Podcasts about valley public radio

During Tuesday's primary election, incumbents had strong showings in statewide races, as they head to runoffs in November. And several closely contested congressional seats will also be up for grabs in the general election. Guests: Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos, KQED Congressman David Valadao, who represents the 22nd District in the Central Valley is locked in a tight battle for his seat, with Democratic State Assemblyman Rudy Salas. Guest: Sorreath Hok, Valley Public Radio

The mayors of California's largest cities are calling on Governor Newsom to continue funding critical homelessness services. The state's Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Grants have only been available for three years. But mayors from all over California say their cities rely on their unique flexibility to pay for a wide range of services. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED A study from the L.A. County Department of Public Health comparing unhoused mortality one year before, and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that deaths among young unhoused people, aged 18 to 29, more than doubled. Reporter: Ethan Ward, KPCC We're continuing our series examining the field of candidates running to be California Attorney General. The current AG, Democrat Rob Bonta is facing three serious challengers, including Republican hopeful Eric Early, who says the state is headed in the wrong direction. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Governor Gavin Newsom has promised that California will halt all in-state oil and gas production by the year 2045. But the state is the country's 7th largest oil producer. So what might that transition look like, specifically in the San Joaquin Valley towns literally built on oil? Reporter: Kerry Klein, Valley Public Radio 

Tuesday marks the one year anniversary of the Atlanta spa shootings in which eight people were killed – six of them Asian women. In Los Angeles, rememberances will be deliberatley muted. Reporter: Josie Huang, KPCC In the aftermath of George Floyd's killing, the California Department of Corrections disciplined two officers for making racist statements on social media. Thanks to a new law, we now can see what those officers, both white, posted and how they were disciplined. Guest: Sukey Lewis, Criminal Justice Correspondent, KQED From racial disparities in arrests, to the percentage of crimes solved and the cost of policing, San Francisco is performing worse than other major cities across the state. That's according to a new report from the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice. Reporter: Alex Emslie, KQED The family of a man who died in California Highway Patrol custody says a video proves that CHP officers killed him. The video was released as part of a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of 38-year-old Edward Bronstein, who died after a DUI stop in Los Angeles in 2020. Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC   Public records reveal that, between 2014 and 2019, more than 40% of people seriously injured or killed by Bakersfield police displayed signs of a mental health condition or intoxication. That's according to a new analysis done by Valley Public Radio and the California Reporting Project.   Reporter: Soreath Hok, KVPR 

Bay Area Congressman Eric Swalwell is feeling some heat due to his proposal to remove what he calls, Russian “Oligarch children” from the US. California may become the first state to offer all low-income immigrants health coverage. Valley Public Radio takes us to Fresno County to speak with some potential recipients. After local news and regional weather, Felton Pruitt chats with Jennifer Singer, the executive director of Bright Futures for Youth. We close tonight with a commentary by Shirley Freriks.

The small city of Sanger, which is about a twenty-minute drive east of Fresno, is recognized as “The Nation's Christmas Tree City.” But where did the name come from?  Reporter: Soreath Hok, Valley Public Radio 

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments this week in a case that could overturn Roe v. Wade. That's the 1973 ruling that affirms a woman's Consitutional right to receive an abortion. If it's overturned, abortion advocates are preparing for a surge in out-of-state patients travelling to California for the procedure.  Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED  A temporary injunction stopping the San Diego Unified School district's vaccine mandate for students 16 and older could be lifted as early as Tuesday. The district is being sued by a student who claims the mandate is a form of religious discrimination. Reporter: MG Perez, KPBS It's still not too late to apply to a U.C. or Cal State school next fall. The university systems are asking most seniors to upload their final documents by November 30. Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRW U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh is visiting the Port of Los Angeles on Tuesday. He'll update local officials on the Biden Administration's efforts to ease supply chain problems. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Yosemite National Park is digging into its past to tell a more inclusive story of the people who helped contribute to its history. That includes the story of a neglected building near the Wawona Hotel in the park Reporter: Soreath Hok, Valley Public Radio

