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 ForumMaternity Care Deserts on the Rise in California
In the last decade California hospitals have shut down nearly 50 maternity wards, leaving pregnant people in large swaths of the state without a place to…
KQED's ForumJournalist William Gee Wong’s Memoir ‘Sons of Chinatown’ Chronicles His Family’s Chinese-American Experience
As a journalist, William Gee Wong focused many of his stories on the Asian American experience. And in his new memoir, “Sons of Chinatown,” Wong trains his…
KQED's ForumWhat Is The Carbon Cost of Our Digital Lives?
The internet produces about a billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year, roughly the same as the aviation industry, according to one recent study…
KQED's ForumEnvironmentalists, Public Health Advocates Worry about Ability to Regulate Industry after Supreme Court’s Decision Overturning Chevron
In one of many historic cases this term, the Supreme Court overturned the Chevron doctrine, which gave deference to federal agencies to interpret the laws they…
KQED's ForumOn SongWriter Podcast, Musicians Transform Stories Into Songs
Great songs capture our imaginations and reveal truths about the human experience, transmuting stories into sound. Ben Arthur explores this alchemy on his…
KQED's ForumPressure Grows on President Biden to Step Aside
A defiant Joe Biden said Monday that he’s “firmly committed” to staying in the presidential race. Still, questions about Biden’s age and fitness have put the…
KQED's ForumJohn Ganz On the Decade that Changed the Republican Party
According to political writer John Ganz, a sense of “national despair” emerged in the U.S. during the early 1990s due to an economic recession that shrank…
KQED's ForumRichmondside Launches to Fill Dearth of Coverage
Richmond, Calif. is home to more than 115,000 residents and major corporations and refineries, including Chevron. But like many cities, Richmond had been left…
KQED's ForumAre You Debating Renting or Buying?
Rising housing costs are pushing more middle-class families in California to rent rather than buy. The average cost of ownership payments for a mid-tier house…
KQED's ForumYour Houseplant is Smarter Than It Looks
There has been a sweeping reevaluation of animal intelligence over the last decade as we’ve realized that all kinds of organisms are smarter than we thought. A…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: Tiffany Haddish Wants to ‘Curse You With Joy’
You may know actor and stand-up comedian Tiffany Haddish best for her riotous performance in the 2017 film "Girls Trip." Or for her Emmy Award-winning turn as…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: 'Jazz Hero' Jesse 'Chuy' Varela on the History of Latin Jazz in the Bay Area and Beyond
Radio host, journalist, musician, and musicologist Jesse “Chuy” Varela has been a treasured fixture of the Bay Area jazz scene for more than 40 years. When the…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: Rebecca Boyle on How the Moon ‘Made Us Who We Are’
Ever since our moon formed roughly 4.6 billion years ago, it has “conduct(ed) the symphony of life on Earth.” That’s according to lifelong moon enthusiast and…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: Berkeley Perfumer Mandy Aftel on the 'Curious and Wondrous World of Fragrance'
“You don’t just smell an aroma; you fall into it,” writes artisan perfumer Mandy Aftel. And entering her exquisite small museum, the Aftel Archive of Curious…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: R.O. Kwon Mines Complexity of Desire, Both Romantic and Creative, in ‘Exhibit’
In her new novel “Exhibit” R.O. Kwon introduces us to Jin Han, a photographer in San Francisco who’s unsure if her transgressive infatuation for a ballet…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: ‘Down Home Music’ Captures Arhoolie Records’ History in Photos
Legendary Arhoolie Records founder Chris Strachwitz transversed the United States and Mexico for decades recording traditional roots music and unknown artists…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: Electronic Music Composer Suzanne Ciani Celebrates Groundbreaking Career
If you were watching TV in the 1980s you’re probably familiar with the sounds of electronic music pioneer Suzanne Ciani, whose synthesizer compositions became…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: Graphic Novelist Raina Telgemeier Taps into Adolescent Anxiety, Zeitgeist
You might not think that 224 pages devoted to a sixth grader’s tricky journey with braces would make for a bestseller, but since its publication in 2010, Raina…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: Mark Mazzetti on ‘How Extremists Took Over Israel’
A recent New York Times investigation reveals how violent radical elements in Israel's settler movement in the West Bank have been allowed to operate with…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: Carvell Wallace Journeys Through Loss and Reunion in Memoir ‘Another Word for Love’
In his magazine profiles and podcasts, Oakland writer Carvell Wallace has a gift for examining people and the times we live in with clarity and wisdom. With…
KQED's ForumBiden and Trump Meet in High-Stakes Debate
President Biden and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump take the stage in Atlanta on Thursday for the first presidential debate of the election cycle…
KQED's ForumHow Refrigeration Changed The World
Almost everything we eat – bananas, sushi, lettuce, beef – is part of the “cold chain,” a vast network of refrigerated warehouses, shipping containers, display…
KQED's ForumSupreme Court Rules Bans on Camping on Street Do Not Violate 8th Amendment
On Friday, the court, in a 6-3 opinion authored by Justice Gorsuch, announced that “camping ban” laws that restrict unhoused people from sleeping on public…
KQED's ForumIs No-Fault Divorce Under Threat?
