KQED's Forum

“Gentle parenting” is generally described as parenting your child without shame, blame or punishment. It has gained traction in recent years, driven in large part by social media. Fans of the approach say it’s all about treating kids with empathy and respect, a stark contrast to the power dynamics of prior generations. But what happens when those well-meaning techniques — modeled so simply in Instagram reels — don’t work with your family? New research is suggesting that gentle parenting may not be so gentle on parents, leading to overwhelm and burnout. We’ll talk with experts about the benefits and limits of gentle parenting. Guests: Mercedes Samudio, licensed clinician and author, "Shame-Proof Parenting: Find Your Unique Parenting Voice, Feel Empowered, and Raise Whole, Healthy Children" Dan Peters, psychologist, parenting expert and host of the podcast “Parent Footprint with Dr. Dan"; author, "Make Your Worrier a Warrior"; co-author, "Bright, Complex Kids" Annie Pezalla, assistant professor, Developmental Psychology and Family Studies, Macalester College. Her recent article in the Conversation is "Gentle parenting can be really hard on parents, new research suggests." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of ink has been spilled about the outflow of workers from San Francisco and the Bay Area but, according to a recent Harvard Business Review article, “In the technology world, San Francisco remains the center. It remains the sun on which the planets orbit.” Those planets include places like Portland, Seattle, and Austin, to which companies and workers decamped during the pandemic. This theory of the “meta city” offers a new way to think about our globalized economy. It also suggests that the fear that San Francisco’s best days have passed is misplaced. We’ll talk about this concept and what it might mean for the city’s economic future… and self-esteem. Guests: Richard Florida, professor at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto; author of "The Rise of the Creative Class" and co-author of the recent Harvard Business Review article, "The Rise of the Meta City" Molly Turner, lecturer and expert on technology startups and cities, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a case with potentially monumental legal and political implications, the U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide if former President Donald Trump is ineligible to appear on the 2024 ballot. Late last year, the Colorado Supreme Court issued an opinion removing him from the state’s primary ballot for his effort to overturn the 2020 election and his incitement of the January 6th riot at the U.S. Capitol. Shortly after, Maine’s Secretary of State followed suit. The Supreme Court will hear arguments on February 8, just days before Colorado is set to mail ballots to voters. We’ll talk about the issues before the Court and we’ll hear from you: should the former president be excluded from the ballot for inciting an insurrection? Guests: Ian Millhiser, senior correspondent, Vox; author, "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." Andrea Scoseria Katz, associate professor of law, Washington University in St. Louis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could 2024 be the year we start wearing computers on our faces en masse? Might scientists cure sickle cell patients and move to geothermal energy? The answer is yes, according to the MIT Technology Review. Each year, the journal publishes a list of its top 10 predictions of technologies that could make a lasting impact in the year to come. This year’s list focuses on advancements in health, green energy and computing. We’ll talk with editors and reporters from the magazine about what technological advances they expect to change our lives, and what technological promises probably won’t pan out. Guests: Will Douglas Heaven, senior editor for AI, MIT Technology Review Antonio Regalado, senior editor for biomedicine, MIT Technology Review Amy Nordrum, executive editor, MIT Technology Review Casey Crownhart, climate reporter, MIT Technology Review Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Poll after poll finds Americans believe the economy is getting worse. Yet, indicators such as low unemployment rates, rising wages and declining inflation tell a different story. Economists agree that the country managed to avoid another recession, but why don’t we feel good about it? Prior to 2020, Americans’ feelings about the economy tracked with objective figures, but more recently perception and reality have diverged, creating a disconnect known as the “vibecession.” We’ll talk about the perception gap, how various populations experience the economy differently and what it all means for the presidential election. Guests: Rachel Siegel, economy reporter, The Washington Post Christian Paz, senior politics reporter, Vox Gilad Edelman, senior editor, The Atlantic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If elected to a second term Donald Trump has promised to carry out “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history” in addition to other harsh approaches to immigration. President Joe Biden, who has long been criticized for continuing many Trump era immigration policies, now faces increasing pressure from both parties to step up enforcement as a record number of migrants are crossing the southern border. We talk with The Atlantic reporter Caitlin Dickerson, who won a 2023 Pulitzer Prize for her immigration reporting, about global migration pressures and the future of US policy. Guests: Caitlin Dickerson, staff writer, The Atlantic; winner, 2023 Pulitzer Prize for her reporting on immigration Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

18 California children are suing the EPA for failing to protect them from climate change. The lawsuit is one of many efforts to hold the fossil fuel industry to account that reporter Dharna Noor highlights in her series for the Guardian US called “Big Oil Uncovered.” We’ll talk to her about the strategies oil and gas companies are using to delay or avoid action on climate change — and the people and policies who are taking them to task. Related link(s): https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/series/big-oil-uncovered Guests: Dharna Noor, fossil fuels and climate reporter, The Guardian US Ethan Elkind, director, the Climate Program at the Center for Law, Energy and the Environment at UC Berkeley School of Law; host, the Climate Break podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year, nearly a quarter of public school students in California were considered “chronically absent” – more than double what it was before the pandemic. Factors such as parent work schedules, poverty, and lack of interest have led millions of students to miss more than 10 percent of the school year. In response, many schools are trying everything from hiring social workers to offering Uber rides and tastier food to bring more kids to the classroom. We’ll talk with experts and school administrators about chronic absenteeism and what they are doing about it. Guests: Carolyn Jones, K-12 education reporter, Calmatters Gloria Corral, president and CEO, Parent Institute for Quality Education Hedy Chang, executive director and founder, Attendance Works - a national initiative that works to curb chronic absenteeism in schools. Chien Wu-Fernandez, associate superintendent, Hayward Unified School District Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since China’s annexation of Tibet in the 1950s, more than 100,000 Tibetans have fled the mountainous region, known as the rooftop of the world. Most of those refugees live with the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India, citizens of what’s considered the Tibetan government in exile. Journalist Amy Yee has been documenting the stories of Tibetans outside Tibet — in Dharamsala, as well as in Australia, Belgium and New York — and their efforts to preserve their culture abroad. We talk to her about the people, places and rituals she chronicles in her new book, “Far From the Rooftop of the World: Travels Among Tibetan Refugees on Four Continents.” Guests: Amy Yee, Bloomberg journalist and author of the new book, “Far from the Rooftop of the World: Travels among Tibetan Refugees on Four Continents” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 25% of Americans identify as having no religious affiliation and that number is on the rise according to Pew Research. While atheists –also called freethinkers, humanists or secularists –are defined by their lack of religious faith, many are still seeking community to ponder life’s existential questions. For those wanting the fellowship and soul searching found in churches, synagogues and mosques without the religion, there are groups like Atheist United which offers an adventure program bringing together atheists to revel in the awe and wonder of nature. We talk to atheists about how they seek community. Guests: Evan Clark, executive director, Atheists United David Diskin, president, California Freethought Day; co-founder, Sacramento chapter of Sunday Assembly Samantha McGuire, national field director, American Atheists, Inc. Arlene Rios, founder, Secular Latinos of San Gabriel Valley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a recent piece for the New Yorker called “The Year of Ozempic,” journalist and physician Dhruv Khullar writes that “we may look back on new weight-loss drugs as some of the greatest advances in the annals of chronic disease.” But the drugs don’t work for everyone, and there are ongoing questions about side effects, costs and availability. We’ll talk with Khullar about his piece and check in with UCSF weight loss doctor Diana Thiara about what we’ve learned about drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy over the past year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before you open your next electricity bill, you might want to brace yourself. PG&E is hiking their rates starting this month, and this one is historic. Bills for the average household are expected to jump $34.50 a month and there could be more rate hikes on the horizon. The increase will fund projects addressing wildfire mitigation, especially an unprecedented attempt to bury power lines in high-risk areas. After the new rate hike, PG&E rates will have doubled over the last 10 years. Is all the new work necessary? Is sticking ratepayers with the bill the only option? We’ll talk with energy and utility experts about what this move means for PG&E and for the rest of us. Guests: Katherine Blunt, energy reporter, Wall Street Journal. Her recent book is "California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric—And What It Means for America’s Power Grid." Meredith Fowlie, professor, UC Berkeley Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics; faculty director at the Energy Institute at Haas Mark Toney, executive director, The Utility Reform Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Manjula Martin fled her West Sonoma home in the summer of 2020 with wildfire raging around her, she realized her go bag was packed for an apocalypse, not a sleepover. She had flashlights, but no toothbrush. Books, but no shampoo. In her debut memoir, “The Last Fire Season,” Martin reflects on how Californians are simultaneously preparing for the end of the world, while also going about their day-to-day lives. “I had little capacity to navigate the everyday experience of living inside a slow decline,” she writes. We talk to Martin about living life in the Pyrocene, the age of fire. Guests: Dhruv Khullar, contributing writer, The New Yorker; practicing physician, Weill Cornell Medicine; assistant professor, Weill Cornell Medical College. Diana