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 ForumBarking Sea Lions, Howling Bridge: The Iconic Sounds of the Bay Area
When we learned that engineers are frantically working to get rid of the annoyingly loud hum that started projecting from the Golden Gate Bridge last summer…
KQED's ForumFDA Approval of New Alzheimer’s Drug Sparks Controversy Over Cost, Efficacy
Alzheimer's disease affects more than 6 million people in the U.S., and there have been no good existing treatment options. That seemed to change earlier this…
KQED's ForumAshley C. Ford Explores Love and Longing in Her Memoir ‘Somebody’s Daughter’
Celebrated writer and podcaster Ashley C. Ford grew up knowing that her father was in prison, but she never knew the reason why. As she writes in her new…
KQED's ForumHow 3 Decades of Increased Segregation in the Bay Area is Hurting Communities of Color
More than a half-century after the Fair Housing Act made housing discrimination illegal, segregation in residential communities is not only prevalent, but on…
KQED's ForumNFL's Carl Nassib Draws Cheers After Publicly Announcing He's Gay
Carl Nassib, a defensive lineman for the Las Vegas Raiders, made history this week as the first active NFL player to publicly identify as gay. We'll talk about…
KQED's ForumHow to Heal From Burnout in Time for Re-Entry
As people resume pre-pandemic activities and a number of workers return to offices, some are dealing with pandemic hangovers in the form of burnout.The term…
KQED's ForumTaiwanese Restaurants Bring Taste of Taipei to Bay Area
Often called a “regional Chinese cuisine,” Taiwanese food is making its own distinctive mark on the Bay Area food landscape. Taiwanese restaurants and pop-ups…
KQED's ForumThe Troubles and Mysteries of the Western Monarch Butterfly
The Western monarch butterfly population has fallen by 99% since the 1980’s largely due to pesticide use and habitat loss. And the butterflies that have…
KQED's ForumBacklash Against Critical Race Theory Gains Steam Amid Reckoning on Racism
Critical race theory has come under fire from some conservatives, elected leaders, parents and educators. The concept evolved decades ago from legal…
KQED's ForumNational Youth Poet Laureate Alexandra Huynh Captures Identity, Climate Change and the Importance of Youth Voices
Sacramento-based poet Alexandra Huynh says that poetry is a way both to acknowledge our reality and imagine a better world. Huynh, who was appointed the 2021…
KQED's ForumImagining a Not So Grim Post-Apocalyptic Future with Writers Kim Stanley Robinson and Annalee Newitz
Confronting the reality of climate change is often a terrifying and paralyzing activity. But, in the right hands, the story of our warming planet can be a tale…
KQED's ForumSuzanne Simard on the Intelligence of the Forest
Decades ago, when forest ecologist Suzanne Simard set out to understand why forests tended to heal themselves when left to their own devices, she uncovered…
KQED's ForumOur New Co-Host Checks in With Local Creators and Change Makers About What Makes the Bay Special
The Bay Area has recently been presented more as a bundle of problems than the generative, fascinating place that it’s been for decades. What are creators in…
KQED's ForumLack of Meaningful Roles for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders — Both On- and Off-Screen — Signal Need for Change in Hollywood
Of the 1,300 top Hollywood films of 2007 to 2019, just 44 featured Asian American and Pacific Islander lead actors, and of those only six were women. That’s…
KQED's ForumBay Area Communities Celebrate as Juneteenth Becomes Federally Recognized Holiday
Calling it “one of the greatest honors” he would have as president, on Thursday, Joe Biden signed new legislation to make June 19 a federal holiday. Known as…
KQED's ForumVideo Highlights Growing Frustration Over Shoplifting in San Francisco
Earlier this week, a video surfaced showing a man filling a bag with items in a San Francisco Walgreens then exiting the store on his bike with the stolen…
KQED's Forum‘Preventable’ Lays Bare Disasters of Early Federal Covid Response
Former Obama Administration official Andy Slavitt was one of the few outside health experts regularly talking to the Trump White House during the pandemic's…
KQED's ForumNew Sound Exhibit Guides Walks Through Golden Gate Park With The Kronos Quartet
As the lockdown ends, Bay Area arts exhibits and shows are re-emerging. Through a free app Kronos Quartet and Composer Ellen Reid present a curated, GPS-based…
KQED's ForumIs A Labor Shortage Hampering a Bay Area Economic Recovery?
Across the Bay Area, employers in retail, restaurants and other industries, report that there are more jobs available than workers to fill them. As California…
KQED's ForumRecord-Breaking Heat Expected in California This Week
Forecasters are predicting an intense, multi-day heat wave in California this week that could shatter records for mid-June. Cities across the state are…
KQED's ForumCalifornia Renters Face Uncertainty As Eviction Protections Near Expiration
For more than a year, thousands of renters in California have been able to stave off evictions thanks to a state moratorium. But that moratorium is set to…
KQED's ForumWhy Fewer Undergraduates Are Enrolling in College
Before the pandemic took hold, some higher education institutions -- particularly community colleges and small or mid-sized private schools -- were struggling…
KQED's ForumCalifornia Reopens At Last
California heads toward a full reopening of its economy on Tuesday, as COVID-19 infections reach their lowest levels in 14 months in the state. Capacity…
KQED's ForumLyme Disease-Carrying Ticks Found on Northern California Beaches
As Californians get ready to go to the beach this summer, there's a new worry to consider: ticks that carry Lyme disease. A new four-year study has found that…
KQED's ForumLabor Department Report Rekindles Inflation Fears
The Consumer Price Index rose by five percent in May compared to the same period a year ago — the sharpest increase since 2008. The new Labor Department…
KQED's ForumJournalist George Packer on a ‘Last Best Hope’ for a Divided America
In his latest book “Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal,” author and Atlantic staff writer George Packer argues that the country is not divided in…
KQED's ForumCelebrating Beauty Beyond the Gender Binary
From celebrities like Harry Styles and the members of boy band BTS to social media beauty influencers like Patrick Starrr and Kenneth Senegal, more and more…
KQED's ForumFirst Black Male Valedictorian at Oakland Tech Highlights Those With ‘The Ability But Not The Opportunity’
Ahmed Muhammad recently became the first Black male valedictorian in Oakland Technical High School’s over 100 year history. In his graduation speech Muhammad…
KQED's ForumThree Generations of Activists Explore What Pride Means in 2021
From the 1969 Stonewall riots to the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, activism has been at the core of the LGBTQ community. That activism has led to landmark changes…
KQED's Forum‘On Our Watch’ Podcast Shines a Light on Police Misconduct in California
For decades, police misconduct investigations in California were kept secret from the public. That all changed when a 2018 law, SB 1421, made many of those…
KQED's ForumHow to Conserve Water in a Drought
As the drought worsens, Santa Clara County has declared a water shortage emergency, paving the way for mandatory water restrictions for the county's residents…
KQED's ForumHow Some of the Richest Americans Pay Little to No Income Tax
According to a recent report published by ProPublica, some of the nation’s richest executives — Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mike Bloomberg, to name a few — pay…
KQED's ForumRemembering the Early Days of the AIDS Epidemic, 40 Years Later
It’s been 40 years since the CDC first reported cases of a deadly, rare lung infection in five previously healthy gay men in Los Angeles. The infection came…
KQED's ForumProject Homekey: The Silver Bullet to Create More Housing for the Homeless?
As part of his $12 billion two-year plan to address homelessness, Governor Newsom initially earmarked $7 billion to be used for a variety of housing measures…
KQED's ForumAi-Jen Poo On How To Revamp the Care Economy
More than 2.5 million people in the United States -- the majority of whom are women, immigrants and people of color -- work in what’s known as the care…
KQED's ForumThe Influence, Power and Private Life of Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan is one of the most controversial first ladies in U.S. history. She rewrote the role of political spouse first in Sacramento when her husband was…
KQED's ForumFederal Court Strikes Down CA’s Three Decade Old Assault Weapon Ban, Will It Matter?
A Federal judge in San Diego struck down California’s ban on assault-style guns on Friday. The state is appealing the ruling, but how effective is the ban?…
KQED's ForumReturn of Bruce’s Beach Could Chart Path for Reparations in California
Prime coastline property in Los Angeles County known as Bruce’s Beach could be returned to descendants of its early 20th century Black owners if a state senate…
KQED's ForumHow Is Toxic Medical Culture Hurting Doctors and Patients?
In his new book “Uncaring: How the Culture of Medicine Kills Doctors and Patients,” Dr. Robert Pearl offers an indictment of physician culture -- a culture he…
KQED's ForumWhat to Consider if You’re Ready to Travel This Summer
Travel-deprived Americans are snapping up airline tickets and hotel reservations, heralding a summer 2021 vacation boom. Photos from destinations ranging from…
KQED's ForumLiving Kidney Donation: 'The Greatest Gift'
When Carol Offen’s son needed a kidney, she did not hesitate to offer her own, but she still had a lot of questions. In the United States, nearly 100,000…
KQED's Forum“It’s a Moonscape” — 10% of the World’s Giant Sequoias Wiped Out By One Wildfire
One tenth of the world's mature giant sequoias were killed by the Castle Fire that scorched the southern Sierra Nevada late last year after a flurry of…
KQED's ForumThe Societal Taboos of Child-Free Lives, Parental Regret and Eschewing Motherhood
A growing number of adults are choosing to not become parents, a lifestyle described as “child-free.” Yet many people, especially women, say they feel judged…
KQED's ForumLab-Grown Food: Good for the Planet, Healthy for You?
Could biologists be America’s next generation of farmers? By now, we are all familiar with plant-based burgers, but dozens of Silicon Valley start-ups are…
KQED's ForumSome Californians Turn to Hired Help to Reach EDD
More than a year into a pandemic that's left millions of Californians jobless, it's harder than ever to reach the state’s Employment Development Department…
KQED's Forum‘Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment’ Unravels the Clothing Industry’s Sustainability Myths
In her new book “Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment,” author and sustainability advocate Maxine Bédat explores the complex world of how clothes end up…
KQED's ForumWhat Naomi Osaka’s Withdrawal from the French Open Says about Athletes and the Media
When four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open on Monday, her decision set off a flurry of reaction well beyond the world of…
KQED's ForumThe Challenges Of Creating a Vaccine Passport
As the vaccinated shed their masks and rejoin the world, they may be required to prove their vaccination status to enter events or to travel. But while many…
KQED's ForumStrategies to Reduce Food Waste in the U.S. Gain Traction
Researchers estimate that some 20 to 40 percent of food in America goes to waste at some point in the span from farm to kitchen. Strategies for reducing food…
KQED's ForumRethinking Diet Culture
Even amid a global pandemic, weight stayed center stage in the national consciousness as many bemoaned their lockdown weight gain, commonly called the “Covid…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: Living La Vida Spanglish
English and Spanish are the most commonly spoken languages in the U.S., and some people see Spanglish -- a hybrid of the two -- as the future. Latinx youth are…
KQED's ForumForum From the Archives: How the Pandemic Affected How We Think About Place
Over the past year of on and off shelter in place restrictions, so many of us discovered--and in some cases, rediscovered--places that helped us get through…
KQED's ForumLab-Leak Theory Attracts New Attention As President Biden Calls For Closer Look at COVID-19’s Origin
Media conversations about the origin of COVID-19 intensified this week, after President Biden ordered U.S. intelligence agencies to "redouble" efforts to…
KQED's ForumBrian Broome’s Memoir: ‘Punch Me Up to the Gods’ Grapples With Ideas of Masculinity
In his new memoir, “Punch Me Up to the Gods,” writer Brian Broome describes growing up gay and Black in small town Ohio. Broome learned to hide his sexuality…
KQED's ForumSo, That Didn't Age Well: When Our Favorite Movies and TV Shows Don't Hold Up
Have you watched a throwback TV show or movie recently that — upon viewing now — made you cringe because of scenes or jokes that are so obviously, well…
KQED's ForumWhat Will It Take To Keep the Lights on this Summer?
Memories of last summer’s rolling blackouts and predictions for a hot, dry summer have Californians wondering whether there is enough energy to keep the lights…
KQED's ForumNine Killed in San Jose Mass Shooting
Early Wednesday morning, an employee of the Valley Transit Authority opened fire at the rail yard in San Jose, killing 9 co-workers before he shot and killed…
KQED's ForumCalifornia’s Expanded ‘Red Flag’ Law Increases Gun Confiscations
California courts approved more than 1,200 gun violence restraining orders last year under the state’s “red flag” law, according to data from the state…
KQED's ForumThe Joy of Re-Emerging and Re-Connecting Post Vaccination
One of the Bay Area’s largest hospitals counted zero COVID patients last week, the CDC is advising the vaccinated to remove their masks, and more than 40% of…
KQED's ForumTaking Down the 980 Freeway to Make Way For Equity
The 980 freeway, a two-mile span that bisects Oakland, has been called a “freeway without a future.” Its critics want to see the highway replaced and turned…