KQED's Forum

In the past month, President Trump has cut a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel fuel to the US, lifted sanctions on Russia’s energy industry and pressured Ukraine to halt drone strikes on Russian refineries. Critics say it’s an attempt to lower U.S. gas prices ahead of the midterm elections and a betrayal of Ukraine, as the embattled country prepares for a difficult winter. We’ll talk about what Washington’s pivot toward Russia means for Ukraine’s future. Guests: Illia Ponomarenko, journalist and author, “The Land of Tears and Hope: The Ukrainian Story” – Former defense and security reporter, The Kyiv Post; co-founder, The Kyiv Independent. He has covered the war in eastern Ukraine since the conflict’s beginning, as well as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine since 2022 Simon Shuster, staff writer, Atlantic Magazine – author, “The Showman: Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky” Michael McFaul, professor of political science;…

Democrats are poised to take the House of Representatives and maybe even the Senate on Tuesday – at least that’s what recent polls tell us. But as we learned in the 2016 election, polls can be wrong. We’ll talk to pollsters about how they gather their data, how their methods have changed over the years, and the key races they’re looking at this midterm election. Guests: Michael Dimock, president, Pew Research Center Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette Law School Poll, Marquette Law School Mike Madrid, political strategist; author, “The Latino Century: How America’s Largest Minority is Transforming Democracy”; co-founder, The Lincoln Project Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California voters this election will usher in new representatives, vote on 14 statewide ballot measures and weigh in on many other local races and propositions. With just days to go until the midterms, we want to hear your last-minute voting questions. Are you wondering what you should do if you haven’t received your ballot? How can you find your polling place? How soon can you expect election results? Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation, and KQED’s Scott Shafer and Guy Marzorati join us to take all of your voting questions ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Guests: Kim Alexander, president and founder, California Voter Foundation Scott Shafer, senior politics correspondent and co-host, political breakdown, KQED Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED’s California politics and government desk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Día de los Muertos approaches, we take time to remember loved ones and notable people who have passed away this year. Just this week, influential labor activist Dolores Huerta died at age 96 months after the deaths of other icons including musician Dolly Parton, feminist Gloria Steinem and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead. The ancient Mexican tradition of honoring the deceased offers an opportunity to process personal and collective grief along with celebrating life. We welcome listeners to share remembrances and we’ll reflect on what it means to memorialize someone. Guests: Farida Jhabvala Romero, labor correspondent, KQED Ani Rivera, vice president, San Francisco’s commission of the department on the status of women Lidia Ruelo-Salazar, healer, culture keeper and founder of Tierra Rituals Sam Roberts, obituary writer, The New York Times; author, “Are They Dead Yet? The Art of the Obit” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Priya Parker, whose 2018 book “The Art of Gathering” was about bringing people together, is out with a new book called “The Art of Fighting.” It may seem like an entirely different topic, but Parker says forming and growing successful relationships is not possible being able to navigate disagreement. We’ll talk to Parker about how to handle all kinds of fights, and hear from you: How has conflict strengthened your own relationships? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a kid, Melissa King rushed home from school to grab her meat cleaver and cook dinner for her family. In her new memoir, “The Girl Who Became King,” the Top Chef winner traces her path from her immigrant parents’ expectations to a career in Michelin kitchens. “I didn’t think my life was interesting,” she notes, but in talking with fans and writing this book, King started “owning who I am and being proud of all of those things that I used to tuck away and hide about being gay and even being Asian in America.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an era marked by deep political polarization, runaway technology and everyday absurdities, our current reality often feels like an episode of “The Twilight Zone.” In his new book, “Serling: A Journey Into the Twilight Zone With TV’s First Visionary,” acclaimed television critic Alan Sepinwall, explores how writer and creator Rod Serling transformed television by weaving social issues and national anxieties in his storytelling. Sepinwall traces Serling’s enduring footprint across modern popular culture, from “Twin Peaks” to “Black Mirror.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthropic has filed to go public in what could become the largest IPO in history. The San Francisco-based AI company’s 335-page filing offers the first detailed look at its finances, growth ambitions and stated risk factors, including the possibility of catastrophic incidents. We’ll talk with San Francisco-based tech and business reporters about what Anthropic’s filing can tell us about the future of the AI economy and what the expected huge influx of money could mean for the Bay Area. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next week’s midterm election will decide which party controls Congress for the second half of President Trump’s term. And in the wake of California’s redistricting in favor of Democratic candidates, the state could play an outsized role in shaping the outcome of the midterms. We’ll dig into key races here in California and across the nation, and how issues like inflation and Trump’s approval rating could influence the outcome. Guests: Erin Covey, editor covering the U.S. House of Representatives, The Cook Political Report Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED’s California Politics and Government Desk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Voters across the Bay Area will weigh in on more than 100 school board races in next Tuesday’s election. As many school districts face declining enrollment, tight budgets and difficult decisions about the role of technology in classrooms, the make-up of school boards is critical. But voters often have very little information about the candidates, what they stand for or who supports them. This year, to address that void, KQED sent questionnaires to close to 400 school board candidates to better understand their positions. We’ll talk about the issues facing school boards, how to make an informed vote and the key races in San Francisco, Oakland and beyond. Guest: Jill Tucker, K-12 Education Reporter, San Francisco Chronicle Molly Gibbs, education reporter, The Mercury News and East Bay Times Katie DeBenedetti, reporter, KQED Ashley McBride, education equity reporter, The Oaklandside Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Would you want to know if you carried a gene that would cause dementia, even if there was no cure? And how would that knowledge change the way you lived? These are questions facing one family in which a rare brain disease known as frontotemporal dementia (FTD) has passed from one generation to the next. Journalist Robert Kolker, who spent years following their story, exposes the hard choices families face, what dementia reveals about personality and identity, and what FTD research is uncovering about how our brains work. We talk to Kolker about his new book “The Vanishing Family.” How has dementia affected your family? Guest: Robert Kolker, author of “The Vanishing Family: Love, Fate and the Quest to End Dementia” and a contributor to the New York Times Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence has long entered the classroom and is rapidly changing how students learn and teachers teach. Some schools are embracing AI and personalized learning tools, while others are pulling back on technology in the classroom. Meanwhile, students are increasingly turning to chatbots to help with assignments, raising concerns about what happens to critical thinking, reading, and writing skills when AI does the work for them. Can schools harness the benefits of AI without compromising students’ learning? We’ll talk with educators and researchers about how AI is reshaping the classroom, what it means for students’ development, and how schools and parents are navigating this new era of education. Guests: Daniel Herman, humanities teacher, Maybeck High School; wrote about teaching English in the age of ChatGPT for The Atlantic Jeremy Roschelle, executive director of learning sciences research, Digital Promise Kip Glazer, principal, Mountain View High School MacKenzie Price, co-founder, Alpha…

Soaring energy prices are the leading factor behind rising inflation across the United States, where consumer prices are up 3.7 percent over last year. In California, where energy costs have become an issue in the governor’s race, electricity prices are surging to a rate of about double the national average. We’ll look at what’s driving the rise here in California and across the U.S., and hear about how policy solutions could help bring prices under control. Guests: Mike O'Boyle, senior director of policy and strategy, Energy Innovation Meredith Fowlie, professor, UC Berkeley, faculty director, Energy Institute at Haas, co-director, Environment and Energy Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh off its Broadway run, “Liberation,” which won this year’s Tony Award for best play andPulitzer Prize for drama, opens its West Coast premiere at Berkeley Rep. The play features amodern-day narrator trying to imagine her mother’s 1970s consciousness-raising group. Forplaywright Bess Wohl, her research involved asking a question to her mother: “Do you regrethaving me?” Wohl and director, Whitney White, join us to discuss the play and its depiction offeminism across generational lines. Guests: Bess Wohl, Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning playwright of “Liberation” Whitney White, Tony Award-nominated director of “Liberation” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, a man on the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia died when he was ejected from the ride — a death that follows a pattern of apparent safety incidents on Six Flags roller coasters nationwide. A recent CNN investigation into Six Flags Magic Mountain, located just north of Los Angeles in Valencia, exposed serious safety concerns surrounding X2, one of the park’s most popular roller coasters. Over its nearly two-decade run, the ride has been linked to more than a dozen severe hospitalizations and two deaths, including riders who suffered severe brain hemorrhages. Six Flags officials have since closed the coaster — plus 10 others related to the subsequent Goliath incident. We’ll speak with a CNN reporter who broke the X2 story, and look at why apparently dangerous rides weren’t shut down sooner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twelve days from the midterms, election officials and teams of lawyers are preparing for what has become a depressingly familiar American tradition: challenges to voting. The Trump administration has been focused on voter integrity, including filing suits to take purported noncitizens off voter rolls, and attempting to collect sensitive voter data from states. Meanwhile, legal teams are gearing up for challenges to election results. We’ll talk to experts and hear your concerns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Southern California is facing a potential economic crisis as film and television productions increasingly migrate to rival states and international cities. More favorable tax incentives, expanding soundstage infrastructure and industry-friendly policies are pulling billions in production away from Hollywood. With New York poised to become the nation’s biggest production hub, local crews and lawmakers are worried about the exodus of talent and dollars. We talk with entertainment journalists about new tax incentives to keep productions in-state, and the long-term future of Hollywood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Communities up and down California are bracing for what experts are calling a “Super El Niño” that could bring an unusually wet winter. El Niño is a cyclical climate pattern during which a huge swath of Pacific Ocean waters heat up. The warmer water has long-ranging effects such as higher sea levels and a robust storm season. Some low-lying areas of the state are expecting heavy flooding and some coastal areas are concerned about erosion and mudslides. We’ll talk with experts on what would make this El Niño climate pattern “super” and what you need to know to prepare. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Adelanto ICE Processing Center, an immigration detention facility located northeast of Los Angeles, has been riddled with allegations of abuse, unsafe drinking water and detainees being denied medical care. In 2025, a detainee at Adelanto, Ismael Ayala Uribe, died in ICE custody after repeatedly requesting medical attention. What is happening behind the locked doors of ICE detention centers in California? What power does the state have to hold DHS accountable? Join us as we speak with journalists investigating California detention facilities and the creators of the new Al Jazeera documentary, “Dying in Detention.” Guests: Natasha Del Toro, host and correspondent for Fault Lines, Al Jazeera English Jeremy Young, senior producer for Fault Lines, Al Jazeera English Andrea Castillo, staff writer covering immigration, LA Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The long-awaited federal corruption trial of former Oakland mayor Sheng Thao kicked off last week, with prosecutors arguing that Thao put her power up for sale and defense attorneys attacking the credibility of key government witnesses. It’s been nearly two years since a federal grand jury indicted Thao and three codefendants in an alleged “pay to play” scheme. Thao — alongside her former romantic partner Andre Jones, California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong and his son, Andy Duong — have pleaded not guilty to charges that include bribery and conspiracy. We’ll talk about the alleged scheme, how the case is unfolding and what to expect from the six-week trial. Guests: Alex Hall, enterprise and accountability reporter. KQED Robert Weisberg, law professor and co-director of Criminal Justice Center, Stanford Law School Davina Hurt, government ethics director of The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University; former mayor of Belmont Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This November, Californians will elect their next insurance commissioner. The role is charged with regulating property and casualty insurance rates and with consumer advocacy. California’s insurance market — the fourth-largest in the world — is increasingly in the spotlight as disasters caused by climate change prompt private insurers to hike policy rates and decrease coverage. We’ll speak with the two candidates on the ballot, Democrats Ben Allen and Jane Kim, about their visions and priorities for the role. And we’ll hear your questions for the candidates. Guests: Danielle Venton, KQED climate and science reporter Jane Kim, consumer advocate and attorney; former San Francisco supervisor Ben Allen, state senator representing Santa Monica Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie joins us to talk about the ballot measures he’s supporting in this year’s election. He’s backing Prop. A, which would reduce the number of city boards and commissions, and Prop. D, which would increase requirements for placing measures on the ballot. San Francisco voters have numerous other propositions and races to decide on such as Prop. B, which asks voters to authorize a public bank. In addition two heavily contested supervisor seats in District 8 and District 10 are also up for grabs. We’ll talk about what’s on San Francisco’s ballot and how wealthy campaign donors are