We hear from constitutional lawyer, Danny Sheehan and his son, Daniel Paul Nelson about a new voting rights initiative of the Romero Institute. We discussed redistricting, the Supreme Court, and the perilous moment we are in before the mid-term elections. Daniel Sheehan (also known as Danny Sheehan) is a Harvard-trained constitutional and public interest lawyer, […]

An 8-million dollar grant program will support art in California’s state, regional, and local parks, including painting, performances, and other arts presentations with the goal of drawing more people to the parks and increasing support. When Armando Quintero, head of California’s State Parks system brought his mom to Ano Nuevo State Park, she danced along […]

The Santa Cruz Guitar Company celebrates 50 years as one of the most influential guitar shops in the world. Richard Hoover, the company’s founder, looks back on fifty years of making steel-string guitars.  Eric Clapton and Tony Rice have played Santa Cruz Guitar Company guitars, among other luminaries. Lutherie is an art, a science, and […]

  Sarah Goodyear is a journalist and author who has covered cities and transportation for publications such as Grist, CityLab, and Streetsblog. Doug Gordon is a TV producer and writer who is also a neighborhood safe streets advocate. They are authors, along with Aaron Naparstek, of the book Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the […]

UCSC professor Nolan Higdon has a unique take on the impact of the recent court settlement of nearly $18 billion, plus some changes in the platform. How much will it matter to the overall impact of the platform on society at large? We also discuss AI and its impact on the classroom.

Athlete Catherine Breed is fearless as she aims to swim the 900- mile coast of California. She has endured jellyfish stings and whale poop to set records for the fastest swim and now she has set her sights on this audacious project titled “Swim California”. I caught up with her during one of her rest […]

Each year for the past five years, I have taught a podcasting course in Dingle,Ireland, in the far westernmost, rural part of the country. This year 35 UCSC students spent six weeks studying podcasting and writing there. Listen to the whimsical results of their assignment to create 7-minute pieces of audio fun.    

On Nov. 3, voters across California will have an opportunity to weigh in on Proposition 44. The measure, if passed, would require federally qualified health centers, or FQHCs, to spend at least 90% of their annual revenue on expenses that advance the mission of the health centers. If the FQHCs fail to do so, they’ll […]

Longtime Monterey and Santa Cruz County resident Kate Hitt calls her small poetry press Many Names Press, but she's a woman who has worn many hats. After a long career in printing and graphic design, Kate got a job with benefits driving a school bus for Pajaro Valley Unified School District. It was physically hard work, but spiritually rewarding as she got to know the great variety of children and working people of this area. This year Kate published her first book, covering the experience in poetry, prose, photography, and watercolor. It's a lovely and thoughtful view of life inside the bus and out in the fields.

In June, healthcare providers, elected leaders and community advocates gathered in Watsonville to celebrate the grand opening of Encompass Community Services’ new state-of-the art Sí Se Puede Behavioral Health Center. While Encompass has been providing support to those struggling with mental illness and substance use disorder at facilities in Watsonville for decades, this newly-renovated health […]