Talk of the Bay from KSQD

Meilin Obinata interviews Friends of the Rail & Trail (FORT) board members, Matt Farrell and Sally Arnold about the threats to our rail and trail future and how FORT is launching a Summer of Action to keep our county on track.  Listeners are invited to a Rally to Save Our Tracks on May 20, next Wednesday, which you can learn more about here. Wait, didn’t we already vote on this?  Yes! In 2022 over 73% of the county voted NO on the Measure D 2022 plan to tear out the tracks, but cost over runs have created an opportunity for this spectacularly unpopular idea to rise again. In this exciting election season, there are important matters which do not get as much exposure, like transportation – specifically the Rail and Trail Project. This conversation gives an eye-opening look at the free money our community could receive from the federal government to support our desires for the Rail and Trail. Because the Regional Transportation Commission is composed mostly of elected officials, voters’ choices in this election season have an impact on critical infrastructure project planning for our community’s future. You’ll learn why it’s important to remind candidates and elected officials what we need as a community. The guests explain the survey they provide for candidates running for offices in this June election to answer, the results of which you can read for yourself here: https://www.railandtrail.org/2026-06-candidate-survey  You’ll learn about the “big tent” of FORT which embraces people of all political stripes combining successfully, to the fun parties that people have while supporting a heart-warming cause. Whether you love trails, or want a train, love to hike, bike, walk or ride, this episode will show you how you can have it all: passenger rail with a trail. In this environment of political divisiveness, you might enjoy learning about this cause which attracts people to bring out the best in us. You can learn more about FORT on social media and on their website: https://www.railandtrail.org/ 

Omar’s guest, Ricardo Chavez, takes us on a deep dive into the labor movement into which he was born. The year of his birth was the year that the United Farm Workers saw the death of five martyrs: five organizers who were killed for their work in the movement. It is in this crucible of workers organizing for their rights that Ricardo grew up and learned about people who shook the world. You’ll hear about the impact of the Black Panthers, the deep roots of organizers within the Philippino communities of California, and legendary organizers such as Larry Itliong and Fred Ross. As the son of Dolores Huerta, he shares his own feelings about her statement regarding Cesar Chavez, his uncle. This show will make you think about California history in a brand new way, grounded in the work of people from Salinas to Stockton and Oakland.

Chris Upham  interviews Sofia Orlando and Sam, who are apart of  the X Academy Robotics club.

Chirs Upham interviews Becky Steinbruner about the Measure J and Battery Energy Storage Systems.

On this episode of From the Streets, host Omar Dieguez facilitates a raw and powerful conversation with community leaders Elias Gonzalez and Edgar Ernesto Ibarra Gutierrez regarding the true meaning of service. Central to their discussion is the concept of palabra, or the sacredness of one’s word, which both men view as the bedrock of building trust with disenfranchised youth. They share how their own lived experiences, ranging from Elias’s childhood housing instability in Watsonville to Edgar’s journey through the carceral system, their’s is a “healing-informed” approach to leadership. By prioritizing human dignity over “band-aid” solutions, they advocate for a “village” mentality where leaders show up during the hardest moments, rather than only when it is politically convenient. Beyond philosophy, the show dives into urgent local issues and policy reform, specifically targeting the needs of South County. Elias, running for District 4 County Supervisor, outlines a platform focused on budget transparency, environmental justice regarding pesticide buffer zones, and support for the Rail Trail to improve transit equity. Both guests critique current systems that prioritize the funding of law enforcement and probation over direct community reinvestment, calling for a shift in education that emphasizes mental health over the policing of students. The show serves as a call to action for Watsonville residents to demand leadership rooted in indigenous values and cultural healing, ensuring that la comunidad y la cultura are the primary focus of the political conversation. This is more than a conversation… it’s truth, it’s community, it’s action. “Service is not a position. It’s a responsibility to protect, to uplift, to speak truth, and to stand with people.” – Omar Dieguez #FromTheStreets #StayInService

Chris Upham  interviews  Tim Sylvester and his students who are apart of  the X Academy Robotics club.

Mark Silberstein is retiring after 43 years as the leader of the Elkhorn Slough Foundation, the organization that is a land steward and advocate for scientific research and education about our precious wetlands.  He talks about the importance of protecting these special places in California as fish nurseries, places to enjoy sea otters and birds, and a hub for scientific research. He also addresses efforts to learn about the impact of the recent Moss Landing battery storage fire on the ecosystem.

Awardees of the Queer Youth Leadership awards talk about their experiences and perspectives living in a time of stress and awakening. Guests were Stuart Rosenstein, Everest Vasquez, Dr. Cassie, and Petra King.

Chris Upham interviews Dave Benet about the Scientific Diver Certification Program at UCSC.

It’s always good being a vegan in Santa Cruz County, but April is especially appetizing. A whole new slate of vegan menu items rolled out in restaurants and cafes across Santa Cruz County for the entire month as part of the Santa Cruz Vegan Chef Challenge. To tell us more about the meat and dairy-free initiative, host PK Hattis was recently joined by the organizer of the challenge, Allison Garcia, as well as the owner of one participating restaurant, Patrice Boyle of La Posta in Seabright.

There are seven candidates running to be our next representative in Congress from California’s 19th District, which runs from south San Jose out to the coast, then down the coast all the way to northern San Luis Obispo County, including the cities of Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, Capitola, Seaside, Monterey, Carmel, Paso Robles, and Atascadero. All seven candidates were invited to participate in the forum – four responded and were present for the forum on April 22, 2026, moderated by Len Beyea. They are Thomas Coxe (I), Ana Luz Acevedo-Cabrera, Tuka Gufari (R), and Sean Dougherty (D).  The incumbent, Jimmy Panetta (D), did not respond to the invitation, nor did candidates Peter Verbica (R) or Lars Mapstead (L). Introductions provided by the candidates: Thomas Coxe (I) seeks to address the root cause of our national issues, corruption. As envisioned by our first President, the country stands divided between just two political parties, leaving politics a zero-sum game for sale to the highest bidder. Thomas, a lifelong independent, owns and runs a small contracting company in Santa Cruz County. He has three children with his lovely wife, and they enjoy getting out into the beautiful parks and wild spaces unique to California’s Central Coast. Ana Luz Acevedo-Cabrera (I) is a native of North Monterey County. She is a Professor at Hartnell College, currently teaching at the intersection of Business, Technology, and Entrepreneurship. In the coming semesters she’ll also be teaching Physical Science and Engineering. Outside the classroom she is a community leader and organizer in Monterey County. Her strong multidisciplinary background gives her the ability to analyze problems from multiple angles and come up with innovative solutions. Ana Luz received her Bachelors in Geophysics, Masters in Earth & Planetary Science, and Masters in Civil & Environmental Engineering from UC Berkeley. Tuka Gafari (R) was born and raised in California with his parents, who immigrated from Iran in the 1950’s and 60’s.  His wife also immigrated from Iran.  They live in a beautiful area.  Tuka enjoys being part of the community coaching soccer for kids.  There is no left or right.  There is forward or backwards.  It’s up to us to elect a leader who will listen and lead.  Finding solutions that do not divide is key.  We are diverse in our state and country, which is our strength. Sean Dougherty (D) is running for Congress because we deserve a government that works for us—not corporate PACs. We can guarantee healthcare for all, cut costs, end wasteful wars, and reinvest in education, infrastructure, and working families. This isn’t left or right. It’s about reclaiming a government that serves the people. We have the resources to fix what’s broken—we just need the courage to act. Image above features the candidates who participated in person – L to R they are Sean Dougherty, Ana Luz Acevedo-Cabrera, and Tuka Gufari. Thomas Coxe participated via remote connection.

A relatively small earthquake like the one that recently woke up residents from sleep can be a wake-up call for preparedness. Got your go bag ready? This piece was reported by Daymia Rousseau, KSQD’s Humanities intern from UCSC. Transcript: Hello, I’m Daymia Rousseau, a UCSC Intern reporting for KSQD. Even though Earthquake tremors are constant throughout the Santa Cruz area, it’s rare that we ever notice them. However, on April 2nd, an earthquake hit the central coast at 1:41am, shaking homes and jarring people from their beds. . Clocking in at 4.6 on the Richter scale, and centered in Brookdale, people felt it as far north as San Francisco. One resident in the Boulder Creek area experienced property damage from the quakes, while another was shot awake. Interviewee 1: I was just about to fall asleep…the bed started shaking, and the glass started to rattle – it actually cracked my window. I have a crack in my window now (laughs)..the radio had nothing about it, and Nextdoor was blowing up with people saying, ‘they felt the earthquake’. Everyone seemed to feel it ‘different. Even further away from the epicenter in Aptos, a few homeowners felt the jolt. Interviewee 2: It wasn’t on the news, I found it Nextdoor. That’s when I found out there was a 4-point…nine? Earthquake? 4.9? Side note – the initial magnitude of 4.9 reported by most sources was changed to 4.6. Interviewee 3: …there was a pretty big one up here, and the whole house was rocking back and forth and it shook me out of bed.  Interviewee 2: I was definitely disoriented…then when I realized what was happening I jumped up, ran downstairs to check on my family to make sure they were ok…  Interviewee 3: You know, it was actually funny, I was trying to put my pants on – and I couldn’t stand straight up! I kept falling to the side trying to get my leg in my pants. In fact, some of the family was here. The event shook quite a few residents not only due to the abruptness of the quake, but also because it reminded them of two notorious words: Loma Prieta. Recorded at a magnitude of 6.9, most listeners will remember the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake due to the extensive damage it caused across the central coast and the Bay Area. For some residents, this relatively small 4.6 reminded them that they were unprepared for a much larger earthquake. Interviewee 2: It made me realize that we don’t have an earthquake preparedness kit, or a plan in place if there was a really big one… Especially since I know we live by the fault line where we had the big ‘89 quake. So in the back of my mind, I do wonder if there’s gonna be another one. But while the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake was a result of the San Andreas fault line, this smaller 4.6 has been reported by the United States Geological Survey as primarily the result of the Zayante-Vergeles fault line. This fault, considered active, can deliver a quake as big, or bigger than Loma Prieta. Thankfully, it hasn’t in recent memory. Evan Hirakawa, a USGS research geophysicist, reported in a KQED article that Zayante hasn’t been very active in thousands of years. He reports that the national alert system was, …too close to the event to really benefit…him. So, how reliable are phone-based shake warnings at alerting people? What resources are available to the general public? Many Santa Cruz residents, like myself, received an emergency alert during, or even after the quake, which did little to assist in any preventive safety measures. . But there are resources used by Public officials and locals to alert themselves or others about larger earthquakes – even smaller ones. The most commonly used is an app called MyShake, which only alerts users when an earthq

Talk of the Bay host Omar Dieguez brings us a new episode of FROM THE STREETS, where he asks: What’s really being sprayed near our schools… our homes… our children? In this powerful episode, Omar sits down with frontline advocates, educators, and community leaders to break down the truth about harmful pesticides in our communities and the fight to protect our people. We ask the real questions: • What are the most dangerous pesticides being used right now? • How are they impacting farmworkers, families, and students? • Why is public education and transparency critical? • What responsibility do agricultural companies and officials have? We talk about the urgent demands: • 1-mile buffer zones near schools • Notice of Intent (NOI) before spraying • Exact spray locations for community awareness This is about health. dignity. justice. This is about people over profit. Stay informed. Stay connected. Stay powerful. Si Se Puede.

In this episode, we peel back the curtain to peek behind the scenes of KSQD and explore the twists and turns that led to the creation of the station.  

Talk of the Bay features an interview with Cindy Cohn. For 26 years she was director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, fighting in court for internet privacy . Her new book Privacy’s Defender: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance, explores today’s surveillance dystopia through the eyes of a lawyer who has been at the legal forefront of fighting it for decades, and who can describe a better path forward. We should all be concerned about privacy right now, as the federal government consolidates and weaponizes data, companies track our every click, and law enforcement, from local cops to ICE keep tabs on all of us, everywhere we go, every day. Cohn’s national book tour will bring her to UC-Santa Cruz on Tuesday, May 19 from 12-2pm For more information about her in-person appearance: https://events.ucsc.edu/event/privacys-defender-fight-against-digital-surveillance-with-cindy-cohn/

Bill Monning represented the Central Coast first as a State Assemblymember and then as State Senator. Bill authored a wide range of legislation. We discussed the governor’s race and how a blue state like California may end up electing a Republican if some candidates don’t drop out of the race. We also discussed the UFW and Dolores Huerta, the proposed General Strike and other current events and issues.

Want to ditch your gas-guzzling car as gas prices spike? Build your strength and endurance? Why not dust off that bike in your garage and feel the wind in your hair?  Bike Santa Cruz County promotes bicycling through advocacy, education and community building. Inn this podcast we hear from Mikey Cohen and Jon Silver, Chair and Vice Chair of this 21-year-old organization. We hear about how communities plan for safe bike transit and what fun events are coming up to encourage you to pedal around town.

Civil Grand Jury experts explain its history and purpose, application and selection process, training programs, complaint submittals, and topic selections. Judge Stephanie Hulsey, supervisor of the Monterey County Civil Grand Jury, Tom Motley and Gary Hoffmann, former jurors in Monterey, and Kim Horowitz and Arthur Rolston, former jurors in Santa Cruz, share their knowledge of investigations, report writing, and submission of recommendations. They also discuss continuity and follow-up, plus oversight of jails, juvenile halls, and prisons. Joe Truskot hosts the presentation. The photo depicts Judge Stephanie Hulsey. The title comes from a statement by KSQD Board Treasurer Mathilde Rand before the show.

The arts community of Santa Cruz County is coming together for this exciting new 11-day celebration showcasing the region’s rich artistic landscape. The festival will feature performances, exhibitions, workshops, and interactive events across venues countywide, inviting audiences of all ages to experience the transformative power of art. Host Christine Barrington interviews Ripple Effect Co-Founders Rose Sellery and Melissa Kreisa whose bold vision for a Santa Cruz Arts Festival gestated for years before blossoming into reality as the Ripple Effect Santa Cruz Arts Festival. Their vision was born out of a shared belief that the arts not only enrich our lives but also strengthen our community and economy. At a time when many artists and organizations face mounting challenges, Ripple Effect provides a new opportunity for collaboration, visibility, and collective support. Grassroots and volunteer-driven, the festival is powered by the dedication of local arts organizations and community partners who believe in the unifying force of creativity. Ripple Effect invites you to join them for 11 days of powerful performances, art, poetry, fashion, music, and cultural celebrations throughout Santa Cruz County. The Ripple Effect Arts Festival brings together community, creativity, and culture to reflect the unique artistic pulse of our coastal community. Opening with Dancing in the Streets – in Downtown Santa Cruz from 5-9PM Experience 11 Days of Community & Creativity in venues throughout Santa Cruz County Closing with the Grand Finale from 4-9PM at The Grove @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

On this episode of Talk of the Bay the theme is: sex and rock n’ roll - in the context of labor. Host Meilin Obinata welcomes workers who are fighting for their legal rights in two different industries with surprisingly connected issues: sex work and entertainment. How are modern workers resisting employers who are squeezing workers for intellectual property and exploiting them to avoid paying fair wages?Adalind Gray, a worker at Sherri’s Ranch, is part of a first in labor history in the United States where people have created the first union of sex workers, the United Brothel Workers. Hear from Gray directly why the workers decided to fight back when their employer asked them to give up power of attorney and other rights in order to work in a Nevada brothel.Obinata also welcomes Joey La Neve Defrancesco, co-founder of the Union Musicians and Allied Workers and part of the punk band, the Downtown Boys. Learn how musicians are fighting against streaming giants, festival organizers and other Goliaths of the entertainment industry while protecting fans from price-gouging!

  Jeanne Proust has studied Humanities, Philosophy and Visual Arts in Bordeaux, Berlin, and Paris. She has been teaching Philosophy for the last fifteen years in the US and has held multiple leadership positions in ethics education and public philosophy. She currently serves as Vice President of the Public Philosophy Network, where she helps guide national initiatives connecting philosophy to public life, and as Academic Coordinator for Crown College at UC Santa Cruz, overseeing the core course on the “Ethical and Societal Implications of Emerging Technologies”. She continues to serve as the program director for the Santa Cruz Night of Ideas, now a recurring event held every spring. The 2026 Night of Ideas will take place April 17th at the Institute of Arts & Sciences in Santa Cruz, from 5 to 9 PM. She has been actively involved in the Center for Public Philosophy (UC Santa Cruz) for the last three years, where she served as director from 2023-2024, spearheading community-centered ethics programs and partnerships across academia, civil society, and the arts. With the Center, she helped launch the first Tech Ethics Bowl in the Bay Area, contributed to several Ethics Bowl programs targeting underserved communities, and led the inaugural Santa Cruz edition of the Night of Ideas – in collaboration with the Marc Sanders Foundation, Humanities West, The Humanities Institute at UCSC and Villa Albertine. Jeanne’s PhD dissertation (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) focused on the pathologies of willpower, both in philosophical and psychological perspectives, but her interests are wide: among many fields, she does research in Ethics, Philosophy of Technologies, Bioethics, Feminist theory, and Aesthetics. She taught at different universities in New York, advocating for a widening of philosophical education beyond Academia by leading and participating in different events open to the general public and to marginalized populations (Rikers Island, San Quentin). She gives many public talks, collaborates on podcast projects (she produced her own, “Can You Phil It?”), and regularly collaborates with artists on her photography, drawing and painting works. Jeanne has recently started her own philosophical counseling practice, open to individuals seeking to expand their worldview, and to examine their values and life concerns through the lens of philosophical inquiry. Part of this work is conducted in partnership with the Philosophy Technologies startup, which provides support for senior executives, helping leaders broaden their conceptual frameworks and decision-making practices.

My interview with Justin Loza, President of Veterans For Peace of Monterey County. We did the interview in the early days of The War On Iran. It’s one local chapter in an international organization, Veterans For Peace.  They have a commitment to build a culture of peace, expose the true costs of war, and heal its wounds.

ARIEL Theatrical is a Salinas nonprofit that offers year-round programs in theatre arts for kids and teens.  They produce 10 plays a year, and have camps which include classes as well. I interviewed Gail Higginbotham – Ariel’s Founder & Artistic Director, and Heather Kirk – Executive Director.

The Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program (I-HELP) is a non-profit that provides a safe, temporary place to sleep for people who are experiencing homelessness. Participants are provided an evening meal and sleep on mats in shared spaces, where they also receive person-to-person support and resources to help them move forward in their lives.  60 local faith communities provide the sleeping location and the meals.

Solar and wind technologies are already here to transition us to a clean energy future, making oil wars moot, but “Drill, Baby Drill” and Trump’s oil war in Iran begs the question: Why aren’t mainstream media outlets connecting the dots? Brady Bradshaw of The Center for Biological Diversity talks about the organization’s legal challenges to the forced opening of the Sable Pipeline in Santa Barbara. Then, Michael Richardson of Thirdact.org discusses the potential for the clean energy transition and how the impact of Trump’s all-out war on renewables could doom us to a broken planet if we don’t stop it.

  In this interview, Len Beyea gets a download from tech experts Emily Bender and Alex Hanna, co-authors of The AI Con, about the drawbacks and pitfalls of technology sold under the banner of “AI”, and why it’s crucial to recognize the many ways in which AI hype covers for a small set of power-hungry actors, helping the rich get richer by justifying data theft, motivating surveillance capitalism, and devaluing human creativity in order to replace meaningful work with jobs that treat people like machines. Is artificial intelligence going to take over the world? Have big tech scientists created an artificial lifeform that can think on its own? Are we about to enter an age where computers are better than humans at everything? The answer to these questions, Emily Bender and Alex Hanna make clear, are “no,” “they wish,” “LOL,” and “definitely not.” Dr. Alex Hanna is Director of Research at the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR). A sociologist by training, her work centers on the data used in new computational technologies, and the ways in which these data exacerbate racial, gender, and class inequality. She also works in the area of social movements, focusing on the dynamics of anti-racist campus protest in the US and Canada. She holds a BS in Computer Science and Mathematics and a BA in Sociology from Purdue University, and an MS and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. With Emily Bender, Dr. Hanna is the co-author of The AI Con (Harper, 2025), a book about AI and the hype around it. Drs. Bender and Hanna also run the Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000 series, tearing apart AI hype on their livestream and podcast. Alex has published widely, including in the journals Socius, Sociological Science, Mobilization, American Behavioral Scientist, and Big Data & Society, and has been a featured speaker at top-tier computer science conferences. Emily M. Bender, co-author of The AI Con, has been a member of the faculty at the University of Washington since 2003. She is currently the Thomas L. and Margo G. Wyckoff Endowed Professor in the Department of Linguistics and the faculty director of the Computational Linguistics MS program and the director of the Computational Linguistics Laboratory. For 2019-2022, she was the Howard and Frances Nostrand Endowed Professor. She is an Adjunct Professor in both the School of Computer Science and Engineering and the Information School at UW, and a member of the Tech Policy Lab, Value Sensitive Design Lab, and RAISE. Dr. Bender has served on the Executive Board of the Association for Computational Linguistics as VP Elect, VP, President and Past President. She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Prior to joining the faculty at UW, she held positions at Stanford University and UC Berkeley, and worked in industry at YY Technologies. She received her PhD in Linguistics at Stanford University. She earned her AB (also in Linguistics) from UC Berkeley, and also studied at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan.

Babblery host Suki Wessling walked around our local No Kings 2026 Rally and asked people to do dramatic readings of their signs. Some are more dramatic than others, but all are heartfelt!

Busman’s holiday on Kauai. 150 people gathered in the tiny town of Ele’ele, Kauai to join the nationwide “No Kings” rallies. Why did they gather? They had a lot of answers.

Tony Sloss interviews a handful of protesters on the street for the Santa Cruz No Kings Rally.

Every winter I teach a storytelling class using The Moth Radio Hour as a model for how to tell personal narratives. What follows are some examples of their work.

  PODCAST AVAILABLE. In this Talk of the Bay, host Meilin Obinata welcomes Osbaldo Lucero of Salad Bytes Media to the station. Join this conversation about his journey as a local podcast innovator, launching multiple podcasts which platform Salinas topics: everything from soccer, small businesses and non profits and even politics. His podcasts attract an international audience, jumping up the Spotify charts in Latin America! Spoiler alert – there’s even a part of our conversation that mentions squids!!! Learn about his creative processes, and, how he bloomed and nurtured ideas into reality from the very beginnings of podcasting to now.

As those of us who live along the Pacific Ocean know, the coastline can be a dangerous and unpredictable place, particularly when strong storm systems pass through. And as climate change continues to supercharge the frequency and intensity of these storms, what can residents — and the local government that supports them — do to prepare? The county will seek to answer that question and many more in this consequential study, and Talk of the Bay was lucky to recently have Santa Cruz County Resource Planner David Carlson on the show to explain what the study is all about and why it matters.   RESOURCES cdi.santacruzcountyca.gov/Planning/PolicyPlanning/SeaLevelRiseVulnerabilityAssessmentProject.aspx

For Kiana Hamzehi, a Santa Cruz-born daughter of Iranian parents, the Iran war is not some distant news story. She has relatives there under bombardment from the US and Israel. She talks about the grey areas of the war as seen from abroad. Information is spotty and when it does trickle in, people are stressed and in survival mode. For Elnaz Sarbar Bocek, an activist for women’s rights, speaking out about the war is personal. She left Iran at age 28 and likely cannot return without endangering herself and her family. As a mother of a toddler, she is aware of what might happen. In this show, we explore the nuances of being a citizen of two countries at war with each other.

  Alice DiMicele is an Americana/Folk artist, rooted in the natural world, using the earth as her primary source of inspiration, threading its essence into her music. Alice’s connection to nature has created a deep bond with her listeners over the decades, gifting people a safe space to express their emotions and heal in the process. Throughout her career, she has released 18 albums, including her latest works ‘Reverse the Flow’ (2025), ‘Every Seed We Plant’ (2022) and ‘Interpretations: Vol 1’ (2024), building a dedicated fanbase along the way. Alice DiMicele weaves a rich tapestry of sounds, from the early days of her folk-inspired songs, through to the sensual influences of jazz and soul and the pulse of funk and rock. Her kaleidoscopic soundscape is grounded by her warm, magnetic vocals, stretching over five octaves, giving her voice both power and intimacy. In this interview with Talk of the Bay host Len Beyea, we get to hear a sampling of songs from four different albums, the stories behind the songs, reflections on the music business and on the importance of staying rooted to the nature around us amidst the imbalance of modernity, and the vitality and vitalness of sharing music in community. Alice’s upcoming shows in KSQD vicinity as of March 2026 include: a March 20th concert at 7 PM at the Resource Center for NonViolence, 612 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz; sharing the community singing spirit with famed vocalists Bryan Dyer and Kid Beyond at the 3rd Annual Sing Into Spring on March 21st at 12:30 PM, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Santa Cruz County, 6401 Freedom Blvd, Aptos; and an afternoon concert on Sunday March 22nd at 3 PM at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Los Gatos, 15980 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos.

On this episode of Talk of the Bay we take a deep dive into a local documentary which is making its way across the country and the world into film festivals. If you ever wondered what it’s like to call Santa Cruz your hometown, while you are homeless, then you won’t want to miss this Talk of the Bay program when we welcome the filmmakers of “Hometown Homeless” – a short documentary filmed right here in Santa Cruz, in the Potrero neighborhood. Hosts George Cadman and Meilin Obinata will speak with the filmmakers Maleah Welsh, a graduate of the UC Santa Cruz Social Documentation program and Shannan Vudmaska, a poet who lives outside. This film focuses on a circle of women who gather to speak of life, love, and loss — holding space for one another amidst uncertainty and upheaval. This poetic and contemplative documentary takes us through quiet moments and everyday rituals, tracing a tender exploration of land, home, and community. HomeTown HomeLess HomeTown HomeLess is a collaborative documentary film which takes place in the Potrero district of Santa Cruz, California. A space that is the industrial zone of the city, the site of cement plants, garbage processing facilities, graveyards, discarded train tracks and homeless shelters. As the industrial zone ends, the redwood forest begins. Deep in the trees is where we find unhoused poet Momma Shannan and her community of resilient women, who have found a place for themselves out of the public eye. Facing uncertain and precarious circumstances driven by rising laws that criminalize homelessness, the women come together to have conversations about life, love, loss. Anchored by moments of poetry and propelled by both the women’s conversations and events within the community, HomeTown HomeLess offers an intimate portrait of both people and place. Showing: Friday, March 13th 2026, at the Watsonville film festival • 5:00 PM @ CineLux Green Valley Cinema

On Talk of the Bay at 5PM, March 2, 2026, host Meilin Obinata dives into the proposed California Billionaire Tax Act with Seema Kanani from the SEIU-United Healthcare Workers union and Kris Cuaresma-Primm who are supporting this voter initiative aimed at helping make up shortfalls caused by deep cuts to federal programs.    Obinata also welcomes activist Langdon Sepulveda from Stop Gilroy Data Center Now and Francisco Leal from NIMBY Imperial. They are both resisting the development of data centers dependent upon lithium ion battery storage. Whether billionaires or data centers, what does it look like when people rise up? That’s today at 5PM, on KSQD’s Talk of the Bay.

To kick off Women’s History Month, on March 6th a very special event returns to the Museum of Art and History in downtown Santa Cruz. It is called HERstory, and it celebrates the important women of Santa Cruz County—past, present, and future. The event features performances, special activities and, most importantly, talks from extraordinary women who were nominated by the community and selected by a diverse committee representing local organizations dedicated to supporting and uplifting women. In this conversation, we meet event organizers Stephanie Sumarna (County Office of Education) and Jessie Durant (Museum of Art and History), as well as two of the event’s honorees, Amara Anderson (Santa Cruz High Black Student Union President) and Ivory Woodson (Student Leader & Founding Black Student Union President, Soquel High School Black Student Union, Countywide BSU). The guests talk about their backgrounds and the upcoming event. For more information and registration, visit the event page at https://santacruzcoe.my.canva.site/herstory.

In a victory in the indigenous landback movement. The Amah Mutsun Land Trust and Peninsula Open Space Trust have purchased the 2,284 acre Juristac property,(Formerly Sargeant Ranch),  preventing the building of a gravel pit mine, and returning the land to its original inhabitants. We hear from Amah Mutsun tribal chairman, Ed Ketchum about the history of his people in relation to this land and what plans are for its future.

Guest Tom Llewellyn grew up in the small rural enclave of Canyon, California, where sharing food, road work days, and fighting fires together as a community was common. Full disclosure, I also grew up there, but we didn’t cross paths until recently in Bonny Doon. Growing out of that belief in the collective wisdom of communities working together, Tom is now Program Director for the nonprofit, Shareable. Far beyond ride shares, this organization promotes libraries of things, lending libraries of tools and other useful items, and leads trainings around the world to fuel this growing movement. If you’ve ever used a tiny neighborhood library or organized a car pool, you know the joy of the sharing economy. So far, there is no tool lending library in Santa Cruz. Anyone want to start one? https://www.shareable.net/about/

Andrew Schoneberg was fortunate to meet and interview Dr. Elisa Lagana.  Dr. Lagana is a natural psychic, remote viewer and clairvoyant. For the past 15 years, she has worked professionally as a remote viewer, offering accurate, real-world insight to clients across the globe. Her work has contributed to the prediction of major world events outcomes months in advance. Her skills include locating missing persons, which she’s done for the CIA and law enforcement agencies. Elisa shares that at the heart of her work is a devotion to healing. Her greatest joy comes from helping people understand the language of energy—how it moves, speaks, and guides.

Joan Hammell is a board member with the Santa Cruz County SPCA. More than just a place to adopt or give up a beloved pet, the organization has broadened its mission to help humans and animals help each other in often profound ways.

Fraud and identity theft targeting immigrants are on the rise, according to Claudia Abasto Rivella of Latinan, a legal aid nonprofit serving three central coast counties, Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey. Even Ms. Abasto Revilla, a lawyer, has had her identity stolen and used to extort people in North Carolina seeking green cards. She warns people to never conduct business of a legal nature over the phone or internet, but to work in person.

  Consuelo Alba is the Executive Director & Co-Founder of the Watsonville Film Festival. Consuelo is a visionary arts leader harnessing the transformative power of film and culture to ignite social change in Santa Cruz County and beyond.  Under her leadership, the Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) has grown from a grassroots collective into a nationally recognized cultural force offering year-round programming, supporting local filmmakers and redefining what a film festival can be: an inclusive, community-centered space for dialogue, joy and inspiration. Consuelo was born and raised in Mexico City. Her early career as a journalist laid the foundation for her lifelong commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices. As a documentary filmmaker, Consuelo explores cultural identity, healing and justice. Her award-winning short documentary El Andalón / The Healer screened at more than 30 international festivals, won seven awards, and was broadcast on Mexican public television. She is co-director of a new film, The Long Labor. LiliArlen Gomez is the Production Coordinator of the Watsonville Film Fest. LiliArlen was born in Monterey, California and raised in Oaxaca, Mexico, where traditions and storytelling deeply influenced her path as a filmmaker. After earning her degree in Cinematic Arts and Technology from Cal State University Monterey Bay, she worked on projects with Apple, Google, and 20th Century Studios, with her collaborative work reaching festivals like Sundance, SXSW, and Watsonville. LiliArlen is excited to bring her passion, creativity, and production experience to help uplift diverse voices and strengthen the Watsonville Film Festival’s presence in the community. The 14th annual Watsonville Film Festival begins Thursday March 12th, and runs through Saturday March 21st, with showings in Watsonville, and during the second weekend, in Salinas and Santa Cruz. You can view the schedule of films and events here. This recording includes an interview of ~54 minutes with Consuelo Alba, followed by an interview of ~3 minutes with LiliArlen Gomez.

David Hahklotubbe is a Death Doula and Gerontologist, as well as a motivational speaker.  Death Doulas serve people who are about to die, their families and loved ones.  Their goal is to provide counseling, wisdom, and peace of mind, as well as practical help for families and loved ones navigating the practical aspects of dealing with this life transition. Based on his experience witnessing over 1000 deaths, David believes that the worst pain many suffer at death is regret — regret at wishes and goals not pursued, relationships not healed, etc.  So as a motivational speaker and author, David Hahklotubbe advocates for living the lives we truly wish for, while we still can.  And he imparts his wisdom about how to have a “good” death. In this interview with Andrew Schoneberg, David shares that many people have communications from loved ones who’ve recently passed.  He says if we are open to it, this is a common occurrence, and evidence that consciousness doesn’t end at death.

Host Meilin Obinata takes a deep dive with an environmental activist, professional musician and educator: Adam Scow. In this conversation, we learn about Adam’s musical life, his origin story, and what motivates him to engage in public service. He also provides some surprising lessons for activists about political life, plus advice and encouragement to those who wish to run for office. He even gives out his personal email if you wish to seek his guidance!

The IRS funds a program, Project SCOUT, which offers free help with tax preparation and filing for low-income residents, including seniors and those on disability. In this interview we speak with two volunteers working with Project SCOUT during tax season, Mathilde Rand and Jan Shirchild about how listeners can get assistance in Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties.

Members of the Teamsters local 2010 labor union were out on strike all week in the freezing rain, pressing the CSUs to come back to then negotiating table. This interview with Anthony Cardinale, Union Representative for CSUMB explores the who, what, why and how of the strike.

  On Monday’s Talk of the Bay, at 5pm, host Meilin Obinata welcomed two Salinas area activists to the show to discuss the role of money in Salinas politics: rapper and activist Cal Paradox, who recently released an album dedicated to Salinas politics called “Politics As Usual”, and president of LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) Salinas Chapter 2055, a leading civil rights organization and community thought leader Christopher Barrera. We will learn about what gets people engaged in local issues and make a difference in their communities. We learned about the inspiration for particular songs from Cal Paradox's album, including Taylor Farms, Salinas City Council and more. We learned from Chris Barrera about LULAC's first president, Crecencio Padilla's suggestion about taxing agriculture. The guests also discuss California's Proposition 50 from November 2025. Barrera's shares experiences of helping renters in his role at LULAC as well as his perspective as a realtor interacting with landlords.You can connect with our guests in the following ways: Chris Barrera's email and phone number are: [email protected], 831-206-9089Cal Paradox's Instagram account is: cal_paradoxThat’s Monday at 5pm, right here on KSQD, KSQT, at 89.5, 89.7 and 90.7 FM, and on your smart device at KSQD.org.

Arts Council For Monterey County is a non-profit, who’s goal is to make arts accessable to everyone in Monterey County.  Arts4MC connects local artists and arts groups with local communities and schools.  They fund music, theater, dance, and fine arts instuction in schools.  Arts4MC sponsors public art, such as murals and exhibitions, and provides grants to arts organizations and individual artists, and provides scholorships for young people persuing arts careers. In August 2025 Andrew Schoneberg interviewed Jacquie Atchison, Arts4MC’s Executive Director.      

This short feature was produced by Daymia Rousseau, Humanities intern from UCSC, with editing help from Rachel Anne Goodman and Howard Feldstein. What follows is the transcript. Hello, I’m Daymia Rousseau, a UCSC Intern reporting for KSQD. AI data centers are a booming business, and California is one of the leading states in building them. Along with concerns about the environmental costs, critics are saying the financial burden of these energy-hungry facilities falls unfairly on customers. One of its biggest critics is alternative energy expert, Amory Lovins. Lovins : “I’m mightily puzzled why 38 states subsidized data centers with tax breaks, and why they’re thought to be economically advantageous. They’re good if you’re in the construction industry; they’re not so good if you’re looking for long-term jobs. These are highly automated operations, and enormous amounts of capital get sucked out of the rest of the economy. ” Professor Lovins is a physicist, AI data center designer, writer, and lecturer at Stanford University. He’s written several critical pieces on the setbacks of Nuclear Energy & AI data centers, as well as many articles on the best ways to utilize alternative, solar & wind-power energy. He’s concerned about customers bearing the brunt of cost overreach. Lovins : “There’s quite a bit of political unease around the country, and protests around burdens falling on other customers. Partly because the contract with the data center may not cover all the costs of data extensions and other expenses needed to keep the grid going with the big new load…And also because many of the data centers proposed will not be built, or when built will not thrive…in other words, it looks like they’re set to earn a tenth as much of the revenue they would need to support the enormous investments they’re making.” So data centers are expected to earn less revenue than it takes to construct them? Currently, data centers consume 1-2% of global energy. However, research from investment companies such as Goldman Sachs project data center’s energy demand will grow 160% by the year 2030. And not even Bill Gates predicts a viable energy plan until the year 2050. So data centers are expected to operate for 25 years, functionally, at an over 100% increase in power usage. And that’s only if AI demand can finance it. According to Professor Lovins, this financial strategy effectively cannibalizes itself. Lovins : “One of the reasons the financial community is concerned, and sees AI as a bubble, is that it’s indulging in what’s known as ‘circular transactions’. My company invests in your company, which then buys my products, so we can both afford to do that. But it doesn’t really sustain an increase in wealth, so much as to conceal that we’re not making money the conventional way by selling a product people wanna pay a lot for. And it’s also concerning that 120 Billion dollars has now been financed off balance sheets, so it doesn’t show up in the financial accounts. Between that and circular transactions, it’s really hard to tell what condition the tech companies are in…and that heightens the risk… So I think the concern about unexpected burdens falling on localities is well founded. I would also suggest that you shouldn’t automatically assume that because AI can make various operations efficient and save energy, that means it’s a net good for climate.” One big worry is the capacity of the grid to distribute heavy energy demand during peak hours. Who will pay for upgrading it? The AI companies or the public? What about blackouts? Many tech companies such as Google & Microsoft, claim they can fund “green premiums” by 2030 to sustain energy demand through market returns.  However, the fragility of the “AI bubble” in global markets casts doubt on that strategy. Lovins : “Initially, it was more about making the hardware more effi