Podcast appearances and mentions of doug sovern

This is a special, bittersweet edition of this show because we are saying goodbye to Doug today as he retires from radio after 40 years on the San Francisco airwaves – the last 35 of them here on KCBS. Doug joined KCBS in 1990 and has been here ever since as a reporter and anchor conducting investigations, covering trials, and breaking news. For the last 19 years he has served as the political reporter and he has hosted this program, the State of California, since the pandemic began in early 2020. Joining KCBS Radio anchor Megan Goldsby to bid Doug a fond farewell are two KCBS Radio legends: longtime anchor Stan Bunger and longtime KCBS and KPIX reporter Mike Sugerman, both of whom preceded Doug in retirement.

Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a "first-in-the-nation" effort, to revolutionize highway traffic management in California using artificial intelligence. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Steve Scott, along with KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern, spoke with David McCuan, KCBS Political analyst and political science professor at Sonoma State University.

California's trailblazing program to help keep independent journalism alive is in danger of losing its funding At a time when legacy media are struggling to stay afloat and the world of journalism is shrinking by the day, the state of California has been a pioneer, funding dozens of reporters in newsrooms around the state, through its California Local News Fellowship program at UC Berkeley's School of Journalism. But that money will run out unless the state legislature re-authorizes it. All of this has been the result of a tireless campaign by former State Senator and Orinda Mayor Steve Glazer, who continues his fight to save independent journalism even though he has retired from elective office. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Steve Scott, along with KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern, spoke with Steve Glazer.

It's not a new idea, but more and more cities and jurisdictions are giving it a try: Universal Basic Income, or UBI. The concept is that everyone is guaranteed a minimum amount of money, typically perhaps $500 a month, to help them meet their basic needs. In some places, only those below a designated economic threshold get the money. It was famously pioneered in Stockton in 2019, and one of the latest to give it a trial run was Oakland, where philanthropic organizations teamed up to give 600 families $500 a month for a year and a half. That pilot project is over now, and the results of how it worked are in. For more, KCBS Political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Jesus Gerena, CEO of UpTogether, an organization founded in Oakland that partnered with Oakland Thrives to create and fund this program. Max Zolotukhin / Getty Images

Another candidate has thrown their hat in the ring in the very crowded race for California: Steve Hilton, a Republican who has never ran for office before. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Steve Scott and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Hilton, a former British political strategist and advisor to Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron who relocated to California and became a U.S. citizen, was a fellow at Stanford, ran a Silicon Valley startup and hosted a program on Fox News.

Pope Francis passed away early this morning from a stroke, just hours after thrilling the faithful in St. Peter's Square with an Easter Sunday visit. For more on the death of Pope Francis, KCBS Radio news anchor Steve Scott, along with KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern, spoke with Dr. Richard Wood, President of the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at USC, and a leading expert on religion, democracy, and Catholicism in the Americas.

The number of tents and tent encampments of people experiencing homelessness has plunged in San Francisco, to a record low since the city started keeping track six years ago. It's a similar situation in other major California cities, as law enforcement cracks down on illegal camping in public, empowered by a US Supreme Court decision that ruled cities can enforce those laws, even when there are not enough shelter beds available. San Francisco and other cities are being much more aggressive now in arresting people for sleeping outside and clearing homeless camps. But where are those people going? Are they getting off the streets, or are they just being shuffled somewhere else? For more on this, KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness in San Francisco.

A potential major blow to the city of Benicia, as Valero announces its intent to close down its major oil refinery there The Texas-based company submitted a notice to the California Energy Commission that it plans to “idle, restructure or cease” its refining operations at the Benicia facility a year from now, in April 2026. Hundreds of people work at the refinery, which refines about nine percent of California's crude oil. Its closure could have a significant economic impact on the surrounding area as well as on the price of gasoline at the pump. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Steve Scott and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Mario Giuliani, city manager for Benicia.

It is Election Day in Oakland, where voters are casting ballots for a new mayor, to finish the rest of the term of Mayor Sheng Thao, who was recalled last November For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Steve Scott spoke with KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern.

California is getting a head start on wildfire season, with a more aggressive approach to prevention. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Megan Goldsby and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Scott Stephens, Professor of Wildland Fire Science at UC Berkeley and Co-Director of the Berkeley Forests department.

Most Californians want their kids to go to college, but in this era of rising costs and exponential tuition inflation, is it even worth it? Many California families worry about whether they can afford to send their kids to college, and are trying to pencil out whether it makes economic sense in uncertain times to spend the money, or take on potentially crushing debt to help their kids get a higher education. Well, a new study took a look at that, to do the cost-benefit analysis of investing in a college degree, and for more, KCBS Political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with one of the authors of that study. Marisol Cuellar Mejia is a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, she has two masters degrees in economics.

In the Palisades fire, we saw just how critical home fire insurance has become, and how it is the insurer of last resort for a growing number of Californians, as the big insurance companies stop writing new policies and refuse to renew existing ones. The problem is, some of those insured, when they suffer a loss, find out that FAIR does not necessarily cover what they thought it does, and that's led to a growing number of lawsuits against the plan. There was a large class action filed last summer by an Oakland attorney who specializes in these cases, on behalf of thousands of wildfire victims from around the state. Now that same lawyer is representing a couple from the Chico area who are also suing, because they say their home is uninhabitable, ruined by toxic smoke and fumes even though it survived the Park Fire and did not burn down. FAIR says the home is fine and refuses to cover the damage. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Steve Scott spoke with KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern.

Today is Red Cross Giving Day, when thousands of people come together to help those affected by disasters. The agency has been hard at work this spring across California, including assisting with recovery from the wildfires in Southern California. For more on Giving Day and how the Red Cross helps with disaster response and recovery, KCBS Radio anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart and KCBS Political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Natalie Manier, Regional Mass Care Manager with the American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region.

President Trump continues to call for the impeachment of a federal judge who says his deportation of immigrants to El Salvador was illegal. The Trump administration is clashing on a daily basis with federal courts, who continue to rule against many of his early moves, declaring them either unconstitutional or illegal and outside either his or Elon Musk's authority. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Patti Reising and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Rory Little, longtime professor of constitutional law at UC Law San Francisco, and a former clerk at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Top California Democrats gathered in the Bay Area today to denounce President Trump's budget plan and what it could mean for Medi-Cal. They are warning of dire consequences to the millions of Californians, including many seniors, who are on that government-subsidized medical insurance. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Patti Reising and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke to Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA).

Senate Democrats say they will not support a Republican spending bill, which could mean a shutdown of the federal government Friday night. The Democrats have been struggling to find their footing on how to best oppose President Trump's agenda, with some in the party opting for loud resistance, others relying on legal action to stop him, and others trying to work out compromises and slow Trump while minimizing their own political risks. But more and more Democratic voters are fed up and urging their representatives in Washington to fight back, as Trump dismantles more of the federal government every day, laying off thousands of workers and slashing programs he opposes. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Patti Reising and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Paco Fabian, political director of the progressive grass roots organization Our Revolution, which evolved from Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign and is now the country's largest independent political organizing group.

Popular former Congresswoman Katie Porter tossed her hat into the ring for governor of California, instantly becoming the frontrunner. But there's another even bigger name out there that could knock her from that spot within a few months. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Patti Reising spoke with KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern.

The fallout continues from President Trump's economic policies, with the stock market plunging today in reaction to the trade war he started. Meanwhile, unemployment is rising and there are many disgruntled Trump supporters among the tens of thousands of federal workers he has fired. Is this mass reduction in the federal workforce really going to make government work better and save money in the long run? For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Patti Reising and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with William Resh, associate professor at the USC Price School of Public Policy and an expert on the presidency and policy implementation.

Doug Sovern is away today. All this week on KCBS, we've been sharing the special reports of our very own Holly Quan and Matt Bigler, who covered the firestorms earlier this year in Los Angeles. The five-part series called "Race Against the Flames," looks at how a tragedy like the Palisades and Eaton fires would impact the Bay Area, and also finds out how homeowners are preparing. To talk more about it, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with reporters Holly and Matt.

President Donald Trump has postponed 25% tariffs on many imports from Mexico and some imports from Canada for a month amid widespread fears of the economic fallout from a broader trade war. The threat of tariff's caused the stock market to crash, with the Nasdaq entering correction territory, closing 10 percent lower than its high in December. This comes as economists warned that the tariffs and trade war could plunge our economy into recession. Across California, consumers and small business owners are bracing for higher prices to cover the cost of those tariffs. For more on the potential impact of all this on the California economy, KCBS Political reporter Doug Sovern, along with KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart, spoke with Caroline CHen, associate professor of Accounting and Finance at San Jose State's Lucas College and the Graduate School of Business.

A Bay Area member of Congress was among those who walked out of President Trump's speech last night in protest. She also delivered a blistering response to Trump's address, on behalf of the most progressive wing of the Democratic Party. For more, KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke to that congressperson, Representative Lateefah Simon, who represents California's 12th district.

President Trump addresses a joint session of Congress tonight, after igniting a trade war with Canada, Mexico and China and cutting off military aid to Ukraine. Some Democrats in Congress say they will boycott the speech, to protest what they call President Trump's "destruction of the state of the union.” One local progressive Democrat, Oakland Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, has been tabbed to deliver the Working Families Party response to the presidential address, though the official Democratic response is coming from Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin. President Trump is expected to defend, or probably more accurately considering this is Trump, trumpet his tariff policy, his split with Ukraine, and Elon Musk's systematic dismantling of the federal bureaucracy. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with David McCuan, political science professor at Sonoma State University.

House Republicans are being met by angry protesters opposed to Trump's budget plan, which envisions deep cuts to Medicaid to help pay for tax cuts. Democrats are warning that the president's plan, if approved by Congress, will gut key social programs, including health care and food assistance. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Chris Hoene, executive director of the California Budget and Policy Center.

President Trump and his unelected billionaire sidekick Elon Musk continue to remake the federal government and advance programs designed to implement the president's agenda. Musk's Department of Government Efficiency is slashing federal jobs and getting rid of people and programs they don't like, whether that saves money or not. But there is growing Democratic resistance to this, and this week a handful of Democrats in Congress introduced a bill to repeal the creation of DOGE. One of those five House Democrats is from California. For more, KCBS Radio political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Representative Dave Min (D-CA) of Orange County.

In five years, California high school students will have to pass an ethnic studies class in order to graduate. But what will those classes teach? There's been fierce debate over that, and now Jewish lawmakers want to make sure that the curriculum is not anti-Semitic. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke to KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern.

The Trump administration says it will hire more seasonal workers than usual to staff the national parks, after laying off hundreds of park employees. But park rangers and other workers at Yosemite, and across the country, are up in arms over their sudden firings, which in many cases will leave them homeless too. This is all part of the Trump-Elon Musk DOGE “government efficiency plan” which has seen tens of thousands of federal employees summarily dismissed over the last few weeks. At Yosemite, angry workers hung an upside down American flag on El Capitan over the weekend, a sign of distress. Yosemite has lost dozens of employees, from naturalists to technical support staff such as its electrician and its locksmith. The Golden Gate National Recreation Area here in the Bay Area is another popular national park hit hard by the cost-cutting move. For more, KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern, along with KCBS Radio anchors Bret Burkhart and Patti Reising, spoke with Neal Desai, Pacific Regional Director for the National Parks Conservation Association.

The Bay Area last weekend played host to the NBA All Star game. Next year it will be home to the Super Bowl and matches for the FIFA World Cup. The big games have gotten big – but the money in sports has gotten even bigger! Recently as part of Audacy Conversations "Big Games, Big Money", KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Andrew Brandt, a sports business analyst and executive director of the Moorad Center for the study of sports law at Villanova University.

The field in the race for governor of California is starting to take shape, 16 months before the 2026 primary. There have been some big moves on both sides of the aisle, and while the field is already pretty crowded, there are probably at least three more significant candidates who will throw their hats in the ring. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern.

President Trump is expanding his tariffs, slapping a 25 percent surcharge on all imports of steel and aluminum. Meanwhile, while polls show many of the president's moves are supported by a majority of Americans, there is growing outrage about the illegality of some of them. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA).

Doug Sovern is away today. A ambitious redesign is coming to San Quentin State Prison, inspired by rehabilitation centers in Scandinavian countries. The model prioritizes "rehabilitation through education" and architects envision a campus-like environment complete with a library and media center. BRET live: For more on these plans, KCBS Radio news anchors Bret Burkhart and Patti Reising spoke with Lori Coppenrath, Justice and Civic Planning Leader and Principal at DLR Group, who designed the new plans to transform San Quentin prison into a rehabilitation center.

Thousands of protesters have been demonstrating in Washington DC and cross the country the last two days, up in arms over many of President Trump's actions. Their focus has been the extra-governmental role of Elon Musk, the president shutting down the US Agency for International Development, and more. Among the members of Congress helping to lead those protests is one newly elected Democrat from California, freshman Representative Dave Min, from the 47th Congressional District in Orange County. He was part of the “Nobody Elected Elon” protest in Washington. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising, Bret Burkhart, and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern, spoke with Dave Min.

Governor Newsom is on his way to Washington D.C. to seek more federal disaster assistance for California. The governor wants the federal government to do more to help survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires rebuild their homes and their lives. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern.

President Trump agreed today to postpone new tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, but is going ahead with his trade surcharges on China. Many American businesses fear their costs will spike, which they may have to pass on to consumers. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Zach Davis, co-owner of the Penny Ice Creamery in Santa Cruz.

It's been a whirlwind of executive action, with orders coming fast and furious and some already rescinded or blocked by the courts, since President Trump took office just 10 days ago. Like many presidents before him, he is pushing the boundaries of executive authority, testing limits, ignoring precedent and trying to shift the balance of power from the legislative branch to the executive. For more on what the president has done so far and where things might go from here, KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with William Resh, professor of Public Management and Performance at the Price School of Public Policy at USC.

Doug Sovern is away today. January has been a particularly dry month in Northern California, but that's about to change. With storms sweeping through the region this weekend, the Bay Area braces for a soaking while further east in the Sierra, a downpour of the powdery kind is expected. For a deeper look, KCBS Radio news anchor Bret Burkhart spoke with Andrew Schwartz, Director of UC Berkeley's Central Sierra Snow Laboratory.

President Trump rescinded his freeze on federal grants and a wide range of government spending after it was blocked by a federal judge. But the president is offering millions of federal workers an early retirement buyout, which he says is in the name of efficiency. A House Oversight panel has been formed to keep an eye on the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency, and there is only one Californian on that subcommittee. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with that California Congressman, Representative Robert Garcia (D-CA) from Long Beach.

President Trump's battle with California over water policy continues. The president claims he sent troops into the state to turn the water supply back on for Southern California, which the state says simply isn't true. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern.

President Trump's visit to the Southern California fire zone and some of his moves since then are sparking anger among California's Congressional Democrats. The president is wading into California water policy, and he's also illegally fired more than a dozen federal watchdogs. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA) of Marin County, who is the ranking Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee.

Doug Sovern is away today. President Trump is in Los Angeles right now, touring the devastation in Pacific Palisades. Just minutes after he got off Air Force One., Trump was greeted by Governor Gavin Newsom and the press at LAX. He was in North Carolina earlier today to survey the damage from Hurricane Helene, where he said he would sign an executive order to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency. To discuss more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with David McCaun, Chair and Professor of the Political Science Department at Sonoma State University.

President Donald Trump has taken swift action to crack down on immigration, including ending the CBP One app and issuing an executive order to end birthright citizenship. For more, KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke to Melissa Crow, director of litigation at the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies in San Francisco.

Donald J. Trump is president again, sworn in today for a second term, capping perhaps the greatest political comeback in American history. President Trump gave a subdued 30-minute inaugural address and then immediately signed a flurry of executive orders to make good on many of his campaign pledges, including to crack down on illegal immigration, increase domestic energy production and reverse many of the policies of the Biden administration. He also made proclamations that have no teeth, such as declaring that he is restoring free speech, reversing the betrayals of the last four years and that from now on, the United States will only have two genders, male and female. He also decreed that Mt. Denali give up its Native American name and return to the name Mt. McKinley, and that the Gulf of Mexico will be rechristened the Gulf of America. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Bret Burkhart and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Bob Shrum, longtime Democratic political consultant and director of the Center for the Political Future at USC.

Donald Trump has only been in office for a little more than one day and the state of California and the city of San Francisco are already suing him. This first lawsuit is to challenge his executive order ending birthright citizenship for babies born to undocumented immigrants, even some whose mothers are here legally. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern.

Doug Sovern is away today. Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao pleaded not guilty today, Jan. 17, to the several federal charges she's facing. Now, it's not just the former mayor facing an indictment, three others are also headed to court. This comes just two months after Thao was recalled by voters. To talk more about it, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

A truncated campaign for Mayor of Oakland is underway in earnest, with just three months until voters will choose someone to complete the term of recalled Mayor Sheng Thao. For now, City Council President Kevin Jenkins is serving as interim Mayor. But now retired Congresswoman Barbara Lee is running for the full-time job, and so is former Councilmember Loren Taylor, who narrowly lost to Sheng Thao in the ranked choice instant runoff in 2022. We had Representative Lee on this program on Tuesday. Today, KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Loren Taylor.

President Biden delivers his farewell address to the nation this evening, with just five days left in his presidency. The speech comes on a day when Biden announced that he successfully brokered a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas to end the fighting in Gaza after 15 months of war. President Biden got that truce done just in time, in the closing days of his administration, which will become a part of his complex legacy. He had some significant and notable achievements in his four years as president, but his tenure was also clouded by questions about his age, voter concern about the economy, and his unprecedented move to step aside late in the campaign to allow Kamala Harris to take his place as the Democratic nominee for president. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with political scientist Henry Brady, an esteemed professor at UC Berkeley, former dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy at Cal, and past president of the American Political Science Association.

The campaign for a new Mayor of Oakland is underway now, after the recall of Mayor Sheng Thao. Former Representative Barbara Lee shook up the race by throwing her hat in the ring, making her the prohibitive favorite. Last week, Lee made her candidacy official, just days after retiring from Congress, and now she is the frontrunner in the April 15 special election for a new Mayor to finish the last two years of Thao's term. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart were joined by KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern. Sovern spoke with Congresswoman Lee, in one of her first major interviews since declaring her candidacy, to talk about her decision to run for Mayor.

Winds are picking up again in the Los Angeles area, which could fan the flames of those devastating fires that have killed at least 24 people and burned thousands of homes. The wildfires in L.A. have combined to burn an area larger than the entire city of San Francisco. There's a lot of finger pointing and misinformation about the lack of water to fight the fires, and about hydrants running dry in Pacific Palisades. President-elect Donald Trump, Elon Musk and many other Republican and conservative voices blame Governor Newsom and the state's water policies, while others are pointing at Central Valley farmers, accusing them of hoarding water that could have been diverted to the Los Angeles firefight. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart and KCBS Radio political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with scientist Dr. Peter Gleick, a renowned expert on California water issues who is co-founder and President Emeritus and a Senior Fellow at the Pacific Institute in Oakland.

Doug Sovern is away today. After a legal battle that has spanned years, a deal has been struck this week between environmentalists and the National Park Services over the land management of Point Reyes National Seashore. Ranchers that have traditionally run beef and dairy operations at Point Reyes butted heads with environmental groups and visitors over conservation of the park land and how ranching impacts the native fauna and flora of Point Reyes. Now, under the deal, nearly all the local ranchers are retiring their leases on the land in exchange for payments that media outlets are reporting total about $30 million dollars. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with Michael Bell, Associate Director of Land Protection with The Nature Conservancy, the group that brokered the landmark deal.

Wildfires continue to ravage the greater Los Angeles area this afternoon, with five major fires that have claimed at least five lives and thousands of structures. This includes many, many homes belonging to everyone from celebrities like Billy Crystal and John Goodman in Pacific Palisades to working class suburbanites, with no end in sight to the whipping winds and spreading flames. This is going to end up as the costliest fire in California history. For more, KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Mark Whaling, a former Los Angeles Fire Captain and battalion chief who spent 42 years fighting fires, including in the Morgan Hill and Monterey fire departments and now owns and runs Whaling Fire Line, which makes equipment for fighting wildland fires.

The Los Angeles area continues to be devastated by horrific January wildfires, which have killed at least five people and destroyed an unknown number of homes. The fires have been fueled by a dry rainy season in the Southland and fierce Santa Ana winds, topping out at 100 miles an hour. There's been only about a third of an inch of rain in downtown LA since the rain season began in October, and none at all since the start of winter, far below the normal amount of precipitation the southland usually receives. That combined with this historic wind event made conditions ripe for just the kind of devastation we are seeing. For more, KCBS Radio News anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Stanford climate scientist Noah Diffenbaugh, professor in the Department of Earth System Science and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University.