Former President Donald Trump is expected to announce that he will run for President once again. His expected announcement comes one week after the midterm elections in which his party and several of his chosen candidates failed to take back the Senate and made only marginal gains in the House, all despite President Biden’s low approval ratings. In the House of Representatives, California Congressman Kevin McCarthy will face a critical test as GOP members hold a leadership election as ballots across the country are still being counted for the final makeup of Congress. In California, Governor Newsom and many of his fellow Democrats cruised to victory last week, all the while, speculation continues to grow about Newsom’s future and if it includes a 2024 presidential run and potentially takes on people like Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, another presumed Presidential candidate. To bring us up to speed and provide more analysis, Insight invited Robin Swanson, a Democratic Strategist and Founder of Swanson Communications, and Republican political consultant Mike Madrid, co-founder of the Lincoln Project, onto the program. 

California has a new volunteer program for college students called College Corps, and it will mobilize a workforce of over three thousand students. The program aims to create a debt-free pathway for college students while working to solve problems in their communities. The College Corps’ goals are to aid with K-12 educational tutoring, tackle food insecurity, and take steps to help address climate change. Spearheading this task is Josh Fryday, California’s Chief Service Officer within the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom. Locally, Lynn Fowler, Consortium Director of Sacramento Valley College Corps, collaborates with other community colleges and universities to produce the massive undertaking. They both joined Insight to talk about the history, challenges, and how they envision the volunteer program for the years to come.

You may have noticed our theme music has changed, which was produced by Adrian Gilmore. Insight spoke with Gilmore about his work as a Northern California artist Poor Majesty and how his sound is influenced by his surroundings. He also discussed his influences in creating the show's theme music, the many instruments used to compose it, and how he wants listeners to interpret the show's new music.