After a year of California political coverage, California State of Mind is coming to an end. We have really enjoyed this experiment with a weekly California-focused show, and we hope you have too! In this final episode, we reflect on how Covid upended our lives, and politics in a lot of ways. Now that things are cooling down from the Delta surge and the recall is over, what will the political landscape look like for 2022? Nicole peeks inside a crystal ball with Politico’s Carla Marinucci and Cal...
Oct 01, 2021•Ep. 42
As tensions over racial and economic inequality continue to play out across the country, many people are wondering about the balance of power within their cities and institutions, and how those places spend their money. Some argue that citizens should play a greater role in deciding how to spend their tax dollars instead of relying on city leaders. The city of Vallejo launched an experiment with citizen budgeting about a decade ago. How is that working out? CapRadio’s News and Features Editor Pa...
Sep 24, 2021•Ep. 41
As most people know by now, Gavin Newsom gets to keep his job. He’ll stay on as California’s governor, surviving the special recall election with an almost 2-to-1 margin. Will it change how he governs the Golden State in any way? Do Republicans have a future in leadership here? And what did we miss while we were all paying attention to this off-year election? Nicole talks with CalMatters Reporters Ben Christopher and Laurel Rosenhall about lessons learned from the recall and how it may have play...
Sep 17, 2021•Ep. 40
The recall election for California Governor Gavin Newsom is on Tuesday, Sept. 14 and things are ramping up on the campaign trail. The White House is showing support for the governor, but some Californians are not fans. They’re critical of his handling of wildfires and haven’t forgotten the huge mistakes at the unemployment department. On this episode of California State of Mind , Nicole talks with CalMatters’ Emily Hoeven and CapRadio’s Scott Rodd about some of these issues as we head into the f...
Sep 10, 2021•Ep. 39
California’s ag industry uses 80 percent of the state’s water. As the drought continues, can the Golden State continue to operate its fields as usual? On this episode of California State of Mind, Nigel talks with the person charged with promoting California ag to the rest of the world. Karen Ross has served as Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture since 2011. She grew up on a small farm southwest of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, so she’s no stranger to the demands of a working ...
Sep 03, 2021•Ep. 38
There are many sexual assault survivors who never report their experiences to law enforcement for a variety of reasons. And then there are times when they do decide to go to the police. Sometimes, they find the case is cleared, but they weren’t notified or given a reason why. On this episode of California State of Mind, Nicole talks with CapRadio reporters Sammy Caiola and Emily Zentner. They spent time reporting this story as part of their After the Assault podcast investigation. Hear how one d...
Aug 20, 2021•Ep. 37
The Delta variant has thrown a wrench into California’s plans to resume life as normal, as Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to increase across the state. Amid this summer surge, school districts, teachers, parents and kids have been getting ready to return to classrooms without a statewide mandate requiring vaccinations for teachers. That changed this week when Gov. Newsom announced all teachers must be vaccinated or tested weekly for Covid-19. Nigel talks with CalMatters’ education ...
Aug 13, 2021•Ep. 36
California’s Governor is facing a recall election Sept. 14 and some of the Republican candidates challenging Gavin Newsom recently met for their first debate. Did voters notice? Nicole talks about the state of the recall with two campaign veterans, Garry South and Rob Stutzman. South worked for Democratic governor Gray Davis, who was recalled in 2003, and Rob Stutzman was a spokesman for Republican Arnold Schwarnzegger, who replaced Davis in that election. We’ll also hear more about a growing pu...
Aug 06, 2021•Ep. 35
To jab or not to jab? That’s a question still facing many Californians as the Covid-19 pandemic continues and the Delta Variant makes a surge across the state. But for healthcare and state workers, Governor Newsom is pressing the issue, requiring all private and public employees in those fields to provide proof of vaccination or face weekly testing at work. Meanwhile, the state continues to burn. CalMatters’ Emily Hoeven and Ben Christoper and CapRadio’s Scott Rodd join Nigel to talk about all h...
Jul 30, 2021•Ep. 34
It’s no secret that the cost of rent and buying a house is one of California’s most persistent problems. And the pandemic has only made it worse. If there’s any group of people you’d think could force solutions on these issues, it’s Democrats. They hold a supermajority in the state legislature and the governor is a Democrat, but many of the housing bills brought up in recent years have failed. As CalMatters’ housing reporter and “Gimme Shelter” podcast host, Manuela Tobias regularly goes deep in...
Jul 23, 2021•Ep. 33
As Californians continue to bake in sizzling temperatures and parched conditions across the state, they’re also being asked to voluntarily reduce their water usage by 15 percent. Nigel Duara talks with Rachel Becker, environment reporter at CalMatters, about the severe drought and how different communities are confronting the current challenges.
Jul 16, 2021•Ep. 32
California’s early blazes are prompting renewed fire conversations among lawmakers in Sacramento.
Jul 09, 2021•Ep. 31
California’s governor misled the public about wildfire prevention efforts, according to a recent investigation by CapRadio and the NPR California Newsroom. Nigel talks with this week’s guest host Scott Rodd about his reporting into the topic and what the data had to say about how many acres of forest have been treated in wildfire prone areas. Also, CalMatters’ Laurel Rosenhall and Byrhonda Lyons spent several months digging into a law that was supposed to put more limits on when police can use d...
Jun 25, 2021•Ep. 30
A big part of the pandemic recovery process for California will be getting people back out and about. The state is one of the biggest tourism destinations in the world, but the world isn’t totally back to normal yet. To meet that need, the state kicked off a campaign this week to encourage Californians to stay and play in the Golden State. Scott Rodd talks with CapRadio’s Mike Hagerty, who recently spoke with Visit California President & CEO Caroline Beteta about it. We’ll also hear from the...
Jun 18, 2021•Ep. 29
California is preparing to re-open June 15th following the Covid-19 pandemic, but there’s still a lot of confusion about what that actually means for residents of the state. CalMatters’ Emily Hoeven joins Nicole and Nigel to talk about it. Also, as the deadline for passing a state budget approaches, California lawmakers are grappling with an unprecedented surplus. How did we end up with so much more money than expected, despite a global pandemic? CalMatters’ Laurel Rosenhall and Ben Christpher b...
Jun 11, 2021•Ep. 28
California looks to lead the way on making amends to Black Americans for slavery and its lingering effects. A first-in-the-nation reparations committee met this week to begin a two-year study. We listen back to an interview with Shirley Weber, who authored the bill Gov. Newsom signed into law that kicked this process off when she was an assemblywoman. She has since been appointed California’s first Black Secretary of State. Also, Gov. Newsom has proposed spending $35 million over five years for ...
Jun 04, 2021•Ep. 27
Memorial Day weekend traditionally marks the opening of many campgrounds and state park facilities across California. But this year is a bit different. As the pandemic took hold, outdoor spaces were some of the few places people could safely go. What is the state of California’s State Parks following a tumultuous year of wildfire and a pandemic? CalMatters’ Julie Cart describes a recent visit to Big Basin, California’s oldest State Park, which was destroyed by wildfire in 2020. We also hear from...
May 28, 2021•Ep. 26
Alex Padilla made history by becoming California’s first Latino senator. He was appointed to fill the seat vacated by now Vice President Kamala Harris. He’s been in the Senate for only four months, but has already found himself at the center of debates over immigration, clean energy and infrastructure. Hear his take on everything from electric-powered manufacturing plants to what his pandemic year was like.
May 21, 2021•Ep. 25
Gavin Newsom isn’t the first Governor to face a recall in California and he likely won’t be the last. Nigel Duara talks with CapRadio’s Mike Hagerty about the history of the recall in the state. We’ll also hear from CalMatters’ Laurel Rosenhall about what voters should expect to happen as the recall moves forward. Also, how should history judge technology’s role in the pandemic response? Nicole talks with Josh Mendelsohn, a managing partner at the venture firm Hangar who spearheaded the idea for...
May 14, 2021•Ep. 24
The California Supreme Court recently handed criminal justice advocates a victory, when it ruled that people cannot be kept behind bars simply because they can’t afford to post bail. State Senator Bob Hertzberg has worked extensively on this issue and he spoke with Nicole and Elizabeth about why he thinks California’s cash-bail system is unnecessary and what lawmakers could do to fix it. Also, California is racing to get as many residents vaccinated as fast as possible. We’ll hear from Anna Ibar...
