California produces only 25% of the crude oil it consumes and has no pipelines bringing refined fuel into the state. When global fuel supply tightens, where does a state that depends on imports turn? In this episode, Jodie Muller, President and CEO of the Western States Petroleum Association, explains how California's shrinking refinery base and dependence on imported fuel affects what consumers pay at the pump and whether the state's fuel supply is as stable as it appears. Skip York, Energy and Oil Fellow at the Baker Institute, adds context on what global market pressures mean for a state already running on thin supply margins.

*Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of California Insider.

California's post-production workforce, the people who edit, score, and mix every film and show you've ever seen, has been losing work to other states and countries for years. How does an industry this embedded in a state end up competing for its own survival? In this episode, we speak with a panel of post-production professionals about the economic forces driving work elsewhere, and about the bill in Sacramento they believe could change that.

Featuring:

1. Marielle Abaunza, president of the California Post Alliance
2. Ben Urquhart, vice president of post production and integration at Universal Pictures
3. Brian Ralston, film music composer and producer
4. Dennis Dreith, media composer
5. Amélia Rolland, singer-songwriter, composer, and vocalist.

Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

LA hosted the Olympics in 1984 with 23 events. In 2028, it's committing to more than double that, and the city carrying that weight today is a fundamentally different place. In this episode, Artin Sodaify, LA County Commissioner, walks through what's actually being built and contracted right now to get the region ready. The question of whether those preparations outlast the games is one LA residents will be living with long after the torch goes out.

Battery storage plants have been exploding in California with a regularity that is easy to miss if you are not living near one. Eight went up last year alone, and the one in Moss Landing burned for three weeks. In this episode, physicist and Chairman of the Board of the California Arts and Sciences Institute, C. Michael Hogan explains what these facilities actually release when they go, and why the consequences for the people and the land around them outlast the event itself by a very long time.

Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Billions of taxpayer dollars have moved through California’s homelessness system over the past decade. Yet on the streets of Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Diego, the tents remain and the strain on local services continues. How are state and local leaders evaluating the impact of that spending?

In this episode, we sit down with Alex Villanueva, Former Sheriff of Los Angeles County, Assemblymember Tri Ta, and San Diego Superviser Jim Desmond to discuss how funding moves from the state to local agencies and how those policy decisions show up on the ground in light of recent scrutiny and renewed attention to how funds are used.

Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

California’s housing costs are among the highest in the nation, while single-family construction continues to lag demand. If land is not the only constraint, what is driving the gap between need and supply? In this episode, we sit down with Michael Capaldi, Partner at FBT Gibbons, to examine the approval process, local fees, and state mandates that influence what gets built. We trace how those choices translate into the price of a home and the calculation families make about staying in California.

Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

The Port of Long Beach recorded its highest cargo volume in 2025, marking a strong year for one of the nation’s most critical trade gateways. With imports surging and competition rising from other U.S. gateways, attention now turns to whether this pace can hold and what it could mean for the state’s broader economy.

In this episode, we sit down with Noel Hacegaba, Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Long Beach and President of the California Association of Port Authorities, to understand what is behind the record volumes and how long term rail and infrastructure investments could determine the state’s economic footing in the years ahead.

Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

California vineyards are operating in a market where harvested grapes may not have a buyer. The reasons are not always visible from the outside, but the effects are showing up across growing regions. In this episode, Rodney Schatz, owner of Peltier Winery who manages about 1,100 acres of farmland, explains what is changing inside the business and why those changes matter beyond wine country.

Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.