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 ForumWhat's Happened 10 Years After Women Leaned In?
Sheryl Sandberg released her bestselling book, “Lean In,” ten years ago sparking a movement among professional women to pursue leadership roles at work. A new…
KQED's Forum"Anatomy of a Failure”: Franklin Foer on US Mideast Diplomacy After Oct. 7
One year after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the Atlantic’s Franklin Foer joins us for a look back at the U.S. role in the region since that day. His…
KQED's ForumBay Area Jews Reflect on October 7
It has been one year since the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel, in which more than 1,200 people were killed and more than 240 hostages taken. Nearly 100…
KQED's ForumCalifornia's 'Click to Cancel' Law Targets Unwanted Subscriptions
American consumers are awash in subscriptions, incurring monthly or annual fees for streaming services, software, online gaming memberships, meal delivery and…
KQED's ForumWhat 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 ForumNeed Help With Your College Admissions Essay?
It’s that time of year when high school seniors everywhere start working on — or at least contemplate working on — their college applications. And for many…
KQED's ForumWill California’s Latest Efforts to Combat Plastic Bag Waste Work This Time?
California, a pioneer in plastic bag bans, is upping its game with a new law that now bans all plastic bags from grocery stores – including those stiff…
KQED's ForumJD Vance and Tim Walz Face Off in VP Debate
Conventional wisdom suggests vice presidential debates don’t matter, but political analysts say Tuesday’s showdown between Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio…
KQED's ForumMark Farrell Wants to be Mayor…Again
Mark Farrell was born and raised in San Francisco, and now he wants to be the city’s mayor…again. Farrell served as mayor for six months in 2018, completing…
KQED's ForumElection 2024: Proposition 32 Would Raise California’s Minimum Wage
Proposition 32 on the November ballot would increase California’s minimum wage to $18 an hour for all employees by 2026. Supporters say the measure would…
KQED's ForumHurricane Helene and the Changing Wreckage of Climate Change & Notable Bills Gov. Newsom Signed and Vetoed this Legislative Session
AT 9:00 AM: The states in the southeast hardest hit by Hurricane Helena are taking stock of the enormous amounts of damage wrecked by one of the worst storms…
KQED's ForumPioneering Journalist Connie Chung on a Lifetime of Newsmaking
Connie Chung was the first Asian person to anchor a national network news program in the US and the first woman to co-anchor the CBS Evening News. For decades…
KQED's ForumAaron Peskin on Why a Progressive Should be the Next San Francisco Mayor
Born in Berkeley and the son of academics, Aaron Peskin was in the same elementary school class as Vice President Kamala Harris. But while Harris might be…
KQED's ForumWhat Are Your Favorite Solo Activities?
More Americans – especially Gen-Z and millennials – say they value dining alone at restaurants, according to new data from Open Table. And research shows that…
KQED's ForumCaroline Crampton on the History of Hypochondria…and Her Own Struggles with Health Anxiety
Most of us have been there: Frantically Googling health information late at night, worried about a mysterious ache or rash. But when does health anxiety cross…
KQED's ForumSnacking Is Taking Over the Way We Eat
Americans are snacking more than ever before, a recent report found 95 percent of American adults eat at least a snack a day. It wasn’t always that way…
KQED's Forum'Watchdogs' Gives Insider's Look at Role of Inspector General
Inspectors general have been called the most powerful public officials you’ve never heard of. They work inside federal agencies, exposing corruption and…
KQED's ForumMayor London Breed on Why San Francisco Should Give Her Another Term
Mayor London Breed is a lifelong resident of San Francisco, and her tenure as mayor has tracked the boom/bust cycle of the city. When she came to office in…
KQED's ForumPaola Ramos on The Rise of the Latino Far Right
Latino voters in the U.S. overwhelmingly support Democratic causes and candidates. But in recent years, polls show that Latinos have been shifting to the right…
KQED's ForumOakland Fans Say Goodbye to A’s Baseball During Final Home Games In the Coliseum
The day many Bay Area baseball fans have dreaded for years is finally upon us: Thursday will be the final A’s game at the Oakland Coliseum. The team has had a…
KQED's ForumElection 2024: California Proposition 36 Would Increase Penalties for Theft and Drug Offenses
We take a deep dive into Proposition 36 on California’s November ballot. The measure would impose harsher penalties on some theft and drug possession offenses…
KQED's ForumHow Should Progressive Cities Face their Urban Crises?
