KQED's Forum

If you are a fan of kimchee like your grandmother made or are looking for the freshest curry leaf, you’re probably well acquainted with stores like H Mart, Patel Brothers, and 99 Ranch. These outlets go beyond the international food sections that you’ll find in conventional chains like Safeway and Whole Foods. Instead they offer aisle upon aisle of products that signify home to the Asian diaspora in the United States. And as these stores expand in size and volume, they are redefining American palates. We’ll explore what chains like these these mean to their customers, the impact they are having on mom and pop stores, and how they are changing how we eat and cook. Guests: Priya Krishna, Reporter and video host, New York Times -Krishna wrote the recent New York Times article "Don't Call It an 'Ethnic' Grocery Store." She covers the intersection of food and broader cultural issues for the paper and hosts the video series "On the Job." Krishna is also the author of the cookbook, "Indian-ish" Margot Seeto, Dumpling columnist, SF GATE Luke Tsai, Food editor, KQED Arts and Culture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More adults are now relying on their parents for financial support, career advice and emotional regulation well into their 30s — challenging the notion that a parent is only responsible for their child until age 18. One poll found that about 45% of adults under 30 are living with their parents — “the most common living arrangement for that age group for the first time since just after the Great Depression,” writes Atlantic staff writer Faith Hill. In the past this may have been considered a “failure to launch,” but as families reckon with changing economic realities and delayed maturity milestones, they report benefits from their increased closeness compared with prior generations.” Is your relationship with your adult child, or children, different from the one you had with your parents? Guests: Faith Hill, staff writer, The Atlantic - author of the article "The New Age of Endless Parenting" Kelly Nguyen, licensed psychotherapist, She has a private practice in San Francisco where she sees adult individuals and couples. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the A’s wrap up their final season in Oakland, the future of the Coliseum – the team’s home for 56 years– may finally be coming into focus. The African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG), a local Black-led development company, is set to purchase the site from the A’s and the City of Oakland for over two hundred million dollars. The final signing of those deals, supporters say, will help Oakland balance a tight budget and provide economic opportunities for East Oakland. AASEG plans to fill the complex with housing, sports, entertainment, and retail projects. We’ll talk with one of the developers and others about what’s next for the site. Guests: Casey Pratt, Chief of Communications, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Dan Moore, Bay Area-based freelance writer, his work has appeared in The Atlantic, The San Francisco Chronicle, and The Ringer, where he's a contributor. He's also a nominee for the 2024 Dan Jenkins Medal for Excellence in Sportswriting. Ray Bobbitt, Founder and Managing Member, African American Sports and Entertainment Group David Peters, Founder, West Oakland Cultural Action Network. Oakland native and lifelong Oakland A’s fan. -Founder, Black Liberation Walking Tour. Peters is a 3rd generation West Oakland resident and lifelong Oakland A's fan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feminist scholar Roxane Gay has no fondness for guns, no interest in gun culture and rarely thinks about guns unless, as she says, “the news cycle demands it.” But she’s a gun owner, having bought one after she and her family became targets of online death threats. “When I aim and pull the trigger and absorb the recoil,” Gay writes in a new essay, “I try to shoot straight and true. I revel in how capable I feel, what a welcome departure it is to be an active participant in my life instead of passively seething at all the things I cannot control.” We talk to Gay about feminism, race and gun ownership, and why more Black women are buying guns. Her new essay is called “Stand Your Ground: A Black Feminist Reckoning with America’s Gun Problem.” Guests: Roxane Gay, scholar and author. Her new essay is "Stand Your Ground: A Black Feminist Reckoning with America’s Gun Problem." Her books include "Difficult Women;" "Hunger" and "Bad Feminist" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the debate about immigration, the voices of immigrants are often left out of the conversation. For his new book, “We Are Home,” veteran journalist Ray Suarez collected a series of oral histories from people who have recently arrived in America. He centers immigrants like Samir, who was born in Kenya of Yemini descent and moved to suburban Maryland as a teenager and Nelson Castillo, a successful immigration attorney who never wanted to leave his native El Salvador. With this book, Suarez hopes that people will “listen to this person’s story of how they got here, how they got over, and how much they love their country today.” Suarez joins us to talk about not only why people immigrate, but who they are. Guests: Ray Suarez, journalist; author of "We Are Home: Becoming American in the 21st Century, An Oral History" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tina. Aretha. Serena and Venus. In one word you know who these women are. And that word is DIVA. In her new book “American Diva,” Deborah Paredez argues we need to take a fresh look at what it means to be a diva. She traces the evolution of the word, using the stories of powerhouse female performers, musicians and athletes to examine how we can reclaim and celebrate the divas we know and love. Indeed, Paredez says that it’s divas — whether famous or family, like her own Tia Lucia — who embolden us to live out loud. We talk to Paredez and hear from you: Who’s the diva in your life? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 1990s, Eugene Rodriguez wanted to help his teenage students learn Son Jarocho, a regional folk music style from Mexico. So he organized a weeks-long road trip from the Bay Area to Veracruz where that genre of music originates. That is one of the memorable experiences Rodriguez has had as founder of Los Cenzontles, a music group and nonprofit organization based in San Pablo. Hundreds of East Bay young people, mostly of Mexican descent, have come through the organization’s music, dance, and art classes that center traditional folk music from Mexico. Rodriguez chronicles his work celebrating folk music and using it to empower young people in his new memoir, “Bird of Four Hundred Voices: A Mexican American Memoir of Music and Belonging.” We’ll talk with Rodriguez, who will join us in studio with other musicians from Los Cenzontles for a live performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s home insurance market is a mess. Across the state, major insurers are canceling policies or leaving the market altogether – citing disaster risks that outpace their ability to set rates and cover potential losses. Meanwhile, the state’s FAIR plan, conceived as a temporary policy of last resort for homeowners, has seen an enrollment spike. State regulators are now attempting to bring insurers back to disaster-prone areas – in exchange for fast tracking rate adjustments and expanding the risk-assessment models that insurers can use. We’ll learn more and hear from you: Have you lost your homeowners insurance? How have you coped? Guests: Daniellle Vanton, science reporter, KQED News MIchael Wara, policy director for the Sustainability Accelerator at the Doerr School of Sustainability; director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program; senior research scholar at the Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University Michael Soller, deputy insurance commissioner for Communications & Press Relations, State of California Megan Fan Munce, reporter covering California’s home insurance crisis, The San Francisco Chronicle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Busy and frazzled people often say, “I wish I could clone myself!” Journalist Evan Ratliff did just that. Using easily available technology and artificial intelligence, he created a voice clone that could answer calls, carry on conversations, and literally do his job. The brave new world he created spawned all sorts of weird and unsettling moments, like when his voice clones began talking to each other and making up a whole new life for him. Ratliff explores the experience in his new podcast, “Shell Game.” We talk to Ratliff…and his voice clone. Guests: Evan Ratliff, investigative journalist and host, "Shell Game" podcast; author, "The Mastermind: A True Story of Murder, Empire, and a New Kind of Crime Lord"; cofounder and editor in chief, Atavist magazine; former podcast host, "Longform" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If global temperatures continue to increase, new research suggests that by 2050 past Winter Olympics host cities — like Oslo, Vancouver and Lake Tahoe — likely won’t be cold enough for the Games. And some summer events may be in jeopardy too. In her new book “Warming Up,” sport ecology expert Madeleine Orr explains why “climate change is threatening sport in every corner of the world,” including wildfire- and drought-prone California. We talk to Orr about the future of the Olympics amid climate change – and how all sports are changing in our climate reality, from Paris to the little leagues. Are you a coach or athlete who’s had to adapt to climate change? Guests: Madeleine Orr, assistant professor of sport ecology, University of Toronto - author, “Warming Up: How Climate Change Is Changing Sport" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After more than a century in the Bay Area, Chevron announced it is moving its headquarters from San Ramon to Houston, but the company’s refineries in Richmond and El Segundo remain for now. California was once a leading producer of oil, and today remains the nation’s seventh largest oil producer. But Governor Gavin Newsom has vowed to phase out the oil and gas industry by 2045. As California transitions towards an energy future that is less dependent on fossil fuel, what kinds of obstacles will the state, industries and workers face in the short and long term? Guests: Sammy Roth, energy reporter, Los Angeles Times George Avalos, business reporter, Bay Area News Group Devashree Saha, director, US Clean Energy Economy Program Dan Walters, columnist, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vice President Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate for the 2024 presidential election. Walz is a former school teacher and veteran of the Army National Guard. Under his leadership as Governor, Minnesota enshrined access to abortion in the state constitution, expanded universal meals in school, legalized marijuana, and enacted gun control measures. Walz has been criticized by Republicans for his hesitation to deploy the National Guard to Minneapolis in 2020, in response to protests following the killing of George Floyd. His labeling of Republicans as “weird” has also gone viral in recent weeks. We’ll talk about the newly-minted Harris-Walz ticket and analyze what it signals for the presumptive Democratic nominees. We’ll also discuss the challenges Harris and Walz could face ahead of November, as they embark on a whirlwind campaign across battleground states today. Guests: Christopher Cadelago, California’s Bureau Chief, Politico - and former White House Correspondent Erica L. Green, White House correspondent, The New York Times Yasmeen Abutaleb, White House Reporter, The Washington Post Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Across social media, people are posting about their experiences ending contact with family members, which experts say is a growing trend. Studies have found that about a quarter of adults in America are estranged from a relative with parent-child estrangements as the most common. Becoming estranged from family can provide an escape from abuse or problematic relationships and allow space for healing. But some therapists are concerned the no-contact-family trend is doing more harm than good. We’ll talk about what drives families apart and when and how to heal broken relationships. Guests: Kui Mwai, freelance writer. She recently published an article in Vogue titled, “Why So Many People (Myself Included) Are Experiencing Family Estrangement." Josh Coleman, psychologist; author, “Rules for Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict” Violetta Fernandez, licensed mental health therapist and parental estrangement coach Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When an elderly loved one starts to show signs they’re having trouble living independently, initiating conversations about elder care can be challenging. We talk to gerontologist Dr. Louise Aronson about how to broach sensitive topics like giving up driving, accepting in-home assistance or transitioning to a care facility. And we’ll hear from you: how have you navigated conversations about elder care with a parent or loved one? Or if you’re an older individual, how have you advocated for yourself? Guests: Louise Aronson, geriatrician and professor of medicine, University of California, San Francisco; author of "Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is the ocean full of moon jellies? How do snails use fishing nets made of slime? What’s actually happening when a mosquito sucks your blood? These are just some of the questions that the producers and scientists behind “Deep Look,” KQED’s Emmy-award winning video series, take on. Now in its 11th season, “Deep Look,” uses ultra-high definition video to give viewers an up close – and sometimes microscopic look – at the insects, animals and plants that we can find around us. We’ll talk to the team behind the show, and hear from you: what’s something in the natural world that you’ve given a deeper look, and how did that make you feel? Guests: Damon Tighe, biotech educator and naturalist Sarah Cohen, professor of biology, San Francisco State's Estuary & Ocean Science Center Gabriela Quirós, supervising producer for Deep Look, KQED Josh Cassidy, lead producer and cinematographer for Deep Look, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Firefighters are battling the massive Park Fire near Chico which has already burned an area larger than the city of Los Angeles – making it the fifth largest wildfire in state history. Meanwhile, the Borel fire, which last weekend destroyed the town of Havilah, continues to burn in Kern County, and parts of Riverside county remain under evacuation orders because of wildfires there. We look at the impacts of these wildfires across the state and hear from people who’ve been affected. Guests: Zeke Lunder, pyrogeographer; founder, Deer Creek Resources and Lookout Media Madison Aument, reporter, KVCR Isaac Sanchez, deputy chief of communications, Cal Fire Grace Toohey, reporter, LA Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The summer of 1982 was a blockbuster for sci-fi movies. Over the course of six consecutive weekends, eight movies in that genre premiered: E.T. Poltergeist. Tron. Blade Runner. Mad Max: Road Warrior. Conan the Barbarian. The Thing. Some were hits. Others were bombs. But all changed the course of filmmaking according to film critic Chris Nashawaty. In his new book, “The Future Was Now,” he shares behind the scenes details and explains why these films remain important today. We talk to Nashawaty and hear from you: How did these films impact you? Guest: Chris Nashawaty, author, "The Future Was Now: Madmen, Mavericks, and the Epic Sci-Fi Summer of 1982","Caddyshack: The Making of a Hollywood Cinderella Story"; former film critic, Entertainment Weekly Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“My own life has been defined by a search for lesbian spaces.” So says journalist June Thomas, whose new book “A Place of Our Own” explores third spaces for queer women, places that are not work or home. Tracing the history of lesbian bars, coffee shops, bookstores, communes, sex stores, vacations and softball teams, Thomas argues for their importance in community building, political organizing, friendship and love — then and now. We’ll talk with Thomas about her new book, and we’ll hear from the founders of two California LGBTQ groups — Queer Run San Francisco and HOT POT in Los Angeles’ Koreatown — about how they center and create community for queer women of color. Tell us: What have queer women’s spaces meant to you? Guests: June Thomas, co-host, Slate's "Working" podcast; author, "A Place of Our Own: Six Spaces That Shaped Queer Women's Culture" Chloe Morizono, producer, KQED; founder, Queer Run San Francisco Jordyn Sun, creator of HOT POT, which puts on QTBIPOC parties in LA's K-Town Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a video of republican vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance resurfaced that features him mocking “childless cat ladies,” child-free Americans erupted with outrage. A growing percentage of Americans under 50 — 47%, according to a new study from Pew — say they are unlikely to have kids because they simply don’t want them. Vance’s comments also touched a nerve with people who are childless because of infertility, economic pressures or lack of social support for parents. Many child-free people function as pillars in their communities and make up a significant piece of the electorate. We talk about the rising trend to not have children and what impact this might have on the election. And we hear from you: have you decided not to have children? Guests: Amy Blackstone, professor of sociology, University of Maine; author, "Childfree by Choice: The Movement Redefining Family and Creating a New Age of Independence" Natalie Arroyo Camacho, freelance lifestyle writer Jess Bidgood,, political journalist for The New York Times, author of the recent article, “The Republicans Who Want to Make America Have Babies Again” Scott Shafer, senior