The San Francisco Experience

A Giant Leap is a well researched analysis as to how Artificial Intelligence is being integrated into our healthcare system today. It also discusses the impact of a new technology on the doctor patient relationship . Overall an upbeat and positive outlook for integrating this new technology into our healthcare practices and culture.

President Erdogan hosted the 32 leaders of the NATO Alliance in Ankara on July 7th and 8th for a summit. President Trump attended. Key issues on the agenda were: Defense Investment, Defense Industries in NATO countries and Support for Ukraine. Alp was in attendance and shares his analysis and impressions.

The fifth and final episode chronicling a road odyssey through six South American countries. Transitioning into an active retirement while chalking up a lifetime goal and learning new skills.

The Supreme Court closed out the term handing down two high profile decisions on birthright citizenship and Trans athletes. The former decision went in favor of maintaining it but nevertheless caused some partisan reaction especially toward Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Professor Boso also discusses the historic use of emergency actions from the Trump Administration to the Court, and the Court's willingness to agree to them.

As America celebrates the 250th anniversary of its Independence on July 4th, we analyze the original and ongoing inspiration of our foundational document The Declaration of Independence. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Artificial Intelligence was created by modeling human cognition. While AI was built to run on slow and deliberate thinking processes, humans maintained dominance in fast, intuitive, emotion based cognition : until now. This book follows the rise of AI from a background tool to a force that shapes how we think, feel, and experience the world.

Andrew brings an architect, home builder's perspective and empathy to the issue of one man's struggle with being unsheltered on the Streets of San Francisco. Having experienced a brief brush with homelessness himself, he relates the story of Roscoe with credibility and sensitivity.

Euna Solutions is a leading GovTech Software company with clients across the United States and Canada. And AI is increasingly being introduced into their suite of software products. Challenges and opportunities abound for the enterprise, its' software engineers and management as Artificial Intelligence becomes part of the GovTech software offering.

Our guest has published a "How To" manual for the political newbie or lapsed campaigner to translate protest energy and focus to the upcoming MidTerm races for Congress. 80 organizations are included in the book which will engage you and channel energies from protest rallies to Get Out The Vote drives. A practical guide to get involved in the 2026 campaigns and elections.

With Javier Becerra and Steve Hilton being declared as the top two vote winners in the Governor's Primary and Mayor Bass and N. Raman the LA mayoral candidates, we have clarity on that score. But how will those races unfold after such contentious primaries ?

Inspired by Hollywood's Walk of Fame, the Rainbow Honor Walk was 20 years in the making. Founder Emeritus David Perry discusses the mission of this monument which is centered around the world famous Castro District.

Volker continues his South American trek through the Southern Cone of South America.

The Top Two Primary used in California was advanced by our guest and his firm back in 2010. Is it more democratic than closed primaries allowing independents to participate, or does it produce skewed results ?

The June 2nd California primaries are just behind us and Professor of American Politics at Claremont McKenna College, Jack Pitney, gives us his analysis. Set up for the November 2026 midterms.

The third wave of coffee connoisseurship is here, where beans are sourced from farms rather than countries and roasting is about bringing out the unique taste characteristics of each bean. Artisanal roasteries are plentiful in the Bay Area , Seattle and Portland, all of which are historic coffee regions and towns. Brew Bird brings craft coffee making to the office from the cafe.

Danny Sauter was recently elected from District 3, to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. His District covers the North Eastern neighborhoods of the City including historic and iconic names like Chinatown, Telegraph Hill, the Embarcadero, Fisherman's Wharf, Nob Hill, The Embarcadero and North Beach. A millennial, Danny and his fellow newly elected millennials are bringing a new energy and leadership to City Hall to get San Francisco moving again.

Our guest leads the American Heart Association's initiatives on brain health and brain science, including stroke, aging and dementia, migraine, traumatic brain injury and mental health.

Since Xi Jinping has come to power in 2012 he has purged millions of cadres and senior officials. Of late he has used the term Self Revolution to ensure that the culture of anti bribery and anti corruption takes root in every corner of the CCP and Chinese society as a whole. Is it a viable, long term strategy to root out corruption ?

RLWRLD is a partner with NIVIDIA's physical AI ecosystem . It is developing a robotic hand, RLDX-1 , that can perform contact rich tasks with humanlike dexterity. Physical AI is the intersection of AI software and physical engineering. A robotic hand with humanlike dexterity is often cited as the last mile in the development of humanoid robots.

In the wake of the Korean War (1950-53), intercountry adoptions between South Korea and the United States grew rapidly. More than 120,000 Korean children were adopted by American families from the 1950s to present day. Two evangelical Christians Harry and Bertha Holt, were early leaders and founded the Holt Adoption Agency. A young couple in Iowa , the Sueppels, worked with the agency to adopt four kids from Korea. What began as a storybook tale of family creation through adoption ended in shocking tragedy.

International Investigative journalists are vulnerable to attack but Forbidden Stories is doing something about it. Safebox Network ensures that even if the reporter is killed, their story will be taken up and published be a network of collaborating journalists. The goal of the organization is to prevent reporters being silenced for their beliefs and discoveries.

San Francisco is on the rebound after years of political mismanagement and Covid hangover. 17 of the largest AI companies in the world are located in San Francisco. And the City continues to be a magnet for top talent - this time, AI specialists. Venture capital investment is also fueling a rapid turnaround.

In early January, Volker left on a six month road trip through South America. In March we recorded our first podcast as he wound up a two month visit to Peru. In today's episode, he recounts his travels through Chile from the Atacama Desert in the North to Tierra del Fuego in the South. Deserts, Lakes, Ice fields, Fjords and Tierra del Fuego: a country of dramatically diverse climates and landscapes.

Geling Yan is an acclaimed Chinese American author. Her books were widely circulated in China until the Covid Pandemic in 2020. She criticized the Chinese government for a lack of candor in dealing with the crisis. As a result her books are no longer published in China. Criminal Lu Yan Shi is inspired by her two grandfathers who were both persecuted as intellectuals. The cover art for the book was created by renowned Chinese artist and dissident AiWeiWei.

The US needs to bolster our public diplomacy with Europe and NATO members in particular. With the nation celebrating its' 250 th anniversary of Independence, it is the perfect reason to set out the welcome mat and reset frayed diplomatic ties.

Money in politics, gerrymandered congressional seats, we seem to be slipping further away from the ideal of our Founding Fathers, namely Free and Fair Elections. But America's Main Street Party has come up with a plan and technology to restore our faith in the system.

The Digital Democracy Project gives voters a secure, blockchain-based toolkit to let them tell legislators and politicians alike, how they should vote on specific bills. It also produces a record of accountability.

November 2024 marked a significant political turning point in this, the bluest of blue cities. Moderate Daniel Lurie and a newcomer to politics defeated incumbent Mayor London Breed 55-45%. And Nancy Tung advanced the number of moderates on the 24 elected member SF Central Committee from 2 to 18. Has SF's performative political theater given way to a more results oriented, pragmatic approach ?

Josh co-founded Plantd, a sustainable building supplies company that "Fast Company" named One of the Most Innovative Companies in 2024. And last year he created a podcast show called Supercool that showcases climate entrepreneurs.

According to the Gallup Survey, 45% of American adults identify as Political Independents rather than as members of an organized political party. At the same time 27% of adults consider themselves as Republicans and 27% identify as Democrats. Yet our politics have become even more polarized, perhaps as moderates flee extremes within organized parties. How can Independent voters be sure the system which was largely designed by partisan parties, is fair, non-partisan and non-ideological for them ?

Frederick Rutland was a British double agent but a much decorated WWI hero and naval flyer ace who helped Japan to attack Pearl Harbor in 1941. He shared cutting aircraft carrier designs and aircraft technology with the Japanese during the 1920s and 1930s.

A nanoparticle nasal spray, to cross the blood/brain barrier and access the brain for medical application purposes and to expand the frontiers of Artificial Intelligence.

Fewer rural adults earn college degrees than their urban counterparts: 31% to 45%. That 14% shortfall is a telling difference and negatively impacts our society and the broader economy. How can we boost rural advanced education participation ? "Educated Out" highlights what is wrong and how to correct it.

Gladstone announced a major expansion today to bring in hundreds of new scientists and grow key research teams in San Francisco's Mission Bay area. Artificial Intelligence and biotech are increasingly converging.

Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan and Uzbekistan comprise the OTS. Turkmenistan, Hungary and Northern Cyprus have observer status. Azerbaijan borders Iran, has been attacked by missiles and has a sizeable minority in Iran. Where does the OTS stand ?

California voters may be asked to vote on a Billionaire Wealth Tax which has already seen the likes of Larry Page, Sergei Brin and Mark Zuckerberg consider relocating to Florida or Texas. Most European countries that had wealth taxes have scrapped them as they consider them hostile to innovators and entrepreneurs. So why would California consider a discredited tax strategy that even Governor Newsom has denounced ?

When you call 911 in an emergency you can be assured that committed and competent paramedics will show up in a matter of minutes. No one asks if you have insurance, can you pay or are you really in need. They take you at your word and show up. Joanna walks us through the world of a paramedic and why we are so fortunate to have them.

On January 6th, 2026, Volker set out on a six month journey through South America. His first port of call was Lima, Peru. In today's episode, he joins us from Tacna, Peru, in the SW of the country, 22 miles North of the Chilean border to share his impressions of this wonderful country.

A gifted but guileless young painter (Chris/Atlas) on scholarship to Harvard is drawn into the orbit of a dazzling, wealthy, Euro jetsetter student, Lucien, who manipulates him. Further, Lucien realizes that he can monetize his protege's painting genius by having him forge known artists work. But the narrative of great privilege and wealth begins to fall apart driving Lucien to pressure Chris to the breaking point.

Police searched Andrew's residence and seized documents, computer files and electronic devices looking for evidence to bolster their Public misconduct case. The Police are likely to call witnesses for interview who are familiar with his activity as UK Trade Envoy.

Every year the Chamber sponsors a poll of San Franciscans regarding the health and vitality of our economy and well being of the City by the Bay. The results were unveiled last week at the City Beat breakfast. Mayor Lurie gave the Keynote address and CEO Rodney Fong presided. In today's podcast, Rodney discusses the poll results.

A majority of young adults believe that they will not be as well off as their parents. In other words, they are falling behind. And the economic data bears it out. The average age of first time homebuyers is 40. But in the 1980s it was 30. What can the average young man or woman do to build wealth ?

Venezuela went from being one of Latin America's wealthiest countries to an economic disaster. More than 7 million Venezuelans have fled the country . And despite having the largest proven oil reserves in the world, daily oil production stands at a measly 500,000 barrels per day. Meanwhile, Ex President Maduro sits in a NY jail awaiting trial as a narco terrorist.

The Great San Francisco Comeback is in full swing. And nowhere is the energy, drive and vision of The City that Knows How on display, than iconic Union Square. It's the heart and soul at the center of our Reimagining San Francisco, led by the Union Square Alliance.

Sir Keir Starmer's 18 month Premiership has been thrown into crisis as a result of Peter Mandelson's past associations with Jeffrey Epstein. Starmer appointed Mandelson UK Ambassador to Washington and then sacked him in September 2025. Can Starmer survive calls for his resignation ?

Author, essayist and literary critic, Bill Deresiewicz assembled a collection of forty essays written over a 30 year period. The themes include, Individuality vs. Networks, The Purpose of Education, Culture and Technology, Art and Criticism and Social Trends. The former Professor of English Literature at Yale University shares his opinions.

January 2026 saw a series of strategic foreign policy moves in Venezuela, Greenland, Iran, the Board of Peace which will continue to reverberate throughout 2026 and beyond.

As American Universities opened campuses in China and the Middle East in the early 2000s the wish was that our values of free speech and freedom would take root there. But increasingly their standards of censorship and authoritarianism seem to be pressuring our universities. How did this expansion go wrong ?

The International Spy Museum is dedicated to the history of tradecraft and the contemporary role of espionage. It features the world's largest collection of spy artifacts, gadgets, disguises and code machines. Executive Director Chris Costa had a distinguished career as a US Army Intelligence Officer. He was inducted into the Commando Hall of Fame in 2013 for extraordinary and enduring service to Special Operations Forces. In 2017 he served at the White House.

Set in South Africa, this thriller is the latest novel by acclaimed author Deon Meyer. He writes about life in post Apartheid South Africa featuring the detective team of Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido. Inspired by a high profile case of graft and corruption, a team of former South African Special Forces soldiers scheme to pull of a high stakes heist with Benny and Vaughn in hot pursuit.

President Trump has stated that his Administration intends to purchase the Danish dependency Greenland. The US already has almost carte blanche to establish any military facilities in Greenland under the terms of a 1951 treaty. 3 times the size of Texas and the largest island in the world, Greenland's population is 57,000. NATO of which Denmark is a member, is siding with Denmark in opposing any forced annexation. The President plans to impose a 10% tariff on several NATO members who landed a small (less than 50 people) military delegation in Nuuk, the Greenlandic capital over the past weekend.