In 1969 California became the first state to adopt no-fault divorce – allowing people to end their marriages without proving spousal wrongdoing. Other states…
KQED's ForumBay Area Fisheries Working Against the Tide of Shortened or Canceled Seasons
Though one of its most famous attractions is Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco and the Bay Area’s thriving fishing industry is not what it once was. A shortened…
KQED's ForumEmily Nussbaum Tells the True Story of Reality TV
When New Yorker staff writer Emily Nussbaum began working on her book about the origins of reality TV, she says that the deeper she looked “the darker things…
KQED's ForumOakland Mayor Sheng Thao Confronts Onslaught of Troubles
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao spoke publicly on Monday for the first time since the FBI raided her home last week. Thao, who faces a recall election in November…
KQED's ForumWhat’s Inside Project 2025?
Project 2025, the sweeping right-wing agenda drafted by the Heritage Foundation, calls for expanding presidential powers, eliminating federal agencies and…
KQED's ForumA 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 ForumKhushbu Shah Reimagines Indian Cuisine for the American Diaspora
Immigrants to any country learn to adapt. So it was the case for food writer and cookbook author Khushbu Shah’s family who came to the States from India…
KQED's ForumHot Summer Promises More Blazes This Wildfire Season
Meteorologists are predicting this summer will be one of the hottest on record, and they’re warning we’re likely in for a big wildfire season. Heavy rains in…
KQED's ForumAnalyzing Immigration Rhetoric and Policy this Election Year
A new Biden Administration policy announced this week will allow undocumented people who are married to American citizens to remain in the U.S. while pursuing…
KQED's ForumPixar’s ‘Inside Out 2’ Peers into the Teen Brain
In the Oscar-winning animated movie “Inside Out,” emotions like joy, anger and sadness populate the brain of 11-year-old Riley, the film’s heroine. In the…
KQED's ForumCalifornia’s New Ban on ‘Hidden Fees’ to Take Effect July 1
There are two new laws in California set to eliminate hidden fees, taking effect next month. In a statement released by the attorney general’s office, the…
KQED's ForumNatalie Foster’s ‘The Guarantee’ Imagines An America Where Government Ensures Economic Stability for Everyone
In her new book, “The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America’s Next Economy,” author Natalie Foster argues for an American economy that guarantees…
KQED's ForumDr. Fauci Reflects on a Life on the Frontlines of Public Health Crises
Anthony Fauci was the face of the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic, guiding the public through the upheavals of school closures and stay-at-home orders…
KQED's ForumDoing Democracy: Activists Look to State Courts and Constitutions to Expand Rights
As part of our “Doing Democracy” series, we look at state courts and constitutions. Each state has its own constitution, and they generally offer more rights…
KQED's ForumHow Influencers and Algorithms Undermine Democracy — and How to Fight Back
“If you make it trend, you make it true,” argues online propaganda expert Renée DiResta. Her new book examines what she calls the “invisible rulers” of today —…
KQED's ForumBikes Stolen In the Bay Area Show Up On Global Blackmarket
Hundreds of bicycles stolen in the Bay Area and other places have ended up for sale in a small town in Jalisco, Mexico. A recent article in Wired follows the…
KQED's ForumNeuroscientist Rahul Jandial Explains Why We Dream
Despite spending one third of our lives asleep, we know very little about why we dream. But in a new book brain surgeon and neuroscientist Dr. Rahul Jandial…
KQED's ForumAnnalee Newitz on How Stories are Weaponized
As a journalist and a science fiction writer, Annalee Newitz thinks a lot about the power of narrative and how it can change minds, “if a story can make you…
KQED's ForumGrace Jung’s ‘K-Drama School’ Unpacks a Pop Culture Phenomenon
“Squid Game.” “Crashing Landing on You.” “Winter Sonata.” Korean dramas have injected themselves into American pop culture thanks to their addictive story…
