Your doctor’s orders matter—but your block, bus route, and grocery aisle might matter more. Dr. Akilah Weber Pearson and guest Dr. Rodney Hood break down how food access, housing, transportation, education, and the biology of stress drive 80–90% of health outcomes—and the fixes already working in California. From community health workers to Housing First, this episode turns policy into practical prescriptions.
What turns “maybe” into “I’m going to college”? For three first-generation students at Southwestern College, it was community—professors who noticed, mentors who insisted, and programs that mapped the path and removed the price tag from textbooks. In this episode, David Alvarez talks with Diana (now at UCSD), Oscar (double-majoring with SFSU online), and Jose (foster-youth alum turned campus leader) about EOPS, First/Second Year Experience, Guardian Scholars, and the power of a well-timed nudge. If you’ve ever wondered how first-gen students make it from confusion to commencement, this conversation is your blueprint—and your motivation.
Missouri’s booming cannabis market is facing a new threat: unregulated hemp and “gas station weed.” In this episode, Cara McCormick talks with Dave Craig of From the Earth about how loopholes in federal law have created a dangerous, untested, and untaxed parallel industry that’s undermining legitimate businesses and public safety.
Pack your passport and your sense of humor — Clifton and Shay are in Barcelona, where sangria meets self-discovery. In The Expatriate Act, they reunite with globe-trotting friend Todd Cowen for a no-filter chat about culture shock, courage, and calling home from the wrong time zone. From Texas roots to London rain and Catalan sunshine, it’s a wild ride through expat life — diaper jokes, lost translations, and all. If you’ve ever dreamed of starting over somewhere sexy, this episode proves the adventure's messy, hilarious, and totally worth it.
This episode dives into the battles over redistricting, open primaries, and even cannabis reform revealing how power struggles across state lines expose the cracks in America’s democracy. Chad Peace and Cara McCormick break down what’s really happening behind the political curtain.
“Find your joy,” Elizabeth says to her 12-year-old son Alex before every baseball practice and game. As a former D1 athlete and CEO of one of the region’s largest non-profits, Elizabeth knows people, especially young athletes, are at their best when they are loose and happy. Young baseball players who play with confidence and joy tend to separate themselves from their peers, but the mental side of the game is a constant challenge for players at all levels. The pressure proves to be too much for most kids – the majority of whom quit youth sports by the time they turn 13. Adults often are cited as the reason why. If your son or daughter plays baseball or wants to, this episode is for you. Tune in now to listen to Dear San Diego’s Tony Manolatos discuss all that’s right and wrong with Little League and Travel Baseball. Tony’s wife, Elizabeth Wilberg, and their twin boys, Alex and Nicky, join him on this episode – and their takes are fire!
When creativity meets community, the result is bold and inspiring. In this episode, Dr. Leroy welcomes Brianna “Blazin with Bri” Ash—a content creator and mom who turned her personal story into a movement for authenticity and inclusion in cannabis. They talk about mindful consumption, branding basics, and building community through color, design, and trust. It’s about empowerment through knowledge—and turning values into visibility.
From sketches scribbled on diner napkins to standing ovations across California, Macedonia Ortega has spent three decades proving that comedy can carry culture. In this episode of Dreaming Big, Working Hard, David Alvarez sits down with the co-founder of Teatro Scully to talk about representation, resilience, and why laughter still heals deeper than lectures.
What happens when your London getaway ends in airport purgatory? In this wild new episode of Anything But CliShay, Clifton and Shay recount their misadventures at Stansted—where security feels like a shopping spree, flights vanish in minutes, and escape requires a little rule-bending. It’s chaos, comedy, and a hard-earned travel tip you won’t forget.
In this episode of The Independent Voter Podcast, hosts Chad Peace and Cara McCormick break down the viral Katie Porter interview that ignited debate across California’s political scene. Using the clip as a case study, they explore how election systems from the state’s Top Two primary to a potential Final Five model with ranked-choice voting shape campaigns, coalitions, and voter power. Drawing lessons from Alaska’s reforms, Chad and Cara unpack why the current rules often fuel division instead of consensus. The conversation also connects to a high-stakes Supreme Court case on mail-in ballots, offering voter-first insight and context far beyond the outrage cycle.