KQED's Forum

The artificial intelligence-powered image generator DALL-E 2 can take any words you type in — like "purple kittens snorkeling in the style of Monet" — and create that as a picture. There are some company-imposed limitations to what you can tell the AI to make: you can’t upload faces and you can’t generate images of public figures. But as fake images and videos become easier to generate— by anyone — what does the new landscape of online misinformation look like? Deepfake expert Hany Farid joins us to share his fears and hopes for this brave new world of image generation. Related link(s): Tom Cruise Deepfake TikTok Guests: Hany Farid, professor with a joint appointment in electrical engineering & computer sciences and the School of Information, UC Berkeley. Lama Ahmad, policy researcher, OpenAI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sonoma native Ada Limón sees her work as the nation’s new poet laureate as “elevating and promoting the expansiveness of poetry.” Limón's poems cover a huge range of subjects, from groundhogs to grief. “Poetry allows us to breathe,” she said in an interview after being selected as poet laureate. “I really truly believe with my whole body in the power of poetry and in the power of poetry to heal and bring together communities.” Limón joins us to talk about her work, her love of poetry, and how she’s reimagining America’s relationship to poetry. Related link(s): The Contract Says: We'd Like the Conversation to be Bilingual A New National Anthem National Poetry Month 2022: Ada Limón Reads “A Good Story” Guests: Ada Limón, poet, 24th Poet Laureate of the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the pandemic, experts seemed to have plans on how to open up bars, malls, and airports, but no real idea about how to open schools consistently across the country and how to put children’s needs first. In her new book “The Stolen Year,” education reporter Anya Kamenetz offers a thorough autopsy of how Covid unfolded for kids. Beginning with the early days of the pandemic, Kamenetz examines how the intense pressure Covid put on schools exposed the inequities woven into the fabric of American life, including the impact of racism, childhood poverty and hunger, inadequate childcare, and dysfunctional politics, among other issues. We’ll talk with Kamenetz about what went well, what went wrong, and where to go next. Guests: Anya Kamenetz, education reporter and author, "The Stolen Year: How Covid Changed Children's Lives, and Where We Go Now," "The Art of Screen Time: How Your Family Can Balance Digital Media and Real Life" and "The Test: How to Survive Our National Obsession with Standardized Testing." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People often like to introduce novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah as a writer who tackles the traumas and aftereffects of colonialism, especially in East Africa. But in accepting the Nobel Prize for literature last year, he made space for the fullness of all lives, not least those living in traumatic places. “Writing cannot be just about battling and polemics, however invigorating and comforting that can be,” he said. “Writing is not about one thing, not about this issue or that, or this concern or another, and since its concern is human life in one way or another, sooner or later cruelty and love and weakness become its subject.” We’ll talk to Gurnah about his gorgeous novel "After Lives" which is being published in the U.S. this month. Guests: Abdulrazak Gurnah, novelist and author, "After Lives" - winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brittney Griner, the WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, remains detained in Russia after a court there sentenced her earlier this month to nine years in prison for carrying a small amount of hashish oil into the country. Her conviction and sentence came after a month-long trial widely denounced as a sham designed to give Russia political leverage over the United States. Griner’s case, painful in its injustice, is not unique: foreign governments are unlawfully holding dozens of Americans, and government hostage-taking is on the rise. We’ll talk about the impacts on families of political prisoners and what it may take to bring Griner and other Americans home. Guests: Jason Rezaian, global opinions writer, The Washington Post; author, "Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison–Solitary Confinement, a Sham Trial, High-Stakes Diplomacy, and the Extraordinary Efforts It Took to Get Me Out" Danielle Gilbert, Rosenwald fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy & International Security, Dartmouth College Kierra Johnson, executive director, National LGBTQ Task Force Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the first coffee shop or food truck rolls into a neighborhood, many locals have come to fear what might be coming next: rising housing prices and displacement. Restaurants, farmers markets and coffee shops are often a harbinger of gentrification. Some restaurateurs, and the food critics that send customers their way, have been grappling with the role they play in disrupting longstanding communities, and what they can do to create a positive presence in a community. As part of our regular series, All You Can Eat, with KQED food editor Luke Tsai, we’ll talk with food critics and food professionals about gentrification, food and community. Guests: Cesar Hernandez, associate restaurant critic, San Francisco Chronicle Luke Tsai, food editor, KQED Mona Holmes, reporter, Eater Los Angeles Reem Assil, chef, Reem's California; author, "Arabiyya: Recipes From the Life of An Arab in Diaspora" Jay Foster, chef, restauranteur and marketplace general manager, La Cocina - non