KQED's Forum

Proposition 19 on California’s November ballot would amend the state’s property tax structure in multiple ways. First, it would allow homeowners who are either age 55 and older, severely disabled or lost their home to wildfire to take their existing property tax rates with them when they move multiple times. Second, it would partly clamp down on what’s known as the Lebowski Loophole, which allows people who inherit homes from their parents to keep the existing tax rate. The measure would also direct some funding to wildfire prevention efforts. We break down Prop. 19.

In 2018, state lawmakers passed the California Consumer Privacy Act, a landmark bill aimed at protecting consumers and their digital data. The law took effect earlier this year and allows consumers to tell companies not to sell their personal information, among other protections. Now, Proposition 24 wants to take protections even further than those outlined in the existing law. But consumer advocates are divided on the measure. While all are in favor of protecting consumer privacy, there’s disagreement over the best strategy. We'll take up the debate and unpack what a "yes" or "no" vote would mean.

California's Proposition 23 on this November’s ballot would require outpatient kidney dialysis clinics to have a licensed physician on site during operating hours and to report certain medical data to government officials, among other rules. Supporters, including the Service Employees International Union, say the rules are needed to keep patients safe. But opponents say that clinics already supply relevant data to health officials and that keeping a doctor on duty is unnecessary and would be so costly that some clinics might have to close. We'll analyze the arguments for and against Proposition 23.

In three days of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, Democratic senators focused on portraying Barrett as an extreme conservative and Republicans touted her credentials. Barrett, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit and former law professor, spoke with ease about the constitution, case precedent and her originalist legal philosophy. She avoided questions about her legal views on issues that may face the Supreme Court such as abortion rights, the legality of the affordable care act and whether she would recuse herself from deciding conflicts around the 2020 election. We’ll discuss the confirmation hearings and the Supreme Court’s decision this week allowing the Trump Administration to stop the 2020 census count early.

A measure that could shape the future of the gig economy is on the California ballot. Proposition 22 would allow app-based transportation and delivery companies such as Uber, Lyft and Instacart,to classify drivers as contractors. A no vote would mean companies would have to treat drivers as employees with minimum wages and benefits such as sick time, unemployment insurance, and healthcare as required by California state law. Gig workers are divided over the choice between flexibility and stability. Companies supporting Prop 22 have contributed close to $185 million dollars, helping make it the most expensive ballot proposition in California history. We examine both sides of the debate.

Police killings of Black people have sparked nationwide calls this year for more independent oversight of police departments. In the Bay Area alone, at least five ballot measures seek to strengthen or expand the power of police commissions, independent investigations and other oversight. KQED reporter Alex Emslie joins us to review what’s being proposed, including the creation of a new agency to investigate the San Francisco sheriff’s department, and a Sonoma County effort to compel the sheriff to cooperate with independent investigations and audits.

Senate confirmation hearings on Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett begin on Monday, over Democrats' strenuous objection that the winner of the November election should pick the nominee. Meanwhile, House leaders have resumed negotiations with the White House over an economic stimulus bill, after President Trump abruptly pulled out of talks earlier this week. At the same time, the White House coronavirus outbreak continues to widen, and President Trump continues his steroid regimen following his hospitalization for COVID-19. We'll discuss the latest news from Washington, DC with veteran journalists Peter Baker and Susan Glasser.

If you're a prisoner or parolee in California, you are currently barred from voting. A 'yes' vote on state proposition 17 would mean amending the state's constitution to allow people on parole to vote. People serving time in state prison would still be prohibited from casting a ballot. We'll hear about the arguments for and against Prop 17 and learn about California's history on this issue.

Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris take the stage Wednesday evening in Salt Lake City for the 2020 election's only vice presidential debate. Stakes are high for Pence after a majority of voters heavily criticized President Trump's performance last week against Joe Biden. The debate comes just days after President Trump's hospitalization for COVID-19, raising concerns that Pence could have been exposed to the virus and prompting extra safety protocols on stage. We'll review the candidates’ performances and hear your takes.

