Caltech Grad Student Collecting Aid for Ukraine Joins Journalist Justin Chapman’s ‘NewsRap Local’ TV Show Friday

Pasadena Media’s award-nominated local news talk show “NewsRap Local with Justin Chapman” continues this Friday at 5 p.m. with featured guest Roman Korol, a Ukrainian Caltech grad student who has been collecting aid to send to Ukraine.

“Russia’s war against Ukraine has united and galvanized the international community at a time of deep-seated divisions,” said host Justin Chapman, a Pasadena-based journalist who writes for Pasadena Now. “But Ukrainians need more than words of solidarity. They need our help, now. Caltech student Roman Korol is stepping up to do something for his native country, and we’ll talk to him about what he’s doing and how the Pasadena community can help.”

Korol is a theoretical chemist and a fourth-year graduate student working in the lab of Caltech chemistry professor Tom Miller. His research is focused on modeling the behavior of atoms and molecules in complicated systems. Korol is from Lutsk, Ukraine, and felt compelled to help when Russia launched its multi-pronged attack on Ukraine nearly three weeks ago. He has been putting together humanitarian aid which he drives to Meest, a company based in Glendale that sends parcels to Ukraine. Meest flies the aid to Poland, where it’s loaded onto trucks and driven to the Ukrainian border where it’s processed by different charities. Learn how to help here.

“NewsRap Local” was recently selected as a finalist in the Alliance for Community Media West’s WAVE (Western Access Video Excellence) Awards. Winners will be announced next month.

The show launched in April and airs on the third Friday of every month on Pasadena Media’s Arroyo Channel and streaming apps, available on channel 99 on AT&T U-verse, channel 32 on Charter Spectrum, YouTube, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku.

In each episode, Chapman provides analysis on local news, presents a “lightning round” of the month’s top stories and interviews a special guest or hosts a panel for a deep dive into an important issue facing the community. It is the only TV talk show that focuses exclusively on Pasadena news and politics.

“NewsRap Local” is written by Chapman, directed by Joshua Morales, produced by Chapman and Aaron Wheeler and executive produced by George Falardeau, CEO and executive director of Pasadena Media.

Previous guests on “NewsRap Local” included Dr. Ying-Ying Goh, director of the Pasadena Public Health Department; Rick Cole, former mayor of Pasadena and current executive director of the Congress for the New Urbanism; Congress member Judy Chu (D-27); Congress member Adam Schiff (D-28); interim Pasadena city manager Cynthia Kurtz; Assemblyman Chris Holden (D-41); and many others.

“This is must-watch television each month for everyone who cares about this city,” Falardeau said.

Chapman is also the writer, host, producer and editor of the show “Well Read with Justin Chapman,” which also airs on Pasadena Media’s Arroyo Channel and streaming apps. In October, he placed 2nd in the Hard News category and 3rd in the Obituary category at the LA Press Club’s 63rd annual Southern California Journalism Awards.

Chapman was the youngest elected official in LA County when he served on the Altadena Town Council at age 19. He has written hundreds of articles for two dozen print and digital publications, including KPCC/LAist, Alta Journal, Huffington Post, LA Weekly, Berkeley Political Review, Pasadena Weekly, Pasadena Now and many others.

“Join me on the third Friday of every month at 5 p.m. for my analysis of Pasadena news and politics and to hear directly from community movers and shakers,” Chapman said.

Learn more at justindouglaschapman.com and pasadenamedia.org.