KQED's Forum

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

Oakland teachers went on strike Thursday morning for the third time in just over a year. The teachers, who earn some of the lowest salaries in the region, are asking for a 23% raise, more school psychologists and smaller special education classes among other demands. We’ll talk about what the strike means for Oakland teachers, parents and its 34 thousand public school students. And we’ll discuss the challenges facing public schools across the state as many districts struggle with enrollment declines, teacher shortages and the end of pandemic funding. Guests: Jill Tucker, K-12 education reporter, San Francisco Chronicle Erin Baldassari, housing affordability reporter, KQED Lakisha Young, founder and executive director, The Oakland Reach Mike Hutchinson, president, Oakland Board of Education Samia Khattab, school librarian, Franklin Elementary Pecolia Manigo, parent of two children in Oakland public schools and co-executive director, Bay Area Parent Leadership Action Network and former school board candidate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 10,000 television and screenwriters are on strike after months-long contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers broke down late Monday. The Writers Guild of America is seeking higher compensation and residuals for its members, as well as minimum staffing requirements for TV writers and rules restricting the use of artificial intelligence in script production. We’ll talk about the impacts of the strike and the labor conditions for writers that led to it. Guests: Alissa Wilkinson, senior culture writer and critic, Vox Anousha Sakoui, entertainment industry writer, Los Angeles Times Betsy Thomas, television writer and producer; secretary-treasurer, Writers Guild of America West Eric Haywood, writer, producer and director. His TV shows include "Empire" and "Law & Order: Organized Crime" Sal Gentile, writer and producer, "Late Night with Seth Meyers" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actor and singer Billy Porter has a shelf of awards, including a Tony, Grammy, and Emmy, earned for playing a variety of roles including “Pray Tell,” the imposing ballroom emcee in the FX series “Pose.” Porter also has plans to take on the role of writer and intellectual James Baldwin in a forthcoming biopic. But on his new tour Porter says he didn’t want to play a character, “I’m coming home as myself.” Porter joins us in studio to talk about his “Black Mona Lisa” tour and his long and varied career as a musical, fashion and pop icon. Guests: Billy Porter, actor and singer. Porter starred in the FX series, "Pose" for which he won an Emmy. He won a Tony and Grammy award for his performance in the musical "Kinky Boots." Porter is currently touring on his "Black Mona Lisa Tour" and will appear on May 5 at the Golden Gate Theatre Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does your cat’s cry for food sound different from its meow for attention? How come Mr. Whiskers is “making biscuits” on your belly? Evolution may provide clues as to why, writes biologist Jonathan Losos. Losos made his career studying lizards, but he’d pet cats every chance he got. And his new book, “The Cat’s Meow,” applies an evolutionary lens to the domesticated pet, exploring why they — yes — meow, but also trill, howl, growl, hiss, snarl, purr and chirp. It also looks at where outdoor cats like to prowl and whether our cats are really that different from lions and tigers. Losos joins us to share more about our feline friends. Guests: Jonathan Losos, distinguished professor of biology, Washington University in St. Louis - and author, "The Cat's Meow: How Cats Evolved from the Savanna to Your Sofa" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Durian is a pungent, rank smelling fruit common in Singapore that is hard to harvest and cut open. And yet, it’s inspired scores of devotees, including food writer Jennifer Wong, who writes, “For those of us who hail durian as our king of fruits, the smell elicits an undeniable longing — for both the fruit itself and the cultural remembrance it represents.” Whether it’s stinky tofu, roasted grasshoppers or chicken feet, many cultures embrace foods that might come off as unappetizing at first sniff. So, how do some seemingly unusual ingredients become delicacies? In our latest All You Can Eat segment with KQED Food Editor Luke Tsai, we dive into funky foods that we aren’t supposed to love – but do so unabashedly. Guests: Luke Tsai, food editor, KQED Arts & Culture Javier Cabral, Editor, L.A. Taco - independent local news and culture site, and Associate producer for the Taco Chronicles on Netflix Jennifer Wong, author of the article "A Bay Area Love Letter to Durian," published on KQED Arts and Culture Monica Martinez, Founder and CEO,Don Bugito - a San Francisco company that makes protein snacks from edible insects Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Journalism is not a crime,” declared President Biden on Saturday at the White House Correspondents’ dinner. In his remarks, Biden demanded the immediate release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been wrongfully imprisoned in Russia since March 29. The Russian government arrested Gershkovich for espionage, a charge that both the Wall Street Journal and the U.S. government have flatly denied. As of 2021, more Americans are being or have been held hostage by hostile governments than terrorist or militant organizations. We’ll talk about the perils facing journalists around the world. Guests: Joel Simon, executive director, Journalism Protection Initiative at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, City University of New York; former director, the Committee to Protect Journalists Michael Kimmage, professor and history department chair, Catholic University of America; his recent article for the Wall Street Journal is titled "Putin's Rogue State" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facing takeover by the federal government, First Republic Bank, the Bay Area’s largest regional bank, was sold off to JP Morgan Chase this weekend. Over the course of four decades, First Republic, with its aspirational marketing and reputation for customer service, became a key brand in the Bay Area business and philanthropy communities. First Republic was among the 20th largest banks in the country in 2022 and employed about 7,000 workers, close to half which were based in the Bay Area. The bank’s failure follows Silicon Valley Bank’s dramatic demise and also comes at a time when multiple large employers in the region are announcing major layoffs. We’ll talk about what the bank’s failure means for our local economy and whether we need brick and mortar banks. Guests: Mark Calvey, senior reporter covering banking and finance, San Francisco Business Times Rachel Louise Ensign, reporter, The Wall Street Journal - Ensign covers millionaires and billionaires and the financial systems that serve them. Jeremy Owens, technology editor and San Francisco bureau chief, MarketWatch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer Nicole Chung’s first memoir, “All You Can Ever Know,” chronicled her search for her birth family. Her second, “A Living Remedy,” documents her final years with her adopted parents and the health care costs that burdened them until their deaths. “Sickness and grief throw wealthy and poor families alike into upheaval,” she writes, “but they do not transcend the gulfs between us, as some claim—if anything, they often magnify them.” Chung joins us to share her story, one about grief, race, class and their interconnections. Guests: Nicole Chung, author, "A Living Remedy," and "All You Can Ever Know"; contributor, The Atlantic, Time, and Slate, and writes for many other publications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A winter of unusually heavy rain and snow elevated California’s mountain snowpack to levels not seen in years. But now that temperatures are rising, the state is bracing for “The Big Melt” that could cause massive flooding. Close to a third of the state’s water supply comes from the snowpack that accumulates in the winter and melts in the summer. California’s water infrastructure was designed to capture and store snowmelt and prevent floods, but with climate change intensifying water levels to extreme highs and lows, the system is pushed to its limits. We’ll talk about how prepared the Golden State is for an influx of water and what communities can expect. Guests: Dr. Noah Diffenbaugh, senior fellow, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment - where his research focuses on climate and earth system dynamics. Hayley Smith, reporter focusing on extreme weather, Los Angeles Times Nicholas Pinter, chair in applied geosciences, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California Davis; associate director, Center for Watershed Sciences, University of California Davis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About a third of Californians live in areas where there is a shortage of primary care providers, according to the California Healthcare Foundation. The shortage is particularly acute in rural areas and in the rapidly growing Inland Empire, which has only about 40 primary care physicians per 100,000 people. For patients, a short supply of doctors can mean months-long waits for appointments and more trips to urgent care for chronic conditions. And for in-demand providers, burnout looms. We’ll learn about plans to address the shortage and hear about your experiences finding a primary care professional. Guests: Arturo Bustamante, professor of health policy and management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health Timothy Collins, incoming CEO, UC Riverside Health Sunita Mutha, general internist providing primary care; professor of medicine and director, Healthforce Center at UCSF Nate McLaughlin, family medicine doctor; program director, Family Medicine Program, Riverside University Health Services/UC Riverside Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The percentage of Black-owned farms in the U.S. has dropped from a peak of 14% in the 1920s to just 2% today. In California, less than 1% of land is owned by Indigenous people. As part of KQED’s Youth Takeover week Marin Academy junior Finn Does brings together a panel of local Indigenous, Black, and queer farmers who all purchased farmland during the pandemic to help their communities connect and thrive in relationship to the earth. Forum talks about the BIPOC land stewardship movement and nurturing ancestral roots. Guests: Pandora Thomas, Afro-Indigenous land steward and founder, EARTHseed Farm in Sebastopol, CA. Thomas played a leading role in founding the Black Permaculture Network, a platform where Afro-Indigenous people share practices. Nikola Alexandre, co-founder and stewardship lead, Shelterwood Collective in Sonoma County, CA Maya Harjo, farmer, Heron Shadow, a farm for Indigenous refuge and learning in Sonoma, CA, operated by the Cultural Conservancy, a Native-led SF organization Myles Lennon, environmental anthropologist; dean’s assistant professor of environment & society and anthropology, Brown University; board secretary, Shelterwood Collective Finn Does, junior, Marin Academy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The work she loved often kept NPR co-host Mary Louise Kelly from going to her kids’ soccer games or other events. Whether it was because she was anchoring “All Things Considered” or in the field reporting from North Korea, Iraq or Ukraine, sometimes Kelly could not be on the sidelines. She kept saying she’d do better next year. And then she realized her oldest son was headed to college, and there were no more next years. So, she vowed to show up, whenever she could. We’ll talk to Kelly about her new memoir, “It. Goes. So. Fast.: The Year of No Do-Overs” and explore what it means to be both a good reporter and a good parent. Guests: Mary Louise Kelly, co-host, NPR's "All Things Considered." Kelly's new memoir is titled "It. Goes. So. Fast.: The Year of No Do-Overs." Kelly is also a former National Security Correspondent for NPR. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Asian American representation in television and movies is on the rise. With the Marvel Cinematic Universe debuting its first South Asian superhero in 2021 and “Never Have I Ever” winning big at the People’s Choice Awards, Hollywood has begun to cast South Asians for big roles and tell authentic South Asian stories. But representation behind-the-scenes is just as important as it is in front of the camera: writers, directors and producers are the ones who determine who to cast and how to portray characters on-screen. As part of KQED’s annual Youth Takeover week, Santa Clara High junior Khadeejah Khan and Monte Vista High junior Mahi Jariwala talk with South Asians working in the industry about their careers and what good representation looks like. Guests: Khadeejah Khan, junior, Santa Clara High School; member, KQED's Youth Advisory Board Mahi Jariwala, junior, Monte Vista High School; member, KQED's Youth Advisory Board Jasmine Baten, research fellow, UCLA Center for Scholars & Storytellers Vali Chandrasekaran, writer, "Modern Family" and "30 Rock" Raj Raghavan, head of talent, Color Creative Richa Moorjani, actress, "Never Have I Ever" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new movie ‘How to Blow up a Pipeline’ is a heist thriller about a group of young, mainly Gen Z, climate activists who decide to detonate a Texas pipeline in protest against Big Oil. They strive to risk no lives besides their own and for minimal environmental impact. But the questions remain: is this a valid form of protest? Are they eco-terrorists or activists? As climate change becomes more urgent and systemic solutions remain bogged down, viewers are left wondering what the limits are of effective action. We’ll hear from the filmmakers and from you: Are you an activist? What line do you refuse to cross? Guests: Dan Garber, film editor, "How to Blow Up a Pipeline" Jordan Sjol, co-screenwriter and executive producer, "How to Blow Up a Pipeline" Ariela Barer , co-screenwriter, producer and actor, "How to Blow Up a Pipeline" Forrest Goodluck, actor, "How to Blow Up a Pipeline" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seven months ago 22 year old Mahsa Amini died in custody after being arrested by Iran’s morality police for an “improper hijab.” Her death prompted uproar and sparked a movement that extended throughout Iran and over social media. As part of KQED’s annual Youth Takeover week, Saratoga High sophomore Ryan Heshmati brings together a panel of Iranian women to discuss the viability of the movement in Iran in the face of the regime’s brutal crackdown against protesters and to discuss their own activism in the Bay Area. Guests: Ryan Heshmati, Saratoga High School sophomore Shideh, young Iranian immigrant who recently came to the United States for education Persis Karim, poet, essayist and Director for the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies, San Francisco State University Pantea Karimi, Iranian-American artist and teacher Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“What ought we to do about great art made by bad men?” That’s the question that undergirds Claire Dederer’s new book “Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma,” which explores whether and how we can love the works of people who’ve committed morally reprehensible acts. Dededer calls her book “an autobiography of the audience” — an effort to make sense of the complicated emotions we feel when engaging with the art of someone we loathe. We talk to Dederer about what it means — and whether it’s possible — to separate the art from the artist. Guests: Claire Dederer, author, "Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cybersecurity underpins our digital lives, and is relevant for all ages – including teens. According to the CDC, teens spend between 7.5 to 9 hours a day on their screens and being mindful of cybersecurity best practices is critical. As part of KQED’s annual Youth Takeover week, Cupertino High senior Rajvi Khanjan Shroff, founder of Project Cyber, a youth-run cybersecurity organization, joins us with a panel of experts she’s brought together to discuss what tips and tricks you can use to protect your devices and digital accounts to become cybersecure. Guests: Sheera Frenkel, technology reporter based in San Francisco, The New York Times; co-author of "An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination" Rinki Sethi, vice president and Chief Information Security Officer, Bill.com Rajvi Khanjan Shroff, high school senior, Cupertino High School; founder, Project Cyber - a cybersecurity organization Riju Parakh, associate director, Global Cybersecurity and Managed Services Methodology Development for Ernst and Young Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that “the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.” But less than a year later, the Supreme Court found itself needing to weigh in on medication abortion access. It decided on Friday to preserve access to mifepristone, a gold standard abortion drug, while lower courts sort out challenges to the FDA’s approval of the drug. We’ll examine where medication abortion access currently stands and what its future could look like. Guests: Shefali Luthra, health reporter covering the intersection of gender and health care, The 19th - an independent, nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy Mary Ziegler, professor of law, UC Davis; author, "Dollars for Life: The Anti-Abortion Movement and the Fall of the Republican Establishment" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades, a dedicated, but shrinking, contingent of Oakland A’s fans piled into the Coliseum season after season, banging on drums and sporting their green and gold gear with pride. They did so despite the looming possibility that the team would depart. Now that team owners struck a deal to build a stadium in Las Vegas, scores of Oakland A’s fans are feeling stunned, dejected and hurt. The Vegas proposal comes after numerous failed attempts to find a new home in the Bay Area. We’ll talk about how fans are coping and what could happen next in the A’s long and complicated stadium saga. Related articles: The A’s Are A Poison Pill, by Ray Ratto Guests: Ann Killion, sports columnist, San Francisco Chronicle David Peters, member, Howard Terminal Community Benefits Agreement Steering Committee; founder, Black Liberation Walking Tour; 3rd generation West Oakland resident and lifelong Oakland A's fan Melissa Lockard, senior editor and staff writer, The Athletic; founder, the Oakland Clubhouse - a blog that covered Oakland A's prospects; lifelong A's fan Bryan Johansen, co-owner, Last Dive Bar - small business that makes Coliseum-inspired merchandise and puts on events to rally support to keep the A's in Oakland Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Weddings have gone from celebrating the “Big Day” to the “Big Year,” says journalist Annie Atherton. There’s the proposal party, the engagement party, the bachelor and/or bachelorette parties and even, a will-you-be-my-bridesmaid party. It’s all turned into wedding sprawl observes Atherton. While multi-day weddings are common in many cultures, the numerosity of events stretched over a year or more, feels new. Social media and consumerism play some role in the supersizing of weddings. But how can you separate the idea of the wedding you think you’re supposed to have from the one you really want? We’ll talk about how couples, families and guests are handling the modern wedding, and what to do about saying “I do.” Guests: Annie Midori Atherton, freelance writer and author of the recent Atlantic Magazine piece "The Uncontrollable Rise of Wedding Sprawl" Chanda Daniels, wedding planner, A Monique Affair and Chanda Daniels Planning and Design Cele Otnes, professor emerita of business administration, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - Otnes studies rituals and consumer culture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Sony Walkman arrived in 1979 it not only changed the way we experience audio, it also changed the way we experience the world. Suddenly listening was a private experience and everyone with headphones on was experiencing their surroundings with a different soundtrack. Radiolab senior producer Simon Adler created a five part series for the podcast and a new live performance about the transformations spawned by that easy access to audio through the cassette tape and Walkman. We talk with Adler about the impact of the cassette tape across the globe – from opening communist China’s ears to rock and roll through our exported plastic trash to delivering hypnotic self help messages straight to listeners’ souls. What’s a cassette tape that changed your life? Guests: Simon Adler, senior producer, Radiolab Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For 26 years, the Open Library of the San Francisco-based Internet Archive has been preserving millions of books and lending them out freely online. Last month, a federal judge sided with a group of book publishing giants – Hachette, HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, and Wiley – that sued the nonprofit archive for “mass copyright infringement.” Publishers argued, and the court agreed, that the Open Library provided a way for libraries to avoid paying ebook licensing fees that generate substantial revenue for publishers. Internet Archive, whose mission is to provide “universal access to all knowledge,” said it will appeal the ruling. We’ll talk about the dispute and explore how the lawsuit could set the stage for what book lending looks like in an increasingly digital era. Guests: Brewster Kahle, digital librarian; founder, Internet Archive Sydney Johnson, reporter, KQED News Tyler Ochoa, professor, Santa Clara University School of Law Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I’ve lived nearly all my life with two incompatible ideas in my head,” writes philosophy professor Clancy Martin. “I wish I were dead and I’m glad my suicides failed.” Martin’s new book, “How Not To Kill Yourself,” combines memoir with research to take readers into the mind of a suicidal person. We talk to Martin about what to do if you or a loved one are considering suicide and why it’s important that we push against the stigma that attaches to those who contemplate ending their lives. If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can call or text the national suicide hotline at 988. Guests: Clancy Martin, philosophy professor, University of Missouri, Kansas City; author, “How Not To Kill Yourself: A Portrait of the Suicidal Mind” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Twitter isn’t dead. But it’s getting there,” writes Vox tech reporter Shirin Ghaffary in her new piece describing the chaotic six months since tech billionaire Elon Musk took over the social media platform. NPR and PBS left Twitter last week after Musk misleadingly labeled it “government-funded media,” and more public news organizations, including the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, followed suit this week. The departures come on top of rising hate speech on the site, major software glitches and new data showing that worldwide Twitter usage is down since Musk took charge. We look at Twitter’s trajectory and hear from you: is Twitter still relevant? Guests: Bobby Allyn, business reporter covering Silicon Valley, NPR Shirin Ghaffary, tech reporter, Vox Shannon McGregor, assistant professor at the Hussman School of Journalism and Media, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ethics scandal surrounding Justice Clarence Thomas continues to deepen. According to Pro Publica, in the last 20 years, Thomas and his wife have enjoyed numerous luxury vacations and gifts paid for by billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow. And it now appears that Thomas has been reporting rental income from a defunct company. Thomas’ ethics issues are not limited to the acceptance of gifts; his wife Ginni’s political activism and efforts to overturn the 2020 election have also raised questions about Thomas’ ability to hear cases that might touch on those issues. The questions surrounding Thomas come at a time when the public’s faith in the Court is at an all time low. We’ll talk with experts about ethics and the Supreme Court. Guests: Emily Bazelon, staff writer, The New York Times Magazine - She's also a Truman Capote Fellow for Creative Writing and Law at Yale Law School and co-host of Slate's political gabfest. Scott Cummings, Robert Henigson Professor of Legal Ethics, UCLA School of Law - Cummings is the founding faculty director of the UCLA Program on Legal Ethics and the Profession Alex Padilla, U.S. Senator Josh Kaplan, Reporter, Pro Publica - Kaplan is a member of the investigative team that broke the story about gifts and luxury trips taken Justice Clarence Thomas and paid for by a billionaire Republican donor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know that bees have thoughts, memories and personalities? They can count to four, play soccer and feel pain, according to Stephen Buchmann, a pollination ecologist who has studied bees for more than four decades, ever since he was a high school student in Placentia, California. We talk to Buchmann about the internal lives of bees and why the stress they feel may be one reason they’re dying off at alarming rates. Buchman’s new book is “What a Bee Knows.” Guests: Stephen Buchmann, pollination ecologist specializing in bees and an adjunct professor in the departments of Entomology and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona - He is also the author of “What a Bee Knows: Exploring the Thoughts, Memories and Personalities of Bees” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Salmon need cold water to hatch and grow strong enough to embark on migrations that stretch hundreds of miles from their places of birth. In California, dams constructed along various rivers have disrupted traditional salmon runs and are one reason the species has been in decline for decades. And, as climate change makes everything hotter, including the rivers, salmon spawning sites are at risk. This year, the situation became especially dire with numbers reaching near-record lows. In response, the Pacific Fishery Management Council made the drastic decision to cancel the salmon fishing season for 2023. But salmon advocates say that stopping the fishing season won’t fix state water management policies that have favored agriculture over fish habitats. For our next installment of Climate Fix, our monthly series examining global warming and solutions, we’ll talk about how climate change, severe weather and human behavior are exacerbating the challenges California salmon face. Guests: John McManus, Golden State Salmon Association Danielle Venton, science reporter, KQED News Jonathan Rosenfield Ph.D., senior scientist, San Francisco Baykeeper Kasil Willie, staff attorney, Save California Salmon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Katie Porter ran for Congress in 2018 she was “acutely aware” of her shortcomings – that she was a Democrat in Republican Orange County, that she’d never parachuted into combat and even that she hated apple pie. But above all, as she explains in her new memoir, she was far from rich, which came to set her apart from her colleagues in the House where “the privilege of wealth divides ruthlessly.” That perspective, along with her experience as a consumer protection attorney and a single mom of three, has informed how she legislates and the priorities she’s set as she campaigns for a Senate seat. We talk to Rep. Porter about her political and personal lives and her memoir “I Swear: Politics Is Messier Than My Minivan.” Guests: Katie Porter, U.S. representative, 45th district in Orange County; author, "I Swear: Politics is Messier Than My Minivan" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s energy future is going to require electricity – a lot more of it. With the push to electrify transportation like cars and trucks and a climate characterized by hotter summers and colder winters, experts say California needs to triple the capacity of the grid by 2050. For the next 10 years alone, California will require 40 billion watts of energy, and to power this new future, the state needs to upgrade old transmission lines and construct new ones. But this is no easy task: Building new lines can take years, even decades – time that the state does not have if it wants to meet its clean energy goals. We’ll talk about what California is doing to build out the infrastructure to keep the lights on and get more electric cars on the road. Guests: Michael Wara, policy director for the Sustainability Accelerator at the Doerr School of Sustainability, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program and senior research scholar at the Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University Nadia Lopez, environmental reporter, Cal Matters Neil Millar, vice president of Infrastructure and Operations Planning, Cal ISO Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This weekend, the NBA Playoffs begin — and this year, for the first time, all four of California’s teams will be playing. The frenzy starts in Northern California on Saturday night, when the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors start their series. And come Sunday, eyes are on Los Angeles as the Lakers face the Memphis Grizzlies and the Clippers go up against the Phoenix Suns. We’ll talk to sports writers about this history-making postseason, how it came to be and what they’re watching for as the teams battle it out in the coming weeks. We’ll also hear from you: Who’s your team? And what are your predictions heading into the playoffs? Guests: Janie McCauley, sportswriter covering the Golden State Warriors, Associated Press Jeff Zillgitt, NBA reporter, USA TODAY Sports Jordan White, freelance sports writer covering the Sacramento Kings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Until recently, a persistent narrative about women in hip-hop was that only one can succeed at any given time. But, that wasn’t how the Bay Area rolled, especially in the 1990s as the region’s hip-hop scene flourished. In the early decades of Bay Area rap, artists including Conscious Daughters, Suga T and Mystic established themselves as legends. They also built what they call a sisterhood: They recorded songs together. They showed up for each other’s shows. And they helped their fellow female artists succeed in a cutthroat industry. We’ll talk with women who pioneered Bay Area rap and how they continue to influence the genre today. Guests: Nastia Voynovskaya, associate editor, KQED Arts Carla “CMG” Green, one half of The Conscious Daughters, an American female hip hop duo from the Bay Area "SUGA-T" Tenina Stevens, rapper and singer from Vallejo, California. She is a founding member of The Click, a rap group that also includes her brothers E-40 and D-Shot and her cousin B-Legit. She is also an actress, speaker, business owner and nonprofit executive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jury selection begins on Thursday in Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News, more than two years after Dominion filed its $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit arguing that Fox knowingly broadcast false information about its voting machines and software. In a pretrial ruling, the Delaware Superior Court judge overseeing the case determined that it was “crystal clear” that Fox’s statements about Dominion were false. Nevertheless, misinformation about the voting machines has already taken hold in California: Shasta County has canceled its contract with Dominion and plans to hand-count future elections. We look at the law and politics of the Dominion case and its impact in the state. Guests: Jeremy W. Peters, reporter covering the media and its intersection with politics, culture and law, The New York Times; author, "Insurgency: How Republicans Lost Their Party and Got Everything They Ever Wanted" Roman Battaglia, reporter, Jefferson Public Radio Jessica Levinson, professor of law, Loyola Law School; host, the podcast “Passing Judgment” Tommy Gong, deputy county clerk-recorder, Contra Costa County Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeanne Manford was an elementary school teacher and hardly an activist. But she had a gay son, Morty, who she loved fiercely. In 1972, the two of them walked together in a New York City gay pride parade, and Manford held a sign that read “Parents of Gays: Unite In Support for Our Children.” It was a revolutionary act. At that time same-sex attraction was classified as a mental illness, and “homosexual acts” were illegal in 49 states. But Manford insisted on publicly loving and accepting her son, and with her husband Jules and son, she founded an organization inviting other parents to do the same. That organization, Parents, Family, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays or PFLAG celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. We look at the impact these families’ activism has had and we hear from you. What does it mean to support those you love? What does it take? Guests: Kathryn Schulz, staff writer, New Yorker. Schulz's most recent piece for the New Yorker, "How One Mother’s Love for Her Gay Son Started a Revolution," chronicles the founding of PFLAG. Schulz is also the author of "Lost & Found: A Memoir" Avril Swan, granddaughter of PFLAG founder Jeanne Manford. Swan is a physician and practices in San Francisco Lilith Rose, former executive director and current program director, San Francisco PFLAG chapter Susan Thronson, board president, PFLAG National Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2018, six children — Ciera, Abigail, Jeremiah, Devonte, Hannah and Markis — were murdered by their adoptive parents, Jennifer and Sarah Hart, who also committed suicide when they drove their family off of a cliff in Mendocino. The Harts were white; their adopted children were Black and mixed race. Much of the news coverage focused on the Harts, their motivations and history. But a new book by journalist Roxanna Asgarian traces the murdered children’s stories through the perspectives of their birth families. We’ll hear those stories along with the failures of the foster and adoptive systems they expose from Asgarian, whose book is titled “We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America.” Guests: Roxanna Asgarian, law and courts reporter, The Texas Tribune; author, “We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ramen shops have popped up all over the Bay Area dishing out bowls of the classic Japanese comfort food. But members of the Japanese diaspora have long been disappointed by the offerings here. The broth is a little thin. The noodles can be a bit meh. Many wonder why their favorite dish to cure a hangover isn’t as good as what they can get standing at the bar of a ramen shop located on the platform of a Tokyo train station. The desire for a better bowl of ramen has propelled a handful of Bay Area residents to try their hand at improving on the dish by making a better noodle or changing up the recipe for the broth. In our latest edition of All You Can Eat, our series on Bay Area food cultures with KQED food editor Luke Tsai, we’ll talk about innovations in ramen and where you can find the best slurp around. What’s your favorite ramen restaurant? Guests: Clint Tan, founder and owner, Noodle in a Haystack Luke Tsai , food editor, KQED Arts & Culture Shotaro Uchida, founder and owner, Iseya Craft Noodle Kayoko Akabori, founder and owner, Umami Mart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I experience your wounds as if they were my own,” reads the last line of Clint Smith’s poem “Nociception.” Directed to a child, it explains that just as a sea creature that loses an appendage feels discomfort across its entire body, so does a parent whose child is in pain. The poem is part of Smith’s new collection “Above Ground,” which also celebrates the joy, wonder and even occasional absurdity of being a parent. We talk to Smith about his poetry and what he calls the “simultaneity of the human experience:” our capacity to hold fear and anxiety alongside joy and awe. Guests: Clint Smith, poet and staff writer, The Atlantic - His new collection of poetry is "Above Ground." His previous books include "How the Word is Passed." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life expectancy rates in the United States have been falling for some time even though the country has one of the highest standards of living on the planet. According to a recent column in the Financial Times, what’s really mind blowing is how those declines compare with other industrialized nations like Britain. The average American can expect to live to age 65 – a life expectancy similar to the poorest people in England. One key difference: more Americans are dying young due in part to rising opioid use, car accidents, and gun violence. We’ll talk about why Americans fare so much worse than people in other developed countries and what can be done to help more people live longer. Guests: Dr. Tony Iton, senior vice president of Healthy Communities, The California Endowment - lecturer, Health Policy & Management, UC Berkeley School of Public Health; former director, Alameda County Public Health Department John Burn-Murdoch, columnist, Financial Times Jessica Y. Ho, associate professor of Sociology and Demography, The Pennsylvania State University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mobility is “the harmonious convergence of all the elements that allow you to move freely and effortlessly through space and life,” write San Francisco CrossFit cofounders Juliet and Kelly Starrett. But our desk-bound, screen-dominated modern life constrains mobility, leaving our joints stiff, our muscles achy and our minds on edge. Being able to move the way we want, how and when we want, can’t be achieved by just working out or stretching, they argue. Beyond exercise and pilates, mobility requires an awareness of our bodies, their ranges of motion, and how to maximize that range to move easily and painlessly today and decades from now. Juliet and Kelly Starrett join us to talk about their new book and why all bodies are “Built to Move.” Guests: Kelly Starrett, co-founder, The Ready State and San Francisco CrossFit; author, "BUILT TO MOVE: The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully" Juliet Starrett, CEO and co-founder, The Ready State; co-founder, San Francisco CrossFit; author, "BUILT TO MOVE: The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California has been pummeled by storms in recent months, but the benefit of that never-ending rain cloud is all the makings for a beautiful Bay Area spring. Rivers are gushing, wildflowers are blooming, mushrooms are sprouting and waterfalls are tumbling in places they haven’t been seen in years, We’ll talk to a panel of nature-lovers about what to look for and the best places to see the glories of spring. Guests: Radhika Thekkath, president, Santa Clara Valley chapter of the California Native Plant Society Tracy Salcedo, outdoor guide author, has written multiple books about hiking in California, including “Hiking Waterfalls Northern California: A Guide to the Region's Best Waterfall Hikes.” Brad Day, publisher, Weekendsherpa.com - A free weekly e-mail about accessible outdoor adventures in the Bay Area. J.R. Blair, amateur mycologist and retired lecturer in Biology at San Francisco State University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2024 presidential election is more than 18 months away. Yet it started months ago: not with Donald Trump’s announcement that he’s running again, but behind the scenes with the leaderships of the Republican and Democratic National Committees fighting it out amongst themselves for power and primacy. That’s the focus of the newest season of the New York Times’ podcast, “The Run-Up.” Host Astead Herndon joins to talk about how party leadership is gearing up for the next election and what’s at stake. And we’ll hear from you: Does your political party and its leadership represent your views? Guests: Astead Herndon, national political reporter, New York Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices