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California, as the wealthiest and most populated state in the nation, carries many leading roles in policy making, economic growth, cultural influences and technology development. California Insider, hosted by Siyamak Khorrami with The Epoch Times Southern California, showcases leaders and professionals across the state with inside information about trending topics and critical issues. Our mission is to inform California residents through the experiences and knowledge of our guests.
329 Episodes
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Long term property investment in Los Angeles is becoming more uncertain for small landlords, often leaving them with little choice but to exit the rental business. But what factors are making rental housing harder to operate, and what’s the impact of these landlords leaving LA? In this episode, we discuss with Dan Yukelson, CEO of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, and Rich Kissel, a longtime property owner who exited the business, how current housing rules and operating realities are influencing rental conditions.Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
California’s diversion law was designed to steer some defendants away from jail and into treatment. But when the same statute produces very different outcomes across the state, what determines how much risk the public is expected to accept? In this episode, Deputy District Attorney Matt Greco and San Francisco public defender Matt SotoRosen explain how the law works in practice and where its impact holds or falls short.00:00 – Intro01:50 – Serious Crimes Committed While in Diversion05:33 – Alternatives to Diversion and the Cost of Incarceration30:03 – Effectiveness of Diversion and Judicial Discretion42:35 – Diversion and Its Impact on Public Safety
California reservoirs are above capacity after several wet years, yet water deliveries to farmers remain uncertain. High storage alone does not guarantee reliable supply, as the system for moving and allocating water continues to limit what reaches the fields. In this episode, we speak with sixth-generation California farmer Cannon Michael about how these conditions affect everyday farming and the broader future of agriculture in the state, and what direction California may need to consider to restore reliability to its water system.Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Major rideshare companies are now routing more of their trips to regulated taxis in San Francisco, and that shift is changing how the city’s transportation system actually works. It comes down to cost pressure on the platform side and the steady coverage that commercial drivers provide. In this episode, we talk with Hansu Kim, longtime SF political consultant and Chairman of Flywheel. He walks us through why this move is happening and what it may set in motion for the city’s next phase.
State leaders want cities to allow far more housing near transit. Supporters see a needed shift while others question the practical outcome. In this episode we sit down with Tony Hall, former San Francisco supervisor, and Christopher Elmendorf, law professor at UC Davis. We look at what these changes could mean for San Francisco and how the policy meets the city’s real conditions.
RV encampments have become fixed parts of Los Angeles, especially in industrial areas where they sit for long stretches without intervention. What looks like a line of parked RVs carries real effects for the blocks around them, including steady waste and a growing pull on emergency crews. We discuss with Barry Coe, former Los Angeles city commissioner, about what keeps these RVs in place and how business owners stepped in when nothing changed.Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Freight theft is rising in California and hitting the state’s supply chain in ways most people don’t see. Loads disappear with a level of planning that signals a shift in how these crimes are carried out. In this episode, Verisk CargoNet Vice President of Operations Keith Lewis and retired Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department cargo theft detective Gerardo Pachuca explain what’s driving this change and why California has become a focal point.Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Silicon Valley has long been the launchpad for new tech companies, but conditions for young entrepreneurs are shifting. Starting and growing a company there now comes with limits that land much earlier than they used to.In this episode, Aman Verjee, founder of Practical Venture Capital, walks us through how this shift took hold and what it could mean for the Valley going forward.
California once made rooftop solar a smart investment for homeowners. After new rules took effect, that balance changed almost overnight. In this episode, Siyamak sits down with Bernadette Del Chiaro, senior vice president for California at the Environmental Working Group, and Johnny Graham, CEO of Pacific United Power, to examine how the state’s new policy is changing the way solar works for homeowners.Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
California’s economy keeps growing, but that growth looks different across the state. Some areas are thriving, while others feel the strain—a shift we discuss with Jerry Nickelsburg, Professor Emeritus at the UCLA Anderson School of Management; Mark Schniepp, Director of the California Economic Forecast in Santa Barbara; and Kymberlee Dildine from the Central California Food Bank to understand where the state’s economy may be heading next.
California is drawing a line on what children are fed in public schools. A new law confronts the rise of industrial additives that have come to define many of the meals served to students. In this episode, Bernadette Del Chiaro, Senior Vice President of the Environmental Working Group, explains how these additives made their way into lunch trays and what California’s bold move could signal for the rest of the country.
Many Californians are realizing after wildfires that their insurance doesn’t cover what it costs to rebuild. In this episode, industry experts Rex Frazier and Robert Anderson explain how shifts in state rules and market practices left many homes underinsured. They also show how small choices made when buying a policy can determine whether a family recovers or faces lasting loss, and what this means for the state’s growing FAIR Plan.
Water in California is getting more expensive, and the reasons go beyond drought. Rising maintenance costs are consuming budgets once reserved for future projects, leaving districts to choose between higher bills or deferred upgrades. In this episode, we speak with District 6 Director Tony Estremera and EMWD General Manager Joe Mouawad about the financial strain behind California’s water system and how those choices could define its future.
California’s community colleges have been confronting a growing wave of enrollment fraud. Through stolen identities, fake students are collecting financial aid meant for real applicants.In this episode, N2N Services CEO Kiran Kodithala explains how large-scale fraud networks infiltrated the system and what investigators are now uncovering behind the surge.Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
1California’s Proposition 50 would challenge the once-a-decade rule for drawing congressional maps. While some lawmakers call it a necessary response to partisan redistricting in other states, critics warn it could weaken protections against partisan gerrymandering in the state and shift congressional seat representation.In this episode, former state Assemblyman Mike Gatto, Democratic strategist Michael Trujillo, and county Republican leader Will O’Neill join us to look at how this proposal could impact voter trust and the balance of power in California politics.Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
California’s high-speed rail has been in the works for years, but the story behind its delays is more complex than it looks. In this episode, developer Elaine Culotti talks about why progress has slowed and what’s already taking shape. We dive deeper into what the project shows about how California builds infrastructure and why finishing the project has become so difficult.Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Los Angeles County’s eviction process has become a drawn-out struggle over how property rights are enforced. Real estate attorney Avi Sinai shares what he’s seeing in court as legal delays and expanding tenant protections have changed how landlords and renters deal with each other across the county. Property owner Thomas Maimone recounts how his family’s warehouse in Altadena was taken over by tenants who knew how to work the system. In this episode, their experiences reveal how policy and enforcement gaps play out in real life.Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
California’s electric vehicle market is starting to shift as key incentives come to an end.In this episode, we speak with University of California–Davis professor Daniel Sperling, one of the driving forces behind the state’s clean-car policies, about how reduced support is impacting the market and what it could mean for California’s clean-car goals.Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
California has always found ways to adapt. As wildfires are expected to continue to increase, the need for practical solutions is growing. Brien Seeley, an aviation expert and inventor, explains how existing electric flight technology could work together in a new way to fight fires faster, cleaner, and at a much lower cost than current methods.Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
California’s beekeeping industry is struggling to keep its colonies alive. More than half of all honeybee colonies in the United States died last year, one of the worst losses in decades. With cheap blended honey driving down prices and policies making it harder to keep operations sustainable, many keepers are reaching a breaking point. In this episode, third-generation beekeeper Ryan Burris breaks down how the fallout from hive losses is spreading through California agriculture.Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
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homeownership is no longer a part of the American dream in California