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Latest Episodes:

How Apple Has Changed the Bay Area and the World Apr 09, 2026

Show notes

Today, Apple is a $3.5 trillion company with over 150,000 employees worldwide. Fifty years ago, it was two Steves – Jobs and Wozniak – working out of a Los Gatos garage. (All great Silicon Valley origin stories seem to include a garage.) Since its inception, Apple has not only introduced culture shifting technology like the Macintosh computer and iPhone, it has also influenced how we live here in the Bay Area, on the edge of the continent and a future being cast by technologists, innovators, and entrepreneurs. We talk about the influence of Apple.

Guests:

Margaret O'Mara, professor of American History, University of Washington; author, "The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America"

Hansen Hsu, curator, Software History Center at the Computer History Museum; former Apple employee; historian and sociologist

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How the Iran War Has Isolated the US From Its Allies Apr 08, 2026

Show notes

President Trump backed down from his social media threat that “a whole civilization will die” after Pakistan helped broker a ceasefire deal with Iran. But the United States is likely to remain isolated from its allies as many look for economic and diplomatic solutions to the conflict that do not involve America. We talk about the latest developments in the war and the consequences of America’s growing isolation from its allies.

Guests:

Idrees Kahloon, staff writer, The Atlantic

Edward Wong, diplomatic correspondent, The New York Times

Tom Dannenbaum, professor of law, Stanford Law School

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Trump Administration Wants to Replace Cuba’s Government, But What Would Come Next? Apr 08, 2026

Show notes

High level talks between Cuba and the U.S. are ongoing as the Trump administration’s four-month oil blockade of the island nation continues. Trump has said he wants a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, but it’s unclear what the U.S. stands to gain or what kind of government could come to power if the current administration leaves. While the U.S. has had an embargo against Cuba since 1960, the recent blockade has raised the stakes and forced many of the country’s nearly 10 million people to go without power, water, food, health care and other necessities. We talk about how Cuba is dealing with the worst humanitarian crisis it has faced in decades and what the Trump Administration ultimately wants.

Guests:

Michael J. Bustamante, associate professor of history, University of Miami; director, Cuban Studies Program

Jen Triplett, assistant professor of sociology, University of Colorado, Boulder; researcher with a focus on Latin America

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Inside California’s Crowded Governor’s Race Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

California’s jam-packed governor’s primary may lead to a historic political shakeup this fall. Polls show the two leading Republicans, Riverside county sheriff Chad Bianco and political commentator Steve Hilton, could consolidate enough support to lock Democrats out of the November general election. That leaves the crowded field of Democrats — which includes Rep. Eric Swalwell, former congresswoman Katie Porter and billionaire businessman Tom Steyer — scrambling to secure one of the top spots. We’ll break down the major players in this packed race and hear what issues matter most to Californians as they prepare to vote.

Guests:

Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED's California Politics and Government Desk

Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host, Political Breakdown

Seema Mehta, politics reporter, Los Angeles Times

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Why Aren’t Doctors Better At Diagnosing Illnesses? Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

A 2015 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine found that “most people will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, sometimes with devastating consequences.” In her new book “The Elusive Body: Patients Doctors, and the Diagnosis Crisis,” journalist Alexandra Sifferlin looks into what has been done in the decade since that report to improve the accuracy of diagnoses. We talk to Sifferlin and a UCSF doctor profiled in the book about why, despite enormous strides in medicine, the medical system often fails patients in this fundamental task and what it means to live without an accurate diagnosis.

Guests:

Alexandra Sifferlin, health and science editor, The New York Times; author, "The Elusive Body: Patients, Doctors, and the Diagnosis Crisis"

Gurpreet Dhaliwal, professor of medicine, UCSF

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How L.A. Cleaned Its Air—and What It Means for Climate Policy Today Apr 06, 2026

Show notes

Los Angeles was once defined by smog that for decades choked the city with toxic haze. It obscured surrounding mountains and exposed people – especially children – to dangerous levels of lead, carbon monoxide and other pollutants. But by the early 2000s, thanks to steady public pressure and government reforms, the region’s air transformed. We talk to UCLA’s Ann Carlson about what L.A. can teach us about confronting climate change now, as the Trump administration rolls back emissions standards. Her new book is “Smog and Sunshine: The Surprising Story of How Los Angeles Cleaned Up Its Air.”

Guests:

Ann Carlson, professor of environmental law, UCLA School of Law; faculty co-director, Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment; author, "Smog and Sunshine: The Surprising Story of How Los Angeles Cleaned Up Its Air"

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California Farmers Struggle to Weather the Agriculture Crisis Apr 06, 2026

Show notes

It is a tough time to be a farmer. President Trump’s tariffs last year raised many of the costs of farming and shrunk food exports. Threats of immigration raids have caused major labor shortages. And now, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sent the price of diesel and fertilizer skyrocketing. We talk about the new pressures on an already stressed agriculture industry in California, how farmers are coping and the impact it all may have on consumers.

Guests:

Dan Sumner, professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Davis; director, Agricultural Issues Center for the University of California

Don Cameron, vice president and general manager, Terranova Ranch; president, California State Board of Food and Agriculture

Stuart Woolf, president and CEO, Woolf Farming & Processing

Alexis Maxwell, senior equity analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence

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Fewer Friends, More Pressure: The State of ‘American Men’ Apr 03, 2026

Show notes

Journalist Jordan Ritter Conn has spent years studying some of the psychological challenges facing men in the United States. These include feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety, sometimes violence and often a sense that this economy isn’t for them. His book “American Men” delves into the lives of four men: a West Point grad, a Black trans man in rural Ohio, a white law student recovering from childhood trauma and a gay man prone to alcohol-fueled fights. It explores the gap between the expectations placed on men and the failure, real or imagined, to meet those expectations – and why friendships between men often fail to provide the kind of emotional connections they seek. Conn joins us.

Guests:

Jordan Ritter Conn, senior staff writer, The Ringer; author, "American Men"

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Why We’re Headed Back to the Moon For the First Time in Half a Century Apr 03, 2026

Show notes

“We go for all humanity,” remarked Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, moments before the rocket taking him and his crew to the moon launched on Wednesday. It’s the first moon mission since 1972. But the astronauts will not land on the moon. Instead, over the next 10 days, the crew will study the science that’s necessary to get to the ultimate goal: A moonbase that can sustain human life and act as a jumping off point for missions to Mars. We talk about the science of space exploration, and its impacts on life on earth.

Guests:

Loren Grush, global space reporter, Bloomberg; author, "The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts"

Anthony Colaprete, acting director for the science directorate, NASA Ames Research Center - Colaprete is on the science team for the Artemis II mission

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Planning to Vote By Mail This November? What Californians Need to Know Apr 02, 2026

Show notes

President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that aims to place federal restrictions on voting by mail ahead of this fall’s midterm elections. It comes as Congress considers legislation that could dramatically change voting in the U.S. and the Supreme Court appears ready to back additional vote-by-mail limits. We talk with elections experts about potential challenges to the new executive order and how California is navigating the potential changes.

Guests:

Kim Alexander, president and founder, California Voter Foundation

Shirley Weber, California Secretary of State

Madison Aument, reporter, KVCR

Marc Berman, California State Assemblymember representing the 23rd District, which includes southern San Mateo County and northern Santa Clara County

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