In recent years the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority has struck down the constitutional right to abortion, delivered a blow to the administrative state and ended affirmative action at universities. To Michigan law professor Leah Litman, it’s not just conservative legal theory that’s driving the Court’s decisions. “The Supreme Court is running on conservative grievance, fringe theories and bad vibes,” Litman writes in her new book “Lawless.” We talk to Litman about the political and personal dynamics dictating judicial outcomes and review key cases before the Court.

Guests:

Leah Litman, professor of law, University of Michigan Law School; co-host Strict Scrutiny podcast; author, "Lawless:How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes"

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In his second term in office, Donald Trump has revived his fight against sanctuary jurisdictions. For decades, local government agencies across the country have restricted law enforcement officials from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. Trump’s efforts to withhold federal funding have so far been blocked in court, as they were during his first term. Still some cities are downplaying their sanctuary status as the Trump administration continues its crackdown on immigrants and pledges to deport millions of people. We’ll talk about what “sanctuary” means in 2025, what Trump is trying to do, and how communities across California are responding.

Guests:

Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host, KQED's Political Breakdown

Sergio Olmos, investigative reporter, CalMatters

Nick Miroff, staff writer covering immigration, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S.-Mexico border, The Atlantic

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For historian Peniel Joseph, the year 1963 — the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation — is the defining year of the Civil Rights Movement. “America came undone and remade itself in 1963, a year of miracles and tragedies, progress and setbacks,” he writes in his new book, “Freedom Season.” It profiles how events of that year affected Americans like Rev. King, Malcolm X and James Baldwin — and inspired their parts in the Black freedom struggle. Joseph joins us. Tell us: What does 1963 symbolize to you?

Guests:

Peniel E. Joseph, author, "Freedom Season: How 1963 Transformed America's Civil Rights Revolution" - professor of history and founding director, Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, University of Texas at Austin

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Artificial intelligence dominates the Bay Area tech landscape, and we will catch you up on the latest headlines. From chatbots that promise to be your friend to artificial general intelligence, or AGI, which is designed to go beyond task-oriented AI to comprehend and process information in a close-to human form. We’ll talk to a panel of tech reporters about what’s on the horizon and just how much AI may — or may not —change the way we live.

Guests:

Nitasha Tiku, tech culture reporter, Washington Post

Jeff Horwitz, tech reporter, The Wall Street Journal

Kylie Robison, reporter, Wired; Robison covers the business of AI

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The Trump White House is exploring ways to get Americans to have more children, including government funded menstrual cycle classes and a $5000 “baby bonus.” Reproductive health journalist Carter Sherman calls pronatalism “a key ideological plank in the bridge between tech bro rightwingers like [Elon] Musk and more traditional, religious conservatives.” We look at the rise of the U.S. pronatalist movement and what it means in practice for women and families.

Guests:

Faith Hill, staff writer, The Atlantic

Carter Sherman, reproductive health and justice reporter, The Guardian; author of the upcoming book “The Second Coming: Sex and the Next Generation’s Fight Over Its Future”

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Oakland’s restaurant industry is a conundrum. It’s been celebrated as the best restaurant city in the country. But restaurateurs almost universally say they are struggling  to make ends meet. As part of  our series about how the  pandemic changed us, 5 years on, we spotlight Oakland to look at whether the long trudge to pandemic recovery for restaurants will ever end. We talk with restaurant owners and industry experts about the big successes and major struggles of Oakland’s food scene and what it means to support a restaurant.

Guests:

Elena Kadvany, food reporter, San Francisco Chronicle

Paul Iglesias, chef and owner, Parché; co-owner, Jaji

Christ Aivaliotis, owner, Lil Hill Lounge; former owner, Palmetto and Kon-Tiki

Stella Dennig, co-owner, Daytrip

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You’ve probably noticed that common hobbies from sewing to skiing have gotten more expensive. It’s a dynamic that Atlantic staff writer Tyler Austin Harper calls “hobby inflation.” And it not only affects your pocketbook but also means fewer opportunities for personal fulfillment and community building. We talk to Harper about what we lose when we can no longer afford our hobbies.

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Succulent tomatoes that burst in your mouth. Enough zucchini to feed an army. Corn, sunflowers, and more. The summer garden has much to offer, but Bay Area summer gardening is a bit different. Some of us stay socked in fog and marine layer for weeks at a time, while others are dealing with hotter temperatures. We talk about the summer garden, take your questions, and hear what’s thriving in your plot.

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President Trump may have taken a softer tone in his meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney this week, but whether that will quell the anger and bring Canadians back to the U.S remains to be seen. California tourism experts cite Trump’s trade policies and nationalist rhetoric for a projected 9% drop in international travelers this summer, with the sharpest declines among Canadian and Mexican tourists who spend more here than tourists from any other country. We look at how the Trump administration is affecting California tourism and hear from you: Has anyone told you they won’t be visiting the U.S. this year?

Guests:

Hailey Branson-Potts, staff writer, Los Angeles Times

McKenzie McMillan, travel advisor, The Travel Group, a Vancouver travel agency

Kenny Cassady, director of business development, Acme House Co. in Palm Springs; board member, Visit Greater Palm Springs; board president, Vacation Rental Owners and Neighbors of Palm Springs (VRON-PS)

Pete Hillan, spokesperson, California Hotel and Lodging Association

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Five former directors of the National Weather Service released a joint letter on Friday warning about the impact of major cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that they say will result in less accurate weather reports and  storm warnings that could  put lives at risk. NOAA is just one scientific organization facing widespread cuts. From NASA to the National Institute of Health to the National Science Foundation, public research institutions have taken massive blows. We talk with reporters and a former NSW director about the future of science in the Trump Administration and beyond.

Guests:

EW (Joe) Friday, former director, National Weather Service

Katherine Wu, staff writer, The Atlantic

Geoff Brumfiel, senior editor and correspondent, NPR's science desk

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