Miata Tan. Get some rest y'all. . The post APEX Express – 2.12.26 – Anti-Pacific Islander Hate Amid Ongoing Injustice appeared first on KPFA.
Wine Barrels, Duomo Marble, and Florence: Paoletti Custom Guitars at NAMM 2026I've been away from Florence for 25 years. I didn't know there was a guitar company like this back home.At NAMM 2026, I found Filippo Martini from Paoletti Custom Guitars—a boutique manufacturer based in the heart of Tuscany, building instruments that are equal parts guitar and artwork.Paoletti does something no one else does: they build guitars from chestnut wood sourced from Italian wine barrels. The material offers a wide harmonic spectrum, but it's difficult to work with. You need to know how to handle it. Founder Fabrizio Paoletti figured it out, and now every guitar they produce shows the natural grain—no opaque finishes, no hiding the wood.The craftsmanship runs deep. Bridges, pickguards, pickups—all made in-house. Necks carved from Canadian maple, roasted on-site. 99% of the process happens in Tuscany. As Filippo put it, "Kilometer zero." Zero miles. Everything local except the screws.Their model is 100% custom. You don't buy a Paoletti off the rack. You tell them your style, your sound, the genre you play. They build around your vision while keeping the Italian essence intact—chestnut wood, Italian-made components, tailored to your idea.But what stopped me cold was the Duomo collection.Eight individual guitars, each hand-engraved by Fabrizio Paoletti himself. Three years of work. The subject: Florence's cathedral—the Duomo di Santa Maria del Fiore.This isn't just decoration. Paoletti secured an official partnership with the Opera del Duomo, the authority that oversees the cathedral. The back of each guitar reproduces the marble floor pattern from inside the Duomo. And when the collection is complete this October, every guitar will contain an actual piece of marble from the cathedral.I got shivers standing there.This is what happens when guitar making meets Italian heritage. It's not about specs or market positioning. It's about place, history, and craft passed down through generations.Filippo invited me to visit the workshop in Florence when I return in April. I'm going. I want to see where this happens—where wine barrel wood becomes an instrument, where cathedral marble gets embedded into a guitar body, where a team of artisans builds one-of-one pieces for players around the world.Florence is known for many things. Leather. Art. Architecture. The Renaissance itself. Now I know it's also home to some of the most distinctive guitars being made anywhere.Paoletti proves that boutique doesn't mean small ambitions. They're partnering with galleries in Dubai, working with the Duomo authorities, and bringing Florence to NAMM.Not bad for a company I didn't even know existed until I walked the show floor and heard an Italian accent.Sometimes you find home in unexpected places.Marco Ciappelli interviews Filippo Martini from Paoletti Custom Guitars at NAMM 2026 for ITSPmagazine.Part of ITSPmagazine's On Location Coverage at NAMM 2026.
60 Years Forward: Yamaha at NAMM 2026Yamaha at NAMM 2026: Chris Buck Revstar, Pacifica SC & 60 Years of Guitar InnovationSome brands chase nostalgia. Yamaha builds forward.At NAMM 2026, I spoke with Andy Winston to talk about 60 years of Yamaha guitar design—and why this company keeps delivering instruments that punch way above their price point.The conversation started with the Chris Buck Signature Revstar. Buck is the guitarist for Cardinal Black, and he's earned his own model. The specs tell the story: overwound P90 pickups for a hotter sound, wraparound tailpiece with adjustable saddles, stainless steel frets, lightweight tuners, and those old-school inlays from the first-generation Revstar. No boost circuit. Buck wanted it stripped to essentials.Then Andy dropped a tease: Matteo Mancuso is getting his own Revstar this summer. The Italian virtuoso. That's a statement.We moved to the new Pacifica SC—Yamaha's answer for T-style players. Humbucker in the neck, single coil in the bridge, and pickups designed in partnership with Rupert Neve's team. The boost circuit under the bridge pickup gives you five sounds from two pickups. Made in Indonesia at $999 or Made in Japan with compound radius fretboard and IRA wood treatment at $2,199.I bought my nephew a Pacifica. Entry level, around $200. It works. That's Yamaha's philosophy—you can start at $200 and work your way up to a Mike Stern signature model without ever leaving the family.But here's what stuck with me.Andy said something that defines Yamaha's approach: "We don't do reissues. You're never gonna see us reissue a 1972."Sixty years of guitar history, and they're not looking backward. The Revstar draws inspiration from the 1970s Super Flight, sure—but it's chambered mahogany, tuned to eliminate harsh mid-range frequencies. Yamaha builds pianos, violins, marimbas. They know how to tune wood. They apply that knowledge to electric guitars in ways other companies don't.The BB Bass series came next. String-through body with 45-degree break angle. Extra bolts pulling the neck tight into the pocket. A maple stripe running through the center of the body for note response. Active/passive switching. Five-ply neck. Professional features at prices that don't require a car payment."We give people more instrument than what a price tag says," Andy told me.That's not marketing. That's mission.Before we wrapped, Andy shared a personal story. In 1977, hair down to his shoulders, bell bottoms on, his mom decided he was serious about guitar. She bought him a Yamaha FG-75. His first real acoustic. He doesn't have that one anymore, but he found a replacement. Had to.That's brand loyalty earned over decades. Not through heritage mythology—through instruments that work, that last, that give players what they need without emptying their wallets.Sixty years of guitar design. No reissues. Just forward.Yamaha keeps proving that innovation and accessibility aren't mutually exclusive.Marco Ciappelli interviews Andy Winston from Yamaha at NAMM 2026 for ITSPmagazine.Part of ITSPmagazine's On Location Coverage at NAMM 2026.
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – January 30, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
We start the show with a big question, Are The Buffalo Sabres Good? Sitting third in the Atlantic Division, can the Sabres snap their playoff drought this year?Sticking in the Atlantic, the Toronto Maple Leafs are struggling sitting five points out of the playoffs. Are Toronto's playoff hopes over?The Detroit Red Wings are a team that has surprised with their record so far and with an abundance of cap space could we see the Wings make a big splash before the Olympic Break or at the deadline to vault this team to another level in an Eastern Conference that remains relatively open for the taking?The Boston Bruins continue to hover around the final Eatern Conference playoff spot. Bruins' backup Joonas Korpisalo has been sensational since the beginning of 2026 with a 4-0-0 record, sub two GAA, and a SV% over .940. With Jeremy Swayman heading to the Olympics, could we see more starts by Korpisalo and a tandem forming similar to when the Bruins had Swayman and Linus Ullmark? The Pittsburgh Penguins are giving Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang their storybook farewell. Considered at the beginning of the season as a team that could turn the chapter on their veterans and rebuild, the Penguins currently sit second in the Metro Division and are riding a four-game winning streak.A big question for Penguins' GM Kyle Dubas will be what to do with Malkin? The veteran forward is a free agent after this year but has shown he still has gas left in the tank. With Crosby under contract still for next season, could we see Malkin resign and ride off into the sunset with his long-time teammate or will Dubas look to turn over this team to some of his younger prospects climbing the organizational ranks?Malkin and the Penguins' situation brings up the topic of development and is it better for younger players to grow with other young players and go through those growing pains together or is it better to have a group of seasoned veterans in the room to ease rookies into the league and pass down their wisdom?The Anaheim Ducks have had a rollercoaster season but sit third in the Pacific and are on a seven-game win streak. This mix of veterans and youngsters could be the blueprint for other teams going into a rebuilding stage or trying to breakout from their rebuilds to get back to contention. Evan Bouchard had a monster game Saturday posting six points, including his first ever hat trick in a 6-5 overtime win over the Washington Capitals. How rare was Bouchard's night for NHL defenders?Nikita Kucherov now sits third in NHL scoring and with Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid stealing a lot of the spotlight, it's hard to overlook the Russian winger's impact for the Tampa Bay Lightning who have had a slew of injuries this season yet still sit second in the Atlantic Division. Does Kucherov not get the attention he deserves on a national scale?Pat joins the show for another edition of Buy or Sell: Carter Hart and Adin Hill will be the goalie tandem for Vegas come playoffsVegas to win the PacificA big trade will occur before the Olympic BreakLastly, the guys discuss all the new faces that could be in the playoffs this season and if this parity is good for the NHL or if the parity devalues the Stanley Cup?0:00 - Intro3:15 - Are The Sabres Good?6:40 - Are Toronto's Playoff Hopes Over?11:15 - Red Wings in the Market12:05 - Boston Bruins15:00 - Pittsburgh Penguins15:20 - What Does Dubas Do With Evgeni Malkin?17:15 - Development21:40 - Anaheim Ducks28:00 - Bouchard Hatty35:30 - Nikita Kucherov38:40 - Buy or Sell50:55 - New Teams in the PlayoffsYou can get involved with all the NHL futures action over on bet365 by using the promo code NATION at bet365.comConnect with us on ⬇️TwitterInstagramWebsiteDaily Faceoff Merch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Host Maggie LePique & Stanley Clarke discuss the new release "Last Train to Sanity," a major project featuring new music, classic jazz-fusion remakes, and a significant autobiographical book, arriving as a 2-LP/CD set with a deluxe edition containing extra goodies, including a book called Notes From The Journey, "which is a book that goes from eight years old up until today,” Clarke says. “It has as much stuff as we could fit in there." Its available to pre-order January 26 2026, with the "4EVER" band supporting. Maggie & Stanley also discuss musicians who have had a life long and meaningful influence on the