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 ForumBay Area Schools Inch Toward Reopening
Amidst mounting pressure from parents, health experts and politicians in the Bay Area to reopen schools for in-person learning, the Berkeley Unified School…
KQED's ForumEconomic Policy Expert Heather McGhee on What Racism Costs Us All
In the 1950s and 60s, when some towns faced integrating their “whites only” public pools, they drained the pools instead so nobody could use them. Economic and…
KQED's ForumCalifornia’s ‘Disjointed’ Approach Fails Homeless Population, According to State Audit
California agencies serving the homeless do not keep track of where billions of dollars are going, fail to follow federal guidelines and are so fragmented that…
KQED's ForumJournalist Katherine Seligman Tackles Homelessness in Debut Novel, 'At The Edge Of The Haight'
Katherine Seligman's debut novel, "At the Edge of the Haight" tells the story of Maddy, a young homeless woman living in San Francisco who is caught up in a…
KQED's ForumHow California's Rocky Vaccine Rollout Has Left Out Latinos
Latinos in California have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic with a disproportionately high number of infections and deaths -- a situation that state…
KQED's ForumReport: 'Archaic' Systems Crippling SF's Department of Building Inspection
In a recent column, Mission Local reporter Joe Eskenazi uses a job listing to explore what's not working at San Francisco's Department of Building Inspection…
KQED's Forum'Waging Change' For Fair Pay For Tipped Workers
In most of the country, tipped workers, such as restaurant servers and bartenders, earn a minimum wage of less than $5 an hour -- in 17 states they earn just…
KQED's ForumBrutal Attacks Against Bay Area Asian Americans Spur Calls for Action Statewide
Communities in the Bay Area are reeling from a recent spate of violent attacks against elderly Asian Americans that left one 84-year old San Francisco resident…
KQED's ForumSouth Africa Coronavirus Variant Arrives in the Bay Area
Last week Santa Clara and Alameda counties became the first in the state to record the coronavirus variant found in South Africa. The news came as the region…
KQED's ForumHow the Mothers of Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation
Anna Malaika Tubbs's new book, "The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation," has been described…
KQED's ForumMichael Krasny Signs Off After 28 Years
When Michael Krasny took over as Forum host in 1993 he assured listeners that he would preserve the program’s commitment to news and politics but promised to…
KQED's ForumJames Fallows on Repairing the Country from the Pandemic and Trump
Journalist James Fallows says the Biden Administration is facing harder decisions than most new administrations because, he writes, “In addition to looking…
KQED's Forum'The Devil You Know': Charles M. Blow on a Black Power Manifesto
“Seize it. Migrate. Move.” This is the crux of journalist and New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow’s newest book, “The Devil you Know: A Black Power…
KQED's ForumHow Remote Work Is Reshaping Communities and Workers' Lives in the Pandemic
A year into the coronavirus pandemic, the once novel idea of working from home has begun to feel permanent -- at least for some workers. Some experts predict…
KQED's ForumMark Bittman on Reckoning with Industrial Agriculture and Reclaiming a Healthy Future
Food journalist and author Mark Bittman explores the history of humankind’s relationship to food in his latest book, "Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of…
KQED's ForumIsabel Allende Speaks to ‘The Soul of a Woman’
Bay Area based journalist and author Isabel Allende’s books--translated into 42 languages-- have resonated across cultures and countries around the world. Her…
KQED's ForumWhat We’re Watching As We Stay At Home
Many of us have spent a lot of time with our televisions during the pandemic. So when the Golden Globe nominations were announced this week with notable snubs…
KQED's ForumPresidential Historian Michael Beschloss Discusses Upcoming Impeachment Trial and President Biden’s First Weeks
Historian Michael Beschloss argues that the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6 was a terrorist attack that must be treated with the same gravity as Sept. 11. The…
KQED's ForumCalifornia’s Secretary of State Shirley Weber Talks About her New Role
Shirley Weber made history when she was sworn in as California's first Black Secretary of State last week. One of her priorities is to bolster voter…
KQED's ForumHouse Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy Refuses To Sanction Extremist Georgia Lawmaker
