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How a Federal Shutdown and New Trump Edicts are Changing Government Oct 06, 2025

Show notes

The government has shut down and President Trump is withholding dedicated funds to blue states, demanding universities sign a pact to get federal funding and cracking down on free speech. We bring together a panel of reporters to sort through what is happening in Washington and discuss the ways the Trump administration is throwing out the playbook and creating new, and sometimes unlawful, norms.

Guests:

Philip Bump, former national columnist, Washington Post - Bump is the author of "The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America"

Domenico Montanaro, senior political editor and correspondent, NPR

Molly Ball, former senior political correspondent, Wall Street Journal

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CA Senator Adam Schiff Explains Democrats’ Shutdown Strategy and Easy Ways to Level Up Your Health Oct 03, 2025

Show notes

As the federal government shutdown extended through a second day, President Trump on Thursday redoubled his threats to carry out mass layoffs, posting on his social media platform that Democrats had given him an “unprecedented opportunity.” We talk to California Senator Adam Schiff about the Democrats’ long game on the shutdown and get his response to Trump’s call this week to use U.S. cities as a “training ground” for the military and his administration’s decision to cancel billions of dollars for energy projects in California and the Pacific Northwest.

Guests:

Adam Schiff,U.S. Senator representing California; former U.S. Congressman representing Los Angeles; his books include "Midnight in Washington: How We Almost Lost Our Democracy and Still Could"

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KQED’s Guide to Fall Arts in the Bay Area Oct 03, 2025

Show notes

This fall brings Bay Area residents plenty of options for enjoying the arts from the Castro Theatre reopening with a Sam Smith residency after a two year closure to an exhibit of Witchcraft, Magic, and Occult Knowledge at Stanford. And of course, there are the perennial events like LitQuake, the region’s premier literary festival, and celebrations of Oktoberfest, Día de los Muertos, and Halloween. KQED’s Arts team joins us to provide recommendations. And, we’ll hear from you, what’s the fall event or activity you are most looking forward to?

Guests:

Gabe Meline,senior editor, KQED Arts & Culture

Sarah Hotchkiss,associate editor, KQED Arts & Culture

Nastia Voynovskaya, editor and reporter, KQED Arts & Culture

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As the U.S. Experiences a Brain Drain, Who Benefits? Oct 02, 2025

Show notes

The United States has for generations been a magnet for students and scholars from around the world seeking higher education and research positions. In fields such as engineering and the life sciences, at least half of workers here with doctorates are born outside the country. But crackdowns on universities, federal funding cuts and a precarious climate for immigrants is turning a brain gain into a brain drain. We talk about why fewer international students and researchers are choosing to come to the U.S and why American scholars are choosing other countries to pursue their work. Are you considering leaving the country for school or work?

Guests:

Sarah Willcox, deputy director, Scholars at Risk

James Glanz, international and investigative reporter, The New York Times

Sonya Pfeiffer, civil rights and criminal defense attorney, BT Legal and Pfeiffer Rudolf

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Samin Nosrat on Nourishing Food, Community and All the ‘Good Things’ Oct 02, 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.”

Guests:

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: Jane Goodall Looks to Future of Conservation Movement With Those She's Inspired Oct 01, 2025

Show notes

Jane Goodall, one of the world’s most beloved primatologists, has died. She was 91. Goodall was a hero of the conservation movement known for her decades long study of chimpanzees — how they use tools, care for their young, and care for each other. Her discoveries led her to devote her life to animal conservation and fighting deforestation, balanced with the needs of local people. We listen back to our conversation with Goodall from September 2023. She joined us along with two international conservation champions inspired by Goodall’s work to talk about the evolution of her activism and the future of the conservation movement.

Guests:

Jane Goodall, ethologist and conservationist; co-founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, which is devoted to the protection of great apes and their habitats; her books include "The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times" and "The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of Behavior"

Jean-Gael "JG" Collomb, chief executive officer, Wildlife Conservation Network, which connects philanthropists with a global network of field-based conservation leaders

Jeneria Lekilelei, Samburu warrior; director of community conservation, Ewaso Lions

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Democratic Lawmaker Says to Prepare for Long Shutdown Oct 01, 2025

Show notes

The federal government shut down at midnight on Tuesday after lawmakers failed to reach a deal to continue funding its operations. We hear from Bay Area congressman Mark DeSaulnier as Democrats and Republicans fight a messaging war over who to blame for what could be a long and painful period of no pay and potential job losses for federal employees.

Guests:

Mark DeSaulnier, United States Congressman, representing 10th district of California (the East Bay)

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Pursuit of Political Enemies, Mass Firings and Resignations: A Look Inside Trump’s Justice Department Oct 01, 2025

Show notes

The politicalization of the Department of Justice took a new turn last week when US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced an indictment against Trump nemesis and former FBI head James Comey. Donald Trump has made clear that this term, he intends to go after his personal enemies, but the capitulation of DOJ to his demands has raised troubling questions. With career prosecutors and FBI agents being fired or leaving in droves, we talk about what is happening to the Justice Department.

Guests:

Ismail Ramsey, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California

Quinta Jurecic, staff writer, Atlantic Magazine - Jurecic's most recent piece for the Atlantic is titled "The Comey Indictment Is an Embarrassment"

Glenn Thrush, reporter covering the Justice Department, New York Times

Ejaz Baluch, attorney, Baluch resigned from the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice earlier this year

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Former CDC Director Tom Frieden on Countering a Public Health Assault Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

Dr. Tom Frieden, who led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under President Obama, is sounding new alarms about the direction the agency is heading. Frieden says that since taking office, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has “followed a consistent playbook: deny, distract, and destroy” by promoting vaccine misinformation, linking Tylenol use to autism and firing some of the CDC’s most competent professionals. We’ll talk to Frieden about how he thinks science can prevail over falsehood. His new book is “The Formula For Better Health: How to Save Millions of Lives, Including Your Own.”

Guests:

Dr. Tom Frieden, former director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - author, "The Formula for Better Health: How to Save Millions of Lives-Including Your Own"

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In Search of Home Part 2: What Happens When Someone Loses Their Housing Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

Forum is continuing our series, “In Search of Home: Solutions for the Homelessness Crisis” with a look into what happens when people lose their housing. Each year in the Bay Area, an estimated 44,000 people will become homeless, according to All Home, a Bay Area nonprofit. Some find a new place to live quickly, while others shuffle through couch-surfing, sleeping outside, staying at shelters, living in cars or a tent. We’ll talk about the early stages of losing housing and the interventions that can help keep homelessness “brief and rare” as policy experts say, and head off chronic homelessness.

Guests:

Vanessa Rancaño, housing affordability reporter, NPR

Sharon Cornu, executive director, St. Mary's Center - a provider of transitional housing and other services for seniors and families in Oakland

Markos Gonzalez, associate director of programs community outreach, Bay Area Community Services (BACS) - a provider of behavioral health and homelessness services

Keanna Ward, Bay Area resident, is formerly homeless

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