California is an agricultural powerhouse, but a national outbreak of illnesses linked to the cyclospora parasite is having rippling effects across the farming industry as cases have been linked to certain produce. Public health and agricultural experts have maintained California’s fresh fruit and vegetables remain safe to eat and are urging people to do so, but consumers remain wary. Trevor Suslow is a UC Davis Professor Emeritus and an expert in produce safety. He joins Insight with a look on how the agricultural industry is responding to these concerns.

Beavers are nature's little builders. Their ability to transform a flowing creek into a marshy meadow is practically unmatched. But for years in California they’ve gotten a bit of a bad name, sometimes seen as pests whose handiwork can cause major flooding. Lately though, there’s been a growing movement to bring beavers. Cathy Mueller is an ecologist and Beaver Coexistence Practitioner, who also serves as Stewardship Manager at the American River Conservancy. Through her company, Connected Ecology, she works with home and landowners on solutions for shared habitat with beavers.

Odd time signatures, psychedelic textures and emo ballads define the eclectic experience that is Squid Saves the Planet. The new band hailing from Placerville is just under a year old but their connections go way back. The group is composed of three brothers Jonathan (vocals/guitar) Dylan (vocals/bass) and Tim (drums) Punturo, along with their longtime family friend Freya Ahrima (guitar/vocals). Their band name is more than just a cheeky reference to lead singer Jonathan’s nickname Squid. It’s part of DIY punk ethos they are embodying, trying to build community, inspire creativity and ‘save the planet,’ one song at a time. We first discovered them during our roundup of the best local entries into NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest and we decided to invite them to perform for us live at CapRadio for our next Insight Studio Session. 

When it comes to leadership in California public schools, the buck pretty much stops with the school board. These local, elected, part-time positions are responsible for setting policy, approving budgets, and hiring the superintendent across roughly 1,000 school districts across the state. And this year, some are receiving a bump in pay thanks to a new law, which dramatically raised the cap on board stipends. Diana Lambert is a reporter for EdSource, a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to covering education in California. She joins us with her reporting on school boards granting themselves hefty pay raises following the new law, including Elk Grove Unified trustees raising their monthly stipends by 500 percent.

The Davis Farmers Market is celebrating 50 years of gathering community around local food and agriculture. Randii MacNear is the Executive Director of Davis Farmers Market Alliance and she joins us today to mark the anniversary.

ZÂ is a new performance bringing the ancient music and storytelling traditions of the Iranian province of Lorestan to audiences across the country — including at the International House Davis on Aug. 2. Musicians Nariman Assadi, Behfar Bahadoran and Mazdak Alipour talk about the inspiration for this performance, and how it aims to draw audiences from all cultures together.

Cyclospora Outbreaks

A rash of cyclospora cases is hitting multiple states, linked to fresh produce like lettuce and leafy greens. The outbreak is among the largest in U.S. history. California health officials say while cases of the disease have been detected in the state, they are not connected to the national wave. Dr. Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Health, joins Insight to talk about this latest slate of illnesses, as well as other diseases like measles which are cropping up across California.

How to Accelerate Vote Counting in California

California has long been criticized for a lengthy ballot counting process that delays timely election results. Today on Insight, we’ll learn about new research behind a call for big reforms to accelerate the process, while preserving voting accessibility, accuracy and security. Kim Alexander is President and Founder of the California Voter Foundation, which has 10 new recommendations for how to speed the vote-counting process up.

Hands-on Government Experience for Youth

We all learn the basics about the way our government works in school. But how much do we remember from civics class? For nearly eight decades, the California YMCA has been giving hands-on experience to high schoolers through their Youth and Government program. Teaching them the ins and outs of local government and how to write and develop their own legislation. Culminating in a model state legislature that brings in students from around California. Where students take on the roles of legislatures, lobbyists, capitol reporters, lawyers and an elected youth governor. All with the hope of growing the next generation of civically engaged Californians. Here to tell us more is the Lead Advisor for the Sacramento Youth & Government Delegations Christiana Dominguez. And two of her student officers, Chaplain and Sergeant-at-Arms Thomasina Nicholson and President Gagan Dhillon. Registration opens on August 1st.

POLITICO’s California Playbook

Summer can feel like a sleepy time in politics, especially at the state legislature, where lawmakers are on recess. But it’s still a Midterm year and the gloves are coming off as campaigns pick up the pace for the November general election. Blake Jones is co-author of POLITICO’s California Playbook and he joins us today with a look at some of the races and props that are starting to heat up.

CA’s Reforestation Struggle

California has seen wildfires grow longer and more devastating over the years, scorching millions of acres of forest land across the state. Reforestation is a critical part of healing the damage, but California can’t plant fast enough to keep up with the destruction — a problem compounded by a lack of funding and staffing on the state and federal levels. CalMatters Water Reporter Rachel Becker joins Insight with her reporting on what is keeping more seeds and seedlings from going in the ground.

Would you ride 100 miles on a bike for a good cause? The Rotary Club of Sacramento is gearing up for the Sacramento Century Challenge, an annual fundraiser that supports the Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery. President Elect Jamie Furlong, Michael Mui and Bob Rosenberg discuss the history of the Sac Century Challenge, why the Rotary Club puts it on every year and why now is the time to start training and building a team.

A jury has deadlocked on murder charges filed against two men charged in connection to the 2022 K Street mass shooting. We’ll learn more about what a mistrial means in this case and what happens next for victims from Sacramento Defense Attorney Mark Reichel and Founder and CEO of EMPACT Leia Schenk.

What does it actually take to sustain an arts organization? Nearly 10 years ago, the City of Sacramento almost lost its professional symphony orchestra and had to cancel its fall season in 2014. After regrouping - in a variety of ways and weathering a global pandemic - the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera is now thriving, regularly selling out its season and bringing world-class performances to the stage. That turnaround was recognized recently with a major award from Opera America, which named board member Laurie Nelson a recipient of Opera America’s 2026 National Opera Trustee Recognition Awards. Randlett joins us today to talk more about what the award means for the arts organization and what they have in store for symphony and opera lovers this year.

Pets. We really love them, and they tend to be at the heart of some truly epic tales like Old Yeller, Lassie, or Garfield. If you’ve ever loved a dog or cat or turtle or duck, there’s a good chance you have a story to share about them. We’ll meet two of this month’s In a Nutshell storytelling showcase, Chip Powell and Zaï Gulmohar, who will share tales of animal companions and what those bonds say about ourselves.

The topic of data centers is a hot button issue in America right now. Dominating headlines, dinner party conversations and city council meetings across the country. As investments pour into the Artificial Intelligence boom the companies behind AI argue more data centers are needed to support the burgeoning technology. But residents in the areas where data centers are being built or proposed have strong concerns surrounding a variety of possible negative consequences. From the amount of water data centers use to the increased demand for electricity raising their rates to the impact development could have on the surrounding environment. And that concern is present here locally as well. CapRadio Producer Greg Micek has been following a community of Roseville residents concerned about the potential for a data center to be built on an open field nearby, concerns that have made its way to city officials. He joined us to break down his reporting.

Groceries are making up a larger share of people’s budgets. Nationally, food prices are up more than 30% on average since 2020, outpacing wage growth during the same period. We’re going to get a look at what local grocers are facing. Nova Wetherwax is the Director Of Merchandising at Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op. She joins us to explain the tough decisions behind raising costs, and what affordable resources they have for shoppers. Insight reached out to surrounding grocers and supermarkets of various sizes. They either declined to come on the show or did not respond to our request.

The local literacy and reading organization CapLit is making its return this Friday night at the CLARA Auditorium in midtown Sacramento, featuring the works of two local authors that touch on themes of tension, uncertainty and family. Gina Mulligan and Jen Soong talk about their writing journeys, and the inspiration behind their pieces “ “Changing Lanes” and “Rabbit & Ox.”

After pushback and a delay, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Return-to-Office executive order is now in effect. As of July 1, roughly 100,000 state workers have returned to office four days a week, after six years of flexible remote policies. California isn’t the first state to reverse pandemic telework, but new reporting took a nationwide look and found Gov. Newsom’s return-to-office rules are stricter than many states, including Texas. Lynn La is a writer for the WhatMatters Newsletter for CalMatters and she joins us today with to share her reporting. 

Incarcerated firefighters form a critical part of California’s wildfire strategy, and give participants the chance to earn money and time off their sentences. But after leaving prison, many face challenges getting employed — despite having experience working on the fire line. Now, a new bill moving through the legislature aims to make it easier for convicted firefighters to be hired. Royal Ramey is a former incarcerated firefighter and co-founder of the nonprofit Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, which provides career support to formerly incarcerated firefighters. He joins Insight to talk about his experience in the fire service, and how this bill could make the recruiting pipeline easier.

