Voxcali

California authorities were led to a cabin that hid 11 victims abducted by Charles Ng and Leonard Lake. 

A routine shoplifting arrest in San Francisco led to the investigation of one of the most disturbing and gruesome string of atrocities in California history. The evidence showed Charles Ng to have committed acts of depravity and cruelty against 11 women but it would take 14 more years for him to be tried and convicted.

Born in Hong Kong on December 24, 1960, Charles Ng was the youngest of three children. Being the only son of a wealthy Hong Kong executive, Charles was often disciplined violently by his father. As a teen Charles was expelled from many schools, including a boarding school in England, and was described by his peers as a troubled loner.

He moved to the United States on a student visa in 1978 and enrolled at the College of Notre Dame in Belmont, California, only to drop out after one semester. There, he was involved in a hit-and-run accident. To avoid prosecution Charles enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in October 1979. But his tour of duty was cut short when he was caught stealing automatic weapons from the Kaneohe Bay base armory.

A few months later in 1980 Ng was court-martialed and dishonorably discharged, but was able to flee back to northern California before completing his sentence. He then met survivalist Leonard Lake. The pair developed a close bond and shared a mobile home in Ukiah where they kept a large stash of illegal weapons and explosives.

A police raid of the mobile home in April 1982 led to Ng’s arrest. Leonard was released

That’s when their spree of mayhem and murder began.

Ng and Lake lured 11 victims to the cabin and held them captive in the bunker for long periods, often months, torturing, then killing them with gunshot or by other, more gruesome means. Two of the victims weren’t identified until 2025.

The deadly spree continued until June 2, 1985 when Ng was caught shoplifting from a hardware store in San Francisco. The police responded and discovered that Ng was accompanied by Lake. A search of Lake’s vehicle uncovered unlicensed guns and a silencer. That was ample grounds to arrest Lake while Ng was arrested for shoplifting.

While in custody Lake swallowed a hidden cyanide pill and was later found dead. This prompted the authorities to trace his life back to the Wilseyville cabin where investigators discovered the torture bunker along with buried human remains, videotapes of victims, and journals detailing the murders.

During the booking process, Ng managed to escape while the officers were dealing with paperwork and fled to Canada. On July 6 of the same year he was caught shoplifting a can of salmon from a Calgary department store. When confronted, Ng pulled a gun and shot a store security guard. He was convicted in Canada for assault and robbery and served several years in prison before being extradited to the United States on September 26, 1991.

The trial of Charles Ng didn’t begin until October 26, 1998. It became one of the longest and most expensive trials in California history. It wasn’t until February 24, 1999 that he was convicted of multiple counts of murder and sentenced to death by lethal injection.

Now 65, Charles Ng, remains on death row at San Quentin State Prison.

After dominant wins over Gaethje and Poirier, the “Blessed” era moves to the lightweight division for a headlining rematch with Charles Oliveira.

Veteran UFC fighter Max Holloway is the Baddest Mother*ucker in the game – and that’s not a self-proclaimed label.  He holds the official “BMF” belt, a sanctioned title created to honor the warrior who embodies the “anyone, anywhere” grit that defines the sport’s elite.

Holloway most recently defended this title at UFC 318 in July 2025, where he defeated Dustin Poirier in unanimous decision in their highly anticipated trilogy bout.  The win improved the Polynesian icon’s record to 27-8 and signaled his return to the lightweight division.

He first captured the BMF mantle in April 2024’s UFC 300, delivering an iconic moment by knocking out Justin Gaethje in the final second of the fifth round after calling for a center-octagon slugfest.

The former featherweight champion has tallied up 12 post-fight bonuses, including seven Fight of the Night and five Performance of the Night honors.  Known for his relentless high-volume striking style, Holloway holds UFC records for total and most significant strikes – no other fighter is within 1,000 of either mark.

Now 34, the Hawaiian made his professional fighting debut at just 18. 

Holloway has built an engaging social media presence with over 7 million followers across platforms.  His YouTube channel offers fans an inside look at his life and the rigorous training camps leading up to his world-class matchups.

A headlining BMF title defense awaits at UFC 326 on Saturday, March 7th, in a high-stakes rematch against former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.  The bout is a significant rematch of their 2015 encounter, which ended prematurely due to an esophageal injury to Oliveira.

