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Latest Episodes:

Biologist Jonathan Losos on ‘How Cats Evolved from the Savanna to Your Sofa’ May 03, 2023

Show notes

Does your cat’s cry for food sound different from its meow for attention? How come Mr. Whiskers is “making biscuits” on your belly? Evolution may provide clues as to why, writes biologist Jonathan Losos. Losos made his career studying lizards, but he’d pet cats every chance he got. And his new book, “The Cat’s Meow,” applies an evolutionary lens to the domesticated pet, exploring why they — yes — meow, but also trill, howl, growl, hiss, snarl, purr and chirp. It also looks at where outdoor cats like to prowl and whether our cats are really that different from lions and tigers. Losos joins us to share more about our feline friends.

Guests:

Jonathan Losos, distinguished professor of biology, Washington University in St. Louis - and author, "The Cat's Meow: How Cats Evolved from the Savanna to Your Sofa"

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All You Can Eat: Funky Foods We Aren’t Supposed to Love, But Do May 03, 2023

Show notes

Durian is a pungent, rank smelling fruit common in Singapore that is hard to harvest and cut open. And yet, it’s inspired scores of devotees, including food writer Jennifer Wong, who writes, “For those of us who hail durian as our king of fruits, the smell elicits an undeniable longing — for both the fruit itself and the cultural remembrance it represents.” Whether it’s stinky tofu, roasted grasshoppers or chicken feet, many cultures embrace foods that might come off as unappetizing at first sniff. So, how do some seemingly unusual ingredients become delicacies? In our latest All You Can Eat segment with KQED Food Editor Luke Tsai, we dive into funky foods that we aren’t supposed to love – but do so unabashedly.

Guests:

Luke Tsai, food editor, KQED Arts & Culture

Javier Cabral, Editor, L.A. Taco - independent local news and culture site, and Associate producer for the Taco Chronicles on Netflix

Jennifer Wong, author of the article "A Bay Area Love Letter to Durian," published on KQED Arts and Culture

Monica Martinez, Founder and CEO,Don Bugito - a San Francisco company that makes protein snacks from edible insects

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Detention of WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich Highlights Peril of Reporting in Hostile Nations May 02, 2023

Show notes

“Journalism is not a crime,” declared President Biden on Saturday at the White House Correspondents’ dinner. In his remarks, Biden demanded the immediate release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been wrongfully imprisoned in Russia since March 29. The Russian government arrested Gershkovich for espionage, a charge that both the Wall Street Journal and the U.S. government have flatly denied. As of 2021, more Americans are being or have been held hostage by hostile governments than terrorist or militant organizations. We’ll talk about the perils facing journalists around the world.

Guests:

Joel Simon, executive director, Journalism Protection Initiative at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, City University of New York; former director, the Committee to Protect Journalists

Michael Kimmage, professor and history department chair, Catholic University of America; his recent article for the Wall Street Journal is titled "Putin's Rogue State"

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What First Republic Bank's Failure Means for the Bay Area May 02, 2023

Show notes

Facing takeover by the federal government, First Republic Bank, the Bay Area’s largest regional bank, was sold off to JP Morgan Chase this weekend. Over the course of four decades, First Republic, with its aspirational marketing and reputation for customer service, became a key brand in the Bay Area business and philanthropy communities. First Republic was among the 20th largest banks in the country in 2022 and employed about 7,000 workers, close to half which were based in the Bay Area. The bank’s failure follows Silicon Valley Bank’s dramatic demise and also comes at a time when multiple large employers in the region are announcing major layoffs. We’ll talk about what the bank’s failure means for our local economy and whether we need brick and mortar banks.

Guests:

Mark Calvey, senior reporter covering banking and finance, San Francisco Business Times

Rachel Louise Ensign, reporter, The Wall Street Journal - Ensign covers millionaires and billionaires and the financial systems that serve them.

Jeremy Owens, technology editor and San Francisco bureau chief, MarketWatch

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Nicole Chung on How Grief Can Be ‘A Living Remedy’ May 01, 2023

Show notes

Writer Nicole Chung’s first memoir, “All You Can Ever Know,” chronicled her search for her birth family. Her second, “A Living Remedy,” documents her final years with her adopted parents and the health care costs that burdened them until their deaths. “Sickness and grief throw wealthy and poor families alike into upheaval,” she writes, “but they do not transcend the gulfs between us, as some claim—if anything, they often magnify them.” Chung joins us to share her story, one about grief, race, class and their interconnections.

Guests:

Nicole Chung, author, "A Living Remedy," and "All You Can Ever Know"; contributor, The Atlantic, Time, and Slate, and writes for many other publications.

