KQED's Forum

Pacific Gas and Electric Company's power lines have sparked some of California's deadliest wildfires, including the 2018 Camp Fire where the utility pleaded guilty to killing 84 people. As summer approaches, concern is growing over high risk power lines starting fires around the state. We'll discuss where the Bay Area's riskiest power lines are, and where to go for help if a power line doesn't look right. If you have concerns about power lines in your neighborhood, email pictures to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Fire Victim Trust in charge of compensating Camp fire survivors spent $51 million in overhead expenses in 2020. The Trust disbursed just $7 million to fire victims in that same period of time, amounting to less than 0.1% of the $13.5 billion promised. That's according to a KQED analysis of federal bankruptcy court filings, court transcripts and correspondence between staff of the Fire Victim Trust and the victims themselves. We'll hear about the investigation and get an update on why so many fire survivors have yet to receive their settlement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new book, “Mom Genes: Inside the New Science of Our Ancient Maternal Instinct,” author Abigail Tucker explores what’s behind terms such as "mom brain," “maternal instinct” and other so-called parenting myths that have some truth to them. As it turns out, having children changes parents’ brains. Tucker researched the cellular-level revamping of parental brains that led her to some startling conclusions about how we perceive motherhood and raise children. We talk with Tucker about what parenting does to our brains and how that relates to the pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For more than 10 years, Bloomberg’s Senior Executive Editor Brad Stone has covered Amazon, the company and its founder Jeff Bezos. Stone’s new book "Amazon Unbound", examines how Bezos’ creation has become one of the largest corporations on the planet. But what is the cost to workers, the environment and to Bezos himself? We’ll talk about Amazon, Bezos and how the pandemic helped solidify the fortune of the richest man in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Centers for Disease Control announced Thursday that persons who are fully vaccinated that is, two weeks have passed since the final dose can eschew masks and social distancing in most settings both indoors and outdoors. Locations where masks are still required include health care, correctional and homeless facilities and public transportation, as well as places listed on local health ordinances. As of Wednesday, a third of the U.S. is fully vaccinated. More than 46% of Americans have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine and that number is expected to rise now that 12- to 15-year-olds can get vaccinated. Well talk about the CDCs announcement, the science behind it and what it means for reopening plans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On June 19, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed and two months after the Confederacy surrendered, enslaved Americans in Texas were notified of the end of slavery. "On Juneteenth," the new memoir by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed, explores the history of that event, its legacy and its influence on her own life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State Senator Scott Wiener’s legislation to decriminalize psychedelic drugs for personal and therapeutic use passed in the state senate’s Health Committee in April. Senate Bill 519, would also expunge criminal records for people with prior possession convictions, which Wiener hopes will remedy some of the consequences of the war on drugs. Psychedelic-assisted therapy is already used by patients and doctors to treat mental health disorders such as depression and PTSD. While many veterans and drug advocacy groups support the bill, opponents say that if it passes in the senate, the legislation will cause an increase in the number of psychedelic drugs sold and recreationally used. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared on Monday that 41 California counties are in a drought emergency. But unlike during the last major drought, the state has imposed no rules governing water waste. The last mandate, which expired in November 2017, included restrictions on, among other things, residential irrigation and car-washing. Advocates say these rules should be reinstated as the state once again enters a drought, claiming they not only save water but encourage eco-friendly mindsets. But others believe that water-use mandates should instead be enacted on the local level. We want to hear from you: should California reimpose water-waste rules for this drought? If so, which limitations should it prioritize? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the outset of her new memoir, "The Secret to Superhuman Strength," celebrated graphic novelist Alison Bechdel muses about the origins of her obsession with exercise -- from skiing to running to martial arts to the latest 7-minute workout. For her, the fixation is a physical dependence: "I can't help myself. The sweat, the endorphins, the gear, the togs, the next new thing!" It also has deep emotional and spiritual roots, furthering her quest to get out of her head and transcend her ego. We'll talk to Bechdel about her lifelong fitness odyssey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show sexually transmitted diseases are at an all-time high for the sixth year in a row. In her new book, Strange Bedfellows: Adventures in the Science, History, and Surprising Secrets of STDs, UCSF School of Medicine associate professor Dr. Ina Park says it's easier for people to have sex than to talk about it. She takes a fact-based--often humorous--look at sexually transmitted diseases, from gonorrhea to herpes to HIV. We talk with Park about sex, STDs and take your questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A 2020 study found that for every person who dies of COVID-19, at least nine people become bereaved. With more than half a million lives lost to COVID-19 in the U.S., that means more than 5 million people are experiencing grief from the pandemic alone. In her New York Times op-ed, “The Grief Crisis is Coming,” journalist and author Allison Gilbert writes that “we must begin to address the toll” of this grief and its impact on public health. We’ll talk to Gilbert and bereavement researcher Dr. Toni Miles about the rippling effects of grief on this scale and how to address it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The last time a California governor faced a recall in 2003, there were more than 100 candidates on the ballot. This time around, the gubernatorial recall election is also shaping up to be a circus and not just because of the bear that candidate John Cox brought to a news conference. Well talk about the candidates lining up to replace Governor Gavin Newsom in the recall election later this year, including former San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Covering politics has never been easy, but since the Jan. 6 insurrection, the landscape has become particularly difficult for the press. How does the country create costs and accountability for lying and shamelessness in politics? And following four years of Donald Trump, have the rules for press coverage permanently changed? Media critic and New York University professor Jay Rosen joins us to discuss how the press should respond when one party is actively supporting the “Big Lie” -- the false claim that the November 2020 election was stolen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled his $100-billion “California Comeback Plan” on Monday, which includes a proposal for $600 stimulus payments to a projected two-thirds of Californians, with additional $500 checks to families with children. The plan also proposes relief for rent and overdue utility bills. With a projected $75.7 billion state budget surplus, Newsom has until this Friday to submit his updated budget proposal. On Sunday, the governor announced a plan to increase funding for child and home care. We’ll talk about his budget plan’s potential impacts both economically and politically ahead of the upcoming gubernatorial recall election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As more people get vaccinated and the state opens up, concerns over how to re-enter the social world are front and center. This is particularly true for babies born during the pandemic and toddlers who may have not learned usual socialization skills in the past year. We’ll talk to a pediatrician about what we should expect from kids that young, what you should and shouldn't worry about when it comes to your child’s social behavior and whether some kids are more at risk from lack of socialization opportunities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The California Public Utilities Commission is debating potential updates to its rooftop solar program to address customer complaints about equity in billing. California’s Net Energy Metering subsidy program, which credits solar panel-owning customers when their systems generate excess electricity, has been contributing to higher electric bills across the state. The “cost-shift” element places an unfair financial burden on customers without solar panels, shifting the ongoing costs for overall maintenance of the state’s electric grid to them. Advocates for reform want customers with solar panels to pay their fair share of system maintenance, while others worry a rule change would decrease incentives to go solar, impacting the state’s clean energy efforts. We’ll discuss the ways California’s solar rules could be reformed and what potential changes could mean for solar energy in the state. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An old wound was healed last week when former California state Assemblymember and longtime LGBTQ rights leader Tom Ammiano received his varsity letter decades after earning it on his high school track team. During an interview with KQED’s Political Breakdown, Ammiano, now 79, told his story of being denied a varsity letter because of homophobic rhetoric stating, “it’s something that still hurts, even a hundred years later.” A longtime listener was struck by the conversation and reached out to Immaculate Conception High School in New Jersey directly. The president and director of the school had a letter custom-made. His story went viral and since then, Ammiano has gained national recognition for his work in civil rights, education and politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Health experts say that while the Bay Area will likely end up with 80% of its population vaccinated against COVID-19, the United States is unlikely to reach herd immunity, a threshold where a high enough percentage of the population is inoculated against the coronavirus to essentially end its spread. Half of the adults in the U.S. have been inoculated with at least one dose, but daily vaccination rates have been dropping. We’ll talk about what this means for the future of the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 579,000 people have died of COVID-19 in the United States as of May 2021. Michael Lewis’ new book, “The Premonition,” argues that many would still be alive had the Centers for Disease Control and federal government responded promptly and forcefully in the pandemic’s early days. The book follows the American doctors and scientists who advocated for immediate action and charts the roadblocks they faced, including bureaucratic red tape, for-profit health care and partisan politics. Lewis, known for his books “Moneyball” and “The Big Short,” joins us to discuss where our public health systems went wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Low-wage frontline workers have kept Californians fed and vulnerable populations cared for since the start of the pandemic. And they’ve borne a high cost for their work. A recent study out of UC Merced finds a 30% increase in deaths for essential workers in 2020. We’ll hear about people working in restaurants, grocery stores, home care and other industries who feared losing income -- or their jobs --if they took time off to recover from COVID-19. And as the state moves toward a full reopening next month, we’ll look at lessons learned during the pandemic on how we can better protect and support low-wage frontline workers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At age 14, Ian Manuel was sentenced to life without parole for shooting and injuring a woman. Manuel spent 18 years in solitary confinement, living in a windowless room 10 feet by seven feet wide. He was released in 2016 following the efforts of Equal Justice Initiative's Bryan Stevenson, and with the support of his victim, who advocated for his early release. Manuel captures his experiences in his new book My Time Will Come: A Memoir of Crime, Punishment, Hope, and Redemption. We'll talk to him about his advocacy work and how the justice system can be improved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Biden administration passes the 100-day mark, observers on the left have been pleasantly surprised that the presidents policies are more progressive than promised on the campaign trail. Biden has pushed big government programs to maximize vaccination access, rebuild infrastructure and invest in education. But some progressives would still like to see him push for specific policies his administration hasnt yet addressed, like Medicare for All and free tuition at four-year colleges. Well discuss how progressives are looking at the current administration, and how California, the state that voted for Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2020 Democratic Primary, grades Bidens performance so far. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Joe Biden promised a more humane and welcoming approach to asylum seekers, yet many Trump administration policies that limited people's ability to ask for asylum remain. We get an update on the humanitarian crisis for thousands of migrants and asylum seekers who are still waiting at the US-Mexico border and talk about the Biden's Administration handling of the issue so far. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

American Indian and Alaska Native women are up to ten times more likely to be murdered than the national average. And too often, according to the U.S. Interior Department, "murders and missing persons cases in Indian country go unsolved and unaddressed, leaving families and communities devastated." Journalist Connie Walker has covered cases of missing and murdered indigenous women deeply, most recently as the host of the podcast "Stolen" which investigates the 2018 disappearance of 23-year old Jermain Charlo near the Flathead Reservation in Montana. Walker joins us to talk about what she learned and what it means to be indigenous in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared India “saved humanity from a big disaster by containing corona effectively.” But this week, recorded Covid-19 cases in India surpassed the 20 million mark, and experts warn that the worst is yet to come. Hospital beds and oxygen devices remain in short supply and crematoriums in Delhi are overwhelmed. Critics contend that the Modi administration’s decision to open up the country and disregard Covid-19 as an ongoing threat left the country vulnerable to what is now the world’s worst outbreak of the disease. We’ll look at how India got to this point and what lessons can be learned from this humanitarian crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the COVID-19 pandemic came into full force in 2020, the American job market was hit hard. With many losing their existing jobs, and young Millennials and Gen Z entering a shaky job market, working multiple jobs became a financial necessity. Census data shows that the number of Americans juggling multiple jobs is steadily rising. E-commerce websites like Etsy had a 42 percent growth in new sellers compared to previous years. We discuss the increase of side gigs and how some young people have had to jungle their full time jobs with side hustles, monetizing creative hobbies like cooking and jewelry making to earn extra income. Have you had to come up with a pandemic side hustle? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a committee on Tuesday to study how the city could provide reparations for its Black residents. The 15 member African American Reparations Advisory Committee will take two years to come up with a plan for compensating those whose ancestors were enslaved or discriminated against by Jim Crow laws. Forum will discuss what reparations could look like for San Francisco, who could get them and what it will take to make it happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the host of NPR’s podcast “Death, Sex & Money,” Anna Sale is not afraid to talk about those difficult topics (and more) with complete strangers. But as she notes in her new book, “Let’s Talk About Hard Things,” sometimes it’s easier to talk to a bartender or a podcast host “because it’s downright terrifying to discuss the things that are the most important to us with the people who are most important to us.” Yet, that is exactly what we should do, argues Sale, because talking -- and listening -- will help us connect with the world around us. We’ll talk with Sale about how to approach difficult conversations, especially as some of us look to reconnect coming out of this pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine if your company announced that it was piloting a shorter work week. You’d work 32 hours for 40 hours of pay, and it would be up to you to get your work done in less time. With those free hours, maybe you could take a day off each week, or start the workday at 11, after exercising or taking your child to school. The French have tried working fewer hours. Some Spanish companies plan to pilot a 32 hour week, with financial help from the Spanish government. But could this be something adopted by U.S. companies, where working long hours is often expected? We discuss the idea of a shorter work week, what might change for employees and if it would be bad for business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than a half-century ago, “Sesame Street” debuted on TV screens. Explicitly designed to close the learning gap for kids from low-income families by teaching the alphabet, numbers and other preschool basics, the show also tackled social-emotional skills, like dealing with grief and conflict. In her new documentary “Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street,” director Marilyn Agrelo uncovers the show’s radical origin story, using interviews and archival footage to trace the show’s first decade on air. We’ll talk with Agrelo about the enduring legacy of “Sesame Street.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Armenian Genocide, the Ottoman Empire’s executions, deportations and forced removals of an estimated 1.5 million Armenian citizens during World War I, was officially recognized by President Biden on April 24. The move drew praise from human rights advocates around the world and especially in California, home to the largest Armenian diaspora population in the United States. In the century since the killings took place, some world leaders, including Turkey, have refused to label the atrocity as a genocide. We'll talk about the significance of Biden's move and its potential effects on U.S.-Turkey relations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shock G, the co-founder of the band Digital Underground, also known as Humpty Hump, passed away on April 22nd and was laid to rest in Tampa this past Saturday. The 90’s were a special time for Bay Area hip hop and Shock G is known to be one of the architects. He is responsible for hit songs like, “The Humpty Dance”, “Doowhatchulike” and “Same Song.” He was also a gatekeeper for discovering new talent -- the most famous being Tupac -- and produced his breakthrough single, “I Get Around.” In addition to that, he produced and collaborated with Dr. Dre, Prince and the Luniz, to name a few. As his fans, friends and family mourn his death, we examine Shock G’s contributions to the Bay Area. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new investigation by Reveal, from the Center for Investigative Reporting, analyzed more than 5 million paycheck protection program loans, finding stark inequity in the rate of lending in majority Asian, Black, or Latinx areas compared with majority White neighborhoods. We get the details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In celebration of National Poetry Month, Forum asked listeners to submit recordings of their original poems for a chance to be featured on air. Every Friday in April, we’ve heard some of these poems, representing a range of themes like family, love, nature and self-reflection. To close out the month, we’ll play more listener poems and talk about the power of poetry. Tell us: what do you love about poetry? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

H Mart is a supermarket chain specializing in Asian foods. It’s also where Michelle Zauner begins her new memoir, writing, “you’ll likely find me… sobbing near the dry goods, asking myself, Am I even Korean anymore if there’s no one left to call and ask which brand of seaweed we used to buy?” “Crying in H Mart” analyzes Zauner’s relationship with her late mother and their shared Korean heritage through meticulously described meals — like the soybean paste stew doenjang jjigae and chonggak (“ponytail” radish) kimchi —and the contexts in which they were eaten. We’ll talk with Zauner about processing her grief in both her memoir and music as the artist Japanese Breakfast, as well as her art’s evolution in anticipation of her upcoming album, Jubilee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the pandemic hit, those of us who could started living much of our lives online – work, school and socializing. The meetings, the classes, the concerts, the chats with friends, the book clubs and ALL that streaming. Now, as we begin to emerge from the lock downs, we take a look at our relationship with the internet, for better and for worse. How has the internet been helpful to you this past year? How has it changed your relationships with other people? Do you think you’ve used it too much, and will maybe back off, now that things are opening up? We want to hear about the pandemic, the internet and you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California will lose one of its 53 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after new census data showed that the state's population rose by only 6.1 percent since 2010. Overall, the U.S. population grew by 7.4 percent -- the smallest gain since the 1930s. We'll talk about what the loss of a seat means for California politically and what's next as the state prepares to redraw its legislative districts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Legislation aimed to establish a federal response to hate crimes against Asian Americans overwhelmingly passed in the Senate last week. One of its sponsors, Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, was the first Asian American woman elected to the Senate. Hirono is the only serving U.S. senator who is an immigrant, and her new memoir, "Heart of Fire: An Immigrant Daughter's Story, interweaves her life story with the policies shed later champion. Well talk with Sen. Hirono about where her bill stands, the specific pandemic challenges of Hawaii and President Biden's immigration policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The state of California will send “life-saving oxygen equipment” to India, which is dealing with a deadly surge in COVID-19 cases. Doctors in India have been making pleas on social media as many hospitals run out of oxygen, and as the country marks a grim milestone of more than one million coronavirus cases in just a few days. We talk with California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis about India’s coronavirus crisis, California’s efforts to help and what it will take to make a dent in the problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One in five people who menstruate in the U.S. struggle with their periods every month due to lack of access to hygienic menstrual products, according to a 2019 study on the “State of the Period”. This issue, known as period poverty, has resulted in other discouraging statistics -- one in four teens in the U.S. say they have missed school because of poor access to menstrual products. In California, menstrual products are now tax-free through the end of 2023, and legislators and many young activists are working to make free menstrual products available in schools and public agencies. Meanwhile, countries like Scotland and New Zealand have made tampons and pads free. In this student-produced segment for KQED’s annual Youth Takeover week, we look at the latest efforts to address period poverty and the overall stigma surrounding menstruation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

KQED’s speaker series “¿Dónde Esta Mi Gente?” spotlights writers who explore and extol their Latinx roots in their work. Its next installment will feature the voices of Afro-Latinx writers from across the U.S. The free virtual event will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 28. We’ll talk with one of the curators of “¿Dónde Esta Mi Gente?” about the role of literature during a pandemic, the need to highlight Latinx voices and celebrating Black joy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new podcast series “La Brega” explores the often misunderstood relationship between Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland. The term “la brega” has many meanings to residents of the island, from survival to struggle to hustle. It speaks to the issues Puerto Ricans have faced in being part of the United States for more than a century, including feeling neglected by their government. We’ll talk with the producers of “La Brega” about the urgency of documenting Puerto Rico’s contemporary challenges. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some East Palo Alto residents--who came to California after fleeing sea level rise in their Pacific Island homes--are finding they may soon be climate refugees for a second time. More than half of the city is vulnerable to flood, with seas predicted to rise by 2 feet by the year 2050 and possibly 7 feet by 2100. We’ll talk about KQED’s series “Fighting to Stay: Climate Solutions in East Palo Alto” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a comedian and the Emmy-winning host of CNN’s “United Shades of America,” W. Kamau Bell addresses the racial inequities of American life with bracing and deft humor. Bell does not shy away from calling it like he sees it, and he’s seen a lot. With its sixth season debuting on May 2, the show will tackle policing the police, racial wealth gaps and the lack of diversity in STEM, among other topics. We’ll talk with Bell about protest, police killings and creating television during a pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a drought emergency for Sonoma and Mendocino counties on Wednesday as California’s record-dry conditions continue. Fuel moisture levels are some of the lowest the state has seen, paving the way for increased fire risk and more intense fires when they occur. Earlier this month, Newsom unveiled a $536 million plan to help prevent future fires. We get an expert’s analysis on what to expect this fire season and what the state could and should do to prepare for it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The anguishing cell phone video of George Floyd's murder, captured by teenager Darnella Frazier, lay at the heart of the prosecution's case against the former police officer convicted of his killing. Bystander videos can provide important counter-narratives to official accounts, and the very act of filming law enforcement officers can sometimes de-escalate violent confrontations. But once widely circulated, videos documenting police misconduct can be deeply disturbing to communities already traumatized by violence. We'll talk about how to film police encounters safely, effectively and ethically. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Filmmaker Ali Tabrizi is making big waves with his recent Netflix film “Seaspiracy” which looks at the damage caused by the seafood industry from overfishing, to pollution, to human rights abuses, to exacerbating climate change. The documentary implores viewers to stop eating fish altogether to save the seas. But critics say while “Seaspiracy” sheds a light on some serious issues, like harmful plastics and the illegal fishing underworld, it does more harm than good by making links where there aren’t any and regularly exaggerating, including claiming there is no such thing as sustainable fishing. We’ll talk to experts about the controversial documentary, the state of our seas and what tangible actions can make a difference in the fight to save our oceans and protect local fisheries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices