KQED's Forum

May 1 is approaching, the deadline for the hundreds of thousands of California high school seniors who applied to college to commit to their chosen schools. But for many, this year's admissions cycle was punishing. The COVID-19 pandemic closed high schools to in-person learning, cancelled standardized tests and pushed campus tours online. Many students gave up on the idea of college, especially those with newfound home responsibilities or financial pressures. At the same time, application volumes ballooned at some of the most popular schools, like UC Berkeley and Harvard, making admissions increasingly competitive. We talk about the changing landscape of college admissions and the experiences of this year’s high school seniors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than half of American adults have now had at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, but around 20% say they are still reluctant to to get the vaccine. To persuade the hesitant, health officials are turning to influencers on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter, and partnering with social media like never before to message younger, more diverse audiences and hard-to-reach communities. Well talk about vaccine influencers, what explains the high rates of vaccine hesitancy and the science of changing peoples' minds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, now in her second term as Speaker, made history in 2007 as the first woman to hold the position. She also made headlines Tuesday when her comments following Derek Chauvin’s conviction drew immediate backlash, with some contrasting her remarks with those of the youngest generation of congressional Democrats. In her new biography, “Madam Speaker,” journalist Susan Page looks at Pelosi’s climb to power and what Pelosi represents — and has to say — about the future of the Democratic party. We’ll talk to Page, who is Washington Bureau chief at USA Today, about the book and other national politics news, including where the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act currently stands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chinese President Xi Jinping will take part in a virtual climate change summit hosted by President Joe Biden on Thursday, Earth Day. It’s a bright spot in a deteriorating U.S.-China relationship, and comes as tensions rise over human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang region and as China doubles down on a more aggressive style of diplomacy. We’ll hear about the roots of China’s so-called “wolf warrior” foreign relations offensive and discuss the future of relations between the two countries on climate change, human rights, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After three weeks of often wrenching testimony, a Minneapolis jury on Tuesday found police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murder and manslaughter Tuesday in the death of George Floyd. We want to hear how you are processing the jury’s decision, and what you think it means for broader efforts to achieve racial justice and police accountability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Supporters of police reform are expressing relief at the guilty verdicts on all counts in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin Tuesday. They say it’s a big first step toward holding law enforcement accountable for use of excessive force. But how are the verdicts being interpreted by police officers, chiefs and unions, some of whom have resisted or blocked efforts to reform law enforcement? We’ll talk with San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott – whose union supports certain reforms – and police department critics, to hear their take on the verdicts and what they may mean for real change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dean Karnazes once ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. That was in 2006, not long after his memoir “Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner” became a national bestseller. His new book, "A Runner’s High: My Life in Motion," charts Karnazes’ return to the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run in his mid-50s. Once named one of the most influential people in the world by Time Magazine and a winner of the Badwater Ultramarathon and 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series, Karnazes has a unique insight into the power and physicality of running. The “Ultramarathon Man” joins us to discuss what it means to achieve a runner’s high. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The non-fungible token (NFT) craze, which took off in 2020, appears to continue unabated. NFTs are digital “certificates of authenticity” that attach to creations like songs, photos and sports clips, and they can command hefty prices. An NFT of digital artist Beeple’s work brought in $69 million at auction last month, and other NFTs are being sold for similarly eyebrow-raising sums. And demand is showing no sign of declining despite what law professor Jonathan Zittrain in a recent Atlantic piece calls “their abstraction, their seemingly arbitrary valuation, and...the paltriness of the privileges they convey to their owners.” We talk to Zittrain about the future of NFTs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A fiscal management team issued a dire warning earlier this month about the finances of City College San Francisco, the city’s two-year community college which offers free tuition to all city residents. The devastating report concluded that the college could not meet its obligations to students, faculty and staff and remain solvent without making drastic changes. In March, noting it faced a $33 million budget shortfall for the upcoming academic year, City College announced that it would cut 163 full-time faculty and 34 administrative positions. As students and faculty rally to save classes and programs, the administration says its hands are tied by the financial problems caused by decreased enrollment and revenues. We talk about the future of City College. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even after the Civil Rights Act in 1964 banned employment discrimination, women in the workplace still found it nearly impossible to get the kind of jobs they really wanted and were qualified for. When National Public Radio launched 50 years ago, four women found their way into a world previously closed to them — broadcast journalism. They became icons — using their voices to fight sexism in the workplace and cover decades of news. We examine the amazing careers of “Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie” with Lisa Napoli, author of “The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Asian American mental health care providers in California are seeing an increase in demand for services in the wake of surging anti-Asian hate incidents, and the killings last month of six Asian women in the Atlanta area. The requests are notable for a community that’s been least likely of all racial groups to seek out mental health services. We take a deeper look at the heavy emotional and psychological toll of anti-Asian racism and what can be done to remove barriers to care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To help fight disparate testing and vaccination rates within the Black community, organizers realized they would need grassroots activism. That’s when Dr. Kim Rhoads, an epidemiologist at UCSF, turned to filmmaker Kevin Epps, who directed the documentaries “Straight Outta Hunters Point” and “The Black Rock” and is a trusted Bay Area community member. Working with Umoja Health, a partnership that includes a dozen community organizations, UCSF and the Alameda County Health department, Rhoads and Epps have been able to help reach residents at higher rates than other sites aimed at underserved communities. We’ll talk to them both about their work and the importance of community activism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California is adding $536 million to the budget for wildfire prevention. The money will go toward efforts including forest and vegetation management and the retrofitting and fireproofing of homes. As the state enters a second year of drought following 2020’s record number of acres burned, some experts are raising concerns that the state isn’t going far enough to avoid a crisis. We'll hear about efforts underway to prevent another catastrophic wildfire season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In heated debates about gun laws and gun violence, one group of victims is often overlooked: children. Each year in America, thousands of children are killed or injured after finding unsecured guns in their homes. Millions of kids endure psychological wounds after losing loved ones to gun violence or from the mere threat of school shootings. In his new book, “Children Under Fire: An American Crisis,” Washington Post reporter John Woodrow Cox tells the story of those children. We talk with Cox about strategies that could save lives and protect kids from life-altering trauma. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now that California is reopening, how will dating change? After a year of social distancing, many of us are longing for emotional and physical intimacy, while others are suffering from FODA: fear of dating again. What are the rules, if any, around post-pandemic dating and intimacy? Are Zoom dates here to stay? And will you require proof of vaccination to swipe right? Well hear your stories and get advice about how to approach dating, love and sex in a post-pandemic world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year, in response to concerns about the spread of COVID-19 among unhoused people, officials in Santa Rosa created a sanctioned encampment in the parking lot of a local community center. Those living at the site reported feeling safer and having better access to services, and neighborhood residents who initially opposed the idea came to view the program positively. Elsewhere in the state, San Francisco set up “Safe Sleeping Sites” last May, and Sacramento recently created two “Safe Ground” sites, with one being for people living in cars and RVs. The idea is being floated in Los Angeles, as well, after police and protestors clashed over the clearing of an encampment at Echo Park last month. We’ll talk about Santa Rosa’s experiment in addressing homelessness and how other cities in California are implementing or thinking about sanctioned encampments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether it’s tribal in nature -- or a nasty divorce-- many Americans feel trapped in repetitive conflicts that can seem irresolvable, with no end in sight. Investigative journalist Amanda Ripley spent four years studying these types of high conflict situations, discovering tools to defuse their potency and learning how to recognize what kind of problems are solvable. Ripley joins us to talk about how to resolve our deepest divisions and her new book, “High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped, and How We Get Out.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California is pausing the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine following a recommendation to do so from federal health officials who reported extremely rare blood clot complications in six patients. Meanwhile, California plans to expand vaccine eligibility to everyone 16 and older on Thursday. So far, roughly 40 percent of Californians have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and more than one in five are fully vaccinated, but experts say the state has a ways to go. We’ll hear the latest developments about the J&J vaccine and talk about what we can expect as the state prepares to open up eligibility. For more information about booking a vaccine appointment, check out KQED's guide to vaccines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kristine Hostetter was a popular fourth grade teacher at an Orange County elementary school, when she marched on the Capitol on January 6th, but did not enter the building. When she returned home, the school district suspended her, a move that outraged some families but which others supported. We’ll talk with the New York Times reporter who has brought national attention to Hostetter’s suspension and the ongoing fallout. What are the limits of free speech in the workplace? How would you react if your child’s teacher had marched on the Capitol? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new Frontline documentary "American Insurrection" investigates the rise of right-wing extremism and the assault on the U.S. Capitol. Forum talks with ProPublica reporter and Frontline correspondent A.C. Thompson about how extremist groups and individuals became emboldened and radicalized. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last month, 45-year-old Lorenzo Perez was shot in broad daylight in Fresno while selling food from a bicycle cart. His death illustrated the many risks street vendors take to sell their goods. Advocates say street vendors, ubiquitous in California’s Latino neighborhoods, are seen as easy targets. Vendors continue to face decreased sales and increased risk of thefts and assaults as the pandemic stretches on. We talk about the risks street vendors face and how to best help. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To live deliberately as a swimmer means you are a seeker; a chaser of the oceans blue corduroy, a follower of river veins, journalist Bonnie Tsui writes in her book, Why We Swim. A lifelong swimmer whose parents met at a pool, Tsui interweaves her personal love of the sport with scientific research on the psychology and physicality of swimming. She shares stories of long-distance swimmers and breaks down the reasons we swim: for survival, well-being, community, competition and flow. We want to hear from you: why do you swim? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, Amazon workers at an Alabama warehouse voted down a call to unionize, and that decision has organized labor scrambling. Though a majority of Americans say they are in favor of unions, creating new ones is not easy. Key to the movement’s future is a sweeping piece of pro-union legislation, the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which passed the House and faces uncertain prospects in the Senate.We’ll examine the future of organized labor and discuss how rising inequality is shifting the conversation around unions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Biden on Friday ordered a 36-member bipartisan commission to study proposals to expand the size of the U.S. Supreme Court and set term limits for justices. Biden first proposed establishing the commission on the 2020 campaign trail, as the Court's rightward shift during the Trump Administration became a rallying cry for Democrats. We'll talk about the potential ramifications of a Supreme Court overhaul. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Research has found that we crave and consume more M&M’s when they’re multi-colored than when they’re just one color. In his new book “Hooked,” Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Michael Moss explains how multinational food companies use illusions of variety and fancy packaging to manipulate our predisposed preferences. Moss argues that we should think and talk about our relationship with processed foods the way we do with tobacco, drugs and other addictions. He joins us to talk about food addiction and the extent “Big Food” is culpable in the 40% rate of obesity among American adults. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his new book, “Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America,” journalist Alec MacGillis tracks how the labor and business practices of Amazon, the nation’s second-largest private employer, can damage communities and workers. MacGillis utilizes Amazon as an example of much broader problems in American society including income inequality, geographic wealth concentrations and consumer expectations for low prices. The book’s release comes ahead of a closely watched effort in Alabama to establish the first union at an Amazon warehouse in the United States. We talk with MacGillis about how Amazon reshapes — and exemplifies — America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a decade as a lawyer, Julie DiCaro thought she had landed a dream job as a sports radio host. But the work environment quickly turned toxic, one where she felt she constantly had to prove herself as a woman. In her book, Sidelined: Sports, Culture, and Being a Woman in America, DiCaro lays bare the treatment of women on and off the sports field from sexism to internet trolls to pervasive misogyny. We talk with DiCaro about the enduring inequality for women in sports and the actions the industry can take to change it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As students prepare to return to classrooms, schools are looking to tutoring, extended school days and reimagined standards to address gaps caused by distance learning. Students from low-income families and English learners were among those least able to consistently log in to virtual school over the past year. President Biden’s latest Covid relief bill includes funds set aside for learning loss, and in March, California Gov. Gavin Newsom allocated $4.6 billion for summer school and additional instruction time. Yet some are critical of the concept of “learning loss,” claiming deficit mindsets negate all that students did learn over the past year and fail to prioritize students’ socio-emotional well-being. We’ll talk about the best approaches for schools, teachers, parents and students moving back to in-person education after a year online. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many young women depend on the Bay Area Rapid Transit system as their primary mode of transportation... But young women and girls riding BART say they have experienced harassment from catcalling to stalking and unwelcome sexual advances… forcing many to spend large amounts of money on ridesharing options like Uber and Lyft. In 2018, the violent murder of Nia Wilson on the MacArthur station in Oakland brought awareness to racially charged attacks on public transit. We hear about a new community led partnership to combat gender-based violence and harassment on BART. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans are the least worried about contracting COVID-19 than they have ever been since the start of the pandemic, according to a new Gallup poll. Factors contributing to the optimism include the drop in cases in most states and improvements in vaccine rollout. Now, California Governor Newsom has promised a full reopening by mid-June if the state can keep hospitalizations low. We want to hear from listeners: How are you adjusting mentally or changing your behavior as re-opening becomes imminent? How has your vaccination status affected your outlook? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her book of essays, “White Space,” writer Jennifer De Leon explores how she became a writer — a journey inextricably linked to her parents’ migration from Guatemala to the United States. Throughout her life, De Leon carved a place for herself in spaces that felt unfamiliar: in the private college where she didn’t feel wealthy or white enough; in Guatemala where she immersed herself in a culture and language locals expected her to already know. This is De Leon’s second book release during the pandemic — her young adult novel, “Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From,” came out last May. De Leon joins to talk about her Central American roots, her parents’ reservations about her career and writing in mostly white spaces. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that almost all businesses in the state may reopen on June 15 at or near full capacity, provided vaccine supplies are stable, hospitalization rates remain low and certain large-scale indoor events implement vaccine or testing requirements. The statewide mask mandate will also stay in place. We'll discuss the public health implications of the reopening plan, and we'll also talk about the status of vaccine rollout efforts globally as new coronavirus variants raise alarms among public health officials worldwide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A century ago, nearly one million Black farmers worked the land across the United States. Today, there are around 45,000 Black farmers. Investigations into the United States Department of Agriculture found that starting in the 1950s, illegal and discriminatory loan programs resulted in enormous wealth transfers from Black to white farmers, and are at the root of this decline. In her new book "We Are Each Other's Harvest," Natalie Baszile, author of novel "Queen Sugar," looks at what happened. Through essays, poems, photographs and personal stories, she documents the rich agricultural history of African Americans. We'll talk with Bay Area based Baszile about the book, some of the farmers she's met and what's in the American Rescue Plan to help reverse the trend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the pandemic, California home buyers gobbled up single-family homes in exurbs and suburbs while low-income earners struggled to make rent. The median home price in California rose roughly 20 percent during the past year to about $700,000, according to the California Association of Realtors. At the same time, rents plummeted in many of the state’s biggest cities — especially in high-end luxury towers. But those drops do little to help millions of renters in California barely managing to keep roofs over their heads. Part of the problem is that, based on some estimates, California faces a shortage of roughly 3 million homes. We examine how these trends could make California’s long-time housing shortage worse and what policies are on the horizon to address the problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Therapists have been in high demand during the pandemic, after shifting services online. But with no licensed psychologists in 33 percent of counties nationwide, the demand can be bigger than the supply. That has set the stage for growing interest in services offering mental-health care on a smartphone. Startups offering digital behavioral health were able to raise $1.8 billion in funding in 2020, compared to $609 million the year before. We’ll hear about therapy apps, and whether they can live up to their promises. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can self-deception be beneficial? That’s one of the questions animating Shankar Vedantam’s new book “Useful Delusions,” which argues that holding false beliefs is not necessarily a sign of pathology or ignorance. We’ll talk to the Hidden Brain podcast host about the lies we tell ourselves — and each other — and the role some forms of deception play in sustaining relationships and advancing mental well-being. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recording artists protested outside Spotify offices around the world last month as part of an ongoing movement to demand better pay. The streaming site’s payout rates have been decreasing over time, with artists today making approximately .0038 cents per stream. The Union of Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) wants the Swedish streaming company to pay one cent per stream. We break down how artists can make money today using online platforms and hear from some artists about why they say it’s not a living wage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Under pressure from lawmakers and public health officials, Facebook has recently ramped up efforts to combat Covid-19 vaccine misinformation on its site by banning anti-vaxxers and marking misleading posts as false. But according to Bloomberg tech reporter Sarah Frier, those measures are doomed to fall short because the company's platform by design favors sensationalism over scientific nuance. We'll talk about the impact of covid vaccine misinformation on social media sites and what more can be done to control it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At least 5,796 people presently detained in California county jails have waited more than one year for a conviction or sentence. At least 1,300 of these inmates have been incarcerated for three or more years, with more than 300 waiting for more than five years. And the backlog has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 44,241 people in total mostly people of color currently awaiting convictions or sentences in California county jails. That's all according to a new report from CalMatters, which spoke with incarcerated persons, crime victims and impacted family members. We'll speak with CalMatters' Robert Lewis about his report. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the pandemic creeps into its second year and as fires, droughts and floods continually remind us that the climate is changing, writer Anne Lamott notes that existential exhaustion is everywhere we look these days. In her new book, Dusk, Night, Dawn Lamott asks, where on earth do we start to get our world and joy and hope and our faith in life itself back? Lamott's approach is both spiritual and funny, embracing darkness and light and our worst flaws to move toward human connection, kindness. And we'll want to hear from you: What has been bringing you hope and joy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Joe Biden unveiled his $2 trillion infrastructure plan on Wednesday. Called the “American Jobs Plan,” the massive measure would rebuild aging roads, bridges and airports, while addressing climate change and racial inequities. It also includes funds to expand high-speed broadband internet across the country. California is poised to receive the biggest portion of federal funds if passed. Scott Shafer discusses what’s in the plan, how California would benefit and its prospects for passage in Congress with Vox reporter Ella Nilsen and Ethan Elkind, director of the climate program at UC Berkeley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Assemblymember Rob Bonta last week to be the next state attorney general. If confirmed, Bonta will finish the term of newly confirmed U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. Bonta would be the first attorney general of Filipino descent in California. He currently represents California’s 18th district, which includes Oakland, Alameda and San Leandro. Scott Shafer talks with him about his nomination and what his priorities would be as attorney general. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A bill working its way through the state legislature would require companies with 500 or more employees to have gender neutral sections for children’s clothing and toys or face a fine. According to bill co-author Assemblymember Evan Low, the idea behind AB 1084 is to get away from children having to go to the boys’ section to buy a superhero t-shirt or the girls’ section to buy a doll. KQED’s Katie Orr will discuss the bill and hear from people who say this is long overdue, like low. She will also talk to critics who think this is government overreach. And we want to hear from you: what do you think about retail moving beyond labeling sections as boys or girls? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As more and more people get vaccinated, attention is turning to how to protect the vulnerable, while letting the vaccinated get back to things like the movie theater or travel. One emerging idea — that has already been adopted by some countries — is a vaccine passport. It would allow more freedom of movement to those vaccinated or with immunity from previous infection. Critics say passports are unreliable without long-term data on the duration of immunity. Some fear they will unfairly leave vulnerable and low income communities behind. KQED's Katie Orr breaks down the pros and cons of vaccine passports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After two mass shootings in less than a week left 18 people dead in Colorado and Georgia, and amid a dramatic rise in community and domestic gun violence, Americans are again debating how to prevent future attacks. While history suggests that federal legislation has little chance of moving forward, some new laws are being adopted at the state level along with community-based approaches to prevent shootings. KQED's Scott Shafer talks about realistic solutions to reduce gun violence and the politics of this complex issue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senator Tammy Duckworth lost both legs when the Blackhawk helicopter she was co-piloting was shot down in Iraq 16 years ago. In her new memoir, "Every Day Is A Gift," Duckworth recounts how her challenging childhood prepared her to deal with these devastating injuries as well as a life in politics. She's the first senator to give birth while in office and the first Asian-American senator from Illinois. We'll talk to her about her life, her work and what her political future holds. And we'll also hear about what's next on the Democrats' legislative agenda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the past quarter century, the gap between what men and women are paid, has narrowed by only 8 cents. Women nationally now earn about 82 cents for every dollar a man earns and wage discrimination is even worse for women of color. We'll talk with Francesca Donner, gender director for the New York Times, about why the wage gap continues to exist and what can be done to change it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following increased backlash regarding the conservatorship of pop star Britney Spears, three bills aiming to reform conservatorship are now proposed in the California Legislature. Spears’ conservatorship, which began in 2008, has been strongly criticized by the #FreeBritney movement and participants in the recent New York Times documentary “Framing Britney Spears.” Conservatorships occur when an adult is deemed unable to care for themself or manage their finances and a judge appoints a person or organization to make decisions on their behalf. Under the proposed laws, there would be more requirements for conservators and protections for conservatees. We’ll talk about conservatorship under California law and take your questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The California State Board of Education approved an ethnic studies curriculum for K-12 after years of tumultuous debate. Some critics say the curriculum falls short of the true intent of ethnic studies as an academic discipline. Meanwhile, other opponents of the early drafts of the curriculum were concerned about presenting students with too critical a view of capitalism and white supremacy. In the end, the board of education adopted the curriculum in a way that provides teachers and districts flexibility in how they will teach ethnic studies. We examine the guidelines and the pushback, and hear about a proposal to make ethnic studies a high school graduation requirement in California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once known as the “land of orphans,” South Korea has placed nearly 200,000 children in foreign adoptions since the 1950’s. Until 1995, it was the world leader in sending children for adoption in the United States. Frustrated by incomplete and sometimes falsified records, many of those adoptees are now turning to DNA technology to find their birth families -- a process that is sometimes seamless, but more often fraught with challenges. We talk about the legacy of Korea’s adoption policies and speak with some adoptees about their efforts to connect with their families. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices