Long Beach Current Podcasts

Recorded on Valentine's Day, hosts Matthew Gomez and Matthew Coleman share what made them fall in love with sports, special memories connected with players and the moments that still give them butterflies.

Gomez reminiscences on attending Los Angeles Kings' practices as a kid and how watching their first Stanley Cup Championship victory in 2012 changed his views towards sports. Coleman's favorite moment comes from the 2015 NBA regular season, watching Klay Thompson's record-setting third quarter, scoring 37 points.

The episode concludes with a special "Newly Weds" game in which the two try to guess one another's answers based on a series of sports topics and questions. A special teaser is announced as the episode winds down teasing next week's guest.

Hosts: Matthew Coleman, Matthew Gomez
Editor: Aidan Swanepoel
Producers: El Nicklin, Aidan Swanepoel
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Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/long-beach-current-podcasts/id1488484518

Spotify
⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4HJaqJep02kHeIQy8op1n1⁠

⁠⁠⁠Overcast
https://overcast.fm/itunes1488484518/long-beach-current-podcasts

The Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum Spring Gallery opening is this Thursday, Feb. 20. From 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. guests can walk through the galleries, enjoying music, entertainment and a cash bar. Although the event is free, it is recommended to RSVP through the Events & Orgs app on your CSULB Single Sign-on.

This week in sports, men’s baseball plays Loyola Marymount University at LMU on Tuesday, Feb. 18 starting at 6 p.m. On Thursday, Feb. 20 at 6 p.m., our women’s basketball team will play UC Riverside in the Walter Pyramid. Also be played in the Pyramid, on Feb. 21, our undefeated men’s volleyball team faces Grand Canyon University at 7 p.m. Lastly, on Saturday, Feb. 22, watch men’s basketball play UC Santa Barbara at 4 p.m. in the Walter Pyramid.

Long Beach has started giving out free food carts to keep street vendors safe and healthy. The goal is to be able to give out 40 free carts so vendors don't have to wait for pop-ups or events to showcase their food. The offer for free carts was posted in late August 2024 and since then there have been 36 applicants. The first two of the applicants approved were Anita McCoy and Ashley Arnold. McCoy is the owner of Lucky Bees, a cart that serves hot dogs and pastrami. Arnold owns Ladie Kakes, selling treats on the go.

This week Southern California experienced the heaviest rainfall of the season. The storm caused debris flow and mudslides, especially in areas impacted by recent fires. In anticipation of mudslides following the Palisades fire, parts of the Pacific Coast Highway are currently closed from Santa Monica to Malibu. There are many other road closures due to the storm and travelers are advised to be alert of road closures and alternate routes.

Last week President Trump announced that the Gulf of Mexico is recognized as the Gulf of America in the U.S. and its navigation apps. The Gulf remains identified as the Gulf of Mexico by all other countries. Following the name change, the Trump administration banned the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One saying that the AP’s continued use of the Gulf of Mexico, “is not just divisive, but it also exposes the Associated Press’ commitment to misinformation.”

On Friday, Feb. 14, a drone punctured the protective shell that covers the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine. The drone was armed with a warhead, which caused fear in the area notorious for its 1986 disaster. Russia and the Kremlin deny responsibility. Levels of radiation in Kyiv are normal as the drone did not pierce the inner containment shell.

Host: Linsey Towles

Editor: Aidan Swanepoel

Producers: El Nicklin, Aidan Swanepoel

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Apple Podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/long-beach-current-podcasts/id1488484518

Spotify⁠

https://open.spotify.com/show/4HJaqJep02kHeIQy8op1n1⁠

⁠⁠⁠Overcast

https://overcast.fm/itunes1488484518/long-beach-current-podcasts

With host Matthew Coleman away for the week, co-host Matthew Gomez takes the opportunity to hand the reins over to prospective future hosts, video assistant Junior Contreras and podcast assistant Gianna Echeverria.

Leading the discussion, Contreras takes no time to bring up the Luka Dončić trade and gauge how the panel feels about the move and the implications it could have. The trades involving Jimmy Butler and Mark Williams are also brought up before Naoki Gima goes into a rant about why he wants Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown off his team.

Like every week, the Fish Break continues with the panel challenged to name five former NBA players who have also played for the Shanghai Sharks.

Hosts: Junior Contreras, Gianna Echeverria
Guests: Naoki Gima, Matthew Gomez
Editor: Aidan Swanepoel
Producers: El Nicklin, Aidan Swanepoel
Like, comment, and follow us on your favorite platform for more content!

