KQED's Forum

California’s landmark law addressing teen social media addiction, which prohibits major social media companies from providing “psychologically exploitative features” like autoplay and infinite scroll to users under 16, is set to go into effect Jan. 1. But this month, the tech giants who own those companies — TikTok, Meta and Google— filed separate federal lawsuits claiming the law violates the First Amendment and Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency ‌ Act. We’ll talk about how the legal battle could play out and big tech’s approach to regulation. Guests: Eugene Volokh, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, professor emeritus, Stanford University, UCLA School of Law Aaron Mak, tech reporter, Politico Josh Lowenthal, assembly member representing the 69th California Assembly District, author, AB 1709 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you a Kit? A Felicity? A Josefina? If those names ring a bell, you are likely familiar with theworld of the American Girl doll and their period appropriate wardrobes and historical backstories. In her new book “An American Girl: How A Billion-Dollar Doll and Its Founder Changed Girlhood Forever,” journalist Amanda FitzSimons examines the cultural impact of the franchise, which has not been without controversy, and the fierce attachment of its many fans. Guests: Amanda FitzSimons, author, “An American Girl: How a Billion-Dollar Doll and Its Unlikely Founder Changed Girlhood Forever” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Medicare open enrollment season is underway, but many seniors are facing an unusually volatile landscape marked by steep price increases for prescription drugs and shrinking coverage options. At the same time, major private insurers are pulling out of markets they deem unprofitable. Could Democrats make Medicare more affordable when they take control of Congress next year? Is Medicare for All a real possibility? We speak with a panel of Medicare experts to make sense of the changes coming in 2027’s open enrollment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An estimated one in five U.S. adults has tried a GLP-1 for managing weight loss or diabetes. And now, more kids struggling with obesity are taking the medication, too. Pediatric doctors say early intervention with GLP-1s can prevent lifelong obesity, Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure but want more research into the effects on developing bodies. We’ll discuss the new medical landscape and how doctors and parents are navigating it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Route 66, known as the “Main Street of America,” celebrates its 100th birthday on Wednesday. The highway, which begins in Chicago and ends at the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, is famous as an early route of westward migration, and as a quintessential road-trip highway. In the 1980s, however, the interstate highway system bypassed Route 66, and today road-trippers must string together countless two-lane roads to follow its entire length. Immortalized by Nat King Cole’s “Get Your Kicks on Route 66,” John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath,” and Pixar’s “Cars,” we’ll talk about the enduring power of the “Mother Road.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2024, young male voters came out in force to re-elect Donald Trump after many so-called manosphere influencers endorsed him. But in a striking reversal, in last week’s midterm election, men under 44 shifted to the left by 32 points, according to the New York Times. We’ll look at whether the midterm results signal durable gains for Democrats and what young men want from politicians. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Screen time is on the rise for older adults entering their golden years. What does that mean for cognition and aging? Could it be accelerating mental decline? Those were some of the questions that internet culture reporter Jessica Lucas set out to explore in her recent story for New York Magazine, “The 75-Year-Old Screenagers.” We’ll talk about the secret interventions adult children are taking to protect their parents online, and hear more about the benefits and drawbacks of older adults being increasingly online. Guest: Jessica Lucas, internet culture reporter; recently wrote “The Adult Children Cleaning Up Their Parents’ Feeds” for New York Magazine Ipsit Vahia, chief of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and director of the Technology and Aging Lab, McLean Hospital and Mass General Brigham Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first documented war over water happened 4,000 years ago between Sumerian city-states fighting over Tigris River canals. Access to water has been a consistent source of human conflict from ancient Athens to modern day Ukraine. Scientist, water expert and MacArthur Fellow Peter Gleick traces this history in his new book, “When the Well is Dry” and offers solutions to mitigate conflict and forge a path of cooperation for a sustainable future. Guests: Peter Gleick, author, When the Well is Dry: How Water Fuels Violence and Shapes Peace; senior fellow and co-founder of the Pacific Institute, and a MacArthur Fellow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do we owe those who risk their lives for our country? UC Berkeley law professor Saira Mohamed argues that the government fails to protect service members from preventable injuries, unlawful orders and unnecessary wars — and that the law often shields those responsible. We talk to Mohamed about why soldiers have so few legal protections while serving and how the U.S. could better fulfill its obligations to those in uniform. Her new book is “What a Country Owes Its Soldiers.” Guest: Saira Mohamed, author of “What a Country Owes Its Soldiers” and a professor at UC Berkeley Law Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oakland writer Laleh Khadivi said she wanted readers to have a kaleidoscopic view of women in her new novel, “Female Life on Planet Earth.” The story follows Heti, an Iranian-American woman who is grieving the loss of her mother — a woman who loved game shows, water aerobics and knitting. But a different version emerges in the aftermath of her death, when Heti sees an old photograph of her mother pointing a machine gun at a group of crying women during the Iranian revolution. Can Heti accept this version of her mother that she did not know? We talk with Khadivi about the relationship between women, violence and revolution — and the layers that exist inside of every woman. Guest: Laleh Khadivi, author and chair of the University of San Francisco’s MFA Program Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Novels, poetry, plays and short stories about love have existed for as long as we’ve had novels, poetry, plays and short stories. In its latest project, The Atlantic’s books team set out to capture the English language’s 50 most unforgettable love stories. They spoke with scholars, librarians, critics, authors and romance bookshop owners to hear their top picks. The list begins with Philip Sidney’s sonnets “Astrophil and Stella” from 1591 and ends with 2024’s Lambda Literary Award winning novel “The Safekeep” by Yael van der Wouden. Some of the installments were seminal for the romance genre; for others, how romantic they truly are is the subject of debate. We’ll talk with two of the Atlantic’s Books editors about how certain love stories stand the test of time, and we’ll speak with an author about what it takes to craft an “unforgettable” love story. Guests: Emma Sarappo, senior associate editor, The Atlantic Boris Kachka, senior editor, The Atlantic Nicole Dennis-Benn, author, “Here Comes the Sun” and…

Now a lame duck facing a Democratic congress, President Trump has some critical decisions to make on foreign policy. In his second term, Trump has joined forces with Israel to start a war in Iran, invaded Venezuela and captured its leader, dropped sanctions against Russia as Ukraine peace talks loom, and threatened to annex Greenland. What will the next two years hold and will the new Congress change his course abroad? Guests: David Sanger, white house and national security correspondent, New York Times, author, “New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion and America’s Struggle to Defend the West” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After seismic midterm victories, Democrats will face pressure to govern and Republicans face a reckoning; Speaker Mike Johnson says he won’t run for minority leader. We talk with a panel of national political correspondents about what Democrats can realistically do with their new power, the choices that lie ahead for Republicans and what these election results mean for the future of American politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a town hall-style Forum, we’ll hear from Bay Area members of Congress about their plans, priorities and the possibilities for investigating the Trump administration. The conversation comes in the wake of the midterm elections, where Democrats won majorities in both houses of Congress. We’ll ask these Bay Area officials how they’ll use their power in Washington and what they will prioritize. And they’ll hear from you about what issues you want addressed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We discuss post-election results, analysis and what to expect as major California races are finalized. With reporters from across the California Newsroom, we’ll talk about the contest for governor and key congressional seats, along with statewide ballot propositions and consequential local races. And we’ll answer your questions about what the election results mean for the future of California and national politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We recap the election results here in the Bay Area. Voters decided on key Congressional races, including who will replace former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Representative Eric Swalwell. And they weighed in on measures that could increase the mayor’s power in San Francisco and Oakland. We’ll review what races have been called, which are pending and what the results say about the political tide here in the Bay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Figuring out what to eat can feel more complicated than ever. Are eggs healthy, or not? Is everything labeled ultra-processed bad for us? How much protein is enough protein? Stanford nutrition scientist Christopher Gardner says eating well is easier than you might