California Insider

Zach Southall once ignored homelessness, believing it stemmed from bad choices. But losing everything—his business, home, and health—brought him to his lowest point, where faith gave him a second chance. Now, as Charity on Wheels’ Managing Director, he’s dedicated to helping those he once overlooked.

*Views expressed in this video/article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of California Insider.

California voters sent a strong signal in 2024 to prioritize combating crime, economic policies, and critical issues affecting daily life. Siyamak sits down with Mike Gatto, a former California Assemblymember who, according to the Sacramento Bee, was one of the most independent lawmakers in the Democratic Party. Gatto will discuss the implications of the 2024 election results for California and why they will have a significant impact on the state’s future.

*Views expressed in this video/article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of California Insider.

“I was in debt. I was renting a room out of my house. At a certain point, I was like, I have to get out of South Gate. I can’t catch a stray bullet because there have been drive-bys. There have been people crashing into buildings and pulling bodies out of cars,” says Victor Henry, UFC fighter from Los Angeles. He'll share his background growing up in one of the roughest areas in Los Angeles, and how he was able to break out through hard work and perseverance.

*Views expressed in this video/article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of California Insider.

“Recycling as a system has become increasingly problematic. The truth of the matter is only a very small percentage of the plastic that’s out in the consumer waste stream actually gets recycled at the end of the day. … At the best case scenario, it goes into the landfill. Worst case scenario, it ends up in our water streams, in our ocean, in our environment. … And in fact, so much of it is out there, and so much of it ends up breaking down into micro plastics and ending up in our food stream, in our water stream, and it’s ending up in our own bodies,” says California Senator Ben Allen.

Join us as we dive into the challenges the recycling industry is facing, and his efforts in bringing the plastic industry and other producers to the table to solve the recycling problem. We also dive into Allen’s personal experience as a senator and what inspired him to go into public service.

*Views expressed in this video/article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Epoch Times.

In this episode, Nolan Gray, a policy expert with California YIMBY, and Jim Righeimer, former Costa Mesa mayor and developer, delve into the factors driving California’s high cost of living compared to more affordable states such as Texas and Florida. Join us as we explore the impact of housing policies and differing approaches to new development.

*Views expressed in this video/article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of California Insider.

“California has become really unaffordable. Where are my kids gonna live? We pride ourselves on it being such a great economy in California, which is fueled by the opportunities that are academic institutions. But if your talent can’t find a place to call home, they’re gonna take their talent and their skills somewhere else, and that is the largest threat to the future success of California,” says Asm. David Alvarez.

Siyamak sits down with Assemblymember Alvarez to discuss his concerns about housing affordability in San Diego, California. He will also share his journey of becoming a lawmaker after growing up in a poor neighborhood in San Diego.

“My parents never owned a home. I’m the first one in our family to go to college, and that college opportunity afforded me this middle-class lifestyle with home ownership, but it’s something that no longer feels like a reality for a lot of people,” says Alvarez.

*Views expressed in this video/article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of California Insider.

California has some of the highest average housing costs in the country. While some believe this is due to a lack of available housing, others attribute the high prices to government policies.

Siyamak sits down with Jim Burling, vice president of legal affairs at the Pacific Legal Foundation; Nils Nehrenheim, Redondo Beach councilmember; and Nolan Gray, senior director of legislation and research for California YIMBY.

Join us as we explore the factors driving these high costs and discuss the state-mandated development initiative—and why some cities are pushing back.

*Views expressed in this video/article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the California Insider.

Siyamak sits down with Matt Gonzalez, Public Defender and Former County Supervisor in San Francisco. He will highlight the key factors in San Francisco’s Mayoral race and give us an in depth analysis of the current top candidates.

“Mayor Breed is very talented, but there’s just a sense that we’re not making progress on things like crime, homelessness, and issues like that,” says Gonzalez. “All the candidates have wide support. One thing about the selection, though, is who’s going to get the runoff votes. These are things polling doesn’t exactly tell you, because it’s not just where you stand after the first round of voting; it’s what happens when someone you don’t support is defeated. Where do their supporters go next? And that’s the big challenge here.”

*Views expressed in this video/article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of California Insider.

Hollywood is experiencing an unprecedented downturn, leaving many workers without jobs. Siyamak sits down with David Graves, a film industry expert and IATSE union member, and Patrick Caligiuri, a Hollywood TV executive with over 20 years of experience, to discuss the reasons behind this decline and explore possible solutions for affected workers.

“About a month after the WGA strike started, we were almost at 80 percent unemployment, which basically stopped the industry altogether. Anything that was still shooting because they had scripts already purchased stopped because the actors weren’t available—that was last year. It was literally a neutron bomb for the film industry” says Graves.

*Views expressed in this video/article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of California Insider.

Siyamak sits down with Senator Josh Becker, who’s actively shaping AI regulation in the state. As a global leader in AI, California faces significant challenges and opportunities with major implications for jobs, safety, and privacy. Join us as we discuss the state’s efforts to address these concerns through new laws and regulations, some of which may influence national policy.

“AI, to some extent, has been around for 30-40 years. Now, we have generative AI producing text, audio, and video, with many positive uses of this technology. However, there are also significant risks and downsides, and I believe it’s our job as policymakers to stay ahead of that,” says Becker

We’ll also delve into Senator Becker’s background as a public servant, exploring how his immigrant family roots shaped his belief in the power of public education and the American dream. Senator Becker represents San Mateo County and northern Santa Clara County in California’s 13th Senate District. Elected in 2020, he is not only at the forefront of AI regulation but also champions clean energy and justice reforms.

*Views expressed in this video/article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the California Insider.