profit that helps immigrant women formalize their food businesses Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who guided the U.S. through the AIDS and Covid-19 pandemics, announced on Monday that he’s stepping down in December as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and as chief medical advisor to President Biden. Meanwhile, CDC chief Rochelle Walensky has announced plans to overhaul the agency, telling staff in an internal video last week that it's "responsible for some pretty dramatic, pretty public mistakes" in its handling of Covid-19. We talk to UCSF's Dr. Bob Wachter about both events and hear your reflections. Guests: Dr. Robert "Bob" Wachter, professor and chair of the Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco Michael Specter, staff writer, The New Yorker; author of "Fauci" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill on Monday that would have allowed San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles to test out supervised drug use centers. New York City is home to two such centers that are operated and funded by nonprofits. Advocates say those centers have saved dozens of lives of people who otherwise may have overdosed on city streets while critics say they encourage drug addiction. We’ll discuss whether advocates will keep pushing for safe injection sites in California and how effectively those centers have functioned in other places. Guests: Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host, KQED's Political Breakdown show Heather Knight, columnist, San Francisco Chronicle Caroline Lewis, health reporter, WNYC/New York Public Radio Stephanie Nolen, global health reporter, New York Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It may seem a bit strange to be talking about [the] rising risk of a California megaflood amidst severe drought. But it’s not as paradoxical as it might seem,” tweeted Daniel Swain, co-lead author of the recently published study in the journal Science Advances, “Climate change is increasing the risk of a California megaflood.” Megastorms fueled by atmospheric rivers could bring more than 16 inches of rainfall across the state in one month. More rain than snow could fall in the Sierra Nevada, leading to extreme runoff. That’s according to the study’s climate models, which estimate that California’s current annual risk of a megaflood is 1 in 50 — with human-caused climate change projected to increase that risk over time. We’ll talk to the scientists behind the report about their findings and how California should respond. Related link(s): “The Coming California Megastorm,” The New York Times Guests: Daniel Swain, climate scientist, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA and The Nature Conservancy of California. Xingying Huang, project scientist, Climate and Global Dynamics Laboratory at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Michael Mierzwa, manager, Floodplain Management Branch, California Department of Water Resources (DWR). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a queer young poet in San Francisco’s underground literary scene, Michelle Tea writes that she thought of pregnancy “the same way I thought of any STD, but with a dose of the movie Alien." But soon after turning 40 she decided to give it a go, seeking a “less traditional, queer, and community-centric mode of making a family” In her new memoir "Knocking Myself Up," the acclaimed author writes about the ups and downs of that journey. She joins us to talk about the book and and the world of LGBTQ pregnancy and parenting. Guests: Michelle Tea, author and poet, her latest book is "Knocking Myself Up: A Memoir of My (In)Fertility." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Separating children was not just a side effect, but the intent,” writes The Atlantic’s Caitlin Dickerson in her recent investigation of the Trump Administration’s Zero Tolerance policy. Border agents separated more than 5000 migrant children from their families under Zero Tolerance, even as policymakers had no plans in place to adequately shelter, care for or even keep track of the surge in children they knew would fall into U.S. custody. We talk to Dickerson about her 18-month look at the origins of the U.S.’s forced separation policy and the bureaucratic machinery that enabled it. Guests: Caitlin Dickerson, staff writer, The Atlantic - author of the investigation "The Secret History of Family Separation." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kaiser Permanente mental health workers across Northern California went on strike this week, calling for an increase in staffing. They say that crushing workloads are causing delays in care and endangering patients. Kaiser says it is the strike that is hurting patients, and points to a nationwide shortage of clinicians. In this hour of Forum we’ll get the latest on the negotiations and the growing demand for mental health services. (If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the 988 suicide hotline. For Kaiser members seeking help accessing care, the California Department of Managed Care Help Center is available at 1-888-466-2219 or www.HealthHelp.ca.gov. If you believe you are experiencing a medical emergency, dial 9-1-1 or go to the nearest hospital.) Guests: Jocelyn Wiener, Health and Mental Health reporter, CalMatters Ilana Marcucci-Morris, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Kaiser Naomi Johnson, Associate Clinical Social Worker, Kaiser Scott Wiener, California state senator, representing San Francisco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The mall is personal,” writes design critic Alexandra Lange in her latest book “Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall.” For denizens of the suburbs, the mall is