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Remembering Dolly Parton Aug 26, 2026

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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?

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Historian Jill Lepore Warns Against Letting Robots Take Over Our Democracy Aug 26, 2026

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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.”

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The Hidden Psychology Behind Procrastination Aug 25, 2026

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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

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KQED Investigates Botched Clipper 2.0 Launch Aug 25, 2026

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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

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Should You Rethink How Much You’re Drinking? Aug 24, 2026

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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)

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Why California is Rethinking its Nuclear Exit Aug 24, 2026

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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

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Are Health Trackers Making Us Obsessed? Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

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

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Nina LaCour Weaves an Intimate Story of the Great Migration to California in Novel 'Meet Me in the Garden' Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

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”

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The USS Abraham Lincoln and the Toll of the Iran War Aug 20, 2026

Show notes

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.

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ICE Airport Arrests Attract Legal Outcry Aug 20, 2026

Show notes

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.

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