Advertise on podcast: John McMullen Show

John McMullen has exited the management suite and is back solely as Podcaster. The mask mandates are leaving but he's keeping his KN95 handy and thinks that you should, too. As if that's not enough, McMullen is sick and tired of his Millennial and Gen Z friends tossing around the word 'Boomer' like it's a pejorative. His suggestion is rather than blame other generations for what precedes you, focus on fixing things like he has rather than just griping about it! Presented by http://www.eatatelportal.com (El Portal Mexican Restaurant) in Cathedral City.

As the California Legislature gets back to work in the New Year, 56th District Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia recaps achievements in 2021 and objectives for 2022 and beyond with John McMullen. Garcia has a busy agenda in the year ahead and is planning a run for Congress. In this episode, they talk about census-related redistricting, affordable housing projects, new park grants, regional and global climate change matters, environmental and economic concerns at the Salton Sea, post-secondary education in the desert cities, and the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on people and businesses.

Samantha Porter, Admissions Director for Elite Cosmetology School, talks about the Palm Desert-based programs they offer to people seeking a new career path with their trade school based in the Palm Desert Mall. As people are looking to change career directions or start their professional lives with an artistic flair, find out about the opportunities and what is involved in becoming a barber, an esthetician, or cosmetologist and the fun and dynamic environment Elite offers students here in the Coachella Valley.

John McMullen welcomes education reporter Jonathan Horwitz from the Desert Sun back to the show to discuss the latest drama involving a city in the Western Coachella Valley raising concerns about shifting plans by the region's junior college involving placement of a new campus. Recent plans to abandon Cathedral City where the school was to open its new automotive repair school and shop has caught the attention of the City of Palm Springs, where the plans for a West Campus have not moved beyond clearing away a former shopping mall and currently stands as a large dirt patch adjacent to the Palm Springs Cultural Center. This week, the City Council will vote on whether to send an official letter and demand information on how funding from nearly $1 Billion in bond measures have been spent to date. C.O.D. leadership says they still plan to build the campus, but city officials say that the new college President and Superintendent has thus far been unwilling to guarantee that this it the case. Where does it all sit? Jonathan shares details on where the matter sits.

Larry Davis has spent five decades giving comfort and aide to people at life's toughest moments. As Vice President for the Coachella Valley region at Forest Lawn, he has been a part of celebrating the lives of tens of thousands of people. But, doing our loved ones justice in terms of how we share about their lives can be a difficult task. Larry discusses the challenges people face at these deeply sorrowful occasions and even shares how people in the funeral business can be as deeply affected as those who do not have to deal with death day in and day out. He also talks about the importance of pre-planning these types of services over leaving the details to your loved ones. Contact Information: Phone: (760) 328-3112 On the Web: https://www.ForestLawn.com (www.ForestLawn.com)

Palm Springs resident and successful television writer, producer and director David Lee, best known for Cheers and Frasier, has contributed $5 million to the "Help Save the Plaza Theatre" campaign in Palm Springs, nearly half of the anticipated $12 million needed for renovations. Desert Sun entertainment and culture writer Brian Blueskye visited with John McMullen hours after the donation was announced by one of the project's primary boosters, former Palm Springs City Councilmember J.R. Roberts. Brian also fills us in on plans for a January fundraising music festival at the Plaza Theatre and a successful super group of DJs who have just announced plans to appear in Spring 2022 at the Coachella Arts and Music Festival.

Using $100,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding from Cathedral City, the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission has extended its human services support to the homeless population in the West Valley city with two mobile shower stations. It's just one of the many services that CVRM offers to the disadvantaged population in trying to help them maintain dignity and seek to better their lives. Learn about this and the many other outreach services the Rescue Mission provides across the desert cities region and how you can volunteer or provide other assistance and make the lives of people less-fortunate better. Coachella Valley Rescue Mission's Program Coordinator Mark McGowen talks with Radio111's John McMullen about the organization's outreach. On the Web: https://www.cvrm.org (Coachella Valley Rescue Mission)

Gallup has recently released new polling data that indicates the public trust in mass media outlets like Newspaper, Radio and Television has declined another 4% to just 36% who trust what they are reading, hearing or seeing. But, is that really a fair assessment of how honest the news media is in its coverage? Or, is this just a sign of the times because of the political division in the United States? And, what can be done to restore the confidence of news consumers? Desert Sun Executive Editor Julie Makinen talks about these things and the need to help the public differentiate between news and opinion in the various forms of media.

Jonathan Horwitz. education reporter for the Desert Sun, returns to the John McMullen Show and discusses his latest reporting on the extraordinary demand for and shortage of substitute teachers in the three school districts serving the Coachella Valley. It's not a problem unique to our region. Hear about just how much strain is on the public education system, what the root causes are, and how local districts are attempting to do to meet the demands of an already-stretched education sector amidst the global pandemic.

The City of Palm Springs always has a lot before their City Council. Recently, they have had to take up the issue of issuing an apology for the atrocities associated with Section 14 land in the middle of the last century, whether or not to move a statue of the mayor credited with turning the city into the Hollywood playground, funding for and utilization of a full-time police officer on high school campuses, the controversy over renaming a dog park after the former city manager, the city’s success with COVID prevention mandates, expanding service at Palm Springs International Airport, homeless issues and more. Geoff Kors, the longest serving member of the City Council talks about all these matters with John McMullen on this excerpt from the John McMullen Show. On the Web: www.palmspringsca.gov

Julie Hirsh, Director of Community Outreach at JFS Desert, talks with John about the upcoming Blood Drive in conjunction with Lifestream Blood Bank on October 23. The Coachella Valley-area hospitals are in a crisis situation needing blood to meet the minimum supply needs for everyday purposes, let along if there were to be a crisis that exceeds ordinary needs. You can help save a life with an hour of your time and a single blood draw. And, Lifestream is giving a sweet pair of Cancer Awareness socks while supplies last to donors on the 23rd. Julie also talks about the many services provided by JFS Desert for those in need of financial aid, social services, and mental health telecare in our community. Learn more about the many generous services they provide all throughout the Desert Cities communities. On the Web: www.JFSDesert.org www.LStream.org

Radio111 democracy advocate Joy Silver spoke with John McMullen at length about the https://biancomustgo.com/ (Bianco Must Go) organization that has formed to educate Riverside County voters about top lawman Sheriff Chad Bianco’s ties to fundamentalist Christian extremist organizations and philosophies which create a danger to hundreds of millions of the county’s residents. Bianco and his “Constitutional Sheriff” perspective have driven his dangerous policies that have resulted in his selective enforcement of public safety measures, have led to a skyrocketing number of concealed firearms permits being issued, and an alarming number of deaths of detainees, many of whom have not even been through a trial yet. The Bianco Must Go campaign is seeking to educate voters ahead of a primary next June, and to raise funds to give a challenging candidate a reasonable chance of victory in a county in which Democrats now outnumber Republicans by more than 3%.