California’s diversion law was designed to steer some defendants away from jail and into treatment. But when the same statute produces very different outcomes across the state, what determines how much risk the public is expected to accept? In this episode, Deputy District Attorney Matt Greco and San Francisco public defender Matt SotoRosen explain how the law works in practice and where its impact holds or falls short.

00:00 – Intro

01:50 – Serious Crimes Committed While in Diversion

05:33 – Alternatives to Diversion and the Cost of Incarceration

30:03 – Effectiveness of Diversion and Judicial Discretion

42:35 – Diversion and Its Impact on Public Safety

California reservoirs are above capacity after several wet years, yet water deliveries to farmers remain uncertain. High storage alone does not guarantee reliable supply, as the system for moving and allocating water continues to limit what reaches the fields. In this episode, we speak with sixth-generation California farmer Cannon Michael about how these conditions affect everyday farming and the broader future of agriculture in the state, and what direction California may need to consider to restore reliability to its water system.

Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Major rideshare companies are now routing more of their trips to regulated taxis in San Francisco, and that shift is changing how the city’s transportation system actually works. It comes down to cost pressure on the platform side and the steady coverage that commercial drivers provide. In this episode, we talk with Hansu Kim, longtime SF political consultant and Chairman of Flywheel. He walks us through why this move is happening and what it may set in motion for the city’s next phase.

State leaders want cities to allow far more housing near transit. Supporters see a needed shift while others question the practical outcome. In this episode we sit down with Tony Hall, former San Francisco supervisor, and Christopher Elmendorf, law professor at UC Davis. We look at what these changes could mean for San Francisco and how the policy meets the city’s real conditions.

RV encampments have become fixed parts of Los Angeles, especially in industrial areas where they sit for long stretches without intervention. What looks like a line of parked RVs carries real effects for the blocks around them, including steady waste and a growing pull on emergency crews. We discuss with Barry Coe, former Los Angeles city commissioner, about what keeps these RVs in place and how business owners stepped in when nothing changed.

Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Freight theft is rising in California and hitting the state’s supply chain in ways most people don’t see. Loads disappear with a level of planning that signals a shift in how these crimes are carried out. In this episode, Verisk CargoNet Vice President of Operations Keith Lewis and retired Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department cargo theft detective Gerardo Pachuca explain what’s driving this change and why California has become a focal point.

Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Silicon Valley has long been the launchpad for new tech companies, but conditions for young entrepreneurs are shifting. Starting and growing a company there now comes with limits that land much earlier than they used to.

In this episode, Aman Verjee, founder of Practical Venture Capital, walks us through how this shift took hold and what it could mean for the Valley going forward.

California once made rooftop solar a smart investment for homeowners. After new rules took effect, that balance changed almost overnight. In this episode, Siyamak sits down with Bernadette Del Chiaro, senior vice president for California at the Environmental Working Group, and Johnny Graham, CEO of Pacific United Power, to examine how the state’s new policy is changing the way solar works for homeowners.

Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

California’s economy keeps growing, but that growth looks different across the state. Some areas are thriving, while others feel the strain—a shift we discuss with Jerry Nickelsburg, Professor Emeritus at the UCLA Anderson School of Management; Mark Schniepp, Director of the California Economic Forecast in Santa Barbara; and Kymberlee Dildine from the Central California Food Bank to understand where the state’s economy may be heading next.

California is drawing a line on what children are fed in public schools. A new law confronts the rise of industrial additives that have come to define many of the meals served to students. In this episode, Bernadette Del Chiaro, Senior Vice President of the Environmental Working Group, explains how these additives made their way into lunch trays and what California’s bold move could signal for the rest of the country.