In part two of our conversation with musicians Christian Love, Randall Kirsch, and Nate Ruvin, Karyn Bower and Will King dig deeper into the songwriting process, musical careers and musical legacy. Love, Kirsch, and Ruvin share in-studio acoustic performances of “Daydream” and “Closer to There.” 

On this show Karyn Bower and Will King are joined by Christian Love, Randall Kirsch, and Nate Ruvin for a conversation about their respective careers in music, musical legacies, and songwriting. Love, Kirsch, and Ruvin share an in-studio acoustic performance of “Crazy For You” from Love’s album, Only Alibis. 

The first Slavic International Film Festival in Los Angeles was created to foster a deeper understanding of Slavic cultures from countries including Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Ukraine, Croatia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, North Macedonia and Montenegro. Our guests for this show are festival juror Misha Suvorov and filmmaker Tatyana Batalova, whose film Better Not Write will screen at this year’s event. 

“California for All Kids” is the state’s master plan for early learning and care, aimed at supporting families and children in their early years with access to early learning and care programs. One of the organizations providing those programs and services in Orange County is Catalyst Kids. Alison Michel-Hall, Deputy Director of Education at Catalyst Kids is our guest to share about different programs for infants and toddlers, preschool, TK and kindergarten, camps, as well as before and after school programs. 

The United States has one of the highest rates of incarceration and the largest prison population in the world. Artist and poet Halim Flowers has been featured in HBO’s Emmy Award Winning docuseries America Undercover: Thug Life in DC. In this show, Flowers shares what restorative justice is, why the U.S. prison system is dehumanizing, and shares some of the countries that are imagining and actualizing justice beyond prison. 

Each year the Orange County based Dragon Kim Foundation (DKF) Fellowship program provides transformational leadership and business training for high school students and future entrepreneurs in California, Arizona, and Nevada. DKF founder Daniel Kim shares that in 2025, DKF will be supporting 65 projects through the six-month program. OC School of the Arts students Vedant Dayal and Ashima Sharma took their project Heart-to-Art through the fellowship and became the 2024 winners of the Dragon Challenge. Heart-to-Art is a summer program with art workshops for pediatric cancer patients, survivors, and families held in partnership with local hospitals and organizations. 

The measles and bird flu outbreaks have been making headlines for months, how are these impacting the health of Orange County and LA residents? Dr. Matthew Zahn is the Deputy Health Officer & Medical Director for the Division of Communicable Disease Control at the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA). Dr. Zahn shares the signs of measles to watch for, bird flu and the risk of raw milk, an update on COVID-19 in 2025.

Media holds significant power in influencing sociocultural behaviors and beliefs. Madeline Di Nonno, President and CEO of Geena Davis Institute, is our guest to discuss the work of the institute in studying representation of gender, race, LGBTQIA+, disability, body size, and age in media. We also discuss the Institute’s partnership with Moms First on a study of portrayals of mothers and motherhood, plus the effect the pandemic and two industry strikes had on screen representation.

At the first OC Board of Supervisors meeting for the year, the board elected Supervisors Doug Chaffee to Chairman and Supervisor Katrina Foley to Vice Chair for 2025. Third District Supervisor Don Wagner served as the 2024 Chairman and is our guest for this show. Discussion topics include anticipated effects of the federal government on funding in Orange County, California’s response to rising home insurance rates, the housing crisis and homelessness in the OC. 

Orange County law enforcement responds to more than 10,000 domestic violence or domestic disturbance calls each year. Last year, Radiant Futures served more than 2,500  survivors, including women, children, men, and people of other gender identities.

Many college students face challenges in accessing affordable housing and resources, particularly in South Orange County. Saddleback ASG International and Diversity Student Council (IDSC) Senator Nicole Karraa and Events Senator Aram Manafi to discuss issues local students are facing, a new mentorship program to help international students integrate into college life, updates on efforts to work with other community colleges to support students affected by the Los Angeles wildfires, plus community events for Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Persian New Year, and the Iranian American Society.

This week, our guest is Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman, Don Wagner. From the ongoing federal investigation into former supervisor Andrew Do and the resulting opening in District One, Wagner offers insights into how the board of supervisors is working to restore public trust. We also discuss the latest developments in OC freeway construction projects, the potential local impacts of Prop 36's mandated treatment programs, and some of the steps being taken to address the fentanyl crisis.

In a world of traditional therapies, Orange County's Art & Creativity for Healing offers a colorful alternative. Program Director Amy Baker showcases how their Art4Healing methodology is making waves in over 35 non-profits and 25 access schools. From its origins with Wall Street executives to today's diverse workshops for all ages, we learn how this innovative approach is tackling pain, grief, fear, and stress.

Greg Kading, retired LAPD detective and Capistrano Valley High School graduate, joins OC In Focus to discuss helping crack two major unsolved cases–the murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. Kading shares insights from the investigations, online conspiracies regarding the respective cases, and the pending trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis' scheduled for March 2025.

Orange County Registrar Bob Page is our guest to discuss election operations in America's 5th largest voting jurisdiction. From provisional ballot verification to hand-counting audits, there are meticulous processes ensuring every paper ballot counts.

With one in six young children facing mental, behavioral, or developmental challenges, the Extraordinary Lives Foundation (ELF) is transforming emotional wellness education in Orange County schools.

Russian immigrant and actor Misha Suvorov brings to life "The Border Show," an auto-fictional poem written by Sergei Davydov and directed by Ray Hanna.

What happens when we look closer at the data representing Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities? Melodie Bergquist-Turori, a Cook Islands artist and educator, discusses the importance of data disaggregation for underrepresented populations. Breaking down broad racial categories reveals hidden disparities and challenges misconceptions about who falls under the AANHPI umbrella.