KQED’s Forum

As recent court decisions make more people vulnerable to ICE detention, the Trump administration is purchasing massive warehouses that could detain upward of 5,000 people per site. Lawmakers and detainees describe existing ICE detention centers as grossly inadequate, with accounts of denied medical care, cruelty from guards and limited access to sunlight. Most immigrants detained by ICE have not committed a crime yet can be held for months or years. Now, resistance to these detention centers is growing nationwide – including in deeply red counties – and California activists and lawmakers are trying to prohibit ICE's expansion here. We hear about the legal landscape and answer your questions. Guests: Ahilan Arulanantham, law professor and faculty co-director, Center for Immigration Law & Policy at UCLA School of Law; former legal director, ACLU of Southern California Matt Haney, District 17 representative, California State Assembly Wendy Fry, reporter covering poverty and inequality for the California Divide team, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“How We Get By,” a new series from KQED News, looks at how people in the Bay Area make due with the sky-high cost of living. Prices for necessities from housing and food to childcare and gas have shot up in the past decade and somehow, millions of people have managed to keep up – but how? For some people, it's putting multiple generations under one roof, taking on a side hustle or cutting back on extras. What strategies help you afford to stay here? At what point do the costs outweigh the benefits? We examine the price of living in the Bay Area, how it has shaped us and hear your experience. Guests: Erin Baldassari, senior editor of housing affordability, KQED Neale Mahoney, professor of economics, Stanford University; former special policy advisor for economic policy, White House National Economic Council Abigail Lucia Sanchez, predoctoral researcher, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is your kid a fussy eater? A lot of us have come to accept that there's a period where children can only stomach dino nuggets, buttered noodles and PB&J's. But American kids used to be “fabulous” eaters, writes historian Helen Zoe Veit. They ate “spicy relishes, vinegary pickles… raw oysters and looked forward to their daily coffee.” We talk to Veit about what happened, and what we can learn from the past to expand kids' palates — and help parents feel less overwhelmed at dinner time. Veit's new book is “Picky: How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History.” Guests: Helen Zoe Veit, associate professor of history, Michigan State University; author, "Picky: How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History" Dr. Erik Fernandez y Garcia, pediatrician and professor of pediatrics, UC Davis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“All my life I have tried to be a good woman,” writes Savala Nolan. Being “good” meant not rocking the boat. It meant following the rules and fitting herself into the mold of duty, excellence, sacrifice, and hard work. But as a Black woman and mother navigating a world built for men, Nolan learned that the lessons of being good no longer fit her life. In her new book of essays “Good Woman: A Reckoning,” Nolan, an attorney who heads UC Berkeley Law's Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice, blends history and memoir as she examines the confining expectations of womanhood. We talk to Nolan. Guests: Savala Nolan, executive director, Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice, Berkeley Law; author, "Good Woman: A Reckoning," "Don't Let It Get You Down: Essays on Race, Gender, and the Body" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Weeks after the Department of Justice released millions of pages of documents related to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, new questions are emerging about evidence that may implicate President Trump in assaulting a teenage trafficking victim. This comes as Bill and Hillary Clinton testify before the House Oversight Committee about their relationship to the disgraced financier. We'll talk about the latest disclosures and what Epstein's ties to political, academic and business elites reveal about the structure of power and influence in our society. Guests: Stephen Fowler, political reporter, NPR Maegan Vazquez, reporter, Washington Post Virginia Heffernan, journalist and critic; columnist, The New Republic; publisher of "Magic and Loss" newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United States and Israel's strikes against Iran continued throughout the weekend, killing supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, top officials and civilians. Iran has retaliated with strikes on Israel, Gulf countries and U.S. bases. We talk with experts on Iran about what the attacks mean for the future of the Islamic Republic and the region, and what might happen next. Guests: Robin Wright, contributing writer, New Yorker; her most recent piece for the magazine is "What Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Meant to Iran, and What Comes Next" Wright is also the author of "Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East" Sahar Razavi, associate professor, Department of Political Science; director, Iranian and Middle Eastern Studies Center, California State University, Sacramento Nate Swanson, director, Iran Strategy Project at the Atlantic Council Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fan fiction, where fans reimagine their favorite characters in new – often steamy – stories, is reshaping mainstream literature, television and film. This year alone, three novels spun from fan-written romances between Harry Potter characters have hit national bestseller lists. And on the popular fanfic site Archive of Our Own, you'll find everything from Star Wars-inspired romances to a zombie apocalypse featuring the Car Talk guys. We're tracing how communities of queer, female, and frequently thirsty fans became a force too big for publishers and Hollywood executives to ignore. Guests: E. Alex Jung, features writer, Vulture and New York Magazine Candice Lim, writer, producer and former co-host, Slate's ICYMI podcast Domee Shi, film director and creative vice president, Pixar; her films include "Turning Red," "Elio" and the animated short film "Bao" Disclaimer: Suicide and suicidal ideation comes up in conversation during this podcast episode. If you are in crisis, please call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK  to 741741. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arthur Miller's classic play “All My Sons” tells the story of a father who attains the American Dream, but at a high cost to himself and everyone around him. Nearly 80 years after the original, Berkeley Rep's new production reimagines the play with a Puerto Rican family at the center.  The main characters, Joe and Kate Keller, are played by real life couple Jimmy Smits and Wanda De Jesús. We'll talk with the actors and director David Mendizábal about what the production has to say about the American Dream today. Guests: David Mendizábal, associate artistic director and director of "All My Sons," Berkeley Repertory Theatre Wanda De Jesús, actor starring as Kate Keller, Berkeley Repertory Theatre's production of "All My Sons" Jimmy Smits, actor starring as Joe Keller, Berkeley Repertory Theatre's production of "All My Sons" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Commercial surrogacy has long been life-changing for LGBTQ+ and infertile couples wishing to have children. Even though the practice is banned or highly restricted in much of the rest of the world, the U.S. has no federal laws overseeing the practice. In a new investigation, New Yorker staff writer Ava Kofman exposes one Los Angeles couple that enlisted surrogate mothers for at least 25 children, all of whom are currently in foster care. California is considered a surrogacy stronghold within the $42 billion global fertility industry. We unpack why, and the reforms advocates want to see to improve the informed consent of both surrogates and intended parents — and to keep their children safe. Guests: Deborah Wald, certified family law specialist based in San Francisco Ava Kofman, staff writer, The New Yorker - her recent piece is “The Babies Kept in a Mysterious Los Angeles Mansion” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Newer AI tools have begun to act less like “a souped up search engine and more of a junior staffer” observes one industry watcher.  Software developers are deploying Claude Code. Small business people are using AI to work out logistics. At home, people are deploying AI to organize to-do lists, plan vacations, and create meal plans. But what are the risks?  We talk about how AI is evolving, and how to think about the ethics of using these tools. Guests: Nitasha Tiku, tech culture reporter Maxwell Zeff, senior writer covering artificial intelligence, WIRED Heather Kelly, technology reporter focusing on the intersection of technology and everyday life Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is consciousness for, and why did it evolve? Can we change our “default” consciousness? These are some of the questions that Michael Pollan says began to preoccupy him after his first psychedelic experience, which altered his ordinary consciousness so profoundly that he wanted to learn everything he could about the mysteries of sentience, thought and selfhood. We talk to him about what he uncovered and challenges of studying a phenomenon that he says we'll never understand completely. Pollan's new book is “A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness.” Guests: Michael Pollan, author, "A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness" - professor emeritus, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism; his other books include "In Defense of Food," "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and "How to Change Your Mind." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Violence erupted across Mexico after the killing of Mexico's most notorious drug cartel leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, on Sunday. Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” was the head of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación, an organization that trafficked drugs across multiple Mexican states and countries. The killing signaled an aggressive and unexpected approach from Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, to confronting organized crime. As the chaos settles and shelter in place restrictions lift, the relationship between Mexico's drug kingpins, the government and the rest of society remains unclear. We talk about what the killing means for Mexico and the United States and what could happen next. Guests: Javier Cabral, editor, L.A. Taco - independent local news and culture site; Associate producer for the Taco Chronicles on Netflix Oswaldo Zavala, professor of Latin American Literature and Culture, City University of New York - College of Staten Island; author of “Drug Cartels Do Not Exist: Narcotrafficking in US and Mexican Culture.” Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, head of the North American Observatory, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court ruled Friday that President Trump does not have the authority to impose his sweeping tariffs — a major setback for his trade agenda. Studies have found that American businesses and consumers have borne most of the cost, and in California, ports, farms, businesses and workers have felt widespread effects. So what does this court ruling mean for the world's 4th largest economy? We look at how the tariffs have affected California businesses, and what's ahead as the President seeks to enact new tariffs in response. Guests: Ari Hawkins, reporter and author of the “Morning Trade” newsletter, POLITICO Nick Vyas, professor of economics; founding director of the Randall R. Kendrick Global Supply Chain Institute, University of Southern California Idrees Kahloon, staff writer, The Atlantic Bianca Blomquist, California director, Small Business Majority Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer Caroline Paul learned to fly a Cessna when she was 20, a paraglider in her 30s, a motorized hang glider in her 40s, and then at 58 years old, as her marriage was dissolving, she took up the gyrocopter, an odd aircraft that resembles a tiny helicopter. “The reasons for this aren't all mysterious. It's easier to learn a landing than a human heart,” she writes in her new book “Why Fly: Seeking Awe Healing and Our True Selves in the Sky.” We talk to Paul about the history of flight, why it captivates us, and how she tried to pilot her way through heartbreak. Guests: Caroline Paul, pilot; author, "Why Fly: Seeking Awe, Healing, and Our True Selves in the Sky;" her most recent books include "Tough Broad: From Boogie Boarding to Wing Walking-How Outdoor Adventure Improves Our Lives as We Age" and "The Gutsy Girl: Escapades for Your Life of Epic Adventure" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Citizenship allows you to vote, get a passport and run for office – and it's supposed to be a promise of protection, equality and belonging. But as immigration agents arrest and detain more American citizens, what if that promise is a myth? In a new book journalist Daisy Hernández dismantles the idea that citizenship is neutral, stable or fair. And she proposes that today it often replaces race a powerful instrument of exclusion. We talk to Hernández about her new book “Citizenship: Notes on an American Myth” and what she thinks real belonging might look like. Are you a noncitizen, or a U.S. citizen who's felt “lesser than?”  Guests: Daisy Hernández, author, "Citizenship: Notes on an American Myth" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With midterm elections a mere eight months away, are Democrats ready? Maybe not, according to journalist Mark Leibovich who traveled the country talking to party leaders about how Democrats intend to meet the moment. Despite Trump's low approval ratings and a slim Republican majority in Congress, a Democratic rebound is far from a slam dunk with the Republican National Committee currently holding a $100 million fundraising advantage. What happened to the once-confident multiracial coalition of working class men and women? We talk about the future of the Democratic party. Guests: Mark Leibovich, staff writer, The Atlantic - His latest piece is titled "The Democrats Aren't Built for This" Aimee Allison, founder and president, She the People - A national organization dedicated to building the political power of women of color Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Figure skater Ilia Malinin's shocking 8th place finish at the Winter Olympics is reigniting conversation about “the yips” or “the twisties.” Whatever you call them, elite athletes can suddenly lose the ability to perform skills they've practiced countless times – finding themselves unable to throw a baseball, or putt, in a straight line. Or to land the quadruple axel they've practiced for years. We explore what causes “the yips,” how athletes can bounce back and what the rest of us can learn from performance psychology. Have you ever lost access to a skill under pressure? What did you do? Guests: Bonnie Tsui, journalist; author of "Why We Swim" and "On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters" Dr. Daya Grant, neuroscientist; certified Mental Performance Consultant listed in the United States, Olympic and Paralympic Committee directory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you ask a parent, they are likely to deny they have a favorite child. But ask a kid, and they will tell you that is not true. And researchers agree. They found that roughly two-thirds of parents have a favorite child, and that golden child retained their status for decades. While being the favorite has some obvious upsides, being the apple of your parent's eye has its pitfalls, and the negative effects of being a non -favored child can last a lifetime. Were you a favorite child? Do you have a favorite child? Guests: Sahaj Kaur Kohli, therapist and founder, Brown Girl Therapy; writer, author of the book "But What Will People Say? Navigating Mental Health, Identity, Love, and Family Between Cultures" Laurie Kramer, professor of Applied Psychology, Northeastern University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Super Mario Bros. The Legend of Zelda. Pokémon. Animal Crossing. Video games from the Japanese company Nintendo have been surprising, delighting and challenging players since the 1980s. The Guardian's video games editor Keza MacDonald has been playing Nintendo games for three decades and has recently introduced her own children to their colorful worlds. And in her new book “Super Nintendo,” MacDonald says that Nintendo's game design — which rewards curiosity and emphasizes fun — not only changed the video game industry but how we play with each other. MacDonald joins us and we hear from you: What was the first Nintendo game you ever played? Guests: Keza MacDonald, senior video games editor, The Guardian; author, "Super Nintendo: The Game-Changing Company That Unlocked the Power of Play" Joshua Bote, associate editor, Gazzetteer SF; Pokémon fan and collector Nathan Kruse, former Super Smash Brothers Super Smash Bros. Melee competitor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Geeta Gandbhir's documentary, “The Perfect Neighbor” was a massive hit on Netflix last year. Told mostly through police body camera and security footage, the film gripped viewers with an immersive look at the events leading up to the murder of a mother of four children in Florida. Gandbhir is nominated for two Academy Awards this year for “The Perfect Neighbor” and a short documentary, “The Devil is Busy.” She joins us to talk about American violence, surveillance and the flood of filming happening all around us. Guests: Geeta Gandbhir, documentary filmmaker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California senator Adam Schiff says that President Donald Trump will try to “subvert” the midterm elections this year by attempting to overturn any result that disadvantages Congressional Republicans. The President has recently called for nationalizing elections, made multiple unproven claims about voter fraud and pushed the FBI to seize ballots from a Georgia district he lost in 2020. Meanwhile, election integrity experts say U.S. voting systems are secure and that the courts will continue to reject election challenges brought by Trump. We unpack what we might see come November and how election officials are preparing. Guests: David Graham, staff writer, The Atlantic Wendy Weiser, vice president for democracy, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law Natalie Adona, registrar of voters, Marin County Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facing a $376 million deficit, BART announced that without more funding, it will consider drastic cuts including closing one-third of its 50 stations and raising fares by 30%. The agency is pinning its financial future on a proposed sales tax on the November ballot as it struggles to recover from a changed post-pandemic commuting pattern. What would the Bay Area be without BART? We talk to the agency's manager and hear from you. Guests: Robert Powers, general manager, Bay Area Rapid Transit Jesse Arreguin, California state senator, District 7 Dionne Adams, mayor, Pittsburgh, CA Melissa Hernandez, president, BART board of directors; former mayor, Dublin, CA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Breakthrough treatments for high blood pressure, HIV infection and obesity: they're all available in part because of studies done on animals. And though the Animal Welfare Act has for many years regulated the treatment of lab animals, more than 95% of those used in research today are excluded from its protections. Larry Carbone is a veterinarian who's spent decades caring for animals in research facilities. We talk to him about the value and ethics of animal research and what he thinks needs to change. His new book is “The Hidden Lives of Lab Animals.” Guests: Larry Carbone, laboratory veterinarian; author, "The Hidden Lives of Lab Animals: A Vet's Vision for a More Humane Future" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new book, “Tiny Gardens Everywhere,” MIT environmental historian Kate Brown uses the global history of gardening to help us imagine cities that are resilient and self-sufficient. She unearths a rich history of the role small urban gardens have played in supplementing wages, keeping families fed and nurturing community and resilience in times of economic upheaval, war and environmental damage. We'll talk to Brown about the past, present and future of gardens as critical infrastructure of cities that can help sustain communities even when our systems fail. Guests: Kate Brown, author, "Tiny Gardens Everywhere" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From The Washington Post to CBS, mass layoffs, shifts in editorial direction and even direct interference in coverage are raising questions about whether the press can still hold power accountable, from their own bosses to the current administration. As reporters leave and subscribers drop, we look at the challenges the fourth estate is facing and the ways the right wing is expanding its influence over U.S. media. Guests: Matt Gertz, senior fellow, Media Matters Jeremy Barr, media and power reporter, The Guardian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk's merger of SpaceX with his AI start-up xAI has created what the New York Times calls “the most valuable private company on earth,” allowing Musk to forge ahead with new plans to develop data centers in outer space and an IPO expected later this year. Musk's companies hold billions in government contracts as his own net worth tops $800 billion, and his decisions affect not just his shareholders but global communications, national security and international politics. We talk about how so much power has aggregated in one person and the perils for the rest of us. Guests: Ryan Mac, tech reporter, The New York Times; co-author, "Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter" Nitasha TIku, tech culture reporter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite an explosion of dating apps and social media that seemingly make it easier to meet people, rates of marriage and couples living together have steadily decreased since 1990, according to the Pew Research Center. For singles looking for a relationship, dating is even harder than meeting potential partners. So, how do you go from the meet-cute to a lasting relationship? We'll talk with coaches and experts about whether dating is becoming a lost art and how to improve your dating game. Guests: Myisha Battle, sex and dating coach, host of KCRW's "How's Your Sex Life" podcast; author of "This Is Supposed to Be Fun: Finding Joy In Hooking Up, Settling Down, and Everything In Between" and the upcoming "Sexual Pleasure For Dummies." Daniel Yi, co-host, "I Hate Dating Apps" podcast Lauren Josephine, dating coach; author, "Looking for Something Serious" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare workers are on strike across California over stalled contract talks, staffing levels and pay. But Kaiser, the state's largest private employer, says it's offered its strongest wage proposal yet, with increases to come. As negotiations falter, we'll talk about the issues at stake and the impacts on patients. Are you a Kaiser worker or a patient affected by the strikes? Guests: Farida Jhabvala Romero, labor correspondent, KQED John Logan, director of labor studies, San Francisco State University Dr. Robert Pearl, former CEO, The Permanente Medical Group; lecturer, Stanford Graduate School of Business Truc Le, certified registered nurse anesthetist, Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento Carrie Esqueda, Kaiser patient Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the marquee lights of the Castro Theater dimmed two years ago, many worried that this grande dame of cinema would never be the same. Now after a $41 million renovation, the 104-year old SF icon is ready for its coming out party. The organ has been refurbished, the ceiling cleaned, and hidden gems, like a gold proscenium have been discovered. No longer just a movie house, the theater will host both films and musical acts, including a sold out 20-night stand by Sam Smith. As music venues and movie theaters continue to close post-pandemic, we talk about what the theater's renewal and reopening means for nightlife and the arts in San Francisco. Guests: Gabe Meline, senior editor, KQED Arts and Culture Tom DeCaigny, program officer of performing arts, Hewlett Foundation; former director of cultural affairs for the City and County of San Francisco, where he led the San Francisco Arts Commission Mary Conde, senior vice president, Another Planet Entertainment Gabrielle Armand, CEO, SF Jazz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“After the US Constitution, the tax code is the single most important document affecting Americans' lives. But because it is a deeply opaque, seven-thousand-page document, few Americans have any idea what the code says.” So writes legal scholar Ray D. Madoff, who argues the tax code is one of the main drivers of our nation's historic wealth inequality — allowing the ultra-wealthy to avoid taxation altogether while relying much more on workers' payroll taxes than many realize. We unpack how the tax code works and what real reform would look like. Madoff's book is “The Second Estate: How the Tax Code Made an American Aristocracy.” Guests: Ray D. Madoff, professor, Boston College Law School; author, "The Second Estate: How the Tax Code Made an American Aristocracy" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1977, a fledgling magazine startup in San Francisco published a searing story about the Ford Pinto, a car model that executives put on the market knowing its design could cause deaths and serious injuries. That was one of many investigative scoops Mother Jones has published in its 50-year history that established its reputation for holding corporations and politicians accountable. Staying alive in the journalism industry has required some maneuvering, but Mother Jones has managed to set up a sustainable model to continue its mission. We talk with the magazine's leaders about its audience, nonprofit structure, journalism in these times, and what other publications can learn from them. Guests: Clara Jeffery, editor-in-chief, Mother Jones and the Center for Investigative Reporting Adam Hochschild, journalist and co-founder, Mother Jones; author, "American Midnight: The Great War, a Violent Peace, and Democracy's Forgotten Crisis" and other books; lecturer, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since Donald Trump broke into the political scene in 2015, the United States has seen a surge in white supremacist hate groups. Investigative journalist Eric Lichtblau uses the 2018 murder of a gay, Jewish college student by a neo-Nazi in Orange County to explore the rise of white, Christian nationalism there – digging into how Trump's attacks on immigrants, pardons of the January 6th rioters and use of racism memes have fueled and emboldened right wing extremism in California and across the country. We talk to him about his new book “American Reich.” Guests: Eric Lichtblau, investigative reporter; author, "American Reich: A Murder in Orange County, Neo-Nazis, and a New Age of Hate" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid a ballooning rental housing market across the Bay Area, Oakland rents are mostly staying flat. Today, the median San Francisco rent for a one-bedroom home is about 70% higher than in Oakland. While Oakland often trails the city's rental market, the gap is now far larger than in recent history. We'll discuss whether Oakland has cracked the code on making housing more affordable, or whether other factors may be driving people away. Guests: J.K. Dineen, Bay Area housing reporter, San Francisco Chronicle Chris Salviati, senior housing economist, Apartment List Tim Thomas, director, Eviction Research Network at UC Berkeley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prenuptial agreements are no longer just for the wealthy. They're being pitched as smart financial planning for ordinary couples, and now more than 40% of married and engaged Millennials and Gen Z-ers say they've signed one. Younger generations are using prenups to negotiate everything from intellectual property rights, social media handles and who gets the sneaker collection. We'll talk about what's behind the shift and what it reveals about our modern anxieties about marriage and relationships.  Guests: Jennifer Wilson, staff writer, New Yorker. Her most recent piece is "Her recent article is "Why Millennials Love Prenups"" Juliana Yanez, law partner, Hanson Crawford Crum Family Law Group Kaiponanea Matsumura , law professor, Loyola Law School. Matsumura is an expert on the regulation of families. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The shortcomings and inequities of the American criminal justice system are painfully clear to those who have worked in it. Former public defender and legal activist Emily Galvin-Almanza will walk us through the many  points in our system where justice fails. We talk to her  about what reform should like and her new book, “The Price of Mercy: Unfair Trials, a Violent System, and a Public Defender's Search for Justice in America.” Guests: Emily Galvin-Almanza, author of “The Price of Mercy: Unfair Trials, a Violent System, and a Public Defender's Search for Justice in America. Co-founder and executive director of Partners for Justice, which aims to support and empower public defenders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chocolate is changing — and not just in flavor. As the planet warms, cacao is becoming harder to grow, reshaping how chocolate is made and who gets to make it. From commodity price volatility to farmers' livelihoods to the price tag of your favorite bar, we'll talk about what's at stake for this decadent treat. We'll speak with chocolate makers, sustainability experts and a cacao farmer about how they plan to adapt and innovate for years to come. Guests: Greg D'Alesandre, co-founder and cacao sourcer, Dandelion Chocolate Minni Forman, sustainability manager, Peet's Coffee; former cacao farmer John Kehoe, director of sustainability, Guittard Chocolate Company Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One week ahead of his much-anticipated Super Bowl performance, Bad Bunny made history when he won the first Grammy for album of the year for a Spanish-language record. He used his acceptance remarks to admonish cruel immigration enforcement, uplift immigrants and shout out his native Puerto Rico. As scholars Vanessa Díaz and Petra Rivera-Rideau, point out in their new book, “P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance,” the reggaetonero has never shied away from infusing politics into his musical career. Díaz and Rivera-Rideau, also creators of the “Bad Bunny Syllabus,” join us to break down Bad Bunny's music and activism. Guests: Vanessa Díaz, associate professor of Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies, Loyola Marymount University; co-founder, Bad Bunny Syllabus; co-author, "P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance" Petra Rivera-Rideau, associate professor and chair of the American Studies Department, Wellesley College; co-founder, Bad Bunny Syllabus; co-author, "P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Bob Wachter was one of the nation's trusted voices, helping us better understand the disease that upended our world and healthcare system. Now he's focused on what he sees as the next great disruption in medicine: Generative AI. Though we need to address its flaws and limitations, Dr. Wachter says AI is essential to a healthcare system buckling under the weight of clinician burnout, staff shortages and astronomical costs. We talk with Dr. Wachter about his new book, “A Giant Leap: How AI Is Transforming Healthcare and What That Means for Our Future.” Guests: Dr. Robert "Bob" Wachter, professor and chair of the Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Against a backdrop of threats made by President Trump to attack Iran with “speed and violence,” talks between the two nations are set to resume this Friday. Since late December, Iran has been roiled by massive nationwide protests that have been met by a brutal response from the regime, resulting in the deaths of over 6,800 protestors with another 11,000 deaths under investigation  according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Will the U.S. use this moment to try to force regime change? We talk to a panel of experts. Guests: Jason Rezaian, director of Press Freedoms Initiatives, The Washington Post; author, "Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison – Solitary Confinement, a Sham Trial, High-Stakes Diplomacy, and the Extraordinary Efforts It Took to Get Me Out" Nate Swanson, director, Iran Strategy Project, Atlantic Council Sahar Razavi, associate professor, Department of Political Science and director of the Iranian and Middle Eastern Studies Center, California State University, Sacramento Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As protests against federal immigration agents' use of deadly force in Minneapolis spread nationwide, privacy experts are raising alarms. Immigration agencies are using facial-recognition and other tools to identify immigrants – and to track American citizens who observe or protest ICE operations. The surveillance technology allows agents to scan people's faces and link them to government databases. It's a practice that those targeted say amounts to intimidation and retaliation. We talk about how the technologies work and what they mean for enforcement and civil liberties. Guests: Rachel Levinson-Waldman, director of Liberty and National Security Program, Brennan Center for Justice Sheera Frenkel, technology reporter, The New York Times; co-author, "An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the weekend, San Francisco's public school teachers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. The dispute is centered on pay, health benefits, and support for special education, all at a time when the district has been facing financial headwinds so dire that the state has contemplated stepping in to run the district. We get the latest on the labor negotiations and talk about what a potential strike, which could begin as early as February 9, means for teachers, the district, students and their families. Guests: Maria Su, superintendent, San Francisco Unified School District Cassondra Curiel, president, United Educators of San Francisco Jill Tucker, K-12 education reporter, San Francisco Chronicle Katie DeBenedetti, reporter, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Times cooking writer and columnist Yewande Komolafe has long loved the solitary, meditative act of crafting intricate meals and comfort foods in the kitchen. But after multiple amputations profoundly altered her body, Komolafe had to learn to cook in a new way: with adaptive tools, learning “how to whisk a bowl of cream to milky soft peaks with prosthetic hands,” and with other chefs' assistance. That collaboration helped Komolafe better understand the curative effects of a good meal, both “physiologically and psychologically.” We talk with Komolafe about the restorative powers of cooking a hot dish of fried calamari or shrimp scampi and her journey of self-rediscovery. Her new article for the Times is “How Losing My Limbs Turned Me Into a Different Kind of Cook.” Guests: Yewande Komolafe, cooking writer and columnist, The New York Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices