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Latest Episodes:

Comedian Joel Kim Booster on ‘Bad Dates’ and Why He’s a ‘Rude Little Pig’ Jan 24, 2025

Show notes

You might have seen Los Angeles-based comedian Joel Kim Booster in the Maya Rudolph series “Loot,” or enjoyed his “Pride and Prejudice” adaptation “Fire Island,” set on the eponymous gay vacation spot. His latest project is hosting the podcast “Bad Dates,” where comedians share their worst dating stories. We’ll get his advice on how to have better dates and hear why his latest comedy special is called “Rude Little Pig.” He joins us in studio ahead of his appearances at SF Sketchfest.

Guests:

Joel Kim Booster, stand-up comedian, writer and actor; host of the podcast "Bad Dates;" star of the Apple TV+ series “Loot;" writer-star of “Fire Island" on Hulu

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Bay Area Legends: Activist Alice Wong and The Power of Bringing Visibility to Disability Jan 24, 2025

Show notes

Writer and disability justice activist Alice Wong’s illness took her ability to speak without technological assistance, but she continues to make herself, and members of her community, profoundly heard. As part of our new series profiling legends of the Bay Area, Wong joins us to talk about her joyous approach to life and her recent MacArthur Genius win, and to share some favorite interviews recorded with StoryCorps as part of her Disability Visibility Project. We also check in with fellow disability rights activists about the evolution of the movement and the importance of being heard.

Guests:

Alice Wong, disabled activist, writer and community organizer; founder, Disability Invisibility Project; author, "Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life."

Yomi Sachiko Young, Oakland-based social justice organizer, disability justice dreamer

Sandy Ho, executive director of the Disability and Philanthropy Forum

Emily Flores, journalist and founder/editor in chief, Cripple Media

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Dr. Sunita Sah on How To Say ‘No’ Jan 23, 2025

Show notes

Whether it’s declining an invitation, disagreeing with a boss or questioning a doctor, why is it so hard for us to say “no?” In her new book, Cornell organizational psychologist Dr. Sunita Sah draws on behavioral science to look at the pressure we feel to comply and explains why acts of defiance should be seen as expressions of our values. Sah’s new book is “Defy: The Power of No In A World That Demands Yes.” When do you struggle to say no?

http://www.sunitasah.com

Guests:

Dr. Sunita Sah, author, physician-turned-organizational psychologist, Cornell University; Her new book is ‘Defy: The Power of No In A World That Demands Yes’.

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The Biggest Breakthrough Technologies Coming This Year Jan 23, 2025

Show notes

A cattle supplement that cuts down on cow burps and thus, greenhouse gas emissions. Drugs that make it far easier to prevent AIDS and maybe end the disease altogether. Generative AI upending traditional search engines. These are just some of the advances that made MIT Technology Review’s 2025 list of 10 Breakthrough Technologies. Writers and editors from the magazine join us to talk about how these technologies will progress this year and why they could be so impactful.

Guests:

Mat Honan, editor in chief, MIT Technology Review

Allison Arieff, editorial director of print, MIT Technology Review

Casey Crownhart, climate reporter, MIT Technology Review

James O'Donnell, artificial intelligence reporter, MIT Technology Review

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Jon Waterman Documents Arctic Climate Crisis in 'Into the Thaw' Jan 22, 2025

Show notes

Mountaineer Jon Waterman first journeyed to the High Arctic in 1983, intent on learning all he could about the strange land with grizzlies and caribou, sea fossil-filled mountains and night skies with “saffron clouds and beams of viridescence.” Waterman has returned more than 20 times since then, and in a new book he documents the environmental changes he witnessed. We talk to him about the world above the Arctic Circle and how the climate crisis is transforming it. His book is “Into the Thaw.”

http://jonathanwaterman.com

Guests:

Jon Waterman, author, “Into the Thaw: Witnessing Wonder Amid the Arctic Climate Crisis”; former Denali National Park ranger. His other books include National Geographic’s “Atlas of the National Parks" and "In the Shadow of Denali."

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State Lawsuits Quickly Follow Trump’s Day One Immigration Orders Jan 22, 2025

Show notes

On his first day in office Donald Trump issued a slew of executive orders to address what he called “an unprecedented flood” of immigration. Terminating birthright citizenship, a right enshrined in the Constitution, declaring a national emergency at the border and seeking funds to build a border wall are just some of Trump’s directives. Many of his orders faced immediate opposition: as of Tuesday, 18 states and two cities had filed lawsuits attacking the legality of the birthright citizenship order. We talk about Trump’s early moves on immigration and how they are impacting immigrants and their families.

Guests:

Salvador Rivera, correspondent based in San Diego, BorderReport.com

Deep Gulasekaram, professor of law and director of Byron White Center for the Study of Constitutional Law, University of Colorado Boulder Law School. He teaches constitutional and immigration law. He is co-author of the leading immigration law textbook used in U.S. law schools.

Molly O'Toole, fellow, Wilson Center; Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter currently working on a book on immigration for Penguin Random House[[formerly covered migration and security for the Los Angeles Times]]

Rafael Carranza, reporter, Arizona Luminaria, a nonprofit news organization covering Arizona; Carranza covers immigration issues. He previously reported for the Arizona Republic and the USA Today Network.

Tyche Hendricks, senior editor covering immigration, KQED

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Advice on Recovering from a Wildfire, From Californians Who’ve Been There Jan 21, 2025

Show notes

Set up a P.O. box. Learn your insurance policy. Know it’s OK to mourn the material objects you lost, or to refuse donations you don’t need. These are just some of the many pieces of advice survivors of past California wildfires have for victims of the Los Angeles wildfires. We’ll talk to people who’ve lost their homes to fires in Paradise, wine country and the Sierra Foothills about managing the practicalities as well as the emotions. And we’ll hear from you: If you’ve survived a wildfire, what advice might you give?

Guests:

Jennifer Gray Thompson, CEO, After the Fire - A nonprofit that helps communities rebuild after wildfires.

Melissa Schuster, owner, Burnt Barn Distilling Co, in Paradise - former Paradise town council member

Lizz Porter, NorCal small business owner who lives in Colfax; Lost her home during the River Fire in Placer County. She wrote the recent Chronicle op-ed, "I lost everything in a California wildfire. Here’s what people in L.A. need to know now"

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Israeli-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement Brings Relief, Uncertainty and Hope for the End of Brutal War Jan 21, 2025

Show notes

The first Israeli hostages and Palestinian political prisoners have been released and Gazan exiles have begun returning to their war-ravaged communities after the Israel and Hamas ceasefire deal went into effect Sunday. After 15 months of brutal war, the ceasefire has brought much relief but also uncertainty about whether it will last and under what terms. We talk about what the ceasefire agreement means and what could happen next.

Guests:

Omar Dajani, professor of law, University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law; board member, A Land For All; former senior legal advisor, Palestine Liberation Organization's Negotiations Support Unit

Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, senior rabbi, Temple Sinai, Oakland

Janine Zacharia, lecturer, Stanford University; former Jerusalem Bureau Chief and Middle East correspondent, Washington Post

Andrew Roth, global affairs correspondent, The Guardian

Sam Hindi, former mayor of Foster City, member of the Palestinian American Coalition-San Francisco

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Donald Trump Inaugurated as 47th U.S. President Jan 20, 2025

Show notes

Donald Trump takes the presidential oath of office on Monday, ushering in a second term that he says will push hardline policies on immigration and trade, deregulate industry and slash climate protections. We get your reactions to his inaugural address and what you think the coming days and weeks will bring. How are you preparing for a second Trump term?

Guests:

Claudia Grisales, national correspondent, NPR

Zack Beauchamp, senior correspondent, Vox

Franklin Foer, staff writer, The Atlantic; His books include "The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden's White House and the Struggle for America's Future."

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Remembering LA Filmmaker David Lynch and His ‘Lynchian’ Legacy Jan 17, 2025

Show notes

We look back on the life and career of legendary Los Angeles director David Lynch. Known for “Blue Velvet,” “Mulholland Drive” and “Twin Peaks,” Lynch used dream-logic narratives to interrogate the American dream itself and to capture the dark beauty of Los Angeles, the city he dearly loved. He was also sunny in outlook, famously advising “keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.” Lynch’s family announced his death on Thursday. He was 78. What is your favorite work by David Lynch? What did he mean to you?

Guests:

Rebecca Alter, staff writer who covers comedy and pop culture, Vulture

Alexandre Philippe , filmmaker and director of the documentary “Lynch/Oz”

Jackson Kim Murphy, associate news editor, Variety

Ian Nathan, film writer and author, “David Lynch: A Retrospective”

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