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 ForumSolving Traffic Congestion and Transit Ridership in Post-Pandemic Times
The stay at home orders of 2020 and the shift to remote work drastically changed how people commute. Now, more than three years after the onset of the…
KQED's ForumWhen Your Car Becomes Your Home
An under-studied segment of our country’s homeless population are those who are experiencing “vehicular homelessness.” These are people who sometimes choose…
KQED's ForumHow Infrastructure Expresses Society’s Values
When infrastructure works, it’s a marvel. A soaring bridge. A sewer system that spirits away waste. Underground pipes that bring water, electricity and the…
- KQED's Forum
FORUM IN FOCUS: Rachel Maddow + Emily Galvin-Almanza
Catch up on the our most compelling interviews of the week in 30 minutes or less! This episode MSNBC Host, author, podcaster, and more, Rachel Maddow joins…
KQED's ForumCertified Fresh and California-Grown, Rotten Tomatoes Turns 25
Rotten Tomatoes, the site that rates movies according to how a tomato decomposes – from Certified Fresh to rotten – turns 25 this year. And its origin story…
KQED's ForumCall Me, Maybe: How Communication Etiquette Is Changing
When someone calls your cell phone are you filled with dread, or even anger? Is it better to call or leave a text? And how long should a voicemail be, if you…
KQED's ForumNew York Times International Correspondent Shares How One Mother Took on One of the Most Violent Gangs in Mexico
In his new book, “Fear is Just a Word,” Azam Ahmed chronicles the years-long journey of Miriam Rodriguez, who took it upon herself to find justice for her…
KQED's ForumWhy More Public Defenders Are Adopting a “Holistic” Model
An estimated 80 percent of criminal defendants in state courts in the US are represented by public defenders, who typically have huge caseloads. And their…
KQED's ForumWhen Will We Get a New House Speaker?
On October 3 the House of Representatives ousted California Congressman Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker. After the withdrawal of initial GOP nominee Steve…
KQED's ForumBritish Comedian Eddie Izzard Brings Her Remix Tour To San Francisco
For more than 35 years, British comedian Eddie Izzard built a career as an openly trans woman, winning Emmy awards, acting for both film and TV and performing…
KQED's ForumRachel Maddow on How the Past is ‘Prequel’ to U.S. Struggle With Authoritarianism and an Update on What’s At Stake in The Supreme Court’s New Term
Contemporary efforts to undermine democracy, spread disinformation and subvert elections are not without precedent in American politics, according to Rachel…
KQED's ForumHow Colleges are Navigating the New World of AI Chatbots
Next month will mark one year since the public release of ChatGPT, the AI-enabled chatbot. The technology immediately sent shockwaves across college campuses…
KQED's ForumTranslators on the Art of Translating
Literary translators are why we can read poems, novels and essays written in languages we don’t speak, exposing us to otherwise inaccessible ideas and worlds…
KQED's ForumNew Book, 'This is So Awkward,' Helps Families Navigate Modern Puberty
Slamming a bedroom door is one of the first signs a young person is entering puberty. Then come the physical changes, first periods, wet dreams, acne, mood…
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FORUM IN FOCUS: Mimi Tempestt + Cat Bohannon
This week we smash the patriarchy with interviews with multidisciplinary artist, poet, and author Mimi Tempestt on her new collection of poetry, "The Delicacy…
KQED's ForumA Very 'Spooked' Friday the 13th
Glynn Washington hosts the podcast Spooked, which features stories about the supernatural – told by the people who experienced them first-hand. We talk with…
KQED's ForumRare Solar Eclipse Coming to the Bay Area
Solar eclipses happen roughly every six months, but they are rarely visible. This weekend, however, Bay Area residents will be able to see the moon pass in…
KQED's ForumPro Publica Investigates Why 'We Don't Talk About Leonard'
Leonard Leo, the powerful and well-funded leader of the Federalist Society who prevailed on the Trump Administration to nominate a slate of conservative…
KQED's ForumDoing Democracy: Are Elections Overrated?
Political corruption. Government shutdown battles. Legislative gridlock. Sometimes, it seems like ordinary citizens picked at random might do a better job…
KQED's ForumCalifornia Communities React to the Israel-Hamas War
Communities across California with connections to Israel and Gaza are bracing for more violence, death and devastation after President Benjamin Netanyahu on…
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All You Can Eat: What’s in Your Pantry? Ingredients You Need to Cook the Food You Love
Curating a well-stocked pantry can feel like a never-ending grocery list. Where to draw the line between different types of oil or salt? And what about recipes…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: How Do We Live in an Ever More Fire-Prone World?
Every wildfire has at least two stories, according to writers Justin Angle and Nick Mott. One story is about the devastation exacted on humans, their lives and…
KQED's ForumPoet Mimi Tempestt Defies And Reclaims Her Identity In New Book
In her new collection of poems, Mimi Tempestt wrestles with both intensely personal struggles and injustices across the globe. In one of the poems in “the…
KQED's ForumFake Meat isn’t the Answer to the Climate Crisis, Says Alicia Kennedy
From oat milk at coffee shops, to cashew cheese at Target, to McDonald’s McPlant burger, it’s becoming easier to consume fewer animal products. That’s a win…
KQED's ForumBay Area Suburbs Struggle With Rising Homelessness
In September, Alameda County declared a state of emergency on homelessness to address growing numbers of unhoused people. Suburban and rural areas throughout…
- KQED's Forum
FORUM IN FOCUS: Keegan-Michael and Elle Key + Daniel Clowes
Each week we bring you a selection of interviews we don't want you to miss - in 30 minutes or less! This week Mina Kim speaks with comedian Keegan-Michael Key…
KQED's ForumWhy Having a Crush is Good For You
Romantic crushes: we’ve all experienced that feeling of intense yearning for someone we know we’d never end up with. But while crushes may bring heartache…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: Immersive Documentary “32 Sounds” Encourages Us to Feel the Noise
The hushed thrum of the womb. The warble of the last living species of a now-extinct bird. The fury and thrust of a jet engine in flight. These are some of the…
KQED's ForumCat Bohannon Rewrites the History of the Female Body in ‘Eve’
What does it really mean biologically to be a woman? That’s one of the central questions Cat Bohannon explores in her new book “Eve: How the Female Body Drove…
KQED's ForumHow Kaiser Permanente Strike is Impacting the Bay Area
More than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers in five states —including 22,000 in the Bay Area — went on strike Wednesday after the company and unions…
KQED's ForumTaylor Lorenz on the ‘Extremely Online’ Influencers Who Shaped the Internet
Most histories of social media focus on Big Tech: the inventors, the investors and the innovations they made. But Washington Post columnist Taylor Lorenz…
KQED's ForumWhat’s Next for San Francisco’s Slavery Reparations Plan?
In September, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors reviewed a 400-page report outlining more than 100 recommendations on how to provide reparations for the…
KQED's ForumLaphonza Butler is “Ready to Serve” as California’s Newest Senator
Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Democratic strategist Laphonza Butler to the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Dianne Feinstein, who died on Thursday…
KQED's ForumSan Francisco's Steinhart Aquarium Turns 100
The Steinhart Aquarium in the California Academy of Sciences turned 100 this fall. It’s just eight years older than Methusaleh, the 92-year-old lungfish that…
KQED's ForumKeegan-Michael Key and Elle Key on the Personal, Collective and Humorous ‘History of Sketch Comedy’
The new book “The History of Sketch Comedy,” based on Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key’s award-winning podcast of the same name, explains how sketch comedy…
KQED's ForumDaniel Gumbiner’s New Novel ‘Fire in the Canyon’ Looks at Life After Wildfire
In Daniel Gumbiner’s latest novel, “Fire in the Canyon,” wildfire acts as a plot catalyst and a character. The story follows Ben Hecht, a former pot farmer…
KQED's ForumTrailblazing California Senator Dianne Feinstein Dies at 90
Senator Dianne Feinstein died Thursday night. Her death was confirmed by family members Friday morning. The Senate’s oldest serving member, and California’s…
KQED's ForumAll You Can Eat: How To Pack A Better School Lunch
School is back in session and that means a daily struggle for many parents to figure out what to pack their kids for lunch. As palates have evolved so have…
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GOP Presidential Hopefuls Join for Second Debate in Simi Valley
Seven candidates vying for the Republican presidential nomination take the stage on Wednesday in Simi Valley for the second debate of the 2024 campaign…
- KQED's Forum
Country Music Legend Steve Earle Joins Forum in Studio
“If Steve Earle weren’t a living, breathing person, he’d be a character in a blues song,” observed a reviewer. Earle is foremost a musician, one who started…
KQED's ForumBarbara Kingsolver on Her Great Appalachian Novel, ‘Demon Copperhead’
Barbara Kingsolver says that she’s “drawn to characters who don’t feel they have a place at the table. They’ve heard too many conversations that begin: You…
KQED's ForumCartoonist Daniel Clowes on His Ambitious New Graphic Novel 'Monica'
Celebrated cartoonist Daniel Clowes is best known for his acclaimed 1997 graphic novel Ghost World— and the Oscar-nominated movie version that he co-wrote. For…
KQED's ForumFinding ‘(More) Delights’ with Ross Gay
“I’ve completed another year of delights. Or maybe I should say another year of delights has completed me.” So writes poet and author Ross Gay at the end of…
KQED's ForumKashmir Hill Confronts the Ugly Side of Facial Recognition Tech in ‘Your Face Belongs to Us’
Everyday people share millions of photos on websites and social media networks. For decades, tech companies have been trying to figure out ways to make the…
KQED's ForumUtopia or Sprawl? Tech Group Pushes Plans for New Solano County City
For years, Solano County residents wondered who was secretly spending hundreds of millions of dollars to buy up family farms in their community. The rumors…
KQED's ForumDo Lower Rents Mean The Bay Area is Becoming More Affordable?
Rental rates for homes are dropping across the Bay Area. They first fell in 2020 during the pandemic and never fully recovered. Some renters are spending less…
KQED's ForumRosanna Xia on California's 'Vanishing Coastline'
California’s coast is vanishing, surely and no longer so slowly, writes LA Times environment reporter Rosanna Xia. By the end of the century, climate change…
KQED's ForumNaomi Klein’s Doppelganger Is a Conspiracy Theorist. It’s a Problem.
What if you had a doppelganger – someone who you’re routinely mistaken for – but that double is someone whose politics and worldview are diametrically opposite…
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In Transit: The Joys — and Risks — of Being a Pedestrian
Walking instead of driving to work, school or the store is good for the environment and our physical and mental health. But being a pedestrian isn’t easy in…
KQED's ForumiNaturalist, A Cultivator of Community and Collector of Crucial Wildlife Data, Goes Solo
Have you ever seen a weird bug or plant and thought, “Oh my God. What is THAT?” Then iNaturalist, a Bay Area invention, is the social platform for you. Begun…
KQED's ForumBettina Love on How Black Students are 'Punished for Dreaming'
Brown v Board of Education, the landmark civil rights decision banning racial segregation in public schools, was supposed to give Black children greater…
KQED's ForumHow the San Quentin Marathon Changes Lives, One Lap at a Time
It’s hard enough to train for a marathon. But what if you could only train in a crowded prison yard, with borrowed running shoes, on a small track with…
KQED's ForumThe Atlantic’s Jenisha Watts on Hiding — Then Sharing — Her ‘Childhood in a Crack House’
“I’ve spent my whole life trying to belong, to show people that I’m not like ‘them,’ not a Black person living in poverty, not a Black person with an…
KQED's ForumClimate Fix: How Electrification Can Cut Your Home’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Homes in California produce about 8 percent of the state’s total greenhouse gas emissions. As the Golden State looks to significantly cut down emissions, one…
KQED's ForumPeter Baker and Susan Glasser on What to Expect from a Second Trump Term
In their bestselling 2022 book on the Trump presidency, “The Divider” journalists Peter Baker and Susan Glasser wrote that the January 6 insurrection “was the…
KQED's ForumCARE Court is Coming to San Francisco. Here’s What We Can Expect
San Francisco is one of eight counties that will be piloting California’s new CARE Courts program ahead of a statewide rollout next year. Beginning next month…
KQED's ForumOakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Interim Police Chief Respond to Concerns Over Crime
“I don’t have any hope,” said one Oakland resident attending a town hall this past weekend on the city’s rising crime rate. According to the city’s police…
KQED's ForumJane Goodall Looks to Future of Conservation Movement With Those She's Inspired
It was more than 60 years ago that a 26-year old Jane Goodall entered the Gombe Stream National Forest in Tanzania with a notebook and pen and observed a…
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How We Can Change Our Roads to Help Our Wildlife
“Name your environmental ill—dams, poaching, megafires—and consider that roads kill more creatures with less fanfare, than any of them.” That’s according to…
KQED's ForumPoint Reyes Residents Push for Darker Skies
Point Reyes may be known for its cows and lighthouse, but locals also want it to become a destination for darkness. Residents have petitioned to certify part…