California Insider

Siyamak sits down with Matt Gonzalez, Public Defender and Former County Supervisor in San Francisco. He will highlight the key factors in San Francisco’s Mayoral race and give us an in depth analysis…

Hollywood is experiencing an unprecedented downturn, leaving many workers without jobs. Siyamak sits down with David Graves, a film industry expert and IATSE union member, and Patrick Caligiuri, a Ho…

Siyamak sits down with Senator Josh Becker, who’s actively shaping AI regulation in the state. As a global leader in AI, California faces significant challenges and opportunities with major implicati…

California consistently has some of the highest gas prices in the nation, and now the state government has passed a new law aimed at stabilizing them. In today’s episode, we'll uncover the mystery be…

California is facing a budget crisis that may last for the next couple of years. Siyamak sits down with Senator John Laird, who has served as the education chair of the budget committee. Join us as w…

Fentanyl is becoming one of the leading causes of death among children due to counterfeit medications, and the amount of incidents tied to social media use is increasing. California is passing a law …

“California was pro-growth. It was the land of aspiration. Our brand is tarnished. Collectively, we as Californians must ask, how do we improve ourselves? California is no longer affordable, no longe…

California is home to some of the world’s most renowned wine regions, including Napa Valley, Sonoma, and Lodi, making it a top global wine producer. However, the state’s wine industry is facing a sig…

New regulations for real estate commissions took effect last month. Siyamak sits down with Mike Hickman, president and CEO of Seven Gables Real Estate, to explain the details of the change and why it…

Many California schools are looking at Banning smartphones while in school, and it may soon become a law in California in 2025. What are the main reasons that are driving this trend, and what have be…

Our animal shelter deals with between 30 and 50 surrenders per day. We’ve abandoned animals to a degree that is shameful and deserves a cultural reckoning, and I think that reckoning will only happen…

“The landslide area is about a mile wide right now. Parts of that landslide are moving 50 feet per year, about one foot per week. It’s actually the largest landslide complex in North America,” says J…

“The California we know today is really only possible because we move water around—moving water from areas of abundance to areas of need, literally causing the desert to bloom,” says Geoff Vanden Heu…

“We’re now talking about contaminated marijuana that is out in the legal market. We had 15 pesticides on the marijuana product that the state isn’t even looking for. Five of them are 100% banned in t…

“A lot of people think that insurance carriers are just multi-billion-dollar companies living the good life. That’s not always the case. In the last three to five years, we’ve been losing so much mon…

As public safety takes center stage in California’s political debates, all eyes are on Proposition 36, which would reform Proposition 47 if passed by voters in November. Some experts believe Proposit…

“To make a theft a felony, keep in mind that felony cases are now going to be in a courtroom alongside homicides, rape cases, aggravated assaults, armed robberies, and you’re going to have a petty th…

Most cities in California have been impacted by homelessness. Recently, a Supreme Court ruling granted local governments the authority to clean up encampments. We sat down with Los Angeles City Counc…

Siyamak sits down with Grisham, an Oakland resident, and Leighton Woodhouse, an independent journalist and documentary filmmaker who has been covering the situation in the city. We also spoke with Ke…

“There is actually a resale market in California that’s quite healthy. We have a black market on the streets, and this is easily visible. They are selling things at a fraction of the cost of if you g…