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 ForumBeyond 'The Great Resignation': How the U.S. Job Market Broke
In recent months, headlines about the so-called “Great Resignation” have abounded: Americans, the story goes, are reevaluating their work lives and leaving…
KQED's ForumBiden and Harris Put Voting Rights Front and Center
On Tuesday, both President Biden and Vice President Harris plan to give remarks in Atlanta about the importance of passing voting rights legislation and…
KQED's ForumEarlonne Woods and Nigel Poor on ‘This is Ear Hustle’ and Telling Stories About Incarceration From the Inside
Five years ago, Nigel Poor, an artist, and Earlonne Woods, an inmate in San Quentin, created a podcast chronicling the stories and daily life of prison. “Ear…
KQED's ForumRick Stanton Recalls Daring Thai Cave Rescue in 'Aquanaut'
In June 2018, a dozen young soccer players and their coach became trapped more than two miles inside the Tham Luang Cave in northern Thailand, as a sudden…
KQED's ForumOmicron Surge Leaves Families and Schools Scrambling
As the surge of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to intensify, some Bay Area schools have been closing or shifting to remote learning. In San…
- KQED's Forum
How ‘Insecure,’ ‘Gentefied’ and ‘Blindspotting’ Explore Race and Place in a Uniquely California Way
Los Angeles and Oakland take starring roles in the television shows “Insecure,” “Gentefied” and “Blindspotting,” which bring audiences new takes on those…
- KQED's Forum
James Fallows on Fixing America’s Democracy
The violent attack on the capitol a year ago was a jolt to the American consciousness that our revered democracy had broken. Now, with the anniversary of the…
- KQED's Forum
Reflections on an Insurrection
One year ago today, as the nation watched in disbelief, Trump supporters trampled barricades and stormed the Capitol to stop the certification of President…
- KQED's Forum
Special Coverage: Attack on the Capitol, One Year Later
We’ll bring you live NPR coverage of the Jan. 6 anniversary events at the White House and in Congress, followed by expert analysis co-hosted by Alexis Madrigal…
KQED's ForumWhere is American Democracy Headed?
The day after the January 6 insurrection, pundits and politicians predicted that this unprecedented breach of the Capitol would be the pivot point that brought…
KQED's ForumHow to Not Kill Your Houseplants
This holiday season, many of us gave and received houseplants as gifts. But what do you do if you aren’t quite sure how to take care of those plants… or even…
KQED's ForumA.C. Thompson on the One-Year Anniversary of the Capitol Insurrection and the Future of Far-Right Extremism
A year ago this week, far-right extremists stormed the U.S. Capitol, an insurrection spurred by the false accusations from President Trump that the “election…
KQED's ForumNew State Law Mandates Composting to Reduce Emissions from Food Waste
Yard waste and food scraps take up half of California’s landfills and produce one fifth of methane emissions in the state. That’s according to CalRecycle, the…
KQED's ForumNew Voices To Augment California's Oral History Archives
California’s oral history archives is a treasure trove of first person accounts by politicians, staffers and others who've kept our state government running…
KQED's ForumA Beginner’s Guide to Bay Area Mushroom Foraging
The Bay Area’s rainy season is in full force and with it comes the fungi. For mycology enthusiasts, that means gearing up with hiking boots and identification…
KQED's ForumTheranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes Found Guilty on 4 Counts of Fraud
A federal jury in San Jose found Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes guilty on 4 of 11 charges in a widely watched fraud trail that was seen as an indictment of…
- KQED's Forum
Getting Fit (Safely) in 2022
Most American do not meet physical activity guidelines for their age group. So for some folks, the new year will bring renewed resolve to exercise more. But…
- KQED's Forum
The Future of COVID: What 2022 Could Bring
At the World Health Organization coronavirus briefing last month, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the COVID-19 pandemic “must” end in…
- KQED's Forum
Critic Kelefa Sanneh Charts Music History in ‘Major Labels’
In his new book “Major Labels,” journalist and music critic Kelefa Sanneh takes on the history of popular music through seven genres that have defined it…
- KQED's Forum
Looking Back at 2021 with Rightnowish Podcast Host Pendarvis Harshaw
Pendarvis Harshaw, host of the KQED Arts podcast Rightnowish, joins us to talk about some of his favorite episodes of the year. We'll also hear about his…
- KQED's Forum
Forum From the Archives: Jude Stewart Celebrates Our 'Latent Superpower:' Our Noses
