KQED's Forum

In his latest book “Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal,” author and Atlantic staff writer George Packer argues that the country is not divided in two camps, but rather that it’s split into four Americas. Those Americas — Free America, Smart America, Real America, and Just America — are separated along political, economic, educational, religious and social justice lines, and Packer notes, “I don’t much want to live in the republic of any of them.” Instead, he says we need to find a way to trust one another to create a nation with the eye on the prize: to be an Equal America. We’ll talk to Packer about his book. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From celebrities like Harry Styles and the members of boy band BTS to social media beauty influencers like Patrick Starrr and Kenneth Senegal, more and more men and nonbinary folk are publicly embracing makeup in their daily lives. And as author and journalist David Yi argues in their new book, the male beauty influencers of today have ancient cultural precedents. “Pretty Boys” traces male beauty figures throughout history, from Ramses the Great to ‘80s glam rockers to drag culture newly entering the mainstream. We’ll hear about how beauty influencers, both past and present, have explored gender through makeup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ahmed Muhammad recently became the first Black male valedictorian in Oakland Technical High School’s over 100 year history. In his graduation speech Muhammad said, "there is absolutely no way you can tell me I am the first Black person capable of being valedictorian." Ahmed joins us to speak about his homage to those who "had the ability but not the opportunity" and his plans to continue supporting the youth of Oakland and the greater Bay Area community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the 1969 Stonewall riots to the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, activism has been at the core of the LGBTQ community. That activism has led to landmark changes such as legalizing same sex marriage, which, according to a recent Gallup poll, 70% of Americans support. The meaning of Pride has also evolved as the battle for rights and equality continues. We talk with three generations of queer activists about how the struggles and victories in the past 50 years laid the groundwork for the legal, political and cultural advances we see today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades, police misconduct investigations in California were kept secret from the public. That all changed when a 2018 law, SB 1421, made many of those records accessible under the California Public Records Act. “On Our Watch,” a new podcast by KQED and NPR, examines how California law enforcement investigates complaints of misconduct, the harm experienced by the people who filed these complaints — and how that harm was sometimes furthered in the process of seeking accountability. The podcast tells stories of police killings, sexual harassment and excessive force that in many cases left survivors and families demanding justice for years. We’ll hear about those stories and the shadow world of police discipline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the drought worsens, Santa Clara County has declared a water shortage emergency, paving the way for mandatory water restrictions for the county's residents. While most individual water usage is drop in the bucket compared with agricultural water use, many residents and businesses want to do something to help. Did you know that you can save approximately 25 gallons of water by taking a five-minute shower instead of a 10-minute shower? We’ll get the latest on how the drought is affecting the Bay Area, and learn some tips for conserving water usage at home and at work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to a recent report published by ProPublica, some of the nation’s richest executives — Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mike Bloomberg, to name a few — pay little to no income tax. This news may come as no surprise to many, but one startling fact stands out: the methods and deductions these billionaires use are all perfectly legal. Using a trove of leaked IRS files, reporters from ProPublica analyzed more than 15 years worth of tax returns to unveil the ways in which the wealthiest among us avoid paying federal income tax. We’ll hear about the report. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been 40 years since the CDC first reported cases of a deadly, rare lung infection in five previously healthy gay men in Los Angeles. The infection came later to be understood as a symptom of HIV-AIDS, the syndrome that has claimed more than 700,000 American lives. We’ll hear reflections from those who knew and cared for the earliest and sickest patients, in an era of scarce public health information and widespread homophobia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As part of his $12 billion two-year plan to address homelessness, Governor Newsom initially earmarked $7 billion to be used for a variety of housing measures, including Project Homekey, a state-sponsored program that buys existing motels, hotels and office buildings to convert them into housing. Housing advocates say this is a game changer that could create 43,000 units of housing that would help alleviate the suffering of the 161,000 people in California without a home. But some experts say it’s unlikely to be sufficient, as the state’s homeless population grows due to unemployment from the pandemic and the looming end of the statewide eviction moratorium. We’ll talk about how Homekey works, who it serves and whether this ambitious program is a sustainable solution for what has been an intractable problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 2.5 million people in the United States -- the majority of whom are women, immigrants and people of color -- work in what’s known as the care economy. They’re house cleaners, nannies and caregivers for the elderly. During the pandemic, many lost their jobs while others took immense risks to keep working. Ai-Jen Poo, who heads the National Domestic Workers Alliance, joins us to talk about the fight to secure better pay and benefits for workers and why she believes that domestic work should be treated as essential infrastructure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nancy Reagan is one of the most controversial first ladies in U.S. history. She rewrote the role of political spouse first in Sacramento when her husband was governor, then in the White House. In her new biography, “The Triumph of Nancy Reagan,” Washington Post political columnist Karen Tumulty traces Nancy Reagan's personal history and the path that led to her becoming so influential in the Reagan Whitehouse. Tumulty joins us to discuss her in-depth portrayal of the first lady. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Federal judge in San Diego struck down California’s ban on assault-style guns on Friday. The state is appealing the ruling, but how effective is the ban? California has 107 laws on the books aimed at gun control, but it also has the most mass-shootings in the nation. We’ll examine the court decision and the future and effectiveness of gun laws in California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prime coastline property in Los Angeles County known as Bruce’s Beach could be returned to descendants of its early 20th century Black owners if a state senate bill approved this week becomes law. In the 1920s, the Manhattan Beach City Council seized the beachfront land from Willa and Charles Bruce, who endured years of brutal harassment by white neighbors and the KKK. Its return could be a model for reparations in the state and comes as California’s new reparations task force convenes. We’ll talk about the history of Bruce’s Beach and its significance amid broader efforts to compensate Black Californians for historical injustices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his new book “Uncaring: How the Culture of Medicine Kills Doctors and Patients,” Dr. Robert Pearl offers an indictment of physician culture -- a culture he argues leads to doctor burnout and bad patient outcomes. For 18 years, Pearl served as the CEO of the Permanente Medical Group, the largest medical group in the country, and that experience led him to realize that to improve care for patients, doctors needed to re-evaluate the cultural norms they had been trained to accept. We’ll talk to Pearl about how fixing healthcare in America means also fixing its doctors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Travel-deprived Americans are snapping up airline tickets and hotel reservations, heralding a summer 2021 vacation boom. Photos from destinations ranging from campgrounds to Caribbean islands are popping up in social media feeds. But how safe is travel and what do vacationers need to consider as the economy reopens? Many Americans are opting for domestic travel, leading to rental cars and hotels booking up in popular cities. We discuss where people are heading this summer and what’s changed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Carol Offen’s son needed a kidney, she did not hesitate to offer her own, but she still had a lot of questions. In the United States, nearly 100,000 people are waiting for a kidney transplant with waitlists as long as five years or more, and every day 12 people die of kidney disease. As a result, living kidney donations have become increasingly popular. We talk to Offen, co-author of the book “The Insider’s Guide to Living Kidney Donation,” and Dr. Nancy Ascher, an organ transplant expert who is also a kidney donor, about organ transplants and what it takes to make what organ recipients call, “the greatest gift.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One tenth of the world's mature giant sequoias were killed by the Castle Fire that scorched the southern Sierra Nevada late last year after a flurry of lightning strikes according to a new draft report prepared by the National Park Service. That’s an estimated 7,500 to 10,000 trees that had previously survived thousands of years of wildfires. Giant sequoias capture carbon dioxide from human pollution, provide critical habitat for wildlife and protect the watershed that communities rely on. We’ll talk about how far-reaching the consequences of losing these trees could be, the impact of this year’s extreme drought conditions on sequoia seedling regrowth and the outlook for sequoias in a changing climate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A growing number of adults are choosing to not become parents, a lifestyle described as “child-free.” Yet many people, especially women, say they feel judged by their families, friends — and even their own doctors — when they vocalize not wanting children. By the same token, some parents say that to express regret — for the age at which they had kids, for their partner choice or for becoming a parent at all — is entirely taboo. As birth rates decline in the U.S. and globally, we’ll talk about the societal taboos around parenthood, why they’re so pervasive and how the conversation may be shifting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could biologists be America’s next generation of farmers? By now, we are all familiar with plant-based burgers, but dozens of Silicon Valley start-ups are hoping to transform what we eat by using ingredients like algae, mycelium and pea protein to create a wide range of foods. Tech-driven food has been lauded as good for the environment, but what exactly are we eating? Is lab food like fake eggs and seafood from a petri dish healthy and sustainable? We’ll talk to author and investigative reporter, Larissa Zimberoff, about her new book - “Technically Food: Inside Silicon Valley’s Mission to Change What We Eat.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than a year into a pandemic that's left millions of Californians jobless, it's harder than ever to reach the state’s Employment Development Department. That's according to a new San Francisco Chronicle analysis which found that in May, nearly a third of callers couldn’t get through to EDD, and each caller averaged more than 10 tries. The frustrating situation has led some to hire intermediaries, like Autodial and Claimr, to help them break through jammed lines. We’ll talk about how those services work and hear about your experiences dealing with EDD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new book “Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment,” author and sustainability advocate Maxine Bédat explores the complex world of how clothes end up on our bodies. While clothing has become cheaper and more plentiful overall, the clothing industry’s productivity comes at a great cost to garment workers and the environment, Bédat argues. By chronicling the life cycle of a garment, from cotton seed to a finished pair of jeans, Bédat demonstrates the need to rethink our obsession with “fast fashion,” low prices and overstuffed closets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open on Monday, her decision set off a flurry of reaction well beyond the world of tennis. Before the tournament began, Osaka announced she would not be doing any post-match press conferences, a decision that cost her $15,000 in fines and resulted in threats from other Grand Slams of future punishment and possible expulsion for failure to talk to the media. In response, Osaka issued a statement withdrawing from the tournament, saying she has been suffering from “long bouts of depression.” Her sponsors and athletes like NBA star Steph Curry have lauded her candid response. Critics have argued that press is part of the game. What obligations do professional athletes have to the press, and what responsibility does the press have to them? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the vaccinated shed their masks and rejoin the world, they may be required to prove their vaccination status to enter events or to travel. But while many countries are developing a federal vaccine passport, the Biden administration says the U.S will not. That’s left private companies and some cities and states to develop systems for digital proof of vaccination. We’ll check in on the progress of vaccination passports and when and where you may need one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Researchers estimate that some 20 to 40 percent of food in America goes to waste at some point in the span from farm to kitchen. Strategies for reducing food waste — such as upcycling, artificial intelligence and expanded cooking education — are gaining traction among producers and consumers alike. Americans throw out roughly a quarter of the food they buy. At the same time, the number of people struggling to afford food on a regular basis increased during the pandemic. We talk about methods to reduce food waste, climate change and food insecurity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even amid a global pandemic, weight stayed center stage in the national consciousness as many bemoaned their lockdown weight gain, commonly called the “Covid 15.” That’s no surprise to critics who say that the cult of thinness and the pervasive message that being skinny equals wellness have long been part of American culture. While society has become more size inclusive, some argue that the damage to self image, particularly for millennial women, has been done. We’ll talk about body image, diet culture, and what it means to equate health with thinness. To get help with an eating disorder, the National Eating Disorders Association has toll-free warm line at 1-800-931-2237 and for 24/7 crisis support, you can text 'NEDA' to 741741. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

English and Spanish are the most commonly spoken languages in the U.S., and some people see Spanglish -- a hybrid of the two -- as the future. Latinx youth are embracing Spanglish in ways previous generations were told was unacceptable, freely using un poquito de eso and a little bit of that in conversation. We talk about the origins of Spanglish, how people are using it today and why it’s growing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past year of on and off shelter in place restrictions, so many of us discovered--and in some cases, rediscovered--places that helped us get through those times. A park we had never known about. A room in our home that was rarely used. A path we had walked passed many times before but never traveled upon. What was your pandemic place? We talk with journalists Geoff Manaugh and Nicola Twilley, co-authors of the forthcoming book, Until Proven Safe which examines quarantines from medieval Venice to outer space to reveal new ideas about quarantine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Media conversations about the origin of COVID-19 intensified this week, after President Biden ordered U.S. intelligence agencies to "redouble" efforts to determine whether the virus emerged through cross-species transmission or escaped from a research lab in Wuhan, China. In a highly publicized joint report in February, the World Health Organization and the Chinese government dismissed the lab-leak theory as "extremely unlikely." But since then, more scientists are calling for new investigations, as a consensus forms that both scenarios are still viable. We'll talk about the politics -- and geopolitics--complicating the inquiry into the pandemic's origins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his new memoir, “Punch Me Up to the Gods,” writer Brian Broome describes growing up gay and Black in small town Ohio. Broome learned to hide his sexuality in a family, and a community, where masculinity was everything. His memoir traces his journey surviving an abusive father, poverty, racism, violence and addiction to finally embrace his sexuality and value as a man. Brian Broome joins Forum to discuss his new memoir which he has described as, “a kind of love letter to Black boys,” to tell them that you don’t have to be this thing that the world keeps telling you that you are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you watched a throwback TV show or movie recently that — upon viewing now — made you cringe because of scenes or jokes that are so obviously, well, cringeworthy? The expansive library of old TV shows and films made available for nostalgia viewing on streaming services prompted some rude awakenings about content we thought we loved. We’ll reflect on the ways our awareness as viewers may have shifted and consider the TV shows and films that don’t quite stack up to today’s social norms. We’ll also discuss the movies and shows that have stood the test of time and why. Is there an old TV show or film that lost its charm for you upon re-watching? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Memories of last summer’s rolling blackouts and predictions for a hot, dry summer have Californians wondering whether there is enough energy to keep the lights as air conditioners and other energy demands tax the grid. And more supply concerns loom. In three years the state is planning to decommission the Diablo Nuclear Energy plant, which supplies 6% of the state’s electricity, and is still in the process of identifying how it will replace the supply. We’ll talk this hour about the electrical grid, whether it's ready for the summer, and plans for the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Early Wednesday morning, an employee of the Valley Transit Authority opened fire at the rail yard in San Jose, killing 9 co-workers before he shot and killed himself. We’ll talk with local officials about the victims, the VTA employee who gunned them down and what is known so far about the circumstances of the horrific mass shooting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California courts approved more than 1,200 gun violence restraining orders last year under the state’s “red flag” law, according to data from the state attorney general. The law allows local authorities — at the request of family, teachers or co-workers — to temporarily remove firearms from those deemed a threat to themselves or others. Red flag laws made headlines earlier this year in the wake of the mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, when it emerged that the perpetrator’s mother attempted to invoke Indiana’s red flag law months prior. We’ll talk about how red flag laws work and they're used in California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the Bay Area’s largest hospitals counted zero COVID patients last week, the CDC is advising the vaccinated to remove their masks, and more than 40% of Californians are now fully vaccinated. After a year with so much loss and isolation, many of us are feeling the joy of newfound freedom and reconnection. We’ll talk about overdue reunions with loved ones and other post-vaccination freedoms and we’ll want to hear from you. What is bringing you joy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 980 freeway, a two-mile span that bisects Oakland, has been called a “freeway without a future.” Its critics want to see the highway replaced and turned into a multi-lane boulevard with open spaces so that historically black West Oakland can be reconnected to downtown. With an infrastructure bill on the table in Washington, advocates say now is the time for this project. We’ll talk about the plan, its cost and what it will take to make a reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following the murder of her father George Floyd at the hands of police, Floyd's youngest daughter, Gianna, then six, observed, "My daddy changed the world." On this one-year anniversary of Floyd's death, we hear reflections from historian Elizabeth Hinton, whose new book "America on Fire" traces the brutal police practices that engendered Black community protests from the 1960s to the present. We also talk to writer Zak Cheney-Rice, who observes that as major police reforms stall, the nation is "reckoning with a reckoning." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Climate change is here. From stifling heat to that eerie day last September when our skies were painted orange, the symptoms of the Bay Area’s changing climate are hard to escape. We’ll look at three of the major ways climate change is affecting the Bay Area -- heat, wildfire smoke and rising seas -- and what we can expect in the near future. We’ll take your questions on the Bay Area’s changing environment, and what policy makers, and individuals, can do to address the crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tens of thousands of people who contracted COVID-19 report ongoing symptoms of chronic coughing, lung damage and cognitive decline. Researchers are in the early stages of analyzing these conditions known as “long haul COVID” or “long COVID.” Still, many people have struggled to receive treatment for their symptoms or even recognition of their illness from their doctors. We talk with doctors and patients who are now organizing to seek more research, medical care, and support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facial recognition software has become a common part of American life. It’s used by government employment agencies to verify an applicant’s identity, by landlords to monitor tenants, and by police in their investigations, which has resulted in some wrongful arrests. Indeed, studies show that facial recognition algorithms are often inaccurate when it comes to identifying women and people with dark skin tones. Privacy advocates concerned by how law enforcement has used surveillance technology cheered Amazon’s recent decision to extend a moratorium on police use of its facial recognition software, though Amazon gave no reason why it was doing so. We’ll talk to Bay Area experts about how facial recognition technology is being used, why it needs to be closely monitored, and what cities, states and the federal government are doing, or not doing, to regulate its use. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Familects help us feel like family. Private in-group language fosters intimacy and establishes identity,” writes linguist Kathryn Hymes in her recent Atlantic piece, "Why We Speak More Weirdly at Home.” The in-group language of a ‘familect’ — comprising terms, phrases, inside jokes, gaffes and gestures — binds a family together. During the pandemic, with so many people spending extended time together in close quarters, these private lexicons took off as people innovated and riffed on language. We’ll talk with Hymes about the phenomenon and we’ll create a listener dictionary of the terms from your ‘familect.’