Nancy Pelosi is many things: Trailblazer. Lightning rod. First woman Speaker of the House. Mom of five. To some, she’s an out-of-touch elitist, to others, a champion for democracy. In The Speaker, a new limited-run podcast from KQED, political reporter Scott Shafer reflects on Pelosi’s historic life and career as she prepares to exit public office.
Li ... Show More
Sep 21
How the Trump Administration Is Using SFO as a ‘De Facto Detention Center’
The Trump administration has ramped up immigration arrests at airports in recent months, including at San Francisco International Airport. According to reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle, Customs and Border Protection has also been holding immigrants at SFO – in some cases, ... Show More
24m 27s
Sep 18
At This San Quentin Program, Perpetrators of Gun Violence Are Part of the Solution
Why does gun violence happen? Arms Down, a program inside the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, formerly San Quentin State Prison, asks the people behind the gun. It’s a revolutionary program that treats firearm addiction like an alcohol addiction, and recasts perpetrators of gu ... Show More
20m 28s
Sep 16
Desperate Tenants in SF Face Scams, Substandard Rentals
San Francisco’s AI boom is making the rental market more competitive than ever. Prospective tenants face intense pressure to stand out, leaving them susceptible to substandard living conditions or outright scams. Links: Part 1: As AI Booms, Daniel Lurie Declares ‘Rent Emergency’ ... Show More
19m 59s
Apr 2020
'I Become a Person of Suspicion'
<p><em>Note: This episode contains strong language.</em></p><p>As the death toll from the coronavirus rises in the U.S., so do reports of verbal and physical attacks against Asian-Americans, who say hostile strangers are blaming them for the pandemic. Today, one writer shares her ... Show More
35m 41s
Jun 2023
Avaya | EP 4 | Ashley's Story
<p>Jason learns his sentence. Avaya reveals the struggles she faced at home after Jason was arrested. Ashley, at her most vulnerable, faces Avaya to express her regrets. Then, experts explain how child sexual abuse material has become ubiquitous. </p> <p> If you would like to re ... Show More
31m 34s
Mar 2018
Episode 1: 'I Just Want You to Come Home'
Z had his first encounters with law enforcement when he was just 12 years old. Now, at 16, he’s sitting in detention on an armed robbery charge—his young life has been defined by cops and courts. Dwayne Betts is a poet and juvenile justice lawyer who, in his own youth, was deemed ... Show More
28m 57s
Jun 2019
Episodes We Love: You Must Change Your Life
<p>“I remember them finding the drugs and holding them up in the sky. And I was like, 'Oh man, I’m going to prison.'” This week’s guest, the writer Mitchell S. Jackson, started selling drugs when he was 14 years old, then went to prison for drug possession years later. When his m ... Show More
38m 24s