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Election 2024: California Congressional Races To Watch Sep 17, 2024

Show notes

A tight race is on for control of the House of Representatives this fall, and California voters could play a pivotal role in the outcome. Republicans are seeking to defend seats in highly competitive races in the Central Valley and the Inland Empire while Democrats are focusing on protecting the seat held by Representative Katie Porter in Orange County. We preview the congressional races and hear what contests you’re keeping an eye on.

Guests:

Scott Shafer, senior editor, KQED’s California Politics and Government; co-host, Political Breakdown

Catie Edmondson, congressional correspondent, The New York Times

Laura J Nelson, staff writer covering politics and campaign finances, LA Times

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Ayana Elizabeth Johnson asks ‘What If We Get It Right’ on Climate Change? Sep 17, 2024

Show notes

Marine biologist and climate activist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, like the rest of us, has heard plenty of terrifying warnings about the dangers of failing to act on climate change. What she’s heard less is a question she says is not asked enough about our climate crisis: What if we get it right? That question is the title of her new book of interviews with innovators in the climate movement about what the world could be “if we charge ahead with the array of climate solutions we have at our fingertips.” We talk with Johnson about that future world and how we can get there.

Guests:

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, marine biologist, co-founder of think tank Urban Ocean Lab, author, What if we Get it Right? Visions of Climate Futures - co creator of the Blue New Deal, a road map for including the ocean in climate policy

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Why Do We Love to Hate-Watch TV? Sep 16, 2024

Show notes

Do you have a TV show you hate-watch? As streaming platforms and their algorithms collect more data on the types of shows we like to watch, they feed us shows that are so close to something we’ve loved in the past, but something about them is off. What starts as an earnest TV show tune-in becomes a show you can’t stop complaining about at happy hour. As New York Times film critic Alissa Wilkinson writes, “you can only hate-watch a show that you theoretically should have loved.” We’ll talk with Wilkinson about how a hate-watch is different from a guilty pleasure, why we participate in this weird cultural phenomenon, and we hear from you: What are you hate-watching?

Guests:

Alissa Wilkinson, movie critic, New York Times

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Is Too Much Local Democracy to Blame for the Housing Crisis? Sep 16, 2024

Show notes

Most Americans are now acutely aware that we have a housing crisis, but Atlantic writer Jerusalem Demsas says that we have much less clarity about what’s causing it. “All too often,” she writes, “explanations center around identifying a villain: greedy developers, or private equity companies, or racist neighbors, or gentrifiers, or corrupt politicians.” All which may be true, she says, but they fail to identify the root cause, that housing decisions are made at the hyper local level, in a tangle of zoning boards, historical preservation committees and sparsely attended meetings, “where no one is watching and no one is accountable.” We talk to Demsas about her new collection of essays, “On the Housing Crisis: Land, Development, Democracy” and why she thinks local governments are to blame for the housing shortage.

Guests:

Jerusalem Demsas, staff writer, Atlantic Magazine; author, On the Housing Crisis: Land, Development, Democracy

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How AI in Video Games is Affecting Performers Sep 13, 2024

Show notes

Voice actors and motion-capture artists in SAG-AFTRA have been striking against major video game companies since July to secure protections against the use of "digital replicas" created by artificial intelligence. The union is demanding greater transparency, consent requirements, and fair compensation for A.I. use. We'll talk to video game performers on how the strike is impacting them and what it means for the industry.

Guests:

Mandalit del Barco, correspondent, NPR

Alberto Menache, motion capture specialist, co-founder of NPCx

Sarah Elmaleh , voice artist, director, chair of SAG-AFTRA Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee

Andi Norris, actor, stunt and movement performer, member of SAG-AFTRA negotiating committee

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The Bay Area Orchestras Bringing Classical Music To A City Near You Sep 13, 2024

Show notes

The Bay Area is home to a surprising number of symphonies and philharmonic orchestras. They’re found not just in San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland, but Walnut Creek, Santa Rosa Berkeley and other smaller cities also manage to support orchestras. September ushers in the start of a new season for many of these groups. But sustaining local performing arts organizations and introducing new audiences to classical music remains a huge challenge. We check in with local orchestras about their upcoming performances and how you can support the arts.

Guests:

Donato Cabrera, music and artistic director, California Symphony

Jessica Bejarano, founder and music director, San Francisco Philharmonic

Kedrick Armstrong, music director and conductor, Oakland Symphony

Gabe Meline, senior editor, KQED Arts & Culture

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In Transit: Cars Are Getting Bigger and More Dangerous. What Can We Do About It? Sep 12, 2024

Show notes

Americans love big cars. But a new data analysis by the Economist finds the bigger the cars, the deadlier they are for pedestrians, for people driving smaller cars and for our roads and infrastructure. As the Economist’s Daniel Knowles writes, “for every life the heaviest 1% of SUVs or trucks saves in America, more than a dozen lives are lost in smaller vehicles.” Regulators are starting to consider ways car design could be safer for pedestrians and other drivers. But advocates say more needs to be done. As part of our In Transit series, we’ll take a closer look at the impact of big cars and hear from you: Do you love your big car? Why?

Guests:

Ethan Elkind, director of the Climate Program at the Center for Law, Energy and the Environment, UC Berkeley School of Law; host of the podcast, Climate Break

Daniel Knowles, Midwest correspondent, the Economist

Angie Schmitt, journalist, author of "RIGHT OF WAY: Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America", founder at 3MPH Planning and Consulting, focused on pedestrian safety

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How Much Alcohol is Safe to Consume? Sep 12, 2024

Show notes

For years, people felt good drinking a glass or two of red wine for the supposed health benefits, but last year the World Health Organization declared that “no level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health.” The debate over alcohol and health is happening as the federal government prepares to release new dietary and nutrition guidelines next year. We’ll talk to experts about whether light drinking is harmful and what we can expect from the new guidelines. And we want to hear from you, how much alcohol do you deem safe?

Guests:

Esther Mobley, senior wine critic, San Francisco Chronicle

Dr. Gregory Marcus, cardiologist, electrophysiologist and professor of medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Adam Sherk, scientist, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria - He is also a researcher for the World Health Organization's Collaborating Centre for Alcohol and Public Health Policy.

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Recapping the Debate with KQED's Politics Team Sep 11, 2024

Show notes

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump take the stage Tuesday night for their first Presidential debate. The only debate on the books before November’s election, it’s being held in the key swing state of Pennsylvania. Political analysts are watching for how the two challenge each other on the key issues of immigration, health care and the economy – as well as for the pair’s cadence and debate strategies. Mics will only be turned on for the candidate speaking; there will be no in-room audience. Thirty percent of Americans say the debate will inform their vote, according to a NPR-Marist poll released Tuesday morning. We’ll recap the major takeaways with KQED’s politics team and hear your reactions.

Guests:

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

Scott Shafer, senior editor, KQED’s California Politics and Government; co-host, Political Breakdown

Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED's California Politics and Government Desk

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Michael Blecker, Director of Swords to Plowshares, Reflects on a Life of Service Sep 11, 2024

Show notes

Michael Blecker spent three years as an infantryman in Vietnam, and the last four decades fighting for veterans as the executive director of the nonprofit Swords to Plowshares. In that role, Blecker has spearheaded efforts to help vets suffering from the psychic and physical wounds of war. He’s concentrated his work on issues that have plagued veterans including poverty, illnesses like Agent Orange or Gulf War Syndromes, homelessness and despair. Along the way, Blecker has earned praise as one of the country’s leading and most effective advocates for veterans. Nancy Pelosi, calls him an “American hero.” Blecker retires this year, and we talk to him about his life in service.

Guests:

Michael Blecker, Executive Director, Swords to Plowshares, a nonprofit based in San Francisco and focused on supporting veterans

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