KQED's Forum

Journalist Jordan Ritter Conn has spent years studying some of the psychological challenges facing men in the United States. These include feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety, sometimes violence and often a sense that this economy isn’t for them. His book “American Men” delves into the lives of four men: a West Point grad, a Black trans man in rural Ohio, a white law student recovering from childhood trauma and a gay man prone to alcohol-fueled fights. It explores the gap between the expectations placed on men and the failure, real or imagined, to meet those expectations – and why friendships between men often fail to provide the kind of emotional connections they seek. Conn joins us. Guests: Jordan Ritter Conn, senior staff writer, The Ringer; author, "American Men" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“We go for all humanity,” remarked Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, moments before the rocket taking him and his crew to the moon launched on Wednesday. It’s the first moon mission since 1972. But the astronauts will not land on the moon. Instead, over the next 10 days, the crew will study the science that’s necessary to get to the ultimate goal: A moonbase that can sustain human life and act as a jumping off point for missions to Mars. We talk about the science of space exploration, and its impacts on life on earth. Guests: Loren Grush, global space reporter, Bloomberg; author, "The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts" Anthony Colaprete, acting director for the science directorate, NASA Ames Research Center - Colaprete is on the science team for the Artemis II mission Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that aims to place federal restrictions on voting by mail ahead of this fall’s midterm elections. It comes as Congress considers legislation that could dramatically change voting in the U.S. and the Supreme Court appears ready to back additional vote-by-mail limits. We talk with elections experts about potential challenges to the new executive order and how California is navigating the potential changes. Guests: Kim Alexander, president and founder, California Voter Foundation Shirley Weber, California Secretary of State Madison Aument, reporter, KVCR Marc Berman, California State Assemblymember representing the 23rd District, which includes southern San Mateo County and northern Santa Clara County Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a decade of Vision Zero, the effort that aimed to end traffic fatalities and severe injuries, San Francisco saw a drastic decrease in 2025 traffic deaths. To replace the expiring initiative, the city passed the Street Safety Act. However, a spate of recent traffic fatalities in San Francisco has residents on edge, and as pedestrians made up six of the seven victims, some activists say the city isn’t moving fast enough. We talk about what can be done to reduce pedestrian deaths and injuries and check in on San Francisco’s progress. Guests: Jodie Medeiros, executive director, Walk SF David Zipper, contributing writer, Bloomberg; co-host, "Look Both Ways with David & Wes" podcast Viktoriya Wise, director, Streets Division, SFMTA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker said this weekend that Democrats have “failed to meet this moment” and that his party needed “generational renewal.” The comments come a year after the Democrat set a Senate record, holding the floor for 25 hours and five minutes as he offered thundering criticism of the Trump administration. Now, in his new book, ‘Stand,’ Booker urges the country to rise to this moment. To make his point, he highlights the stories of ten Americans, some famous and others less well-known, who also met moments of crisis with steadfastness, strength and optimism. “Our democracy is not a spectator sport,” writes Booker. “It demands participation.” Guests: Cory Booker, U.S. Senator from New Jersey; he was previously the Mayor of Newark from 2006-2013; his new book is "Stand" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

National Geographic Explorer and documentary filmmaker Ariel Waldman challenges our sense of scale in her new PBS series “Life Unearthed” which explores Earth’s ecosystems– from microscopic life in the alien terrains of Antarctica to the sweeping American Prairies. We talk with Waldman about the series and what life in the seemingly barren environments of Antarctica reveal about resilient creatures, climate change, and even the possibilities of life beyond Earth. Guests: Ariel Waldman, documentary filmmaker; Antarctic researcher; explorer, National Geographic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is emphasizing the cold, hard facts of climate change – the acres lost to sea level rise, the percentage increase of global warming – actually the right approach for getting people to act? “If we want climate progress in energy, transportation and agriculture, we need progress in pop culture, media and sports,” writes longtime energy and climate reporter Sammy Roth. Roth and climate media advocates argue that seeing electric vehicles in movies like “Barbie,” induction stoves on HGTV or a whole team protesting an oil company in “Ted Lasso” show how climate conscious realities can easily exist — and inspire viewers to advocate and take action. We’ll talk about why storytelling in film, TV and advertising has such a powerful sway over us, and take stock of the landscape of climate change depictions on your screens. Guests: Sammy Roth, author, Climate-Colored Goggles: a newsletter about climate & culture Tamara Toles O'Laughlin, national climate strategist; founder, Climate Critical [a Black-led climate collective]; board member, Good Energy [an organization focused on