Elizabeth Arakelian
Director of RadioA Valley native, Elizabeth earned her bachelor's degree in English Language Literatures from the University of California, Santa Cruz and her master's degree in journalism from New York University. She has covered a range of beats. Her agriculture reporting for the Turlock Journal earned her a first place award from the California Newspaper Publishers Association.
While in graduate school she covered the New Hampshire Primary for NBC Owned Television Stations and subsequently worked as a television ratings analyst for the company's business news network, CNBC. Upon returning to California, her role as a higher education public relations professional reconnected her to the Valley's media scene. She is happy to be back to her journalism roots at KVPR.
Elizabeth has hosted KVPR's local broadcasts of Morning Edition and All Things Considered. She is currently KVPR's Director of Radio, and the host of KVPR's Central Valley Daily podcast.
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Madera County is one of only nine in the state where expecting mothers do not have access to birthing services. Instead, they have to travel to out of county hospitals. Journalist Tim Sheehan explains why the county’s hospital chose not to continue birthing services when it reopened – and what that means for expecting mothers. Plus, the latest news headlines: A bill to revamp Kern County oil drilling heads to Gov. Newsom’s desk; and hundreds attend a vigil for conservative activist Charlie Kirk. -
California has millions of acres of public land. So why is some of it inaccessible? It turns out, an odd sprawl of property ownership in the state has created “landlocked” public lands, which often require people to ask for permission — or to just trespass — to access it. San Francisco Chronicle reporter Emma Stiefel mapped out this inaccessible land, and explains what it would take to open it up to the public.
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It was the 1990s, and a high school music teacher in Fresno had fallen in love with a relatively new music genre: Latin jazz. But he had a problem: he couldn’t find the sheet music to help teach this funky, groovy music to his students. So he decided to take matters into his own hands and build a publishing company himself. We talk with KVPR reporter Kerry Klein about her feature on how Steve Alcala is helping students play Latin jazz all around the globe. Plus, the latest news headlines: Fresno’s leaders denounce violence in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder, firefighters make progress on the Garnet Fire, and Madera County joins eight others as “maternity care deserts.”
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The Garnet Fire burning in the Sierra National Forest has placed renewed attention on wildland firefighters. For decades, these firefighters were prevented from wearing masks while working. But, a landmark decision this week by the U.S. Forest Service will change that. Hannah Dreier, an investigative reporter with the New York Times, discusses her reporting on firefighters’ health that sparked this change. Plus, the latest news headlines: Charlie Kirk is shot and killed while speaking at a university in Utah, and two men’s basketball players from Fresno State have been permanently banned by the NCAA for betting on their own games.
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Each year, federal grants are awarded to communities nationwide, helping with everything from roads to research. However, once President Trump assumed office, he altered the criteria for meeting those grants - which threatened millions the City of Fresno had been counting on. Now, the city is suing. Fresnoland reporter Omar Rashad breaks down the case and highlights one local nonprofit that stands to lose 40 percent of its budget.Plus, the latest news headlines: The Garnet Fire reaches the giant sequoias of McKinley Grove, and the CSU system embarks on a new AI-driven career program.
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When was the last time you spotted a Monarch butterfly? If it’s been a moment, you’re not alone. The population has declined tremendously over the last 25 years. A new effort by the California State Parks Foundation is asking Californians to track their butterfly sightings. Randy Widera, who leads programming for the Foundation, explains how ‘citizen scientists’ can help protect the species. Plus, the latest news headlines: the Garnet Fire gains ground, a Bakersfield lawmaker urges Sacramento to boost oil production, and tourism in Yosemite grows.
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On today’s episode, we explore a relatively new AI-powered tool for law enforcement called “Draft One.” The tool can take audio from body camera footage and write a police report, which would help save officers time on administrative tasks. Departments across the country are piloting the tool, including in Fresno. But is it safe enough to warrant use when it comes to crimes? Tekendra Parmar, an investigative journalist with Mother Jones, discusses his recent reporting.
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It’s been 60 years since Filipino farmworkers in Delano protested for better wages and sparked a nationwide movement for labor rights. The Delano Chapter of the Filipino American National Historical Society is hosting a free public event on Saturday to mark the occasion. In this episode we speak with Suzanne Villaruz, an event coordinator, who has a personal connection to the movement in the 1960’s. Plus, the latest news headlines: Why there are questions about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s whereabouts; and what a study says about the Valley’s economy.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom has spent years cracking down on fossil fuels and on the state’s oil industry. Now, he and other Democratic lawmakers are in talks to boost in-state oil production. We discuss why, and what this sudden shift could mean for Kern County, with CalMatters reporter Alexei Koseff. Plus, the latest news headlines: A historic mining town is scorched by a wildfire; and a progressive U.S. Representative is backing a Valley candidate looking to unseat a House Republican.
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Many students have internships, but what about one that teaches you the art of craft coffee industry from the inside? On today’s episode of Central Valley Daily, KVPR’s Rachel Livinal takes us behind the scenes of a Merced-based apprenticeship program for coffee connoisseurs. Plus, the latest news headlines: A federal judge rules against the Trump administration’s use of National Guard troops in Southern California; and the largest immigrant detention facility in California is now operating in Kern County.
