Episodios

  • How L.A. Cleaned Its Air—and What It Means for Climate Policy Today

    How L.A. Cleaned Its Air—and What It Means for Climate Policy Today
    Apr 6 2026
    Los Angeles was once defined by smog that for decades choked the city with toxic haze. It obscured surrounding mountains and exposed people – especially children – to dangerous levels of lead, carbon monoxide and other pollutants. But by the early 2000s, thanks to steady public pressure and government reforms, the region’s air transformed. We talk to UCLA’s Ann Carlson about what L.A. can teach us about confronting climate change now, as the Trump administration rolls back emissions standards. Her new book is “Smog and Sunshine: The Surprising Story of How Los Angeles Cleaned Up Its Air.” Guests: Ann Carlson, professor of environmental law, UCLA School of Law; faculty co-director, Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment; author, "Smog and Sunshine: The Surprising Story of How Los Angeles Cleaned Up Its Air" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    55 m
  • California Farmers Struggle to Weather the Agriculture Crisis

    California Farmers Struggle to Weather the Agriculture Crisis
    Apr 6 2026
    It is a tough time to be a farmer. President Trump’s tariffs last year raised many of the costs of farming and shrunk food exports. Threats of immigration raids have caused major labor shortages. And now, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sent the price of diesel and fertilizer skyrocketing. We talk about the new pressures on an already stressed agriculture industry in California, how farmers are coping and the impact it all may have on consumers. Guests: Dan Sumner, professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Davis; director, Agricultural Issues Center for the University of California Don Cameron, vice president and general manager, Terranova Ranch; president, California State Board of Food and Agriculture Stuart Woolf, president and CEO, Woolf Farming & Processing Alexis Maxwell, senior equity analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    55 m
  • Fewer Friends, More Pressure: The State of ‘American Men’

    Fewer Friends, More Pressure: The State of ‘American Men’
    Apr 3 2026
    Journalist Jordan Ritter Conn has spent years studying some of the psychological challenges facing men in the United States. These include feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety, sometimes violence and often a sense that this economy isn’t for them. His book “American Men” delves into the lives of four men: a West Point grad, a Black trans man in rural Ohio, a white law student recovering from childhood trauma and a gay man prone to alcohol-fueled fights. It explores the gap between the expectations placed on men and the failure, real or imagined, to meet those expectations – and why friendships between men often fail to provide the kind of emotional connections they seek. Conn joins us. Guests: Jordan Ritter Conn, senior staff writer, The Ringer; author, "American Men" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    55 m
  • Why We’re Headed Back to the Moon For the First Time in Half a Century

    Why We’re Headed Back to the Moon For the First Time in Half a Century
    Apr 3 2026
    “We go for all humanity,” remarked Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, moments before the rocket taking him and his crew to the moon launched on Wednesday. It’s the first moon mission since 1972. But the astronauts will not land on the moon. Instead, over the next 10 days, the crew will study the science that’s necessary to get to the ultimate goal: A moonbase that can sustain human life and act as a jumping off point for missions to Mars. We talk about the science of space exploration, and its impacts on life on earth. Guests: Loren Grush, global space reporter, Bloomberg; author, "The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts" Anthony Colaprete, acting director for the science directorate, NASA Ames Research Center - Colaprete is on the science team for the Artemis II mission Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    55 m
  • Planning to Vote By Mail This November? What Californians Need to Know

    Planning to Vote By Mail This November? What Californians Need to Know
    Apr 2 2026
    President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that aims to place federal restrictions on voting by mail ahead of this fall’s midterm elections. It comes as Congress considers legislation that could dramatically change voting in the U.S. and the Supreme Court appears ready to back additional vote-by-mail limits. We talk with elections experts about potential challenges to the new executive order and how California is navigating the potential changes. Guests: Kim Alexander, president and founder, California Voter Foundation Shirley Weber, California Secretary of State Madison Aument, reporter, KVCR Marc Berman, California State Assemblymember representing the 23rd District, which includes southern San Mateo County and northern Santa Clara County Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    55 m
  • San Francisco Has Tried to Make its Streets Safer for Pedestrians – Has it Worked?

    San Francisco Has Tried to Make its Streets Safer for Pedestrians – Has it Worked?
    Apr 2 2026
    After a decade of Vision Zero, the effort that aimed to end traffic fatalities and severe injuries, San Francisco saw a drastic decrease in 2025 traffic deaths. To replace the expiring initiative, the city passed the Street Safety Act. However, a spate of recent traffic fatalities in San Francisco has residents on edge, and as pedestrians made up six of the seven victims, some activists say the city isn’t moving fast enough. We talk about what can be done to reduce pedestrian deaths and injuries and check in on San Francisco’s progress. Guests: Jodie Medeiros, executive director, Walk SF David Zipper, contributing writer, Bloomberg; co-host, "Look Both Ways with David & Wes" podcast Viktoriya Wise, director, Streets Division, SFMTA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    55 m
  • In New Book, Sen. Cory Booker Urges Americans to Take a 'Stand'

    In New Book, Sen. Cory Booker Urges Americans to Take a 'Stand'
    Apr 1 2026
    New Jersey Senator Cory Booker said this weekend that Democrats have “failed to meet this moment” and that his party needed “generational renewal.” The comments come a year after the Democrat set a Senate record, holding the floor for 25 hours and five minutes as he offered thundering criticism of the Trump administration. Now, in his new book, ‘Stand,’ Booker urges the country to rise to this moment. To make his point, he highlights the stories of ten Americans, some famous and others less well-known, who also met moments of crisis with steadfastness, strength and optimism. “Our democracy is not a spectator sport,” writes Booker. “It demands participation.” Guests: Cory Booker, U.S. Senator from New Jersey; he was previously the Mayor of Newark from 2006-2013; his new book is "Stand" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    55 m
  • A Close Look at the Earth's Tiniest, and its Most Vast, Wonders

    A Close Look at the Earth's Tiniest, and its Most Vast, Wonders
    Apr 1 2026
    National Geographic Explorer and documentary filmmaker Ariel Waldman challenges our sense of scale in her new PBS series “Life Unearthed” which explores Earth’s ecosystems– from microscopic life in the alien terrains of Antarctica to the sweeping American Prairies. We talk with Waldman about the series and what life in the seemingly barren environments of Antarctica reveal about resilient creatures, climate change, and even the possibilities of life beyond Earth. Guests: Ariel Waldman, documentary filmmaker; Antarctic researcher; explorer, National Geographic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    55 m