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Mary Todd Lincoln served as first lady from 1861 until President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in 1865. 144 years later, comedian Cole Escola sent themself an email asking: What if Lincoln’s death had been “a good thing” for Mary Todd? That tongue-in-cheek question became the basis for the smash-hit Broadway comedy “Oh, Mary!”, which has now won two Tonys and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in drama. Following Escola’s departure as Mary Todd Lincoln, the role has been taken on by actors including Bowen Yang, Maya Rudolph, John Cameron Mitchell, Jane Krakowski and Titus Burgess — and is now being played by “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Alaska in a national tour. We’ll speak with the director and stars about the play’s unexpected success, its blend of stupidity and wit, and the long, queer legacy of camp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Poems are not mere breadcrumbs left behind,” writes the acclaimed poet Elizabeth Alexander in her new book “Signals Across Vast Distances: Essays and Talks.” “They are fireflies, a path of light, a way to find our way to each other and know what we have lived.” Alexander, who drew national attention for the poem she read for President Obama’s first inauguration in 2009, is a longtime educator, scholar, and cultural advocate. She now heads the Mellon Foundation, the largest arts funder in the U.S. She joins us to talk about her book, which examines how art, literature and history shape civic life and can help us find our way to each other. As she observes, while these times may seem unprecedented, we have faced these challenges before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This November, Californians will vote on Proposition 40, a measure that would impose a one-time 5% tax on those whose net worth exceeded $1 billion at the beginning of 2026. While advocates argue it is time for the ultrawealthy to pay a larger share of taxes, opponents argue that Prop. 40 could drive billionaires out of the state and decrease future tax revenue. In this hour we’ll speak with KQED’s political correspondents about Prop. 40 — and the efforts to nullify it through propositions 41 and 42. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For more than five decades, renowned nutritionist, molecular biologist and food activist Marion Nestle has worked to expose the connections between Americans’ health and the powerful agendas  shaping what we eat. Her newest book, co-authored with Dr. Lisa Sutherland, “Sugar Coated: Unboxing the Hidden Forces Shaping America’s Favorite Breakfast Food” examines the politics of our morning meal.  We talk with Nestle about the shifts in attitudes and regulations of what we eat — from soda taxes to the MAHA movement — and about what she believes it will take to build a healthier food system for all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid the news of Tennessee’s botched execution of Christa Pike and the Pentagon saying it will live-stream its execution of an army psychiatrist convicted of a mass shooting, Gov. Gavin Newsom is said to be considering commuting the sentences of the 563 people currently on death row in California. The state is home to a quarter of all American prisoners awaiting the death penalty, though a moratorium on executions has been in place since 2019. We’ll talk about what factors Newsom is weighing and hear how commuting death penalty sentences could affect Newsom’s national political profile and the broader conversation about capital punishment in the United States. Guests: Natasha Minsker, facilitator, California Anti Death Penalty Coalition Maurice Chammah, staff writer, The Marshall Project Alexa Hansen, founder, Victim Advocate Angels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oakland is home to dozens of houses of worship, and the “Oakland Faith Project,” aims to document these spaces and their leaders at a time when many are turning away from religion. Photographer and documentarian Nicolò Sertorio’s website includes stark black and white photography and interviews with religious leaders who represent various walks of life, identity and beliefs. We’ll talk with Sertorio, project partners and some of Oakland’s religious leaders about “de-churching” in the Bay Area and the future of organized religion.  Guests: Nicolò Sertorio, founder, artist and photographer, Oakland Faith Project James Campbell, Edgar E Robinson professor in United States History, Stanford University; partner, Oakland Faith Project Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, senior rabbi, Temple Sinai Sundiata Rashid, imam, Lighthouse Mosque; Muslim Chaplain, University of San Francisco Michael Wallace, pastor, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much like her acclaimed novel “Pachinko,” author Min Jin Lee’s new book, “American Hagwon,” is a multi-generational story that spans decades and continents. This one, set in South Korea, Australia and Southern California, focuses on education — and the sacrifices families make for their children to succeed in a fast-changing and increasingly competitive global economy. We’ll talk to Lee about what her novel has to say about diaspora, education and how we prepare for an uncertain future. Guest: Min Jin Lee, author of the new novel “American Hagwon,” as well as the books “Pachinko” and “Free Food for Millionaires” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fraternities and sororities – but mostly fraternities – have faced decades of scandal nationwide: hazing deaths, binge drinking, sexual assault, among other problems. Colleges respond with suspensions, alcohol bans and reforms, yet problems keep resurfacing like the recent allegation of a gang rape by fraternity members at Cornell. Members and alumni argue that frats and sororities offer friendship and connection that are vital in an age of loneliness. But others contend colleges should just ban Greek life. Guests: Doug Belkin, higher education and national reporter, The Wall Street Journal Jana Mathews, English professor, Rollins College, author, “The Benefits of Friends: Inside the Complicated World of Sororities and Fraternities” Max Marshall, author, “Among the Bros: A Fraternity Crime Story” Nicholas Syrett, chair and professor, Gender & Women’s Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison; author, “The Company He Keeps: A History of White College Fraternities” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Youth sports once gave opportunities for all kids to play, but the rise of club teams — which come with higher costs and are often backed by private equity — are pricing out many participants. California families spend some $2,000 dollars a year for just one child to play a club sport, and nearly 60 percent of families nationwide say the costs have caused financial strain. What will it take to keep lower income kids on the field? We hear from reporters covering the issue across California, and a youth sports advocate who helped with the passage of California’s Youth Sports for All Act. Guests: Katie DeBenedetti, reporter, KQED Alexander Nguyen, multimedia producer, KPBS Tom Bùi, coach at City Heights Soccer League in San Diego Renata Simril, ceo and president of the LA84 Foundation, president of the Play Equity Fund Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his new book, “Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State” author Michael Lewis profiles seven civil servants who tried to stop Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, as it took a chainsaw to the inner workings of the federal government. As Musk slashed departments and jobs claiming he could cut 2 trillion of the almost 7 trillion dollars of federal spending, Lewis found dedicated federal employees struggling to protect their work. We’ll talk to the Berkeley based author about the IRS employee who kept sensitive tax data from being exposed, the security guard who blocked DOGE from entering a federal building and taking over the US Institute of Peace and other acts of workplace resistance. Guest: Michael Lewis, author, most recent book is “Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State”, other books include “Moneyball” and “The Big Short” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Californians in this fall’s election will consider Proposition 39, which asks whether voters should be required to show ID when they cast a ballot. Supporters argue the rules are common-sense safeguards essential for restoring public confidence in elections, while opponents contend they pose identity theft risks and disproportionately disenfranchise low-income, minority, and young voters. We’ll unpack the cases for and against Prop 39 with KQED’s Guy Marzorati and Marisa Lagos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco’s Other Minds Festival turns 30 this weekend, with four days of music from world renowned experimental composers. There will be improvisation, chord repetition, electronic manipulation, 18th century Armenian music — and a grand piano surrounded by teddy bears. We’ll talk with co-founder and retiring executive and artistic director Charles Amirkhanian and with musicians about why the Bay Area is such a rich site for avant-garde music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which requires most proposed public and private development projects to go through a thorough environmental impact review process, has long been blamed for slowing or stopping the development of new construction in the state. This November, Californians will vote on Proposition 45, which attempts to streamline CEQA review for certain “essential” projects. We’ll look at how changes could impact housing, data centers and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of the Bay Area’s biggest political battles this fall are happening between fellow Democrats in hotly contested races for Congress. There’s a fierce fight for retiring former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s seat in San Francisco. In Napa, where redistricting has shaken up the district, a multimillionaire is courting  votes from Republicans and progressives to unseat an establishment fellow Democrat. And in Sacramento, younger progressive challengers are taking on longtime incumbents, raising a bigger question about what Democratic voters value right now: a new generation of leadership, or the experience that comes with years in office? KQED’s politics team joins us to break down the races, the candidates and what to watch heading into Election Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Historian Miriam Pawel says the University of California system is unique in its commitment to being “an engine of social, intellectual, and economic mobility.” But even with record-high applications this year, it’s facing profound challenges, like federal funding cuts and fierce debates over whether it should reinstate the SAT. We’ll talk with Pawel about how the history of the UC is the history of California – and how the futures of both are intertwined. Her new book is “California Dreams: The Making and Remaking of the University of California.” Guest: Miriam Pawel, journalist and author, California Dreams: The Making and Remaking of the University of California and The Browns of California: The Family Dynasty That Transformed a State and Shaped a Nation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices