Name Drop San Diego is a weekly podcast from The San Diego Union-Tribune celebrating people who have shaped San Diego and been shaped by it. Join hosts Abby Hamblin and Kristy Totten each Tuesday as they get to know the people who make San Diego proud.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Rep. Sara Jacobs on the Jan. 6 pro-Trump riot in Washington, D.C.
50:40
50:40
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Freshman Congressperson Sara Jacobs was only four days into the job when a mob of pro-Trump rioters broke into the Capitol. She recounts the terror in the House Chamber, why she supports impeaching President Donald Trump, Congress' plans for COVID-19 relief and more.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Helen Amanda Fricker, Antarctic expeditionist and glaciologist
43:58
43:58
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43:58
Dr. Fricker has one of the coolest jobs in San Diego — literally. Using satellites, she studies the ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland and they effect they have on our climate. In this episode, she talks about what it's like to go to Antarctica, her work with NASA and more.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Eric Topol, Scripps physician, COVID-19 fighter, voice of reason on Twitter
51:34
51:34
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51:34
Dr. Eric Topol is one of the most influential physicians in the country. He has many areas of expertise, but COVID-19 wasn't one of them ... until now.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Mario Lopez, actor, dancer, TV host, radio host and more
26:35
26:35
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26:35
Mario Lopez was born and raised in Chula Vista prior to being cast as AC Slater on Saved by the Bell.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Ilan Rubin, Nine Inch Nails drummer and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee
1:00:20
1:00:20
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1:00:20
At 32, multi-instrumentalist Ilan Rubin is the youngest musician to ever be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He's the drummer of NIN and Angels & Airwaves with Tom DeLonge of Blink-182, and he's plays every instrument for his solo project, The New Regime.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Paola Ávila, chief of staff to mayor-elect Todd Gloria
48:14
48:14
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48:14
Paola Ávila on joining Todd Gloria in the mayor's office, her career working for the San Diego Chamber of Commerce and her "guiding light."
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Name Drop San Diego


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Lee Ann Kim, founder of the San Diego Asian Film Festival
52:30
52:30
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52:30
Lee Ann Kim is a communicator. Whether it's using her own voice to deliver the news or giving voice to others through her arts nonprofit, Pacific Arts Movement.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Lynn Reaser, chief economist at Point Loma Nazarene University
36:52
36:52
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36:52
An economist's job is different everyday, and that's exactly what appealed to Dr. Lynn Reaser, who has worked as chief economist for major banks and an adviser to the California's state controller.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Linh Anh Cat, chief of plants, animals and tidepools at Cabrillo National Monument
31:44
31:44
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31:44
As chief of resources management and science at Cabrillo National Monument, Linh Anh Cat has a lot of fun on the job. She preserves tide pools, protects native plants and even catches lizards.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Kirk K., founder of Mmm-Yoso San Diego food blog
32:20
32:20
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32:20
Kirk K. started his blog 15 years ago to get to know San Diego. Since then, it's grown beyond a food diary into a well-loved blog, exploring the corners of San Diego's culinary scene.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Zachary Patterson, student school board member
44:09
44:09
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44:09
Zachary Patterson started campaigning to create a student position on the San Diego Unified school board when he was in seventh grade. Just a few years later, he succeeded, and was elected by his peers to have the job.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Gary Kloppenburg, coach of the 2020 WNBA champions
32:59
32:59
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32:59
Coach Gary Kloppenburg coached the Seattle Storm for the 2020 season, ultimately winning the WNBA Championship. He's been an assistant coach for many teams in the NBA and WNBA, but started out as a basketball player at La Jolla High School, Feather River College and UC San Diego.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Rita Fernandez, City of San Diego's immigrant affairs manager
47:40
47:40
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47:40
Rita Fernandez is a Chula Vista native who comes from a long line of Spanish, French, Chinese and Mexican immigrants. In her role as immigrant affairs manager, she welcomes new arrivals to the city.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Dr. DJ Gaines, UCSD physician and diversity podcaster
37:46
37:46
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37:46
Dr. Gaines is the chief resident in internal medicine at UC San Diego and a senior producer for The DEI Shift, a podcast about diversity, equity and inclusion in medicine.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Michael Vu, registrar of voters for San Diego County
46:14
46:14
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46:14
Michael Vu talks about his family's last-minute departure from Vietnam, how he fell into the election business and what to expect from this year's voting process.
Gerry Torres worked in Tijuana nightclubs and Italian food restaurants before finding his passion bringing inventive tacos to the people.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Davey Smith, a leading doctor working on COVID-19 treatments
35:31
35:31
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35:31
Dr. Davey Smith is the chief of infectious disease research at UC San Diego, and he's currently testing coronavirus treatments for the federal government. No pressure at all.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Jean Guerrero, reporter and author of 'Hatemonger'
37:32
37:32
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37:32
Jean Guerrero is a San Diego-based reporter and author. She writes about immigration and the cross-border experience, which led her to investigate White House adviser Stephen Miller. Her latest book is "Hatemonger: Stephen Miller, Donald Trump, and the White Nationalist Agenda."
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Name Drop San Diego