Forum breaks down California’s Proposition 15, which would require that some commercial properties be reassessed every three years at market value. The measure would raise property taxes on many of the state’s largest businesses, with the money going to schools and local government. We’ll hear from both sides of the debate and take your questions on the biggest property tax change in California since prop 13 passed in 1978.

Latinos make up about 32 million eligible voters nationwide. That could mean they could have significant sway this year in the presidential race in swing states like Arizona, Florida, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. At the same time, campaigns and political parties often fail to engage Latino voters and turnout remains in question in a year when the coronavirus pandemic has complicated voting and campaigns. We talk about what is changing in 2020 and how Latinos can flex more political power.

Forum hears from both sides of the debate over California’s Proposition 20, which would roll back sentencing and parole changes approved by voters in 2014 and 2016. If approved, Proposition 20 would re-categorize some non-violent crimes as felonies, restrict some parole considerations and require DNA collection for certain misdemeanors. Backed by law enforcement, proponents say that the earlier reforms threaten public safety. Opponents say state prisons are overcrowded and argue that Proposition 20 would adversely affect communities of color. We’ll get the details and take your questions.

As daily new coronavirus cases continue to decline across the state, the Bay Area is slowly but surely getting back in business. Some public elementary schools in Alameda and Marin counties are re-opening for in-person learning, reduced-capacity indoor dining is now allowed in San Francisco, and indoor nail and hair salons are open throughout the region. We'll talk about the Bay Area's progress and the challenges that lie ahead.

Have you ever wondered about those colorful squiggly lines you see painted on California's city sidewalks? They’re actually color-coded utility markings that represent an underground world of sewer pipes, electric cables and telecommunication lines. They're also an example of what Roman Mars calls the “boring stuff” of urban design -- the unnoticed elements that he says are just as essential as skyscrapers, bridges and parks. Mars is the host of the design and architecture podcast “99% Invisible” and the author of the new book “The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design." He joins us to talk about why we should celebrate the overlooked and ordinary parts of our built urban environment.

Senate Republican leaders affirmed on Monday that hearings on the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett will go forward, beginning on October 12. That schedule is drawing sharp rebukes from Democrats who say it's unsafe to hold hearings amid a growing COVID-19 outbreak in the White House and just days after three GOP senators -- including two members of the Judiciary Committee -- tested positive for the virus. We'll talk about the latest developments in the battle over Coney Barrett’s confirmation.

Some young voters who recently turned 18 will be casting their ballot for the first time this November. But some of those voters were not able to vote in the primary election because they were not of age yet. Proposition 18 aims to change that. The initiative could open up the polls for more than 200,000 California voters who are 17 at the time of the primaries, but turn 18 by the general election. Supporters say the measure could spur more civic engagement among young people -- a group that traditionally posts low voter turnout. But opponents argue that 17 year-olds are not equipped to make decisions on complex issues like taxes, for example. In local measures, voters in Oakland will be asked to decide if 16 year-olds can vote in school board elections while in San Francisco, Prop. G would allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in city elections. We take a look at the debate on young voters.

Wildfires across the state have burned more than 4 million acres this year, more than doubling the previous record. In Napa and Sonoma counties, firefighters have made good progress in containing the Glass Fire, which has burned more than 65,000 acres and destroyed over 1,000 buildings as of Monday. Still, Cal Fire says high temperatures in the coming days could change the fire's status. We'll get the latest update from KQED's Dan Brekke.

This November, California voters will weigh in on a controversial topic: affirmative action. Proposition 16 would overturn an existing law that prohibits the consideration of race and gender in public education, hiring and contracting. Both sides of the Prop. 16 debate center their arguments on the question of discrimination. Supporters say that unless state agencies look at race and gender, they cannot rectify long standing disparities while opponents say affirmative action enables discrimination. We dive into Prop. 16.

We'll discuss the medical and political implications of President Trump's coronavirus diagnosis, and the White House's controversial handling of the crisis.

Back in 2004, California voters approved funds, and a new agency, to focus on stem cell research. Today, that pot of money is almost empty. Proposition 14 on the November ballot would authorize a $5.5 billion bond to continue to fund stem cell research in the state. We’ll get details on the proposition and hear from its proponents and detractors.

We’ll get the latest on President Trump's health and the White House's handling of his coronavirus diagnosis with New York Times Washington correspondent Michael Schmidt, author of the new book “Donald Trump v. The United States."

Proposition 25 on the November ballot seeks to end the cash bail system in California and replace it with one based on risk assessment. If passed, it would make California the first state in the nation to completely eliminate commercial bail. Prop 25 stems from Senate Bill 10, which was signed into law in 2018 by then-Gov. Jerry Brown and would have ended cash bail effective last October. Instead, a coalition against the legislation collected enough signatures to put the issue up for a vote. Proponents of Prop 25 say this would make the process more fair, where a defendant’s freedom isn’t dependent on their economic status. Those opposed say ending cash bail burdens police departments with ensuring defendants appear in court and takes away a person’s choice to secure release from jail through bail. Forum takes up the debate.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19 after White House adviser Hope Hicks was confirmed to have the virus. The president’s physician said the couple are both “well at this time.” President Trump has been criticized for downplaying the severity of the virus in the early stages and belittling mask wearing and social distancing. We'll discuss how this might affect the election.

President Donald Trump is experiencing “mild symptoms” after he and first lady Melania Trump both tested positive for the coronavirus. The president's results came just a few hours after the news last night that top aide Hope Hicks tested positive for COVID-19. In this hour of Forum we’re going to talk about the medical, political and and other implications of this bombshell news.

One of the biggest challenges facing the election this year is simply the process. For the first time ever, all California voters will receive a ballot in the mail. Some voters are concerned their vote may not be counted. On top of that, voters are hungry for trustworthy information about candidates and issues. We take your questions about voting this year with Kim Alexander, president and founder of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation.

Countless hurdles throughout the pandemic. A legal fight. Now an uncertain end date. If you’re as confused as we are about the status of the 2020 Census, NPR’s census expert Hansi Lo Wang is here to help make sense of what is going on.

California State University system’s new chancellor, Joseph Castro, will take over an organization beset with challenges from the pandemic, including a nearly 300 million dollar budget cut and mostly no in person instruction for the entire school year. Despite that, Castro says “I think we’re going to be stronger after COVID than we were before.” Castro will be the first Californian and the first Mexican-American to head up the CSU system in which 43% of the nearly half a million students are Latino. When Castro starts on the job in January, for the first time in state history, all three of California’s public higher education systems will be led by people of color.

We'll get the latest on the Glass Fire in Napa and Sonoma counties which burned more than 48,000 acres on Wednesday. Firefighters have slowed the growth rate of the wildfire but they are expecting to face higher temperatures and windy conditions in the coming days. More than 80 homes have been destroyed and over 20,000 structures are threatened by the fire which is just 2 percent contained.

Young voters have a track record of low turnout in elections, but according to a recent Harvard Youth Poll, 63% of Americans age 18-29 say they will “definitely be voting” this year. We'll talk to young voters and those voting for the first time this year about the election, the candidates and the state of U.S. politics. And you don’t have to be of voting age to care about the key issues facing this country -- we'll also hear from middle school and high school students who shared what issues matter most to them in KQED Education's "Let's Talk About Election 2020" youth media challenge.

Former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump take the stage Tuesday evening for the first of three presidential debates ahead of the November election. Moderated by Fox News's Chris Wallace, Tuesday's debate will focus on six topics: the candidates' records, the Supreme Court, COVID-19, the economy, race and violence in U.S. cities and the integrity of the election. We'll review the candidates’ performances and hear your reactions.

After several months of protests across the country demanding racial justice and police reform, longtime civil rights leader Al Sharpton has released a new book, Rise Up: Confronting a Country at the Crossroads. The book is a call to action at a time when Sharpton says America is ready for true change. Sharpton calls on Americans to go beyond addressing racial justice and also make strides for the LGBTQ community, women, immigrants, poor people, and the environment. We talk with Sharpton about his decades fighting injustice and what work still needs to be done.

Thousands of Northern California residents awoke to flames on Monday, as dry conditions and high winds caused multiple fires to explode in size overnight. The Glass Fire - after merging with the Boysen Fire in St. Helena and Shady Fire near Santa Rosa - scorched an estimated 11,000 acres in Napa and Sonoma wine country. Tens of thousands have been forced to evacuate as of Monday afternoon. We'll get an update on the wildfires and evacuations and we want to hear from you: if you live in the affected regions or you've been evacuated, share your experiences.

Many of us take money for granted as a certainty, but what exactly is money? Jacob Goldstein, co-host of NPR’s Planet Money podcast, explores that question in his book, “Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing.” Goldstein argues that monetary systems depend on a collective belief that an object, such as a piece of metal or paper, is worth a given amount. The history of money stretches back centuries and continues to evolve in surprising ways. We’ll talk with Goldstein about the origin of money as a fictional concept that nonetheless shapes our lives.

President Trump nominated federal appeals court judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court on Saturday. The conservative jurist is known for her skepticism of the Affordable Care Act, abortion rights and deference to pre-existing legal precedents. One day before the first presidential debate, we'll look at what her nomination could mean for the November election. We'll also discuss the political implications of Sunday's revelations by the New York Times that the president paid just $750 in federal taxes in 2016 and 2017 — and nothing in 10 of the past 15 years.

We'll get an update on the wildfires in Napa and Sonoma County and check in on Bay Area air quality with KQED's Dan Brekke and Alice Woelfle.

President Donald Trump said he will name his nominee to succeed Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Saturday -- a little more than a week after the death of the trailblazing feminist jurist. One of the top contenders is Amy Coney Barrett, whose conservative jurisprudence calls into question the future of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that affirmed a woman's right to choose an abortion. We'll talk about the likelihood that a conservative majority would overturn Roe and what that would mean for women across the country, particularly those who live in states that already limit abortion access.

In an effort to wean California off carbon emissions, Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order to ban sales of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. The state's Air Resources Board will work out the details. It's a big move, but environmentalists say it's not big enough to slow climate change. We'll hear from energy experts about what else will have to change to accommodate all those electric and battery powered cars on the road. And how the market might be different next time you head out to kick some tires.

Journalist and author Maria Hinojosa was, as she put, “the first Latina in every newsroom I ever worked in." In her new memoir, “Once I Was You,” the longtime host of NPR’s Latino USA tells the story of her life as an immigrant, storyteller and advocate, as well as her challenging rise in broadcast journalism. Hinojosa details her struggles with anxiety, managing family and career, and becoming a media entrepreneur. She also provides a window into the historical events that shaped her life and stories she reported on such as the Salvadoran refugees she befriended in college who were displaced by U.S. interventions in Central America. For decades, she has covered immigrants, the immigration system and the policies behind how America treats its most vulnerable residents. We’ll talk to Hinojosa about the book and the latest news.

This week, the United States marked a grim milestone: more than 200,000 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic. Against this backdrop, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar moved to bar the national health agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, from signing off on any new rules without his consent. Azar's sweeping declaration, called by some as a "power grab," would affect regulation of the nation’s foods, medicines, medical devices and other products, including vaccines. That’s according to a September 15th memo, obtained by the New York Times. We'll talk about the federal response to the pandemic and how the nation is faring in its fight against COVID-19.

Protesters across the Bay Area and nationwide continue to hold rallies today after a Kentucky grand jury declined yesterday to charge Louisville police in the murder of Breonna Taylor, who was shot in her home six months ago during a botched drug raid on a neighboring apartment. The grand jury brought criminal charges against only one of the three police officers involved in the raid for recklessing firing into the other apartment. We’ll talk about why the police avoided homicide charges and what’s next as advocates continue to fight for justice for Breonna Taylor.

The climate crisis isn’t just an environmental one — it is also a crisis of leadership. That's according to Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine Wilkinson, co-editors of the new anthology “All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis.” Johnson, a marine biologist and policy expert, and Wilkinson, author of "Drawdown," add that "we need feminine and feminist climate leadership, which is wide open to people of any gender." They feature examples of such leadership in their book, which presents the insights and expertise of diverse women leading on climate in the U.S. Johnson and Wilkinson join us to talk about the climate crisis, its multiplying threats and the women leaders addressing them.

There are 330 million people in the United States. Vox co-founder and economics journalist Matt Yglesias makes the case for adding 670 million more in his new book, "One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger." With an increased population size, the U.S. could maintain its status as a world superpower, increase its wealth and improve its population’s standards of living, Yglesias argues. We'll talk about how his argument relates to current domestic policies on climate change, immigration and family benefits.

Is prison necessary? That’s a central question in the work of longtime prison abolitionist and well-known prison scholar, Ruth Wilson Gilmore. A co-founder of activist organization Critical Resistance, Gilmore’s seminal book “Golden Gulag” analyzed California’s role in propelling both the prison building boom and tough-on-crime sentencing in the U.S. Today, criminal justice reform is under a brighter spotlight, as calls to defund the police have increased and as jails and prisons became hotspots for COVID-19 with effects rippling through surrounding communities. Gilmore joins us to share her thoughts on the movement to defund police and the case for abolishing prisons.

In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, San Francisco-based artist George McCalman says that just as he was processing his own grief and anger, he found himself deluged with calls and emails from white acquaintances. Some of the messages expressed concern, but too many were clueless and empty, reflecting what he calls "an echo chamber of fragility." For his latest project, McCalman collected the phases that triggered him the most -- such as "Here if you ever want to talk" or "For your selfcare" -- and created paintings to reveal the "garish truth" that underlay them. We’ll talk to McCalman about his show, called “Tell Me Three Things I Can Do/Return To Sender.”

Facing a massive backlog of 600,000 cases, California’s Employment Development Department says it will not accept new unemployment claims until October 5 as it works to restructure its website to process claims more efficiently. The temporary “pause” comes after a state government report called on EDD to address a number of problems with its claims processing, such as outdated technology and inefficient fraud detection. We’ll discuss the report and how EDD plans to tackle these issues.

In a nation already sharply divided along partisan lines, the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Republican plans to quickly confirm her successor has ignited new political fires. In this hour of Forum, we'll look at how this epic confirmation battle could shape the outcome of an election already upended by the pandemic and concerns about the U.S. Postal Service’s integrity with a political appointee of President Trump in charge. We’ll discuss the political landmines for both Republicans and Democrats so close to a pivotal election.

Thousands of people gathered in San Francisco and at vigils across the country over the weekend in honor of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Friday at age 87. “I think a lot of us felt like, ‘Well, as long as RBG is there, we’re gonna be good, we’re gonna be good’,” San Francisco resident Shawn Rosenmoss told KQED News at the vigil. “Now I’m a little lost, which is why I’m here.” In this hour of Forum, we'll look back at the life and legal legacy of Ginsburg, a champion of gender equality and the second woman appointed to the Supreme Court.

Across California, county public health departments have issued guidelines banning parades, block parties and haunted houses. “A different type of Halloween” must happen this year, state health secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said Tuesday. Last week, Los Angeles County banned trick-or-treating, then revised its language to instead discourage the activity. This week, San Francisco County similarly discouraged going door-to-door for candy while encouraging alternatives such as virtual activities and home decorating. We'll discuss the latest news on COVID-19 safety as Halloween approaches.

Following her critically-acclaimed debut novel "Homegoing," novelist Yaa Gyasi returns with “Transcendent Kingdom.” The story follows Gifty, a doctoral candidate in neuroscience at Stanford University. After losing her brother to a heroin overdose and while caring for her suicidal mother, she is determined to find a scientific reason for suffering. But even as Gifty embarks on her scientific quest, she finds herself longing for the faith of her childhood to help reckon with her family’s pain. Like Gyasi, the character Gifty comes from an immigrant family from Ghana and grew up in an evangelical household in Alabama. We'll talk to Gyasi, who spent time in California as an undergraduate at Stanford, about the book and the desire to understand human pain and suffering.

How would you describe the past six months in six words? SMITH Magazine founding editor Larry Smith posed that question to followers of his Six-Word Memoir project, receiving answers that included, "I want my senior year back," "Social distancing myself from the fridge" and "Dear first grandchild: see you soon." Smith will join us to talk some of the most memorable responses. We want to hear from you: what's your own six-word pandemic memoir?