Holloway’s path to victory lies in overcoming a 5-inch reach disadvantage by managing distance and utilizing his elite footwork to create striking opportunities.  While he is currently ranked number 4 in the lightweight division, just behind Oliveira, oddsmakers favor the Hawaiian. 

A victory in this compelling rematch would not only defend his BMF status but could officially cement Max Holloway as a first-ballot UFC Hall of Famer.

After fleeing the Khmer Rogue, Cambodian immigrants helped reshape SoCal’s food culture by turning small donut shops into neighborhood fixtures.

Did you know approximately 80% of independent donut shops in Southern California are owned by Cambodian immigrants?

It all began in the mid-70s. Cambodian refugees fled the Khmer Rouge, many of them settling in Southern California. One of those refugees was Ted Ngoy and he is known as “The Donut King” today. When he arrived in the States, Ngoy worked different jobs to take care of his family and eventually found an affirmative action training program through Winchell’s Donuts.

Ngoy later managed a Winchell’s store in Newport Beach, employed his wife and nephew and by 1977 he was able to purchase his first donut shop in La Habra, Christy’s Donuts. Under his ownership, Christy’s became a hit and from there, Ngoy expanded his network and owned over 25 donut shops by 1979, which were all run by his Cambodian relatives and other refugees. So not only was Ngoy growing his business, he was also sponsoring and training Cambodians who were fleeing to the United States.

Ngoy and his family lived out of a motor home and traveled throughout SoCal establishing different shops and owned 32 Christy’s locations in 1987. Ngoy showed refugee families the blueprint for rebuilding and setting up a practical opportunity. Donut shops operate early in the morning and owners can employ their family members, reducing staff costs.

Cambodian families began following this blueprint, passing down stores through the generations. Today there are roughly 1,500 independent donut shops in Southern California with about 80% of them being Cambodian-owned. Second and third-generation Cambodian Americans are modernizing the legacy with gourmet concepts and hopping on social media trends.

Donut shops started as a survival strategy for refugee families, but now it's one of the most motivating entrepreneurial success stories in American food culture.

Defending champion Japan seeks their fourth WBC title, while a stacked U.S. squad is listed as the favorite.

The stage is set for the 2026 World Baseball Classic beginning on March 5th.  The premier international tournament will take place in the Tokyo Dome, Houston’s Daikin Park, San Juan’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium, and Miami’s LoanDepot Park.

All eyes are on Japan, the defending champions who clinched the 2023 title in dramatic fashion when Shohei Ohtani struck out then-teammate Mike Trout.  Their roster again will feature the NL MVP, Dodger teammate and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and one of the most talked about international acquisitions of the offseason – White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami.

While Japan is the historic powerhouse – and the only country with multiple titles – odds makers are currently favoring team USA.  The American squad consists of MLB superstars, led by AL MVP Aaron Judge and Cy Young winners Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal.

The Asian contingent is complete with South Korea and Chinese Taipei.  South Korea, captained by Giants’ star outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, has bolstered its squad with four US-born players.  Chinese Taipei enters the fray with a roster featuring Asian American prospects Stuart Fairchild of the Guardians’ system and Jonathon Long of the Cubs’ organization.

The final again will take place in Miami on March 17th.

After spotting an underserved market, Larry Liu turned Weee! into a $4.1 billion Asian grocery platform serving millions across the nation.

For years, Asian communities in America struggled to find ingredients needed to recreate traditional recipes. Asian grocery stores were far away and there was always a limited selection of product, but when Larry Liu ran into this problem, it also sparked an idea.

Larry Liu was born in Wuhan, China and graduated from Shanghai Jiao Tong University with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering. After graduation, he was able to get a job at Intel, which later relocated him to the United States, allowing him to also earn his master’s at UC Davis’ Graduate School of Management in 2008.

While he was working and in school, Liu would sell electronics on eBay, opening up an interest in online retail. In 2015, Liu and his friends decided to launch an e-commerce platform in the Bay Area, calling it Weee!. It started as a WeChat group buying service that connected immigrants with hard-to-find ingredients. Customers would text back and forth, then wait a week to get the product and drive somewhere nearby to pick it up.

In 2017, the company pivoted from group buying to an online grocery delivery service and was able to expand to Seattle. Once the pandemic hit in 2020, the demand for online grocery delivery surged and Weee! opened up their offerings to tens of thousands of items including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Filipino, Indian, and Latin American ingredients.

Under Liu’s leadership as CEO, Weee! was able to raise over $800 million in funding from major investors and turn the platform into North America’s #1 Asian grocery app. Weee! has fulfilled tens of millions of orders and following its Series E funding round, it has reached a valuation of $4.1 billion.

Larry Liu started Weee! as a small WeChat group experiment and transformed it into a nationwide platform giving millions of immigrant families access to familiar foods and solving a deep problem that helped reshape the grocery delivery industry.

Chitose Abe launched Sacai from her Tokyo home and mastered the art of “hybridization” before bringing her brand to Paris runways.

While most designers are creating clothing, Chitose Abe is engineering them through Sacai, a Tokyo based fashion house that has been perfecting a design formula that is recognizable on any runway.

Chitose Abe was born in Gifu, Japan in 1965. Growing up, she developed an early love for fashion due to her mother’s work as a seamstress. She was known as the trendsetter amongst her friends and knew by age 11 that she wanted to pursue a career in fashion.

Before founding Sacai in 1999, Abe worked closely with renowned avant-garde designer, Junya Watanabe at Comme des Garçons. This is where she obtained knowledge of experimental construction and learned how to manipulate silhouettes and challenge traditional styles. When she left Comme des Garçons, she launched Sacai from her Tokyo home as a creative outlet after becoming a mother. Abe’s pieces continued to evolve and she eventually created a style she calls “hybridization”, which was the fusion of two or more garments, like a hoodie merged with a tailored suit jacket.

Abe grew her brand for nearly a decade and in 2009 Sacai finally made it to Paris Fashion Week with its very first runway for the Autumn/Winter season. Critics were in awe of her ability to merge different aesthetics without making the piece feel overly chaotic, describing her technique as “against the grain” style.

From there Abe’s work earned industry-wide recognition, including a spot on the Business of Fashion 500 list in 2013 and multiple collaborations with fashion’s biggest names like Dior, Nike, and The North Face, helping them reimagine classic best sellers. More recently, Abe has strengthened Sacai’s presence in Paris with a new headquarters, making it known that she is serious about being a part of the fashion capital.

The industry is driven by rapid trend cycles, but Chitose Abe has been able to stick with her “hybridization” formula and build a brand that doesn’t make you choose between identities, which is exactly why Sacai is winning in contemporary luxury.

Join us as we explore the lives and times of some of history's most prominent women of Asian and Asian American descent.

Michelle Wu became a diamond in politics under the kind of early pressure that causes some to collapse

INTRO:

“We are ready to become a Boston for everyone.”

This is a quote from Harvard graduate and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. And that’s a bold statement for a city known for its tradition and Mayflower-age heritage. Boston is one of the 13 original colonies and had a checkered history when it comes to diversity.

Alone, this has made her stellar ascent in the regional political realm nothing short of extraordinary.

But anyone will tell you, that’s just who Michelle Wu is – extraordinary.

Not only did she graduate Cum Laude from Harvard, she became mayor at 36.

This is a time when many women are settling into their careers, even changing professional paths and embracing new roles. But not Michelle, she was putting herself squarely in the spotlight for questioning and criticism.

She has held on to her mayoral seat through an election cycle, ultimately running unopposed in 2025 after Josh Kraft, whose dad owns the New England Patriots, outspent her by multitudes yet still under-performed in the preliminary to Michelle Wu’s staggering 49-point lead.

He withdrew and no one else was close to receiving the minimum votes to be put on the ballot.

Winning feels good. Winning twice, is better.

Winning as a woman? Even sweeter.

We’ve taken some time away from politics here on Ladies & Legends, and I feel like it’s a good moment at the start of the Year of the Fire Horse to throw ourselves back into the kiln so-to-speak.

Let’s get smarter, tougher, and more ambitious.

HOST:

"Hello welcome to Ladies and Legends, the podcast where we explore the personal journeys of legendary women and business leaders of Asian and Asian American descent. I’m your host Juyun, and today’s story is about the spunky challenger who, through her candidacy has highlighted the changing demographics of even the most traditional American cities, Boston.

Quick note, Boston is around 10.4% Asian American, Massachusetts is around 8.3% Asian American. These numbers surprise a lot of people, but they really shouldn’t.

What do Asian Americans love? Education. And what does Massachusetts have? Universities, lots of them, including world-renowned MIT, Harvard, Wellesley, etc.

Also it should be noted that these figures do not include foreign Asian students, of whom there are many.

Boston was one of the colonies founded by Puritan settlers escaping political and religious persecution. However, ironically and somewhat tragically, in more recent years Boston has been the site of known systemic disparities related to racial profiling, de facto segregation in schools due to policies like red lining, and other unsavory practices.

In fact as recently as 2023, Massachusetts ranked second in the nation for white nationalist propaganda activity. Texas ranked first according to the Anti-Defamation League.

This all sets the stage for Michelle Wu’s historic mayoral race and the success she’s seen as a policy and changemaker in office.

Her administration produced more affordable housing and new home owners in three years than any comparable period since 1998. She also advanced Boston municipal’s Green New Deal, launching programs like geothermal energy networks, fossil-fuel restrictions in buildings, and divested city investments tied to fossil fuels and prisons.

This is just a small sampling of her tremendous accomplishments.

She’s the emblem of grace under fire and belief in better.

And she gets things done, so let’s get into it.

PART 1: Early Life & Identity

Michelle Wu was born in Chicago on a cold January day. The 14th to be exact in 1985.

She is a Wood Rat which are known for being smart, resourceful, versatile. And the element of wood brings her a certain steadiness and creativity.

Her parents were immigrants from Taiwan. And their parents before them, were immigrants from mainland China. Her childhood wasn’t marked by political ambition. Just the opposite in fact, it was marked by political avoidance due to their own history of escaping civil war and corruption.

She has said:

“We never discussed politics at the dinner table, barely talked about current events. I realized later this was an intentional decision by my parents.” (Commonwealth Beacon)

Her father was admitted to the Illinois Institute of Technology for graduate studies however due to limited English proficiency, Wu ended up being the de facto translator.

Wu is the oldest of 4 children and in high school was a gifted student earning perfect ACT and SAT scores and was selected as a Presidential Scholar from Illinois.

For context this is considered one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students. In the whole country, only 161 eligible high school seniors are selected.

Her parents separated when she was in high school. Her father moved away, and this left Wu to care for her two younger sisters and mother. They would ultimately divorce. Her mom would descend into severe mental illness and Wu would move back to Chicago, a Harvard grad, to care for her family.

It was during this time of having to translate documents, navigate systems her family couldn’t fully access, that she came to the conclusion that political avoidance wasn’t a sustainable life tactic. She opened a tea shop to help her family stay afloat before ultimately moving back to Cambridge, family in tow, to attend Harvard Law School.

“The systems we had to interact with weren’t designed for people like my family,” she said.

Even during her undergrad years, on the weekends while her classmates stayed close to Cambridge or visited home, she would take the Red Line over the Charles River to Boston to teach classes to seniors in Chinatown looking to become naturalized citizens.

 “And that was my home,” Wu says. “That was my home away from home. That feeling of being surrounded by amazing people who had given up so much to come to this country for their families, and I’m getting to help them a little bit in navigating a very important part of their life.”

After the classes she taught some of her students would ask her for help understanding things like overdo utility bills.

She has said of this “ah-ha” moment:

“It’s all connected when you realize there are so many resources around, the services are there, the point of our government in such a well-resourced city is to provide that support and yet the disconnect when people most need that help is huge.”

So the summer before Wu started at Harvard Law School (that’s right she’s a double Harvard Alum), she worked at a legal services clinic in Jamaica Plain. She also decided to learn Spanish based on the large population base there.

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PART 2: From Harvard Law School to Purpose

At Harvard Law School, Michelle Wu studied under Elizabeth Warren.

Warren’s focus on structural fairness — how systems shape opportunity — deeply influenced Wu’s thinking. Though that’s not to say her initial aim was politics. It wasn’t.

She worked in civil rights advocacy and consumer protection, because what interested her, was fixing systems. And this was the orientation shaped her entry into Boston politics.

When she ran for City Council in 2013, she didn’t campaign as a personality.

She campaigned as a planner. Her talking points were transit equity, housing production, and climate resilience. In a city known for personality-driven politics, this was unusual.

But it worked.

Boston, like many cities, was beginning to feel the strain of inequality, housing costs, and infrastructure aging.

She has said:

“What we need to just connect all the dots is leadership that has that sense of bold aspiration, urgent action, and community-based vision.” (Commonwealth Beacon)

So in 2013 the top four elected earned a seat in the City Council. Michelle Wu came in 2nd. In 2015, she came in second again. In 2017 and 2019, she came in first. After that she decided not to seek a fifth term, and instead run for mayor.

Some of her accomplishments on City Council include:

A paid parental leave ordinance that provided city employees with six weeks of paid parental leave after childbirth, stillbirth, or adoption.

Wu authored this plan and Mayor Marty Walsh supported Wu's ordinance prior to its adoption, and signed it into law in May.

She also put forth a resolution with fellow councilor Matt O’Malley to have the city adopt Community Choice Aggregation, an alternative to the investor-owned utility energy supply system. Basically, the CCA chooses the power generation source on behalf of the consumers and with a bigger negotiating power than individuals alone have, can secure better rates.

You know those re-usable bags we love so much? In Boston you have Wu to thank for that.

Wu was the one with her fellow councilor O’Malley, to implement the plastic bag ban. This was something the mayor had formerly opposed, but ultimately signed into law.

Honestly I could go on and on about Wu’s accomplishments in City Council, but then I’d just be bragging way too much, and we don’t have time for that here.

Suffice to say, her feats in the areas specifically of free public transport which gained some headway, housing, seeking to stabilize prices and increase citizen home ownership rather than investor ownership for short term rentals, and environmental and law enforcement matters, were impressive for a policymaker at any age, but especially one so young.

PART 3: Personal Life

Before we get into her first mayoral race, I want to talk a little bit about what was going on behind the scenes in Wu’s personal life.

If anyone deserves a happy ending it’s Michelle Wu.

And she by all accounts has found it.

Wu is married to Conor Pewarski, a man she met when she was playing hostess for a post-Yale-Harvard game soiree. He came through mutual friends and the rest as they say, is history. He finished up school at Yale and they dated long distance before moving to be with her.

They married in 2012 and have three children.

Pewarski himself also comes from a big brood as the oldest of five siblings.

Perhaps the most important part of his dossier is that Pewarski has been extremely supportive of Wu’s work and ambitions. While sources mention his prior work in banking, he has since left that field.

He’s said:

“I don’t see myself as giving up my career altogether. But it’s hard to say that there’s a more important job than what my wife is doing. So, really, my primary job right now is making her successful at that.” (The Boston Globe)

In this era of individual achievement, it’s nice to see a spouse so supportive of his wife, so kudos to Mr. Pewarski and we’re all happy to hear that Michelle Wu has a helpful partner that allows her to reach for the stars when it comes to bridging equality gaps and policy change for the citizens of Boston.

PART 4: The Mayoral Race & Stars Align

So this brings us to Wu’s first mayoral run in 2021.

At the time the whispers were that she would be running against incumbent Marty Walsh another Democrat who served as mayor since 2014. And that would have been something because he is widely regarded as an incredibly popular public figure, maintaining a favorability rating reaching 70% among voters in 2020.

But this tells us even more about Wu – she’s not afraid of a little challenge.

But sometimes stars align.

As fate would have it, the Biden administration nominated Walsh for the Secretary of Labor position. This lead to an open-seat election.

Just days later, Wu’s former law school contracts professor Elizabeth Warren, endorsed her for the position. Even in the nonpartisan primary she was the widely regarded frontrunner. When it came time for the general election, though she faced off against former City Council colleagues, she secured endorsements from the acting mayor, congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, and both of Massachusetts’ U.S. Senators.

As a familiar name with a progressive agenda, she won handily with 64% of the vote.

She was the first non-white person, and first woman to be elected.

I think this brings up something worth talking about.

Her rise to the top ranks of local politics certainly seemed meteoric.

But it wasn’t, was it?

It happened through the compounding of hard work, belief, collaboration – in my research many of the things she accomplished as City Council member, required her not only to push her agenda through, but to actually author the plans herself. And they all had clear direction – we’re building an economy of care and sustainability for people and for the environment.

And Michelle’s deep roots as the daughter of immigrants navigating a complex governmental system allowed her to empathize and understand a system that does not work for everyone or in fact most people except the privileged. And it gave her the conviction to take her hard-earned legal and intellectual skills to the task of fixing the system, so to speak.