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from Bakersfield, on Wednesday condemned the comments of an extremist Georgia congresswoman, but declined to…
KQED's ForumFormer Governor Jerry Brown Talks Pandemic, Climate Change, and Our Changing State
Last month, former California governor Jerry Brown co-signed a letter urging President Biden to prioritize holding nuclear disarmament talks with Russia. Brown…
KQED's ForumRhodessa Jones on Decades of Art and Activism
Performer and teacher Rhodessa Jones has said that she’s not interested in art for art’s sake. “It has to be about social change,” she said, “It has to be able…
KQED's ForumHow the Pandemic is Rattling California's Housing Market
The Coronavirus pandemic continues to shake up the housing market in California. While thousands of renters have been able to stay in their homes thanks to…
KQED's ForumLaughing All the Way to the Boardroom
Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas teach a popular class at Stanford Business School entitled, “Humor: Serious Business”. Their mission, they say, is to make…
KQED's ForumLA Times Columnist Gustavo Arellano On Why Southern California is Covid’s American Epicenter
Early on in the pandemic, Southern California drew praise for its aggressive social distancing policies that helped contain the spread of the coronavirus. But…
KQED's ForumPressure Mounts on Gov. Newsom as Recall Effort Gains Steam
The Republican-led effort to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom is gaining traction as some members of Newsom's base are starting to question his leadership…
KQED's ForumOakland Mayor Libby Schaaf on How the City is Faring in a Pandemic
The pandemic has been tough on Oakland. Just one month into the new year the city has seen 13 homicides and a recent spate of car-jackings and robberies. The…
KQED's ForumCalifornia Starts Makeover of Vaccine Plan Amid Mounting Frustrations with Rollout
The California Department of Public Health announced an updated COVID-19 vaccine delivery plan this week as the state faces growing criticism over a slow…
KQED's ForumNew EDD Audit Details Mismanagement, Billions in Fraud
In a report released Thursday, the California state auditor finds the Employment Development Department (EDD) has failed to fix a fraud problem that the agency…
KQED's ForumFacebook Weighs Permanent Trump Ban Amid Debate Over Deplatforming
After the deadly insurrection of January 6, Twitter and other social media companies permanently banned Donald Trump from their platforms for inciting the…
KQED's ForumA Manifesto For Better Song Lyrics
Songwriter Michael Koppy says we’ve all been happily singing along to abysmal lyrics without noticing. In his book “Words and Music Into the Future” -- which…
KQED's ForumProcessing the Grief and Trauma of Losing a Loved One to COVID-19
On Wednesday, a Californian died from COVID-19 every two minutes. The level of loss is taking a toll on families and larger communities collectively grieving…
KQED's ForumWhat Biden’s Climate Plan Could Mean for California
President Joe Biden on Wednesday is set to sign a group of executive actions to fight climate change, on issues ranging from fracking to green jobs. But will…
KQED's ForumAuthor Ijeoma Oluo's 'Mediocre' Dissects White Male Power in America
What happens to a society that tells generation after generation of white men that they deserve power? That's the question author Ijeoma Oluo poses in her new…
KQED's ForumBay Area Parents, Students Eager to Know When Schools Will Reopen
With Governor Newsom easing lockdown orders Monday, many parents and students are hoping that school reopenings may soon follow. Last month, Newsom offered $2…
KQED's ForumEvacuation Orders Issued for Santa Cruz County as Entire State Braces for Massive Storms
Santa Cruz County ordered the evacuation of nearly 5000 residents Monday ahead of torrential storms predicted to unleash flooding and mudslides beginning on…
KQED's Forum2020 Tied for Hottest Year on Record, According to NASA
According to climate reports released this month, the hottest years on record all occurred in the last seven years with 2020 becoming another record-making…
KQED's ForumImpeachment Moves to Senate, President Biden Signs More Executive Orders
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to deliver an article of impeachment against former president Donald Trump to the Senate on Monday. This clears…
KQED's ForumGovernor Newsom Lifts Stay at Home Order After Criticism Over Transparency Concerns
The California Department of Public Health announced Monday that the state will lift the stay at home order, allowing reopening of outdoor dining and other…
KQED's ForumPresident Biden Proposes Path to Citizenship For Nation's Undocumented Immigrants
Millions of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. would have a path to citizenship in eight years or less, under the sweeping reform bill President Biden…
KQED's ForumBay Area Restaurants Sue State Over Outdoor Dining Ban
The ban on outdoor dining is “arbitrary, irrational, and unfair” according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by a coalition of Bay Area restaurants and wineries. The…
KQED's ForumWriter George Saunders and the Russian Masters on Writing, Reading and Life
George Saunders is one of the most celebrated fiction writers today but his new book looks back to examine great stories of the past. "A Swim in the Pond in…
KQED's ForumHow California Can Contain Coronavirus
As COVID-19 continues to spread and mutate nearly a year into the pandemic, many people struggle with assessing the risk of day-to-day activities amid a…
KQED's ForumBiden, Harris Enter Office With Message of Unity
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn into office Wednesday with an inaugural message of unity. The new administration faces extreme…
KQED's ForumExamining Biden’s Coronavirus Plan and Previewing a Post Pandemic Life
President Biden's proposed plan to halt the spread of the coronavirus includes federal oversight of vaccination via community vaccination centers and hiring…
KQED's ForumYoung People Share Thoughts on Inauguration, Next Four Years
The inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday featured an optimistic address from President Biden and a stirring poem…
KQED's ForumHistorian Heather Cox Richardson and this American Moment
“The past has its own terrible inevitability. But it is never too late to change the future.” That’s according to historian Heather Cox Richardson, who…
KQED's ForumThe Dangers of Whitewashing the News and Political Coverage
Throughout the presidency of Donald Trump, many media outlets across the United States were reluctant to label him a liar or a racist, even when his actions…
KQED's ForumLatest National News and the Inauguration Preparations
Preparations and security measures continue in Washington, D.C., for Wednesday’s inauguration, and the investigation into the insurrection at the Capitol…
KQED's ForumHow to Talk to Kids About Race In Uncertain Times
Our news this month is flooded with images of white supremacists storming the U.S. Capitol and of a confederate flag being hoisted through its halls. This…
KQED's ForumWhat Would Dr. King Think about the Siege of the Capitol?
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." But what would he say about this…
KQED's ForumCalifornia Struggles with Vaccination Rollout as Eligibility Expanded to Seniors 65 and Up
Faced with one of the slowest vaccination rollouts in the nation, California Governor Newsom announced Wednesday that Covid-19 vaccines would be available to…
KQED's ForumRacism Long a Plague Within Capitol Police Force
Several Capitol police officers have been suspended, and at least a dozen are under investigation for possible complicity in the deadly siege of the U.S…
KQED's ForumPresident Trump is Impeached a Second Time
Rancor and division were on full display Wednesday as the U.S. House of Representatives debated and then voted to impeach President Trump for inciting his…
KQED's ForumAmid Calls for ‘Unity,’ What Will It Really Take to Unify the Country?
A majority in the House impeached President Trump on Wednesday for inciting the deadly insurrection at the Capitol last week, while many Republican lawmakers…
KQED's ForumCapitol Insurrection Has Roots in Extremist Antigovernment Groups in California and West
The day before last week’s assault on the U.S. Capitol by violent insurrectionists, an angry, pro-Trump, anti-mask crowd threatened violence at a Shasta County…
KQED's ForumCalifornia Rep. Katie Porter on the Article of Impeachment Introduced Against President Trump
House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment Monday charging President Trump with "incitement of insurrection" for his role in last week's riot at the…
KQED's ForumHouse Democrats Build Momentum To Impeach President Trump a Second Time
Support for the second impeachment of President Donald Trump grew among House Democrats Friday, following Wednesday's violent pro-Trump insurrection that left…
KQED's ForumCalifornia Promises a Million Immunizations in Ten Days
California announced plans last week to administer the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine to a million people in the course of only ten days. The decision…
KQED's ForumAs Capitol Insurrectionists Are Identified, Arrests And Charges Mount
QAnon conspiracists, white nationalists, business professionals and Proud Boys militants. Those are some of the perpetrators of the deadly pro-Trump…