California Insider video

Oakland is experiencing a record number of evictions after the lift of the eviction moratorium in July. Our guest today is Jonathan Fleming, a real estate exper

Siyamak sits down with Melissa Melendez, former California State Senator. Today she'll provide insights on how California’s legislature works, why lobbyists are so impactful in shaping our legislative system, and why it matters to us Californians.

In an insightful interview with renowned economist Christopher Thornberg of Beacon Economics, the conversation dives deep into California’s staggering $68 billion budget deficit in 2024. Thornberg’s analysis sheds light on the intricacies behind this financial shortfall, challenging common misconceptions about the state’s economy and fiscal health.

Siyamak sits down with Juan Alanis, an Assemblymember from Modesto County and former law enforcement officer. He will discuss the issue of rising retail theft in California and his insights from serving on the Assembly Committee on retail theft. He also talks about the impacts on businesses, law enforcement and our local communities.

In a recent interview, Susan Shelley, a prominent California columnist and member of the editorial board of the Southern California News Group, sheds light on a lesser-known consequence of recent legislation: the imposition of a new death tax on inherited properties in California. Here are the key points from Shelley’s insightful discussion:

Siyamak sits down with Joe Vinatieri, Mayor of Whittier, California and a tax expert. He'll talk about why people are leaving California and the impact of high taxes on the state.

Siyamak sits down with Tony Hall, a former supervisor from San Francisco. He will talk about why San Francisco has an annual budget of $15 billion—while still struggling to provide basic services—and what has made the city’s budget so expensive.

California’s Controversial Electricity Bill: Charging by Income Raises Eyebrows

Siyamak sits down with Vince Ricci, an entrepreneur in LA who fell victim to multiple home invasions and robberies over the past few years. He will discuss his most recent home invasion incident, which went viral on the internet, and how residents in LA are taking safety in their own hands because of rising crime.

Former LA County Sheriff, Alex Villanueva, has sounded the alarm on a crisis gripping the county’s law enforcement. Eight suicides within a year, an unprecedented surge, raise concerns about workload and working conditions. Villanueva points to UnderSheriff Luna’s ineffective leadership, depleting resources as officers depart faster than new recruits can replace them.

Siyamak sits down with Alex Villanueva, former sheriff of Los Angeles County. He'll give us a deeper look into how corruption works in Los Angeles, and what should be done to stop it.

Siyamak sits down with Michael Bornman, a retired captain from the LA County Sheriff’s Department who had served for over 30 years. He shares his perspective on the issues the Department is currently facing. We also talked with Cece Woods, who has been reporting on the LA Sheriff’s Department for many years. She provides her insight based on conversations she has had with people in the department.

Siyamak sits down with Christian Pineda, a former homeless shelter employee in San Diego. His experience could reflect what’s going on across California and homeless shelters. We also had a chance to talk with Scott H Silverman, who’s an addiction recovery expert and has been in the homeless nonprofit industry for many years.

“I’ve been homeless for 20 years. There’s a lot of incentive to not actually get off the streets, which we see a lot in San Francisco. And that goes back to the fact that a lot of nonprofits encourage homelessness…They’re given all this money, but they’re not actually given an audit of how they actually spend the money.”

Siyamak sits down with Seymour Beek, president of Balboa Island Ferry, one of Southern California’s oldest family-owned businesses. Today he will discuss the new rules in California aimed at reducing emissions and how they will impact small businesses.

Siyamak sits down with Mark Ryavec, president of the Venice Stakeholders Association, who served as a municipal staffer for the LA City Council and as the Chief Deputy Assessor of LA County. Today he will talk about the impact of hundreds of RV campers in his community and why it is so difficult for the city to help the homeless get off the streets.

Siyamak sits down with David Lee, a restaurant owner from San Francisco. He shares his journey from being a successful local business owner to leaving California, and what has happened to San Francisco that impacts its residents and businesses.

Siyamak sits down with Diane Dixon, a State Representative with California’s legislature. Today she will talk about the new ballot measures that will make it easier to raise taxes in California, and what challenges the Golden State is facing in terms of possible deficits in the future.

“Based on what we found 55 out of 58 counties are right now upside down. We have close to $200 billion in unfunded or unrestricted net deficit. Yet the legislature and the governor are signing budgets without even having solid financial data on how their state is running.”