The pressure that some people collapse under, is the same pressure that makes a diamond.

Sometimes all that work we do behind the scenes without getting apparent credit is exactly the thing that propels us light years forward at a future point.

Do the work, keep the faith, and keep it moving.

PART 5: In Office Accomplishments

For many voters, Wu represented a generational shift in leadership — away from transactional politics toward structural governance.

And the progressive agenda she ran on meant:

• Affordable housing

As mayor, Wu’s policies have reflected the same themes that defined her campaign.

Climate Action as Civic Survival

Boston faces rising seas and aging infrastructure. Wu’s approach treats climate as a governance issue, not a branding issue.

She declared a climate emergency and pushed Boston toward aggressive emissions reduction strategies.

Her administration has invested in building electrification, climate-resilient infrastructure, and long-term sustainability planning.

In fact, Boston is now seen as one of the most climate-forward cities in the U.S.

Housing as the Foundation of Equity

Wu has also focused heavily on housing production and tenant protections.

Her framing is clear:

Cities become inequitable not because of intention — but because of inaction. If housing doesn’t keep pace with growth, infrastructure and equity collapses.

Wu’s housing initiatives aim to prevent Boston from becoming a city only the wealthy can inhabit. And towards that goal Boston has started construction on 17,000+ housing units between 2022 and 2024.

And it was mentioned in the intro, but her administration produced more affordable housing and new homeowners in three years than any prior three-year period since 1998 pushed policies like rent stabilization proposals and programs to convert offices into housing to address shortages. 

Transportation as Opportunity Access

Wu’s push for fare-free bus pilots reflects a broader philosophy, which is that transportation isn’t just mobility. It’s access.

To jobs.

Wu’s approach reframed transit as social infrastructure and she launched fare-free bus pilots on several routes serving lower-income neighborhoods.

Schools and Public Services

She proposed major investments in school infrastructure tied to climate and equity goals. She also wants to increase attendance by addressing things like transportation reliability and participation in upwardly mobile AP programs.

Public Safety

During Michelle’s Wu’s mayoral tenure Boston recorded record low homicide and gun-violence levels which has made it one of the safest major U.S. cities. She also negotiated police contracts that introduced transparency and accountability reforms.

I want to say, it can be argued that accessibility to greater services and support for those in lower socioeconomic stratas and improved access to education, also contribute to lower crime.

Whatever the reason, probably a combination of many factors, this is impressive.

City Infrastructure and Homelessness Response

Improvements included rebuilding sidewalks, upgrading lighting, improving ADA access, and expanding 311 services. Her administration created multiple transitional housing sites and moved hundreds from encampments into services and shelter.

OUTRO:

Michelle Wu recently won re-election.

She remains an extremely popular mayor, with an approval rating of 61%.

To provide a balanced perspective I looked into what criticisms she faced and many of them stemmed from her management style.

She’s kind of bossy.

For instance, she has been criticized for acting with limited collaboration from community leaders when it comes to community improvement projects in their areas.

An example of this is choosing construction firms that weren’t selected through community recommendation.

She has also been criticized for providing police and law enforcement a list of her more aggressive detractors which some see as Nixonian level control.

And it was frowned upon when she reversed a stance to originally implement a partially elected school committee.

But no one’s perfect. And we all make concessions to move forward.

The sheer level of achievement under her stewardship deserves applause. And in the current climate where personality over substance gets rewarded in politics, Michelle Wu’s substance over show is refreshing.

That wraps up today’s episode of Ladies and Legends. Whether you respect her resilience or stand in awe of her certainty at such a young age, Wu’s drive and conviction to get things done cannot be denied.

I’ll leave you with this last quote:

“The success of Boston’s economy is intertwined with the health and well-being of every neighborhood.”

Thanks for listening. Be sure to follow the show, leave a review, and share this episode if you enjoyed it. I’m Juyun, and I’ll catch you next time on “Ladies and Legends."

Bryan Kim, Mahanth Chirravuri, and Bryan Lee are currently holding three of the nation’s top six spots.

Across the fairways of the NCAA a trio of Asian American powerhouses are rewriting the record books and cementing their status as the future of professional golf.

Duke junior Bryan Kim has emerged as one of the most prolific golfers in the country, holding the #3 national ranking.  In the first half of the current season he claimed individual medalist honors at the Bryan Bros Collegiate and the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate, shooting -16 and -11, respectively.  His performance at the Bryan Bros Collegiate tied the Duke golf record with a 54-hole score of 197.  He earned All-ACC honors as a sophomore and All-ACC Academic honors as a freshman.  Prior to Duke he won the 2023 U.S. Junior Amateur championship.

Mahanth Chirravuri is the veteran leader for #6 ranked Pepperdine with a blistering 67 scoring average in the current season.  His junior year he won the WCC Individual title with a scoring average of 70.38 – the fourth-best in the Waves’ program history.  The USC transfer currently holds the nation’s #4 individual ranking.  The consensus All-American is also ranked as the #7 prospect in the PGA TOUR University rankings.

Junior Bryan Lee is a cornerstone for the #1 ranked Virginia Cavaliers.  His 67.2 scoring average has yielded him the #6 national ranking.  Last season he anchored UVA’s first-ever ACC Championship on the way to being national runners-up.  After earning ACC All-Conference honors he made his PGA TOUR debut at the 2025 U.S. Open.

Following a Golden Globe award, The Pitt and star Supriya Ganesh are now the frontrunners for an ensemble win at the Actor Awards.

In her first series regular role, actor Supriya Ganesh stars as Dr. Samira Mohan in the current HBO Max medical drama The Pitt.  She has starred in all 30 episodes of the Emmy Award winning show’s 2 seasons.  Prediction markets currently favor the series to win Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series at the 2026 Actor Awards.

Prior to being cast in the hit show, Ganesh had built a television resume full of guest appearances on Law & Order: SVU, Grown-ish, and Billions.  Her screen debut came in 2018 on an episode of CBS’s Blue Bloods.

The 28-year-old followed an unconventional path to Hollywood.  Born in the United States to Tamil parents she spent much of her childhood in New Delhi after moving there at three years old.  She was involved in theater but also was a high achiever who graduated high school as valedictorian.

She scored in the 99th percentile on her MCAT exam and moved back to the U.S. to pursue neuroscience at Columbia University.  After arriving in New York Ganesh quickly picked up an agent following a series of early auditions.

With The Pitt already renewed for a third season, Ganesh remains a breakout talent to watch during awards season and for future starring roles.

Across the Bay Area, Asian-owned cafes are blending specialty flavors, heritage, and innovation to transform what modern coffee culture looks like.

The Bay Area isn’t just an iconic hub for tech innovation. It is also home to another vibrant coffee scene in the US with authentic Asian-owned cafes expanding the city’s palette.

Starting off with Olivia Coffee & Flower, Oakland’s Korean specialty spot and one of the Bay’s most talked about coffee destinations. This shop was opened by Olivia Lee and features a specialty coffee program with coffee beans sourced from Seoul’s Gan Gyuel roastery. Here you can find Korean-inspired pairings along with flower-infused lattes and Instagram-worthy beverages, making it a must visit if you love Korean cafe culture.

Next on this list is Pinhole Coffee, a local favorite in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood that has been around since 2014. Pinhole is owned and run by JoEllen Depakakibo who puts a high focus on the community as well as coffee quality. The cafe brings Filipino heritage to the Bay Area coffee scene and became such an iconic stop that Depakakibo expanded the business with Pinholita, a mobile coffee van that serves the Ojai Valley area.

Vietnamese coffee has been a part of the Bay Area’s culinary map for years and Nâu Coffee has become known for their entire concept being centered around Saigon cafe culture. Founded by Kien Nguyen and Han Tran, Nâu Coffee launched as a pop-up shop and soon became a community craving that generated lines down the street during any event. This stop is a complete Saigon experience with music, social gatherings, and delicious salted-egg coffee.

Finally, in the Mission District is Outset Coffee, a place known for pushing the boundaries of Asian-inspired beverages. Co-founded by Heng Qiu, Outset uses unique flavors like durian and osmanthus in their specialty lattes. Their use of fruity and floral notes compliment the high quality coffee rather than overpower it, which is exactly what keeps customers coming back for more.

From traditional Vietnamese classics to Korean flavor trends, these cafes are a must visit and Asian creators are the ones leading the Bay Area’s coffee scene one shop at a time.