Every Tuesday, co-hosts Danielle Bergstrom, Fresnoland’s editor-in-chief, and Jordan Mattox, a local librarian and historian, bring in-depth conversations with local journalists, community leaders, and national experts on the biggest debates in Fresno, and why they matter now.
Got questions, suggestions, or tips? Send them to danielle@fresnoland.org or jordan@fresnoland.org.
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Latest Episodes
- Fresnolandia Podcast: Unraveling Fresno’s housing density problem
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Danielle speak with Jennifer LeSar, ounder and CEO of LeSar Development Consultants, a housing consulting firm based in San Diego, where she and… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Unraveling Fresno’s housing density problem - Fresnolandia Podcast: Unpacking the Fresno city contract investigation
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Danielle talk with Fresnoland investigative reporter and assistant editor Omar S. Rashad about his two-part investigation into Fresno city officials approvals of under-$100,000… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Unpacking the Fresno city contract investigation - Fresnolandia Podcast: Will we ever get lower electric bills?On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Danielle speak with Martha Guzman, an energy and environmental policy wonk who has held positions as a Commissioner at the California Public Utilities… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Will we ever get lower electric bills?
- Fresnolandia Podcast: Lessons from Fresno and Bakersfield’s downtown developers
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Danielle road tripped down the 99 to Bakersfield, along with Fresno developer Reza Assemi, to talk with developers Austin and Anna Smith about… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Lessons from Fresno and Bakersfield’s downtown developers - Fresnolandia Podcast: Lessons from Sacramento on managing suburban growth
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Danielle spoke with Mike McKeever, a regional planning expert based in Sacramento. He spent 12 years as CEO of the Sacramento Area Council… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Lessons from Sacramento on managing suburban growth - Fresnolandia Podcast: ICE’s changing immigration enforcement playbook
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Danielle speak with Gisselle Medina, religion, culture and immigration reporter at Fresnoland; Melissa Montalvo, accountability reporter at The Fresno Bee, and Armida Mendoza,… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: ICE’s changing immigration enforcement playbook - Fresnolandia: Fresno in flux amid ICE crackdown, a cooling housing market and gerrymandering
This week on Fresnolandia, Danielle and Jordan speak with Rob Parsons, Senior Editor, for a wide-ranging news roundup on the biggest issues shaping Fresno and the Central Valley. From the… Read more: Fresnolandia: Fresno in flux amid ICE crackdown, a cooling housing market and gerrymandering - Fresnoland Live: What can Fresno learn from LA’s transit explosion?
On this week’s Fresnolandia Podcast, we shared the recording from Fresnoland’s September 25 live event at Tioga Sequoia Brewing downtown on what Fresno can learn from LA’s massive public transit… Read more: Fresnoland Live: What can Fresno learn from LA’s transit explosion? - Fresnolandia Podcast: How Newsom’s redistricting proposal affects the Central Valley
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Danielle speak with Blake Zante, the executive director of the Maddy Institute at Fresno State, and Monse Sanchez, the regional field director for… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: How Newsom’s redistricting proposal affects the Central Valley - Fresnolandia Podcast: Will AI data centers really use up our water?