the place where people got their first jobs, got their first taste of independence goofing around with middle school friends, or bought their first hot dog on a stick. And while often derided by design critics, the mall in its heyday has been immortalized in movies like “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “Clueless,” “Mean Girls,” and more recently “Stranger Things.” With the rise in the online economy, many have heralded the demise of these temples of commerce but malls continue to reinvent themselves. We’ll talk about the cultural and design history of malls and hear from you about your favorite mall memory. Guests: Alexandra Lange, author, “Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall”; design critic; columnist, Bloomberg CityLab Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pandemic has hit the East Bay’s Latino immigrant community disproportionately hard. And to make matters worse, many were unable to access services that were available - things like rent relief, food aid, and help with utility bills. A recent El Tímpano report, produced in collaboration with Latino USA, looks at the consequences of these obstacles as well as community solutions. We’ll discuss the report, the role of language barriers and touch on some of the unique challenges faced by Maya Guatemalans in the East Bay who speak an indigenous language called Mam. Guests: Tania Quintana, program coordinator, Education Super Highway; community organizer, researcher and writer. Madeleine Bair, journalist and founder of El Tímpano. Linda Roman, program specialist, Tech Exchange. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Correction: This episode mentions a video of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sean Hannity that does not exist; the video was manipulated. We apologize for not catching the error on air. The now-unsealed warrant authorizing the search of Donald Trump’s residence last week indicates the FBI is investigating the former president for possible violations of three laws, including the Espionage Act. Eleven sets of classified documents, some of which were marked top-secret, were recovered by the FBI at Mar-a-Lago. We’ll talk about what we can expect next from the Justice Department, recap the defenses and claims made so far by the former president and his team, and analyze how this could play out politically. Guests: Andrew Weissmann, professor of Practice with the Center on the Administration of Criminal Law, New York University School of Law - former federal prosecutor and general counsel to the FBI Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; Co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1969, a group of students, activists and community members in Berkeley transformed a muddy abandoned parking lot into a park. They called it People's Park and ever since, the space has served as a hub for political organizing, culture and community. But throughout its 53 year history, there have been ongoing disputes over the land between the park community and the park’s owner, UC Berkeley. Now, the university has big plans to build housing on the site, which has led to recent clashes between protesters and police. We’ll hear from the UC and opponents of the plan, and we ask our listeners: what should the future of the park look like? Guests: Dan Mogulof, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Public Affairs, University of California, Berkeley Harvey Smith, member of People's Park Historic District Advocacy Group; author of "Berkeley and the New Deal" Supriya Yelimeli, housing and homelessness reporter, Berkeleyside Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"From a modern perspective," writes biographer Alec Nevala-Lee, Buckminster Fuller resembles "a Silicon Valley visionary who was born a half century too soon." But the relentlessly optimistic futurist, entrepreneur and geodesic dome pioneer was also a self-promoter who exaggerated his inventions and failed to credit his collaborators. We’ll talk to Nevala-Lee about Fuller’s scientific and cultural contributions and his complicated legacy. Guests: Alec Nevala-Lee, author, Inventor of the Future: The Visionary Life of Buckminster Fuller Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the pandemic, many people turned to shopping to adapt, cope or relieve stress. Now, some consumers are dealing with buyer’s remorse over items like air fryers, hot tubs, fancy exercise bikes, massive amounts of baking supplies or even new pets. While others have regrets over things they didn’t spend money on such as a home improvement project now that material and labor costs have soared. We talk with experts about why consumers make decisions they later wish they hadn’t and how to manage regret. And, we want to hear your stories of pandemic purchase regrets, write us an email or send a voice memo to [email protected]. Guests: Jorge Barraza, professor of psychology, University of Southern California Aparna Labroo, professor of marketing and consumer psychologist, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“This is it, the end of a story that started in Compton, California, with a little Black girl who just wanted to play tennis,” said Serena Williams in her retirement announcement in Vogue magazine. For nearly three decades, Williams has dominated and transformed the sport of tennis. Williams won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 14 major championships in doubles with her sister, Venus, and four Olympic gold medals. Considered by many to be the GOAT, or greatest of all time, Williams has been an inspiration to a generation of tennis players, and her career has had special resonance for Black women, on and off the court. We’ll talk about her legacy and we want