Dialing Up 150 Years on the Phone

Journalist Jordan Ritter Conn has spent years studying some of the psychological challenges facing men in the United States. These include feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety, sometimes violence and often a sense that this economy isn’t for them. His book “American Men” delves into the lives of four men: a West Point grad, a Black trans man in rural Ohio, a white law student recovering from childhood trauma and a gay man prone to alcohol-fueled fights. It explores the gap between the expectations placed on men and the failure, real or imagined, to meet those expectations – and why friendships between men often fail to provide the kind of emotional connections they seek. Conn joins us. Guests: Jordan Ritter Conn, senior staff writer, The Ringer; author, "American Men" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“We go for all humanity,” remarked Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, moments before the rocket taking him and his crew to the moon launched on Wednesday. It’s the first moon mission since 1972.  But the astronauts will not land on the moon. Instead, over the next 10 days,  the crew will study the science that’s necessary to get to the ultimate goal: A moonbase that can sustain human life and act as a jumping off point for missions to Mars. We talk about the science of space exploration, and its impacts on life on earth. Guests: Loren Grush, global space reporter, Bloomberg; author, "The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts" Anthony Colaprete, acting director for the science directorate, NASA Ames Research Center - Colaprete is on the science team for the Artemis II mission Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that aims to place federal restrictions on voting by mail ahead of this fall’s midterm elections. It comes as Congress considers legislation that could dramatically change voting in the U.S. and the Supreme Court appears ready to back additional vote-by-mail limits. We talk with elections experts about potential challenges to the new executive order and how California is navigating the potential changes. Guests: Kim Alexander, president and founder, California Voter Foundation Shirley Weber, California Secretary of State Madison Aument, reporter, KVCR Marc Berman, California State Assemblymember representing the 23rd District, which includes southern San Mateo County and northern Santa Clara County Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a decade of Vision Zero, the effort that aimed to end traffic fatalities and severe injuries, San Francisco saw a drastic decrease in 2025 traffic deaths. To replace the expiring initiative, the city passed the Street Safety Act. However, a spate of recent traffic fatalities in San Francisco has residents on edge, and as pedestrians made up six of the seven victims, some activists say the city isn’t moving fast enough. We talk about what can be done to reduce pedestrian deaths and injuries and check in on San Francisco’s progress. Guests: Jodie Medeiros, executive director, Walk SF David Zipper, contributing writer, Bloomberg; co-host, "Look Both Ways with David & Wes" podcast Viktoriya Wise, director, Streets Division, SFMTA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker said this weekend that Democrats have “failed to meet this moment” and that his party needed “generational renewal.” The comments come a year after the Democrat set a Senate record, holding the floor for 25 hours and five minutes as he offered thundering criticism of the Trump administration. Now, in his new book, ‘Stand,’ Booker urges the country to rise to this moment. To make his point, he highlights the stories of ten Americans, some famous and others less well-known, who also met moments of crisis with steadfastness, strength and optimism. “Our democracy is not a spectator sport,” writes Booker. “It demands participation.” Guests: Cory Booker, U.S. Senator from New Jersey; he was previously the Mayor of Newark from 2006-2013; his new book is "Stand" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

National Geographic Explorer and documentary filmmaker Ariel Waldman challenges our sense of scale in her new PBS series “Life Unearthed” which explores Earth’s ecosystems– from microscopic life in the alien terrains of Antarctica to the sweeping American Prairies. We talk with Waldman about the series and what life in the seemingly barren environments of Antarctica reveal about resilient creatures, climate change, and even the possibilities of life beyond Earth. Guests: Ariel Waldman, documentary filmmaker; Antarctic researcher; explorer, National Geographic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is emphasizing the cold, hard facts of climate change – the acres lost to sea level rise, the percentage increase of global warming – actually the right approach for getting people to act? “If we want climate progress in energy, transportation and agriculture, we need progress in pop culture, media and sports,” writes longtime energy and climate reporter Sammy Roth. Roth and climate media advocates argue that seeing electric vehicles in movies like “Barbie,” induction stoves on HGTV or a whole team protesting an oil company in “Ted Lasso” show how climate conscious realities can easily exist — and inspire viewers to advocate and take action. We’ll talk about why storytelling in film, TV and advertising has such a powerful sway over us, and take stock of the landscape of climate change depictions on your screens. Guests: Sammy Roth, author, Climate-Colored Goggles: a newsletter about climate & culture Tamara Toles O'Laughlin, national climate strategist; founder, Climate Critical [a Black-led climate collective]; board member, Good Energy [an organization focused on Hollywood climate storytelling] Jessica Kutz, lead climate reporter, The 19th John Marshall, founder and CEO, Potential Energy Coalition [a nonprofit marketing firm that works to increase public action on climate change] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Education funding for California’s public schools is one of the largest parts of the state budget. Yet districts across the state, and here in the Bay Area, are struggling to stay afloat. Santa Rosa’s school district is considering laying off hundreds of teachers and closing a quarter of its campuses in response to a severe financial crisis and Oakland schools, just a year after emerging from more than 20 years under state receivership, are also facing possible financial insolvency. Declining enrollment, resistance to school closures, and pressure to raise staff salaries are just a few of the many factors contributing to the strain. We’ll examine what’s driving these challenges, what it’ll take to stabilize the system, and what this all means for Bay Area communities. Guests: Katie DeBenedetti, reporter, KQED Iwunze Ugo, research fellow, Public Policy Institute of California; focuses on education from preschool through grade 12 and further on into postsecondary institutions Adriana Gutierrez, education and child welfare reporter, The Press Democrat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in a landmark case about social media addiction. Lawyers suing the tech giants argued that features like infinite scroll and algorithmic recommendations increased the risk of anxiety and depression in young users. We’ll look at the history of the case, and hear how it could mark a new strategy for advocates trying to reform major social media companies. Guests: Jeff Horwitz, reporter covering tech, Reuter's Enterprise Team Jasmine Mithani, data and technology reporter, the 19th Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the war in Iran continues into its fifth week, the Pentagon is contemplating sending an additional 10,000 ground troops to the Middle East. This escalation would add to the roughly 5,000 Marines and at least 2,000 paratroopers from the elite 82nd Airborne Division that have already been ordered to the region. Meanwhile, President Trump has pressed pause on his threat to strike Iranian energy infrastructure offering a ten-day reprieve, and on Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that the U.S. could achieve its objectives without using ground troops. We talk about the latest on the Iran War and the fast pivoting American strategy. Guests: Mona Yacoubian, director and senior advisor, Middle East Program, Center for Strategic & International Studies Lt. Col. Jahara Matisek, command pilot and research fellow, U.S. Naval War College Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices