Families Forward Transitions Past the Pandemic AND Great American Write-In Reboots

Women For: Orange County Board member Felicity Figueroa muses with us about the much treasured, the annual Great American Write-In returning to the community after a three-year hiatus. The public is welcome to attend on May 6th 9:30 a.m. -1:30 p.m. at the Delhi Community Center at 505 East Central Ave. in Santa Ana. Reservations on evite are recommended: http://www.womenfororangecounty.org/.

In the second segment (approximately minute 26), Families Forward CEO Madelynn Hirneise returns with the challenges, changes, and expansions of their operations to serve families around Orange County. They are a part of “Help Them Home,” a giving day 24 hours with 25 non-profits, on April 26th, details: https://help-them-home-giving-day.ocnonprofitcentral.org/.

Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa – album; Charlie Haden & Liberation Music Orchestra, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” Not in Our Name – album; Alex Goodman, “Acrobat,” Border Crossing – album; The Lemon Twigs, “The One,” Song for the General Public – album.

http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/FigueroaHirneise4-25-23.mp3

“Pandemic Politics: The Deadly Toll of Partisanship in the Age of Covid”

No, we’re not done with the Covid pandemic – Covid is not done with us. It’s quite instructive to do examine a comprehensive list of parts in the politics of the pandemic, like before the next pandemic or crisis ensues. Sara Wallace Goodman, UCI political science professor talks about her new book out entitled, “Pandemic Politics: The Deadly Toll of Partisanship in the Age of Covid; How the politicization of the pandemic endangers our lives-and our democracy,” co-written with Shana Kushner Gadarian and Thomas Pepinsky, published by Princeton University Press. Sara Goodman’s team was the first to collect and analyze national survey data asking Americans about their health behaviors and attitudes.

Music credits: Chimora, “African Americano,” Sounds of Africa- album; The Elovators, “People Go,” Defy Gravity – album.

http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/Goodman1-10-23.mp3

Kevin McKenzie’s Gracious Bow As Artistic Director of the American Ballet Theater

American Ballet Theater’s retiring artistic director Kevin McKenzie reviews his 30 years of leadership with the company. Topics include the arc of a dancer’s career, comparisons between the scourges of AIDS and COVID, Russian connections, art education in America, and the baton he hands off to incoming director Susan Jaffee. Mr. McKenzie appears in Orange County during the current run of The Nucracker performed now through December 18th at the Segerstrom Hall, https://www.scfta.org/shows-events.

Music credits: “Amen,” composed and conducted by Carlos Simon.

http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/McKenziePod12-13-22.mp3

Anti-CRT Mapping Project AND Poetry Talking Truth With Power

CRT Forward Tracking Project Director Taifa Alexander at UCLA’s Law School brings her Anti-CRT Mapping Project. Last spring on this show, involved O C parents zoomed in on their district. Director Alexander zooms out onto the national effort: to identify, track, and analyze local, state, and federal activity aimed at restricting the ability to speak truthfully about race, racism, and systemic racism.

In the second segment (minute 30:35), UCI ethnographer and anthropologist Roxanne Varzi has raised her creative game during Covid staying in place, with some beautiful, intentional pieces she’s created and produced, gauging our capacity to deal with challenges like oh climate, and Covid and the next scourge.

Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,e” Sounds of Africa- album; Antibalas “Gold Rush” Where the Gods Are in Peace – album; Roxann Varzi “Birds,” spoken word. http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/AlexanderVarzi8-23-22.mp3

More Than One Pox on Our Households

Returning to the show, wearing his public health cape is Andrew Noymer, UCI professor of epidemiology, speaking about the pox on all our households. He considered how Covid-19 and monkey pox test both healthcare systems and the media.

Music credits: Chimora, “African Americano,” Sounds of Africa- album; Tadaki Misago & Tokyo Cuban Boys, “Sakura Sakura,” WaJazz Japanese Jazz Spectacle, vol. 1 – album.

http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/Noymer8-16-22.mp3

“Covid in Custody” Premier at UCI AND Civic Notes from the Host

UCI professor Keramet Reiter, and UCI director Jane Page, and theater director Gavin Cameron-Webb, (minute 5:21- 45:10) talk about their collaboration that patrons can take in this weekend. The play entitled: “Covid in Custody,” is a docu-drama written by Jane and Gavin chronicling the establishment of an online archive of first hand stories of those held in California’s prisons during the COVID Pandemic. The show at UCI’s Little Theater is now postponed, please take note when listening to this interview. This podcast summary will be updated once the production has been rescheduled. Tickets, which are free, must be reserved at the following link: https://www.arts.uci.edu/event/covid-custody. More information about the archives set up by Keramet, upon which the play is based, is available at: https://prisonpandemic.uci.edu/. Before this interview are comments about the candidate/incumbent OC Assessor Claude Parrish who was not available for the originally scheduled interview. After this interview are pointers about the OC Primary June 7, 2022.

Music credits: Chimora, “African Americano,” Sounds of Africa- album; and Aaron Goldberg, “Poinciana,” At the Edge of the World – album. http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/PageCameronWebbReiterPOD4-26-22.mp3

Art and Entertainment in the Age of COVID

Richard Chang, Arts and Culture senior editor at the Voice of OC, lecturer in journalism, and former KUCI DJ, offers a cultural map of opportunities and workarounds during the pandemic and a look beyond. This is the second to last edition of “Digging Out.”

Music credits: The Comet is Coming, “New Age,” Channel The Spirits – album; Shabaka Hutchings, “Black Skin, Black Masks,” We Out Here – album. http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/ChangPod12-27-21.mp3

O C Board of Supervisors; Partying Like It’$ 1899

Norberto Santana, founding publisher and editor in Chief of the Voice of OC trains his penetrating and seasoned journalistic eye on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. With billions of public money being spent, and not being spent, transparency is the watch word and civic engagement is the remedy. The next Board of Supervisor public meeting is this Tuesday, July 27th.
Music credits: The Comet is Coming, “New Age,” Channel The Spirits album; Shabaka and the Ancestors, “Behold the Deceiver” We Are Sent Here by History – album. http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/1682/SantanaPod7-26-21.mp3

Public Health Lane Part 2

This week we continue to work very hard the public health lane metaphor in Part 2 of my conversation with Vinu Ilakkuvan, founder and principal consultant of PoP Health.
Music credits: The Comet is Coming, “New Age,” Channel the Spirits; Gershwin Piano Quartet plays “American in Paris” by George Gershwin. http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/1682/IlakkuvanPod5-24-21.mp3

Public Health Lane Part 1

Vinu Ilakkuvan, founder and principal consultant of PoP Health, is the public health professional for the moment to consider who belongs and who doesn’t belong in the public health policy lane. Given the messy traffic there, this first of two parts offers a better idea of where to yield and where to pass the detritus on the road.
Music credits: The Comet is Coming, “New Age;” Chemtrails, “Born in it’s Image” Cuckoo Spit EP.

http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/1682/IlakkuvanPod5-17-21.mp3