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Global shock and horror over the massacre of more than 1,300 Israeli civilians by Hamas echoed in Santa Barbara this week, in mass displays of emotion, both heart-breaking and alarming. Amid growing anguish about Israel's deadly military response, a bid to root out the terror group in Gaza, Josh Molina, on this week's edition of Newsmakers TV, reprises his coverage of, and his reactions to, a pair of very different events stemming from the Mideast crisis: First, a solemn and moving remembrance of the Jewish victims last Sunday night in De La Guerra Plaza, followed by a Thursday night street corner rally, where participants highlighted the deaths and plight of Palestinian civilians trapped in Gaza. The latter demonstration quickly drew a pro-Israel counter-protest across State Street, and triggered a series of hostile verbal exchanges uncommon in Santa Barbara for their depth of virulence and venom. The Independent's Ryan P. Cruz checks in with the latest in the case of Jeanne Umana, the Upper East Side woman caught on a cell phone video flinging racist insults at a construction worker on her block, behavior that now has led to the District Attorney to file two misdemeanor charges against her. And KEYT's Lily Dallow returns with a preview of her latest multi-media project, a look at what's behind the sudden, against-all-odds emergence of flag football, featuring high-profile competition in girl's leagues, as a breakthrough sport on the crowded local youth sports calendar. Plus: why the Santa Barbara Foundation's big housing report matters; yet another plot twist in our civic soap opera over restaurant outdoor dining; and the return from media self-exile of developer Ed. St. George, who has thoughts about the City Planning Commission. Not to mention the genial host's wistful recollection on the 50th anniversary of Richard Nixon's "Saturday Night Massacre," which, as political scandals go these days, seems quaint, naive and twee. All this and more, right here, right now, on Newsmakers TV. JR You can watch the new edition via YouTube below or by clicking through this link. The podcast version is here. TVSB, Cox Cable Channel 17, broadcasts the show every weeknight at 8 p.m., and at 9 a.m. on weekends. KCSB, 91.9 FM, airs Newsmakers on Mondays at 5:30 p.m. Image: A circle of candles at Oct. 15 vigil in De La Guerra Plaza in remembrance of victims of Hamas pogrom in Israel (Josh Molina photo). CARTOON OF THE WEEK New Yorker cartoon by David Sipress.

On Friday, Mayor Randy Rowse noted two pertinent Actual Facts about Santa Barbara’s supply and demand of rental housing: 1) Fervent fulminations about a “housing crisis” in Santa Barbara first surfaced in the city at least as far back as the 1930s; 2) Furious philippics fired around City Hall these days about the issue, nearly a century later, gainsay evidence that the “crisis” is being tackled to the greatest extent in memory. “We’re building more (rental housing) than ever,” Mayor Rowse said this week, on an “Ask the Mayor” episode of Newsmakers TV. Randy’s comment served as essential context for a discussion of Josh Molina’s recent hiding-in-plain-sight scoop, which showed how developers seeking to build new hotels – lawfully, openly, by the book – are being villainized among the pandering politicians, housing non-profit careerists and lefty-prog activists of the build-baby-build crowd. “We simply don’t need more hotels and resorts — and definitely not bougie ones,” one housing advocate told Josh. All righty then, comrade. The Laws of Arithmetic. In our conversation, the mayor acknowledged the need for housing, and ticked off a half-dozen significant such projects proposed, in the pipeline or under construction. Wielding the kind of mainstream common sense that arises from being the only city official elected, um, citywide, however, he also highlighted the community’s reliance on the tourist industry and the crucial importance of the city’s Transient Occupancy tax. Not to mention those stubborn Laws of Arithmetic, which in some cases simply advantage a hotel over housing. On other issues, Mayor Randy also: Broke down the multiple moving parts of the endless, maddening debate over outdoor dining structures, which will be before city council yet again next week. Updated city government’s efforts to crack down on vacation rentals, another bugaboo of the crisis caucus, saying it represents “one little part” of the housing puzzle. Vented ongoing exasperation with the city council majority's insistence on keeping in place the pandemic-era closure of nine full blocks of State Street, a sad stretch of urban tribulation laughably referred to as a "promenade." Indicated that new Metrolink commuter train service could be operating in Santa Barbara as early as April. Expressed support for the principles behind the so-called “Our Neighborhood Voices” initiative, aimed at the 2024 state ballot, which seeks to restore local control over land use planning issues that has been usurped by state government in recent years, while adding that he has not yet studied the measure closely enough to decide whether to endorse it. Offered his theory of the case for a possible second term, portraying himself as a non-partisan pragmatic problem-solver in contrast to the “political” maneuvering of council colleagues who may be eyeing his job. Plus: The genial host, a ground floor fan of state Senator Moique Limon, unburdens himself about his recent disappointment in her. Spoiler alert: We don’t need a Scott Wiener clone. JR You can see our conversation with Mayor Randy Rowse via YouTube below or by clicking through this link. Or listen to the podcast version here. TVSB, Cox Cable Channel 17, broadcasts our show every weeknight at 8 p.m. and at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. KCSB, 91.9 FM, airs the program at 5:30 p.m. on Monday,. CARTOON OF THE WEEK New Yorker cartoon by Christopher Weyant; Lead image: WBAA.com

On Wednesday, Republicans narrowly nominated Rep. Steve Scalise to be the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, but GOP leaders promptly adjourned the chamber because the right-wing Louisiana congressman still lacks the votes to win election to the powerful post. The instant reaction to the news from Santa Barbara's Man in Washington, Rep. Salud Carbajal: "Likely continued chaos." Salud checked in from Capitol Hill for a conversation with Newsmakers on a day when the U.S. response to the barbaric and murderous surprise attacks by Hamas terrorists against civilians in Israel not only eclipsed the high-stakes intrigue and maneuvering over the second-in-line-to-the-presidency Speakership, but also emphasized the real world peril of political dysfunction that has brought business in the House to a halt. Fresh from a secret White House briefing about the fast-moving and treacherous Mideast situation, Carbajal said that the Biden Administration would ensure that Israel has "all the resources it needs," as a new coalition government prepared for an all-out assault on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip; he also ventured that, despite a possible government shutdown looming next month, the turmoil in the House would not impede delivery of U.S. support for Israel, even as Scalise reportedly promised GOP colleagues to lead the blockade of budget approvals, absent implausibly large fiscal concessions by the Administration. The intersection of intraparty Republican feuding with national security concerns also overhangs continued U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, as it defends itself against a war of aggression by Russia. Opposition to Ukraine aid has become an increasingly popular position among Republicans, since Donald Trump first staked out the pro-Russia stance, but Carbajal asserted that Ukraine still enjoys strong bipartisan majority support in the House and Senate. Still, Ukraine aid was one of the underlying issues that led to the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week, when every House Democrat voted with eight Republican extremists to "vacate the chair," the first time in history an incumbent Speaker was voted out during their term. More seriously, the GOP's anti-McCarthy faction targeted him for forging compromises with the White House over two crucial economic matters: raising the nation's debt limit and extending the deadline for congressional approval of appropriations bills to avert a government shutdown several weeks ago. Significantly, Scalise voted for the extreme position on both matters, raising questions about his willingness to negotiate over budget legislation in advance of a Nov. 17 deadline for passage of appropriations bills to avert yet another threatened shutdown. As a practical matter, Scalise still needs to secure the votes of at least 217 of 221 House Republicans to win the Speakership. It seems unlikely the House will go back into session unless and until he does. (Update 10-12-23: Scalise, unable to collect the needed votes, announced late Thursday he was withdrawing from the contest for Speaker, making Salud's forecast for continued chaos with a chance of showers look pretty on-the-nose). On other issues we discussed, Carbajal: Described the $2.6 million in cash on hand of his 2024 election fund as necessary to finance "a grassroots campaign" for his bid for a fifth term, despite the overwhelming expectation he will enjoy another walkover victory. Shrugged off public opinion research that shows a vast number of Americans -- 77 percent in the most recent Associated Press survey -- believe the 80-year President is too old to serve another term, and insisted that it is a dearth of effective messaging about the Administration's accomplishments, not Biden's age, that underpins his poor polling performance in projected match-ups with Trump. Asserted there is "strong unity" among House Democrats in "standing with Israel," despite well-publicized comments by several left-wing caucus members who have called for ending military aid or blamed Israel for the Hamas attacks. Surmised that Iran was involved in the planning and financing of the Hamas attacks, because its leaders are longtime patrons of the terrorist group, agreeing with a suggestion that its leaders may view the attack as a way to disrupt recent bids to soften long-hostile relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Iran's chief rival in the Arab world. Touted his proposed legislation to tax energy and other corporations for carbon emissions (Salud sharply objected to our use of the word "tax," insisting it was a "fee") and to distribute the money raised to American families to help ease increased costs expected to arise during a proposed to green energy sources. All this and more, right here, right now, on Newsmakers TV. You can watch our conversation with Rep. Carbajal via YouTube below or by clicking through this link. The podcast version is here. TVSB, Cox Cable Channel 17, broadcasts our show every weeknight at 8 p.m. and at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. KCSB, 91.9 FM, airs the program at 5:30 p.m. on Monday,.

Amid the seismic news of recent days - the death of Senator Dianne Feinstein, Prince Gavin's pick to replace her, and the defenestration of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy - even hard-core political junkies may have missed Donald Trump going full Joker Mode in California. So Newsmakers TV, a full service media enterprise, this week hosts Seema Mehta, top political reporter for The Los Angeles Times, to gain eyewitness perspective on Trump's diatribe to the California Republican Party. At the party's fall convention in Anaheim, the GOP presidential front-runner last Friday delivered a 90-minute tirade, deploying a profusion of increasingly vile, vicious and violent rhetoric. "Trump! Trump! Trump!" some 1,500 delegates and guests chanted as they stood to applaud his call for the extra-judicial, immediate execution of suspected shoplifters. Twice-impeached, found guilty in a civil rape trial and facing 91 charges in four separate federal and state criminal indictments in connection with his attempted coup on Jan. 6, 2021, Trump also currently is being tried for years of massive financial fraud in New York; perhaps feeling a teeny bit defensive, the former president at last week's convention further delighted his California votaries by taunting Paul Pelosi, the 82-year old husband of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was severely injured when a QAnon maniac broke into the couple's San Francisco home and beat him in the head with a hammer. From Seema's Sept. 29 LAT report: Trump mocked Pelosi and her husband, Paul, who was violently attacked at their San Francisco home last year by a man who espoused an unfounded QAnon theory that Trump is at war with Satan-worshiping Democratic elites who run a child sex ring. “We will stand up to crazy Nancy Pelosi, who ruined San Francisco,” Trump said. “How’s your husband doing?” he added as the crowd roared with laughter. Gruesome reality check: This man has an 83 percent chance of capturing the GOP nomination for president, according to online betting markets, and a 34.48 percent chance of becoming the next president. Incumbent Joe Biden's chances are listed at 34.72 percent. Senate race scenarios. A graduate of Syracuse University and a former Knight-Wallace fellow at the University of Michigan, Seema joined the Times in 1998, covering four presidential campaigns and countless other state and local races. In 2024, she will focus again on the presidential campaign, along with the wide-open California Senate contest for the seat long held by the late Senator Feinstein, who was laid to rest in her hometown on Thursday. Three longtime Democratic House members from the state -- Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee are competing in the March 5 primary for two slots in the Nov. 5 general election run-off. In our conversation, Seema noted that the biggest unknown at this point (beyond whether former Dodgers first-baseman and Giants scourge Steve Garvey jumps in to give Republicans a high-profile challenger) is the will-she-or-won't-she decision of interim Senator Laphonza Butler about seeking a full, six-year term in next year's election. In a surprise move, Newsom last weekend selected the 44-year old Butler, a veteran progressive political operative and organizer, to fill out the remainder of Senator Feinstein's term. Both he and she claim there was no discussion or agreement about whether she would enter the already-crowded 2024 Senate race (Which means, btw, that Prince Gavin either is lying now, or was lying earlier when he promised only to appoint a caretaker to the interim position, so as not to scramble the three-way campaign already underway among the three House members. But we digress). Seema also breaks down how state Republicans changed their primary rules to benefit Trump; analyzes what the downstream effects in California may be of having him as the GOP nominee; and makes clear what Newsom is up to with this weird debate thing with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on the Sean Hannity show. Plus why Ronald Reagan is spinning in his grave. All this and more, right here, right now on Newsmakers TV. JR You can watch the show on YouTube below, or by clicking through this link, The podcast version is here. TVSB, Cox Cable Channel 17, airs the show at 8 p.m. every weeknight and at 9 a.m. on weekends. KCSB, 91.9 FM, broadcasts the program at 5:30 p.m. CARTOON OF THE WEEK Cartoon by Bob Weber for The New Yorker.

There's good news and bad news looming for Santa Barbara's unwell, infirm and ailing, amid all the hoopla over the "strategic partnership" between embattled Sansum Clinic and medical care behemoth Sutter Health. Nick Welsh goes behind the happy talk and corporate-speak on this week's edition of Newsmakers TV, to sketch out what Sansum care customers can expect , as a practical matter, from this merger of unequals, and forecasts shorter waits for appointments, coupled with shorter visits with the doctors who effectuate them, and, fingers crossed, relief from shortages of medical professionals of all stripes that now afflict outpatient care in Santa Barbara. Josh Molina returns anew to decode the mystifying actions of SB's very fine district-elected city council in regards to State Street, namely the recent wrongheaded decision, by a one-vote margin, to keep nine blocks of downtown's main thoroughfare closed to traffic until the long-range (checks notes) "Create State" planning project wraps up in, oh say, 2075, as well as council's whipsaw decree that restaurants henceforth will be compelled to comply with actual design guidelines in constructing outdoor dining facilities (unless a couple more restaurant owners complain, in which case they'll change their minds in another week or so). And author and literacy advocate Cheri Rae joins the gang to explicate the why and wherefores of the federally-recognized Dyslexia Awareness Month, and break down some of the considerable complexities of how it contributes to the chronic challenges of teaching reading and achieving literacy - all of which may point to some of the reasons that underlie the significant decline of enrollment in the Santa Barbara Unified School District, as a growing number of parents seek alternatives to the public schools. Our all-star panel also takes an early look at the election challenge of Carpinteria City Councilmember Roy Lee to Supervisor Das Williams, who's desperately trying to cling to his office, to avoid having to get a real job for the first time in his life, by inserting his rictus grin into every media photograph that's taken of any group of people larger than two. Plus: Cheri rolls her eyes at the touchdown dance by SBUSD officials over new, marginally improved test scores as Josh delivers his seal of approval to the new partnership between the district and the Housing Authority, while the genial host and Nick get into a snarl and snark fest over, well, pretty much everything. All this and more, right here, right now on Newsmakers TV. You can watch the show on YouTube below, or by clicking through this link. The podcast version is here. TVSB, Cox Cable Channel 17, airs the show at 8 p.m. every weeknight and at 9 a.m. on weekends. KCSB, 91.9 FM, broadcasts the program at 5:30 p.m.

(Editor's note: Since Congress first proclaimed October "Dyslexia Awareness Month" in 2015, organizations throughout the country every year put together events to teach and learn about dyslexia. Today Newsmakers is publishing a list of local activities, along with the reflections of our community's two strongest advocates on the issue). By Cheri Ray and Monie de Wit “dyslexic thinking." [ dis-lek-sik thing-king ] noun. 1. an approach to problem solving, assessing information, and learning, often used by people with dyslexia, that involves pattern recognition, spatial reasoning, lateral thinking, and interpersonal communication. (Dictionary.com). This definition derives from the efforts of the dyslexic billionaire entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, who credits what he calls “Dyslexic Thinking” as the secret of his success. “Dyslexic thinking is a skill that can give you the edge at work," he noted. "You’re likely to have strong problem-solving skills, a great imagination, and creative, big-picture thinking." "I’m proud to be a dyslexic thinker," added Branson, who is determined to transform perceptions about dyslexia. "Redefining dyslexia as a skill gave me the freedom to pursue my dreams without barriers." Spurred by Branson's non-profit, "Made by Dyslexia," the business-focused social media site LinkedIn recently added “Dyslexic Thinking” as a job skill: "By adding 'dyslexic thinking' as a skill on LinkedIn, we can help recognize the creative, problem-solving and communication skills people with dyslexia bring to their work," said Nicole Leverich, the company's Vice President of Communications, and herself dyslexic. Branson freely admits he struggled in school. Not unlike the rest of the dyslexic population, he was terrible at reading, writing, spelling, and taking tests. He described himself as “A dyslexic school kid who had very little understanding about what was being taught and what was going on, on the blackboard.” When he finally left school at the age of 15, Brandon has recalled, his headmaster bade him good riddance with the observation, “You’re either going to prison or you’re going to become a millionaire,." It's a funny memory today, only because Branson ended up on the right side of that prediction. Many other struggling students turned über-successful dyslexic entrepreneurs were just as lucky — think filmmaker Steven Spielberg; chef Jamie Oliver; real estate mogul-turned Shark Tank investor Barbara Corcoran, actor-turned author Henry Winkler, and even Santa Barbara High School graduate and financial innovator Charles Schwab. All of them managed to overcome their academic difficulties by relying on their dyslexic strengths: determination, outside-the-box, innovative thinking; creative problem-solving and a way with people. Consequences of inaction. Too many others are not so lucky. The First Step Act, passed in 2018, requires that all federal inmates are screened for dyslexia. It was sponsored by Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, the father of a dyslexic daughter and the founder of a public school for dyslexics. Various studies of prison inmates suggest the rate of dyslexia is about 50 percent, with total illiteracy about 80 percent. It is a great irony that individuals in California are more likely to be screened for dyslexia in prison than in a public school. However, the California Teachers Association for years has resisted routine dyslexia screening in public schools. In 2021, state Senator Monique Limon of Santa Barbara sponsored a screening bill, SB.237, that passed the Senate unanimously but never made it to the floor of the Assembly. It was held up in the Education Committee, despite the lobbying efforts of dyslexia advocates, who were overshadowed by the CTA's political pros in Sacramento. However, in an attempt to move California forward, dyslexic Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a bill to provide for dyslexia screening in Kindergarten through second grade beginning in the school year 2025-2026. Unless education leaders decide to be proactive before the mandate takes effect, the time-honored, reactive, wait-to-fail approach will continue in classrooms locally and throughout the state. This is where the work of dyslexia advocates comes in. "The dumbest kid in the class." Not. We well know how schools across the country, and right here in Santa Barbara, fail students with dyslexia, as detailed by Emily Hanford in her report, “Hard to Read.” Because we have experience navigating the journey through school for our own dyslexic children, we’ve been moved to help others on the path, through The Dyslexia Project. During the first week of school this year, we fielded several phone calls from panicked parents trying to help their dyslexic kids find their footing. And we’re currently working — against familiar institutional resistance — to secure proper instruction for a smart, frustrated fifth-grader in one of our local schools who is reading below a first-grade level. It will take years of extra work, and piles of money, for him to gain the foundational skills he should have been taught by third grade. Add to this an incalculable effort to restore his shattered self-confidence, as he defines himself as “the dumbest kid in the class.” Along the way, we’ve heard it all from educators and often found ourselves teaching them about dyslexia: “You’ll have to teach me about dyslexia,” said one veteran special education teacher, adding, “I’ve never had a dyslexic student before.” Another sighed, “I think we should just teach dyslexics Braille, since they’ll never learn to read.” A former SBUSD superintendent confessed to not knowing much about dyslexia, and conceded, “I think dyslexics get the short end of the stick.” Yet another, addressing the difficulties so common among dyslexic students, “This is the way it’s always been and always will be.” Well, not so fast. While educators often acknowledge that they learned little to nothing about dyslexia during their formal training, they can make up for it now, thanks to another initiative by billionaire Branson. Made By Dyslexia has teamed with Microsoft, to create a free, six-module, six-hour video series designed to develop more awareness about dyslexia as well as a source of essential information about teaching and technology. At the direction of dyslexic Mayor Eric Adams, the 100,000 teachers in New York City recently signed on for the free, online training. Why not here? Why not now? As the promotional video for the training states, “Take a day to learn dyslexia. Change a child’s life. And change the world.” Who wouldn’t want to do that? Made By Dyslexia has also recently launched a podcast, “Lessons in Dyslexic Thinking,” a series of inspirational interviews with accomplished dyslexics. We recognize that dyslexia can be confusing, even maddening, to deal with because of its many contradictions: Obviously smart kids in school who can tell a great story but can’t write it down. Brilliantly successful entrepreneurs who can make millions — or billions — but can’t read a balance sheet to keep track of their fortunes. Customers at a sandwich shop who panic at the notion of trying to decipher the complicated overhead menu, so always order the turkey sandwich. Dyslexic astrophysicists who display an uncanny ability to locate black holes, but have difficulty reading a novel. Think Global, Act Local. During Dyslexia Awareness Month, we strive through our non-profit to promote dyslexia the way Branson does, “as a different thinking skill set, not a disadvantage.” In our longstanding efforts to touch hearts and change minds, we have applied our creative spirit to our knowledge about dyslexia. We invite you to join us at our Resource Center, where we have assembled a collection of books, articles, reports, and videos, as well as our ongoing artistic projects: Dyslexia Assemblage Art and our photography exhibit, “1 in 5: The Face of Dyslexia.” Thanks to a few quiet local supporters and a generous out-of-town angel, we’re able to maintain our outreach free of charge as we meet regularly with parents, educators, community members and even politicos to educate and instill greater awareness about dyslexia. In October, we are offering a range of activities to educate, inspire, and support the community with accurate information and compassionate support for this widely misunderstood reason for so many unnecessary struggles in school — indeed in life. As Branson stated, “Dyslexic thinking has been responsible for some of the biggest leaps mankind has ever made, from the light bulb to the motor car, the aeroplane to our exploration of space. So, it’s about time we redefined what it stands for.” He added, “We should support and celebrate all types of neurodiversity and encourage children’s imagination, creativity and problem solving," he added, "The skills of the future.” Our schedule of events: Images: Dyslexia Awareness Month (dyslexia1in5.com); All other graphics courtesy of The Dyslexia Project.

In November 1989, Bill Carrick sat at a desk in the study of Dianne Feinstein's mansion in San Francisco's exclusive Presidio Terrace neighborhood, rummaging through files of her career in local government. "Bill, come and look -- this is it!" he suddenly heard his then-partner holler from the other room. What excited his colleague, Carrick later recalled, was TV news footage from Nov. 27, 1978, of the moments when then-Supervisor Feinstein announced to the world the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. The two political consultants had recently been hired to rejuvenate Feinstein's floundering campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor, and it didn't take them long to transform the dramatic footage into a 30-second ad -- which became known in political circles as "The Grabber" -- that propelled the former mayor ahead in the primary, and into the November 1990 general election. Feinstein became the first woman to win a major party gubernatorial nomination in California history and, although she eventually lost to Republican Pete Wilson, the race positioned her to win a seat in the U.S. Senate two years later -- and re-election every six years, five times after. Feinstein, who died last week at 90, rewarded Carrick for that early success with her personal and political trust, and he remained her chief campaign strategist for the rest of her life. In a conversation with Newsmakers last week, a few hours after the announcement of Feinstein's death, Carrick recounted that first campaign, and many others that followed. Carrick said that although Feinstein was a thoroughly political figure, there was little artifice about her: she was the same person in private as in her public persona, she didn't need polls or focus groups to decide what she thought on issues, and it was always clear that consultants worked for her, not the other way around, which often seems the case with pre-packaged candidates that litter the political landscape today. JR You can watch our interview with Bill Carrick on YouTube below, or by clicking through this link. The podcast version is here. TVSB, Cox Cable Channel 17, airs the show at 8 p.m. every weeknight and at 9 a.m. on weekends. KCSB, 91.9 FM, broadcasts the program at 5:30 p.m. Images: Frame grab from NBC News report about California's 1990 race for governor (NBC); "The Grabber" ad from Dianne Feinstein's campaign for governor that year (TV Uber).

It's befitting that Dianne Feinstein cast her final vote in the U.S. Senate only a few hours before she died, and that it was entered on behalf of keeping the federal government from shutting down. For Senator Feinstein, who died early Friday morning at the age of 90, always cared far more about the work and substance of governing then about political machinations or the techniques and trifles of campaigns during her extraordinary 60-year career. From the early 1960s, when she adjudicated paroles and prison terms for female inmates incarcerated in California's penitentiary for women as an appointee of Governor Pat Brown, through her historic six-term career in the Senate, Feinstein was legendary, if sometimes mocked by insiders and hacks, for her earnest, conscientious and laborious devotion to mastering the depth and detail of complex issues facing government. In contrast to colleagues and contemporaries preoccupied with performative posing, led by consultants and focus groups, and obsessed by acquiring political power for its own sake, Feinstein's views and actions consistently were shaped by pragmatism, compromise and common sense, and focused on finding tangible solutions to real-life problems of real people. “Dianne wasn’t in politics, she was in government,” former Democratic congressman John Burton, a down-the-line, old-school liberal and her San Francisco contemporary, once told me, with faint disdain. On this week's episode of Newsmakers TV, three veteran California political journalists join the genial host, who authored a biography of Feinstein's rise to power, for a conversation about their professional recollections and personal interactions with the pioneering political leader. From the personal suffering and tragedies she overcame, her acclaimed leadership in the aftermath of the assassinations of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, and the regal but relatable style with which she ran her city as its first woman mayor, to the thoroughgoing sexism that challenged her early years in politics, her sometimes stormy relations with the media, and her consequential actions in both domestic and national security matters, our panel reported on Feinstein from close up, throughout her career. Carla Marinucci covered Feinstein as the political editor of the San Francisco Chronicle and as the lead California reporter for Politico, Phil Matier reported on her as a longtime daily newspaper columnist and a correspondent for local TV and radio outlets, and Dan Morain became a veteran Feinstein watcher as S.F. bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times, Editorial :Page Editor for the Sacramento Bee and a columnist for CalMatters. The host, who published two new look backs at the senior Senator this week, for The Washington Post and for Politico, has studied the late senior Senator more closely and longer than any other journalist. All this and more, right here, right now, on Newsmakers TV. JR You can watch the latest episode of Newsmakers TV via YouTube below or by clicking through this link.The podcast version is here. TVSB, Cox Cable Channel 17, airs the show at 8 p.m. every weeknight and at 9 a.m. on weekends. KCSB, 91.9 FM, broadcasts the program at 5:30 p.m. Image: Senator Dianne Feinstein speaks with Jerry Roberts during her last visit to Santa Barbara, in August 2018 (Marian Shapiro photo). P.S. "Never Let Them See You Cry," Jerry Roberts' 1994 history of Dianne Feinstein's rise to power, is available on Amazon. , .

To this point, Santa Barbara historians would likely judge the most notable feature of the soon-to-end reign of Rebecca Bjork as City Administrator to be the brevity of her term: after 35 years of dedicated service elsewhere in city government, a mere 22 months of coping with our very fine, district-elected City Council left few doubts as to the wisdom and inordinate appeal of scooting off into the sunset, pronto. However, future annalists may yet deem her pit stop in the Administrator's office as substantive and consequential -- should the new and surprising mixed use development scheme to rescue foundering Paseo Nuevo, unexpectedly brought forth by Bjork this week, ultimately pan out. If it does, the project will stand as a consequential and enduring legacy of her public service. On this week's edition of Newsmakers TV, Nick Welsh, Josh Molina and Lily Dallow join the genial host to break down the policy, politics and news coverage of the Paseo Nuevo plan-in- progress. Outlined in broad strokes in a presentation to council, Bjork's Blockbuster raises countless questions - how much housing and for whom, being the first and perhaps most gnarly -- and faces a multiplicity of procedural challenges-- not least that the Administrator is determined to get a development agreement in place before she retires at the end of the year. Audaces fortuna iuvat. Our all-star panel of top local journalists also tackles the week's other big local story, the social media-driven uprising against a former UCSB instructor who was recorded performing a nasty Karen act with a Latino tradesman at an Upper East Side construction site. After the cell phone video was posted on TikTok, and then amplified by an L.A. YouTube provocateur and online champion for street vendors, Jeanne Umana found an angry crowd rallying outside her home, and now faces possible hate crime, battery and trespass charges, despite limited, modified hang out apologies she offered in several news accounts of the episode. All of which reminds Newsmakers of the words of renowned social justice attorney Bryan Stevenson: "Each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done." Plus: the gang offers some perspective on the future of local news, leading off with Lily's educational exposition about the skills, demands and pressures of multimedia journalism, as the geezers sit open-mouthed and agog, struggling not to mutter, "Why in my day..." There were no injuries. P.S. Lily will join the post-film, "The Future of Local News" panel, following the free screening of "Citizen McCaw," the 2008 documentary which recounts the genesis of the decline and fall of Santa Barbara's historic daily newspaper, next Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. at the Marjorie Luke Theatre. Admission is free, but please RSVP below if you plan to attend. JR You can watch the latest episode of Newsmakers TV via YouTube below or by clicking through this link. The podcast version is here. TVSB, Cox Cable Channel 17, airs the show at 8 p.m. every weeknight and at 9 a.m. on weekends. KCSB, 91.9 FM, broadcasts the program at 5:30 p.m.\ RSVP below to free showing of "Citizen McCaw" and discussion on September 27, at 7 p.m. at the Marjorie Luke Theater. Click here to learn more. CARTOON OF THE WEEK New Yorker cartoon by Drew Dernavich. .

