Saving Altadena's Historic Tiles; Poet Says 'Solidarity is Key to Survival '

California has grand plans to turn a stretch of abandoned railroad tracks into 300 miles of walking and biking trails, connecting the rolling hills of Marin County with the redwood forests near Eureka in Northern Humboldt. If completed, the Great Redwood Trail could become the longest rail-trail in the nation. But some Indigenous communities and other groups are not on board. Reporter Sam Anderson explores how this grand idea has resurfaced the painful and complicated history behind the original railroad tracks that were built more than a century ago. This episode originally aired on October 18, 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

18 Huhti 30min

It’s been a few months since wildfires devastated Los Angeles, and some people are just now starting the long process of repairing and rebuilding their homes. But mixed into the soot and ash can be some hidden dangers, including lead, asbestos, arsenic and lithium. These toxic materials were used to build those homes and got blown across LA. Scientists from the California Institute of Technology have been investigating this invisible danger, testing more than 50 homes for these contaminants. And one of those homes belongs to the lead scientist behind the study. Reporter Caroline Champlin has more.  And our series on Californians and resilience continues with twenty-five-year-old Brittianna Robinson. She experienced sexual abuse and trafficking as a child. Robinson credits her faith in God and support from mentors and her church for helping her find a path forward. Today, she uses her lived experience to help other commercially sexually exploited children (CSEC) as an advocate on the Los Angeles County Youth Commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11 Huhti 30min

For more than 80 years, the Zorthian Ranch – nestled among the oak trees and steep canyons of Altadena – has been a home for artists, musicians and creatives seeking a different way of life. At this working ranch, people also tend animals and live close to the land, often growing their own food and generating their own energy. But it was almost completely destroyed by the Eaton Fire, and more than twenty people were displaced. Recent resident and audio reporter Sam Anderson interviewed members of this community, who explain the unique history of the ranch, and share in their own words and sounds what it means to them. Artists are often the people in our communities who bring people together in ways that are creative, spontaneous, and surprising. That’s true in the East Bay neighborhood of Point Richmond, where a local artist has created dozens of miniature fairy houses brimming with the personality of their imaginary inhabitants. In this story from the Bay Curious podcast, KQED’s Pauline Bartolone set out to explore these hidden treasures, and meet the person who created them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 Huhti 30min

This weekend, Muslims around California will celebrate Eid al Fitr to mark the end of Ramadan. People observing the holy month have been fasting from dawn to dusk. And although fasting is a big part of Ramadan, so is the food people eat to break the fast each night. Small shops like Besan’s International Market in San Bruno are key to observing Ramadan. Not only do they supply the ingredients for the holiday, they also connect people from all ethnicities who follow Islam. Lisa Morehouse and Leenah Bassouni spent time reporting at Besan’s Market for the series California Foodways.   Then reporter Steven Cuevas takes us to Altadena. Tens of thousands of people evacuated the city during the Eaton Fire. But some people took a huge risk and never left, and tried to protect their homes and neighborhoods. They lived a totally different experience of the fire and its aftermath. Steven brings us this profile of two residents from opposite ends of Altadena, who made that choice to stay behind.   And finally we go to southeast San Diego, where for decades, a dusty grey wall sat at the top of Division Street. Right where it curves upwards, away from the freeway, and down into the mostly residential neighborhood of Paradise Hills. Three high school friends painted a mural here 30 years ago, and as KPBS’s Kori Suzuki explains, they’ve reunited to bring it back to life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

28 Maalis 30min

This month marks the anniversary of the resolution of a landmark student strike at San Francisco State, on March 21, 1969. Patrick Salaver helped organize the protests, demanding the university better reflect and support students of color and admit more non-white students. The protests also led to the creation of the nation’s first-ever college of ethnic studies – a template for colleges and universities across the country. Salaver’s niece Nicole didn’t didn’t know about her uncle’s activism until she went to San Francisco State in the early 2000s. She was shocked to see his name in one of her textbooks, and now, she wants the world to know his story. Today’s show is an excerpt from Inheriting, a podcast from our friends at LAist Studios and the NPR Network. The show, hosted by Emily Kwong, is centered on the stories of Asian American and Pacific Islander families. It explores how one event in history can ripple through generations.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

21 Maalis 30min

We’re taking a long train ride on the California Zephyr. The Amtrak line winds through Emeryville, Sacramento, Truckee and then heads east toward Chicago. Parts of the trip are spectacularly beautiful, with scenes of the Rocky Mountains, Donner Lake and the Truckee River. This route also holds so much rich California history – a portion of it is close to the first transcontinental railroad. Starting in the late 1800s, the railroad developed in parallel with the state’s agriculture business, food industries, and dining traditions. It also exploited land and workers, spurring civil rights activism. For her series CA Foodways, reporter Lisa Morehouse explores some of the little-known history of the connection between the railroad and food in our state.  This episode was produced with support from the Food and Environment Reporting Network, and California Humanities, a nonprofit partner of National Endowment for the Humanities. Big thanks also go to the African American Museum and Library at Oakland, the library and archives at the California State Railroad Museum, and Rachel Reinhard. This episode orgiinally aired on December 20, 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

14 Maalis 30min

For many Californians, winter means snow. But alongside the skiers, snowboarders and snowshoers awaiting the latest weather forecasts, there’s another group of snow obsessives in our state: snow scientists. They measure California’s snowpack every day in order to better predict our statewide water supply for the coming year. Some of the most cutting-edge work in this field is being done by a tiny lab hidden in a rustic cabin in the Tahoe National Forest, and it’s a place that also houses a big secret. KQED’s Carly Severn headed up there to see it for herself. And we meet the San Diego band Al Akhbar. The band combines instrumentation and rhythms of the Middle East with western jazz. And they’re not only preserving their Middle Eastern musical traditions, but also reinventing them. As The California Report Magazine’s intern Hussain Khan explains, they’re bringing audiences from diverse backgrounds together with their unique sound.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 Maalis 30min