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced this week that her office has opened a criminal investigation of the Trump Organization, in a joint effort with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. The investigation centers on whether the Trump Organization illegally overstated the values of its properties to secure favorable loans and tax benefits. We'll talk about what's at stake for the former president and his business associates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cuing off the difficult times we are living in, authors Rachel Levin and Tara Duggan have a new, and hilarious, cookbook that encourages readers to put their feelings into making food. Whether you want to pound out your anger on a pork loin to make their “Hammered Schnitzel” or cry over sliced onions for some “Sad French Onion Soup,” “Steamed: A Catharsis Cookbook” has a recipe for you. What’s the dish that you make when you’re “anxiety cooking” -- which, according to the authors, is “stress-eating's more productive cousin”? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some members of the Bay Area’s indigenous community say their history is being erased, and are calling for ancestral land of the Coast Miwok, including parts of the Point Reyes National Seashore, to revert to the communities that first roamed there. It’s a conversation that is beginning to take hold nationally. The cover story in this month’s "The Atlantic" argues that more than 60 national parks should be returned to the stewardship of Native tribes. We’ll explore the untold history and legacy of local public lands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Los Angeles Times published an article titled “The man who didn’t invent Flamin’ Hot Cheetos” on Sunday that ignited backlash from fans of both the snack and self-proclaimed inventor, Richard Montañez. Some consider the article an unjustified attack on Montañez, who created a brand of his own with his story of rising from factory floor worker to executive at snack maker Frito-Lay. The exposé asserts that the spicy chips were developed by a separate division at Frito-Lay and that a central part of Montañez’s claim to fame simply isn’t true. The story comes on the heels of Montañez releasing his second memoir in June and the production of a biopic on him directed by Eva Longoria. We talk about the fallout from the article and the broader question of how Latinos are portrayed and represented in the media and corporate world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. Supreme Court announced this week that it would review a Mississippi law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Legal observers say the move could signal the Court’s willingness to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to an abortion before a fetus is viable -- which generally occurs at 24 weeks. We’ll talk about the history of the case and how the Court’s 6-3 conservative majority might rule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly all of Apple’s products are assembled in China and 20% of its sales are generated there. That relationship has led Apple to compromise on its privacy protections for Chinese customers, allowing for government censorship and surveillance, according to a new New York Times investigation. Forum talks with New York Times technology reporter Jack Nicas about the investigation and the ways that Apple shifted its ideals and customer commitments to meet China’s escalating demands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal safety authorities announced another investigation into Tesla after a fatal crash, a tweet from CEO Elon Musk sent the crypto-currency market into a tailspin and the company’s stock took a dive. Just another month of news for the CEO and company that some love to love, and many love to hate. We’ll talk about the volatility and ingenuity of Elon Musk and Telsa and where it all might be headed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The social media app TikTok has grown exponentially since its release in 2016, with over 689 million active users worldwide. Famous for its short, looping videos that feature a range of content including lip syncs, dance routines, personal storytelling and documentary-style footage, it’s become a popular place to spend hours online, especially among Gen Z. Particularly in the past year, when in-person interaction was limited due to the pandemic, many people found community on TikTok and used it as a way to de-stress or express their creativity. We’ll talk about TikTok’s appeal and hear from popular creators Nick Cho and Taylor Cassidy about the communities they’ve found and built on the app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly half a million Americans died from opioid abuse between 1999 and 2019 and one family’s name has become synonymous with that crisis. The Sacklers, who own Purdue Pharma, built their wealth promoting the blockbuster addictive painkiller OxyContin. The company continues to face civil litigation for their role in helping ignite the epidemic of opioid addiction. Journalist Patrick Radden Keefe joins us to talk about his new book “Empire of Pain”, which chronicles the history of the Sackler family and critically examines corporate ethics in the pharmaceutical industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Israeli air strikes continued to devastate the Gaza Strip on Monday, as violence between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas entered its second week. The air attacks have killed roughly 200 Palestinians in Gaza — including more than 50 children — and left over 1,000 injured. Over the last week, at least ten Israelis have been killed by Hamas, which began launching rockets at Israel in retaliation for its decision to barricade a Muslim sacred site during Ramadan, and against mounting tensions over the threatened eviction of six Palestinian families from East Jerusalem. We'll talk about why the violence has erupted now and the prospects for a ceasefire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices