When I first crossed paths with journalism, I didn’t know it was going to become my biggest love and completely change my life. As an Iranian-Italian visual journalist at Abridged, I aim to serve communities through my authenticity and my commitment to journalism.
My diverse background includes information technology, print and video journalism, website and social media management and animation. I have experience and interest in topics such as social justice, immigration and criminal justice, aiming to amplify voices often overlooked in mainstream narratives.
I have a huge passion for documentary and street photography. I believe visual storytelling has a power to create a deeper understanding of social and cultural issues affecting humans. I use the lens not as a barrier but as a connection to people, challenging viewers to engage with the stories behind the images.
Hey there, I’m Felicia. I’m an accountability reporter at Abridged, with an extra focus on housing, the environment and the justice system. I got my start in journalism on the City Hall beat at The Davis Enterprise, and have since worked for the Sacramento Business Journal, the Los Angeles Times and ABC News.
I grew up in San Diego and have lived in Sacramento for the last decade. I’m always on the lookout for stories that provide insight into lesser-seen corners of our region and aim to write news that makes you feel more connected. I’m passionate about news that creates a sense of community and defends it through hard-hitting accountability reporting.
Donna Apidone
Contributor - Coming of Age
I am in denial about my age. In my mind I’m 35. Ha! In reality, that number flew by a long time ago.
So when Abridged invited me to join the team, I was surprised at the words that came out of my mouth:
“I’ll write a column about aging with Purpose.”
I capitalize the word Purpose because it is my brand of connection to the community. Without Purpose, I am just floating aimlessly through the sea of gray-haired people in my age group.
I don’t want to be aimless. I want to have direction. I want to be inspired, and if I can inspire someone else along the way, I’m in. That’s why I teach workshops about finding Purpose, and that’s why I’m writing this column.
“Coming of Age” will introduce you to interesting people who are doing wonderful and inspiring things with their lives. You’ll also find content and resources about issues that affect us.
If you do not have gray hair, read the column anyway. Your hair will change color before you know it.
I’m an Emmy Award-winning television producer and editor with nearly two decades of experience bringing content to PBS audiences. Over the years, I’ve produced, written, edited, and narrated a wide range of nationally syndicated and locally focused programs, including Yes! We’re Open, Inside California Education, America’s Heartland, and the Emmy Award-winning documentary ViewFinder: Life After Sight.
My work explores a broad spectrum of subjects—education, agriculture, health, and human interest—always with a focus on authenticity, emotional resonance, and impact. Whether spotlighting local entrepreneurs or telling deeply personal stories of resilience, I’m driven by a commitment to create content that informs, inspires, and connects with viewers in meaningful ways.
Outside of work, you’ll usually find me in the great outdoors—hiking, paddle boarding, or exploring all that California has to offer.
Hello there, I’m Martin. I’ve been lucky to spend more than 30 years telling powerful, visually driven stories through photography. I’ve worked for ABC, CBS, and NBC affiliates on both sides of the country, and now, as Chief Visual Journalist at PBS KVIE and Abridged, I shape and capture the stories that matter most. I’ve also created everything from polished commercial work to expressive fine art. Along the way, my work at PBS KVIE has earned me five Emmy Awards and 20 nominations—and I’m still deeply committed to capturing images that bring community stories to life.
Spend some time with me, and you’ll soon see I’m happiest when I’m on the move. As an endurance athlete for over 25 years, you’ll most likely find me cycling along the American River Parkway or exploring the backroads of Yolo and Solano counties from sunrise to sunset—activities that clear my head and recharge my spirit. When craving a bigger adventure, I head to the rugged trails of the High Sierra with a tent on my back, where the challenge of rocky paths keeps me grounded and energized. These outdoor moments aren’t just exercise—they’re my time to recharge, reflect, and find inspiration for the stories I tell through my work.
Growing up in a quaint small town in Delaware, I’ve always had the drive to tell stories that matter. Stories that wouldn’t be told otherwise. Stories that not only educate and inform, but also help viewers really identify with the people on their screens.
And as a Producer at PBS KVIE, I feel like the luckiest person in the world because I get to craft and share these amazing stories every day!
In America’s Farm-To-Fork Capital, food is more than just sustenance: it’s the cultural heartbeat. The hottest local restaurants debut to hour-long waits. Immigrants from all over the world land in kitchens across Rancho Cordova, Woodland and Elk Grove. When farmers markets swell with the nation’s best summer produce, people jam the walkways tighter than corn on the cob.
As Senior Food Editor for Abridged, I cover the Sacramento region’s restaurants, bars and food systems with the assistance of local freelancers. I bring the best local bites to readers’ fingertips while digging beyond the menu to capture economic and cultural trends shaping the region’s food scene. I hope you’ll join me at this site’s metaphorical table, where knowledgeable conversation flows, dishes come in all flavors and everything is served family-style.
I previously spent seven years as The Sacramento Bee’s food and drink writer, authoring three “Top 50 Restaurants” lists and a cookbook based on area chefs’ recipes. Before that, I covered business for the Amarillo Globe-News in the Texas Panhandle. I was already acquainted with what folks there called “the smell of money” (read: cattle dung) from growing up in Davis, where I founded a high school cooking club and learned to bike as my default form of transportation. When not working, I’m happiest playing softball, spending time with family or submerged in the nearest body of water.
My journey into local journalism began 20 years ago at my hometown newspaper in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where I worked side-by-side with the reporters and columnists I read every day growing up. In the two decades since, I’ve worked in a variety of editorial, digital and audience development roles in both for- and nonprofit newsrooms. I’ve also spent a number of years in the college classroom helping aspiring journalists develop the skills they need to thrive in the contemporary news landscape.
As Citizen Journalism Editor at Abridged, I combine my editorial and education experience to train and empower citizens across the Sacramento region to find and tell the stories of our community. In my opinion, there’s no better way to learn about a community than to hear from the people who live there.
When I’m not working, I’m ferrying my two daughters between dance competitions and basketball games or exploring all that my adopted home of California has to offer, and that’s enough to keep me very, very busy.
I’m the Events Project Manager at Abridged and PBS KVIE, where I’ve spent the last six years planning events that bring people together, celebrate public media, and occasionally hunt down last-minute tablecloths with the speed of a game show contestant. I also volunteer with Broadway Sacramento because I love live theater (and because I can never resist a good spotlight, even if it’s from behind the scenes).
When I’m not working, you’ll find me reading (I’m attempting to read 100 books in 2025. Wish me luck!). Or I could be doting on an ever-growing collection of houseplants that may or may not be taking over my desk, or planning my next big trip. I’m on track to visit all seven continents by the end of 2026, and yes, Antarctica is already on the calendar. I live with my opinionated black cat named Vader, who runs the household with dramatic flair. Whether I’m working on a big event, turning the crisp page of a book, or exploring the world, I’m inspired by the details that connect us.
Hello! My name is Daniel, and I’m covering Yolo County for Abridged.
I’ve had a fairly roundabout path to local reporting. Born and raised in LA, I left for school when I was 18 and have since lived in the Bay Area, Baltimore, the rural South, Cleveland and the Pacific Northwest. Though I had different jobs in each of those places, I often found myself sitting down with people and listening to their stories. In almost every instance, I walked away from these conversations with a desire to amplify what I had just heard. So I became a journalist.
Since then, I’ve reported on issues related to housing, city hall, public safety, the environment and politics.
If I’m off the clock, you can find me riding my bike, fly fishing or walking my misbehaving pup.
At seven years old, I picked up my family’s camera for the first time not knowing I’d one day become a storyteller. I remained curious enough to explore the possibilities of visual storytelling throughout my youth, filming antics with my friends and eventually short films and documentaries. I’m proud to say now I get to do it for a living! I’m passionate about creative work that encourages our community to reflect on the people, places, and ideas around us.
At PBS KVIE, I’ve produced stories centered on human interest throughout the Sacramento region. Most recently, I’ve been a story and episode producer for Inside California Education, bringing attention to the changes and challenges in education within the Golden State. I previously worked in community television where I shaped local programming and spent countless nights broadcasting city council meetings. I also used to shoot and edit promotional content and artistic performances in the Bay Area.
Outside of my job, you can find me expanding my collection of knickknacks, working on art projects, or exploring the city on foot with or without a destination in mind.
I’m thrilled to be reporting on education in the Sacramento region, with all the depth and breadth the issue deserves.
I learned the importance of local journalism at the outset of my career in Houston, where I’m from. Since leaving my hometown, I’ve had the exciting opportunity to cover Congress and national campaigns for USA Today, where I honed my passion for talking to real people about the issues that matter most to them. No surprise, education was a frequent topic.
As an education reporter for Abridged, I strive to tell stories for a diverse audience, connecting with readers whether they are a student, parent, educator, or general member of the community.
When I’m not at my computer, you can probably find me at a coffee shop or winery, on the couch watching reality television with my cat Oxford Comma (yes, that is his real name), or outside on a run.
Raised and educated in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, I learned the importance of community from my parents and of local public service journalism at newspapers in towns big and small (Canandaigua, Oneonta and New York City). I furthered my education at the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, before launching an 18-year career as a reporter and editor at The Sacramento Bee.
In 2024, I made a decision. This community that had embraced me, where my wife and I are raising our two sons, deserved more. Cutbacks and shifting priorities in the local media landscape had left entire communities and issues uncovered. So I left The Bee to explore launching a local nonprofit news source. A few months later, I merged my effort with PBS KVIE, whose mission and values aligned with my own: to put service over profits, to elevate voices others were ignoring and to deliver for a region that has, time and again, delivered for us.
As KVIE’s Associate General Manager of News, I’m helping to build and guide the talented team of journalists behind Abridged. My pledge to you is simple: we will wake up every morning asking ourselves, “How can we serve this community today?” I hope you’ll tell us how we’re doing.
When I’m not working for you, I’m likely coaching my son’s little league or soccer team, cheering on my other son on the basketball court or meeting friends on the patio of a local restaurant or brewery. My wife is heavily involved in our children’s schools, sitting on various advisory boards, and I’m on the Board of Directors of Land Park Pacific Little League and the Sacramento Press Club.
Chris Macias
Contributor - Cultural Capital
I’m a native Sacramentan who’s documented the region’s cultural life for a quarter century.
It started in the 1990’s world of hip-hop ‘zines and Heckler, Sacramento’s late-great skateboard/music magazine. I ultimately landed at The Sacramento Bee, where I served as pop music critic and a reporter/columnist on the food and wine beat. I covered the emerging “Farm to Fork” movement, the renaissance of Sacramento dining and detailed some of its drama. Two of my profiles were selected for the 2015 and 2017 editions of “Best Food Writing” by DaCapo Press. Now, I work in executive communications at UC Davis and scratch my creative itches through freelance stories related to music, food/wine and skateboarding. Those bylines have run in The San Francisco Chronicle, SF Eater and The Sacramento News & Review among others. I’m also the co-founder of a local literary ‘zine: “So, This One Time … A Mixtape of Sacto Area Stories.”
Whether you’re a 916 lifer or a newcomer, my goal for “Cultural Capital” at Abridged is to keep you inspired and your events calendar full. Let’s go!
Laura Mahoney
Contributor - Business
I’ve been a journalist in Sacramento for more than 30 years, but until now have not had the privilege of writing about the community where I built a life and raised my kids. As the business contributor for Abridged, I want to know what’s working and what’s not for the region’s businesses and the people who rely on them in their daily lives.
I grew up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, with a brief detour in Los Angeles, before making Sacramento my home. When I arrived, Joe Serna was mayor, the Hyatt downtown on L street was brand new, and Mather Air Force Base had just closed. Things have come a long way since then.
For most of my career, I covered the relationship between the California government and businesses operating in the state for a national audience at Bloomberg. I investigated ethical and legal lapses that launched the first overhaul of the state’s tax administration system in more than 75 years. Other deep dives uncovered abuses in the state’s Enterprise Zone tax incentive program and the relative success of its replacement called California Competes. My stories about lucrative sales tax sharing deals between a few California cities and some of the world’s biggest retailers prompted a new state law requiring cities to disclose how much money they give away. I’ve also covered health care, labor and employment, privacy, environment, and campaign finance. And I won a few awards along the way.
Now I’ll turn my attention to the Sacramento region, digging into what makes our local economic engine run and what’s making it backfire. Reach out if you think you have a business story that needs to be told.
Jordan Mata
Digital Audience Producer – Arts & Culture
I grew up moving all over California, but somehow, we always found our way back to Sacramento. I’ve now called this city home for over 20 years, and I truly love it. It’s an honor to serve this community as a Digital Audience Producer with Abridged. I believe in the power of storytelling and the value of locally-rooted journalism. My goal is to better connect our news service with the needs of our community and highlight the vibrant cultural scene in our region.
Outside of my work here, I’m passionate about movies and making art. My love for Sacramento includes a dedication to its (often frustrating) basketball team. After all these years I have somehow remained quite optimistic about it. Most of my time is spent with my partner, doting on our two high-maintenance cats, Thelma and Figgy.
Phillip Reese
Contributor - Numbers Matter
I’ve spent the last 20 years finding, analyzing and visualizing data as a journalist in the Sacramento region, mostly as a reporter for The Sacramento Bee. I got my start in data journalism at news outlets in my home state of North Carolina. My full-time job these days is associate professor of Journalism at Sacramento State.
I’ve been awarded the Worth Bingham Prize for Investigative Reporting, the George Polk Award for Medical Reporting and the Society of Business Editors and Reporters Best in Business Award. I’m a five-time winner of the McClatchy President’s Award, the highest honor given by one of the nation’s largest news organizations. I was a finalist for the 2014 Pulitzer Prize in Investigative Journalism.
My job at Abridged is to produce timely, important and interesting articles and graphics that demonstrate how the Sacramento area is changing.
Outside of journalism, I enjoy backpacking in the Sierra, climbing at The Boulder Field gym, and spending time with my wife Mary-Catherine, who is a local veterinarian, and my daughter Hazel.
I’m proud to lead our team of visual journalists whose powerful images and videos tell the stories that matter to our community. I’ve worked at PBS KVIE since 2016, first as an Emmy-award winning producer and now as the Director of News Visuals.
I’ve covered everything from politics to farms in a 20-year journalism career that’s spanned the West Coast, from The Modesto Bee to a public affairs television station in Olympia, Washington. I’m an alumna of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
Sacramento has been my home twice, first as an undergraduate student at Sacramento State, and for the last decade as the place where my husband and I have set down roots to raise our two children. PBS KVIE has a long legacy of compelling visual storytelling, and I’m excited to help carry on that tradition with Abridged.
I work with this team to shape and deliver the daily reporting package for Abridged. After decades in journalism, I’m very proud of this chapter – serving the Sacramento region on behalf of such a trusted public media outlet.
My goal is to build and collaborate with this talented group of text-based and visual storytellers to produce compelling, distinctive journalism for the region I’ve called home since 1988.
Born and schooled in Ohio, I worked for newspapers there, in Arizona and California. I spent 31 years covering politics and policy at the California Capitol, 20 as Capitol Bureau Chief for The Sacramento Bee. I took a five-year detour to work in public affairs at Visit California before coming to Abridged in 2025.
I serve on the board of directors for two nonprofits: The YMCA of Superior California and the Sacramento Press Club. Because of the non-journalism activities in my recent past, I will not participate in coverage decisions about the tourism industry or the nonprofits for which I volunteer.
Outside of work, you’ll find me traveling with my wife, Molly Dugan, a Sacramento State professor, on the basketball court, the American River Parkway or chasing a golf ball at any course in the region.
Local journalism that informs, connects and empowers the communities it serves — that’s what I want for the Sacramento region. As the audience engagement editor at Abridged by PBS KVIE, I spend my days thinking about how we can connect people with and through our work.
I’m interested in sharing stories that let you better know your neighbor and help you live happy, healthy lives in the place you call home.
My background includes editing, community engagement and digital strategy in local newsrooms across California and the Midwest. I live in Arden Arcade with my fiancé and our dog — a 20-pound, schnauzer-poodle mix (a schnoodle!). Since 2021, when I joined the team at The Sacramento Bee, we’ve been putting down roots, spending our weekends rock climbing, hiking, biking and taking in the wonders of Northern California.
Zoe B Soderstrom
Contributor - Cooking in Season
Hi! I’m Zoe, a professionally trained chef, recipe developer and culinary content creator whose love of food runs deep — rooted in family, heritage and a healthy obsession with the Food Network. Raised in the Bay Area by a mom who loved cookbooks and a grandmother who ran her own restaurant in Southern Arizona, I grew up understanding that cooking was both a life skill and a love language. My grandmother, in particular, passed down the dishes of my Mexican heritage, teaching me how to make her refried beans, Mexican rice, tamales and my personal favorite, huevos rancheros.
After earning a degree in marketing and playing Division 1 soccer at the University of Arizona, I traded cleats for clogs and enrolled in San Francisco Cooking School. I went on to complete my externship at Flea Street Café — a beloved fine dining, farm-to-table restaurant in Menlo Park — and stayed on as a cook, where I gained a deep respect for local, seasonal ingredients. I later worked as a chef instructor at a culinary startup, teaching cooking classes to companies like Meta and Twitch and mastering the art of making home cooking both fun and foolproof.
I now share approachable, flavor-forward recipes and techniques on my social media platforms, specifically TikTok, Instagram and Substack, where I enjoy blending pro tips with a home cook’s sensibility, inspired by years in the kitchen and a lifetime around the table. On my Substack (Restaurant Dropout), you’ll find hundreds of recipes dedicated to making weeknight cooking simplified and restaurant-quality.
I now live in (and am deeply obsessed with) the greater Sacramento region with my husband Tate – also a former college athlete, current taste-tester-in-chief and the son of a third-generation almond farmer, which has deepened my appreciation for where our food comes from.
In my free time, you’ll find me trying new restaurants in Sacramento with Tate, seeing what’s in season at the farmers market, and catching an Athletics game at Sutter Health Park (cheering on my brother-in-law, Tyler Soderstrom – go A’s!).
I’ve been telling stories through the lens of journalism since 1994, when I began my career in my home state of South Carolina. Today, I’m proud to serve as the Emmy Award-winning host and executive producer of Rob on the Road, PBS KVIE’s highest-rated local program, now in its 15th season telling the stories of California’s people and places while celebrating the human truths that connect us all. I also co-host and produce the national PBS series America’s Heartland, report for our statewide education series Inside California Education, and have launched three additional Northern California series including Region Rising and The Journey.
My path in media has taken me across the country—from anchoring and producing nightly news at WHYY in Philadelphia, where I covered then-Senator Joe Biden’s second presidential campaign, to reporting and hosting in New York City with News 12 Network. There, I covered major national events including the September 11 attacks and the tragic death of John F. Kennedy Jr. My broadcast journey began at WBTW in Myrtle Beach and WCIV in Charleston, where I covered President Bill Clinton’s inauguration and served as a special series correspondent for CNN.
Over the past 30+ years, I’ve also reported for NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered, producing stories on national figures such as Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, and Cokie Roberts.
Throughout my career, I’ve been honored with two Emmy Awards, five Society of Professional Journalists Awards, three Associated Press Awards, the National Gracie Allen Award, three California Telly Awards, and the Sacramento Arts Reporter of the Year award. I’ve also received the PRIDE Award for Service from the Sacramento LGBT Community Center and the California State Fair Golden Bear Award for community impact.
I’m a graduate of the College of Charleston and a Senior Fellow with the American Leadership Forum. At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to public service and a passion for storytelling that uplifts, connects, and reflects the strength and beauty of our communities.
Brianna Taylor
Contributor - Health and Wellness
I’m a firm believer that prioritizing your health is a worthwhile investment, but it shouldn’t feel like a chore. I’ve written stories on various topics. In this chapter of my career, as a health and wellness contributing reporter at Abridged, I’m excited to create stories around a topic that I’m deeply passionate about for a region that holds great significance for me.
I grew up on the East Coast and moved to Sacramento in 2021, where I spent three years at The Sacramento Bee writing stories to help readers live their best lives. Before that, I reported in Maryland and Missouri. My background includes experience in affordability, service journalism, and community engagement. I spend a lot of my time hunched over my laptop, pen in hand, trying to connect the dots in my own life. I’m eager to do that for you. I hope my coverage empowers you to make informed choices for yourself and your family, equipping you with the necessary tools to navigate nuanced systems with confidence.
When I’m not writing, I’m in the kitchen testing recipes, outside moving my body or nestling on the couch reading a good book.
Daniel Weintraub
Contributor – Tahoe Loco
Telling stories has been my life’s passion since I was a teenager writing for my student newspaper in suburban San Diego. My other love is the outdoors, especially in Northern California and the Sierra Nevada, where I have hiked, biked, run, fished, skied and snowshoed for decades. I’m thrilled to be combining these passions as the Tahoe and Sierra foothills writer for Abridged.
After a career writing about politics and public policy for the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and The Sacramento Bee, I now live on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe, one of the most beautiful places in the world.
I’m honored to be among your guides to the people and places that make Tahoe special. I’ll introduce you to some of the original characters who laid the foundations for the Tahoe of today — and who sometimes lament the loss of “old Tahoe.” I’ll catch up with the people building a new Tahoe that is both accessible and sustainable, a destination for curious visitors and a community for the people (and critters) who make it their home. And I will share a local’s perspective about the places and adventures that make Tahoe a magnet for the Sacramento region’s residents and for people from around the world.
My coverage will also include stories about the environment, climate, housing, infrastructure and ski industry trends and economics – all the things that shape Tahoe today and will affect its future.
Whether you want to take a walk in the woods or hike the Tahoe Rim Trail, cycle on a cruiser bike in South Shore, rock hop on the Hole in the Wall trail or circle the Lake on a road bike, ski, ride, showshoe, climb, sail, kayak or simply relax and enjoy the view, I hope you will make Abridged your go-to source for all things Tahoe.
Writing this bio was harder than I anticipated. When you’ve worked somewhere for over 20 years and have responsibilities that involve both leading and supporting projects, there is a lot to reflect on. So, I’m keeping it simple:
I started as a Production Coordinator and, after many roles and experiences, I’ve been the Director of Production for more than a decade. I’ve worked with so many teams of talented colleagues across the organization and external partners to create programs that share the stories of the people in our communities and the issues that matter to them. Those include Studio Sacramento, ViewFinder, KVIE Arts Showcase, Yes! We’re Open, Inside California Education, Rob on the Road, Music Gone Public, and local election coverage. Sometimes I direct, sometimes I produce, and sometimes I’m moving tables and stacking chairs in the studio. I’m always part of a team of dedicated individuals, which also includes our volunteers, freelancers, and partner organizations, who are working toward a common goal to serve our community.
It’s been an honor and privilege to answer the often-asked question, “What do you do?” with, “I work at a PBS Station.”
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