KQED's Forum

Some marriages don’t end with a blowup or betrayal. Instead, partners slowly become emotionally disconnected – more like roommates than lovers. It’s a phenomenon that’s been dubbed a “quiet divorce.” We talk with psychologists Thema Bryant and Eli Finkel about why relationships quietly come undone, how to rebuild connection and when it may be time to let go. Guests: Eli Finkel, professor of psychology, Northwestern University; host, “Love Factually” podcast; author, “The All-or-Nothing Marriage: How the Bes Marriages Work” Dr. Thema Bryant, psychologist and author, “Matters of the Heart” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his new book, “Natural Intelligence and the Logic of Consciousness,” pioneering neuroscientist Antonio Damasio synthesizes his decades of research in neurobiology and philosophy of mind into a central idea: we are  conscious because we feel. “It is traditionally said that we are able to feel our feelings because we are conscious,” he writes, but instead, “we must be able to feel in order to become conscious.”  We talk to Damasio about his lifetime of research into the mind and his thoughts on the possibility of conscious AI. Guests: Antonio Damasio, psychology, philosophy and neurology professor and director of the Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California; author, “Natural Intelligence and the Logic of Consciousness” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1991, China scholar and journalist Orville Schell teamed up with CBS News’ 60 Minutes for a perilous undercover investigation into China’s laogai—a vast network of forced labor camps secretly exporting goods into American markets. Fearing severe retaliation against his family and friends in China, Schell shelved his written account for three decades. In his new book, “Inside China’s Secret Prisons: An Undercover Exposé and Its Lasting Legacy,” Schell reveals how that clandestine operation played out and shares why forced labor persists in China today. Guest: Orville Schell, director of the Center on US-China Relations at the Asia Society and author of the new book “Inside China’s Secret Prisons: An Undercover Exposé and Its Lasting Legacy” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California voters will decide this fall whether the state should impose a one-time 5 percent tax on billionaires, with much of the revenue going toward health care amid federal funding cuts. Supporters say Proposition 40 could raise tens of billions of dollars while also helping to address the growing wealth inequality in the state. Opponents argue the tax could drive billionaires out of California, shrinking the state’s income tax base and ultimately costing more than it raises. We talk to two leading economists: Gabriel Zucman, who helped develop the measure, and Joshua Rauh, one of its most vocal critics, about whether the billionaire tax would help  California’s economy – or hurt it. Guest: Gabriel Zucman, professor of economics, UC Berkeley; Paris School of Economics –  author of “We Need to Tax Billionaires”; helped develop Prop 40 Joshua Rauh, economist and professor, Stanford Graduate School of Business – senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research; opposes CA Prop 40 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joan Baez’s iconic voice has matured over the decades, but the way she’s used it has remained consistent. As a rising folk music star in the 1960s, she performed at the March on Washington alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., and founded the Institute for the Study of Nonviolence in California’s Carmel Valley. Now, she’s outspoken about the Trump administration. A musician, poet, author and activist, Baez is known for being idiosyncratic: Her latest act? Joining a circus in Alameda. We speak with Baez about the evolution of her voice and what she sees as artists’ role in activism. Guests: Joan Baez, legendary singer, activist, author and cultural icon. Her honors include eight gold albums, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a Kennedy Center Honor, as well as numerous awards for her civil rights work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been 25 years since the United States experienced the deadliest terrorist attack in our history on Sept. 11, 2001. The attacks profoundly changed our nation from how we view ourselves and treat first responders to how we balance national security and personal privacy. For many Americans, the attacks fractured our nation and created a stark before-and-after. But now, a quarter of a century later, close to a third of people in the U.S. were born after the twin towers fell, or were too young to retain any memories of it. Sept. 11 is morphing from a memory into history. We’ll talk about how the attacks reshaped our national psyche, identity and sense of security within our own borders and what we want younger generations to know about it. Guests: Wajahat Ali, author, “Go Back to Where You Came From”, columnist for the Daily Beast, co-host of the podcast Democracy-ish, writes The Left Hook substack. Michael Mark Cohen, American and African American studies professor, UC Berkeley, teaches the course, History of the Present: The U.S. After 9/11 Geraldine Baum, former New York correspondent and bureau chief, Los Angeles Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Taliban retook Afghanistan five years ago, the New York Times evacuated more than 120 Afghan journalists, translators and other employees and family members. In a new book,journalists Rebecca Blumenstein and Diana Kapp follow four young women from the group who must rebuild their lives in America, navigating college, work, language and faith. We’ll talk with the authors and one of the young women profiled about what freedom means after escape — and what the U.S. owes the Afghans it left behind. Guests: Diana Kapp, journalist and co-author, "The Last Free Women: A Daring Escape from Afghanistan and Coming of Age in America" Rebecca Blumenstein, president-editorial, NBC News; co-author "The Last Free Women: A Daring Escape from Afghanistan and Coming of Age in America" Mursal Rahim, fled Afghanistan in 2021 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Acclaimed poet and essayist Claudia Rankine’s new book, “Triage,” follows the turbulent, decades long friendship between a Black woman and a nonbinary Palestinian who meet in college and invent a ritual of collapsing to the ground whenever they see each other. Over time, that act of collapse comes to hold new meaning as they reckon with wounded histories, political violence and the strain of loving someone who can also unsettle you. Blending memoir, criticism, essay and visual art, “Triage” is Rankine’s first book after her celebrated American trilogy and some of her most personal writing yet. Rankine joins us to talk about friendship, grieving, and what it means to keep acting – and relating – in a time of relentless personal and global loss. Guests: Claudia Rankine, poet, playwright and author, her new book is "Triage", professor of Creative Writing at NYU; a MacArthur "Genius" grant recipient Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Longwell says listening to voters is a cheat code for understanding politics — yet few people actually do it. That’s why she has spent the past eight years conducting hundreds of focus groups with voters across the political spectrum. A former Republican political strategist and founder of the media company The Bulwark, Longwell lays out a playbook to fight back and win in her new book, “How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time.” We talk with Longwell about what she has learned from voters across the political spectrum, how Democrats can seize the moment and what it will take to defeat the MAGA movement. Guests: Sarah Longwell, publisher, The Bulwark; host, The Focus Group podcast; author, “How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rents are shooting through the roof in San Francisco as the AI boom creates yet another new class of wealthy people. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the city is now $4,600, according to Apartment List, up more than 25% from last year. Some landlords are looking to cash in by clearing out tenants from rent-controlled homes, so renters say they’re being offered massive buyouts – some above six figures – to leave their apartments or else face no-fault eviction. We’ll talk about wild times in San Francisco’s rental market and how landlords, renters and those in search for a place to live are adjusting. Guests: Kami Rieck, contributing writer, New York Times Tuesday Thornton, staff attorney, Eviction Defense Collaborative Joshua Howard, executive vice president of local government affairs, California Apartment Association J.K. Dineen, Bay Area housing reporter, San Francisco Chronicle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Los Angeles students began this school year with new limits on screen time, both in-school and for homework. It’s a trend starting to appear statewide, with even parents in Silicon Valley fighting for similar restrictions on laptops and tablets – especially in younger grades. This comes a year into the statewide ban on cell phones in classrooms, and as teachers across California are evaluating the broader role of technology and generative AI in the classroom. New York Times reporter Natasha Singer interviewed parents, educators and students across California. She joins us to talk about what’s inspiring the movement and how the tech industry came to have such an outsized presence in the classroom. Her new book is “Coding Kids: Big Tech’s Battle to Remake Public Schools.” Guests: Natasha Singer, reporter covering technology in schools, The New York Times; author, “Coding Kids: Big Tech’s Battle to Remake Public Schools” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal government has been scrambling to find places to send immigrants that have been arrested at record levels – close to 50,000 in July alone. Trump’s rush to detain immigrants has led to inadequate and overcrowded facilities and  out-of-state transfers. Some immigrants have been held for days in unsanitary conditions at San Francisco International Airport. Meanwhile, Gilroy residents have been fighting a proposed field office for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But those are just blips in the broader landscape of immigration detention. As the Trump administration plans to pour up to $45 billion in the next few years into locking up immigrants, we’ll dive into the immigration detention ecosystem in the Bay Area and nationwide. Guests: Tyche Hendricks, senior editor covering immigration, KQED Doug MacMillan, Reporter covering corporate accountability, The Washington Post Sara DiNatale, reporter covering politics and the impacts of the Trump administration’s policies on the Bay Area and California, San Francisco Chronicle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When investigative journalist Stephen Witt visited Silicon Valley’s 1X Technologies to meet a new home robot named Neo, he discovered a device full of contradictions: It was elegantly designed, but often struggled to complete even the simplest of tasks, taking longer than a minute to retrieve a bottle of water. Despite its limitations, more than 10,000 people have placed deposits for the $20,000 android, and Neo is just one of a dozen humanoid robots scheduled for release in the next year. We talk to Witt about the appeal – and challenges – of home robots and how quickly the technology is actually advancing. Guest: Stephen Witt, investigative journalist; author Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Gold is having a moment,” writes New Yorker staff writer Jennifer Wilson. Earlier this year, it traded as high as $5,500 an ounce as an unstable economic outlook has central banks and investors buying gold to hedge their bets. Gold has been embraced by the far right, reality TV, and hobbyists and full-time prospectors headed up to the foothills where the California Gold Rush began. Wilson explores all these angles in her latest piece “How Americans Caught Gold Fever Again.” We talk to Wilson and experts – and a gold prospector –  about the legacy and future of this precious metal. Guests: Jennifer Wilson, staff writer, The New Yorker - her recent article is "How Americans Caught Gold Fever Again" Albert Fausel, owner, Placerville Hardware; part-time gold prospector Quinn Slobodian, professor of international history, Boston University Brian Wallace, executive officer, Indigenous Futures Society Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The Idiot,” a podcast from Serial and New York Times opinion columnist M. Gessen, shares the story of Gessen’s own cousin, Allen, who went to prison for trying to have his ex-wife killed. The podcast asks how we reckon with personal beliefs about justice and punishment when applied to our own family: Gessen, a critic of the prison system, was shocked to find themself rooting for the prosecution during Allen’s trial. It also explores Gessen’s own complicated feelings about maintaining a relationship with Allen and their family’s range of responses to his crime. Gessen joins us, and we hear from you: Has a relative’s actions made you confront hard truths about yourself, your family and your strongest beliefs? Guests: M. Gessen, opinion columnist, New York Times; host, reporter and writer, “The Idiot,” from The New York Times and Serial Productions; they are the author of 11 books, including "The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia," which won the National Book Award in 2017 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fall is one of the most exciting times of year for arts and culture. To celebrate the start of the season, we’ve invited KQED’s Arts & Culture team to share their picks for the Bay Area’s best concerts, theater, exhibitions and local festivals. From major headliners and Broadway hits to neighborhood gatherings, local artists and up-and-coming gems, we’ll talk about what stands out on this fall’s calendar. We’ll also take the temperature of the Bay Area arts scene – what’s changing, what’s challenging and what’s giving our critics plenty to look forward to. Guests: Gabe Meline, senior editor, KQED Arts & Culture Sarah Hotchkiss, senior editor, KQED Arts & Culture Nastia Voynovskaya, editor and reporter, KQED Arts David John Chávez, theatre critic, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At this week’s G20 summit in Asheville, N.C., global finance leaders met amid a bond sell-off that threatened to raise the cost of long-term borrowing and upend global economic stability. That comes as the US national debt officially topped $40 trillion — a record high that’s double what it was a decade ago, raising serious concerns for some economists. With the nation’s spiraling debt showing no signs of slowing, is it too late to avoid a U.S. fiscal cliff catastrophe? We talk to economic experts about the current and future impacts, and whether there’s a solution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Acclaimed novelist Daniel Mason’s latest book, “Country People,” centers on Miles, a stalled PhD student of Russian folklore, who is married to a brilliant academic. A visiting stint at a prestigious liberal arts college in rural Vermont sends their family of four, plus the perfect dog, careening through a different America of Slim Jims, forests, and local legends. It’s both a sendup of academia—Mason’s a Stanford professor of psychiatry, after all— and those intrepid Californians, like himself, who head to New England in the summer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the Sept. 11 attacks, assaults against Muslims in the U.S. surged. At the same time the U.S. government launched a sweeping War on Terror that brought arrests, deportations and surveillance into Muslim communities. Journalist Rozina Ali was a teenager at the time and remembers her father warning her, “Don’t tell anyone you’re Muslim.” In her new book, “Seasons of Fury,” Ali traces the rise and persistence of Islamophobia through the lives of four Muslim American families. We talk to her about how the War on Terror reshaped Muslim life in America and what it will take to counter Islamophobia now. Guests: Rozina Ali, contributing writer, The New York Times Magazine; author, “Seasons of Fury: Four Families and the Rise of Islamophobia in America” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump Administration is reportedly considering letting a private Nevada developer take control of a parcel of land in Yosemite National Park. Conservationists and elected officials have pushed back hard, though the Interior Department disputes parts of the reporting. We’ll talk about the consequences of privatizing a cherished landmark and the efforts to stop it. Guests: Anna Kramer, reporter covering government and policy with a focus on energy and environment, NOTUS – broke the story with her article, “Trump Is Quietly Working to Give Part of Yosemite to a Private Developer” John Buckley, director, Central Sierra Environmental Resources Center an environmental group that’s worked for 35 years to defend water, wildlife, and wild places of the Northern Yosemite region Jared Huffman, U.S. Representative, California’s 2nd congressional district – Which covers six counties including all of Marin and Mendocino and much of Sonoma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wildfire season is underway in California, but the state’s wildfire fund is running low after billions went to victims of last year’s massive Altadena fire, sparked by faulty equipment owned by Southern California Edison. Governor Newsom and the legislature’s debate over fixing the wildfire fund has hinged on the extent utilities, insurance companies and homeowners would pay into it. We’ll dig into the details, and hear your thoughts on who should pay to rebuild after wildfires. Guests: Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED’s California Politics and Government Desk Michael Wara, policy director for the Sustainability Accelerator at the Doerr School of Sustainability, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program, senior research scholar at the Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University Joy Chen, executive director, Every Fire Survivor’s Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democratic socialists are on a winning streak. Candidates back by the Democratic Socialists of America have toppled establishment Democrats in primaries from New York to Florida, and national membership has surged past 120,000. In California, DSA candidates are running for mayor in Los Angeles and Richmond, and current incumbents like Assemblyman Alex Lee are members. We talk about what the party stands for and how its politicians and policies — credited with pushing the Democratic Party left — are making local impacts. Guests: Alex Lee, assemblymember, California State Assembly – represents California’s 24th Assembly District which includes the Alameda County communities of Fremont, Newark, and Sunol, and the Santa Clara County communities of Milpitas and San Jose Charles Homans, writer, New York Times – His latest piece for the New York Times Magazine is titled “Moderates See Socialists as a Threat to the Democratic Party. Socialists Agree” Cecilia Lunaparra, councilmember, Berkeley City Council – Lunaparra is the first undergraduate elected to Berkeley City Council Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you still wearing sunscreen? There’s been a recent wave of viral TikToks declaring that sunscreen is “toxic,” and they’ve helped ignite an anti-sunscreen movement. With recent surveys showing that millions of Americans are cutting back on sun protection, dermatologists worry that misinformation will lead to higher rates of skin cancer and melanoma. We look at what’s driving “sunscreen hesitancy,” dig into the social media claims and hear how health providers are pushing back against misinformation. Guests: Brian Underwood, beauty and grooming director of Men’s Health and Women’s Health and writer of “The Anti-Sunscreen Movement Is Coming for You” Heather Woolery-Lloyd, board-certified dermatologist and founder of DermFriends Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Growing up in San Rafael in the 80’s and 90’s, writer David Perlis sensed that he had just missed something incredible. “I wanted to know what happened here before I was born,” he writes. That kicked off a quest to uncover Marin County’s “seismic cultural awakening” throughout the midcentury that he chronicles in his new book “Morning in Marin: Zen, Drugs, and Ewoks on the California Coast.” Perlis argues that what emerged from “the Marinaissance” was adopted by popular culture across America — yet its influence has been overlooked. We talk to Perlis about the long reach of Marin’s cultural influence and the legendary artists and thought leaders who found refuge there, including Alan Watts, Robin Williams, Anna Halprin, George Lucas and many more. Guest: David Perlis, writer, musician, filmmaker and author, “Morning in Marin: Zen, Drugs, and Ewoks on the California Coast” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Six months into the war with Iran, the quick victory President Trump predicted remains elusive. As Iran’s hardline regime remains defiant, Atlantic writer and military affairs expert Tom Nichols says the United States has already lost strategically: Iran has gained control of the Strait of Hormuz, strained U.S. alliances and depleted American military resources. Nichols also argues that the ongoing conflict has made Trump more reckless, driving him to make ever more irrational foreign policy choices. We talk to Nichols about the costs of the war and where it goes from here. Guest: Tom Nichols, staff writer, The Atlantic; professor emeritus of national security affairs, U.S. Naval War College Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few years ago, a black Patagonia vest or a Timbuktu messenger bag were a telltale sign that a person might be from the Bay Area. Now, you might look for an Oaklandish hoodie, a water bottle covered in outdoorsy stickers, a t-shirt advertising a non-alcoholic beer or a Tesla with an Elon disclaimer on the bumper. We’ll dive into the objects and accessories that are hella Bay Area and just how they became so ubiquitous. And, we want to hear from you, what are the items that define the Bay Area for you? Guests: Carly Severn, senior editor of audience news, KQED Liam O’Donoghue, host and producer, East Bay Yesterday Baruch Porras-Hernandez, performer, organizer, host, curator, stand up comedian, author of “I Miss You, Delicate” and “Lovers of the Deep Fried Circle,” and co-organizer of KQED’s ¿Dónde Esta Mi Gente? Literary Series Pendarvis “Pen” Harshaw, columnist, KQED Arts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meta will pay up to $17 billion to settle a lawsuit alleging Facebook and Instagram violated child privacy and consumer protection laws. The case, brought by 47 states and the District of Columbia, could mark a turning point for social media in the United States. “Meta has agreed to make massive transformations that will reduce the risk of harm from its platforms — and will do it within months,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta when announcing the deal, which includes a $2.2 billion payout to California. “We are talking about time limits, stopping notifications during school, a block on the app during critical overnight hours, bans on plastic surgery filters, and so much more.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canada was once one of America’s staunchest allies, but a trade war between the two nations has put the friendship under strain. Following a collapse in trade talks, the Trump administration is hitting Canada with a 50% tariff that targets hockey equipment, cement, dairy, and plywood. Canada vowed to strike back dollar for dollar, issuing nearly $28 billion in tariffs on American steel, seafood, appliances, electronics and more. Canadians are boycotting U.S. products and cancelling trips south. We look at what this means for the two economies, consumers and the future of America’s trade relationships. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A uniquely and universally beloved musician and philanthropist, Dolly Parton died Tuesday at 80. One of country music’s most celebrated performers, her signature songs including “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” resonated across generations. We talk to Parton biographers about the singer’s life and legacy, and what made her such a distinct American icon. What did Dolly Parton mean to you? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new book, “The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State,” Harvard historian and New Yorker writer Jill Lepore issues a warning that in our desire for more efficient, data-driven governance we’re falling into “the rule of humans by machines manufactured by corporations.” Her book is an alarming call to action and, she writes, an “inquiry into what humans mean and intend in abandoning constitutional democracy, the liberal nation-state and even humanity itself for rule by automation, government by machine and replacement by artificial intelligence.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve all done it: put off that email, project… or even something we genuinely want to do. But why do we procrastinate? Researcher Itamar Schatz says it’s not that we’re just lazy, distracted or bad at managing our time, but that often procrastinators care more rather than less about what they’re doing and fear the possibility of failure. We’ll look at new research that explores the hidden psychology behind why we delay — and tools to finally get moving. Guest: Itamar Shatz, affiliated lecturer, Cambridge University; author, Solving Procrastination The Science of Why We Put Things Off and How to (Finally!) Stop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last December, Bay Area transit officials launched Clipper 2.0 – a revamp of the payment system used across the region’s 22 public transportation systems. The new version was supposed to allow seamless rides between systems and coordinate discounts and other programs. But its rollout turned out to be a bumpy ride that was riddled with errors including payments not being credited, account software locking out customers and system-wide outages lasting hours. KQED’s Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman joins us to talk about his investigation into what went wrong and what’s next for Clipper. Guests: Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman, reporter, KQED News Adina Levin, project director, Friends of Caltrain Sarah Syed, board member representing the City of Alameda and portions of Oakland and San Leandro, AC Transit Board of Directors Andrew Fremier, executive director, Metropolitan Transportation Commission Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In their groundbreaking 1976 book, “How to Control Your Drinking,” William R. Miller and Ricardo F. Muñoz offered a guide for moderate alcohol use. Back then about two-thirds of American adults drank, and now about half do. As Americans drink less and question whether any amount of alcohol is healthy, Miller and Muñoz are out with a new book called “Rethinking Drinking,” to help us figure out what role, if any, drinking should have in our lives. Guests: William R. Miller, American clinical psychologist, an emeritus distinguished professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque; co-author of “How to Control Your Drinking” (1976) and “Rethinking Drinking” (2026)  Ricardo F. Muñoz, Distinguished Professor of Clinical Psychology, Emeritus, Palo Alto University; Professor of Psychology, Emeritus, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine; co-author of “How to Control Your Drinking” (1976) and “Rethinking Drinking” (2026) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s only remaining active nuclear power plant, Diablo Canyon on California’s Central Coast, was supposed to shutter in 2025, but a series of heat waves and stress on the grid prompted state leaders to keep it running through 2030. And now, as demand for electricity skyrockets, a new push is growing to reverse the state’s decision to abandon nuclear power, and to extend the plant’s life through 2045. We’ll talk to advocates who have been fighting the nuclear plant since the very beginning about the risks of continuing operations, and from those who believe nuclear power is necessary to meet California’s mandate to switch to 100% carbon-free energy by 2045. Guests: Jane Swanson, president and spokesperson, Mothers for Peace Michael Wara, policy director for the Sustainability Accelerator at the Doerr School of Sustainability and director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program and senior research scholar at the Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University Adrian Covert, senior vice president of public policy, Bay Area Council Laura Klivans, climate reporter, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fitness trackers have exploded in popularity, and wearable users swear by the data. But psychologists say these devices can lead to anxiety and obsession. Endlessly checking sleep scores and step counts is part of the problem, but the bigger concern is that even favorable numbers don’t mean we’re actually healthy. Adam Clark Estes, senior technology correspondent for Vox, did his own fitness tracking experiment, and Dr. Thea Gallagher is a psychologist who works with patients with obsessive disorders. They’ll join us to talk about what’s driving our desire to quantify our lives, and how we can get better at using tech to support our physical and mental health. Guests: Dr. Thea Gallagher, clinical associate professor, Department of Psychiatry at NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine; Digital Mental Health, Outcomes, and Wellness Coordinator at NYU Langone Health; licensed clinical psychologist and anxiety specialist Adam Clark Estes, senior technology correspondent, Vox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco’s Nina LaCour is a bestselling YA author who has turned to adult novels in the past few years. Her new book, “Meet Me In the Garden” is a shimmering novel about a Creole family’s migration from New Orleans to California and the ways that they reinterpret their racial and queer identities in their new home. We talk about the Great Migration, the promise of California, and writing characters readers actually love. Guest: Nina LaCour, author, “Meet Me in the Garden,” “Yerba Buena” and “We Are Okay” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The San Diego-based naval carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed to the Middle East to support Iran war operations for nearly nine months. The ship has not stopped at port since December 2025, setting a record for the most consecutive days at sea without a port call. Sailors aboard the Lincoln and their families are now sounding the alarm, reporting food shortages, sanitation issues and deteriorating mental health among personnel. One crew member was rescued after going overboard. We look at what the Lincoln’s historic deployment reveals about the demands of the war in Iran — and the military’s ability to protect service members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal immigration agents arrested more than 50 thousand people in July, a record number for the Trump administration which has demanded 2,000 ICE arrests daily. The surge has brought new tactics including arresting travelers at U.S. airports with pending green card applications or valid work permits. And the public nature of the airport arrests have flooded social media. We talk about the ways in which ICE is targeting individuals who have legal protections and what may come next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After years of chasing news stories and crashing on deadlines, NPR health and science correspondent Allison Aubrey began to reconsider what she wanted out of her life. Aubrey argues that this is a feeling that many women over 50 face, as they search for meaning beyond career achievement and parenting. In her new book, “Your Turn: How to Create a Midlife You Love,” Aubrey reveals steps for building a happier, healthier midlife. She tells the stories of women who are redefining their lives and joins us to share her own journey toward new meaning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco voters will decide in November whether to set up a public bank, a city-owned financial institution that could manage city funds and make loans. The move would make San Francisco the first city in the country to operate a public bank, though it’s a concept cities and states across the country are exploring as a way to give local governments more control over their money and fund projects such as affordable housing, green energy infrastructure and small businesses that commercial banks don’t typically fund. Critics say cities already have tools available to them that are less risky and complicated to use. We’ll dive into what it is and how it might work in San Francisco. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The San Andreas Fault is under more pressure now than it has been in the last 1,000 years. That’s according to new research from seismologists who study earthquakes along the Pacific Rim. With recent earthquakes in Japan, Colombia and Venezuela making headlines, we look at the latest science, how prepared California is for “the Big One” and why we still can’t predict earthquakes. Guests: Katherine Sharer, geologist, U.S. Geological Survey Wendy Bohon, seismic hazards and earthquake engineering branch chief, California Geological Survey Brian Strong, chief resilience officer, San Francisco Office of Resilience and Capital Planning Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jared Huffman is the only member of Congress to publicly state that he does not believe in any god. In politics, disavowing religion can be a liability, but Huffman argues that more than ever, the separation of church and state is vital. A formerly devout Mormon, he sees Christian nationalism as America’s most dangerous political movement, especially after witnessing the January 6 insurrection up close and seeing the “ministry-industrial complex” at work in the halls of Congress. Huffman lays out his arguments and calls for a secular democracy in his new book “No Prophets.” Guest: Jared Huffman, U.S. Representative, California’s 2nd congressional district – Which covers six counties including all of Marin and Mendocino and much of Sonoma; author, “No Prophets: The Fight to Save Democracy from Christian Nationalism” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 600 California stoneworkers have contracted silicosis, a deadly and incurable lung disease resulting from exposure to the silica in engineered stone. The material, a go-to choice for home countertops, has been found to be toxic to the workers who cut, grind and polish it. Now, doctors, stoneworkers and activists are pressuring California lawmakers to ban the material and embrace available alternatives. At the same time, stone manufacturers and lawmakers are pushing federal legislation to protect manufacturers from worker lawsuits. Join us as we unpack the danger of artificial stone containing silica and the state of efforts to protect workers. Guests: Farida Jhabvala Romero, labor correspondent, KQED Dr. Sheiphali Gandhi, pulmonologist and assistant professor, UC San Francisco; director, the Center for Silicosis Support and Research Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The public library is our country’s last truly democratic institution,” writes celebrated librarian and public historian Dorothy Lazard. In her 40-year career, half at Oakland’s main branch, Lazard was on the front lines of libraries’ mission to provide free access to all and to serve as a hub of civic life. She was also witness to book bans, financial crises and the many challenges that threaten the institution. Her new book, “Behind the Desk at the Main: A Librarian’s Memoir,” offers a personal portrait of how libraries work and the people that keep them functioning, and a rousing call to protect them. Guest: Dorothy Lazard, author, Behind the Desk at the Main: A Librarian’s Memoir; former head librarian, Oakland History Center; author, What You Don’t Know Will Make a Whole New World Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s your favorite thriller novel? That’s a question the New York Times posed this summer to renowned authors and critics, and now the Times is out with a list of the top 50 thrillers released so far this century. We’ll talk to the list’s editors about how it came together, what makes a great thriller, and why these books — including the number one pick, Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl” — are so irresistible to readers. Guests: Gilbert Cruz, Canon editor, The New York Times Tina Jordan, Book Review deputy editor, The New York Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Social isolation has been declared a public health crisis by the U.S. Surgeon General. And you’ve likely heard about the male loneliness epidemic or how people are turning to AI bots forcompanionship. But across the Bay Area, shared hobbies are transforming strangers into close knit communities. We’ll talk about KQED’s Finding Your People series and hear from local subcultures – from mermaids to rock climbers – about the activities that have brought them together. How have you found your people? Guests: Nastia Voynovskaya, editor and reporter, KQED Arts Beth LaBerge, photographer and visual journalist, KQED The Mermaid Atlantis, part of the Northern California mermaid scene Phillip Lang, rock climber and rapper, organizes meetups for the Black Rock Collective, a group of Black climbers in Oakland Simrill Smith, skates under the name Creech with the roller derby team San Francisco Rolling Dead, Bay Area Derby league Hannah Phamvu, a regular at meetups for romance novel fans at A Novel Affair bookstore in Los Altos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the aftermath of the 2012 Sandy Hook mass school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, rightwing commentator Alex Jones peddled bogus conspiracy theories about the tragedy. The Sandy Hook families sued Jones for defamation and emotional distress, and in 2025 a court ordered Jones to pay them nearly $1.5 billion. Jones filed for bankruptcy, and as a court began to sort through his assets, the new owners of parody newspaper The Onion stepped in to take over his far-right platform, Infowars. We’ll talk to Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion, about the acquisition and what he plans to do with a “new” Infowars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration has pulled millions of dollars of funding for teen pregnancy prevention programs nationwide as part of its push for abstinence-only sex ed. Many states, including California, have embraced comprehensive sex ed requiring students to learn about reproduction as well as topics such as consent and contraception. Experts have credited such programs for helping cause the teen pregnancy rate to plummet and say federal policies and loss of funding could prove harmful in the long term and may be part of a larger agenda to encourage childbirth. We’ll talk about the Trump administration’s policies, defunding of programs, and best practices for educating teens about a loaded topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration’s push to execute the largest deportation campaign in U.S. history is unfolding in “a fog of fake numbers and statistical subterfuge.” That’s according to The Atlantic’s Nick Miroff, who covers immigration and the Department of Homeland Security. We talk to Miroff about the political pressures shaping the deportation push, the unintended consequences of blue state backlash to ICE detention facilities and how Homeland Security secretary Markwayne Mullin is responding to attacks from far-right critics who say he’s not aggressive enough on immigration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A cyberattack on Suisun City over the weekend forced the city to shut down its network infrastructure and declare a state of emergency. City hall services remain closed. In March, Foster City also declared a state of emergency after a similar attack. And two weeks ago, seven states across the country reported tampering with local water systems, a cyberattack attributed to Iran. How vulnerable are American cities and critical infrastructure like electrical grids, sewage treatment plants, and communications to cyber warfare? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices