KQED's Forum

In a recent interview, Fox News host Chris Wallace asked President Donald Trump if he'd accept the Nov. 3 election results. Refusing to say yes or no, Trump responded that he'd "have to see." That hedge is exactly what constitutional law expert Lawrence Douglas is worried about. In his new book, "Will He Go: President Trump and the Looming Election Meltdown in 2020," Douglas explains why he's concerned about a close or contested election and the potential consequences if President Trump rejects electoral defeat. We’ll talk to Douglas about his book.

Falling enrollment, anxiety about health risks, and confusing guidelines from public health officials have all contributed to a crisis in California’s child care facilities. That’s according to a recent report out of UC Berkeley that surveyed preschools and in-home daycare services on how they’re navigating the pandemic. We’ll discuss the report, why the child care industry is in financial trouble, and hear what needs to be done about it.

It was almost like a typical weekend of baseball in July: the Oakland A's and the San Francisco Giants both faced off against their L.A.-based rivals, the Angels and Dodgers. But things at the ballparks were anything but normal. The "fans" in the seats were really cardboard cutouts and the crowd noise on TV was piped-in. And with baseball underway, the NBA starts its own modified season on Thursday. Still, some lower-tier teams - like our own Golden State Warriors - will sit out the remainder of the season. We'll talk sports with San Francisco Chronicle columnist Ann Killion.

Last week on Forum, during a segment about the disproportionately high coronavirus infection rates among Latinos in California, we heard from 10-year- old Maggie. She called on behalf of her Spanish-speaking parents to ask whether her parents could get COVID-19 more than once. It was a moment that resonated with Adriana Morga, a digital producer for KQED en Español, who tweeted after the show "that was the epitome of what immigrant children have to do in order to get information to their parents." The tweet soon went viral, with people sharing their own experiences translating for family members. Morga featured some of those responses in a recent article and asked for others to submit their stories. We'll hear some of them and talk to Morga about the importance of equal access to information.

Twitter announced this week that it’s removing or restricting more than 150,000 accounts associated with QAnon -- an extremist, far right internet community that perpetuates conspiracy theories about pedophilic, Satan-worshipping elites seeking to take over the country. The FBI designated QAnon as a domestic terrorist threat last year, but President Trump has retweeted accounts associated with QAnon and has supported Republican candidates who openly espouse it. We’ll explore what QAnon is and where it came from, and we’ll talk about the impact of Twitter’s ban.

During the past few months, many common rituals for dealing with grief and loss have been completely disrupted. Family members can no longer hold the hand of a dying loved one in the hospital. Funerals and memorials have migrated online depriving mourners the chance to give a hug or offer sympathy in person. On top of that, many people are also feeling a deep sense of loss over other aspects of our lives -- jobs, social outings, hobbies, vacations, routines -- that are now gone because of the pandemic. We talk with experts about how to take a new approach to grief and loss amid the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 80 percent of California children are in districts that Governor Gavin Newsom says must use remote-only learning when schools return. That's prompted some parents to search for tutors or teachers to come to their homes - sometimes in pandemic pods with several families - to oversee distance learning. But these are options only available to those who can afford them, and it's raising concerns about further exacerbating rampant inequalities in public education. We'll talk about the rush for private teachers and the questions it raises about equity.

President Trump announced Wednesday that he's sending hundreds of federal law enforcement officers to Chicago and Albuquerque to drive down violent crime. The move comes amid ongoing tensions in Portland, Oregon, where unidentifiable federal agents have sprayed tear gas in crowds and beaten civilians protesting police violence. Attorney General William Barr said Wednesday that the new federal deployments, which are part of the administration's "Operation Legend," will focus on crime fighting, not protecting federal property. We'll discuss the latest.

The Marin County Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance on Tuesday allowing government employees and police officers to penalize businesses and individuals who do not comply with COVID-19 health orders. The penalties run from $25 to $10,000, and include violations like refusal to wear a mask. We'll talk with county officials and local businesses about the order.

It was reported on Monday that the University of Oxford developed a coronavirus vaccine that appears safe and triggers an immune response. Another study from King’s College London from the previous week, however, seems to show that immunity to COVID-19 may only last a few months. And the science of developing a vaccine is only one of many hurdles. Once a vaccine is deemed safe and effective, there are many unanswered questions about how to manufacture and fairly distribute it. In this hour, we talk with a panel of experts about where we are in developing a coronavirus vaccine and how a vaccine should be distributed.

After a spate of bad luck led her to question the nature of chance, journalist Maria Konnikova began learning about poker. Konnikova -- who holds a doctorate in psychology--was curious about how the game hones players’ ability to distinguish between what is within and outside of our control. Under the tutelage of an expert, she became a professional player and entered the World Series of Poker, a competition with a $10,000 entry fee. The experience shaped her new book, “The Biggest Bluff.” Konnikova joins us to talk about the book, her year-long journey from novice to professional poker player, and what poker can teach us about the role of skill and chance in our lives.

The Republican party has increasingly relied on incendiary appeals from the social right to win over voters, while advancing policies that cater less to the average voter and more to wealthy donors. That’s according to political scientists Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson. In their fourth book together, "Let Them Eat Tweets: How the Right Rules in an Age of Extreme Inequality," they break down the GOP’s strategy of acquiring populist voters through fear-mongering and race-baiting. And now, during the Trump administration, the authors write that “the ‘dog whistle’ invoking racialized themes has given way to the bullhorn.” Hacker and Pierson join us to discuss their latest book and why the GOP continues to advance unpopular policies -- and stall popular ones in the Senate -- even in an election year.

Caltrain, the light-rail system that runs from San Francisco to Silicon Valley, faces dire financial straits after a 98% drop in ridership during the coronavirus pandemic and now, a dispute over a key future funding source. Caltrain officials are pushing to put a 0.125 percent sales tax measure on San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara county ballots this November. But the fate of that measure is uncertain after two San Francisco Supervisors blocked that board from voting to put it on the ballot. We look at the future of Caltrain as officials warn of a possible shutdown.

California’s Attorney General announced an investigation into the Vallejo police department after reports that evidence in the police shooting of Sean Monterrosa was destroyed. 22 year old Monterrosa was kneeling when an officer, mistaking a hammer for a gun, fired shots through the windshield of the police truck, killing him. Vallejo police last week confirmed that the police windshield was later destroyed. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has joined Vallejo city officials in calling for the FBI to investigate. Forum discusses the case and the troubled Vallejo police department which has shot more people per capita than neighboring cities.

This election year, Black voters in key swing states hold significant power heading into November, as they were crucial for Democrats' "Blue Wave" in 2018. In her new book "Say It Louder! Black Voters, White Narratives, and Saving Our Democracy," political analyst Tiffany Cross looks at the significant role Black Americans have played in shaping U.S. democracy. Cross, who previously covered Capitol Hill for BET and CNN, also highlights the policies and efforts to subvert and suppress the Black vote throughout history -- efforts that continue today. We'll talk to Cross about the state of the electorate ahead of the 2020 election and the latest national politics news.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that all public and private schools in counties on the state's Covid-19 watchlist must operate remotely this fall. More than 30 counties are on the list, including most counties in the Bay Area. We'll discuss how districts are planning for remote instruction and what it will take for schools to resume in-person learning safely. And we want to hear from you: what questions or concerns do you have about remote instruction in your district? If your kids are learning from home, how have you adapted?

As COVID-19 testing facilities across the state face ongoing backlogs, California public health officials adopted new guidance this week to help counties decide who should get test results fastest. Those hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms may see test results within a day, but other Californians -- especially those who aren't symptomatic or aren't essential workers -- may continue to experience wait times of a week or longer. We'll talk when and how you should get tested and about the public health impact of slow test turnaround times. And we want to hear from you: If you've been tested, what was the experience like?

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo recently released a nine-point proposal to revamp the city’s embattled police department. He says the plan will “reform, not defund the police” while “squarely addressing nationwide outrage over racial injustice and police brutality”. But critics of Liccardo’s plan are calling for more significant and swift changes to the department that was recently marred in a scandal involving racist behavior by officers. Liccardo joins us to talk about police reform and other issues facing the city, including shutdown orders that are dealing a financial blow to many households and businesses.

The Berkeley City Council approved a motion this week on the issue of police reform, bringing some of the most radical changes to policing in the state. A proposal by Councilmember Rigel Robinson will create “BerkDot,” a new Department of Transportation with unarmed officials who will conduct parking and traffic enforcement. The motion also includes a pledge to cut the police budget by 50 percent and to develop a Specialized Care Unit - a “network of crisis responders” for calls concerning homelessness and mental health. In this segment, we’ll talk with Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín about the motion.

As California and many other states struggle to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases, science journalist Ed Yong says we’re now more vulnerable to additional disasters, including a possible second pandemic. In his new article in The Atlantic, Yong says diminishing resources, strained international relations and demoralized experts have America on it’s heels. We’ll talk to Yong about what he’s learned during months of reporting on the pandemic and what he thinks the US should be doing now to control it.

“Any forthcoming federal pandemic relief bill must include funds to support teachers, so that under-served children don't fall behind”, argues Silicon Valley congressman Ro Khanna in a recent opinion piece. We'll talk with Khanna about what strategies he thinks K-12 schools should take this fall. We'll also get his thoughts, as a former national co-chair of Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns, on the direction the democratic party should take, as he heads up California's delegation at the Democratic National Convention next month.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Monday that California is officially backtracking into more restrictive shelter-in-place orders as coronavirus infections continue to rise across the state. Many people and businesses are confused about the shifting policies and what activities are permitted. We open the phone lines to hear from listeners about how they are coping.

As newsrooms across the country confront issues of race and diversity, award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien says it’s a welcome “MeToo” moment for journalists of color to speak out. O'Brien detailed her own experiences in a recent op-ed for the New York Times including being called the "affirmative-action hire" by colleagues at her first job. Today, after years working at major news outlets such as NBC and CNN, she's the chief executive of her own production company and regularly uses her Twitter feed to call out poor journalism in headlines and interviews. We’ll talk to O’Brien about how newsrooms should address racism in hiring and news coverage and get her take on the state of journalism in the Trump era.

A new biography about Senator Joseph McCarthy taps into recently-released transcripts of closed-door congressional hearings to shed light on the senator’s life and his 1950’s anti-communist crusade. Journalist and author Larry Tye joins us to talk about the book, “Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy”, and to describe the parallels he sees between McCarthy and President Trump.

Across California, Latinos have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. They make up about 39 percent of the state’s population, but account for 55 percent of reported infections. Community leaders are calling for more resources to help reduce the spread and risks for Latinos, many of whom have to work outside the home. The pandemic has been especially burdensome for undocumented people and low-income workers -- a significant component of the Latino population. We look at what can be done to blunt the sharp rise in case counts.

As the United States grapples with civil unrest, many people are questioning how we arrived in this situation and how the nation can change for the better. In his new book, “American Poison: How Racial Hostility Destroyed Our Promise,” New York times economics reporter Eduardo Porter presents a comprehensive examination of how discrimination based on race has hurt not just members of marginalized groups, but the nation as a whole. While the U.S. has gutted education systems, healthcare programs, and assistance for the poor, he writes, the nation instead diverted resources to incarcerating people. Porter, who has previously served as economics columnist and editorial writer for the New York Times, joins us to discuss his new book and how it relates to current debate over dismantling systemic racism.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and state public education leaders announced on Thursday that they’re suing the Trump administration over a new rule requiring foreign college students to leave the U.S. if their classes are online-only when they resume in the fall. California, which is home to the largest population of international students in the country, follows Harvard and M.I.T., who filed a joint suit and asked for an emergency order to stop the new policy. California’s public college systems are now reviewing their ability to offer some in-person classes to protect international students who could be deported or barred from re-entering the country under the new rule, which is raising health and safety concerns. We’ll hear from Attorney General Becerra, as well as from students who could be affected, and discuss the implications of the policy.

President Donald Trump on Friday commuted the sentence of his longtime friend and political advisor Roger Stone, who had been convicted of lying to Congress and witness tampering. The next day, former special counsel Robert Mueller defended his investigation into ties between Russia and the Trump campaign and wrote that Stone was "prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes." We'll discuss Trump's move and other national political news with KQED's Marisa Lagos.

Governor Newsom announced Friday that the state will release 8,000 people incarcerated in the state's prison system, including 700 in high-risk prisons like San Quentin and Folsom. The move came as Bay Area lawmakers and activists called on Governor Newsom to step in to reduce the prison population at San Quentin, where there have been more than 1300 cases of coronavirus and at least seven COVID-related deaths. We’ll get the latest on the situation.

Close to 2 million unemployment claims filed since the shelter in place orders were issued have not yet been paid out, according to a San Jose Mercury News analysis. And while a new report from the U.S. Labor Department finds first-time jobless claims by Californians have dropped for two consecutive weeks, the continued economic shut-down could cause more workers to lose jobs. The state unemployment agency says it is updating technology and hiring thousands of staff to deal with the deluge of claims. Loree Levy of the California Employment Development Department joins us to answer your questions about the backlog and how to file claims.

Author Karla Cornejo Villavicencio joins us to discuss her new memoir, “The Undocumented Americans.” Villavicencio arrived in America when she was five and is one of the first undocumented students to graduate from Harvard. After the election of President Trump in 2016, she began writing about her own experience as well as those of other undocumented immigrants in New York, Miami, Cleveland, Michigan and Connecticut through a series of reported essays. Now a doctoral student at Yale, Villavicencio’s work insists on breaking conventional and sanitized narratives of immigrants in her book, which she calls a punk rock memoir.

Amid a spike in coronavirus cases and calls by President Trump to reopen schools this fall, school districts across California are contemplating the best course of action for next year. San Jose's Alum Rock Union and East Side Union High school districts already announced that a majority of their schools will continue online learning. And while other options include a staggered or hybrid schedule, most school districts are monitoring the pandemic and county health guidelines before making an official announcement. We'll discuss what schools around the Bay Area and the state are planning to do this fall.

Throughout California, statues of controversial historical figures such as Junipero Serra and Christopher Columbus are being removed. This follows a trend across the nation to demolish what some consider symbols of racism, oppression, and injustice. Indigenous leaders have fought for decades against celebrating Serra and Columbus, who they see as having committed genocide against Native Americans. Others argue that destroying statues and monuments could silence some parts of history instead of expanding our knowledge of it. In this hour, we’ll dive into the debate over toppling statues and monuments as well as who we memorialize and why.

Stanford Graduate School of Business professor and social psychologist Brian Lowery studies the psychology of racial privilege. Undergirding his work is the notion that although many people support the ideal of a fair and just society, they sometimes end up unconsciously reinforcing extant inequality. In a Washington Post opinion piece last month, Lowery describes some of the racism he has experienced and calls upon white Americans to engage in a proactive way to address inequality. Lowery joins us to discuss his research and why he thinks “the time for talk has passed”.

In a 7-2 opinion issued this morning, the Supreme Court ruled that President Trump must turn over his financial records and tax returns to a New York state grand jury investigating his business dealings. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said that “the public has a right to ‘every man’s evidence’” and that “since the earliest days of the Republic, ‘every man’ has included the President of the United States.” In a separate case, the court ruled -- again in a 7-2 opinion with Chief Justice Roberts writing for the majority -- that President Trump can -- for now -- block release of his tax and financial records to Congressional committees. In this segment we’ll talk about the legal and real-world implications of these cases with Andrea Bernstein, Co-host of Trump, Inc., and University of Texas law professor Steve Vladeck.

Dr. Erica Pan has been appointed the new California State Epidemiologist. She joins us to talk about her experience leading Alameda County’s coronavirus response--including clashes with Elon Musk over the opening of the Fremont Tesla factory and being targeted on social media for shelter in place mandates--and about her vision for the new job. And we’ll ask her about California counties on the coronavirus watch list, recent COVID-related deaths among San Quentin prisoners, and emerging evidence of greater airborne spread of coronavirus.

In a 7 to 2 vote, the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday in favor of two California churches arguing they should not have to face employment discrimination lawsuits brought by former teachers. The ruling makes it so that religious schools are exempt from most employment discrimination claims, expanding religious freedom. The Supreme Court on Wednesday also cleared the way for the Trump administration to expand exemptions for employers who have religious or moral objections to complying with Obamacare's contraceptive mandate. We talk with David Levine, professor at UC Hastings College of the Law, about these rulings and other Supreme Court decisions expected to come.

The Trump administration officially informed the United Nations on Tuesday that the United States is withdrawing from the World Health Organization, effective July 6, 2021. President Trump first announced that he planned to halt funding to the W.H.O. back in April, criticizing its "China-centric" response to the coronavirus pandemic. The withdrawal comes as the United States nears 3 million reported coronavirus cases and almost 540,000 COVID-related deaths worldwide. We'll discuss what led to the U.S's decision as well as the financial and global public health implications of the withdrawal.

Emerging evidence shows that drug overdose deaths are surging from increased substance abuse driven by feelings of isolation, anxiety and depression during the coronavirus pandemic. Fatal drug overdoses were already ticking upward in 2019, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- a trend the pandemic is accelerating. And more challenging, many treatment programs have been scaled back as the federal government puts some funding for non-COVID-related work on hold indefinitely. We'll discuss the growing concern over this epidemic within the pandemic and what can be done to address it.

The Oakland Zoo announced last week that it may have to shut down permanently unless it's allowed to open its doors to visitors soon. The zoo, which has remained closed since mid-March owing to coronavirus concerns, is spending $2.5 million a month to care for the animals and maintain the facility, and it's quickly burning through its reserves. We'll talk to Oakland Zoo CEO Joel Parrott about the future of the zoo and how other zoos across the state are coping with the pandemic.

Last month, when many Fox News hosts were putting a positive spin on President Trump’s low-turnout Tulsa rally, Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace didn’t mince words. “The arena was empty,” he told a Trump aide, adding that the campaign looked “silly” for not owning up to the crowd size. Moments like these have earned Wallace the ire of Trump, but the anchor also takes heat for his association with the controversial conservative network. Wallace joins Forum to talk about the latest headlines and his new book “Countdown 1945."

In a state where more than a quarter of residents are foreign-born, many low-income and undocumented immigrants have dealt with heavy burdens during the coronavirus pandemic. The biggest challenges involve high infection rates, loss of income, and feeling forced to continue working in high-risk environments. Many programs designed to give financial assistance to undocumented workers are running dry as the pandemic persists. Meanwhile, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the federal agency that processes immigration applications, plans to furlough more than two-thirds of its staff in coming months due to budget cuts. That move could significantly delay citizenship and green card applications as well as asylum cases. We discuss how low-income and undocumented immigrants in California are faring during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that states are free to punish presidential electors who don’t support the winner of the popular vote. It also upheld almost the entirety of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which bans robocalls to cell phones. Those rulings come after the court issued some unexpected decisions recently in cases involving undocumented immigrants who arrived as children, LGBTQ workers, and abortion rights in Louisiana. More rulings are still to come, including a decision on whether President Trump is required to release his tax returns to house democrats and a New York grand jury. We discuss the cases with Jessica Levinson, professor of law at Loyola Law School and host of the new podcast, “Passing Judgment."

With official July 4 fireworks cancelled this year due to coronavirus, amateur displays illuminated the skies around the Bay Area Saturday night. But the illegal displays led to noise complaints -- and are being blamed for at least 100 blazes around the region. Emergency officials even took to social media to warn of fire risks. And it’s not just independence day: fireworks have been a familiar sound in many cities in recent weeks. We'll talk about the prevalence and impact of fireworks displays around the region.

During this time of civil unrest in America, many people are calling for dismantling racism. Much of the conversation frames the conflict as between a black minority and a white majority. The current uprising is sparking conversations about how other groups of color can show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Part of that work, experts say, involves confronting division and anti blackness much more broadly. In this hour, we explore what cross-racial solidarity means in America.

On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass delivered a speech titled "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" -- calling attention to the hypocrisy of the Declaration of Independence and its claim that "all men are created equal.” Today, amid protests against racism and a growing Black Lives Matter movement, equality is still a goal in progress. And the promises of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" ring differently, and perhaps more profoundly, in an ongoing pandemic that continues to claim both lives and livelihoods. Still, America and its ideals persist. This hour, we’ll talk to author Casey Gerald about Douglass’ speech and the current challenges we face as a nation, and hear what the Fourth of July means to you.

As coronavirus cases continue rising in California, colleges and universities across the state are assessing how best to operate for the fall semester. Some are completely transitioning to remote learning. Others are looking to combine both online and in-person classes. These changes have left students with some difficult choices: Continue school under these conditions or withdraw for the semester? Return to campus or stay home? In this hour, well hear from students, schools, and health officials about what college campuses could look like this fall.

Over the weekend, the San Jose Police Department placed four of its police officers on administrative leave for posting racist and anti-Muslim comments in a private Facebook group. This latest scandal comes days after San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo issued a nine-point plan aimed at reforming, but not defunding, the city’s police department. Given these recent developments, critics of the police are saying that Liccardo’s plan does not go far enough to address systemic racism. We’ll talk about this latest incident, the efforts to reform the department and what the next steps are.

A new China-imposed "anti-protest" law has already led to arrests in Hong Kong and has residents on edge over further erosion of freedom in the semiautonomous territory. We'll hear about the new law, why it has activists worried, and why China is dismissing those concerns.

Three months into shelter-in-place restrictions, California had contained the spread of the coronavirus. Now heading into July, infection rates and hospitalizations have ticked up to more than 225,000 cases statewide -- nearly doubling in just one month. Experts say Memorial Day weekend marks a turning point when more people resumed going to work, socializing and patronizing businesses. Health professionals expected some of the recent surge as more tests became available. Still, some of the increase happened because people are engaging in more high-risk activities and not taking sufficient precautions such as wearing masks. We discuss what is driving the current surge of coronavirus cases in California and how to regain control of the pandemic.