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San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin's First Year in Office Ends in Controversy Jan 05, 2021

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San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin filed manslaughter charges on Monday against Troy McAlister, a parolee accused of killing two pedestrians on New Years Eve while driving drunk. The case sparked intense criticism of Boudin, including a recall effort, for failing to charge McAlister with a new crime despite repeated arrests in recent months. The controversy caps the progressive district attorney’s first year in office. We’ll talk with Boudin about the case and what his office achieved last year, including ending cash bail, filing the first ever homicide charges in San Francisco against a police officer and reducing the city’s jail population by 40% to prevent a COVID 19 outbreak.

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More California Republican Leaders Pledge to Oppose Certifying Biden’s Election Win Jan 05, 2021

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Despite President Donald Trump’s resounding loss in California during his bid for re-election last November, many Republican leaders in the state are supporting his efforts to overturn the results of the national election. Rep. Mike Garcia, who represents California’s 25th district north of Los Angeles, said Monday he joined a group of House Republicans who oppose certifying the election for President-elect Joe Biden. Another is Rep. Devin Nunes of Fresno, to whom Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Monday. Political observers say Trump’s efforts are futile, improper and possibly illegal, but many in his party are sticking with him. We discuss the Californian leaders who support Trump and what it means for the Republican Party in California, a state where Democrats dominate.

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Trump Asks Georgia Secretary of State to 'Find Votes' During Phone Call Jan 04, 2021

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President Donald Trump on Saturday pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" enough votes to reverse his November election loss in Georgia, according to an audio recording obtained by the Washington Post. The recording is another example of the president’s "assault on American democracy," a senior adviser for President-elect Joe Biden said. We'll talk with USF political scientist James Taylor about Trump's latest scandal, which comes two days before the special election in Georgia that will decide control of the U.S. Senate. We'll also discuss Rep. Nancy Pelosi's re-election as House Speaker on Sunday.

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New Study Shows Lockdowns Are Effective For Some, But Not All Populations Jan 04, 2021

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Lockdowns have been the blunt force instrument used to contain the coronavirus, and a recent study from UCSF proves that early on in the pandemic, shutdowns worked to curtail deaths in some, but not all populations. In particular, the study notes that Blacks, Latinos and those without a high school degree experienced a higher number of deaths per capita, even with a lockdown in place. While researchers are learning that shutdowns can work, what can be done to address the disparities experienced by high-risk communities? We'll talk about the study and what it means for crafting future policy responses.

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Caregivers Shoulder Increased Burdens During Pandemic Jan 04, 2021

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About one fifth of adults in the U.S are taking care of a family member or friend who needs help. The unpaid work of caring for loved ones who are aging, sick or disabled is often rewarding but it can also be exhausting, stressful and it can take a toll on the caregiver’s mental health. These strains have only increased during the pandemic when many services, like adult daycares, that used to provide a respite for caregivers, are closed. We’ll talk about caregiving during the pandemic, and how to get support.

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REBROADCAST: Bay Area Sports Writer Joan Ryan on the 'Intangibles' of Team Performance Jan 01, 2021

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After following the notoriously bad relationship between baseball icons Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent as well as the meteoric path of the Giants, Bay Area based sports writer Joan Ryan grew curious about team chemistry and how it affects performance. She spent ten years probing sociology, neuroscience and psychology to answer questions about whether team chemistry was real. And if so, what is it exactly? And how do you measure it? Ryan joins us to talk about the importance of sports during the pandemic, how our relationships with friends, colleagues, and family are affected by team dynamics, and her new book, “Intangibles: Unlocking the Science and Soul of Team Chemistry”. (originally aired Aug. 14, 2020)

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REBROADCAST: Share Your Post-Pandemic Fantasy Jan 01, 2021

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When the pandemic is in the rear window and we can go out safely and breathe within 6 feet of friends and strangers, what are the first things you’re going to do? We want to hear your post-pandemic fantasy. Is it a crowded dance floor? A trip around the globe? Or just simply dropping your kid off at school? And, what will you miss from this time? Is there anything from your pandemic lifestyle that you hope to hold on to, even after the world opens up again? We’ll open the phones to hear from you.

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REBROADCAST: Maya Angelou on 'A Song Flung Up to Heaven' Dec 31, 2020

Show notes

We'll listen back to Michael Krasny's 2002 conversation with famed poet, author and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, who died in 2014. They talked about "A Song Flung Up to Heaven", the sixth book in her series of autobiographies which started with "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” (originally aired May 8, 2002)

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REBROADCAST: Louise Erdrich on her National Book Award-winning Novel ‘The Round House’ Dec 31, 2020

Show notes

Michael Krasny talks with author Louise Erdrich about her National Book Award-winning novel “The Round House.” Set on an Ojibwe reservation in North Dakota, the book deals with the aftermath of a brutal rape and a son’s quest for justice. It is part of a trilogy which includes “The Plague of Doves” and “LaRose.” (originally aired Oct. 18., 2012)

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REBROADCAST: Michael Eric Dyson on the Racial Reckoning That Was 'Long Time Coming' Dec 31, 2020

Show notes

In his new book “Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America," sociologist and cultural critic Michael Eric Dyson looks at the history of systemic racism in the U.S. and how it led to this year’s unrest and protests for racial justice. Written as letters to Black victims of systemic racism and police brutality, including Eric Garner and Breonna Taylor, Dyson traces the genealogy of anti-blackness from slavery to the present. We’ll talk to Dyson about the book and why he remains hopeful in the fight for racial and social justice. (originally broadcast on 12/8/20.)

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