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UC Davis Study: Nearly One-Third of Americans Support Using Violence to Advance Political Goals Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

Nearly a third of Americans -- and nearly 60% of MAGA Republicans -- say that resorting to violence to achieve political objectives is usually or always justified, according to new research from U.C. Davis. The findings come as prosecutors charge the man who last week violently attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, and as threats against members of Congress continue to surge, having increased by nearly tenfold since 2016. We’ll talk about the growing threat of political violence in the United States and what’s driving it.

Guests:

Garen Wintemute M.D., director, Violence Prevention Research Program at UC-Davis - He also practices and teaches emergency medicine at the UC-Davis School of Medicine.

Catie Edmondson, congressional reporter, The New York Times.

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With Zines and Mixtapes, Writer Hua Hsu Found Identity, Friendship, and Consolation Nov 03, 2022

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When New Yorker writer Hua Hsu was growing up in Cupertino in the 1990s as the only child of Taiwanese immigrants, he created mixtapes and zines – homemade Xerox pastiches of writing, photos and collages – as a “way to find a tribe.” Hsu’s search for his people eventually led him to UC Berkeley where he, a lover of esoteric and undiscovered bands, forged an unlikely friendship with Ken, a Japanese-American frat boy whose love of the Dave Matthews Band, initially repelled Hsu. That friendship and Ken’s murder are at the heart of Hsu’s new memoir “Stay True,” which documents the profound and the mundane moments of a 90s kid seeking to forge his identity.

Guests:

Hua Hsu, author, "Stay True;" staff writer, the New Yorker; professor of Literature, Bard College

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If You Find Identity Theft Terrifying, Wait for the Bureaucratic Nightmare That Follows Nov 02, 2022

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When LA Times associate editor Jessica Roy had her wallet stolen, she braced for the worst: She froze her credit, filed a federal identity theft complaint and requested a police report. But when thieves began using her name to obtain bank accounts, car loans and bail bonds, she wasn't prepared for the bureaucratic nightmare that followed as she tried to recover her money and restore her credit. Her experience might sound familiar — a recent survey estimates that 42 million Americans were victimized by some type of identity fraud in 2021, with total losses estimated at $52 billion. Roy joins us to talk about how banks, credit agencies and law enforcement can do more to protect us.

Guests:

Jessica Roy, assistant editor, utility journalism, LA Times

Eva Velasquez, president/CEO, Identity Theft Resource Center - a nonprofit based in San Diego that provides assistance to victims of identity theft.

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What Elon Musk’s Shakeup of Twitter Means For the Bay Area Nov 02, 2022

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Elon Musk took ownership of the San Francisco based social media network Twitter less than a week ago and he’s already overhauling the company. Musk immediately fired several executives and board members and news organizations have reported that mass layoffs could be imminent. He also tweeted he wants to charge a monthly fee for users to retain verified status. We dive into what this new era at Twitter means for the Bay Area, users and the social media landscape.

Guests:

Annalee Newitz, Science journalist and author of "Scatter, Adapt, and Remember: How Humans Will Survive a Mass Extinction" - Newitz is also the author of the novels "The Future of Another Timeline," and "Autonomous." Website: techsploitation.com

Damon Beres, senior editor focused on technology, The Atlantic

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Supreme Court Critical of Race -Conscious University Admissions Nov 01, 2022

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The Supreme Court’s conservative majority appeared skeptical of race-conscious admission policies at the University of North Carolina and Harvard University throughout five hours of oral arguments on Monday. If the Court decides against the universities, it could issue a ruling broad enough to overturn decades of precedent permitting the limited use of race in college admissions and even, according to Vox Supreme Court correspondent Ian Millhiser, “prohibit the government from considering race in virtually any context, including efforts to voluntarily integrate racially segregated grade schools and other institutions." We’ll talk about the cases and their potential outcomes and what they may mean for California.

Guests:

Michele Goodwin, Chancellor's professor, UC Irvine School of Law - Her books include "Policing the Womb: Invisible Women and the Criminalization of Motherhood"

Ian Millhiser, senior correspondent, Vox - His books include "Injustices: The Supreme Court's History of Comforting the Comfortable and Afflicting the Afflicted" and "The Agenda: How a Republican Supreme Court is Reshaping America."

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George Saunders on his New Collection of Short Stories, 'Liberation Day' Nov 01, 2022

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George Saunders is widely considered one of the greatest fiction writers alive, attested to by all the prizes, the respect of other writers, and even book sales. He’s got his first book of short stories in a decade. It’s called Liberation Day, and it will surprise no one that it is a brilliant work filled with generosity, pain, and characters who can’t quite answer the door when honesty comes knocking. The book affirms that lurking in every office, off every highway, underneath the ground, there are humans, and so there are stories. Forum talks to George Saunders about his new book, the changing political climate for fiction, and the magic of short stories.

Guests:

George Saunders, writer, MacArthur "genius" and Booker Prize winner, "Liberation Day: Stories"

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The Enduring Ties of Siblings Oct 31, 2022

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No one knows you like your sibling. They are the keepers of family secrets. They know how to push your buttons. They are probably the longest-lasting relationship you’ll have in your life. Why is it that the outside world considers you a functioning adult, but your siblings still treat you like the family crybaby? What happens when parents pass and siblings drift apart? We look at sibling relationships and hear from you: what do you love most or find hardest about your sibling relationship?

Guests:

Aretha Hampton, licensed clinical social worker, sole proprietor of Roots Consultation Services in Berkeley.

Laurie Kramer, Professor, Applied Psychology, Northeastern University.

Catherine Carr, Host of the podcast "Relatively" which focuses on siblings and their dynamics.

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The Fight for “Ethical AI” and the Hidden Laborers Behind Artificial Intelligence Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

Terms such as artificial intelligence, big data and machine learning bring to mind computers processing loads of data into uses for the real world. But the authors of a recent essay published in the magazine Noema say the truth is much uglier, and often ignored. “Far from the sophisticated, sentient machines portrayed in media and pop culture, so-called AI systems are fueled by millions of underpaid workers around the world, performing repetitive tasks under precarious labor conditions,” they write in the essay, “The Exploited Labor Behind Artificial Intelligence.” One of the authors, Timnit Gebru, lost her job at Google for raising ethical concerns about AI, and now advocates for better practices and regulations to protect people. Another, Adrienne Williams, is a former Amazon delivery driver who organized in protest of unsafe conditions. They join us to discuss the hidden dangers and ethical questions surrounding AI.

Guests:

Adrienne Williams, a former Amazon delivery driver and organizer.

Timnit Gebru, computer scientist and artificial intelligence researcher.

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Fighting Cybercrime with ‘The Ransomware Hunting Team’ Oct 28, 2022

Show notes

Michael Gillespie is a cancer survivor and cat lover who used to work for Nerds On Call in Illinois. Fabian Wosar is a high school dropout from Germany who became obsessed with computer viruses at age 11. Sarah White is a computer science prodigy who became a malware expert as a teenager. They’re all members of the Ransomware Hunting Team, an invitation-only group of elite coders who crack ransomware attacks across the globe. We learn more about these cybercrime fighters from Pro Publica reporters Renee Dudley and Daniel Golden, authors of the new book “TheRansomware Hunting Team.”

Guests:

Renee Dudley, technology reporter, Pro Publica - co-author, "The Ransomware Hunting Team: A Band of Misfits' Improbable Crusade to Save the World from Cybercrime."

Daniel Golden, senior editor and reporter, Pro Publica - co-author, "The Ransomware Hunting Team: A Band of Misfits' Improbable Crusade to Save the World from Cybercrime."

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An Insider’s View of Power with Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Former Chief of Staff Oct 28, 2022

Show notes

What has the Democratic Party become under Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s leadership, and how is it changing? How does the government actually function, as viewed from the inside? We’ll ask a man with a front-row seat: John Lawrence, who was Pelosi’s chief of staff during some of the tensest and most pivotal decisions in recent American history.

Guests:

John Lawrence, former chief of staff for Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Author, "Arc of Power: Inside Nancy Pelosi's Speakership 2005-2010." Visiting Professor, University of California Washington Center.

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