Thiara, medical director, UCSF Weight Loss Management Program Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every year KQED food editor Luke Tsai publishes a list of his favorite dishes that he tried that year, in part to inspire the rest of us to up our culinary game. In 2023, his list included Korean-style sourdough toast from Rize Up Bakery, braised oxtails from Haitian restaurant T’Chaka, and the mezze brunch board from Palestinian restaurant Lulu. For this installment of All You Can Eat, our regular series exploring the Bay Area’s food cultures, we’ll talk with Luke and other Bay Area food writers about their best dishes from 2023 and recommendations for what you should eat in the new year. And, we want to hear from you: Is there a new dish that you ate in a restaurant or cooked that you can’t stop thinking about or telling your friends to try? And what is the meal you want to try in 2024? Guests: Luke Tsai, food editor, KQED Arts & Culture Elena Kadvany, food writer, San Francisco Chronicle Lauren Saria, editor, Eater SF Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Time flies. Time is money. Time waits for no one. There is no shortage of aphorisms about time because we are consumed by the minutes, hours, days and years that constitute a life. We want to use time efficiently; we want to get the most out of it; we feel guilty wasting it. But maybe we should reclaim our relationship with time. That’s what co-hosts Becca Rashid and Ian Bogost argue for in the latest season of the Atlantic’s popular “How To” podcast series. In “How to Keep Time,” Rashid and Bogost examine whether hacks to be more productive work, how to optimize “free” time and why we struggle to comfortably do nothing. Set your clock and join us. Guests: Becca Rashid, co-host and producer, the Atlantic Magazine podcast "How to Keep Time" Ian Bogost, co-host, the Atlantic Magazine podcast "How to Keep Time." Bogost is a contributing editor at the Atlantic and a professor in arts and sciences at Washington University in St. Louis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Our experience as humans make it challenging to grasp the conditions that occur inside the planet,” writes scientist Dr. Sabine Stanley. “There’s just nothing like it in our everyday experience.” Stanley has dedicated her career to uncovering the mysterious inner workings of Earth and other planets in our solar system. Below a planet’s surface can be a swirling world of wonder from magnetism, rotation, and volcanos. Stanley explores what makes planets tick in her new book What’s Hidden Inside Planets. We talk to Stanley. Guests: Dr. Sabine Stanley, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Planetary Physics; fellow, Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute at Johns Hopkins University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I am searching for the soul-family from whom I descend.” That’s how former U.S. poet laureate Tracy K. Smith describes the impulse animating her latest book “To Free the Captives,” a chronicle of her endeavors to learn more about her father’s ancestors and the challenges they faced in the deep south of the early 20th century, born as they were “into a nation intent upon their diminishment and inured to their dying.” We talk to Smith about the histories she unearthed and what they reveal to her about herself, her family and a nation. Guests: Tracy K. Smith, poet; professor of English and of African and African American Studies, Harvard University. Her latest book is "To Free the Captives: A Plea for the American Soul." She served as the 22nd Poet Laureate of the United States from 2017 to 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may think that winter is a time when a garden lies fallow, earth upturned and waiting for spring. But there is a lot to do in a winter garden, particularly in our California climate. There is fertilizing, pruning, and even nurturing seedlings for spring. At this moment, when the days are shorter and the world feels darker, tending a garden can settle our mind and also remind us about the promise of regeneration. We’ll talk about the wonders of the winter garden, and hear from you: what’s happening in your garden right now? Guests: Tess Taylor, poet and gardener, Taylor edited the poetry anthology, "Leaning Toward Light: Poems for Gardens & the Hands that Tend Them" Flora Grubb, co-owner, Flora Grubb Gardens in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and Grubb & Nadler Nurseries Maya Blow, founder and owner, Soul Flower Farm based in El Sobrante Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For almost as long as there’s been a New York Times Book Review — that is, since 1896 — their book editors have named the annual standouts of the many, many, many books they read. And for the past two decades, they’ve named the 10 Best Books of the year, recognizing some of the most inventive and well-crafted works of fiction and nonfiction. 2023’s standouts include a dystopian satire, a “journey through the deep state” and an account of one house and its inhabitants over 300 years. Editor Gilbert Cruz joins us to share the 10 best, why they’re worth a read — and the year-long process that goes into selecting them. And we’ll hear from you: What was your favorite book released this year? Guests: Gilbert Cruz, editor, The New York Times Book Review Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every day, first responders in the Bay Area are straining to help people struggling with addiction. Firefighters and paramedics respond to emergency calls for people acting erratically or overdosing on drugs. Nurses administer care when they arrive at hospitals. Then, a network of social workers and counselors try to intervene with services. Many of those workers see their jobs as crucial, but also psychologically draining and frustrating as the crisis becomes even more dire. San Francisco officials are already predicting that 2023 will set a record for the highest number of drug overdose deaths. We’ll talk with frontline workers about their experiences and how they see the region’s addiction crisis. Guests: Audrey Fisher, registered nurse, psychiatric emergency services, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center Brittany Banis Buckley, stabilization supervisor for the Opiate Treatment Outpatient Program, San Francisco General Hospital Sam Gebler, firefighter and paramedic. He serves as vice president of San Francisco Fire Fighters Local 798. Claudia Mendez, behavioral health clinician, San Francisco Department of Public Health Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the war between Russia and Ukraine drags on without any clear momentum on either side, Republicans in Congress are balking at more U.S. aid to defeat Putin, while the Biden Administration pursues a deal that would include tougher border enforcement. We’ll discuss the standoff over Ukraine funding in Congress and get the latest on what’s happening on the battlefield as winter arrives. Guests: Steven Pifer, affiliate, Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University; former ambassador to Ukraine and senior director, National Security Council in the Clinton administration Joan Greve, senior political reporter, The Guardian Nanette Barragán, democratic congresswoman, represents California's 44th congressional district in Los Angeles County; chair, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The magazine Mother Jones and the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR), which produces the podcast Reveal, will be merging. Based in the Bay Area, the two news organizations both work on a nonprofit model and are known for their deeply reported investigative pieces. The two organizations share a long and collaborative history, and have done joint stories in the past such as the 2021 piece on sugar plantations that led the U.S. government to ban imports from the company in question. We’ll talk to the leaders of both news outlets about their plans and what the merger means for local and national journalism. Guests: Clara Jeffery, editor in chief, Mother Jones Al Letson, host, Center for Investigative Reporting's radio show and podcast "Reveal" Robert Rosenthal, CEO, Center for Investigative Reporting Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Vatican announced Monday that Catholic priests will be allowed to bless the unions of same sex couples. It’s seen as an important step toward a more inclusive approach to LGBTQ+ church members, but is not the same as a marriage sacrament, which is a formal ceremonial rite. The Vatican emphasized it does not amend “the traditional doctrine of the church about marriage” and should not be connected to a civil union or marriage-like ceremony. Still, it’s being cheered by more liberal members of the Church as a step in the right direction. We’ll examine Pope Francis’ new position and the reaction to it. Guests: Michael O'Loughlin, national correspondent and associate editor, America: The Jesuit Review; former reporter on the Catholic church, Boston Globe and Crux; author, "Hidden Mercy: AIDS, Catholics and the Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear" Harriet Ryan, investigative reporter, Los Angeles Times; author, "The fight to move the Catholic Church in America to the right — and the little-known O.C. lawyer behind it" Philip Pullella, vatican correspondent, Reuters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Large corporations have quietly bought large collections of homes in California, mostly for use as rental properties, often hidden behind complex networks of shell companies. A Sacramento appraiser has begun to crack the code, revealing more than ten thousand properties in California owned by one company, Invitation Homes. He joins us, with other experts, to discuss the extent of corporate home ownership across the state and its impact on renters, homebuyers, and the real estate market. Guests: Alex Lee, assemblymember, California State Assembly - he represents California’s 24th Assembly District which includes the Alameda County communities of Fremont, Newark, and Sunol, and the Santa Clara County communities of Milpitas and San Jose Ryan Lundquist, residential appraiser and housing analyst, Sacramento area Alana Semuels, economic correspondent, TIME magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Republicans’ majority in the House down to just three votes, control of Congress is very much up in the air next year. And once again the road to a majority for Democrats runs through California. Nonpartisan analysts say five House seats are up for grabs, all of them currently held by Republicans. We’ll check in on those races, plus the hotly contested race to replace Palo Alto Democrat Anna Eshoo who is retiring after 30 years in Washington. Guests: David Wasserman, senior editor & elections analyst, The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan publication that monitors congressional races. Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown show Ivy Cargile, associate professor in Political Science, California State University Bakersfield Paul Mitchell, vice-president, Political Data, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sea-level rise is already causing harm in the Bay Area, but it’s hard to picture what’s yet to come. Some Bay Area artists are using their crafts to imagine what our region might look like as waters continue to rise: drowned cities, hills turned into islands, and more commuting by boat. These visions of the future are manifested through graphic images, art installations and storytelling. For our latest installment of Climate Fix, Forum’s regular collaboration with KQED’s Science team, we’ll hear from the artists grappling with sea-level rise. Guests: Ezra David Romero, climate reporter, KQED Kristina Hill, director, Institute for Urban and Regional Development, College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley Ana Teresa Fernández, artist, creator of the "On the Horizon" art installation that has been displayed on beaches in California, Mexico and at the San Francisco Cliff House. Nicole Gluckstern, playwright and director of "The Forever Wave," an audio play set in San Francisco in 2070 after major sea-level rise. Brian Stokle, urban planner and cartographer, co-created a series of poster maps that depict the Bay Area. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The end of the year is a time of reflection, and for some, a chance to reassess our priorities. But if the goal is greater happiness, says author and Harvard professor Arthur C. Brooks, we may be going about New Year’s resolutions all wrong. It’s great to try and lose weight or save more money, but research shows that practicing things like forgiveness and gratitude are actually more likely to increase overall happiness, he writes. Brooks joins us to talk about his new book, Build the Life You Want, co-authored with Oprah Winfrey, which offers strategies to increase happiness and well being, even in the face of hardship. Guests: Arthur C. Brooks, professor, Harvard; columnist, The Atlantic; co-author (with Oprah Winfrey) of "Build the Life You Want." His other books include "From Strength to Strength." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the season of craft fairs, when artisans come out from their studios, or from a corner of an apartment stuffed with art supplies, and try to sell what they’ve made. We sit down with local craftspeople and creators to discuss the world of crafts, and what it means to be an artisan today in the Bay Area, where culture is rich but finances are always tight. We talk about hobbies, obsessions, side hustles, and why they’re such important parts of our lives and our community. Guests: Yina Kim, artist; storyteller; maker; founder, ODSY Workshop. She works and lives in the Sunset in San Francisco. Sam Saavedra, chain stitch embroiderer; owner, Mira Flores in Oakland. Jolie Karno, wood turner; instructor, The Crucible; founder, Lower 48 Viviana Matsuda, ceramicist; owner, MUD WITCH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 28th United Nations climate conference, COP28, ended Wednesday in Dubai with an agreement among nearly 200 nations to transition away from fossil fuels and achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. California took the stage at the talks and joined subnational governments in task forces, including one committed to reducing methane emissions. We’ll talk about what the conference accomplished and where it fell short and analyze California’s role as a leader — and oil-producer — in fighting the climate crisis. Guests: Wade Crowfoot, secretary, California Natural Resources Agency Vijay Vaitheeswaran, global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When he opened his popular and award-winning restaurant Rintaro, Sylvan Mishima Brackett wanted to serve “the kind of food you’d expect if the Bay Area were a region of Japan.” At Rintaro, you’ll find dishes like yakitori brushed with tare sauce and seared on a binchotan grill, chicken and cheese katsu atop snowy piles of cabbage, and toothsome udon noodles piled in a clear, umami-packed broth. Now you can try to recreate these dishes that have brought raves from customers and critics at home with the “Rintaro” cookbook, which the New York Times just named one of the best cookbooks of the year. Brackett and his co-author Jessica Battilana join us to talk about all things Rintaro. Guests: Sylvan Mishima Brackett, owner and chef of Rintaro; former creative director of Chez Panisse Jessica Battilana, co-author, "Rintaro: Japanese Food from an Izakaya in California. Battilana is also the author of "Repertoire: All The Recipes You Need" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What was your movie of the year? Maybe you were one of many who donned hot pink at the theaters. Maybe your movie of the year is one that just came out, or one you felt never got its due. 2023 was a weird year for movies: the SAG strike prevented actors from promoting their work; Marvel and Disney flicks underperformed; few expected “Barbie” to be the massive box office hit it was. We hear from critics about their favorite films of the year and the throughlines that connected them. From multifaceted, new and unexpected storylines about women, to examinations of evil and the everyday way it manifests, the best and worst of 2023’s movies have a lot in common. Join us to share the film that stood out to you this year, and to get ideas for movies to watch over the holidays. Guests: Alissa Wilkinson, movie critic, New York Times Dave Schilling, contributing writer, LA Times Image Kristen Meinzer, co-host, the podcast "Movie Therapy with Rafer and Kristen" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hate crimes against Jews and Muslims in the U.S. are reaching all time highs according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, three college students wearing Palestinian scarves were shot in Vermont, synagogues have been targets of gunshots and vandalism, and reports of physical assaults against Jews and Muslims are rapidly rising. Fears of physical violence have many wondering if they should remove headscarves and yarmulkes. We’ll talk to experts about the rise in hate and how Muslims and Jews around the region are coping. Guests: Dov Waxman, political science professor, UCLA; director, UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies; Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Chair, UCLA Israel Studies Maha Elgenaidi, founder and executive director, Islamic Networks Group - a nonprofit focused on building understanding of Muslim and other marginalized groups Ruth Ferguson, activist; co-writer, San Francisco Chronicle op-ed "As San Francisco Muslims and Jews, We've Always Felt Safe in Our City. Until Now." Nadia Rahman, founder, Rahman Consulting. Rahman co-wrote the San Francisco Chronicle opinion essay, "As San Francisco Muslims and Jews, We've Always Felt Safe in Our City. Until Now." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Health officials in Gaza report that at least 18,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its bombardment of the region, in retaliation for Hamas’s October 7 attack that left 1200 Israelis dead and 240 more taken hostage. The war has created increasingly desperate conditions in Gaza as its health care system collapses, food and water shortages worsen and the vast majority of residents remain displaced. The humanitarian situation is leading to growing international calls for a ceasefire and demands from U.S. officials that Israel do more to protect civilians while the war continues. We’ll learn more about conditions on the ground in Gaza and whether and to what extent Israel and Hamas are violating international rules of armed conflict. Guests: David Scheffer, senior fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; former U.S. ambassador-at-large for war crimes, Clinton Administration; contributor, International Criminal Court; professor of practice, Arizona State University Bel Trew, chief international correspondent, The Independent Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the past year, Bay Area artists including Chicana songstress La Doña, homegrown rapper and producer Afterthought and Oakland indie singer-songwriter Madeline Kenney dropped new albums proving that our region remains a hotbed of musical talent. The genres and styles of music coming out of the Bay also reflect the diversity of thoughts and backgrounds of our region’s people. For this hour of Forum, we’re teaming up with KQED music writers to showcase their favorite albums of 2023 from Bay Area artists you need to have on your playlist. And, we’ll bring you a special live performance from one of the featured artists. Guests: Nastia Voynovskaya, associate editor, KQED Arts Pendarvis "Pen" Harshaw, columnist, KQED Arts; host, KQED's "Rightnowish" podcast Alan Chazaro, food reporter, KQED; poet; educator Afterthought, San Francisco rapper and producer, the 2023 album "Communal Healing" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Millions of Californians rely on CalFresh’s benefits to feed their families. But ever since emergency federal contributions to the program ended back in April, food banks across the state say they’re serving record numbers. One in five Californians is food insecure, according to a CalMatters report published in August, but getting accurate accounting presents its own challenges, as various ethnic and racial groups may be underreporting due to stigmas they associate with aid. We’ll find out what those challenges are and discuss what resources are available for all Californians. Guests: Jeanne Kuang, reporter, CalMatters Amanda C McClain, assistant professor, San Diego State University Betzabel Estudillo, director of engagement, Nourish CA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former U.S. housing secretary and presidential candidate Julian Castro joins us to talk about his new role as CEO of the San Francisco-based Latino Community Foundation. The foundation, which has raised more than $100 million in the last decade, is the largest statewide organization that supports Latino-centered programs. Castro has spent most of his career in Texas, including his tenure as mayor of San Antonio, but he and his twin brother, Joaquin, earned their undergraduate degrees at Stanford University. We’ll talk with Castro about what he will bring to his new job and his vision to expand the foundation outside of California. Guests: Julián Castro, newly appointed CEO, Latino Community Foundation; former U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary and former Democratic presidential candidate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Tumultuous” is how the New Yorker described the podcast industry this year. “Pretty rough” is how Vulture put it. Amid mass layoffs that forced many beloved shows to end, some have described 2023 as the year big money left podcasting. And yet, critics and fans seem to agree that the best podcasts of this year exemplify the medium — showcasing intimate storytelling that has something new to say about our world. Personal reckonings with grief, conversion therapy and body image. True crime shows that focus less on exploitative murder mysteries and more on community impacts. Our panel of voracious podcast listeners and makers join us to share their top podcasts of the year — and we’ll hear yours. What podcast did you love this year? Why? Guests: Wil Williams, CEO, Hughouse Productions Skye Pillsbury, author, The Squeeze newsletter, which reports on the podcast industry Ronald Young Jr., senior producer and owner, ohitsBigRon studios; host of the podcasts "Leaving the Theater" and "Weight for It" (which was named one of the best podcasts of 2023 by the New York Times) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Legendary Arhoolie Records founder Chris Strachwitz transversed the United States and Mexico for decades recording traditional roots music and unknown artists. The El Cerrito-based producer, who died last year, was known for his ear for music, but he also had an eye for capturing images. More than 150 of those photos documenting his travels and recording sessions are collected in a new book, “Arhoolie Records Down Home Music: The Stories and Photographs of Chris Strachwitz.” Co-author and veteran music journalist Joel Selvin joins us to talk about Strachwitz’s art and legacy. Guests: Joel Selvin, San Francisco-based music journalist and author. His latest book is "Arhoolie Records: Down Home Music" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Humanitarian conditions in Gaza have become increasingly desperate as Israeli forces intensified bombardments in the southern part of the region this week, now leaving most of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents displaced, thousands dead and electricity, food and water in short supply. Two months after Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel, we take stock of the war that’s ensued, its devastating impact on civilians and what a path toward a peaceful settlement could look like. Guests: Steve Coll, staff writer, The New Yorker; former dean, Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University. His books include "Ghost Wars," which won a Pulitzer Prize. Adam Goldman, reporter covering national security, New York Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you get to the part of the ballot that asks you to vote for a local judge, have you ever thought, “am I qualified to make this decision?” While federal court trial and appellate judges are appointed and enjoy lifetime tenures, state court judges often have to run for election or re-election, and most voters have scant information on the candidates. In California, you can run to be a judge if you have been a lawyer for ten years, no trial experience necessary. And while we expect judges to be neutral, can they be when they have to run for office and take campaign donations? In our next installment of our “Doing Democracy” series, we look at what it means when judges have to stand for election. Guests: Michael S Kang, professor, Northwestern School of Law. Kang is the co-author of "Free to Judge: The Power of Campaign Money in Judicial Elections." He served on the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell, retired judge, Superior Court of California. She is the author of "Her Honor: My Life on the Bench...What Works, What's Broken and How to Change It" Teresa Johnson, incoming president, Bar Association of San Francisco. Johnson is a partner at the law firm Arnold & Porter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Distinguishing facts from unreliable or false information online is difficult for many of us. And the confusion affects all age groups, political parties and demographics, according to Stanford Professor Sam Wineburg, who writes that “if the internet is the information superhighway, then none of us were given driver’s ed manuals.” Wineburg’s new book, co-authored by Mike Caulfield, plans to fill that gap. It’s called “Verified: How To Think Straight, Get Duped Less, and Make Better Decisions About What To Believe Online.” We talk to Wineburg about how to spot misinformation, identify untrustworthy sources and become a more savvy internet user. Guests: Sam Wineburg, professor of education, Stanford University; author, "Verified: How To Think Straight, Get Duped Less, and Make Better Decisions About What To Believe Online" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former president Trump has been saying very inflammatory things in public speeches and posts lately. He’s advocated violence, praised autocratic leaders and called his political opponents “vermin” that need to be “rooted out”. We’ll analyze Trump’s recent campaign rhetoric and discuss how the press and social media platforms are handling it all. We talk with experts about what we have learned from past mistakes in covering Trump and rooting out fake news, and how we can do better. Guests: Lyna Bentahar, reporter, New York Times; co-author, article "Donald Trump’s 2024 Campaign, in His Own Menacing Words" Ian Prasad Philbrick, reporter, New York Times; co-author, article "Donald Trump’s 2024 Campaign, in His Own Menacing Words" Emily Dreyfuss, director, Shorenstein Center News Lab; 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

When was the last time you spent a weekend listening to a piece of music for hours on end? For gamers, that’s not an uncommon practice. Along with story, graphics, and gameplay, the music plays a vital role in the gaming experience, helping to immerse the player and provide clues on where the action is headed. But despite the sophistication of video game scores, their composers have not been appreciated within our traditional classical music institutions. Jennifer Miller Hammel, a classically trained vocalist and pianist, grew up playing video games and she’s set out to correct that by curating “Arcade,” a new streaming channel on Classical California devoted to video game music. We’ll play some of her favorite pieces and hear why there’s a new generation of classical music fans to be found among gamers. Guests: Jennifer Miller Hammel, program host, Classical California, KUSC Morning Show, The Opera Show, and Arcade Inon Zur, composer. Zur's scores include Starfield, Fallout, Dragon Age, and Syberia video game series. Website URL: www.inonzur.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Concord has joined a growing list of Bay Area cities testing guaranteed income programs. The East Bay city’s model will provide 120 families with $500 a month for a year. More than 20 similar pilot programs have sprung up in the Bay Area in the last few years after more state and local officials allocated money to fund them. That has made California a hotbed for guaranteed income experiments. Advocates say that “no-strings attached” funding puts participants on a path to financial security because they often use the money to cover basic necessities, pay off debt, and build up savings. We’ll talk about the latest guaranteed income programs, what we’ve learned from the pilots, and how state support is changing local experiments. Guests: Natalie Foster, president and co-founder, Economic Security Project; senior fellow, The Aspen Institute Future of Work Initiative Jessica Travenia, director, Richmond Rapid Response Fund. They are preparing to launch the Contra Costa chapter of the Abundant Birth Project, a guaranteed income pilot for pregnant moms. Julia Quintero, ELEVATE Concord project manager, Monument Impact. They are a nonprofit organization that is administering a guaranteed income program in Concord Amy Castro, associate professor of the School of Social Policy and Practice & co-founder and faculty director of the Center for Guaranteed Income Research, University of Pennsylvania Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, died on Friday. She was 93. A Ronald Reagan appointee who retired from the high court in 2006, O’Connor was known as a swing vote in contentious cases on abortion, religious liberty and affirmative action. She once wrote, “Rare indeed is the legal victory — in court or legislature — that is not a careful byproduct of an emerging social consensus.” We’ll talk about her influence and legacy. Guests: Melissa Murray, professor of law, NYU School of Law; co-host, the Strict Scrutiny podcast Dahlia Lithwick, senior editor and legal correspondent, Slate; host, Amicus podcast; author, "Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America". Website URL: http://www.slate.com/authors.dahlia_lithwick.html Cristina Rodriguez, professor of law, Yale Law School; former clerk for Justice O'Connor during the Supreme Court's 2002 term Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Fei-Fei Li is a literal visionary. Her groundbreaking work on ImageNet, a vast visual recognition database, helped propel artificial intelligence at a critical moment. As one of the key innovators and thinkers in AI, Li has argued for a human-centered artificial intelligence that augments people’s capabilities instead of displacing them. We talk to Li about her work, her vision for AI and her new memoir, The Worlds I See, in which she recounts her journey as a scientist and immigrant, and how those two roles inform each other. Guests: Fei-Fei Li, professor of Computer Science Department, Stanford University; author, "The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It might be the most unusual event of this campaign season: California Governor Gavin Newsom is set to face off Thursday night against Governor – and GOP presidential candidate – Ron DeSantis of Florida in a Fox News-sponsored debate. What will this clash of two rising political stars from two of the nation’s most populous states reveal about issues like abortion, immigration, homelessness and our political moment? We’ll bring you a recap and analysis of the debate, which is being held in Georgia and moderated by Fox host Sean Hannity. Guests: Melanie Mason, senior political correspondent covering California politics, Politico Joe Garofoli, senior political writer, San Francisco Chronicle Taryn Luna, staff writer covering California politics, LA Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, the FBI indicted a major local real estate developer for bribing three San Francisco officials to obtain permits and expedite inspections. This episode is just the latest in a series of corruption scandals that began in 2020 and brought down officials in the Department of Power and Water, the Department of Building Inspection, and the city’s public utilities commission, among others. Is there something systemic or cultural that leaves San Francisco more vulnerable to corruption by public officials? We talk to experts and hear from you. Guests: Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, reporter/producer covering politics, KQED News Jason McDaniel, associate professor of political science, San Francisco State University. He teaches urban politics and campaigns and elections. JoAnne Speers, principal, S2 Ethics Strategies. Speers is the former chief executive of the Institute for Local Government and former general counsel of League of California Cities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beneath the surface of a coffee bean or a red pepper flake or a nutmeg seed — or any of the plants we rely on for medicine, food and drink — lie a “bevy of poisons,” writes UC Berkeley evolutionary biologist Noah Whiteman. But the chemical compounds that treat our infections, spice up our meals and calm our nerves didn’t evolve for our benefit. Instead, plants, fungi and even some small animals produce toxins to defend themselves against predators, attract pollinators and engage in battles of chemical warfare. We’ll talk about the biology and influence of “nature’s pharmacopeia” with Whiteman, whose new book is “Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature’s Toxins — From Spices to Vices.” Guests: Noah Whiteman, professor of Integrative Biology and Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley; director, Essig Museum of Entomology; author, “Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature's Toxins — from Spices to Vices” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the last several years, a cult industrial complex has emerged to capitalize on Americans’ fascination with groups such as Jonestown, the Manson Family, the Branch Davidians, and the Rajneeshpuram community in Wasco County, Ore., argues UC Berkeley professor Poulomi Saha. But in her highly sought-after class called Cults in Popular Culture, they emphasize that it’s important to look beyond the sensational examples and recognize how cult-like behavior shows up in many facets of our lives and society. We’ll talk with Saha about why some groups are labeled as cults, why people are drawn to them, and what cults reveal about spirituality and culture in America. Guests: Poulomi Saha, associate professor of English and co-director of the Program in Critical Theory, UC Berkeley. Saha teaches a course called Cults in Popular Culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices