A dispute over keffiyehs at Sacramento’s Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC). Also, the challenges facing California’s wine industry. Finally, the fifth annual Latinx Comic Arts Festival.
MOSAC Keffiyeh Controversy
Controversy has erupted at Sacramento’s Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC) after some employees alleged they were treated poorly by management after wearing a black-and-white keffiyeh, a traditional Arab headdress that has become synonymous with Palestinians. Now, they say, management has changed the workplace policy banning certain types of clothes that MOSAC says “makes a political statement.” CapRadio’s Kate Wolffe joins us on Insight with more background on the story, reaction from MOSAC management, and why employees took action by voting to unionize.
California Wine Industry Challenges
California is one of the top wine producers in the world. But the industry is facing some hard realities. Younger generations aren’t turning to wine like their elders. Inflation isn’t really helping. There is an overabundance of grapevines. And there’s some competition from the cannabis industry. Our resident wine expert Rick Kushman joins us with more on the “why?” and “what can be done?” He’ll also explain why spring is the best time to show tasting rooms a little love.
Latinx Comic Arts Festival
The Latinx Comic Arts Festival is an annual Central Valley celebration of Latinx cartoonists, animators, artists, and other creators. Now in its fifth year, the event returns to Modesto Junior College on March 22-23. Festival director Dr. Theresa Rojas provides a preview of this year’s festival, which will feature dozens of workshops, panel discussions, and even a lowrider exhibition.

MOSAC Keffiyeh Controversy | California Wine Industry Challenges | Latinx Comic Arts Festival

Award-winning journalist Vicki Gonzalez hosts daily interviews with community leaders, advocates, experts, artists and more to provide background and understanding on breaking news, big events, politics and culture in the Sacramento region and beyond.

News & Politics

How the City of Sacramento proposed to close a $66 million deficit. Also, an update on the city sanctioned homeless encampment Camp Resolution. Plus, the author of “The Hungry Season.” Finally, artist Raphael Delgado.
City of Sacramento’s Proposed Budget & Camp Resolution Update
Sacramento released its proposed budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year, as the city aims to close a projected $66 million shortfall. That same day, Mayor Darrell Steinberg and District 2 Councilmember Shoun Thao unveiled a new proposal for Camp Resolution - a city sanctioned, self-governing homeless encampment. The city is proposing to close it this month, and Mayor Steinberg and Councilmember Thao want to transfer ownership of Camp Resolution to build affordable housing. CapRadio Sacramento Government Reporter Kristin Lam provides an update on the latest developments from city hall.
Book ‘The Hungry Season’
Following the end of the Vietnam War, thousands of Hmong refugees resettled in the United States - many making their way to California’s Central Valley. Fresno and Sacramento are home to the largest Hmong populations in the United States, only behind Minneapolis. For many refugees, farming provided a bountiful resource of nourishment, community, and reconnecting with family ancestry. A journalist spent seven years in rice fields, intimately learning the story of one radiant Hmong woman - and how growing her ancestor’s rice in the San Joaquin Valley led to newfound power. That intimate relationship, along with years of research, transformed into a literary portrait. Lisa M. Hamilton is a journalist and author of The Hungry Season: A Journey of War, Love, and Survival.
Artist Raphael Delgado
Sacramento’s Raphael Delgado has added a new accolade to his bio - “Best New Exhibitor” at Miami Art Week. The artist behind the giant mural of “California Bear” that lords over 21st Street joins Insight to talk about the business of art festivals and what he has planned next.

