Flipping the Script

"We shouldn't have to live like this, and we don't have to die like this." On the show's longest episode to date, Rahul is joined by Mariya Hodge, a volunteer from Moms Demand Action, to discuss the show's most serious topic yet: gun violence in our communities. The two provide an emotional and data-driven breakdown of the problems facing the American public, from mass sh...

In part two of his interview with Wheelbite Skateshop owner Andy Alvarez and local skateboarder Jonny Baker, Rahul dives deeper into the politics of the San Jose skateboarding scene, breaking down the persisting cultural significance of San Jose and California as a whole to a culture that is rapidly globalizing, as well as analyzing the city's response to skateboarders and their exploits throu...

"We're human beings, just like everyone else." In the first half of this two-part interview, Rahul dives into the San Jose skateboarding scene, talking with Andy Alvarez, the owner of Wheelbite Skateshop in Downtown SJ, and LA film student Jonny Baker, a local skater from East Side San Jose. The three delve into the passion many locals have for their sport and the ins and outs of run...

Exploring the prevalence of homelessness here in the Bay Area and the rampant criminalization of poverty, Rahul is joined by Kelly Vazquez, the Chief Operating Officer at HomeFirst, a local nonprofit dedicated to fighting homelessness by providing service and aid to families in crisis across Santa Clara and Sonoma County. In the episode, the two discuss the work HomeFirst does for the community, t...

On this week's episode, Rahul is joined by Santa Clara University's Dr. Mukta Sharangpani, a feminist scholar, for a discussion on the impact of feminism on today's media. From literature to video games, the two analyze how women are portrayed in both Western and South Asian media, breaking down the debate over "woke" characters, the evolution of female archetypes, and the wr...

Fifty blocks. 3,000 children. Almost no groceries. The Tenderloin has long been plagued by a myriad of issues, from homelessness to the fentanyl crisis, but on this week's episode, San Francisco District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood joins Rahul as the two discuss ways in which changes are coming to the neighborhood, as well as the rich culture that continues to flow through its diverse streets.

Rahul and guest Libra Hilde, the History Department Chair at San Jose State University, unpack the complicated concept of American history in the modern context on this week's episode. The two discuss varying interpretations of the Civil War and Reconstruction, regional differences in historical understanding, the subjectivity of revisionism, and what it truly means to be a patriot.

On this week's episode, Rahul is joined by Oakland's District 4 City Councilmember, Janani Ramachandran, the youngest councilmember in the city's history. The two discuss Oakland's current state, talking about the future of sports in the city, all sorts of cultural events taking over the streets this year, and the future of Oakland's politics as a new generation of leaders take...

In part two of his interview with Melodrama Records co-founder Nikhil Dutta, also known by the stage name nowoe, Rahul dives into the local music scene in the Bay, asking about local artists, venues, social media, and more. The two explore the evolution of the music scene, the journey of music production, and the networking needed to find success in the local scene. nowoe: https://open.spotify.com...

On this week's episode, Rahul is joined by Nikhil Dutta, a math teacher based in the Bay Area who also produces music. As the two discuss the current state of the education system, Nikhil explains the experience of becoming an educator, policies that impact both teachers and students, and most jarringly, the disparity between schools across the Bay.

"Who is this built for?" is a question that has long defined the Bay Area's complicated urban planning, and it's one that Rahul attempts to answer alongside this episode's guest, Ky-Nam Miller. Ky-Nam, an equity officer working at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, breaks down the intersection between race relations and public policy, inequality and urban planning, and how Bay Area public...