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California Braces for ‘The Big Melt’ May 01, 2023

Show notes

A winter of unusually heavy rain and snow elevated California’s mountain snowpack to levels not seen in years. But now that temperatures are rising, the state is bracing for “The Big Melt” that could cause massive flooding. Close to a third of the state’s water supply comes from the snowpack that accumulates in the winter and melts in the summer. California’s water infrastructure was designed to capture and store snowmelt and prevent floods, but with climate change intensifying water levels to extreme highs and lows, the system is pushed to its limits. We’ll talk about how prepared the Golden State is for an influx of water and what communities can expect.

Guests:

Dr. Noah Diffenbaugh, senior fellow, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment - where his research focuses on climate and earth system dynamics.

Hayley Smith, reporter focusing on extreme weather, Los Angeles Times

Nicholas Pinter, chair in applied geosciences, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California Davis; associate director, Center for Watershed Sciences, University of California Davis

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California Grapples with Primary Care Provider Shortage Apr 28, 2023

Show notes

About a third of Californians live in areas where there is a shortage of primary care providers, according to the California Healthcare Foundation. The shortage is particularly acute in rural areas and in the rapidly growing Inland Empire, which has only about 40 primary care physicians per 100,000 people. For patients, a short supply of doctors can mean months-long waits for appointments and more trips to urgent care for chronic conditions. And for in-demand providers, burnout looms. We’ll learn about plans to address the shortage and hear about your experiences finding a primary care professional.

Guests:

Arturo Bustamante, professor of health policy and management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health

Timothy Collins, incoming CEO, UC Riverside Health

Sunita Mutha, general internist providing primary care; professor of medicine and director, Healthforce Center at UCSF

Nate McLaughlin, family medicine doctor; program director, Family Medicine Program, Riverside University Health Services/UC Riverside

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KQED Youth Takeover: Four Stewards at Work Healing Their Land and Communities Apr 28, 2023

Show notes

The percentage of Black-owned farms in the U.S. has dropped from a peak of 14% in the 1920s to just 2% today. In California, less than 1% of land is owned by Indigenous people. As part of KQED’s Youth Takeover week Marin Academy junior Finn Does brings together a panel of local Indigenous, Black, and queer farmers who all purchased farmland during the pandemic to help their communities connect and thrive in relationship to the earth. Forum talks about the BIPOC land stewardship movement and nurturing ancestral roots.

Guests:

Pandora Thomas, Afro-Indigenous land steward and founder, EARTHseed Farm in Sebastopol, CA. Thomas played a leading role in founding the Black Permaculture Network, a platform where Afro-Indigenous people share practices.

Nikola Alexandre, co-founder and stewardship lead, Shelterwood Collective in Sonoma County, CA

Maya Harjo, farmer, Heron Shadow, a farm for Indigenous refuge and learning in Sonoma, CA, operated by the Cultural Conservancy, a Native-led SF organization

Myles Lennon, environmental anthropologist; dean’s assistant professor of environment & society and anthropology, Brown University; board secretary, Shelterwood Collective

Finn Does, junior, Marin Academy

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NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly on Her Memoir ‘It. Goes. So. Fast.’ Apr 27, 2023

Show notes

The work she loved often kept NPR co-host Mary Louise Kelly from going to her kids’ soccer games or other events. Whether it was because she was anchoring “All Things Considered” or in the field reporting from North Korea, Iraq or Ukraine, sometimes Kelly could not be on the sidelines. She kept saying she’d do better next year. And then she realized her oldest son was headed to college, and there were no more next years. So, she vowed to show up, whenever she could. We’ll talk to Kelly about her new memoir, “It. Goes. So. Fast.: The Year of No Do-Overs” and explore what it means to be both a good reporter and a good parent.

Guests:

Mary Louise Kelly, co-host, NPR's "All Things Considered." Kelly's new memoir is titled "It. Goes. So. Fast.: The Year of No Do-Overs." Kelly is also a former National Security Correspondent for NPR.

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KQED Youth Takeover: From the Screen to the Writing Room, South Asian Influence in TV and Film is on the Rise Apr 27, 2023

Show notes

South Asian American representation in television and movies is on the rise. With the Marvel Cinematic Universe debuting its first South Asian superhero in 2021 and “Never Have I Ever” winning big at the People’s Choice Awards, Hollywood has begun to cast South Asians for big roles and tell authentic South Asian stories. But representation behind-the-scenes is just as important as it is in front of the camera: writers, directors and producers are the ones who determine who to cast and how to portray characters on-screen. As part of KQED’s annual Youth Takeover week, Santa Clara High junior Khadeejah Khan and Monte Vista High junior Mahi Jariwala talk with South Asians working in the industry about their careers and what good representation looks like.

Guests:

Khadeejah Khan, junior, Santa Clara High School; member, KQED's Youth Advisory Board

Mahi Jariwala, junior, Monte Vista High School; member, KQED's Youth Advisory Board

Jasmine Baten, research fellow, UCLA Center for Scholars & Storytellers

Vali Chandrasekaran, writer, "Modern Family" and "30 Rock"

Raj Raghavan, head of talent, Color Creative

Richa Moorjani, actress, "Never Have I Ever"

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