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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When political advisor Chloe Dalton found an injured newborn hare near her home in the countryside, she decided to nurse it back to health. The two quickly formed a bond of quiet companionship. We talk to Dalton about what the hare taught her about trust, attention, preparing for loss and the ordinary magic of engaging closely with the natural world. Her new memoir is “Raising Hare.” What has a relationship with a wild animal taught you?

Guests:

Chloe Dalton, writer and political advisor,her debut book is "Raising Hare"

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Trump has never hid his disdain for California. In his first hundred days in office, the President has gone on offense against the state on a number of key issues, from immigration to education. Scott Schafer and Marisa Lagos from KQED’s politics team are spending the week in D.C. talking with California’s elected officials. We check in about how state Democratic leaders are planning to counter Trump’s policies, how California Republicans are adjusting to the new order and who might emerge as the next voices of Democratic leadership.

Guests:

Scott Shafer, senior editor; co-host of Political Breakdown, KQED

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

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Public media outlets say they will fight President Trump’s executive order directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to end its financial support for NPR and PBS. Public media leaders and executives question the order’s legality and say a loss of federal funding endangers the broader network of public media programming. We look at the potential impact on stations in rural communities in California, where those outlets are often the only source of news and emergency warnings. Join us.

Guests:

David Folkenflik, media correspondent, NPR News

Dina Polkinghorne, interim general manager, KZYX / Mendocino County Public Broadcasting

Connie Leyva, executive director, KVCR in the Inland Empire

Michael Isip, president and chief executive officer, KQED

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In his new book “Sex is a Spectrum: The Biological Limits of the Binary,” Princeton biological anthropologist Agustin Fuentes makes the case that among animals, including humans, sex variation and reproductive biology is far more complex and fluid than we think. We discuss why many of the assumptions about male and female differences are more cultural than biological, and what intersex earthworms and fish that switch sexes can teach us about gender and sex.

Guests:

Agustín Fuentes, anthropologist, Princeton University; his latest book is called "Sex is a Spectrum"

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Tariffs on many of China’s imports into the United States now stand at 145%; most U.S. imports into China face tariffs of 125%. While President Trump and senior U.S. officials insist a trade deal is within reach, China’s Commerce Ministry has stated that it will not engage in talks until U.S. tariffs are lifted. With Trump’s trade war threatening to derail the critical relationship, and China casting itself as a stable counterpart to Washington’s unpredictability, we talk with Harvard Professor Rana Mitter about what’s at stake, and how we got here.

Guests:

Rana Mitter, S.T. Lee Chair in U.S.-Asia Relations, Harvard Kennedy School

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Last month, Oil Giant Valero announced it would “restructure, or cease operations” at its Benicia refinery by the end of April 2026, as California transitions away from fossil fuels. The news left city officials, workers and residents scrambling to figure out what to do next. Valero is the city’s largest employer and a significant taxpayer, but also a source of pollution.  We talk about the possible closure and what it means for our region.

Guests:

Julie Small, criminal justice reporter, KQED

Severin Borenstein, professor at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business and a faculty director of The Energy Institute at Haas

Josh Sonnenfeld, senior California strategist, BlueGreen Alliance

Steve Young, mayor, Benicia

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