Category: Public Affairs

  • The Water Wars Have Begun

    The Water Wars are coming – and according to Executive Producer Lynne Kirby, they’re already here. Concerned about what her daughter would drink in the years ahead, Kirby became passionate about water conservation issues. She knew water was going to be a big issue in the decades to come – that water would be the…

  • Are Robots Going to Hurt or Help? Let’s Talk Driverless Cars with Jennifer Granholm

    Imagine a not-too-distant future where gasoline-powered engines disappear and we all travel in electric, driverless cars that don’t pollute the air. And, a future where the actual number of cars on the road decreases because we’ll all participate in a transportation sharing service rather than owning our own vehicles. That’s the vision presented by former…

  • Preparing For Life After Incarceration

    “The first 72 hours of freedom, says Nicholas Alexander of the Reentry Success Center are the most fraught with danger. Without a job or a place to live, newly released inmates are at high risk for finding trouble. That’s a situation that Alexander and his colleagues in Richmond, CA are working hard to prevent. They…

  • Protecting Women from Domestic Violence: In the Living Room with Sudha Shetty

    Smart thinking! That’s the reaction many had when Sudha Shetty told the story of how she reached women in Seattle’s South Asian community who may have been victims of abuse. As the then-head of Chaya, a domestic violence prevention program, Shetty tried to speak at numerous public events in order to raise awareness of the…

  • Flip the Script with the Career Channel

    53,000. That is the number of young adults ages 16–24 in San Diego County who are NOT in school or working. This is a shocking statistic — and one that must change. The story is not final, but we must act now to flip the script from “disconnection” to “opportunity.” These are opportunity youth. When…

  • Food Justice: Economics, Ethics, Access

    What a group! You know you’re watching something special when Dolores Huerta, the legendary co-founder of the United Farm Workers and Rose Hayden-Smith, the PhD author who writes the UC Food Observer blog are flanked by passionate leaders in healthcare, social justice, and organic farming – all talking about the policies and politics that lead…

  • The Politics of Food – Food Choice, Food Production and the Food Movement

    Behind every bite of food, there is a policy that influenced its production. Marion Nestle, NYU Professor and prize-winning author, finds a paradox in today’s global food system in that food insecurity or obesity threaten the health and welfare of half the world’s population yet there is an overabundant and overly competitive food system that…

  • An Election Like No Other and What Lies Ahead with Former US Senator Barbara Boxer

    Never one to back down from political opposition, former US Senator Barbara Boxer puts her Capitol Hill moxie on display as she recounts some of the biggest challenges she faced during her 30+ years serving alongside 5 presidents in Washington. As thrilling as it is to hear her stories, the message that comes through loud…

  • What’s Next for NAFTA?

    Will he or won’t he? After months of threatening to scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement, whispers from the White House now suggest that President Trump may be backing off this prominent campaign pledge. But we’re still hearing about GOP support for a Border Adjustment Tax and other proposals that would fundamentally alter the…

  • Prison Reform: Why Less is More

    What happens when prison sentences are reduced and non-violent criminals are set free? As UC Berkeley professor Steve Raphael argues, crime rates don’t rise and in some cases, they actually go down. Hear why alternatives to “tough on crime” sentencing guidelines can make communities safer as California and other states rethink their policies on punishment.…