KQED's Forum

Perhaps you’ve been following Alison Bechdel’s work since her comic strip “Dykes to Watch Out For,” which invented the now ubiquitous Bechdel test (does a movie have two women who speak to each other about something other than a man?). Maybe you came to know her through her graphic memoir “Fun Home,” which was adapted into a Tony-award winning musical. Her latest comic novel, “Spent,” is a work of autofiction that grapples with and parodies Bechdel’s own popularity. We’ll talk with Bechdel about being famous in a world on fire— and the funny side of it, too. Guests: Alison Bechdel, graphic novelist and cartoonist, author of "Spent: A Comic Novel." Her previous books include "The Secret to Superhuman Strength" and "Fun Home," which was adapted into a Tony Award-winning musical. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1889, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the now infamous Chinese Exclusion Act, which prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the country. Writing for the majority, Justice Stephen J. Field characterized Chinese migrants as “strangers in the land.” New Yorker editor Michael Luo says that label persists today, even as more than 22 million people of Asian descent now reside in the U.S. In a new history book, Luo tells the stories of 19th and 20th century Chinese migrants and analyzes the long tail of contemporary anti-Asian racism and violence while championing those who fought against it. We listen back. Guests: Michael Luo, executive editor, The New Yorker; author, “Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his popular podcast “Dear Franklin Jones,” radio producer Jonathan Hirsch tried to make sense of a childhood dominated by his parents’ spiritual guru. In a new memoir he more deeply explores his relationship with his father and the complexity of providing care for a parent who didn’t take care of him. We talk to him about his audio memoir, “The Mind is Burning: Losing My Father to a Cult and Dementia.” Guests: Jonathan Hirsch, podcast producer; author of the audiobook memoir, "The Mind Is Burning: Losing my Father to a Cult and Dementia" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When New York Times critic Amanda Hess was told her baby had a rare genetic condition, her first instinct was to “Google [her] way out of it.” But instead of comfort, she found anxiety – a feeling that would come to define her journey into parenthood. We talk to Hess about how technology, including fertility apps and high-end gadgets, are reshaping parenthood. Her new book is “Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age.” Guests: Amanda Hess, culture critic covering the internet and pop culture, New York Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A jazz festival in June. A California quilt show in July. A languorous lighthouse lunch in August. The best music, museums and memorable meals are just a few of the recommendations our KQED culture team has compiled in their annual Summer Events guide. They have advice for myriad tastes and budgets because nothing beats the Bay in the summer. Listen in and share your plans— what’s on your summer bucket list? Guests: Gabe Meline, senior editor, KQED Arts and Culture Sarah Hotchkiss, senior associate editor, KQED Arts and Culture Luke Tsai, food editor, KQED Arts and Culture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For several decades, Black residents of East Oakland have watched their once-thriving middle-class community wither in numbers as the rising cost of living pushed out their neighbors leaving the area blighted with empty storefronts, crime and poverty. Now, a plan called Rise East will inject $100 million of privately raised funds into a 40-square-block section of East Oakland over a 10-year period. The plan, led by local nonprofits aims to invest in education, community safety, health care, affordable housing and boost the local economy. For this special edition of Forum, we’ll broadcast live from East Oakland to talk to community leaders about the groundbreaking initiative and how it can serve as a model for community revitalization and reparations. Guests: Gregory Hodge, CEO, Brotherhood of Elders Network Carolyn "CJ" Johnson, CEO, Black Cultural Zone Selena Wilson, CEO, East Oakland Youth Development Center Dr. Noha Aboelata, CEO, Roots Community Clinic lower waypoint next waypoint Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The biggest owners of the Trump memecoin $Trump will dine with the president Thursday night at the Trump National Golf Club. The cryptocurrency directly enriches the Trump family and has alarmed public corruption experts on both sides of the aisle – as has the administration’s acceptance Wednesday of a luxury jet from Qatar. We take a closer look at Trump’s efforts to use his office for personal gain, the dangers it poses and how far voters are willing to let him go. Guests: David Yaffe-Bellany, reporter covering cryptocurrencies and fintech, New York Times Abdallah Fayyad, policy correspondent, Vox; His recent piece is "How corrupt is Trump’s plan to accept a Qatari plane?". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vladimir Putin has removed tens of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia since the start of his full scale invasion in February 2022. The deportations, often carried out under the pretense of “humanitarian evacuation,” have targeted vulnerable Ukrainian children including orphans, children with disabilities and children with parents in the military. Children who have escaped describe having been sent to re-education camps, prohibited from speaking Ukrainian and denied contact with their relatives at home. The International Criminal Court, which issued arrest warrants in 2023 for Putin and Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, defines the unlawful transfer of children to Russia as a war crime. We’ll talk to Kyiv-based child advocates about the status of efforts to bring the children back, and we’ll meet a U.S. congressman from California who wants to hold Russia accountable. The reporting for this episode was supported by the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Women on the Ground: Reporting from Ukraine’s Unseen Frontlines Initiative in partnership with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. Guests: Jimmy Panetta, member, U.S. House of Representatives (CA-19) Mykola Kulebra, founder, Save Ukraine; former Commissioner for Children’s Rights for the President of Ukraine (2014-2021) Lena Rozvadoska, co-founder, Voices of Children Azad Safarov, journalist, documentarian and producer; co-founder of Voices of Children Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When a scrappy San Francisco literary journal launched in 1985 to champion West Coast writers, the dream was to make a lasting imprint. Now, 40 years later, we celebrate Zyzzyza’s anniversary with editor Oscar Villalón and writers Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) and Ingrid Rojas Contreras. We’ll talk about the literary journal’s vision, its stellar roster of writers and poets, and what makes the West Coast literary scene special. Guests: Oscar Villalon, editor, Zyzzyva Magazine - San Francisco based literary journal Daniel Handler, author of the children's book series "A Series of Unfortunate Events" under the pen name "Lemony Snicket" - contributor, "The End of the Golden Gate" Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Bay Area-based writer, author of the novel “Fruit of the Drunken Tree” and the memoir “The Man Who Could Move Clouds” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New research from UC San Francisco’s Memory and Aging Center suggests that a decline in one region of the brain can cause other regions to “step in to help” – unlocking surprising capacities like deeper empathy or creativity. We talk to two UCSF doctors about why this has implications for any neurodegenerative disorder, including dementia. They join us to share their dementia-related discoveries. Their new book is “Mysteries of the Social Brain.” Guests: Dr. Bruce Miller, A.W. and Mary Margaret Clausen Distinguished Professor in Neurology, UCSF; Director of the UCSF Memory and Aging Center; founding director of the Global Brain Health Institute Dr. Virginia Sturm, professor in the Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes a family tick? While parents spend lots of time and energy trying to shape their kids’ lives, studies show that siblings play as significant a role in who their brothers and sisters become. We talk to New York Times Magazine staff writer Susan Dominus about her new book, “Family Dynamic: A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success,” and we hear from you: how did a sibling shape who you are? Guests: Susan Dominus, author, "The Family Dynamic: A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success;" staff writer, New York Times Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do your seasonal allergies feel worse this spring? You might not be imagining it: climate change is hastening the end of winter, pushing up pollen production and intensifying winds that spread allergens around. We’ll talk to doctors about the science of seasonal allergies, learn why some of us are more vulnerable to them than others and hear how to get relief from all the sniffing, scratching and sneezing. Guests: Dr. Sayantani (Tina) Sindher, Clinical Associate Professor of Allergy and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration has announced plans to end temporary protected status for people from countries including Afghanistan, Cameroon, Venezuela, and Ukraine as part of a broader strategy to limit immigration. The administration also put a halt on refugee resettlement programs, but made an exception for white South Africans who officials said were facing persecution in their home country. Critics have denounced Trump’s decision to welcome South Africans while leaving close to 8,000 Afghans, many of whom assisted the United States during the war there, vulnerable to deportation and death if they return home. We talk about our nation’s immigration policies and what it means for the Bay Area’s Afghan community. Guests: Ximena Bustillo, politics reporter, NPR; formerly food and agriculture policy reporter at Politico covering immigration, labor and equity issues Pedro Noguera, dean and professor, University of Southern California Rossier School of Education; he was student body president of UC Berkeley in 1985 and one of the leaders of the anti-apartheid movement Joseph Azam, Board chair, Afghan-American Foundation - non-partisan non-profit focused on advocating on behalf of Afghan American community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Derek Guy – known online as “the menswear guy” – runs the popular social media account “Dieworkwear.” Guy’s recent piece for Bloomberg Businessweek looks at what he calls a new wave of hypercurated masculinity appropriated by MAGA influencers that’s “a backlash against a cultural landscape shaped by gender fluidity and body positivity.” We talk to Guy about how men’s fashion can tell a different story and why it’s so challenging for men to figure out how to dress. Guests: Derek Guy, menswear writer, creator of the blog "Dieworkwear" - editor for the website Put This On Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you think about Bay Area sports, the Ballers, the Unicorns, or the Fire and Iron are not names that might first come to mind. But these new Bay Area sports teams are bringing the game on the baseball diamond, cricket field, and soccer pitch this summer. What these teams have going for them is not only high level play, but passionate followers who are helping redefine the fan experience. We’ll talk to the people behind these teams, and hear about the city’s newest WNBA franchise, the Valkyries. What’s an under the radar Bay Area sports team you are rooting for? Guests: Bryan Carmel, co-founder, Oakland Ballers Marisa Ingemi, women's sports reporter, San Francisco Chronicle Jack Lowery, play-by-play commentator, San Francisco City Football Club Venky Harinarayan, co-founder and co-owner, San Francisco Unicorns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1889, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the now infamous Chinese Exclusion Act, which prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the country. Writing for the majority, Justice Stephen J. Field characterized Chinese migrants as “strangers in the land.” New Yorker editor Michael Luo says that label persists today, even as more than 22 million people of Asian descent now reside in the U.S. In a new book, Luo tells the stories of 19th and 20th century Chinese migrants and analyzes the long tail of contemporary anti-Asian racism and violence while championing those who fought against it. His new history is “Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America.” Guests: Michael Luo, executive editor, The New Yorker; author, “Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his popular podcast “Dear Franklin Jones,” radio producer Jonathan Hirsch tried to make sense of a Northern California childhood dominated by his parents’ spiritual guru. In a new memoir he more deeply explores his relationship with his father and the complexity of providing care for a parent who didn’t take care of him. We talk to him about his audio memoir, “The Mind is Burning: Losing My Father to a Cult and Dementia” Guests: Jonathan Hirsch, author of the audiobook memoir, "The Mind Is Burning: Losing my Father to a Cult and Dementia"; podcast producer, "Dear Franklin Jones"; founder, Neon Hum Media, a partner company with Sony Music Entertainment; creator, original series "Smoke Screen" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent years the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority has struck down the constitutional right to abortion, delivered a blow to the administrative state and ended affirmative action at universities. To Michigan law professor Leah Litman, it’s not just conservative legal theory that’s driving the Court’s decisions. “The Supreme Court is running on conservative grievance, fringe theories and bad vibes,” Litman writes in her new book “Lawless.” We talk to Litman about the political and personal dynamics dictating judicial outcomes and review key cases before the Court. Guests: Leah Litman, professor of law, University of Michigan Law School; co-host Strict Scrutiny podcast; author, "Lawless:How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his second term in office, Donald Trump has revived his fight against sanctuary jurisdictions. For decades, local government agencies across the country have restricted law enforcement officials from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. Trump’s efforts to withhold federal funding have so far been blocked in court, as they were during his first term. Still some cities are downplaying their sanctuary status as the Trump administration continues its crackdown on immigrants and pledges to deport millions of people. We’ll talk about what “sanctuary” means in 2025, what Trump is trying to do, and how communities across California are responding. Guests: Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host, KQED's Political Breakdown Sergio Olmos, investigative reporter, CalMatters Nick Miroff, staff writer covering immigration, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S.-Mexico border, The Atlantic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For historian Peniel Joseph, the year 1963 — the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation — is the defining year of the Civil Rights Movement. “America came undone and remade itself in 1963, a year of miracles and tragedies, progress and setbacks,” he writes in his new book, “Freedom Season.” It profiles how events of that year affected Americans like Rev. King, Malcolm X and James Baldwin — and inspired their parts in the Black freedom struggle. Joseph joins us. Tell us: What does 1963 symbolize to you? Guests: Peniel E. Joseph, author, "Freedom Season: How 1963 Transformed America's Civil Rights Revolution" - professor of history and founding director, Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, University of Texas at Austin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence dominates the Bay Area tech landscape, and we will catch you up on the latest headlines. From chatbots that promise to be your friend to artificial general intelligence, or AGI, which is designed to go beyond task-oriented AI to comprehend and process information in a close-to human form. We’ll talk to a panel of tech reporters about what’s on the horizon and just how much AI may — or may not —change the way we live. Guests: Nitasha Tiku, tech culture reporter, Washington Post Jeff Horwitz, tech reporter, The Wall Street Journal Kylie Robison, reporter, Wired; Robison covers the business of AI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump White House is exploring ways to get Americans to have more children, including government funded menstrual cycle classes and a $5000 “baby bonus.” Reproductive health journalist Carter Sherman calls pronatalism “a key ideological plank in the bridge between tech bro rightwingers like [Elon] Musk and more traditional, religious conservatives.” We look at the rise of the U.S. pronatalist movement and what it means in practice for women and families. Guests: Faith Hill, staff writer, The Atlantic Carter Sherman, reproductive health and justice reporter, The Guardian; author of the upcoming book “The Second Coming: Sex and the Next Generation’s Fight Over Its Future” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oakland’s restaurant industry is a conundrum. It’s been celebrated as the best restaurant city in the country. But restaurateurs almost universally say they are struggling to make ends meet. As part of our series about how the pandemic changed us, 5 years on, we spotlight Oakland to look at whether the long trudge to pandemic recovery for restaurants will ever end. We talk with restaurant owners and industry experts about the big successes and major struggles of Oakland’s food scene and what it means to support a restaurant. Guests: Elena Kadvany, food reporter, San Francisco Chronicle Paul Iglesias, chef and owner, Parché; co-owner, Jaji Christ Aivaliotis, owner, Lil Hill Lounge; former owner, Palmetto and Kon-Tiki Stella Dennig, co-owner, Daytrip Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve probably noticed that common hobbies from sewing to skiing have gotten more expensive. It’s a dynamic that Atlantic staff writer Tyler Austin Harper calls “hobby inflation.” And it not only affects your pocketbook but also means fewer opportunities for personal fulfillment and community building. We talk to Harper about what we lose when we can no longer afford our hobbies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Succulent tomatoes that burst in your mouth. Enough zucchini to feed an army. Corn, sunflowers, and more. The summer garden has much to offer, but Bay Area summer gardening is a bit different. Some of us stay socked in fog and marine layer for weeks at a time, while others are dealing with hotter temperatures. We talk about the summer garden, take your questions, and hear what’s thriving in your plot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump may have taken a softer tone in his meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney this week, but whether that will quell the anger and bring Canadians back to the U.S remains to be seen. California tourism experts cite Trump’s trade policies and nationalist rhetoric for a projected 9% drop in international travelers this summer, with the sharpest declines among Canadian and Mexican tourists who spend more here than tourists from any other country. We look at how the Trump administration is affecting California tourism and hear from you: Has anyone told you they won’t be visiting the U.S. this year? Guests: Hailey Branson-Potts, staff writer, Los Angeles Times McKenzie McMillan, travel advisor, The Travel Group, a Vancouver travel agency Kenny Cassady, director of business development, Acme House Co. in Palm Springs; board member, Visit Greater Palm Springs; board president, Vacation Rental Owners and Neighbors of Palm Springs (VRON-PS) Pete Hillan, spokesperson, California Hotel and Lodging Association Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Five former directors of the National Weather Service released a joint letter on Friday warning about the impact of major cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that they say will result in less accurate weather reports and storm warnings that could put lives at risk. NOAA is just one scientific organization facing widespread cuts. From NASA to the National Institute of Health to the National Science Foundation, public research institutions have taken massive blows. We talk with reporters and a former NSW director about the future of science in the Trump Administration and beyond. Guests: EW (Joe) Friday, former director, National Weather Service Katherine Wu, staff writer, The Atlantic Geoff Brumfiel, senior editor and correspondent, NPR's science desk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When political advisor Chloe Dalton found an injured newborn hare near her home in the countryside, she decided to nurse it back to health. The two quickly formed a bond of quiet companionship. We talk to Dalton about what the hare taught her about trust, attention, preparing for loss and the ordinary magic of engaging closely with the natural world. Her new memoir is “Raising Hare.” What has a relationship with a wild animal taught you? Guests: Chloe Dalton, writer and political advisor,her debut book is "Raising Hare" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump has never hid his disdain for California. In his first hundred days in office, the President has gone on offense against the state on a number of key issues, from immigration to education. Scott Schafer and Marisa Lagos from KQED’s politics team are spending the week in D.C. talking with California’s elected officials. We check in about how state Democratic leaders are planning to counter Trump’s policies, how California Republicans are adjusting to the new order and who might emerge as the next voices of Democratic leadership. Guests: Scott Shafer, senior editor; co-host of Political Breakdown, KQED Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent; co-host of Political Breakdown, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Public media outlets say they will fight President Trump’s executive order directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to end its financial support for NPR and PBS. Public media leaders and executives question the order’s legality and say a loss of federal funding endangers the broader network of public media programming. We look at the potential impact on stations in rural communities in California, where those outlets are often the only source of news and emergency warnings. Join us. Guests: David Folkenflik, media correspondent, NPR News Dina Polkinghorne, interim general manager, KZYX / Mendocino County Public Broadcasting Connie Leyva, executive director, KVCR in the Inland Empire Michael Isip, president and chief executive officer, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his new book “Sex is a Spectrum: The Biological Limits of the Binary,” Princeton biological anthropologist Agustin Fuentes makes the case that among animals, including humans, sex variation and reproductive biology is far more complex and fluid than we think. We discuss why many of the assumptions about male and female differences are more cultural than biological, and what intersex earthworms and fish that switch sexes can teach us about gender and sex. Guests: Agustín Fuentes, anthropologist, Princeton University; his latest book is called "Sex is a Spectrum" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tariffs on many of China’s imports into the United States now stand at 145%; most U.S. imports into China face tariffs of 125%. While President Trump and senior U.S. officials insist a trade deal is within reach, China’s Commerce Ministry has stated that it will not engage in talks until U.S. tariffs are lifted. With Trump’s trade war threatening to derail the critical relationship, and China casting itself as a stable counterpart to Washington’s unpredictability, we talk with Harvard Professor Rana Mitter about what’s at stake, and how we got here. Guests: Rana Mitter, S.T. Lee Chair in U.S.-Asia Relations, Harvard Kennedy School Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last month, Oil Giant Valero announced it would “restructure, or cease operations” at its Benicia refinery by the end of April 2026, as California transitions away from fossil fuels. The news left city officials, workers and residents scrambling to figure out what to do next. Valero is the city’s largest employer and a significant taxpayer, but also a source of pollution. We talk about the possible closure and what it means for our region. Guests: Julie Small, criminal justice reporter, KQED Severin Borenstein, professor at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business and a faculty director of The Energy Institute at Haas Josh Sonnenfeld, senior California strategist, BlueGreen Alliance Steve Young, mayor, Benicia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laila Lalami’s new novel, “The Dream Hotel,” imagines a dystopian future where even our dreams are under surveillance. AI tools can scan our dreams to determine whether we’re likely to commit a crime, then we’re sent away to so-called “retention centers” to be monitored in the name of “safety.” Mina sat down with Lalami in April at Night of Ideas in San Francisco to talk about the timeliness and inspiration behind her story about a Los Angeles mother, caught in a web of government surveillance, detainment without charges and AI tools. We’ll hear that conversation. Guest: Laila Lalami, author of the new novel, "The Dream Hotel;" she’s the author of five other books including "The Moor’s Account" and "The Other Americans" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For seasoned and beginner bakers alike, there are always new techniques to learn when it comes to baking that perfect chocolate chip cookie or pie crust. Cookbook author and recipe developer Jessica Battilana shares what common mistakes bakers make, her key tips and tricks for successful baking, and why baking is bringing much-needed joy for so many people right now. Guest: Jessica Battilana, co-author, "Rintaro: Japanese Food from an Izakaya in California." Battilana is also a staff editor at King Arthur Baking. Her new podcast is "Things Bakers Know." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do California drivers often get to keep a valid license, even after they kill someone on the road? A new CalMatters investigation studied tens of thousands of DMV driver reports and found that nearly 40 percent of the drivers charged with vehicular manslaughter since 2019 are able to drive on the road today. Nearly 400 of those drivers have caused other collisions since their first fatal crash. We’ll talk to the reporter behind the investigation and a road safety expert about the DMV protocols and state policies at play. And want to hear from you: When should someone lose their driver’s license? Guests: Robert Lewis, reporter, CalMatters; author, CalMatters investigation "License to Kill" Leah Shahum, founder and executive director, Vision Zero Network; former executive director, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the past several weeks a 45-foot tall wire sculpture of a nude woman has loomed over San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza. “R-Evolution,” which first appeared at Burning Man in 2015, has gotten a very mixed reception, sparking controversy in the city over who public art is for and who gets a say. We’ll talk about how public art gets selected, how it illuminates the different relationships people have with shared urban spaces, and why private funding is complicating it all. Guests: Sarah Hotchkiss, senior associate editor, KQED Arts and Culture Cheryl Derricotte, artist Lynne Baer, public art advisor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese forces captured South Vietnam’s capital of Saigon, ending the Vietnam War. With 50 years now passed, those who left Vietnam — and subsequent generations — are reflecting on how the war and the ensuing exodus have influenced their identities and heritage. Three writers from across the Vietnamese diaspora write about the war and its lasting impacts on refugees and future generations in a new issue of the literary magazine McSweeney’s, titled “The Make Believers.” They join us to share what the anniversary means for them, and we’ll hear what it means to you. Guests: Thi Bui, author, illustrated memoir "The Best We Could Do" Doan Bui, writer and journalist Isabelle Thuy Pelaud, executive director, Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump has given Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency far-reaching authority to fire federal workers without cause and gain access to the confidential information of millions of Americans. The effect has been a wide-scale bulldozing of the federal government. In looking back on the first 100 days of the second Trump administration, we talk with reporters from Wired magazine, who have broken some of the biggest stories on what DOGE is doing, about what is going on and why. Guests: Makena Kelly, politics reporter, WIRED Zoë Schiffer, director of business and industry, WIRED; She oversees coverage of business and Silicon Valley. author, "Extremely Hardcore: Inside Elon Musk’s Twitter." Vittoria Elliott, platforms and power reporter, Wired Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How have you been affected by Trump’s first 100 days in office? Whether you rushed to buy a car before the tariffs set in, changed your travel plans or cut out caffeine, we want to hear how the Trump administration has affected your daily life. Have your community, job or finances been impacted? Tell us how, as well as how you’re managing — and how you’re thinking about your approach to the next 3.5 years. Guests: Michelle Singletary, personal finance columnist, The Washington Post; she writes the nationally syndicated personal finance column "The Color of Money" Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown Dr. Jocelyn Sze, psychologist and clinical professor at UC Berkeley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Autism spectrum disorder can be found in 2.2% of the population, but for women and girls, as well as many adults, autism is a diagnosis that is often missed. We look into who is underdiagnosed and why — and how our conceptions of autism and neurodivergence are changing. As Trump’s health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. portrays autism as a “tragedy,” we’ll talk about ways in which many people with autism are living and thriving. Guests: Mary HK Choi, author and editor, she recently wrote The Cut article "I Was Diagnosed With Autism in My 40s. It Gave Me a Lot of Answers." Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief, Science family of journals; Thorp is the former provost of Washington University and prior to that was chancellor at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. His recent guest essay in the New York Times is titled "I Was Diagnosed with Autism at 53. I Know Why Rates Are Rising." Christine Wu Nordahl, professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis; Nordahl is the Director of the Autism Phenome Project and the Beneto Foundation Endowed Chair at the MIND Institute Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kathy Ryan was the longtime director of photography at the New York Times Magazine. For nearly four decades, Ryan shaped the way we witnessed history: January 6th, wars abroad and the impacts of COVID-19 and 9/11 We’ll talk with Ryan about storytelling through images. And we’ll discuss what makes a good photograph when we’re inundated by them, now that so many of us carry a camera in our pockets. We want to hear from you: What’s a photograph that stands out in your mind? Guests: Kathy Ryan, former director of photography, The New York Times Magazine; keynote speaker and co-curator of the 2025 Catchlight Visual Storytelling Summit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” President Trump targeted the Smithsonian, demanding that “improper ideology” be removed from exhibits. Under the order, exhibits that “divide” Americans will be defunded, including portrayals of race and its history at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. We talk to Clint Smith, Atlantic staff writer and author of “How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America,” about the battle over how American history is told. Guests: Clint Smith, poet; author; staff writer, The Atlantic. His books are "Above Ground" and "How the Word is Passed." Key Jo Lee, chief of curatorial affairs and public program, Museum of the African Diaspora Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Funeral rites are underway for Pope Francis, who died this week at age 88 after leading the Roman Catholic Church for 12 years. Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world are expected to attend the papal funeral in Vatican City on Saturday, including cardinals from around the world. Many of these cardinals will then begin the process of electing the next pope. Before the white smoke is released, we’ll look at the conclave process and examine who might succeed Pope Francis — and whether he’ll continue Francis’s legacy of environmentalism, openness and compassion. Guests: Father Joshtrom Isaac Kureethadam, chair of philosophy of science and director, the Institute of Social and Political Sciences at the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome; former coordinator of Ecology and Creation at the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development Jeffrey Guhin, associate professor of sociology, UCLA Bry Jensen, Host of the long-running Pontifacts podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caregiving is the most universal of human acts. But also one of the most invisible. While caring for a child, parent or loved one can be meaningful, and life defining, it can also be exhausting and life breaking. Drawing on her groundbreaking research on baby’s brains, UC Berkeley psychologist and philosopher Alison Gopnik is leading a multidisciplinary project to better understand the social science of caregiving with hopes of translating those insights into practical policies. Gopnik and policymaker Anne-Marie Slaughter join us to talk about how rethinking our approach to caregiving and how we support care providers, could lead to a better, more functional society. Guests: Alison Gopnik, professor of psychology and affiliate professor of philosophy, UC Berkeley; author, "The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us About the Relationship Between Parents and Children" Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America, a non-profit think tank; author of "Unfinished Business: Women Men Work Family" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the United States in the talked-about and feared constitutional crisis? President Trump and his administration are increasingly ignoring federal court rulings on issues like immigration and funding. Atlantic staff writer Adam Serwer calls the president’s defiance “a new step into presidential lawlessness.” We talk with Serwer and Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern about what this means for the balance of power in Washington and for democracy. Guests: Adam Serwer, staff writer, The Atlantic Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, president, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; previously a justice on the California Supreme Court Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer, Slate Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ellis Island might have been a welcoming place for many immigrants to the United States, but Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay tells a more troubling history of immigrant detention. Starting next month, the Oakland Ballet will premiere “Angel Island Project,” a dance production highlighting the stories of immigrants, primarily from China, who were detained there in the early 20th century. As part of KQED’s annual Youth Takeover, high school students Nico and Maite bring together choreographers and a local historian to talk about the project and the lessons that histories of immigration can teach us today. Guests: Graham Lustig, artistic director, Angel Island Project and Oakland Ballet Company Phil Chan, choreographer, Angel Island Project - co-founder, Final Bow for Yellowface Ye Feng, dancer and choreographer, Angel Island Project Ed Tepporn, executive director, Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation Nico Fischer, Youth Advisory Board member; senior, Santa Clara High School Maite del Real, Youth Advisory Board member; junior, Ruth Asawa SF School of the Arts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Overturning Roe v. Wade was never the end goal of the anti-abortion movement, says UC Davis law professor and leading abortion historian Mary Ziegler. It was always to establish personhood for a fertilized egg, subject to equal protection under the Constitution. Should the “fetal personhood” movement succeed, then providing, assisting and even obtaining an abortion could be criminal acts. Ziegler joins us to break down the fetal personhood movement’s legal strategy — and what it could mean for abortion access, contraception and in vitro fertilization. Ziegler’s new book is “Personhood: The New Civil War Over Reproduction.” Guests: Mary Ziegler, professor of law, UC Davis School of Law Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than a thousand international college students – scores of them in California – have had their visas terminated without explanation under new Trump administration policies. We’ll talk about what the administration’s targeting of international students and threatened withdrawals of federal funding mean for California students and schools, and how Universities and colleges are responding. Guests: Molly Gibbs, Bay Area News Group education reporter, East Bay Times Doug Belkins, higher education and national news reporter, The Wall Street Journal Aarya Mukherjee, deputy news editor, The Daily Californian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We often take our muscles for granted, rarely stopping to consider just how complex and essential they are. From the powerful beat of our hearts to the tiny fibers that raise goosebumps, our muscles do far more than we realize. They don’t just follow instructions from the brain — they send signals back and even hold their own kind of memory. In her new book “On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters,” journalist and author Bonnie Tsui offers a new way of looking at muscles, in terms of both their physicality and cultural significance. She joins us to discuss how reconsidering muscles can allow us to find deeper meaning in our understanding of strength, beauty and what it means to be human. Guests: Bonnie Tsui, author and journalist, her latest book is "On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices