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Latest Episodes:

Negotiation Expert William Ury on Why Conflict Is Good For Us Mar 14, 2024

Show notes

For many of us, conflict is something to be avoided, but according to longtime negotiation and mediation expert William Ury, we actually need more conflict in our lives. In a new memoir called Possible: How We Survive (and Thrive) in an Age of Conflict, Ury says conflict can “produce better ideas and, ultimately, better relationships.” We talk to Ury, who’s also the author of the bestselling book Getting to Yes, about his nearly 50-year career as a negotiator in conflicts around the globe. And we’ll learn how to apply his conflict resolution strategies to our everyday lives.

Guests:

William Ury, negotiator and mediator; co-founder, Harvard Program on Negotiation

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Youth Violence Researcher Explores His Own Family’s Tragedy in 'Sito' Mar 14, 2024

Show notes

Laurence Ralph is a Princeton professor who studies gangs and youth violence. Five years ago it all became very personal when a family member, 19-year old Luis Alberto Quiñonez, was killed in San Francisco in retaliation for a gang-related murder he didn’t commit. That tragic story is the subject of his new book, Sito: An American Teenager and the City That Failed Him. We’ll talk with him about the book and his work on juvenile justice reform and how to break the cycles of youth violence.

Guests:

Laurence Ralph, professor of anthropology, Princeton University; author, "SITO: An American Teenager and the City That Failed Him." He will appear on Thursday March 14 at 7PM at Mrs. Dalloway's bookstore in Berkeley.

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Meet the San Francisco Chronicle’s New Lead Restaurant Critic Mar 13, 2024

Show notes

After a yearlong wait, the San Francisco Chronicle has a new lead restaurant critic, MacKenzie Chung Fegan. She grew up in San Francisco, has deep roots in its restaurant scene and knows the power of the written word: 50 years ago her grandparents opened Henry’s Hunan, which exploded in popularity after the New Yorker deemed it “the best Chinese restaurant in the world”. We’ll talk with Fegan about her approach to restaurant criticism, what’s on her culinary to-do list and we’ll hear from you: What are you craving from a local restaurant critic?

Guests:

MacKenzie Chung Fegan, lead restaurant critic, The San Francisco Chronicle

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Historic Dam Removal Along Klamath River Nears Completion Mar 13, 2024

Show notes

For the first time in over a century, the 250-mile Klamath River will soon flow freely as the nation’s largest dam removal project in history nears completion. Indigenous tribes, fishermen and environmentalists had been fighting to dismantle four hydroelectric dams along the river for more than two decades, owing to the dams’ devastating effects on salmon populations among other environmental impacts. The next phase of the dam removal project is to restore the natural habitat along the river. We learn about the project’s history and future.

Guests:

Barry McCovey Jr., director, Yurok Tribal Fisheries Department

Mark Bransom, chief executive officer, Klamath River Renewal Corporation

Kurtis Alexander, enterprise reporter, The San Francisco Chronicle

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‘The Unclaimed’ Spotlights the Stories Behind the Abandoned Dead of LA County Mar 12, 2024

Show notes

Every year a ceremony is held at Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles for the county’s unclaimed deceased; the most recent ceremony, held in December, honored nearly 1500 people. In a new book sociologists Pamela Prickett and Stefan Timmermans tell the stories of four of the deceased and how they came to be laid to rest in a common grave after their ashes were left behind. We’ll talk about what makes people vulnerable to going unclaimed after they die, and hear about the people who are working to ensure they all receive a dignified burial. Their book is “The Unclaimed: Abandonment and Hope in the City of Angels.”

Guests:

Pamela Prickett, associate professor of sociology, University of Amsterdam

Stefan Timmermans, professor of sociology, UCLA

Arnoldo Casillas, attorney

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Doing Democracy: What We Get Wrong About Political Misinformation Mar 12, 2024

Show notes

Americans famously hang on to false ideas about politics, even after being presented with the facts. Part of the problem, of course, is misinformation. But according to political scientist Emily Thorson, people also tend to assume that they already know how existing policies work…and they are often wrong. In her new book, “The Invented State,” Thorson argues that providing facts and context in the right way can correct common policy misconceptions. She’ll join us as part of our Doing Democracy series, which examines what democracy means and how it is practiced, to talk about the book, and the latest research on misinformation.

