KQED's Forum

Santa Clara County released guidelines Tuesday for reopening schools for in-person classes, but county school officials say districts should have a remote learning backup plan in case coronavirus conditions worsen. As schools grapple with whether to fully reopen during the pandemic, pediatricians this week weighed in with a strong recommendation for having students physically present in schools. The American Academy of Pediatrics says continuing remote learning will increase social isolation, cause further learning loss and exacerbate inequalities. Forum will discuss the conditions for schools to reopen and we want to hear from you. Are you a student, parent or teacher? Are you ready for the schools to reopen?

More than 6 million workers have filed for unemployment in California since the pandemic began. California’s unemployment agency, the EDD, has awarded $24 billion in benefits since mid-March, but many applicants have experienced long waiting periods and some have received no benefits at all. Last week, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle criticized the EDD, calling for an audit of the agency and for Gov. Gavin Newsom to intervene. We’ll discuss how California is handling the record number of unemployment claims and we’ll take your questions on unemployment benefits.

Several social media platforms have removed hate speech and calls to violence from their platforms in recent weeks. Reddit made headlines this week for eliminating a channel dedicated to President Donald Trump among about 2,000 others that the site said violated its rules against hate speech. Meanwhile, Facebook has come under sharp criticism for not removing hateful posts from Trump and has lost several major advertisers. Starbucks Corp. said Sunday it would halt all social media ad spending to stop the spread of hate speech. We discuss the role of hate speech on social media and the responsibility of platforms to police it.

In his work and life, writer James Baldwin often balanced between feelings of despair and faith that the U.S. could be better and become a truly multiracial democracy. It was Baldwin's ability to balance faith and despair as well as love and rage that fascinated Princeton University professor of African American Studies Eddie Glaude Jr. and prompted his new book, "Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own." We'll discuss the book, Baldwin, and the current "moral reckoning" Glaude sees upon us.

Why do some people embrace masks and practice meticulous social distancing while others rebel against public health mandates? Psychologists are studying what drives behavior in the pandemic, and they're also looking at how information overload can influence how people react to the crisis. In this hour, psychologists Ellen Peters and Jay Van Bavel join us to lay out how social and behavioral science can help explain how people respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and how that information can help guide public policy messaging around containment.

In a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana abortion law Monday, effectively saving the right to choose in the state. The law, which was enacted in 2014, required doctors to have active admitting privileges at a hospital near the facility where they provide abortions. Chief Justice John Roberts voted with the four-member liberal wing, opposing the votes of both Trump-appointed justices. We'll discuss the details of the case and explore what this ruling means for the future of abortion laws across the country.

Yesterday, President Donald Trump retweeted a video that included one of his supporters yelling “white power” in response to protesters. Trump thanked the "great people" in the video. The president later deleted the tweet and the White House said he had not heard the racist chant in the video, which depicted arguments among residents of The Villages, a predominantly white and conservative Florida retirement community. Some critics said the president was trying to distract attention from another growing scandal: an intelligence report that concluded Russia had paid a bounty to the Taliban to kill American troops serving in Afghanistan. We’ll talk about those two stories and more with GOP political consultant Mike Madrid.

In early April, Governor Newsom launched Project Roomkey, a temporary program designed to protect vulnerable homeless populations from Covid-19 by housing them in empty hotel rooms. The state has since placed more than 10,000 homeless residents in rooms, and officials are considering ways to make the program permanent. But long-term funding for Project Roomkey is uncertain, and some local communities are resisting. We'll assess the program and its future.

The United States has reported more positive coronavirus cases in the past week than at any other time since the pandemic began. In their new article " A Devastating New Stage of the Pandemic”, Atlantic staff writers Alexis Madrigal and Robinson Meyer report on what’s happening with the “second surge” that is now buffeting places like Arizona and Texas. Madrigal joins us to talk about his analysis, why the White House explanation that more testing is the reason for the uptick in cases is insufficient, and what needs to be done to quell the surge.

The state Department of Public Health reported this week that 75 patients and staff at a nursing home in Concord were infected with coronavirus resulting in at least 14 deaths. Nursing homes throughout the state have experienced outbreaks and yet, many facilities are still not conducting widespread or consistent testing for the virus. As outbreaks continue popping up, advocates warn that precautions are inadequate. We discuss the spread of coronavirus in nursing homes and what challenges facilities face amid the pandemic.

Pride marks its 50th anniversary this weekend, and although the events are virtual, the celebrations continue. We'll reflect on Pride's history and talk about the programs, discussions and performances on offer this week in the Bay Area and beyond. And as protests sparked by George Floyd's killing continue, we'll explore how the fights for racial justice and LGBTQ+ rights inform and support each other.

California reported 7,149 new confirmed coronavirus cases Tuesday, shattering its single-day record. Santa Clara County reported the highest number of cases in the past two months. Experts say that some of the rise in cases can be attributed to an increase in testing, but they warn that testing alone is not responsible for the surge. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who last week mandated Californians wear masks in public places, is also urging residents to use precautions like hand-washing and social distancing, and he warned that the state could reinstate more stringent restrictions. We’ll hear from experts about what is causing the spike and what we should do to prevent further spread.

Former national security advisor Michael Flynn -- who twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI -- had his case dismissed on Wednesday by a federal appeals court. The same day, Senate Democrats blocked debate on a Republican-proposed police reform bill, arguing it didn’t go far enough in addressing racial inequality. This comes as the federal government struggles to contain the coronavirus and the 2020 election season intensifies. In this hour, we talk with Robert Costa, national political reporter at The Washington Post and host of PBS’ Washington Week about the latest national political news.

Many Black medical workers are now finding themselves on the front lines of two epidemics -- Covid 19 and systemic racism. We’ll talk with a panel of African American medical professionals at different levels of their careers who are writing and reflecting on their roles during this time. “My brown skin is protected by blue scrubs, by a hospital ID that says “Stanford,” and “MEDICAL STUDENT” in big blue letters,” writes Dasha Savage, “ The black gunshot wound patients I meet in the trauma bay don’t have that luxury.” We’ll talk with Savage and participants in Stanford's Writing Medicine program about race, the medical system and how they are processing the events of today.

San Quentin is home to a growing number of coronavirus cases following a botched transfer of inmates from a men's prison in Chino, which was previously reported as having the deadliest outbreak in California's prisons. San Quentin now has 337 cases of coronavirus as of Monday evening -- a jump from zero reported cases prior to the transfer in late May. To lawmakers and prisoner advocates, the outbreak at San Quentin was entirely preventable and the result of poor planning by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The department says while some inmates tested positive upon arrival to San Quentin, they had been tested and medically evaluated prior to the transfer. We'll discuss the latest news.

President Trump Monday suspended a number of immigration visa programs affecting tech workers and students, among others. The White House says the move will help get Americans back to work, as the economy continues to reel from 40 million virus-related job losses. But critics say freezing the visas is an election-year political move that will hurt US businesses, particularly in Silicon Valley. We’ll get the details.

After seven years as president of the University of California, Janet Napolitano is stepping down in August. The first woman to serve as UC's president, Napolitano oversaw increased enrollment systemwide, implemented initiatives addressing the climate crisis and Title IX and, last month, led a decision to drop the ACT/SAT requirement in admissions. Napolitano also notably weathered a 2017 audit scandal and sued the Trump administration when it first rescinded DACA -- the program she created while serving as Obama's secretary of Homeland Security. We'll talk to Napolitano about her tenure and get her thoughts on the future of the UC system as it continues to navigate the pandemic.

On Wednesday, the Oakland Unified School District board will consider a resolution that calls for dismantling the district’s dedicated police department. One group, the Black Organizing Project, has advocated for nearly a decade to shift resources from police officers to social workers, therapists or counselors. Studies show that Black and Latino students are disproportionately disciplined more harshly than other students, which advocates say is an extension of racism and criminalization of people of color. Meanwhile, police officials say that even if the district eliminates its department, Oakland schools will still need police to respond when students are victims of crime and abuse. We dive into the debate over school policing.

"Defund the police" may be a new rallying cry, but according to Harvard historian Khalil Gibran Muhammad, black reformers, scholars and activists have been calling out systemic racism in law enforcement for at least 100 years.

In his new book, “Which Country Has the World’s Best Health Care?”, bioethicist Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel profiles and compares eleven countries’ health care systems to figure out which one works best.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted this week to ask the state to provide the city with more latitude in moving up dates for reopening things like bars, indoor dining, and hair salons. San Francisco is one of only six counties in the state that had not yet sought this flexibility around reopening. The move comes at a time when officials are working to strike a balance between keeping residents safe and COVID-19 hospitalizations manageable while gradually reopening the economy. More than 243,000 Californians filed for unemployment last week, and while many San Franciscans are struggling to stay afloat, the pandemic has also exposed long-term economic inequities. In this hour, we talk with San Francisco health and economy officials about how they balance those concerns.

To commemorate Juneteenth, the celebration of emancipation from slavery, nearly 40 Bay Area theaters and others nationwide are collaborating on a project to bring a thought-provoking play about race into people’s homes. As part of The Juneteenth Theater Justice Project, staged readings of playwright Vincent Terrell Durham’s play, “Polar Bears, Black Boys and Prairie Fringed Orchids”, will be live streamed from theaters around the country on Zoom on June 19th. We’ll talk with the playwright and the project leader about the play and what a celebration of freedom means in a time of heightened attention to systemic racism.

On Thursday, a Butte County judge imposed a $3.5 million fine on PG&E for causing the 2018 Camp Fire -- the deadliest wildfire in California's history that claimed 84 lives. The ruling came after PG&E CEO Bill Johnson entered 84 individual guilty pleas for those deaths on Tuesday. Dozens spoke during the court proceeding recounting the horrifying deaths of loved ones who perished in the blaze. While PG&E, the state's largest utility, was held responsible, no executives were charged or face jail time. Critics say the fine and punishment is too lenient given that PG&E has been linked to a number of disasters since 2015. We’ll dive into PG&E's criminal case and the company's bankruptcy proceedings.

The Supreme Court of the United States issued a 5-4 ruling today upholding the legality of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The program allows immigrants who arrived in the country as children -- but don’t have permanent legal status or a path to legal status -- to receive protection from deportation and permission to work. For the past eight years, around 800,000 people have participated in DACA, working in what are now deemed essential jobs: helping feed the nation, caring for coronavirus patients, and serving in the military. The Obama-era program had been in limbo since 2017, when President Donald Trump announced he was ending the program and called it illegal. The program, which some studies suggest was hugely popular with Americans, can now remain in place. We discuss the decision and what could happen next for immigration reform.

Social justice educator Robin DiAngelo's book, “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism”, is one of a number of books on race topping bestseller lists as many people seek to educate themselves amid protests against racism and racist policing. In the book, she invites white people to examine their role in upholding systemic racism and to confront the defensiveness or "fragility" she says they can exhibit when challenged on their ideas about race. We'll talk to DiAngelo about her book, the ongoing protests and her thoughts on what white people can do to address racism.

As tributes to the Confederacy continue to fall in cities across the country, the city of Fort Bragg in Northern California, named for a Confederate general, is considering a name change. Those in favor of the change say the name is offensive and celebrates a racist history. Opponents argue that history is important, good or bad, and shouldn't be erased. Efforts to rename Fort Bragg gained little traction in the past, but the city council plans to hear public comment on the issue next week. We discuss the debate around Fort Bragg and other controversies surrounding historic names.

Federal authorities on Tuesday charged an Air Force sergeant with murdering a federal officer during an anti-police brutality protest in Oakland in late May. The FBI says Steven Carrillo is linked with the extremist "Boogaloo" movement which believes in inciting a second civil war to overthrow the government. Carrillo has also been charged with 19 felony counts for a violent ambush on police earlier this month in the Santa Cruz mountains that left a sheriff’s deputy dead. We’ll discuss the cases and the extremist ideology of Boogaloo.

In the absence of clear direction from the federal government on coronavirus, state and local officials were forced to chart their own course in handling the crisis. A new report by Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting examines the early decisions that were made in two states: California and Florida. We'll talk with two reporters on the piece, KQED's Marisa Lagos and Caiti Switalski of WLRN in Miami.

Representative Jackie Speier recently introduced legislation to protect whistleblowers who expose fraud, waste, or abuse in the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Speier joins us to talk about her new legislation, the lack of progress in fighting sexual assault in the military, and how the Black Lives Matter protests can spur lasting change in America.

