Shows / KQED's Forum
KQED's Forum
Forum tells remarkable and true stories about who we are and where we live. In the first hour, Alexis Madrigal convenes the diverse voices of the Bay Area, before turning to Mina Kim for the second hour to chronicle and center Californians’ experience. In an increasingly divided world, Mina and Alexis host conversations that inform, challenge and unify listeners with big ideas and different viewpoints. Want to call/submit your comments during our live Forum program Mon-Fri, 9am-11am? We'd love…
Episodes
- KQED's Forum
Fallout from Leaked Signal Chat Intensifies
We take a deep look at the fallout from what national security experts are calling one of the most extraordinary intelligence lapses in U.S. history. On Monday…
- KQED's Forum
Oakland Mayoral Hopeful Loren Taylor on Why Local Experience Matters
In a special election on April 15, Oakland voters will choose a candidate to finish the term of recalled mayor Sheng Thao. In the first of our interviews with…
- KQED's Forum
How MAGA Took Over Congress with NYT’s Annie Karni and Luke Broadwater
How did MAGA come to control Congress? It’s the story New York Times reporters Annie Karni and Luke Broadwater chart in a new book exposing what they call the…
- KQED's Forum
Americans are Obsessed with Working Hard. What is it Getting Us?
We’ve heard the Thomas Edison quote over and over: “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” But how often does the American…
- KQED's Forum
How 20 Years of YouTube Has Shaped Us
YouTube is the site for step-by-step how-to guides, unboxing and reaction videos, and children’s songs that get stuck in your head. It has also fundamentally…
- KQED's Forum
A History of Brainwashing and its Use Today
In her new book, “The Instability of Truth: Brainwashing, Mind Control, and Hyperpersuasion,” Harvard historian of science Rebecca Lemov examines the many ways…
- KQED's Forum
Canadians to Trump: We Are Not Having It
President Trump’s unprovoked tariffs on Canadian goods, his threats to make the sovereign nation a 51st state, his belittling of Canada’s leaders: it’s all…
- KQED's Forum
Ed Yong on the Pandemic’s Legacy on Science Research and Reporting
During the pandemic, former Atlantic writer Ed Yong became a trusted source for news about COVID and its impact. In 2021 he won a Pulitzer Prize for that work…
- KQED's Forum
What Does California Smell Like to You?
Sequoia trees. Ojai tangerines. Jasmine. Ocean spray. Weed. “Our sense of smell is often overlooked, but it’s the one thing that can bring back memories of a…
- KQED's Forum
Mac Barnett on Why Picture Books Are Real Literature
As the Library of Congress’s new National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Bay Area children’s author Mac Barnett wants to reframe how we think about…
KQED's ForumEdward Fishman On the Age of Economic Warfare
Edward Fishman, a former top sanctions official in the U.S. Department of State, says that “the world economy has become a battlefield,” with sanctions…
KQED's ForumIn “Smother” Poet Rachel Richardson Balances Parenting Amidst Upheaval
How should we raise children in a world that is burning? This is the question that Berkeley poet Rachel Richardson contemplates in her new collection…
KQED's ForumSarah Vowell and Dave Eggers Celebrate Public Servants in ‘Who is Government’
Who is the Government? Dave Eggers and Sarah Vowell attempt to answer that question in essays about the scientists who discover new planets at NASA’s Jet…
KQED's ForumTrump Calls For Judge’s Impeachment as Courtroom Battles Over Deportations Escalate
President Donald Trump has called for the impeachment of the federal judge who ordered a halt on the administration’s deportation of hundreds of alleged…
KQED's ForumJournalists Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson on Why the Left is Bad at Governing
California in 2023 experienced a net loss of nearly 270,000 residents. The main reason given by those surveyed? The state’s cost of living is too high for…
KQED's ForumPaul Hawken on Reimagining Our Relationship to Carbon
In his new book “Carbon: The Book of Life,” Paul Hawken guides readers through the integral role of carbon in our world and daily lives. Carbon is a miracle…
KQED's ForumCarol Leifer Teaches Us 'How to Write a Funny Speech'
Emmy award winning Comedian Carol Leifer has sat through countless bad speeches. Fed up, she set out to create the ultimate guide to speech writing with…
KQED's ForumAlexis Madrigal on Globalization and the Battle for Oakland’s Soul
The Pacific Circuit comprises the vast system of trade routes, cargo ships and relationships connecting Asian manufacturing and American consumers. And it all…
KQED's ForumLive on Forum: Dani Offline Weaves Literary Influences And Dreamy R&B
Dani Offline joins us in the studio for a live musical performance. Fresh off of two sold-out shows at SFJAZZ as part of the Noise Pop festival, the…
KQED's ForumCarla Fernandez On Navigating ‘The Wild Ride’ of Grief
Through years of hosting dinner parties with fellow grievers, Carla Fernandez, writes that she learned to approach grief without sweeping it under the rug. “I…
KQED's ForumChronicle Investigation Tracks Abuses, Understaffing at CA For-Profit Psychiatric Hospitals
California is increasingly relying on for-profit psychiatric hospitals to care for the tens of thousands of people experiencing serious mental health crises…
KQED's ForumCan You Change Your Personality? Olga Khazan Tried.
“I possessed a unique ability to find suffering in even the best circumstances,” admits Atlantic writer Olga Khazan. That trait is one reason why she wished…
KQED's ForumWho Should Lead the Democrats?
Who is the leader of the Democratic party? It was a question that appeared to stump Minnesota governor and vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz in a CNN…
KQED's ForumWhat Trump’s Threatened Education Cuts Mean for Students, Schools
The Trump Administration cut $400 million in grants to Columbia for its alleged failure to address anti-semitism on campus. And 60 more universities are on…
KQED's ForumIs It Time to Say Goodbye to the Penny?
Pennies are as lucky as ever, but the U.S. Mint reported losing more than $85 million last year producing the coin. Now President Trump has added his voice to…
KQED's ForumTechEquity's Catherine Bracy On What Venture Capital is Doing to our Economy
Venture capital is meant to infuse burgeoning companies with cash to grow, but instead it’s become a sector that is too obsessed with raking in short-term…
KQED's ForumAre You Affected by the NOAA Layoffs?
Scientists who study and keep the public informed about wildfires, hurricanes, avalanches and climate change are reeling from the Trump administration’s mass…
KQED's ForumThe Pandemic’s Lasting Effects on Student Learning, Mental Health
The average American student is “less than halfway to a full academic recovery” from the effects of the Covid pandemic. That’s according to a 2024 report by…
KQED's ForumPatrick Hutchison Shares His D.I.Y. Adventures in ‘Cabin’
In 2013, Patrick Hutchison bought a derelict shack in the Cascades not far from his home in Seattle. Within a few years, the weekend renovation project would…
KQED's ForumSly Stone and the ‘Burden of Black Genius’
No band may better reflect the multicultural, gender-expansive exuberance of the Bay Area dream than Sly and the Family Stone. A new documentary “Sly Lives…
KQED's ForumHow is the Media Changing Under President Trump?
The federal agency overseeing Voice of America has placed its chief national correspondent on a paid “excused absence” while it investigates his alleged bias…
KQED's ForumIn “SuperAgency,” Reid Hoffman Argues AI Will Empower, not Diminish, Us
Linkedin co-founder Reid Hoffman is bullish on the ability of AI to improve our society and our selves. In his new book, “SuperAgency: What Could Possibly Go…
KQED's ForumKelsey McKinney on Why We Love to Gossip
Gossip can be “juicy, strange, funny and utterly banal” and we love to hear it, whether we identify as gossips or not. Kelsey McKinney, host and creator of the…
KQED's ForumTrump Addresses Congress After Imposing Sweeping Tariffs, Halting Ukrainian Aid
Donald Trump takes the stage on Tuesday night, addressing Congress to make the case for his agenda, after a whirlwind six weeks in office. This week, Trump has…
KQED's ForumAnti-Musk Sentiment Boils Over to Tesla Owners
Anger and frustration over Elon Musk’s DOGE and its drastic, legally questionable cuts to the federal workforce have sparked protests outside Tesla dealerships…
KQED's ForumTrump Slashed the IRS Workforce. What Will it Mean for Tax Season?
Last week, President Trump fired 6,700 IRS employees, while the chronically underfunded agency, is in the midst of tax season. In a New York Times guest essay…
KQED's ForumTommy Orange and Kaveh Akbar Celebrate their Artistic Mind Meld
Have you ever felt so creatively connected to someone that it’s like you share the same brain? That’s how acclaimed writers Tommy Orange and Kaveh Akbar…
KQED's ForumKevin Fagan Takes A Deep, Immersive Look At Surviving Homelessness
Former San Francisco Chronicle reporter Kevin Fagan spent more than three decades reporting on everything from wildfires to serial killers but he has been…
KQED's ForumActor Robert Townsend Reflects on a Life in Hollywood
You might know filmmaker, actor and comedian Robert Townsend for his roles in “The Meteor Man” and the Emmy award-winning TV show “The Bear.” Or for writing…
KQED's ForumJourneying into San Francisco’s Underbelly with Novelist Brittany Newell
San Francisco author Brittany Newell’s novel “Soft Core” explores the city’s underbelly — while making its tech bros minor characters. With pinpoint…
KQED's ForumSF Music Week Promotes Local Industry as Economic Engine
At the moment New York, Nashville, and Los Angeles are the cities where music making happens. But San Francisco hopes to add itself to that list. To that end…
KQED's ForumTrump Whistleblower Alexander Vindman on Why the U.S. Has Turned Its Back on Ukraine
The United States has reached a preliminary deal with Ukraine to share in revenue from the country’s mineral assets, but so far it is not offering security…
KQED's ForumCalifornia Takes ‘Good Cop/Bad Cop’ Approach to President Trump
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a host of lawsuits against the Trump administration, as Governor Gavin Newsom tries to stay in Trump’s good…
KQED's ForumTrump Purge Hits Bay Area Federal Workers
Thousands of government employees have lost their jobs as part of the Trump’s Administration’s purge of the federal workforce, led by Elon Musk’s Department of…
KQED's ForumFAA Firings, Recent Crashes Spark Airline Safety Fears
The Federal Aviation Administration recently began firing hundreds of workers, raising concerns over airline safety. The latest cuts come in the wake of…
KQED's ForumThe Growing Strength of the Christian Nationalism in Politics
On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to root out anti-Christian bias and embrace his “beautiful Christians.” A particular form of Christianity – Christian…
KQED's ForumThe Stories Behind Our First and Last Words
Linguist Michael Erard says that a child’s first words and a dying person’s last words exist on a Möbius-strip of beginnings and endings where “parallels…
KQED's ForumWhat Trump’s Order to “Dramatically Reduce” Presidio Trust Means for the Beloved Park
President Trump shocked San Francisco Wednesday night with an executive order to “dramatically reduce” the Presidio Trust, which Congress formed in 1996 to…
KQED's ForumKent Dunlap on the Biology, Evolution and Cultural History of the Neck
Far more than just a link between our heads and torsos, the neck is what biologist Kent Dunlap describes as “the ultimate multitasker.” The neck “flexes…
KQED's ForumBay Area Latin Jazz Legend John Santos and Friends Perform Live
Bay Area Latin jazz legend John Santos joins us with a full band for a live in-studio performance. The San Francisco native is a Grammy nominated percussionist…
KQED's ForumUnderstanding Republicans’ Proposed Cuts to Medicaid
Republicans are looking to cut as much as $880 billion from Medicaid, a federal program that provides healthcare for 72 million Americans. Distinct from…
KQED's ForumWill Germany Turn to the Far Right?
Germany holds parliamentary elections this weekend, and political watchers there are expecting its nativist Alternative for Deutschland party to make gains…
KQED's ForumVaccination Efforts at Risk Under RFK Jr.'s HHS Tenure
Last week the U.S. Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a noted vaccine skeptic, as Health and Human Services Secretary. This comes as a measles outbreak in…
KQED's ForumHow to Talk about Black History When Diversity is Under Attack
Black History Month has been officially celebrated in the U.S. since President Gerald Ford signed a proclamation nearly 50 years ago declaring the month of…
KQED's ForumImpacts of Trump’s Anti-Trans Actions Already Felt in California
Since taking office, President Trump has issued executive orders rolling back trans Americans’ rights in schools, prisons and the military. The administration…
KQED's ForumYoni Appelbaum’s Book “Stuck” Argues that Progressive Policies Have Frozen Social Mobility
Picking up stakes and moving somewhere new was once so common in America that cities had a designated “Moving Day” when thousands of tenants would move house…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: Travel Writer Pico Iyer Celebrates the Joys of Sitting Still
After his California home burned in a wildfire, acclaimed author and travel writer Pico Iyer retreated to a remote monastery in Big Sur. There, he discovered…
KQED's ForumForum from the Archives: What Does Wilderness Mean in our Modern World?
A century ago, the United States designated its first wilderness area – a place to be forever preserved and protected from human impact. But what does…
KQED's ForumBehind the Scenes with the San Francisco Opera
We pull back the curtain on the San Francisco Opera with Music Director Eun Sun Kim and General Director Matthew Shilvock, who joined us live on stage on Feb…
KQED's ForumRachel Syme Teaches You How to Write a Memorable Letter
New Yorker writer Rachel Syme loves letters — their content, the paper they are written on, the envelopes that enclose them. For Syme, “A letter is a vessel…