KQED’s Forum

The new Netflix documentary “The Plastic Detox” follows six couples struggling with unexplained infertility, asking them to cut plastic from their lives to see if that could help them conceive. While not a scientific study, the film explores the intriguing possibility that reducing everyday plastic exposure can actually improve our health. But how likely is this? We talk with the fertility researcher and one of the couples in the documentary to hear what they think we should — and should not — take away from the experiment. Guests: Shanna Swan, professor of environmental medicine, Icahn School of Medicine; founder and director, Action Science Initiative Monique Tavares, owner, San Ramon construction company BL Pavers; participant, “The Plastic Detox” Jasmine McDonald, associate professor of epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pioneering geneticist J. Craig Venter, who revolutionized biology with his role in sequencing the human genome, died last week in San Diego. In this hour, we look back at Venter's scientific contributions and consider whether our expectations for the medical and scientific transformations from DNA mapping have been realized. How has our knowledge of the human genome changed our understanding of how life works on a molecular level, and how much could it continue to change with the new powers of AI? Guests: Dr. Fyodor Urnov, professor of Molecular Therapeutics, University of California, Berkeley; scientific director, Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) Philip Ball, science writer, his most recent book is How Life Works: A User's Guide to the New Biology Michael Marshall, science writer, his most recent book is The Genesis Quest: The Geniuses and Eccentrics on a Journey to Uncover the Origin of Life on Earth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Humans eat more than 550 metric tons of meat and seafood a year — a number that's steadily climbing, and expected to do so until at least 2050. At the same time, scientists are working to develop plant-based and cultivated meats that deliver the same experience with more nutrition and at a lower cost. We talk to Good Food Institute founder and president Bruce Friedrich about his new book, “Meat: How the Next Agricultural Revolution Will Transform Humanity's Favorite Food— and Our Future.” Is alternative meat in your future, or even a reality for you today? Guests: Bruce Friedrich, founder and president, The Good Food Institute; author, Meat: How the Next Agricultural Revolution Will Transform Humanity's Favorite Food--and Our Future" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a teenager Mary Cain was a running phenom. At 17, she ran the 800 in under two minutes, and broke numerous national high school records. She went pro that same year, to be coached by Alberto Salzar at Nike. But while Cain was winning accolades on the track, she was suffering deeply. In her new memoir, “This is Not About Running,” Cain, now a second year medical student at Stanford, recounts how Salazar and his team created a culture of abuse that ground down athletes like her. We talk to Cain about what lessons can be learned from her experience and her efforts to protect young athletes. Guests: Mary Cain, author, "This Is Not About Running;" former professional runner; second year medical student at Stanford Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A blue whale mother that fasts for months while her calf puts on close to 250 pounds a day. A male hamster who acts as a midwife while his partner gives birth. Healthy bird parents that lurch along the ground, feigning injury to keep predators away from their nest. These are some of the remarkable examples of animal caregiving that science journalist Elizabeth Preston says can hold up “uncanny mirrors to the human experience and the puzzle of why and how we've evolved to pour our resources into our children.” We talk to Preston about her new book, “The Creatures' Guide to Caring.” What have you noticed about the animal caregivers around you? Guests: Elizabeth Preston, science journalist; author, "The Creatures' Guide to Caring: How Animal Parents Teach Us That Humans Were Born to Care" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a federal appeals court on Friday blocked mail-order access to the abortion pill mifepristone, the Supreme Court stepped in to pause the ruling, restoring access to one of the most common ways to end early pregnancies. Despite the administrative stay, it is not clear how the court will handle the case. We'll talk about what the restrictions could mean for access both in states with abortion bans and in California and other states where abortion remains legal. Guests: Mary Ziegler, professor of law, UC Davis School of Law Shefali Luthra, reproductive health reporter, The 19th [an independent, nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all know the stinging pain of rejection: the exclusion from a high-school in-group or the all-too-common experience of applying for a job and receiving an email starting with “We regret to inform you…” But beyond the personal experience of rejection is a power dynamic worth interrogating, argues author Alison Kinney. Her new book, “United States of Rejection: A Story of Love, Hate, and Hope,” examines it as not only a personal force, but a political one. Guests: Alison Kinney, author; assistant professor of writing, Eugene Lang College at The New School Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When punk rock thrashed through the Bay Area in the 70s and 80s, there were some venues that became iconic hubs, like Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco and Berkeley's Gilman street. But in rural Sonoma country, the scene was cobbled together in backyards, barns, and from fields with very long extension cords. Growing up in Santa Rosa, KQED's arts and culture editor Gabe Meline was both a part of the punk scene and an obsessive collector of its flyers, zines, cassettes and ephemera. He's now guest curated a new exhibit at the Museum of Sonoma County, Disturbing the Peace: Sonoma County's Early Punk Underground. We talk to Meline — and check in those in punk scenes of other Bay Area towns — about the music and ethos of punk and why this young DIY movement against authority is so relevant now. Guests: Gabe Meline, senior editor, KQED Arts & Culture Mike Park, owner, Asian Man Records - an independent label based in San Jose; member of the ska-punk band Skankin' Pickle in the 1980s and 90s Matthew Kadi, photographer and drummer. His band Monster Squad started in Vacaville in 1997 and is still playing shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the last month, about a dozen authors wrote to Forum saying they'd been messaged by a fraudster claiming to be Mina Kim. In exchange for a “small fee,” they'd be invited to talk about their book on the show. This is a new kind of impersonation scam targeting the wider publishing industry, and like online dating schemes, they're using flattery and promises of publicity to con the authors into sending money. We look at why authors are being targeted, just how deep this publishing scam goes, and how AI is superpowering online scams. Guests: Lauren Goode, senior correspondent covering Silicon Valley, Wired Dan Barry, senior writer, The New York Times Julian Sancton, senior features editor, The Hollywood Reporter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When President Trump sent troops into Iran, he did so without a green light from Congress. Now he faces a deadline on May 1 to either end the war in Iran or secure official approval from Congress. That timeline is laid out under the War Powers Resolution, a law that allows presidents to start wars without congressional approval. Democrats in Congress have tried and failed to pass multiple resolutions to halt the war. Meanwhile, the war is losing support from Republican lawmakers, who have not proposed a vote to approve it. We talk about the war in Iran, lawmakers' efforts to stop it so far, and whether the Trump administration is feeling any pressure from the 60-day deadline. Guests: Harold Hongju Koh, professor of international law, Yale Law School; legal advisor to the U.S. Department of State from 2009-2013 Mark DeSaulnier, U.S. Congressman representing California's 10th district (the East Bay) Robert Jimison, congressional reporter covering foreign policy, defense and national security issues, The New York Times Elisa Ewers, senior fellow, Council on Foreign Relations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court this week heard a case about Roundup, a weedkiller widely used in agriculture — and that tens of thousands claim has caused their cancer. Now a new investigation from Mother Jones reveals that Roundup is used across California by the US Forest Service and Cal Fire. While Bayer, Roundup's parent company, claims the chemical's safety is backed up by extensive research, the investigation calls into question data behind these claims. We look at what's known about the health impacts of Roundup, how it's used for fire recovery and why it's causing a rift in Trump world. Guests: Nate Halverson, senior reporter and producer, The Center for Investigative Reporting who reported on Roundup for Reveal and Mother Jones Patrick Thomas, reporter, The Wall Street Journal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when your hard drive gets fried and every photo documenting your kid's life, or that novel you didn't back up, or that cache of old emails documenting your first love affair is lost? After the scream of agony, who do you call? That's what New Yorker staff writer Julian Lucas wanted to know. The answer, it turns out, is right in our backyard. We talk to Lucas and the folks from Drive Savers, a company in Novato that works to resurrect your digital life from the dead. What digital history have you lost? Guests: Julian Lucas, staff writer, The New Yorker; his latest article is "Resurrection Hardware" Sarah Farrell, director of business development, DriveSavers Data Recovery Kelly Chessen, hypnotherapist; former data crisis counselor, DriveSavers Data Recovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An estimated one in eight Americans has now tried a GLP-1 medication like Ozempic or WeGovy: to lose weight, manage diabetes or experiment with anecdotal, off-label benefits. Yet GLP-1s can be hard to talk about — whether you want to ask someone if they take one, respond if you do, or discuss weight without dredging up unhealthy diet discourse. We'll hear how you're navigating these conversations in the age of GLP-1s. Tell us: How are GLP-1s showing up in your world? Guests: Diana Thiara, medical director, UCSF