KUCI: Ask A Leader

”Peter Pan” at Segerstrom Hall AND ”The Old Man and the Old Moon” at SCR

Today the show’s all about performances in our neck of the woods. In advance of “Peter Pan” being performed @ Segerstrom Hall Aug 6-18 is our first guest, Larissa FastHorse. Speaking as an enrolled member of the Sicangu Lakota, a playwright, and MacArthur fellow, Larissa talks about her intentions around re-writing a standard bearer of a musical, as well as taking back some space for all Indigenous Peoples. In the second segment (approx. minute 31:12), O.C. native Armanda Gutierrez brings his many parts in South Coast Repertory’s production, a play with music, “The Old Man & The Old Moon.” This will be the last season of SCR Outside at the Mission in San Juan Capistrano. It’s running now through August 11th. Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa - album; Grace Kelly with Strings, “He’s A Pirate,” At the Movies – album; and Sportive Tricks, “Bonnie Ship the Diamond,” Old Dogs, New Tricks – album.

Four Women on an Historic Campaign

With recent news cycles mimicking a hurricane season; one storm after the next, building peaking, and subsiding, we turned the mic over to four women to process how the latest, unprecedented news is landing for them, 105 days before the election Nov 5th. For the full hour we heard from Pauline Merry, Yolanda Robinson, Jane Wishon, and Olivia Fu for their reflections. this live with heavy-duty news constantly breaking. Pauline Merry, a retired higher education administrator appeared earlier about her memoir, Growing Up in the Ville in St. Louis Missouri; Yolanda Robinson is also a retired professional a friend and colleague of Pauli’s, and a veteran of election politics in OC; Jane Wishon, a builder of many LA area Democratic organizations is currently Co-Chair of Organizational Development and Chartering Committee at LA Co Democratic Party and Co-chair of the CA Democratic Credentials Committee; and Olivia Fu, former co-editor of The Express at San Juan Hills High School, previously appeared on this show about her voting registration work in southern OC high schools as an anti- gun violence activist, graduated from Stanford and now a Tom Ford Philanthropy Fellow at North Star Fund. Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa - album; A. Ray Fuller, “Work to Do,” The Weeper – album.

Project 2025 in the Present Tense

My guest for the full hour is entrepreneur consultant, author, activist, and veteran, Dee Batiste. She breaks down what is Project 2025, a 933-page document of proposed policies, built by a coalition of 110 conservative groups in their words, “advocating for the next conservative president,” or generically put a future Republican administration. Instead of a test at the end, consider this an ongoing teach-in that is taking place in small and large circles across the country, to understand the complete overhaul of the federal government. Some of these measures are already institutionalized. Your KUCI hosts are covering and will continue to cover this into the exhausting slog toward the general election, and for as long as this long game looms over all public institutions. If you’re new to Project 2025, now is a good time to begin understanding its far-reaching facets. Note of Correction: my reference to former NIH director Dr. Redstone was intended to refer to Dr. Redfield, former director of the Center for Disease Control. Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa - album; Charlie Haden-Liberation Music Orchestra, “America the Beautiful,” Not in Our Name – album.

Moms For Liberating Ukraine

My guest for the full hour is Paige Barrows, a fully-immersed volunteer bringing humanitarian aide to Ukraine. Her commitment to Ukraine stems from her service as a Peace Corps worker in Ukraine 2010-2012. She talks about her activities both stateside as well as in Ukraine since the full invasion by Russia in 2022. Her latest trip was to Bucha, Irpin, and multiple locations along the from line in April 2024. She is the first non-Ukrainian to speak about this war on our show. Here are her handle and the links promised in the broadcast: @paigeinkansas; https://www.swufoundation.org/;https://renegaderelief.org/; https://americancoalitionforukraine.org/ Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa - album; and Parfeniuk Vsevolod Zaderatsky’s Preludes and Fugues in a minor, performed by Irma Klimenko.

PFAS: Forever and Everywhere Chemicals

Returning to the show for the full hour is Scott Bartell, UCI Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health. He brings us all the way up to speed on the forever chemicals, those PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Good news, more people are finally aware of them - bad news, industry is interfering in their regulation. Well, the bad news got worse last Friday with the SCOTUS rollback of the Chevron doctrine. It is time to rename Project 2025 to Project 2024, with PFAS at the intersection of this overhaul of the administrative state. Links that advance the coverage include: https://www.propublica.org/article/3m-forever-chemicals-pfas-pfos-inside-story; https://silentspring.org/project/pfas-reach; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-018-0109-y; https://www.oralhealthgroup.com/news/ada-statement-on-study-involving-dental-floss-1003939091/; and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30671781/. Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa - album; Sham Family, “This Blue Mob,” sinlge.

Tales From Two Cities By Two Phenomenal Story Tellers

Our guests are two highly acclaimed story tellers offering new books for summer reading or anytime of the year reading, bringing big city life to their plots. In the first segment is Curtis Chin, co-founder of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, filmmaker, and author. He talks about his highly intersectional memoir "Everything I Learned I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant," published by Little Brown and Company. In the second segment (minute 34:04) is George Pelecanos, author, screenwriter, essayist, television writer/producer, who bring a dog’s perspetive in his novella "BUSTER: A Dog," published by Akashic Books. Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa - album; Sly5th Ave, “Pour it Up,” Composite EP; Black Disco, “Night Express,” Night Express – album.

A Shakedown of Metropolitan Water District’s Priorities

My guests for the full hour are two water activists who’ve been monitoring consequential infrastructure decisions over the decades: Sierra Club Water Committee Chair Charming Evelyn; and Conner Everts, Executive Director of the Southern California Watershed Alliance and facilitator of the Environmental Water Caucus. They attend innumerable water board meetings so that you and I don’t have to! Today’s focus is on some Metropolitan Water District board of directors’ maneuvering to oust the forward thinking general manager Adel Hagekhalil. Charming ad Conner connect the dots between this power struggle and the Newsom administration’s top priority - the $20+ billion Delta Tunnel project. Actually we learn it's more like $38 billion, not counting the much anticipated cost over-runs. Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa - album; Bill Beach, “Aqua De Beber,” Letting Go – album.

Extended Interview with Susan Handy On Transit

Here is the extension of our time together. We wrap up on topics opened in the broadcast: I-405 expansion, tollroads, comprehensive planning, and Caltrain.