Historic California News

Episode Number 51 - Original Airdate: November 7, 2020 Biden Elected President After Nearly a Half-Century in Politics President-elect Joe Biden , a prominent figure in Washington political circles for nearly half a century, will succeed President Donald Trump in January. VOA’s Mike O’Sullivan looks at the career of a veteran politician, who had his biggest political win four years after leaving o...

Episode Number 50 - Original Airdate: May 28, 2020 Radio Hams Keep in Touch through Pandemic Lockdowns during the COVID pandemic have led to renewed interest in hobbies, as people look for pastimes in their time of isolation. Mike O’Sullivan reports, there’s a resurgence in amateur or “ham” radio , a hobby that connects people from all walks of life, wherever they are in the world. This episode of...

Episode Number 49 - Original Airdate: August 1, 2020 Remembering the VOA Broadcaster Who Sparked Worldwide Interest in Jazz One of the most famous American broadcasters of the 20th century was largely unknown at home, but Willis Conover , host of the VOA Jazz Hour , was a celebrity from Warsaw to Moscow during the Cold War. Mike O’Sullivan recalls Conover’s influence on the 100th anniversary of hi...

Episode Number 48 - Original Airdate: December 7, 2019 California Debates Future of Uber, Lyft Drivers Ride-share companies such as Uber and Lyft have changed transportation in hundreds of cities around the world, allowing people with vehicles to earn money as drivers and giving commuters an alternative means of travel. But are ride share drivers independent contractors or company employees? The i...

Episode Number 47 - Original Airdate: November 14, 2018 48 Dead in California Fires Special Video Episode Fires are nothing new to California, as Mike O'Sullivan reports in this story from 2018. Forty-eight people are confirmed dead in California fires , including 42 who died in the so-called Camp Fire, the deadliest in the state’s history. Mike O’Sullivan reports that as firefighters battle t...

Episode Number 46 - Original Airdate: March 14, 2018 Trump Warns of Chaos without Border Wall Special Video Episode President Donald Trump was in California Tuesday, where he viewed prototypes for a wall that he wants to build across the US southern border with Mexico. Mike O’Sullivan reports that Trump is at odds with many in California over the wall and immigration. This episode of Historic Cali...

Episode Number 45 - Original Airdate: June 30, 2018 American Immigrants Weigh-In on Trump Border Policies This episode of Historic California News takes listeners back to the first administration of President Donald Trump. As Americans debate the Trump administration’s hardened immigration policies , one group of citizens has first-hand experience with the process: the more than 43 million America...

Episode Number 44 - Original Airdate: August 27, 2018 Inner City Gangs in America Battle Rivals, Police Special Video Episode In this special video episode of Historic California News from 2018, Mike O'Sullivan reports that the inner city is a battleground between rival street gangs who fight for turf and prey on residents. U.S. officials say gangs are responsible for half of the murders in Ch...

Episode Number 43 - Original Airdate: January 3, 2018 In Little Persia, Immigrants Closely Watching Iranian Protests Iranian Americans are closely watching protests in Iran, where a government crackdown has led to the deaths of at least 21 people and the arrests of more than 400 over the past week. Thousands of counter-demonstrators have marched in support of the regime. Mike O’Sullivan reports th...

Episode Number 42 - Original Airdate: November 29, 2017 Hollywood’s Long-Awaited Movie Museum to Open in 2019 Visitors to Los Angeles can tour movie studios and other Hollywood venues, but the city has never had a museum devoted to the movies. But the Academy of Motion of Picture Arts and Sciences is sponsoring a museum now under construction that will celebrate the city’s most famous industry. Th...

Episode Number 41 - Original Airdate: October 2, 2016 Scientists See Growing Aquaculture in California's Future A report from marine experts says the United States, which lags behind many other countries in fish farming, would benefit from increasing its aquaculture , including off the California coast. Mike O'Sullivan has more from the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California . T...

Episode Number 40 - Original Airdate: July 23, 2009 California Closes $26 Billion Budget Gap Special Video Episode California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced a deal with legislators to close a $26 billion gap in the state's budget shortfall . Lawmakers in the state capital, Sacramento , are expected to vote on the deal Thursday. Mike O'Sullivan reports, the agreement could put Califor...

Episode Number 39 - Original Airdate: September 11, 2015 Embedded Technology Gets Smarter Special Video Episode New computer applications are changing the ways in which we live and work, from travel to manufacturing. VOA's Mike O’Sullivan spoke with developers at a recent forum in San Francisco about trends in embedded technology . This episode of Historic California News was originally broadc...

Episode Number 38 - Original Airdate: September 3, 2015 Native Americans Debate: Father Serra, Saint or Sinner? Special Video Episode In this video episode of Historic California News , Mike O'Sullivan delivers a report in 2015 about the papal visit of Pope Francis to the U.S. As reported ... Pope Francis will canonize an 18th century missionary to Spanish California during a papal visit to the Un...

Episode Number 37 - Original Airdate: June 19, 2015 Anniversary Holds Memories for Japanese Americans War Vets This year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II , and American veterans of the war have been holding commemorations. A gathering in Los Angeles brought back memories for Japanese Americans who served while their families were held in internment camps. The commemoration in...

Episode Number 36 - Original Airdate: April 5, 2013 Giant Airship Coming to the Sky Near You – Special Video Episode In this special video episode of Historic California News , Mike O’Sullivan gives On Assignment 's Alex Villarreal the inside scoop on a gigantic helium-filled airship currently being developed to carry cargo to remote locations. At the time of reporting, the airship was in the...

Episode Number 35 - Original Airdate: June 4, 2015 Labor Advocates Celebrate Los Angeles Wage Victory Los Angeles is about to become the largest American city to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour, an increase to be phased in over five years. The wage is more than twice the current minimum rate required by U.S. law. It's the latest victory in a national drive by labor unions and low-income...

Episode Number 34 - Original Airdate: January 2, 2015 Security Breaches Show Widening Threat from Hackers Security breaches at Sony and other major companies have raised questions about the safety of corporate and consumer data. The biggest risks for consumers remain fraud or theft , and as VOA's Mike O’Sullivan reports from Los Angeles, corporations now face a higher level of threat than they...

Episode Number 33 - Original Airdate: May 28, 2014 Internet Networks Promote Sharing Economy This episode of Historic California News takes listeners back to a time when services like ride-share, Airbnb, Uber Eats or Lyft were just emerging. As Mike O'Sullivan reported in 2014 ... People are sharing their work space, their cars, and even their homes. It is called the sharing economy. As Mike O...

Episode Number 32 - Original Airdate: March 13, 2014 California Drought Will Lead to Higher Food Prices California is a major farming state, and a serious drought is hurting its farmers and raising the likelihood of higher food prices throughout the United States. VOA's Mike O'Sullivan reports from California's Central Valley, where water-starved farms are cutting production. This stor...

Episode Number 31 - Original Airdate: December 26, 2014 Making Small Homes for the Homeless: Special Video Episode In this special video episode of Historic California News , Mike O'Sullivan reports on a problem that plagues cities around the globe: homelessness. This report features an artist in California, who uses discarded materials and works in his spare time to make tiny homes for homele...

Episode Number 30 - Original Airdate: August 12, 2014 In Hollywood, Fans Remember Robin Williams Fans around the world are remembering actor-comedian Robin Williams , who died Monday at age 63 of an apparent suicide at his home near San Francisco. Mike O'Sullivan spoke with admirers who gathered in Hollywood , where Williams' plaque on the Walk of Fame has become a makeshift memorial. This...

Episode Number 29 - Original Airdate: August 6, 2014 Historic US Route 66 Still Sparks Wanderlust In this episode of Historic California News we go back to 2014, on August 6, when Mike O'Sullivan's report on VOA focused on one of the enduring icons of American culture and transportation -- Route 66. Route 66 , the legendary highway from Chicago to Los Angeles, offered a road to a better li...

Episode Number 28 - Original Airdate: April 29,2014 Radio Hams Keep 'Queen Mary' Wireless on the Air The Queen Mary , an ocean liner that once sailed the North Atlantic, is now permanently berthed in Long Beach , California, where it's a tourist attraction and hotel. In one of the rooms aboard the ship, the tradition of ship-to-shore wireless operations is continued and visitors are in...

Episode Number 27 - Original Airdate: August 12, 2013 Riding the Waves in California Surfing started in Hawaii, but Californians adopted the sport early and popularized it around the world. Mike O'Sullivan reports from Huntington Beach, California - known as Surf City - where riding the waves has become a way of life. This story was originally aired on August 12, 2013 on Voice of America , and...