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Latest Episodes:

Rebroadcast: Learning to Deal with Uncertainty… Through Poker Sep 07, 2020

Show notes

After a spate of bad luck led her to question the nature of chance, journalist Maria Konnikova began learning about poker. Konnikova -- who holds a doctorate in psychology--was curious about how the game hones players’ ability to distinguish between what is within and outside of our control. Under the tutelage of an expert, she became a professional player and entered the World Series of Poker, a competition with a $10,000 entry fee. The experience shaped her new book, “The Biggest Bluff.” Konnikova joins us to talk about the book, her year-long journey from novice to professional poker player, and what poker can teach us about the role of skill and chance in our lives.

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New York Times’ Farhad Manjoo on Election 2020 and Why He’s “Doomsday Prepping” Sep 04, 2020

Show notes

In his latest column for the New York Times, opinion writer Farhad Manjoo delves into his fears of a second term for President Donald Trump. But even if Trump loses, he asks, have the president and the Republican Party damaged American democracy beyond repair? Trump has repeatedly lied throughout his presidency, but, Manjoo writes, “It’s not the lies themselves that worry me most, but the fact that millions of people might accept them. Can America endure such mendacity? When you don’t have social trust, when you don’t have a shared view of reality, do you even have a country?” We’ll talk with Manjoo about his panic about America’s post-election future.

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Oakland A’s President on the Team’s Role During These Unprecedented Times Sep 04, 2020

Show notes

The Oakland Athletics, who stand at the top of their division, will take the field for the first time on Friday after a positive coronavirus case caused the team to postpone a series in Seattle. Off the field, the team has also been making news. They sat out a game last week in protest of institutional racism and have joined other Bay Area sports teams in supporting Prop 16, which would repeal a ban on affirmative action in California’s public sector. We’ll talk with Oakland Athletics president Dave Kaval about playing baseball in the age of coronavirus and what he sees as the team’s role in the community during these turbulent times. But first, we check in with LA Times sports reporter Bill Shaikin about how the California teams are faring so far during this unconventional season.

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Roberto Lovato Reconstitutes His Family’s History in ‘Unforgetting’ Sep 04, 2020

Show notes

At the outset of his new memoir "Unforgetting," San Francisco-based journalist and author Roberto Lovato says that epic history is best understood as a "stitching together of intimate histories." It was the search for his own family's intimate history that took Lovato from his native California to El Salvador, where his parents were born and where war, gang violence and mass migration have laid siege to the populace for decades. Lovato joins us to share what he learned about his family and the lives of other Central American immigrants shaped by humanitarian crises.

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Major Police Reform Bills Fail in California Legislature Sep 04, 2020

Show notes

Facing strong opposition from law enforcement groups, a measure that would have allowed California to remove police officers who commit serious misconduct failed to pass the state legislature earlier this week. It was just one of several major police accountability measures that failed to gather enough votes by the last day of the legislative session. We'll hear why the bills failed, and what that says about prospects for police reform in California.

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The Long History of White Supremacy in American Christianity Sep 03, 2020

Show notes

In his new book, “White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity,” author Robert P. Jones examines how Christian religious organizations have promoted and enabled racism in America. While Christians proclaim a message of love and salvation, Jones argues that Christian denominations have historically rationalized anti-black policies and beliefs such as slavery and Jim Crow laws. The book also looks at how President Donald Trump garnered support from White evangelicals by using “law and order” rhetoric and exploiting racist tropes. Jones serves as CEO and founder of the Public Religion Research Institute, a non-profit research organization. We’ll talk with Jones about how his new book relates to the current reckoning on institutional racism.

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Russia is Meddling in the US Election Again Sep 03, 2020

Show notes

The Russian group that interfered in the 2016 election is again targeting Americans with misinformation online. That's according to Facebook and Twitter, who say the FBI warned both companies that the Kremlin-backed Internet Research Agency set up fake user accounts and a website made to look like a left-wing news site. The disinformation campaign, which Facebook and Twitter have taken down, was aimed at pushing voters away from Democratic candidate Joe Biden in support of President Trump. We'll check in on efforts to prevent misinformation on social media and foreign interference in the 2020 election.

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Trump Administration Weakens Coal Waste Rules in Latest Environmental Rollback Sep 03, 2020

Show notes

This week, the EPA finalized its plan to ease federal rules governing the disposal of contaminated waste from coal-fired power plants. The rollback is the latest in a long series of Trump administration actions that have weakened or nullified major Obama-era environmental initiatives that tightened vehicle emissions standards, protected federal lands from fossil fuel drilling and set ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets. We’ll talk about Trump’s environmental record and its impact.

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California’s New Tiered Reopening System Underway with Mixed Reaction Sep 02, 2020

Show notes

On Monday, indoor shopping malls, hair salons and barber shops opened with reduced capacity in many areas of California under a new four-tiered framework released by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The majority of the state’s counties are currently in “Tier 1” with the most restrictions for reopening. Reaction to the new plan has been mixed, with some thinking it moves too slowly and others fearing it moves too quickly. The plan is also facing criticism by some local officials and business owners who cite inconsistencies in the way the rules are applied. We'll talk about the state’s new tiered, color-coded system for reopening businesses and schools and hear how California's second largest county, San Diego, is handling its “Tier 2” reopening.

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How to Fix Distance Learning with the Man Behind Khan Academy Sep 02, 2020

Show notes

K-12 education has gone online, prompting no shortage of complaints from parents and kids alike. But as teachers get better at engaging students with screens, some educators and technologists see an opportunity to customize instruction and let kids work at their own pace. We'll hear from one of online learning’s early innovators: Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy. The non-profit site became a key resource for teachers during the pandemic shutdown. What advice does he have for distance learning, part two?

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