Four-time Grammy Award winner. “The 4EVER band includes drummer Jeremiah Collier, Colin Cook on guitar, Emilio Modeste on tenor sax and clarinet and Jahari Stampley on piano and keyboard. Special guest appearances throughout include a thrilling bass duet with Cameroonian bassist, Armand Sabal-Lecco, a beautiful reimagining of Clarke's piece “Tradition” with Ruslan Sirota on piano and a duet between Stanley and Salar Nader, one of the most sought-after young tabla players.”Stanley Clarke is one of the most celebrated acoustic and electric bass players in the world. He is equally gifted as a recording artist, performer, composer, conductor, arranger, producer, and film score composer. A true pioneer in jazz and jazz-fusion, Clarke is particularly known for his ferocious bass dexterity and consummate musicality. An accomplished film and TV composer of more than 70 projects, Clarke's credits include the Academy Award®-nominated Boyz N The Hood, the Tina Turner biopic What's Love Got To Do With It, and Barbershop: The Next Cut.Stanley remains as driven today as the teen prodigy from Philly with big dreams, and now, a lifetime of legendary accomplishments and contributions.Stanley Clarke and the 4EVER band will be performing Thurs. January 22-Sunday January 25, 2026 at the Blue Note Los Angeles in Hollywood. 2 shows nightly at 7pm and 9:30pm Source: https://www.bluenotejazz.com/la/shows/?calendar_viewSource: https://stanleyclarke.com/Host Maggie LePique, a radio veteran since the 1980's at NPR in Kansas City Mo. She began her radio career in Los Angeles in the early 1990's and has worked for Pacifica station KPFK Radio in Los Angeles since 1994.Send us a textSupport the show@profileswithmaggielepique@maggielepique
Henry Lie grew up in Pacifica and thought he knew everything there was to know about his hometown, just a few minutes south of San Francisco. So he was shocked to learn about a police raid in the 1950s that targeted LGBTQ+ identifying people. He had never heard of the bar, Hazel's Inn, or that Pacifica had a moment when it was a safe gathering spot for the queer community. He wanted to know more. Additional Resources: How the Bay Area's Gay Bars Became a Battleground for LGTBQ+ Rights in the 1950s Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Ana De Almeida Amaral. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Olivia Allen-Price and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A hands-on tool to explore the inner world of dreams• Includes 46 full-color cards that explore common dream plots, settings, feelings, and figures as well as guidance on remembering dreams and interacting with them, inducing lucid dreams, and the wisdom of nightmares• Gain insight to better interpret your dreams, incubate a specific dream topic, and understand your psychological state• Features evocative art and psychotherapeutic insights to activate the unconscious and merge idea and imageCreated by a psychologist-artist and a psychiatrist, this oracle deck will help you harness your dreams for personal growth and healing as well as understand the language of the soul as it appears in your dreams.Designed for dream contemplation, the 46 full-color cards feature evocative art and therapeutic guidance to help engage all parts the brain. The cards explore common dream plots, settings, feelings, and figures as well as feature a group of teaching cards with recommendations for remembering dreams, inducing lucid dreams, and keeping healthy sleep routines. The deck can be used to incubate a specific dream topic, gain insight into your current psychological state, and better understand and interpret your dreams. For therapists and healers, the cards can also help you work with clients' dreams and can be used to activate the unconscious.Greg Mahr, M.D., is an academic psychiatrist actively involved in teaching and research on acute trauma and nightmares. He is on the faculty of the medical schools at both Michigan State University and Wayne State University and is the author of The Wisdom of Dreams: Science, Synchronicity and the Language of the Soul. He lives in Plymouth, Michigan.Heather Taylor-Zimmerman, Ph.D., is a psychologist trained at Pacifica, a Jungian program in California. She is the director of an experiential teaching program in personal transformation through visionary art. Her healing artwork has appeared in clinics and hospitals as well as in public and private collections. She lives in Olympia, Washington.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/earth-ancients--2790919/support.