Small rural schools are battling for a federal crucial funding source for rural schools that was stalled by the Congress. Also, CapRadio Education Reporter Srishti Prabha joins us for Insight’s monthly “Chalk Talk.” Finally, the Sacramento History Museum’s TikTok fame.

Congress Slashes Rural Ed Funding

Small rural schools in California and across the nation may have to make do with far less money this year. A funding source that has been a lifeline for more than a century was eliminated by Republican lawmakers in Congress, and its future remains in limbo. Carolyn Jones is the K-12 education reporter for the nonprofit newsroom CalMatters and joins Insight to discuss the consequences to cuts to the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, which has been approved almost continuously since 1908.   

CalMatters partners with public media stations across the state.

‘Chalk Talk’ with Srishti Prabha

CapRadio Education Reporter Srishti Prabha joins us for Insight’s monthly Chalk Talk discussing the mental health of students following natural disasters, number crunching the latest state budget proposal and how public education fits in, as well as breaking down the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) that is being challenged as not benefitting the students it’s meant to serve.

Sac History Museum’s TikTok Fame

A Sacramento museum has become a TikTok sensation, introducing millions of viewers to history and old-fashioned printing with Howard the Printer. Jared Jones is the Social Media Manager for the Sacramento History Museum and talks about how their social media fame started during the pandemic, what the impact has been on visitors and fans, and how they responded to TikTok’s brief shutdown and subsequent return.

How President Trump’s first executive orders will impact California. Also, the wide ranging impact of wildfires on Latino communities in the state. Finally, AcademySTAY is a new Sacramento space for young adults who have aged out of foster care.

Inauguration Through a California Lens

It’s official. President Donald Trump was sworn into office, and during his inauguration made promises that can change the national framework. Dustin Gardiner is co-author of POLITICO’s California Playbook and joins us with the early decisions that can impact the Golden State. Kevin Johnson is a Professor of Law and Chicanx Studies at UC Davis and explains what California can expect of President Trump’s policy changes and response to immigration. 

Wildfire Impact on Latino Communities

The wildfires in Los Angeles County have had wide-ranging economic and social impacts on the surrounding area, where nearly half of residents identify as Latino according to the latest census data. Dr. Michael Méndez is an assistant professor of Environmental Policy and Urban Planning at UC Irvine who has studied the impact of disasters on Latino communities. He joins Insight to talk about the wildfires can exacerbate vulnerabilities that face LA’s largest ethnic group, and what rebuilding after this disaster could look like.
Dr. Mendez is affiliated with the UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute, which recently released a report on the impact of wildfires on Latino communities.

New Space for Transitional Foster Youth

Children in foster care are at high risk of falling into homelessness once they age out of the system. A new nonprofit is not only providing housing but offering financial education, mental health counseling and mentorship. Jenny Davidson is the founder and CEO of AcademySTAY and explains how they are helping foster youth transition into independent adults.
AcademySTAY is a financial supporter of CapRadio.

Local Jewish and Palestinian-Americans respond to a potential ceasefire reached between Israel and Hamas. Also, a feline behavior scientist's new book, “Play with your Cat!” Finally, jazz-hip hop fusion band Lab Rats hosts wildfire benefit shows.

Israel-Hamas Ceasefire

This week marked a major breakthrough in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Yesterday, the U.S. announced a ceasefire had been reached, and with it, carried the hope that Israeli hostages held since Oct. 7, 2023 would be released and that 15 months of fighting in Gaza, that has claimed at least 45,000 Palestinians, would come to an end. But roughly 24 hours later, that ceasefire is in limbo. As of this morning, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed a vote on a peace deal, which was scheduled to take effect on Sunday. As international politics play out, there are Jewish and Palestinian communities here at home who are hanging on to each development. We are going to listen to some of them today. Here on Insight, we create a space to listen to the diverse voices and viewpoints in our community. We want to acknowledge that while our guests are part of a larger conversation, they do not represent all the viewpoints that are taking place. First we are joined by Dan Weitzman, a current board member of the Shalom School and recent board member for the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region. The second part of the conversation is with Dr. Yousef Khelfa. The Stockton-based hematologist oncologist is the co-founder of the Palestinian American Medical Association.

Book 'Play with Your Cat'

Roughly one in three U.S. households own a cat. But these popular pets are often misunderstood and that can create health and behavior problems. A cat behavior consultant in Sacramento has spent her career researching felines and poured what she learned into a fun, comprehensive guide. Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado is an animal behavior scientist and joins us with her book Play with your Cat! which is described as a fun, comprehensive guide to the key to feline happiness.

Lab Rats Wildfire Concert

Sacramento’s LabRats are dedicated to making good music and a positive difference in our community. The versatile jazz-hip hop fusion band hosts Sunday Sessions, a weekly event where musicians and creatives can come together to perform, support each other and give back. The band chooses a different charitable cause to support each month and the next few sessions will be devoted to raising money to help the victims of the wildfires in Los Angeles. Jacob Swedlow joins us in the studio to explain why this is an important part of the band’s mission. We’ll also hear some music recorded at CapRadio.

Sunday Sessions is from 8 to 11 p.m. Sundays at The Torch Club, 904 15th St., Sacramento.

Former California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones explains the climate risk facing the insurance sector. Also, the brain disorder CTE is a focus in this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame. Finally, Fox & Goose Public House celebrates 50 years.

Climate Risk Facing Insurers

The wildfires in Los Angeles are on pace to rival the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in state history. And the continued threat of extreme fire behavior is straining the property insurance market. Dave Jones was the California Insurance Commissioner from 2011 to 2019 and is now the director of the Climate Risk Initiative Center at UC Berkeley School of Law. He joins Insight to discuss potential rate increases, how this impacts California’s FAIR Plan - which is a last resort for many property owners, as well as what can be done in the long term to make insurance affordable and available across the country.

CTE in Spotlight at Pro Football Hall of Fame

The brain disorder CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) is a focus in this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame. Voters will decide whether former Kansas City Chiefs great Jim Tyrer should receive the honor posthumously. In 1980, Tyrer was removed as a Hall of Fame candidate after he killed his wife in a murder-suicide. Decades later, many believe - including Tyrer’s children and in-laws - that he suffered from a severe case of CTE. Kevin Patrick Allen is a former journalist and filmmaker behind the documentary A Good Man - The Jim Tyrer Story and joins us with more about what this Hall of Fame vote signals about CTE awareness in football and contact sports.

Fox & Goose Celebrates 50 Years

Fox & Goose Public House has long been a legendary Sacramento pub and music venue, serving up classic English dishes while listening to some of the best local music. And this week, they’re celebrating a huge milestone since they first opened their doors in 1975. Owner Peter Monson and General Manager Demi Grant join Insight ahead of their 50th anniversary party that is open to the public on Friday Jan. 17 from 4pm to 10pm.

How California is supporting public schools impacted by LA-area wildfires. Also, San Joaquin County’s new state Assembly member Rhodesia Ransom. Finally, singer-songwriter Dave Nachmanoff performs on Insight.

School Wildfire Recovery

The wildfires across the Los Angeles area impacted more than 300 schools across five counties, affecting over 200,000 students. This week LAUSD, the second largest district in the country, opened most of its campuses. However, school districts closer to the Palisades and Eaton fires remain closed. Abel Guillen is the Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, who oversees the California Department of Education’s Operations and Administration Branch. He joins us with how the state is assisting public schools. Also joining Insight is Tim Taylor, who was the Butte County Superintendent during the 2017 Oroville Spillway Crisis and 2018 Camp Fire. He is now a professor and education consultant, and works with school districts throughout the country in dealing with natural disasters.

Assembly Member Rhodesia Ransom

The California legislature has been in session for a couple weeks, and Insight is using the start of the new year to meet some of its newest members. Assembly member Rhodesia Ransom is a Democrat representing District 13 in San Joaquin County, which includes Stockton, Tracy and the new city of Mountain House. Assembly member Ransom is a former city council member and staffer for Rep. Josh Harder. She joins us to talk about her journey to the State Capitol and her priorities in her first year in office.

Dave Nachmanoff

Dave Nachmanoff is ready to get back to performing live. And he’s starting with Insight. The singer-songwriter is bringing his new band The Usual Culprits to the studio to play a couple of songs from the album Spinoza’s Dream. The band will perform the entire album at a fundraiser on Jan. 25 at the Winters Opera House. We’ll talk with Dave and Joy Cohan, executive director of Meals on Wheels Yolo County, about what you can expect.