Apple Podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/long-beach-current-podcasts/id1488484518

Spotify⁠

https://open.spotify.com/show/4HJaqJep02kHeIQy8op1n1⁠

⁠⁠⁠Overcast

https://overcast.fm/itunes1488484518/long-beach-current-podcasts

Special guest Grace Lawson, an arts and life assistant at the Long Beach Current, joined Beach Weekly this week to introduce a new pop culture segment on the podcast. Lawson and Echeverria cover Grammy's news and 2025 trends.

Every day this week except Thursday, Associated Student Inc.'s Beach Kitchen is hostingCooking With Cupid, a free cooking class where students can learn to make vegan pasta, heart-shaped pizza and ramen. Each session is limited to 12 students, so reserve a spot for the date and time that works best for you in the Events & Orgs app on your CSULB Single Sign-On.

At the University Student Union Southwest Terrace on Wednesday, Feb. 12 you and your friends can enjoy a free concert and discover the artist PRETTY. This marksthe first noontime concert of the semester, which is hosted from noon to 1 p.m. Students can stop for a visit or hang out for the live show.

On Valentine's Day, the Aquarium of the Pacific is hosting a special event calledNight Dive. It begins at 7:30 p.m. and attendees can enjoy a live band, cash bars, DJs and more. You can get your ticket on their website for $44. All guests must be over the age of 18.

The Belmont Shore Business Association is putting on aChocolate and Wine Festival on Feb. 16. Starting at noon on 2nd Street guests can buy their $15 ticket sheets which they can swap for treats at each booth or store. For another $35, you'll get a souvenir cup and access to taste and pair the treats with wine. 

Following President Trump's Immigration Plans and Executive orders, there have been many ICE raids throughout the U.S. These raids have sparkedhundreds of protests nationwide. In Los Angeles, protesters had shut down the 101 freeway in Downtown LA and in many Southern California and Texas schools, students have walked out in protest with posters and signs. 

TheNCAA changed its policy to only allow people who were assigned female at birth to play women's sports. This decision follows Trump's executive order that aims to ban all transgender athletes in female sports. In a statement released by NCAA President Charlie Baker said, “President Trump’s order provides a clear, national standard. The NCAA Board of Governors is reviewing the executive order and will take necessary steps to align NCAA policy in the coming days, subject to further guidance from the administration.”

Sweden went through their worst mass shooting in history with 11 people, including the gunman, dead. Five others were seriously injured and underwent surgery that day. The shooting happened last Tuesday, Feb. 4 at an adult education center in the town of Örebro. AP News heard from many people including Emelia Fredriksson, a resident of Örebro. She spoke about how weird it feels to be in the spotlight, “they’re seeing us now and it’s a very strange feeling.”

Host & Editor:Gianna Echeverria
Guest:Grace Lawson
Producers: El Nicklin, Aidan Swanepoel

Like, comment, and follow us on your favorite platform for more content!

Apple Podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/long-beach-current-podcasts/id1488484518

Spotify

⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4HJaqJep02kHeIQy8op1n1⁠

⁠⁠⁠Overcast

https://overcast.fm/itunes1488484518/long-beach-current-podcasts

In this week’s episode, host Alex Gryciuk interviews guest Carly Weis, a graphic design student and small business owner in Long Beach.

Weis was inspired to create Sunshine Threads by the various outdoor activities she regularly participates in: surfing, snowboarding and spending time outside. Hoping to spread the joy of a cool accessory, she sews, sells and advertises fleece hats through Instagram. 

Learn what it is like to be a business owner while in college on this episode of Artist Banter!

Host & Editor: Alex Gryciuk

Guest: Carly Weis

Producers: El Nicklin, Aidan Swanepoel

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Apple Podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/long-beach-current-podcasts/id1488484518

Spotify

⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4HJaqJep02kHeIQy8op1n1⁠

⁠⁠⁠Overcast

https://overcast.fm/itunes1488484518/long-beach-current-podcasts

Underwhelmed and annoyed, the hosts Matthew Coleman and Matthew Gomez are joined once again by former host Naoki Gima and Long Beach Current sports editor Davis Ramage, to talk about this year's disappointing Super Bowl matchup.

Before getting to the big game, the group breaks down Championship weekend, starting with the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders game in the morning before transitioning to the nightcap between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills.

