Kai Wilmot is a post-doctoral researcher at The University of Utah, where he worked on research to determine the effects of wildfire plumes on air quality. The findings showcased that the increase in altitude for fire plume clouds directly correlates with air quality. As mega wildfires become the norm in the Western United States, aerosols being injected into the atmosphere will continue to grow. 

The Sacramento Region promotes itself as “a region on the rise,” with population growth to back up the claim. According to a report released this year by the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, the region was the fastest growing metro area in the state between 2016-2021 and is expected to see even more growth over the next five years. A lifeblood of the region is the American River Basin. This watershed spans over 3,600 square miles providing water to millions of people from Sacramento, to its rapidly growing suburbs, to the smaller communities that call the Sierra and its foothills home. But a new report released by the Bureau of Reclamation shows this lifeblood is threatened by climate change. The study states this essential watershed will see increased temperatures and a shrinking snowpack through the end of this century. The variability of rain in the fall and winter will also increase the severity of droughts and flooding. The new research sheds light on the challenges the region will face in balancing water demands and supply with a future full of uncertainty. Gary Bardini, Director of Planning with the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency, and Kenneth Payne, General Manager of the El Dorado Water Agency, joined Insight to tell us more about the study and how they plan to use its findings to prepare the region for the challenges ahead.

Dave Brubeck is a renowned American jazz pianist and composer, but he's much more than a jazz icon. Brubeck also composed classical music, choral works, and ballet. He even wrote a Broadway-style musical in collaboration with his wife, Lola. That musical, The Real Ambassadors starring Louis Armstrong, is the subject of a new book by retired UOP professor Keith Hatschek. It tells the social justice back-story of the Brubecks' magnum opus, which premiered at the Monterey Jazz Festival 60 years ago this month. CapRadio Jazz Host Avery Jeffry shared his conversation with Hatschek and the impact of the musical.