City of Sacramento’s Proposed Budget | Camp Resolution Update | Book ‘The Hungry Season’ | Artist Raphael Delgado

Sacramento City Council moves forward on Innovation Park in Natomas. Also, a nonprofit donor 101 ahead on Big Day of Giving. Finally, a mother and daughter write a memoir about Lyme Disease.  
Natomas Innovation Park
The Sacramento City Council took a big step forward in transforming what once was the Sleep Train Arena in north Natomas. Yesterday they unanimously approved a non-binding term sheet for a new financing district that would support the redevelopment project Innovation Park. The project spans 183 acres and includes residential units, as well as a California Northstate University academic campus and teaching hospital. Sacramento District 1 Councilmember Lisa Kaplan joins Insight to discuss what the next steps will be.
What to Know About Land Trusts
If you’ve been out looking for wildflowers around the Sacramento region recently — maybe you took a tour of Jepson Prairie Preserve or are planning to go to the poetry workshop at Wildflower Ridge in Nevada County — there’s a good chance you’ve had an experience with a land trust. But what is a land trust, you may be asking? Joining us to explain is Karin Winters, the California Onward Program Director for the California Council of Land Trusts. 
Donating to Nonprofits 101
Tomorrow is literally a “big day” for hundreds of nonprofits across the Sacramento region. Big Day of Giving is an annual 24-hour event that raises funds for nonprofits across El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo counties. There are more than 800 this year - each with a variety of unique uses, and it can be overwhelming to sift through all of them when deciding which ones to donate to. Niva Flor is the Chief Impact & Strategy Officer at the Sacramento Region Community Foundation - the organization that leads Big Day of Giving. 
Editor's note: CapRadio is a nonprofit participating in Big Day of Giving. 
Teen’s Journey Through Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States and can be difficult to diagnose. Most people don’t remember having a tick bite, and the symptoms can be confused with other conditions and illnesses. A mother and daughter lived through this debilitating uncertainty and are sharing their story of hope and survival despite medical skepticism. Rachel Leland, is the author of Finding Resilience: A Teen's Journey Through Lyme Disease. Her mother Dorothy Leland is the President of the patient advocacy organization LymeDisease.org and is co-author of the book. 

Natomas Innovation Park | Donating to Nonprofits 101 | Teen’s Journey Through Lyme Disease

Pro-Palestinian campus protests at universities across the country - including Sac State and Cal Poly Humboldt. Also, Loaves and Fishes responds to a landmark Supreme Court case on homelessness. Finally, Nevada County holds a “Dark Sky Photo Contest.”
Pro-Palestinian Campus Protests
Hundreds of students have been arrested following pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses across the country. The demonstrations and encampments are in support of the people of Gaza, and come with demands that universities divest from companies that do business with Israel. The organization behind the national movement is Students for Justice in Palestine, which says it’s supporting over 350 solidarity organizations across the U.S., including California state universities like Sacramento State. Cal Poly Humboldt demonstrations escalated over the past week. The university says 25 people were arrested Tuesday morning after protesters occupied two campus buildings and defied orders to disperse last Friday. Cal Poly Humboldt put a hard closure to campus over the weekend that extends through May 10 — the end of the semester. Kianna Znika is a student journalist and the station manager for KRFH, the student-run radio station at Cal Poly Humboldt. Sage Alexander is a reporter with the Times-Standard. Keith David Watenpaugh is a Professor and Director of Human Rights Studies at UC Davis.
Sacramento State and Cal Poly Humboldt were both invited to the show but declined. The Cal State Office of the Chancellor declined an interview, but in a statement responded to how CSU campuses are responding to demonstrations, “While the CSU operates as a system, it consists of 23 universities, each with unique sets of circumstances and local jurisdictions. As such, campuses are best qualified to make real-time decisions through a local lens, while understanding they have the support of the Chancellor’s Office.”
Loaves & Fishes
The Supreme Court is still considering the case of Grants Pass v. Johnson, which has been described as the most important case about homelessness in decades. The legal question revolves around whether unhoused people can be criminally punished for sleeping or camping outside, even if adequate shelter is not available. Loaves & Fishes Executive Director Angela Hassell joins Insight to talk about the services her organization provides, and what a Supreme Court decision could mean for the unhoused community here in Sacramento, which faces both a homelessness and affordable housing crisis.
Dark Sky Photo Contest
There has been a growing “dark skies” push from cities and counties that want to maintain an unadulterated night sky in rural spaces and protected wildlands. In an effort to raise awareness about light pollution, Nevada County launched Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, a photo contest capturing the naturally dark sky and its beauty - as well as the impact bright city lights can have on the landscape. Nevada County District 1 Supervisor Heidi Hall and Project Administrator Ariel Lovett join Insight with more on the contest and overall mission.

Pro-Palestinian Campus Protests | Loaves & Fishes | Dark Sky Photo Contest

California wants to welcome Arizona doctors following the state's potential abortion ban. Also, Placerville restaurants compete on Guy Fieri’s “Best Bite in Town” on Food Network. Finally, American River Raft Rentals celebrates 50 years. 
CA’s Response to Arizona’s Abortion Ban
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers announced legislation aimed at helping Arizonans access abortions after the Arizona Supreme Court allowed a near total-ban to move forward. CapRadio Healthcare Reporter Kate Wolffe explains how California could soon allow Arizona doctors to give their patients abortions in the Golden State.
Placerville Restaurants Compete on Food Network
The latest episode of the Food Network’s new competition show Best Bite in Town headed to Placerville in El Dorado County, pitting six local restaurants against one another for the coveted title. Mary Fulmer is the owner of Hog Wild Bar-B-Que, Brandon Guenther is the chef and owner of Rocker Oysterfeller’s Kitchen + Saloon, and Simona Salvatori is the owner of Amore Mio Italian Bistro, and they join Insight to talk about their experience, as well as the dishes they prepared.
50 Years at American River Raft Rentals
This month kicked off a popular time on the lower American River. Each year from late spring through summer, rafts fill the scenic American River Parkway - just 15 miles east of downtown Sacramento. American River Raft Rentals is the largest rafting company, offering self-guided floats on beginner stretches of the river since 1974. Kent Hansen is the co-owner of American River Raft Rentals and joins us about celebrating its 50th anniversary.


CA’s Response to Arizona’s Abortion Ban | Placerville Restaurants Compete on Food Network | 50 Years at American River Raft Rentals

Verge Center for the Arts sparks debate about inclusivity in Sacramento’s creative scene. Also, it’s peak time for baby deer - the dos and don’ts during fawn season. Finally, Aggie Square in Oak Park is putting a callout for local muralists.
Controversy at Verge Center for the Arts
Two artists of color were evicted from Verge Center for the Arts in March, sparking a public debate about the inclusivity of the region’s art scene. Many artists say it's symptomatic of broader trends outside of Verge. Earlier this year, SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC) was publicly embroiled in a dispute over keffiyehs. And Wide Open Walls received backlash for overlooking Asian artists in their Lunar New Year and T?t mural. CapRadio Reporter Srishti Prabha shares conversations with leadership at Verge, as well as with local artists of color who argue these issues highlight the need for more inclusive practices in the Sacramento arts scene.
Wildlife Dos and Don'ts for Fawn Season
Spring is the season of new beginnings and that includes a variety of wildlife - like baby deer. Fawns are making their way into the world, and most of the time it is best to honor the “wild” in wildlife, and just leave them alone. But some humans can’t seem to help themselves, and they interfere with Mother Nature. Dave Cook (also known as Deer Dave) is a fawn rehabber at Sierra Wildlife Rescue and joins us as he gears up for another busy season.
Aggie Square’s Callout for Muralists
A major project in Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood is putting a call out for local artists. The UC Davis Aggie Square innovation district wants to create two mural projects and is collecting artist applications until May 20 - with an information session on May 1. Donald Gensler is the Arts in Public Places Manager for the city of Sacramento and shares more details on how artists can apply for the projects, as well as the steps being taken to ensure that the selection process is open - and equitable - to artists from all communities and backgrounds.

MOSAC Keffiyeh Controversy | California Wine Industry Challenges | Latinx Comic Arts Festival

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