With Gima being an Eagles fan, he’s left being the only member of the group with a team to root for. He goes on to lay out the reasons why the game could propel Saquon Barkley into the best running back of all-time conversation.

Keeping it light-hearted, the episode wraps up with a Fish Break led by Gomez and concludes with a blind ranking of past Super Bowls put together by Coleman.

Hosts: Matthew Coleman, Matthew Gomez

Guests: Naoki Gima, Davis Ramage

Editor: Aidan Swanepoel

Producers: El Nicklin, Aidan Swanepoel

Like, comment, and follow us on your favorite platform for more content!

Apple Podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/long-beach-current-podcasts/id1488484518

Spotify

⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4HJaqJep02kHeIQy8op1n1⁠

⁠⁠⁠Overcast

https://overcast.fm/itunes1488484518/long-beach-current-podcasts

Black History Month events on campus this week include a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, a Coded Bias Viewing Party and a Meet the Greeks event.

On Thursday, Feb. 6 at 11 a.m., join the Black Resource Center and ASI Beach Pride Events for their 27th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration in the USU Ballrooms. The celebration is a free, informational event where students and staff can commemorate the civil rights leader.

Coded Bias is a focus group that will be meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6 in LH-150. The group is researching algorithmic bias and the way it affects people of color within our society. Also on Thursday is the Meet the Greeks event at 7 p.m. in the USU Ballrooms. Students are urged to wear business attire as they meet and talk with members of the Panhellenic community. 

Wellness and health are important while moving through the school year. A way to participate in something for yourself is Yoga on the Bluff by Yogalution. Available seven days a week from 11 a.m. to noon near Junipero Beach, this free yoga class is open to everyone regardless of yoga experience.

Another way to stay active and involved is the Student Recreation and Wellness Center's Run Club. Starting Feb. 6, there will be a weekly run every Thursday at 2 p.m. throughout the spring semester.

48-year-old Mark Allen Barger was caught by police on at least two occasions pointing his lasers at aircraft coming in and out of the Long Beach airport. The aircraft included were Long Beach Police Department helicopters and other commercial flights. He pled guilty in October 2023 and was sentenced on Thursday, Jan. 30 to six months in jail. 

To celebrate Black History Month, the Legacy & Unity Festival will be held this Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Downtown Long Beach Promenade. Starting at noon guests can visit cultural exhibits, booths featuring local black-owned businesses and much more. The main event stage will be hosting live music, keynote speakers and an open mic for anyone wanting to speak. The event will end at 4 p.m.

With the start of President Trump's second term, new executive orders that ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs will pause the recognition of cultural or historical events such as Black History Month. An internal memo published by the Defense Intelligence Agency listed 11 special observances they will stop observing effective immediately. Other federal agencies such as the the CIA and Justice Department are also making changes to their DEI initiatives.

A US Army helicopter fatally collided with an American Airlines flight arriving from Kansas on Wednesday, Jan. 29. Both aircrafts crash-landed in the Potomac River. It was confirmed that all 67 people aboard both flights were killed. Investigations into the crash are still underway.  

Super Bowl LIX will be in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Sunday, Feb. 9 and is being played by the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Halftime Show will be performed by Kendrick Lamar.

Host & Editor: Gianna Echeverria

Producers: El Nicklin, Aidan Swanepoel

Like, comment, and follow us on your favorite platform for more content!

Apple Podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/long-beach-current-podcasts/id1488484518

Spotify⁠

https://open.spotify.com/show/4HJaqJep02kHeIQy8op1n1⁠

⁠⁠⁠Overcast

https://overcast.fm/itunes1488484518/long-beach-current-podcasts

Guess what? Teed Up is back. Season five gets underway with a return of one of the original hosts, Naoki Gima, along with current hosts Matthew Gomez and Matthew Coleman. The trio recaps how the show came to be and how far it has come from banter to interviewing multiple high-profile guests.

Beyond the recap of how the podcast's history, the group reviews the biggest headlines of the Major League Baseball offseason. After winning the 2024 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers continue their reign of excellence by dominating free agency and acquiring top-tier talent.

A few weeks out from Super Bowl LIX, an NFC East matchup takes place, along with a budding rivalry in the AFC. The group discusses whether or not this is the year the Buffalo Bills get over the hump of beating the Kansas City Chiefs and putting a halt to their dynasty.

