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Remembering Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan Nov 05, 2021

Show notes

Wilma Chan, an Alameda County Supervisor and former member of the California State Assembly, died on Wednesday after being struck by a car as she walked her dog. Described by her colleagues as fearless, compassionate, and tenacious, Chan was known for her advocacy for women, children, and immigrants, and for promoting criminal justice and health care reform. She was the first Asian American to serve as Assembly majority leader and the first Asian American to be elected to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. We'll remember her legacy.

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Public Lands Become Place of Refuge As Affordable Housing Becomes More Scarce Nov 05, 2021

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Public lands have become a refuge for many people who can’t afford housing in the west and who are rejecting certain societal norms that no longer serve them well. For some, becoming vehicle-dwellers and nomads is a way to take back control of their lives. This way of life was portrayed in Chloe Zhao’s award-winning film “Nomadland” which starred Frances McDormand and featured a number of real-life nomads. While vehicle-dwelling and nomadism are not new, the pandemic has exacerbated the existing housing crisis and “push” factors that have made more people choose nomadism. It’s also given rise to community tensions for those who use public lands solely for recreation. We’ll learn more about nomad living experiences and how they’re pushing the bounds of how we’ve traditionally thought about the use of public lands.

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“Hella Town” Traces the History of Oakland Through Its Built Environment Nov 05, 2021

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Oakland is one of the most diverse cities in the country. It’s also one of the most unequal. Architectural and Urban Historian Mitchell Schwarzer dives into the politics and decisions that helped make it that way in his new book, Hella Town: Oakland’s History of Development and Disruption. Schwarzer traces how decades-old decisions about where to put a park or a parking lot, a building or a bungalow, a highway or a BART rail shaped the economics and inequities of Oakland. Forum talks to Schwarzer about the history of the city’s booms and busts and the complexities of today’s Oakland.

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In Wake of Dixie Fire, California Confronts How to Tackle and Afford Catastrophic Wildfires Nov 04, 2021

Show notes

PG&E announced this week that it's the subject of a federal investigation for its possible role in causing the Dixie Fire, the second largest in California history. The utility also said it's likely to amass at least $1.15 billion in losses associated with the fire, which burned one million acres and destroyed the Northern California town of Greenville. We'll hear what’s next for PG&E. We’ll also talk about the high cost of fighting wildfire in the state, and the lessons that can be drawn from California’s battles with recent mega-fires, which are expected to become more frequent as the climate gets hotter and drier.

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San Francisco-based American Indian Film Festival Centers Native Stories and Creators Nov 04, 2021

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For 46 years, the San Francisco-based American Indian Film Festival has showcased features, documentaries and animated works from Native filmmakers. This year’s festival kicks off Friday with more than a hundred films at a time when filmmakers and audiences are clamoring for more representation of Native communities. Although, Native creators are seeing more interest in their stories and projects in recent years, films made by and about Native Americans rarely, if ever, reach mainstream success. The Hollywood Diversity Report found that Native Americans account for less than 1 percent of on-screen and behind the scenes talent in the U.S. entertainment industry. We talk about Native representation in film and the challenges of making and distributing Native American-centered films.

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Has the Pandemic Made Us Meaner? Nov 03, 2021

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In late September, writer Saeed Jones lamented the selfishness and cruelty he’d witnessed during the pandemic: “I’m angry and sad and bitter,” he tweeted, adding, “This is not who I want to be.” In October, ProPublica published a story by journalist Sarah Smith with the headline “We’re Losing Our Humanity and the Pandemic Is to Blame,” documenting stories of willful disregard for others’ needs and concerns. We’ll talk about what’s fueling internal rage and public disputes everywhere from grocery stores to airplanes, and what the pandemic has exposed in our human relationships.

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Gary Shteyngart Tackles the Pandemic Novel In "Our Country Friends" Nov 03, 2021

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In his latest book “Our Country Friends,” novelist Gary Shteyngart tackles the pandemic novel. In the book, the protagonist, Sasha Senderovsky, a writer whose star is slowly flaming out, gathers his family and high school friends in a pod at his country home to ride out the early days of the pandemic. Lauded by the New York Times as the “perfect novel for these times and all times,” “Our Country Friends uses the pandemic to explore themes of family, longing, and loss all with Shteyngart’s characteristic humor and wit. We’ll talk to Shteyngart, who is famous for his dystopian novel “Super Sad True Love Story,” about what it was like to write in real-time about the dystopia unfolding around him.

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Justices Hear Challenges to Restrictive Texas Abortion Law Nov 02, 2021

Show notes

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of SB 8, the controversial Texas law that bans abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy and deputizes private citizens to enforce it. We’ll analyze what the justices’ responses may signal about the fate of the law, and we’ll look ahead to other cases on the Court’s docket bearing on the regulation of guns, greenhouse gas emissions and immigration.

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The Evolving Nature of Dia de Los Muertos and Honoring the Dead Nov 02, 2021

Show notes

Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, is an ancient tradition that started with indigenous people in the Americas, morphed when Catholics arrived, and has seen a resurgence in recent decades in California. This year, the Los Angeles Times set up a virtual Día de Los Muertos altar this year to create a community space to honor loved ones who have passed. The virtual altar reflects the pandemic, which pushed many traditions online, and an example of how the Latin American tradition of honoring the dead has evolved over time. We discuss the practice of honoring the dead as well as cultural and personal connections to Dia de los Muertos.

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California Cities Apologize for Historical Wrongs Against Chinese Community Nov 01, 2021

Show notes

Across California, cities are reckoning with their historical legacies of racism towards the Chinese community. In May, Antioch became the first city to issue a formal apology for its anti-Chinese policies and the mob-led destruction of its Chinatown in 1876. This month, San Jose followed with a similar apology for enforcing anti-Chinese policies and fomenting racial hatred that resulted in the obliteration by fire of its Chinatown, once one of the largest in California, in 1887. For many Californians, the scope of violence towards Chinese immigrants is history they have never learned. For descendants of these settlers, the stories are not just history, but a sorrowful legacy that continues to impact their lives. We talk about why these apologies are happening now, and whether saying sorry is enough to right past wrongs.

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