If you're looking for a way to cool down after a hot summer day the Crocker Art Museum has you covered. Jazz Nights, Sacramento’s longest-running summer jazz series, returned last month to the Crocker. Held in the museum’s courtyard, this annual tradition brings a variety of artists to the stage from every style and era of jazz. Bay area jazz vocalist Clairdee will be performing this Thursday. Javier Plasencia, Director of Education at the Crocker Art Museum, tells us more about the return of Jazz Nights.

Sacramento International Airport is taking on some major changes, from opening new restaurants in both terminals to wrapping up a garage project that will open up thousands of new parking spaces. Airport officials are also navigating the ongoing closure of Aviator’s Restaurant at Sacramento Executive Airport after major structural issues were discovered earlier this year. Cindy Nichol, Director of the Sacramento County Department of Airports joins Insight to talk about these latest developments, and how the public can weigh in on SMF’s 20-year Master Plan.

President Donald Trump has delivered on a key campaign promise to ramp up immigration enforcement. Following his first year in office, the non profit American Immigration Council has found the number of people in detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increased by 75 percent. And the number of “at-large” arrests, ones that occur inside the community, as opposed to the border, are up by 600 percent. According to a new analysis of the data by EdSource, a non-profit news organization that focuses on education in California, those increases can also be seen in the arrest and detention of minors in the state. Here to guide us through the data and the impact these detentions are having on children and their communities are EdSource reporters Zaidee Stavely and Emma Gallegos. You can also listen to their recent reporting on the EdSource podcast Education Beat.

For the next two weeks, Cal Expo will come alive with the sounds of carnival rides, farm animals, food vendors, fireworks and evening concerts. For many of us, the California State Fair is a fun time to indulge in all things nostalgic, whether it’s our favorite foods or screaming along to our favorite bands from yesteryear. Darla Givens is the Spokesperson for the California State Fair and she’s here today to give us the lowdown on this year’s festivities.

California colleges and universities are required by state law to report the military equipment inventories of campus police departments, as well as their use, to each campus’s governing board for approval every year. Police departments are also required to hold public meetings for the community to provide feedback and raise concerns. But a new investigation has found that not every campus follows every part of the state law. Phoebe Huss is a student at UCLA and a reporter for the CalMatters College Journalism Network. She joins Insight to discuss her reporting.

Earlier this year, we dove into a Supreme Court case centering on the popular and controversial weedkiller Roundup following a wave of lawsuits accusing Monsanto of failing to have a cancer warning label. We now know the ruling, which is a win for the pesticide manufacturer. We’ll check in on what this means for California where spraying is still happening on public forest land. Nate Halverson is a Senior Reporter and Producer for the radio show and podcast Reveal and publication Mother Jones and joins us with an update on his investigation. 

Lake Tahoe’s beauty is undeniable. And in a few days, the north shore will become a stage. Imagine classical, contemporary and indigenous dance outdoors lakeside, with the Sierra as a backdrop. Christin Hanna is the founder of the Nonprofit organization Lake Tahoe Dance Collective. She and Constantine Baecher co-founded and produce the annual Lake Tahoe Dance Festival happening July 21-24 in Kings Beach, Tahoe City and Incline Village.

When does biased behavior lead to termination from a job? A recent investigation by The California Newsroom and UC Berkeley’s Investigative Reporting Program looked into what happened to law enforcement officers who engaged in explicitly biased conduct between 2014 and 2024. Only 12 percent of them lost their jobs. California Newsroom Investigative Data Journalist Emily Zentner joins Insight today to explain what they found and why it matters.

Originally passed in the 1960s the California Invasion of Privacy Act or CIPA criminalized the wiretapping of phone calls. But the law was updated in the 2010s to address privacy concerns in the digital age, such as how and when companies could collect personal data from customers online. Business organizations say in recent years those updates have allowed for frivolous lawsuits to be made against small businesses for normal website operations. But consumer advocates argue these protections are necessary to protect the privacy of Californians online. CapRadio Communities Reporter Ruth Finch recently spoke with people on both sides of this debate and outlined a new law making its way through the legislature that seeks to address it. She joins us to share her reporting.

The Young Actors Stage is a Sacramento theatre company that has spent the better part of two decades preparing youth for a future in the arts. Two alumni have taken their careers far beyond Sacramento, returning home this weekend as adults for a special performance at the very stage where it all began. Peter Sunseri and Ana Riley-Portal join Insight ahead of their upcoming musical The Last Five Years at the 24th Street Theatre at Sierra 2 Center on Sat. July 18 and Sun. July 19.