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Nicole Capretz, Climate Action Campaign founder
39:11
39:11
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39:11
Capretz is the environmental lawyer and policymaker behind the City of San Diego's Climate Action Plan.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Brian Malarkey, celebrity chef and restaurateur
32:32
32:32
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32:32
Chef Brian Malarky, known for local restaurants like Herb & Wood and his latest, Animae, recently competed on "Top Chef: All Stars" in Los Angeles and is pivoting to digital dining during the pandemic.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Barney Scout Mann, hiker, author and 'trail angel'
46:50
46:50
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46:50
Barney "Scout" Mann is the author of a new book called "Journeys North" about hiking along the Pacific Crest Trail. He has hiked all over the world and serves as a "trail angel" in San Diego.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Judi Sheppard Missett, founder and CEO of Jazzercise
44:32
44:32
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44:32
Judi Sheppard Missett founded Jazzercise in 1969 and it has grown to a company with franchises all around the world. She talks about the lessons she's learned along the way and the "ah-ha" moments that lead to her success.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Introducing Hello Gen Z, a new U-T podcast
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27:51
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27:51
Generation Z is transforming America’s culture and identity. And its members are just getting started. In this new podcast, you’ll hear their hopes and their fears, who they are — and who they aren’t.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Tony Gwynn Jr., broadcaster and former MLB player
47:12
47:12
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47:12
Tony Gwynn Jr. played at San Diego State University before being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the second round of the 2003 Major League Baseball draft. He also played for the Phillies, Dodgers, and Padres before leaving his playing days behind to focus on his family and a career in broadcasting in San Diego.…
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Name Drop San Diego


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Claudia Sandoval, winner of Masterchef Season 6
52:29
52:29
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52:29
Chef Claudia Sandoval is a self-taught Mexican-American chef, cookbook author and entrepreneur behind the Cochi Dorado Modern Mexican Bakery.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Jim Trotter, NFL journalist and Junior Seau biographer
56:01
56:01
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56:01
Jim Trotter has covered sports for Sport Illustrated, ESPN, NFL.com and the San Diego Union-Tribune. He wrote "Junior Seau: The Life and Death of a Football Icon," and credits Seau with teaching him to cover a pro locker room.
San Diego sports journalist Jim Trotter covered the Chargers for years before being asked to write "Junior Seau: The Life and Death of a Football Icon." Here, Trotter shares stories about his years working with Seau.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Ralph Keeling, keeper of 'The Keeling Curve'
48:47
48:47
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48:47
Not all broken records are worth celebrating. Ralph Keeling, a geochemistry professor at UC San Diego, knows this well as the man who oversees an ever-rising measure of the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Kenneth Barlis, fashion designer to the stars
45:28
45:28
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45:28
Kenneth Barlis is a San Diego-based fashion designer who has dressed celebs such as Cardi B, Janet Jackson and Carrie Underwood. He talks about his inspiration, how being a Filipino immigrant shapes him and, of course, he shares a few fashion tips.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Young Black Lives Matter protesters
1:04:55
1:04:55
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1:04:55
You've heard the slogans and the chants in one city after another, nationwide and countywide. This week, we talk to Jaelynn Kennedy, Nikki Sanchez and Amir Harrison Jr., three young activists who have led protests around San Diego County.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Shane Harris, national civil rights activist
48:42
48:42
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48:42
Shane Harris is the founder of the People's Alliance for Justice, based in San Diego. He recently visited the family of George Floyd in Minneapolis and works as a civil rights activist across the country.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Shilpi Somaya Gowda, international bestselling author
45:25
45:25
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45:25
Shilpi Somaya Gowda is a New York Times bestselling author based in Rancho Santa Fe. She’s written three books, “Secret Daughter,” “The Golden Son” and her latest, “The Shape of Family.” On Aug. 29, she'll be a featured author at the San Diego Festival of Book.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Anthony Davis, 2020 Pulitzer Prize winner
49:26
49:26
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49:26
Davis, a UCSD professor, won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in music for composing “The Central Park Five,” an opera about five black and Latino teenagers in New York City who were wrongly convicted after a white woman was attacked in Central Park in 1989.
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Name Drop San Diego


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Ralph Rubio, co-founder of Rubio's Coastal Grill
44:32
44:32
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44:32
The name "Rubio" will forever be synonymous with fish tacos and San Diego. On this episode, Ralph Rubio tells the story of how he brought fish tacos across the border and what he thinks the restaurant industry will look like, post coronavirus pandemic.
Ellen Ochoa is a local and graduate of San Diego State University who became an astronaut and director of the Johnson Space Center. On this episode, she talks about her early days with NASA, how she lived and worked in space, where NASA is headed next and more.
Jon Foreman is a musician, writer, surfer, philanthropist and San Diego local. In this episode, he talks about the early days of Switchfoot, how he stays creative, his favorite surf spots and more.
Name Drop San Diego is a weekly podcast from The San Diego Union-Tribune celebrating people who have shaped San Diego and been shaped by it. Join hosts Abby Hamblin and Kristy Totten each Tuesday as they get to know the people who make San Diego proud.