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 ForumWill Nevada and Arizona Pick the Next President?
California’s neighbors, Arizona and Nevada, stand out as pivotal swing states in this year’s presidential election, each with a large bloc of independent…
KQED's ForumAfter Ukraine Invades Russia, Analysts Assess Risks
Ukraine has brought the war to Russia. Its incursion on Aug. 6 into the Kursk region marks the largest invasion of Russia since World War II. It also marks a…
KQED's ForumXochitl Gonzalez Struggles to Understand a Mother that Chose Activism Over Her
Novelist and Atlantic staff writer Xochitl Gonzalez joins us to talk about her recent essay, a personal history about growing up with a mother who was largely…
KQED's ForumCan California's Universal Transitional Kindergarten Plan Make the Grade?
California set an ambitious goal of making transitional kindergarten universal by fall of 2025. TK was originally created for kids born in the fall who were…
KQED's ForumDemocratic National Convention Puts Bay Area in the Spotlight
On Thursday night the Bay Area’s own Kamala Harris will accept the nomination as the Democratic party’s presidential candidate after days of full throated…
KQED's ForumAthletes and Fans Prepare for Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games open in Paris next week, showcasing the talent of elite athletes in 22 adaptive sports. Some, like Boccia and Goalball, are unique to the…
KQED's ForumNate Silver on the Art of Risking Everything
What can we learn from professional risk-takers—poker players, hedge fund managers, crypto true believers and blue-chip art collectors— about how to navigate…
KQED's ForumStand-Up Mathematician Matt Parker on Why Triangles are the Best Shape
Stand-up comic and mathematician Matt Parker loves triangles, and he wants everyone to appreciate them. Triangles help us calculate distances, the angle of an…
KQED's ForumWhat Should the Next President Do to Ease the Housing Crisis?
Vice President Kamala Harris has released a set of proposals she says will make housing more affordable if she’s elected president in November. Her ideas…
KQED's ForumDemocratic National Convention Opens
The 2024 Democratic National Convention kicks off on Monday, capping a warp speed nomination process for Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate…
KQED's ForumWill the Government Break Up Google?
The US Department of Justice is considering breaking up tech giant Google, according to media reports. That news comes after a court ruling earlier this month…
KQED's ForumDungeons and Dragons Celebrates 50 Years of 'Critical Hits’
You are walking down a dark dungeon hallway lit by torches and covered in cobwebs. You hear ominous squelching sounds. Wait! It’s the GIBBERING MOUTHER. Do you…
KQED's ForumPost-Grants Pass, How Are California Cities Approaching Homelessness?
In late June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that cities can dismantle homeless encampments on sidewalks and other public places and make people move without…
KQED's ForumWhat’s Next for California Forever’s Proposal to Build a New City in Solano County
Amid the Bay Area’s dire need for more housing, California Forever has set out a bold vision for a new city in east Solano County on 17,500 acres of mostly…
KQED's ForumCaitlin 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 ForumThe Grocery Stores Going Beyond the ‘International Food Aisle’ to Expand Palates
If you are a fan of kimchee like your grandmother made or are looking for the freshest curry leaf, you’re probably well acquainted with stores like H Mart…
KQED's ForumEndless Parenting: How Our Definition of Child-Rearing Is Changing
More adults are now relying on their parents for financial support, career advice and emotional regulation well into their 30s — challenging the notion that a…
KQED's ForumHow Local Developers Plan to Transform the Oakland Coliseum Site
As the A’s wrap up their final season in Oakland, the future of the Coliseum – the team’s home for 56 years– may finally be coming into focus. The African…
KQED's ForumRoxane Gay on Owning a Gun and Standing Her Ground
Feminist scholar Roxane Gay has no fondness for guns, no interest in gun culture and rarely thinks about guns unless, as she says, “the news cycle demands it.”…
KQED's ForumRay Suarez ’s ‘We Are Home’ Centers Voices of Recent Immigrants
In the debate about immigration, the voices of immigrants are often left out of the conversation. For his new book, “We Are Home,” veteran journalist Ray…
KQED's Forum‘American Diva’ Celebrates the Powerful, Strong and Always Fabulous Diva
Tina. Aretha. Serena and Venus. In one word you know who these women are. And that word is DIVA. In her new book “American Diva,” Deborah Paredez argues we…
KQED's Forum'Bird of Four Hundred Voices' Chronicles Los Cenzontles' Mission to Empower Young People Through Mexican Folk Music
In the 1990s, Eugene Rodriguez wanted to help his teenage students learn Son Jarocho, a regional folk music style from Mexico. So he organized a weeks-long…
KQED's ForumCalifornia Regulators Roll Out Plan to Stabilize Home Insurance Market
California’s home insurance market is a mess. Across the state, major insurers are canceling policies or leaving the market altogether – citing disaster risks…
KQED's ForumJournalist Evan Ratliff Voice Cloned Himself. The Results Were Not What He Expected.
Busy and frazzled people often say, “I wish I could clone myself!” Journalist Evan Ratliff did just that. Using easily available technology and artificial…
KQED's ForumHow Climate Change is Changing the Olympics
If global temperatures continue to increase, new research suggests that by 2050 past Winter Olympics host cities — like Oslo, Vancouver and Lake Tahoe — likely…
KQED's ForumHow Will Chevron Headquarters' Move to Texas Impact California's Energy Future?
After more than a century in the Bay Area, Chevron announced it is moving its headquarters from San Ramon to Houston, but the company’s refineries in Richmond…
KQED's ForumKamala Harris Selects Tim Walz as Her Running Mate
Vice President Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate for the 2024 presidential election. Walz is a former school teacher and…
KQED's ForumWhy “No Contact” Family Estrangement Is On the Rise
Across social media, people are posting about their experiences ending contact with family members, which experts say is a growing trend. Studies have found…
KQED's ForumWhen Elderly Loved Ones Need Extra Help
When an elderly loved one starts to show signs they’re having trouble living independently, initiating conversations about elder care can be challenging. We…
KQED's ForumZooming in with “Deep Look,” KQED’s Award Winning Wildlife Video Series
Why is the ocean full of moon jellies? How do snails use fishing nets made of slime? What’s actually happening when a mosquito sucks your blood? These are just…
KQED's ForumMultiple Wildfires Threaten Communities Throughout California
Firefighters are battling the massive Park Fire near Chico which has already burned an area larger than the city of Los Angeles – making it the fifth largest…
KQED's ForumHow Eight Sci-Fi Movies from 1982 Changed Filmmaking
The summer of 1982 was a blockbuster for sci-fi movies. Over the course of six consecutive weekends, eight movies in that genre premiered: E.T. Poltergeist…
KQED's ForumFeminist Bookstores, Queer Run Clubs and Lesbian Bars: The Power of Third Spaces for Queer Women
“My own life has been defined by a search for lesbian spaces.” So says journalist June Thomas, whose new book “A Place of Our Own” explores third spaces for…
KQED's ForumJD Vance Comments on Childless Americans Spark Outrage
After a video of republican vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance resurfaced that features him mocking “childless cat ladies,” child-free Americans erupted…
KQED's ForumNathan Thrall Lays Bare Everyday Reality of Life Under Occupation
Nathan Thrall won a 2024 Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction for “A Day in the Life of Abed Salama.” It tells the story of a school bus crash in 2012 outside…
KQED's ForumKamala Harris’s Candidacy Puts a Spotlight on Mixed-Raced Identity
Vice President Kamala Harris’s racial and ethnic identity is either an asset or a liability on the campaign trail — it depends on whom you ask. Many voters say…
KQED's ForumSean Wang and Joan Chen Reflect on 'Dìdi (弟弟)' Their Coming-of-Age Film Set in Fremont
Sean Wang’s semi-autobiographical new film “Dìdi (弟弟)” follows a 13-year-old skater in 2008 Fremont, California, the summer before he starts high school…
KQED's ForumCan Biden Get Supreme Court Reforms Passed Before End of Term?
In keeping with his vow to reform the Supreme Court, President Joe Biden issued a plan calling for term limits for justices, a constitutional amendment to…
KQED's ForumTo Solve the Climate Crisis, Focus on Methane
Most climate action today focuses on zeroing out carbon emissions, but Stanford climate scientist Rob Jackson wants us to take a hard look at methane. It’s a…
KQED's ForumHow to Know When It’s Time to Go: Retiring on Your Own Terms
President Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race put a spotlight on a vexing question: when is the right time to call it quits and retire?…
KQED's ForumHow Modern Autocracy Works
When we imagine an autocracy, writes Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Anne Applebaum, we tend to conjure a cartoon image: a malevolent dictator at the top who…
KQED's ForumThe Convoluted History of Sex Testing in Elite Women’s Sports
Who gets to compete in women’s sports? Since the very conception of elite athletics, there has been controversy over who qualifies for the women’s category…
KQED's ForumWho Should Be the VP’s VP?
Who do you think Vice President Kamala Harris should pick as her running mate? The VP has a strong bench to choose from, including Pennsylvania governor Josh…
KQED's ForumGovernor Newsom Orders Clearing of Homeless Encampments
In an executive order Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered California officials to dismantle homeless encampments across the state today. It will be the biggest…
KQED's ForumJohn Vaillant on How Fossil Fuel Extraction Intensifies Wildfire
John Vaillant’s book “Fire Weather” chronicles a devastating wildfire that struck Fort McMurray, Alberta in May 2016. It forced more than 85,000 people to flee…
KQED's ForumDoing Democracy: The Groundgame. Harris and Trump Have Raised Millions. What Will They Do With It?
The Kamala Harris campaign announced that in the 36 hours since President Biden dropped out of the presidential race, it had raised a record-breaking $100…
KQED's ForumEdward Wong Traces China's Evolution Through Father's Eyes
New York Times diplomatic correspondent Edward Wong says that he is the “son of two empires.” He grew up outside of Washington, D.C. during the Cold War when…
KQED's ForumSilicon Valley Elites Move Right, Embrace Trump
The selection of former venture capitalist J.D. Vance as the Republican vice-presidential nominee is a sign that Silicon Valley is no longer the liberal…
KQED's ForumPresident Biden Withdraws from Presidential Race, Endorses Kamala Harris
In a historic move on Sunday, President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race. In a tweet, he offered his “full support and endorsement” to Vice…
KQED's ForumPresident Biden Withdraws from Presidential Race, Endorses Kamala Harris
In a historic move on Sunday, President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race. In a tweet, he offered his “full support and endorsement” to Vice…
KQED's ForumHow Demand for Avocados Is Fueling Violence In Mexico
Avocados, a favorite in many dishes, have grown into a $3 billion industry for Mexico. Michoacán, one of the few places in the world where avocados can grow…
KQED's ForumWhen TikTok is Your Doctor
Potato juice instead of antibiotics. Using beer in lieu of sunscreen. Shoving a garlic clove up your nose for sinus trouble. These are some of the remedies you…
KQED's Forum80 Years After Port Chicago Explosion, US Navy Exonerates 256 Black Sailors
80 years ago, 320 men, mostly African American, died at Port Chicago, an ammunition depot in what is now Concord. It was the deadliest incident on U.S. soil…
KQED's ForumGOP Spirits High as Republican National Convention Enters Final Stretch
The GOP is expressing confidence that the presidential election will break in its favor as the Republican National Convention draws to a close on Thursday. The…
KQED's ForumJonathan Rosen on His Childhood Best Friend’s Schizophrenia and the ‘Tragedy of Good Intentions’
Jonathan Rosen’s memoir “The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions” was a 2024 Pulitzer Prize finalist and named a Top…
KQED's ForumPolitical Violence Has Been On the Rise Well Before Trump Shooting
In calling for unity in the wake of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, President Joe Biden said political violence is “un-American and abhorrent.” But…
KQED's ForumFederal Judge Dismisses Trump Classified Documents Case & Once A Foe, Ohio Senator JD Vance Tapped as Trump's Running Mate
Florida federal judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the classified documents case against Donald Trump on Monday, finding that the appointment of Special Counsel…
KQED's ForumPreview the Olympic Games with Bay Area Athletes
The Bay Area has a long tradition of producing Olympians and this year continues that legacy as athletes from the region prepare for the 2024 Olympic and…
KQED's ForumThe Trump Assassination Attempt and How ‘The Reactionary Spirit’ is Threatening Democracy Worldwide
Following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, far-right Republicans pointed fingers at President Joe Biden, blaming his warnings about…
KQED's ForumRepublican Convention Kicks off Days After Trump Shooting
Republicans open their convention in Milwaukee today, just two days after former president Trump was shot in the ear by a sniper at a campaign rally in…