On Shifting Ground-logo

On Shifting Ground

KQED

Do you ever feel like reality is shifting beneath your feet? Veteran journalist Ray Suarez spent forty years covering elections, civil wars, and pandemics that shaped the way we live. He’s seen entire countries flipped upside down and right side up… and now he’s here to bring a sensible voice to our endless doom-scrolling. Each week, Ray hosts conversations with journalists, leaders and policy experts that explore how people from New Hampshire to New Guinea are navigating our rapidly changing world. A co-production of Commonwealth Club - World Affairs and KQED.

Location:

San Francisco, CA

Networks:

KQED

Description:

Do you ever feel like reality is shifting beneath your feet? Veteran journalist Ray Suarez spent forty years covering elections, civil wars, and pandemics that shaped the way we live. He’s seen entire countries flipped upside down and right side up… and now he’s here to bring a sensible voice to our endless doom-scrolling. Each week, Ray hosts conversations with journalists, leaders and policy experts that explore how people from New Hampshire to New Guinea are navigating our rapidly changing world. A co-production of Commonwealth Club - World Affairs and KQED.

Language:

English

Contact:

2601 Mariposa Street San Francisco, CA 94110 415 864 2000


Episodes
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Yascha Mounk on How To Save Diverse Democracies

11/25/2024
Diversity has often been seen as the United States’ defining strength – but today, some Americans see it as a threat. And this isn’t new. Throughout history, differences of religion, ethnicity, and origin have driven states around the world to war, violence, and extreme division. However, German-American political scientist Yascha Mounk says this isn’t the only path. On this week’s episode, we revisit our 2022 conversation with Mounk about his book, “The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart And How They Can Endure." Two years after our original recording, we wonder whether it's still possible for diverse diverse democracies to succeed in an increasingly polarized political landscape. Guest: Yascha Mounk, associate professor at Johns Hopkins University, contributing editor at The Atlantic and author of The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure Host: Ray Suarez If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to Commonwealth Club World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Duration:00:53:00

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Mike Madrid: Latino Voters and the Working Class ‘Tectonic Shift’

11/18/2024
In 2020, Latinos became the second largest ethnic voting group in the United States, and the fastest-growing segment of the swing states in the 2024 Presidential Election. The results of Election Day are clear: Donald Trump gained with working class Americans, and particularly Latino men, delivering him a decisive victory. Ray Suarez speaks with Mike Madrid, author of The Latino Century: How America’s Largest Minority Is Transforming Democracy, on why Democrats have been failing to connect with Latino voters for over a decade. Then, a post-election analysis from Commonwealth Club World Affairs’ “Week to Week” political roundtable. Guests: Mike Madrid, Co-Founder, The Lincoln Project; Author, The Latino Century: How America’s Largest Minority Is Transforming Democracy Tim Anaya, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Pacific Research Institute Melissa Caen, Attorney; Political Journalist; Host, "Get Out the Bet" Joe Garofoli, Senior Political Writer, San Francisco Chronicle; Host, "It's All Political on Fifth and Mission" Hosts: Ray Suarez John Zipperer, Producer and Host, “Week to Week” Political Roundtable If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to Commonwealth Club World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Duration:00:53:00

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Steve Schmidt: Trump’s Victory is a Disaster for the Democratic Party

11/11/2024
According to Steve Schmidt, if you want to understand how the Democrats failed against Donald Trump in 2024, then you have to go back to Joe Biden not stepping aside earlier. In a candid, raw conversation, Ray Suarez speaks with Steve Schmidt, co-founder of the Lincoln Project, and host of The Warning, about how Donald Trump built a new multicultural, working class coalition, and why identity politics and big egos cost the Democrats. Guest: Steve Schmidt, co-founder of the Lincoln Project, and host of The Warning Host: Ray Suarez If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to Commonwealth Club World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Duration:00:40:07

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What the Hell Just Happened?

11/8/2024
Election Day is over, and the results are clear: former president Donald Trump resoundingly defeated vice president Kamala Harris. We don’t have all the data, but a majority of US counties swung towards the Republicans. How did Trump gain new working class voters? And where does the Democratic Party go from here? Dante Chinni, director of MSU J-School’s American Communities Project, Rahul Bali, politics reporter at WABE, and Katie Meyer, government editor and reporter at Spotlight PA, breakdown the results. Guests: Dante Chinni, data and political journalist and director of the MSU J-School’s American Communities Project Rahul Bali, politics reporter at WABE Katie Meyer, government editor and reporter at Spotlight PA Host: Ray Suarez If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to Commonwealth Club World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Duration:00:30:04

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Last Look: Can We Trust the Polls?

11/4/2024
We’ve finally reached November 5th, Election Day in the US, and a majority of Americans remain deeply pessimistic about the state of the nation. Throughout the year, we’ve talked to voters about the issues they care about in 2024, and we share their stories in this election special. We’ll revisit our conversations with Iowa voter Phil Hemingway, Latorya Beasley, therapist and in vitro fertilization (IVF) patient in Alabama, and Samaya Garza, J.D. Candidate at University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Then, Ray Suarez speaks with Justin Grimmer, political science professor and senior fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, to break down whether we can trust the polls in the final days of the race. Guests: Dante Chinni, data and political journalist and director of the MSU J-School’s American Communities Project Phil Hemingway, owner, manager and automotive technician at Phil’s Repair, LLC Latorya Beasley, therapist and in vitro fertilization (IVF) patient in Alabama Samaya Garza, J.D. Candidate at University of Detroit Mercy School of Law Justin Grimmer, political science professor and senior fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution Hosts: Ray Suarez Mateo Schimpf Elize Manoukian, producer If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to Commonwealth Club World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Duration:00:59:00

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Kara Swisher’s on Whether We Can Trust Tech Billionaires

10/31/2024
Donald Trump’s anti-establishment message has galvanized tech leaders across the US, including in former Democratic Party stronghold, Silicon Valley. This American Life’s Zoe Chace speaks with our producer, Mateo Schimpf, about what happened when Michigan Republicans took his advice and actually tried to buck the system. And tech billionaires have had their fingerprints all over the 2024 Presidential Election, but can we trust them? Journalist Kara Swisher joins Ray Suarez to discuss her newest book, “Burn Book,” and the psyche of Silicon Valley’s biggest players. Guests: Zoe Chace, Producer, This American Life Kara Swisher, author of “Burn Book,” and host of the podcast “On with Kara Swisher” Hosts: Mateo Schimpf  Ray Suarez If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to Commonwealth Club World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Duration:00:40:54

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Musk is all in on Trump. What About the Rest of Silicon Valley?

10/28/2024
During the 2024 presidential race, Donald Trump's campaign has been fueled by some surprising supporters… leaders in big tech. According to recent reporting from The New York Times, tech billionaires like Elon Musk have built a “shadow campaign” to put Trump back in office. WIRED’s Steven Levy joins Ray Suarez to talk about why big dollar donations are causing a big divide in the once deeply blue Silicon Valley. Guest: Steven Levy, Journalist and Editor, WIRED Host: Ray Suarez If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to Commonwealth Club World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Duration:00:21:34

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Will an “October Surprise” Decide the 2024 Election?

10/21/2024
We're entering the final days of the 2024 presidential election, but a lot can change in a few weeks. Historically, several presidential contests have been upended in October. Coined the "October Surprise," for decades candidates have been tested at the finish line... and many have faltered. So what could trip up Harris or Trump? Ray Suarez hosts a panel featuring political strategist and pollster Rachel Bitecofer, Jonathan M. Metzl, author of Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America's Heartland, and Tara Setmayer, co-founder and CEO of the Seneca Project. Guests: Rachel Bitecofer, author, political strategist and pollster Jonathan M. Metzl, author and director of the Department of Medicine, Health, and Society, at Vanderbilt University Tara Setmayer, co-founder and CEO of the Seneca Project Host: Ray Suarez If you value this programming, you can help support future ones just like it. Visit Commonwealth Club World Affairs to make a donation. Any amount helps, thank you!

Duration:00:52:59

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Living in Two Worlds

10/17/2024
Refugees in California are generally protected from federal deportation under sanctuary and safe haven laws, unless they've been incarcerated. And in 2022, after serving 25 years for murder, San Quentin State Prison parolee Phoeun You was turned over to ICE, and deported to Cambodia. In this episode, the story of Phoeun You: a man returned to a country he never knew. This episode was produced in partnership with KQED's The California Report Magazine podcast. Producer: Mateo Schimpf If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to Commonwealth Club World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Duration:00:30:22

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Which Candidate Does Mexico Favor in November?

10/14/2024
Immigration is once again a political football in the lead up to the 2024 Presidential Election, and while Congress stalled to address comprehensive border control measures, hundreds of thousands of migrants became pawns in a political game. The Washington Post's Eduardo Porter talks with Ray about how Mexico's former president used migrant flows to gain leverage in Washington D.C., and which US presidential candidate Mexico's new leadership prefers in the upcoming election. Guest: Eduardo Porter, columnist, The Washington Post Host: Ray Suarez If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to Commonwealth Club World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Duration:00:22:54

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SPECIAL LIVE EVENT: Will an “October Surprise” Shake-Up the Race?

10/10/2024
We're entering the final days of the 2024 presidential election, but a lot can change in a few weeks. Historically, several presidential contests have been upended in October. Coined the "October Surprise," for decades candidates have been tested at the finish line... and many have faltered. In 2016 and 2020, Donald Trump was trailing in the polls in October – as he is now with Kamala Harris – so could a last-second surprise ensure victory for Trump? Join us at Commonwealth Club - World Affairs on Tuesday, October 15th at Noon, for a special conversation with political strategist and pollster Rachel Bitecofer, Jonathan M. Metzl, author of Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America's Heartland, and Tara Setmayer, co-founder and CEO of the Seneca Project.

Duration:00:02:03

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A Year After October 7th, Is the Middle East Headed for War?

10/4/2024
Monday, October 7, 2024 marks the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israeli territory. For a while, Israel's response to the violence supplanted the war in Ukraine in the headlines, but as the months dragged on, attention had largely turned away from Gaza. That all changed in late-September when Israeli airstrikes in neighboring Lebanon killed seven high-ranking commanders and officials from Hezbollah, including the militant group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Ray Suarez speaks with Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, about how Nasrallah’s has already escalated violence in the region… and may drag in Iran and the United States. Then, Vox’s Zack Beauchamp on what the first anniversary of October 7th will mean to Israel, the United States, and the final months of Joe Biden’s presidency. Guests: Zack Beauchamp, Senior Correspondent at Vox Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft Host: Ray Suarez If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to Commonwealth Club World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Duration:00:54:36

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Is America Exporting Political Violence?

10/3/2024
After the two recent assassination attempts on former president Donald Trump, it’s clear the United States has a problem with political violence. But in our history, several would-be assassins have attacked sitting presidents, so is there something different about these Trump shooters… and this era of political grievance? Bruce Hoffman, Senior Fellow for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security at the Council on Foreign Relations, on whether we can break the string of political violence across the globe. Guest: Bruce Hoffman, Senior Fellow for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security, Council on Foreign Relations Host: Ray Suarez If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to Commonwealth Club World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Duration:00:25:36

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Tom Nichols: Attacking the President Attacks the Nation

9/30/2024
The recent assassination attempts on former president Donald Trump were surreal for many. It's been almost a half-century since a US president was shot, but attacks on a sitting president aren’t new – Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan survived assassination attempts. What’s different is that violence on elected officials used to be carried out by individuals with coherent political aims. In a recent article for The Atlantic, Tom Nichols argues that Donald Trump hasn’t carried himself like Gerald Ford, and speaks with Ray Suarez about why Trump is trying to use these assassination attempts for his political advantage. Guests: Tom Nichols, staff writer at The Atlantic and professor emeritus of national-security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College Host:  Ray Suarez If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to Commonwealth Club World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Duration:00:28:30

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Can We Trust the Presidential Polls? A 2024 Election Special

9/23/2024
Kamala Harris holds a national lead of three percentage points over Donald Trump. And as the polls following her recent debate performance continue to trickle in, that number is expected to grow. But can we trust the latest polls? This week, in our latest special election series, we talk with an undecided voter who doesn’t trust what polls are saying. Then, a pair of political scientists break down how we can make polling better. We’ll hear from Samaya Garza, J.D. Candidate at University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, Dr. Peter Francia, professor and director of the ECU Center for Survey Research, Justin Grimmer, political science professor and senior fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, and Dr. Natalie Jackson, vice president at GQR. Guests: Samaya Garza, J.D. Candidate at University of Detroit Mercy School of Law Dr. Peter Francia, professor and director of the ECU Center for Survey Research Justin Grimmer, political science professor and senior fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution Dr. Natalie Jackson, vice president at GQR Host: Ray Suarez Mateo Schimpf, senior producer If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to Commonwealth Club World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Duration:00:52:59

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Anne Applebaum on Autocracy in America, and What’s at Stake in November

9/19/2024
Anne Applebaum argues that autocracy is spreading to democratic states, and the reason why is that illiberalism is good international business. She warns the seeds of autocracy have already been sown in the United States, so how can we protect ourselves during another contentious presidential election season? Ray Suarez sits down with Anne Applebaum. Her latest book is Autocracy, Inc., and she has a new podcast, Autocracy in America. It’s co-hosted by British journalist Peter Pomerantsev. Do listen. Guest: Anne Applebaum, staff writer for The Atlantic and pulitzer-prize winning historian Host: Ray Suarez If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to Commonwealth Club World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Duration:00:30:38

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Can Ukraine Hang On Until November?

9/16/2024
In August, Ukrainian troops swept into Russia's Kursk region, and seized over 500 square miles of Russian territory. It’s the first time that Russia has been invaded since World War II. In Moscow, President Putin has relied on aid from China, Iran, and North Korea, but some analysts believe that his most consequential support may come from a second Trump term. They argue the Russian leader is biding his time till the 2024 US Presidential election. Meanwhile, President Zelensky is still waiting on answers from current US President Joe Biden on the use of long-range missiles on Russian targets. Can the Ukrainian military hold its ground until the November election, and what does President Zelensky need to secure a victory? The Guardian's Luke Harding joins Ray Suarez to share what he’s seeing on the battlefield. Guest: Luke Harding, foreign correspondent for The Guardian Host: Ray Suarez If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to Commonwealth Club World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Duration:00:22:33

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If it's ‘America First’, Who is American Enough?

9/9/2024
Immigrants to America have always faced resistance, and have always—over time—assimilated and become vital parts of America. But in a political era of “America First'', what does it mean to be an immigrant in the 21st century? And who decides who is “American” enough? Ray Suarez has criss-crossed the country to speak to new Americans from all corners of the globe, and to record their stories for his new book. He shares what he learned while reporting and writing We Are Home: Becoming American in the 21st Century, with veteran journalist Shereen Marisol Meraji. Learn more about Shereen’s new podcast, How I Get It Done. Guest: Ray Suarez, host, On Shifting Ground Host: Shereen Marisol Meraji, assistant professor at UC Berkeley’s School of Journalism If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to Commonwealth Club World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Duration:00:53:00

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In AI We Trust? A 2024 Election Special

9/2/2024
In May, Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, presented a sprawling “road map” for regulating artificial intelligence. But tech experts have called the plan “pathetic”, and many critics believe Washington is out of touch. And California’s legislature will soon vote on a plan that would put guardrails on the biggest AI players. This week, we're airing our special election episode from June about why AI may be the big bad “X Factor” of the upcoming presidential election. First, we’ll hear from Josh Lawson, Director of AI and Democracy at the Aspen Institute. Then, US Congressman Ted Lieu and Dr. Gary Marcus, Founder of Robust AI and Geometric AI, join Ray Suarez to talk about the future of AI, and whether it can be regulated in time. Guests: Josh Lawson, Director of AI and Democracy at the Aspen Institute US Representative Ted Lieu (D-CA 36th District) Dr. Gary Marcus, Founder of Robust AI and Geometric AI Host: Ray Suarez If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to Commonwealth Club World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Duration:00:54:00

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The Healthy Amount of Hooch

8/29/2024
Earlier this century, reports indicated a little alcohol might even improve health. Moderation was the watchword. Those reports have been overtaken by a new generation of research which indicates the healthy amount of alcohol is no alcohol. But alcoholic beverages are deeply embedded in the brain. So if it’s so bad for us, why can’t we quit drinking? Ray speaks with New York Times health reporter Roni Rabin about a new UK study that concludes that drinking is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, regardless of underlying health and socioeconomic status. Guest: Roni Rabin, health reporter, The New York Times Host: Ray Suarez If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to Commonwealth Club World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Duration:00:28:06