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How Safe is California’s Tap Water? Aug 30, 2023

Show notes

The tap water in Southern and Central California’s urban areas are among the U.S. regions most exposed to PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” according to a recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey. Almost half the tap water in the United States contains one or more PFAS, high levels of which are linked to health issues like infertility and cancer, the study found. It’s raising questions about water quality in a state where more than 1 million people already lack access to safe water, especially in low-income, disadvantaged communities. Still, “drinking water across California is largely safe,” according to the Pacific Institute. We’ll look at the state of tap water in California and talk with experts about how to make sure your drinking water is safe.

Related link(s):

Guests:

Susana De Anda, co-founder and executive director, Community Water Center - a nonprofit environmental justice organization based in California’s San Joaquin Valley

E. Joaquin Esquivel, chair, California State Water Resources Control Board

Gregory Pierce, director, Human Right to Water Solutions Lab - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation

Tasha Stoiber, senior scientist, Environmental Working Group

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San Francisco Catholic Diocese Bankruptcy Filing Leaves Clergy Abuse Survivors in Limbo Aug 30, 2023

Show notes

Faced with more than 500 lawsuits stemming from clergy sexual abuse, the San Francisco Catholic diocese last week said it had no choice but to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone wrote, “the bankruptcy process is the best way to provide a compassionate and equitable solution” for abuse survivors. But victims say the bankruptcy is just a ploy to deprive them of justice and their day in court. San Francisco’s move to seek bankruptcy relief follows similar filings by the Oakland and Santa Rosa dioceses, following multiple clergy abuse lawsuits. Across the country, more than 30 dioceses have have sought bankruptcy protection. We’ll talk with experts about what it all means for the church, its faithful, and abuse survivors.

Guests:

Sophia Bollag, reporter, San Francisco Chronicle

Michael O'Loughlin, national correspnodent and associate editor, America: The Jesuit Review - O'Loughlin has covered the Catholic church for both the Boston Globe and Crux. He is the author of "Hidden Mercy: AIDS, Catholics and the Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear"

Joey Piscitelli, northwest group leader, SNAP (Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests) - Piscitelli, a survivor of clergy abuse, won a judgment against the Salesian order following a trial in 2006 in Contra Costa County

Marie Reilly, professor of Law, Penn State University - Reilly is an expert in bankruptcy. Her published work includes studies of Catholic dioceses in bankruptcy

Rick Simons , attorney, Simons is counsel or co-counsel on 75 individual clergy abuse lawsuits filed in Northern California. He also serves as the Northern California court liaison for the 1,600 clergy abuse cases filed against various Northern California dioceses

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How Do We Live in an Ever More Fire-Prone World? Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

Every wildfire has at least two stories, according to writers Justin Angle and Nick Mott. One story is about the devastation exacted on humans, their lives and property. The other story, sometimes at odds with the first, is about fire’s positive impacts on ecosystems. Fire is “something we need to suppress and control,” they write, “yet it’s a natural force we need more of.” Angle and Mott’s new book “This is Wildfire” is about reconciling those perspectives and finding practical ways to live healthily and sustainably in an increasingly fire-prone world. We’ll learn about advances in U.S. forest management and get tips for protecting yourself, your home and your community.

Guests:

Justin Angle, professor, University of Montana College of Business; co-author, "This is Wildfire: How to Protect Yourself, Your Home and Your Community in the Age of Heat"

Nick Mott, journalist; podcast producer; co-author, "This Is Wildfire: How to Protect Yourself, Your Home, and Your Community in the Age of Heat"

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Novelist Cristina García’s 'Vanishing Maps' Revisits the Cuban Diaspora in Sequel to 'Dreaming in Cuban' Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

Cristina García’s new novel, “Vanishing Maps,” is a sequel to her widely acclaimed debut, “Dreaming in Cuban,” published 30 years ago. The novels follow the del Pinos, a Cuban family disconnected by political allegiances, borders, and immigration. In “Vanishing Maps” the family has scattered beyond Cuba and New York to distant corners of Berlin, Los Angeles, and Moscow. The younger generations are far removed from Cuba, but the island remains a central force in their longings for home and family. García, who was recently a visiting professor at University of San Francisco and resident playwright at Central Works Theater in Berkeley, joins us to talk about how her characters forge bonds and confront borders –- both real and imagined.

Guests:

Cristina García, author of eight novels including "Dreaming in Cuban," "A Handbook to Luck," "The Lady Matador’s Hotel," "King of Cuba," and "Vanishing Maps."

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What Happens to our Online Shopping Returns? Aug 28, 2023

Show notes

Americans are doing a lot more of their shopping online, and thanks to generous return policies we’re also sending back more of the stuff that doesn’t fit, doesn’t work or just doesn’t look like its JPG. Many of us even regularly buy clothes in multiple sizes and colors and simply send back anything that we don’t like the look of. But very little of what we return, from bathing suits to defective barbeque grills, is repaired or resold as new. Returned inventory created 9.5 billion pounds of landfill waste last year, according to one estimate. And the shipping of returned inventory in the US, to retailers, resellers and repairers, emitted over 24 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2022. We’ll talk about the logistics of the reverse supply chain and the environmental consequences of all the stuff we buy and don’t want.

Guests:

Amanda Mull, staff writer, The Atlantic - who writes the column “Material World” on American consumerism

Tobin Moore, co-founder and principal, Optoro - a returns technology company

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How Scientists are Decoding Brain Activity to Help People Regain the Ability to Speak Aug 28, 2023

Show notes

Researchers at UCSF have developed a digital avatar to convey the words and facial expressions of a woman with severe paralysis by transmitting her brain activity. They published their results a week after scientists at UC Berkeley announced that they successfully recreated music by recording the brain waves of patients while they listened to songs. We’ll talk with researchers on both projects about the rapidly developing advances in our ability to decode signals in the human brain and the promise of neuroprosthetics to help people regain the ability to speak.

Guests:

Robert Knight, professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, UC Berkeley

Alex Silva, MD-PhD student of Medicine and Bioengineering, University of California San Francisco

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How Intergenerational Friendships Improve Our Lives Aug 25, 2023

Show notes

For many Californians, developing meaningful relationships with people significantly older or younger than them can be difficult. We live in age-segregated environments that make it challenging to encounter – much less connect with – people in different phases of life. Yet, experts have found that an exchange of perspectives and experiences across generational divides can decrease the health risks of loneliness and social isolation for older adults – and boost life satisfaction and learning in both directions. We’ll explore how we can form cross-generational friendships that enrich our lives and rethink a society that segregates members by age.

Guests:

Kathleen Toohill, writer and friend of Sukari Addison

Sukari Addison, octogenarian and friend of Kathleen Toohill

Laura Newberry, reporter and writer of the "Group Therapy" weekly newsletter, Los Angeles Times

Sylvia Vargas, director of community engagement programs, Openhouse SF, which is a non-profit organization serving older LGBTQ adults

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Breakup Songs Aren’t Just For Breakups Aug 25, 2023

Show notes

A good breakup song can offer you catharsis and a good, long cry. They can help you mediate the feelings caused by a long lost love, a messy goodbye, or a person you never, ever, ever want to get back together with. (Thank you, Taylor Swift). But a breakup song doesn’t have to be about a relationship — it can be about a job you’re leaving behind, a city you’re moving away from, or a friendship that has run its course. And sometimes, even when you’re feeling just fine, cranking up that emo breakup song in your car and singing the lyrics at the top of your lungs can be the exact thing you need. We’re talking about breakup songs, and we want to hear from you: What breakup song got you through a tough time?

Guests:

Brontez Purnell, writer, musician and author of "100 Boyfriends." His recent piece for the New York Times Magazine is titled, "I've Listened to This Breakup Song a Million Times"

Courtney E. Smith, creator and co-host of the podcast "Songs My Ex Ruined"

Asal Ehsanipour, audio producer and writer. Ehsanipour produced the Foretold podcast for the L.A. Times. She is a former KQED reporter and producer.

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New COVID Subvariant? New Boosters? Answering Your COVID Questions with UCSF’s Dr. Peter Chin-Hong Aug 24, 2023

Show notes

COVID cases nationwide and in California are increasing at summer’s end. The state’s positivity rate from PCR tests is almost 12% as of mid-August, and wastewater data indicate that the new omicron subvariant, EG.5, is on the rise. But reported case rates are still far below peaks from last winter; UCSF’s Dr. Peter Chin-Hong told the San Francisco Chronicle, “people should not be worried but should not tune out.” We’ll learn more with Dr. Chin-Hong and hear about the new fall booster and the latest research into long COVID and take your COVID questions.

Guests:

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong M.D., infectious disease specialist, UCSF Medical Center

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Oakland Program Turns Bay Area Youth into Video Game Developers Aug 24, 2023

Show notes

The Bay Area is home to a thriving video game industry, but many local kids, especially those of color, don’t see career opportunities in it. Several years ago, Damon Packwood founded Gameheads to help college students develop the skills and expertise to create their own video games and land jobs in the field. Participants in the Oakland-based program have built games that reflect their own interests and experiences including a game on Oakland sideshows and one on the slave trade in Cuba. We’ll talk with Packwood and David Brancaccio, host of the Marketplace morning report which has launched a series, “Skin in the Game,” that explores career, economics, and equity issues through the lens of video games.

Guests:

Damon Packwood, founder and executive director, Gameheads - an Oakland-based video game training program for young people

David Brancaccio, host and senior editor, Marketplace Morning Report

Camila Garcia Frausto, student, Gameheads; fourth year student and film studies major at UC Berkeley

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