Since 2005, more than 2,000 local papers have closed down in the U.S. -- most recently, Santa Barbara's - as over half of newspaper journalists have lost their jobs. By contrast, Google and Facebook/Meta have been doing just fine: two-thirds of advertising expenditures, crucial to the news industry's survival, is now digital, and the two tech behemoths control half of the ad revenue in the nation. These aligned trends, says UCSB professor Jennifer Holt, have "left the news industry in free fall." "This funneling of revenue that was once the lifeblood of the newspaper industry to the coffers of two big tech platforms has led to catastrophic layoffs, consolidation and the creation of 'news deserts' across the U.S.," Dr. Holt writes in her forthcoming book, "Cloud Policy." "The current threat from digital platforms has...devastated local journalism and left most communities in the dark about the information that most directly impacts their lives, and without a check on accountability for civic leaders and elected officials," she concludes. A pioneering researcher and one of the nation's leading experts on new, digital media, Dr. Holt will be the lead off speaker next week, on a panel examining "The Future of Local News," that will follow Newsmakers' free presentation of "Citizen McCaw," the 2008 documentary chronicling the meltdown of the Santa Barbara News-Press, the city and county's historic daily paper, which recently filed for bankruptcy. The screening will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at the Marjorie Luke Theatre. RSVP below for free tickets. Associate Professor and Chair of UCSB's Department of Film and Media Studies, Dr. Holt is the author or editor of five books about digital media, and has lectured across the country and around the world on the subject. In a one-on-one interview on Tuesday, she not only offered a glimpse of Big Tech's destructive impact on local news, but also offered insight about a series of other critical issues in the field, from the monopoly grip of digital "robber barons" and the badly lagging ability of government to regulate several decades of extraordinarily rapid, transformational technological change, to the ways in which social media and the algorithms behind tech's mega-platforms encourage, enable and amplify dis- and misinformation, along with dangerous conspiracy theories. "The growing spread of dis- and misinformation on dominant platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter is part of a perfect storm," she says. "Along with the diminishing trust in news organizations and the concurrent collapse of the news industry's business model, it is a trifecta that delivered yet another crisis for democracy borne of cloud policy." An all-star lineup, Four professionals who work in our community news industry, each with a unique perspective on the future, will also join "The Future of Local News" panel discussion, following the showing of "Citizen McCaw." Sarah Sinclair is the Advertising Director of the Santa Barbara Independent and the former Advertising Director of the News-Press, who has straddled, and successfully navigated, the epic transition from the Before Times print business model to the economics of the Digital Age. Gwyn Lurie is CEO and Editor in Chief of the Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC., who led a group of investors that purchased the weekly paper in 2019, and since has launched a series of other publications that provide alternative revenue streams to support community journalism. Lily Dallow is the Digital Content Director at KEYT, a multimedia journalist whose training and skills in telling stories with multiple means of communication, including print, images, audio and video, position her as a prototypical journalist adaptive to an era of constant technological change. Ryan P. Cruz, is a staff reporter for the Independent who not only covers traditional news beats but also focuses much of his work on Latino communities and culture, which historically have been overlooked in local news coverage even as they constitute a growing and increasingly influential portion of the population. Tickets are free for the film and the panel discussion, but please RSVP so we can get an accurate crowd count. JR You can watch our conversation with Jennifer Holt via YouTube below or by clicking through this link. The podcast version is here. TVSB, Cox Cable Channel 17, airs the program at 8 p.m. every weeknight, and at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. KCSB, 91.9 FM, broadcasts the show at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. RSVP below to free showing of "Citizen McCaw" and discussion on September 27, at 7 p.m. at the Marjorie Luke Theater. Click here to learn more.

Santa.Barbara City Council member Mike Jordan shattered all known land speed records for the Grumpy Old White Guy Politician class this week, as he moved swiftly to help threatened tenants in yet another episode of "renovictions." In the latest example of a growing national trend, rich investors recently bought a 52-unit apartment building near City College and began delivering eviction notices to tenants, keen on getting them out in order to spruce the place up, the better to raise rents and shoehorn student renters back in, packed to the rafters. When Jordan got wind of the scheme from a whistleblower, he immediately mobilized the City Attorney's office to help him produce leaflets for distribution to tenants in the "Little I.V." neighborhood building, informing them of their rights under the city's Just Eviction law. While Jordan acted with great alacrity, at least one knowledgeable source -- former City Attorney Ariel Callone -- thought he acted with a little too much alacrity, viewing his actions as an over-the-line political flex. Nick Welsh returns to Newsmakers TV this week to hash it all out with Josh Molina and the genial host, as the intrepid trio also assess the latest performance of political ju-jitsu by council member Meagan Harmon, who made a determined, if failed, bid to raid the city's emergency reserve fund on behalf of her no-doubt-appreciative patrons in the SEIU and other public employee unions. Plus: Planning Commissioner Sheila Lodge stuns the Central Coast by calling for a height increase on a building project; the Board of Supervisors confronts a scandal over mental health services at the county jail; and paeans to legendary sportswriter John Zant, upon his well-earned induction into the Santa Barbara Athletic Roundtable's Hall of Fame. And don't miss Jerry's head exploding as Nick once again peddles electric bike lunacy. All this and more, right here, right now on Newsmakers TV. JR You can watch the latest episode via YouTube below or by clicking through this link. The podcast version is here., TVSB, Cox Cable Channel 17, airs the show at 8 p.m. on weeknights, and at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. KCSB, 91-9 FM, broadcasts the program at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. DON'T FORGET TO RSVP FOR FREE TICKETS TO... RSVP below to free showing of "Citizen McCaw" and discussion on September 27, at 7 p.m. at the Marjorie Luke Theater. Click here to learn more. CARTOON OF THE WEEK: Call for Edward Hopper... New Yorker cartoon by Bob Mankoff.

Jane Hulse grew up in an 18th century New Hampshire house filled with Revolutionary Era furniture and trappings, listening to family tales of ancestors who fought on both sides of the War of Independence. Her childhood was infused with history, thanks largely to her father, who took her on hikes to explore caves where British Loyalists hid out from the Continental Army. A real estate man with a passion for homes from Revolutionary times, he had a zeal for collecting antiques of the period, from cabinets, clocks and rugs to muskets, blankets and beds, which formed the backdrop for Jane’s youth. Now Hulse has transformed her lifelong fascination with Revolutionary times into a work of historical fiction: “Prisoner of Wallabout Bay,” set in British-controlled New York in 1776, follows the dramatic, imaginary adventures of a teenage girl with a rebellious streak, while also telling a tale about a true, little-known aspect of the Revolution – British atrocities committed against many thousands of colonial rebels held captive on Tory prison ships. A graduate of Syracuse, Hulse is a longtime journalist who built a career in newspapers, including the Rocky Mountain News, the L.A. Times, the Ventura County Star and Santa Barbara’s now-defunct, historic morning daily (where she not only served as its indefatigable City Editor but also authored the most famous single line of the infamous News-Press Mess: “F--- you Travis!” -- a story for another day).** On this week’s “SB Authors” episode of Newsmakers TV, she talks about the four-year journey of writing her first book – which followed her deposit into a desk drawer of several earlier years of work on another volume. It may have been a necessary, if painful, warmup - after finishing “Wallabout Bay,” she realized the failed novel now may be adapted as a prequel to the newly-published one The ghastly story of the prison ships, which drives the plot, is an extraordinary and surprising one: at least 11,500 American captives died amid the execrable conditions in more than a dozen such ships the British positioned in the waters around New York. Along with educating herself about this forgotten episode of American history, Hulse also conducted extensive and painstaking research on even the smallest of considerations, required for verisimilitude for the tricky task of melding historically accurate detail into the lives of fictitious characters. At one point, for example, she had written a scene describing her protagonist, 17-year old Sarah Barrett, “buttoning up” her dress – only to learn belatedly that women’s clothing of the time did not have buttons, which were reserved as ornamental doodahs for rich men’s garments; As we say in the newspaper business: Get me rewrite! Jane’s Sarah is a kind of proto-feminist who works as a dogsbody at a Tory newspaper, and struggles with social pressures from family, friends and mansplaining men of all stripes to quit working, lose her ink-stained dresses, fix her hair, get married, have children and fit into every other gender pigeonhole of the time. As the fast-paced novel proceeds, Sarah’s personal turmoil and rebellion become deeply interwoven with the real-life rebellion wracking the colonies, and the patriotic and political decisions it forces on her and a cast of other layered characters. Our interview with the Ventura-based Hulse is a wide-ranging conversation packed with hard-won practical information about wordsmithing, editing, sifting the past, seeking an agent, searching for a publisher, writing at home, writing in coffee shops, writing at work, and other chapters in the arduous odyssey of becoming a first-time author. Jane will be talking about, reading from, and signing copies of her new book at Chaucer’s (shout-out Mike Takeuchi) on Monday, Sept. 11, at 6 p.m. Plenty of free parking, JR You can watch Newsmakers’ discussion with Jane Hulse via YouTube below or by clicking through this link. The podcast version is here. TVSB, Cox Cable Channel 17, airs the program at 8 p.m. every weeknight, and at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. KCSB, 91.9 FM, broadcasts the show at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. **Newsmakers is sponsoring a free screening of "Citizen McCaw," the 2008 documentary chronicling the meltdown of the historic Santa Barbara News-Press, on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. at the Marjorie Luke Theatre. Tickets are free and seating is first-come, first-sit. Please RSVP (below) so we can get an accurate crowd count. RSVP below to free showing of "Citizen McCaw" and discussion on September 27, at 7 p.m. at the Marjorie Luke Theater. Click here to learn more. CARTOON OF THE WEEK New Yorker cartoon by Paul Noth.