You can't actually revisit your elementary school years. But, writes Jude Stewart, your nose can transport you there with a mere whiff of dry chalk, wet wool…
- KQED's Forum
Forum From the Archives: Forum Book Club: Octavia E. Butler's 'Parable of the Sower'
“I write about people who do extraordinary things,” observed the pioneering science fiction writer Octavia Butler, “it just turned out that it was called…
- KQED's Forum
Forum From the Archives: In 'Stereo(TYPE),' poet Jonah Mixon-Webster Analyzes Identity and His Hometown Flint, Michigan
"It is 2020 and the City of Flint Says, / 'Don't boil the water' / And I refuse to drink a single drop / from any tap or bottle now. I've stopped / bathing…
- KQED's Forum
Forum From the Archives: Poet Rita Dove Offers a ‘Playlist for the Apocalypse’
Rita Dove, winner of a Pulitzer Prize for poetry and the nation’s first Black poet laureate, has returned with a new volume of poems titled “Playlist for the…
- KQED's Forum
Forum From the Archives: Why Garlic Noodles Are So Bay Area
When asked to name some of the Bay Area’s signature foods, many would jump to name Mission burritos, It’s-It ice cream sandwiches or — especially for tourists…
- KQED's Forum
Forum From the Archives: Two Californians win Nobel Prize for Research on How We Sense Touch, Temperature and Pain
Two California scientists, David Julius from UCSF and Ardem Patapoutian from San Diego's Scripps Research, have won the 2021 Nobel Prize for medicine. In their…
- KQED's Forum
Forum From the Archives: Sam Quinones Investigates Dangerous Rise of Synthetic Drugs in 'The Least of Us'
As Sam Quinones was researching America's opiate epidemic for his award-winning 2015 book "Dreamland," he watched a troubling phenomenon emerge. As pain-pill…
- KQED's Forum
Changing the Face of Gaming Culture
Nearly 227 million Americans across all ages play video games, according to an Entertainment Software Association report. And the world of video games is more…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: Complex Emotions Find Names in 'The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows'
Have you ever felt "slipfast" (a longing to melt into a crowd and become invisible)? Or "scabulous" (proud of a certain scar on your body)? Those are some of…
KQED's ForumExploring Local Myths, Mysteries and Hidden Treasures with Bay Curious Host Olivia-Allen Price
This beautiful Bay Area of ours contains stories and secrets, histories and futures — and if you know where to look and what questions to ask, you will find…
KQED's ForumAn Avalanche of Holiday Movies to Bury Your Cares Away
In a time of uncertainty, the holiday movie offers a world of good cheer, maybe a few good songs, and a reliably predictable happy ending. But what makes a…
KQED's ForumYour Favorite Books of 2021
As the year ends, we’ll take a moment to look back at books that we loved, couldn’t stop thinking about, and kept telling others to read. As we enter the third…
KQED's ForumThe Year in Music 2021
As we continued to navigate the pandemic in 2021, music remained a key source of solace and entertainment. We reemerged into public spaces to attend live shows…
KQED's ForumThe Year in Bay Area Music 2021
In this hour, we unpack some of the Bay Area’s best songs and biggest musical moments of 2021. Bay Area rapper Stunnaman02 got everyone “Big Steppin” with his…
KQED's ForumScience Writer Ed Yong on the Omicron Surge — and Why He Canceled His 40th Birthday Party
Last December, amid news of effective vaccines and a new administration, Atlantic science writer Ed Yong tweeted that he was “gently hopeful” about getting to…
KQED's ForumSociologist Priya Fielding-Singh on “How the Other Half Eats”
For her new book How the Other Half Eats: The Untold Story of Food and Inequality in America, Stanford-trained sociologist Priya Fielding-Singh talked to 75…
KQED's Forum‘Misfire’ Details NRA’s Financial Misconduct and Gross Mismanagement
For his new book, ‘Misfire: Inside the Downfall of the NRA,’ NPR investigative reporter Tim Mak dove deep into the inner workings of the National Rifle…
KQED's ForumNew Bola Sete Compilation Captures Masterful Talent of a Brazilian Jazz Guitarist with Deep Roots In The Bay Area
Brazilian jazz guitarist Bola Sete is considered one of the greatest – but also underappreciated – musical talents of his era. A new three-disc compilation…
KQED's ForumNursing Home Covid Death Toll Prompts Calls for Changes to Licensing, Inspections, Quality of Care
Of the many Californians who died of COVID , 1 in 8 lived in a nursing home, totaling almost 9400 people. The high death toll is now prompting legislators to…
KQED's ForumRemembering Prolific Writer, Feminist bell hooks
In her celebrated 1999 essay collection "Remembered Rapture" — about the life and craft of a writer — feminist author and educator bell hooks insisted that…
KQED's ForumFDA Lifts Restriction on Mailing Abortion Pills
The Food and Drug administration on Thursday permanently lifted a restriction on mailing abortion pills to patients. Previously, the pills had to be physically…
KQED's ForumHumanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan Raises Fears in Bay Area Afghan Community
The searing images of Afghans desperate to get on to planes leaving Kabul brought the world’s attention to the crisis created in part by the American…
- KQED's Forum
Judge Halts Use of Pesticide That Harms Honeybees
Taking the side of environmental groups and commercial beekeepers, a California judge earlier this month said he would issue a statewide order banning a…
- KQED's Forum
Report: California Medical Board Forgives Sexually Abusive Doctors
A new investigation by the Los Angeles Times looks at the cases of California doctors who were barred from practice for sexually abusing patients. And it…
- KQED's Forum
What Steph Curry's New Three-Point Record Means for His Legacy
The Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry set a new NBA record for career three-pointers on Tuesday. His career total is now 2,977, surpassing Ray Allen’s…
- KQED's Forum
The Funny Little Ways Immigrant Parents Show Their Love
Cutting up fruit and delivering it to you without asking if you want it. Sending Google alerts about murders in your area. Sitting with you while you do hours…
- KQED's Forum
Culture Writer Anne Helen Peterson on ‘the Escalating Costs of Being Single in America’
According to a recent Pew study, a rising percentage of adults in the U.S. are living without a spouse or partner. But U.S. social policy still tends to value…
- KQED's Forum
A Mother’s Journey to Save Her Daughter from Addiction, Homelessness
Laurie Ann Steves drove from Seattle to San Francisco last May to try to reconnect with her daughter, Jessica, who is addicted to fentanyl and lives on and off…
- KQED's Forum
Jan. 6 Committee Refers Mark Meadows for Criminal Contempt Charge
"These text messages leave no doubt, the White House knew exactly what was happening at the Capitol," said Congresswoman Liz Cheney on Monday night at a…
- KQED's Forum
Dr. Anthony Fauci on the Fight Against Omicron
Dr. Anthony Fauci told ABC News on Sunday that Omicron's apparent ability to evade some protection from COVID vaccines is "sobering". But the good news, he…
- KQED's Forum
Study: Migrant Tech Workers Underpaid by Millions through Loophole in H-1B Program
An outsourcing loophole in the H-1B visa program has allowed tech companies to get away with underpaying their migrant workers by millions of dollars…
- KQED's Forum
Governor Newsom Invokes Texas Abortion Law to Take on Guns in California
Following the Supreme Court’s decision last week not to block SB 8, the Texas law that bans abortions after 6 weeks of pregnancy and that also gives private…
- KQED's Forum
Our Complex, Evolving Relationship with 'Dangerous' Toys and Games
In a not-so-distant past, kids played with toys like Clackers that could shatter into sharp pieces, or lawn darts that caused serious injuries and deaths, or…
- KQED's Forum
Sea Level Rise Could Expose Californians to Toxic Pollutants
Sea levels are expected to rise by more than three feet before century’s end if meaningful action is not taken against climate change. The resulting flooding…
- KQED's Forum
Performer Mike Birbiglia on Comedy, Broadway, and Over-Chlorinated Pools
Comedian and storyteller Mike Birbiglia has been called “the king of the one-man show." His first solo piece “Sleepwalk with Me", all about his life as a…
- KQED's Forum
As More Schools Surveil Students Online, Privacy Concerns Intensify
Virtual learning has led to a boom in school surveillance technologies that can monitor students’ online behavior and allow teachers to view students’ screens…
- KQED's Forum
Decades of Powerful Art Emerge From the Shadow of 'The Dinner Party' in DeYoung’s Judy Chicago Retrospective
Artist Judy Chicago made her name in the 1970s with her groundbreaking feminist piece, “The Dinner Party”. Chicago has said she didn’t know if she’d live long…
- KQED's Forum
The 2021 Discoveries That Inspired or Sustained You
As 2021 winds down, we want to hear from you about your favorite discoveries of the year. Did you find new places to go, things to do, cooking techniques or…
- KQED's Forum
UCSF’s Dr. Bob Wachter Takes Your Questions on Omicron
Pfizer and BioNTech said Wednesday that laboratory tests suggest that their coronavirus vaccine is effective against the Omicron variant after three doses…
- KQED's Forum
Venita Blackburn Explores California Girlhood in 'How to Wrestle a Girl'
“To all the wild, mad girls.” That’s to whom Venita Blackburn dedicates “How to Wrestle a Girl,” her new short story collection set amid the urban landscapes…