Guests:

Emily Thorson, assistant professor of political science, Syracuse University; author, "The Invented State: Policy Misperceptions in the American Public"

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In Transit: How California is Addressing EV Charging Infrastructure Woes Mar 11, 2024

Show notes

Electrical vehicle purchases in California dropped significantly in the second half of last year, for the first time in a decade. It’s unclear if this is a trend or just a blip, but some potential EV buyers say that they’re holding off because of concerns over public charger access and reliability. Things may be improving: California approved a $1.9 billion dollar investment in EV charging infrastructure last month, which will bring 40,000 new chargers online – including in rural areas. We’ll talk about what California needs to do to meaningfully expand its EV charging infrastructure ahead of its 2035 ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars.

Guests:

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

Russ Mitchell, automotive editor, Los Angeles Times - He is based in Berkeley and covers the automotive industry.

Terry Travis, managing partner, EVNoire - a Mobility Consulting Group that works to integrate and amplify diversity, equity, and inclusion in the electric transportation sector.

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Pope’s Right-Hand Man on Ecology Reflects on the Moral Imperative to Fight Climate Change Mar 11, 2024

Show notes

In 2015, the Vatican published Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical Laudato Si’, which took a firm stance on climate change and urged people to “hear both the cry of the planet and the cry of the poor.” But even with the Pope’s advocacy for the climate movement, action has been slow, especially here in the U.S., where dioceses are reluctant to divest millions from fossil fuels and discuss climate issues with their congregations. We’ll talk with the Pope’s right-hand man on climate, Father Joshtrom Isaac Kureethadam, about the Catholic Church’s efforts to combat climate change and why the climate crisis is “not just a physical problem, but also a deeply moral one.”

Guests:

Reverend Dr. Joshtrom Isaac Kureethadam, chair of Philosophy of Science and Director of the Institute of Social and Political Sciences, the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome; former coordinator, Ecology and Creation at the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development; author, The Ten Green Commandments of Laudato Si’

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What Did We Learn from President Biden’s State of the Union? Mar 08, 2024

Show notes

President Biden is expected to call for lower healthcare costs and higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy in his State of the Union Address on Thursday. He’s also expected to announce a temporary U.S. port in Gaza to deliver large-scale humanitarian aid, emphasize the importance of reproductive rights and promote his so-called “unity agenda,” which includes ending cancer, confronting the crisis of addiction and helping veterans. The speech is being billed by administration officials as an opportunity for a “reset” to overcome voter concerns about the President’s age as his approval ratings hover in the high 30s. We’ll analyze the speech and hear your reactions.

Guests:

Ro Khanna, U.S. Congressman for California's 17th Congressional District (Silicon Valley).

Christopher Cadelago, California’s Bureau Chief, Politico - and former White House Correspondent.

Mike Madrid, Republican strategist.

Catherine Lucey, White House Reporter, The Wall Street Journal.

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All the Reasons We Love to Read Mar 08, 2024

Show notes

Author Shannon Reed is aptly named because she absolutely loves to read. As a child with hearing difficulties, reading was a reliable way for her to take in information. Now, whether it’s a book, the back of a cereal box, or a sign in the subway, reading is a hobby, calling, and pursuit that captures her fully. In her new book, “Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out,” she delves into how we find connection, comfort and escape in the act of reading. She also gives you permission to put a book down if you’re not loving it. We talk to Reed and a panel of Bay Area authors. And we hear from you: Why do you love to read?

Guests:

Shannon Reed, author, "Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out" - Reed is a Teaching Associate Professor and Director of the undergraduate writing program at the University of Pittsburgh.

Oscar Villalon, editor, Zyzzyva - San Francisco based literary journal.

Vanessa Hua, author, "Forbidden City" - Hua's previous books include “A River of Stars.” She is a former columnist with the San Francisco Chronicle.

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