to hear from you: What has Serena Williams meant to you? Guests: Gerry Marzaroti, journalist, New Yorker Magazine; author, "Seeing Serena" Cecil Harris, veteran sports reporter; host, podcast docuseries "All-American: Venus & Serena"; author, "Different Strokes: Serena, Venus, and the Unfinished Black Tennis Revolution," and "Charging the Net: A History of Blacks in Tennis from Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe to the Williams Sisters" Suzette Hackney, deputy editor and national columnist, USA TODAY LZ Granderson, columnist, The Los Angeles Times; host, "Life Out Loud with LZ Granderson" podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a year since the United States’ chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, leaving the Taliban in full control of the country. Thousands of refugees fled the country in fear of the new regime, many ending up in the Bay Area, one of the largest Afghan communities in the US. In this hour, we’ll hear from local Afghans about how evacuees are dealing with challenges like the housing crisis and uncertainty over immigration status. We’ll also get an update on the growing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, which is facing widespread hunger and poverty and a Taliban crackdown on women’s rights. Guests: Joseph Azam, board chair, Afghan-American Foundation - non-partisan non-profit focused on advocating on behalf of Afghan American community Matthieu Aikins, author, "The Naked Don't Fear the Water: An Underground Journey with Afghan Refugees;" contributing writer, the New York Times Magazine Zuhal Bahaduri, executive director and co-founder, The 5ive Pillars Organization Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"My ideas about the Inland Empire have always been seeded with a prickly skepticism" writes Tyrone Beason in the latest installment of his L.A. Times series, "My Country." But as Beason immersed himself in the vast region, he discovered a bygone California of orange trees and wild burros that's drawing more and more people of color who are escaping expensive and predominantly white coastal cities. We'll talk to Beason about his journeys in the Inland Empire and how migration is reshaping the region racially, politically and culturally. Guests: Tyrone Beason, staff writer, Los Angeles Times - His recent piece for the Times is "In the vastness of the Inland Empire, people of color find ‘peace in these troubled times.’" Fatima Nelson, recent Inland Empire transplant; community engagement specialist, UC Riverside’s Center for Social Innovation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mexican singer Silvana Estrada and the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest have at least one thing in common: they both defy genre. The 25-year-old singer from the coastal Mexican state of Veracruz is now on tour promoting her latest album, “Marchita.” Estrada’s music is rooted in jazz, but spans a fusion of musical styles. The summer jazz fest takes a similar approach by making jazz the base, but layering in dozens of other styles such as blues and R&B, salsa, cumbia and folk music from around the world. Estrada is one of headliners who will perform at the 12-stage jazz festival this weekend. She joins us to preview the festival and to talk about how she both embraces and rejects musical traditions. Guests: Silvana Estrada, Mexican singer, will perform at the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2022 on Aug. 13. Betto Arcos, music journalist, curated the Latin Tropical Stage for the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2022. Brendan Rawson, executive director, San Jose Jazz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forty-eight million Americans use Medicare Part D to access their prescription medications, and according to a Department of Health and Human Services study from January of this year, more than 5 million Medicare beneficiaries are struggling to afford those prescriptions. But if enacted, the Inflation Reduction Act could soon bring those prices down. The legislation would give the federal government more bargaining power in Medicare negotiations with pharmaceutical companies and cap out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs for covered Medicare recipients beginning in 2025. We’ll talk about the bill and how it could impact your prescription drug costs. Guests: Juliette Cubanski, deputy director of the Program on Medicare Policy, KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). Astrid Galván, editor, Axios Latino. David Mitchell, founder, Patients For Affordable Drugs, Patients For Affordable Drugs NOW - diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2010. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s estimated that over 8% of adults in the U.S. have ADHD, also known as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. For many adults, life during the pandemic, with its shifts in schedule and intense demand for multi-tasking, made them more aware of disordered feelings, leading them to an ADHD diagnosis. In other instances, parents who are in the process of getting their child diagnosed with ADHD realize that they suffer from many of the same symptoms as their kids. Indeed, ADHD is often underdiagnosed in women and people of color. We’ll look at what it’s like to be diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and how to manage and live with it. Related link(s): HALP at UCSF Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) Guests: Stephen Hinshaw, distinguished professor of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley; professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC San Francisco; author, "Straight Talk about ADHD in Girls" - released this month, and "Another Kind of Madness: A Journey through the Stigma and Hope of Mental Illness." Sara Chung, post-doctoral fellow, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF School of Medicine - Chung was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The FBI executed a search of Donald Trump’s Palm Beach, FL residence on Monday, suggesting that the Department of Justice could be edging closer to bringing criminal charges against the former president. News of the raid prompted house minority leader Kevin McCarthy to issue a statement accusing the DOJ of “weaponized politicization” and warning Attorney General Merrick Garland to “preserve your documents and clear your calendar.” Meanwhile, a federal appellate court ruled Tuesday that the House Ways and Means Committee may legally obtain Trump’s tax returns from the I.R.S. We’ll talk about the legal and political implications of both developments and how Republican officials are responding. Guests: Zack Beauchamp, senior correspondent, Vox Jessica Levinson, professor of law, Loyola Law School; host of the podcast “Passing Judgment” Michael Conway, adjunct lecturer, Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications; served as counsel to House Judiciary Committee during the impeachment trial of President Nixon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Temperatures have been reaching what passes as warm in and around San Francisco, and in other parts of the Bay Area it’s legitimately hot. We’ll talk about what we eat and drink when the temperatures soar. Do you sweat it out with a spicy hot soup or cool down with a block of cold tofu? Do you seek out halo-halo, Italian ice or a bomb pop? We’re talking about hot weather foods in a summer edition of All You Can Eat, our regular segment with KQED Food Editor Luke Tsai. Guests: Luke Tsai, food editor, KQED Nora Haron, executive chef and owner, SanDai Restaurant + Kopi Bar - opening in Walnut Creek in the fall Amod Chopra, second generation owner, Vik's Chaat Christian Reynoso, chef, recipe developer, cooking columnist, SF Chronicle Martin Bournhonesqu, farmer , local CSA and sells produce to restaurants Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Top Gun: Maverick,” the Tom Cruise-starring sequel to the 1986 Tom Cruise-starring classic, is topping this summer’s domestic box office — and it’s now the U.S.’ seventh highest-grossing film, ever. “Nope,” the third movie from horror visionary Jordan Peele, has friends swapping interpretations around the campfire. And “Minions: The Rise of Gru” wasn’t just a big hit with little kids, but also with teens who grew up with the franchise — and showed up to screenings in suits, calling themselves #GentleMinions. Whether it’s nonstop action, beach scenes or nostalgia, some films just scream “summer movie.” We want to hear from you: what makes a summer movie to you? Which movie do you revisit every summer? Why? Caution: This episode contains spoilers for "Nope" in its last 10 minutes. Guests: Kristen Meinzer, podcast co-host, Movie Therapy with Rafer and Kristen Dave Schilling, contributing writer, LA Times Image Felicia Viator, associate professor of History, San Francisco State University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After decades of attempts to enact climate change legislation, the Senate passed a massive bill this weekend. The Inflation Reduction Act directs nearly $370 billion dollars in new spending to slash carbon emissions in the next eight years by giving Americans more access to clean energy. Robinson Meyer, staff writer at The Atlantic, will join us to break down what’s in the largest federal clean energy investment in U.S. history and what you need to know. Guests: Robinson Meyer, staff writer, The Atlantic; author, The Weekly Planet newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans of Asian descent are commonly lumped together under the broad identifier of “Asian American.” But such a general term can overlook powerful histories and distinctions among ethnicities. In her new book “Asian American Histories of the United States,” author Catherine Ceniza Choy reminds us that Asian Americans are not a monolith. “Like a galaxy of stars,” she writes, “the multiple origins of Asian American history are distinctive, but most meaningful when collectively visible as in a constellation, revealing intricate connections that present new ways of seeing, understanding, and moving forward.” We’ll talk with Choy about the evolution of the Asian American identity and the diversity it encompasses. Guests: Catherine Ceniza Choy, associate dean, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Justice, and Professor of Ethnic Studies, UC Berkeley; author, "Asian American Histories of the United States" and "Empire of Care: Nursing and Migration in Filipino American History." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new memoir, “The Man Who Could Move Clouds,” Ingrid Rojas Contreras tells the story of a journey she took with her mother to her native Colombia to exhume her grandfather’s remains. She intricately weaves family histories involving her curandero grandfather, her mother who could appear in two places at once and her own magical inheritance sparked by a bout of amnesia. Rojas Contreras, who now calls the Bay Area home, joins us to talk about infusing magic into story telling and how memory is both a burden and a treasure. Guests: Ingrid Rojas Contreras, author, "The Man Who Could Move Clouds" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Oakland Museum’s new exhibit, Hella Feminist, was scheduled to open two years ago to mark the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. The pandemic pushed the opening into a drastically changed climate for women after the Supreme Court overturned the federal right to an abortion. Through the works of contemporary artists responding to our current moment and an examination of historical items from the museum’s archive, the exhibit challenges visitors to interrogate the history and our concepts of feminism. Forum talks with the museum curators about the exhibit and what feminism means in this moment. Guests: Carin Adams, curator of art, OMCA Erendina Delgadillo, consulting curator, Hella Feminist exhibit at OMCA Lisa Silberstein, co-curator, Hella Feminist exhibit at OMCA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adoption is frequently cited, particularly among those opposed to abortion, as a solution to an unwanted pregnancy. But in fact, fewer than one in ten people denied abortion care chooses to put their child up for adoption, according to UCSF studies. We’ll explore why, and we’ll hear from women who did choose adoption about their experiences. Guests: Angie Swanson-Kyriaco, birth mother; executive director, MPower Alliance Gretchen Sisson, sociologist in the department of obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive sciences, UCSF Ashley Morales, birth mother; program administrative assistant, La Selva, an outpatient behavioral health treatment program Susan Dusza Guerra Leksander, birth mother; agency and clinical director, Pact, an adoption alliance Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California reported more than 1,100 probable or confirmed cases of monkeypox on Tuesday, a day after Governor Newsom declared a public health state of emergency to address the rapid spread of the disease in the state. Monkeypox, which spreads through close physical contact, has disproportionately affected gay and bisexual men, and LGBTQ activists are protesting the long wait times and limited availability of vaccines in many California counties. We’ll take your questions about monkeypox, the state response and how best to stay protected. Guests: Dr. Peter Chin-Hong M.D., Infectious Disease specialist, UCSF Medical Center Scott Wiener, California state senator, representing San Francisco Tom Temprano, political director, Equality California, an LGBTQ+ rights advocacy organization Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inflation has driven prices skyward for all kinds of goods from gas to home goods. Even grocery store staples like cereal, milk and eggs have seen price hikes. While big chain brands might be able to weather these increases better, independent retailers are feeling these costs much more sharply. We’ll talk to local grocers from around the Bay Area to hear how they are dealing with the impact of inflation on their businesses and communities. Guests: Chi Dixon, marketing and communications manager, Berkeley Bowl Eric Liittschwager, independent operator of the Grocery Outlet in the Mission in San Francisco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Landscape irrigation accounts for about half of residential water use in California, according to state data. That’s leading some drought-conscious residents to consider tearing up their lawns in favor of less water-intensive gardens. We’ll talk about how to embark on removing your lawn and the plants, grasses and trees you might consider replacing it with. Guests: Flora Grubb, owner, Flora Grubb Gardens in San Francisco Shawn Maestretti, founder and principal, Studio Petrichor - a landscape architectural design firm Caitlin Hernández, LA explained reporter, KPCC-LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A violent civil war has raged in Ethiopia for nearly two years, claiming 500,000 lives and displacing millions. Despite the current ceasefire, humanitarian aid is struggling to reach those who need it, leaving millions more at risk of starvation. Watching from afar, the Bay Area community of Ethiopians are trying to raise awareness about the crisis abroad. But the divisions between ethnic groups in Ethiopia are also finding their way closer to home. We’ll discuss the situation abroad and here in the Bay Area with members of local Ethiopian activist groups. Guests: Esayas Hailemariam, legal scholar; member and leader, Global Society Tigrayan Scholars Hanna Tamrat, co-organizer, San Francisco Bay Area Amhara Ethiopians Robael Gizachew, leader, Bay Area Oromo Youth Association Laetitia Bader, Horn of Africa director, Human Rights Watch Adey Hagos, founder, Cafe Romanat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Popular cryptocurrencies have plunged in 2022: both Bitcoin and Ethereum have lost about half their value since the first of the year, and Dogecoin has fallen by more 90% since its peak in 2021. But while wealthy and early crypto investors have weathered the downturn, smaller players have fared less well, revealing what New York Times fintech reporter David Yaffe-Bellany calls "a yawning divide." We talk about the crypto collapse and hear from you, if you're a crypto investor: about how has the downturn affected you. Guests: David Yaffe-Bellany, reporter, New York Times - who covers cryptocurrencies and fintech Edwardo Jackson, founder, BlacksinBitcoin - He's also founder of the defi token CD3D Moorari Shah, partner, Sheppard Mullin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Polls show that roughly a quarter of Americans are dieting. That’s despite research showing that very few people succeed in losing weight and keeping it off over time. A new Bloomberg podcast, Losing It, investigates the myths and realities of nutritional science and the power of the dieting industry. Forum talks with the podcast creators about the invention of the calorie as a weight loss tool, the branding of the South Beach Diet, and the complex relationship between health and the numbers on the