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A Humorous Look Back at 2011 There were many serious news stories in 2011, but there were also a number of stories worth poking fun at. We convene a trio of local comedians to take their best shots at the year coming to a close. From the debt ceiling debacle to the rapture that wasn't, to Anthony Weiner and Charlie Sheen, there's no shortage of material. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website New EPA Limits on Mercury Emissions Coal burning power plants have three years to comply with the EPA's first ever national standards for mercury emissions. According to the EPA, the new regulations released on Wednesday will prevent 91 percent of mercury in coal from being released into the air. But utilities are unhappy with the new standards, citing the high cost -- $11 billion by 2016 -- and a threat to job creation in the U.S. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Love and Shame and Love' Author Peter Orner joins the program to talk about his third work of fiction, "Love and Shame and Love," an unconventional novel spanning four generations of men, and the women they love. Jumping back and forth in time and memory, the story delves into '80s culture, Chicago politics and Jewish middle-class families. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Restore Hetch Hetchy? California Congressman Dan Lungren is asking the Interior Department to investigate whether San Francisco's use of water from Hetch Hetchy Valley is against the law. Claiming that the city isn't using its own water efficiently, Lungren's ultimate goal is to remove the dam and restore the valley to its natural state. Critics of the dam-removal idea say the valley provides a crucial source of water and power. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jon Kabat-Zinn When Jon Kabat-Zinn founded the stress reduction clinic at the University of Massachusetts, the use of meditation to control stress was considered a novel concept. Today, mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques have gone mainstream, appearing in hospitals, schools, and even military settings. Kabat-Zinn joins us to talk about his latest book, "Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Rabbi Michael Lerner Discussions about Israel and Palestine frequently devolve into partisan arguments about how to solve the impasse over territory and borders. Rabbi Michael Lerner has written a new book titled "Embracing Israel/Palestine: A Strategy to Heal and Transform the Middle East." Bishop Desmond Tutu calls the book "provocative, radical, persuasive, and, if given the attention it deserves, could make a major contribution to reconciliation." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Year in Film As the year draws to a close, we take a moment to look back at the notable films of 2011, and look ahead to next year. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Warren Hellman's Legacy Businessman, philanthropist, banjo man Warren Hellman died this past weekend at the age of 77. We discuss Hellman's life and legacy, including his efforts to "save journalism" and his annual gift to San Francisco, the free Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Kim Jong Il Dies North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has died. We discuss what his death means for the country and its relationships with the U.S. and the rest of the world. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website In My Experience: A Multi-Racial Heritage As part of our series "In My Experience," spotlighting the personal stories of our listeners, we talk with a panel of biracial and multi-racial people about race, identity and what it's like to grow up looking different from your neighbors and even your parents. We listen to their stories, and we welcome yours. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Holiday Gift Giving As the clock ticks down, holiday gift giving gets stressful. Whether shopping online or in stores the search for the perfect gift can be bewildering. Forum offers some suggestions, including how to do some social good with your generosity. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Exit Interview with Sheriff Michael Hennessey After serving as San Francisco's sheriff for more than 30 years, Michael Hennessey is retiring next month. We talk with Sheriff Hennessey about three decades of crime and justice in San Francisco and his pioneering role in bringing education and rehabilitation programs to the jails. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Leaving Iraq The U.S. military engagement in Iraq is almost over, following the orderly exit of tens of thousands of American troops from the country. Just a few thousand soldiers remain, and those are expected to be gone in two and a half weeks, leaving behind some U.S. advisers and contractors. In this hour, we discuss what's next for Iraq, and the political, economic and social impact of the pull-out. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website California's Trigger Cuts Governor Jerry Brown has announced $1 billion in automatic mid-year cuts to social programs, saying state revenues continue to lag. The cuts will affect in-home services, higher education and school transportation, but will largely avoid reductions in K-12 education budgets. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee Just over a month ago, Edwin M. Lee made history by becoming the city's first elected Asian-American mayor. We'll talk to him about his agenda and get his take on a wide range of topics including Occupy San Francisco, America's Cup, MUNI, and homelessness. We'll also find out how he plans to fulfill his pledge to attract businesses and jobs to the city. What do you think Mayor Lee's priorities should be? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Durban Climate Change Conference After two long weeks of climate change talks in Durban, South Africa, a deal was finally made on Sunday. And though some observers are applauding the global summit as groundbreaking, the majority of environmental experts say perhaps the biggest positive was that it wasn't a complete collapse. We'll take a look at what happened, what didn't, and examine all the important details of the controversial climate change talks in Durban. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Steve Jobs' Life and Legacy Author Walter Isaacson discusses his new biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, which was released just three weeks after Jobs' death in October. The biography has already become Amazon's top-selling book of 2011. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Anita Hill It was 20 years ago that the nation was transfixed by Anita Hill's testimony alleging sexual harassment by Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. These days, Hill is a professor of social policy, law and women's studies at Brandeis University. She joins us to discuss her new book, "Reimagining Equality: Stories of Gender, Race, and Finding Home." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Occupy' Port Shutdowns Occupy Wall Street protesters say they'll try to shut down ports along the West Coast from San Diego to Alaska today as a statement of solidarity with longshoremen, port workers and truckers. But the International Longshore and Warehouse Union says any actions and "decisions made by groups outside of the union's democratic process are not valid, regardless of intent." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Eurozone Crisis Update European leaders hammered out a deal Friday that they hope will stave off a Eurozone collapse. But Britain is refusing to join the agreement. We discuss the deal, and how Eurozone instability affects U.S. markets. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Seasonal Music with Kitka For more than 30 years, Oakland-based vocal ensemble Kitka has wowed audiences worldwide with their Eastern European-inspired vocal techniques and repertoire. Kitka joins us for an in-studio concert and conversation focusing on seasonal music from their current show, "Wintersongs." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Homelessness in Schools There are more than 2,000 schoolchildren in San Francisco who are homeless. The number has been rising, and schools are struggling to meet their extra needs. It's the same story in other cities as the recession takes its toll on families. We discuss how homeless students navigate the educational, social, and economic maze of school. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Eat Good Food' San Francisco's Bi-Rite Market aims to be more than a neighborhood grocery. It's a community hub focused on food and learning about local farms and sustainable eating. The owners have just released a cookbook called "Eat Good Food," and they've recently expanded a space in which they offer food-centric classes and more. We talk with Bi-Rite's owner and produce buyer about how to find the freshest produce and what to cook this season. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Many Californians Lack Mental Health Treatment A recent report finds that about 8 percent of California's adult population has mental health needs, yet more than half receive little or no treatment. That's despite a state law mandating health insurance providers include mental health treatment in their coverage options. Why is it that so many Californians aren't getting mental health services? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Ira Flatow Every Friday, NPR listeners learn something new from Ira Flatow about science, technology, health, space or the environment -- from how pigeons fly, to Mars Rovers, to keeping girls fired up about math. Flatow joins us to talk about talking science on the radio, and why science is so important. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website American Exceptionalism In a recent trip to Asia, President Obama emphasized America's role as the strongest and most influential nation on Earth. This notion of U.S. leadership is sometimes called American exceptionalism. But does that mean more than just being better than others? Historian David Kennedy joins us to discuss the origins and history of American exceptionalism - and America's changing role in the world. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Fiction Ruined My Family' Author Jeanne Darst's memoir "Fiction Ruined My Family" tells the story of her father's failed career, an unconventional family and her discovery that though she is a writer like her father and an alcoholic like her mother, it doesn't mean she's destined for ruin. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Rating Hospitals The California Hospital Association has withdrawn its support for a project measuring the quality of care delivered by hospitals around the state. Could this move prevent consumers from getting important hospital safety information? We discuss hospital ratings, where to find them and what they can tell us. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Lessons of an Urban Crime Drop Criminologists and urban planners have been at a loss to explain the 80 percent drop in crime over 19 years in New York City. But in his book "The City That Became Safe," UC Berkeley's Franklin Zimring explains the tactics and techniques that have challenged long-held notions about law enforcement. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Inside KQED Radio KQED Radio's General Manager Jo Anne Wallace and News and Public Affairs Executive Director Raul Ramirez join Michael Krasny to discuss KQED programming and policies -- and to answer listener questions. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website NPR President Gary Knell NPR's new president and CEO Gary Knell says he's excited and ready to get to work. After a tough year for NPR -- including threats to cut off public funding -- Knell says increasing the diversity of both listeners and funding is an important priority. He joins us to discuss future plans for the NPR network. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'The Man Nobody Knew' Controversial former CIA director William Colby is the subject of a new documentary, "The Man Nobody Knew," produced and directed by his son Carl Colby. Carl Colby joins us to discuss the film and how it has divided the Colby family. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Eating Healthy in a Food Desert Roughly one in five San Francisco residents doesn't have enough to eat, leading more than 100,000 per month to rely on the San Francisco Food Bank. A recent study found that even after building supermarkets in poor neighborhoods, many residents continue to rely on fast food restaurants, leading to preventable health problems. We discuss what some advocates are doing to improve the availability of healthy food. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website SFMOMA Expansion The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art this week unveiled the design for a major expansion project, which would include free ground-level galleries as well as new pedestrian pathways and education spaces. We examine the details of the $480 million project. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Proposed Rules for Terrorism Suspects Under Fire The U.S. Senate is debating the Defense Authorization Act, including a provision requiring certain terrorism suspects to be interrogated and detained by the military instead of by civilian police. Critics say the new policies allow indefinite detention of suspects -- and that even U.S. citizens could be denied a trial. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website World AIDS Day Today is World AIDS Day, and scientists say they're seeing promising results from research into a possible AIDS vaccine. We discuss the developments with one of the doctors who identified AIDS as a new disease 30 years ago, and a man who's lived with HIV for over 20 years. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Katrina vanden Heuvel The Nation magazine editor Katrina vanden Heuvel joins us to discuss her new book, "The Change I Believe In," a collection of her columns and commentaries spanning the last three years of the Obama administration. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website PBS President Paula Kerger PBS President Paula Kerger joins us to discuss the current state and evolving role of public broadcasting. What's in store for programming at PBS in the expanding world of Internet journalism and social media? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Ambrose Bierce In his "Devil's Dictionary," Ambrose Bierce defined admiration as the polite recognition of another's resemblance to ourselves. Bierce fans say the 19th century San Francisco journalist, satirist and writer should be more widely admired today because the modern world is recognizable in his writing. We discuss a newly released edition of "The Devil's Dictionary" and a one-man show on Bierce which will premiere in San Francisco this week. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website News Roundup: Elections in Egypt and More Egyptians have begun voting in parliamentary elections. Meanwhile, a just-released U.N. report says Syrian security forces have committed crimes against humanity in their crackdown on anti-government protesters. And the partnership between the U.S. and Pakistan is under threat after a NATO air strike killed 24 Pakistani troops. We discuss the latest news out of the Middle East and Asia. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Ambassador James Hormel James Hormel grew up in the embrace of his family's wealth -- big house, 200 acres, servants, a driver, and high expectations. He married, had children, and worked in academia. But during the turbulence of the late 1960s, Hormel chose to stop hiding his orientation, came out, and became an anti-war activist who battled homophobia. He was eventually appointed by President Clinton to the post of U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg. He joins us to discuss his life's journey. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Passing on Family Wealth If you grow up in poverty, or in a wealthy family, chances are good you'll remain at that economic level. But research from the Pew Economic Mobility Project indicates that successive generations are not necessarily locked into their parent's economic strata. We discuss the movement of wealth between generations. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website From the Archives: Jeffrey Eugenides Jeffrey Eugenides joined us in the studio to discuss his highly anticipated latest novel, "The Marriage Plot." The book is Eugenides' first since his 2002 bestseller Middlesex, which won the Pulitzer Prize. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website From the Archives: Ann Packer Ann Packer, the author of best-selling novels like "The Dive from Clausen's Pier" and "Songs Without Words," joins us to talk about her newest book--a collection of short stories. Critics have applauded her novels for their stirringly emotional characters dealing with situations that have no easy solutions. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website From the Archives: Maurice Lim Miller Today we continue our First Person series, featuring the leaders, innovators, and other compelling characters that make the Bay Area unique. Social entrepreneur Maurice Lim Miller from the Oakland-based Family Independence Initiative joins the show to discuss his anti-poverty work. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website From the Archives: The Heart and the Fist "The world needs many more humanitarians than it needs warriors," writes Eric Greitens in his new book "The Heart and the Fist," "but there can be none of the former without enough of the latter." Dave Iverson talks with Greitens, a former Rhodes scholar who trained to become a Navy SEAL and served in Iraq and Afghanistan after years of philanthropic work. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The New Deal: A Modern History Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Michael Hiltzik has produced an intimate look at the inside workings of the Franklin Roosevelt administration and the New Deal in his book, "The New Deal: A Modern History." In this pre-recorded interview Hiltzik argues that the economic recovery plan was a work in progress, a patchwork of often contradictory ideas. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website From the Archives: Kay Ryan Former U.S. Poet Laureate Kay Ryan is known for her ability to leave a deep imprint with very few words, artfully weaving subtlety, wit and gravity. The Marin County-based poet, who was awarded a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant" last month, joined Michael Krasny in the studio in October. We replay portions of the interview as part of our special Thanksgiving Day programming. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website From the Archives: Adam Gopnik On this Thanksgiving day we revisit our interview with New Yorker staff writer and author Adam Gopnik about his new book, "The Table Comes First: Family, France, and the Meaning of Food." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Holiday Books 2011 Forum opens up the phone lines to hear from listeners about their favorite books of 2011. Call or write in and let us know about the books you think everyone should read and why. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website What's Next for Egypt? Unrest continues to grow in Egypt's Tahrir Square as pro-democracy demonstrators renew their fight for self-governance. The escalating volatility has forced the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to withdraw governing proposals that would have enshrined extraordinary privileges for the military. We discuss the next steps in Egypt. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Think Long' Panel Releases California Reform Plan A bi-partisan committee of business and policy luminaries have just released a report on their plans to update and modernize California governance, including an overhaul of state's tax system. Learn about their ideas for fixing California. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Annie Leibovitz Renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, known for her classic portraits of celebrities, joins us to discuss her career and the state of photography in the iPhone era. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website UC Davis Pepper Spray Incident UC Davis announced today that it has placed university police chief Annette Spicuzza on leave after her officers used pepper spray to move seated Occupy UC Davis protesters on Friday. The incident, which has gained international media attention, also led the campus faculty association to call for the resignation of Chancellor Linda Katehi. She says she will not step down. We discuss the controversy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Clock Ticks for Supercommittee The congressional deficit reduction supercommittee faces a Wednesday deadline to reach an agreement on reducing the deficit. If the panel does not reach a deal, $1.2 trillion will automatically be cut from defense and domestic spending in 2013. We look at the politics behind the deliberations. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Running a Marathon Running in marathons has become so popular in recent years that race organizers in some cities are being forced to limit participants through lottery systems. We look at what it takes physically and mentally to run a marathon, and why the sport is growing. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website High-speed Rail Setback The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a spending bill that kills high-speed rail funding for fiscal year 2012. What will the vote mean for California's proposed bullet train? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Nature of Deceit Everybody has told a lie or two at some point in their lives. But what about lying to yourself? Rutgers Professor Robert Trivers joins us to discuss his new book, "The Folly of Fools: The Logic of Deceit and Self-Deception in Human Life." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Eliot Spitzer Former governor and attorney general of New York, Eliot Spitzer joins us in the studio to discuss his take on the Occupy Wall Street movement, the financial crisis and the presidential race, among other topics. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jesus in 2011 Michael Krasny talks with three leading New Testament scholars about reading the Bible as literature and history, and about the role of Christianity -- and the legacy of Jesus -- in America today. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Should SF Axe Controversial Artist's Contract? Artist Tom Otterness is famous for his sculptures and public art works. But he's also famous for having killed a dog on film as part of an art project. Now, after 34 years -- and many apologies -- Otterness has received a commission for public art projects for San Francisco's Central Subway and General Hospital. Animal rights activists are up in arms, and many are demanding his contract for the art be canceled. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Joan Didion In her new book "Blue Nights," author Joan Didion reflects on the death of her daughter, Quintana Roo, and explores some of our most fundamental fears and hopes. She joins Michael Krasny in the studio. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Budget Protests at California Universities Protesters with Occupy Cal have called for a general strike across all colleges and universities in California today, in part to protest tuition hikes and budget cuts. In the CSU system Thursday, faculty members are striking at two campuses over teacher pay. We check in with the UC, CSU and those striking against the school systems about what can be done in the face of state budget cuts to higher education. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Stephen Breyer Supreme Court Justice and San Francisco native Stephen Breyer joins us in the studio to discuss his judicial philosophy and his career on the bench. Breyer's most recent book is "Making Our Democracy Work: A Judge's View." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Bay Bridge Structural Problems? A Sacramento Bee investigation raises questions about the structural integrity of the new span of the Bay Bridge. We talk with the investigative reporter and Caltrans officials about the allegations. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Oakland Mayor Jean Quan Police began clearing out the Occupy Oakland in an early morning sweep on Monday. Mayor Quan joins us to discuss the latest events and takes your calls. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website U.S. Congressman George Miller Richmond native George Miller has represented the East Bay in Congress for more than 36 years. He joins us to discuss a range of issues including the deficit-reduction supercommittee negotiations, the president's jobs proposal and California's ongoing water battles. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Physicist Michio Kaku By the year 2100, we'll be driving floating magnetic cars, connecting to the Internet with our contact lenses and bringing back extinct animals using their DNA, according to physicist Michio Kaku. He joins us to discuss his predictions and to explain why he believes such forecasts typically underestimate the pace of technological progress. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Are Humans Meant for Monogamy? We explore the history of monogamy and what science tells us about the true nature of human sexuality. Psychologist Christopher Ryan joins us to discuss his book "Sex at Dawn," which challenges conventional wisdom about mating and marriage, tracing the prehistoric origins of modern sexuality to explain why people have so much trouble sticking with just one sexual partner. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Election Results and Analysis Who won, who lost and how did the ballot measures fare? Guest host Scott Shafer takes a look at results in Bay Area elections including analysis of ranked-choice voting and the political clout of Asian-Americans. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Constitution Cafe Christopher Phillips launched Socrates Cafes across the country more than a decade ago to encourage strangers to meet in coffee shops to discuss philosophical questions. Now, Phillips has a new project, Constitution Cafe, which he hopes will start national discussions on the meaning of the constitution. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Teen Sexual Harassment A new report finds that nearly half of 7th to 12th graders experienced sexual harassment in school in the last year. We discuss teen sexual harassment and efforts to combat it. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Thinking, Fast and Slow' Research psychologist Daniel Kahneman, one of the only non-economists to earn the Nobel Prize in Economics, joins us to discuss his new book, "Thinking, Fast and Slow." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Surf Drama in SF San Francisco is not known as a surfing mecca, but fans of the sport are flocking to the Rip Curl Search 2011 contest, now underway at Ocean Beach. Under sunny skies and unusually fine conditions, American surfing legend Kelly Slater thrilled the crowd on Wednesday by apparently winning an 11th world championship. But the title was declared invalid just two days later, due to a calculation error. We get the latest on the competition, and discuss the Bay Area surfing scene. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Redefining Poverty Today, the Census Bureau unveils a new method of determining who's living in poverty. Since the 1960s, people were classified as living in poverty depending on how much they spent on food as a percentage of income. Now, the bureau is adding local cost-of-living factors and federal welfare benefits to the equation. We discuss the potential impact. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Science Writer Carl Zimmer The New York Times has called Carl Zimmer "as fine a science essayist as we have." We talk with Zimmer about recent developments in biology and neuroscience, and discuss his latest book "Science Ink: Tattoos of the Science Obsessed." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website In My Experience: Long-term Unemployment California's unemployment rate is now at a dismally high 11.9 percent. We talk to some of the people behind those numbers as part of our new "In My Experience" series, spotlighting personal stories of Northern Californians. For our inaugural show we talk with people who have been unemployed for more than a year about their efforts to find work, and about their personal struggles with unemployment. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Glenn Greenwald Salon columnist Glenn Greenwald joins us in the studio to discuss the Occupy Wall Street movement, Wednesday's one-day general strike in Oakland and his new book, "With Liberty and Justice for Some: How the Law is Used to Destroy Equality and Protect the Powerful." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website SF District Attorney and Sheriff's Races San Francisco voters will choose a new district attorney next week, who may for the first time be a former police chief, an academic, or a resident from across the bay. And for the first time in 30 years, voters will not see Michael Hennessey on the ballot as a candidate for sheriff. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Oakland General Strike and Protest Yesterday, Occupy Oakland protesters called for a citywide general strike and organized a march to shut down the Port of Oakland. There were pockets of violence and vandalism, but the day was largely peaceful. We discuss the past, present and future of Occupy Oakland. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Sutro Baths Story The wave-swept remnants of Sutro Baths below San Francisco's Cliff House are among the city's most famous ruins. The new documentary "Sutro's: The Palace at Land's End" highlights the heyday of the lavish bathhouse, which opened in 1896 and featured six saltwater pools, more than 500 dressing rooms and several restaurants, all enclosed by 100,000 square feet of glass. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Day of the Dead San Francisco observes Dia de los Muertos tonight with art exhibits, performances and the annual procession through the Mission District. We discuss the traditional Mexican holiday devoted to honoring the dead and celebrating life, which was also observed on Sunday with festivals in San Jose and Oakland. How do you memorialize the deceased? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Farm Bill Heads to the Supercommittee The intensely debated Farm Bill, which governs agriculture and food policy for the federal government, may escape close scrutiny this year. Ordinarily, the Congressional Agriculture Committee debates the five-year spending plan with input from lobbyists. But this year the omnibus spending bill is being presented to the national deficit reduction supercommittee -- and that may mean it goes to a vote in Congress without the possibility for amendments. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Oakland General Strike Occupy Oakland protesters are calling for a general strike today to bring attention to what they call income inequality perpetuated by the financial industry. Several unions have endorsed the action, but some say their contracts prohibit strikes. Some schools in Oakland are also closing for the day. We discuss the general strike and its potential impact. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Adam Gopnik We talk with New Yorker staff writer and author Adam Gopnik about his new book, "The Table Comes First: Family, France, and the Meaning of Food." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Why Taiwan Matters' Taiwan should be held up as a model of successful and equitable economic development and peaceful democratization, writes East Asia expert Shelley Rigger in her new book "Why Taiwan Matters." We talk to Rigger about the book, and find out why she thinks the U.S. should continue to support the small island nation in its efforts to resist unification on China's terms. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Radiolab Radiolab may be the only public radio show that makes This American Life host and executive producer Ira Glass feel jealous. "I marvel at Radiolab when I hear it," he says. The science program's innovative aesthetic has earned it the prestigious Peabody Award, and co-host Jad Abumrad recently won a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant." He and co-host Robert Krulwich join Michael Krasny in the studio. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Occupy Update Oakland has emerged as the focal point of the international Occupy movement due to violent clashes between protesters and police last week, and the injury of 24-year-old Iraq War veteran Scott Olsen. Meanwhile, San Francisco's tent city remains, and is growing. We get an update on the Occupy protests in the Bay Area and across the country, and discuss the local and national political implications of the movement. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Steve Inskeep on Karachi, Pakistan Since World War II, cities around the world have been steadily expanding. But Pakistan's port city of Karachi has exploded -- now nearly 30 times its former size. In his new book "Instant City," NPR's Morning Edition co-host Steve Inskeep explores life in Karachi as its citizens struggle and improvise to keep pace with the rapid development. Inskeep joins host Dave Iverson in the studio. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website School Choice in San Francisco Proposition H on the San Francisco ballot would encourage the city to prioritize placing kids in their neighborhood schools. But critics say the current city policy, which emphasizes school choice for students from low-performing districts, does a better job of keeping San Francisco's schools diverse. We discuss Proposition H and the issue of school choice in San Francisco. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Montaigne's Life Lessons Given her affinity for historic texts, it's no surprise that author Sarah Bakewell would look to the past for guidance and inspiration. She stumbled upon Montaigne by chance, and in her new book "How to Live," she examines the writer's life in a fresh attempt to answer this age-old question. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Toddlers and Television According to a new survey, nearly half of children age two and younger watch an average of two hours of TV per day. But the American Academy of Pediatrics just issued a policy saying parents should keep children under two as "screen-free" as possible, citing research that shows harmful effects on early development. How should parents tackle the challenge of limiting media exposure for infants and toddlers in this digital age? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Occupy Oakland Update The Occupy Movement heated up last night in Oakland as police fired tear gas into a crowd of protesters. We discuss the latest developments as well as the future of Occupy Oakland. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Poet Kay Ryan Former U.S. Poet Laureate Kay Ryan is known for her ability to leave a deep imprint with very few words, artfully weaving subtlety, wit and gravity. The Marin County-based poet, who was awarded a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant" last month, joins us in the studio. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Police Break Down Occupy Oakland Oakland police have cleared all Occupy Oakland protesters from Frank Ogawa Plaza with the full support of city officials. We discuss breaking developments, as well as the future of the Occupy Oakland movement. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Obama's Mortgage Plan President Obama has announced reforms to help homeowners whose houses have fallen in value to refinance their mortgages. We discuss the president's plan, and what the government can do in the face of rising foreclosures and increasing homeowner debt. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Lawrence Lessig Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig joins us to discuss his new book "Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress -- and a Plan to Stop It." We'll also find out about Lessig's teach-in at Occupy DC last week, where he urged protesters to join forces with the Tea Party. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Bill Bryson In his latest book, author and humorist Bill Bryson takes readers on a tour through his own house, using each room as a jumping off point into the vast history of the domestic artifacts we take for granted. He joins Michael Krasny in the studio. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The End of the Iraq War President Obama has announced the withdrawal all American troops from Iraq by the end of the year. The president said, "as promised... America's war in Iraq will be over." We discuss the potential impacts. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Tax Talk Competing tax reform proposals have dominated recent GOP debates, with candidate Herman Cain calling for a "999" plan and fellow candidate Rick Perry proposing a "flat tax" plan. We bring in two tax experts to look at what those proposals mean, and to help explain the sometimes confusing language of taxes. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Race and the Media In his new book, author and journalist Juan Gonzalez looks at the history of the U.S. media through the lens of race and class, and celebrates the achievements of trailblazing minority reporters and editors. He joins Dave Iverson in the studio. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Preparing for an Earthquake On Thursday, a 4.0 temblor centered in Berkeley gave a short wake-up jolt to the Bay Area. The quake came just hours after the Great California Shakeout, the largest earthquake drill in history. We talk about the best way to prepare for an earthquake -- and what to do when one hits. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Feds Crack Down on Medical Marijuana Growing and distributing marijuana for medicinal purposes has been legal under California law since 1996. But federal law prohibits the cultivation and possession of marijuana for any purpose. Recently, federal agents began raiding large marijuana growing operations and dispensaries, citing federal law as justification. What are the implications of this legal limbo? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 20th Anniversary of the Oakland Firestorm Twenty years ago, the firestorm in the Oakland and Berkeley hills killed 25 people and destroyed or damaged nearly 3,500 homes. Memories of the fire and its devastation are still vivid for many in the Bay Area. We mark the anniversary with survivors of the fire. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Moammar Gadhafi Killed in Libya Wild celebrations have begun in Libya after the reported death of longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Stephen Mitchell Stephen Mitchell "may be the closest thing that the translation world has to a rock star," according to the Wall Street Journal. Mitchell's new translation of Homer's "Iliad" cuts out 1,100 lines of the epic poem and adds a sprinkling of modern slang. We'll talk to him about why he decided to tackle the 3,000-year-old text -- and explore what makes a successful translation. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Cancer Screening Controversy New studies suggesting less frequent screening for breast or prostate cancer are revealing divisions among doctors and epidemiologists. One camp recommends yearly screening to detect cancers in their earliest stages. The other suggests that screening too frequently increases false positives, and can lead to more harmful interventions than required. We discuss the variables. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website First Person: Marc Bamuthi Joseph Celebrated hip-hop performance artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph joins us as part of our "First Person" series, profiling the leaders, innovators and other compelling characters who make the Bay Area unique. A national poetry slam champion, Joseph is artistic director of San Francisco-based Youth Speaks. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Europe's Debt Crisis European leaders are expected to release a plan this weekend to address their growing sovereign debt crisis, but German officials on Monday put a damper on hopes for a quick fix. What should be done about the crisis, and how vulnerable is the U.S. economy? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Alonzo King Celebrated choreographer Alonzo King joins us to discuss the new season of LINES ballet. The San Francisco contemporary dance troupe is performing a world premiere set to music in the Sephardic tradition. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Oakland Police Shakeup Oakland has sworn in Howard Jordan to head its police department, replacing Chief Anthony Batts who announced his departure just two days earlier. We discuss public safety in Oakland, including this week's special election to decide whether Oakland will adopt a parcel tax to extend funding for police programs. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jeffrey Eugenides Author Jeffrey Eugenides joins us in the studio to discuss his latest novel, "The Marriage Plot." The book is Eugenides' first since his 2002 bestseller "Middlesex," which won the Pulitzer Prize. His other books include "The Virgin Suicides." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website New Fees Prompt Calls for Bank Divestment Bank of America's decision to charge customers a $5 monthly fee to use their debit cards has ignited controversy and provoked calls for divestment from the bank. But bank officials say a new law forced their hand. We discuss the change. What can consumers do about increased fees? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Energy Expert Daniel Yergin A leading expert on energy policy, Daniel Yergin joins us to discuss his book, "The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World." Yergin looks at the recent history of the energy industry, emerging renewable technologies and the notion of "peak oil," which posits that we are rapidly approaching the end of Earth's easily accessible oil supply. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Iran and the Alleged Terror Plot Attorney General Eric Holder has accused Iran of fomenting a terror plot on U.S. soil. The alleged target: the ambassador to Washington from Saudi Arabia. While the Saudi government has warned Iran that it must "pay the price" for the alleged plot, so far the most noticeable response from the U.S. has been imposing sanctions on an Iranian airline. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Stories on Stage The publishing industry may be struggling, but San Francisco's literary scene is thriving. From Litquake to Porchlight to Pop-Up Magazine, writers aren't just taking pen to paper -- they're actually taking to the stage. We examine the Bay Area's literary world and why live performances are all the rage. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Assessing San Francisco's Mayoral Race Early voting began Tuesday in San Francisco, and with a crowded field of 16 candidates, voters have a lot of research to do in picking their mayor. We review the major issues in the race, assess the candidates and discuss the impact of ranked-choice voting. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Ariel Dorfman Chilean-American author and activist Ariel Dorfman joins us to discuss his latest book, "Feeding on Dreams: Confessions of an Unrepentant Exile," which deals with the legacy of Pinochet's rule in Chile. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Sacramento Bill Round Up Governor Jerry Brown signed into law - or vetoed - a flurry of bills this past weekend. From financial aid access to shark fin sales to bicycle safety issues, we'll look at the legislative winners and losers with John Myers, KQED's Sacramento bureau chief. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Legacy of Al Davis Long time Bay Area sportswriter and columnist Ray Ratto joins us to discuss the life and legacy of Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, who died on Saturday. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Richard Serra Celebrated artist Richard Serra is known for creating large-scale installations using steel as his medium. Now, San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art is featuring a retrospective of his drawings over the past 40 years. The SFMOMA's presentation also features a selection of the artist's earliest sculptures in lead, rubber and fiberglass. Serra joins us in the studio for a discussion on the creative instinct. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'The Swerve: How the World Became Modern' In his latest book, Shakespeare scholar Stephen Greenblatt suggests that a single poem changed the course of history and led to the beginning of the Renaissance. In "The Swerve: How the World Became Modern," Greenblatt writes about how the discovery of a poem entitled "On the Nature of Things" by book hunter Poggio Bracciolini influenced many great minds of the time and has resonance to this day. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Brain Science in the Courts Should a convicted murderer be given a lighter sentence if a brain scan suggests he can't tell right from wrong? Courts are increasingly confronting such questions as the use of MRIs as evidence becomes more common. We discuss the intersection of brain science and the law. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Bay Area African-Americans Examine 'State of the Race' Next week, a group of Bay Area non-profits, businesses and African-American leaders will gather for a "State of the Race" convention to discuss strategies to improve the quality of life and economic status of local African-Americans. The meeting follows the release of data indicating high levels of economic distress and Black population flight from some Bay Area cities. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Wall Street Protests Spread The Occupy Wall Street protests continued this week in New York, San Francisco and other cities across the country. Some labor unions and Democratic politicians are now embracing the movement, which has higher public approval ratings than Congress. Will the protests evolve, as some progressives hope, into a sort of liberal Tea Party? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website State Prisoners Move to Counties Starting this week, state prisoners are being moved to county jails or probation to serve out their sentences. It's all part of a plan called realignment, an attempt to reduce the state prison population to meet a federal court order. Counties are struggling to comply, and some worry public safety is in jeopardy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Remembering Steve Jobs Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died Wednesday at the age of 56. Under his leadership, Cupertino-based Apple overcame its reputation as a relatively small computer manufacturer to become a technology juggernaut by introducing wildly successful personal entertainment devices such as the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Jobs had been suffering from pancreatic cancer. We discuss his legacy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Russell Banks Celebrated author Russell Banks joins us to discuss his latest novel, "Lost Memory of Skin." Set amid a colony of sex offenders living under a South Florida causeway, the book deals with issues of child abuse and the consequences of zero-tolerance crime policies. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Ending Violence in Inner-city America We talk with criminologist David M. Kennedy about his new book, "Don't Shoot: One Man, a Street Fellowship, and the End of Violence in Inner-City America." Kennedy has been recognized for his innovative strategies for reducing urban violence. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'The 50 Funniest American Writers' Writer, comedian and satirist Andy Borowitz joins us to talk about his new book, "The 50 Funniest American Writers: An Anthology of Humor From Mark Twain to The Onion." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website NIH Director Francis Collins National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins joins us to discuss the state of medical research funding, the promise of personalized medicine and the role of government in promoting scientific innovation. We'll also discuss how Collins, an evangelical Christian, views the relationship between science and religious faith. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jeremy Rifkin Economist and trend-spotter Jeremy Rifkin predicts that the evolution of energy production and distribution -- from fossil fuels to more decentralized renewable energy -- will transform the global economy. He joins us to discuss his latest book, "The Third Industrial Revolution: How Lateral Power is Transforming Energy, the Economy, and the World." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Mills College's New President Oakland's Mills College recently inaugurated a new president, its first in 20 years. Alecia DeCoudreaux, a former pharmaceutical executive, joins us to discuss her vision for the oldest women's college in the west. We'll also explore the role of single-sex education. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Oakland School Closures Oakland Unified School District officials say they have to close at least 10 schools by the fall of 2012 because of budget problems. Parents and students from the threatened schools are fighting to keep them open. We discuss the proposal the district will vote on at the end of October. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Home Improvement 101 Got a clogged drain? A daunting painting project? Roof leak? An expert panel joins us to take your questions on home repair and improvement. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'A Governor's Story' Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and her husband, leadership coach and author Dan Mulhern, join us to discuss their new book "A Governor's Story: The Fight for Jobs and America's Economic Future." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Salon Relaunched The online news magazine Salon.com is relaunching this week under the banner of the "American Spring." Founder David Talbot returns as CEO. Salon is announcing new media partnerships, new contributors and a new membership program. We talk with Talbot about the news. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Nancy Pelosi House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi joins us in the studio to discuss the jobs bill, Washington gridlock, the Middle East and more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website BART's New General Manager BART has recently come under fire for the shooting death of a homeless man, and for shutting off cell service to thwart protests. We talk with BART General Manager Grace Crunican about her attempts to reach out to protesters and other BART critics. What is her vision for the transit agency? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Palestinian Children's Art Exhibit Canceled The Museum of Children's Art in Oakland was recently slated to host an exhibit of art by Palestinian children living in Gaza. But after months of planning, the museum canceled the exhibit amidst concerns about the violent nature of the images, many depicting graphic scenes of war. What constitutes censorship, and what is and isn't appropriate to show in a children's museum? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'The Art Prophets' Richard Polsky, art dealer and author of "I Bought Andy Warhol" and "I Sold Andy Warhol (too soon)" joins us to discuss his latest work. In "The Art Prophets," Polsky describes the dealers, collectors and gallery owners who took chances on unknown artists, some of whom became sensations. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Poet Jane Hirshfield American poet Jane Hirshfield joins us to talk about her new collection, "Come, Thief." Booklist describes Hirshfield as "wittily deductive and metaphysically resplendent." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Whooping Cough Update California witnessed a spike in whooping cough cases last year, resulting in the deaths of 10 infants. The outbreak led to a state law requiring middle and high school students to get booster shots. But the percentage of parents signing vaccine exemptions based on personal beliefs has been rising. We discuss the whooping cough vaccine, and new research suggesting the vaccine may lose much of its effectiveness after just three years. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website San Francisco Symphony Celebrates Its Centennial The San Francisco Symphony turns 100 this year. We listen to the symphony's recordings and talk about the history of the San Francisco Symphony, the present season and the future of the venerable Bay Area institution. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Reconstructing the Mind's Eye UC Berkeley scientists are figuring out how to decode and reconstruct our dynamic visual experiences -- in one instance through subjects watching Hollywood movie trailers. We meet a lead scientist looking at how one day we may be able to go inside the mind of a coma patient, or even to watch a dream. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website UC Berkeley Bake Sale Controversy A group of Republican students at UC Berkeley is under fire for plans to hold a bake sale where the cost of a cookie is based on the race of the person buying. The group says it's meant as a satire of legislation that would allow California universities to consider race and gender in college admissions. What is and isn't offensive in political commentary? And who should get to decide? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Homelessness in the Bay Area We check in with different regions of the Bay Area to hear about local efforts to help the homeless. Is there more desperate poverty on the street? What innovative programs have been effective in reducing homelessness? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Photographer Howard Schatz Photographer Howard Schatz joins us to discuss his upcoming book "WITH child," which features photographs of mothers during the stages leading up to and immediately following their pregnancies. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website What It's Like to go to War We speak with author and decorated veteran Karl Marlantes about his new book, "What It Is Like to Go to War." Marlantes wrote the book in order to come to terms with his own experience of combat as well as to help others. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Preventative STD Care for Minors Governor Jerry Brown is considering Assembly Bill 499, which would allow minors to receive treatment for sexually transmitted diseases without parental consent. Those services could include receiving vaccinations against the HPV virus, which has been associated with cervical cancer. We discuss the bill's pros and cons. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Can Washington Fix the Economy? This week, President Obama laid out his tax plan and the Federal Reserve announced a new policy called "The Twist." But in a time of political gridlock, just how much can the Fed or the president do to stimulate the economy? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Meg Whitman to Head HP Former eBay CEO and California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has been named to the number-one job at Hewlett-Packard. She replaces CEO Leo Apotheker, who is stepping down after less than one year in the post. We discuss HP, Meg Whitman and what this move might mean for the company. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Rita Moreno Rita Moreno is well into the 8th decade of her celebrated career as a singer, dancer and actress, and she shows no signs of stopping. The Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner joins us to discuss her latest role in "Rita Moreno: Life Without Makeup" at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Troy Davis Executed in Georgia In spite of widespread doubt as to his guilt, Troy Davis was executed last night by the state of Georgia. In Texas, white supremacist gang member Lawrence Russell Brewer was executed for the slaying of James Byrd Jr., a black man from East Texas. In light of these executions, we discuss the death penalty. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Iran Releases Jailed American Hikers Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal -- both UC Berkeley graduates -- left a Tehran prison this morning on bail after their attorney completed paperwork for their release. The two men had been imprisoned for more than two years. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Dolphin Scientist Diana Reiss Scientist and activist Diana Reiss has spent more than 35 years researching dolphins, and she served as an adviser to the Oscar-winning documentary "The Cove." She joins Michael Krasny to discuss her new book, "The Dolphin in the Mirror: Exploring Dolphin Minds and Saving Dolphin Lives." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Not in Our Town' Started in 1995 as a public television special, the "Not in Our Town" project has grown into a series of documentaries and a national campaign against hate crimes and violence. We talk to Oakland-based Executive Producer Patrice O'Neill about the latest installment in the series, "Not in our Town: Light in the Darkness." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Cruz Reynoso: 'Sowing the Seeds of Justice' Born into a Spanish-speaking farmworker family of 11 children, Cruz Reynoso went on to become a civil rights lawyer and the first Latino justice on the California Supreme Court. The new film "Sowing the Seeds of Justice" documents his achievements and setbacks, which include being recalled by voters over his views on the death penalty. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Corner Store' Like many corner stores, Yousef Elhaj's San Francisco shop is the nucleus of the neighborhood. The documentary "Corner Store" -- produced and directed by one of Elhaj's customers -- follows the Palestinian immigrant's efforts to make a success of his small business as he tries to reunite with his wife and children. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Repealed Starting today, openly gay personnel will be able to serve in the military. President Obama's repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" goes into effect 18 years after President Bill Clinton instituted the policy. What does the repeal mean for gay service members, and what does it mean for the military? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Inside the Fight Against al-Qaida New York Times national security reporter Eric Schmitt joins us in the studio to discuss his new book, "Counterstrike: The Untold Story of America's Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Calvin Trillin Celebrated author, humorist and New Yorker writer Calvin Trillin joins us to talk about his newest book, "Quite Enough of Calvin Trillin: Forty Years of Funny Stuff." It's a compilation of his best work throughout his career. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A Palestinian Bid for U.N. Membership? Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to petition the United Nations Security Council this month for full U.N. membership -- but the U.S. has vowed to veto any such bid. How might the Palestinian bid affect the stalled Middle East peace process, and the domestic political landscape? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Do List: Fall Arts Preview Forum teams up with The Do List for a special fall arts preview. The Do List hosts Cy Musiker and David Wiegand will share their picks for music, visual art, theater and dance in the Bay Area. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website More Bad News on BPA? Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical commonly used in household products, can interfere with the effectiveness of drugs used to fight breast cancer, according to a new California Pacific Medical Center study. Find out about the new research and a proposed California ban on BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups manufactured or sold in the state. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Veto Blues Governor Brown has hundreds of bills awaiting action on his desk, and he is warning that many are not worth his signature. "They've given me 600 bills and there's not 600 problems that we need those solutions for," he said. KQED's Sacramento Bureau chief John Myers guides us through some of the most closely watched and hotly debated of the legislative proposals. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Tiffany Shlain's 'Connected' Do you sleep with your iPhone? Check your work email at the beach? We talk with filmmaker and Webby Awards founder Tiffany Shlain about her new documentary "Connected," which explores our complex relationship with technology. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Alexandra Fuller Author Alexandra Fuller has written an intimate portrait of her mother, a young and proud Scottish national, as her family navigated the turbulent end of white sovereignty in Africa. Her latest book is "Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website EPA Chief Lisa Jackson Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson is in the Bay Area, meeting with local businesses and organizations to highlight innovation and green technology -- and to discuss President Obama's jobs plan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Khaled Hosseini The 10th anniversary of 9/11 and the dramatic Taliban attack on the U.S. Embassy in Kabul this week have focused renewed public attention on Afghanistan. We discuss the future of that country with Kabul-born American author and physician Khaled Hosseini, whose international bestselling book "The Kite Runner" was recently released as a graphic novel. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website California Poverty on the Rise More than 6 million Californians are living in poverty, according to new figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. That's up more than 4 percent since before the recession began in 2006. Household income fell by the biggest margin on record -- and nearly one in four California children lives in poverty. We look at the numbers and the lives of those impacted by poverty. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Project Bandaloop Turns 20 Project Bandaloop, a Bay Area dance troupe, celebrates its 20th anniversary this week. Suspended by ropes, the troupe's performers move freely on vertical platforms past "stages" which in the past have included the sides of skyscrapers, the walls of El Capitan in Yosemite and Golconda Fort in India. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Analyzing the Republican Debate We talk with political analyst Marc Sandalow about Monday night's CNN/Tea Party Republican debate in Tampa, Florida. Sandalow is associate academic director at the University of California's Washington Center and Washington editor of the California News Service. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Inside Scientology We talk with journalist and author Janet Reitman about her book, "Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Cleopatra: A Life' Host Michael Krasny discusses the life and legacy of Cleopatra with Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Stacy Schiff. Why are we still so fascinated by an Egyptian queen who ruled more than 2,000 years ago? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Burden of Medical Debt An increasing number of Americans say they're being pushed into financial ruin by medical debt. Some 20 percent of those seeking financial counseling cite an inability to pay medical bills as the primary factor in declaring bankruptcy. What measures can people take to protect their financial health? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website President Obama's Jobs Speech We get reaction to President Barack Obama's jobs speech, given Thursday evening to a joint session of Congress. What are the prospects for the president's jobs plan? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Ten Years After 9/11 As the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9/11 nears, we check back in with guests we spoke to shortly after the attacks about how their views on patriotism have changed a decade later. What are your reflections on the nation 10 years after the attacks? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Bill McKibben and Paul Hawken Author and climate activist Bill McKibben was among hundreds arrested at the White House recently at an environmental protest over a proposed Canada-U.S. oil pipeline. McKibben joins us in the studio -- along with veteran environmentalist and entrepreneur Paul Hawken -- to talk about approaches to tackling climate change. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Future of the Postal Service Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe says the U.S. Postal Service will run out of cash and face a shutdown by July or August unless Congress acts. Postal officials are asking Congress for authority to cut Saturday mail deliveries and delay payment of retirement benefits. How is the USPS evolving to meet the increase in e-mail, and decrease in snail mail? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Making Sense of People In his new book, "Making Sense of People: Decoding the Mysteries of Personality," UCSF psychiatrist Samuel Barondes proposes a science-based, systematic method for understanding human motivation and personality patterns. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Obama Ozone Reversal President Obama angered environmentalists last week when he asked the EPA to stop development of tougher air quality rules. The Sierra Club's Bruce Nilles joins us to discuss the reversal. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Non-Profits: State Parks' Savior? Legislation approved on Monday would allow private non-profit groups to operate state parks slated for closure. Join us to discuss what non-profit management might mean for the park system. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Railroaded' In his new book, Stanford history professor Richard White writes that some of the tycoons that built the transcontinental railroad system were corrupt, caused economic and environmental ruin and abused government subsidies. White joins us to discuss his book, "Railroaded: The Transcontinentals and the Making of Modern America." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Lynn Woolsey U.S. Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey has represented Marin and Sonoma for nearly two decades. She recently announced her retirement, and joins Michael Krasny in the studio to reflect on her career. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website From the Archives: Will Kaufman on Woody Guthrie Will Kaufman is a professor of American literature and a professional folk singer who's been bringing what he calls "live documentaries" on Woody Guthrie to the Bay Area. He's also the author of the recent Guthrie biography, "Woody Guthrie: American Radical." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website From the Archives: Poet Billy Collins English professor and former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins has been dubbed "the most popular poet in America." He talks with Michael Krasny about his anthology, "Horoscopes for the Dead: Poems." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'The Magician King' The New Yorker included Lev Grossman's 2009 fantasy novel, "The Magicians" on its list of the best books of that year. Grossman, a staff writer for Time magazine, joins us to discuss his recently published sequel, "The Magician King." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Remarkable Quotations When Steve Jobs announced his resignation from Apple last week, social media networks were abuzz with quotes from his 2005 Stanford commencement speech, among his other memorable sayings. We discuss the power of quotations, and find out why people continue to find meaning, wisdom and inspiration from quotations. Do you have a cherished quotation on your cubicle wall or in your email signature? If so, we want to hear it. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Solyndra and the Green Jobs Economy President Obama visited solar panel manufacturer Solyndra last year, gave the Fremont company $500 million in loan guarantees and touted it as a perfect example of how to create green jobs. But the company abruptly closed its doors this week, throwing 1,100 employees out of work and raising questions about the vitality of the "green jobs" economy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jack Kornfield Author and Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield, founder of Spirit Rock meditation center in Marin, joins us in the studio. His new book and audio CD program "A Lamp in the Darkness" contains guided meditations to help deal with adversity and promote "inner knowing." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website MS-13 Gang Convictions A federal jury this week convicted six members of the MS-13 gang, which prosecutors say terrorized San Francisco's Mission District, on charges of racketeering and conspiracy. Three defendants were also found guilty of murder. Prosecutors used the testimony of informants -- active gang members wearing wires -- as part of their evidence. We talk with gang experts and a former gang member about the case. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is Marriage for White People? Marriage is on the decline generally in the U.S., and among African-Americans the rates are particularly low, especially among African-American women. Stanford law professor Rick Banks explores the reasons for this in his new book, "Is Marriage for White People?" Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Reliability of Eyewitness Testimony Last week, the New Jersey Supreme Court made it easier for defendants to challenge eyewitness testimony on the grounds that it may be flawed. Research shows that about one-third of the witnesses who pick out suspects choose the wrong person. We look at recommendations for eyewitness testimony protocol, and at some of the reforms already in the works in California. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Blindsight' In 1994, movie producer Simon Lewis got into a brutal car accident that left him with intense brain damage. Lewis mostly functions well, but his brain now works in dramatically different ways than most. The story of Lewis' brain and his attempt to make a comeback in Hollywood is told in the current edition of The Atavist, which publishes long form non-fiction stories for mobile devices like the iPad. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Zyzzyva The San Francisco-based journal of West Coast literature and arts, Zyzzyva, has its first new editor since it began 25 years ago. We talk with the new editor and managing editor about Zyzzyva and about the poetry, fiction and visual art of the West Coast. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website NTSB's Final Report on the San Bruno Explosion The National Transportation Safety Board is issuing its final report on the PG&E pipeline explosion -- the worst in a decade -- that took the lives of eight people and destroyed 38 homes in San Bruno last year. After reviewing 14,000 pages of public record, the NTSB will reveal its conclusions during a hearing today. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Ten Years Later: Muslims in the Bay Area Ten years after the terrorist attacks on 9/11, we talk with members of the Bay Area Muslim community. How have the lives of local Muslims changed over the past decade? Are tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims, heightened in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, getting better or worse? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website What Can We Learn From Irene? On the sixth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Tropical Storm Irene devastated parts of the East Coast. We discuss the effects of the storm, and take stock of the Bay Area's disaster preparedness. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Protest or Prank? Last week, the hacker collective known as Anonymous posted online what they claim are semi-nude photos of BART spokesman Linton Johnson. In light of this very personal attack, we discuss the ethics of hacking. Will public officials now have to live in fear of angering individuals with sophisticated knowledge of computers and technology? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Juan Williams Host Dave Iverson talks with Fox News commentator and former NPR news analyst Juan Williams about his new book, "Muzzled: The Assault on Honest Debate." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website SFSU President Robert Corrigan San Francisco State University President Robert Corrigan is retiring after nearly 24 years in the post -- and he's not leaving quietly. He says Governor Jerry Brown isn't doing enough to protect state colleges and universities from cuts. Corrigan joins us to talk about his career, and the future of higher education. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website John McWhorter: 'What Language Is' In his newest book, linguist John McWhorter demystifies common misconceptions about language, and details how languages change and evolve. He joins us to talk about the complexities behind how we communicate. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Steve Jobs Resigns Apple CEO Steve Jobs has officially resigned in a letter to his board of directors, saying he could no longer meet the duties and expectations as Apple's CEO. He endorsed Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook as his successor. What will Jobs' departure mean for Apple? Will the company be able to sustain its record of success? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Bay Area Journalism in a Crunch The Bay Area News Group announced yesterday it will consolidate its 11 daily East Bay newspapers and eliminate 120 jobs. With advancements in digital technology, news organizations are increasingly veering away from traditional print journalism. We discuss the state of Bay Area journalism in the digital age. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Ten Years Later: America's Role in the World A decade after the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil, we look back to see how both the geopolitical landscape and the U.S. role as a world leader have been impacted. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'The Grace of Everyday Saints' When the Catholic Church announced it would shut down San Francisco's landmark St. Brigid's Church in 1993, local parishioners launched a fight to save it. We hear their story from San Francisco Chronicle reporter Julian Guthrie, author of "The Grace of Everyday Saints: How a Band of Believers Lost Their Church and Found Their Faith." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Violent Fans The San Francisco 49ers have banned tailgating after the start of games in the wake of a shooting over the weekend at a Raiders - 49ers exhibition game. The victims are being treated at the same hospital where Brian Stow is recovering after being beaten to near death wearing a Giants jersey in Dodger stadium. Are these recent incidents part of a larger pattern of violence? Are teams doing enough to protect their fans? Does violence at sporting events make you more likely to watch from home? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website First Person: Tom Luddy We talk with Berkeley-based film maven Tom Luddy, co-founder and co-director of the prestigious Telluride Film Festival. We'll find out about the festival, his early work as curator of Berkeley's Pacific Film Archive and his three decades of collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Middle East and North Africa Update We analyze recent events in Libya, where an end-game appears to be in the works for Moammar Gadhafi. How might events there influence those in Syria, where President Assad continues to order death and torture again warring rebels? We'll also examine recent tensions between Egypt and Israel, and the sentencing of two American hikers imprisoned in Iran. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Nice Guys Do Finish Last Could being a little meaner in the workplace earn you a better salary? A new study suggests just that. Women and men who rated themselves as "agreeable" generally earned less than those who considered themselves less amenable. We discuss the findings. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Ten Years Later, Are We Safer? As the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks nears, many are asking if we're safer now than we were before the attacks. Has heightened security and extra screening at the airport -- including removing your shoes and belt -- made you feel safer? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Chez Panisse Turns 40 In 1971, Alice Waters and some friends opened a neighborhood bistro in Berkeley with the aim of serving meals with the food and atmosphere of a home dinner party. Forty years later, the way the nation eats has been dramatically changed by Chez Panisse. We talk with local chefs and food writers about the impact Chez Panisse has had on the local and national food scene. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Pit Bulls in the Doghouse? The fatal mauling of a pregnant woman in Pacifica last week has renewed the debate over regulation of pit bulls. In Sonoma, one city councilwoman is calling for a crackdown on the canines. But defenders say that the breed is being unfairly stereotyped and singled out. Should pit bulls be banned? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Compromise Congress managed to avert default with an 11th-hour debt ceiling agreement. But the deal was met with widespread criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. To many Americans, it was less a compromise than a capitulation on important values. As Washington becomes increasingly polarized, true compromise seems more elusive than ever. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Patent Battles When Google acquired Motorola Mobility this week, speculation ran rampant that the tech giant was going to build an iPhone killer. Instead, industry observers say the real value to Google are Motorola's 17,000 patents, which it acquired as part of the deal. We discuss patents, those who file them, those who exploit them and efforts to reform the patent system. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Should Three Strikes be Out? California's three strikes law requires mandatory, extended imprisonment for anyone convicted of a serious criminal offense on three or more separate occasions. It was passed in the wake of a violent parolee's murder of 12-year-old Polly Klaas in 1993. We examine the history and politics of the three strikes law. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website BART, Cell Phones, and Cybersecurity BART's decision to shut down cell service to thwart a protest has critics charging First Amendment violations. The hacker group known as Anonymous retaliated against BART by breaking into the transit agency's website and posting information about customers. Are BART's actions justified in order to protect passengers? Is hacking a reasonable way to protest? Are there parallels to the crackdowns in Egypt and Syria? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Burning Man 2011 Has Burning Man sold out? The answer is yes, if you're talking about tickets. They've sold out for the first time in the event's 25-year history. Will the popularity and growth of the festival, which starts August 29 in Nevada's Black Rock Desert, affect its inclusive culture and core values? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Iowa Straw Poll The election season's first big skirmish, the Iowa straw poll, launched this weekend. It's an event pundits say sorts viable Republican candidates from the also-rans. We talk with experts about the results. What might they mean for the Republican nomination for the 2012 presidential election? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website First Person: Maurice Lim Miller We continue our "First Person" series featuring the leaders, innovators and other compelling characters who make the Bay Area unique. Host Dave Iverson checks in with social entrepreneur Maurice Lim Miller, founder of the Oakland-based Family Independence Initiative, a national center for anti-poverty innovation. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A Domestic Worker Bill of Rights The Domestic Worker's Bill of Rights, or AB889, would give California in-house workers like nannies, housekeepers and home health aides basic labor protections such as overtime pay, guaranteed sleeping time, five-day work weeks and meal breaks. With the bill going before a Senate committee next week, we discuss its implications for caregivers, families and for those requiring in-home care. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website John Muir's Life and Legacy The exhibit "A Walk in the Wild: Continuing John Muir's Journey" opened at the Oakland Museum of California this month. We discuss the exhibit, which attempts to recreate John Muir's experiences and adventures in California's wilderness. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Sleep Apnea A new study from UCSF and the California Pacific Medical Center suggests that people who suffer from sleep apnea -- brief pauses of breathing during the night -- may also be at increased risk of developing dementia. We discuss sleep apnea, and the current state of diagnosis and treatment. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Sustainable Meat and the Art of Butchery In recent years, more chefs and consumers are demanding local, sustainable meats, driving some to raise and butcher their own livestock. We get into the gristle with three butchers and talk all about meat, from what consumers should be asking at the counter to how to cook a whole pig in the back yard. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Bay Area Housing Market More Bay Area homeowners owe more than their homes are worth than did last year, according to a new report from the real estate website Zillow. Analysts say the increase shows continued weakness in the housing sector. We discuss the report, and what it means for homeowners and the overall economy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Decoding Our 'Brain Bugs' Why do we fall for advertising even when we know it's false? Or remember a new acquaintance's profession more easily than his or her name? UCLA neuroscientist Dean Buonomano's new book "Brain Bugs" explains some of these mysteries. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Investing After a Crisis On Monday, the Dow Jones plummeted 600 points in response to Standard & Poor's unprecedented decision to downgrade U.S. Treasury bonds from a AAA rating. It was the worst single day drop since December of 2008. Personal finance experts join us to discuss options for the average investor in volatile markets. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Ed Lee Declares Bid for Mayor San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee has declared his candidacy for a four-year mayoral term after staunchly proclaiming that he would not run. What does Lee's entrance mean to an already crowded race? And how will voters view his reversal? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A Graying Bay Area The Bay Area's elderly population has been growing over the past 10 years. As the boomer generation hits its sixth decade, a so-called silver tsunami is on the way. By 2050, one in five Americans is expected to be over 65. Are Bay Area cities and communities aging friendly? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Stock Market Plunge Stock markets took a dramatic dive on Thursday, sparked by fears of growing economic turmoil. Is the economy headed for another recession? We analyze recent developments. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Romance Reality Check Is your partner more responsive to his or her iPhone than to you? We'll find out how to reboot romantic relationships with veteran Bay Area clinical psychologist Lonnie Barbach, co-author of "Going the Distance: Finding and Keeping Lifelong Love." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Somalia Update The worst drought in 60 years and decades of political conflict has led to what is being called a humanitarian disaster affecting 12 million people in Somalia. Militants have prevented relief aid from reaching famine-stricken Somalis -- and refugees fleeing violence are streaming into camps along the Kenyan border. We check in with experts about the expanding crisis. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Frank Rich on News Corp. London police arrested another former News Corp. staffer on Tuesday, the 11th arrest in connection with the phone-hacking scandal. As the scandal continues to reverberate in the U.K., we talk with New York Magazine's Frank Rich, who writes in the latest issue that Americans are "in denial" about News Corp.'s negative impact on journalism and politics in the U.S. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson NPR foreign correspondent Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson had a front-row seat for the historic events of the Arab Spring, reporting from Egypt, Libya and Saudi Arabia. She joins Michael Krasny to discuss her experiences and recent political developments in the Middle East. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'California on the Edge' In the early 1970s, acclaimed environmental historian Philip Fradkin traveled around the state with his six-year-old son Alex to research his first book, "California, the Golden Coast." More than 40 years later, they revisited many of those locations for a new collaboration, "The Left Coast: California on the Edge." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Obama, The Debt Ceiling and The Left The House of Representatives passed a bill to raise the debt ceiling on Monday evening, and it was expected to pass the Senate on Tuesday. But many of President Obama's supporters on the political left are upset, saying he caved to GOP demands. Will liberal dissatisfaction over the compromise pose a political problem for the president? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Michael Ellis Adventure travel guide and naturalist Michael Ellis talks with Michael Krasny about his recent adventures, and shares his tips for exploring nature in California and across the globe. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website California, Redrawn California's Citizen Redistricting Commission has just approved new legislative and congressional political boundaries. More public hearings are scheduled, and several lawsuits are also expected. How will the new districts affect California politics? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website David Allen: 'Getting Things Done' Fast Company Magazine has called author and consultant David Allen "one of the world's most influential thinkers" on productivity. We talk to Allen about the best ways to organize our desks, inboxes and the information in our heads to make for a more stress-free work environment. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website California Prison Realignment Beginning in October, California will reduce its prison population by moving thousands of low-level non-violent offenders to counties. The move comes on the heels of a court order to reduce the population of the state's overcrowded prisons. But are counties ready to take on these inmates? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Prohibition' Ken Burns' and Lynn Novick's "Prohibition" is a three-part PBS series that chronicles an era of speakeasies, bootleggers and the 18th Amendment. Novick and author Daniel Okrent, who is featured in the series, join us to discuss the period and the film, which will air in October on KQED Public Television 9. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Battle over Battle Creek State government cash to the tune of $128 million has been set aside for a project to revive the endangered salmon and steelhead populations in Battle Creek near Mount Lassen. But environmentalists have filed for an injunction to stop a timber company's logging plans, saying they may endanger the creek restoration project. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Infinite Reality Virtual worlds are dramatically changing the way we understand social engagement, according to author and Stanford professor Jeremy Bailenson. What do digital virtual realities tell us about how the mind works? Bailenson joins us to discuss the research that informs his new book, "Infinite Reality." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Race and the Wealth Gap A new PEW report indicates that the median net worth of whites is 20 times higher than that of blacks and 18 times higher than that of Hispanics. Pew researchers analyzing census data say that disparity has reached a 25-year high. The data shows the recession has hit whites as well, but their net worth has not slipped as much as that of minorities. We discuss the findings and their potential impact. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Margaret Hoover: How to Save the GOP Margaret Hoover is a FOX News commentator, the great-granddaughter of President Herbert Hoover, and the author of a new book, "American Individualism." Hoover joins us to discuss America's shifting political landscape, and to explain her strategy for attracting young voters and strengthening the GOP. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Libertarian Manifesto Reason Magazine co-editors Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch join us to discuss their new book "The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong with America." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website California Supreme Court Appointment Governor Jerry Brown has just appointed UC Berkeley Law Professor Goodwin Liu to the California Supreme Court. Liu previously was President Barack Obama's choice for the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. But that nomination was blocked by Republicans, who objected to Liu's written positions. Liu eventually withdrew his candidacy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Richmond Murders Deadly violence is on the rise in the city of Richmond. Twenty-one people have been killed in Richmond so far this year, the same number of homicides as in all of 2010. Police say a rise in gang activity is partly to blame. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jerry Brown and Latinos Governor Jerry Brown signed the first part of the Dream Act yesterday, which would give undocumented college students at California universities access to privately funded financial aid. The decision follows Brown's June veto of legislation that would have made it easier for farm workers to unionize. We look at Governor Brown's political relationship with the Latino community in California. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will Kaufman on Woody Guthrie We talk with Will Kaufman, a professor of American literature in England and a professional folksinger who's bringing what he calls a "live documentary" on Woody Guthrie to the Bay Area. His show, "Hard Times and Hard Traveling" is now accompanied by the new book "Woody Guthrie, American Radical." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Financial Reform, One Year Later Lax investment regulations and bad home loans are blamed for sparking the nation's deepest recession in decades. In response, lawmakers Barney Frank, Chris Dodd and others introduced the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The goal was to keep the "average American consumer" safe. But one year later, the act is under legislative attack -- and some are questioning whether the legislation has accomplished its goals. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Urban Stairs of the Bay Area Snaking up and down the steep hills of the Bay Area are staircases serving as short-cuts and hidden passageways from one street to the next. There are more than 1,000 public staircases and paved paths in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley. We discuss the charm and history of these paths, and the neighborhoods they're found in. Where are your favorite urban stairways? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Budget Cuts Slash California Courts The California Legislature has announced it's cutting $350 million from the state court system. California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye -- who describes the cutbacks as unprecedented -- joins us to discuss the repercussions. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Sapphire The author of the book that inspired the Academy Award-winning film "Precious" has a new book. In "The Kid," Sapphire tells the story of Precious' son Abdul Jones as he struggles to find his way, motherless, through his chaotic childhood. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Egypt Update It's been six months since protesters took to the streets in Egypt's Arab Spring. Although the country is considered a model for other nations in the region, a new wave of protests has erupted -- and the success of the revolution is in question. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Defense of Marriage Act Repeal? President Obama is backing a bill sponsored by California Senator Dianne Feinstein called the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the 15-year-old Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). DOMA, signed by President Clinton, defined marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman -- and denied federal benefits for same-sex couples. We take up the debate over the bill. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Obama and Jobs Former U.S. secretaries of labor Robert Reich and Elaine Chao join us to discuss the latest unemployment numbers, and to voice their own views on job creation. What should the federal government's role be in creating jobs? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Silicon Valley Economy A new study on Silicon Valley employment shows companies are hiring scores of high-tech workers. But the study also reveals a looming shortage of employees with the skills needed for these jobs. What are workers and the companies that hire them looking for? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Redevelopment on the Ropes The League of California Cities and other groups have filed suit to stop California from dissolving city redevelopment agencies. We examine the role of the agencies. What effects would the cuts have on local governments? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Marriage: Denied and Delayed Fewer adults are getting married in the U.S. than ever before. For those who do get married, many are delaying the decision until they're older. As part of "Our Changing Community," our series on the 2010 census, we look at who is saying "I don't" to marriage -- and why. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Why is This Summer So Cold? People throughout the U.S. are experiencing strange weather this summer, with scorching heat in the East Coast and Midwest and cooler temperatures in coastal California. What are recent trends across the country, and how much is due to global climate change? What future changes could occur, and is the Bay Area getting colder for good? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Bayview Shooting The shooting of 19-year-old Kenneth Harding by police on Saturday afternoon in San Francisco's Bayview district provoked outrage in the community. After running from officers conducting a Muni fare inspection, Harding reportedly fired at the officers who, in return, shot and killed him. But the details of the case are still murky. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Blood on the Tracks' Military veteran turned anti-war activist S. Brian Willson's new book "Blood on the Tracks" details, in part, how he lost his legs protesting arms shipments to Central America. Willson joins us to discuss the book. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The National Debt Crisis The standoff over how to deal with the national debt ceiling has raised tension levels in Washington several degrees, with some Republicans pushing for an all-cuts agreement and some Democrats pushing for cuts combined with tax increases. What are the various proposals, and what might they mean for constituents and elected officials? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Amazon Sales Tax Referendum Online retailer Amazon is fighting back against a recent California law that taxes Internet purchases from out-of-state companies. State officials say the law will generate up to $200 million a year in unpaid taxes. In response, Amazon officials are launching a petition drive to overturn the law. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Youth in Crisis Future prosperity in the Sacramento Capital Region will depend on creating better educational and economic opportunities for the area's youth, according to a new two-year study from UC Davis. We discuss the study's results from our Sacramento studios. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website California Prison Hunger Strike More than 500 inmates in five prisons across the state are engaging in a hunger strike to protest living conditions. We find out about the inmates' demands, and get a response from a state prison official to the strike, which started at Pelican Bay State Prison two weeks ago. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence In his new book "Tropic of Chaos," Christian Parenti warns that social and environmental changes caused by climate change will lead to widespread economic and political instability and violence. He joins us to discuss the book, and to explain why he thinks the U.S. and other developed countries will not be immune. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Netflix Price Hike Bay Area-based Netflix Inc. this week announced price increases of up to 60 percent for members who want to both stream movies and get DVDs in the mail. Comments from mostly angry subscribers have flooded social media sites ever since. How will the announcement influence consumers and the industry? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The News Corp. Phone-hacking Scandal We discuss the latest on the British phone-hacking scandal in light of Tuesday's claims by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown that Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. hired "known criminals" to gain access to his personal information. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Tuition Hike at California Public Universities The California State University Board of Trustees just approved a 12 percent increase in tuition for this fall. The University of California will also consider student tuition increases this week. The hikes would help offset $1.3 billion in state funding cuts to higher education. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Chasing Aphrodite' The art world is still reeling from the looting scandal at the Los Angeles-based Getty Museum, which first came to light in 2006. We talk with one of the reporters who broke the story, Jason Felch, co-author of "Chasing Aphrodite: The Hunt for Looted Antiquities at the World's Richest Museum." We also talk to the man who helped foil the theft of an original Picasso artwork from a Geary Street gallery last week. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jose Antonio Vargas Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas made headlines around the world last month when he revealed in a New York Times Magazine article that he is an undocumented immigrant. The Mountain View-raised Vargas joins us to discuss the public response to his admission, and to talk about his new campaign "to elevate the conversation around immigration." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Death Penalty Repeal Proposal The state Legislature is considering a bill which would give California voters the option to repeal the state's death penalty in 2012. We debate the proposal, which passed out of the Assembly Public Safety Committee on Thursday. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Harry Shearer - 'The Big Uneasy' Actor Harry Shearer is perhaps best-known for his work on "The Simpsons," providing the voices for Mr. Burns, Smithers and Ned Flanders, among others. But he's also a public radio talk show host, musician, author and film director. In his new documentary "The Big Uneasy, " the New Orleans resident investigates the failure of the levee system in Hurricane Katrina and exposes problems with the rebuilding of the system. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Teach for America Founder Wendy Kopp Education pioneer Wendy Kopp took her senior thesis from college and turned it into Teach for America, an organization that has since changed the classroom experience for half a million schoolchildren. Her new book, "A Chance to Make History," tackles educational inequality. Kopp joins us to discuss her ideas for reform. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Verona Project This weekend, California Shakespeare Theater opens "The Verona Project," a modern re-imagining of Shakespeare's "The Two Gentlemen of Verona." Featuring an original rock 'n' roll score and a few gender-bending twists, "The Verona Project" brings a fresh shake-up of the classic comedy. The director and cast join us to discuss the show and to perform some of the music. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website LGBT History Bill A bill requiring textbooks for public schools in California to include the history and accomplishments of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people passed the state Assembly this week. We discuss the legislation. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Oakland's Black Flight The black population of Oakland has declined nearly 25 percent in the past decade, and for children the rate is even higher. The decline of African-Americans in cities is a national trend. Why are African-Americans leaving, and what does it mean for Oakland? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Space Shuttle's Final Mission The majority of Americans find it "essential" for the U.S. to stay a world leader in human spaceflight, according to a recent national poll. Yet the last mission of the U.S. space shuttle program is scheduled to take off on Friday. How will the shuttering of this historic endeavor change our dreams for space exploration? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Art of Enchantment Enchanting colleagues and customers is one of the keys to success in business, says entrepreneur and former Apple chief evangelist Guy Kawasaki. In his new book, Kawasaki lays out what he calls the "three pillars" of enchantment: likability, trustworthiness and a great cause. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Autism: New Findings A just-released study of twins by researchers at UCSF and Stanford suggests that environmental conditions may be at least as relevant as genes in causing autism. We speak with the lead authors about how these findings may challenge conventional wisdom about the origins of autism. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Alan Cheuse: 'Song of Slaves in the Desert' Though perhaps best known as NPR's book critic extraordinaire, Alan Cheuse is also a novelist. His latest book "Song of Slaves in the Desert" grapples with the legacy of slavery in the U.S. Cheuse joins us to discuss the novel and to talk about what it's like being both author and critic. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website New Memo on Medical Marijuana Policy The Department of Justice issued a new memo to federal prosecutors clarifying its medical marijuana policy. Calling marijuana "a dangerous drug," the memo threatened enforcement actions against those in the business of cultivating and distributing pot. What does this mean for California? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website July 4th Special: Francine Prose We present an encore broadcast of Michael Krasny's interview with novelist Francine Prose. Her latest novel, "My New American Life," playfully skewers American culture and politics through the voice of Lula, an Albanian immigrant living in New Jersey. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website July 4th Special: Jonathan Franzen President Obama praised Jonathan Franzen's most recent book by placing it on his summer vacation reading list last year. Franzen joined us in September to discuss his 2010 novel "Freedom," and what it's like to live in the literary spotlight. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website July 4th Special: Adam Hochschild We continue our special July 4th edition with a segment featuring Adam Hochschild, Bay Area-based journalist and author of "To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website July 4th Special: Jack Rakove As part of an Independence Day special featuring archival interviews with authors who examine the American experience from varying perspectives, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jack Rakove discusses his book, "Revolutionaries: A New History of the Invention of America." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Barbeque and Grilling Tips It's 4th of July weekend, and for a lot of Bay Area cooks that means heading outdoors and firing up the grill. We'll talk BBQ and grilling techniques, and compare notes on favorite foods prepared by fire. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Hitting the Brakes on Hybrids in the Carpool Lane Beginning today, gas-electric hybrid vehicles are banned from driving solo in California's carpool lanes. Now the only cars allowed solo in carpool lanes are the white-stickered all-electric or natural gas-powered cars. Will the new law translate to an increased demand for all-electric cars? How are hybrid drivers coping with the change? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Supreme Court Roundup The U.S. Supreme Court closed its term amid a flurry of decisions. We look back at the court's rulings this year -- from the decision forcing California to reduce its prison population to a refusal to allow Wal-Mart employees to band together as a class. What do the court's recent decisions say about the direction it's headed? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Greece's Economic Crisis The Greek Parliament has passed a new five-year austerity measure, but turmoil and unrest in the country continue. Streets are filled with protesters as the government prepares for a second vote today. Where is the Greek economy headed, and how will this new plan affect the economic status of neighboring countries? We talk with experts about this complex economic and political crisis. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Indian Voices' Bay Area author Alison Owings has compiled a new oral history of Native Americans from across the country. She joins us to discuss the new book, "Indian Voices." We'll also check in with local Native American community leaders about some of the themes raised in the book. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Out-thinking Extinction Our brains may not be evolving quickly enough to manage rapidly developing and complex problems such as climate change, nuclear proliferation and terrorism, writes author Rebecca Costa. But, she believes, recent research on the neuroscience of insight may help mankind cope with adversity. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website State Budget Deal California Governor Jerry Brown and Democratic leaders announced on Monday that they had reached a deal on a majority-vote budget. We get the details on the plan, which is expected to come up for a vote today. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Video Games on Trial By a 7-2 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down a California law, authored by State Senator Leland Yee, which would have banned the sale of violent video games to children. We discuss the case. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website New York Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage New York legislators approved same-sex marriage on Friday, launching a weekend of euphoria and engagements among LGBT New Yorkers. What are the political implications for California, and for the nation? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The National Debt Ceiling Democrats and Republicans are sparring in Washington over how to raise the U.S. debt ceiling in order to prevent a default on the nation's debt obligations. The debate highlights political and economic differences between the parties. What's at stake? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'The Great Speedup' U.S. workers consistently rank as the world's most productive. But that productivity can come at a price: longer hours, heavier workloads and higher stress. We talk with the editors of Mother Jones magazine about their new cover story, "All Work and No Pay: The Great Speedup." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website New Treatment for Hepatitis C New studies show a recently approved drug for Hepatitis C doubles the cure rate of the standard treatment. We discuss the new treatment, and the disease that affects nearly four million Americans and is linked to about 12,000 deaths a year. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website PTSD and the Body Veterans with post traumatic stress disorder are more prone to health problems such as dementia, premature aging and cardiac problems than veterans without PTSD. We discuss the new research on PTSD, and the mind/body connection. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website World Full of Men Sex-selective abortion has resulted in 160 million more males than females throughout the developing world. We talk with Beijing-based science writer Mara Hvistendahl, who explores the reasons driving the gender imbalance and its consequences. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Troop Drawdown in Afghanistan Against a backdrop of falling public support for the war in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama detailed his latest plan for a troop drawdown in Afghanistan on Wednesday. We discuss the president's drawdown plan, and its implications. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Roy Blount Jr. Roy Blount Jr., author and panelist on NPR's "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me" joins us to discuss his new book, "Alphabetter Juice: or, The Joy of Text." An ardent philologist, Blount celebrates the English language with his characteristic blend of wit, wisdom and wordplay. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Proposed Pet Sales Ban San Francisco's Animal Control and Welfare Commission is renewing its call for a pet sale ban, which supporters say will discourage impulse buys of animals and encourage adoption. The ban would prohibit retail sales of dogs, cats, birds, small animals, reptiles, amphibians and aquarium fish. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Great White Shark Sighting A great white shark was spotted off Stinson Beach in Marin over the weekend -- and now swimming and surfing in deep water are prohibited through Thursday. Bay Area coastal waters are part of the so-called "Red Triangle" because of the large number of great whites patrolling the waters for prey. How big of a threat do these sharks pose to humans? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Vincent Bugliosi Best known for prosecuting Charles Manson, attorney and author Vincent Bugliosi joins us to discuss his new book, "Divinity in Doubt: The God Question." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is San Francisco Driving Families Away? San Francisco's population of children has been shrinking as parents seek better schools, more space and affordable housing. Is the city driving its families away? As part of Forum's series on the 2010 Census, "Our Changing Communities," we discuss whether San Francisco is a good place to raise kids. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Adventure Education This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Outward Bound program in the United States. Outward Bound instructors take people into challenging wilderness settings, which students say helps them realize they can do more than they thought possible. We discuss Outward Bound and programs like it. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Rethinking Homework The Pleasanton Unified School District Board of Trustees is set to consider scaling back the time students spend on homework. The district is one of many across the country that are reevaluating homework in light of questions about its educational value -- and concerns about overstressed and overscheduled kids. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Dr. Joshua Miele Joshua A. Miele, head of the Miele Lab at the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute in San Francisco, works to create various technologies such as tactile maps that help make the world more accessible to blind people like himself. We talk with Miele as part of our First Person series, a series of conversations with the leaders, innovators and other compelling characters who make the Bay Area unique. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Libya and the War Powers Resolution Ten members of the House of Representatives filed a lawsuit against President Obama claiming that his actions in Libya violate the War Powers Resolution. That law prevents the President from engaging in armed combat without permission from Congress. We discuss the implications of this lawsuit and the legality of the United States' actions in Libya. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Oscar Hijuelos: "Thoughts Without Cigarettes" In his new memoir, "Thoughts Without Cigarettes," Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Oscar Hijuelos looks back on his formative years growing up in a troubled family, reconciling his dual heritage, and writing in New York City. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and "The Last Mountain" The new documentary, "The Last Mountain," depicts a local community's fight to stop mountaintop removal coal mining in the Appalachians of West Virginia. Environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is featured in the film, joins us to talk discuss his work. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website California Lawmakers Approve On-time Budget For the second time in 25 years, California lawmakers met their constitutional deadline and passed an on-time budget. Over Republican objections and using a simple majority vote, Democrats pushed through their package of taxes and cuts, and saved themselves from losing their paychecks. We take a look at what the budget includes (and what it left out) and hear reaction from both sides of the aisle. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Ann Patchett: "State of Wonder" Novelist Ann Patchett's new book, "State of Wonder," is a thriller that sends a pharmaceutical research scientist into the depths of the Amazonian jungle. Forum talks with the acclaimed author of Bel Canto. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Nation's Report Card: An F in History The National Assessment of Educational Progress has released a report showing that the vast majority of students scored below "proficiency" in American history, with many fourth graders failing to recognize a picture of Abraham Lincoln. Critics say history has been shortchanged due to No Child Left Behind and its focus on math and reading scores. How important is a history education? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Picasso Masterpieces Exhibit at the de Young The show discusses Pablo Picasso and the more than 100 extraordinary works on display at the de Young museum in San Francisco. The exhibit is on loan from the permanent collection of Paris' Musee National Picasso. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website GOP Presidential Debate The show discusses Monday night's GOP presidential debate in New Hampshire. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Mehserle's Release Former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle was released from a Los Angeles jail this week after serving 11 months of a two-year sentence for shooting unarmed passenger Oscar Grant. Meanwhile, demonstrators arrested in last year's protests of the verdict filed a lawsuit on Monday saying that Oakland police violated their rights. Do you think justice was done? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Bay Area Parks in Trouble Recent budget cutbacks around the Bay Area are threatening regional park operations. We check in with East Bay, San Francisco and San Mateo County park officials about the extent of the problems facing our public parks. What concerns do you have about the status of your favorite park? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website California's New Political Boundaries California is notorious for political boundaries that are virtual safe zones for incumbents. Now, Californians will get a first look at district maps drawn up by the Citizens Redistricting Commission. The commission was authorized by the Voter's FIRST Act of 2008, which removed from lawmakers the authority to draw the state's voting boundaries. What impact will the new lines have? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Richard Haass Michael Krasny talks with Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass about the latest international stories including the ongoing unrest in Syria, Defense Secretary Robert Gates' recent scathing critique of NATO and the calls for an accelerated withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in the wake of Osama bin Laden's death. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Cheap Summer Thrills Looking for a free summer yoga class, outdoor film or one-day fishing license? Bay Area bargain guru Johnny Hayes, AKA Johnny Funcheap, joins us with his recommendations on the best in affordable summer activities and events. We'll get his picks and we'll open the phone lines for your free and cheap recommendations. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Cal Baseball's Dramatic Season The California Golden Bears beat Baylor on Monday, advancing in the NCAA baseball tournament. The team's post-game celebration was a far cry from the mood at the beginning of the season, which they thought might be the team's last. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Judicial Conflict of Interest A federal judge next week will consider whether Judge Vaughn Walker should have recused himself from the Proposition 8 same-sex marriage trial because he is gay with a long-time partner. We take up judicial ethics. Under what circumstances should judges step away from a case? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Chauncey Bailey Verdict An Oakland jury has found former Your Black Muslim Bakery leader Yusef Bey IV guilty of murdering journalist Chauncey Bailey and two other men in 2007. Bakery associate Antoine Mackey was convicted of two counts of first degree murder, but jurors deadlocked on the third count. The prosecutor had argued that Bey ordered the killing to keep Bailey from exposing the bakery's financial problems. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Libraries in Trouble As part of a bare-bones budget proposal from Oakland officials, 14 of the city's 18 public library branches would be closed. The remaining four would have their hours drastically cut. Many librarians around the Bay Area have been fighting tough budget battles for as long as they can remember. How are libraries responding to new economic realities? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Brooke Gladstone Journalist Brooke Gladstone, host of public radio's "On the Media" joins Michael Krasny in the studio. Her new book, "The Influencing Machine" is an illustrated history of the news media. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Farmers Market Fraud? How can you be sure those cherries or plums from the farmers market are really local or organic? Last year, a TV station in Los Angeles found vendors making false claims -- including stalls selling produce bought from wholesalers. We discuss new proposals to increase enforcement, and find out how consumers can ensure they're getting the genuine artichoke. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website SF Circumcision Ban An initiative to ban circumcision of males under 18 years of age in San Francisco will appear on the November ballot. Supporters compare the procedure with female genital mutilation, which is outlawed in the U.S. Opponents of the bill tout medical benefits of foreskin removal and the rights of religious groups. We take up the debate. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Faith and Politics in Pakistan The U.S. military operation that killed Osama bin Laden last month has thrust Pakistan and its relations with the U.S. back into the headlines. But missing from some of the coverage is detail about how the country's religious affiliations and sects figure into Pakistan's political establishment and policies. We discuss the state of religion and its impact in Pakistan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Alameda Suicide Tonight, the Alameda City Council will examine the circumstances surrounding the death of Raymond Zack, who intentionally drowned himself in San Francisco Bay on Memorial Day while police and firefighters stood by. We open the phone lines to get your responses to this tragedy. Should first-responders always try to save a life, regardless of policy or protocol? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Treasure Island Plan San Francisco's Board of Supervisors votes today on a proposal to redevelop Treasure Island, a former naval base, into an environmentally friendly mini-city. The plan includes 8,000 new housing units, 200 acres of parks and open space including an organic farm and a wind farm. But critics say the plan doesn't fully consider the potential for flooding and liquefaction on the island or the impact that 19,000 new residents will have on Bay Bridge traffic. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Life and Work of Gertrude Stein Gertrude Stein grew up in the Bay Area, but spent most of her life in France at the center of a vibrant art, literature and social scene. We'll talk with the curators of two current exhibits -- at the San Francisco MoMA and at the Contemporary Jewish Museum -- that offer an extensive tour of the Steins' contributions to art, literature and culture. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Arab Spring Update Unrest continues across the Middle East, with fears of a civil war escalating in Yemen and repercussions from the brutal killing of 13-year-old Hamza al-Khatib continuing to rock Syria. As the death toll continues to climb, what are the political and social consequences for Arab regimes, and how do these protests affect U.S.-Arab relations? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website AIDS at 30 Thirty years ago this Sunday, epidemiologists identified the disease that would later be known as AIDS. Since then, 30 million have died of AIDS. We look back on the last 30 years of AIDS science, medicine and prevention efforts, and look forward to the best hopes of finding a cure. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Advice to College Graduates This year's college graduating class will enter a bad job market in a country with a debilitating federal debt. Is encouragement to pursue their dreams still adequate advice for today's grads? We present an open half-hour on what qualities are needed for building a career in 2011. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website What's Your College Degree Worth? We know that in general, bachelor degrees pay off. But now a recent study confirms that how much you earn may depend on what you majored in. We discuss the findings with Anthony Carnevale, director of the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University, which produced the recent report, "What's it Worth? The Economic Value of College Majors." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Anna Deavere Smith: 'Let Me Down Easy' Celebrated actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith takes on health and health care in her signature style in her new show at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. The one-woman show is created from widespread interviews about the human body and the high price of health care. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Summer Books We open the phone lines for our annual summer books show. What are your picks for a good summer read this year? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Robert Greenberg With music, whether you're listening to Eminem or La Traviata, Bay Area composer and music-historian Robert Greenberg suggests in his new book that understanding the artists and their world will vastly heighten your enjoyment. He joins us in the studio to share "How to Listen to Great Music." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A Changing Cuba Back from a recent trip to Cuba, Michael Krasny hosts a discussion about the changes afoot on the island nation. He is joined by his tour leader from the San Francisco Jewish Community Center and other experts, who will talk about the shift in Cuba's geopolitics and dynamism within its own borders. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Red Rocker Sammy Hagar, singer, guitarist, songwriter and restaurant and Tequila mogul has led a rock star's life -- and now he's added "co-author" to his list of accomplishments. The former Van Halen singer's new autobiography is titled "Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock." Hagar joins Michael Krasny in studio for a look at his life, and what he's looking forward to. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A New Technology Bubble? A recent article in The Economist magazine warns of a nascent bubble forming in high-tech company valuations. An initial public offering by social media site LinkedIn raised twice the amount of money projected -- and excitement is growing about expected public offerings from Twitter, Zynga and Facebook. But many pundits disagree. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jennifer Egan and Isabel Wilkerson In another special pre-recorded Memorial Day show, Michael Krasny talks with this year's National Book Critics Circle Award winners Jennifer Egan and Isabel Wilkerson in two half-hour segments about their respective works. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Rye Barcott: 'It Happened on the Way to War' In a special pre-recorded Memorial Day episode, we talk with Rye Barcott, former Marine and co-founder of the global health and development non-profit, Carolina for Kibera. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website An End to 'Green-washing'? The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is revamping 1998 guidelines regulating green marketing. As the market for green products expands, the number of certifications and claims of "green-ness" have too. How can well-intentioned consumers navigate this complicated world? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Supreme Court Rules on Arizona Immigration Law In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a 2007 Arizona law that penalizes businesses which employ undocumented workers. Under the law, the state can revoke the business license of a company found in violation. We discuss the ruling, and its potential impact on California. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Crime Rate Drop California's murder rates, released this week, are at the lowest level in more than 40 years. It's not just homicides -- nearly all crimes have dramatically declined locally, statewide and nationally. We discuss the reasons for the crime dip, and what it could mean for criminal justice policy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Magna Carta Comes to San Francisco One of the original copies of the Magna Carta, dating from 1217, is now on display at San Francisco's Legion of Honor. We'll talk about the significance of the Great Charter, which is considered one of the founding documents of modern democracy and law. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Frank Lindh - Listener Feedback We revisit Wednesday's Forum segment with Frank Lindh, father of former Taliban soldier John Walker Lindh. NPR Ombudsman Alicia Shepard joins us to discuss the segment, which generated extensive listener response. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Economist Tim Harford In his new book "Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure," economist Tim Harford argues that the process of trial-and-error is critical to tackling the challenges of the 21st century. He joins guest host Dave Iverson in the studio. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Frank Lindh Was John Walker Lindh a scapegoat? The former Taliban soldier's father -- Marin resident Frank Lindh -- joins us in the studio. Lindh believes that his son was unfairly targeted due to the nation's anger over 9/11, and that he should be released from federal prison now that Osama bin Laden is dead. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Medicare in the Political Spotlight Democrats weathering criticism over health care reform felt the ground shift this week, as some Republicans were expected to revolt over a Medicare proposal. We discuss the latest on health care politics. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website What Makes a Good Coach? Some coaches work wonders with young athletes, vastly expanding their abilities and confidence. Others can leave players frustrated and discouraged. Host Dave Iverson and guests discuss what makes a good coach. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website San Jose: A State of Emergency? Facing the prospect of deep budget cuts and hundreds of layoffs, the San Jose City Council is considering Mayor Chuck Reed's request to declare a fiscal state of emergency. The declaration would give Reed the authority to amend labor contracts and pension deals. But union leaders and other critics say the move is illegal. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is There a Future for High-Speed Rail? The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office released a report last week raising concerns over unrealistic cost estimates and poor management of California's high-speed rail project. We discuss the report, and the future prospects for high-speed rail in the state. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website State Parks Closures The California Department of Parks and Recreation announced earlier this month that it will close up to 70 of its 278 state parks, making them casualties of California's wide-ranging budget cuts. Broadcasting from our Sacramento studios, guest host John Myers discusses the recent closures with the director of California State Parks. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Supreme Court to California: Cut Prison Population The U.S. Supreme Court today endorsed a court order requiring California to cut its prison population by tens of thousands of inmates to relieve overcrowding. We discuss the issue. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website First Person: James Kass Fifteen years ago, James Kass founded Youth Speaks in San Francisco to introduce poetry and creative writing to young people. Since then, the group has helped tens of thousands of young people nationwide express themselves -- and it's helped launch a vibrant youth poetry movement. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Israel and the U.S. - Together and Apart On the heels of President Obama's major Middle East speech, we speak with journalists and analysts from the United States and Israel about the future of U.S.-Israeli relations. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Examining 'The Filter Bubble' Former MoveOn.org executive director Eli Pariser isn't so sure that the Internet is breaking down information barriers. In his new book "The Filter Bubble," he writes of a hidden rise of personalization on the web and how it limits the information we access. This information, he suggests, then becomes our own unique web universe, or "filter bubble." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Gays and Lesbians in Pro Sports This week, the San Francisco Giants became the first professional sports team to join forces with the "It Gets Better" campaign against bullying of gay and lesbian youths. Is the climate changing for homosexuals in pro sports? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Cutting Absenteeism A growing body of research suggests that frequent absences -- even excused ones -- can sharply increase a student's chances of eventually leaving school. State education officials are holding a conference on Thursday in Sacramento to help educators respond to chronic absence warning signs before it's too late. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website First Person: Dr. Nadine Burke From what she sees at her clinic in San Francisco's Bayview district, Dr. Nadine Burke has come to believe that childhood stress, trauma and poverty can lead to physical changes and illness in adulthood. Burke joins us to talk about her practice -- and her groundbreaking theories -- as part of our "First Person" series on the leaders, innovators and others who make the Bay Area unique. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Arnold Schwarzenegger Revelations It has been confirmed today that former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child more than 10 years ago outside of his marriage to Maria Shriver. We discuss the revelations. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website California Budget Update California finally has some good economic news, in the form of unexpected tax revenue of more than $6 billion. But the state still faces a more than $9.5 billion budget deficit. Governor Jerry Brown says he'll hack away at it with a mix of spending cuts and tax hikes. We'll discuss what the budget means for the state and state politics. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Paul Theroux: 'The Tao of Travel' Renowned travel writer Paul Theroux joins guest host Scott Shafer in the studio. His latest book, "The Tao of Travel," combines his own reflections from a half century on the road with selections from travelers like Vladamir Nabokov, Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jeanne Woodford As San Quentin warden, Jeanne Woodford oversaw four executions. Last week, she took a new job heading Death Penalty Focus, a group that opposes capital punishment. Guest host Scott Shafer talks to Woodford -- who also served as director of California's Department of Corrections -- about her career, her new post and why she sees the death penalty as a failed public policy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Science of What Annoys Us Fingernails on a blackboard. Talking at the movies. Your mother's Facebook updates. Why do such things annoy us? In their new book "Annoying," NPR's Joe Palca and co-author Flora Lichtman try to answer that question by looking at the scientific roots of irritation. Palca joins host Dave Iverson in the studio. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Expanding China's Investment in the U.S. A new report by the Asia Society advocates expanding Chinese investment in the United States, despite our complicated relationship with the country. China has as much as $2 trillion to invest in companies globally -- but U.S. policies have limited investment here. The Asia Society's Orville Schell argues that allowing more investment from China will create jobs stateside while still protecting our national security concerns. Is he right? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Bay to Breakers Crackdown San Francisco's Bay to Breakers run celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, but some devotees are dismayed by new rules, including a ban on booze and floats. Race organizers say they want to make sure the event is fun for everyone, including for neighbors who are fed up with trash and public drunkenness. Will this year be any different? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jeffrey Kripal: 'Authors of the Impossible' Jeffrey Kripal goes where many academics will not -- exploring the mysteries of telepathy, teleportation and other paranormal phenomenon. Kripal, a religious studies professor at Rice University, sorts through fact and fiction in his recent book, "Authors of the Impossible." He joins Michael Krasny in the studio. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Public Education Cuts A week of statewide demonstrations was launched Monday, with hundreds of teachers calling for renewing a number of temporary taxes instead of further cutting public school funding to address the state's fiscal problems. We discuss the protests, and the status of the proposed cuts. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Audit: Teacher Oversight Panel in Disarray The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing is responsible for reviewing allegations of misconduct by teachers and school administrators. A recent audit exposed major flaws in how the state agency investigates such complaints, and how it revokes credentials. Also uncovered was a backlog of three years worth of cases, and familial relationships among commission employees. Now, a legislator is calling for a complete change in leadership for the agency. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Bharati Mukherjee: 'Miss New India' National Book Critics Circle Award-winner Bharati Mukherjee travels deftly between tradition and modernity in her many works, including eight novels and two short story collections. Her latest novel, "Miss New India," delves into the issues of arranged marriage, ambition, culture and class. She joins Michael Krasny to discuss the book. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Obama on Immigration: Policy or Politics? While President Obama took pains on Tuesday to reassure progressive groups and Hispanic voters that he is serious about immigration reform, critics dismissed the speech as political theater. Today, our panel of guests analyzes the president's speech, and examines the possibilities for immigration reform. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Shutting Down SETI? The Mountain View-based organization that has been scanning the skies for signs of alien life for more than 25 years is now searching for funding to continue its mission. Cutbacks in state and federal funding have forced the SETI Institute to shut down its Allen Telescope Array of dishes. However, scientists say they've been forced to turn off their electronic ears just when they've identified a number of planets that could harbor life. We discuss SETI and its importance. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Tavis Smiley: 'Fail Up' Tavis Smiley is better known for his successes -- as talk show host, author, and political commentator -- than his failures. However, in his new book, "Fail Up," Smiley argues that his many misadventures were crucial in shaping his achievements. Smiley's PBS television talk show airs Monday through Friday at 2pm on KQED 9. He joins us in the studio. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Richard Schickel Former Time Magazine film critic Richard Schickel has been writing about movies for more than 40 years. Among his 35 books are biographies of Hollywood icons like Bogart, Brando, and Eastwood. His most recent work, "Conversations with Scorsese," consists of his interviews with the legendary director. He joins us in the studio to discuss his book, his career, as well as some of his favorite all-time films and new releases. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Humanities and Technological Innovation There is a growing consensus in some academic and business circles that technological innovation increases when engineers have training in the humanities, or when they interact with humanities scholars. Hundreds of engineers, businessmen and women, and humanities devotees are gathering at Stanford this week to discuss the hypothesis. We discuss why humanities scholars and techies may need each other. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Cityscapes: San Francisco' What's your favorite San Francisco building? In his new book, "Cityscapes: San Francisco and its Buildings," urban design writer John King identifies 50 notable structures, from the signature Transamerica building to Telegraph Hill's streamlined Malloch Apartments, to the controversial de Young Museum. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Influencing Doctors In recent years, hospitals and universities have tightened financial conflict-of-interest rules for physicians, cracking down on things like drug industry-funded speaking or consulting and kickbacks from device manufactures. But corporations still spend big bucks to sponsor medical society conventions. Does this money improperly influence these associations and their members? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Tales of the City' on Stage Fans of Armistead Maupin may recall that his novel "Tales of the City" began life as a daily serial in The San Francisco Chronicle in 1976. Since then, Mary Ann and her Barbary Lane crew have journeyed from the page to the small screen (a PBS series) and back again. Beginning May 18th, ACT brings "Tales of the City" to the stage with a new musical. We get a preview of the production. Were you in San Francisco in the 1970s? If so, how has the city changed? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Next Steps in U.S.-Pakistan Relations Until his death, Osama bin Laden had been staying in a compound on the outskirts of Abbottabad, a town with a major Pakistani military presence. This has raised questions about Pakistan's commitment as a partner with the U.S. in fighting terrorism. Now, there are congressional calls for a reassessment of the strategic relationship -- and even of withholding aid to Pakistan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Francine Prose: 'My New American Life' Author Francine Prose joins us in the studio to discuss her latest novel, "My New American Life," a playful skewering of American culture and politics told through the voice of Lula, an Albanian immigrant living in New Jersey. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Adapting to Climate Change in the Bay Area Climate change is happening all over the globe, but what kind of impact will it continue to have on the Bay Area? A big impact, says a new study out by the San Francisco Planning and Research Association (SPUR). We talk with the lead author of the study. What can residents and agencies do to adapt to our possibly very different future? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Climate Change and the Big Arctic Thaw An alarming new report says climate change is happening in the Arctic at a more rapid pace than previously believed. Melting ice could elevate the global sea level by as much as five feet in this century. We talk with writer, environmentalist and climate change expert Tim Flannery about what this new information says about the future of our planet. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Adam Hochschild Bay Area-based, internationally renowned author and journalist Adam Hochschild joins us to discuss his new book, "To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918." It's a history of World War I and of the movement -- often overlooked by historians -- that vigorously opposed the war. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Worldwide Reaction to Osama bin Laden's Death As the death of Osama bin Laden reverberates around the globe, we'll get international reaction from reporters and analysts -- and examine how this event impacts the U.S. War on Terror. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Political Future of Tibet Tibet is at a political crossroads with the Dalai Lama recently stepping down as the country's political leader, and the Tibetan exile community recently voting in a new prime minister. What do these events mean for Tibet-China relations, Tibet's autonomy and the legacy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Death of Osama bin Laden Sunday night, President Barack Obama confirmed the death of Osama bin Laden. We discuss the al-Qaida leader's death, and what it might mean for global security and U.S. international relations. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'The Heart and the Fist' "The world needs many more humanitarians than it needs warriors," writes Eric Greitens his new book, "The Heart and the Fist." But, he says, "there can be none of the former without enough of the latter." We talk with Greitens, a former Rhodes Scholar who trained to become a Navy SEAL and served in Iraq and Afghanistan after years of philanthropic work. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Mexico Travel Warning The U.S. Department of State has widened its travel warning for Mexico, advising Americans to avoid certain areas and not drive in Mexico at night. The advisory singles out 11 Mexican states, saying drug-fueled violence has increased the danger level. Mexican tourism officials are defending Mexico, saying the majority of the country is safe. We discuss the potential impacts. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website San Francisco's New Police Chief Fourth-generation San Franciscan and 30-year SFPD veteran Greg Suhr, who began his career as a beat patrol cop, was sworn in as the city's new police chief this week. He joins us to talk about his top priorities, upcoming budget negotiations and how he plans to tackle issues such as gang violence and officer misconduct. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Oliver Stone Today, the San Francisco International Film Festival honors filmmaker Oliver Stone with its Founder's Directing Award. The controversial director of "Wall Street," "Born on the Fourth of July," "JFK" and "Platoon," among many other acclaimed films, joins Michael Krasny in the studio. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A Blow to Consumer Class-Action Lawsuits In a case arising from a California lawsuit, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that companies can restrict customers' ability to band together in class-action lawsuits. Critics see the ruling as putting the rights of corporations over those of individuals. We examine the decision. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Should ROTC Return to Stanford? Since the 1970s, the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) has been absent from Stanford University. But that may change depending on a decision by school officials on Thursday. We talk with members of the Stanford community about the pros and cons of having ROTC back on campus. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website iPhone or iSpy? As new details emerge about the tracking features embedded in smartphones, consumers are starting to wonder: what information about my whereabouts is being collected? How is it used? Who has access to it? And why didn't I know about it? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website First Person: Jill Vialet Some studies suggest that recess and physical education are on the decline in many school districts. But Oakland-based social entrepreneur Jill Vialet is working to keep play in the nation's school playgrounds. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Putting the Brakes on Bicycles Some Bay Area bicyclists are upset about a proposed 10 mph speed limit for bicycles across the Golden Gate Bridge. But a safety study commissioned by bridge officials concluded, among other things, that bicycle speed limits could help reduce accidents. We take up the issue of bike safety on the bridge. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Pain at the Pump There is no "magic bullet" to lower gas prices, President Obama told Americans over the weekend in his weekly radio and Internet address. Yet a recent poll concluded that higher gas prices are a main reason 70 percent of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track. We discuss rising gas prices. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Bali: Art, Ritual, Performance We dive into the art of Bali, currently featured at San Francisco's Asian Art Museum. The museum's unique exhibit weaves together art, Balinese ritual and performance such as shadow puppetry, gamelan music and masked dances. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Hugh Jackman Starting May 3, Hugh Jackman will shed his Wolverine claws to take center stage at San Francisco's Curran Theatre for an exclusive one-man song and dance show backed by a 17-piece orchestra. We talk with Jackman, who has starred in such films as the "X-Men" series, Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige" and Woody Allen's "Scoop." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Michael Nacht UC Berkeley public policy professor Michael Nacht stepped down last year after serving as assistant secretary of defense for global strategic affairs. We speak with him about his government service, as well as national security, global affairs and foreign policy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Republican Voters and Presidential Candidates A New York Times/CBS News poll finds that most Republican voters still aren't enthusiastic about any of their likely candidates for the 2012 presidential election. We examine voter attitudes and GOP candidates. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Something Ventured' The new documentary "Something Ventured" tells the story of the early, visionary venture capitalists who took chances on technology companies like Intel, Apple and Genentech -- and helped make Silicon Valley the center of innovation that it is today. We talk to the directors of the film, which is showing this week as part of the San Francisco International Film Festival. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Oakland Zoo Expansion The Oakland Zoo is seeking final approval to expand into the 500-acre city-owned Knowland Park. The expansion would include a new exhibit on California's native wildlife and terrain, as well as an all-electric gondola and a three-quarter-acre veterinary hospital. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Sugar and Health UCSF professor Robert Lustig became an Internet video sensation when he spoke out about the evils of sugar in a post that went viral on YouTube. He was also recently featured in a New York Times Magazine cover story, "Is Sugar Toxic?" Lustig joins us in the studio to discuss sugar's role in diabetes, obesity and related diseases. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website College Choices At this time of year, many high school seniors are busy weighing their college options -- and the final decision can be a tricky one. We talk with students and counselors about what factors to consider when making the choice. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Pulitzer Prize Winner Jennifer Egan This week, writer Jennifer Egan was named the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for her novel, "A Visit From the Goon Squad." She joins us to discuss the honor. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Greg Mortenson Under Fire Philanthropist and author Greg Mortenson fabricated stories in his bestselling books and improperly used charitable funds to promote those books, according to a "60 Minutes" report. Mortenson has admitted to literary "omissions and compressions" and management mistakes, but defended his overall record. We discuss the fallout from the report. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Francis Fukuyama: The Origins of Political Order After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, political theorist Francis Fukuyama predicted the "End of History" in his seminal essay. In his latest book, "The Origins of Political Order," he tracks the development of political institutions since pre-modern times. He joins us in the studio to discuss this new book. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Update: the Middle East and North Africa More than 5,000 protesters occupied the main square of Homs, Syria on Monday, vowing to occupy the site until President Bashar Assad is ousted. Meanwhile, amid fears of an escalating humanitarian crisis in the besieged rebel city of Misrata, U.S. officials defended America's role in the NATO-led mission. We discuss recent developments in the Middle East and North Africa. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website One Year After the BP Gulf Spill It was one year ago Wednesday that the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling platform operated by British Petroleum exploded and sank, killing 11 men before gushing roughly 170 million gallons of crude oil into the gulf. One year later, the cleanup continues, gulf coast economies are still struggling to recover, and environmentalists remain skeptical about the measures to restore the Gulf. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website First Person: Tommy Guerrero The San Francisco Chronicle describes musician Tommy Guerrero's work as "a soul, jazz, psychedelic fusion that feels like a soundtrack for walking the streets of San Francisco." That's appropriate, since Guerrero first made a name for himself navigating the city's avenues and alleys as a pioneering pro skateboarder. We'll talk to Guerrero about his journey from high school dropout and teen skate god to entrepreneur and indie music icon. He joins us as part of our "First Person" series featu ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Healing with Art Does exposure to art, music, dance or storytelling help hospital patients heal faster, reduce pain, and lower health care costs? The Society for the Arts in Health Care believes it does. The organization is holding its 22nd annual conference in San Francisco this week. We talk with organizers, health professionals and artists about art and health. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Ann Packer Ann Packer, the author of best-selling novels like "The Dive from Clausen's Pier" and "Songs Without Words," joins us to talk about her new collection of short stories, "Swim Back to Me." Critics have applauded her novels for their stirringly emotional characters dealing with situations that have no easy solutions. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Ashley Judd Actress and activist Ashley Judd joins us in the studio to discuss her career, her global humanitarian work, and her new memoir "All That is Bitter and Sweet," in which she reveals that she was sexually abused as a child. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Barry Bonds Verdict A San Francisco jury has convicted baseball slugger Barry Bonds of obstruction of justice, for lying to a grand jury about using steroids and human growth hormones. U.S. District Court judge Susan Illston declared a mistrial on three other perjury counts. The charge makes Bonds a convicted felon, and he could face a 10-year prison term. However, federal sentencing guidelines recommend a much shorter sentence. We discuss the verdict. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Obama's Long-Term Budget Proposal On Wednesday, President Obama spoke about fiscal policy, and proposed cutting $4 trillion from the deficit within 12 years. We get reaction from Professor Laura D'Andrea Tyson and Keith Hennessey, two former White House economic advisors. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Burqa Ban in France The French ban of the niqab, the face-covering Islamic veil also known as the burqa, took effect earlier this week. And now, in a first enforcement of the ban, French police have fined a woman in a mall parking lot outside Paris for wearing a niqab. We discuss this divisive issue. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Joseph Lelyveld on Gandhi Joseph Lelyveld's new biography of Mahatma Gandhi, "Great Soul," has sparked controversy from India to California. For some, it has raised questions about Gandhi's sexual orientation. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author and former New York Times executive editor joins Michael Krasny to discuss his book, and the debate that swirls around it. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Humane Society's Wayne Pacelle The Humane Society of the United States is one the nation's largest animal welfare organizations. At its helm is Wayne Pacelle, who has written a new book, "The Bond," about the relationship between people and animals. We'll talk with him about the book and find out how a fringe cause -- animal welfare -- evolved into a dynamic movement. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A Taxing Season This year's deadline to file income tax returns is April 18th. We open our phone lines and invite listeners to pose their tax questions to our experts about the current tax code and resources available to taxpayers. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 2011 Goldman Environmental Prize The 2011 Goldman Environmental Prize winners will be announced today, Monday, April 11th. Each year, the San Francisco-based foundation recognizes six grassroots environmental activists from all over the world with a $150,000 cash prize. We talk with the award recipients for Africa and North America. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website California Schools 'On Shaky Ground' After more than 18 months of research, KQED News and California Watch have released a new investigative series: "On Shaky Ground." The series examines how the state has failed to enforce seismic safety laws in public schools. We talk with two reporters who worked on the project about their findings, and about the response the series is getting thus far. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Deputy Israeli Prime Minister Dan Meridor Israel's Deputy Prime Minister, Dan Meridor, joins Michael Krasny to discuss what the Arab spring uprisings mean for Israel, the current state of Israeli-Palestinian relations and other issues. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Mountain Climbing in the Sierra, A Historical Look Author Daniel Arnold retraces the steps of 15 early mountain climbers who explored the Sierra Nevada range between 1864 and 1931. They did it without any modern equipment, and Arnold did the same thing -- climbing in their footsteps, without modern mountaineering gear. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Government Shutdown? Democratic and Republican lawmakers are locked into a contentious series of negotiations to reach a federal budget compromise which, if not reached by Friday at midnight, could result in a government shutdown. What would such a shutdown mean for you? And what are the pressures driving the negotiators? We take up those issues with guest host Mark Trautwein. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Poet Billy Collins English professor and former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins has been dubbed "the most popular poet in America." He joins Michael Krasny to discuss his new anthology, "Horoscopes for the Dead: Poems." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The State of Our National Parks National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis joins us in the studio for an update on the state of our national parks. How might the threatened federal budget shutdown affect parks in the Bay Area and around the country? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Joyce Carol Oates Joyce Carol Oates joins us in the studio to discuss her latest book, "A Widow's Story." This memoir from Oates describing her shock and grief following the sudden death of her husband, Raymond Smith, provides a rare window into the emotional and mental landscape of one of America's most acclaimed and prolific writers. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Haiti's Election A 50-year-old entertainer who has never held political office before is now the president of Haiti. Michel Martelly, known as "Sweet Mickey," has won the island nation's presidential run-off by a sizeable margin. Observers say the former "King of Haitian carnival music" has a formidable task ahead of him, as the country recovers from a devastating earthquake and a legacy of volatile governments. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Geoff Hoyle From his role as the endearing clown Mr. Sniff in San Francisco's own Pickle Family Circus to his portrayal of Zazu, the smart-aleck hornbill in Broadway's "The Lion King," Geoff Hoyle has delighted audiences with his unique physicality and wit. In his most recent production, "Geezer," Hoyle brings his signature comedic style to a poignant and humorous exploration of aging and mortality. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A Step Closer to Curing Alzheimer's? Two major genetic studies on Alzheimer's disease have yielded new information about the debilitating and elusive illness. We talk with Bay Area doctors and health advocates about the significance of the findings. How far away are we from a cure? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Carol Edgarian Host Michael Krasny talks with author Carol Edgarian, co-editor of Narrative, a literary magazine. Her new novel is "Three Stages of Amazement." Edgarian's other books include "Rise the Euphrates." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is the Economy on the Rebound? Unemployment figures fell again Friday, marking two consecutive months of solid job growth. Some economists point to this as further proof that the nation's economic recovery is speeding up. But others remain wary, noting that the official end of the recession was mid-2009, and for many, this doesn't yet feel like a recovery. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Should NCAA Players Be Paid? Should NCAA student athletes be paid to play? The annual March Madness college basketball spectacle generates hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues that go to the NCAA, coaching salaries and TV networks. But NCAA rules require that college athletes participate only as unpaid amateurs. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Environmentalist Debate Over Nuclear Power In the wake of Japan's Fukushima nuclear crisis, the green debate over nuclear power is in the spotlight. Some environmentalists say nuclear energy is safer and more efficient than many other sources. Others say that's not true, and point to Japan as an example of how bad it can be. Who's right? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Redistricting California California voters passed Prop. 11 as a way to stop political gerrymandering. The measure took the drawing of legislative districts out of the hands of lawmakers, and instead put it into the hands of a bipartisan organization called the Citizens Redistricting Commission. But that group is already under fire for alleged political bias -- and its work is not yet underway. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Farm Labor Conditions A new report by the United Farm Workers and food service company Bon Appetit Management asserts that health and safety protections for U.S. farmworkers are inadequate and rarely enforced. On this Cesar Chavez Day, we get an update on conditions for farmworkers in California. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Tom Rosenstiel: The State of the News Media The New York Times put up a paywall around its digital content this week. Will the paper's new subscription model for online news succeed? Or will readers balk at paying for something that has long been available for free? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website California Corrections Secretary Matthew Cate Matthew Cate joins us, three years into his tenure as secretary of the California Department of Corrections. We'll talk candidly about some of the current issues surrounding the state's prison system -- like overcrowding and recidivism, cell phone use and realignment -- and how he hopes to right them. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Tax Break for Twitter? Twitter is at the center of a controversial tax break plan in San Francisco, which proponents say can aid with jobs, blight and business growth. Opponents say it helps corporations get an economic free pass. We parse through the pros and cons of the so-called Twitter tax break. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The California Supreme Court's New Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye took over as chief justice of the California Supreme Court in January, making her the second woman and first Asian-American to hold the job. She joins guest host Scott Shafer in the studio. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Teaching in Turbulent Times Randi Weingarten leads the American Federation of Teachers at a time when debates over declining budgets, labor issues and education reform are raging all over the country. We talk with Weingarten about the teaching profession during turbulent times. The American Federation of Teachers represents 1.5 million members in more than 3,000 local affiliates nationwide. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Budget Blues Governor Jerry Brown last week slashed $8.2 billion from the state budget, enacting what he called "painful cuts that hit vulnerable people." But Brown still has failed to reach a deal with Republicans to put a tax measure on the ballot, two weeks after his initial deadline. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Modesto Prayer Week Modesto's mayor, for the second year in a row, has organized a week of prayer for his city. The schedule calls for specific prayer events for the community's sports teams, media outlets, emergency responders and young adults, just to name a few. We talk with the mayor, and get listeners' reactions to what it means when prayer goes citywide. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website San Francisco Flower and Garden Show 2011 This week tens of thousands of gardeners, foodies and families are in San Mateo for the 26th annual San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. This year's theme is "Life in the California Garden," with special attention and exhibits showcasing "garden to table edible landscapes." We talk with several exhibitors and gardening experts. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Barry Bonds Trial The perjury trial of former baseball slugger Barry Bonds is underway in San Francisco. Bonds stands accused of misleading a federal grand jury investigating the BALCO doping ring in 2003. We talk with journalist Lance Williams about the case. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Chauncey Bailey Trial Begins Three and a half years after he was gunned down on an Oakland street, the murder trial of journalist Chauncey Bailey has begun. We check in with a reporter and a legal expert observing the trial. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Lewis Lapham Lewis Lapham joins us in the studio to talk about the state of education in America. Lapham is founder and editor of "Lapham's Quarterly," as well as editor emeritus and national correspondent for Harper's Magazine. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Joseph Nye and 'The Future of Power' Joseph Nye, former dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, joins us to discuss his new book, "The Future of Power." We'll examine U.S. foreign policy, the current geopolitical landscape, and the debate over whether America's superpower status is waning. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website David Brooks: 'The Social Animal' Part narrative and part social commentary, New York Times columnist David Brooks' new book, "The Social Animal," explores the world of human motivations. Through his fictional characters Harold and Erica, Brooks seeks to illustrate the web of emotional and societal influences which guide and govern our behavior and relationships. He joins us in the studio. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Elizabeth Taylor Passes Away Famed actress Elizabeth Taylor has died at the age of 79. We discuss her legacy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Health Care Reform, a Year Later One year ago, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as the health care reform bill. We discuss the bill's successes -- and failures -- one year later. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Bowles and Balenciaga "Balenciaga and Spain", an exhibit featuring the work of haute couture master Cristobal Balenciaga, opens this weekend at the de Young Museum. Exhibit curator and Vogue magazine European Editor-at-Large Hamish Bowles joins us in studio to talk about the exhibit and the world of fashion. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Latest in Libya The violence in Libya continues, with ongoing Western-led air strikes and on-the-ground clashes between Colonel Gadhafi loyalists and anti-government rebels. We'll talk with reporters and analysts about the latest news out of Libya, and what it means for the region and the United States. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Ted Danson Actor and environmental activist Ted Danson joins Michael Krasny in the studio to discuss his new book, "Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do to Save Them." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Congressional Check-In We check in with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and California Congresswoman Barbara Lee to discuss the economy, the Congressional budget impasse and the weekend's airstrikes on Libya by the U.S. and its allies. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website House Votes to Cut NPR Funding The House of Representatives on Thursday voted 228-192 to block federal funding of NPR. While the resolution is not expected to pass in the Senate, the move highlights the growing challenge public radio faces from the political right. Should government funds continue to be used to help pay for public broadcasting? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website U.N. Vote on Libya In a 10-0 vote with five abstentions, the United Nations Security Council has authorized the imposition of a no-fly zone and other measures to protect civilians in rebel-held sections of Libya from attacks by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. The move follows increasing military action by Gadhafi's forces to crush a rebel uprising. What are the implications of the Security Council vote? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Aiding Japan We talk with aid workers about the humanitarian relief effort taking place in Japan one week after the devastating 9.0 earthquake and resultant tsunami -- and in the shadow of a potential nuclear disaster. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website James Gleick Bestselling science and technology writer James Gleick joins us in the studio to discuss his new book, "The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website California's Crisis in Higher Education Higher education officials in California are bracing for hundreds of millions of dollars in budget cuts. The University of California and State University systems are facing half billion dollar cuts each, while the California Community College system is projected to lose $400 million in funding. We discuss the potential impact. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Amnesty International's 50th Anniversary Fifty years after its founding, Amnesty International officials say the group's intervention in 150 countries to preserve human rights is more critical than ever. This week, thousands of activists are arriving in San Francisco to celebrate the organization's golden anniversary. We talk with officials about the organization's history, and some of the campaigns it's working on today. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Bahrain's Unrest As the political and violent unrest continues to rock Bahrain, we'll talk with journalists and analysts about this small Gulf nation -- and what its current instability means for relations with the United States and the region at large. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Aileen Mioko Smith Aileen Mioko Smith, of Green Action in Kyoto, has worked for decades to oppose the nuclear industry in Japan, raise awareness about its risks and promote alternative sources of energy. She joins us in studio today to discuss the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Harold Pinter's Homecoming The American Conservatory Theater celebrates the work of Nobel laureate Harold Pinter this month with a revival of the late playwright's most provocative play, "The Homecoming." Michael Krasny hosts a discussion about Pinter's legacy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is the Bay Area Prepared? On the heels of Japan's earthquake, we'll talk with scientists, city officials and preparedness experts about whether or not the Bay Area is equipped to handle a major earthquake. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Japan's Nuclear Crisis As Japan struggles to contain the worst nuclear emergency since Chernobyl, we talk with experts about the potential fallout from the nuclear reactors in Fukushima. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Japan Earthquake Update We discuss the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on Friday, including recovery efforts and ongoing concerns over the possible meltdown of nuclear reactors. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Cokie and Steve Robe