Olympic figure skater Tai Babilonia and her skating partner Randy Gardner rapidly ascended figure skating’s ranks to become World Champions in 1979. They were favorites at the 1980 Olympics, but an injury ended their dream of a medal. For our series Mixed! Stories of Mixed Race Californians, co-hosts Sasha Khokha and Marisa Lagos spoke to Babilonia about growing up in a mixed race family in the 1960s and the racism and exotification she faced as an athlete and public figure.
And we have an update on a family we've been following. In 2019, José Luis Ruiz Arévalos left his wife and kids in the Central Valley to apply for his green card in Mexico, but he ended up separated from them for almost four years. He got caught up in changes the Trump administration made to the questions consulate officials ask people trying to become legal residents. Last month, José was finally able to return home, but as Edsource Reporter Zaidee Stavely tells us, his forced absence changed the course of his children’s lives.
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MIXED!: 'Jump Higher, Spin Faster': Olympic Figure Skater Tai Babilonia on Her Rise to Fame

Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.

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Back in the early 1900s, the burgeoning city of Los Angeles needed water, and the Owens Valley—more than 200 miles northeast—had plenty of it. Today, about a third of LA’s water supply comes from the Owens Valley and other parts of the Eastern Sierra. But the city got that water at the expense of the Nüümü people, who have been working to get it back ever since. This week, reporter Teresa Cotsirilos from the Food and Environment Reporting Network brings us the story of one tribal elder's fight to reclaim these water rights for his community.
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The Nüümü People Claim LA Stole Their Water, Now They're Fighting for Its Return

California's Central Coast is the ancestral homeland of indigenous California tribes including the Chumash and Salinan peoples. For years, the Northern Chumash have been working to create a new marine sanctuary. If the federal government approves that designation this summer, California would be home to the first national marine sanctuary nominated by, and named after, an indigenous tribe. It’s the culmination of decades of tribal conservation work. And, as reporter Benjamin Purper tells us, it’s also the legacy of a father and daughter.
Later, we talk to professional rock climber Beth Rodden who has conquered some of the most treacherous climbs in the world. She was the first woman to complete two routes up Yosemite's famous El Capitan, with no gear helping to pull her up. But despite her success, she’s battled raging self-doubt and multiple injuries. Rodden spoke to KQED's Bianca Taylor about her new memoir, A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. 
Finally, we're revisiting a story from our Hidden Gems series about an old-school Los Angeles diner called Dinah’s, which closed its doors at the end of April. A developer bought the restaurant site and announced ambitious plans for new construction. Dinah’s is reopening as a new kind of restaurant in Culver City, but it’s the end of an era for the diner that’s been serving customers for more than six decades in the same location near the LA airport. Sasha Khokha takes us there.
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The First Indigenous-Named Marine Sanctuary; A Climber's Story; A New Home for a Beloved Diner

Famous for showcasing transgender performers for more than a quarter century, AsiaSF, the beloved San Francisco restaurant and club, closed its doors this week. Reporter Wilma Consul went to one of the final shows at AsiaSF, and tells us how the groundbreaking venue became a place where people from all over the world could find joy and authenticity.
And, California has had a state flower and state animal for awhile now, but this year we finally got an official state mushroom. KQED's Danielle Venton takes us foraging to try to find the Golden Chanterelle.
Finally, we head to Fresno County, where a group of farmworkers living in a mobile home park did something that might seem impossible in a time of rising housing costs: They bought the park from their corporate landlords. The California Report’s Madi Bolanos tells us how they did it.
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‘I’m Gonna Miss It’: Saying Goodbye to San Francisco's Beloved Cabaret, AsiaSF

We're in your feeds a little early this week, but for good reason: We're giving you a little peek behind the scenes! You'll be meeting some of the people who make The California Report Magazine, and we'll take you through the process of how a story gets made. If you like what you hear, please consider visiting donate.kqed.org/podcast and supporting the work we do at KQED. Thanks. 
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A Peek Behind the Scenes at the California Report Magazine

It's Youth Takeover week here at KQED, a time when we hand the mics over to local high school students. This year, we hear from teens at Fremont High School in in East Oakland. They talk about the challenges they face right now and tell us why they feel so misunderstood.
And we visit the San Fernando Valley, where high school seniors have taken over one of the most anticipated rights of passage: prom. LAist's Mariana Dale discovered a program at Sylmar Charter High School where students don’t just choose the theme and set up decorations: they actually grow and arrange the flowers for the big event. 
Plus, why doesn't California have more school buses? How kids get to and from school is a big part of the school experience for many kids. But if you’ve been looking closely you may have noticed there aren’t as many school buses as there are in other states. Katrina Schwartz, who’s a producer with KQED’s Bay Curious podcast, set out to figure out why.
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MIXED!: 'Jump Higher, Spin Faster': Olympic Figure Skater Tai Babilonia on Her Rise to Fame

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