Hosts: Matthew Coleman, Matthew Gomez
Guest: Naoki Gima
Editor: Aidan Swanepoel
Producers: El Nicklin, Aidan Swanepoel
Like, comment, and follow us on your favorite platform for more content!

Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/long-beach-current-podcasts/id1488484518

Spotify
⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4HJaqJep02kHeIQy8op1n1⁠

⁠⁠⁠Overcast
https://overcast.fm/itunes1488484518/long-beach-current-podcasts

On Wednesday, Jan. 8 the University Library and the Academic Services building were evacuated due to a bomb threat. A university employee received the threat in a vague call and reported it. Once the police were on the scene, three canines swept the building and it was cleared of any dangers. The next day, the library was reopened for regular operations.

Just before returning to campus on Thursday, Jan. 16 a piece of the Walter Pyramid’s exterior ceiling collapsed and resulted in the Pyramid's temporary closure. Since then, all games scheduled to be played in the Pyramid have been held in the Goldmine gym. Games are expected to return to the Pyramid within the next couple of weeks.

This semester will be Long Beach State President Jane Close Conoley's last year as she announced her retirement before the end of the fall semester. As of now, the school has not released information on any potential candidates to follow in her footsteps.

This week will be Week of Welcome on the upper campus quad allowing students to learn more about the clubs and organizations on campus. Week of Welcome will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29 and Thursday, Jan 30.

Since the start of the Santa Ana winds in early January, almost 20 fires have burned in Southern California. The most destructive fires were the Palisades fire, the Eaton fire and the Hughes fire. The Palisades fire burned over 23,000 acres and is the largest fire to date in Los Angeles County. The Eaton fire in Altadena burned over 14,000 acres and the most recent Hughes fire has burned almost 10,000 acres. All of these fires combined have burned 50,683 acres, destroyed 16,188 structures and resulted in at least 28 deaths. 

This past Monday, Jan. 20 Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. On his first day in office, he rescinded 78 of former President Biden’s previously approved executive orders and signed more than 20 of his own. Some of the orders he signed included changing the names of Mount Denali and the Gulf of Mexico, withdrawing from the 2016 Paris Agreement, which fights international climate change, and several others that focused on deportation and immigration.

In the southeast United States, winter storm Enzo has brought once-in-a-lifetime snowfall all the way from Texas to Georgia. Most of these areas have not seen snowfall in years, causing extremely dangerous conditions. Over 90% of flights out of New Orleans International, Houston Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby airports were either delayed or canceled due to the storm.

Nintendo has released the first look at the Nintendo Switch 2 which will be released sometime in April 2025. To promote the release, Nintendo is holding the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience where consumers can try it out before purchasing. These events will be held in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas with the Los Angeles Experience being in early April. 

The start of the new year means awards season. The 82nd Golden Globes occurred on Jan. 5 and was hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser. Oscar nominations were released on Thursday, Jan. 23 with winners being announced later this year on March 2. Also coming up are the GRAMMYs which are being held next Sunday, Feb. 2. 

Host & Editor: Gianna Echeverria

Producers: El Nicklin, Aidan Swanepoel

Like, comment, and follow us on your favorite platform for more content!

Apple Podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/long-beach-current-podcasts/id1488484518

Spotify⁠

https://open.spotify.com/show/4HJaqJep02kHeIQy8op1n1⁠

⁠⁠⁠Overcast

https://overcast.fm/itunes1488484518/long-beach-current-podcasts

Movies, commercials and social media content --- every person with a phone or television consumes film creations on a regular basis. Obviously, cameras and acting make up a large aspect of video creation; however, without audio, films would be left incomplete.

Working closely with actors, directors and costumers, audio technicians serve as the sound experts by managing a myriad of technology and logistics to make sure viewers receive the best auditory experience.

On this week’s episode, learn about the Los Angeles film scene with host Alex Gryciuk and audio technician and boom operator Michael Alaynick. Learn about his professional career, the film industry, how employees are navigating artificial intelligence and the challenges he and his co-workers face on set.

Host & Editor: Alex Gryciuk
Guest: Michael Alaynick
Producers: El Nicklin, Aidan Swanepoel
Like, comment, and follow us on your favorite platform for more content!

Apple Podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/long-beach-current-podcasts/id1488484518

Spotify⁠

https://open.spotify.com/show/4HJaqJep02kHeIQy8op1n1⁠

⁠⁠⁠Overcast

https://overcast.fm/itunes1488484518/long-beach-current-podcasts