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Latest Episodes:

What’s Going on at the Department of Homeland Security? Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

The Trump administration’s push to execute the largest deportation campaign in U.S. history is unfolding in “a fog of fake numbers and statistical subterfuge.” That’s according to The Atlantic’s Nick Miroff, who covers immigration and the Department of Homeland Security. We talk to Miroff about the political pressures shaping the deportation push, the unintended consequences of blue state backlash to ICE detention facilities and how Homeland Security secretary Markwayne Mullin is responding to attacks from far-right critics who say he’s not aggressive enough on immigration.

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How Prepared Are We for Cyberattacks on Cities, Water Systems? Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

A cyberattack on Suisun City over the weekend forced the city to shut down its network infrastructure and declare a state of emergency. City hall services remain closed. In March, Foster City also declared a state of emergency after a similar attack. And two weeks ago, seven states across the country reported tampering with local water systems, a cyberattack attributed to Iran. How vulnerable are American cities and critical infrastructure like electrical grids, sewage treatment plants, and communications to cyber warfare?

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The California Cities Beefing With Fast Food Drive-Thrus Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

The burgers are so good that they’re causing traffic jams. At least that’s what’s happening in Culver City, where the line of cars at spots like In-N-Out Burger spills beyond the parking lot and into the street. Now officials there are trying to ban new drive-thrus outright. These bans are not an entirely new phenomenon — San Luis Obispo banned drive-thrus back in 1982 — but they’re getting newfound attention as recent pushes gain national attention. We’ll look at California’s role in the rise of fast food drive-thrus and examine whether the current moment could be the beginning of the end for a fast food staple.

Guests:

Shawn Hubler, Los Angeles bureau chief, The New York Times
Adam Chandler, food columnist, The Wall Street Journal; author of “Drive-Thru Dreams: A Journey Through the Heart of America’s Fast-Food Kingdom”

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The Alarming Rise of Colorectal Cancer in Young Adults Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer-related death for Americans under 50. And, for people in their 20s and 30s, the rate of incidences is expected to increase 90% by 2030. We explore what’s causing this alarming trend, the warning symptoms everyone should know, and what’s being done to improve treatment, advance research, and advocate for patients nationwide.

Guests:

Dr. Chloe Atreya, medical oncologist, UCSF; co-director, UCSF Young Onset Colorectal Cancer Center
Molly Roberts, vice president of advocacy, Fight Colorectal Cancer!
Amanda Webb, colorectal cancer survivor and advocate

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Annie Jacobsen’s Doomsday Biological War Scenario Aug 10, 2026

Show notes

What would happen if a top-secret Russian lab released a deadly, weaponized, pathogen? That’s the nightmare possibility that author Annie Jacobsen presents in her new book, “Biological War: A Scenario.” Drawing on hundreds of interviews with former defense secretaries, CIA and FEMA officials, scientists and counterterrorism experts, Jacobsen shows how we might respond hour-by-hour, and the outlook is grim. We’ll talk to Jacobsen about why we can’t ignore the existence of biological weaponry.

Guest:

Annie Jacobsen, author of “Biological War: A Scenario” and other books including “Nuclear War” and “The Pentagon’s Brain”

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Chang-rae Lee's Novel, 'A Tender Age' Is A Personal Story Aug 10, 2026

Show notes

“I’ve not gone back to any of the old places,” reflects the protagonist in the new novel “A Tender Age.” But that is just what the author Chang-rae Lee does, in this, his most personal book yet. Set in the 70s, the story follows an eleven-year-old Korean American boy caught between his doting immigrant parents and a roving pack of neighborhood kids — until one summer changes everything. Lee, a Stanford professor and Pulitzer Prize finalist joins us.

Guest:
Chang-rae Lee, author, “A Tender Age,” He is also the author of the award-winning novel “Native Speaker” and the Pulitzer Prize-nominated “The Surrendered,” among other works. He is a professor of creative writing at Stanford University.

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Julian Shapiro-Barnum on ‘How to Grow Up Without Becoming a Grown-Up’ Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

“We all need to act more childish,” says professional child interviewer Julian Shapiro-Barnum, the YouTuber behind the viral series Recess Therapy. He’s interviewed thousands of young kids to get their takes on love, family, adulthood — and corn. And he says he’s learned from kids about how adults can better listen to their emotions, instincts and imaginations. Shapiro-Barnum’s new book is “How to Grow Up Without Becoming a Grown-Up.” He joins us and we hear from you: What has a kid taught you?

Guests:

Julian Shapiro-Barnum, comedian; interviewer for online shows “Recess Therapy,” “Celebrity Substitute,” and “Outside Tonight;” author, “How to Grow Up Without Becoming a Grown-Up: Big Lessons from Little Kids”

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Oakland High Students on the Value of ‘Cross-Cultural Medicine’ Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

Bosnian Muslim funeral practices, Togolese views on mental illness, traditional Chinese medicine and postpartum depression among African American women are some of the topics addressed by Oakland High students in their publication, “Cross-Cultural Medicine, Volume 8.” It’s the latest installment of an annual capstone project for juniors in Oakland High’s public health academy, the essays in which – written by students, drawing from interviews they conducted and research they analyzed – both celebrate their own cultures’ approaches to medicine and examine mistrust of Western medical institutions. And it’s taught annually at the health sciences-focused Samuel Merritt University as part of its culturally competent care curriculum. We’ll hear from the students about the work they published and from the project’s creator, Jessica Forbes, who teaches at Oakland High School.

Guests:

Skili Richardson, incoming senior, Oakland High School; author, “How to Care for a Woman Who Has Postpartum Depression;” illustrator, “Cross-Cultural Medicine, Volume 8″ front and back covers

Charlene Kwan, incoming senior, Oakland High School; author, “Warmth from the Root”

Nzubechukwu Ugo Egeonu, incoming senior, Oakland High School; author, “African Distrust of Western Medicine and Practices”

Jessica Forbes, teacher, Oakland High School

Sarah Koster, family nurse practitioner; professor, Samuel Merritt University

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Why Danny McBride Makes Fun of American Men Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

Actor and screenwriter Danny McBride has built his career portraying immature men. From “Eastbound and Down” to “The Righteous Gemstones,” McBride weaves satire and profanity to comment on American culture. In his new book, “Thrilling Tales of Modern Men,” McBride offers a collection of short stories about complicated men, and asks whether we can empathize with deeply unlikeable characters. He joins us to talk about what his new book has to say about modern American masculinity.

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From Cash Checks to Shelter Mandates, The South Bay Is Betting Big on Homelessness Solutions Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

The Bay Area’s homelessness crisis is one of the most acute in the nation, and it has concentrated in the region’s biggest cities, like San Jose. Many communities have adopted new policies aimed at mitigating the crisis – from checks aimed at stabilizing vulnerable renters to making it illegal to refuse shelter beds. We examine the causes and potential solutions being implemented around the Bay Area, with a special look at a series of controversial new policies being implemented in the South Bay, including an effort to redirect funding from permanent housing projects to build more forms of temporary shelter.

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