California Insider Show

01/08/2026

California led the nation in outbound moves again in 2025, marking a sixth straight year with more residents leaving than arriving, according to new U-Haul data.

01/08/2026

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Jim Doti of Chapman University about where job growth is happening and what these changes mean for workers and businesses in California.

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01/05/2026

For decades, California tested different ways to produce cleaner electricity while keeping the system reliable. Some options moved forward. Others gradually faded, even after showing early promise. In this segment, Jim Boyd reflects on a form of renewable energy that once worked at scale and addressed problems beyond power generation. His explanation opens a window into how certain tradeoffs were handled, and how choices made years ago still echo through today’s energy system.

01/03/2026

In this episode, former California Energy Commissioner James Boyd walks through how those choices still sit inside the state’s power system, as demand rises and the grid comes under greater strain.

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01/03/2026

Why have California’s electricity rates remained about twice the national average for years, and how did decisions made over time contribute to that outcome?

01/03/2026

A divided federal appeals court has struck down California’s ban on openly carrying fi****ms in most of the state, ruling that it conflicts with the Second Amendment.

01/03/2026

California is weighing a five percent wealth tax on billionaires, including wealth from prior years, framed as a one-time way to fund health care and schools. The measure puts retroactive taxation and California’s dependence on a small group of high earners at the center of the 2026 debate.

01/03/2026

California health officials confirm a new, highly potent additive has entered the state’s illicit drug supply, already linked to several overdose deaths this year.

01/01/2026

The federal government said it will withdraw National Guard troops from Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland, ending deployments that followed unrest tied to immigration enforcement.

01/01/2026

California will delay revoking roughly 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses until March after lawsuits from immigrant truck drivers and business owners, pausing enforcement that followed a federal audit.

01/01/2026

In this episode, longtime educator and former Fairmont Schools chairman David Jackson looks beyond surface explanations, drawing on decades inside education to examine how system design choices may be influencing student outcomes across California.

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12/30/2025

California plans to ban all plastic bags from grocery stores, pharmacies, and retail stores by January 1, 2026. The state views this as part of a broader waste reduction strategy, acknowledging that recycling alone cannot handle the volume. The open question is whether this will actually change consumer behavior.