People of Interest

Best-selling crime author Michael Connelly discusses what intrigues him about the LA River.

Part Two of Producer Angela Shelley’s video diary - Big Hope in the Big Easy. We meet Angela’s family who describe their lives one year after Hurricane Katrina.

Mayor Newsom talks about his plan, as well as the failure of imagination that has left so many Americans without health care in this first person account.

California Connected talks to national security expert Amy Zegart, UCLA associate professor of public affairs at UCLA’s school of public policy. Her analysis: It’s tough as there are still many areas in which the intelligence community must do a better job.

Correspondent Judy Muller catches more than just fish when she takes us fly fishing at Yosemite National Park.

Video games are one of today’s most popular forms of entertainment. But what is less obvious is their increasing importance in other areas of society.

We talk again with Commander Pennal about what’s changed on the frontlines of the war against California’s meth epidemic in this first person account.

Can you save all the endangered animals all of the time? John Ridley takes a look at what happens when humans meddle with natural selection.

Central Casting has been the Ellis Island for new hopefuls entering the film industry for as long as there’s been a film industry. We meet some aspiring actors in Hollywood as they register for their first day of “extra” work.

The surfing community was rocked when virtually the only supplier of polyurethane blanks, used to manufacture surfboards, closed his business. Californians are stepping up to fill the void with new technologies and ideas that may revolutionize the industry — but only if surfers buy in.

We sat down with Dr. John Swartzberg, head of the Wellness Letter Editorial Board, to find whether or not our bodies care if we eat organic.

We sat down with Dr. John Swartzberg, head of the Wellness Letter Editorial Board, to find whether or not our bodies care if we eat organic.

Since we left Ward 7-D, there has been progress to report.

In a community where overnight street parking is illegal, a unique Santa Barbara program helps people living in their cars find places to spend the night. In this extended scene from “Half-Homeless,” we follow the daily lives of Frank and Gary.

In a community where overnight street parking is illegal, a unique Santa Barbara program helps people living in their cars find places to spend the night.

At the Polytrauma Unit of the VA medical center in Palo Alto, we follow four soldiers with Traumatic Brain Injury who are working to rehabilitate their bodies and their minds.

Big companies like Google and Earthlink see gold in that plan and are partnering with the city of San Francisco to build a network to connect the city. A poor, rural southeastern Indian reservation in San Diego County is providing wireless Internet access to reservations across a 250 square mile network via transmitters mounted on mountaintops.

We sit down with Sun Microsystems Chief Technology Officer Greg Papadopoulos to find out why open source is the business model of the future.

We continue our discussion of ‘open source’ with Sun Microsystems Chief Technology Officer Greg Papadopoulos.

California Connected presents a group of gifted people who got rich by just being plain smart.

Meet Maria, “the mom”, and Vanessa, “the daughter”, who’ve managed to survive sharing a home and a single computer to graduate together from one of California’s top universities.

Political analyst David Lesher, from the New America Foundation, tells us how the increase of Independent voters is shaping the political landscape.

In the small Northern California community of Isleton, citizens keep a very close eye on their elected officials.

Our producers discuss the story behind the story of “Troubled Waters.”

Some cancer patients face paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for drugs that may save their lives.

Executive Producer Bret Marcus joins Associate Producer Anne Lilburn to discuss “Costly Cures.”

Assemblyman Keith Richman discusses the challenge of healthcare reform in California.

We visit San Pasqual Academy, an intergenerational living program for seniors and foster teens.

Producer Angela Shelley shares her behind-the-scenes experience producing “Family Matters.”

Myles, Cherie, and Patricia share their poems in an extended scene from “Family Matters.”

We sit down with Kai Ryssdal, host of public radio’s “Marketplace,” to find out his down-to-earth reasons why not to overinvest in your home.

John Ridley comments on the new and distracting gadgets being added to our cars.

Executive Producer Bret Marcus joins Producer Coll Metcalfe, and Associate Producer Anne Lilburn to discuss Deadly Pursuit and Cut to the Chase, two segments examining the California car chase.

In 2005, California logged more than 7,700 police pursuits in which 16 people died and 1,351 were injured. Though legislators last year passed a law that may or may not curb the number of pursuits, this explosive debate is far from over.

Los Angeles is the car-chase capital of the world. More pursuits happen here than anywhere else on the planet. So what is it about Los Angelinos that leads them to run? And why do Los Angelinos love to watch?

Firefighters call it the “Big Screen”: the front door to Los Angeles Fire Station #9, through which firemen have watched a human tragedy unfold for years. Station #9 sits in the middle of the country’s gravest homeless problem—Los Angeles’ skid row.

We spoke with Angela Alioto, who was appointed by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom to write the 10-year plan to take 3,000 chronic homeless people off the street.

Judy Muller interviews KROQ’s Kevin & Bean - live on their morning radio show - to find out why Southern Californians are so fascinated with the car chase.

Executive Producer Bret Marcus joins Producer Joseph Angier, Story Editor Randa Cardwell, and Reseacher Jessica Garcia to discuss Undocumented Life.

What is it actually like to live in America as an undocumented immigrant? Meet three immigrants who share their experiences “getting by” on the fringes of California society.

We sit down with Chris Bertelli, deputy director of the California Office of Homeland Security, for a “reality check” on California’s state security challenges.

Katherine Perez is the Executive Director of the Transportation & Land Use Collaborative of Southern California. She discusses the connection between land use and transportation, as well as the state’s alternative growth choices.

Anthony Pico, chairman of the Viejas Band of the Kumeyaay Indians in San Diego county, discusses the significance, past and future, of Indian Gaming.

Prof. Amir Hussain discusses the most religiously diverse place in the history of the world: Southern California circa the present day.

Jeanne Woodford, the new undersecretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, reflects on the changes she’s seen over the last 30 years and what we can expect from the state’s newly reorganized prison system.

Peter Lehman of Humboldt State University discusses the history and future of renewable energy research and development in California.

Dr. Dana Goldman looks ahead to a time when a pill can add 15 years to your life and billions annually to the state’s health care expenditures.

Tom Cahill, professor emeritus of physics and atmospheric sciences at UC Davis, discusses the past, present and future of California’s air quality.

A wide-ranging and far-reaching discussion on California’s future with the state’s premier pollster Mark Baldassare.

Just how bad is California’s own version of the national health insurance crisis? We asked Dr. Mark Smith of the California HealthCare Foundation for his sobering yet not at all fatalistic prognosis.

Carol Whiteside, former mayor of Modesto and current President of the Great Valley Center, explains why and how the Central Valley is quickly becoming California’s destiny.

Michael Nacht, Dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley, discusses how California is preparing for — and working to prevent — a terrorist attack.

Herrmann Spetzler, whose work focuses on alleviating the lack of health care services in rural communities, discusses both the depth of the problem and some surprising solutions.

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich discusses the unequal future of California if current economic and educational trends continue.

Filmmaker Cathee Weiss has a mother’s desire to share with her children the best of her own childhood experiences, like summer camp. But as the mother of two autistic children, realizing that dream is an exceptional challenge.

When photographer Alice Wingwall started loosing her eyesight to a degenerative disease, she decided not to give up her work. As she puts it, “I may have lost my sight, but I haven’t lost my vision.”

“My name is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Junior. One reality. The other? I am an African-American male living in Los Angeles.”

Commentator Cris Franco takes a humorous look at distracted drivers.

Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez is a lightning rod for criticism, media attention and the support of Governor Schwarzenegger’s many opponents. We profile the man behind the title: Speaker of the Assembly.

Over the last two decades California’s vineyards have become world class. Now they could also become cutting-edge: by relying entirely on solar electricity.

How did the Iranian Revolution in 1979 set the stage for Sacramento County to become one of the world’s leading sources for white sturgeon caviar?

The humorist confronts the myriad of options and anxieties facing a mother whose daughter is about to enter… kindergarten.

In January 2005, Jesus Saldana took up his new position as a state legislator in the Mexican state of Michoacan. What is unusual about this job is that he was elected to represent constituents who no longer live in Mexico.

Meet Andy Ramirez, the man behind California’s own Minuteman-like volunteer border patrol group.

Food security. That’s how academics describe access to healthy and affordable food, especially in low-income neighborhoods. Meet one non-profit group in San Francisco that’s turning to teenagers and talking fruit to tackle this problem head-on.

The border fence between California and Mexico has its own repairmen. Meet U.S. Border Patrol technician Albert Garcia.

Dr. Victoria Hale dares dream the impossible dream: making life-saving medicines affordable to people in the developing world. What’s more: she’s making that dream come true.

Students at Humboldt State University in northern California have devised a system for powering their dorm with a blend of solar, wind, and pedal power.

How the Wiyot Tribe has successfully reclaimed “Indian Island” near Eureka, using both financial and political resources.

Our guest handwriting analyst returns for a second installment and takes a closer look at the top two state senators: President Pro Tem, Don Perata and Republican Leader, Dick Ackerman.

Outside of the classroom, individual teachers are seldom seen or heard. We interview three award-winning California educators to get their take on the state of their profession.

Our second annual meeting with former California Governors Brown, Deukmejian, Wilson and Davis yields a candid and vigorous discussion.

Controversial and effective: two words that describe Alan Bersin, former San Diego Schools Superintendent and Gov. Schwarzenegger’s pick to be the next California State Secretary for Education.

Most meet and greet sessions just involve hand-shaking, ours includes handwriting analysis. Introducing California State Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Arnold, Governor Schwarzenegger, explains his year of reform agenda in a one-on-one interview.

Van Tran wins the contest for the 68th District of the State Assembly, making him the highest ranking Vietnamese-American politician in the country. He’s a Republican.

Saudi-born Ferial Masry is the Democratic candidate for the 37th District of the California Assembly in Ventura County–as a write in candidate.

A tale of art imitating life imitating art: reformed urban bad boys play to type for suburban audiences.

How did nail salons get so cheap? Why are they often staffed by Vietnamese women? The answer spans one war, two continents and a major movie star.

LA Times columnist Patt Morrison explains why taxes might be a better deal than a fully privatized society.

An interview with SF Mayor Gavin Newsom on his plans for the future and the controversial topic of gay marriage.

Famed reality TV producer Mark Burnett gives his .02 cents on what politicians could do to improve ratings, er, voter participation.

How to make a living off of competitive poker with Men “The Master” Nguyen.

Comedian Cris Franco explores the usage of the term “Hispanic” from as the Bard of the Barrio.

A 15 year-old with autism directs his own movie about being a teenager and having autism.

A tour of Cheech Marin’s extensive collection of Californian artists, primarily Chicano painters.

Actor John Amos explains how he uses sailing to mentor kids.

Every year, one teacher out of nearly 310,000 is chosen to be California’s nominee for National Teacher of the Year. Meet this year’s candidate.

Donna Tisdale, who owns a ranch 1.5 miles from border, has experienced firsthand the effects of Operation GateKeeper.

Helicopter border patrol agent Elizabeth Ebisuzaki takes us on a tour of her daily work.

Banafsheh Akhlaghi gave up her career as a law professor to provide legal aid to Muslim immigrants inadvertantly caught in a post-9/11 dragnet.

Meet May Ying Ly, helping to create a bridge between Hmong refugees and mainstream American society.

Meet a few of California’s non-english language media stars.

A panel discussion with Senate Minority Leader Jim Brulte, and, from the Assembly, Dario Frommer and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Actor Robert David Hall discusses work and disabilities.

How do you fit a giant telescope into a tiny rocket payload? You fold it, origami-style.

Two commuters use their web site to expose carpool lane offenders in the San Jose area.

Four prominent business leaders discuss their fears and hopes for the Golden State.

Meet the couple behind MoveOn.Org, an online grassroots political organization.

An unprecedented roundtable discussion with the last four Governors of the state of California.

A one-on-one interview with newly-elected Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Cris Franco visits a charismatic and enthusiastic advocate of… composting.

Michael Schenker on CalTech’s nerd-proof hazing.

The Enemy of the State gives the statesman with enemies a makeover.

Of the nearly 1,000 registered lobbyists in the state of California, only one advocates for the adult entertainment industry: Kat Sunlove.

Ann Randolph on volunteerism and self-obsession.

How did a Yosemite Park ranger bring back to life a 200 hundred-year-old African American cavalryman and why? The inside story on one of California’s best-kept secrets.

The Humboldt County DA has filed a complaint against Pacific Lumber and now his constituents are torn between praising the lawsuit and recalling him from office.

Find out how a university professor, grieving parents and a San Diego City Attorney are attempting to save lives by channeling the “need for speed” onto sanctioned raceways.

Simultaneously heralded and derided as the most powerful liberal in the state, John Burton is President Pro Tempore of the California Senate. Meet the man behind the myth as he reflects on his last days in office.

California muslim Ahmed Ahmed and Rabbi Bob Alper take their irreverent and ecumenical comedy routine on the road while taking stereotypes to task.

A team of doctors arrives at a remote landing strip at the foot of a tall mountain range. Within hours, they will operate on nearly 80 patients. Afghanistan? Iraq? Africa? Try Northern California.

Scavenging for Republicans in San Francisco.

As thousands perish trying to cross the U.S./Mexico border, two brothers take seemingly opposite sides of a deadly border control policy.

A captivating oral history project gives voice to untold stories — right next door.

A health clinic catering to adult film actors hopes to provide long-term health in a short-term business.

A truck stop ministry hopes to inspire truckers to cap off a shower and coffee with a visit to the chapel.

Fighting fires in SF’s Chinatown by educating residents. A look at single room occupancy hotels in San Francisco.

Ward Connerly, famous foe of affirmative action, is now championing a ballot initiative that would strip all references to race and ethnicity from government forms with a few exceptions.

Will racial privacy end racism or lead to private discrimination? An ongoing debate in the streets could hit the ballot box.

A fledgling Afghan journalist, publisher, commentator — and a college freshman — hopes to bridge the gap between Afghan and U.S. cultures.

Have you heard about the “Safe Haven” Law? What many don’t know could continue a tragic legacy for abandoned newborns.