KQED’s Forum

California synth-pop duo PRXZM joins us in studio for a live musical performance. Classically trained musicians Nick Ortega and Emma Maidenberg host a weekly livestream where fans can watch them compose in real-time and offer feedback. PRXZM's latest project? Remixing our Forum theme song! We'll talk to them about the process of remixing and what it's like to collaborate so closely with their fans. Guests: Nick Ortega, synth, PRXZM Emma Maidenberg, vocals, PRXZM Daniel Reiter, guitar, PRXZM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been as full-throated in his support for President Trump's aggressive immigration policies as California Governor Gavin Newsom has been in his opposition.  We team up with South Florida Public Radio station WLRN to talk about how our states' different approaches on immigration enforcement are playing out on the ground, and the impact on our communities, economy and voters. Guests: Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED Tom Hudson, president of news, WLRN; an anchor of "The Florida Roundup" Jasmine Garsd, immigration correspondent, NPR; host of the podcast "The Last Cup," about soccer and the immigrant experience Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California's prisons were so packed fifteen years ago that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled they violated the Constitution. Today, the state's prison population has decreased dramatically and California is closing prison facilities. Governor Newsom has closed five during his tenure, with the latest – the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco, California  –  slated to shut down next fall. We'll take a closer look at what's driving the turnaround, and the impact of prison closures on communities and the state's criminal justice system. Guests: Heather Harris, research fellow specializing in criminal justice, Public Policy Institute of California Caitlin O'Neil, principal fiscal and policy analyst, Legislative Analyst's Office - the California Legislature's nonpartisan fiscal and policy advisor Nigel Duara, justice reporter, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Locals don't always like to go where the tourists flock in their own town, and as a result there is a lot that they might be missing. A new program, Doors Open California hopes to change that by welcoming Californians to historic sites, movie locations, museums and more all in their backyard. We'll talk to plugged-in locals about the cool sites and situations that are just around the corner, and hear from you about the Bay Area spots that you think are worth a visit. Guests: Peter Hartlaub, culture critic, The San Francisco Chronicle Pendarvis "Pen" Harshaw, columnist, KQED Arts Kara Newport, president and CEO, Filoli Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Immigrant rights advocates are warning of increased racial profiling and more aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactics in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to temporarily lift a federal judge's order that barred the agency from detaining people without probable cause. Concerns intensified after the Department of Homeland Security announced on social media that law enforcement would “flood the zone” in Los Angeles. We look at what's happening on the ground and where the law stands. Guests: Ahilan Arulanantham, law professor and faculty co-director, Center for Immigration Law and Policy, UCLA School of Law - former Legal Director ACLU of Southern California Andrea Castillo, staff writer covering immigration, LA Times Marissa Montes, professor of law and director, Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic, Loyola Law School Rob Bonta, California Attorney General Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist Jeff Chang contends that Bruce Lee, the famed actor and martial arts specialist, is the “most famous person in the world about whom so little is known.” In his new biography of Lee, “Water Mirror Echo,” Chang charts Lee's rise as an action star and his impact on the creation of Asian American culture. We'll talk to Chang about his book and about Bruce Lee's special history in the Bay Area. Guests: Jeff Chang, "Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America" - Chang is also the author of "We Gon' Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation," "Who We Be: The Colorization of America" and "Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when prosecutors take on sitting U.S. presidents? That's the subject of CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig's new book, which traces the successes and failures of the Department of Justice's efforts to hold presidents from Nixon to Trump to account. We'll also get Honig's take on the latest DOJ controversies, including the firings of veteran prosecutors and the department's shrinking independence from the Oval Office. Honig's new book is “When You Come at the King.” Guests: Elie Honig, senior legal analyst, CNN - author, "When You Come at the King: Inside DOJ's Pursuit of the President, from Nixon to Trump" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're  launching a new series, “In Search of Home: Solutions for the Homelessness Crisis” to explore how homelessness happens and what it takes to move people into permanent homes. Our first show takes a look into the many reasons that people end up becoming homeless and how it can be prevented. Research shows that keeping someone housed is far more cost-effective, not to mention less traumatic, than trying to help someone once they lose their home. We'll hear the experiences of people who have, with help, narrowly avoided losing their housing and talk about proven ways to prevent homelessness. Guests: Jennifer Loving, CEO, Destination: Home - a public-private partnership focused on ending homelessness in Santa