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E. Jean Carroll on Being 'One Woman vs. a President' Jul 11, 2025

Show notes

Journalist E. Jean Carroll has won two multimillion-dollar judgments against President Trump for sexual abuse and defamation. Her new memoir, “Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President,” is a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to sue a U.S. President: the toll it took, and how support and some dark humor helped carry her through. We talk to Carroll about her experiences and hear reflections from MSNBC legal correspondent Lisa Rubin about the significance of Carroll’s victory against a president who has otherwise avoided legal consequences for his actions.

Guests:

E. Jean Carroll, journalist; author of the long-running advice column "Ask E. Jean"; author, "Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President"

Lisa Rubin, legal correspondent, MSNBC; host of MSNBC's "Can They Do That?" on Youtube

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Forum From the Archives: Sly Stone and the ‘Burden of Black Genius’ Jul 11, 2025

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No band may better reflect the multicultural, gender-expansive exuberance of the Bay Area dream than Sly and the Family Stone. A new documentary “Sly Lives (aka The Burden of Black Genius)” explores the life and context of Vallejo’s brilliant, charismatic and troubled bandleader. We talk with the film’s creators and participants about the gifts Sly gave the world and the tolls it took on him.

Guests:

Joel Selvin, San Francisco-based music journalist and author, his latest book is "Words and Demons"

Joseph Patel, producer of the documentary Sly Lives; he also produced Summer of Soul, which won an academy award for best documentary feature

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Over 100 Dead, Dozens Still Missing As Texas Recovers from Unprecedented Flooding Jul 10, 2025

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The flooding in Central Texas over the Fourth of July holiday has claimed more than 100 lives and caused widespread destruction across six counties. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing, with teams from across the country — including California — joining the response. We get on-the-ground updates, hear how rescue operations are going and as extreme weather events become more common, we look at whether this could happen in California.

Guests:

Hayley Smith, reporter focusing on extreme weather, Los Angeles Times

Lucio E Vasquez, breaking news reporter, Texas Newsroom

Greg Porter, senior newsroom meteorologist, San Francisco Chronicle

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Forum from the Archives: Mac Barnett on Why Picture Books are Real Literature Jul 10, 2025

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As the Library of Congress’s new National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Bay Area children’s author Mac Barnett wants to reframe how we think about picture books. With his platform, “Behold the Picture Book,” he’s championing the vital role picture books play in engaging readers of all ages and why we love them. What’s the picture book you love reading over and over and over?

Guests:

Mac Barnett, author of the children's books "Circle," "Square" and "Triangle" which have been made into a new animated series "Shape Island" on AppleTV+; his books have won Caldecott honors and E.B. White Read Aloud Awards

Aida Salazar, children's book author, her picture books include "Jovita Wore Pants" and "In the Spirit of a Dream"

Laura G. Lee, children's book author and illustrator, her picture books are "Soy Sauce!" and "Cat Eyes"

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What the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Means for California Jul 09, 2025

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President Trump on Friday signed into law a massive tax and spending package: the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which delivers sweeping tax breaks for the wealthy while slashing social safety net programs. It cuts nearly $30 billion in Medicaid funding to California, defunds wildfire prevention and, according to Governor Gavin Newsom’s office, puts hundreds of thousands of jobs in the state at risk. The legislation also directs at least $170 billion to immigration detention and border security. Meanwhile, deficit watchers worry about its fiscal impacts. We’ll break down what this bill means for healthcare, immigration, education and everyday Californians like you.

Guests:

Jessica Roy, personal finance columnist, San Francisco Chronicle

David Lightman, chief congressional correspondent, McClatchy

Andrea Castillo, staff writer covering immigration, LA Times

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Forum from the Archives: Alison Gopnik and Anne-Marie Slaughter on Why We’re Not Paying Enough Attention to Caregiving Jul 09, 2025

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Caregiving is the most universal of human acts. But also one of the most invisible. While caring for a child, parent or loved one can be meaningful, and life defining, it can also be exhausting and life breaking. Drawing on her groundbreaking research on baby’s brains, UC Berkeley psychologist and philosopher Alison Gopnik is leading a multidisciplinary project to better understand the social science of caregiving with hopes of translating those insights into practical policies. Gopnik and policymaker Anne-Marie Slaughter join us to talk about how rethinking our approach to caregiving and how we support care providers, could lead to a better, more functional society.

Guests:

Alison Gopnik, professor of psychology and affiliate professor of philosophy, UC Berkeley; author, "The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us About the Relationship Between Parents and Children"

Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America, a non-profit think tank; author of "Unfinished Business: Women Men Work Family"

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What Elizabeth Bruenig Witnessed ‘Inside America’s Death Chambers’ Jul 08, 2025

Show notes

Atlantic staff writer and Pulitzer Prize finalist Elizabeth Bruenig has attended five death row executions over the past half-decade. “What I witnessed,” she writes in her new cover story, “has not changed my conviction that capital punishment must end. But in sometimes-unexpected ways, it has changed my understanding of why.” We talk to Bruenig about what she saw and what she learned about mercy, forgiveness and redemption. Her article is called “Witness.”

Guests:

Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer, The Atlantic - whose recent article is "Inside America’s Death Chambers"

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Forum from the Archives: Celebrating 40 Years of West Coast Literature with Zyzzyva Jul 08, 2025

Show notes

When a scrappy San Francisco literary journal launched in 1985 to champion West Coast writers, the dream was to make a lasting imprint. Now, 40 years later, we celebrate Zyzzyza’s anniversary with editor Oscar Villalon and writers Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) and Ingrid Rojas Contreras. We’ll talk about the literary journal’s vision, its stellar roster of writers and poets, and what makes the West Coast literary scene special.

Guests:

Oscar Villalon, editor, Zyzzyva Magazine - San Francisco based literary journal

Daniel Handler, author of the children's book series "A Series of Unfortunate Events" under the pen name "Lemony Snicket" - contributor, "The End of the Golden Gate"

Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Bay Area-based writer, author of the novel “Fruit of the Drunken Tree” and the memoir “The Man Who Could Move Clouds”

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Have You Lost Something That Once Defined You? Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

Musician Greta Morgan began performing professionally when she was 16, singing for groups like The Hush Sound and Gold Motel before touring with Vampire Weekend and charting her own path as a singer-songwriter. But in 2020, a severe case of Covid led to a neurological disorder that reduced her voice to a hush. We talk to Morgan about what a drastic change to her singing voice taught her about her inner voice and how her listening became so powerful that when she watched a meteor shower, she thought she could hear the stars. Morgan’s new memoir is “The Lost Voice.”

Guests:

Greta Morgan, musician, songwriter and author, "The Lost Voice: A Memoir"

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Forum From the Archives: SF MOMA Ruth Asawa Retrospective Celebrates Her Art and Life as Educator Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

“An artist is an ordinary person who can take ordinary things and make them special,” said San Francisco artist Ruth Asawa. From her studio in her home in Noe Valley, Asawa created crocheted wire sculptures whose shadows are just as evocative as the art itself. But as the mother of six, Asawa was also passionate about arts education and teaching. As a new retrospective of her work and life opens at SF MOMA, we talk about Asawa’s legacy as an artist, teacher, and community member as part of our Bay Area Legends series.

Guests:

Janet Bishop, Thomas Weisel Family chief curator, SFMOMA; She co-curated the exhibition Ruth Asawa: Retrospective

Terry Kochanski, executive director, SCRAP

Andrea Jepson, close friend of Ruth Asawa; Jepson served as the model for the fountain "Andrea" in Ghiradelli Square, and also worked with Asawa on her public school education projects

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