KQED’s Forum

What happens when an ordinary dinner party becomes a reckoning for a marriage? That question drives “The Invite,” a new film directed by and starring Olivia Wilde. The film follows a couple whose tense evening with their transgressive upstairs neighbors forces them to confront questions about desire, jealousy and whether it's possible to have a new relationship with the same person. We'll talk with Wilde and co-star Edward Norton about their six-week workshopping process, working with relationship expert Esther Perel and the freedom to improvise and shape a story whose ending audiences are already debating. Guests: Edward Norton, actor, "The Invite" Olivia Wilde, actor and director, "The Invite" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As our nation nears its 250th anniversary, we reflect on what was going on in the Bay Area at the time. In 1776 California was newly part of the Spanish colony that would later become Mexico. The summer of 1776 was also pivotal in San Francisco's history: construction started on the Presidio and Mission Dolores was founded five days before the Declaration of Independence was signed. Most of the local population consisted of indigenous people and some Mexican settlers. The people, ecosystems and coastline were dramatically different. We look back on the Bay Area in 1776. Guests: Steven Hackel, professor of history, UC Riverside; author, "Junipero Serra: California's Founding Father" Laura Feinstein, resilient landscapes program director, San Francisco Estuary Institute Vincent Medina, East Bay Ohlone cultural leader; co-founder, Cafe Ohlone in Berkeley; founder, mak-warép Ohlone Land Conservancy Michael Wilcox, senior lecturer, Native American Studies and Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, Stanford University Gabriel Duncan, founder, Alameda Native History Project Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United States celebrates its 250th anniversary on July 4th. Past presidents have marked similar milestones by reflecting on our complex history, but for President Trump, the commemoration will mark just how great America's history has always been. Many historians argue that the Trump Administration is whitewashing the nation's violent past, and for the New Yorker's Jelani Cobb, it's just the latest example of Trump weaponizing racial politics. Cobb joins us to talk about America at 250, and why our historical scars matter. Guests: Jelani Cobb, staff writer, The New Yorker; professor of journalism at Columbia University; author, "Three or More Is a Riot: Notes on How We Got Here: 2012-2025" Jennifer Schuessler, culture reporter, The New York Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During a San Francisco Giants home game this month dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community, four pitchers drew attention for their protest of the team's themed rainbow uniform. One player opted out of wearing the uniform entirely, while three others doctored their hats with a bible verse that has been used by some Christian groups to “reclaim” the rainbow. Major League Baseball issued a warning to those players that writing of any kind on uniforms goes against league rules. That, in turn, led to the Department of Justice opening a civil rights investigation into whether the MLB is discriminating against the players' religious rights. Amidst it all, many San Francisco Giants fans have felt betrayed by a team that has long stood by its hometown LGBTQ community. We'll talk about the controversy, its fallout and how you're responding. Guests: Ann Killion, sports columnist, San Francisco Chronicle Alex Simon, sports editor, SFGate Bradford William Davis, reporter and cultural critic, sports newsletter [eyeblack] Andrea Fernandes, vice president of marketing, Golden State Valkyries Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Visitors to Yosemite National Park are reporting huge summer crowds and nearly impossible parking, which are the result of federal staffing cuts and the elimination of the park's entry reservation system. We'll dig into the cause and impact of the changes at Yosemite and discuss where else in California you can find peak outdoor experiences. Guests: Sarah Wright, outdoors engagement reporter, KQED Peter Ostroskie, staff park and recreation specialist, Bay Area District, California State Parks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As part of negotiations over terms of the ceasefire memorandum between Iran and the U.S., the Trump Administration on Monday temporarily lifted all oil sanctions on Iran, a significant reversal of longstanding American policy. Critics in the president's own party have sharply criticized the deal which includes a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran, a ceasefire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Over the weekend, fighting in Lebanon and threats from Trump to “hit Iran very hard again” threatened the fragile detente. Will the peace hold? We'll talk to experts about the deal with Iran and its implications. Guests: David Sanger, White House and National Security Correspondent, The New York Times; his most recent book is "New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion and America's Struggle to Defend the West" Jonathan Lemire, staff writer, The Atlantic; Lemire serves as the co-host of the MSNOW show "Morning Joe" Alan Eyre, distinguished diplomatic fellow, Middle East Institute; Eyre was a senior diplomat and Iran expert for the U.S. government, and served as a key member of the U.S. negotiating team for the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We rely on the Global Positioning System for so much — mapping our commutes, tracking our runs, hailing ride shares, matching with dates and more — that it can be hard to remember life before it. The U.S. military sent the first GPS satellite to space in 1978, and journalist Katherine Dunn says remembering those military roots can help us understand of how enemy actors today are distorting, blocking and threatening GPS around the world. Dunn says it's time we address our global dependency and rethink how we've phased out many GPS alternatives. We'll talk with Dunn about how GPS works, the types of attacks we're seeing and what can be done about them. Do you remember a time before GPS? Guests: Katherine Dunn, author, “Little Blue Dot: How GPS Shaped the Modern World"; journalist who specializes in covering the intersection between climate change, the energy transition, and business Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Communities across the Bay Area, including Gilroy, Oakley and Pittsburg, are pushing back on new data centers in their cities. Data centers, which house the computing equipment and servers that power the internet, have been around for decades, but opposition to them has exploded as tech companies pour hundreds of billions of dollars into building thousands of new centers nationwide. Residents worry the facilities will suck up scarce water and electricity and pollute the environment to power the riches of AI investors. We'll talk about the data center boom and how it's playing out in the Bay Area. Guests: Molly Taft, senior climate reporter, WIRED Jonathan Koomey, researcher and scientist, Koomey Analytics; author, "Cold Cash, Cool Climate: Science-Based Advice for Ecological Entrepreneurs" Hema Sivanandam, East Contra Costa reporter, Bay Area News Group Britt Smith, Gilroy resident; activist and co-founder, Stop Gilroy Data Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Historian Ibram X. Kendi says that in order to understand the rise of authoritarianism, we need to understand great replacement theory. It's the racist idea that “powerful elites are enabling peoples of color to steal the lives, livelihoods, cultures and electoral power and freedoms of white people,” Kendi writes in his new book, “Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age.” We talk to the National Book Award-winning author about how politicians are using great replacement theory to justify authoritarian power and how it has moved from the fringes to the mainstream. Guests: Ibram X. Kendi, professor of history, Howard University and founding director of the Howard University Institute for Advanced Study; author, "Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age"; his previous books include "How to Be an Antiracist" and "Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Yorker magazine poetry editor Kevin Young has called poetry "the most efficient mode of time travel." In his new volume of poems "Night Watch,” Young, a literary hyphenate who edits, writes and teaches, takes readers on a journey of loss and re-emergence. From his cycle of poems about a conjoined pair of twins born into slavery and kidnapped to a carnival freak show to his meditations on grief set to the phases of the moon, Young's spare and incisive language provides the reader passage through history and memory. On this Juneteenth holiday we listen back on our conversation with Young about his collection and what it means to be a poet today. Guests: Kevin Young, poet and author; Young's latest poetry collection is "Night Watch"; Young has been the poetry editor for the New Yorker since 2017 and from 2021 to 2025 served as the director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ultra-endurance athlete Catherine Breed has accomplished many physical feats — including a record-breaking swim across Lake Tahoe—but her latest challenge may be her most audacious. Beginning in July, she'll spend several months swimming the entire coastline of California. The 900-mile journey will begin at the top of California, and Breed will swim to the California-Mexico border. She joins us to talk about how she's preparing to avoid sharks and fatigue to conquer the currents of the Pacific Ocean. Guests: Catherine Breed, ultra-endurance athlete and swimmer; president and founder, Sea Dreamers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist Jonathan Weber has had a front row seat to San Francisco's many rises and falls as the nation's tech capital since the early 1990s. His new book, “City on the Edge” offers a sweeping history of the tech industry in San Francisco, chronicling its unprecedented successes as well as its devastating consequences. Drawing on 200 interviews with mayors, CEOs, political leaders, activists, entrepreneurs, and artists, Weber tells the story of a war waged for the heart of San Francisco that has had an impact far beyond the city's famed Golden Gates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We tend to focus on how climate change affects coral reefs, sea turtles and polar bears on melting ice. But we rarely focus on how climate change is affecting microbes — the bacteria, fungi and viruses we can only see with microscopes — which outnumber all other life on earth. So says science writer Shayla Love, who warns that a warming planet might be making those microorganisms mutate in a concerning and even deadly way. And that melting ice may even unleash new, unfamiliar microbes. We talk with Love about her New Yorker article, “Our Warming Planet Is a Petri Dish for New and Deadly Microbes.” Guests: Shayla Love, science writer; her recent New Yorker article is “Our Warming Planet Is a Petri Dish for New and Deadly Microbes” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cigarettes are cool again…especially with GenZ. Despite decades of anti-smoking campaigns, you're likely to see more young people smoking in films, at bars, on street corners, and in social media feeds. Researchers tie the trend to Y2K nostalgia, soft nihilism, and a turn away from “clean girl” wellness culture. Actual youth smoking rates are still at historic lows, but we'll explore how glamorization complicates the public health conversation around nicotine. Guests: Pamela Ling, professor of medicine, UCSF; Ling studies the tobacco industry marketing strategies targeting young adults, women and other high risk populations Kevin Truong, business editor, The San Francisco Standard; Truong co-wrote the piece "They Know It Kills You. Gen Z is Smoking Cigarettes Anyway" Degen Pener, journalist; Pener wrote the piece "Cigarettes Get a Sequel: Hollywood's 'Cool' Habit Is Back" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's no longer news that Hollywood studios are using artificial intelligence in editing, animation, visual effects and more. But last week “Dreams of Violets,” a new film about protests in Iran, became the first fully AI-generated live-action feature to screen at Tribeca and is a project that journalist Steven Zeitchik says the industry is watching nervously. We talk about the rapidly growing use of A.I. in filmmaking and the impacts that's having on audiences, industry professionals and an artform built on human storytelling. Guests: Steven Zeitchik, senior editor for technology and politics, Hollywood Reporter; author, "Mind and Iron," a humanist newsletter about our AI future Peter Murrieta, executive producer, showrunner and writer; secretary-treasurer, Writers Guild of America West Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oakland filmmaker, rapper and activist Boots Riley's new film ‘I Love Boosters' is a surreal crime comedy that follows three women who shoplift clothes to make ends meet. Like all of his work, there's radical pro-worker politics, indictments of industry, and funk-filled absurdism. We'll talk to Riley about his distinctive storytelling and how it centers his hometown. Guests: Boots Riley, writer and director, "I Love Boosters;" his previous films include "Sorry to Bother You" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After decades of decline, many church leaders believe that religious life is on the upswing as some younger Americans flock to Christianity — including Vice President JD Vance, whose new book on his Catholic conversion drops this week. But the fuller picture is more complicated. Coming up, we'll talk to religion reporters and a church leader about what may be driving this shift, and what its lasting impacts could be. Guests: Michael O'Loughlin, executive editor, National Catholic Reporter; O'Loughlin has covered the Catholic church for both the Boston Globe and Crux; author, "Hidden Mercy: AIDS, Catholics and the Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear" Lauren Jackson, deputy editorial director for newsletters and the host of “Believing," The New York Times Ryan Burge, professor of practice at the John C. Danforth Center, Washington University; author, “Graphs about Religion” Danté Stewart, author, “Shoutin' in the Fire: An American Epistle;” an ordained minister at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Augusta, Ga. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In writer and poet Ben Lerner's latest novel, “Transcription,” an unnamed narrator travels to interview his elderly mentor. But shortly after checking into his hotel, the narrator knocks his phone into water, ruining the only recording device he brought. What unfolds is an exploration of all of the mundane and profound ways technology intersects with our lives. There's the bad: the mental offloading and trust we place in our smartphones and the uncanny valley of glitchy Zoom calls. But there's also the good: how it can sometimes be easier to express ourselves through phone calls rather than in-person, or how ASMR videos can actually benefit some children. We'll talk with Lerner about novels' long history of documenting human relationships with technology, and his own expanding definition of fiction. Guests: Ben Lerner, author, “Leaving the Atocha Station,” “10:04,” and “The Topeka School,” which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize; his latest novel is “Transcription.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland won the New Mexico Democratic gubernatorial primary this month, and if she wins this November, she would become the first female Native American governor in U.S. history. Haaland was already the first Native American cabinet secretary, which she describes in her new memoir as a uniquely profound experience: “Unlike any previous interior secretary, I had inherited trauma caused by the very institution I led. But I had also inherited the courage, perseverance, and love of community that had been passed down to me since my Pueblo ancestors' first footsteps on the desert earth.” We'll talk with Haaland about her reflections on the eve of America's 250th as a civil servant, and why she still defends the Democratic Party. Her new memoir is “A Voice Like Mine.” Guests: Deb Haaland, former United States Secretary of the Interior under President Biden; Democratic nominee for governor, New Mexico; author of the new memoir, "A Voice Like Mine" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Levi's Stadium will be the site of a series of World Cup matches beginning June 13. Switzerland, Algeria, Qatar, Jordan and Australia are some of the teams that will be appearing in match ups. Though the FIFA extravaganza has had a bumpy rollout with complaints about high ticket prices and tourists opting not to come to the U.S. for matches, local expat communities are ready to cheer their home teams on. We'll talk to hometown fans about their hopes and dreams for their teams and their lives in America. Guests: Erich Sonnberger, realtor, Intero Real Estate Services in Menlo Park; president, United Swiss Societies of Northern California Dr. Nasser "Nas" Mohamed, physician and founder, Osra Medical; LGBTQ activist and the 2023 Grand Marshal for the SF Pride Parade Salvador Rodriguez, journalist; his Substack "The 2026 Dispatch" is focused on the World Cup Mounir Bhaloul, co-founder and co-owner, KAYMA, an Algerian restaurant Melissa Zajic, executive director, Australian American Chamber of Commerce Charlie Marji, president, Jordanian American Association of San Francisco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's in a face? For the ancient Greeks, the shape and features of a person's face revealed their character, virtue and intelligence. Though these attitudes are outdated, they linger today as our faces are scrutinized in selfies and social media. In her new book, “The Face,” historian Fay Bound-Alberti shares the history and science of how we see and make sense of one another's faces—while she struggles to recognize the faces of others. She'll share why the human face has influenced politics, culture and our obsession with beauty and perfection. Guests: Fay Bound-Alberti, professor of modern history, King's College London; author, "The Face: A Cultural History" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two of the world's leading artificial intelligence companies, Anthropic and OpenAI, are based in San Francisco — and both are preparing public stock offerings that will bestow a huge financial windfall on their employees. In a region where even many affluent residents are already priced out of the housing market,  the expected influx of wealth could make it even harder for many to find an affordable home. We look at the likely impact of the coming IPOs and how they'll affect housing affordability and other aspects of life in the Bay Area. Guests: Enrico Moretti, professor of economics, UC Berkeley; author, "The New Geography of Jobs" Gerrit De Vynck, technology reporter, The Washington Post Kami Rieck, contributing writer, The New York Times Mike Simonsen, chief economist, Compass real estate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it mean to be American? That's the question that animates Ben Rhodes's new book “All We Say: The Battle for American Identity.” Drawing on 15 speeches spanning more than two centuries, the former Obama speechwriter and national security adviser looks at how they shaped and reflected competing visions over race, democracy, belonging and power. We talk to Rhodes about the speeches he chose and what they say about American identity today. Guests: Ben Rhodes, author, "All We Say: The Battle for American Identity;" deputy national security advisor and speechwriter under President Obama Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration said it will allocate $75 million dollars to fund a new coal terminal on the waterfront in West Oakland. Developer Phil Tagami has been working on building a shipping terminal on city-owned land for more than a decade. The coal export plan has faced major community opposition and a slew of lawsuits, which have since been resolved. With the legal challenges out of the way and federal funding, the developers now plan to start construction next year. We talk about the Trump administration's larger strategy to boost the coal industry, community opposition to the project and what a coal terminal means for the environment and climate change. Guests: Darwin BondGraham, news editor, Oaklandside Maxine Joselow, climate reporter, The New York Times Jill Tauber, vice president of litigation for climate and energy, Earthjustice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the American workplace, and virtually every week brings a new report that entry-level white-collar jobs could be replaced by chatbots. Facing an uncertain future, 1 in 4 college students no longer believe their degree is worth the time and money. The New Yorker's Jay Caspian Kang has been reporting on how A.I. is reshaping higher education, and he joins us to talk about whether the four-year college can survive A.I. Guests: Jay Caspian Kang, staff writer, The New Yorker; author, "The Loneliest Americans" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before Andrew Sean Greer won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for his novel “Less,” he was the executive director for a writer's foundation based in Italy and sponsored by a baronessa. It was a job he has compared to “running a bed-and-breakfast for maniacs.” That experience informs his latest comic novel “Villa Coco,” which centers a young man adrift and yes, a baronessa. We talk to Greer, who lives half the year in San Francisco and the other half in Italy. Guests: Andrew Sean Greer, author, "Villa Coco"; Greer won the Pulitzer Prize for his book, "Less"; author, "Less is Lost," "The Story of a Marriage," "The Confessions of Max Tivoli" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann spent years inside some of the country's most consequential investigations, from the Justice Department's fraud unit to Robert Mueller's election interference investigation. In his new book “Liar's Kingdom,” Weissman argues the U.S. needs new laws to stem the corrosive effects of political deception. We talk with Weissmann about his case for reform and how we can make our democratic institutions more resilient. We'll also talk to him about efforts to stop the Trump administration's $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and recent upheavals at the Department of Justice. Guests: Andrew Weissmann, professor, NYU Law School; former federal prosecutor and general counsel to the FBI; author, "Liar's Kingdom: How to Stop Trump's Deceit and Save America" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new essay collection, “Freedom,” novelist and UC Davis creative writing director Zinzi Clemmons examines what freedom means in “a world buckling from the consequences of centuries of interlocking injustices.” She grapples with the complicated legacies of Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama and the #MeToo Movement — and explains why she's no longer an Afropessimist. Clemmons joins us to talk about what it means to consider freedom today for Black Americans, women and oppressed people around the world. Guests: Zinzi Clemmons, director of creative writing, UC Davis; author of the novel “What We Lose” and the new essay collection “Freedom" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Self-driving car companies like Waymo say their autonomous vehicles are dramatically safer than human drivers. But a new CNN investigation found that when things do go wrong, they tend to go wrong in decidedly un-human ways: being incapable of responding to instructions from first responders, driving through crime scenes, and even attempting to traverse entirely flooded streets. As Waymo expands into new markets nationwide, we'll examine these safety issues  — and hear why a lot of passengers love self-driving cars anyway. Guests: Yahya Abou-Ghazala, reporter and producer, CNN's investigative unit Rya Jetha, senior reporter covering physical AI and robotics, Business Insider Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his new book “Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music 1969-2000” music critic Barry Walters looks at how music produced and performed by gay and straight musicians has been embraced, celebrated, and defined by queer culture. As he notes, queer musicians “have made an art of saying what can't be overtly said” and their LGBTQ listeners “have learned to hear what others can't.” Walters traces the influence of rockers, pop stars, country crooners, R&B artists and disco queens from David Bowie to Sylvster, the Village People to the Petshop Boys, Grace Jones to k.d. lang. We talk to Walters and hear from you: What's a song that helped define queer culture for you? Guests: Barry Walters, author, "Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music, 1969–2000" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California's End of Life Option Act, which allows people with certain terminal illnesses and a life expectancy of less than six months to receive medication that ends their life, turns 10 this month. Yet despite polling showing the policy is popular, access remains complicated and controversial, and few eligible patients actually pursue the option. We'll discuss how the program has worked in California and examine the shifting national support for medical aid-in-dying policies. Guests: Paula Span, adjunct professor, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism; writes the New Old Age column, a co-production of The New York Times and KFF Health News Dr. Lonny Shavelson, physician and director of education, Academy of Aid-in-Dying Medicine; medical doctor who's provided aid-in-dying care for 7 years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer Dave Eggers, who's been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, draws inspiration for the first time from his own art school experience and his classical training as a visual artist in his new novel, “Contrapposto.” The novel, which centers the working lives of artists, comes as Eggers opens a new center in San Francisco, Art + Water, that offers local artists free studio space and mentorship. Eggers joins us to talk about what it means to be an artist, in fiction and in practice, here in the Bay Area. Guests: Dave Eggers, founder, McSweeney's; co-founder, 826 Valencia; author of many books including "The Eyes and the Impossible" and "The Circle"; his new novel is "Contrapposto" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California voters cast their ballots in key races across the state on Tuesday, with the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom drawing a massive field of candidates. We break down that race, in which Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer led the pack of Democrats facing off against Republican frontrunner Steve Hilton, and look at results for the state's Congressional primaries, including the race to succeed former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Join us for a recap of the results and what they mean going into November's general election. Guests: Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host, KQED's Political Breakdown Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED's California Politics and Government Desk Sydney Johnson, general assignment reporter, KQED News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oakland's 911 system is perennially understaffed, frequently leading to long wait times for callers facing life and death emergencies or trying to report fires or crimes in progress. The problem has persisted for more than a decade, and we'll talk to Oakland's city auditor, an investigative reporter and a 911 dispatcher to explore why, despite a decade of audits and grand jury reports, Oakland's emergency response system still lags behind national and state standards. Guests: Byard Duncan, investigative journalist, Type Investigations; his piece, "911... Please Hold" was done in partnership with Reveal/Center for Investigative Reporting Michael Houston, city auditor, City of Oakland Antoinette Blue, dispatcher, Oakland Police; president, SEIU Local 1021 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical letter focuses on safeguarding humanity amid the rise of artificial intelligence. In the letter, which is essentially a policy document from the Vatican, the Pope urges tech companies and policymakers worldwide to place human and moral concerns over profit. Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah spoke at the Pope's release of his letter in Vatican City, signaling an intention of collaboration and dialogue, but Silicon Valley leaders more broadly seem skeptical of the guidance. Will the pope's recommendations impact the development and deployment of A.I.? Guests: Cade Metz, technology reporter, The New York Times; author, “Genius Makers: The Mavericks Who Brought A.I. to Google, Facebook, and The World" Kim Daniels, director, the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Graduating from high school marks a time when young people will, many for the first time, have to make their own decisions about their future. It's a time filled with celebrations, optimism and anxiety about the future, and often sadness at leaving their younger selves behind. We'll talk with high school seniors, their families and experts about this defining moment and how to navigate it in a rapidly changing world. Guests: Vincent Topete, graduating senior, Santa Clara High School Elise Desai, graduating senior, Miramonte High School Olga Chan, graduating senior, Terra Linda High School Joseph Gorga, vice president of equity and instruction, Diablo Valley College Oscar Garcia, founder and chief empowerment officer, Aspira Consulting Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since his reelection, President Trump has been fixated on illegal immigration in the US, but now the President is taking on immigrants who are here legally. A new policy memo would require some people seeking green cards to leave the country while they wait abroad for their applications to be processed. The memo, which is vague on how this process would work, is already raising concerns for green card holders. We talk with immigration reporters and an immigration attorney about what this change means and who it impacts most. Guests: Hamed Aleaziz, reporter covering the Department of Homeland Security and immigration policy, The New York Times Michelle Hackman, reporter covering U.S. immigration policy, The Wall Street Journal Alexis S. Axelrad, president-elect, American Immigration Lawyers Association; partner, Barst & Mukamal LLP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An estimated one in three Californians are insured by Medi-Cal, the state version of Medicaid. But as the federal government cuts billions in funding and imposes new work requirements and paperwork processes, many Californians could lose their coverage. Meantime, in anticipation of the cuts, hospitals and health clinics are already cutting services and closing locations; the state is scrambling to step in while maintaining a balanced budget. We take stock of what the new Medi-Cal landscape means for everyone's access to health care in California and the Bay Area. Guests: Tyler Sadwith, California State Medicaid Director; Chief Deputy Director of Health Care Programs, California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Dr. Milana PeBenito, medical doctor of Family Practice, Maternal and Child Health; member, Sonoma County's Maternal Child, Adolescent Health Advisory Board Angela Hart, senior correspondent, KFF Health News Kristof Stremikis, director of market analysis and insight, California Health Care Foundation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Theo Baker arrived at Stanford as an eager freshman planning to study computer science and maybe write occasionally for the student paper. But his reporting uncovered something much bigger, ultimately leading to the resignation of Stanford's president. In his new book, “How to Rule the World,” Baker argues the university functions less like a school and more like a pipeline to power, wealth and Silicon Valley influence. We'll talk with Baker about what the next generation of elites are really learning at Stanford. Guests: Theo Baker, investigative journalist and author, "How to Rule the World: An Education in Power at Stanford University" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Gold is having a moment,” writes New Yorker staff writer Jennifer Wilson. Earlier this year, it traded as high as $5,500 an ounce as an unstable economic outlook has central banks and investors buying gold to hedge their bets. Gold has been embraced by the far right, reality TV, and hobbyists and full-time prospectors headed up to the foothills where the California Gold Rush began. Wilson explores all these angles in her latest piece “How Americans Caught Gold Fever Again.” We talk to Wilson and experts – and a gold prospector –  about the legacy and future of this precious metal. Guests: Jennifer Wilson, staff writer, The New Yorker - her recent article is "How Americans Caught Gold Fever Again" Albert Fausel, owner, Placerville Hardware; part-time gold prospector Quinn Slobodian, professor of international history, Boston University Brian Wallace, executive officer, Indigenous Futures Society Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Colorado River basin and its two largest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, are facing record-low water levels, and the seven states that rely on the water system can't agree on what to do about it. Now the federal government may need to step in, with the Trump Administration proposing a plan that would cut 40 percent of the Colorado River's water supply to Arizona, California and Nevada over the next decade. We'll talk with environment journalists about what this could mean here in California. Guests: Camille von Kaenel, California environment reporter, Politico Luke Runyon, co-director, The Water Desk, Center for Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado, Boulder Celene Hawkins, director, Colorado River Program, The Nature Conservancy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Barbara Lee was elected mayor of Oakland last year with the city reeling from a political scandal, mired deep in fiscal crisis and scarred by years of violent crime. She promised a calm, no-nonsense approach to dealing with Oakland's major problems.   A year later, the city's financial outlook has stabilized some, its streets are safer than they have been in decades and Mayor Lee is talking about running for a full four-year term. We'll talk with Lee about the successes of the past year and about the city's many challenges including homelessness, the budget, illegal dumping and an empty downtown. Guests: Barbara Lee, mayor of Oakland Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices