KQED's Forum

The New York Times’ Modern Love column debuted on Halloween 20 years ago, “three years before iPhones, eight years before Tinder, and 11 years before same-sex marriage became legal in the US.” We’ll look back at the heartwarming and sometimes heartbreaking submissions from Modern Love readers about their loves, losses and complicated relationships. And we’ll discuss what they reveal about how we’ve changed as a country over two decades in the ways we find and celebrate love. What’s your modern love story? Guests: Anna Martin, host of the “Modern Love” podcast, The New York Times Daniel Jones, author, "Love Illuminated: Exploring Life's Most Mystifying Subject (with the Help of 50,000 Strangers)" and editor of The New York Times' Modern Love column Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Novelist Richard Powers has a way of making us see the world, and our place in it, in entirely new ways. His 2019 Pulitzer Prize Winning novel Overstory attuned readers to the power and mystery of trees. In his new novel, Playground, he focuses his awe and concern on marine life, the oceans and the perils we’ve inflicted on them. We talk to Powers about his epic story of friendship, colonialism and the looming power of AI. Guests: Richard Powers, author, His new novel is "Playground." His previous books include "The Overstory" which won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and "The Echo Maker" which won the 2006 National Book Award for Fiction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you make a mistake filling out your ballot? Need a refresher on how ranked choice voting works? Wondering how to find your polling place? Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation, and KQED’s Scott Shafer join us to take all of your voting questions ahead of the Nov. 5 election. Guests: Kim Alexander, president and founder, California Voter Foundation Scott Shafer, senior editor, KQED’s California Politics and Government; co-host, Political Breakdown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two major newspapers, the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post, will not publish planned endorsements for Kamala Harris for president. Those decisions, made last week after editorial boards at both papers their endorsements, have sparked outrage, hundreds of thousands of canceled subscriptions, and staff resignations. In an op-ed in the Washington Post, owner Jeff Bezos wrote, “What presidential endorsements actually do is create a perception of bias. A perception of non-independence. Ending them is a principled decision, and it’s the right one.” But many observers point out that the very role of editorial boards is to take a stance. We’ll talk about newspaper editorial boards, why they endorse or don’t endorse candidates, and what’s at stake. Guests: David Folkenflik, media correspondent, NPR News Mariel Garza, journalist, former editorials editor of the Los Angeles Times Sewell Chan, executive editor, Columbia Journalism Review Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big Tech-funded super PACs have spent hundreds of millions of dollars this election cycle to protect their interests in crypto and AI. In a piece for the New Yorker this month, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Charles Duhigg says that “(n)ow that the tech industry has quietly become one of the most powerful lobbying forces in American politics, it is wielding that power as previous corporate special interests have: to bully, cajole, and remake the nation as it sees fit.” We’ll talk to Duhigg about how tech money is shaping this election. His article is called “Silicon Valley, the New Lobbying Monster.” Guests: Charles Duhigg, journalist, The New Yorker; author of "Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection" and "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the election in 2020, laws have been passed to protect our election results. But there has also been a concerted “election integrity” movement that has put election officials distrustful of the system in charge of local and county offices. And in California, only a third of congressional Republican incumbents have pledged to certify the results in November. We discuss how resilient our election system is, and whether we are now better protected from, or more vulnerable to, attacks on our democracy. Guests: Jim Rutenberg, reporter, The New York Times and The New York Times Magazine Ian Millhiser, senior correspondent, Vox - His books include "Injustices: The Supreme Court's History of Comforting the Comfortable and Afflicting the Afflicted" and "The Agenda: How a Republican Supreme Court is Reshaping America." Jessica Marsden, director of impact programs and counsel [leading teams focused on protecting free and fair elections], Protect Democracy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You see them on stage every night – the musicians whose names are buried in the liner notes and driven by passion rather than by rockstar-dom. Franz Nicolay calls them “band people,” and for his new book, he interviewed over 60 of these session musicians, backup singers, and instrumentalists. They share stories about the realities of band life and what Nicolay considers a unique collaboration that exists somewhere between a family, a romance, a small business and a gang. His book is called “Band People: Life and Work In Popular Music.” Who are some of your favorite unsung musicians? Guests: Franz Nicolay, musician and writer Jason Narducy, musician; has performed in Bob Mould Band, Superchunk, Sunny Day Real Estate, Split Single, and Verböten Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The latest stars of TikTok and social media are not just influencers, they are presidential candidates. The campaigns of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have rapid response digital teams that are jumping on every meme, dance, and remix, some which feature the candidates. But are these efforts reaching new voters? Or is the “For You Page” just solidifying people’s world views, but to music? We’ll talk to social media experts and hear from you: what’s your favorite – or most hated – political meme in this election cycle and how has it influenced your vote? Guests: Sapna Maheshwari, business reporter covering TikTok and emerging media, New York Times Morgan Sung, host, "Close All Tabs" podcast available on KQED's "Political Breakdown" feed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens if fascism takes root in the United States? Actors Edie Falco and Tony Shalhoub have teamed up to voice a new radio play called “It Happened Here 2024.” The play, adapted by Richard Dresser from his own novel, imagines an authoritarian country in 2039 where elections are a thing of the past and the rule of law has collapsed. We’ll talk to the actors and the playwright about the connections they see between their “audio documentary from the future” and the current political climate. Guests: Edie Falco, actor, known for her roles on "The Sopranos" and "Nurse Jackie" Tony Shalhoub, actor, known for his roles on "Monk" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" Richard Dresser, playwright, screenwriter and novelist, His new radio play is "It Happened Here 2024" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neuroscientist and musician Daniel Levitin says we can trace beliefs about music’s power to heal mind, body and spirit back 20,000 years, to the Upper Paleolithic era. But only recently have we had good science to explain how music affects us and how we can use it therapeutically. Not only to relax, uplift and bring us together, but as part of treatment of trauma, depression, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and more. Alexis Madrigal talked onstage with Levitin in collaboration with LitQuake, San Francisco’s literary festival, running through October 26th. We listen back on their conversation and to Levitin’s live musical performance. Guest: Daniel Levitin, neuroscientist, musician and author, "I Heard There Was a Secret Chord," "The Organized Mind," "The World in Six Songs" and "This is Your Brain on Music. He is also Dean of Social Sciences at the Minerva Schools in San Francisco. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been nearly twenty years since 23andMe, the consumer health company was founded. Since then, other companies have emerged, and in exchange for a tube of spit, a puff of breath, or a drop of blood, consumers can now not only find their ancestry and long-lost relatives, but learn what to eat that day or discover food sensitivities and propensity for diseases. But are these tests effective and what are the pitfalls of using a company you found on Instagram to test whether you’re likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s or cancer? And when those companies cease to exist, as troubled 23andMe might, what happens to all that health data? It’s one thing to share your email address or mobile number, and an entirely different proposition to share your genome. We’ll talk to experts about the world of consumer DNA-testing and how to protect yourself and your genome. Guests: Kristen V. Brown, staff writer, Atlantic Magazine Hank Greely, law professor; founding director, Center for Law and the Biosciences, Stanford University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Living Dummy.” “The Haunted Mask.” “Welcome to Dead House.” For ’90s kids, R.L. Stine, author of the “Goosebumps” series, is synonymous with spooky. The series has sold over 400 million copies globally in 35 languages, making it the second-best-selling book series in history (after a decidedly less scary boy wizard). And after being adapted for TV, film and a new Disney+ series, “Goosebumps” has found its audience among generations of kids looking for frights. We’ll talk about how to tell scary — but not too scary — stories for kids, and why we love horror at any age. Guests: R.L. Stine, author, wrote more than 350 books including the series “Goosebumps” and “Fear Street,” and of the nonfiction works “There's Something Strange About My Brain: Writing Horror For Kids” and “It Came From Ohio!: My Life As a Writer” Caroline Smith, producer, KQED Mark Nieto, producer, KQED Blanca Torres, producer and reporter, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the final weeks before election day, candidates are scrambling to win over groups of voters who could tip the results. American voters have shifted significantly in recent decades with changes in the racial and ethnic composition of the electorate and their education level. In California, more than 2 million Latinos and more than 750,000 people of Asian descent became eligible to vote between 2012 and 2022. Meanwhile, white voters declined by more than 1 million. In other parts of the country, there are now more voters with college degrees than without. Those shifts could have major implications for elections. We’ll talk about voter trends at the local, state and national level and what it could all mean. Guests: Mindy Romero, founder and director, Center for Inclusive Democracy Jason McDaniel, associate professor of political science, San Francisco State University Jocelyn Kiley, senior associate director of research, Pew Research Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Greenland ice sheet melts, more freshwater is pouring into the oceans and that’s triggering feedback loops that could mean disastrous coastal sea level rise and drought. New Yorker staff writer Elizabeth Kolbert reported from the summit of the Greenland ice sheet for her new piece, “When the Arctic Melts.” “If we cross the tipping point for the Greenland ice sheet,” she writes, “we may not even notice. And yet the world as we know it will be gone.” Kolbert joins us. Guests: Elizabeth Kolbert, staff writer, The New Yorker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Native to California, coyotes are common in urban green spaces up and down the state. Once eradicated from San Francisco, they’ve made a comeback in the city, with sightings on the rise and reports of pet attacks, including an incident involving a 5-year-old child. We’ll talk about best practices to keep you and your pets safe and learn about the essential role coyotes play in California’s ecosystem. Have you had a recent encounter with a coyote? Guests: Tali Caspi, urban ecologist, PhD Candidate at UC Davis Christopher J Schell, Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at UC Berkeley Christine Wilkinson, conservation scientist, carnivore ecologist, research associate at California Academy of Sciences - manages www.bayareacoyote. org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Measure J in Sonoma County wants to ban “factory farms” and force major poultry and dairy farms to downsize or shut down by limiting the number of animals a single farm can raise. The issue has been hotly contested in Sonoma, a major producer of milk, eggs, beef and poultry for the region and state. The measure specifically targets “concentrated animal feeding operations,” known as CAFOs, which backers claim are inhumane and detrimental to the environment. But opponents say the measure does nothing to improve animal welfare and would instead drive humane and ecologically-friendly farms out of business. We’ll talk about Measure J and how it could impact farming in Sonoma County and beyond. Guests: Mike Weber, farmer, Weber Family Farms - a poultry farm in Petaluma Cassie King, spokesperson, Direct Action Everywhere Bay Area - a group that advocates for animal rights and is part of the Coalition to End Factory Farming, the group that started Measure J in Sonoma Phil Barber, reporter, Santa Rosa Press Democrat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Middle East crisis and Russia’s war in Ukraine are among the critical foreign policy issues the next U.S. president will have to confront on day one. The stakes are high, after hundreds of defense and national security officials from both parties in an open letter last month called Donald Trump “unfit” for office. We look at how a Harris administration would compare to a Trump administration on foreign policy. Guests: Jen Kirby, foreign and national security reporter Fred Kaplan, national security columnist, Slate; author, “The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War" and the novel "A Capital Calamity" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first mayoral recall vote in Oakland in more than a century, voters will decide in the November election whether mayor Sheng Thao should be removed from office. After two years as mayor, Thao is contending with a historic budget deficit, widespread public safety concerns, large homeless encampments and the loss of the city’s last major professional sports team. All this in the shadow of an FBI raid on her home earlier this year. Mayor Thao joins us to talk about her approach to the city’s challenges and why voters should let her finish out her term. Guests: Sheng Thao, mayor of Oakland Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When ChatGPT launched advanced voice mode last month – inserting accents and ‘umms’, even taking breaths – some users called it surreal. Humans have been trying to make synthesized voices sound more natural for nearly a century. We talk about why and look at the history and evolution of synthesized voices, from robots of film like HAL and C3PO to digital assistants like Alexa. Guests: Kyle Orland, senior gaming editor, Ars Technica Sarah A Bell, associate professor of digital media, Michigan Technological University; author, “Vox ex Machina: A Cultural History of Talking Machines" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Parks are meant for everyone, but they don’t always feel that way. A lack of transportation, paths that are not easily navigated, or elements that are not responsive to a community’s wants or needs can make a park unwelcoming. But park planners today are trying to change that by bringing residents, neighbors, and stakeholders into the planning process. Case in point: San Francisco’s newest park India Basin, located in Bayview-Hunters Point. The park, which opens this Saturday, relied heavily on a community input process that resulted in designs responsive to the people it serves. We’ll talk to park experts about efforts to make urban landscapes more inclusive and rooted in the history of their communities. Guests: Philip Ginsburg, general manager, San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department Jacqueline Bryant, executive director, A. Randolph Institute San Francisco, nonprofit based in Bayview-Hunters Point, advocating for underserved communities Mr. Michael Boland, former chief park officer, The Presidio Trust Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thirty percent of all employees working in the professional services industries with an active PTO policy took sick leave in the first 10 months of 2023 — up 42% from 2019. That’s according to new research from the HR platform Gusto, which also found that workers aged 25 to 34 are the most likely of all groups to take sick days. We’ll look at why Gen Z and young millennials are less likely to work while under the weather and more likely to take mental health days – and whether older generations might have something to learn from them. Guests: Emily Stewart, senior correspondent, Business Insider Malissa Clark, associate professor of industrial-organizational psychology, University of Georgia Adam Leibow, editor, Calling in Sick Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The economy is the top issue influencing voters’ choice for president in this election, according to a recent Gallup poll. But “the economy” can mean many things to voters. In his campaign, Donald Trump has promised to lower taxes, remove regulations and raise tariffs while Kamala Harris wants to make housing more affordable, increase the corporate tax rate, and regulate grocery prices. We’ll talk about how Americans are experiencing our economy and analyze the candidates’ economic policy proposals. Guests: Peter Coy, economics writer, opinion, The New York Times Kathryn Anne Edwards, a labor economist, independent policy consultant, and contributor, Bloomberg Opinion Casey Mulligan, economics professor, University of Chicago Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vice President Kamala Harris is in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin this week as part of a battleground state campaign blitz to turn out the vote and to marshal support from independent and undecided voters. KQED’s Marisa Lagos was embedded with the Harris campaign on a recent stop in Arizona. We talk to her and other political reporters about the strategies informing the candidates’ ground game as this consequential presidential race enters its final stretch. Guests: Marisa Lagos, correspondent, KQED - co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown Theodoric Meyer, national political reporter and co-author, Early Brief newsletter, Washington Post Mara Liasson, national political correspondent, NPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Oakland school district is looking for ways to fund lead contamination cleanup, after tests earlier this year revealed that at least 30 schools have dangerous lead levels in the drinking water. The district has been under fire from students, teachers and parents for taking months to release the results of its testing. We’ll talk about why Oakland, in the schools and beyond, has such high rates of lead poisoning, how the school district has handled it and what needs to be done to fix it. Guests: Alex Bledsoe, activist filmmaker producing OAKLEAD, a documentary about the history of lead poisoning in Oakland Kelly Hardy, senior managing director of health and research, Children Now, a California-based org focused on improving child well-being Mike Hutchinson, vice president, Oakland School Board Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Starting next fall, public and private universities in California will no longer be allowed to consider an applicant’s relationship to alumni or donors in admissions decisions. Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill last month banning the practice, known as legacy admissions. “The California Dream shouldn’t be accessible to just a lucky few, which is why we’re opening the door to higher education wide enough for everyone, fairly,” Newsom said in a statement. We’ll examine what the California ban on legacy admissions could mean for students and for colleges across the country. Guests: Nanette Asimov , Higher Education Reporter, San Francisco Chronicle Jessie Ryan, President, The Campaign for College Opportunity, a non-profit policy and research organization that advocates for Californians to attend and succeed in college. Phil Ting, Assembly member representing California's 19th district encompassing parts of San Francisco and San Mateo counties Catharine Hill, managing director of the nonprofit Ithaka S+R and a former president of Vassar College Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the new Supreme Court term begins, the decisions and conduct of its last term have put a cloud over the judicial institution. Opinions extending the boundaries of presidential immunity and upending administrative law startled court watchers. And ethics questions about Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito helped push public opinion about the court to an all-time low. We’ll talk to legal experts about the state of the court, the cases it will take up this year and what role the justices might play in deciding the 2024 presidential election. Guests: Vikram Amar, professor of law, UC Davis School of Law - He clerked for Justice Harry A. Blackmun of the United States Supreme Court. Rory Little, professor of constitutional law, UC School of Law, San Francisco - former federal prosecutor and criminal defense attorney Melissa Murray, professor of law, NYU School of Law - co-host of the Strict Scrutiny podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The National Labor Relations Board is facing legal challenges from SpaceX, Amazon, Starbucks and other companies that argue that the nearly 90-year old agency is unconstitutional. The NLRB investigates labor disputes and protects employees’ right to organize, but if these companies have their way in court, it could result in the dissolution of the agency and the statute it enforces. We look at the cases and their implications for both employers and labor organizers. Guests: Samuel Estreicher, professor of public law; director, the Center for Labor and Employment Law; director, the Institute of Judicial Administration at NYU School of Law William G. Gould IV, professor emeritus specializing in labor law and employment discrimination law, Stanford Law School; former chairman, the National Labor Relations Board in the Clinton administration Farida Jhabvala Romero, labor correspondent, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the San Francisco Zoo, the kangaroo pen lacks running water, the gorilla habitat area floods during heavy rainfall and the jaguars are depressed and live in an old concrete chain-link box. That’s according to a new report by the San Francisco Animal Control and Welfare Commission, which describes the 95-year-old facility as “extremely outdated” and “unsafe for visitors and animals.” The commission is now urging the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to require a performance audit of the zoo. We’ll discuss the report and talk to experts about what makes a zoo safe and humane for animals, zookeepers and visitors. Guests: Tara Duggan, reporter, SF Chronicle Justin Barker, local animal rights activist who contributed to the city’s report Joel Parrott, former director, Oakland Zoo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At least 12 people are dead in Florida after Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday night. The death toll is expected to rise as local officials assess the damage which has caused widespread flooding, left millions of people without power and compounded hardships for those recovering from Hurricane Helene, which hit two weeks ago. We get the latest and learn why so-called “supercharged hurricanes” are becoming more common. Guests: Porter Fox, author, “Category Five: Superstorms and the Warming Oceans That Feed Them” Gabriella Paul, reporter, WUSF (NPR affiliate in the greater Tampa Bay area) Gerard Albert III, Western North Carolina rural communities reporter, Blue Ridge Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When a female clownfish dies, a male clownfish can switch sexes and reproduce with other females. Some morpho butterflies have one male wing, and one female. In some populations of giraffes, about 95% of sexual activity is homosexual. In his book, “A Little Queer Natural History,” science writer Josh Davis gives a sampling of the enormous variety of gender and sexual behaviors in the plant, fungal and animal world and the ways some scientists have twisted themselves into knots to find non-sexual explanations for gay sex in animals. We talk to Davis about the gender fluid, intersex, asexual, gay, gender changeable, multi-sexual, rainbow splendor of the natural world. Guests: Josh Luke Davis, science writer, Natural History Museum, London; author, "A Little Queer Natural History" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Saturday Night Live asked Dana Carvey to play Joe Biden for this season, few anticipated that the president would drop out of the race over concerns about age. SNL itself turns 50 this year, ancient by TV standards, and doesn’t appear to be close to dropping out. The water cooler buzz over Carvey’s Biden and Maya Rudolph’s spot-on Kamala Harris impression suggests that the show still has legs. But can it maintain its relevance amid declining ratings and politics that sometimes seem beyond parody? We mark the show’s anniversary by looking back at its cultural influence and some of the most iconic sketches, from Weekend Update to Wayne’s World. Guests: Eric Deggans, tv critic, National Public Radio (NPR) Joanna Robinson, senior staff writer, The Ringer; author, MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios Stephen Tropiano, professor of screen studies, Ithaca College Los Angeles Program; author, The newly revised and updated book "The SNL Companion: An Unofficial Guide to the Seasons, Sketches, and Stars of Saturday Night Live" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daniel Lurie founded and was the CEO of the antipoverty nonprofit, Tipping Point. He’s also heir to the Levi Strauss fortune and has put more than six million dollars of his own money into his San Francisco mayoral campaign. In the last of our interviews with the major candidates, we talk with Lurie about how he’d solve San Francisco’s most entrenched problems, and why he thinks it’s time for the city to be run by an outsider candidate who hasn’t held elected office. Guests: Daniel Lurie, founder and former CEO, Tipping Point Community - a nonprofit grant-making organization that fights poverty in the San Francisco Bay Area. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much has been written about Ronald Reagan, but historian Max Boot’s new biography, which draws on new archival sources and interviews with nearly a hundred people who knew Reagan best, is being hailed as definitive. Boot says Reagan was possessed of “myriad contradictions and inconsistencies:” a skeptic of government who presided over vast spending increases; a gun rights advocate who supported tough gun laws; a man of strong convictions but little intellectual depth. We talk to Boot about why he did not want to write either a “hagiography or a hit job” of the former president and California governor, and both the contrasts and connections he sees between Reagan and Donald Trump. Boot’s new book is “Reagan: His Life and Legend.” What policy, event or moment do you most associate with Ronald Reagan? Guests: Max Boot, senior fellow for national security studies, Council on Foreign Relations - columnist, Washington Post; author, "Reagan: His Life and Legend" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Ahsha Safaí applied to MIT for his masters degree in urban planning, he wrote that one day he hoped to be a city mayor. Since getting his degree, he’s moved to San Francisco, worked as a labor organizer, as well as at the Housing Authority and at Public Works, and served as a two-term board supervisor for District 11, on the south side of the city. Now he’s running to make his mayoral dream a reality. Competing in a crowded field, Safaí recently announced a ranked choice voting alliance with fellow candidate Mark Farrell – a move that he hopes will boost his chances. In the latest of our series of interviews with the major candidates in the San Francisco mayor’s race, we talk to Safaí about his campaign, his career and his hopes for San Francisco. Guests: Ahsha Safai, member, San Francisco Board of Supervisors - represents District 11, which includes the Excelsior and Ingleside neighborhoods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We take a look at Propositions 33 and 34 on California’s November ballot and how they’re connected. Prop 33 would remove limits on cities’ ability to enact rent control laws, and is heavily backed by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Prop 34 would restrict how specific health care providers can spend their money. Opponents of 34 claim that it’s designed to kneecap one organization: the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. We learn more and take your questions. Guests: Vanessa Rancaño, housing affordability reporter, KQED Emily Schultheis, California reporter, Politico Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sheryl Sandberg released her bestselling book, “Lean In,” ten years ago sparking a movement among professional women to pursue leadership roles at work. A new study by consulting firm McKinsey found that while women now hold more of the top jobs than ever before, they still lag far behind men, and Black and Latina women have an even harder time moving up the ranks. Despite some progress, women still face bias in the workplace and more caregiving responsibilities at home than men, among other challenges. We’ll talk about the barriers keeping women out of management, what makes a difference in helping women advance and the impact the Lean In movement has had on you. Guests: Minda Harts, author, workplace expert, and associate professor, New York University - Her books include "The Memo: What Women of Color Need To Know to Secure a Seat at the Table" and "Right Within." Tracy Clark-Flory, Journalist. Essayist. Author of "Want Me: A Sex Writer's Journey into the Heart of Desire." Her newsletter can be found at tracyclarkflory.substack.com Alexis Krivkovich, McKinsey senior partner and co-author of the report, "2024 Women in the Workplace" Anna Dapelo Garcia, founder and president, Lean in Latinas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One year after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the Atlantic’s Franklin Foer joins us for a look back at the U.S. role in the region since that day. His new piece “The War That Would Not End” examines the Biden administration’s efforts to release the hostages and prevent a wider war, and why they failed. We’ll also get the latest on the rapidly escalating conflict from Wall Street Journal Middle East Correspondent Jared Malsin. Guests: Franklin Foer, staff writer, The Atlantic; author of the recent piece "The War That Would Not End." His books include "The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden's White House and the Struggle for America's Future." Jared Malsin, Middle East correspondent, The Wall Street Journal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It has been one year since the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel, in which more than 1,200 people were killed and more than 240 hostages taken. Nearly 100 hostages, including American citizens, remain in captivity according to the Israeli government. The war in Gaza, which has killed 41,500 people and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis, continues. This hour of Forum, we will hear from Bay Area Jews as they reflect on this past year and how it has affected their relationship with Israel, Judaism and their friends and neighbors. Guests: Jessica Kirschner, rabbi and executive director of Stanford University Hillel Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, senior rabbi, Temple Sinai, Oakland Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

American consumers are awash in subscriptions, incurring monthly or annual fees for streaming services, software, online gaming memberships, meal delivery and more. And about 40% of us report that we pay for subscriptions we don’t use, according to a 2022 study. Last week Governor Gavin Newsom signed the “Click to Cancel” bill, which will make it easier for Californians to cancel unwanted subscriptions starting in July 2025. We’ll learn more and hear from you: Are you overwhelmed by your subscriptions? How do you manage them? Guests: Pilar Schiavo, assemblymember, California District 40 (San Fernando Valley and Santa Clarita Valley); sponsor of California's "Click to Cancel" law Neale Mahoney , professor of economics, Stanford University; former special policy advisor for economic policy, White House National Economic Council Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A century ago, the United States designated its first wilderness area – a place to be forever preserved and protected from human impact. But what does “wilderness” mean in the era of smartphone technology that keeps us constantly connected and human-fueled climate change? And who gets to enjoy these “untrammeled” spaces? These are the questions posed by environmental journalist Marissa Ortega-Welch in her new podcast “How Wild.” We’ll talk with Ortega-Welch, an environmental historian, and an outdoor educator about the complex history and future of our wildest landscapes. And we hear from you: What does wilderness mean for you? Guests: Marissa Ortega-Welch, science and environmental journalist; host of the podcast "How Wild" Phoebe Young, professor of environmental history and chair of the history department, University of Colorado Boulder. She is also the author of "Camping Grounds: Public Nature in American Life from the Civil War to the Occupy Movement." Aparna Rajagopal, founding partner, The Avarna Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s that time of year when high school seniors everywhere start working on — or at least contemplate working on — their college applications. And for many students, it’s the personal essay that’s the trickiest part. When is humor okay? Are any topics off limits? Is it ever acceptable to use AI? We’ll get tips on how to craft a personal essay that admissions officers want to read, and we’ll hear from you: what was your college essay about? Guests: Anna Esaki-Smith, author of “Make College Your Superpower: It's Not Where You Go, It's What You Know”; co-founder of Education Rethink; contributor to Forbes, covering education Allie Volpe, senior reporter, Vox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California, a pioneer in plastic bag bans, is upping its game with a new law that now bans all plastic bags from grocery stores – including those stiff “reusable” ones. Researchers say California’s previous law prohibiting thin single-use plastic bags, but allowing thicker multiuse ones, ended up creating even more plastic waste by volume. The new law comes on the heels of California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta’s lawsuit against Exxon Mobil accusing the petroleum giant of deceiving people about the effectiveness of plastic recycling. We talk about the future of plastic in California and whether the state’s latest efforts could help get plastic waste under control. Guests: Susanne Rust, investigative reporter specializing in environmental issues, Los Angeles Time Jenn Engstrom, state director, CALPIRG - a non-profit organization that advocates for the public interest. She is co-author of the 2024 report, "Plastic Bag Bans Work." Gerrine Pan, vice president of partnerships, Ridwell, a company specializing in hard to recycle items Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Conventional wisdom suggests vice presidential debates don’t matter, but political analysts say Tuesday’s showdown between Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Senator JD Vance could be different. It comes at a critical juncture in the presidential campaign, with polls showing tight margins nationally and in key battleground states. We’ll recap the debate, to be hosted by CBS News in New York City. Guests: Scott Shafer, senior editor, KQED’s California Politics and Government; co-host, Political Breakdown Lanhee Chen, Fellow in American Public Policy Studies at the Hoover Institution and Director of Domestic Policy Studies at Stanford University. Former policy director to Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign Sara Sadhwani, assistant professor of politics, Pomona College Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Farrell was born and raised in San Francisco, and now he wants to be the city’s mayor…again. Farrell served as mayor for six months in 2018, completing the term of Mayor Ed Lee who died unexpectedly in office. Farrell contends that the city has been on a downward spiral since his short tenure: on the campaign trail, he paints a city in decline, plagued by homelessness, a lack of public safety, and a situation in the Tenderloin so dire it requires intervention by the National Guard. A two-term former supervisor for District 2, Farrell argues that his past experience and moderate politics are what San Francisco needs at this moment. We talk to Farrell as part of our series of interviews with the five major candidates in the San Francisco mayoral race. Guests: Mark Farrell, former mayor, San Francisco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Proposition 32 on the November ballot would increase California’s minimum wage to $18 an hour for all employees by 2026. Supporters say the measure would promote economic fairness and lead to job growth — especially outside major cities. Opponents argue that it will force businesses to increase prices and lay off workers. We hear from both sides of the campaign. Do you think California’s minimum wage should be higher? Guests: Farida Jhabvala Romero, labor correspondent, KQED Joseph Sanberg, anti-povery advocate and entrepreneur John Kabateck, California state director, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AT 9:00 AM: The states in the southeast hardest hit by Hurricane Helena are taking stock of the enormous amounts of damage wrecked by one of the worst storms in history. As the six states try to recover and grieve the lost lives, and as we cope with excessive heat warnings this week in the Bay Area, we get an update on how climate change is affecting us now. Guests: Abrahm Lustgarten, senior environmental reporter, ProPublica - author, "On the Move: The Overheating Earth and the Uprooting of America" Erica Gies, Independent journalist, Author of "Water Always Wins," National Geographic Explorer;," Gies wrote the recent New York Times essay "California Could Capture Its Destructive Floodwaters to Fight Drought" AT 9:30 AM: Gov. Gavin Newsom put away his bill-signing pen Monday, the final day to ratify bills passed by California’s Legislature. This year, lawmakers passed more than 1,200 bills. Those the governor signed into law include one that prohibits legacy preferences in private school admissions, a plan for reparations for African Americans that some advocates say falls short, gas price regulations and a law banning public schools from providing food with harmful food dyes. Newsom vetoed nearly 200 bills that came across his desk including some that would have created unemployment benefits for undocumented workers, a bill regulating artificial intelligence and one that would have required cars to have speeding alert systems as a way to curb pedestrian deaths. We’ll talk about the notable bills that will become laws and which ones didn’t make the cut. Guests: Alexei Koseff, reporter, CalMatters Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED's California Politics and Government Desk Lindsey Holden, California politics reporter, Politico Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Connie Chung was the first Asian person to anchor a national network news program in the US and the first woman to co-anchor the CBS Evening News. For decades she covered major national stories from Watergate to the Oklahoma City bombing and interviewed presidents and foreign leaders. She also came up in newsrooms of the 1970s and 80s that were beset by rampant sexism. We talk to Chung about what she calls her “glorious highs and deep lows in the news business” and why, until recently, she struggled to believe she’d found success. Chung’s new memoir is “Connie.” Guests: Connie Chung, broadcast journalist; author, "Connie: A Memoir" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Born in Berkeley and the son of academics, Aaron Peskin was in the same elementary school class as Vice President Kamala Harris. But while Harris might be viewed as a moderate, Peskin proudly points to his progressive politics as a reason he should be the next mayor of San Francisco. A 30-year resident of Telegraph Hill, Peskin has been elected as a supervisor five times and currently serves as president of the Board. On the campaign trail, he highlights his detailed knowledge of how city government runs which he says makes him the best candidate for the job of mayor. As part of our series of interviews with the major candidates in San Francisco’s mayor race, we talk to Peskin about his campaign and his hopes for the city’s future. Guests: Aaron Peskin, president, San Francisco Board of Supervisors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More Americans – especially Gen-Z and millennials – say they value dining alone at restaurants, according to new data from Open Table. And research shows that doing solo activities is good for us – it recharges us and improves our creativity. With concern about loneliness and isolation on the rise, we talk about healthy alone-ness. What are some of your favorite activities to do alone? Guests: Rebecca Ratner, dean's professor of marketing, University of Maryland Luke Tsai, food editor, KQED Arts & Culture Thuy-Vy Nguyen, associate professor in psychology, Durham University; founder of the Solitude Lab; co-author of “Solitude: The Science and Power of Being Alone” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of us have been there: Frantically Googling health information late at night, worried about a mysterious ache or rash. But when does health anxiety cross the line and become a problem on its own? Journalist Caroline Crampton tackles that question in her book, “A Body Made of Glass,” which looks at the cultural history of hypochondria, from ancient Egypt to TikTok. She joins Forum to talk about her research and her own experience with chronic health anxiety after recovering from a rare form of cancer. Guests: Caroline Crampton, writer and podcaster, Her new book is "A Body Made of Glass: A Cultural History of Hypochondria." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices