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 ForumOne year after George Floyd's Murder, Nation Reflects on Racism's Deep Wounds
Following the murder of her father George Floyd at the hands of police, Floyd's youngest daughter, Gianna, then six, observed, "My daddy changed the world." On…
KQED's ForumHeat, Smoke and Floods: How Climate Change Affects the Bay Area
Climate change is here. From stifling heat to that eerie day last September when our skies were painted orange, the symptoms of the Bay Area’s changing climate…
KQED's ForumLong-Haul COVID Patients Face Long Road to Recovery
Tens of thousands of people who contracted COVID-19 report ongoing symptoms of chronic coughing, lung damage and cognitive decline. Researchers are in the…
KQED's ForumFacial Recognition Technology’s Pervasive Role in American Life
Facial recognition software has become a common part of American life. It’s used by government employment agencies to verify an applicant’s identity, by…
KQED's ForumWhy Our Families Create Unique ‘Familect’ Languages
“Familects help us feel like family. Private in-group language fosters intimacy and establishes identity,” writes linguist Kathryn Hymes in her recent Atlantic…
KQED's ForumNew York State Launches Criminal Investigation of Trump Businesses
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced this week that her office has opened a criminal investigation of the Trump Organization, in a joint effort…
KQED's Forum“Steamed: A Catharsis Cookbook” Explains How To Get Dinner and Your Feelings on the Table
Cuing off the difficult times we are living in, authors Rachel Levin and Tara Duggan have a new, and hilarious, cookbook that encourages readers to put their…
KQED's ForumBay Area Indigenous Community Fights for Recognition of Native History
Some members of the Bay Area’s indigenous community say their history is being erased, and are calling for ancestral land of the Coast Miwok, including parts…
KQED's ForumLA Times Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Exposé Hits a Nerve with Latinos
The Los Angeles Times published an article titled “The man who didn’t invent Flamin’ Hot Cheetos” on Sunday that ignited backlash from fans of both the snack…
KQED's ForumRoe v. Wade In Question as Supreme Court Takes Up Mississippi Abortion Case
The U.S. Supreme Court announced this week that it would review a Mississippi law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Legal observers say the move…
KQED's ForumApple Caves to Chinese Government on Privacy, Surveillance and Censorship, Finds NYT Investigation
Nearly all of Apple’s products are assembled in China and 20% of its sales are generated there. That relationship has led Apple to compromise on its privacy…
KQED's ForumThe Unpredictable, Volatile World of Elon Musk and Tesla
Federal safety authorities announced another investigation into Tesla after a fatal crash, a tweet from CEO Elon Musk sent the crypto-currency market into a…
KQED's ForumHow TikTok Became a Home For Those in Search of Community
The social media app TikTok has grown exponentially since its release in 2016, with over 689 million active users worldwide. Famous for its short, looping…
KQED's Forum'Empire of Pain' Traces Wave of Addiction from Family's Fortune
Nearly half a million Americans died from opioid abuse between 1999 and 2019 and one family’s name has become synonymous with that crisis. The Sacklers, who…
KQED's ForumPalestinian-Israeli Tensions Escalate after Weekend Bombings
Israeli air strikes continued to devastate the Gaza Strip on Monday, as violence between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas entered its second…
KQED's ForumInvestigating High Risk Power Lines
Pacific Gas and Electric Company's power lines have sparked some of California's deadliest wildfires, including the 2018 Camp Fire where the utility pleaded…
KQED's ForumAs Wildfire Survivors Await Settlement, Fire Victim Trust Spends $51 Million
The Fire Victim Trust in charge of compensating Camp fire survivors spent $51 million in overhead expenses in 2020. The Trust disbursed just $7 million to fire…
KQED's ForumHow Becoming a Parent Rewires the Brain
In her new book, “Mom Genes: Inside the New Science of Our Ancient Maternal Instinct,” author Abigail Tucker explores what’s behind terms such as "mom brain,"…
KQED's ForumExamining Jeff Bezos and Amazon’s Global Empire
For more than 10 years, Bloomberg’s Senior Executive Editor Brad Stone has covered Amazon, the company and its founder Jeff Bezos. Stone’s new book "Amazon…
KQED's ForumVaccinated Don’t Need to Wear Masks or Social Distance in Most Settings, CDC Says
The Centers for Disease Control announced Thursday that persons who are fully vaccinated that is, two weeks have passed since the final dose can eschew masks…
KQED's ForumAnnette Gordon-Reed Explores Long Road to Juneteenth in New Memoir
On June 19, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed and two months after the Confederacy surrendered, enslaved Americans in Texas were…
KQED's ForumCA Could Become the Latest State to Decriminalize Psychedelics
State Senator Scott Wiener’s legislation to decriminalize psychedelic drugs for personal and therapeutic use passed in the state senate’s Health Committee in…
KQED's ForumEntering a Drought, California Hasn’t Mandated Water Waste Rules
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared on Monday that 41 California counties are in a drought emergency. But unlike during the last major drought, the state has imposed no…
KQED's ForumAlison Bechdel Unveils 'The Secret to Superhuman Strength'
At the outset of her new memoir, "The Secret to Superhuman Strength," celebrated graphic novelist Alison Bechdel muses about the origins of her obsession with…
KQED's ForumSex, STDs and the Pandemic
The latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show sexually transmitted diseases are at an all-time high for the sixth year in a row. In her new…
KQED's ForumThe U.S. Faces a ‘Grief Crisis’ Resulting from the Pandemic
A 2020 study found that for every person who dies of COVID-19, at least nine people become bereaved. With more than half a million lives lost to COVID-19 in…
KQED's ForumFrom a Former Mayor to a Reality Star: Taking Stock of Candidates in California Governor Recall
The last time a California governor faced a recall in 2003, there were more than 100 candidates on the ballot. This time around, the gubernatorial recall…
KQED's ForumMedia Critic Jay Rosen on the Challenges of Covering Politics in a Post-Truth Era
Covering politics has never been easy, but since the Jan. 6 insurrection, the landscape has become particularly difficult for the press. How does the country…
KQED's ForumGov. Newsom Announces $600 Stimulus Checks for Two-Thirds of Californians
Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled his $100-billion “California Comeback Plan” on Monday, which includes a proposal for $600 stimulus payments to a projected…
KQED's ForumHow to Support Your Young Child’s Transition to More Social Interaction
As more people get vaccinated and the state opens up, concerns over how to re-enter the social world are front and center. This is particularly true for babies…
KQED's ForumEquity Concerns Fuel CPUC Debate on State Solar Rules
The California Public Utilities Commission is debating potential updates to its rooftop solar program to address customer complaints about equity in billing…
KQED's ForumTom Ammiano Receives High School Varsity Letter Decades Later
An old wound was healed last week when former California state Assemblymember and longtime LGBTQ rights leader Tom Ammiano received his varsity letter decades…
KQED's ForumWe’re Unlikely to Hit Herd Immunity by Fall
Health experts say that while the Bay Area will likely end up with 80% of its population vaccinated against COVID-19, the United States is unlikely to reach…
KQED's ForumMichael Lewis Portrays How Bureaucracy Hampered Covid Response in ‘The Premonition’
More than 579,000 people have died of COVID-19 in the United States as of May 2021. Michael Lewis’ new book, “The Premonition,” argues that many would still be…
KQED's ForumLessons From the Pandemic on How to Protect and Support Essential Workers
Low-wage frontline workers have kept Californians fed and vulnerable populations cared for since the start of the pandemic. And they’ve borne a high cost for…
KQED's ForumSentenced to Life at Age 14, Ian Manuel Reflects on Youth Incarceration and Solitary Confinement
At age 14, Ian Manuel was sentenced to life without parole for shooting and injuring a woman. Manuel spent 18 years in solitary confinement, living in a…
KQED's ForumPresident Biden’s Policies Are More Progressive Than His Campaign Promised, But Is the Left Pleased?
As the Biden administration passes the 100-day mark, observers on the left have been pleasantly surprised that the presidents policies are more progressive…
KQED's ForumAsylum at the U.S. Border Under the Biden Administration
President Joe Biden promised a more humane and welcoming approach to asylum seekers, yet many Trump administration policies that limited people's ability to…
KQED's ForumJournalist Connie Walker Exposes Crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
American Indian and Alaska Native women are up to ten times more likely to be murdered than the national average. And too often, according to the U.S. Interior…
KQED's ForumCovid Crisis in India Reaches Critical Point
In January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared India “saved humanity from a big disaster by containing corona effectively.” But this week, recorded Covid-19…
KQED's ForumAs Pandemic Alters American Job Market, More Young People Take on The Side Hustle Economy
When the COVID-19 pandemic came into full force in 2020, the American job market was hit hard. With many losing their existing jobs, and young Millennials and…
KQED's ForumSan Francisco Task Force Will Consider Reparations For Black Residents
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a committee on Tuesday to study how the city could provide reparations for its Black residents. The 15 member…
KQED's ForumAuthor Anna Sale Says We Should Talk About Hard Things
As the host of NPR’s podcast “Death, Sex & Money,” Anna Sale is not afraid to talk about those difficult topics (and more) with complete strangers. But as she…
KQED's ForumImagining A Shorter Work Week
Imagine if your company announced that it was piloting a shorter work week. You’d work 32 hours for 40 hours of pay, and it would be up to you to get your work…
KQED's ForumHow We Got to ‘Sesame Street’ with ‘Street Gang’ Director Marilyn Agrelo
More than a half-century ago, “Sesame Street” debuted on TV screens. Explicitly designed to close the learning gap for kids from low-income families by…
KQED's ForumThe U.S. Recognized the Armenian Genocide. Now What?
The Armenian Genocide, the Ottoman Empire’s executions, deportations and forced removals of an estimated 1.5 million Armenian citizens during World War I, was…
KQED's ForumDigital Underground’s Gregory ‘Shock G’ Jacobs Laid to Rest in Tampa
Shock G, the co-founder of the band Digital Underground, also known as Humpty Hump, passed away on April 22nd and was laid to rest in Tampa this past Saturday…
KQED's ForumInvestigation Uncovers Racial Disparity in Paycheck Protection Program Loan Distribution
A new investigation by Reveal, from the Center for Investigative Reporting, analyzed more than 5 million paycheck protection program loans, finding stark…
KQED's ForumForum Presents: Your Listener Poems
In celebration of National Poetry Month, Forum asked listeners to submit recordings of their original poems for a chance to be featured on air. Every Friday in…
KQED's ForumMichelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast Explores Grief, Food and Korean Heritage by ‘Crying in H Mart’
H Mart is a supermarket chain specializing in Asian foods. It’s also where Michelle Zauner begins her new memoir, writing, “you’ll likely find me… sobbing near…
KQED's ForumReassessing Our Relationship With the Internet
When the pandemic hit, those of us who could started living much of our lives online – work, school and socializing. The meetings, the classes, the concerts…
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New San Francisco Behavioral Health Director Dr. Hillary Kunins on Overdose Deaths
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Thrift Shopping Has Become More Popular – and Controversial
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The Bay Area Prepares to Relax Outdoor Mask Mandate for Fully Vaccinated People
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KQED's ForumCalifornia Loses Congressional Seat After Census Reports Slower Population Growth
California will lose one of its 53 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after new census data showed that the state's population rose by only 6.1 percent…
KQED's ForumSenator Mazie K. Hirono of Hawaii Shares Her ‘Immigrant Daughter’s Story’
Legislation aimed to establish a federal response to hate crimes against Asian Americans overwhelmingly passed in the Senate last week. One of its sponsors…
KQED's ForumCalifornia to Help India Fight Coronavirus
The state of California will send “life-saving oxygen equipment” to India, which is dealing with a deadly surge in COVID-19 cases. Doctors in India have been…
KQED's ForumYouth Takeover: Activists and Policymakers Take on Issue of ‘Period Poverty’
One in five people who menstruate in the U.S. struggle with their periods every month due to lack of access to hygienic menstrual products, according to a 2019…
KQED's Forum¿Dónde Esta Mi Gente?’ Literary Series Highlights Latinx Voices
KQED’s speaker series “¿Dónde Esta Mi Gente?” spotlights writers who explore and extol their Latinx roots in their work. Its next installment will feature the…
KQED's Forum'La Brega’ Podcast Centers Puerto Rico’s History and Challenges
The new podcast series “La Brega” explores the often misunderstood relationship between Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland. The term “la brega” has many…