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Danielle and Jordan talk with veteran journalist Lois Henry, the founder and executive editor of SJV Water, a nonprofit, independent newsroom focused on water in… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Will AI data centers really use up our water? - Absences, Border Patrol Raids, and Fresno Schools: Tackling Chronic Absenteeism
On this week’s Fresnolandia, we’re joined by Diego Vargas, Fresnoland’s education reporter, and Abby Arii, Fresno Unified School District’s Director of Student Services, to unpack the growing challenge of chronic… Read more: Absences, Border Patrol Raids, and Fresno Schools: Tackling Chronic Absenteeism - Fresnolandia Podcast: Measure C, park naming, and a new police HQ
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Danielle talk with Fresnoland reporters Julianna Morano and Pablo Orihuela about the latest micro-dramas in Fresno politics and policy, from the process to… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Measure C, park naming, and a new police HQ - Fresnolandia Podcast: How to improve a neighborhood
On this week’s Fresnolandia, Jordan and Danielle speak with Kiel Lopez-Schmidt, a longtime Fresno community organizer and the executive director of the South Tower Community Land Trust, about his decades… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: How to improve a neighborhood - Fresnolandia Podcast: What Fresno can learn from Portland’s rail revolution
On this week’s Fresnolandia, Jordan and Danielle speak with Rick Gustafson, a Portland based transit expert and former legislator and regional planning executive who helped Portland get its first regional… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: What Fresno can learn from Portland’s rail revolution - Dark Money and Democracy in Fresno
In this episode of Fresnolandia, Jordan and Dani sit down with Omar Rashad, Fresnoland’s government accountability reporter, to dig into his recent investigation into dark money and its influence on… Read more: Dark Money and Democracy in Fresno - Fresnolandia Podcast: How immigration enforcement is changingOn this week’s Fresnolandia, Jordan and Danielle talk with Fresnoland reporters Omar S. Rashad and Gisselle Medina about their recent reporting over the past month on escalating immigration enforcement tactics… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: How immigration enforcement is changing
- Fresnolandia Podcast: The Fresno Free Speech Fight
On this week’s Fresnolandia, Jordan and Danielle talk with Paul Gilmore, a history professor at Fresno City College, about a little-known moment in Fresno labor history: the Fresno Free Speech… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: The Fresno Free Speech Fight - Fresnolandia Podcast: Fresno’s history of accepting refugees
On this week’s Fresnolandia, Jordan and Danielle speak with Christine Barker, the executive director of FIRM — Fresno Immigrant and Refugee Ministries — a nonprofit group that has been working… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Fresno’s history of accepting refugees - Fresnolandia Podcast: Fresno’s plan to improve pedestrian street safety
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Danielle speak with Laura Gromis, the executive director of the U.S. Green Building Council of Central California and a member of Fresno’s Active… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Fresno’s plan to improve pedestrian street safety - Fresnolandia Podcast: How Misty Her wants to fix Fresno Unified
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Danielle talk with Misty Her, Fresno Unified’s (officially) new superintendent — and the first woman and Hmong person to occupy that role —… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: How Misty Her wants to fix Fresno Unified - Fresnolandia Podcast: The Case Against SEDA
Dani and Jordan are joined by Keith Bergthold, CEO of Regenerate California Innovation and CEO of Better Blackstone CDC, for the first in a two-part series exploring the city’s on-again,… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: The Case Against SEDA - Fresnolandia Podcast: The growing power of Fresno’s city attorney
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, we talk with Fresno city attorney Andrew Janz about how his role has changed since he arrived at City Hall in 2022, along with ethics… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: The growing power of Fresno’s city attorney - Fresnolandia Podcast: Fresno leaders explain the anti-DEI backlash
On this week’s Fresnolandia, we’re talking about the current backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives – also known as DEI – with local leaders, and how they’re working locally… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Fresno leaders explain the anti-DEI backlash - Intro interview: Fresno District 6 Councilmember Nick Richardson talks speeding on Friant, CEMEX, and policing
Fresnoland is holding intro interviews with incoming Fresno City Councilmembers and Fresno County Supervisors on our weekly podcast, Fresnolandia, starting with Supervisor Luis Chavez. A lightly edited version of our… Read more: Intro interview: Fresno District 6 Councilmember Nick Richardson talks speeding on Friant, CEMEX, and policing - Fresnolandia Podcast: The innovative rural health program at risk
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Danielle talk with Genoveva Islas, executive director of Fresno-based nonprofit Cultiva La Salud about recent cuts from the Trump administration’s Health and Human… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: The innovative rural health program at risk - Fresnolandia Podcast: Will Fresno still benefit from high-speed rail?
Have thoughts or questions about high-speed rail’s future for Fresno that you want Fresnoland to explore? Fill out our survey here. On this week’s Fresnolandia, Jordan and Danielle speak with… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Will Fresno still benefit from high-speed rail? - Fresnolandia Podcast: Will Fresno go for a public safety tax?
On this week’s Fresnolandia, Jordan and Danielle talk with Fresnoland’s government accountability reporter, Omar S. Rashad, about Fresno’s public safety funding crisis and early talks to go to the voters… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Will Fresno go for a public safety tax? - Fresnolandia Podcast: Two weeks of Trump in Fresno
On this week’s Fresnolandia, Jordan and Danielle speak with Sabina Gonzalez-Eraña, a local community advocate and political expert, and Tal Eslick, founder and lobbyist with Vista Consulting, about what President… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Two weeks of Trump in Fresno - Fresnolandia Podcast: Bitwise’s legal misadventures, explained
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan, Dani and Julianna speak with Jesse Molina, and adjunct professor at the San Joaquin College of Law and the founder/attorney at Valley Business Law… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Bitwise’s legal misadventures, explained - Fresnolandia Podcast: Will local police enforce mass deportations?
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Dani talk with Omar Rashad, Fresnoland’s government accountability reporter about what Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni and Interim Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Will local police enforce mass deportations? - Fresnolandia Podcast: AMA with Ashley Swearengin, former Fresno mayor
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Dani talk with Ashley Swearengin, former Fresno Mayor from 2008 – 2016 and current chief executive of the Central Valley Community Foundation, to… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: AMA with Ashley Swearengin, former Fresno mayor - Fresnolandia Podcast: Money, Power, and Thanksgiving Politics
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Danielle discuss which groups – from labor unions, to developers – have the most power and influence in Fresno politics right now, who… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Money, Power, and Thanksgiving Politics - Fresnolandia Podcast: Election Results with Supervisor-elect Luis Chavez
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Dani talk with Fresno City Councilmember and Fresno County Supervisor-elect Luis Chavez on all things election analysis, from what he was hearing from… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Election Results with Supervisor-elect Luis Chavez - Fresnolandia Podcast: Labor’s Political Ascent in Fresno
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan Mattox and Danielle Bergstrom talk with Dillon Savory, executive director of the Central Labor Council, and Keith Brower Brown, a climate organizer, reporter with… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Labor’s Political Ascent in Fresno - Fresnolandia Podcast: Election Integrity in Fresno County
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Danielle talk with Fresno County’s Clerk and Registrar of Voters, James Kus, along with local election expert and Fresno State political science professor… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Election Integrity in Fresno County - Fresnolandia Podcast: Homelessness is a Housing Problem
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Dani welcome Clayton Aldern, co-author of Homelessness is a Housing Problem, in a book club discussion with Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias and Fresno-based affordable housing developer Jessica Berzac, co-owner of Upholdings. - Fresnolandia Podcast: Where do the homeless go?
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Dani go behind the scenes with Fresnoland’s housing reporter, Pablo Orihuela, about his recent reporting on homeless encampment sweeps. He shared the varying perspectives in talking to unhoused residents facing encampment sweeps – and nearby residents in the quiet residential neighborhood – as well as the overwhelming feedback from the community about the story. - Fresnolandia Podcast: Parking Problems
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, host Jordan Mattox and guest host Pablo Orihuela were joined by Henry Grabar, author of ‘Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World,’ along with local… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Parking Problems - Fresnolandia Podcast: Foothills school district dispute heats up
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Dani hear from Fresnoland’s community correspondent, Diego Vargas, about the low attendance at September ArtHop, and the mood from vendors. They also speak… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Foothills school district dispute heats up - Fresnolandia Podcast: Court ruling sparks development uncertainty
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Dani and Jordan go deep on an August court ruling that throws uncertainty into as many as hundreds of development projects throughout Fresno — and… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Court ruling sparks development uncertainty - Fresnolandia Podcast: Can Measure C find its footing?
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Dani bring on Greg Weaver, Fresnoland’s environmental reporter, to talk about why the latest efforts to revive the next version of Measure C,… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Can Measure C find its footing? - Fresnolandia Podcast: Lawsuits and Taxes in Clovis
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Dani tackle two issues that have put Clovis in the news: A new 1% sales tax for public safety that the Clovis City… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: Lawsuits and Taxes in Clovis - Fresnolandia Podcast: Homeless encampment bans
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Dani talk with Fresnoland’s housing reporter, Pablo Orihuela, about the city’s latest efforts to ban camping in public spaces – effectually wiping out many homeless encampments. - Fresnolandia Podcast: The ArtHop Debate
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Dani tackle the debate over whether outdoor vendors belong at Fresno’s ArtHop. They talk ArtHop history and evolution with Fresno Arts Council Executive… Read more: Fresnolandia Podcast: The ArtHop Debate - Fresnolandia Podcast: One Last Bitwise Open LetterThis week, we dive into the ex-Bitwise co-CEOs’ guilty plea, the delay on Measure P arts grants, and Fresno’s first guaranteed basic income pilot.
- Fresnolandia Podcast: The Paco Debacle
On our inaugural podcast this week, Jordan and Dani talk about the fallout from outgoing Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama’s affair with another police officer’s wife with Fresnoland’s government accountability reporter, Omar Rashad.