Clara County Rob Collinson, assistant professor, Department of Economics at the University of Notre Dame and the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do frog skin, polyester hair and gene-edited pig kidneys have in common? They're all part of humanity's long quest to swap out ailing parts of our bodies, according to science writer Mary Roach. From prosthetic limbs to printable organs, Roach joins to talk about the history and complexities of human body replacement and where the science is today. Her new book is “Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy.” Guests: Mary Roach, author, "Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy"; her earlier books include "Grunt," "Stiff," "Bonk" and "Fuzz" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nuclear capabilities have increased dramatically over the past decade and continue to grow, with the U.S. Department of Defense spending $1.5 trillion on nuclear weapons and infrastructure upgrades. But the conversation around nuclear war has only gotten quieter. The anti-nuclear movement of the 1960s-80s was one of the largest protest movements of its time, with a million protesters marching in New York to demand an end to nuclear weapons. Yet the threat is rarely mentioned today. We'll talk about the anti-nuclear movement, the normalization of nuclear warfare, and what some experts hope to change about that. Guests: Rivka Galchen, contributor, The New Yorker; her most recent article in The New Yorker is "Why Don't We Take Nuclear Weapons Seriously?" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crises unfold around us daily: gun violence, devastating foreign wars and U.S. democratic norms shattering. And still, we cook dinner and go to work. For those directly affected, the harms are inescapable. But for others, the contrast between catastrophic headlines and ordinary routines creates a dizzying dissonance: life moving as normal, against a backdrop of unsettling change. We'll talk about this strange tension and what it does to us, and we'll hear how you are navigating it. Guests: Kate Woodsome, journalist and founder, Invisible Threads (katewoodsome.substack.com), a media and leadership lab exploring the link between mental health and democracy Adrienne Matei, writer, The Guardian US; her recent piece is "Systems are crumbling – but daily life continues. The dissonance is real" Gisela Salim-Peyer, associate editor, The Atlantic; her recent piece is "Authoritarianism Feels Surprisingly Normal – Until It Doesn't" 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. We talk to Young about his collection and what it means to be a poet today. Guests: Kevin Young, poet and author; poetry editor, The New Yorker; former director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Climatologist Michael Mann and vaccine expert Peter Hotez say we're in an “antiscience superstorm.” It's a movement that has upended federal health agencies, defunded research and weaponized social media and AI to advance its agenda. And now, some of the nation's most vocal antiscience figures are in major positions of power. We talk to Hotez and Mann about their daily battles against disinformation, their personal toll and what we can all do to counter the antiscience threat. Their new book is “Science Under Siege.” Guests: Peter J. Hotez, professor and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine; co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development, Texas Children's Hospital Michael E. Mann, professor of earth and environmental science, University of Pennsylvania; director, Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the second time in just four months, BART had a systemwide outage on Friday, stranding morning commuters for hours and bringing Bay Bridge traffic to a standstill. The maddening meltdown is but one of the BART's major woes. A promised $750 million dollar loan to shore up struggling Bay Area transit agencies has been tied up in back-room wrangling in Sacramento. We talk with KQED transit reporter Dan Brekke about how the  financial crisis is testing the Bay Area's historic support for public transportation. Guests: Dan Brekke, editor and reporter, KQED News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a whale struck Maurice and Maralyn Bailey's boat in 1972, the British couple found themselves stranded on a tiny rubber raft in the Pacific Ocean. In a new book, journalist Sophie Elmhirst looks at how the shipwrecked couple survived together for months – starving and pushed to their emotional limits. We'll talk to Elmhirst about relationships under extreme conditions and why we're so drawn to survival stories. And we want to hear from you: How do you think your own relationship would fare under similar circumstances? Guests: Sophie Elmhirst, author of "A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession and Shipwreck" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every month, 5.5 million Californians rely on Cal Fresh, the state's version of food stamps. But Trump's $186 billion in cuts to SNAP, the nation's primary anti-hunger program, means that California will lose billions of dollars in funding. Experts note that these changes to SNAP, which began rolling out this month, constitute a drastic overhaul of the social safety net program and threaten to increase hunger in the country just as the economy is showing signs of slowing down. We'll talk about the impacts of Trump's budget decision on those in need as well as the grocers and food banks that help provide food to SNAP recipients. Guests: Leslie Bacho, CEO, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a food bank that serves Santa Clara and San Mateo counties Lauren Bauer, fellow, Economic Studies, Brookings Institute; associate director of the Hamilton Project - her research focuses on social safety net policies Lupe Lopez, co-founder and owner, Arteagas Food Center, a chain of local grocery stores with outlets in San Jose, Hayward, and Gilroy among other locations Rebecca Piazza, executive director, safety net strategy, Code for America - Piazza served in the Biden-Harris Administration as Chief of Staff at the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, modernizing delivery of SNAP, WIC, and other nutrition programs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Millions of people are having deeply personal conversations with AI chatbots, but how safe are these interactions? We're joined by two technology reporters who have been investigating troubling cases, including a California teenager whose months-long chats with ChatGPT took a tragic turn and a vulnerable man who was convinced by one of Meta's AI female personas to “meet” in person. We look at how these tools can manipulate – or be manipulated – to cause harm, and what we're learning about the psychological impact of AI companions. Guests: Kashmir Hill, features writer covering technology and privacy for the New York Times; author of "Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startup's Quest to End Privacy as We Know It" Jeff Horwitz, reporter covering tech, Reuter's Enterprise Team Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political economist, educator, author, and former labor secretary, Robert Reich, has spent decades examining inequality as a way to make sense of the world. His career has focused on economic justice, the impacts of globalization and our shifting economy. We'll talk with Reich, who recently retired from teaching at UC Berkeley, about the lessons he's learned and taught, the influence of corporate power in America, and the ways in which wealth, poverty, and the widening income gap threaten our very democracy. Guests: Robert Reich, formerly the Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley; he has served in three national administrations, most recently as secretary of labor under President Bill Clinton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California's long-delayed high speed rail project is finally ready to start laying tracks in the Central Valley next year. But the Trump administration has called it a “rail to nowhere,” pointing to construction delays and a budget that's ballooned by $100 billion. The federal government has clawed back $4 million in grant funding – a move Governor Newsom says is illegal and that California plans to fight in court. With federal money tied up in the lawsuit, state lawmakers are pooling funds and pushing public-private partnerships to keep construction on track. We'll get the latest on this slow-moving project from two transportation journalists. And we want to hear from you: What questions do you have about the future of California's high speed rail? Guests: Colleen Shalby, staff writer covering transportation and mobility, The Los Angeles Times Ralph Vartabedian, independent journalist who has written about California's high-speed rail for over a decade Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After decades spent representing the East Bay in Congress, Barbara Lee was inaugurated as Oakland's new mayor three months ago. She's now at the helm of a city with a lot of local pride and boasting rights, but also with brutal financial challenges, a politics battered by scandal and recall, and a citizenry eager for progress on crime, homelessness and other urban woes. Barbara Lee joins us to talk about what she's been learning in her first months in office and how it's shaping her plans for the city. And we hear from you: What do you want to ask your new mayor, and what do you want her to know about your Oakland? Guests: Barbara Lee, mayor of Oakland Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When political advisor Chloe Dalton found an injured newborn hare near her home in the countryside, she decided to nurse it back to health. The two quickly formed a bond of quiet companionship. We talk to Dalton about what the hare taught her about trust, attention, preparing for loss and the ordinary magic of engaging closely with the natural world. Her new memoir is “Raising Hare.” What has a relationship with a wild animal taught you? Guests: Chloe Dalton, political advisor and author, "Raising Hare" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it mean to be an “auntie”? Studies have shown that aunties — whether they are a family member, a chosen maternal figure or a parent's friend — play a crucial support role in a child's upbringing. But the work doesn't end at the family unit. Aunties are often the ones showing up and acting as powerful forces of social change. We'll talk with artists, scholars and community organizers about the underrated power of aunties, and the ways in which they actively redefine the nuclear family unit and our systems of care. Guests: Kristina Wong, comedian and performance artist; Doris Duke Artist Award winner, Guggenheim Fellow and Pulitzer Prize finalist in Drama; her kids' book "Auntie Kristina's Guide to Asian American Activism" comes out Spring 2026 from Beaming Books Jocelyn Jackson, chef and community organizer; founder, JustUs Kitchen; co-founder, People's Kitchen Collective; executive producer, Life is Living Festival; former chef-in-residence, Museum of African Diaspora Kareem Khubchandani, educator, scholar and performer; associate professor of theater, dance and performance studies, Tufts University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, California has aspired to be a national haven for abortion rights. But the reality is more complicated. Catholic hospitals in the state are refusing emergency care for miscarriages, major retailers have refused to stock abortion medications and federal lawsuits are targeting California doctors and pharmacies. We listen back to our conversation about the cases reshaping reproductive healthcare and their potential impacts on both Californians and the nation. Guests: Mary Ziegler, professor, UC Davis School of Law Shefali Luthra, reproductive health reporter, The 19th Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fast-evolving retail landscape has zapped the life out of once bustling shopping centers throughout the Bay Area. And yet, many of the region's legacy malls are still thriving. While San Francisco Centre, the former home of high-end department stores downtown, is now mostly empty, a revamped Stonestown in San Francisco's west side is full of shoppers. Tenants such as indoor arcades, escape rooms and niche food vendors are drawing crowds to once desolate malls. We talk about where Bay Area shoppers are still going and how brick and mortar shopping is changing. Guests: Heather Knight, San Francisco bureau chief, The New York Times Michael Berne, president, MJB Consulting Kirthi Kalyanam, marketing department chair, director of the Retail Management Institute, Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Republican spending bill signed into law by President Trump last month slashes an estimated $150 billion in federal Medicaid funding to California over the next 10 years. Nearly 40% percent of Californians rely on Medi-Cal for health coverage, and now millions are expected to fall off the rolls. That's leaving medical providers bracing for impacts, especially in places already struggling to serve all who need care. We talk to heads of clinics in the Central Valley, Shasta County and Los Angeles to hear how they're coping. Guests: Mitesh Popat, chief executive officer, Venice Family Clinic David Quackenbush, president and chief executive officer, Golden Valley Health Centers Jo Campbell, chief executive officer, Hill Country Community Clinic Miranda Dietz, interim director, Health Care Program, UC Berkeley Labor Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Voters in the Sunset district of San Francisco are casting ballots on whether to recall their supervisor Joel Engardio. Engardio, a vocal champion of the city's previous recalls of three school board members and former District Attorney Chesa Boudin, has angered residents in his district over his support of Proposition K, which closed the oceanfront's Great Highway. The 2-mile stretch of land opened as Sunset Dunes Park, but whether that park is wanted, is still under debate with some saying it impacts local businesses and daily commutes. We talk about San Francisco's recall fever and the balancing act required by officials representing the needs of their districts, and the desires of the city. Guests: Joe Eskenazi, managing editor and columnist, Mission Local Jason McDaniel, associate professor of political science, San Francisco State University Sydney Johnson, reporter, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Los Angeles County—famous for its sunshine—just 20% of urbanized areas are shaded at noon. That's creating a serious health hazard for people who work outdoors, wait at bus stops or play outside. Environmental journalist Sam Bloch argues that shade should be considered a basic human right, akin to access to clean air and safe drinking water. We speak with Bloch about why modern cities have so little shade and how we can reintroduce it as a fundamental element of urban design. Bloch's new book is “Shade: The Promise of a Forgotten Natural Resource.” Do you struggle to find shade in your community? Guests: Sam Bloch, environmental journalist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a new crop of students start school this fall, Bay Area colleges and universities are navigating headwinds ranging from funding cuts to a shrinking student population. Fewer Californians are enrolling in college than a decade ago and now schools are bracing for a “demographic cliff,” a drop in high school graduates stemming from lower birth rates after the Great Recession. At the same time, college graduates are vital to the region's economy and a degree remains a reliable path for social advancement. We'll talk with the presidents of San Francisco State University, Saint Mary's College and West Valley College about how they are managing those major challenges while pursuing their missions. Guests: Roger Thompson, president, Saint Mary's College of California Lynn Mahoney, president, San Francisco State University Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza, president, West Valley College Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mars is inhospitable to human life with its cosmic radiation, atmosphere of carbon dioxide and nights as cold as 200 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. But as Space X founder Elon Musk pledges to colonize Mars, and as NASA renews its push for interplanetary travel, a husband and wife duo has explored whether people really can live in space. What would it require to have babies on another planet? To grow food? To prevent conflicts in space from sparking geopolitical chaos on Earth? We'll talk about it all with Kelly and Zach Weinersmith, co-authors of “A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?” Guests: Kelly Weinersmith, scientist and adjunct faculty member in the biosciences department, Rice University; co-author, "A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?" Zach Weinersmith, cartoonist of the webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal; co-author, "A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On September 1, 1950, Oakland's Fairyland opened its gates to 15,000 visitors who paid between 9 and 14 cents to explore this storybook adventure land. The park, with its whimsical fairy tale set pieces and rides geared for young children, was a wild success inspiring copycats across the country. It even served as inspiration to Walt Disney himself. Today, Fairyland