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Latest Episodes:

‘Nerd Reich’ Author Gil Duran on the Tech Authoritarian Movement Dec 01, 2025

Show notes

Journalist Gil Duran’s newsletter “The Nerd Reich” documents the latest developments in anti-democracy extremism within Silicon Valley. These extreme views include calls for accelerationism: the idea that unregulated capitalism and unfettered technological advancement should accelerate as quickly as possible, in order to bring about a new world order. While this sounds conspiratorial, Duran says these views are promoted by some of the most influential voices in the tech sector. We’ll talk about the political implications of billionaire tech moguls’ actions in the Bay Area, the U.S. and the world — and how we can fight back.

Guests:

Gil Duran, journalist and author of the newsletter "The Nerd Reich"; author of the forthcoming book, “The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy”

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Most People Dread Jury Duty, But Some Never Get the Chance to Serve Dec 01, 2025

Show notes

If you’ve watched any legal drama on TV, you know that criminal defendants are entitled to a jury of peers. But does our court system fulfill that promise? Filmmaker Abby Ginzberg’s short documentary “Judging Juries” exposes how discriminatory dismissals, and a lack of financial support, keep people of color off of juries, and how that exclusion impacts our entire justice system. We’ll talk with Ginzberg, two public defenders, and a San Francisco official working to address this problem – in San Francisco, at least. The city launched a pilot program that offers $100 per day to low-income jurors for their service. We’ll explore the impact of that program, and other efforts to remove barriers to jury service. Have you ever served on a jury? Tell us about your experience.

Guests:

Manohar Raju, public defender, City of San Francisco

Anne Stuhldreher, senior advisor, San Francisco Treasurer's Office

Abby Ginzberg, documentary filmmaker, "Judging Juries"

Brendon Woods, public defender for Alameda County, Alameda County Defenders

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Forum from the Archives: What’s Your Favorite Children’s Book? Nov 28, 2025

Show notes

There’s the picture book you wanted your parent or caregiver to read to you over and over. There’s the one with musical rhymes you love performing for your kids. The editors at the Atlantic’s books desk chose 65 “essential” children’s books, spanning the 1936 classic “The Story of Ferdinand” to 2024’s “I’m Sorry You Got Mad.” The list includes bedtime stories, books that teach counting and tales that make big emotions comprehensible for little ones. We’ll talk with the book editors about how the Atlantic made its list. And we’ll hear what your favorite books mean to you and your children.

Guests:

Boris Kachka, senior editor, The Atlantic

Emma Sarappo, senior associate editor, The Atlantic

Maya Chung, senior associate editor, The Atlantic

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Forum from the Archives: Samin Nosrat on Nourishing Food, Community and All the ‘Good Things’ Nov 28, 2025

Show notes

Even after the tremendous success of her cookbook, “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat” and the Netflix series it inspired, Samin Nosrat found that she was lonely and depressed. What grounded her, and helped her claw back the joy in her life, was regularly cooking and eating with friends and committing to community – one “lazy sugo” at a time . We talk to Nosrat about her journey and her new book, “Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love.”

Guest:

Samin Nosrat, chef and author of "Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love: A Cookbook"; her previous book is the bestseller "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat"

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Forum from the Archives: Life Goes On While Systems Fray — How Do We Make Sense of the Dissonance? Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

Crises unfold around us daily: gun violence, devastating foreign wars and U.S. democratic norms shattering. And still, we cook dinner and go to work. For those directly affected, the harms are inescapable. But for others, the contrast between catastrophic headlines and ordinary routines creates a dizzying dissonance: life moving as normal, against a backdrop of unsettling change. We’ll talk about this strange tension and what it does to us, and we’ll hear how you are navigating it.

Guests:

Kate Woodsome, journalist and founder of Invisible Threads, a media and leadership lab exploring the link between mental health and democracy

Adrienne Matei, writer, The Guardian US - her recent piece is “Systems are crumbling – but daily life continues. The dissonance is real”

Gisela Salim-Peyer, associate editor, The Atlantic - her most recent article is "The U.S. Is Preparing for War in Venezuela"

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Forum from the Archives: Julian Brave NoiseCat Weaves Memoir with Indigenous Myth and History Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

Julian Brave NoiseCat’s paternal family traces their origins to the Coyote, a trickster from native mythology who helped create the world. The story of Coyote weaves through NoiseCat’s memoir, “We Survived the Night,” which recounts his childhood in Oakland, growing up with a non-native mother and an absent Indian father who was born, and nearly killed, in an infamous Canadian reservation school. NoiseCat’s book weaves together the personal, historical and mythological stories that “were nearly tossed in the dustbin of history.”

Guests:

Julian Brave NoiseCat, author, "We Survived the Night" - NoiseCat is the co-director of the Oscar-nominated documentary "Sugarcane"

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Forum from the Archives: Can We Really Live On Mars? Nov 25, 2025

Show notes

Mars is inhospitable to human life with its cosmic radiation, atmosphere of carbon dioxide and nights as cold as 200 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. But as Space X founder Elon Musk pledges to colonize Mars, and as NASA renews its push for interplanetary travel, a husband and wife duo has explored whether people really can live in space. What would it require to have babies on another planet? To grow food? To prevent conflicts in space from sparking geopolitical chaos on Earth? We’ll talk about it all with Kelly and Zach Weinersmith, co-authors of “A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?”

Guests:

Kelly Weinersmith, scientist, author, and adjunct faculty member in the BioSciences Department, Rice University - she co-wrote the New York Times bestselling book "A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?" and co-hosts the podcast Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe<br />

Zach Weinersmith, cartoonist of the webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, he also writes popular science books with his wife, Kelly, including "A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?"

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ACLU’s National Legal Director Cecillia Wang on Taking Trump to Court Nov 25, 2025

Show notes

The ACLU is not new to the work of challenging presidents. During the first Trump administration, the ACLU successfully challenged Trump’s Muslim ban, border wall, and family separation policies. Since Trump took office for his second term this January, the ACLU has filed 111 lawsuits against the administration — defending birthright citizenship, opposing deportations, and challenging executive orders. As Cecillia Wang, its national legal director notes, “litigation has been a tool of first resort in protecting people’s rights and freedom.” We talk with Wang about how the ACLU is meeting this moment, and what individuals can do to ensure the preservation of civil rights and liberties.

Guests:

Cecillia Wang, National Legal Director, ACLU

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Forum From the Archives: What Does Costco Mean to You? Nov 24, 2025

Show notes

Costco, the bulk grocery chain known for consistency, devoted employees and discounts, has 145 million members worldwide. New Yorker staff writer Molly Fischer grew up going to a Costco in San Jose (Warehouse No. 148, on Senter Road), and she says “being a child of California in the eighties and nineties offered a front-row seat to the rise of a retail juggernaut.” But new management and Wall Street pressure means that things are changing at Costco, even as its hot dog-and-soda deal remains $1.50. We’ll talk with Fischer about her new piece, “Can the Golden Age of Costco Last?”

Guests:

Molly Fischer, staff writer, The New Yorker - her recent article is "Can the Golden Age of Costco Last?"

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Trans Kids Talk With Those Who Love and Support Them in ‘Love You for You’ Series Nov 24, 2025

Show notes

Transgender and nonbinary kids have been in the news a lot lately, but usually they’re not telling their own stories. The California Report Magazine has been airing a series of conversations between trans youth and the people that love and mentor them. We’ll hear from kids, parents and grandparents who have lent their voices to the Love You for You series and we’ll hear from you. Tell us about the trans and gender nonconforming youth in your life.

Guests:

Sasha Khokha, host of The California Report Magazine on KQED

Hunter Stoval, transgender 16 year old

Eloui Santiago, gender nonconforming 14 year old

Ryu Santiago, non-binary, transgender 16 year old

Roberto Santiago , father of two gender expansive children, Eloui and Ryu Santiago

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