scale. Guests: Kristen V. Brown, editor, Losing It - a Bloomberg podcast Emma Court, host and reporter, Losing It - a Bloomberg podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Researchers estimate that as many as half of pregnancies in the United States were not planned and roughly one in five pregnancies ends in an abortion. With the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade and the end of the federal right to an abortion, many sexual health educators and advocates are calling to enhance reproductive education – for people of all ages. Advocates say prevention and education can help people take charge of their reproductive health, but in many states sex education in schools is limited and under attack. We’ll talk about the state of sex ed in a post-Roe America. Guests: Shafia Zaloom, author, "Sex, Teens and Everything in Between: The New and Necessary Conversations Today's Teenagers Need to Have about Consent, Sexual Harassment, Healthy Relationships, Love, and More;" health educator, Urban School in San Francisco Christopher Pepper, health educator, San Francisco Unified School District Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even as we’re seeing more on-screen depictions of disability in films like “CODA” and “Sound of Metal,” the number of disabled people behind the camera remains low. That affects what stories are told — and their accuracy. As disabled artists push for more opportunities to tell their stories — on film, in visual art and through dance — we’ll talk with some in California who are advancing the cultural landscape of disability storytelling. We want to hear from you: What stories would you like to see told? Our thanks to Cathleen Riddley for ASL interpretation and Sherri Patti for live transcription during this hour. Guests: Nasreen Alkhateeb, filmmaker based in Los Angeles Alison O'Daniel, visual artist and filmmaker based in Los Angeles and San Francisco Antoine Hunter (AKA Purple Fire Crow), director, producer and choreographer based in Oakland; founder, Urban Jazz Dance Company and Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang together with dozens of other Democratic and Republican politicians announced on Wednesday that they're launching Forward, a new political party designed to appeal to centrists. But historically, third political parties have gained little traction in the United States. We'll talk about why and what could be different this time. And we'll hear from you: Would you support a third political party? What would it stand for? Guests: Eric Schickler, co-director, Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley Mindy Romero, founder and director, Center for Inclusive Democracy, formerly the California Civic Engagement Project - a non-partisan research center at the University of Southern California Tina Nguyen, national correspondent and founding partner, Puck Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the concept of spectators packing an arena to watch competitive video gaming at a college level may be perplexing to more traditional sports fans, the popularity of collegiate esports is growing in the Bay Area. in the Bay Area. In 2018 the streaming platform Twitch, which hosts esports competitions, moved their headquarters to San Francisco. In 2021, San Jose State University’s Bay Area Vandals competed in the biggest international Valorant tournament and the Chase Center is hosting the League of Legends Championship Finals in November. Clubs and teams are now commonplace at colleges across the country. We’ll dive into the world of college esports and discuss what’s drawing students and Universities to esports programs. Guests: Luke Winkie, freelance writer Johanna Brewer, assistant professor of computer science at Smith College and director of research, AnyKey Kirk Robles, associate director of business development for student affairs at U.C. Berkeley Ryan Winter, president of Gaming Gators at San Francisco State University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For New Yorker staff writer Hua Hsu, they’re cardboard cutouts that decorated his parents’ wedding, “each the size of a 45-r.p.m. single: an orange Snoopy and two Woodstocks, one white and one light blue.” For artist Ari Bird, it’s a tree pompom that her grandfather painted gold and gave to her as a child. Whether it's a portrait, a wedding dress, an album or a Snoopy cutout, the objects we inherit speak to who our families are, who we were, and what we value. We want to hear from you: what’s a family heirloom passed down to you — or that you hope to pass down to future generations? What makes it valuable? Guests: Hua Hsu, staff writer, New Yorker magazine; professor of Literature, Bard College; author, forthcoming memoir "Stay True" Ari Bird, visual artist based in Oakland and San Diego Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After seeing yet another ‘30 under 30’ and ‘40 under 40’ list celebrating the achievements of young people, San Francisco geriatric doctor Anna Chodos decided it was time people started hearing about the remarkable achievement of living into old age. She started the 80 over 80 project to share the stories and experiences of San Franciscans over the age of 80. Forum talks with Chodos and participants about their rich and rewarding lives, their experiences during the pandemic, and aging in a society that fears getting old. Guests: Margaret Graf, founder, Senior Power - for seniors in the Sunset Judy Goddess, founder and reporter, sfseniorbeat.com Annie White, facilitator, Network for Elders - an organization in the Bayview supporting older adults Anna Chodos, geriatrician and medical director of outpatient geriatrics services, San Francisco Health Network; associate professor, UCSF in Geriatrics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A study published in the journal Nature this week documented yet more symptoms – including hair loss and sexual dysfunction – associated with long covid, a syndrome the CDC reports afflicts roughly a fifth of people who contract Covid-19. The Nature study also found that long covid sufferers are more likely to be young, members of ethnic minority groups, and economically disadvantaged. We’ll talk about the latest long covid science and hear from long haulers about how they have adjusted to life with a chronic illness. Guests: Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine and executive vice president, Scripps Research Institute Angela Meriquez Vázquez, long COVID patient and President of Body Politic Paige Morrisey, 25-year-old COVID long-hauler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The sizzler, a popular dish in Mumbai, is an over-the-top melange of pasta, paneer, grilled onions and peppers, samosas, cabbage and shredded Mexican cheese – all piled on a sizzling hot platter. It was inspired, so the story goes, by a visit to a Sizzler chain restaurant in California in the 1960s, and it has returned to California in some South Bay restaurants. But as any child of immigrants knows, cultural food mashups don’t have to be flashy. For KQED reporter Adhiti Bandlamudi, whose article tracked down the history of the Sizzler, it was grilled paneer tacos. For San Francisco Chronicle food critic Soliel Ho, it was Ho’s grandmother’s jasmine rice with maggi seasoning, topped with turkey cold cuts. Ho calls it “assimilation food”: “food that’s made to close the gap between homes: a critical need when one lives in exile.” As part of our ongoing segment on Bay Area food cultures, we’ll talk about all kinds of food mashups, from that Indian Sizzler to hot cheetos in a burrito to putting a splash of fish sauce in the mac and cheese. Guests: Luke Tsai, food editor, KQED Soleil Ho, restaurant critic, San Francisco Chronicle Adhiti Bandlamudi, Silicon Valley Reporter, KQED Alan Chazaro, food reporter, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Pregnant people,” a phrase to include those who can bear children, but don’t identify as women, has been used more often in the wake of the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade. Some feminists have pushed back against the term and other gender-inclusive language like “birthing people” and “people who menstruate,” saying that these terms obfuscate gender-specific violence against women and reduce people to their body parts. Others have pushed back to that pushback, saying that the explicit inclusion of trans and nonbinary people only strengthens the fight for gender equity. We’ll talk about why the term evokes such strong emotions, and hear your thoughts, with powerhouse feminist thinkers Judith Butler and Roxane Gay. Guests: Susan Davis, senior editor, Forum Judith Butler, Maxine Elliot Professor in the Department of Comparative Literature, UC Berkeley Roxane Gay, author, "Difficult Women," "Hunger," and "Bad Feminist;" editor, the new anthology "The Selected Works of Audre Lorde" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Millions of renters could face evictions now that rental relief programs and bans on evictions have expired, or will soon. Those government programs targeted people who lost income during the pandemic, but many Californians have yet to recover financially and owe thousands in back rent. Even under existing programs, more than 135,000 households in California, nearly a third of the total, had their rent relief applications rejected, according to CalMatters. All of that along with rents creeping back up to pre-pandemic levels, could make way for a wave of new evictions. We’ll talk about vulnerable tenants and what local, state and federal agencies could do to help. Guests: Erin Baldassari, housing affordability reporter, KQED; co-host, "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America" podcast Manuela Tobias, housing reporter, CalMatters Bonnie Bertram, producer and writer, Retro Report; partnered with Frontline, documentary "Facing Eviction" debuts on July 26. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By his own account, journalist and author Alec Wilkinson was a terrible math student -- and passed his high school math classes only by cheating. But at age 65, he decided he’d try again to learn the subject that had left him feeling abused and aggrieved. His joyful and humbling quest is the subject of his new memoir "A Divine Language.” We'll talk to him about what he learned and we'll hear from you: have you tried to master a subject later in life? Guests: Alec Wilkinson, author, "A Divine Language: Learning Algebra, Geometry, and Calculus at the Edge of Old Age" - He's also a contributing writer for the New Yorker; his previous books include "The Ice Balloon," "The Protest Singer" and "The Happiest Man in the World." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thanks to a series of recalls, resignations and re-shuffles, San Francisco has a new district attorney, new school board members, and a new city attorney, all of whom were appointed by Mayor London Breed. Now that the mayor has a team in place that is mostly of her choosing, what will she do to confront the city’s considerable challenges? Is the city in for a major course change? We’ll talk about San Francisco’s post-recall politics with a roundtable of reporters. Guests: Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Reporter/Producer, KQED News. Scott Shafer, senior editor for KQED’s California Politics and Government desk and co-host of Political Breakdown. Annie Gaus, editor, SF Standard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices