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Prop 45: Will California Vote to Trade Environmental Regulation for Quicker Housing Development? Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which requires most proposed public and private development projects to go through a thorough environmental impact review process, has long been blamed for slowing or stopping the development of new construction in the state. This November, Californians will vote on Proposition 45, which attempts to streamline CEQA review for certain “essential” projects. We’ll look at how changes could impact housing, data centers and more.

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The Bay Area’s Hotly Contested Congressional Races Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

Some of the Bay Area’s biggest political battles this fall are happening between fellow Democrats in hotly contested races for Congress. There’s a fierce fight for retiring former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s seat in San Francisco. In Napa, where redistricting has shaken up the district, a multimillionaire is courting votes from Republicans and progressives to unseat an establishment fellow Democrat. And in Sacramento, younger progressive challengers are taking on longtime incumbents, raising a bigger question about what Democratic voters value right now: a new generation of leadership, or the experience that comes with years in office? KQED’s politics team joins us to break down the races, the candidates and what to watch heading into Election Day.

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How the UC System Transformed California Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

Historian Miriam Pawel says the University of California system is unique in its commitment to being “an engine of social, intellectual, and economic mobility.” But even with record-high applications this year, it’s facing profound challenges, like federal funding cuts and fierce debates over whether it should reinstate the SAT. We’ll talk with Pawel about how the history of the UC is the history of California – and how the futures of both are intertwined. Her new book is “California Dreams: The Making and Remaking of the University of California.”

Guest:

Miriam Pawel, journalist and author, California Dreams: The Making and Remaking of the University of California and The Browns of California: The Family Dynasty That Transformed a State and Shaped a Nation

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Tech Writer Kevin Roose on the Trillion-Dollar Sprint to Build Artificial General Intelligence Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

AGI or “artificial general intelligence” has been both the holy grail of machine learning researchers, and also the source of their biggest fears. Whereas AI refers to task-specific responses like finding a recipe, summarizing a contract, or explaining how a car works, AGI can write its own recipe, draft a contract autonomously, and drive the car. In his new book, “The AGI Chronicles,” journalist Kevin Roose goes inside the race to create super intelligent machines, detailing the feuds, defections and breakthroughs fueling the trillion-dollar effort. He also highlights the exhilarating and troubling questions its creators are grappling with: Does the tech have a conscience? And might it obliterate humanity?

Guest:

Kevin Roose, author, The AGI Chronicles: The Inside Story of the Race to Create an Artificial Superintelligence; former columnist, the New York Times

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California Governor Candidate Steve Hilton Takes Your Questions Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

Republican candidate for governor Steve Hilton says California needs a dramatic break from years of Democratic party rule. He wants to slash income taxes, build new cities, overhaul homelessness policy, expand energy production and rethink California’s approach to immigration and regulation. Polls show him well behind Democrat Xavier Becerra, but is he shifting the boundaries of political debate in the state? We talk with Steve Hilton about his case for a California reset.

Guests:

Steve Hilton, California’s Republican candidate for governor
Marisa Lagos, KQED political correspondent and Political Breakdown co-host

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KQED Investigates Abuse and Retaliation at CA’s Largest Women’s Prison Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

When Aliksandria Prout was released from the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla in 2022, she set out to bring the correctional officer who abused her to justice. Her story — along with many other survivors of prison abuse — is detailed in a new series from KQED’s Snap Studios called “We Are Jane Doe.” The three-part series chronicles a two-year investigation by reporters Madi Bolaños and Anna Sussman into sexual abuse and retaliation at one of the largest women’s prisons on earth. We’ll talk with Prout about her experience as “Jane Doe Number One” in the high profile case against Gregory Rodriguez — and hear from Bolaños and Sussman about how the prison system has enabled this kind of abuse to go unchecked.

Guests:

Madi Bolaños, host, producer, “We Are Jane Doe” and co-host The California Report, KQED
Anna Sussman, producer, “We Are Jane Doe” and senior producer and managing editor, Snap Judgment.
Aliksandria Prout was formerly incarcerated at Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, subject of “We Are Jane Doe”

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The Babies Left Behind: Caitlin Dickerson on the New Family-Separation Crisis Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

In his second term, President Trump has aggressively targeted immigrant communities away from the border, and tens of thousands of immigrant parents are being detained and deported without their children. More than 200,000 children—most of them American citizens—have been separated from their parents, and many have been left behind with temporary caregivers. Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Caitlin Dickerson’s latest investigation for The Atlantic, “The Babies Left Behind in America,” documents the policy changes that have allowed ICE to prioritize deportation quotas over child welfare. We speak with Dickerson about the hidden toll of this domestic separation crisis and what it means for families across the country.

Guests:

Caitlin Dickerson, staff writer, The Atlantic, 2023 Pulitzer Prize recipient for her reporting on immigration, author of new article “The Babies Left Behind in America.”

Kelly Kribs, co-director, Technical Assistance Program, The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights

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Oakland Police Department Released from Federal Oversight After 23 Years Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

After 23 years, the Oakland Police Department has been released from federal oversight. The federal monitoring, the longest in U.S. history, traces back to the “Riders” scandal: In 2003, a group of Oakland police officers were accused of planting evidence, falsifying reports and beating suspects. Civil rights attorneys sued the city on behalf of 119 plaintiffs and Oakland settled that lawsuit by agreeing to a list of 51 reforms designed to prevent future police abuses of power. Over two decades, more scandals emerged that prevented the end of the monitoring but now OPD says that this past is well behind them. We’ll talk about the impact of the federal oversight on policing in Oakland and the outlook for police accountability, public safety and the OPD as the department regains its independence

Guests:

Darwin BondGraham, news editor, Oaklandside, co-author of “The Riders Come Out at Night: Brutality, Corruption and Cover-up in Oakland”

John Burris, civil rights attorney

Barbara Lee, mayor of Oakland, served as U.S. congressmember representing parts of the East Bay from 1998-2025

Christy Lopez, law professor and former deputy chief, Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice, Georgetown University, served as a federal court monitor of the Oakland Police Department

Rocky Lucia, law partner and attorney, Rains, Lucia, Stern, St. Phalle & Silver, PC

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How Social Media is Shaping How We Experience Our Lives IRL Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

What we choose to post (or not post) to social media — the moments we highlight, the wording of our captions — tells a story about who we are. Those stories, says author Kathryn Jezer-Morton, then shape key parts of our offline lives, like the milestones we value and who we maintain relationships with. Jezer-Morton joins us to talk about her new book: “The Story of Your Life: How Social Media Shapes the Way We Experience Everything.”

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How Data Center Backlash is Reshaping Politics Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

Opposition to data centers could play a role in who gets elected in November, especially in local races. Hundreds of new data centers have been popping up across the country, sparking backlash from residents who are worried about everything from water usage to machines destroying the economy. We’ll talk about the intensifying opposition to data centers and AI and how the issue could play out in the upcoming election.

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