offers respite and entertainment for visitors of all ages– many of whom visited as a child and are now grandparents themselves. We'll talk about the park's history and its future, and we hear from you: What's your favorite memory of Fairyland? Guests: Kymberly Miller, CEO, Children's Fairyland Randal Metz, director, Storybook Puppet Theater at Children's Fairyland; author, "Creating A Fairyland" Barbara Lee, mayor of Oakland; former U.S. representative from California's 13th district Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In October 2005, about six weeks after Hurricane Katrina struck, New Orleans-born writer Clint Smith returned to his devastated home to find haunting remnants: a ruined wedding dress, a chair hanging from a chandelier, a perfectly preserved birthday cake. Smith has continued to visit his hometown, marking progress and the destruction still visible. We talk to him about his new piece for the Atlantic called “Twenty Years After the Storm.” And we'll hear from you: what was returning home from a natural disaster like for you? Guests: Clint Smith, poet and staff writer, The Atlantic - his recent essay for the magazine is "Twenty Years After the Storm." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before the COVID pandemic hit, San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf averaged over 15 million visitors each year. While the waterfront is still one of the most visited areas in the region, the local businesses — including fishing companies, souvenir shops and restaurants — are struggling from a lack of investment, high rents and lower tourism. Now, the Port of San Francisco has announced a multi-year plan that involves a $10 million investment to renovate the area. Set to begin in 2026, the first phase of “Fisherman's Wharf Forward” is a facelift for Taylor Street, which includes the demolition of a historic fish restaurant, Alioto's, and the construction of a new public plaza with a waterfront lookout. We talk with the San Francisco Port, local fishermen and an urban design critic about the revitalization project, plans to preserve the history of the area, and what it all means for locals, tourists, and those whose livelihood depends on the waterfront. Guests: John King, author, "Portal: San Francisco's Ferry Building and the Reinvention of American Cities"; former urban design critic, San Francisco Chronicle Elaine Forbes, executive director, port of San Francisco Sal Alioto, captain of historic fishing and tour boat, The Golden Gate, in Fisherman's Wharf Sarah Bates, captain of the fishing vessel, Bounty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a highly unusual move, the Trump Administration announced the government will take a 10 percent equity stake in computer chipmaker Intel. The new arrangement makes the U.S. government the largest shareholder in Intel, a relationship many economists, policy experts and elected officials say is problematic, unnecessary and signals an overreach of presidential power. Earlier in August, fellow chipmakers Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices agreed to pay the United States 15 percent of their revenue from selling chips in China. We talk about what those deals mean, the administration's strategy and why experts say this is a step toward fascism. Guests: Louise Matsakis, senior business editor, WIRED Tad DeHaven, policy analyst for federal and state economic and fiscal policy issues, Cato Institute - a think tank Nils Gilman, chief operating officer, executive vice president of programs and deputy editor of Noema Magazine, Berggruen Institute - a think tank Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Republican lawmakers are suing to block Governor Gavin Newsom's redistricting plan from the November ballot, as President Trump vows his own lawsuit against the state's effort to redraw its congressional maps to favor Democrats. That's despite Trump encouraging a similar effort in Texas that favors Republicans. Meanwhile, Newsom is trolling the President on social media, co-opting his taunting style. We'll talk with KQED's politics team about Newsom's tactics and get the latest redistricting news. What do you think of the Governor's methods? Guests: Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED - co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED's California Politics and Government Desk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Roommate relationships are increasingly common, with a record-high 6.8 million households in America reporting that they share space with roommates and boarders. Sharing a home can be wonderful, but it also creates questions like how should you negotiate fridge space – and whether it's okay that your romantic partner sleeps over. We're joined by a comedian who mediates roommate conflicts Judge Judy-style, and a therapist who has heard every conundrum under the sun – from how to split rent, to how to reconcile living with an ex. Do you have a roomie conflict you'd like an expert to weigh in on? Tell us about it! Guests: Sahaj Kaur Kohli, therapist, writer, speaker, and founder, Brown Girl Therapy; author of the book, "But What Will People Say? Navigating Mental Health, Identity, Love, and Family Between Cultures" Michael Abber, comedian; host and self-appointed judge of the viral video series Roommate Court Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we talk about households led by single parents, we often think about mothers. But a rising number of families are led by single fathers: men who are parenting alone by choice – whether through adoption or surrogacy – or because of divorce, separation or widowhood. Single dads often have the same challenges as single mothers because the economics and emotional work of parenting solo are not always easy. Yet, single fathers also report being lonelier and less sure of how to access support