Central Valley Daily

April 7: A New Book Looks At How The Economy Works, Including Fresno’s ‘Raisin Cartel’

By Elizabeth Arakelian,

Soreath Hok, Jonathan Linden, Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado

Published April 7, 2026 at 4:45 AM PDT

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NPR’s popular podcast “Planet Money” tells stories about the economic forces that shape our lives. Now, there’s a “Planet Money” book all about those forces. It includes a story about a Fresno-based “raisin cartel.” On today’s show, authors Alex Mayyasi and Kenny Malone explain commodities through this lens.

Plus, the latest news headlines: President Trump endorses a California governor candidate; and Fresno cracks down on crime after violent week.

Central Valley Daily

Elizabeth Arakelian

A 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.

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Soreath Hok

Soreath Hok is a multimedia journalist with experience in radio, television and digital production. She is a 2022 National Edward R. Murrow Award winner. At KVPR, she is currently the local host of NPR's All Things Considered.

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Jonathan Linden

Jonathan Linden is a podcast producer at KVPR. Born and raised in Riverside, he's a Southern California native. Jonathan's passion for public radio began at a young age when his brother would play NPR while driving him home from middle school. He earned his B.A. in journalism from Biola University in 2019.

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Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado

Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado is KVPR's News Director. Prior to joining the station's news department in 2022, he was a reporter for PBS NewsHour and The Fresno Bee.

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