On this episode of Solutions News, we focus on economic independence and how it helps everyday people stay out of poverty. Access to money - knowing how to earn it, how to manage it, and how to keep it, can be one of the most powerful forces in a person’s life.

Our guest is Kathy Odell, CEO-elect of Women’s Economic Ventures, known locally as WEV. For over two decades, WEV has been a leading provider of microenterprise development services to women along California’s Central Coast. We will explore the broader micro-lending movement, both in developing economies and as it’s been working in the USA, and share some tips on how we can help our children become strong money managers as well.

People continue to flock to the urban hubs of America, but our cities have struggled to keep pace with the people, leading to Americans who spend more than a reasonable share of income on housing, all the while there is not enough public assistance (or housing laws) to solve the problem. On this episode of Solutions News, we talk about the affordable housing crisis from a different perspective - how we got here and how we might address it. We’ve touched on this subject in several previous shows in other ways, but since it shelter is one of those basic needs, and lack of housing continues to challenge many communities in California, as well as across the nation, there is always more to say. We are excited to welcome our guest, Rob Fredericks, the CEO and Executive Director at the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara, who has been at the forefront of this challenge for several decades.

After the interview with Rob and some didyaknows, we end the show with a brief look at the importance of the personal relationships that can develop within neighborhoods - and specifically an innovative program called “Cool Blocks”. (Produced by Kristy Jansen, with assistance from Benjamin Schwartz)

In this week’s episode of Solutions News, we discuss microgrids in Puerto Rico, talk about corporations underwriting farmers’ transitions to organic food, and Rinaldo interviews Margaret Klein Salamon. After a discussion about the Green New Deal and Margaret’s organization The Climate Mobilization, Rinaldo discusses the ways in which gratitude changes your brain. (Original airdate 2/15/19) Produced by Kristy Jansen.

On this episode of Solutions News, we focus on the creative arts and argue that art and arts education ought to be celebrated as a solution, not considered an afterthought. Music, drawing, painting, photography, dance, poetry, storytelling, and even cooking, knitting and other hand-crafts - all these forms of creative expression are essential human skills. Some argue that ART - defined broadly - is what makes us human, and see it as key to creating social cohesion and for individual self-development.

Our guest is Judi Wiesbart, who is one of the (24) founding artists for Mike Cregan’s new La Cumbre Center for the Creative Arts. We talk with Judi about the La Cumbre project, about her art and sculpture, along with her social activism and how it all fits together. For as the 19th-century artist Edgar Degas explained: “ART is not what you see, but what you make others see.” (Guest Host: Kristy Jansen. Produced by Kristy Jansen and Benjamin Schwartz)

On this episode of Solutions News, we welcome the honorable Monika Penukonda, director of the Divine Lineage Meditation & Healing Center in Mendocino, CA. She was in Santa Barbara to raise awareness and funding for projects that exhibit possible ways to live in harmony as a community in times of a changing climate, especially in areas like Mendocino which are struggling in the face of power shut-offs and fire breakouts. Monika brings in a spiritual perspective of living in harmony as we move into an environmentally unsettled future. Because climate change is warming Earth by the day, it is essential for builders to consider adverse climate conditions such as fires, drought, and flooding in construction. In addition to hosting Monika as the featured guest, the show also explores innovative, sustainable, and resilient building construction for the future. Two specific technologies mentioned are Rammed Earth construction and 3D Printed housing. After our “didyaknows”, we turn our eyes to Copenhagen, Denmark. This city nearly burned to the ground several times in its history, which perhaps is one of the reasons it stands out today as one of the “greenest” cities today. (Produced by Kristy Jansen)

On this episode of Solutions News, we sit down with Andrew MacCalla, VP of Emergency Response and New Initiatives at Direct Relief, one of the most nimble and effective non-profit aid organizations in the country. From being on the ground in Haiti for 2 years after the 2010 earthquake to managing medical deployments after Hurricanes Harvey, Maria, and Dorian, Andrew has tremendous experience on the front lines of disaster relief and recovery. We talk with him about providing life-saving medical packs, medicines and now helping local medical centers build their own solar and storage based microgrids to keep the power on in the face of the next outage. It may even be that Puerto Rico has something to teach California now that the major utilities are preemptively shutting off our power!

In addition to talking Direct Relief, Rinaldo gives an update on Puerto Rico's development into a microgrid leader. We also explore the role of NGOs in providing essential help after natural disasters and other unsettling events. (Produced by Kristy Jansen)

On this episode of Solutions News, we interview Rabbi Michael Lerner about his newest book, Revolutionary Love: A Political Manifesto to Heal and Transform the World. We also explore Americans' obsession with work and ask if a reduced work-week might actually improve productivity. In addition, we feature our "didyaknows" and spotlight voting and activism in shaping our world. As Anita Roddick once said: "If you think you're too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in your sleeping bag."

On this episode of Solutions News, we focus on education - it’s incredible power to transform lives, and why we should be investing in education as a society - not abandoning every family to fend for themselves. Our guest is Victoria Juarez, the CEO and President for the Scholarship Foundation, an incredible local organization that in 2019 alone gave $8 Million worth of scholarship support to nearly 2500 Santa Barbara students in college, graduate and vocational schools. As the education activist Malala Yousufzai reminds us, “Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.” (Producer: Kristy Jansen)

Maya Angelou once said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” On this episode of Solutions News, we take on the complex and distressing topic of domestic violence. Jan Campbell, Executive Director of Domestic Violence Solutions for Santa Barbara County joins Rinaldo and Kristy in the studio to describe the problem, and discuss solutions. Inspired by the topic, our main story focuses on the subject of emotional intelligence. Mastering this critical human skill helps us with our relationships, self-regulation, and navigating the social world. Later on, we explore the connection between shame and violence, and turn a spotlight on a UK prison program that teaches offenders empathy and self-regulation and thereby improves recidivism rates.

Additional resources:

https://dvsolutions.org/get-help/hotlines/

https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/fastfact.html

https://www.psychalive.org/insight-into-the-violent-mind/

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-11947481

Producer: Kristy Jansen

Assistant Producer: Benjamin Schwartz

Audio Engineer: Mark Giles

On this episode of Solutions News, Rinaldo interviews U.S. Congresswoman Katie Porter about congressional oversight and the role of regulation in banking. This fascinating conversation should not be missed!