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Paola Ramos on The Rise of the Latino Far Right Sep 24, 2024

Show notes

Latino voters in the U.S. overwhelmingly support Democratic causes and candidates. But in recent years, polls show that Latinos have been shifting to the right — and some even to the far right. In her new book “Defectors,” journalist Paola Ramos reveals the “quiet radicalization of Latinos [that] is taking place across the nation in plain sight.” Ramos traveled the country to talk to a range of right-leaning Latinos, including white supremacists and border vigilantes. She joins us to talk about the book, the importance of not viewing any community as a monolith, and what her reporting portends for the future of American politics.

Guests:

Paola Ramos, journalist and author. Her new book is "Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America." She is a contributor for Telemundo News and MSNBC, where she is the host of “Field Report.”

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Oakland Fans Say Goodbye to A’s Baseball During Final Home Games In the Coliseum Sep 24, 2024

Show notes

The day many Bay Area baseball fans have dreaded for years is finally upon us: Thursday will be the final A’s game at the Oakland Coliseum. The team has had a historic 57-season run at the stadium leaving fans with decades of memories along with buckets of tears and rage. Next spring, they plan to play in a temporary home in Sacramento and eventually end up in Las Vegas. Team owners have talked about moving the A’s for nearly two decades and have disinvested in players and yet, many A’s fans stayed loyal. So, how are they feeling as the final goodbye looms? What will they miss most? Who will stick with the team after they move? We talk about the future of the A’s and what they have meant to Oakland and to you.

Guests:

Melissa Lockard, senior editor and staff writer, The Athletic; founder, the Oakland Clubhouse; a lifelong A's fan

Pendarvis "Pen" Harshaw, columnist, KQED Arts & Culture

Andy Dolich, sports consultant for the Oakland A's from 1980 to 1994; co-author, "Goodbye, Oakland: Winning, Wanderlust, and a Sports Town’s Fight for Survival"

Kendrick Thompson, beer vendor at the Oakland Coliseum also known as "Ice Cold Kenny Bo"

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Election 2024: California Proposition 36 Would Increase Penalties for Theft and Drug Offenses Sep 23, 2024

Show notes

We take a deep dive into Proposition 36 on California’s November ballot. The measure would impose harsher penalties on some theft and drug possession offenses by rolling back Proposition 47, approved by voters in 2014. More than 70% of likely voters say they support Prop 36, according to a new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California. We’ll look at why and hear from both sides of the campaign.

Guests:

Darrell Steinberg, mayor, Sacramento

Jeff Reisig, district attorney of Yolo County

Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown

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How Should Progressive Cities Face their Urban Crises? Sep 23, 2024

Show notes

The 2020 elections brought in a wave of progressive politicians from mayors to district attorneys. But many of those leaders were subjected to recalls or even ousted from office. In a piece for the New York Times, columnist Nicholas Kristof, who recently ran for governor of Oregon, offered this rejoinder to critics of liberals running cities struggling with rising crime and homelessness: “[T]he problem isn’t with liberalism. It’s with West Coast liberalism.” According to Kristof, in governance, progressives were valuing intentions over outcomes. As San Francisco prepares to elect its next mayor, and as Oakland decides whether to recall theirs, we launch a new Forum series examining progressive politics in our region. To kick off this series, we talk to experts about the state of progressive politics and hear from you: How do you feel about progressivism? What has it done right? What has it done wrong?

Guests:

Alicia John-Baptiste, president and CEO, SPUR

Jessica Trounstine, centennial chair and professor of political science, Vanderbilt University; author, "Segregation by Design: Local Politics and Inequality in American Cities" and "Political Monopolies in American Cities: The Rise and Fall of Bosses and Reformers."

Nithya Raman, urban planner, member of LA City Council, representing district 4

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The Best Movies Starring…Los Angeles Sep 20, 2024

Show notes

Lots of movies are filmed in Los Angeles, but only a relative few give a leading role to the city itself. Yet a new series at Berkeley’s Pacific Film Archive “considers a selection of films that foreground the history, architecture, and neighborhoods of Los Angeles.” The series includes mainstream picks like “Chinatown” and “La La Land”, but also under the radar gems like “Killer of Sheep,” a milestone in Black indie film, and the landmark Asian Pacific American feature “Hito Hata: Raise the Banner.” We’ll talk with film critics about those movies and more…and we want to hear from you…what’s your most essential LA movie?

Guests:

Elvis Mitchell, culture critic and historian; host of KCRW's The Treatment, an inside look at the creators of popular culture; director of the 2022 Netflix documentary "Is That Black Enough for You?!?

Amy Nicholson, LA-based film critic; host of the podcast "Unspooled"

May Hong HaDuong, director, UCLA Film & Television Archive; Film and Television Archive - which collaborated with BAMPFA on the "Cities and Cinema: Los Angeles series. The series runs through October 3 at BAMPFA in Berkeley.

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What Do Rituals Mean to You? Sep 20, 2024

Show notes

On the surface, a ritual is simply an act that carries a special meaning. It can be as ordinary as saying a blessing before a meal or as elaborate as a three-day Indian wedding. Underneath the surface, rituals can be very powerful and add deep meaning to our lives. They may or may not be rooted in spirituality, but they have to be special. But our increasingly secular modern world is full of distractions that often pull people away from traditions and rites. We’ll talk about how rituals add meaning to our lives, how to practice them and we’ll hear from you, what are the rituals you have stuck with?

Guests:

Dr. Vanessa Calderón, physician, professional coach and resiliency expert. She also hosts "The Empowered Brain" podcast

Ezra Bookman, a ritual designer, artist; facilitator and founder of Ritualist, a creative studio specializing in secular rituals

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Have You Tried The ‘No-Buy Challenge?’ Sep 19, 2024

Show notes

More Americans in 2024 are taking on a ‘no-buy challenge,’ according to the Associated Press. They’re pledging for at least a year to purchase only essential items to curb impulse spending, reduce credit card debt or become more environmentally conscious. We hear from someone who’s taken on the challenge and the impact it’s had on her, and we explore why we’re tempted to overspend in the first place. Have you attempted a ‘no buy challenge?’

Guests:

Adriana Morga, reporter covering financial literacy and personal finance, Associated Press

Aparna Labroo, professor of marketing and consumer psychologist, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University; co-editor of the Journal of Consumer Psychology

Elysia Berman, creative director and content creator, @elysiaberman on TikTok

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Should Students be Allowed Cell Phones in School? Sep 19, 2024

Show notes

California’s public schools will be required to restrict cell phone use on campuses by 2026, under a bill awaiting Governor Newsom’s signature. Many Bay Area schools have already banned, or limited, the use of phones during the school day. We’ll check in with teachers, administrators and students about what’s working, what’s not and whether limiting phones has helped kids concentrate in class.

Guests:

Diego Ochoa, superintendent, San Mateo-Foster City School District

Maximus Simmons, junior at Oakland High School and a student director on the Oakland Unified School Board, Oakland High School

Hasmig Minassian, 9th grade ethnic studies teacher, Berkeley High School

Nico Fischer, junior, Santa Clara High School

Yvonne Shiu, principal, San Mateo High School

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What to Expect From the Rest of Wildfire Season…And How to Stay Safe Sep 18, 2024

Show notes

Thanks to cooler weather, firefighters are making progress this week on three major Southern California wildfires. But the Airport, Line and Bridge fires have already burned through more than 100,000 acres, destroyed dozens of homes, and forced thousands to evacuate. And experts say California’s fire season could get worse before it gets better. We’ll get updates on the fires and hear about the latest research on the health effects of wildfire smoke, and what you can do to protect yourself.

Guests:

Madison Aument, reporter, KVCR

Nick Shuler, Deputy Director, CALFIRE

Amy MacPherson, Information Officer, California Air Resources Board

Joan Casey, Associate Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington

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California’s Brutal Underground Market for Puppies Exposed in L.A. Times Investigation Sep 18, 2024

Show notes

After California made it illegal for pet stores to sell puppies in 2019, a vast underground market developed supplied by breeders in the Midwest that ship truckloads of puppies here. A new Los Angeles Times investigation found that often those puppies had been born in mass breeding facilities where they were neglected and not given adequate medical care. Families, who paid thousands of dollars for pets they were told were bred locally, often ended up with sick animals. Over the course of 14 months, the Times investigated how these unscrupulous puppy supply chains operate, the lack of protections for dogs, and why abusive breeders and brokers face few consequences. We’ll talk with the reporters about their investigation and how you can avoid getting duped by unscrupulous sellers.

Guests:

Melody Gutierrez, investigative reporter, Los Angeles Times

Alene Tchekmedyian, investigative reporter, Los Angeles Times

Melanie Sadek, president, Valley Humane Society

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