Why is it so hard to change the U.S. Constitution? Harvard historian Jill Lepore says the Constitution was intended to be amended but that we’ve all but abandoned the practice. That’s had profound consequences, leaving us with vestigial antidemocratic provisions like the Electoral College, a malapportioned Senate and life tenure for Supreme Court justices. We talk to Lepore about why amendments are so rare and whether the Constitution can survive without them. Her new book is “We the People.” We also hear from Southern California congressman Pete Aguilar about President Trump’s threats to cut “democrat” programs as the government shutdown continues, and how his caucus is responding.

Jill Lepore, professor of American history, Harvard University; staff writer, The New Yorker - her new book is "We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution"

Pete Aguilar, democratic representative for the 33rd Congressional District of California; chair of the U.S. House Democratic Caucus

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Julian Brave NoiseCat’s paternal family traces their origins to the Coyote, a trickster from native mythology who helped create the world. The story of Coyote weaves through NoiseCat’s memoir, “We Survived the Night,” which recounts his childhood in Oakland, growing up with a non-native mother, and an absent Indian father who was born, and nearly killed, in an infamous Canadian reservation school. NoiseCat’s book weaves together the personal, historical and mythological stories that “were nearly tossed in the dustbin of history.” NoiseCat, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker of “Sugarcane,” joins us.

Guests:

Julian Brave NoiseCat, author, "We Survived the Night" - NoiseCat is the co-director of the Oscar-nominated documentary "Sugarcane"

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At a summit in Egypt on Monday, President Trump and world leaders signed the first phase of a ceasefire agreement aimed at bringing to an end the brutal two-year war between Israel and Hamas. Under the terms of the deal, Hamas on Monday released all 20 of the remaining hostages it had held since its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinians it held in jails. We’ll unpack what’s in the peace deal, what brought the parties to the table and what lies ahead for Palestinians returning to a devastated Gaza.

Guests:

Patrick Wintour, diplomatic editor, The Guardian

Zack Beauchamp, senior correspondent, Vox - covering challenges to democracy and right-wing populism; author, "The Reactionary Spirit"

Gershon Baskin, negotiator and peace activist - was involved in back-channel discussions of the deal

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We continue our series, “In Search of Home: Solutions for the Homelessness Crisis” with an examination of what it takes to help a person experiencing homelessness find their way into permanent housing. We talk with providers operating transitional housing with wrap-around services and rapid rehousing programs, that help with leasing new apartments, about the most effective ways to move a formerly homeless person or family into a permanent home.

Guests:

Vivian Wan, chief executive officer, Abode, a nonprofit that provides services and housing in the Bay Area

Lydia Chriss, Hamilton Families client

Kyriell Noon, executive director, Hamilton Families

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We meet Stanford chemical engineer William Tarpeh, who was recently awarded a 2025 MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship. Tarpeh’s work involves developing systems to extract nitrogen from waste streams to be used in fertilizer, cleaners and industrial chemical production. We talk to him about the environmental and public health benefits of his projects in Kenya and elsewhere, the role that California has played in his academic career and his plans for the fellowship.

Guests:

William Tarpeh, assistant professor of chemical engineering, Stanford University

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According to San Francisco workers, the hustle culture of the pre-pandemic days has returned in the form of long working days and weekends at the office. So called “996 work”, which originates from China’s tech scene, is a work schedule that starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 9 p.m., six days a week. The hustle isn’t new to Silicon Valley, but the hyper-competitive AI tech race and the fact that some employers are making 996 mandatory for its staff, or using it as a recruitment filter, could lead to uncharted territory. We talk about the origins of 996, the grind culture of Silicon Valley, and whether or not this trend is going to stick.

Guests:

Carolyn Chen, associate professor of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley and co-director, Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion. Author, "Work Pray Code: When Work Becomes Religion in Silicon Valley"

Lora Kelley, Journalist and writer covering tech and work

Ara Kharazian , economist at Ramp, a tech company focused on financial automation

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A group of American investors, including Silicon Valley allies of President Trump, is expected to take control of TikTok’s U.S. operations from Chinese parent company ByteDance, according to the White House. The video sharing platform has come under heavy bipartisan criticism as a national security risk. We’ll talk to Forbes investigative reporter Emily Baker-White about the proposed deal and what it could mean for TikTok’s millions of users. Baker-White’s new book is “Every Screen On The Planet: The War Over TikTok.”

Guests:

Emily Baker-White, investigative reporter and senior writer, Forbes

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The deadline is approaching for Governor Newsom to sign — or veto — any remaining bills passed last month by California’s legislature. He’s recently approved laws that crack down on illegal street vending, bar ICE officers from wearing masks and enhance data privacy. Some of the measures pending include a proposal for more transit-oriented development and a reparations package. We’ll talk about what Newsom’s positions on the bills could signal about his priorities for California and what the new laws mean for you.

Guests:

Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED's California Politics and Government Desk

Jeanne Kuang, Capitol reporter, CalMatters

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Alice Waters has changed the way the country thinks about the importance of fresh, organic produce in the more than fifty years since she founded her restaurant, Chez Panisse, and in the three decades since launching the Edible Schoolyard Project in Berkeley. Now, as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. extolls the importance of healthy food for kids while the administration slashes funding for the programs that provide it, we talk with Alice Waters about how to improve food for children and about her new book, “A School Lunch Revolution: A Cookbook.”

Guests:

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The scope of presidential power is front and center as the Supreme Court begins a new term. Cases on the docket will test Trump’s agenda, including his ability to levy tariffs and his attempts to fire Federal Reserve members. Also at stake are the survival of the Voting Rights Act, as well as a state’s authority to ban conversion therapy, and the rights of transgender athletes.  We talk about how the conservative-leaning Roberts court might rule, and what role the Court will play in supporting or stopping Trump’s efforts to shape the country.

Guests:

Olatunde C. Johnson, professor of law, Columbia Law School; she served on President Biden's Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court

Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer, Slate; co-host of the "Amicus" podcast

Melissa Murray, professor of law, NYU School of Law; co-host of the "Strict Scrutiny" podcast

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