than mothers. We'll look at the experience of single fatherhood and hear from you: are you a single dad or were you raised by one? What's your story? Guests: Faith Hill, staff writer, The Atlantic - Hill's most recent article is titled "The Growing Cohort of Single Dads by Choice" Ignacio Ferrey, director, Fatherhood and Adolescent Services, Alameda County Public Health Department Ron Poole-Dayan, executive director and founder, Men Having Babies - a nonprofit organization that offers guidance and financial assistance for gay men who want to become fathers through surrogacy Darby Saxbe, associate professor of psychology, USC - director, USC Center for the Changing Family Dr. Ken Epstein, therapist and social worker; from 2012-2018, Epstein was the director of the Children Youth and Family System of Care for San Francisco's Behavioral Health Services Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine approaching a wildfire with nothing but a bandana to protect you. That's how U.S. Forest Service firefighters typically battle blazes – with no masks or other respiratory protection. New York Times reporter Hannah Dreier recently headed into the field to find out why. We'll talk to Dreier and a California firefighter about why it's been so hard to change the culture and policy around protective gear and how firefighters are dealing with the life-threatening effects. Guests: Hannah Dreier, investigative reporter, The New York Times Joe Perez, firefighter based in Northern California Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California now has the highest unemployment rate in the country at 5.5%. While the Bay Area's rate is a bit lower than the state's, it is still higher than the national average, and continued tech company layoffs and threats to jobs from AI, have workers worried. We look at the shifting Bay Area labor market. Where are jobs disappearing and what could replace them? Will AI be a net boom or loss for local employment? If you're in the market we want to hear about it. How is the Bay Area labor landscape looking to you? Guests: Jeff Bellisario, executive director, Bay Area Council Economic Institute Aki Ito, chief correspondent, Business Insider coverings the tech industry and workplace issues Enrico Moretti, professor of economics, UC Berkeley; author, "The New Geography of Jobs" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remember owning your movies and music on tape, CD or DVD? Physical media is having a moment again as frustration mounts with streaming platforms that can remove beloved shows at a moment's notice while charging endless subscription fees. More people report feeling nostalgic for a time when we could truly hold onto the media that we love. We'll look into what's driving this analog resurgence. What's a piece of physical media you're holding on to? Guests: Joe Pickett, co-founder, co-host and curator, Found Footage Festival Jeff Rauseo, content creator and writer covering movies, home entertainment and physical media; author, "Lost in the Stream: How Algorithms Redefined the Way Movies Are Made and Watched" Jacob Gaboury, associate professor of film and media, UC Berkeley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This weekend kicks off the start of the college football season and for the first time ever, players coming on the field can expect a payment from their schools. While college sports is a multibillion business in the United States, schools were barred from giving direct compensation until a landmark court ruling in June changed the rules. Still, it's unclear how much students will earn and how money will be doled out across different teams. Sports such as football and basketball tend to bring in the lion's share of revenue. We'll talk about how this massive shift in college sports is playing out and what it means for student athletes, fans and schools. Guests: Daniel Rascher, professor and director of academic programs, sport management master's program at University of San Francisco Rachel Bachman, senior sports reporter, The Wall Street Journal Henry Organ, co-founder and agent, Disruptive Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The American Academy of Pediatrics is breaking with the CDC for the first time in decades by continuing to recommend Covid-19 shots for infants and young children. By contrast the CDC, under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is no longer recommending the vaccine for healthy kids. Infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm joins us to help make sense of the conflicting messages. We'll also get his thoughts on federal cuts to vaccine research funding, and our readiness for future pandemics. Guests: Dr. Michael Osterholm, epidemiologist; director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, University of Minnesota Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The notes app on your phone can be a repository of the quotidian aspects of life – a grocery list or reminder about a doctor's appointment. But these notes can also be revealing, intimate and beautiful. It might contain a cache of private thoughts and feelings – the fragmented summary of a bad dream, the first line of a poem, or ideas for how to propose to your partner. This juxtaposition of the mundane with the meaningful is one reason artist Rel Robinson felt compelled to put together the new collection, “iPhone Notes,” which gathers the ephemera captured in the notes app of local artists and writers. We talk about how the notes app can be a reflection of self, and we invite you to share your notes. Guests: Brontez Purnell, author, "Ten Bridges I've Burnt: A Memoir in Verse" and "100 Boyfriends" Rel Robinson, writer and artist; editor of "iPhone Notes," created as part of Conventional Projects Rita Bullwinkel, author, "Belly Up" and "Headshot" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices