In this episode: The role and responsibilities of the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party

Why local races matter and how party involvement influences election outcomes

Challenges of down-ballot races and voter engagement techniques

The significance of endorsements in local elections, including the Santa Barbara mayoral race

Fundraising realities for grassroots campaigns and the importance of community support

Deep dive into the upcoming County Supervisors race and candidate endorsements

The impact of federal policies on local communities and the importance of proactive leadership

Christian’s personal background: growing up in Nevada, activism origins, and his journey to Santa Barbara

Perspectives on LGBTQ+ advocacy, faith, and community building

The importance of values, respect, and authentic communication in politics

Future challenges and opportunities for Santa Barbara’s political landscape

Personal anecdotes and reflections on love, family, and community service

Daniel A. Nelson talk about his compelling, moving documentary "Are You My Brother?" and his many other works, in the latest episode of Santa Barbara Talks with Josh Molina. Nelson go this start as a journalist at Santa Barbara City College, serving as sports editor of The Channels. He freelanced for the Santa Barbara Daily Sound, and covered the San Francisco Giants before transferring to Columbia University to study documentary filmmaking. He has worked on the "Are You My Brother?" and The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson," as well as "And so I stayed," and "How to Survive a Pandemic."

Nelson, the son of two Associated Press sportswriters, shares his journalism stories, talks about his career and talks about the importance of journalism.

Please subscribe to this podcast and visit www.santabarbaratalks.com.

Consider a donation to this podcast at www.santabarbaratalks.com

Josh Molina has been a journalist in Santa Barbara for 20 years. He creates dynamic and engaging conversations with people on the topics of housing, education, art, culture, business and more. He also covered City Hall for the San Jose Mercury News. In addition to working as editor of the Santa Barbara News-Press, he teaches journalism at Santa Barbara City College. Please subscribe to his You Tube channel for more content. This podcast is owned by Joshua Molina and not affiliated with any other organization.

Santa Barbara City Councilman Oscar Gutierrez chats with Santa Barbara News-Press Editor Joshua Molina about why he supports a rent stabilization ordinance in Santa Barbara. He also explains why he backs the plan to build housing at Paseo Nuevo. Gutierrez recently took trips to Japan and China and shares what he learned there.

Joshua Molina is.the editor of the Santa Barbara News-Press and a journalism instructor at Santa Barbara City College. He speaks with community leaders and interesting people to talk about housing, education, business, politics, culture and the most important issues of the day. Support his podcast at santabarbaratalks.com and follow him at motownjoshnews on Instagram

Santa Barbara City Administrator Kelly McAdoo receive a $40,000 pay increase in salary and compensation. I break down the contract and explain the factors that led up to this and the problems with perception. McAdoo now makes $353,576 annually — and that's just her base.

Journalist Josh Molina talks about his love for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and how this year was bittersweet. He recalls his memories from childhood and describes what being a Dodger fan really means to him.

Josh Molina is a journalist and college instructor who creates dynamic conversations on the topics of housing, education and politics and much more. Please subscribe!

Santa Barbara's outspoken Aron Ashland, owner of The Cruisery, talks State Street, ebikes, cars, retail, restaurants and much more in the latest episode of Santa Barbara Talks with Josh Molina. Ashland has been a vocal critic of Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse. He has followed all of State Street's changes, with parklets, pedlets and outdoor dining.

Josh Molina is an award-winning journalist who has covered Santa Barbara for 22 years. He is also a professor of journalism at Santa Barbara City College. He hosts the Santa Barbara Talks podcast to bring people together and create conversations about the most important topics of the day facing our community, including housing, transportation, education, culture and politics. Visit Santa Barbara Talks with Josh Molina on YouTube and subscribe. Also make a contribution to support these podcasts at santabarbaratalks.com

Sullivan Israel, the leader of Strong Towns SB, joins Josh Molina for an extended conversation about cars, bikes, housing and the future of State Street. Israel is strong advocate of keeping downtown closed to vehicles, amid pressures to re-open the street to cars. Israel, a 25-year-old urban planner, also talks about Paseo Nuevo, downtown housing, gentrification and the upcoming City Council election.

Josh Molina is an award-winning journalist who has covered Santa Barbara for 22 years. He is also a professor of journalism at Santa Barbara City College. He hosts the Santa Barbara Talks podcast to bring people together and create conversations about the most important topics of the day facing our community, including housing, transportation, education, culture and politics. Visit Santa Barbara Talks with Josh Molina on YouTube and subscribe. Also make a contribution to support these podcasts at santabarbaratalks.com

Journalist Josh Molina talks about his experience covering the No Kings rally in Santa Barbara and offers some analysis on the event.

Robin Elander, executive director of the Santa Barbara Downtown Improvement Association, talks about re-opening State Street to one lane of cars, as part of a grand vision for State Street. Elander explains how Placer.ai data tracks pedestrian activity. She says that fewer people are returning to key blocks of State Street, while other areas of the city are growing, post-pandemic. Learn all about the effort, as well as the latest on the State Street Master Plan

The Santa Barbara Unified School District State of Schools held by the Santa Barbara Education Foundation met on Thursday morning. Here's some of my thoughts and highlight's of the event. Check out the full story in Noozhawk on Saturday. The bottom line -- test scores are up and Superintendent Hilda Maldonado explains why.