Hollywood climate storytelling] Jessica Kutz, lead climate reporter, The 19th John Marshall, founder and CEO, Potential Energy Coalition [a nonprofit marketing firm that works to increase public action on climate change] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Education funding for California’s public schools is one of the largest parts of the state budget. Yet districts across the state, and here in the Bay Area, are struggling to stay afloat. Santa Rosa’s school district is considering laying off hundreds of teachers and closing a quarter of its campuses in response to a severe financial crisis and Oakland schools, just a year after emerging from more than 20 years under state receivership, are also facing possible financial insolvency. Declining enrollment, resistance to school closures, and pressure to raise staff salaries are just a few of the many factors contributing to the strain. We’ll examine what’s driving these challenges, what it’ll take to stabilize the system, and what this all means for Bay Area communities. Guests: Katie DeBenedetti, reporter, KQED Iwunze Ugo, research fellow, Public Policy Institute of California; focuses on education from preschool through grade 12 and further on into postsecondary institutions Adriana Gutierrez, education and child welfare reporter, The Press Democrat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in a landmark case about social media addiction. Lawyers suing the tech giants argued that features like infinite scroll and algorithmic recommendations increased the risk of anxiety and depression in young users. We’ll look at the history of the case, and hear how it could mark a new strategy for advocates trying to reform major social media companies. Guests: Jeff Horwitz, reporter covering tech, Reuter's Enterprise Team Jasmine Mithani, data and technology reporter, the 19th Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the war in Iran continues into its fifth week, the Pentagon is contemplating sending an additional 10,000 ground troops to the Middle East. This escalation would add to the roughly 5,000 Marines and at least 2,000 paratroopers from the elite 82nd Airborne Division that have already been ordered to the region. Meanwhile, President Trump has pressed pause on his threat to strike Iranian energy infrastructure offering a ten-day reprieve, and on Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that the U.S. could achieve its objectives without using ground troops. We talk about the latest on the Iran War and the fast pivoting American strategy. Guests: Mona Yacoubian, director and senior advisor, Middle East Program, Center for Strategic & International Studies Lt. Col. Jahara Matisek, command pilot and research fellow, U.S. Naval War College Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

150 years ago this month, Alexander Graham Bell placed history’s first telephone call. And even though phones have changed — from a black metal cone mounted on a wooden base to today’s all-encompassing smartphones — they’ve remained a steady presence in our lives. What’s the first type of phone you used: a rotary, cordless or the iPhone? How does your relationship with the phone differ from that of your parents or grandparents? We’ll discuss what looking back on how we used the phone can teach us about restoring connection and meaning in our lives. Guests: Izzie Ramirez, freelance writer and editor Heather Kelly, technology reporter Emily Dreyfuss, culture editor, The San Francisco Standard; co-host, "Pacific Standard Time" podcast; co-author, "Meme Wars: the Untold Stories of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The poodle might be the most crossbred dog in modern times. There’s the labradoodle, goldendoodle and bernedoodle. And also cavapoos, cockapoos and maltipoos. What began as a match between a labrador and poodle to create a seeing eye dog that shed less has now become a billion dollar industry. While dog breeds go in and out of fashion, the doodle seems here to stay even while shelters are urging Americans to adopt, not design dogs. Guests: John Seabrook, staff writer, The New Yorker - his most recent piece is "How Doodles Became the Dog Du Jour" Danika Bannasch, associate dean of research and professor, UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine Laurie Routhier, CEO, Muttville - a senior dog rescue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“When we give a scented flower, bring blooms to a grave, or dab perfume onto our skin, we are not enacting arbitrary, merely symbolic rituals. Rather, we invoke the relationships with flowering plants from which the ecology of the planet is made, and which created and sustain human life.” So writes acclaimed biologist David George Haskell, whose new book “How Flowers Made Our World” paints flowers as revolutionaries that have determined the evolution of all life on earth — and who need our help to weather climate change. He joins us and we hear from you: What role do flowers play in your life? Guests: David George Haskell, acclaimed biologist; author, "How Flowers Made Our World: The Story of Nature's Revolutionaries," "Sounds Wild and Broken" and "The Songs of Trees" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cars have become dramatically more expensive in the United States in recent years, with the average price hitting a record of $50,000 in 2025. But now the market faces both higher sticker prices and a surge in gas prices stemming from the war in Iran. In the past, U.S. consumers have relied on relatively affordable fuel to justify buying large cars such as SUVs and trucks. In fact, most U.S.-based automakers don’t even make sedans and compact cars anymore. California, however, has been pushing drivers to buy more electric cars. We talk about how the current rise in car prices and fuel costs along with government policies are affecting the U.S. auto market. Guests: Edward Loh, head of editorial, MotorTrend - an automotive media company Scott Moura, professor in civil and environmental engineering and acting director of the Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley Jessica Caldwell, head of insights, Edmunds - an automotive information and car buying website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the war in Iran creating major economic uncertainty, some economists are forecasting that a recession could arrive this year. The economy had already been showing signs of weakness, including layoffs in Big Tech and enduring inflation concerns, and now surging oil prices are rocking U.S. markets. How bad might an economic downturn be in 2026? And are we prepared for a recession? Guests: Talmon Joseph Smith, economics reporter, The New York Times Claudia Sahm, chief economist, New Century Advisors; her Substack is "Stay-at-Home Macro" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2022, the conflict in Ukraine unleashed the first TikTok war. Now, four years later with the war in Iran, AI and a souped up social media are documenting and often distorting how we view that conflict. The Trump administration is keen to ‘gameify’ war with social media clips ripped from video games and action movies, and nations on all sides of the war are pushing out disinformation that is making it hard to understand what is happening. We talk about AI, disinformation and social media as tools of war. Guests: Kyle Chayka, staff writer, The New Yorker; his recent piece on the Iran War is titled "War in the Age of the Online 'Information Bomb;'" author, "Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture" Tiffany Hsu, technology reporter, The New York Times Drew Harwell, technology reporter, The Washington Post Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United States continues to ramp up its military presence near Iran, newly deploying three San Diego-based warships to the Middle East along with some 2500 Camp Pendleton Marines. Retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, who served multiple tours in Iraq and commanded US Army Europe, is a critic of the U.S-Israel war on Iran, saying that it unnecessarily puts lives at risk, lacks any coherent political objective and leaves the U.S. vulnerable to cyberattacks and other forms of reprisal. We’ll talk to Hertling about the latest Iran developments and his own combat experience, which he details in a new memoir called “If I Don’t Return: A Father’s Wartime Journal.” Guests: Lieutenant General Mark Hertling (Ret.), former commanding general, US Army Europe; commander during the 2007-2009 Iraq surge; author, "If I Don't Return: A Father's Wartime Journal" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco’s government has long been shaped by a tension between efficiency and public oversight. After voters approved Prop E in 2024, a new Commission Streamlining Task Force was created and it recently recommended cutting and merging many of the city’s roughly 150 boards and commissions—potentially reducing them by more than 40 percent. But the proposals, which critics say would limit the power of oversight bodies like the police and ethics commissions, sparked major pushback, and now the Board of Supervisors says it will likely act only on “non-controversial” changes. Will efforts to streamline city government ever make headway—and should they? Guests: Jonah Owen Lamb, staff writer, SF Examiner Io Yeh Gilman, reporter, Mission Local Lauren Post, former member, Public Works Commission Amerika Sanchez, member, Human Rights Commission; went through Urban Habitat incubator program to help people of color join commissions; served on 2 commissions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An intense mid-March heat wave was the death knell for operations at some California ski parks. Several Tahoe resorts waved the white flag and are closing operations a month early, while smaller, lower-elevation ski parks shuttered operations even earlier. If this becomes a longer trend, can resorts withstand an on-again, off-again winter in future seasons? Guests: Bryan Allegretto, California Forecaster, OpenSnow Andy Buckley, general manager, Homewood Mountain Resort Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump has said he supports “legal” immigration, but his administration has dismantled or limited pathways for immigrants to attain legal status. Visa programs including the diversity lottery are on hiatus. Citizenship ceremonies have been canceled. Wait times for green card approvals are stretching longer. We’ll talk about the Trump Administration’s moves to limit immigration and what pathways remain. Guests: Jennifer Chacón, professor, Stanford Law School Julia Gelatt, associate director, U.S. Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California will rename Cesar Chavez Day after the New York Times reported Wednesday that the labor icon had sexually abused, assaulted and raped girls and women, including his longtime collaborator Dolores Huerta. The Times’ yearslong investigation, which was corroborated by more than 60 interviews and hundreds of farmworker union records, broke decades of silence by Chavez’s victims, who said they refrained from speaking for fear of tarnishing the union leader’s storied reputation. As Californians reel from revelations that upend popular assumptions about Chavez, we talk about how his legacy’s being reshaped and hear your reactions. Guests: Miriam Pawel, journalist and author, "The Crusades of Cesar Chavez: A Biography" Manny Fernandez, California editor-at-large, The New York Times Matthew J. Garcia, professor of Latin American, Latino and Caribbean studies, Dartmouth College; author, "From the Jaws of Victory: The Triumph and Tragedy of Cesar Chavez and the Farm Workers Movement" Alexandra Macedo, assemblywoman representing California's 33rd assembly district, which includes Fresno County, Kings County and Tulare County Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When mealtimes come, more and more people instinctively reach for their phones and open up an app. Many customers now want restaurant food, often delivered contactless to their door step, without the actual restaurant experience. In a report last year, the National Restaurant Association found that nearly three out of four restaurant orders were for delivery or takeout. This shift has fundamentally altered the way many restaurants do business and how many diners eat, socialize and spend money. We’ll talk about the rise of food delivery apps and why people keep ordering in despite the added cost and risk of cold, soggy food. Guests: Corey Mintz, food journalist; author, "The Next Supper: The End of Restaurants as We Knew Them, and What Comes After" Michele McQueen, owner, Town Fare at the Oakland Museum of California and cocktail bar Lucy Blue Tony Gemignani, chef, owner, author and pizza instructor, Slice House Pizza Laurie Thomas, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association; owner of two San Francisco restaurants Arzsebet Saucedo, shift lead, Aburaya Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gas prices are spiking worldwide as the war in Iran and the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz cause major disruptions to the transport of about a fifth of the world’s oil. In an attempt to improve access and reduce prices, many countries are tapping into oil reserves, and the U.S. has even lifted some sanctions on Russian exports. But costs remain high, especially in California, where drivers pay the highest prices in the nation. Now, the Trump administration is restarting an oil pipeline that’s been offline since a major Santa Barbara spill in 2015. We look at the impact of the war on California’s oil industry and on you: How have you been affected by rising gas prices? Guests: Severin Borenstein, professor and faculty director of The Energy Institute, UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business Alejandro Lazo, climate reporter, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Privacy is a check on power,” writes Cindy Cohn, executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation in her book, “Privacy’s Defender: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance.” Since the San Francisco based non-profit began in 1990 to advocate for open access to a then fledgling internet, EFF has been at the center of battles over individual rights and privacy from corporations and government in an increasingly surveilled world. We talk to Cohn about the ever-shifting world of digital surveillance and why, despite its ubiquity, we don’t need to feel powerless. Guests: Cindy Cohn, executive director, Electronic Frontier Foundation; author, "Privacy's Defender: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the spring travel season upon us, the cheapest airline tickets are becoming even more restrictive, as the nation’s top airlines chip away at what’s included in a “Basic Economy” fare. These tickets can severely limit travel perks like choosing your own seat, carrying-on a bag, or making changes to your flight. At the same time, rising fuel prices are making air travel more expensive and the government shutdown impacting the Department of Homeland Security is creating major slowdowns at TSA checkpoints. How much is too much to ask of air travelers, and can we push back? Guests: Andrea Sachs, travel reporter, The Washington Post Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Women’s history often goes unwritten and unspoken. But KQED’s Rae Alexandra sets the record straight in her new book, ‘Unsung Heroines: 35 Women Who Changed the Bay Area.” From Delilah Beasley, a trailblazing columnist for the Oakland Tribune who inspired generations of black female journalists to Bertha Wright, a nurse, who in 1913 founded what we now know as Benioff Children’s Hospital, Alexandra uncovers hidden histories and stories that deserve to be told. We talk to Alexandra about the women who made the Bay. Guests: Rae Alexandra, author, "Unsung Heroines: 35 Women Who Changed the Bay Area; staff writer, KQED Arts & Culture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Historian Ibram X. Kendi says that in order to understand the rise of authoritarianism, we need to understand great replacement theory. It’s the racist idea that “powerful elites are enabling peoples of color to steal the lives, livelihoods, cultures and electoral power and freedoms of white people,” Kendi writes in his new book, “Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age.” We talk to the National Book Award-winning author about how politicians are using great replacement theory to justify authoritarian power and how it has moved from the fringes to the mainstream. Guests: Ibram X. Kendi, professor of history, Howard University; author, "Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age," "How to Be an Antiracist," "Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite a spike during the pandemic, violent crime in the Bay Area and the United States has been on the decline for most of the last 30 years. Now, data from last year shows the nation’s homicide rate is at its lowest level since reliable record-keeping began in the late 1950s. But what’s not so clear is just why crime has dropped so sharply. We’ll explore the possible reasons for what some are calling the Great Crime Decline and what steps might help continue the trend. Guests: Alex Piquero, professor and chair, Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Miami. Former Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics under President Biden Magnus Lofstrom, senior fellow and policy director of criminal justice, Public Policy Institute of California Jeff Asher, crime data analyst; co-founder, AH Datalytics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reform California, the conservative group behind a proposal to require voters to show identification at the polls, say they’ve gathered enough signatures to qualify the measure for the November ballot. Supporters of the initiative, which would require a government-issued photo ID each time a voter casts a ballot in person or by mail, say it’s necessary to combat fraud. But critics say voter fraud is close to nonexistent and that the ID requirement could disenfranchise some state residents. We talk about the impact of voter ID laws on elections and voter behavior. Guests: Christian Grose, professor of political science and public policy; director, Democracy and Elections Lab at USC Lindsey Holden, California politics reporter, Politico Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s about to get very hot. A prolonged heat wave is hitting Western states with Bay Area temperatures expected to get 20 to 30 degrees above average, likely shattering temperature records for March. And that’s after what has already been the warmest winter on record for most of the West. We’ll talk with climate scientist Daniel Swain about this unusual ‘heat dome’ and what it could mean for our already meager snowpack, the coming wildfire season and our water supply. Guests: Daniel Swain, climate scientist, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 98th Academy Awards will honor casting directors for the first time in the ceremony’s history. It’s the first new category in 25 years. We’ll speak with casting directors on the Academy Board of Governors about the joys and challenges of their work — and what it actually entails — before the inaugural “Achievement in Casting” Oscar is handed out on Sunday. Guests: Davia Nelson, radio producer, "The Kitchen Sisters Present" Debra Zane, casting director; governor on the Academy Board for the casting branch John Waters is set to receive San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ film festival Frameline’s eponymous award for his lifelong contributions to queer cinema. We’ll talk with Waters about what makes a great queer film, and the power of movies to challenge the status quo. Guests: John Waters, legendary director of works including "Hairspray" (1988), "Pink Flamingos" (1972) and "Polyester" (1981) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There was a period of time about five years ago that came to be known as the Great Resignation, when workers quit their jobs en masse. The pandemic forced many people to reconsider different aspects of life, especially work. Many workers took that time as an opportunity to reinvent themselves or chase a dream they had long neglected. So, what happened to those who took a big risk? We’ll talk with people who made major career pivots after 2020 about how it’s played out and discuss whether workers still have the freedom to pursue their dreams in this economy. Guests: Simone Stolzoff, independent journalist, designer and consultant; author, "The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work" and upcoming "How to Not Know: The Value of Uncertainty in a World that Demands Answers" Azikiwee Anderson, founder and owner, Rize Up bakery Aki Ito, chief correspondent, Business Insider Alex Kniess, lead guide and owner, Wilder Walks - a company that organizes backpacking trips in the wilderness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The World Cup may be three months away, but it’s already making news. Iran, which was scheduled to play its first match in Los Angeles, announced Wednesday that it will not participate in the tournament — the first time that’s happened since 1950. And the Iran news is likely just the first geopolitical shakeup of the 2026 World Cup. With the United States, Mexico and Canada sharing hosting duties, the games could become a flashpoint for tariffs, visas and more. “Men in Blazers” host Roger Bennett previews what’s to come. Guests: Roger Bennett, author, "We Are the World (Cup): A Personal History of the World's Greatest Sporting Event"; co-host, "Men in Blazers" podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Supreme Court invalidated a tranche of Trump’s tariffs last month, businesses around the country and world began clamoring for a refund. To date, 2,000 lawsuits from businesses seeking refunds have been filed, and reports estimate that the administration may owe $175 billion in refunds to the 300,000 entities that were slapped with the now-illegal tax. We talk about how local businesses are responding, the impact on consumers, and how despite this court ruling, tariffs are here to stay. Guests: Zoe Tillman, senior reporter covering law and politics, Bloomberg News Alfred Mai, owner, ASM Games; co-inventor of the card games "Do You Really Know Your Family?" and "These Cards Will Get You Drunk" Daniel Desrochers, international trade reporter, Politico Lauren Crabbe, co-founder and co-owner, Andytown Coffee Deborah Baldini, owner, Biordi - retailer based in North Beach that sells imported Italian decor and art Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since President Trump’s return to office, his net worth has nearly doubled to an estimated $7 billion. He’s used his office to promote his family’s cryptocurrency businesses, pardoned investors and allies, accepted lavish personal gifts and tipped off oil executives before raiding Venezuela. “The Trump family’s staggering indifference to blurring the lines between politics and corporate interest once again demonstrates how Trump’s presidency is being used to enrich himself and his family rather than serving the needs of the American people,” reports the nonprofit, nonpartisan watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). We talk with CREW president Donald Sherman and investigative journalist Andrea Bernstein about the many ways corruption appears to be occurring in the second Trump Administration. Guests: Andrea Bernstein, Peabody and duPont-Columbia award-winning investigative journalist; author, “American Oligarchs: The Kushners, the Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power"; co-host of four podcasts, including “Trump, Inc.” Donald K. Sherman, president and CEO, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last month’s Super Bowl in Santa Clara drew thousands of visitors to the Bay Area, including some looking to pay for sex. Police set up an operation to stop sex trafficking and found 10 victims who were minors as young as 12 years old. The incident was one of many spotlighting the ongoing problem of child sex trafficking throughout the Bay Area. Survivors and advocates say more needs to be done to protect kids from exploitation, from building awareness to providing resources like therapy and housing. We talk about the prevalence of this crime, efforts to stop it, and the organizations helping survivors. Guests: Sharan Dhanoa, director, South Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking Josh Singleton, lieutenant and commander, Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office Human Trafficking Task Force Aisha Mays, CEO and Founder, Dream Youth Clinics: a nonprofit that provides free health services to young people and survivors of sex trafficking Elizabeth Quiroz, co-founder, Redemption House Bay Area: a nonprofit that assists survivors of human trafficking; Quiroz survived child sex trafficking Viviana Nance, youth leader, Dream Youth Clinics: a nonprofit that provides free health services to young people and survivors of sex trafficking Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthropic sued the U.S. Department of Defense on Monday over its decision to designate the San Francisco AI company a “supply-chain risk to America’s national security.” That’s after the firm refused to let its systems be used for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons. Meanwhile, OpenAI has struck a deal with the Pentagon to deploy its own AI tools – a move that has triggered backlash inside the tech world. We take a close look at the relationship between Silicon Valley and the Pentagon and the ethics and effectiveness of using AI in war. Guests: Paul Scharre, executive vice president, Center for the New American Security; author, "Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," and "Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War" Ro Khanna, U.S. Congressman for California's 17th Congressional District (Silicon Valley) Sheera Frenkel, technology reporter, The New York Times; co-athor, "An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Monday, President Trump declared the war in Iran “very complete” as missile and drone strikes continue. Trump’s comments belie the situation on the ground. In its second week, the war in Iran that began with Israeli and US airstrikes has embroiled the Middle East. Iran has hit targets in Oman, Bahrain, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, among other Middle Eastern states. Oil prices have skyrocketed to over $100 a barrel and Iran has appointed a new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the recently killed supreme leader, who many expect to continue his father’s hardline tendencies. We’ll talk about the war, its impact on international alliances, and what might come next. Guests: Mona Yacoubian, director and senior advisor, Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) Dalia Dassa Kaye, senior fellow, UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations; author, "Enduring Hostility: The Making of America's Iran Policy" Nabih Bulos, Middle East bureau chief, Los Angeles Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist Scott Eden’s new book, “A Killing in Cannabis,” tells the story of a tech industry veteran who set out to make his mark in the newly legal marijuana industry — and how that dream ended with his murder in the Santa Cruz Mountains. We’ll talk with Eden about the crime and what it tells us about the continuing dominance of the cannabis black market. What do you think it would take to fix California’s cannabis marketplace? Guests: Scott Eden, investigative reporter; author, "A Killing in Cannabis: A True Story of Love, Murder and California Weed" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Betty Reid Soskin was a civil rights pioneer, musician, and the nation’s oldest park ranger when, at the age of 100, she retired from Richmond’s Rosie the Riveter museum where she was dedicated to keeping experiences of Black Americans and women in the forefront of the historical narrative. She worked in the segregated homefront during World War II, was among the first Black families to integrate Walnut Creek, and she ran one of the first Black-owned record stores in the Bay Area. She died in December at 104 years old and as part of our Bay Area Legends series, we’ll listen back to Forum’s interviews with Soskin over the years and talk with those who loved her and worked with her. Guests: Bob Reid, musician activist and Betty Reid Soskin's son Kelli English, program manager, National Park Service, was Betty Reid Soskin's supervisor at the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices