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Washington Post, LA Times Pulling Harris Endorsements Spark Outrage Oct 30, 2024

Show notes

Two major newspapers, the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post, will not publish planned endorsements for Kamala Harris for president. Those decisions, made last week after editorial boards at both papers their endorsements, have sparked outrage, hundreds of thousands of canceled subscriptions, and staff resignations. In an op-ed in the Washington Post, owner Jeff Bezos wrote, “What presidential endorsements actually do is create a perception of bias. A perception of non-independence. Ending them is a principled decision, and it’s the right one.” But many observers point out that the very role of editorial boards is to take a stance. We’ll talk about newspaper editorial boards, why they endorse or don’t endorse candidates, and what’s at stake.

Guests:

David Folkenflik, media correspondent, NPR News

Mariel Garza, journalist, former editorials editor of the Los Angeles Times

Sewell Chan, executive editor, Columbia Journalism Review

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How Silicon Valley Became the ‘New Lobbying Monster’ Oct 29, 2024

Show notes

Big Tech-funded super PACs have spent hundreds of millions of dollars this election cycle to protect their interests in crypto and AI. In a piece for the New Yorker this month, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Charles Duhigg says that “(n)ow that the tech industry has quietly become one of the most powerful lobbying forces in American politics, it is wielding that power as previous corporate special interests have: to bully, cajole, and remake the nation as it sees fit.” We’ll talk to Duhigg about how tech money is shaping this election. His article is called “Silicon Valley, the New Lobbying Monster.”

Guests:

Charles Duhigg, journalist, The New Yorker; author of "Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection" and "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business"

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How Much Do We Need to Worry About the Election Being Overturned? Oct 29, 2024

Show notes

Since Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the election in 2020, laws have been passed to protect our election results. But there has also been a concerted “election integrity” movement that has put election officials distrustful of the system in charge of local and county offices. And in California, only a third of congressional Republican incumbents have pledged to certify the results in November. We discuss how resilient our election system is, and whether we are now better protected from, or more vulnerable to, attacks on our democracy.

Guests:

Jim Rutenberg, reporter, The New York Times and The New York Times Magazine

Ian Millhiser, senior correspondent, Vox - His books include "Injustices: The Supreme Court's History of Comforting the Comfortable and Afflicting the Afflicted" and "The Agenda: How a Republican Supreme Court is Reshaping America."

Jessica Marsden, director of impact programs and counsel [leading teams focused on protecting free and fair elections], Protect Democracy

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‘Band People’ Highlights the Working Musicians Behind the Scenes Oct 28, 2024

Show notes

You see them on stage every night – the musicians whose names are buried in the liner notes and driven by passion rather than by rockstar-dom. Franz Nicolay calls them “band people,” and for his new book, he interviewed over 60 of these session musicians, backup singers, and instrumentalists. They share stories about the realities of band life and what Nicolay considers a unique collaboration that exists somewhere between a family, a romance, a small business and a gang. His book is called “Band People: Life and Work In Popular Music.” Who are some of your favorite unsung musicians?

Guests:

Franz Nicolay, musician and writer

Jason Narducy, musician; has performed in Bob Mould Band, Superchunk, Sunny Day Real Estate, Split Single, and Verböten

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Is Social Media Activating or Repelling Voters This Election Cycle? Oct 28, 2024

Show notes

The latest stars of TikTok and social media are not just influencers, they are presidential candidates. The campaigns of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have rapid response digital teams that are jumping on every meme, dance, and remix, some which feature the candidates. But are these efforts reaching new voters? Or is the “For You Page” just solidifying people’s world views, but to music? We’ll talk to social media experts and hear from you: what’s your favorite – or most hated – political meme in this election cycle and how has it influenced your vote?

Guests:

Sapna Maheshwari, business reporter covering TikTok and emerging media, New York Times

Morgan Sung, host, "Close All Tabs" podcast available on KQED's "Political Breakdown" feed

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Edie Falco and Tony Shalhoub Star in New Radio Play 'It Happened Here 2024' Oct 25, 2024

Show notes

What happens if fascism takes root in the United States? Actors Edie Falco and Tony Shalhoub have teamed up to voice a new radio play called “It Happened Here 2024.” The play, adapted by Richard Dresser from his own novel, imagines an authoritarian country in 2039 where elections are a thing of the past and the rule of law has collapsed. We’ll talk to the actors and the playwright about the connections they see between their “audio documentary from the future” and the current political climate.

Guests:

Edie Falco, actor, known for her roles on "The Sopranos" and "Nurse Jackie"

Tony Shalhoub, actor, known for his roles on "Monk" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"

Richard Dresser, playwright, screenwriter and novelist, His new radio play is "It Happened Here 2024"

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Neuroscientist Daniel Levitin on Using Music as Medicine Oct 25, 2024

Show notes

Neuroscientist and musician Daniel Levitin says we can trace beliefs about music’s power to heal mind, body and spirit back 20,000 years, to the Upper Paleolithic era. But only recently have we had good science to explain how music affects us and how we can use it therapeutically. Not only to relax, uplift and bring us together, but as part of treatment of trauma, depression, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and more. Alexis Madrigal talked onstage with Levitin in collaboration with LitQuake, San Francisco’s literary festival, running through October 26th. We listen back on their conversation and to Levitin’s live musical performance.

Guest:

Daniel Levitin, neuroscientist, musician and author, "I Heard There Was a Secret Chord," "The Organized Mind," "The World in Six Songs" and "This is Your Brain on Music. He is also Dean of Social Sciences at the Minerva Schools in San Francisco.

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Should You Be Giving Your DNA to Consumer Health Companies? Oct 25, 2024

Show notes

It’s been nearly twenty years since 23andMe, the consumer health company was founded. Since then, other companies have emerged, and in exchange for a tube of spit, a puff of breath, or a drop of blood, consumers can now not only find their ancestry and long-lost relatives, but learn what to eat that day or discover food sensitivities and propensity for diseases. But are these tests effective and what are the pitfalls of using a company you found on Instagram to test whether you’re likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s or cancer? And when those companies cease to exist, as troubled 23andMe might, what happens to all that health data? It’s one thing to share your email address or mobile number, and an entirely different proposition to share your genome. We’ll talk to experts about the world of consumer DNA-testing and how to protect yourself and your genome.

Guests:

Kristen V. Brown, staff writer, Atlantic Magazine

Hank Greely, law professor; founding director, Center for Law and the Biosciences, Stanford University

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R.L. Stine on the Stories that Give Us ‘Goosebumps’ Oct 24, 2024

Show notes

“Living Dummy.” “The Haunted Mask.” “Welcome to Dead House.” For ’90s kids, R.L. Stine, author of the “Goosebumps” series, is synonymous with spooky. The series has sold over 400 million copies globally in 35 languages, making it the second-best-selling book series in history (after a decidedly less scary boy wizard). And after being adapted for TV, film and a new Disney+ series, “Goosebumps” has found its audience among generations of kids looking for frights. We’ll talk about how to tell scary — but not too scary — stories for kids, and why we love horror at any age.

Guests:

R.L. Stine, author, wrote more than 350 books including the series “Goosebumps” and “Fear Street,” and of the nonfiction works “There's Something Strange About My Brain: Writing Horror For Kids” and “It Came From Ohio!: My Life As a Writer”

Caroline Smith, producer, KQED

Mark Nieto, producer, KQED

Blanca Torres, producer and reporter, KQED

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Election 2024: How the Demographics of American Voters Are Changing Oct 24, 2024

Show notes

In the final weeks before election day, candidates are scrambling to win over groups of voters who could tip the results. American voters have shifted significantly in recent decades with changes in the racial and ethnic composition of the electorate and their education level. In California, more than 2 million Latinos and more than 750,000 people of Asian descent became eligible to vote between 2012 and 2022. Meanwhile, white voters declined by more than 1 million. In other parts of the country, there are now more voters with college degrees than without. Those shifts could have major implications for elections. We’ll talk about voter trends at the local, state and national level and what it could all mean.

Guests:

Mindy Romero, founder and director, Center for Inclusive Democracy

Jason McDaniel, associate professor of political science, San Francisco State University

Jocelyn Kiley, senior associate director of research, Pew Research Center

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