Insight With Vicki Gonzalez CapRadio

How World Relief Sacramento helps refugees adapt to their new homes. A new original play gives voice to incarcerated individuals at Folsom State Prison. Finally, artist Jennifer Peart reimagines iconic Sacramento landmarks.

World Refugee Day in Sacramento
June 20 is World Refugee Day, which was declared by the United Nations to honor refugees around the world. Sacramento itself has become a major destination for refugee populations, especially from Afghanistan and Ukraine in recent years. Svitlana Iotko, the Cultural Orientation Coordinator for World Relief Sacramento joins Insight to share her own experiences as a Ukrainian refugee, and how World Relief helps new arrivals adapt to their surroundings.

New Play at Folsom State Prison
For the past several months, a series of theater classes at Folsom State Prison have been giving a voice and creative outlet to those incarcerated inside. The classes were organized through a collaboration between the Prison Arts Collective and Sacramento State. Dr. Erin Kaplan, Professor of Critical Theory, Drama, Literature and Practice at Sac State and Ginny Oshiro, Training Coordinator for the Prison Arts Collective talk about the project, and about the performance in Folsom which debuted last week.

Artist Jennifer Peart
A contemporary landscape painter envisions some of our most iconic places - Sacramento’s Tower Bridge, Half Dome in Yosemite - in an entirely new way, drawing inspiration from nature and science fiction. We’ll meet artist Jennifer Peart and hear how she’s brought her passion to life.

A new plan aims to increase California’s wildfire insurance coverage. Breaking down the debates around reforming Prop 47. Finally, Insight’s resident wine expert on enjoying summer wine.

Reforming California Wildfire Insurance
Last week, California’s Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara rolled out his latest effort to boost the number of insurance policies written in high-fire risk areas. The new measure would give compliant insurance companies a long-desired tool to calculate rates - catastrophe modeling. CalMatters economy reporter Levi Sumagaysay joins Insight to discuss this latest plan, as well as other steps officials and lawmakers are taking to address the ongoing insurance crisis.

Breaking Down Prop 47 Debate
A decade ago, California voters passed Prop 47 to reduce penalties for some drug and theft offenses. Now, state lawmakers want to strengthen those penalties again, but disagree over the way to do so. Top Democrats are backing an anti-theft bill package, while Republicans support a reform initiative that will be on the ballot in November. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Emily Hoeven breaks down the debates around reforming Prop 47.

Summer Wine Pairings
With the weather warming up, many people might be looking to enjoy this time of year with a nice glass of wine, or to get together with friends for a tasting. Insight’s resident wine expert Rick Kushman provides some suggestions on the best ways to enjoy a summer wine pairing, and also talks about his upcoming wine and food tastings starting June 27 at the Brickland in East Sacramento.

A parent’s perspective on RydeFreeRT. KCRA3’s Mark Finan talks about his career and plans for retirement. Finally, the third annual All Nations Indigefest returns to West Sacramento.

RydeFreeRT Parent Perspective
The City of Sacramento approved its budget last week and managed to avoid completely cutting funding for a popular program for students. We’ll talk with a local parent, Vanessa Cudabac, about RydeFreeRT, which provides fare-free public transportation for kids in grades TK-12, and not just during the school year.

KCRA3’s Mark Finan Retires
It is the end of an era in Sacramento TV news. Mark Finan has been the chief meteorologist at KCRA3 for more than three decades. And in that time he has informed viewers of the biggest weather events in history - from snowfall, to flooding, heatwaves and devastating wildfires. After 33 years, he has entered a new and well-deserved chapter - retirement. Mark joins us with a look back at his career, and how he plans to spend his time after KCRA3.

Third Annual ‘All Nations Indigefest’
A multicultural community celebration is making its way back to the Sacramento region this weekend. The third annual All Nations Indigefest will take place on Saturday, June 22 at River City Farm in West Sacramento, featuring arts, music, food, and gardening, and more. Alfred Melbourne, founder and director of Three Sisters Gardens provides a preview of the festival, and how the event will benefit the nonprofit’s Urban Farm Youth Leadership Development Program.

The dangers posed by extreme heat. The publishing legacy of Outword Magazine. Finally, revisiting our conversation with James Beard Award finalist Billy Ngo.

Extreme Heat Dangers
Sacramento is facing another period of extreme heat. The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for the region through Wednesday, with temperatures reaching the mid-90s and even hitting the mid-100s in some areas. Dr. Kylie Abeson, a pediatrician with UC Davis Health talks about the dangers that high temperatures pose to our health. Also, Janna Haynes, public information officer for the Sacramento County Department of Homeless Services and Housing discusses how this extreme weather impacts unhoused people in the community, and what resources are available to help.

Outword Magazine’s Fred Palmer
For almost three decades Outword Magazine has been the source for Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ community. Publisher Fred Palmer talks about the magazine’s staying power and the changes he’s seen in both the world of publishing and gay rights.

Best Of: Kru’s Billy Ngo
This was a big week in the Sacramento dining scene. The James Beard Awards just wrapped up yesterday in Chicago, and a local chef was a finalist for Best California Chef - Billy Ngo, the founder of the Japanese restaurant Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine. Despite falling just short of the title, in honor of this recognition we’re revisiting our conversation with Billy when he was first nominated, and he took a look back at his nearly two decade career in Sacramento that has grown into becoming a full-fledged restaurateur.

The community responds to Sacramento’s reported drop in homelessness. Also, a new exhibit celebrates artists who are parents, caregivers and guardians. Finally, a personal message from Vicki Gonzalez, who will be going on leave.

Response to Sacramento’s Reported Drop in Homelessness
The 2024 Point In Time Count showed a 29% decrease in Sacramento’s unhoused population, from nearly 9,300 people during the peak in 2022 to an estimated 6,615 individuals today. But those numbers have drawn scrutiny. CapRadio Homelessness and Housing Affordability Reporter Chris Nichols joins Insight with the response from the city, to the business community and homelessness advocates.

New Exhibit ‘When I Can’
While life is in a state of flux, how can one find time to engage with art? A new exhibit in Sacramento seeks to answer that in an unlikely place - at City Hall. Curator and gallery manager Bridgett Rangel-Rexford discusses her exhibit When I Can showcasing the work of artist parents, caregivers and guardians. The exhibit is at the Robert T. Matsui Galley at Sacramento City Hall through September 9th.

Personal Message from Vicki Gonzalez
We have a personal message from Insight host Vicki Gonzalez, who will be taking a leave of absence. Vicki was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and she’s going to share a little of what she’s been through so far. Vicki will be joined by Courtney Quinn, the Executive Director of the Albie Aware Breast Cancer Foundation, a local nonprofit serving the greater Sacramento area by bringing awareness, support, resources, and comfort to anyone facing breast cancer. 

You can read Vicki’s personal message here.

The South Yuba River Citizens League discusses summer river safety. Also, what people can do to minimize interactions with urbanized black bears. Finally, a groundbreaking coffee research center opens at UC Davis.

River Dangers

, Executive Director at the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL), discusses the dangers of the South Yuba River in Nevada County, what makes this year different than most years, and tips for visitors this summer.

Tahoe Bears
The Lake Tahoe basin is a prime habitat for black bears. They often make their presence known by rummaging through trash cans and breaking into homes and vehicles. Which means that bear encounters with people are pretty common - and in rare cases can be deadly. Last week, a young bear was shot and killed by a homeowner in South Lake Tahoe. Toogee Sielsch is an urbanized black bear expert and discusses what people can do to minimize these negative wildlife experiences. We’re also joined by Alexia Ronning and Eric Kleinfelter. Alexia is a Tahoe Bear Specialist and Eric is a Senior Environmental Scientist and Supervisor for CDFW North Central Region, which includes 17 counties - including San Joaquin, Calaveras, El Dorado, Plumas, Butte, Glenn and Yolo counties.

New UC Davis Coffee Center
A new center at UC Davis is the first academic research and teaching facility in the country dedicated to studying coffee. The Coffee Center opened last month, and offers a variety of research opportunities in roasting, brewing, bean storage and more. Bill Ristenpart, a professor of Chemical Engineering at UC Davis and the Director of the Coffee Center, talks about the science behind coffee, as well as the social and cultural aspects of this popular morning brew.