California, as the wealthiest and most populated state in the nation, carries many leading roles in policy making, economic growth, cultural influences and technology development. California Insider, hosted by Siyamak Khorrami with The Epoch Times Southern California, showcases leaders and professionals across the state with inside information about trending topics and critical issues. Our mission is to inform California residents through the experiences and knowledge of our guests.
Latest episodes
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32 min
Who’s Paying for California’s Wildfires? | Jeff Ball
For many California households, wildfire shows up in monthly electricity bills and the cost of insuring a home, even far from the fire line.For survivors of recent fires, the press…
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35 min
What Prop 37 Would Mean for California Homebuyers | Robert Hertzberg
In California, renters outnumber homeowners until age 47—about a decade later than in the rest of the country. For many middle-class families with steady jobs, the step from paying…
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36 min
What California’s Housing Targets Mean for Its Cities | James Mai
California cities must plan for more housing, and proposals for new homes often bring worries about traffic and strained local services. In Irvine, many police officers and teacher…
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41 min
When California Homeowners Face Loans They Never Took Out | Jay Hibert
For most California homeowners, the house is the largest asset they own. Some owners learn something is wrong only when a foreclosure notice arrives on a loan they never took out.J…
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43 min
What Santa Monica Shows About California’s Homelessness Response | Lana Negrete
Santa Monica is known around the world for its beaches and downtown shopping, yet safety on its streets has become a concern for residents and local businesses. What can the city d…
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39 min
Why California Birth Tourism Is Part of a National Security Debate | Joshua Philipp
Southern California businesses have arranged hotel-style maternity stays for women traveling from China to give birth in the United States. Clients from China have also hired Ameri…
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33 min
What California’s November Tax Measures Could Change | Susan Shelley
California counties begin mailing November ballots by Oct. 5. This year’s ballot carries 14 statewide propositions, and several of them deal with taxes.Some proposals revisit earli…
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35 min
What Is California’s School Spending Delivering for Students? | Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh
California’s 2026–27 budget provides more than $150 billion for TK–12 education. School districts still say they are underfunded, and many parents are asking what that level of spe…
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39 min
Inside California’s Push to Fast-Track Townhomes | Jennifer Hernandez
For many California households, including families with two working parents on a median income, buying a home is out of reach. A bill to make townhomes easier to build would open a…
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35 min
What California’s Healthcare Spending Doesn’t Guarantee | Sally Pipes
Patients in California can enter a hospital without knowing what their care will cost. For people covered by Medi-Cal, another problem can come earlier, when they face long waits o…
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39 min
California Is Changing Its Housing Rules. What Happens to Prices?
For many people in California, buying a home remains out of reach. Prices stay high, while limited listings leave buyers with fewer choices.California is changing where and how new…
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47 min
Why Choosing to Change Is So Hard in California Prisons | Panel
California’s prison system is changing. The state is closing facilities, moving incarcerated people between institutions, and continuing to invest in rehabilitation. Inside prison,…
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45 min
What San Diego Voters Are Being Asked to Change | Joel Anderson
San Diego County voters will decide this November whether to change some of the rules governing accountability and oversight inside county government. The proposal comes as public…
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40 min
The Crisis California’s Animal Shelters Are Facing | Gary Weitzman
When people in California surrender a pet to a shelter or send an animal to a sanctuary, they expect that animal to be cared for. What happens after that can remain largely out of…
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45 min
California Students Are Preparing for a Changing Workforce | Panel
California families can spend years preparing a student for college, only for that student to reach graduation with little idea of what the work on the other side will actually be…
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40 min
Public Safety, Housing, and What Could Decide the Los Angeles Mayor’s Race | Matt Klink
Los Angeles is heading toward a mayoral runoff with public safety, homelessness, housing affordability, and the city’s finances still weighing on the race. Karen Bass and Nithya Ra…
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41 min
Why California Street Takeovers Are Hard to Stop | Panel
Street takeovers can form quickly, leaving drivers, bystanders, and police facing a dangerous situation in the middle of a public road. In California, large groups can appear befor…
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40 min
Why Tech Startups Still Choose Silicon Valley | Aman Verjee
In the Bay Area, AI is bringing renewed attention and investment to Silicon Valley at the same time that many technology companies are expanding outside California. The region can…
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41 min
Why Some Crimes Go Unreported in California | Panel
Crime statistics say things are improving in California, yet for some residents, that reading does not square with what they notice in their own communities. When the official numb…
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1 h 00
California Has 14 Ballot Measures. What Would They Change? | Will Swaim
California voters can read a ballot title and still be left wondering what a measure would mean in practice. This November, 14 statewide propositions put some consequential policy…