Historic California News

Episode Number 75 - Original Airdate: October 1, 2009 Real Medicine Foundation: Rebuilding Communities A California doctor is taking a message of healing to impoverished parts of the world through an organization called the Real Medicine Foundation . VOA's Mike O'Sullivan reports that German-born Martina Fuchs is building partnerships for change in local communities. This episode of Histor...

Episode Number 74 - Original Airdate: November 10, 2022 Former Prisoner Finds Direction, Job Training in Theater Special Video Episode Playwriting and theater production have opened a new world for a California man who spent 17 years in prison . Mike O’Sullivan reports on an arts program that teaches creative skills to former prisoners seeking new lives. This episode of Historic California News wa...

Episode Number 73 - Original Airdate: May 7, 2013 Songwriter Looks Back at Rock'n'Roll Repertoire The songwriting team of J erry Leiber and Mike Stoller was at the birth of rock and roll. Among other hits, the duo wrote the Elvis Presley hit "Hound Dog " and the rhythm and blues classic " Kansas City ," recorded by dozens of artists. Jerry Leiber died in 2011, but Mike...

Episode Number 72 - Original Airdate: May 5, 2012 Music Industry Addresses Drug, Alcohol Problems Special Video Episode The drug-related deaths of popular entertainers Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson have focused attention on drug and alcohol abuse, both inside and outside the entertainment industry. Mike O'Sullivan reports that celebrities may be at special risk. This episode of Historic...

Episode Number 71 - Original Airdate: April 12, 2014 Special Video Episode Fans Buy Hollywood History Hollywood history is on sale at a celebrity auction April 11-12 that draws buyers from around the world. VOA's Mike O'Sullivan reports from Beverly Hills that the items span a century of movie making and include some 20th century political memorabilia. This episode of Historic California N...

Episode Number 70 - Original Airdate: May 27 2024 Los Angeles' suburban Chinatown grows with new waves of immigrants Special Video Episode Los Angeles' Chinatown has undergone many changes, as immigrants from mainland China join those from Hong Kong, Taiwan and other parts of Southeast Asia. As Mike O’Sullivan reports, the growing community has also expanded to the suburbs, where recent ar...

Episode Number 69 - Original Airdate: September 8, 2023 New Chinese Immigrants Settle in US With Help From Chinese Community Special Video Episode Since China reopened its borders in January, thousands of Chinese have traveled to the United States. Some have asked for asylum. Mike O’Sullivan reports from Los Angeles, where recent migrants are adapting to life in a new country. This episode of Hist...

Historic California News Trailer Mike O'Sullivan has covered news events from Southern California for the past 40 years, as a correspondent and broadcast journalist for Voice of America in Los Angeles. This program looks back at those stories -- everything covering current affairs, politics, entertainment and world events. Episodes offer a mix of both video and audio-only content. Everything f...

Episode Number 68 - Original Airdate: February 5, 2010 Residents of Port-au-Prince Slum Say Aid Slow in Coming Special Video Episode As international aid flows into Haiti , residents of the Port-au-Prince slum of Cite Soleil say they are still waiting for help more than three weeks after that devastating earthquake stuck the Caribbean nation. VOA's Mike O'Sullivan reports. This episode of...

Episode Number 67 - Original Airdate: September 28, 2011 Animal Welfare on Movie Sets Continues to be Concern Animals have been used and sometimes abused in films since the early days of movies. Since 1940, the American Humane Association has worked to ensure that no animals are harmed in film production . Mike O'Sullivan reports that the animal protection organization is expanding its work, w...

Episode Number 66 - Original Airdate: December 21, 2013 Walking with Dinosaurs Blends Entertainment, Science Special Video Episode A new animated film called Walking with Dinosaurs is a coming-of-age tale that blends entertainment with science. And as VOA's Mike O'Sullivan reports from Los Angeles, the actors behind the film found themselves learning more about the ancient creatures as the...

Episode Number 65 - Original Airdate: April 6, 2012 Soap Opera Actors Struggle to Stay on Air Daily daytime dramas known as soap operas were once a staple of American television. Today, they are struggling to stay on the air. Just four remain, but as we hear from VOA's Mike O'Sullivan in Los Angeles, the cast and crew of one long-running show are determined to keep it going. This episode o...

Episode Number 64 - Original Airdate: November 16, 2012 Interfaith Service at the Sea Special Video Episode A recent interfaith worship service on a California beach celebrated the state's surfing culture . Christians, Muslims, Jews and others came together at the ocean for lessons about life and faith . Los Angeles correspondent Mike O'Sullivan provides the back story. This episode of His...

Episode Number 63 - Original Airdate: May 8, 2014 Environmental Prize Winner Looks to Wolves to Understand Humans Economists are learning about the workings of the financial world by studying packs of wolves and schools of fish. That's according to Simon Levin , a Princeton University scientist and winner of this year's Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement. Mike O'Sullivan speaks...

Episode Number 62 - Original Airdate: April 21, 2022 Cooking Show Re-Creates Age-Old Recipes Special Video Episode The COVID-19 pandemic has brought changes to the lives of many people, and for some, new jobs.  Mike O’Sullivan spoke with Max Miller , whose love for history and food led to a post-pandemic career as a YouTube creator. At his channel, he explores ancient recipes and tests them in his...

Episode Number 61 - Original Airdate: May 12, 2023 Los Angeles Library Evolves with Changing City Special Video Episode The Los Angeles Public Library evolved from donated space over a saloon to a sprawling system with an imposing central library downtown. An exhibition looks back at the drama surrounding the library through its 150-year history. This episode of Historic California News was origin...

Episode Number 60 - Original Airdate: September 28, 2022 Homeless Shelter Makes Room for Canine Companions Special Video Episode Dogs are companions to many people without homes, but canines are often not allowed to stay with their owners in homeless shelters . Mike O'Sullivan reports on a Los Angeles nonprofit that instead encourages the bond between humans and their animals, letting them liv...

Episode Number 59 - Original Airdate: June 9, 2022 America and Guns: The Inside Story from Uvalde, Texas Special Video Episode Under the Second Amendment of the US Constitution, Americans have the right to own guns. A wave of mass shootings is forcing a political debate over new gun laws . This report by Mike O’Sullivan in Uvalde , Texas, originally aired as a segment of The Inside Story’ s “Ameri...

Episode Number 58 - Original Airdate: April 26, 2022 Saving California’s Salton Sea: No Easy Answers Special Video Episode Once a tourist resort and haven for wildlife, California’s largest lake – the Salton Sea – is now one of the most polluted. High levels of salt and toxic chemicals have killed most of its fish and threatens residents. Mike O’Sullivan reports from Bombay Beach , California. Thi...

Episode Number 57 - Original Airdate: February 9, 2021 Digital Radio Powering Global Communications Special Video Episode Many broadcasters are using a variety of digital radio for high quality transmissions reaching faraway lands. Mike O’Sullivan reports on one format that is starting to play an important role in global communications. This episode of Historic California News was originally broad...

Episode Number 56 - Original Airdate: April 1, 2021 Mexico to Become Largest Legal Marijuana Market Mexico is about to legalize marijuana for recreational use, turning the Latin American nation into the world’s largest market for the drug. The move comes after Mexico’s lower house of Congress passed a legalization bill early in March; the country’s Senate is expected to approve a similar measure i...

Episode Number 55 - Original Airdate: July 22, 2018 Fostering International Harmony Through Music Special Video Episode Twenty-five young musicians from around the world have gathered in California to train and perform this month. As VOA's Mike O'Sullivan reports from Los Angeles, the international program called iPalpiti , from the Italian word for heartbeats, is a labor of love for a Rus...

Episode Number 54 - Original Airdate: August 11, 2015 LA's Silicon Beach is Upstart Rival to Famed Silicon Valley America's high-tech industry is centered in California's Silicon Valley, a sprawling region on the San Francisco Bay that is home to Google, Apple and other industry giants. But tech start-ups can be found further south in the state, in and around Los Angeles. Mike O'Sullivan reports o...

Episode Number 53 - Original Airdate: October 7, 2020 Removing Historical Statues: Politics and Heritage Collide Special Video Episode A debate is raging around the United States over statues that were built to memorialize historical figures. Some champion those honored as heroes who helped build the country. Others say their involvement in slavery and colonialism taints their legacy. Mike O’Sulli...

Episode Number 52 - Original Airdate: February 18, 2019 Migrants Wait, Hope in Mexican Border Towns Special Video Episode Migrants seeking to enter the United States continue to arrive in Tijuana and other Mexican cities along the U.S. border. Some migrants are traveling in large groups with thousands of people. Others come in groups of just 10 or 12 people. Many walk for days through Central Amer...