The Finest

The songs we write when life doesn't come with answers

At a live taping of KPBS' Sun Drenched Sounds music series, three San Diego artists share music and the stories behind it. Divina talks about building her own sound through live looping and production, and how a song she heard as a child helped shape her artistic path. James Spaite reflects on growing up in the church, wrestling with faith and channeling philosophy and psychology into his songwriting. Shua discusses gospel music, human connection and the dangers of waiting until you're "fixed" before fully participating in life. Recorded at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park, the performances and conversations reveal how artists from different musical backgrounds find common ground in questions of identity, belief, responsibility and what it means to keep growing. Guests: * Divina [https://divinajasso.com/] * James Spaite [https://www.jamesspaite.com/] * Shua [https://shua.fyi/]

Mahjong is having a moment. What that says about how we connect

Why is everyone suddenly playing mahjong? From neighborhood meetups to viral social media posts, interest in the game is growing fast. This episode explores mahjong's history, its roots in the Chinese diaspora and the ways families and communities have carried traditions across generations. Through a night of learning Filipino-style mahjong in San Diego, we look at how the game has become a way for people to make friends, connect with culture and spend time together away from their screens. Guests: * James Gutierrez, No Ambition Tile Club [https://www.instagram.com/noambitiontileclub/] co-founder * Nicole Wong, creator and founder of The Mahjong Project [https://www.themahjongproject.com/], author of "Mahjong: House Rules from Across the Asian Diaspora" [https://www.themahjongproject.com/book] Sources: * History is repeating itself [https://www.themahjongproject.com/stories/history-is-repeating-itself] (Nicole Wong, The Mahjong Project, 2026) * What the Surprising History of Mah-jongg Can Teach Us About America [https://time.com/6045817/mahjongg-history/] (Cady Lang, TIME, 2021) * Mahjong, American Modernity, and Cultural Transnationalism [https://purl.stanford.edu/gv940sg2033] (Annelise Marie Heinz, Stanford Digital Repository, 2015) * Some Gen Z American can't stop 'Chinamaxxing' [https://www.npr.org/2026/03/13/nx-s1-5743795/chinamaxxing-gen-z-word-of-week] (Ashish Valentine, NPR, 2026)

The Pokémon economy: The real cost of catching 'em all

Pokémon started as something simple: trading cards on the playground, Game Boys passed around between friends and the dream of catching 'em all. Thirty years later, it's the highest-grossing media franchise in the world — and Pokémon cards have become big business. In this episode, collectors, card shop owners, Pokémon Go players and lifelong fans reflect on what Pokémon means to them and how the culture around it has changed. From crowded Pokémon Go meetups at parks to local card shops struggling with scalpers and rising prices, this episode looks at how scarcity and speculation transformed Pokémon cards into valuable commodities. Along the way is a bigger question: Can a franchise built on adventure, friendship and connection hold onto those values in a billion-dollar marketplace? Guests: * Steven Chung, lifelong Pokémon fan * Courtney Mifsud Intreglia [https://www.courtneymifsud.com/], writer * Oliver Soufi, Pokémon Master * Jake Federicks, manager at Supreme Card Shop [https://www.supremecardshop.com/] * Jason Huggins, co-owner of  Tito Rick's Garage [https://www.titoricks.com/] Sources: * LIFE Pokémon: 30 Years [https://www.scribd.com/document/1031186866/LIFE-Pokemon-2026] (Courtney Mifsud Intreglia, LIFE, 2026) * How Pokémon Conquered America [https://time.com/6796536/history-origins-pokemon/] (Courtney Mifsud Intreglia, TIME, 2024) * How Pokémon became the biggest media franchise on Earth [https://www.thetimes.com/business/companies-markets/article/how-pokemon-became-the-biggest-media-franchise-on-earth-q5vmhcwbc] (Lucy Tobin, The Times, 2026) * 'Kids can't buy them anywhere': how Pokémon cards became a stock market for millennials [https://www.theguardian.com/games/2025/dec/08/how-pokemon-cards-became-a-stock-market-for-millennials] (Daniella Lucas, The Guardian, 2025)

An electric streetcar network once crisscrossed San Diego. What if we got it back?

Long before San Diego became defined by freeways, parking shortages and long commutes, electric streetcars connected the region's urban core to beaches, business districts and growing neighborhoods more than 100 years ago. In this episode, KPBS metro reporter Andrew Bowen talks with The Finest about how the streetcar system helped shape neighborhoods that remain some of the city's most walkable and desirable today. The conversation traces the rise and fall of the rail network, how San Diego became shaped around cars and the lasting impact those decisions still have on the way people move through the city. We also look at why conversations around public transit are shifting again and meet the people trying to bring the streetcar system back to life. Guests: * Andrew Bowen [https://www.kpbs.org/staff/andrew-bowen], KPBS metro reporter and Freeway Exit [https://www.kpbs.org/podcasts/freeway-exit] host * Ethan Elkind, Climate Program director at the Center for Law, Energy and the Environment [https://www.law.berkeley.edu/research/clee/] at UC Berkeley * Michael Donovan, co-founder of Vibrant Uptown [https://www.vibrantuptown.org/] * Monica De La Cruz, car-free San Diegan Sources: * The enduring legacy of San Diego's streetcars [https://www.kpbs.org/news/quality-of-life/2026/03/26/the-enduring-legacy-of-san-diegos-streetcars] (Andrew Bowen, KPBS, 2026) * Amid San Diego's high transportation costs, some manage to find relief [https://www.kpbs.org/news/economy/2026/03/04/amid-san-diegos-high-transportation-costs-some-manage-to-find-relief] (Andrew Bowen, KPBS, 2026) * ASU study finds Americans' attitudes toward car-free living are changing [https://news.asu.edu/20260115-university-news-asu-researchers-discover-growing-attraction-carfree-living] (Delores Tropriano, ASU News, 2026)

The rise, fall and comeback of pro skateboarder Brandon Turner

San Diego skateboarder Brandon Turner moved up quickly in the sport, moving from local skate spots to major sponsorships and world tours. From skateboarding prodigy to rock bottom, now he's redefining addiction recovery and constantly evolving his understanding of control, identity and success. Long Description/Show Notes: In the '90s, Brandon Turner was a skateboarding prodigy, landing major sponsorships and touring the world with big-name skate teams. What looked like momentum from the outside often meant constant motion, pressure and independence arriving long before most people reach adulthood. And he ended up in prison. In this episode, he revisits that period and the skateboarding culture around him during his rise, from the energy of the scene to the decisions he made as things moved quickly. Today, not only does he operate his own addiction recovery center — he's skating better than he ever has before. He reflects on the highs and the dark moments that followed and how those years shaped his sense of identity and his approach to responsibility and control.  " Skateboarding is just like life. It's not if you will fall, it's when you'll fall. But the more important thing of it is what you're going to do when you pick yourself back up," Brandon said. He also shares what it means to learn through experience, how to foster that evolution in other people — and how his perspective continues to shift. It's a conversation about growth, accountability and moving forward when life doesn't follow a straight path. Guests: * Brandon Turner, professional skateboarder and founder of Westside Recovery [https://westsiderecoverysd.com/] Sources: * Brandon Turner: The Prodigy Returns [https://www.thrashermagazine.com/articles/brandon-turner-the-prodigy-returns/] (Michael Burnett, Thrasher Magazine, 2020) * Fulfill the Dream [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLg-MTDbtnY&t=40s], Shorty's skate film (1998), Brandon Turner segment * Guilty [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b71mWTcQlY], Shorty's skate film (2001), Brandon Turner segment * 90s Skate Prodigy Brandon Turner on Addiction and Recovery [https://www.huckmag.com/article/90s-skate-prodigy-brandon-turner-on-addiction-and-recovery] (Miss Rosen, Huck Magazine, 2023)  * The Second Coming of Brandon Turner [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSKgTx1HPqs] (Jenkem Magazine, 2021)