The massive infrastructure package that's awaiting President Biden's signature is expected to have a longstanding impact on California. And it won't just be fixing roads and modernizing transit projects. Guest: Serena Alexander, Associate Professor with the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, San Jose State University At the United Nations climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, state senators from California and their counterparts in Washington state discussed merging part of their cap-and-trade markets, as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Fast food workers across California are walking out on Tuesday to advocate for better working conditions. The workers are calling for the passage of Assembly Bill 257, which would establish a fast food council to set standards for industry wages and working conditions.  Reporter: Shehreen Karim, KQED  After burning nearly a million acres, the Dixie Fire, which started in July northwest of Lake Tahoe, was fully contained late last month. But for many communities in Northern California, the recovery process is just beginning. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report The tri-colored blackbird, which is native to much of the Central Valley, gained protection under California's Endangered Species Act in 2018. Since then, populations of the tri-colored blackbird appear to have stopped declining. Reporter: Kerry Klein, Valley Public Radio

Rain and wind wreaked havoc across Northern California and the Bay Area on Sunday, causing power outages, flooding and downed trees in several areas. Several cities saw rainfall records broken. This weekend's record-breaking rainfall is still not nearly enough to curb the state's drought. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a drought emergency for all 58 counties in California last week. Farmers in Fresno County, like Joe Del Bosque, have been struggling for months.   Reporter: Madi Bolanos, Valley Public Radio

Now that it's received approval from the Food and Drug Administration, and been endorsed by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel, state health officials say they're ready to give COVID-19 booster shots to anyone who's eligible. Before it's widely distributed, the efficacy of a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine still needs to be reviewed by the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup.  Movie fans will soon be able to enjoy a new museum in Los Angeles that is aimed specifically for them. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures opens on Septemeber 30, and will provide guests with a rich, visual history of the filmmaking industry. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report During a visit to the site of KNP Complex Fire in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a $15 billion climate package. But how will the money be spent? Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED The KNP Complex Fire and Windy Fire are both burning in Sequoia National Park. Fire crews are trying to protect the iconic trees there and so far, have been fairly successful. Reporter: Sorreath Hok, Valley Public Radio 

Following two days of extreme fire weatehr conditions, crews battling the Dixie Fire in Plumas and Butte counties are expected to get a bit of a respite Friday. The fire is now the third largest in state history, burning more than 432,000 acres. Last August, California saw rolling blackouts as the state's electricity grid was stressed during a major heat wave. With more hot weather expected this month, many are asking whether the state's power grid is prepared this time around. Guest: Elliot Mainzer, President and CEO of California Independent System Operater California will require that all healthcare workers be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by September 30th. Hospitals will also need to verify that all visitors are vaccinated. Reporter: Raquel Maria Dillon, KQED With COVID-19 hospitalization rates on the rise, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer announced this week that all unvaccinated city employees will soon be required to take weekly covid tests.  Reporter: Madi Bolanos, Valley Public Radio

San Francisco is the latest county that's considering a mask mandate to help ease the spread of the delta variant. Public health officials say a decision could come as early as this week. Subsidies for electric vehicles have been hailed by environmentalists as a key clean energy policy. But do EVs actually reduce emissions? Guest: David Rapson, UC Davis Economics Professor  With wildfire smoke now a year-round problem in many parts of the state, Ventura County just launched a first-of-its-kind alert system to notify farmworkers when air quality conditions may pose a risk to their health.  Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW  Among the San Joaquin Valley's community of Punjabi Sikhs, there are many reasons people have been vaccinated against COVID-19. But many in these communities are also concerned that their vaccination concerns aren't being addressed by health authorities. Reporter: Kerry Klein, Valley Public Radio

Today we have Dr. Kathleen Schock on the show. Dr. Schock is the host of Valley Edition. A Fresno native, Dr. Schock has a bachelor’s in international relations from the University of Southern California, a master’s degree in journalism from UC Berkeley, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Fresno State. Dr. Schock has more than 20 years of experience in journalism and communications. Her background includes working as a News Associate for NBC News in New York and as a general assignment reporter for KGPE in Fresno. In addition to her work at Valley Public Radio, Dr. Schock teaches journalism at Fresno City College and serves as the advisor of The Rampage, the college’s student-run newspaper. As many of you know, I love talking to journalists and this conversation found its way from International Relations to Tap Dancing, from Octavia Butler to what makes an NPR voice distinctive. Please enjoy my conversation with Dr. Kathleen Schock. Links: Valley Edition Podcast Books: Octavia Butler The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio Patreon Page

Pacific Gas & Electric plans to bury 10,000 miles of its power lines in an effort to prevent its electrical grid from sparking wildfires in California. The announcement comes days after the utility said its equipment may have ignited the Dixie Fire burning in Plumas and Butte counties. Guest: Will Abrams, 2017 Tubbs Fire Survivor  While huge fires are burning across the state, in rural areas, even a small brush fire can be devastating. An unincorporated community in Tulare County is struggling to recover after a fire burned down a lifeline for the community earlier this month. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, Valley Public Radio 

T ake a minute and think back to the last time you really listened to someone whose political opinions were very different from your own. Was it a few weeks ago, a few months ago, was it ever? Valley Public Radio and the public history project StoryCorps are inviting you to meet the challenge. It's called One Small Step ; meet a stranger with a different political view for a personal, 50 minute conversation about your lives. Valley Edition Host Kathleen Schock speaks with FM89's News Director Alice Daniel and producer Sonia Mehrmand about the initiative.

The board that oversees California's workplace safety agency, Cal/OSHA, has voted on new rules around wearing masks in the workplace. Fully vaccinated employees in most job settings will not have to wear face coverings.  Reporter: Alex Hall, The California Report Starting next month, the state's Employment Development Department says unemployed Californians will need to show that they're actively looking for work to remain eligible for benefits. The EDD suspended the work search requirement in March of 2020 due to the pandemic. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report On Thursday, President Biden offiicially made Juneteenth a federal holiday. Juneteenth has been celebrated annually on June 19, as the day that marked the emancipation of African Americans who had been enslaved. Guest: James Fugate, Co-Owner of Eso Won Books in Los Angeles Exiled for 11 years, a deported U.S. Army veteran is back home in California. Andrew DeLeon had lived in the United States for more than 50 years, before he was deported for a nonviolent drug offense. Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS Across California, young women often celebrate their 15th birthdays with quinceaneras, which is a religious ceremony and party. But many have been delayed over the past year by the COVID-19 pandemic. Reporter: Madi Bolanos, Valley Public Radio 

California’s recall election is in full swing, with a campaign launch featuring a live bear. Meanwhile, embattled Governor Gavin Newsom is defending his record managing the state through a tumultuous year.  Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio Public health experts are keeping a close eye on data that shows the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations slowing down. While the slowdown is concerning, some early skeptics of the vaccine have had a change of heart, and are now getting their shot. Guest: Dr. Brian Castrucci, president and chief executive officer of the de Beaumont Foundation  The L.A. County Board of Supervisors has voted to launch another investigation into complaints that sheriff’s deputies harass relatives of victims of law enforcement violence. This comes following a new report released by the National Lawyers Guild and American Civil Liberties Union.  Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC  A law passed in 2018 that requires California companies to have women on their boards of directors is having an effect. The number of female directors at California has doubled in the three years since the measure was signed into law. Reporter: Nina Thorsen, KQED Smaller family-owned businesses have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, leaving some to close their doors and others to pivot to new ventures. One immigrant family in the Central Valley used generosity and foresight to help them get through the last year. Reporter: Soreath Hok, Valley Public Radio 

The FDA has called for a pause in use of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, after six people developed a rare disorder involving blood clots within about two weeks of vaccination. Nearly 7 million people in the United States have already received a Johnson and Johnson dose.  Guest: Sydney Lupkin, Pharmaceuticals Correspondent, NPR As the holy month of Ramadan continues, health leaders are encouraging Muslims to get the COVID-19 vaccine. And they're trying to spread the word that vaccines can be safely administered, even while people are fasting. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Street vendors in Central Valley communities have been victimized by violence and thefts. Just last month vendor Lorenzo Perez was shot and killed while he was selling corn in southeast Fresno.  Reporter: Madi Bolaños, Valley Public Radio

Jewish Lawmakers Call Out Offensive Messaging in Newsom Recall Attempt As an effort to recall Governor Gavin Newsom looks increasingly likely to reach the ballot, Newsom supporters are saying the campaign is driven by fringe groups. And Jewish members of the state legislature are calling out what they see as anti-Semitic. messaging in the effort. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED How Religious Leaders Can Be Powerful Allies in Vaccination Effort  As public health authorities try to convince people who are vaccination reluctant to get a shot powerful allies in that effort could be religious leaders who can use their authority to assure people about vaccine effectiveness and safety. Guest: Robert McElroy, Catholic Bishop of San Diego and Imperial Counties The Pandemic May Have Changed Nursing Homes Permanently Cases of COVID in California nursing homes are down 98% since the winter surge. But after a year of outbreaks, life inside these facilities has changed. Reporter: Molly Peterson, KQED An Evangelical Church Looks to Buy Historic Theater in Fresno The theater is a 1930s art deco venue that typically hosts concerts, and a gay pride film festival. But now the Tower Theater will likely have a new owner, Adventure Church, by the end of March. Reporter: Soreath Hok, Valley Public Radio 

Valley Public Radio's Young Artists Spotlight makes a triumphant return for 2021! Our new season features remote and socially distanced performances from some of the valley's top young musicians. Check back soon for videos from the season posted on our YouTube page, and more. We kicked off the 2021 YAS season on Thursday March 18th 2021 with a performance and interview with a wonderful pianist from Bakersfield, Claire Vega, who performed music of Bach, Beethoven and Gershwin. A freshman at Stockdale High School in Bakersfield, Claire has been studying piano since she was five years old. She is currently a student of Juilliard-trained pianist and educator Bonnie Bogle Farrer. Besides playing piano, Claire also plays the violin. She is a proud member of the Bakerfield Youth Symphony Orchestra Support for Young Artists Spotlight comes from the Bonner Family Foundation and from the California Arts Council's Arts in Public Media grant.

There’s been a surge of unaccompanied minors arriving at the U.S./ Mexico border seeking asylum. That's led to questions about where to safely house these children and one Southern California city has agreed to help out. Reporter: Max Rivlin Nadler, KPBS  Pacific Gas and Electric will be back in court Tuesday morning for a hearing that could determine the size of future wildfire safety power shutoffs. The hearing comes a day after Cal Fire announced the utility's infrastructure was responsible for igniting one of last year's large and deadly wildfires in Northern California.  Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED Last year was devastating when it comes to wildfires in California. The state is already preparing for what could be another tough year in 2021.  Guest: Thom Porter, Chief of Cal Fire The state agency in charge of unemployment claims is dealing with more issues, as outages and glitches have made it difficult for people to certify their claims online. It's the latest in a series of difficulties the EDD has faced during the pandemic, as it looks to clear a huge backlog of claims. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report Governor Gavin Newsom has promised to focus much of the state's vaccination efforts on communities hit hardest during the pandemic. That includes several areas of the Central Valley. Reporter: Madi Bolanos, Valley Public Radio

Valley Public Radio's Young Artists Spotlight makes a triumphant return for 2021! Our new season features remote and socially distanced performances from some of the valley's top young musicians. Check back soon for videos from the season posted on our YouTube page, and more. We kicked off the 2021 YAS season on Thursday March 18th 2021 with a performance and interview with a wonderful pianist from Bakersfield, Claire Vega, who performed music of Bach, Beethoven and Gershwin.

Microsoft is piloting a new project to increase and support local news in four cities across the country including Fresno. KVPR was among the newsrooms chosen for the collaboration along with the Fresno Bee, Vida en el Valle and Radio Bilingue. To learn more, Valley Edition Host Kathleen Schock spoke with Valley Public Radio reporter Madi Bolanos and News Director Alice Daniel. Also joining the conversation were Project Director Rebecca Plevin and Radio Bilingue Director of National News and Information Samuel Orozco.

Governor Gavin Newsom will deliver the State of the State address from Dodger Stadium on Tuesday evening. It comes as the deadline to gather signatures supporting a recall approaches. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED  The school reopening bill signed by Governor Gavin Newsom last week sends money to districts to help them re-start classroom learning, but it doesn’t force schools to reopen. Some critics said the state needs to abandon its hands-off approach when it comes to local control and education. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Governor Gavin Newsom was in the Central Valley Monday talking about vaccine distribution. He said plans for a mass vaccination site in the region have stalled, in part because other states don't even have a single site up and running. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED The Kern County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a controversial ordinance Monday night, allowing the addition of 40,000 oil and gas wells over the next 15 years. But before the vote, supervisors heard eight hours of public comments    Reporter: Madi Bolanos, Valley Public Radio  

John English is the voice of Fresno Monsters Hockey and the Membership Manger for Valley Public Radio, responsible for on-air membership drives. John has served 10+ years with Valley non-profits and is also the editor for the Audiophile magazine. A lifelong Fresno resident, John is a CSU Fresno graduate and avid baseball and hockey fan. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/dhts/message

The Fresno Philharmonic, Rei Hotoda Music Director and Conductor, will present the free livestream premiere of its first Digital Masterworks concert on Saturday January 16, 2021 at 5:30 pm PST on the Fresno Philharmonic’s website and YouTube channel. The program, titled Intersections of Past and Present, features musicians of the Fresno Philharmonic under the direction of Rei Hotoda performing Adolphus Hailstork’s An American Fanfare, William Bolcom’s Commedia for (Almost) 18th Century Orchestra and Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No.44 in E minor. The program will also feature on screen commentary by Ms. Hotoda. Valley Public Radio's David Aus spoke with Stephen Wilson, President & CEO of the Fresno Philharmonic, about the Digital Masterworks series and how the orchestra has been navigating the constraints of the pandemic to produce performances.

The Federal Trade Commission and more than 40 states, including California, have accused Facebook of illegally squashing competition by operating as a social media monopoly.  Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Latinos are almost 40% of California’s population but they make up nearly 60% of the state’s cases of COVID-19, and half of the deaths. A new survey shows Latinos are more concerned than any other group about how the pandemic is affecting them. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Nine months into the pandemic, COVID testing remains top of mind for Latino activists in the Bay Area. In July, we took you to a pop-up testing site set up by the Latino Task Force in San Francisco’s Mission District. Since then, they've been able to expand testing, but outcomes are still frustrating. Guest: Jon Jacobo, Health Chair, Latino Task Force It's December, but the 2020 Census isn’t over yet. The legal fight over the count continues to play out in court. The 34th congressional district in central L.A. had the state’s lowest response rate to this year’s census, and that has local leaders worried. Reporter: Caroline Champlin, KPCC The closure of playgrounds has been frustrating for frazzled parents during the pandemic. Following outcry from moms, dads, and some lawmakers, the state announced yesterday it will reopen playgrounds at reduced capacity. The California Report’s Saul Gonzalaez visited a playground in L.A.’s Griffith Park. Guest: Mariah Lajara, Mother As COVID cases surge, many hospitals in the Central Valley are approaching capacity. That’s not the case in Mariposa County, But the county’s health officer is warning that resources are becoming scarce for those who need critical care. Reporter: Kerry Klein, Valley Public Radio

And now it's time for another segment of StoryCorps San Joaquin . As part of Valley Public Radio’s collaboration with the personal history project , we’re airing segments based on recorded conversations from February’s 2020 mobile tour in Fresno and Bakersfield. Today, as part of the Yonsei Memory Project, you’ll hear from lifelong friends, 94-year-old Gary Tsudama and 87-year-old Yutaka Yamamoto. They talk about the Japanese-American internment camps during World War II and how they adjusted to life afterward. Tsudama begins.

Peak wildfire season is just beginning on the West Coast, but 2020 is already another unprecedented year. In California, more than 2.2 million acres have burned so far this year, beating an all-time record of 1.6 million set just two years ago. And in the Pacific Northwest, where Portland’s air quality hit the worst in the world on Monday, raging fires have produced never-before-seen poor air quality that threatens the health of millions. More than 500,000 people in California, Washington and Oregon are under evacuation orders, and dozens of people have died. Kerry Klein of Valley Public Radio in California’s San Joaquin Valley, and Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter Erin Ross talk about the toll of the fires in their regions, the role of climate change and other factors, and what the rest of the fire season may bring.  Plus, with record heat and fires raging in the American west, and the Gulf Coast facing still more hurricane activity, is climate change becoming a more prominent issue for U.S. voters? Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts thinks so. He recently repelled a primary challenge in what he calls “a referendum on the Green New Deal.” Now, just weeks before the November elections, candidates from both parties are forced to confront hazards worsened by climate change. Senator Markey joins Ira to discuss the Green New Deal, energy options, and environmental policy priorities for this election year—and many years to come.   

Violinist Anjeli Macaranas recently graduated from University High School in Fresno and will be attending Harvard this fall, from home. She performed this spring on Valley Public Radio’s Young Artists Spotlight and as a guest on the Play On series early this summer. Valley Public Radio’s David Aus recently caught up with her to learn more about her Little Virtuosos Project and the interconnection between music and mental health.

Some California residents feel safer on the streets than in the shelters the state has provided, despite the health risks of living outdoors. Our partners at Valley Public Radio bring us a story about a team of physicians and medical students who are bringing healthcare to the streets. Then, the band The Seshen wants to redefine what it means to be a pop star. And, we hear a reading from a local author’s new young adult fantasy novel .

The Time of Our Life returns for a bonus episode. For episode seven in our series, Mark Arax reads two short stories by William Saroyan, Laughing Sam and The Poor and Burning Arab, along with discussion hosted by Valley Public Radio's David Aus.

When you think of fungal infections, you might think athlete’s foot or maybe ringworm—itchy, irritating reactions on the skin. But other fungal diseases can cause much more serious illness. One of them is Valley Fever, caused by the soil fungus Coccidioides. In 2018, over 15,000 people were diagnosed with coccidioidomycosis, commonly known as Valley Fever, in the United States, mainly in the American West, and in parts of Mexico, and Central and South America. But the numbers could be much higher: The disease is commonly misdiagnosed and the hot spots are difficult to pin down. Plus, the endemic region could grow with climate change.  Science Friday digital producer Lauren Young takes us into the Central Valley in California—a Valley Fever hot spot—to learn more about how the disease spreads and the people it harms. She tells the story in a new feature on Methods, from Science Friday, using video, sound, and pictures, gives you a flavor of the challenges faced by scientists working to solve big problems.  Ira brings on Valley Public Radio reporter Kerry Klein, who helped us report this story, to tell us more about the communities Valley Fever is impacting and new treatments. He also talks with UCSF microbiologist Anita Sil to dig deep into fungal pathogens and the latest research.  This year’s Citizen Science Month may be winding down at the end of April, but you can help researchers collect and analyze their data all year long.  This week, citizen science platform Zooniverse has not one, but four projects you can help with: data analysis tasks that will hopefully calm, soothe, distract, and divert you from life in a pandemic. Whether it’s identifying cute raccoons in camera trap photos, looking for seasonal wind on Mars, identifying how antibiotics kills tuberculosis in petri dishes, or even transcribing the cursive of old letters from anti-slavery activists—Zooniverse wants to help you find diversion in data. Ira talks about these projects—and how to get involved with Zooniverse—with co-lead Laura Trouille, vice president of citizen science at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium. Learn more about Zooniverse and other SciFri Citizen Science Month partners at sciencefriday.com/citizenscience. And join our citizen science newsletter for all the latest updates on our online events here!

In this episode, we interview Alice Daniel, the news director at Valley Public Radio. In this wide ranging conversation, we cover a lot including print versus radio journalism, her time teaching in Ghana, memorable stories about the valley, Ethiopian food and much more. We know you'll enjoy this episode.

It’s been a while since the last Outdoorsy episode. A lot has happened. Kerry got married, put together a big series of health stories, and Ezra has some big news of his own. This is his last episode with Outdoorsy. He’s leaving Valley Public Radio for an environment reporter job with Capital Public Radio in Sacramento. He says he’ll miss this area, but he’s psyched to explore the outdoors in places like Lake Tahoe. We’ll miss Ezra a lot, but we’re excited for him. And before he goes, we had to get him into the outdoors one more time for us. In this episode we visit a place that we’ve actually been to before in another podcast about caves. But we explore it in a new way--new at least for us. We’re going mountain biking! We’ll take you out on the trail, help you figure out how to get started, and reveal some of the history behind one of the Fresno area’s most popular mountain biking areas. Guests: Craig Bowden, President of Central California Off-Road Cyclists John McCracken , co-owner

At the California Museum’s New ‘Unity Center,’ Conversations Trump Confrontations This week the California Museum in Sacramento is celebrating a new exhibit called the Unity Center, and it’s opening the same weekend far-right rallies in Northern California are expected to draw white nationalists. That’s an eerie coincidence, because the idea for the center began nearly 20 years ago when Sacramento was reeling from a string of hate crimes linked to white supremacists. Host Sasha Khokha checked out the exhibit. Abandoned Bikes Get New Life After Burning Man Festival It’s that time of year again: Burning Man. The festival began in the ‘80s on a beach in San Francisco. But now, people gather in a desert outside Reno, Nevada. Thousands of “burners” will travel there from all over the world, and many will be bringing along bicycles. After it’s over, most of the festival’s structures and artworks will be ritually burned or packed up and taken away. But that’s not always true of the bikes. Kerry Klein at Valley Public Radio has this story about how some Burning Man bikes end up almost 400 miles away, at a Central Valley middle school. Family Ties Bind New Albums from Douyé and The Sons of the Soul Revivers Each month, The California Report's Suzie Racho and our jazz critic Andrew Gilbert get together to talk new releases. They’re here on this week’s show with a couple of albums with strong family ties: Los Angeles singer Douyé’s ‘Daddy Said So’ and ‘Live at Rancho Nicasio’ from The Sons of The Soul Revivers. The Family Biz: San Jose’s Kitazawa Seed Company This week we continue our occasional series, Family Biz, about small, family-owned companies in California. The Kitazawa Seed company was founded 100 years ago in San Jose by a Japanese immigrant who sold vegetable seeds to other Japanese Americans hungry for the tastes of home. The business almost went under several times. During World War II, the Kitazawas were locked up in an internment camp. Decades later, the company was saved yet again -- by a different Japanese-American family. But the two families never really talked about what this company represents. That’s what drove Maya Shiroyama, a 61-year-old from Oakland, to finally visit Tom Kitazawa, the last surviving son of the company’s founder. Reporter Alyssa Jeong Perry was there for that meeting, and brings us this story about a historic company that defied the odds. Pinning Down One Man’s Button Obsession We’re going to end our show with a treasure hunt. It’s not gold we’re looking for, but rather a button. The kind that say stuff like “Vote for Kennedy” or “I Love California.” While most people don’t give these things a second thought, The California Report’s Ryan Levi introduces us to a man who’s spent the last 50 years seeking out this treasure.

Yay! You made it to Outdoorsy. This is Valley Public Radio's new podcast, in which we explore wild places in California and interview the people who enjoy them.

Yay! You made it to Outdoorsy. This is Valley Public Radio’s new podcast, in which we explore wild places in California and interview the people who enjoy them. We – reporters Ezra David Romero and Kerry Klein – are excited to share some of our favorite places and outdoor activities. We both consider ourselves pretty “Outdoorsy,” though we're coming at this from two different backgrounds. Ezra’s explored the Sierra Nevada his whole life. He grew up near Fresno and his love for the outdoors started on childhood camping trips with his dad and brothers. Since then he’s camped, hiked, kayaked, and done a few survival training camps and nature scavenger hunts. Kerry’s a backpacker and camper, too, plus she's into rock climbing and bicycling. She’s new to this area, having grown up exploring the Berkshires and White Mountains in New England. The Sierra Nevada is totally different – in a great way – and Kerry’s been looking for places to go. Despite our separate experiences with the Sierra

Born in the Central Valley of California, Nikiko Masumoto spent her childhood slurping over-ripe peaches on the Masumoto Family Farm (an 80-acre organic farm in Del Rey, CA). She has never missed a summer harvest. In 2007 she graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Gender and Women’s Studies. It was there that she realized she wanted to return to the Valley to farm. But first she completed a M.A. in Performance as Public Practice from UT Austin. Her research focused on the performance of memory and Japanese American history. Daily, she apprentices with her father on the family’s small organic farm whilst continuing work in arts and community. In 2013, she published her first book, co-authored with parents Mas and Marcy, a cookbook The Perfect Peach. She participated in the Catalyst Initiative, a civic practice cohort program of the Center for Performance & Civic Practice, Emerging Leaders of Color in the Arts program of WESTAF, and is currently a Creative Community Fellow with National Arts Strategies. She has served on various volunteer and nonprofit boards in the Central Valley (Central California Asian Pacific Women, Central Valley Community Foundation, Valley Public Radio, California State University Fresno’s College of Arts & Humanities). She currently serves on the board of the Alliance for California Traditional Arts and Western States Arts Federation. On most days you can find her on a tractor, dreaming of projects yet to be born and justice yet to be won. The Masumoto Family Farm is also the subject of the documentary film Changing Season: On the Masumoto Family Farm.