KQED's ForumSlow Burn Podcast Excavates Bay Area LGBTQ History with ‘Gays Against Briggs’
Forty six years ago, California held its first statewide vote on gay rights. Prop 6, also known as the Briggs Initiative, sought to ban gay teachers from the…
KQED's ForumMusic 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 ForumThe Global Battle to Control Food and Water Chronicled in Documentary ‘The Grab’
Every historical era is marked by the fight for a commodity: spices, gold, oil, steel, to name a few. In the next decades as climate change deepens and…
KQED's ForumNational Academies Push for New Definition of Long COVID
The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine on Tuesday called on the medical community to adopt a new, universal definition of Long COVID to…
KQED's Forum‘Father Time’ Explores How Parenthood Alters Men’s Brains and Bodies
In her new book, “Father Time: A Natural History of Men and Babies,” primatologist Sarah Blaffer Hrdy rebuffs the idea that men don’t develop a dad instinct…
KQED's ForumR.O. Kwon Mines Complexity of Desire, Both Romantic and Creative, in ‘Exhibit’
In her new novel “Exhibit” R.O. Kwon introduces us to Jin Han, a photographer in San Francisco who’s unsure if her transgressive infatuation for a ballet…
KQED's ForumGenerative AI is Coming to California’s Public Sector. What Now?
In a recent executive order, Governor Gavin Newsom, directed state agencies to explore the possibilities for generative AI tools with the goal of implementing…
KQED's ForumSupreme Court Set to Decide Landmark Cases Amid Ethics Controversies
With its term drawing to a close, the U.S. Supreme Court is getting ready to rule on major issues like abortion access, gun regulations, and whether former…
KQED's ForumRobin Sloan’s Novel ‘Moonbound’ Expands Time, Space, and Technology
“The year is 13777. There are dragons on the moon.” That’s how Robin Sloan, author of the best-seller “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Book Store” describes his new…
KQED's ForumThe Tea Party is Dead (Again). What Will its Legacy Be?
Before there was a MAGA republicanism, there was the Tea Party. Founded in 2009, the movement organized around fiscal conservatism and opposition to the…
KQED's ForumSF Opera’s ‘Innocence’ Reckons with the Long Reach and Lingering Effects of Gun Violence
The highly-anticipated opera “Innocence” has made its American premiere in San Francisco. At the heart of the story is a mass shooting at an international…
KQED's ForumHow to Raise Sons in ‘the Age of Impossible Masculinity’
Ruth Whippman is a feminist writer. She’s also the mother of three sons. Her new book, “Boymom,” reflects on the difficulties facing parents tasked with…
KQED's ForumThe Good, Bad and Annoying as Autonomous Vehicle Services Expand
It’s been almost a year since robotaxi companies Waymo and Cruise expanded their operations to offer fully driverless ride services in San Francisco. Testing…
KQED's ForumHow Jazz Shaped the Civil Rights Movement
In a speech written for the 1964 Berlin Jazz Festival, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “much of the power of our Freedom Movement in the United States has come…
KQED's ForumWhat Billionaire Miriam Adelson’s Campaign Spending Could Mean for U.S. Policy in Israel
To date, Miriam Adelson has donated over $200 million to various political campaigns. “She is effectively a queen,” reporter Elizabeth Weil writes in her New…
KQED's ForumSchool Board Politics Heat up in California
Republicans may lack political power in Sacramento, but in recent years, they’ve made inroads on local school boards. Now, some of those conservative officials…
KQED's ForumThreats, Stalking and Harassment is the New Normal for Many Public Officials
More than 40% of state legislators have been victims of threats or attacks since 2020, according to a recent survey. Death threats, stalking and relentless…
KQED's ForumFormer White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on How to ‘Say More’
Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki says she learned some of her most effective communication strategies “the hard way.” These techniques were…