Ask A Voter Listens to Citizens on This Supah Tuesday

Welcome all to the CA Primary 2024 edition of “Ask A Voter,” continuing the tradition of asking guests to tell their voting story. Think Story Corps walking around the polling place. Today, on Super Tuesday our roster of voters include: Alex Denysov, Ukrainian-American actor, filmmaker, musician and songwriter based on Los Angeles (minute 1:48); Shawn Khalifa, UCI sociology major soon to complete his BA in UCI’s Underground Scholars program (minute 17:00); Paa-Kwesi Heto, international political economist, security analyst affiliated with both UCI and Soka University of America (25:12); Elizabeth Martin, retired Orange County attorney and contributor to Orange County Communities Organized for Responsible Development’s citizenship fair (minute 35:19) and finally KUCI radio trainee Matt Sereno (minute 44:33).

Music credits: Fanfare for the Common Man, Leonard Bernstein, conducting NY Philharmonic; DakhaBraka, “Carpathian Rap,” – single; Matt Haimowitz, “Star Spangled Banner,” single; Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” Not in Our Name – album; Agustín Uribu, “Fiesta en Ticara,” Santa Fe – album. http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/AAV3-5-24.mp3

Paa-Kwesi Heto had more to say, on the heels of the news about the U. S. Supreme Court rendering its decision about Donald Trump’s eligibility to appear on the Colorado primary ballot. http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/Paa-KwesiPod2Mar5-24.m

Meet David Min, Candidate for CA 47th Cong. Dist. AND Rethinking Carceral Institutions

Today we begin coverage of the CA primary, a mere 5 weeks away. Community radio has an additional responsibility in this coverage as we all note the dwindling coverage of the OC politics in the area newspaper the L.A. Times. We first hear from CA State Senator Dave Min, one of the several candidates I’ll be interviewing, who are running in the CA 47th Congressional District, in the seat vacated by incumbent Congresswoman Katie Porter. In the second segment (approx. minute 31:30), is Shawn Khalifa who’ll be graduating this spring from the UC system’s UCI’s Underground Scholars program for felons from the carceral system and sends them off to thriving lives. The extended portion of his interview is posted on this same day.

Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa – album; Gustavo Dudamel conducting Simón Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela – Arturo Márquez, “Conga del Fuego,” Discoveries – album; John Beasley & Monk’estra, “Work,” John Beasley presents Monk’estra vol. 2 – album.

http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/MinKhalifa1-30-24.mp3

Shawn Khalifa had a whole lot more to say about his transition to academia and the world beyond. Have a listen.

http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/KhalifaPod21-30-24.mp3

Irvine City Council Expansion and District Maps


Irvine, the largest city in California to have at-large city council members, is undertaking the process of amending the city charter to create distinct city council elections districts from which the candidates would run. The charter amendment would also add 2 seats to the City Council. Returning to the show for the larger share of the hour is demographer Justin Levitt, retained by Irvine’s City Council, to update us on that process, wherein the City of Irvine is drawing these 6 council districts for the voters’ approval on the Spring 2024 Primary election ballot. The November 2024 general election vote would include voters in 3 of those districts. Residents of Irvine are welcome to participate in this process by spending time at: https://drawirvine.org/.

Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa – album; and Hideto Sasaki – Toshiyuki Sekine Quartet, “Turquoise Twice” Stop Over – album.

http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/Levitt9-19-23.mp3