The 2020 elections brought in a wave of progressive politicians from mayors to district attorneys. But many of those leaders were subjected to recalls or even…
KQED's ForumThe Best Movies Starring…Los Angeles
Lots of movies are filmed in Los Angeles, but only a relative few give a leading role to the city itself. Yet a new series at Berkeley’s Pacific Film Archive…
KQED's ForumWhat Do Rituals Mean to You?
On the surface, a ritual is simply an act that carries a special meaning. It can be as ordinary as saying a blessing before a meal or as elaborate as a…
KQED's ForumHave You Tried The ‘No-Buy Challenge?’
More Americans in 2024 are taking on a ‘no-buy challenge,’ according to the Associated Press. They’re pledging for at least a year to purchase only essential…
KQED's ForumShould Students be Allowed Cell Phones in School?
California’s public schools will be required to restrict cell phone use on campuses by 2026, under a bill awaiting Governor Newsom’s signature. Many Bay Area…
KQED's ForumWhat to Expect From the Rest of Wildfire Season…And How to Stay Safe
Thanks to cooler weather, firefighters are making progress this week on three major Southern California wildfires. But the Airport, Line and Bridge fires have…
KQED's ForumCalifornia’s Brutal Underground Market for Puppies Exposed in L.A. Times Investigation
After California made it illegal for pet stores to sell puppies in 2019, a vast underground market developed supplied by breeders in the Midwest that ship…
KQED's ForumElection 2024: California Congressional Races To Watch
A tight race is on for control of the House of Representatives this fall, and California voters could play a pivotal role in the outcome. Republicans are…
KQED's ForumAyana Elizabeth Johnson asks ‘What If We Get It Right’ on Climate Change?
Marine biologist and climate activist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, like the rest of us, has heard plenty of terrifying warnings about the dangers of failing to act…
KQED's ForumWhy Do We Love to Hate-Watch TV?
Do you have a TV show you hate-watch? As streaming platforms and their algorithms collect more data on the types of shows we like to watch, they feed us shows…
KQED's ForumIs Too Much Local Democracy to Blame for the Housing Crisis?
Most Americans are now acutely aware that we have a housing crisis, but Atlantic writer Jerusalem Demsas says that we have much less clarity about what’s…
KQED's ForumHow AI in Video Games is Affecting Performers
Voice actors and motion-capture artists in SAG-AFTRA have been striking against major video game companies since July to secure protections against the use of…
KQED's ForumThe Bay Area Orchestras Bringing Classical Music To A City Near You
The Bay Area is home to a surprising number of symphonies and philharmonic orchestras. They’re found not just in San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland, but…
KQED's ForumIn Transit: Cars Are Getting Bigger and More Dangerous. What Can We Do About It?
Americans love big cars. But a new data analysis by the Economist finds the bigger the cars, the deadlier they are for pedestrians, for people driving smaller…
KQED's ForumHow Much Alcohol is Safe to Consume?
For years, people felt good drinking a glass or two of red wine for the supposed health benefits, but last year the World Health Organization declared that “no…
KQED's ForumRecapping the Debate with KQED's Politics Team
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump take the stage Tuesday night for their first Presidential debate. The only debate on the books…
KQED's ForumMichael Blecker, Director of Swords to Plowshares, Reflects on a Life of Service
Michael Blecker spent three years as an infantryman in Vietnam, and the last four decades fighting for veterans as the executive director of the nonprofit…
KQED's ForumKamala Harris Said She’d Appoint a Republican Cabinet Member if Elected. What’s the History of the Practice?
During her first major interview since becoming the Democratic party nominee, Kamala Harris was asked by CNN if she would appoint a Republican to her cabinet…
KQED's ForumHarris, Trump to Meet in High Stakes Debate as Race Tightens
What a difference a few months makes. June’s presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump made history, as Biden’s poor performance led to his…
KQED's ForumHow Abortion Access is Galvanizing Men
We’ve been hearing about women mobilizing to protect reproductive rights but so are an increasing number of men. In 2019 fewer than one in ten men said that…
KQED's ForumRebecca Nagle on the Long and Ongoing Battle for Tribal Sovereignty and Land
A truly landmark Supreme Court decision in 2020 resulted in the largest restoration of Native American tribal land in American history. More than half of the…
KQED's Forum‘My Divo’ Podcast Explores Legacy of Beloved Mexican Singer and Queer Icon Juan Gabriel
Juan Gabriel, one of Mexico’s most beloved composers and musicians, managed to achieve superstar status beginning in the 1970s and emerge as a queer icon at a…
KQED's ForumLandmark Stanford Study Asks ‘When Do Women Have the Right to Kill in Self-Defense?’
A landmark Stanford Law School study of women incarcerated in California prisons finds the vast majority of those convicted of killing their partner…
KQED's ForumHow Artificial Intelligence is Used in Healthcare
When you go to a medical appointment or get admitted into the hospital, your doctor may be using ChatGPT to save time. Artificial intelligence is already…
KQED's ForumHow Are Swing States Preparing for Claims of Voter Fraud?
Donald Trump continues to cast doubt, without basis, on the fairness of the 2024 presidential election and has so far refused to say whether he will accept the…
KQED's ForumHow the Bay Area Shaped Kamala Harris
In her acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination, Kamala Harris used “the Bay” when talking about where she grew up, rather than name-check Berkeley and…
KQED's ForumAre You Struggling to Find a Tech Job in California?
There are nearly 100,000 fewer private sector tech jobs in California than two years ago, according to a July report from the state Legislative Analyst’s…
KQED's ForumIn ‘The Cities We Need,’ Gabrielle Bendiner-Viani Celebrates Unassuming Places That Foster Community
The donut shop. The local diner. The vacant lot where kids gather to play. These are the kinds of unassuming places that can foster a sense of belonging…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: Music Critic Ann Powers on ‘Traveling’ on Singer-Songwriter Joni Mitchell’s Path
When Ann Powers began to draft her expansive new biography of Laurel Canyon music legend Joni Mitchell, she says that “certain subjects emerged: childhood as…
KQED's ForumForum from the Archives: A Sensitive Meathead’s Quest to Get ‘Swole’
Michael Andor Broudeur is a classical music critic for the Washington Post and he’s also a self-described “meathead” with an relentless desire to make his body…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: Caitlin Dickerson on the Darién Gap’s Humanitarian Catastrophe
The Darién Gap, the perilous mountain region connecting Central and South America, was thought for centuries to be all but impossible to cross. But now…
KQED's ForumSmall and Big Acts of Kindness Shine in New Book from Upworthy
The son who traveled 2,500 miles to save his parents’ dog. The stranger who picked up the tab for a girl who was trying to buy a prom dress at Goodwill. The…
KQED's ForumNancy Pelosi Explains 'The Art of Power'
House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi says that she’s won nearly all the legislative battles that she started — and she characterizes those she hasn’t won simply…
KQED's ForumCalifornia Legislature Passes Controversial AI Bill
California lawmakers approved a landmark bill regulating artificial intelligence on Wednesday. SB 1047, co-authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San…
KQED's ForumEvan Friss on the Enduring Power of ‘The Bookshop’
The smell of ink on paper. The handwritten staff recommendations. The plan to only buy one book, and the inevitable exit with five. Visiting a brick-and-mortar…
KQED's ForumSan Francisco Superintendent Matt Wayne Talks About Solving the School District’s Budget Crisis
As a new school year kicks off, San Francisco Unified School District faces several big challenges including pending school closures set to be announced later…
KQED's Forum‘Feeding the Machine’ Spotlights the Human Laborers Behind AI
Tech companies often portray their AI products as self-sufficient systems that learn from large datasets. However, AI development in reality relies heavily on…
KQED's ForumSudan’s ‘Forgotten War’ Places Nation on Brink of ‘Catastrophic’ Famine
The crisis in Sudan, now in its second year, has been called the “Forgotten War.” While in the early 2000s, ethnic cleansing in Darfur, a region of Sudan…
KQED's ForumWhat Science Says About Ketamine’s Risks and Benefits
Ketamine is perhaps best known as a party drug, and it has long been used in hospitals as an anesthetic. In recent years, it has also been touted as a…