Gov. Newsom unveils his 2025-26 state budget proposal. Also, how wildfires in LA could further threaten California's insurance market. Finally, the author of “Kernels of Resistance: Maize, Food Sovereignty, and Collective Power.”

Gov. Newsom’s State Budget

January is when state lawmakers get a ballpark idea of the funding they have to work with. Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a $322 billion state budget plan. Over the coming months, the governor and legislators will negotiate budget priorities, before the June deadline to finalize a budget. H.D. Palmer is the spokesperson for the California Department of Finance, which is part of the governor’s administration, and joins us with a deeper look into Newsom’s fiscal priorities. Chris Hoene, Executive Director of the nonpartisan California Budget & Policy Center, also joins us with their response to the governor’s budget proposal.

CA Wildfires Threaten Insurers

California has already been struggling with keeping insurance companies in the state, as wildfires have grown increasingly destructive. And the threat of being dropped by an insurer may increase as multiple winter wildfires ravage the Los Angeles area. Christopher Flavelle is a reporter with the New York Times and has covered the effects of wildfires on California’s insurance market for almost a decade. We’ll learn about the potential consequences and risks that homeowners may have to shoulder across the state.

Book ‘Kernels of Resistance: Maize, Food Sovereignty, and Collective Power’

Liza Grandia is a cultural anthropologist, as well as a professor and Chair of Native American Studies at UC Davis. She joins Insight to discuss her book Kernels of Resistance: Maize, Food Sovereignty, and Collective Power which is described as “A David and Goliath story of how Indigenous movements in Mexico and Guatemala faced down one of the most powerful and reviled corporations on the planet.... and won.”

An update on wildfires in Los Angeles. Also, Sacramento County DA Thien Ho’s priorities for the new year. Finally, CapRadio sues its former general manager, seeking nearly $1 million in connection to the public media station’s financial crisis.

Los Angeles Wildfires

Firefighters are battling multiple wildfires across the Los Angeles area, fueled in large part by life threatening winds across heavily populated residential areas. Officials have already confirmed a death toll, as well as a growing number of homes and structures destroyed. LAist Science Reporter Jacob Margolis joins us with a live look on the ground. We will also learn about the conditions that sparked unprecedented winter fire behavior.

Sacramento District Attorney Thien Ho

The new year brings new resources for California cities and counties to address public safety, ranging from the tough-on-crime Prop 36 to the new CARE Court system. Sacramento District Attorney Thien Ho highlighted the impact of some of these measures yesterday during his second annual “State of Public Safety” address, which touched on issues including homelessness, fentanyl overdoses, homicides and retail theft. District Attorney Ho joins Insight to talk more about the past year, and his criminal justice priorities for 2025.

CapRadio Sues Former General Manager Jun Reina

Capital Public Radio has sued its former general manager Jun Reina, alleging he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars for personal gain. The lawsuit is in connection to an extensive look into CapRadio’s finances, following a 2023 audit that found significant mismanagement at the public media station - which is an auxiliary of Sacramento State. A team of CapRadio journalists have been independently covering this financial crisis since the beginning. CapRadio Politics Editor Chris Nichols and Insight Host Vicki Gonzalez break down the lawsuit's allegations. We reached out to Reina’s legal team. They did not respond to multiple requests for comment. In addition to the lawsuit, on Wednesday Sacramento State also released a mostly-unredacted version of the forensic examination it first released in August 2024, which now includes credit card statements, email exchanges as well as the names of individuals and businesses included in the examination.

Following NPR’s protocol for reporting on itself, no CapRadio corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted or broadcast.
You can read our independent ongoing coverage of financial issues at Capital Public Radio here.

As Sacramento embarks on a nationwide search, what does a city manager actually do? Also, a conversation with new state Assembly Member Maggy Krell. Finally, how to cope with seasonal affective disorder.

The Role of a City Manager

The city of Sacramento is about to embark on a nationwide search for a new city manager. The process to replace Howard Chan could take up to 8 months to complete. What does a city manager actually do and what skills should the next one possess? Joining us on Insight today to break down city management 101 is Ken Pulskamp. He’s the executive director of the California City Management Foundation, which provides resources for civic officials. He served as City Manager for Santa Clarita from 2002 to 2012.

New Assembly Member Maggy Krell

There is a new class of state lawmakers. Today, we’ll meet first-time Assembly Member Maggy Krell. The Democrat won the race for the Assembly’s sixth district in Sacramento, replacing Kevin McCarty who is now Sacramento’s mayor. A former deputy attorney general under then-Attorney General Kamala Harris, Krell is known for prosecuting sex traffickers and wrote the book Taking Down Backpage: Fighting The World's Largest Sex Trafficker. She was also an attorney for Planned Parenthood and helped pave the way for California’s Proposition 1 protecting abortion access. Krell joins Insight with her priorities in her first year in office.

Facing Seasonal Affective Disorder

This time of year can be tough. Shorter days and gloomier weather can lead to not feeling like ourselves - maybe even sad or less motivated to get through the day. This period of less daylight has long been called the “winter blues.” But in severe cases, these changes are due to seasonal affective disorder. UC Davis Health clinical psychologist Dr. Gloria Petruzzelli explains the SAD symptoms and how to cope with a depression tied to the colder months.

California’s 2025 legislative session kicks off. Also, a new law creates a Black-Serving Institution designation for colleges and universities in the state. Finally, a “Guardians of the Galaxy” rock orchestra at the Harris Center.

California’s New Legislative Session

The California Legislature gaveled into session for the first time in 2025. Some major themes that have already emerged include affordability, elections and how to prepare for the next Trump Administration. CapRadio Politics Reporters Megan Myscofski and Laura Fitzgerald breakdown Gov. Newsom’s proposed state budget, as well as a special session to prepare for an incoming Trump presidency.

New Law Creates Black-Serving Institutions

A new law is creating a Black-Serving Institution designation for colleges and universities in California that excel in supporting student success. Campus presidents say the designation will help them recruit Black students and give them an HBCU-like experience in their home state, instead of having to leave for college. Lylah Schmedel-Permanna and Jasmin Shirazian are fellows with CalMatters’ College Journalism Network and share their reporting.

CalMatters is a nonprofit newsroom which partners with public media stations across the state.

‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Rock Orchestra

A rock orchestra is embarking on an epic musical adventure at the Harris Center in Folsom. The Sacramento Preparatory Music Academy will be performing live renditions of hit soundtracks from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 & 2. CapRadio Midday Classical Host Jennifer Reason is one of the local musicians part of SPMA. Jennifer, Musical Director Benjamin McClara and performer Hans Eberbach join us with more about Guardians of the Galaxy Live in Concert ahead of opening night on Friday, Jan. 10.

POLITICO’s California Playbook on the state’s 2025 political priorities. Also, California’s snowpack for the new year. Finally, remembering Underground Books’ longtime manager Georgia “Mother Rose” West.

POLITICO’s California Playbook

A new year brings a fresh set of priorities for California. Gov. Gavin Newsom will be outlining his budget priorities in the San Joaquin Valley, and state lawmakers are full steam ahead into its new legislative session. Dustin Gardiner, co-author of POLITICO’s California Playbook, gets us up to speed on the latest in politics - including some notable new state laws.

California’s New Year Snowpack

The California Department of Water Resources conducted its first snow survey of the season, reporting the statewide snowpack is 108% of average for this time of year. Dr. Andrew Schwartz, the Lead Scientist and Manager of UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Lab, joins us with a deeper look at the state’s current snowpack and water needs.

Remembering Georgia ‘Mother Rose’ West

Underground Books is known as the literary hub of Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood, and is one of the few African American bookstores in the country. But this year comes with a big loss. Its longtime manager Georgia West, affectionately known as Mother Rose, passed away last month. She was also the mother of former Sacramento Mayor and NBA star Kevin Johnson. Cassandra Jennings, President and CEO of ST. HOPE, as well as CapRadio Communities Reporter Keyshawn Davis, reflect on the contributions of Georgia West and her enduring legacy. A celebration of life is planned at Saint Paul Church of Sacramento on Thursday, Jan. 23 at 10 a.m.