On Monday, the University of California Board of Regents unanimously voted to endorse a state measure to repeal Prop. 209, a nearly 25-year-old law that bans consideration of race in government contracts, public sector hiring, and college admissions. The measure passed the California Assembly and if ratified by the state Senate, will show up on the November ballot. Proponents argue that barring state agencies and institutions from considering race and gender has hindered equal representation and reinforced systemic advantages for white-owned businesses and white students. We discuss the prospects for restoring affirmative action in California at a time when prejudice and institutional racism in America are top of mind.

Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs made headlines in early 2019 when the city began giving $500 each month to 125 randomly selected individuals. The mayor has said that the trial program--which was recently extended through next year-- is an important tool to help residents overcome poverty and disastrous events. As San Joaquin County sees the highest number of hospitalizations since the pandemic began, we'll hear how Stockton is faring. We'll also get the mayor’s thoughts on how to combat police brutality.

The California state prison system now counts 15 inmates who have died of coronavirus-related causes as of Friday. Overall, more than 2,440 inmates in state prisons have tested positive for the virus, despite efforts to test prison staff and release inmates early. Those figures do not count local and federal prison populations in the state, which have also experienced coronavirus outbreaks. Meanwhile, some inmates have reported lack of access to safety equipment and healthcare. We discuss how coronavirus has spread in California prisons and how measures to prevent the illness are falling short.

In a 6-3 decision today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that gay and transgender workers are protected under the Civil Rights Act. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion in the ruling over a section of the Civil Rights Act that bars employment discrimination against race, religion, national origin and sex. At question was the definition of “sex” -- and whether it applied to millions of gay and transgender workers. We'll discuss the historic ruling.

Alameda County has expanded its shelter-in-place order to allow “social bubbles”. That lets up to 12 people from different households get together and socialize, though still at a distance and outside. But, you can only belong to one bubble and choosing who you agree to isolate with can be awkward. We’ll talk about the new rule and the challenges of navigating who to bring in and who to leave out of your bubble. We want to hear from you. How are you socializing during social distancing?

While George Floyd's name continues to be chanted at protests sweeping the nation, Breonna Taylor, another victim of police violence, has gotten less attention. Taylor was a 26-year old emergency medical technician living in Louisville, Kentucky when she was shot eight times and killed by police who raided her home on March 13. While the viral video of Floyd being killed helped fuel public outrage and media coverage, this isn't the first time a black woman victim has been under-acknowledged in the public's eye. It's this kind of disproportionate attention that sparked the "Say Her Name" campaign in 2015 to remind people that black women and girls are also victims of police violence. We'll talk about Breonna Taylor's case and the intersection of gender and race discrimination black women can face not only in life, but in death.

For decades, experts classified people as having “normal” or “abnormal” brains depending on certain traits. Conditions such as autism, synesthesia, and sensory processing disorder are considered “abnormal.” Several years ago, Jenara Nerenberg, a Harvard and Berkeley-educated writer, entrepreneur, and mother, realized that type of binary thinking is flawed and miscategorizes many people, especially women. She went on to found The Neurodiversity Project, an organization that supports the neurodivergent community, and to write “Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World That Wasn't Designed For You.” In her new book, Nerenberg presents a new way to understand neurodiversity and how it presents differently in women. She also challenges widely accepted misperceptions of neurodivergent traits. We talk with Nerenberg about her new book, The Neurodiversity Project, and her most recent venture, The Interracial Project.

The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery have led to renewed calls for racial equality and justice across the U.S. They have also reinforced numerous fears that many parents have about raising black children -- fears that their child could be killed while jogging or sleeping in their home or otherwise “living while black.” In this hour of Forum, we’ll talk about the distinct challenges of raising black children in America. And we want to hear from you: Are you the parent of a black child? What’s been your experience?

Even as California businesses are starting to reopen, economists warn that the worst could be yet to come as far as unemployment. The extra $600 per week unemployment benefit will be ending soon and prospects for hiring are bleak as employers continue shedding workers. In May, the monthly jobless rate dropped to 13.3 percent from 14.7 percent, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report released last Friday. But a temporary drop may not signal that the economy is on the upswing just yet, economists said. Also, policy makers are looking at how to reverse the more severe unemployment rates among Blacks and other minority groups. In this hour of Forum, we discuss unemployment and what could lie ahead for workers.

Protesters rallying against police brutality across the country are also calling to “defund police.” One idea is to divert money from police departments into social services that can prevent crime and address its causes. Proponents say cities need to radically overhaul their systems of policing after years of failed reform efforts. The mayors of San Francisco and Los Angeles say they support the idea. We dive into the concept of defunding police and overhauling law enforcement in America.

Outdoor dining. Daycare Centers. Movie Theaters. Every day, officials are announcing new areas of the economy that can start opening for business. But at the same time, likely in part because testing is much more readily available, coronavirus cases are rising sharply in some communities. Coming up on Forum, we’ll take your questions on reopening the Bay Area and the latest science on Covid-19. And we’ll look at the World Health Organization’s muddled message this week on transmission of the virus by people without symptoms.

California schools will look very different this fall. Under new guidelines released Monday by California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, schools may require masks, temperature checks, social distancing, staggered schedules, outdoor classes and continued remote learning. The state did not issue mandates, however, leaving individual districts to decide their own procedures. Forum dives into the challenges schools, teachers, students and parents will face in reopening schools safely during a pandemic.

Rev. William Barber believes that the country “will not be the same after this pandemic and after this season of mass non-violent protest. We cannot be the same.” And Barber — who revived and co-chairs the Poor People’s Campaign, one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s last projects — is working to ensure transformative change is made in the U.S through a “Moral Agenda” that advances pro-labor, anti-poverty and anti-racist policies. Rev. Barber joins Forum to talk about the protests against police violence, his campaign to fight poverty and his new book “We Are Called to Be a Movement.”

In their new book, “Surviving Autocracy,” journalist Masha Gessen suggests that President Trump was “the first major party nominee who ran not for president but for autocrat.” It’s this political mindset that Gessen warns can become lethal as Trump is responding to crises like the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide protests against racism and police brutality. Gessen joins the program to discuss their book, how they think Trump has transformed the presidency and the role of “moral aspiration” in moving forward.

Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist George Will left the Republican Party in 2016 to protest the nomination of Donald Trump as the GOP’s presidential candidate. In a recent column, Will goes a step further, calling for the defeat of President Trump and the Republican Senate majority in November. The long-time conservative thought leader joins us to talk about the presidential election and why he’s denouncing Trump now more than ever.

Demonstrators marched across the Golden Gate Bridge on Saturday, filling the whole length of the span and closing it to cars. The was just one of the many actions across the Bay Area over the weekend held to protest police violence. We talk with KQED's Queena Kim about the weekend's demonstrations and other recent news. We'll also check in with Derrick Sanderlin, who trains San Jose police on how to avoid bias -- and who was seriously injured by a rubber bullet at a recent protest.

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.

As protests continue across the country, many companies and public figures have released statements on social media to speak out against racism and police brutality and express solidarity with protestors -- to a mixed response. Some of those statements don’t necessarily align with corporate policies or previous behavior. Critics are labeling these acts “performative allyship” and calling on companies to take action by donating to anti-racism causes instead. We’ll look at the idea of “solidarity” on social media and in our consumer culture.

Bakari Sellers says the most important day of his life happened before he was even born; February 8 1968 when highway patrolmen opened fire on students protesting segregation in South Carolina, killing 3 and wounding 28, including Seller's father. Sellers, who became the youngest person to be elected to the South Carolina legislature, writes about how the trauma of the incident permeated his childhood in his memoir, "My Vanishing Country." Now a lawyer and CNN political analyst, Sellers joins us to talk about the effects of systemic racism and what the killing of George Floyd by police, more than a half a century after his father's shooting, tells us about the state of America.

Journalists covering nationwide protests against the police killing of George Floyd have been shot with rubber bullets, tear gassed, assaulted and arrested by police. Advocates for journalists say there has been an unprecedented amount of violence against reporters and photographers this week, which they say is threatening the rights of a free press. Forum discusses attacks on the news media and whether President Trump’s frequent criticisms have helped erode trust in the media and endanger reporters.

Cities around California have set curfews in the wake of protests over the killing of George Floyd. Officials in favor of a curfew argue that it helps maintain public safety. But civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have criticized these measures for lacking clarity and scope as well as violating first amendment rights. San Francisco--which had been operating under an 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew-- changed tack on Wednesday, with Mayor London Breed tweeting that the city will lift the curfew and “continue to facilitate any and all peaceful demonstrations.” In this hour, we talk about how effective, practical, and constitutional curfews really are.