shaping races. Guests: Sydney Johnson, reporter, KQED news Joe Eskenazi, managing editor and columnist, Mission Local Daniel Lurie, mayor, San Francisco, founder and former CEO of Tipping Point Community, a foundation focused on fighting poverty in the San Francisco Bay Area Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, politics reporter, The San Francisco Standard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fish farming was supposed to relieve pressure on the world’s oceans. Instead, the burgeoningindustry is contributing to overfishing, environmental destruction and human rights abuses. That’s according to Ian Urbina, director of The Outlaw Ocean Project, whose five-year investigation into the farmed seafood supply chain – from fishing vessels to fishmeal plants to aquaculture farms reveals costs that are largely invisible to consumers. We talk to Urbina about why it’s so difficult to hold the industry to account and how to buy and eat seafood responsibly. Guests: Ian Urbina, director, The Outlaw Ocean Project Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the late 1960s and 70s, nearly a million Americans went back to the land. Seeking a simpler life, free from government intervention and the era’s strict social mores, they gathered in communes or built on their own plots of land. The lives they led and the homes they built – geodesic domes, psychedelic stained glass hideaways, and homes from chicken coops and recycled lumber – are documented in a new book, “Handmade Utopia: Back-to-the-Land Architecture in Northern California.” We talk to its author, David Jacob Kramer and a few of the folks featured, many now in their eighties, who built their utopia from hand. Guests: David Jacob Kramer, author, “Handmade Utopia: Back-to-the-Land Architecture in Northern California” Tom Hessler, artist Karen Hessler, ceo, Amaranth Farms Diana Wiedemann, architect, Wiedemann was an original member of Trillium, a lesbian commune that published “Country Woman” magazine Chris Larson, featured in book “Handmade Utopia” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…

Mary Todd Lincoln served as first lady from 1861 until President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in 1865. 144 years later, comedian Cole Escola sent themself an email asking: What if Lincoln’s death had been “a good thing” for Mary Todd? That tongue-in-cheek question became the basis for the smash-hit Broadway comedy “Oh, Mary!”, which has now won two Tonys and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in drama. Following Escola’s departure as Mary Todd Lincoln, the role has been taken on by actors including Bowen Yang, Maya Rudolph, John Cameron Mitchell, Jane Krakowski and Titus Burgess — and is now being played by “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Alaska in a national tour. We’ll speak with the director and stars about the play’s unexpected success, its blend of stupidity and wit, and the long, queer legacy of camp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Poems are not mere breadcrumbs left behind,” writes the acclaimed poet Elizabeth Alexander in her new book “Signals Across Vast Distances: Essays and Talks.” “They are fireflies, a path of light, a way to find our way to each other and know what we have lived.” Alexander, who drew national attention for the poem she read for President Obama’s first inauguration in 2009, is a longtime educator, scholar, and cultural advocate. She now heads the Mellon Foundation, the largest arts funder in the U.S. She joins us to talk about her book, which examines how art, literature and history shape civic life and can help us find our way to each other. As she observes, while these times may seem unprecedented, we have faced these challenges before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This November, Californians will vote on Proposition 40, a measure that would impose a one-time 5% tax on those whose net worth exceeded $1 billion at the beginning of 2026. While advocates argue it is time for the ultrawealthy to pay a larger share of taxes, opponents argue that Prop. 40 could drive billionaires out of the state and decrease future tax revenue. In this hour we’ll speak with KQED’s political correspondents about Prop. 40 — and the efforts to nullify it through propositions 41 and 42. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For more than five decades, renowned nutritionist, molecular biologist and food activist Marion Nestle has worked to expose the connections between Americans’ health and the powerful agendas shaping what we eat. Her newest book, co-authored with Dr. Lisa Sutherland, “Sugar Coated: Unboxing the Hidden Forces Shaping America’s Favorite Breakfast Food” examines the politics of our morning meal. We talk with Nestle about the shifts in attitudes and regulations of what we eat — from soda taxes to the MAHA movement — and about what she believes it will take to build a healthier food system for all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid the news of Tennessee’s botched execution of Christa Pike and the Pentagon saying it will live-stream its execution of an army psychiatrist convicted of a mass shooting, Gov. Gavin Newsom is said to be considering commuting the sentences of the 563 people currently on death row in California. The state is home to a quarter of all American prisoners awaiting the death penalty, though a moratorium on executions has been in place since 2019. We’ll talk about what factors Newsom is weighing and hear how commuting death penalty sentences could affect Newsom’s national political profile and the broader conversation about capital punishment in the United States. Guests: Natasha Minsker, facilitator, California Anti Death Penalty Coalition Maurice Chammah, staff writer, The Marshall Project Alexa Hansen, founder, Victim Advocate Angels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oakland is home to dozens of houses of worship, and the “Oakland Faith Project,” aims to document these spaces and their leaders at a time when many are turning away from religion. Photographer and documentarian Nicolò Sertorio’s website includes stark black and white photography and interviews with religious leaders who represent various walks of life, identity and beliefs. We’ll talk with Sertorio, project partners and some of Oakland’s religious leaders about “de-churching” in the Bay Area and the future of organized religion. Guests: Nicolò Sertorio, founder, artist and photographer, Oakland Faith Project James Campbell, Edgar E Robinson professor in United States History, Stanford University; partner, Oakland Faith Project Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, senior rabbi, Temple Sinai Sundiata Rashid, imam, Lighthouse Mosque; Muslim Chaplain, University of San Francisco Michael Wallace, pastor, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much like her acclaimed novel “Pachinko,” author Min Jin Lee’s new book, “American Hagwon,” is a multi-generational story that spans decades and continents. This one, set in South Korea, Australia and Southern California, focuses on education — and the sacrifices families make for their children to succeed in a fast-changing and increasingly competitive global economy. We’ll talk to Lee about what her novel has to say about diaspora, education and how we prepare for an uncertain future. Guest: Min Jin Lee, author of the new novel “American Hagwon,” as well as the books “Pachinko” and “Free Food for Millionaires” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fraternities and sororities – but mostly fraternities – have faced decades of scandal nationwide: hazing deaths, binge drinking, sexual assault, among other problems. Colleges respond with suspensions, alcohol bans and reforms, yet problems keep resurfacing like the recent allegation of a gang rape by fraternity members at Cornell. Members and alumni argue that frats and sororities offer friendship and connection that are vital in an age of loneliness. But others contend colleges should just ban Greek life. Guests: Doug Belkin, higher education and national reporter, The Wall Street Journal Jana Mathews, English professor, Rollins College, author, “The Benefits of Friends: Inside the Complicated World of Sororities and Fraternities” Max Marshall, author, “Among the Bros: A Fraternity Crime Story” Nicholas Syrett, chair and professor, Gender & Women’s Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison; author, “The Company He Keeps: A History of White College Fraternities” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…

Youth sports once gave opportunities for all kids to play, but the rise of club teams — which come with higher costs and are often backed by private equity — are pricing out many participants. California families spend some $2,000 dollars a year for just one child to play a club sport, and nearly 60 percent of families nationwide say the costs have caused financial strain. What will it take to keep lower income kids on the field? We hear from reporters covering the issue across California, and a youth sports advocate who helped with the passage of California’s Youth Sports for All Act. Guests: Katie DeBenedetti, reporter, KQED Alexander Nguyen, multimedia producer, KPBS Tom Bùi, coach at City Heights Soccer League in San Diego Renata Simril, ceo and president of the LA84 Foundation, president of the Play Equity Fund Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his new book, “Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State” author Michael Lewis profiles seven civil servants who tried to stop Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, as it took a chainsaw to the inner workings of the federal government. As Musk slashed departments and jobs claiming he could cut 2 trillion of the almost 7 trillion dollars of federal spending, Lewis found dedicated federal employees struggling to protect their work. We’ll talk to the Berkeley based author about the IRS employee who kept sensitive tax data from being exposed, the security guard who blocked DOGE from entering a federal building and taking over the US Institute of Peace and other acts of workplace resistance. Guest: Michael Lewis, author, most recent book is “Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State”, other books include “Moneyball” and “The Big Short” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Californians in this fall’s election will consider Proposition 39, which asks whether voters should be required to show ID when they cast a ballot. Supporters argue the rules are common-sense safeguards essential for restoring public confidence in elections, while opponents contend they pose identity theft risks and disproportionately disenfranchise low-income, minority, and young voters. We’ll unpack the cases for and against Prop 39 with KQED’s Guy Marzorati and Marisa Lagos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco’s Other Minds Festival turns 30 this weekend, with four days of music from world renowned experimental composers. There will be improvisation, chord repetition, electronic manipulation, 18th century Armenian music — and a grand piano surrounded by teddy bears. We’ll talk with co-founder and retiring executive and artistic director Charles Amirkhanian and with musicians about why the Bay Area is such a rich site for avant-garde music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which requires most proposed public and private development projects to go through a thorough environmental impact review process, has long been blamed for slowing or stopping the development of new construction in the state. This November, Californians will vote on Proposition 45, which attempts to streamline CEQA review for certain “essential” projects. We’ll look at how changes could impact housing, data centers and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of the Bay Area’s biggest political battles this fall are happening between fellow Democrats in hotly contested races for Congress. There’s a fierce fight for retiring former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s seat in San Francisco. In Napa, where redistricting has shaken up the district, a multimillionaire is courting votes from Republicans and progressives to unseat an establishment fellow Democrat. And in Sacramento, younger progressive challengers are taking on longtime incumbents, raising a bigger question about what Democratic voters value right now: a new generation of leadership, or the experience that comes with years in office? KQED’s politics team joins us to break down the races, the candidates and what to watch heading into Election Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Historian Miriam Pawel says the University of California system is unique in its commitment to being “an engine of social, intellectual, and economic mobility.” But even with record-high applications this year, it’s facing profound challenges, like federal funding cuts and fierce debates over whether it should reinstate the SAT. We’ll talk with Pawel about how the history of the UC is the history of California – and how the futures of both are intertwined. Her new book is “California Dreams: The Making and Remaking of the University of California.” Guest: Miriam Pawel, journalist and author, California Dreams: The Making and Remaking of the University of California and The Browns of California: The Family Dynasty That Transformed a State and Shaped a Nation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AGI or “artificial general intelligence” has been both the holy grail of machine learning researchers, and also the source of their biggest fears. Whereas AI refers to task-specific responses like finding a recipe, summarizing a contract, or explaining how a car works, AGI can write its own recipe, draft a contract autonomously, and drive the car. In his new book, “The AGI Chronicles,” journalist Kevin Roose goes inside the race to create super intelligent machines, detailing the feuds, defections and breakthroughs fueling the trillion-dollar effort. He also highlights the exhilarating and troubling questions its creators are grappling with: Does the tech have a conscience? And might it obliterate humanity? Guest: Kevin Roose, author, The AGI Chronicles: The Inside Story of the Race to Create an Artificial Superintelligence; former columnist, the New York Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Republican candidate for governor Steve Hilton says California needs a dramatic break from years of Democratic party rule. He wants to slash income taxes, build new cities, overhaul homelessness policy, expand energy production and rethink California’s approach to immigration and regulation. Polls show him well behind Democrat Xavier Becerra, but is he shifting the boundaries of political debate in the state? We talk with Steve Hilton about his case for a California reset. Guests: Steve Hilton, California’s Republican candidate for governor Marisa Lagos, KQED political correspondent and Political Breakdown co-host Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Aliksandria Prout was released from the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla in 2022, she set out to bring the correctional officer who abused her to justice. Her story — along with many other survivors of prison abuse — is detailed in a new series from KQED’s Snap Studios called “We Are Jane Doe.” The three-part series chronicles a two-year investigation by reporters Madi Bolaños and Anna Sussman into sexual abuse and retaliation at one of the largest women’s prisons on earth. We’ll talk with Prout about her experience as “Jane Doe Number One” in the high profile case against Gregory Rodriguez — and hear from Bolaños and Sussman about how the prison system has enabled this kind of abuse to go unchecked. Guests: Madi Bolaños, host, producer, “We Are Jane Doe” and co-host The California Report, KQED Anna Sussman, producer, “We Are Jane Doe” and senior producer and managing editor, Snap Judgment. Aliksandria Prout was formerly incarcerated at Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla,…

In his second term, President Trump has aggressively targeted immigrant communities away from the border, and tens of thousands of immigrant parents are being detained and deported without their children. More than 200,000 children—most of them American citizens—have been separated from their parents, and many have been left behind with temporary caregivers. Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Caitlin Dickerson’s latest investigation for The Atlantic, “The Babies Left Behind in America,” documents the policy changes that have allowed ICE to prioritize deportation quotas over child welfare. We speak with Dickerson about the hidden toll of this domestic separation crisis and what it means for families across the country. Guests: Caitlin Dickerson, staff writer, The Atlantic, 2023 Pulitzer Prize recipient for her reporting on immigration, author of new article “The Babies Left Behind in America.” Kelly Kribs, co-director, Technical Assistance Program, The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights Learn more…

After 23 years, the Oakland Police Department has been released from federal oversight. The federal monitoring, the longest in U.S. history, traces back to the “Riders” scandal: In 2003, a group of Oakland police officers were accused of planting evidence, falsifying reports and beating suspects. Civil rights attorneys sued the city on behalf of 119 plaintiffs and Oakland settled that lawsuit by agreeing to a list of 51 reforms designed to prevent future police abuses of power. Over two decades, more scandals emerged that prevented the end of the monitoring but now OPD says that this past is well behind them. We’ll talk about the impact of the federal oversight on policing in Oakland and the outlook for police accountability, public safety and the OPD as the department regains its independence Guests: Darwin BondGraham, news editor, Oaklandside, co-author of “The Riders Come Out at Night: Brutality, Corruption and Cover-up in Oakland” John Burris, civil rights attorney Barbara Lee, mayor of Oakland, served…

What we choose to post (or not post) to social media — the moments we highlight, the wording of our captions — tells a story about who we are. Those stories, says author Kathryn Jezer-Morton, then shape key parts of our offline lives, like the milestones we value and who we maintain relationships with. Jezer-Morton joins us to talk about her new book: “The Story of Your Life: How Social Media Shapes the Way We Experience Everything.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Opposition to data centers could play a role in who gets elected in November, especially in local races. Hundreds of new data centers have been popping up across the country, sparking backlash from residents who are worried about everything from water usage to machines destroying the economy. We’ll talk about the intensifying opposition to data centers and AI and how the issue could play out in the upcoming election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the race to be California’s next governor, Democrat and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has maintained a sizable lead despite keeping a low public profile. Meanwhile, Republican Steve Hilton has been pressing his case as an outsider who will cut taxes and support the working class. Ahead of their debate on CNN on Wednesday evening, we’ll look at why enthusiasm for the Democratic front-runner is lagging. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the crowd in Ballhalla roared, the Golden State Valkyries crushed the Dallas Wings in game 1 of their playoff series Sunday night. Led by coach Natalie Nakase, the team features veteran stars like forwards Gabby Williams and Kayla Thornton but it might be the passionate fan base that sets the team apart. Though only in their second year in the WNBA, the Valkyries have drawn sellout crowds ready to “put their V’s up.” But as the playoffs unfold, the WNBA’s record growth collides with old problems: pay disputes, online harassment and the misogyny that still shadows women’s sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Extreme academic workloads and relentless achievement culture are driving a youth mental health crisis in classrooms nationwide — especially among students trying to get into top colleges. That’s according to Stuart Slavin, a pediatrician who researches how to improve student mental health and the author of “The Success Trap.” We’ll hear from Slavin, a former school administrator and a high school journalist about how to escape “The Success Trap” and how parents can help their kids navigate this pressure. Guests: Stuart Slavin, author, The Success Trap: How the Pressure to Stand Out Is Fueling Anxiety, Depression, and Burnout in Teens—And the Fundamental Fix They Deserve; pediatrician, medical educator, researcher Ananya Kota, student journalist, Los Altos High School – published an article in May in student paper detailing the pressures students face Chris Funk, former superintendent, Dublin Unified School District – initiated policy limiting the number of AP/honors courses students can take yearly Learn…

Oakland-based comedian, filmmaker, author and activist W. Kamau Bell is best known for his award-winning series “United Shades of America,” “1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed,” and “We Need To Talk About Cosby.” His touring stand-up set — coming to Stanford’s Memorial Auditorium on Oct. 1 — as well as his Substack and new podcast are all titled with the same question: “Who’s with Me?” Bell says the question “is an invitation to connect, a call to action, and a reassuring pat on the shoulder in these increasingly hectic times.” As part of our Bay Area Legends series, we’ll talk with Bell about forming community and celebrating Oakland. Guest: W. Kamau Bell, comedian, filmmaker, author and activist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices