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‘Twist’ Explores Sabotage, Repair and the Hidden Cables Connecting Us Apr 11, 2025

Show notes

National Book Award-winning author Colum McCann says he chooses what to write about based on what he most wants to know. His latest novel “Twist” springs from his fascination with the underwater cables, no thicker than a garden hose, that carry some 95% of the world’s telecommunications. McCann’s protagonist is a journalist who goes asea to investigate a cable break off the coast of Africa after the Congo River floods. We talk to McCann about themes of sabotage and repair – both in the abyssal zone he writes about and in our lives.

Guest:

Colum McCann, author, “Twist”; His other novels include “Apeirogon,” “Transatlantic” and “Let the Great World Spin,” which won a National Book Award.

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SFMOMA Ruth Asawa Retrospective Celebrates Her Art and Life as Educator Apr 11, 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 - a nonprofit education and creative reuse center based in the Bayview and founded in 1976

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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How Tariffs and a Trade War with China Could Affect CA Farmers Apr 10, 2025

Show notes

Wall Street breathed a sigh of relief Wednesday when President Trump backtracked and announced a 90-day pause on the sweeping tariffs he unveiled last week, dropping the duty rate to 10% for most countries. But it’s little reprieve for California farmers who export crops like almonds and pistachios to China. Trump has raised the taxes on imports from China to 125%, and further retaliatory tariffs from China are expected to follow. The California almond industry alone lost nearly $900 million from the trade war with China in Trump’s first term. We’ll check in with farmers and an economist on the ongoing turmoil’s effects on the agriculture industry, nationwide and here in California. And we’ll hear what it all could mean for your grocery prices.

Guests:

Marcia Brown, food and agriculture reporter, POLITICO

Colin Carter, distinguished professor of agricultural and resource economics, UC Davis

Joe Del Bosque, CEO, Del Bosque family Farms in the San Joaquin Valley

Zach Pelka, co-founder and COO, Une Femme wines based out of Sonoma

Josh Harder, U.S. representative for California's 9th Congressional District, covering San Joaquin County as well as parts of Stanislaus and Contra Costa counties

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Viet Thanh Nguyen on the Lasting Impact of the Vietnam War 50 Years Later Apr 10, 2025

Show notes

Viet Thanh Nguyen came to the United States as a 4-year-old refugee after the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. His family eventually settled in San Jose. Nguyen went on to become a Pulitzer Prize-Winning novelist and memoirist whose books center the experience of Vietnamese people. As we approach the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, we’ll reflect on the war’s lasting impact and what we have – and have not – learned from it. And we’ll talk about his new book of essays, “To Save and to Destroy: Writing as an Other,” which explores the role of artists in political discourse.

Guests:

Viet Thanh Nguyen, author and professor at USC. His latest book is a collection of essays, "To Save and to Destroy: Writing as an Other." His previous books include the Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Sympathizer," "The Committed," and the memoir, “A Man of Two Faces."

Bryan Vo, Forum intern

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SF Chronicle Investigates Broken Home Insurance System Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

Four of California’s largest home insurers are knowingly using faulty data to set coverage limits, according to a new San Francisco Chronicle investigation. It means that wildfire survivors who thought they’d be made whole after losing their homes are discovering they can’t afford to rebuild. We talk to the reporters behind the investigation and hear how you can find out if your California home is underinsured. And we want to hear from you: Do you have a story about being underinsured?

Guests:

Megan Fan Munce, reporter covering California’s home insurance crisis, The San Francisco Chronicle

Susie Neilson, investigative reporter, The San Francisco Chronicle

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San Francisco Scales Back Harm Reduction Policy Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is scaling back a key part of the city’s harm reduction strategy: the free distribution of clean foil pipes and plastic straws in public settings. These supplies are typically used to smoke fentanyl or methamphetamines. We talk to addiction specialists about how this policy change might impact drug use in the city.

Guests:

Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford School of Medicine

Tyler TerMeer, CEO, San Francisco AIDS Foundation

Sydney Johnson, reporter, KQED News

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Sudan's Brutal Civil War, 2 Years In Apr 08, 2025

Show notes

It’s been two years this month since fighting broke out between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces, leading to a devastating civil war that’s so far killed more than 150,000 people and displaced 13 million while causing the world’s worst famine in decades. The New York Times was the first Western outlet to report from the center of the Sudanese capital since the war erupted. We talk to chief Africa correspondent Declan Walsh about where the war stands and the humanitarian impact.

Guests:

Declan Walsh, chief Africa correspondent, The New York Times - based in Nairobi, Kenya

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The San Francisco Chronicle’s Top 100 Restaurants List is Back Apr 08, 2025

Show notes

After six long years, The San Francisco Chronicle has revived its annual Top 100 Restaurants list. Critics MacKenzie Chung Fegan and Cesar Hernandez join us to share their picks, their process, and their personal food obsessions. We’ll take a tour of the restaurants that made this year’s list, and dish about what makes a restaurant truly “top” – from Michelin-worthy tasting menus to perfectly grilled fish tacos. What Bay Area restaurant would you rank #1?

Guests:

MacKenzie Chung Fegan, restaurant critic, The San Francisco Chronicle

Cesar Hernandez, associate restaurant critic, The San Francisco Chronicle

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Federal Funding Cuts Hit Cancer Research Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

Clinicians and scientists are sounding alarms as the Trump administration slashes budgets at federal health agencies, including the NIH, which is the largest funder of cancer research in the world. We talk about the costs of the cuts, which researchers say could set back progress on treatments and cures by decades and jeopardize patients with advanced forms of cancer who rely on experimental clinical trials.

Guests:

Angus Chen, cancer reporter, STAT News

Dr. Adil Daud, oncologist and melanoma specialist, UCSF

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The Fallout of Trump’s Expansive Tariffs Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

The global economy and U.S. markets have been reeling since President Trump announced a sweeping package of tariffs on Wednesday. China retaliated late Friday with a matching tariff, further nosediving the stock market and escalating the trade war. Economists predict the expansive tariffs will raise prices and impact jobs, and potentially lead to a recession and upend the global economy. We’ll talk to experts about why markets are reacting the way they are, and what it might mean for the future of the global economy.

Guests:

Stephanie Flanders, senior executive editor, Bloomberg; head of Bloomberg Economics

Lori Wallach, director, Rethink Trade program at American Economic Liberties Project; senior advisor; Citizens Trade Campaign

Kyle Handley, associate professor of economics, School of Global Policy and Strategy, UC San Diego; director, Center for Commerce and Diplomacy

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