Weight Loss Management Program Whitney Casares, pediatrician; author, “Raising Body-Confident Kids” and “My One-Of A-Kind Body: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for Me” Angela Corral, senior editor, KQED's The California Report; she has been been taking a GLP-1 for almost 2 years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone has an opinion about Elon Musk, who has carved out a uniquely powerful place for himself in the worlds of auto-making, space launch, social media  and even government. But beyond Musk the individual, what do his corporate maneuvers and embrace of authoritarian, anti-humanitarian and white supremacist ideologies tell us about the direction of our society? As Musk's high-stakes lawsuit against Open AI's Sam Altman begins in Oakland this week, we  talk to Ben Tarnoff and Quinn Slobodian about their new book, “Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed.” Guests: Quinn Slobodian, professor of international history, Boston University; author, "Globalists," "Crack-Up Capitalism," "Hayek's Bastards." Ben Tarnoff, co-author, "Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed;" author, "Internet for the People: The Fight for Our Digital Future" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tucker Carlson, the right wing pundit and onetime Donald Trump diehard, now says he regrets supporting the President. Carlson apologized on his show for misleading his audiences and said he'll be tormented over that support for a long time. The comments mark a high-profile break between Trump and his former media ally, and they come amid growing divisions within the Republican party over Iran. New Yorker staff writer Jason Zengerle took a close look at Carlson's many iterations and reversals in his recent biography “Hated by All the Right People.” We talk to Zengerle about what Carlson's apparent change of heart signals about the future of Trump-era conservatism and get your reactions. Guests: Jason Zengerle, staff writer, The New Yorker; author, "Hated by All the Right People: Tucker Carlson and the Unraveling of the Conservative Mind" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The death of a San Jose toddler in foster care has Santa Clara's child welfare system scrambling to respond and politicians asking what went wrong. Six percent of children nationwide will enter the foster care system, primarily for reasons of neglect – which can mean conditions of poverty, homelessness, parental drug abuse or mental health issues. We'll talk to child welfare experts about what we do right and what we could improve in caring for children deeply in need. Guests: Julia Prodis Sulek, reporter, Bay Area News Group; Sulek was part of the San Jose Mercury News team that won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news reporting Janay Eustace, president & CEO, Child Abuse Prevention Center Jill Duerr Berrick, professor, School of Social Welfare at UC Berkeley Sarah Pauter, executive director, John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY), an organization focused on outcomes for older foster youth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone has an accent, even people who don't think they do. That's according to linguist Valerie Fridland, who studies the way American accents have been shaped by centuries of culture and class. In her new book, “Why We Talk Funny”, Fridland shares how different American accents developed, why some are dying off and the way they influence how we see each other and ourselves. Guests: Valerie Fridland, professor of linguistics, University of Nevada, Reno Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We'll remember legendary conductor, composer, educator and San Francisco icon Michael Tilson Thomas who died on Wednesday. He served 25 years as music director of the San Francisco Symphony and was a towering figure in the classical music world in the Bay Area and globally. He is credited with revamping classical music with his risky musical choices, innovative collaborations, and talent for teaching young people. Thomas retired from the symphony in 2020 and was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer around that same time. We'll talk about Thomas' legacy and lasting imprint on San Francisco. Guests: Joshua Kosman, classical music critic, San Francisco Chronicle Mark Leno, former California state senator; longtime friend of Michael Tilson Thomas Donato Cabrera, music and artistic director, California Symphony John Adams, composer - his new opera "Girls of the Golden West" runs at San Francisco Opera through December 10th Julia Bullock, Grammy-winning opera singer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aziz Abu Sarah, who is Palestinian, and Maoz Inon, who is Israeli, have both lost family to the conflict in the Middle East. They are also both peacebuilders who say they “forged a bond of brotherhood when the world expected us to hate each other.” We talk to them about their relationship and their vision for a culture of dialogue and forgiveness. Their new book is “The Future Is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land.” Guests: Aziz Abu Sarah, co-author, "The Future Is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land” Maoz Inon, co-author, "The Future Is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some fans of the indie-rock band Geese have