Apr 30, 2021•Ep. 23
California has set some pretty ambitious climate goals. By 2045 all energy has to come from renewable sources - solar, water and wind. Nicole talks with environment reporter Ezra David Romero about plans to potentially build 800 to 900 floating wind turbines off the coast of California. She also talks with CalMatters’ Julie Cart, who also covers the environment, about another project near the Salton Sea that could potentially help the state store its renewable energy. And, in the wake of George ...
Apr 23, 2021•Ep. 22
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation this week that allows the state to spend $536 million dollars on wildfire prevention this year, but will it be enough? CalMatters’ Emily Hoeven joins Elizabeth and Nicole to talk about what some critics are calling a bandaid over a gaping wound. They’ll also discuss the state’s inability to get relief money into the hands of childcare providers and why the death of a bill to ban fracking may actually be good news for Gov. Newsom. Then, nearly 40,000 Californi...
Apr 16, 2021•Ep. 21
California is ready to play ball. With Covid-19 cases falling and restrictions loosening, some fans recently found their way back to the baseball field. Nicole talks with Scott Rodd and Anne Wernikoff about what it was like to attend the games in person and how they may be a harbinger for the new statewide reopening plan. Also, California’s nursing homes have been some of the hardest hit during the pandemic with more than 9,000 residents dying of the virus. As the pandemic has worn on, that’s le...
Apr 09, 2021•Ep. 20
California’s public universities are some of the most racially diverse in the nation. But that’s often not reflected in campus police departments. That disparity can affect how police and students interact. Nicole talks with Omar Rashad and Katherine Swartz, fellows with the CalMatters College Journalism Network, about their reporting and what it means to have campus police who look like the students they serve. Also, thousands of K-12 students across California are finally returning to classroo...
Mar 26, 2021•Ep. 19
They’re in your food. They’re in your drinks. They’re in the air. Microplastics are pretty much everywhere. And California may become the first place in the world to attempt limits on how much of it can be in your drinking water. On this week’s California State of Mind, Elizabeth talks with CalMatters’ Rachel Becker about how the state is planning for possible new restrictions even though there are large gaps in scientific data about how dangerous they are. Also, if you’re still not sure when yo...
Mar 19, 2021•Ep. 18
It’s been almost a year since Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the nation’s first statewide stay-at-home order in response to Covid-19. In his first State of the State address since the pandemic began, the governor stayed positive, but acknowledged the extreme losses of life while touting his achievements managing the state in an unprecedented pandemic. CapRadio’s Scott Rodd joins Nicole and guest host Nigel Duara to break down the speech and what it might mean for recall efforts against the leader of t...
Mar 12, 2021•Ep. 17
Despite the pandemic recession, some people have been able to save and pay down personal debt. But a lot of Californians are still struggling. On this episode of California State of Mind , we’ll explore what that mixed financial picture means for policymakers. Nicole talks with reporters Jackie Botts and Laurence Du Sault about their reporting on the issue. And we hear from a San Diego woman who had to take out a title loan on her car while struggling to get unemployment benefits. And there’s a ...
Mar 05, 2021•Ep. 16
It’s been almost a full year of nonstop crisis management for public health officials, with nary an end in sight. As the pandemic continues, Nicole and Elizabeth sit down with California’s Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris to talk about how the state is doing and what the past year has meant for kids. Plus, Nicole touches base with two small business owners who are trying to ride out the pandemic. Rosey Ibarra owns Social Salon Suites in Glendale and Al Griffin is the co-owner of the Place...
Feb 26, 2021•Ep. 15
She was the first woman to serve as White House press secretary and now she’s spearheading California’s economic recovery efforts. On this episode of California State of Mind, we hear from Dee Dee Myers. She recently spoke with CalMatters’ Lauren Hepler about her new role as the state’s business and economic czar. We’ll hear portions of that conversation as Lauren breaks it down for Elizabeth. Plus, we take a look at how the state attorney general’s office might change under new leadership and g...
Feb 19, 2021•Ep. 14
The Golden State continues to grapple with some big issues made worse by the coronavirus pandemic. On this episode of California State of Mind , Elizabeth and Nicole chat with Emily Hoeven about the state’s Covid vaccination plans, the effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom, and the continuing lack of a plan to get kids back into schools. Emily writes a daily newsletter for CalMatters and shares some of her insights. Speaking of education, while state and local leaders have spent months trying to fi...
Feb 12, 2021•Ep. 13
