Rebecca Plevin is a health reporter for KPCC Southern California Public Radio; previously, she covered health news in the Central Valley for Vida en el Valle and then for Fresno-based Valley Public Radio. Before moderating a panel on how the Affordable Care Act is affecting Fresno, she talked frozen desserts, yoga, and her somewhat controversial couch in the Zócalo green room.
What do you wake up to?
My vibrating iPhone. And my dog.
What do you miss most about Fresno?
So many things. The thing that jumped out at me when I got here is how much I miss easy parking. I also miss the easy access to Yosemite and the national parks.
What teacher or professor, if any, changed your life?
In my senior year of college I was in Northwestern [University]’s Medill Innocence Project, which was taught by David Axelrod. We worked to investigate whether an inmate was wrongfully convicted, and [Axelrod] shaped my perspective of the role of a journalist and what a journalist can do.
What’s your favorite pizza topping?
Something green, like broccoli, or something strange like brussels sprouts.
What’s the last great dessert you had?
Oh I eat so many good desserts. On the way here I have a new tradition of stopping at Yogurtland right at the bottom of the Grapevine. So that’s the last sweet thing I ate.
What’s the ugliest piece of furniture you own?
I have an awesome vintage retro couch that I bought at a vintage shop here in Fresno. It’s black and white checkered, and people either love it or hate it.
What’s your best L.A. discovery so far?
I have two: On Monday night I went to Yoga Booty Ballet at the Heartbeat House, and that was so much fun. It was so much better than going to a spin class. And speaking of spinning, a couple weeks earlier, I couldn’t find parking at the gym, so I said screw this, I’m going to get ice cream. And I found the Peddler’s Creamery downtown. It’s slow batch, peddle-churned ice cream. They let me get on the bike, and I churned a batch of cinnamon pancake batter ice cream. It was so amazing.
Who taught how to ride a bike, and when did you learn?
My dad taught me to bike when I was growing up in the Bay Area.
What superpower would you most like to have?
I would like the superpower that creates more time between when I leave work and when I wake up in the morning so I could spend more time playing during the day—just to stretch out that amount of time.
What surprises you most about your life right now?
I never thought I would live in L.A. Period. But I’m actually loving it.