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
Blockbuster Supreme Court Term Delivers for Trump on Immigration, Presidential Power
The Supreme Court has wrapped a blockbuster term – barely upholding birthright citizenship, allowing states to bar transgender athletes from girls' sports, and…
- KQED's Forum
Trump Takes Aim at the California Coastal Commission
Since 1976, the California Coastal Commission has been regulating activities along the state’s more than 800-mile coastline. To many, the Coastal Commission is…
- KQED's Forum
Stacey Abrams on How to Restore American Democracy
As the Trump administration continues steering the U.S. toward far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist policies, Stacey Abrams has been on a mission to…
- KQED's Forum
Harsh Medicine: Fixing Science’s Gender Gap
Women now enter medicine and many other scientific fields in numbers equal to men, yet they remain underrepresented in leadership and often face unequal pay…
- KQED's Forum
What’s a Voicemail You’ll Never Delete?
Have you ever received a voicemail — not intended for you — that made you curious about the life of the stranger who sent it? That curiosity propels the new…
- KQED's Forum
Forum from the Archives: Ben Rhodes on the Speeches That Shaped America
What does it mean to be American? That’s the question that animates Ben Rhodes’s new book “All We Say: The Battle for American Identity.” Drawing on 15…
- KQED's Forum
Forum from the Archives: La Doña Presents Her New Album, 'Corrientes'
Singer, songwriter and San Francisco native Cecilia Peña-Govea – better known as La Doña – joins us in studio with her band for a special live performance on…
- KQED's Forum
Forum from the Archives: California ER Doctors Reflect on ‘The Pitt’ Effect
The popular HBO drama “The Pitt,” set in a Pittsburgh emergency trauma center, is having an impact on real-world healthcare. Doctors across California say the…
- KQED's Forum
Forum from the Archives: Stage Diving into Sonoma County’s Early Punk Scene
When punk rock thrashed through the Bay Area in the 70s and 80s, there were some venues that became iconic hubs, like Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco and…
- KQED's Forum
Forum from the Archives: Michael Pollan Explores Labyrinth of Consciousness in 'A World Appears'
What is consciousness for, and why did it evolve? Can we change our “default” consciousness? These are some of the questions that Michael Pollan says began to…
- KQED's Forum
Forum from the Archives: Meklit Hadero Reimagines Ethiopian Folk Songs
San Francisco-based, Ethiopian-born singer-songwriter Meklit Hadero and her band join us live in the studio to play from her new album, “A Piece of Infinity.”…
- KQED's Forum
Forum from the Archives: Have We Learned How to Talk About GLP1s?
An estimated one in eight Americans has now tried a GLP-1 medication like Ozempic or Wegovy: to lose weight, manage diabetes or experiment with anecdotal…
- KQED's Forum
Forum from the Archives: Tune-Yards’ Merrill Garbus on How She Makes Her Signature Sounds
Oakland based art-pop band Tune-Yards is widely loved for their complex and funky rhythms, layers of sound, thrillingly dynamic vocals, and thought provoking…
- KQED's Forum
Forum from the Archives: Ranchers vs. Wolves: Navigating a Controversial Comeback
After a century-long absence, gray wolves are returning to California. Biologists estimate some 70 wolves are living in the state, and recently, a female wolf…
- KQED's Forum
Forum from the Archives: Mariachi San Jose Performs Live in Studio
For people of Mexican descent, mariachi music is synonymous with milestones such as weddings, birthday parties, funerals or maybe just Saturday-morning chores…
- KQED's Forum
Why Pete Hegseth is Blocking Black Officer Promotions
During his second term, President Trump has taken aim at DEI initiatives across the federal government, a focus that has been embraced by his cabinet. Deriding…
- KQED's Forum
'Toy Story 5' Goes to Infinity and Beyond as Its Toys Confront Technology
Thirty years ago, a cowboy doll and a space ranger taught a generation that the toys in our closets might have inner lives of their own. Pixar’s beloved gang…
- KQED's Forum
Four's a Crowd: Olivia Wilde and Edward Norton on 'The Invite'
What happens when an ordinary dinner party becomes a reckoning for a marriage? That question drives “The Invite,” a new film directed by and starring Olivia…
- KQED's Forum
As the U.S. Nears 250 Years, What Was Happening in the Bay Area?
As our nation nears its 250th anniversary, we reflect on what was going on in the Bay Area at the time. In 1776 California was newly part of the Spanish colony…
- KQED's Forum
America’s Complicated History at 250
The United States celebrates its 250th anniversary on July 4th. Past presidents have marked similar milestones by reflecting on our complex history, but for…
- KQED's Forum
SF Giants Pride Night Fallout Amplifies
During a San Francisco Giants home game this month dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community, four pitchers drew attention for their protest of the team’s themed…
- KQED's Forum
Looking to Avoid Yosemite Crowds? Check Out These Alternate Hikes, Campsites and Destinations
Visitors to Yosemite National Park are reporting huge summer crowds and nearly impossible parking, which are the result of federal staffing cuts and the…
- KQED's Forum
U.S. Lifts Oil Sanctions on Iran as Fragile Peace Deal Terms Negotiated
As part of negotiations over terms of the ceasefire memorandum between Iran and the U.S., the Trump Administration on Monday temporarily lifted all oil…
- KQED's Forum
Katherine Dunn on ‘How GPS Shaped the Modern World’
We rely on the Global Positioning System for so much — mapping our commutes, tracking our runs, hailing ride shares, matching with dates and more — that it can…
- KQED's Forum
Bay Area Communities Resist Data Center Boom
Communities across the Bay Area, including Gilroy, Oakley and Pittsburg, are pushing back on new data centers in their cities. Data centers, which house the…
- KQED's Forum
Forum From The Archives: Ibram X. Kendi Chronicles Impact and Spread of 'Great Replacement Theory'
Historian Ibram X. Kendi says that in order to understand the rise of authoritarianism, we need to understand great replacement theory. It’s the racist idea…
- KQED's Forum
Forum from the Archives: Poet Kevin Young Explores History and Loss in His Newest Collection, "Night Watch"
New Yorker magazine poetry editor Kevin Young has called poetry "the most efficient mode of time travel." In his new volume of poems "Night Watch,” Young, a…
- KQED's Forum
A 900-Mile Swim Along California’s Coast
Ultra-endurance athlete Catherine Breed has accomplished many physical feats — including a record-breaking swim across Lake Tahoe—but her latest challenge may…
- KQED's Forum
Jonathan Weber’s 'City on the Edge' Chronicles Decades-Long Battles Over Tech, Politics and the Soul of San Francisco
Journalist Jonathan Weber has had a front row seat to San Francisco’s many rises and falls as the nation’s tech capital since the early 1990s. His new book…
- KQED's Forum
Climate Change is Unleashing New and Deadly Microbes
We tend to focus on how climate change affects coral reefs, sea turtles and polar bears on melting ice. But we rarely focus on how climate change is affecting…
- KQED's Forum
Cigarettes Are Cool Again and Health Advocates are Worried
Cigarettes are cool again…especially with GenZ. Despite decades of anti-smoking campaigns, you’re likely to see more young people smoking in films, at bars, on…
- KQED's Forum
In a World Run by Algorithms, Hollywood Fights for Its Soul
It’s no longer news that Hollywood studios are using artificial intelligence in editing, animation, visual effects and more. But last week “Dreams of Violets,”…
- KQED's Forum
In “I Love Boosters,” it’s Boots Riley’s World
Oakland filmmaker, rapper and activist Boots Riley’s new film ‘I Love Boosters’ is a surreal crime comedy that follows three women who shoplift clothes to make…
- KQED's Forum
Why Religion is Having a Moment
After decades of decline, many church leaders believe that religious life is on the upswing as some younger Americans flock to Christianity — including Vice…
- KQED's Forum
Ben Lerner Explores Fiction and Tech in Novel ‘Transcription'
In writer and poet Ben Lerner’s latest novel, “Transcription,” an unnamed narrator travels to interview his elderly mentor. But shortly after checking into his…
- KQED's Forum
Deb Haaland on the Future of Native Leadership
Former Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland won the New Mexico Democratic gubernatorial primary this month, and if she wins this November, she would become…
- KQED's Forum
Olé, Olé, Olé! Expat Communities Celebrate World Cup Teams Playing in the Bay Area
Levi’s Stadium will be the site of a series of World Cup matches beginning June 13. Switzerland, Algeria, Qatar, Jordan and Australia are some of the teams…
- KQED's Forum
What Our Faces Reveal About Us
What’s in a face? For the ancient Greeks, the shape and features of a person’s face revealed their character, virtue and intelligence. Though these attitudes…
- KQED's Forum
What AI's Huge IPOs Will Mean for Housing Affordability in the Bay Area
Two of the world’s leading artificial intelligence companies, Anthropic and OpenAI, are based in San Francisco — and both are preparing public stock offerings…
- KQED's Forum
Ben Rhodes on the Speeches That Shaped America
What does it mean to be American? That’s the question that animates Ben Rhodes’s new book “All We Say: The Battle for American Identity.” Drawing on 15…
- KQED's Forum
Trump Administration Shovels $75 million into Controversial Oakland Coal Terminal
The Trump administration said it will allocate $75 million dollars to fund a new coal terminal on the waterfront in West Oakland. Developer Phil Tagami has…
- KQED's Forum
Can College Survive Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the American workplace, and virtually every week brings a new report that entry-level white-collar jobs could be…
- KQED's Forum
Pulitzer Prize Winner Andrew Sean Greer on His Latest Novel ‘Villa Coco’
Before Andrew Sean Greer won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for his novel “Less,” he was the executive director for a writer’s foundation based in Italy and sponsored…
- KQED's Forum
‘Liar's Kingdom:’ Andrew Weissmann on Democracy and Deception
Former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann spent years inside some of the country’s most consequential investigations, from the Justice Department’s fraud unit…
- KQED's Forum
Zinzi Clemmons on the Complicated Notion of ‘Freedom’
In her new essay collection, “Freedom,” novelist and UC Davis creative writing director Zinzi Clemmons examines what freedom means in “a world buckling from…
- KQED's Forum
Waymo’s Growing Pains
Self-driving car companies like Waymo say their autonomous vehicles are dramatically safer than human drivers. But a new CNN investigation found that when…
- KQED's Forum
A History of LGBTQ Music from 1969-2000
In his new book “Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music 1969-2000” music critic Barry Walters looks at how music produced and performed by gay and straight…
- KQED's Forum
What Have We Learned From 10 Years of Medical Aid in Dying in CA?
California’s End of Life Option Act, which allows people with certain terminal illnesses and a life expectancy of less than six months to receive medication…
- KQED's Forum
Dave Eggers Centers Artists in New Novel ‘Contrapposto’ and His Initiative to Preserve the Bay’s Art Scene
Writer Dave Eggers, who’s been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, draws inspiration for the first time from his own art school…
- KQED's Forum
Unpacking the 2026 California Primary
California voters cast their ballots in key races across the state on Tuesday, with the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom drawing a massive field of…
- KQED's Forum
911 ... Please Hold
Oakland’s 911 system is perennially understaffed, frequently leading to long wait times for callers facing life and death emergencies or trying to report fires…
- KQED's Forum
Why Pope Leo Wants to ‘Disarm’ A.I.
Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical letter focuses on safeguarding humanity amid the rise of artificial intelligence. In the letter, which is essentially a policy…
- KQED's Forum
High School Grads on Navigating a Changing World
Graduating from high school marks a time when young people will, many for the first time, have to make their own decisions about their future. It’s a time…
- KQED's Forum
The Trump Administration Turns Its Sights On Legal Immigrants
Since his reelection, President Trump has been fixated on illegal immigration in the US, but now the President is taking on immigrants who are here legally. A…
- KQED's Forum
What the Massive Medicaid Cuts Mean for Your Health Care
An estimated one in three Californians are insured by Medi-Cal, the state version of Medicaid. But as the federal government cuts billions in funding and…
- KQED's Forum
The Stanford Pipeline That Turns College Students Into Silicon Valley Elites
Theo Baker arrived at Stanford as an eager freshman planning to study computer science and maybe write occasionally for the student paper. But his reporting…
- KQED's Forum
Are We in a New Gold Rush?
“Gold is having a moment,” writes New Yorker staff writer Jennifer Wilson. Earlier this year, it traded as high as $5,500 an ounce as an unstable economic…
- KQED's Forum
What the Colorado River Drought Means for California
The Colorado River basin and its two largest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, are facing record-low water levels, and the seven states that rely on the…
- KQED's Forum
After a Year as Oakland's Mayor, Barbara Lee Looks to 'Finish the Job'
Barbara Lee was elected mayor of Oakland last year with the city reeling from a political scandal, mired deep in fiscal crisis and scarred by years of violent…
- KQED's Forum
What Communities Lose When America Abandons the 'Common Good'
America used to value things — youth sports, local businesses and accessible healthcare, for example — simply because they were good for communities. That’s…