editor, KQED’s California Politics and Government; co-host, Political Breakdown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nathan Thrall won a 2024 Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction for “A Day in the Life of Abed Salama.” It tells the story of a school bus crash in 2012 outside of Jerusalem; the bus was carrying a group of Palestinian kindergartners when it collided with a truck, killing 6 children and their teacher. Thrall follows the accident’s aftermath and one parent’s frantic search for his son, exposing the bureaucracy and brutality of life under occupation. We talk to Thrall about what we can still learn from the crash and why he says it embodies the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Guests: Nathan Thrall, journalist and author, "A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy" - former director of the Israel/Palestine Project, International Crisis Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vice President Kamala Harris’s racial and ethnic identity is either an asset or a liability on the campaign trail — it depends on whom you ask. Many voters say they’re ready to elect the nation’s first Black and Asian female president, while some worry that racist backlash will impede her chances. Still others claim she’s “not Black enough.” But, as the United States becomes more diverse and more people identify as multiracial, the Harris campaign is already shifting national discourse about identity politics. We’ll talk about what Harris’s candidacy – and voters’ reactions to it – say about America’s understanding of mixed race identity. Guests: Celeste Headlee , award-winning journalist formerly with National Public Radio, professional speaker and author of "We Need To Talk: How To Have Conversations That Matter" Sonja Diaz , civil rights attorney, policy expert and co-founder, Latina Futures 2050 Lab - an organization focused on promoting access to leadership roles for Latinas. Diaz is also the founding director emeritus, UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute. Karthick Ramakrishnan, executive director and founder, AAPI Data - a national research and policy organization focused on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. He is also a researcher at the Asian American Research Center, University of California, Berkeley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sean Wang’s semi-autobiographical new film “Dìdi (弟弟)” follows a 13-year-old skater in 2008 Fremont, California, the summer before he starts high school. Called “Dìdi” by his family, “WangWang” by his Fremont friends and crush, and “Chris” by the skaters he wants to befriend, the protagonist blunders through an adolescence set among real-life Fremont skate spots and Sean Wang’s own childhood bedroom. As Dìdi learns how to navigate friendships and crushes via MySpace and AIM, he also learns how to see his immigrant mother, played by Joan Chen, as her own person. Sean Wang, who is 30, was nominated for an Academy Award last year for his documentary short “Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó,” about his paternal and maternal grandmothers, both immigrants from Taiwan. “Dìdi,” Wang’s feature-length debut, received a standing ovation at Sundance, along with the Audience Award and a prize for its ensemble cast. We’ll talk with Wang and Chen about depicting the Bay Area of 2008 and their own reflections on coming of age. Guests: Joan Chen, actor-producer, Dìdi (弟弟) Sean Wang , director, Dìdi (弟弟) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In keeping with his vow to reform the Supreme Court, President Joe Biden issued a plan calling for term limits for justices, a constitutional amendment to limit presidential immunity, and a “binding code of conduct” to replace the voluntary ethics guidelines established last year by the court. Biden assailed recent Supreme Court decisions and ethics scandals in a recent opinion piece in the Washington Post: “What is happening now is not normal, and it undermines the public’s confidence in the court’s decisions, including those impacting personal freedoms,” he wrote. We’ll talk about Biden’s proposed reforms and which ones – if any – could be enacted before he leaves office. Guests: Olatunde C. Johnson, Ruth Bader Ginsburg '59 Professor of Law, Columbia Law School - She served on President Biden's Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court Philip Bump, national columnist, Washington Post - Bump is the author of "The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America" Jennifer Ahearn, Senior counsel, Brennan Center - Ahearn previously served as Policy Director at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), where she led a team focused on government ethics and accountability Alex Padilla, U.S. Senator, Padilla sits on the Judiciary Committee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most climate action today focuses on zeroing out carbon emissions, but Stanford climate scientist Rob Jackson wants us to take a hard look at methane. It’s a byproduct of animal agriculture and fossil fuel extraction, and pound for pound it’s a greenhouse gas 80 to 90 times more potent than carbon dioxide. That means the upside of reducing methane emissions is significant: Jackson says that no other greenhouse gas provides such an immediate opportunity to slow climate change. We learn more and hear why Jackson’s hopeful about curbing methane emissions in our lifetimes. His new book is “Into the Clear Blue Sky.” Guests: Rob Jackson, professor of earth system science; senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and the Precourt Institute for Energy; author, "Into the Clear Blue Sky: The Path to Restoring Our Atmosphere" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race put a spotlight on a vexing question: when is the right time to call it quits and retire? Whether or not you’re president of the United States, stepping away from a job you love – or just sort of like – can be a terrifying decision. The transition can be filled with unknowns and unexpected struggles including a lack of daily structure, a different social network, and adapting to new views of self-worth and purpose. We’ll talk about the reasons some delay retirement, how you can prepare to make the transition and how to find fulfillment in your next chapter. Guests: Charley Locke, freelance journalist focusing on kids and elders. Her latest story for the Atlantic is "Retirement Gets Harder the Longer You Wait." Ashwin Kotwal, assistant professor of medicine in the division of geriatrics, UCSF Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we imagine an autocracy, writes Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Anne Applebaum, we tend to conjure a cartoon image: a malevolent dictator at the top who controls the police and army, evil collaborators and a few brave dissidents. But 21st century autocracies are not that. They’re run instead by “sophisticated networks relying on kleptocratic financial structures, a complex of security services… and technological experts who provide surveillance, propaganda and disinformation.” We talk to Applebaum about how modern autocracies work and how liberal democracies can disrupt them. Her new book is “Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World.” Guest: Anne Applebaum, author, "Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World"; staff writer, The Atlantic; Pulitzer-prize winning historian; senior fellow, John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and the SNF Agora Institute Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who gets to compete in women’s sports? Since the very conception of elite athletics, there has been controversy over who qualifies for the women’s category. Rose Eveleth is the host of “Tested,” a new podcast from NPR’s Embedded and CBC radio that explores the practice and history of sex testing in women’s sports. Eveleth follows the stories of a handful of world-class runners who have been told they can’t race as women because of natural variations in their biology. In their quest to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, these women face hard choices: take drugs to alter their naturally-occurring hormones, abandon the sport that they excel at, or fight the rules made by World Athletics. We speak with Eveleth about the 100-year history of sex testing, the evolution and flaws of modern biology, and try to understand how we arrived at this convoluted moment in women’s sports. Guest: Rose Eveleth, podcast host, Tested Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who do you think Vice President Kamala Harris should pick as her running mate? The VP has a strong bench to choose from, including Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, Kentucky governor Andy Beshear and Arizona senator Mark Kelly — all of whom are reportedly being vetted. Each potentially could bring strengths — or swing state voters — to Harris’ campaign. We’ll talk about the considerations at play for the Democratic presidential candidate who knows well what the role requires. Guests: Shira Stein Zoom, Washington correspondent, San Francisco Chronicle Amanda Becker, Washington correspondent, The 19th Ken Thomas, White House reporter, The Wall Street Journal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an executive order Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered California officials to dismantle homeless encampments across the state today. It will be the biggest action nationwide, expected to affect tens of thousands of people, since the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Grants Pass v. Johnson case has made it easier for cities to clear out homeless encampments without first offering shelter options. Homeless advocates say the court’s decision will usher in more policing and criminalization of unhoused people and shift away resources from moving people into permanent housing. We’ll talk about Newsom’s action and Bay Area cities’ plans for responding to homeless encampments in the wake of the Grants Pass ruling. Guests: Kevin Fagan, reporter, San Francisco Chronicle Harold Duffey, interim city administrator, city of Oakland. Duffey is also Oakland's acting homeless administrator. Andrew Sullivan, president, San Francisco Board Sailing Association Nisha Kashyap, program director, racial justice division, Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Vaillant’s book “Fire Weather” chronicles a devastating wildfire that struck Fort McMurray, Alberta in May 2016. It forced more than 85,000 people to flee their homes, inflicted billions of dollars in damage to the Canadian oil industry and continues to serve as a warning in our increasingly flammable world. Vaillant lays out the linked histories of North America’s fossil fuel industry and its rapidly changing climate – with sidebars that explain the science behind petroleum products, recap two centuries of industrial development and explore the economic and environmental tensions in modern oil boom towns. We’ll speak with Vaillant about the lessons that fire-prone regions, including California, can learn from the devastation of Fort McMurray. And we’ll hear from you: Has your sense of fire awareness changed over time? How so? Guests: John Vaillant, journalist; author, "Fire Weather: A True Story From a Hotter World," which was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist. His other books include "The Tiger" and "The Golden Spruce." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Kamala Harris campaign announced that in the 36 hours since President Biden dropped out of the presidential race, it had raised a record-breaking $100 million dollars. Republicans have numbers to match: after his conviction in May on fraud charges, Donald Trump’s campaign hauled in $141 million. But how will this money be used by the campaigns? As part of our Doing Democracy series examining how our political system works, we talk to experts and operatives about what the 2024 presidential election ground game might look like this cycle – is targeting voters the same game it used to be? And we’ll hear from you: How will you participate in November? Vote? Volunteer? Donate? All of the above? Guests: Yasmin Radjy, Executive Director, Swing Left and Vote Forward Mindy Romero, founder and director, Center for Inclusive Democracy, formerly the California Civic Engagement Project Teddy Goff, co-founder and managing partner, Precision Strategies. Goff was the digital director for the 2012 Obama campaign; in 2008, Goff managed the Obama campaign state digital efforts. Tim Miller, host, The Bulwark. Miller was previously senior advisor to the Our Principles PAC. He served as the 2016 communications director for Jeb Bush, and is a former spokesman for the Republican National Committee. He is the author of “Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Times diplomatic correspondent Edward Wong says that he is the “son of two empires.” He grew up outside of Washington, D.C. during the Cold War when the containment of communism undergirded all of U.S. foreign policy. But his parents grew up in rural China, where his father became a follower of Mao Zedong and joined soldiers, workers and students who believed Mao’s China could stand up to what they saw as U.S. imperialism. Wong traces and reflects on his father’s journey and the evolution of modern China in his new book “At the Edge of Empire.” He joins us. Guests: Edward Wong , diplomatic correspondent, The New York Times; author, "At the Edge of Empire: A Family's Reckoning with China" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The selection of former venture capitalist J.D. Vance as the Republican vice-presidential nominee is a sign that Silicon Valley is no longer the liberal stronghold it once was. A cadre of powerful venture capitalists and tech elites are pouring tens of millions of dollars to elect Donald Trump this November – a stance that would have been shocking back in 2016. Experts say tech executives want less regulation, lower taxes, and more government contracts. But with President Joe Biden out of the race, other Silicon Valley donors may turn up to support Vice President Kamala Harris in her bid to win the presidency. We’ll talk about the key players shifting Silicon Valley to the right, who they are supporting, and why. Guests: Max Chafkin, tech reporter, Bloomberg Businessweek; author, "The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power" Makena Kelly, politics reporter, Wired Teddy Schleifer, reporter covering campaign finance and billionaires, New York Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a historic move on Sunday, President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race. In a tweet, he offered his “full support and endorsement” to Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor. We’ll spend both hours of Forum talking with KQED’s politics team and checking in with others about what’s next for the democratic party and the presidential race. Guests: Rusty Hicks, chairman, California Democratic Party Eleni Kounalakis, lieutenant governor for the state of California Jared Huffman, U.S. Representative for California's 2nd congressional district John Garamendi, U.S. Representative for California's 8th congressional district; former California Lt Governor Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED's California Politics and Government Desk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a historic move on Sunday, President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race. In a tweet, he offered his “full support and endorsement” to Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor. We’ll spend both hours of Forum talking with KQED’s politics team and checking in with others about what’s next for the democratic party and the presidential race. Guests: Willie Brown, former mayor of San Francisco Aimee Allison, founder and president, She the People Mark Buell, major Democratic party donor and philanthropist Scott Shafer, senior editor, KQED’s California Politics and Government; co-host, Political Breakdown Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED's California Politics and Government Desk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Avocados, a favorite in many dishes, have grown into a $3 billion industry for Mexico. Michoacán, one of the few places in the world where avocados can grow year round, produces over 70% of the country’s exports. But as the global appetite for this green fruit expands, the industry has attracted cartels vying for control. This surge in demand has led to violence against local farmers, who also face environmental challenges like deforestation and shrinking water supplies. We learn more. Guests: Stephania Corpi Arnaud, journalist; podcast host, Caliber 60 David Shortell, reporter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Potato juice instead of antibiotics. Using beer in lieu of sunscreen. Shoving a garlic clove up your nose for sinus trouble. These are some of the remedies you might find on TikTok. The internet and quackery are not new concepts, but health advice – both good and bad – is a hot ticket item on social media platforms, especially for Gen Z. In fact, according to a recent study, a third of Gen Z-aged TikTok users trust that app more than their doctors. We look at what happens when TikTok is your doctor, and hear from you: have you used social media to diagnose an ailment or get medical advice? How did it go? Guests: Keren Landman, senior reporter covering public health, emerging infectious diseases, the health workforce, and health justice, Vox Jessica Malaty Rivera, science communicator and infectious disease epidemiologist; science communication lead, The COVID Tracking Project at The Atlantic; her social media feed came to prominence during the pandemic Dr. Jen Gunter, OB/GYN and pain medicine physician; author, "The Vagina Bible" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

80 years ago, 320 men, mostly African American, died at Port Chicago, an ammunition depot in what is now Concord. It was the deadliest incident on U.S. soil during World War II. After the explosion the Navy charged more than 250 Black sailors with mutiny for refusing to return to work in dangerous conditions. On Wednesday, the 80th anniversary of the explosion, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro exonerated the sailors, calling the charges, “an enormous wrong.” We’ll talk about the Port Chicago explosion and how the subsequent legal proceedings laid the foundation for the civil rights movement and the desegregation of the navy. Guests: Yulie Padmore, executive director, Port Chicago Alliance Rev. Diana McDaniel, president, Friends of Port Chicago National Memorial Daryl Meeks, His father, Freddie Meeks, was imprisoned for 18 months for refusing to work under dangerous conditions after the Port Chicago explosion. He was pardoned by President Clinton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GOP is expressing confidence that the presidential election will break in its favor as the Republican National Convention draws to a close on Thursday. The event has been organized around MAGA themes, including “Make America Safe Again” and “Make America Strong Again,” with speakers taking aim at familiar targets like President Biden, crime and border security. Meanwhile, Democrats remain deeply divided over whether President Biden should end his candidacy, after Los Angeles Rep. Adam Schiff on Wednesday publicly called on Biden to leave the race. We’ll get the latest with KQED’s politics team, which is on the scene in Milwaukee. Guests: Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host, KQED's Political Breakdown Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED's California Politics and Government Desk Scott Shafer, senior editor, KQED’s California Politics and Government; co-host, Political Breakdown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonathan Rosen’s memoir “The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions” was a 2024 Pulitzer Prize finalist and named a Top 10 Best Book of the Year by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic and Slate. It tells the story of Rosen’s childhood friendship with Michael Laudor, their teenage competition and years spent together at Yale, where Laudor stands out as a genius and academic superstar. After Laudor is diagnosed with schizophrenia, he seems poised to be “exceptional” in this way as well — successfully navigating his illness while transitioning from a locked psychiatric ward to Yale Law School. But his path with schizophrenia isn’t linear, and a violent crime he commits thrusts dominant narratives about mental health and the gaps in our healthcare system into the limelight. We’ll talk with Rosen about those gaps, how “good intentions” failed to provide a meaningful replacement for deinstitutionalization and the evolution of how we talk about schizophrenia. Guests: Jonathan Rosen, author, "The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions" - which was a 2024 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Memoir or Autobiography and named a Top 10 Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic and Slate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In calling for unity in the wake of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, President Joe Biden said political violence is “un-American and abhorrent.” But that’s more aspiration than historical reality. Political violence has been part of American history since our founding and has been on the rise since Trump was elected in 2016, according to experts. Elected officials and average citizens have been victims of politically motivated shooting sprees. We’ll talk about what constitutes political violence, why it keeps occurring, and what to make of the recent news. Guests: Gary LaFree, professor of criminology and criminal justice, University of Maryland Matthew Dallek, professor of political management, The George Washington University; author, "Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right" Rachel Kleinfeld, senior fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; studies democracy, the rule of law, and political violence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Florida federal judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the classified documents case against Donald Trump on Monday, finding that the appointment of Special Counsel Jack Smith violated the constitution. The case — in which Trump stands accused of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate — had been considered the most straightforward of the criminal matters Trump faces. We look at the legal and political implications of the ruling Former president Donald Trump has chosen 39-year old Ohio Senator JD Vance to be his running mate. Vance, once a fierce Trump critic who gained visibility during the 2016 election for explaining Trump’s appeal to white working class voters, has in recent years come to embrace core MAGA principles. We learn more about Vance and hear your reactions. Guests: David Graham, staff writer, The Atlantic; his new piece is "An Astonishing Ruling in Trump's Classified Documents Case" Grace Panetta, political reporter, The 19th Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bay Area has a long tradition of producing Olympians and this year continues that legacy as athletes from the region prepare for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We check in with a few members of Team USA who will be heading to Paris and we’ll discuss how world events are going to impact the games, what lessons the committee has learned since Tokyo, and the most compelling storylines to follow at this summer’s games. Guests: Ann Killion, sports columnist, San Francisco Chronicle Hans Henken, USA Olympic Team, Sailing Alexander Massialas, USA Olympic Team, Fencing Christella Garcia, USA Paralympic Team, Judo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, far-right Republicans pointed fingers at President Joe Biden, blaming his warnings about Trump’s threats to democracy for instigating the violence. For Vox reporter Zack Beauchamp, this “should cause us to reflect more broadly on how our political leaders should respond to political violence in our country.” For the last decade Beauchamp has been covering global challenges to democracy — and why democratic countries with deep political divisions can become vulnerable to violence and autocracy. We reflect on the assassination attempt and where it leaves us as a nation. Beauchamp’s new book is “The Reactionary Spirit: How America’s Most Insidious Political Tradition Swept the World.” Guests: Zack Beauchamp, senior correspondent, Vox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Republicans open their convention in Milwaukee today, just two days after former president Trump was shot in the ear by a sniper at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. President Biden gave a speech last night condemning the shooting and calling for a lowering of the temperature in politics. We’ll get the latest on the investigation into the shooting and we’ll talk about how the assassination attempt could change the Republican and the Democratic campaigns for the presidency. Guests: Scott Shafer, KQED's senior editor for politics and government and co-host of Political Breakdown Domenico Montanaro, senior political editor and correspondent, NPR Hans Noel, associate professor of government, Georgetown; author, "Political Ideologies and Political Parties in America" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the last decade California hospitals have shut down nearly 50 maternity wards, leaving pregnant people in large swaths of the state without a place to deliver their babies. That’s according to an ongoing CalMatters investigation which has found that the closures have accelerated in the last four years as hospitals cite high costs, labor shortages and declining birth rates. We look at the scope of the problem and who’s most affected – and how midwives and birthing centers are advocating for solutions. And we’ll hear from you: Have you had trouble accessing maternity care, or have you had to travel a long distance to give birth? Guests: Kristen Hwang, health reporter, CalMatters Holly Smith, certified nurse-midwife and co-lead, Midwifery Access California Tiffany Leonhardt, director of business development, Plumas District Hospital Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a journalist, William Gee Wong focused many of his stories on the Asian American experience. And in his new memoir, “Sons of Chinatown,” Wong trains his reporter’s eye on his own family’s sometimes uneasy immigration and assimilation story. It begins in 1912 with the immigration of his father, known as Pop, who came to the U.S. as a “Paper Son,” an individual who purchased partially fraudulent documents to establish residency. Over decades, Wong’s family established a foothold in the United States, but never managed to fully escape discrimination and racism. We talk to Wong, a former Wall Street Journal reporter and columnist for the Oakland Tribune and San Francisco Chronicle, about his family’s story. Guest: William Gee Wong, journalist; author of “Sons of Chinatown: A memoir rooted in China and America” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The internet produces about a billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year, roughly the same as the aviation industry, according to one recent study. Every time you click a photo, like a post, or get an e-mail and it’s backed up in the cloud, it’s stored in a data center – a massive facility filled with thousands of computer servers. And these data centers are projected to double their energy consumption by 2026 as companies such as Google and Microsoft invest heavily in AI. We discuss our digital carbon footprint and whether we can make a difference. Guests: Andrew R. Chow, correspondent, Time; author of the forthcoming book "Cryptomania" Jonathan Koomey, Ph.D., researcher and scientist, Koomey Analytics; author of 'Turning Numbers into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving' and 'Solving Climate Change: A Guide for Learners and Leaders' Danny Cullenward, climate economist and lawyer focused on the design and implementation of scientifically grounded climate policy Malcolm Hawker, head of data strategy, Profisee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In one of many historic cases this term, the Supreme Court overturned the Chevron doctrine, which gave deference to federal agencies to interpret the laws they administer. Writing in dissent, Justice Elena Kagan, wrote that the Court’s decision would be a “massive shock to the legal system.” But what does this mean for the average citizen? Legal analysts predict that it could help big industry challenge regulations governing clean air and water or rules around how to bring drugs safely to market. We’ll talk to experts about this tectonic shift in the legal landscape and its consequences. Guests: Abigail Dillen, president, Earthjustice Rory Little, professor of constitutional law, UC School of Law, San Francisco Reshma Ramachandran, assistant professor, Yale School of Medicine; co-director, Yale Collaboration for Regulatory Rigor, Integrity and Transparency Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Great songs capture our imaginations and reveal truths about the human experience, transmuting stories into sound. Ben Arthur explores this alchemy on his podcast SongWriter. Each episode, Arthur challenges a musician to compose one original song based on the writing of literary greats like George Saunders, Neil Gaiman and Joyce Carol Oates. Arthur and two California-based songwriters – Mexican-American singer Diana Gameros, and Hector Flores of the band Las Cafeteras – join us to talk about their creative process and the stories that resonate with them. And we hear from you: What’s a story or song that has inspired you? Guests: Diana Gameros, Bay Area singer/songwriter originally from Cuidad Juarez, Mexico Ben Arthur, singer/songwriter; creator, SongWriter Hector Flores, LA based artist; co-founder, "Las Cafeteras" the band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices