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 ForumAnother Massive Rain Storm Poised to Drench the Bay Area
Last week’s record setting rains downed trees, flooded streets, and damaged numerous homes and businesses. Now our region is bracing for another massive storm…
KQED's ForumInequality Researcher Richard Reeves on the Problems 'Of Boys and Men'
Gender inequality discussions tend to center the disadvantages women face. But as women make gains in education and in the workplace, policymakers need to pay…
KQED's Forum'Data Driven' Looks at Surveillance in Trucking Industry
On a stretch of lonely highway, the only people you might see are the long haul truckers whose 18-wheel semis form the backbone of the American economy. In…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: What’s Your Podcast of the Year?
True crime. Gossip. Niche sports. Deep-dive history. The podcasts that have critics and podcasters hooked in 2022 vary. But what makes a good podcast in…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: Jonathan Escoffery’s ‘If I Survive You’ Takes Readers On A Journey Through Identity, Blackness and Miami
Jonathan Escoffery’s debut book, “If I Survive You,” presents a series of connected stories about an immigrant family from Jamaica trying to acclimate to life…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: What Incites Joy?
What in our lives sets us up to experience joy? And how does joy make us act and feel? Those are the the central questions poet and essayist Ross Gay explores…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: Erika L. Sanchez’s Memoir Takes On Mental Illness, Motherhood, and “Crying in the Bathroom”
Acclaimed poet and novelist Erika L. Sanchez’s memoir, “Crying in the Bathroom,” presents a series of poignant essays about growing up in Chicago in a…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: Would You Consider Becoming Compost?
Come 2027, Californians will have a new post-death option: to become human compost. A law signed by Governor Newsom this month made California the fifth state…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: With Zines and Mixtapes, Writer Hua Hsu Found Identity, Friendship, and Consolation
When New Yorker writer Hua Hsu was growing up in Cupertino in the 1990s as the only child of Taiwanese immigrants, he created mixtapes and zines – homemade…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: The Year in Movies
There were worldwide box office hits and record-makers, like the follow-ups to “Jurassic World,” “Doctor Strange” and — of course — “Top Gun.” There were…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: Ingrid Rojas Contreras’ New Memoir Explores Amnesia, Family History and Ghosts
In her new memoir, “The Man Who Could Move Clouds,” Ingrid Rojas Contreras tells the story of a journey she took with her mother to her native Colombia to…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: Ed Yong Explores the Wonders of Animal Senses in ‘An Immense World’
Bumblebees can’t see red, but they can detect the ultraviolet hue, invisible to humans, at the center of a sunflower. A fly can taste an apple just by landing…
KQED's ForumForum from the Archives: At Age 9, Poet Javier Zamora Migrated from El Salvador Alone. In 'Solito,' He Tells that Story
When he was 9, poet Javier Zamora traveled 3,000 miles by bus, boat and on foot, without family or friends, from El Salvador to the United States. The trip was…
KQED's ForumHow to Manage Holiday Stress
The holidays can bring joy but also immense stress, as we host complicated family gatherings or worry about affording gifts or long for loved ones who have…
KQED's ForumJan. 6 Committee Concludes with Criminal Referrals for Trump
Earlier this week, the Jan. 6 congressional committee concluded its tenth and final hearing by voting unanimously in favor of issuing criminal referrals for…
KQED's Forum‘Cartel RX’ Investigates Fentanyl’s Catastrophic Surge
The potent synthetic opioid fentanyl causes on average one death in the United States every seven minutes — more than die by car accidents, guns or suicide…
KQED's ForumThe Books You Turned to in 2022
When people say publishing is a dying industry, Brad Johnson begs to differ. East Bay Booksellers, which Johnson owns, had its best sales in the store’s…
KQED's ForumHave a Loaf of Bread Past Its Best By Date? It’s Still Edible
It’s tempting to discard a carton of milk or a loaf of bread once it’s passed its “best by” date. But that “expiration” date only means that food is no longer…
KQED's ForumCan Living Apart Be the Solution for Staying Together?
For some committed couples, years of living in close quarters during the pandemic prompted a search for a different marital model: Living Apart Together. These…
KQED's ForumReflecting On ‘One Beautiful Thing’ from 2022
A sunset over the Bay, pregnancy news, a stroll through a flea market, and a conversation about the meaning of love. Those are some of the memories writers and…
KQED's ForumFor Iranian Women, Soccer and Freedom Are Bound Together
Soccer can unite a country, but in Iran women cannot even enter the national stadium. For decades they’ve been banned from attending games, and by extension…
KQED's ForumIs 'Trauma Dumping' the New TMI? Navigating the Shifting Conventions Around What’s OK to Share
Back when there was no TikTok, Instagram or social media, there was a concept known as “polite conversation” that defined what you could or should say in…
- KQED's Forum
How Will Congress End Its Lame Duck Session?
The 117th Congress concludes on January 3, and for lawmakers the race is on to broker deals and send bills to President Biden’s desk. This year, eyes are on…
KQED's ForumIs Gay Marriage Safe – For Now At Least?
President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act this week in a flashy White House Ceremony that included performances by pop stars Sam Smith and Cyndi…
KQED's ForumLEGO Are Bricks That Aren't Just For Kids
Are you an AFOL who builds MOCs? If that sentence made sense to you, chances are you are an Adult Fan of LEGO who likes to build My Own Creations. About 80…
KQED's ForumBake Your Way Through the Holidays
It’s the holiday season and, for some of us, it’s best spent lightly dusted in flour and sprinkles. We’re talking about holiday baking: gingerbread, buche de…
KQED's ForumOpenAI Brings Scarily Convincing New Chatbot to the Public
The newest artificial intelligence sensation, OpenAI’s language model ChatGPT, can teach physics, write in verse and even compose a convincing letter from…
KQED's ForumThe Songs and Artists That Captured Your Ears and Hearts in 2022
The end of the year invariably means lists upon lists of best-ofs.. “Best music” could mean songs you kept on repeat, those best-selling tracks you couldn’t…
KQED's ForumNematodes, Thorny-Headed Worms and the 'Inside Story' of Parasites
Parasites: they’re seen as blood suckers, freeloaders and the worst kind of groupies, writes parasitologist Scott Gardner. And though they can be dangerous…
KQED's ForumRacial Bias in Home Appraisals Investigated in 'Lowballed'
After Paul Austin and Tenisha Tate-Austin got an appraisal on their Marin City house that seemed unusually low, they took down art and photos that identified…
KQED's ForumWhat’s Your Go-To Karaoke Song?
Back in 1989 the Los Angeles Times reported that karaoke, then a relatively obscure feature of the urban bar scene, was “beginning to make a big splash with…
KQED's ForumHas Tipflation Reached a Tipping Point?
During the pandemic, many customers began tipping more to support workers. The standard 15% tip edged up to 20% or even 30% for dining out, haircuts or food…
KQED's ForumHow Vulnerable Is Our Power Grid?
Duke Energy said it hoped to fully restore power to North Carolina residents by Wednesday night, after shootings at two electrical substations over the weekend…
KQED's ForumThe Resurrection of “The Believer”
In 2003, McSweeney’s, the San Francisco-based literary quarterly, published the first issue of a new monthly magazine called “The Believer.” The graphic-rich…
KQED's ForumThe Year in Movies
There were worldwide box office hits and record-makers, like the follow-ups to “Jurassic World,” “Doctor Strange” and — of course — “Top Gun.” There were…
KQED's ForumTo the Moon, Stars and Beyond with Musician Valerie June
Singer and songwriter Valerie June defies genre – she can be a little country and a little rock and roll and there’s also folk, blues, soul, Appalachian and a…
KQED's ForumGetting Beyond Meat
In recent years, companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat have introduced plant-based hamburgers that look and feel like the real thing and plant-based…
KQED's ForumWorld Cup, Mired in Controversy, Continues Captivating Fans Worldwide
Fans all over the globe are tuning into the World Cup, arguably the single most popular sporting event in the world. Still, this year’s tournament in Qatar has…
KQED's ForumPediatric RSV Cases Stressing California Hospitals
Children's hospitals throughout California are straining under an unusually high number of patients with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common childhood…
KQED's ForumGet to Know Four New Bay Area Mayors
What do a retired teacher, a wetland scientist, former investigative reporter and a scout leader have in common? They are all part of the next wave of local…
KQED's ForumWhat’s Your Podcast of the Year?
True crime. Gossip. Niche sports. Deep-dive history. The podcasts that have critics and podcasters hooked in 2022 vary. But what makes a good podcast in…
KQED's ForumWhy Children Across the Globe Sing 'Jingle Bells, Batman Smells'
Remember the playground chants, the jump rope songs, the weird little games you played as a kid that were part of your secret kid world? Scholars have a name…
KQED's ForumProtests in China Over Its Zero Covid Policy Expose Widespread Discontent with Government
In a remarkable display of discontent not seen since the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations, protesters across China have taken to the streets demanding an…
KQED's Forum‘Invasion’ Charts History of Russia’s Ongoing Bloody War in Ukraine
“This brutalization of Ukraine's people is barbaric." Those were Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s words Wednesday for Russian President Vladimir Putin, a…
KQED's ForumFor LGBTQ+ People, Colorado’s Club Q Mass Shooting Came as Little Surprise
Daniel Aston, Kelly Loving, Derrick Rump, Ashley Paugh and Raymond Green Vance. They were the five people gunned down when a shooter entered an LGBTQ+…
KQED's ForumTanya Holland’s 'California Soul' Celebrates the Food and Stories of the Great Migration
Chef Tanya Holland’s new cookbook – like her family – is rooted in the people and the food of the historical migration from the South to the West. Holland…
KQED's ForumIs Twitter Breaking?
Twitter's volatile new owner Elon Musk accused Apple of censorship on Monday, claiming it had threatened to "withhold" the social media platform from its App…
KQED's ForumHow the Climate Crisis is Changing the Bay Area Bird Population
The San Francisco Bay is the largest estuary in Western North America and a key link in the 4,000-mile Pacific Flyway, one of the primary migratory routes used…
KQED's ForumThe Suzuki Method Teaches Little Children To Do Great Things
If you’ve seen a 3-year old wielding a quarter-size violin and sawing at its strings to play Mozart, chances are you witnessed a student of the Suzuki Method…
KQED's ForumWhat Does FTX’s Downfall Mean for the Crypto Industry?
In less than a month, crypto-billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried went from industry leader to pariah. His cryptocurrency exchange FTX has filed for bankruptcy, with…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: David George Haskell on Preserving The Earth’s Sonic Diversity
From the roar of wind against mountains and the slam of waves on the shore to early morning birdsong, the sounds that fill our natural world are not only…
KQED's ForumForum from the Archives: U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón on Elevating and Promoting Poetry When America Needs Healing
California native Ada Limón is the new poet laureate of the United States. She plans on, “elevating and promoting the expansiveness of poetry.” Limón, who has…
KQED's ForumAnxiety is on the Rise. What Does That Mean — and How Do We Deal with It?
As a country, America is experiencing a powerful wave of anxiety. Almost 80 percent of psychologists say the number of anxiety disorders in their patients has…
KQED's ForumAre You the Same Person You Used to Be?
For today’s show we need you to dig into your memory and put yourself in your own shoes. Does your adult self recognize yourself as a child? Can you empathize?…
KQED's ForumFood and Family Collide in 'Fatty Fatty Boom Boom'
Rabia Chaudry's struggles with weight and body image started when she was just a toddler: she was less than a year old when her family moved to the United…
KQED's ForumHow to Practice Gratitude Even When It’s Hard
Practicing gratitude seems straight forward: think of the good things about your life and be thankful for them. Studies show this simple practice can have…
KQED's ForumThe Pages of A Passport Have Stories to Tell
Passports promise adventure. They verify who you are and where you've been. Sometimes they can protect you. Sometimes they cannot. The first passport dates…
KQED's ForumMeredith Whittaker's Signal And A Progressive Vision For Tech
What happens when an outspoken critic of the technology industry finds herself at the helm of one of the largest messaging apps in the world? Meredith…
KQED's Forum48,000 Academic Workers Strike Across University of California Campus
Nearly 48,000 University of California graduate students, post-docs and researchers stayed off their jobs for a third day on Wednesday, in what labor leaders…
KQED's ForumGermany Has Created Monuments to Remember the Sins of its History. Could America?
Last year, poet and writer Clint Smith wrote the book, “How the World is Passed,” exploring how the US has failed to come to terms with the reality and legacy…