🎙️ON AIR: A rare form of dementia has affected generations of one family. We’ll talk with author Robert Kolker about the toll of the disease, genetic risk and the search for treatments. ❓How has dementia affected your family? 📻Listen:

‘The Vanishing Family’ Examines the Toll of Dementia Across Generations | KQED

We talk to Kolker about his new book “The Vanishing Family.” How has dementia affected your family?

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🎙️ON AIR: AI is changing how students learn and teachers teach. We’ll discuss how schools can adapt to new AI tools, address concerns about their use and prepare students for the future. ❓How should the education system adjust to developing technology? 📻Listen:

How Should Schools Adapt to AI? | KQED

We'll talk with educators and researchers about how AI is reshaping the classroom.

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🎙️ON AIR: A CNN investigation found serious safety concerns on a popular Six Flags roller coaster. We’ll discuss the warning signs that were missed and why the ride wasn’t shut down sooner. ❓How safe do you feel riding roller coasters and other high-thrill amusement park rides? 📻Listen:

Six Flags Roller Coaster Deaths, and the Warning Signs Missed | KQED

We’ll speak with a CNN reporter, and look at why apparently dangerous rides weren’t shut down sooner.

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🎙️ON AIR: Legal challenges to voting are expected to mount ahead of the midterms. We’ll discuss what’s driving the disputes and what they could mean for voters and election officials. ❓How confident are you that your vote will be counted fairly in the 2026 midterms? Why or why not? 📻Listen:

Bracing for the Coming Wave of Legal Challenges to Midterm Voting | KQED

We'll talk to experts about the challenges from the Trump administration and hear your concerns.

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🎙️ON AIR: California is trying to bring Hollywood productions back with tax incentives as filming moves elsewhere. We’ll discuss whether the state can save its entertainment industry. ❓How important is the entertainment industry to California’s identity and economy? 📻Listen:

Can California Save Hollywood? | KQED

We talk with entertainment journalists about new tax incentives and the long-term future of Hollywood.

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🎙️ON AIR: A super El Niño could bring heavy storms, flooding and coastal erosion to California. We’ll discuss what’s ahead and how communities can prepare. ❓How prepared do you feel for a winter of unusually heavy rain and potential flooding? 📻Listen:

Super El Niño Threatens Heavy Storms, Flooding and Coastal Erosion | KQED

We’ll talk with experts on what would make this El Niño climate pattern “super” and what you need to know to prepare.

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🎙️ON AIR: Immigrants have died in ICE detention centers in California. We’ll discuss what’s happening inside these facilities and whether the state can hold the federal government accountable. ❓What questions do you have ICE detention centers in California? 📻Listen:

Immigrants are Dying in ICE Detention Centers. Can California Hold DHS Accountable? | KQED

We discuss California detention facilities and the new Al Jazeera documentary, “Dying in Detention.”

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🎙️ON AIR: Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao is on trial in a federal corruption case. We’ll discuss the allegations, the defense’s arguments and what to expect as the trial unfolds. ❓Have you been following the case? What questions do you have? 📻Listen:

Understanding the Corruption Trial of Oakland’s Former Mayor Sheng Thao | KQED

We’ll talk about the alleged scheme, how the case is unfolding and what to expect from the trial.

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🎙️ON AIR: California’s insurance market faces rising rates and shrinking coverage as climate disasters mount. We’ll hear from insurance commissioner candidates Jane Kim and Ben Allen about their plans. ❓What questions do you have for the candidates? 📻Listen:

We Hear From California’s Insurance Commissioner Candidates | KQED

Airdate: Monday, October 19, 2026 at 10 AM This November, Californians will elect their next insurance commissioner. The role is charged with regulating property and casualty insurance rates and with…

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🎙️ON AIR: San Francisco voters face a packed ballot, from a proposed public bank to changes in city government. We’ll discuss the key measures, contested races and how wealthy donors are shaping the election. ❓What questions do you have for Mayor Lurie or about the ballot? 📻Listen:

What's on the Ballot in San Francisco | KQED

We’ll talk about what's on San Francisco’s ballot and how wealthy campaign donors are shaping races.

kqed.org

🎙️ON AIR: We're talking with Ian Urbina, director of The Outlaw Ocean Project, whose five-year investigation into the farmed seafood supply chain reveals costs that are largely invisible to consumers. ❓What questions do you have about the seafood industry? 📻Listen:

New Investigation Spotlights Toll of Farmed Fish Industry | KQED

Airdate: Friday, October 16, 2026 at 10 AM Fish farming was supposed to relieve pressure on the world’s oceans. Instead, the burgeoningindustry is contributing to overfishing, environmental…

kqed.org

🎙️ON AIR: We're talking with the author of “Handmade Utopia: Back-to-the-Land Architecture in Northern California," and a few of the folks he profiles, about their lives and homes. ❓What questions do you have about these handmade utopias, and the people who created them? 📻Listen:

Back-to-Landers Built Their Utopia in Northern California. It’s Slowly Disappearing | KQED

We talk to its author and a few of the folks featured who built their utopia from hand.

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🎙️ON AIR: The Tony-winning comedy “Oh, Mary!” is bringing its irreverent take on Mary Todd Lincoln to California. We’ll discuss the play’s humor, history and unexpected rise to Broadway fame. ❓Have you seen the show? What about camp humor is so engaging for audiences? 📻Listen:

‘Oh, Mary!’ National Tour Comes to California | KQED

We’ll speak with the director and stars about the play’s unexpected success and the long legacy of camp.

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🎙️ON AIR: Can art bridge the distances between us? We’ll talk with poet and Mellon Foundation CEO Elizabeth Alexander about her new book and how art can connect us across differences. ❓What work of art has helped you make sense of a difficult moment in your life or in the world? 📻Listen:

Poet and Mellon Foundation CEO Elizabeth Alexander’s New Book Examines How Art Can Bridge Distances | KQED

She joins us to talk about her book, which examines how art, literature and history can shape civic life.

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🎙️ON AIR: California’s proposed billionaire tax faces a fight from wealthy opponents seeking to block it. We’ll discuss the tax, the efforts to nullify it and what’s at stake for the state. ❓What do you think the wealthiest Californians owe the state and local communities? 📻Listen:

California’s Billionaire Tax (and the Efforts to Nullify It) | KQED

We’ll speak with KQED’s political correspondents about Prop. 40 and the efforts to nullify it.

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🎙️ON AIR: What shapes the food we eat? We’ll talk with food policy expert Marion Nestle about how corporations, marketing and politics influence what ends up on our plates. ❓How much do you think food advertising influences what you buy 📻Listen:

Marion Nestle on the Powerful Forces Shaping What We Eat | KQED

We discuss food shifts, from soda taxes to MAHA, and her vision for a healthier food system overall.

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🎙️ON AIR: Gov. Newsom may commute the sentences of California’s 563 death row prisoners. We’ll discuss how the decision could shape his political future and the future of capital punishment. ❓Has recent news around capital punishment impacted the way you think about the death penalty? 📻Listen:

🎙️ON AIR: The Oakland Faith Project is documenting the city’s changing religious landscape, one faith community at a time. We’ll discuss the project and what it reveals about religion in Oakland today. ❓Do you seek comfort in religious spaces? Or do you stray away? 📻Listen:

‘Oakland Faith Project’ Documents a Shifting Religious Landscape | KQED

We’ll talk about “de-churching” in the Bay Area and the future of organized religion.

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🎙️ON AIR: @minjinlee.bsky.social’s “American Hagwon” explores sacrifices families make for education. We’ll discuss academic pressure, family expectations and the future of education. ❓What do you think of America and Korea’s education systems? What can one learn from the other? 📻Listen:

Novelist Min Jin Lee on Education, Sacrifice and ‘American Hagwon’ | KQED

We’ll talk to Lee about diaspora, education and how we prepare for an uncertain future.

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🎙️ON AIR: Fraternities and sororities offer friendship, community and connection, but critics point to hazing and sexual assault. We’ll discuss whether Greek life needs reform or should be banned. ❓Were you apart of Greek life? Would your campus have been better off with or without it? 📻Listen:

Is It Time to Rethink Fraternities? | KQED

Members argue Greek life offers friendship, but critics say fraternities and sororities should be banned.

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🎙️ON AIR: We're talking with reporters, coaches, and a youth sports advocate about the issue of affordability in youth sports sports. ❓Does your child play youth/club sports? Have you been unable to get your kid into sports because of the costs? 📻Listen:

The Youth Sports Affordability Crisis | KQED

We hear from reporters and a youth sports advocate about the affordability of sports.

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🎙️ON AIR: We're talking with Michael Lewis, author of "Moneyball" and "The Big Short," to talk about his latest: “Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State." In it, he profiles civil servants who stood up to DOGE. ❓Are you a federal employee? What did you experience during the DOGE era? 📻Listen:

Michael Lewis on the Civil Servants Who Tried to Stop DOGE | KQED

We’ll talk to the Berkeley based author about civil servants and their acts of workplace resistance.

kqed.org

🎙️ON AIR: California voters will decide whether to require ID when casting a ballot. We’ll discuss Prop. 39, the arguments and what a new voter ID requirement could mean for elections. ❓Have you ever encountered a problem while voting that made you question how the system works? 📻Listen:

The Battle Over Voter ID in California | KQED

We’ll unpack the cases for and against Prop 39 with KQED’s Guy Marzorati and Marisa Lagos.

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🎙️ON AIR: San Francisco’s Other Minds Festival turns 30, celebrating experimental music from around the world. We’ll talk with musicians about why the Bay Area inspires avant-garde music. ❓How does experimental music make you hear the world differently? 📻Listen:

Other Minds Festival Celebrates 30th Year of Highlighting Experimental Music | KQED

We’ll talk with musicians and others about why the Bay Area is such a rich site for avant-garde music.

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🎙️ON AIR: California is weighing faster housing development against environmental review. We’ll discuss what Prop. 45 could mean for housing, communities and environmental protections. ❓How do you think California should balance the need for more housing with environmental protections? 📻Listen

Prop 45: Will California Vote to Trade Environmental Regulation for Quicker Housing Development? | KQED

We’ll look at how changes could impact housing, data centers and more.

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🎙️ON AIR: Some of the Bay Area’s biggest congressional races are between fellow Democrats. We’ll break down the candidates, key issues and what to watch before Election Day. ❓What issues matter most to you when deciding who to vote for in a congressional race? 📻Listen:

The Bay Area’s Hotly Contested Congressional Races | KQED

KQED’s politics team joins us to break down the races, the candidates and what to watch.

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🎙️ON AIR: We’re talking with historian Miriam Feldman about how the University of California transformed California, from its origins to its lasting impact on the state’s social, economic and intellectual life. ❓Did you go to a UC? Did it change the trajectory of your life? 📻Listen:

How the UC System Transformed California | KQED

We’ll talk with Pawel about how the history of the UC is the history of California.

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🎙️ON AIR: We're talking with tech writer Kevin Roose (@kevinroose.com) about the trillion-dollar race to build artificial general intelligence, and the risks and questions surrounding superintelligent machines. ❓How are you using AI in your life? What concerns do you have about AGI? 📻Listen:

Tech Writer Kevin Roose on the Trillion-Dollar Sprint to Build Artificial General Intelligence | KQED

Airdate: Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 9 AM AGI or “artificial general intelligence” has been both the holy grail of machine learning researchers, and also the source of their biggest fears. Whereas AI…

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🎙️ON AIR: Republican Steve Hilton says California needs a dramatic break from Democratic rule. We’ll hear his case for governor and take your questions on taxes, housing, immigration and more. ❓What questions do you have for Hilton about his campaign or platform? 📻Listen:

California Governor Candidate Steve Hilton Takes Your Questions | KQED

We talk with Steve Hilton about his case for a California reset.

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🎙️ON AIR: A two-year investigation found sexual abuse and retaliation at California’s largest women’s prison. We’ll talk with KQED reporters and a survivor about the failures that allowed abuse to persist. ❓Have you had interactions with the OPD? How did it go? 📻Listen:

KQED Investigates Abuse and Retaliation at CA’s Largest Women’s Prison | KQED

Airdate: Monday, October 5, 2026 at 9am When Aliksandria Prout was released from the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla in 2022, she set out to bring the correctional officer who…

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