been feeling betrayed after learning that TikToks that looked like they were made by fans were actually created by a PR firm. But is this just what artists have to do to make it in our hyper-saturated music world? And when major record companies have long been accused of payola, is this even new? We talk about how TikTok and Spotify algorithms work, and whether we can ever discover music without marketing having its thumb on the scale. Guests: Glenn McDonald, former "data alchemist" at Spotify; founder, music microgenre catalog Every Noise at Once Darren Hemmings, author, industry insider newsletter Network Notes; founder and managing director, UK marketing agency Motive Unknown Bobby Davin, senior vice president of A&R and label partnerships, Stem Distribution Hiroki Tanaka, former lead guitarist, Canadian experimental prog group Yamantaka // Sonic Titan; just released the solo album ISAN (遺産) Olivia Jones, associate music analyst, MIDiA Research Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The Idiot,” a new podcast from Serial and New York Times opinion columnist M. Gessen, shares the story of Gessen's own cousin, Allen, who went to prison for trying to have his ex-wife killed. The podcast asks how we reckon with personal beliefs about justice and punishment when applied to our own family: Gessen, a critic of the prison system, was shocked to find themself rooting for the prosecution during Allen's trial. It also explores Gessen's own complicated feelings about maintaining a relationship with Allen and their family's range of responses to his crime. Gessen joins us, and we hear from you: Has a relative's actions made you confront hard truths about yourself, your family and your strongest beliefs? Guests: M. Gessen, opinion columnist, New York Times; host, reporter and writer, “The Idiot,” from The New York Times and Serial Productions; they are the author of 11 books, including "The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia," which won the National Book Award in 2017 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration's crackdown on immigration has many people feeling  self-conscious about speaking Spanish in public or being recognized as Latino. Last year's Supreme Court ruling allowing immigration enforcement agents to question anyone based on their appearance and speech gave more fuel to the administration crackdown that has disproportionately targeted Latino communities.  Now, many U.S. citizens keep their passports on them and question whether they are presenting as “American” enough. We examine the cultural, psychological and societal impacts of Trump's immigration policies and how Latinos in the Bay Area are responding. Guests: Dr. Belinda Hernandez Arriaga, executive director and founder, ALAS (Ayudando Latinos A Soñar); licensed clinical social worker Tomás Jiménez, Joan B. Ford sociology professor and director of the Institute for Advancing Just Societies, Stanford University; his books include "States of Belonging: Immigration Policies, Attitudes, and Inclusion" and "The Other Side of Assimilation: How Immigrants Are Changing American Life" Hector, student, John F. Kennedy High School in Richmond, CA Carmelita Reyes, principal, Rusdale Continuation High School in Oakland Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The San Francisco AI firm Anthropic has developed a new model that it says is too powerful to be released to the public. Called Mythos, Anthropic says it's in a “different league” when it comes to identifying and exploiting cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and in the wrong hands could enable bad actors to unleash powerful cyberattacks. Anthropic is alerting governments and releasing a limited version called Claude Mythos Preview to about 40 tech companies (including some of its AI competitors) to find and fix their own security vulnerabilities. We look at how this next generation of AI could reshape digital security and policy. Guests: Alex Stamos, chief product officer, Corridor; computer science lecturer, Stanford University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Going to graduate school has never been cheap. But sweeping new changes to the federal loan system – which will now have caps on how much you can borrow – may make it even harder. What do these changes mean for aspiring nurses, teachers, doctors and lawyers — and could they reshape who gets to pursue advanced degrees in America? We'll talk about student loans, and look at the broader landscape, from income-driven repayment overhauls to the future of public service forgiveness. Guests: Aissa Canchola Bañez, policy director, Protect Borrowers, an advocacy group focused on policy solutions for debt issues facing consumers Jordan Matsudaira, professor at the School of Public Affairs, American University; Matsudaira served as Deputy Undersecretary and Chief Economist at the Department of Education during the Biden Administration Eileen Fry-Bowers, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions, University of San Francisco Jessica Blake, policy reporter, Inside Higher Ed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Psychiatrist Suzan Song has for decades worked with people who have experienced extreme traumas, like being trafficked or recruited as child soldiers. She says she became drawn to those who were able not just to survive, but thrive and flourish – even without access to traditional Western talk therapy. We talk to Song about where she thinks true healing comes from,  and how we can apply that to more ordinary suffering, like a breakup or an unexpected loss. Song's new book is “Why We Suffer and How We Heal.” Guests: Suzan Song, psychiatrist and global mental health expert; author, "Why We Suffer and How We Heal" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California's record-setting heatwave in March caused snow to melt and vegetation to dry out earlier than normal this year. Those conditions could provide lots of fuel for wildfires and hasten the start of fire season. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has gutted the U.S. Forest Service, which manages close to 60 percent of our state's forest areas, and plans to close six research centers in California. We'll dig into how those factors could influence wildfires this year and how you can prepare. Guests: Craig Clements, professor of meteorology, director of the Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center at San Jose State University Marianne Lavelle, Washington, D.C. bureau chief, Inside Climate News Adrienne Freeman, assistant director for communications for fire and aviation management, US. Forest Service Brent Pascua, battalion chief, Cal Fire Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2026 WNBA season tips off next month. It's expected to see historic viewership and attendance, after last season's record-breaking run as the most-watched regular season in the history of the league. But even though this is the WNBA's historic 30th season, women have been playing basketball since long before 1996. Sports journalists Jordan Robinson and Emma Baccellieri set out to profile the female trailblazers who changed basketball history, like Denise Long Rife, the first woman drafted by an NBA team when she was recruited to the San Francisco Warriors in 1969, and Ora Washington, who in the 1930s became a star on her YMCA's all-Black basketball team after already winning “almost every tennis trophy available to a Black woman in pre-war America.” We'll celebrate the players and coaches who made women's basketball into the phenomenon it is today, and get a preview for the upcoming season, with Robinson and Baccellieri. Their new book is “Court Queens: Celebrate the Players, Teams, and History of Women's Basketball.” Guests: Jordan Robinson, sports journalist; co-author, "Court Queens: Celebrate the Players, Teams, and History of Women's Basketball" Emma Baccellieri, staff writer, Sports Illustrated; co-author, "Court Queens: Celebrate the Players, Teams, and History of Women's Basketball" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grammy-nominated bassist and composer Melvin Gibbs contends that all music genres popular in the U.S. — pop, country, rock, dance, hip-hop and Latin — “either are, or are based on, or created using, forms of Black music.” In his new book “How Black Music Took Over the World,” Gibbs set out to trace the “rhythmic genealogy” of music from Africa through the Americas. And he unpacks why traditional Western notations and interpretations of music — even when well-intended — misunderstand the sense of time and kinesthetics fundamental to truly understanding how Black music works. Gibbs joins us with his bass to demonstrate the long reach of the African diaspora, and to ask who gets the credit for the music the whole world loves. Guests: Melvin Gibbs, Grammy-nominated composer and musician; author, “How Black Music Took Over The World” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After almost two decades as Prime Minister, Hungarian autocrat Viktor Orbán was defeated by Péter Magyar, leader of the center-right Tisza party. In the final days of the campaign, President Trump sent Vice President JD Vance to Budapest to campaign for Orbán, but voters weren't swayed. Could Orbán's defeat be a sign that President Trump's brand of right-wing populism is losing its appeal? Guests: Zack Beauchamp, senior correspondent, Vox; author, "The Reactionary Spirit" Lucan Way, distinguished professor of democracy, University of Toronto Frank Langfitt, national correspondent, NPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An American naval blockade of Iranian ports entered its third day as the U.S. tries to open up ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, President Trump contends that the war is “very close to being over” but also renewed threats to destroy civilian infrastructure. We talk about the latest in Iran and what might happen if no deal is reached before the ceasefire expires next week. Guests: Dalia Dassa Kaye, senior fellow, UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations; author, “Enduring Hostility: The Making of America's Iran Policy” Robin Wright, contributing writer, New Yorker; her recent piece is "'The Peace President' Gets Belligerent with Iran and the Pope;" author, "Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East" David Sanger, White House and national security correspondent, New York Times; his most recent book is "New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion and America's Struggle to Save the West" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facing sexual misconduct allegations from at least five women, including one former staffer, Bay Area Democrat Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress, where he had served since 2013. Swalwell, who denies the accusations, also suspended his campaign for California governor over the weekend. We look at how his departure reshapes the governor's race and how allegations of sexual misconduct are being treated now, nearly a decade after the #MeToo movement began. Guests: Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown Alexei Koseff, Washington, D.C. correspondent, San Francisco Chronicle Allison Gordon, investigative reporter and producer, CNN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump promised that new tax provisions in his One Big Beautiful Bill would deliver a windfall to millions of Americans. No more taxes on overtime. No taxes on tips. No taxes on  Social Security payments. While many taxpayers are seeing larger tax refunds this year, the fine print behind Trump's promises means these tax breaks have been smaller than many expected. We look at the impact of changes in the tax code and who stands to benefit the most. And if you haven't submitted your returns yet, we want to hear from you: What questions do you still have before the midnight filing deadline. Guests: Shannon Pettypiece, senior policy reporter, NBC News Digital Karen Brosi, tax preparer and certified financial planner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NPR's “Planet Money” has spent years answering economic questions big and small on its flagship podcast and the daily show “The Indicator,” and now the team is out with a new book: “Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life.” The book tackles questions like whether you should rent or buy a home, why the stock market keeps climbing, and why products like TV and clothes get cheaper while the cost of childcare and concert tickets keep going up. We'll talk to the authors — and answer your big questions about the economy. Guests: Alex Mayyasi, author, "Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life" Kenny Malone, co-host, Planet Money Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Books have long transported us to other worlds and lives. But in the American publishing market only a small fraction of books are works in translation –literature from around the world that has been  translated for an English-language audience. Now, the non-profit Center for the Art of Translation is opening a bookstore and cultural center in downtown San Francisco dedicated to bringing translated works to the public. In this hour, we talk to publishers and literary translators to ask: What does it take to bring a book to an English reading audience? How do translations challenge our world view? Guests: Olivia Sears, board president and founder, Center for the Art of Translation Bruna Dantas Lobato, Brazilian literary translator; her translation of “The Words That Remain” by Stênio Gardel won the 2023 National Book Award for Translated Literature; writer, “Blue Light Hours;" assistant professor of English and Creative Writing, Grinnell College Adam Levy, publisher, Transit Books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thirty years ago, journalist Amy Goodman premiered the daily radio show Democracy Now. Launched on nine community radio stations in 1996, the program now broadcasts on over 1,400 television and radio stations worldwide. Along the way, Goodman and Democracy Now provided groundbreaking coverage of the Standing Rock protests, Chevron's alleged corruption in Nigeria and illnesses linked to toxins after 9/11. The new documentary “Steal This Story, Please!” recounts Goodman's career. We'll talk with her about the documentary, three decades of Democracy Now and the role of independent journalism in today's news landscape. Guests: Amy Goodman, host and executive producer, Democracy Now!; subject of "Steal This Story, Please!" about her 30 year career in independent media Tia Lessin, co-director, ‘Steal This Story, Please!' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades, the top political issue for many U.S. Catholics has been abortion. But, a recent article in “The Atlantic” argues that the focus has shifted to opposing the Trump administration's harsh immigration policies and enforcement. Pope Leo, the first American to head the Catholic Church, has criticized and rebuffed Trump's policies, statements and acts of war as contrary to church teaching and Christian values. We'll talk about political tensions U.S. Catholics are grappling with and how that relates to our broader political system. Guests: Christopher Hale, a progressive Catholic and political operative who writes the Letters from Leo Substack Francis X. Rocca, contributing writer, The Atlantic, He is also the Vatican editor at EWTN News Amirah Orozco, theologian, research assistant and doctoral candidate, University of Notre Dame Dónal Godfrey, university chaplain, University of San Francisco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fight over data centers is intensifying in California and nationwide as organizers develop new strategies to take on tech companies and developers. While an Imperial Valley site is moving forward despite community backlash, Monterey Park will vote this June on whether to ban all data center development in the city — one of multiple data center referendums on ballots across the U.S. this year. We'll talk with a data center developer who says these sites create jobs and infrastructure necessary for the A.I. boom and a state lawmaker who wants more oversight. Guests: Molly Taft, senior climate reporter, WIRED Kori Suzuki, South Bay & Imperial Valley Reporter, KPBS Public Media Sen. Steve Padilla, state senator representing the counties of San Diego, Imperial, Riverside and San Bernardino Sebastian Rucci, chief executive officer, Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing, LLC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the year 2000, four pre-teen girls in Santa Rosa — three 11-year-olds, and one 9-year-old little sister — wrote and recorded an album inspired by the Spice Girls, Destiny's Child and Fiona Apple, and even filmed music videos for the album. Then, their band X-Cetra disbanded as the elder members entered junior high and found the entire project — to use the slang of today's kids — cringe. Decades later, online experimental music nerds discovered the album, with its haunting child vocals and startling low-fi beats, and turned it into a cult hit, garnering X-Cetra a record contract and a 25th anniversary reissue. A new film “Summer 2000: The X-Cetra Story,” which won the South by Southwest documentary jury award last month, documents the reunion of X-Cetra, many of whose members hadn't made art since. We'll talk with the band about what it means to revisit childhood creativity in adulthood, and we'll hear from you: Were you more creative as a tween than you are now? Have you returned to the art you made? Guests: Ayden Mayeri, member, X-Cetra; director, "Summer 2000: The X-Cetra Story" Jessica Hall, member, X-Cetra Robin O'Brien, musician; producer of X-Cetra's 2000 album, “Stardust"; mom of X-Cetra members Janet and Mary Brittany Spanos, music journalist who wrote the Rolling Stone profile, “Four Best Friends Made an Album as Kids. 25 Years Later, It's a Cult Classic” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last winter, ICE ramped up immigration enforcement in several American cities. It was a strategy that shifted focus from the US Mexico border to the streets of American cities. That led to a spike in the detention of families and children, most notably the arrest of  5-year-old Liam Ramos in Minneapolis. According to the Marshall  Project, more than 6,000 children have been held so far during Trump's second term, and the daily detention rate in January was ten times higher than the Biden Administration's final days. What are the conditions within these detention centers? And what are the lasting effects on the young detainees? Guests: Shannon Heffernan, staff writer, The Marshall Project Anna Flagg, senior data reporter, The Marshall Project Shaina Simenas, co-director of Technical Assistance Program, Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, Apple is a $3.5 trillion company with over 150,000 employees worldwide. Fifty years ago, it was two Steves – Jobs and Wozniak – working out of a Los Gatos garage. (All great Silicon Valley origin stories seem to include a garage.) Since its inception, Apple has not only introduced culture shifting technology like the Macintosh computer and iPhone, it has also influenced how we live here in the Bay Area, on the edge of the continent and a future being cast by technologists, innovators, and entrepreneurs. We talk about the influence of Apple. Guests: Margaret O'Mara, professor of American History, University of Washington; author, "The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America" Hansen Hsu, curator, Software History Center at the Computer History Museum; former Apple employee; historian and sociologist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump backed down from his social media threat that “a whole civilization will die” after Pakistan helped broker a ceasefire deal with Iran. But the United States is likely to remain isolated from its allies as many look for economic and diplomatic solutions to the conflict that do not involve America. We talk about the latest developments in the war and the consequences of America's growing isolation from its allies. Guests: Idrees Kahloon, staff writer, The Atlantic Edward Wong, diplomatic correspondent, The New York Times Tom Dannenbaum, professor of law, Stanford Law School Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

High level talks between Cuba and the U.S. are ongoing as the Trump administration's four-month oil blockade of the island nation continues. Trump has said he wants a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, but it's unclear what the U.S. stands to gain or what kind of government could come to power if the current administration leaves. While the U.S. has had an embargo against Cuba since 1960, the recent blockade has raised the stakes and forced many of the country's nearly 10 million people to go without power, water, food, health care and other necessities. We talk about how Cuba is dealing with the worst humanitarian crisis it has faced in decades and what the Trump Administration ultimately wants. Guests: Michael J. Bustamante, associate professor of history, University of Miami; director, Cuban Studies Program Jen Triplett, assistant professor of sociology, University of Colorado, Boulder; researcher with a focus on Latin America Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices