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Should San Francisco Create a Public Bank? Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

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.

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NPR’s Allison Aubrey on Reinventing Life After 50 Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

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.

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Is California Ready for `The Big One?’ Aug 18, 2026

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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

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Rep. Jared Huffman Warns about the Power of Christian Nationalism in Congress Aug 18, 2026

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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”

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Artificial Stone Containing Silica is Killing Workers. Will California Ban It? Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

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

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Dorothy Lazard on the Ambitious Mission of Libraries and the People that Make them Function Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

“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

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Why We Can’t Stop Reading Thrillers Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

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

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Where Do You Go to Find Your People? Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

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 for
companionship. 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

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Why The Onion Took Over Infowars Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

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.

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Federal Sex Education Cuts and Abstinence-Only Policies Spark Debate Over Teen Health and Fertility Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

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.

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