think and that there’s more agreement among researchers than the latest viral diet fads suggest. We talk to Gardner about what the evidence shows. His new book is “Food Sense.” Guests: Dr. Christopher Gardner, professor and director of nutrition studies, Stanford University; author, “Food Sense: What to Eat and Why” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Jose has the most expensive water in the country, according to a new report from Food & Water Watch. The report finds that, nationwide, household water bills have increased by an average of 62% over the last decade, and California is home to more than half of the 25 most expensive water systems in the country. So what’s driving up the cost of our household drinking water and is there a better way to pay for this essential service? We’ll hear from water policy experts about the hidden costs behind your water bill, how everything from climate change to agricultural policy is shaping rates, and what it would take to make water more affordable for Californians. Guests: Max Gomberg, senior policy advisor on water equity and affordability; formerly Climate and Conservation manager, State Water Resources Control Board Mary Grant, water policy director, Food & Water Watch Karla Nemeth, executive director, Association of California Water Agencies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the past month, President Trump has cut a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel fuel to the US, lifted sanctions on Russia’s energy industry and pressured Ukraine to halt drone strikes on Russian refineries. Critics say it’s an attempt to lower U.S. gas prices ahead of the midterm elections and a betrayal of Ukraine, as the embattled country prepares for a difficult winter. We’ll talk about what Washington’s pivot toward Russia means for Ukraine’s future. Guests: Illia Ponomarenko, journalist and author, “The Land of Tears and Hope: The Ukrainian Story” – Former defense and security reporter, The Kyiv Post; co-founder, The Kyiv Independent. He has covered the war in eastern Ukraine since the conflict’s beginning, as well as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine since 2022 Simon Shuster, staff writer, Atlantic Magazine – author, “The Showman: Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky” Michael McFaul, professor of political science;…

Democrats are poised to take the House of Representatives and maybe even the Senate on Tuesday – at least that’s what recent polls tell us. But as we learned in the 2016 election, polls can be wrong. We’ll talk to pollsters about how they gather their data, how their methods have changed over the years, and the key races they’re looking at this midterm election. Guests: Michael Dimock, president, Pew Research Center Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette Law School Poll, Marquette Law School Mike Madrid, political strategist; author, “The Latino Century: How America’s Largest Minority is Transforming Democracy”; co-founder, The Lincoln Project Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California voters this election will usher in new representatives, vote on 14 statewide ballot measures and weigh in on many other local races and propositions. With just days to go until the midterms, we want to hear your last-minute voting questions. Are you wondering what you should do if you haven’t received your ballot? How can you find your polling place? How soon can you expect election results? Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation, and KQED’s Scott Shafer and Guy Marzorati join us to take all of your voting questions ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Guests: Kim Alexander, president and founder, California Voter Foundation Scott Shafer, senior politics correspondent and co-host, political breakdown, KQED Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED’s California politics and government desk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Día de los Muertos approaches, we take time to remember loved ones and notable people who have passed away this year. Just this week, influential labor activist Dolores Huerta died at age 96 months after the deaths of other icons including musician Dolly Parton, feminist Gloria Steinem and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead. The ancient Mexican tradition of honoring the deceased offers an opportunity to process personal and collective grief along with celebrating life. We welcome listeners to share remembrances and we’ll reflect on what it means to memorialize someone. Guests: Farida Jhabvala Romero, labor correspondent, KQED Ani Rivera, vice president, San Francisco’s commission of the department on the status of women Lidia Ruelo-Salazar, healer, culture keeper and founder of Tierra Rituals Sam Roberts, obituary writer, The New York Times; author, “Are They Dead Yet? The Art of the Obit” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Priya Parker, whose 2018 book “The Art of Gathering” was about bringing people together, is out with a new book called “The Art of Fighting.” It may seem like an entirely different topic, but Parker says forming and growing successful relationships is not possible being able to navigate disagreement. We’ll talk to Parker about how to handle all kinds of fights, and hear from you: How has conflict strengthened your own relationships? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a kid, Melissa King rushed home from school to grab her meat cleaver and cook dinner for her family. In her new memoir, “The Girl Who Became King,” the Top Chef winner traces her path from her immigrant parents’ expectations to a career in Michelin kitchens. “I didn’t think my life was interesting,” she notes, but in talking with fans and writing this book, King started “owning who I am and being proud of all of those things that I used to tuck away and hide about being gay and even being Asian in America.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an era marked by deep political polarization, runaway technology and everyday absurdities, our current reality often feels like an episode of “The Twilight Zone.” In his new book, “Serling: A Journey Into the Twilight Zone With TV’s First Visionary,” acclaimed television critic Alan Sepinwall, explores how writer and creator Rod Serling transformed television by weaving social issues and national anxieties in his storytelling. Sepinwall traces Serling’s enduring footprint across modern popular culture, from “Twin Peaks” to “Black Mirror.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthropic has filed to go public in what could become the largest IPO in history. The San Francisco-based AI company’s 335-page filing offers the first detailed look at its finances, growth ambitions and stated risk factors, including the possibility of catastrophic incidents. We’ll talk with San Francisco-based tech and business reporters about what Anthropic’s filing can tell us about the future of the AI economy and what the expected huge influx of money could mean for the Bay Area. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next week’s midterm election will decide which party controls Congress for the second half of President Trump’s term. And in the wake of California’s redistricting in favor of Democratic candidates, the state could play an outsized role in shaping the outcome of the midterms. We’ll dig into key races here in California and across the nation, and how issues like inflation and Trump’s approval rating could influence the outcome. Guests: Erin Covey, editor covering the U.S. House of Representatives, The Cook Political Report Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED’s California Politics and Government Desk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Voters across the Bay Area will weigh in on more than 100 school board races in next Tuesday’s election. As many school districts face declining enrollment, tight budgets and difficult decisions about the role of technology in classrooms, the make-up of school boards is critical. But voters often have very little information about the candidates, what they stand for or who supports them. This year, to address that void, KQED sent questionnaires to close to 400 school board candidates to better understand their positions. We’ll talk about the issues facing school boards, how to make an informed vote and the key races in San Francisco, Oakland and beyond. Guest: Jill Tucker, K-12 Education Reporter, San Francisco Chronicle Molly Gibbs, education reporter, The Mercury News and East Bay Times Katie DeBenedetti, reporter, KQED Ashley McBride, education equity reporter, The Oaklandside Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Would you want to know if you carried a gene that would cause dementia, even if there was no cure? And how would that knowledge change the way you lived? These are questions facing one family in which a rare brain disease known as frontotemporal dementia (FTD) has passed from one generation to the next. Journalist Robert Kolker, who spent years following their story, exposes the hard choices families face, what dementia reveals about personality and identity, and what FTD research is uncovering about how our brains work. We talk to Kolker about his new book “The Vanishing Family.” How has dementia affected your family? Guest: Robert Kolker, author of “The Vanishing Family: Love, Fate and the Quest to End Dementia” and a contributor to the New York Times Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence has long entered the classroom and is rapidly changing how students learn and teachers teach. Some schools are embracing AI and personalized learning tools, while others are pulling back on technology in the classroom. Meanwhile, students are increasingly turning to chatbots to help with assignments, raising concerns about what happens to critical thinking, reading, and writing skills when AI does the work for them. Can schools harness the benefits of AI without compromising students’ learning? We’ll talk with educators and researchers about how AI is reshaping the classroom, what it means for students’ development, and how schools and parents are navigating this new era of education. Guests: Daniel Herman, humanities teacher, Maybeck High School; wrote about teaching English in the age of ChatGPT for The Atlantic Jeremy Roschelle, executive director of learning sciences research, Digital Promise Kip Glazer, principal, Mountain View High School MacKenzie Price, co-founder, Alpha…

Soaring energy prices are the leading factor behind rising inflation across the United States, where consumer prices are up 3.7 percent over last year. In California, where energy costs have become an issue in the governor’s race, electricity prices are surging to a rate of about double the national average. We’ll look at what’s driving the rise here in California and across the U.S., and hear about how policy solutions could help bring prices under control. Guests: Mike O'Boyle, senior director of policy and strategy, Energy Innovation Meredith Fowlie, professor, UC Berkeley, faculty director, Energy Institute at Haas, co-director, Environment and Energy Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh off its Broadway run, “Liberation,” which won this year’s Tony Award for best play andPulitzer Prize for drama, opens its West Coast premiere at Berkeley Rep. The play features amodern-day narrator trying to imagine her mother’s 1970s consciousness-raising group. Forplaywright Bess Wohl, her research involved asking a question to her mother: “Do you regrethaving me?” Wohl and director, Whitney White, join us to discuss the play and its depiction offeminism across generational lines. Guests: Bess Wohl, Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning playwright of “Liberation” Whitney White, Tony Award-nominated director of “Liberation” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, a man on the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia died when he was ejected from the ride — a death that follows a pattern of apparent safety incidents on Six Flags roller coasters nationwide. A recent CNN investigation into Six Flags Magic Mountain, located just north of Los Angeles in Valencia, exposed serious safety concerns surrounding X2, one of the park’s most popular roller coasters. Over its nearly two-decade run, the ride has been linked to more than a dozen severe hospitalizations and two deaths, including riders who suffered severe brain hemorrhages. Six Flags officials have since closed the coaster — plus 10 others related to the subsequent Goliath incident. We’ll speak with a CNN reporter who broke the X2 story, and look at why apparently dangerous rides weren’t shut down sooner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twelve days from the midterms, election officials and teams of lawyers are preparing for what has become a depressingly familiar American tradition: challenges to voting. The Trump administration has been focused on voter integrity, including filing suits to take purported noncitizens off voter rolls, and attempting to collect sensitive voter data from states. Meanwhile, legal teams are gearing up for challenges to election results. We’ll talk to experts and hear your concerns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Southern California is facing a potential economic crisis as film and television productions increasingly migrate to rival states and international cities. More favorable tax incentives, expanding soundstage infrastructure and industry-friendly policies are pulling billions in production away from Hollywood. With New York poised to become the nation’s biggest production hub, local crews and lawmakers are worried about the exodus of talent and dollars. We talk with entertainment journalists about new tax incentives to keep productions in-state, and the long-term future of Hollywood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Communities up and down California are bracing for what experts are calling a “Super El Niño” that could bring an unusually wet winter. El Niño is a cyclical climate pattern during which a huge swath of Pacific Ocean waters heat up. The warmer water has long-ranging effects such as higher sea levels and a robust storm season. Some low-lying areas of the state are expecting heavy flooding and some coastal areas are concerned about erosion and mudslides. We’ll talk with experts on what would make this El Niño climate pattern “super” and what you need to know to prepare. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Adelanto ICE Processing Center, an immigration detention facility located northeast of Los Angeles, has been riddled with allegations of abuse, unsafe drinking water and detainees being denied medical care. In 2025, a detainee at Adelanto, Ismael Ayala Uribe, died in ICE custody after repeatedly requesting medical attention. What is happening behind the locked doors of ICE detention centers in California? What power does the state have to hold DHS accountable? Join us as we speak with journalists investigating California detention facilities and the creators of the new Al Jazeera documentary, “Dying in Detention.” Guests: Natasha Del Toro, host and correspondent for Fault Lines, Al Jazeera English Jeremy Young, senior producer for Fault Lines, Al Jazeera English Andrea Castillo, staff writer covering immigration, LA Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The long-awaited federal corruption trial of former Oakland mayor Sheng Thao kicked off last week, with prosecutors arguing that Thao put her power up for sale and defense attorneys attacking the credibility of key government witnesses. It’s been nearly two years since a federal grand jury indicted Thao and three codefendants in an alleged “pay to play” scheme. Thao — alongside her former romantic partner Andre Jones, California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong and his son, Andy Duong — have pleaded not guilty to charges that include bribery and conspiracy. We’ll talk about the alleged scheme, how the case is unfolding and what to expect from the six-week trial. Guests: Alex Hall, enterprise and accountability reporter. KQED Robert Weisberg, law professor and co-director of Criminal Justice Center, Stanford Law School Davina Hurt, government ethics director of The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University; former mayor of Belmont Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This November, Californians will elect their next insurance commissioner. The role is charged with regulating property and casualty insurance rates and with consumer advocacy. California’s insurance market — the fourth-largest in the world — is increasingly in the spotlight as disasters caused by climate change prompt private insurers to hike policy rates and decrease coverage. We’ll speak with the two candidates on the ballot, Democrats Ben Allen and Jane Kim, about their visions and priorities for the role. And we’ll hear your questions for the candidates. Guests: Danielle Venton, KQED climate and science reporter Jane Kim, consumer advocate and attorney; former San Francisco supervisor Ben Allen, state senator representing Santa Monica Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie joins us to talk about the ballot measures he’s supporting in this year’s election. He’s backing Prop. A, which would reduce the number of city boards and commissions, and Prop. D, which would increase requirements for placing measures on the ballot. San Francisco voters have numerous other propositions and races to decide on such as Prop. B, which asks voters to authorize a public bank. In addition two heavily contested supervisor seats in District 8 and District 10 are also up for grabs. We’ll talk about what’s on San Francisco’s ballot and how wealthy campaign donors are shaping races. Guests: Sydney Johnson, reporter, KQED news Joe Eskenazi, managing editor and columnist, Mission Local Daniel Lurie, mayor, San Francisco, founder and former CEO of Tipping Point Community, a foundation focused on fighting poverty in the San Francisco Bay Area Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, politics reporter, The San Francisco Standard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fish farming was supposed to relieve pressure on the world’s oceans. Instead, the burgeoningindustry is contributing to overfishing, environmental destruction and human rights abuses. That’s according to Ian Urbina, director of The Outlaw Ocean Project, whose five-year investigation into the farmed seafood supply chain – from fishing vessels to fishmeal plants to aquaculture farms reveals costs that are largely invisible to consumers. We talk to Urbina about why it’s so difficult to hold the industry to account and how to buy and eat seafood responsibly. Guests: Ian Urbina, director, The Outlaw Ocean Project Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the late 1960s and 70s, nearly a million Americans went back to the land. Seeking a simpler life, free from government intervention and the era’s strict social mores, they gathered in communes or built on their own plots of land. The lives they led and the homes they built – geodesic domes, psychedelic stained glass hideaways, and homes from chicken coops and recycled lumber – are documented in a new book, “Handmade Utopia: Back-to-the-Land Architecture in Northern California.” We talk to its author, David Jacob Kramer and a few of the folks featured, many now in their eighties, who built their utopia from hand. Guests: David Jacob Kramer, author, “Handmade Utopia: Back-to-the-Land Architecture in Northern California” Tom Hessler, artist Karen Hessler, ceo, Amaranth Farms Diana Wiedemann, architect, Wiedemann was an original member of Trillium, a lesbian commune that published “Country Woman” magazine Chris Larson, featured in book “Handmade Utopia” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…

Mary Todd Lincoln served as first lady from 1861 until President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in 1865. 144 years later, comedian Cole Escola sent themself an email asking: What if Lincoln’s death had been “a good thing” for Mary Todd? That tongue-in-cheek question became the basis for the smash-hit Broadway comedy “Oh, Mary!”, which has now won two Tonys and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in drama. Following Escola’s departure as Mary Todd Lincoln, the role has been taken on by actors including Bowen Yang, Maya Rudolph, John Cameron Mitchell, Jane Krakowski and Titus Burgess — and is now being played by “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Alaska in a national tour. We’ll speak with the director and stars about the play’s unexpected success, its blend of stupidity and wit, and the long, queer legacy of camp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Poems are not mere breadcrumbs left behind,” writes the acclaimed poet Elizabeth Alexander in her new book “Signals Across Vast Distances: Essays and Talks.” “They are fireflies, a path of light, a way to find our way to each other and know what we have lived.” Alexander, who drew national attention for the poem she read for President Obama’s first inauguration in 2009, is a longtime educator, scholar, and cultural advocate. She now heads the Mellon Foundation, the largest arts funder in the U.S. She joins us to talk about her book, which examines how art, literature and history shape civic life and can help us find our way to each other. As she observes, while these times may seem unprecedented, we have faced these challenges before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This November, Californians will vote on Proposition 40, a measure that would impose a one-time 5% tax on those whose net worth exceeded $1 billion at the beginning of 2026. While advocates argue it is time for the ultrawealthy to pay a larger share of taxes, opponents argue that Prop. 40 could drive billionaires out of the state and decrease future tax revenue. In this hour we’ll speak with KQED’s political correspondents about Prop. 40 — and the efforts to nullify it through propositions 41 and 42. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For more than five decades, renowned nutritionist, molecular biologist and food activist Marion Nestle has worked to expose the connections between Americans’ health and the powerful agendas shaping what we eat. Her newest book, co-authored with Dr. Lisa Sutherland, “Sugar Coated: Unboxing the Hidden Forces Shaping America’s Favorite Breakfast Food” examines the politics of our morning meal. We talk with Nestle about the shifts in attitudes and regulations of what we eat — from soda taxes to the MAHA movement — and about what she believes it will take to build a healthier food system for all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid the news of Tennessee’s botched execution of Christa Pike and the Pentagon saying it will live-stream its execution of an army psychiatrist convicted of a mass shooting, Gov. Gavin Newsom is said to be considering commuting the sentences of the 563 people currently on death row in California. The state is home to a quarter of all American prisoners awaiting the death penalty, though a moratorium on executions has been in place since 2019. We’ll talk about what factors Newsom is weighing and hear how commuting death penalty sentences could affect Newsom’s national political profile and the broader conversation about capital punishment in the United States. Guests: Natasha Minsker, facilitator, California Anti Death Penalty Coalition Maurice Chammah, staff writer, The Marshall Project Alexa Hansen, founder, Victim Advocate Angels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oakland is home to dozens of houses of worship, and the “Oakland Faith Project,” aims to document these spaces and their leaders at a time when many are turning away from religion. Photographer and documentarian Nicolò Sertorio’s website includes stark black and white photography and interviews with religious leaders who represent various walks of life, identity and beliefs. We’ll talk with Sertorio, project partners and some of Oakland’s religious leaders about “de-churching” in the Bay Area and the future of organized religion. Guests: Nicolò Sertorio, founder, artist and photographer, Oakland Faith Project James Campbell, Edgar E Robinson professor in United States History, Stanford University; partner, Oakland Faith Project Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, senior rabbi, Temple Sinai Sundiata Rashid, imam, Lighthouse Mosque; Muslim Chaplain, University of San Francisco Michael Wallace, pastor, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much like her acclaimed novel “Pachinko,” author Min Jin Lee’s new book, “American Hagwon,” is a multi-generational story that spans decades and continents. This one, set in South Korea, Australia and Southern California, focuses on education — and the sacrifices families make for their children to succeed in a fast-changing and increasingly competitive global economy. We’ll talk to Lee about what her novel has to say about diaspora, education and how we prepare for an uncertain future. Guest: Min Jin Lee, author of the new novel “American Hagwon,” as well as the books “Pachinko” and “Free Food for Millionaires” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fraternities and sororities – but mostly fraternities – have faced decades of scandal nationwide: hazing deaths, binge drinking, sexual assault, among other problems. Colleges respond with suspensions, alcohol bans and reforms, yet problems keep resurfacing like the recent allegation of a gang rape by fraternity members at Cornell. Members and alumni argue that frats and sororities offer friendship and connection that are vital in an age of loneliness. But others contend colleges should just ban Greek life. Guests: Doug Belkin, higher education and national reporter, The Wall Street Journal Jana Mathews, English professor, Rollins College, author, “The Benefits of Friends: Inside the Complicated World of Sororities and Fraternities” Max Marshall, author, “Among the Bros: A Fraternity Crime Story” Nicholas Syrett, chair and professor, Gender & Women’s Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison; author, “The Company He Keeps: A History of White College Fraternities” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…