KCBS Radio In Depth

We hear a lot about the liberal and conservative media echo chambers, and it’s true: If you spend a day soaking up the news in liberal land, you’re going to have a very different view of the world than after a day spent in conservative-ville. 

But if you watch closely you’ll notice it’s not just a difference in substance between left and right. There's a difference in style too, and that difference might be very telling.

In fact, today’s guest says that if we want to understand the nation’s stark political divide, a good place to start would be to take a long hard look at the divide between some of the most popular forms of liberal and conservative media out there in 2019.

On this edition of In Depth we speak with University of Delaware Communication Professor Danna Young about her new book, “Irony and Outrage: The Polarized Landscape of Rage, Fear, and Laughter in the United States.”

Host: KCBS Radio reporter Keith Menconi 

The framers put it right there in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution: Congress is the branch of government that has the power to declare war, but the situation has gotten a bit more complicated since the founding. There hasn’t been a formal war declaration from Congress since World War II, and after that most military engagements have been carried out by the president with only limited Congressional oversight. 

But now with tensions between the US and Iran escalating some members of Congress are beginning to push back, including a few representing districts here in the Bay Area.

On this edition of KCBS In Depth we take a look at how the way America declares war has changed over its long history and how it might be changing right now.

Guests: 

• Connor O’Brien, senior defense reporter with Politico
• Chris Edelson, professor of government at American University’s School of Public Affairs

Host: KCBS Radio reporter Keith Menconi

The framers put it right there in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution: Congress is the branch of government that has the power to declare war, but the situation has gotten a bit more complicated since the founding. There hasn’t been a formal war declaration from Congress since World War II, and after that most military engagements have been carried out by the president with only limited Congressional oversight. 

But now with tensions between the US and Iran escalating some members of Congress are beginning to push back, including a few representing districts here in the Bay Area.

On this edition of KCBS In Depth we take a look at how the way America declares war has changed over its long history and how it might be changing right now.

Guests: 

Connor O’Brien, senior defense reporter with Politico

Chris Edelson, professor of government at American University’s School of Public Affairs

Host: KCBS Radio reporter Keith Menconi

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This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing, the first time humankind stepped foot on the moon.

Even 50 years later the historic feat stands as a monument to American perseverance and technological ingenuity, but while those brave astronauts were up there, they were doing more than just planting flags: they were also getting some important science done as well.

On this edition of KCBS In Depth, we mark the moon landing anniversary by holding a conversation on lunar science to find out what we've learned so far and what future missions to the moons still could teach us. 

Host: KCBS Radio Reporter Keith Menconi 

Guest: Andrew Fraknoi, emeritus chair of Foothill College’s Astronomy Department, who currently teaches at the Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing, the first time humankind stepped foot on the moon.

Even 50 years later the historic feat stands as a monument to American perseverance and technological ingenuity, but while those brave astronauts were up there, they were doing more than just planting flags: they were also getting some important science done as well.

On this edition of KCBS In Depth, we mark the moon landing anniversary by holding a conversation on lunar science to find out what we've learned so far and what future missions to the moons still could teach us. 

Host: KCBS Radio Reporter Keith Menconi 

Guest: Andrew Fraknoi, emeritus chair of Foothill College’s Astronomy Department, who currently teaches at the Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco

As fire season gets ready to blaze into full force communities around California are getting ready too. In some places this means clearing out excess vegetation, elsewhere it means hardening homes to make them more resilient to fire -- but no matter the work, it's more and more clear that Californians are approaching it with a new sense of urgency prompted by the past two years of devastating fire seasons. 

There is still more work to be done, and if we're lucky more time to do it, so on this edition of In Depth we speak to fire prevention experts to learn what steps we should all be taking to make sure our communities are well prepared if a major wildfire should strike. 

Host: KCBS reporter Keith Menconi

Guests: 

Todd Lando, executive coordinator at Fire Safe Marin

Lucas Spelman, Cal Fire Battalion Chief 

Resources

Firewise, a national program from the National Fire Protection Association, which recognizes communities that meet certain fire safety standards and provides those communities with support. Learn how to become a Firewise site here. And learn how to prepare your home for wildfire here.  

Cal Fire's Ready Fore Wildfire website with more helpful information on how to prevent the spread of wildfires. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As fire season gets ready to blaze into full force communities around California are getting ready too. In some places this means clearing out excess vegetation, elsewhere it means hardening homes to make them more resilient to fire -- but no matter the work, it's more and more clear that Californians are approaching it with a new sense of urgency prompted by the past two years of devastating fire seasons. 

There is still more work to be done, and if we're lucky more time to do it, so on this edition of In Depth we speak to fire prevention experts to learn what steps we should all be taking to make sure our communities are well prepared if a major wildfire should strike. 

Host: KCBS reporter Keith Menconi

Guests: 

• Todd Lando, executive coordinator at Fire Safe Marin
• Lucas Spelman, Cal Fire Battalion Chief 

Resources

• Firewise, a national program from the National Fire Protection Association, which recognizes communities that meet certain fire safety standards and provides those communities with support. Learn how to become a Firewise site here. And learn how to prepare your home for wildfire here.  
• Cal Fire's Ready Fore Wildfire website with more helpful information on how to prevent the spread of wildfires. 

In these fractured and fractious times it can sometimes be difficult to see past the political chasms that divide us; harder still to find the common ground needed to attempt anything approaching a healthy public discourse. 

On this edition of In Depth -- hot on the heels of the fourth of July -- we get to know the work of one group attempting to address these challenges: Citizen University is a Seattle-based nonprofit working to draw people together around a common commitment to bettering American life through civic engagement.

Over the past few years they've organized what they're calling Civic Saturday events in dozens of cities around the country. We discuss those community gatherings and the prospect that America just might be on the verge of a civic revival. 

Host: KCBS Radio reporter Keith Menconi 

Guest:Eric Liu, the co-founder and CEO of Citizen University. His new book, which draws together 19 of the Civic Saturday sermons he’s delivered over the past few years, is called "Become America: Civic Sermons on Love, Responsibility, and Democracy.”

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In these fractured and fractious times it can sometimes be difficult to see past the political chasms that divide us; harder still to find the common ground needed to attempt anything approaching a healthy public discourse. 

On this edition of In Depth -- hot on the heels of the fourth of July -- we get to know the work of one group attempting to address these challenges: Citizen University is a Seattle-based nonprofit working to draw people together around a common commitment to bettering American life through civic engagement.

Over the past few years they've organized what they're calling Civic Saturday events in dozens of cities around the country. We discuss those community gatherings and the prospect that America just might be on the verge of a civic revival. 

Host: KCBS Radio reporter Keith Menconi 

Guest: Eric Liu, the co-founder and CEO of Citizen University. His new book, which draws together 19 of the Civic Saturday sermons he’s delivered over the past few years, is called "Become America: Civic Sermons on Love, Responsibility, and Democracy.”

There was a time when the Bay Area was home to highly visible queer communities full of LGBTQ-friendly businesses. And while there are still plenty of rainbow flags in the Castro, if you look past the obvious symbols, the character of these neighborhoods has changed dramatically as many of those businesses shutter their doors and many long-time residents find themselves pushed out by the high cost of living. 

So on this edition of KCBS In Depth we speak with the people at ground zero of this change to find out what it is they feel they are loosing and what they are still fighting to preserve.

Guests: 

Terry Beswick, executive director of the GLBT Historical Society

Juanita MORE!, political activist, drag performer, creator of Juanita's List 

Brian Basinger, executive director of the Q Foundation

Hosts: Keith Menconi, Mary Hughes 

Resources:

Here are some of the queer-friendly housing resources mentioned in this episode. 

Juanita's List, a Facebook group connecting members of the LGBTQ community to queer-friendly housing in the Bay Area

Gay Area Queer Housing S.F. Bay Area, another Facebook group carrying out similar work

Q Foundation, a San Francisco-based nonprofit providing support and advocacy for those facing homelessness with a special focus on members of the LGBTQ community and those living with HIV/AIDS; among its services, the group provides assistance to those seeking public housing support in San Francisco. 

Dahlia, San Francisco's public housing portal

The Bill Wilson Center, a Santa Clara-based service organization for at-risk or homeless youth and families. Their LGBTQ-specific housing programs include BWC Connections, LGBTQ Host Homes and their LGBTQ Transitional Living Program. 

LifeMoves, a housing and service organization operating on the Peninsula and within Silicon Valley; the group just opened a new homeless shelter for LGBTQ adults in downtown San Jose.

Special thanks to Housing Trust Silicon Valley for helping to connect us with some of the organization's mentioned in this episode. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.