KQED's Forum

It’s the holiday season and, for some of us, it’s best spent lightly dusted in flour and sprinkles. We’re talking about holiday baking: gingerbread, buche de noel, rugelach, stollen, buñuelos, and piles and piles of sugar cookies. What’s your favorite holiday dessert to make, eat or give as a gift? Guests: Anna Voloshyna, chef, blogger and culinary instructor, author of "Budmo! Recipes from a Ukrainian Kitchen" Jessica Battilana, staff editor, King Arthur Baking Company, author of the cookbook "Repertoire: All The Recipes You Need" Esteban Castillo, foodblogger and author of the cookbook "Chicano Bakes: Recipes for Mexican Pan Dulce, Tamales, and My Favorite Desserts" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The newest artificial intelligence sensation, OpenAI’s language model ChatGPT, can teach physics, write in verse and even compose a convincing letter from Santa Claus. Trained on billions of written words ranging from online message boards to classic literature, ChatGPT can also hold respectably intelligent – even witty– conversations, all the while refining its accuracy and style with constant user feedback. But critics say the technology can enable cheating and amplify falsehoods. We’ll talk about the potential uses and abuses of ChatGPT. Guests: Nitasha Tiku, tech culture reporter, Washington Post Kevin Roose, technology columnist, New York Times Daniel Herman, high-school teacher and author of the Atlantic article, "The End of High-School English" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The end of the year invariably means lists upon lists of best-ofs.. “Best music” could mean songs you kept on repeat, those best-selling tracks you couldn’t avoid, or the tunes that touched your heart in ways nothing else could. For some, it was the mega-hits such as Bad Bunny’s “Titi Me Pregunto,” Harry Styles’ “As it Was” or Beyonce’s “Break My Soul.” For other listeners, it was local stars like Zyah Belle, Mistah F.A.B. or Brijean. We’ll take a beat to appreciate the music that tickled our eardrums in 2022. Guests: Nastia Voynovskaya, associate editor, KQED Arts Suzy Exposito, music reporter, Los Angeles Times Adrian Spinelli, new music columnist, San Francisco Chronicle; staff writer, Uproxx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Parasites: they’re seen as blood suckers, freeloaders and the worst kind of groupies, writes parasitologist Scott Gardner. And though they can be dangerous, they’re also "unseen influencers," essential to food webs and in some cases even beneficial to human health. We learn about the surprising world of parasites with Gardner, whose new book is “Parasites: The Inside Story.” Guests: Scott Gardner, professor of biological sciences and Curator of Parasites, H.W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology, University of Nebraska; author, "Parasites: The Inside Story" Henry M. Wu, associate professor of medicine and infectious diseases specialist, Emory University School of Medicine; director, the Emory TravelWell Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Paul Austin and Tenisha Tate-Austin got an appraisal on their Marin City house that seemed unusually low, they took down art and photos that identified them as Black and asked a white friend to pose as the homeowner with a new appraiser. That appraisal came back nearly half-million dollars higher. Stories like this led ABC7 race and culture reporter Julian Glover to investigate bias in home appraisals. His one and a half year investigation found widespread undervaluing of Black and Latino people’s homes nationwide. We’ll talk to Julian Glover about his documentary, Lowballed. Guests: Julian Glover, ABC7 news anchor and race & social justice reporter, executive producer of “Our America: Lowballed" Paul Austin, Marin City homeowner featured in documentary, "Lowballed" Julia Howard-Gibson, Supervising Attorney with the Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California Dominique Curtis, licensed residential appraiser and realtor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back in 1989 the Los Angeles Times reported that karaoke, then a relatively obscure feature of the urban bar scene, was “beginning to make a big splash with Los Angeles-area yuppies.” Three decades later, karaoke is mainstream, and there’s a new Los Angeles Times project: The Ultimate Guide to Finding Your Go-To Karaoke Songs. We’ll learn more and hear what you like to perform and where, and why we love singing along to little lyrics on a neon-colored screen. Related link(s): The Ultimate Guide to Finding Your Go-To Karaoke Songs Guests: Ada Tseng, assistant editor on the Utility Journalism team, Los Angeles Times. Kiki Park, KJ (Karaoke DJ) in West LA. Hannah Glass, music analyst in rap and hip-hop, Pandora. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the pandemic, many customers began tipping more to support workers. The standard 15% tip edged up to 20% or even 30% for dining out, haircuts or food delivery. But now that prices forjust about everything are spiking, many consumers are finding that they need to pull back and some are questioning why tip jars seem to be everywhere now, even in places that are self-serve. We examine tipflation and tipping fatigue. And we want to hear from you: how do you determine who and how much to tip these days? If you work in a service job, what are your expectations for tips and how has that changed? Guests: Holona LeAnne Ochs, professor, Lehigh University; co-author, "Gratuity: A Contextual Understanding of Tipping Norms from the Perspective of Tipped Employees." Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst, Bankrate. Sara Morrison, senior reporter, Recode by Vox; author of the recent article, "Everyone wants a tip now. Do you have to give them one?" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duke Energy said it hoped to fully restore power to North Carolina residents by Wednesday night, after shootings at two electrical substations over the weekend shuttered schools and businesses and left thousands of people in the dark. The shootings, which investigators are calling deliberate, are for Californians bringing to mind the 2013 sniper attacks on a PG&E substation near San Jose that led federal regulators to adopt new rules to protect critical facilities. We’ll look at how vulnerable our state and national power grid is to physical attack, and why. Guests: Jon Wellinghoff, CEO and founder, GridPolicy Consulting; former chair, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission under President Obama. Juliette Kayyem, faculty chair of the Homeland Security and Security and Global Health Projects, Harvard Kennedy School; former assistant secretary, Intergovernmental Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security under President Obama; author, "The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters." Dan Brekke, editor and reporter, KQED News. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2003, McSweeney’s, the San Francisco-based literary quarterly, published the first issue of a new monthly magazine called “The Believer.” The graphic-rich journal focused on elevating new writers, publishing poetry, long-form journalism and quirky stories and was nominated for a raft of magazine awards. But hard times led to its sale, and through various twists and turns, the magazine’s website was sold to a media company that tried to turn it into a less than literary clickbait factory. This story, however, has a happy ending that is a new beginning: After a successful Kickstarter campaign, McSweeney’s has bought back “The Believer.” We’ll talk to the editors about the first new issue, and what they hope for the magazine’s resurrection. Guests: Vendela Vida, founding editor, The Believer; author of six books, including "We Run the Tides," "Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name" and "The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty;" founding board member, 826 Valencia. Heidi Julavits, founding editor, The Believer; author of "The Folded Clock: A Diary," as well as four critically acclaimed novels; co-editor, New York Times bestseller "Women in Clothes;" her memoir, "Directions to Myself," is forthcoming in 2023. Daniel Gumbiner, editor, The Believer; Gumbiner's first book, "The Boatbuilder," was nominated for the National Book Award and a finalist for the California Book Awards. Ed Park, founding editor, The Believer; author, "Personal Days" and forthcoming "Same Bed Different Dreams." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There were worldwide box office hits and record-makers, like the follow-ups to “Jurassic World,” “Doctor Strange” and — of course — “Top Gun.” There were movies that quickly developed dedicated fan bases, like “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” “RRR” and “Tár.” And there are the year-enders: “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” has been number one at theaters these past four weekends, and the sequel to box office history-maker “Avatar” is releasing this month. We’ll talk about the 2022 films that captured audiences and hear your favorites of the year. Guests: Kristen Meinzer, co-host of the podcast Movie Therapy with Rafer and Kristen Jackson Kim Murphy, associate news editor, Variety Dave Schilling, contributing writer, LA Times Image Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Singer and songwriter Valerie June defies genre – she can be a little country and a little rock and roll and there’s also folk, blues, soul, Appalachian and a sound that’s downright ethereal. But her music is all her own, she’s called it, "organic moonshine roots music," and it’s beautiful. She joins us to play a few songs on her banjolele and to talk about her latest album "The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers," her West Tennessee roots, her poems and her new children’s book, "Somebody to Love." Guests: Valerie June, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist; author of the new children's book "Somebody to Love" - and a recent book of poetry, "Maps for the Modern World" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent years, companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat have introduced plant-based hamburgers that look and feel like the real thing and plant-based chicken nuggets that pass the kid test. Now companies are looking to grow meat from real animals in labs, and the FDA has approved lab-grown meat as safe for human consumption. Although Americans consume on average 250 pounds of meat per person a year and another 20 pounds of fish or shellfish, more Americans are identifying as vegetarian or vegan. So the race is on to find alternative meats that might capture their palates and pocketbooks. We’ll talk about where alternative meats are headed and whether they’re good for us and the planet. Guests: Laura Reiley, Business of Food reporter, Washington Post David Julian McClements, Distinguished professor, Food Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; author, "Future Foods: How Modern Science is Transforming the Way We Eat" Amy Chen, COO, Upside Foods, manufacturer of cultivated meats based in Emeryville Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fans all over the globe are tuning into the World Cup, arguably the single most popular sporting event in the world. Still, this year’s tournament in Qatar has stirred backlash surrounding corruption and human rights abuses. And while America’s most beloved squads – Mexico’s El Tri and the U.S. Men – both washed out of the competition, millions of spectators remain captivated by the saga of Argentina’s Lionel Messi. Could a World Cup victory cap off his extraordinary career? We take stock of the cup so far and how fans are reacting to what’s happening on and off the field. Guests: Paul Tenorio, senior writer covering soccer, The Atlantic Sarath Ganji, foreign policy and communications expert Amelia Lopez, writer and digital content creator, FutMexNation; soccer analyst and co-host, The Mexican Soccer Show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Children's hospitals throughout California are straining under an unusually high number of patients with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common childhood respiratory infection that can in some cases cause pneumonia and other serious lung ailments. We’ll talk about what’s behind the surge in cases and how to keep young kids and other vulnerable populations safe, and we’ll assess the threat of an RSV, COVID and flu “tripledemic” in the state as winter approaches. Guests: Peter Chin-Hong, infectious disease specialist, UCSF Medical Center Erica Pan, California State Epidemiologist, California Department of Public Health John Zweifler, public health physician, Fresno County Department of Public Health Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do a retired teacher, a wetland scientist, former investigative reporter and a scout leader have in common? They are all part of the next wave of local leadership stepping in as mayors of four Bay Area cities. We’ll talk with the mayor-elects of Richmond, Martinez, Belmont and Fairfield about the perspectives they bring on housing, public transit, climate change, and other critical issues. Guests: Brianne Zorn, current city councilmember and mayor-elect, Martinez Eduardo Martinez, mayor-elect, Richmond Catherine "Cat" Moy, mayor-elect, Fairfield Julia Mates, mayor, Belmont Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

True crime. Gossip. Niche sports. Deep-dive history. The podcasts that have critics and podcasters hooked in 2022 vary. But what makes a good podcast in today’s saturated and corporate-shaped landscape? We’ll hear from a panel of podcast lovers about the shows that made them turn on episode notifications. And we want to hear from you: Whether your Spotify Wrapped called it your top podcast of 2022 or it’s what you play when you can’t sleep, we hear about your favorite podcasts this year. Guests: Wil Williams, CEO, Hughouse Productions. Ronald Young Jr. , audio producer and storyteller, Senior Producer/Owner, ohitsBigRon studios; host, "Leaving the Theater" podcast. Skye Pillsbury, author, The Squeeze newsletter which reports on the podcast industry Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remember the playground chants, the jump rope songs, the weird little games you played as a kid that were part of your secret kid world? Scholars have a name for it: childlore. You might imagine, given all the differences between kids—country, culture, class, race, media consumption—that this childlore might be vastly different from place to place. But the strange thing is, many of the little things kids say and do, or draw in their notebooks, are remarkably similar across time and place. We’ll talk about the things kids do across cultures and how they spread and evolve. Guests: Julie Beck, senior editor, The Atlantic; author of the article, “Why Did We All Have the Same Childhood?” Rebekah Willett, professor at the Information School, University of Wisconsin at Madison Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a remarkable display of discontent not seen since the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations, protesters across China have taken to the streets demanding an end to the country’s stringent zero-Covid policy. At the outset of the pandemic, China adopted a policy of quarantining and locking down its citizens to prevent the spread of Covid. But while most of the world has moved on to treat Covid as endemic, China’s president Xi Jinping, who was confirmed in October for an unprecedented third term, has stuck to its zero-Covid policy. Demonstrators argue that the policy has placed an extraordinary burden on citizens, and they are demanding not just the end to the restrictions, but also Xi’s resignation, a call that is politically sensitive in a nation where dissent is regularly quashed. We’ll talk about the protests and what impact they might have in changing China’s Covid policy and its future. Guests: Kerry Allen, China media analyst, BBC. Victor Shih, chair in China and Pacific Relations, University of California, San Diego. Nancy Qian, James J. O’Connor professor of Economics, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management; founder, Kellogg’s China Research Lab and China Econ Lab, an independent international organization that promotes research about the Chinese economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“This brutalization of Ukraine's people is barbaric." Those were Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s words Wednesday for Russian President Vladimir Putin, a day after the United States announced a new round of aid to rebuild Ukraine’s decimated energy infrastructure. Guardian foreign correspondent Luke Harding, who’s been reporting from inside Ukraine since last December, has written what he hopes is a “first draft of history” -- a recounting of the origins and human toll of Russia’s now nine-month-old assault. His new book is “Invasion: The Inside Story of Russia’s Bloody War and Ukraine’s Fight for Survival.” Guests: Luke Harding, foreign correspondent, The Guardian; author, "Invasion: The inside Story of Russia's Bloody War and Ukraine's Fight for Survival." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daniel Aston, Kelly Loving, Derrick Rump, Ashley Paugh and Raymond Green Vance. They were the five people gunned down when a shooter entered an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado last weekend and opened fire, in a terrifying massacre that also injured 22. LGBTQ advocates had been warning that a mass killing would follow the Pulse nightclub shooting six years ago, citing alarming increases in violence against transgender and non-binary people and rising anti-trans and anti-queer legislation and rhetoric. We’ll hear how LGBTQ+ communities in Colorado Springs, nationwide and here in California are responding and coping in the aftermath. Guests: Jo Yurcaba, reporter, NBC Out, the LGBTQ section of NBC News. Elizabeth Pixie, friend of Daniel Aston, who was killed in the Colorado Springs Club Q shooting. Nick Vargas, director of development and strategy, The Source LGBT+ Center in Visalia, CA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chef Tanya Holland’s new cookbook – like her family – is rooted in the people and the food of the historical migration from the South to the West. Holland, legendary for her former West Oakland soul food restaurant Brown Sugar Kitchen, weaves recipes with stories of California’s Black culinary pioneers and food industry entrepreneurs in her new cookbook, “California Soul: Recipes from a Culinary Journey West”. We talk with her about the stories that food holds and her California Soul. Guests: Tanya Holland, author, "California Soul" and "Brown Sugar Kitchen: New-Style, Down-Home Recipes from Sweet West Oakland;" host, "Tanya's Kitchen Table" on the Opra. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twitter's volatile new owner Elon Musk accused Apple of censorship on Monday, claiming it had threatened to "withhold" the social media platform from its App Store. The apparent feud comes as Twitter reels from an advertiser exodus and mass layoffs that have gutted content moderation and other key teams. We take stock of Twitter in the month since Musk gained control. Guests: Mike Isaac, technology correspondent, New York Times; author, “Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber” Shira Ovide, author of the Tech Friend newsletter, The Washington Post Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The San Francisco Bay is the largest estuary in Western North America and a key link in the 4,000-mile Pacific Flyway, one of the primary migratory routes used by birds to move north and south across the continent. It’s a place where birds come to rest and refuel for their long trip, or breed and nest the next generation. But in the span of a few human generations, 90% of California’s wetlands have disappeared to development and agriculture, endangering migrating and local birds. Now drought and sea level rise are further diminishing important bird habitats. As climate change becomes a bigger threat to the Bay Area’s local and migratory birds, scientists and conservationists work to help habitats adapt to climate change to ensure bird’s futures. We’ll talk to bird and conservation experts about how the Bay Area’s bird population has changed, what it means for the environment, for us, and what can be done about it. Guests: Steven Beissinger, Professor of Conservation Biology, UC Berkeley Andrea Jones, Director of Bird Conservation, Audubon California Jenny Odell, author of "How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve seen a 3-year old wielding a quarter-size violin and sawing at its strings to play Mozart, chances are you witnessed a student of the Suzuki Method. Created by Japanese educator, Shinichi Suzuki, the Suzuki Method is how many young American children learn to play classical music on the violin, cello and piano, among other instruments. But the Suzuki Method isn’t just about teaching children to master Bach or a vehicle for Tiger Parents to cultivate exceptional children. Rather, it’s an approach to education that believes talent is a muscle to be developed and that all children should be measured against their own abilities. We’ll talk about Suzuki and why he believed that little children could do great things. Guests: Eri Hotta, author, Suzuki: The Man and His Dream to Teach The Children of the World Cathy Lee, Suzuki Method educator, Lee studied directly with Shinichi Suzuki, and has taught violin for over 40 years. She has also trained dozens of teachers in the Suzuki Method. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In less than a month, crypto-billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried went from industry leader to pariah. His cryptocurrency exchange FTX has filed for bankruptcy, with the filings listing more than one million creditors impacted. The formerly $32 billion dollar company is now the target of investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission and Justice Department; Bankman-Fried is facing public scrutiny amid allegations of fraud. We’ll talk about the allegations against Bankman-Fried, where the crypto market stands and what we can learn from this moment. Guests: Margaret O'Mara, historian of the modern United States, University of Washington Hilary Allen, professor of law, American University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the roar of wind against mountains and the slam of waves on the shore to early morning birdsong, the sounds that fill our natural world are not only beautiful, they’re at risk, writes biologist David George Haskell in his new book, “Sounds Wild and Broken.” Haskell describes a global sonic landscape that’s threatened by human-induced habitat destruction and noise pollution and warns that by smothering the earth’s many voices, we’re not only imperiling species but losing our connection to the natural world. But by paying attention to sounds both natural and human-created, we can understand what’s at stake — and mobilize to protect it. Haskell joins to share more about our world’s sonic diversity and guide us in listening to it. Guests: David George Haskell, author, “Sounds Wild and Broken: Sonic Marvels, Evolution’s Creativity and the Crisis of Sensory Extinction”; William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies, The University of the South Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California native Ada Limón is the new poet laureate of the United States. She plans on, “elevating and promoting the expansiveness of poetry.” Limón, who has published six volumes of poetry, grew up in Sonoma and now lives in Kentucky. She says that poetry lived and breathed in her community growing up and has been key to her solitude as well as her sense of connection. She steps into her new role when America needs healing and unifying from art and artists. Limón joins us to talk about her work, her love of poetry, and how she’s reimagining America’s relationship to poetry. Guests: Ada Limón, poet, 24th Poet Laureate of the United States Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a country, America is experiencing a powerful wave of anxiety. Almost 80 percent of psychologists say the number of anxiety disorders in their patients has increased since the onset of the pandemic, per a recent survey from the American Psychological Association. And according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 7 million Americans suffer from generalized anxiety disorder. The factors at play vary widely between individuals, and experts say there’s no one treatment that works for everyone. We’ll talk about the latest research on clinical anxiety and solutions for managing it, from cognitive behavioral therapy to pharmaceuticals. Guests: Stefan G. Hofmann, professor of Psychology, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University Andrea Petersen, health reporter, The Wall Street Journal; author, "On Edge: A Journey through Anxiety" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For today’s show we need you to dig into your memory and put yourself in your own shoes. Does your adult self recognize yourself as a child? Can you empathize? Are you still that person or have you changed? Do you feel integrated as a person or is your former self a stranger? In his article “Are You the Same Person You Used to Be?" Ideas editor for The New Yorker, Joshua Rothman, explores how much of our personality is set from childhood, and the varied relationships we have with our younger selves. Guests: Joshua Rothman, ideas editor, The New Yorker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rabia Chaudry's struggles with weight and body image started when she was just a toddler: she was less than a year old when her family moved to the United States from Pakistan and adopted American penchants for snacking and junk food. As she gained weight throughout her childhood, family members teased her, questioned whether she’d ever marry and gave her the nickname “Fatty Fatty Boom Boom.” We’ll talk to Chaudry about her new memoir and how food and family have shaped her, both metaphorically and literally. Guests: Rabia Chaudry, author, "Fatty Fatty Boom Boom." Her first book was "Adnan's Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial" - Chaudry is also an attorney, advocate and host of the podcast "Undisclosed." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Practicing gratitude seems straight forward: think of the good things about your life and be thankful for them. Studies show this simple practice can have major mental, emotional and physical health benefits. But gratitude is complicated in a consumer-driven society that encourages people to want more and more. In this week of giving thanks, we dive into what gratitude is and how to nurture it in a healthy way. Guests: Carvell Wallace, writer, formerly Slate's parenting advice columnist and host of Slate's podcast, Mom and Dad are Fighting - he's working on a book on childhood trauma. Emiliana Simon-Thomas, science director of the Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Passports promise adventure. They verify who you are and where you've been. Sometimes they can protect you. Sometimes they cannot. The first passport dates back to Biblical times, and the modern passport as we know it is an invention of the early 20th century. At its core the passport is a request for safe passage, and as author Patrick Bixby notes, “these little books have the capacity to tell stories like few other documents.” In his new book, “License to Travel,” Bixby explores the cultural history of passports and how they have helped define the boundaries of the modern world. We’ll talk to Bixby and other travel writers about passports, what they represent, and the talismanic-like power they hold. What does your passport mean to you? Guests: Patrick Bixby, author, "License to Travel: A Cultural History of the Passport;" associate professor of English, the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University Peachanan "Pete" Rojwongsuriya, founder and blogger, "Bucketlistly Blog," Rojwongsuriya has visited 85 countries; author, "Traveling the World on a Third World Passport- What It Is Like and How to Overcome It" Lale Arikoglu, articles editor, Conde Nast Traveler; podcast host, Conde Nast Traveler podcast "Women Who Travel" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when an outspoken critic of the technology industry finds herself at the helm of one of the largest messaging apps in the world? Meredith Whittaker made her name as one of the tech industry’s strongest internal critics, helping lead the worker uprising at Google, founding an institute to rethink the ethics of AI, and promoting a platform for a real progressive politics in technology. Now, she’s the president of non-profit organization Signal, which builds a messaging app of the same name known for its serious dedication to privacy. This episode, we talk with Whittaker about the current moment in tech, if privacy still matters, and what she can do to help Signal prosper, despite its Big Tech competition. Guests: Meredith Whittaker, president, the Signal Foundation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly 48,000 University of California graduate students, post-docs and researchers stayed off their jobs for a third day on Wednesday, in what labor leaders are calling the largest higher ed strike in U.S. history. The majority of UC graduate students spend more than a third of their income on rent, according to a union survey, and their average income is around $24,000 a year. Graduate students are striking across all 10 UC campuses, picketing and pausing their roles as graders, advisers and classroom teachers. We’ll talk about where negotiations with the university stand and hear your reactions. Guests: Holly Rusch, lead news editor, The Daily Nexus, UCSB's independent, student-run newspaper Blake Jones, California education reporter, Politico John Logan, director of Labor Studies, San Francisco State University Neal Sweeney, president, UAW5810; postdoctoral scholar in molecular biology, UC Santa Cruz Letitia Silas, executive director of systemwide labor relations, University of California Office of the President Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year, poet and writer Clint Smith wrote the book, “How the World is Passed,” exploring how the US has failed to come to terms with the reality and legacy of slavery. Now, for an Atlantic cover story, “Monuments to the Unthinkable” he’s traveled to Germany to see how that country has grappled with memorializing its own ugly history. We talk with Smith about history, memory, and the stories a nation tells itself. Guests: Clint Smith, poet, "How the Word is Passed;" staff writer, The Atlantic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you heard the conventional narrative that parents who adopt are “saviors,” and kids who are adopted should feel unfettered gratitude? What impact does this narrative have when it comes to the complications many adoptees experience? In her recent conversation in the Atlantic with fellow adoptee Tony Hynes, writer Nicole Chung and Hynes dig into the nuances of trans-racial adoption, birth family connection and what it means to grow up hearing you were “saved.” They join us to rethink adoption narratives. Guests: Nicole Chung, author of "All You Can Ever Know" and the forthcoming "A Living Remedy;" writer of the column "I Have Notes" for The Atlantic Tony Hynes, Ph.D. candidate and training specialist in adoption; author of "The Son With Two Moms" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A shelf of clear glass jars filled with spices can be so beautiful – think vibrant turmeric cozying up next to a dark red chili powder – and also so intimidating. How to joyfully indulge in new spices without creating a global mish mash of tastes? And what exactly is a spice anyway? As part of our All You Can Eat series on Bay Area food cultures with KQED food editor Luke Tsai, we’ll talk with local spice connoisseurs about how to use spices, how to find them and how to support equity in the spice trade. Guests: Luke Tsai, food editor, KQED Arts & Culture Sana Javeri Kadri, founder and CEO, Diaspora Co. John Beaver, co-founder, Oaktown Spice Shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What in our lives sets us up to experience joy? And how does joy make us act and feel? Those are the the central questions poet and essayist Ross Gay explores in his new book, “Inciting Joy,” an ode to skateboarding, gardening, pick-up basketball and other practices and rituals that can make joy more available to us. We talk to Gay about the connections between joy and sorrow -- and joy and solidarity -- and why he says that joy, which gets us to love, is a practice of survival. Guests: Ross Gay, poet and essayist, "Inciting Joy," "Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude" and "The Book of Delights" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wildfires and recording-breaking heat waves continue to pose huge challenges for Pacific Gas and Electric, the state’s largest investor-owned utility. The company has undergone years of turmoil and legal trouble after its equipment sparked multiple wildfires including the 2018 Camp Fire that killed 85 people in Paradise. PG&E emerged from bankruptcy in 2020 and is now under new leadership, but how well the company can navigate safety concerns, corporate responsibility, and cost control after years of mismanagement remains uncertain. We take stock of PG&E and how the utility can move forward. 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 David Roberts, author and host of Volts, a newsletter and podcast about clean energy and politics Lily Jamali, senior reporter, Marketplace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The red wave Republicans hoped for never materialized, but they are close to winning a majority in the House as the nation awaits results in key House races. Meanwhile in the Senate, the balance ofpower rests on a Nevada race that as of Friday is too close to call and the December Senate runoff between incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock and his challenger, Herschel Walker. We’ll talkabout what we’ve learned from the midterms and their impact in California and the next two years of the Biden presidency. Guests: Melanie Mason, national political correspondent, Los Angeles Times. Domenico Montanaro, senior political editor and correspondent, NPR. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

American news coverage about Mexico invariably focuses on migration and drug cartels. Less talked about is whether the country is edging towards authoritarianism under President AndrésManuel López Obrador. Elected in 2018 to a six-year term, the president’s tight control over the Morena political party and his attacks on civil institutions have drawn comparisons to Donald Trump. Earlier this year, López Obrador, also known as AMLO, brought in the military to not only police city streets but run government infrastructure like airports, giving the military unprecedented powers in a move that alarmed democracy watchers. Described as the “Teflon president,” López Obrador enjoys a 60% approval rating despite a stagnant economy and rising criminal violence. We’ll talk with experts about the state of Mexico’s democracy. Guests: Denise Dresser, professor, political science, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM). Dresser's most recent article for Foreign Affairs is titled "Mexico's Dying Democracy." María Marván Laborde , professor, political science, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Marván Laborde is currently a fellow with the U.S.-Mexico Institute at UC San Diego. Natalie Kitroeff, Bureau Chief for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, New York Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Roughly 70 million Americans have a chronic sleep disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and lack of sleep is associated with chronic disease, mental illness andpoor quality of life. So, what can we do to help ourselves? We talk with UCSF sleep researcher Aric A. Prather about how to calm our ruminating minds and other strategies to help us get a goodnight's rest. His new book is "The Sleep Prescription: Seven Days to Unlocking Your Best Rest." Guests: Aric Prather, professor of psychiatry and behavioral Sciences, UCSF - His new book is "The Sleep Prescription: Seven Days to Unlocking Your Best Rest." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Alexandra Horowitz brought home a pandemic puppy it was clear little Quiddity would be very closely watched. Horowitz is founder of Barnard’s Dog Cognition Lab and her previous books explored questions of how dogs experience the world. In her new book, “The Year of the Puppy: How Dogs Become Themselves” she follows her puppy from his very beginnings as “a mewling splodge of fur,” through his first year. We talk to Horowitz about what she learned and why puppies are cognitively interesting as well as being the cutest little balls of fluff, and how those two things might be related. Guests: Alexandra Horowitz, author, "The Year of the Puppy: How Dogs Become Themselves;" founder, the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly one in three Black Californians has received inadequate treatment for pain or otherwise been unfairly treated by a health care provider because of their race or ethnicity. That’s according to a new study from the California Health Care Foundation, which also found that 26 percent of Black Californians have at least once decided not to seek medical care because they expected disrespect or unjust treatment. When it comes to addressing the problem, 80 percent of those surveyed said it is important to increase the number of Black healthcare workers and Black-led, community-based clinics. We’ll talk about how the health care system could better serve its Black patients and hear your experiences. Related link(s): - Listening to Black Californians: How the Health Care System Undermines Their Pursuit of Good Health - Listening to Black Californians - California lacks Black doctors. Here’s how the state can add more Guests: Katherine Haynes, senior program officer, California Health Care Foundation (CHCF). Wynton Sims, third year medical student, UCSF. Dr. Kim Rhoads, founder, Umoja Health; associate professor of epidemiology & biostatistics and associate director, Community Engagement, UCSF School of Medicine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wall Street Journal reporter Ben Kesling’s new book, “Bravo Company,” tells the story of one Army regiment’s deployment to Afghanistan and their struggles on their return home. Bravo Company was a group of paratroopers who experienced a large number of deaths, lost limbs and other injuries while serving in 2009 and 2010. Kesling, who served in combat zones as a Marine in Iraq Afghanistan, explores veterans’ complicated experiences with deployments, combat, and healing. As we approach Veteran’s Day, we discuss the harsh realities and aftermath of the War On Terror and what it means to serve your country. Guests: Ben Kesling, Midwest correspondent, Wall Street Journal; author, "Bravo Company: An Afghanistan Deployment and its Aftermath" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s about to be a new sheriff in Santa Clara county, for the first time in about a quarter century. Oakland and San Jose are getting new mayors, San Francisco is deciding whether the interim District Attorney should stay in the job. Voters are deciding on housing, crime, abortion, kidneys and a whole lot more. We’ll pore over those Bay Area and State election results with the help of KQED’s politics team. Guests: Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown show Guy Marzorati, reporter and producer, KQED's California Politics and Government Desk Darwin BondGraham, newseditor, Oaklandside Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This midterm election is a nail-biter. Very tight congressional races across California could determine which party takes control of the House and Senate. California voters are also choosing a governor and an attorney general as well as other statewide officers, and deciding whether to enshrine the right to an abortion in the state’s constitution. As the results come in, we review the outcomes of key races across the state and hear your reactions. Guests: Joshua Yeager, reporter, KVPR Nicole Nixon, politics reporter, Cap Radio Scott Shafer, senior editor for KQED’s California Politics and Government desk and co-host of Political Breakdown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scientists have yet to discover evidence of life beyond earth, but according to NASA researchers that doesn't mean the universe is lifeless. Where does the scientific search for life beyond our planet stand? From the possibility of extraterrestrial microbial life to the radiowave search for “intelligent” life, we’ll talk about what modern science tells us about whether we’re alone in the universe. Guests: Marina Koren, staff writer, The Atlantic - she covers space for the magazine G. Scott Hubbard, former director, NASA Ames Research Center; author, “Exploring Mars: Chronicles from a Decade of Discovery” Dan Werthimer, SETI Chief Scientist, UC Berkeley Department of Astronomy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the past week, reports of major layoffs at tech employers including Twitter, Meta and online payments company Stripe are fueling fears of a tech bust 2.0. Earlier this year, electric vehicle makers Tesla and Rivian, software maker Autodesk and fintech company Robinhood also cut hundreds of workers. The news is sending jolts through the Bay Area, which has enjoyed historically low unemployment for several years with high demand for tech workers. We talk about what these layoffs mean for the Bay Area’s economy and how to gauge the threat of an impending recession. Guests: Jeff Bellisario, executive director, Bay Area Council Economic Institute Sheera Frenkel, technology reporter based in San Francisco, The New York Times; co-author, "An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal tax law prohibits churches and other nonprofit religious organizations from endorsing candidates and otherwise engaging in political campaigns. But a new ProPublica-Texas Tribune investigation finds violations by churches across multiple states, including California. We'll learn more about the report, and we'll hear how your places of worship handle political matters. Guests: Jeremy Schwartz , reporter, ProPublica-Texas Tribune Investigative Initiative. Jessica Priest, engagement reporter, ProPublica-Texas Tribune Investigative Initiative. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices