KQED's Forum

Humorist Samantha Irby is known for her all-too-relatable essay collections, including 2020’s bestseller “Wow, No Thank You,” and she’s written some of the knockout punch lines on shows like “Shrill” and “And Just Like That.” Her new essay collection, “Quietly Hostile,” explores how success and Hollywood aren’t as glamorous as her hate mail assumes. And with a light touch, she gives toilet etiquette, describes her love for Dave Matthews in playlist form and celebrates thinking about whales when high. Irby joins us to share how she writes about — and finds funny in — the grossness and anxieties of everyday life. Guests: Samantha Irby, comedian, essayist, blogger, and television writer, author of the new essay collection, "Quietly Hostile." Previous books include "We Are Never Meeting in Real Life" and "Wow, No Thank You" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every city sits where it does for geological reasons, be that suitable terrain, availability of water or other natural resources, good climate or beautiful scenery. In the case of Oakland, it was all of these things. Since the original inhabitants, the Ohlones, Oakland has attracted settlers for its landscape, beauty and resources, each of which has a connection with its distinctive geology. But as much as the physical terrain shaped Oakland’s development into a bustling city, the people who resided in the East Bay have molded the land right back. As geologist Andrew Alden explores in his book “Deep Oakland: How Geology Shaped a City,” geologic history is a dramatic entanglement of people and place. We’ll talk with Alden about his new book and how the Bay Area’s geology forms the blueprint for our society. Guests: Andrew Alden, geologist, writer, photographer, and geological tour guide. His latest book is “Deep Oakland: How Geology Shaped a City.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Allergies have intensified over the last few decades. An estimated 30 to 40 percent of the global population has some form of allergy, and experts say that number could rise to 50 percent by the year 2030. So what’s behind this? Research shows it’s a complicated picture, with climate change, our stress levels and genetics all playing roles. We talk to medical anthropologist Theresa McPhail, author of the new book “Allergic,” about what the latest research shows on diagnostics, treatment and what we can do to cope with our allergies in a “changing world.” Guests: Theresa MacPhail, medical anthropologist and associate professor of Science and Technology Studies, Stevens Institute of Technology; author, "Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco has long been a favorite target of conservative news outlets. But a recent CNN special on the city’s drug and homelessness crises posed the question, “What Happened to San Francisco?” and a New York magazine piece asks: “What is it like to live in a city that no longer believes its problems can be fixed?” For Mayor London Breed, talk of a San Francisco “doom loop” is premature. Her newly released 14.6 billion budget proposal seeks to tackle many of the city’s thorniest problems. We’ll talk to her about her spending plan, her proposal to revive downtown and burnish the city’s image and she’ll take your questions. Guests: London Breed, mayor, City and County of San Francisco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few drugs in history have generated as much controversy, or held as much promise as MDMA, writes science journalist Rachel Nuwer. Health officials once said the psychedelic drug known as Ecstasy or Molly would eat holes in the brains of the people who took it. Decades later, researchers are on the verge of applying for federal authorization to use the drug to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, a move which Nuwer says could revolutionize its place in society. Nuwer traces the little known history of the drug – from its first confirmed human use in the San Francisco Bay Area during the counterculture era, to the cutting edge of therapeutic research – in her new book “I Feel Love: MDMA and the Quest for Connection in a Fractured World.” Guests: Rachel Nuwer, author and freelance science journalist. She's written for outlets like The New York Times and National Geographic. Her new book is “I Feel Love: M-D-M-A and the Quest for Connection in a Fractured World.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some people may think palm trees are native to California, but they’re not. In fact, non-native flora abound throughout our state. A bill moving through the California Legislature aims to boost the proliferation of native plants by requiring landscaping on some public and commercial areas to use at least 75 percent low-water, native plants by 2035. The idea is to promote cultivation of California’s native plants, increase biodiversity, and respond better to climate change. Native plants play an important role in supporting wildlife and insects that have evolved together over thousands of years. We’ll talk about efforts to grow more native plants in California, how they benefit the environment and how to incorporate them into your garden. Guests: Andrea Williams, director of Biodiversity Initiatives for the California Native Plant Society Michael Wilcox, senior lecturer of Native American Studies and Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, Stanford University Kathy Crane, owner of Yerba Buena Nursery at Pastorino Farms Nina House, museum scientist at the University and Jepson Herbaria, at University of California Berkeley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Citing an increased risk of natural disasters, two of California’s largest property insurers, State Farm and Allstate, are no longer selling new homeowners insurance in the state. Insurers have been shrinking their coverage areas in California for the last few years, especially in wildfire-prone regions, but the latest moves signal just how much insurers are accounting for the increasing costs of climate change. We’ll talk about the impact on homeowners, homebuilders and would-be home buyers and how the state is responding. Guests: Ivan Penn , Los Angeles-based reporter covering alternative energy, The New York Times. Michael Wara, policy director for the Sustainability Accelerator at the Doerr School of Sustainability and director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program and senior research scholar at the Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University Kimiko Barrett, research and policy analyst, Headwater Economics Ricardo Lara, Insurance Commissioner of California Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For most of its history, Santa Clara based company Nvidia has been known primarily as a designer of computer parts meant for video games. But in recent years, those parts have become a crucial part of artificial intelligence programs. Now, Nvidia dominates the market of graphics processing units, or GPUs, meant for AI at a time when interest in AI is exploding. Skyrocketing demand for these GPUs have raised stock prices for Nvidia, giving the company a rare market valuation of more than$1 trillion, a distinction shared by only four other U.S. companies: Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet. We’ll talk about Nvidia’s history in Silicon Valley, its recent climb to elite status, and what the rise of AI might mean for the Bay Area. Guests: Cade Metz, technology reporter, the New York Times; author, “Genius Makers: The Mavericks Who Brought A.I. to Google, Facebook, and The World” Margaret O'Mara, Scott and Dorothy Bullitt professor of American History, the University of Washington; author, "The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America" Max A. Cherney, senior tech reporter, the Silicon Valley Business Journal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Haggling. For some people, a transaction is not complete if it doesn’t include a request for a discount, an upgrade or something more. For others, the very idea of haggling makes them cringe. They don’t want to look like a jerk or seem petty about money. But, in an economy where it feels like things are more expensive than ever, haggling can save you money and time. With a little or a lot of haggling you might be able to score reduced rent, get a better hotel room or shave thousands off a medical bill. We’ll talk to experts about why people are reluctant to haggle, how to haggle, and where to haggle. And we’ll hear from you: What’s the best deal you’ve haggled for recently? Guests: Veronica Dagher, personal finance reporter, the Wall Street Journal; author, Wall Street Journal's ebook "Resilience: How 20 Ambitious Women Used Obstacles to Fuel Their Success" Richard Shell, professor of Legal Studies & Business Ethics and Management Organization, the Wharton School; author, “Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People” and “The Art of Woo: Using Strategic Persuasion to Sell Your Ideas” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When music streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music recommend a song or an album, it can be a make-or-break moment for lesser-known artists. But it still doesn’t pay the bills: musicians earn on average less than half of a cent per stream unless they’re among a platform’s top artists. Streaming fraud and copycat tracks can also cut into their pay — types of theft that could be made even easier with generative artificial intelligence. We’ll talk about how automation and technology are changing how we consume music, how that music sounds and what artists are paid. Guests: Nastia Voynovskaya, associate editor, KQED Arts & Culture Zack Nestel-Patt, bassist and composer; organizer, Union of Musicians and Allied Workers Marc Hogan, senior staff writer, Pitchfork LaRussell, artist; founder, Good Compenny - an organization that promotes rising Bay Area artists Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new book, “Raw Dog: The Naked Truth about Hot Dogs,” author and comedian Jamie Loftus dials in on why America loves the hot dog: “They’re high culture, they’re low culture, they’re sports food and they’re hangover food and they’re deeply American for reasons that few people can explain but everyone has been told their entire lives.” Loftus chronicles her cross-country journey eating some of the country’s most famous hot dogs like JJ Red Hots in North Carolina, Nathan’s Famous in New York, and Ben’s Chili Bowl in D.C. Along the way, she also delves into the history of the hot dog and devotes an entire chapter to how a hot dog is made. In her words, a hot dog is “garbage being repurposed as mass-appeal food.” While light-hearted, Loftus offers a steely look at the meatpacking and food services industry. We’ll talk to Loftus and hear from you: How do you feel about hot dogs? Guests: Jamie Loftus, author, "Raw Dog: The Naked Truth about Hot Dogs"; Emmy-nominated TV writer; podcast host, “My Year In Mensa” and "Bechdel Cast" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beginning in the 19th century, Americans harvested ice from frozen lakes and transported it to warm places, turning ice harvesting and delivery into a lucrative business. Then came manufacturing and refrigeration, ice cream and iced tea. One of the first films made in America was of an ice hockey game. These are some of ice’s cultural moments that historian and journalist Amy Brady explores in “ICE: From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks—a Cool History of a Hot Commodity.” We talk to Brady about the history of ice, the industries it has spawned and its place in present life as we face an ever-warming planet. Listen to the recent KQED reporting on alleged child labor violations in California. Guests: Amy Brady, author and historian; executive director, Orion Magazine; coeditor of "The World as We Knew It: Dispatches from a Changing Climate" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent months, protesters targeted businesses including the Los Angeles Dodgers, retailer Target and beer maker Anheuser-Busch for celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. While many companies rushed to embrace the queer community in recent years, in the face of intense backlash, they are now struggling to navigate the political and social divides. Meanwhile, gay rights advocates say now is the time for companies to take a strong stand against bigotry and hate. As Pride Month kicks off, we’ll talk about the recent surge of homophobic protests and how individuals and companies are responding. Guests: Tom Temprano, managing director of external affairs, Equality California, an LGBTQ+ rights advocacy organization Sister Unity, board member, Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Inc. Leticia Miranda, U.S. retail & consumer columnist, Bloomberg Opinion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Child labor violations are on the rise across the country. Yet Republicans in multiple states are working to roll back regulations for underaged workers, including lowering age limits, removing restrictions for dangerous work and extending allowable work hours, including on school nights. Critics say the new laws endanger children, depress wages and make it harder for regulatory officials to catch bad actors. California may have stronger regulations by comparison, but we’ll explore the limits of the state’s oversight and the conditions that push so many children into the workforce. Guests: Jacob Bogage, business and technology reporter, The Washington Post Hernan Hernandez, executive director, The California Farmworker Foundation Elizabeth Strater, director of strategic campaigns, United Farm Workers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More data from the 2020 Census reveals demographic changes that paint a picture of a different Bay Area today than that of a decade ago. In conjunction with migration out of the area during the pandemic, the region’s population is getting older and homeownership rates are dropping. Racial demographics throughout the nine counties are also shifting, but maybe not in the way you’d expect. We’ll talk about these evolving population trends and what they could mean for the local economy and the housing crisis. Guests: Harriet Blair Rowan, data reporter, Bay Area News Group Hans Johnson, demographer and senior fellow, Public Policy Institute of California Ethan Varian, housing reporter, Bay Area News Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“What do you do?” is one of the first questions we ask when meeting new people. And that’s part of the increasingly common American belief that our jobs define who we are. Journalist Simone Stolzoff is a recovering “workist” himself who interviewed more than 100 people — from corporate lawyers in Manhattan to fast-food workers in California — about the role that work plays in their self-identities. Stolzoff joins us to explain why thinking about our jobs as “good enough” can help us separate what we do when on the clock from who we are. His new book is “The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work.” Guests: Simone Stolzoff, independent journalist, designer and consultant, author of “The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Parents of young kids in California often find that childcare is not only expensive, but also hard to secure and even more so for low-income families. The cost of childcare eats up between 8 and 19 percent of family household income, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. While high costs and lack of availability have been problems for decades, the pandemic made it worse. Numerous childcare centers across California closed permanently in the past few years, even though demand has remained constant. We’ll talk about why childcare is so expensive and efforts at the state level to bring down the costs for families and improve working conditions for providers. Guests: Daisy Nguyen, early childhood education and care reporter, KQED Deo Agustin, founder and owner, Mind Builder Center - a licensed in-home childcare center in San Jose Anna Powell , senior research and policy associate, Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, University of California, Berkeley Monique Limón, Senator, California State Senate - She represents the 19th Senate district that includes the Santa Barbara County and half of Ventura County Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It seems like actor and director Randall Park has been in everything. “Veep.” “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” “WandaVision.” “Aquaman.” He played an amiable version of the North Korean dictator Kim Jung Un in the movie “The Interview.” He starred and co-wrote the Netflix hit movie “Always Be My Maybe” with Ali Wong. And his single scene in “The Office” playing the Asian version of lead character Jim is a viral favorite. But Park’s breakthrough role didn’t come until he was 40 when he booked the hit ABC series “Fresh Off the Boat.” And that success came after many years living at home with his parents and hustling for guest roles and small parts anywhere he could find them. We’ll talk to Park about his career, his directorial debut, “Shortcomings,” and what it means to find success in a fickle industry like show biz. Guests: Randall Park, actor and director, debut directorial feature "Shortcomings," actor in "Always Be My Maybe" and the ABC series "Fresh Off the Boat" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The buoyant protagonist of San Francisco writer Kathryn Ma’s new novel, The Chinese Groove, migrates from China, where he’s part of the outcast branch of his family, to San Francisco, where he is sure his distant relatives will welcome and nurture him and shepherd him along his path. Forum talks to Ma about the comedy of errors that follow, San Francisco through a new immigrant’s eyes and her character’s faith in the “groove,” the kindness and generosity expected from fellow countrymen. Guests: Kathryn Ma, author, "The Chinese Groove" and "The Year She Left Us" and "All That Work and Still No Boys." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Connie Wang never intended to write a book about her mother. It felt almost too cliched – the first generation immigrant writing about her parent’s sacrifice. But her mother, with her rejection of the trope that she should be a model minority, her belief that the perfect dinner is two creme brulees, and her intense devotion to the movie “Magic Mike XXL,” made her an irresistible topic for Wang. In her new memoir, “Oh My Mother!” Wang recounts her travels with her mother to Vegas, Versailles and Disney World. The book is also about coming to terms with her mother’s defiant and often hilarious journey as an accidental immigrant who never meant to stay long in America. We talk to Wang about her book. Guests: Connie Wang, journalist; author, "Oh My Mother! A Memoir in Nine Adventures"; former executive editor, Refinery29 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summer months bring longer hours to enjoy everything our region has to offer from music festivals, movie nights in a park, and picturesque hikes. What are you most excited about doing this summer in the Bay? Is there a free concert series in a city park, a bike ride through wine country, a favorite swap meet or beach that you’re looking forward to? We’ll talk about some of the great concerts, festivals and events coming up in the Bay Area this summer. And, we want to hear from you. What is your favorite Bay Area summer tradition? Guests: Gabe Meline, senior editor, KQED Arts & Culture Johnny Hayes, founder, AKA Johnny Funcheap; co-founder, RushTix Azucena Rasilla, arts and community reporter, Oaklandside Pete Crooks, senior writer and editor, Diablo Magazine Lance Gardner, events producer, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the last nine years, five nonprofits with names like American Veterans Honor Fund and American Police Officers Alliance — which purport to raise funds to build political support for police, firefighters and veterans — have become some of the nation’s biggest sources of robocalls. That’s according to a new New York Times investigation which found that of the $89 million the nonprofits received, virtually all went back to fundraising and paying the groups’ operatives. We’ll hear about the scheme and how lax oversight and gaps in the federal campaign finance system may have enabled it. Guests: David Fahrenthold, investigative reporter, New York Times. Fahrenthold focuses on nonprofits, and his most recent New York Times piece is titled "How to Raise $89 Million in Small Donations, and Make It Disappear." He previously reported for the Washington Post where he won a Pulitzer Prize in 2017 for his political campaign coverage and investigative reporting on Donald Trump's claims of donations to charities. Ellen Aprill, law professor emerita, Loyola Law School. Aprill is an expert in nonprofit and tax-exempt organization law. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month the Oakland City Council unanimously voted to rename a section of MacArthur Avenue, Tupac Shakur Way, as a reminder, the resolution reads, of rap icon’s contributions “as an awakening tool towards changes in society.” But the Shakur family’s radical legacy far predates Tupac. In his new book, “Amerikan Family: The Shakurs and the Nation They Created” Santi Elijah Holley’s details the history of the Black liberation movement through generations of the Shakur family. We talk with Holley about the Shakur family, the evolution of the Black liberation movement and its lasting impact on the country. Guests: Santi Elijah Holley, journalist and essayist writing on the intersection of culture, music, race, religion, and politics; author, "AN AMERIKAN FAMILY: The Shakurs and the Nation They Created" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Only two Black women have ever been elected to the U.S. Senate. The most recent, Kamala Harris, left to become Vice President and the Senate now has no Black women again. Oakland’s Barbara Lee, who is running for Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat, could be the third in American history. But she faces the same obstacles as the other Black female candidates before her, including fundraising and being taken seriously by political insiders and the media. This hour we’ll explore the barriers they face, and the quandary surrounding Gov. Gavin Newsom’s pledge to name a Black woman to the Senate should Feinstein leave before her term ends. Guests: Shira Stein, Washington DC correspondent for the San Francisco Chronicle Aimee Allison, founder and president, She the People - a national organization dedicated to building the political power of women of color Kimberly Ellis, director of the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women - former executive director of Emerge California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s just about summer and time to dig out the red-and-white checkered blanket for a picnic. From banh mi sandwiches at the beach or pork buns at a city park, the Bay Area has no shortage of picnic spots and foods. As part of our All You Can East series, we’ll talk with chef and picnic enthusiast Samin Nosrat and KQED food editor Luke Tsai about how to plan the perfect picnic. Whether you’re headed to the waterfront or Washington Square Park, tell us: what’s your favorite place for a picnic, and what food are you bringing? Guests: Luke Tsai, food editor, KQED Arts & Culture Samin Nosrat, chef and author of "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat," host of the Netflix special with the same name. Her new podcast is "Home Cooking." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“A multi-billion-dollar debacle three years in the making” is how CalMatters investigative reporter Lauren Hepler describes the current state of California’s unemployment benefit system. During the Covid pandemic, the already fraying system reached a backlog that affected more than 5 million workers while up to $31 billion was paid to scammers, according to the state’s Employment Development Department. At the same time, watchdogs claim the EDD wrongly denied up to a million cases and mistakenly flagged more than half of those as fraudulent. More than 150,000 Californians are currently involved in the appellate process for their unemployment benefits, many accumulating debt and stress in the interim. We’ll learn more and hear what’s being proposed to fix the system. Guests: Lauren Hepler, investigative reporter, CalMatters Nicolas Allen, graphic designer based in Fresno Madeline Maye, video editor based in Burbank Jenna Gerry, senior staff attorney, National Employment Law Project Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In its nearly 35 years in operation, San Francisco’s Homeless Prenatal Program, has worked with the aim of breaking the cycle of extreme poverty by helping pregnant women with health care, housing, parenting classes and other needed services for themselves and their children. It’s a testament to that mission that the non-profit’s new executive director, Shellena Eskridge, is the child of a woman helped by the program. We’ll talk with Eskridge and Martha Ryan, the founder and former executive director of the Homeless Prenatal Program, about homeless families and the unique challenges they face. Guests: Shellena Eskridge, executive director, Homeless Prenatal Program; licensed clinical social worker Martha Ryan, founder and former executive director, Homeless Prenatal Program Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. Supreme Court is known for its public docket of consequential cases, with scheduled oral arguments and lengthy decisions often released in the month of June. But the Court’s conservative majority has been making more use of the so-called “shadow docket” for controversial cases, issuing perfunctory unsigned orders with little to no legal analysis. University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladeck argues it’s urgent that Supreme Court curtail its growing use of the shadow docket, and he joins us to explain why. His new book is “The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic.” Guests: Stephen Vladeck, professor, University of Texas School of Law; author, "The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic"; co-host, the National Security Law podcast; Supreme Court analyst, CNN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco’s Union Square is known for a lot of things: department stores and high-end boutiques, a massive and ornate Christmas tree and a Cheesecake Factory with an amazing view of the city. It’s now also known for swaths of empty storefronts. Close to a quarter of the neighborhood’s 3.2 million square feet of retail space is available for lease, according to brokerage firm Avison Young. Foot traffic in the area has yet to recover from the pandemic, but vacancy was already creeping up for years as more shopping shifted online and rental rates shot up. We’ll talk about how the iconic retail district is doing, how the pandemic shook up brick and mortar retail and what could happen next. Guests: J.K. Dineen, Bay Area real estate reporter, San Francisco Chronicle Amanda Mull, staff writer, The Atlantic Marisa Rodriguez, CEO, Union Square Alliance - a business improvement district that provides security, maintenance, marketing, and capital improvements. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gay stand-up comedian Zach Zimmerman grew up in Virginia with Evangelical parents and attended a school that taught the Bible instead of history and expelled any student found to have watched an R-rated movie. Zimmerman has journeyed far from their roots, having transformed from a “straight, meat-eating Christian conservative to a queer, vegetarian, atheist socialist.” We talk to Zimmerman about religious guilt, love and comedy and their new essay collection “Is it Hot in Here: Or am I Suffering for All Eternity for the Sins I Committed on Earth?” Guests: Zach Zimmerman, stand-up comedian; author, "Is It Hot in Here? (Or Am I Suffering for All Eternity for the Sins I Committed on Earth?)" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The children’s classic Frog & Toad has been made into a new animated series for AppleTV+. The gentle and enduring friendship between those two characters allowed its author, Arnold Lobel, to, according to his daughter, explore and embrace his own sexuality as a gay man. Characters in children’s books allow readers to imagine a different world for themselves. Whether it is the Lorax, Iggy Peck (Architect), or Harriet the Spy, the characters in children’s books can make you feel seen or help you identify emotions that you didn’t know you had. We’ll talk to an author and a bookseller about the characters who bring books to life, and we’ll hear from you: Who is a character in a kids’ book that remains important to you or the children in your life? Guests: Michelle H. Martin, Beverly Cleary Professor for Children and Youth Services, MLIS Program Chair, University of Washington's School of Information Mac Barnett, author of the children's books "Circle," "Square" and "Triangle," which have been made into a new animated series "Shape Island" on AppleTV+. Barnett is the author of the "Mac B. Kid Spy" and the "Jack" series. His books have won Caldecott honors and E.B. White Read Aloud Awards. Thu Doan, children's book buyer, East Bay Booksellers, a bookstore located in Oakland Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gas and oil production in California has been on a slow decline for decades, and more than a third of unplugged onshore oil wells are sitting idle. Those unplugged wells can leak methane, brine and carcinogenic chemicals — and are vulnerable to geological risks like earthquakes and landslides. A first-of-its-kind study, published by think tank Carbon Tracker, looks at the massive costs of decommissioning and cleaning up wells. With the costs of cleaning up exceeding the industry’s future profits by billions of dollars, the shortfall could mean that taxpayers are on the hook. We learn more about the study. Related link(s): Carbon Tracker, “There Will Be Blood: Decommissioning California’s Oilfields” ProPublica, “It Will Cost Up to $21.5 Billion to Clean Up California’s Oil Sites. The Industry Won’t Make Enough Money to Pay for It.” Guests: Mark Olalde, reporter covering the environment in the Southwest, ProPublica; reported the piece, "It Will Cost Up to $21.5 Billion to Clean Up California’s Oil Sites. The Industry Won’t Make Enough Money to Pay for It." Dwayne Purvis, founder and principal advisor, Purvis Energy Advisors; report author, "There will be blood: Decommissioning California’s Oilfields" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Hetch Hetchy reservoir was created a century ago to supply fresh water for millions of people in the Bay Area. It was created by damming the Tuolumne River, flooding a former mountain valley in the Sierras and forming a reservoir that can hold up to 117 billion gallons of water. Hetch Hetchy embodies a feat of modern engineering, but as the globe warms up and demand for water shifts, the reservoir’s storage capacity and water management capabilities may not hold up. For our next installment of Climate Fix: Rethinking Solutions for California, we’ll talk about how climate change is putting pressure on Hetch Hetchy and what a far warmer future means for this mountain bathtub. Guests: Samuel Sandoval Solis, PhD, professor, UC Davis; cooperative extension specialist in water resources management, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources of the University of California Newsha Ajami, PhD, chief development officer for research in Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and president, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Ezra David Romero, climate reporter, KQED Peter Drekmeier, policy director, Tuolumne River Trust Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the end of Title 42, a law enacted during the pandemic to slow the flow of migrants seeking asylum in the U.S., the Biden Administration finds itself caught between policymakers who say the President is too tough on immigration or not tough enough. Immigration is also an issue that Republican presidential hopefuls are keeping at the center of their primary campaigns: Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, and likely-to-run candidate Ron DeSantis are all running on their bonafides as advocates for stringent restrictions on immigration. We’ll talk about the current situation at the border and the role that immigration will play in national politics and the presidential election. Guests: Michelle Hackman, reporter covering U.S. immigration policy, Wall Street Journal's Washington Bureau Philip Bump, national columnist, Washington Post - recent article, "What will the inevitable 2024 debate over immigration look like?"; author, "The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America" Rafael Carranza, reporter covering immigration issues , Arizona Republic and USA Today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s novel ‘Chain-Gang All-Stars’ portrays an American prison system with corporate-sponsored gladiators whose fights to the death, and most every waking moment, are followed, reality TV style, by the nation. It’s a searing satire of an exploitative prison system and the society that supports it that is uncomfortably recognizable. We talk with Adjei-Brenyah about the speculative, and the actual, American prison system and writing a novel about dehumanization through characters that are full of humanity, compassion and love. Guests: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, author, "Chain Gang All Stars" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remember the Jordan Peele deepfake of President Obama from 2018? Since then, deepfake technology and other forms of AI-generated text, photos, voices and videos have become far more sophisticated and realistic — and more accessible to the general public. With political organizations and pranksters alike using these tools, we’ll discuss what has experts in AI and misinformation most worried. And we’ll hear what’s being proposed in terms of reform and oversight — from the private sector and in legislation — to decrease disinformation, confusion and conundrums ahead of the 2024 election. Related articles: Watch Jordan Peele use AI to make Barack Obama deliver a PSA about fake news Guests: Hany Farid, professor, UC Berkeley - with a joint appointment in electrical engineering & computer sciences and the School of Information. He is also a member of the Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Lab and is a senior faculty advisor for the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity Scott Wiener, California state senator, representing San Francisco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Millions of families in the U.S. depend on welfare to get by, but it’s far from an efficient system. The bureaucratic mechanisms designed to help people find jobs, a requirement for receiving aid, often don’t work, even as they funnel millions of dollars into private companies with government contracts. In the latest season of Marketplace’s “The Uncertain Hour” podcast, host and producer Krissy Clark investigates the welfare-to-work industrial complex and how businesses profit off of people living paycheck to paycheck. As Washington debates work requirements as part of a deal to raise the debt ceiling, we talk with Clark about how welfare eligibility works and whether the current system is helping people escape poverty or keeping them trapped. Guests: Krissy Clark, host and producer, The Uncertain Hour podcast, and senior correspondent at Marketplace Jeanne Kuang, reporter, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Newsom released on Friday his May revision of the state budget, which shows a $31.5 billion deficit, nearly $10 billion higher than forecast in January. Newsom has declined to raise taxes or meaningfully dip into rainy day funds to address the deficit, opting instead to limit funding increases for transportation, climate and social service programs. At the same time, the revised budget would increase funding for flood protection, especially in the Central Valley and Tulare Lake basin ahead of the ‘Big Melt.’ We’ll talk about how it all might play out in the legislature before the budget approval deadline of June 15. Guests: Jeremy White, covers California politics, Politico Chris Hoene, executive director, California Budget & Policy Center Julie Rentner, president, River Partners - a nonprofit based in Chico, CA, that works to restore healthy watersheds and create wildlife habitat in the Central Valley and Southern California Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dorothy Lazard has held the history of Oakland in her hands for years as the legendary historian and archivist at the Oakland public library. She’s now retired and telling her own story of growing up in Oakland and San Francisco in the late 60’s and early 70’s, which she writes was “the first best time to be a Black kid in America.” We talk to her about coming of age in the 1970’s Bay Area, the books and the libraries that fed her eager young mind, and her memoir, What You Don’t Know Will Make a Whole New World. Guests: Dorothy Lazard, author, What You Don’t Know Will Make a Whole New World; former head librarian, the Oakland History Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eurovision, the song contest that brought the world ABBA’s “Waterloo,” concludes with its big finale this Saturday. It’s been dismissed as kitschy and camp. But it’s also considered the Olympics of pop music, and last year, 161 million viewers turned in to watch the finale. This year’s competition includes an Austrian homage to Edgar Allen Poe, Finland’s metal rap entry, “Cha Cha Cha,” and bookie favorite, Sweden’s “Tattoo.” And for the first time, voting is not limited to the Eurozone; viewers from the U.S. can join the musical fray by voting online. We’ll talk about the contest, its history, and predict what song will enter into the Eurovision canon. What’s your favorite? Guests: William Lee Adams, founder of Wiwibloggs, a Eurovision blog; author, "Wild Dances: My Queer and Curious Journey to Eurovision;" senior journalist, BBC World Service Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are we destined to parent the way our parents parented even if we strongly object to some of the things they did? Sure, we can probably keep ourselves from dropping cigarette ashes in our toddler’s cereal, but when things get chaotic do we snap the same way our parents did? In her article “The Parent Prophecy” in The Atlantic, Faith Hill says there are elements of Greek tragedy in it all, “parents run away from their parents and sometimes end up right back in the same spot.” What do you do, for better or worse, that your parents did? And are things your parents did with you that you wish you were able to do with your kids? Guests: Faith Hill, senior associate editor of Family, The Atlantic - She wrote the article, "The Parenting Prophecy" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Australia, Chile and China are the top three sources of the world’s lithium – the element essential to build the batteries that power electric vehicles. But that could change as mining operations progress in California’s Imperial Valley. “Lithium Valley,” a vast underground reserve near the Salton Sea, contains enough lithium to meet all of U.S. future demand and more than one-third of global demand, according to the Governor’s office. We learn more about the project and its impacts as part of Forum’s “In Transit” series. Guests: Ethan Elkind, director of the Climate Program at the Center for Law, Energy and the Environment, UC Berkeley School of Law; podcast host, Climate Break Eduardo Garcia, Assemblymember, representing California's 36th State Assembly District in eastern Riverside County and Imperial County Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a civil rights investigation Wednesday into the Antioch Police Department after dozens of officers were caught sending and receiving racist, homophobic, and violent text messages in which they brag about using force against the city’s residents. Bonta also cited longstanding complaints about the Antioch police department, saying data shows spikes of excessive force especially against communities of color. The police department has already been under investigation for misconduct since 2022, by the FBI and the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office. We’ll talk about police wrongdoing in Antioch and its impact on the city’s residents. Guests: Sandhya Dirks, national correspondent covering race and identity, NPR Nate Gartrell, Contra Costa County Courts reporter, Bay Area News Group Shagoofa Khan, community organizer in Antioch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Thursday, the federal Covid Public Health Emergency expires, and with its end comes the cessation of federal benefits like additional hospital reimbursements for Covid patient care and free at-home tests. It also marks a moment in which doctors, scientists, politicians and experts are asking themselves: What did we get right during this pandemic? While Covid has fallen out of the headlines, it continues to infect the population, and in 2022 it was the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. But the death toll could have been even worse. The science could have been bogged down. Vaccinations could have been delayed. But they were not. What lessons have we learned and what should we do to prepare for the next pandemic? Guests: Jennifer Nuzzo , Professor Epidemiology, and Director, Pandemic Center, Brown University School of Public Health Dhruv Khullar, Physician and assistant professor of Health Policy and Economics, Weill Cornell Medical College - Khullar is also a contributor at The New Yorker. His most recent New Yorker article is titled "Ending the Covid Public Health Emergency Isn't All Good News" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know that Rocky Road ice cream originated in Oakland? Or that Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera were once married in San Francisco City Hall? Or that a disaster in Concord helped desegregate our nation’s military? Our region is full of fascinating history that even some lifelong residents don’t know about. Uncovering forgotten history and solving local mysteries is what KQED’s Bay Curious podcast is all about. And now, the show’s reporting is in a book, “Bay Curious: Exploring the Hidden True Stories of the San Francisco Bay Area.” KQED’s Olivia Allen-Price, host of Bay Curious joins us to talk about investigating forgotten histories, legendary locals, and the many quirks and oddities that make the Bay Area unique. Guests: Olivia Allen-Price, Host, KQED's Bay Curious - a podcast that investigates questions asked by local residents about things both profound and peculiar that make the Bay Area unique. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Parking is one of the biggest paradoxes of American life. There are between one and two billion parking spaces in the United States, several for each car, and in cities the ratio is even higher. At the same time, to harried drivers seeking a spot near an appointment or to residents of densely populated neighborhoods, it can feel like there are never enough places to park. We’ll talk to Slate’s Henry Grabar about whether the parking shortage is real or imagined and how parking determines the design of our buildings, the character of our communities and the health of our environment. Grabar’s new book is “Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World.” Guests: Henry Grabar, staff writer, Slate - author, "Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it possible to have a capitalist democracy that ensures that all people flourish? One that represents common values, yet respects differences? Professors at Stanford’s Moral Political Economy program are bringing together thinkers from across disciplines to reimagine our political, social and economic systems. We’ll talk about what it would mean to base our political economy on the idea that humans are social beings who mutually benefit from cooperation and reciprocity. What would a moral, equitable world look like? Guests: Margaret Levi, political science professor, Stanford; co-editor, Winter 2023 edition of Daedalus Henry Farrell, professor of international affairs, Johns Hopkins; co-editor, Winter 2023 edition of Daedalus Manuel Pastor, professor of Sociology and American Studies & Ethnicity, University of Southern California; contributor, Winter 2023 edition of Daedalus Federica Carugati, history and political economy professor, King’s College; contributor, Winter 2023 edition of Daedalus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been more than two months that California Senator Dianne Feinstein has been away from Capitol Hill, as she recovers from a case of shingles that left her hospitalized in March. Her absence has created a critical vacancy on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and her fellow Democrats say it’s hurting their ability to confirm judges nominated by President Joe Biden. Now the list of Democrats calling on Feinstein to resign is growing, amid Republican lawmakers’ ongoing refusal to seat a temporary replacement on the Committee. We’ll talk about the political impacts of Feinstein’s extended absence. Guests: Ro Khanna, U.S. Congressman, California's 17th Congressional District (Silicon Valley); chairman, House Subcommittee on the Environment; member, House Oversight, House Agriculture and House Armed Services committees Annie Karni, congressional correspondent, New York Times Joanne Kenen, journalist in-residence, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the use of artificial intelligence explodes, government officials are trying to figure out how best to regulate the technology. Already, generative AI companies are producing software that can replicate voices, create stylized portraits, and produce thousands of fake online reviews. Experts fear that internet harassment, identity fraud and spread of misinformation could become exponentially worse with easy access to AI and warn regulation is crucial to head off potential harms. But, what regulations would be helpful? And what regulations might cause more harm than good? We dive into potential ways to regulate AI and what consumers can do in the meantime to protect themselves. Guests: Jennifer King Ph. D., privacy and data policy fellow, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Rumman Chowdhury, responsible AI developer, leader, speaker, founder, investor Ben Zhao, professor of computer science and director of graduate studies, University of Chicago Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The barista who makes your morning coffee, the person at the dog park or the fellow commuter who you exchange a smile with on the bus every day: You may not know their names, but these acquaintances are more important than you think. Scientists believe that the people with whom you might share a “hello” or a quick nod or a passing glance can help you live a happier life. With loneliness on the rise, acquaintances might be the key to creating connection. We’ll talk to a leading expert and hear from you: who are the acquaintances in your life, the ones you know, but don’t know? Guests: Gillian Sandstrom, director, Sussex Centre for Research on Kindness at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices