KUCI: Ask A Leader

Irvine Watchdog members Branda Lin and Richard Green return, for the whole hour, to speak in advance of the Irvine City Council’s meeting the same day of the broadcast. This show will hone in on some persistent erosions in transparency and accountability in how the City Council conducts business. The Watchdog will offer means for listeners to turn out the same day of this broadcast. The agenda is available here for residents’ perusal: https://irvinewatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/5.1.pdf. Music credits: Chimora, “African Americano,” Sounds of Africa- album; track #3Marquez Danzon #2, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and the Venezuelan El Sistemo Orchestra.

The show’s bringing out the first of many local candidates who will be on the CA June 7th primary ballot – Orange County Assessor candidate Rick Foster is challenging the incumbent. Important in this exercise will be to clue voters in about the many important roles that this office performs. In the second segment (minute 31:50), John Potash talks about the unsolved case in his latest edition of, "The FBI War on Tupac Shakur: State Repression of Black Leaders from the Civil Rights Era through the 1990’s," which comes with an exhibition in LA, continuing through September before moving on to other towns. Listeners will readily recognize some persistent themes. Details about the exhibit are available at: https://www.wakemewhenimfree.com/. Music credits: Chimora, “African Americano,” Sounds of Africa- album; Honda Takehiro Tribute Band, “Save Our Soul”, “Save Our Sole - album; Tupac Shakur, “Hail Mary” instrumental, Makaveli - album.

Over this March 1st edition of "Ask A Leader," we're officially lengthening African History Month to year-long honoring and celebrating how we wouldn’t all be where we are today without such immense contributions. Angeline Dukes is currently a Ph.D. candidate in UCI's Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, and president and co-founder of https://www.blackinneuro.com/; her exit interview we’ll get before she settles into her new job on the faculty of the University of Minnesota. In the second segment (minute 35:00), South Coast Rep production director Lou Bellamy will talk about the innumerable nougats in his show, “What I Learned in Paris.” The show runs at this Costa Mesa venue through March 19th. https://www.scr.org/calendar/view?id=12538 Music credits: Chimora, “African Americano,” Sounds of Africa- album; Let Your Hair Down, “Ballad of Veracruz”; Roberta Flack, “What’s Going On”3.

Mindful that listeners' ears are drawn to the coverage of what’s taking place in Ukraine, today’s show’s elements have their own kind of connection dealing with corruption. Both guests generously offer their talents and might in non-profit capacities: Akaash Maharaj, Ambassador-at-Large, with Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption and Branda Lin, co-founder of Irvine Watchdog. They draw a through line from the local level to far beyond. They will be examining resources, relationships, and realities. Note: The aforementioned “California Water Supply Infrastructure Trust Account Initiative” signature collection for statewide prop this fall, has been suspended. And the Poseidon desalination project proposed in Huntington Beach, has been withdrawn from the CA Coastal Commission March meeting schedule. Stay tuned for future agendizing. Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa- album; Sportive Tricks, “Rigs of Time,” Old Dogs New Tricks - album.

Neal Kelley, retiring OC Registrar of Voters, will give us an exit interview. Other platforms are already doing this; the host will do it her way, sad as she is to do it this last time with him. In the second (minute 26:44), Mai Tran, communications strategist for Stop The Music, speaks about the conditions in Orange County Sheriff Barnes’ jails. The central concern is how the food served there is a confounding health problem. Their next meeting will be 2/24/22. More details are available at: https://www.stopthemusick.net/. Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa- album; Leonard Berstein conduction Aaron Copeland's Fanfare for the Common Man; James Emery Illiad Quartet, " Turbulence," Turbulence - album.

Professor Kathie Stromile Golden, Provost/Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Director of International Program at Mississippi Valley State University, and Executive Director of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists - speaks at many intersections of educating about policy and politics. The historically Black Colleges and Universities have been taking some heat. Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa- album, Nubya Garcia – “Once”, We out Here – album. Or Shabaka Hutchings “Black Skin Black Masks,” We Out Here - album

Offering valued insight are two water warriors who’ve been paying attention over the decades: former Mayor of Huntington Beach and climate activist Debbie Cook will return with Conner Everts, Executive Director of the Southern California Watershed Alliance, and facilitator of the Environmental Water Caucus. They both bring a thorough discussion of water policy in California: desalination technology, water governing entities, and the latest California water initiative; to hone our critical thinking skills before statewide sleights of hand sweep the body politic heating up toward the midterm elections this fall. Resources for following up - http://www.socalwaterdialogue.org/, or viewing the most recent meeting -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGIF7Tfah843TO3-rBtkKRg Music credits: Chimora, “African Americano,” Sounds of Africa- album; Margo Cilker, “Tehachapi”

UCI School of Education Distinguished Professor Greg Duncan, will have the full hour to talk about an unprecedented collaboration, a study making the media rounds, Baby’s First Years. https://www.babysfirstyears.com/. The study showing a link between social safety net funding and improved brain activity in babies, will continue to follow these children til their fourth year. The early findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, January 2022. Music credits: Chimora, "Africano Americano," Sounds of Africa - alum; Terry Riley, Rainbow in Curved Air."