My guest for the full program is Michelle Story, a non-traditional student, mother of five soon to collect her diploma at UCI’s School of Social Sciences, before she pursues a graduate degree in clinical psychology. Listen to what breaking a mold sounds like as she talks about her institutional arrangements and studies at UCI after transferring from the community College of the Sequoias.

Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa - album; José Antonio Rodríguez, “El Regalo,” Adiós Muchachos – album.

Our featured guest is Sadaf Rahmani, the public affairs director of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties. She speaks about the challenges of delivering reproductive health services in today’s complex regulatory framework, post SCOTUS’ “Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization” decision on June 24, 2022. With all the headwinds in which Planned Parenthood is navigating, public health trends are concerning: availability of emergency birth control methods, young adults seeking sterilization, and Fontana’s City Council imposing a moratorium on permitting a downtown Planned Parenthood care center. It is an enormously changed world since the previous public affairs director at Planned Parenthood was on this program July 30, 2019. Details for upcoming events are available: https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/community-action-fund-planned-parenthood-orange-and-san-bernardi.

Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa - album; Lorraine Klaasen, “Jolinkomo,” Free At Last – album; and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, “Flight of the Cosmic Hippo,” Flight of the Cosmic Hippo – album.

My guest for the full hour is UCI social scientist and one important demographer, Professor Wang Feng. We focus on his latest publication, especially as it helps us appreciate what China’s got to work with under current conditions. "China’s Age of Abundance; Origins, Ascendance, and Aftermath,” published by the Cambridge University Press, explores China’s rise to material wealth, current predicaments and future challenges. Demographers . . . the ones with lots of receipts.

Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa - album; and Jodi Proznick Trio, “The Moon Represents My Heart,” Jasmine Jazz collaboration at Vancouver International Jazz Festival 2022.

For the full hour is Joey Forsyte, an LA based, award-winning filmmaker and visual artist. She focuses on works that build community, political awareness and activism. She is the owner of Velocity Filmworks as well as the founder and executive director of A Band of Voters. Civics is on her front burner as she works with institutions that reach out to the youngest of eligible voters: CA Student Civic and Voter Empowerment Act of 2019, the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE), and the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), to name a few. Interested parties can reach Joey et. al. by emailing them at: [email protected].

This is a reminder for all eligible voters to register to vote and keep confirming their registration as many primaries continue, in the run up to the 2024 general election this November 5th.

Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa - album; and Kamasi Washington, “The Magnificent,” The Epic – album.

We begin with Rosaisela López Cienfuegos, a lead coordinator at Orange County Communities for Responsible Development, talking about the naturalization process that they’re overseeing, always looking for takers. Recent changes to the application and associated fees lower some of the earlier barriers; the processing time have been reduced get newly naturalized citizens into the voting booth sooner than was possible a few years ago. She sets you up with citizenship clinic training, in upcoming events. The next training at the OCCORD office is 5/3 and 5/4, 6-8 p.m. The next clinic is 5/18, with shifts starting at: 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and I p.m. More details: https://occord.org/.

In the second segment (approx. minute 25:00) is playwright and screen writer Eleanor Burgess. Fresh from last year’s South Coast Repertory Pacific Playwright Festival, her world premiere of "Galilee, 34" is being performed now through May 12th, at SCR's Argyros Stage at the Segerstrom Center for Performing Arts. Details are available at: https://www.scr.org/plays/productions/23-24-season/galilee-34/. It’s an audacious interpretation of “none of it ever happened and it’s all true.” The host aimed for a spoiler free treatment of this play during these very fraught times.

Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa - album; Dana Landry Trio, “Transfusion,” Memphis Skyline – album; Marcel Khalife, “I Shall Name You,” Stripped Bare – album.

My guest for the full the hour is mixed media artist Soheila Siadate, with an extraordinary solo exhibition at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art in Santa Ana, “In Search of the Third Feather of Simurgh: Contagious Dictatorship and Fragile Democracy” on view now through 4/26th. Details are available at: https://www.occca.org/EXHIBITIONS.html. This is her most expansive exhibit yet.

On the radio: she leads us through layers of culture, history, and the special media with which she works.

On your visit: the hours are Mon-Thursday by appointment only; open Friday-Saturday noon to 5 p.m., 117 North Sycamore St., downtown Santa Ana at the corner of 2nd and Sycamore.

Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa - album; and Hossein Omoumi and Madjid Khaladj, “Tasnif.”

Returning to the show, for the full hour, is Samantha Trad, the National Director of Advocacy for Compassion and Choices. Up the escalator are more states enacting laws granting end of life options or “medical aid in dying,” (MAID). Amidst this trend, boarding the downward escalator, are federal and state challenges to end these choices. In the background are Compassion and Choices’ findings that a majority across the political spectrum support MAID. More earnest questions about this last act we all have. Hop onto their website for all the resources to which she refers in this interview: https://www.compassionandchoices.org/.

Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa - album; and Leonard Bernstein conducting, Debussy’s “Nocturnes,” A Total Embrace of the Conductor – album.

For the full hour is Chinmayi Sharma, assistant professor at Fordham University Law School. Think Cassandra for this time we are in, as she brings her not-so-modest proposal, "AI’s Hippocratic Oath.” Amidst the tech sector’s arms race to build these voracious artificial intelligence systems, she raises the specter of harm overtaking the common good. Professionalizing the AI engineers at the front end would do for the public, what licensing other professions has done for clients, patients, and communities. In the closing segment (approx. minute 46:15) is Mykola Omelchenko, Ukrainian filmmaker/photographer who’s presenting “War Up Close” showing Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine thru virtual reality this Friday, April 12 at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood Stand With Ukraine 11 am-6 pm this Friday. It’s free, visitors can sign up at: https://war.city/upcoming/.

Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa - album; Claraguilar, “Invisible Orchestra,” Figura – album; Vsevolod Zaderatsky’s Preludes and Fugues, performed by Jascha Nemtsov.

In this extended portion of Jordie Davies' interview we draw comparisons with Ukrainians coalescing in the Maidan Revolution in 2013-14 and American protest movements.

This clip is under 3 minutes.

Today we first hear from Dr. Jordie Davies, Assistant Professor of Political Science at UCI, and an affiliate faculty member of the UCI Culture & Theory Ph.D. Program. Of particular interest is her work on “Solidarity Processes in Multi-Racial Coalitions.” An additional portion of this interview is available in Part 2 of this pod.

In the segment (minute 35:50) is Paula Tomei, managing director of South Coast Repertory. She’s stepping down this August after a 44-year career, building a lot of things of local, regional, and national significance. It’s SCR’s 26th Pacific Playwright Festival May 3-5. Wrapping their season are the productions “Prelude to a Kiss, The Musical” and “Galilee, 34” which were previously showcased in earlier festivals.

Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa - album; Casey Benjamin, “Your Recipe,” single At Clement’s Place; “Ponteio,” Peppino D’Agostino, single.