
KQED's Forum
3,339 episodes — Page 59 of 67

Evacuation Orders Issued for Santa Cruz County as Entire State Braces for Massive Storms
Santa Cruz County ordered the evacuation of nearly 5000 residents Monday ahead of torrential storms predicted to unleash flooding and mudslides beginning on Tuesday. Forecasters say that the weather system, known as an atmospheric river, could bring up to ten feet of snow to the Sierra Nevada by the end of the week and extreme winds and rain throughout the state. We'll talk about the dangers the weather system poses, especially to areas affected by recent wildfires, and we'll look at the impact it may have on the state's water supply. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2020 Tied for Hottest Year on Record, According to NASA
According to climate reports released this month, the hottest years on record all occurred in the last seven years with 2020 becoming another record-making year for global temperatures. From historic wildfires in California, Australia and the Amazonian rainforest to a record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season last year, the impacts of this warming are being felt across the globe. Slowing temperature rise in coming years will require radical action, according to the United Nations, with one goal calling for decreasing fossil fuel production by six percent per year through 2030. Climate scientist Zeke Hausfather says an upside is that energy producers have succeeded in making clean alternatives cheaper, which could boost more ambitious climate policy to mitigate the ongoing climate crisis. We'll talk with Hausfather about the latest climate news and its impact on Californians. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Impeachment Moves to Senate, President Biden Signs More Executive Orders
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to deliver an article of impeachment against former president Donald Trump to the Senate on Monday. This clears the way for a Senate trial, which will decide whether or not to convict Trump of inciting an insurrection at the Capitol. We get the latest on impeachment proceedings and catch up with President Biden’s most recent executive orders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Newsom Lifts Stay at Home Order After Criticism Over Transparency Concerns
The California Department of Public Health announced Monday that the state will lift the stay at home order, allowing reopening of outdoor dining and other services. The news comes as Governor Newsom faces criticism over its lack of transparency on key coronavirus data, including how it calculates the ICU projections that had been used as benchmarks for shutting down. We get the latest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Biden Proposes Path to Citizenship For Nation's Undocumented Immigrants
Millions of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. would have a path to citizenship in eight years or less, under the sweeping reform bill President Biden submitted to Congress this week. Biden also issued orders preserving the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, halting border wall construction and ending the travel ban that targeted Muslim countries. We'll review the Biden Administration's immigration plan and talk about its potential effects on California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bay Area Restaurants Sue State Over Outdoor Dining Ban
The ban on outdoor dining is “arbitrary, irrational, and unfair” according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by a coalition of Bay Area restaurants and wineries. The suit says that there is no scientific evidence to support the spread of COVID-19 in outdoor settings, and it warns that businesses will continue to close unless the ban is reversed. The state says the ban is necessary to save lives and prevent hospitals from reaching capacity. We’ll hear from the coalition, and check in on the latest science on outdoor transmission of the virus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer George Saunders and the Russian Masters on Writing, Reading and Life
George Saunders is one of the most celebrated fiction writers today but his new book looks back to examine great stories of the past. "A Swim in the Pond in the Rain" is a close look at seven classic 19th century Russian short stories that grew out of a class he's long taught on Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy and Gogol as a creative writing teacher. Saunders approaches the work with a writer's curiosity. "The focus of my artistic life has been trying to learn to write emotionally moving stories that a reader feels compelled to finish," he writes. If a story drew us in, kept us reading, made us feel respected, how did it do that? We talk to Saunders about reading, writing and great literature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How California Can Contain Coronavirus
As COVID-19 continues to spread and mutate nearly a year into the pandemic, many people struggle with assessing the risk of day-to-day activities amid a sluggish vaccine rollout. The numbers in California -- more than 3 million cases and more than 35,000 deaths -- while rising, are beginning to level out. At the same time, California Gov. Gavin Newsom promised that the state would vaccinate 1 million people in 10 days, but delayed data collection makes it unclear if the state met that goal. During his inaugural speech on Wednesday, President Joe Biden said, “We must set aside the politics and finally face this pandemic as one nation,” signaling significant policy change toward a more aggressive response from the federal government. We talk about California’s current challenges containing the virus and what state and national leadership can do to curb the spread and mounting deaths. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biden, Harris Enter Office With Message of Unity
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn into office Wednesday with an inaugural message of unity. The new administration faces extreme challenges, from far right radicals and the pandemic to a failing economy and foreign cyber attacks. President Biden got right to work, signing 17 executive orders, many aimed at rolling back Trump policies. We’ll talk about the inauguration and calls for unity, and what it means for California, that so many state politicians are now in prominent national positions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Examining Biden’s Coronavirus Plan and Previewing a Post Pandemic Life
President Biden's proposed plan to halt the spread of the coronavirus includes federal oversight of vaccination via community vaccination centers and hiring 100,000 public health workers to help out. Epidemiologist and sociologist Nicholas Christakis joins us to assess the plan. We’ll also get Christakis’ thoughts on how and when we might get back to normal and his book "Apollo's Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Young People Share Thoughts on Inauguration, Next Four Years
The inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday featured an optimistic address from President Biden and a stirring poem read by Los Angeles poet Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history. Many young people, some who voted for the first time to elect Biden, are looking for the new administration to tackle challenges such as climate change, immigration reform and the coronavirus pandemic. As part of Forum’s post-inauguration coverage, we’ll hear young people's reflections on Inauguration Day and their hopes for the next four years. We'll also hear national reporting from YR Media, a national network of young journalists and artists, on what issues youth want the Biden-Harris administration to prioritize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Historian Heather Cox Richardson and this American Moment
“The past has its own terrible inevitability. But it is never too late to change the future.” That’s according to historian Heather Cox Richardson, who observes that the political, racial and economic divisions in the country evoke the crises faced by the nation on the brink of the Civil War. And now as we prepare for a transition of power to President-elect Joe Biden and the nation’s first female vice-president, Kamala Harris, what can history tell us about the tumultuous moment we are living in? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Dangers of Whitewashing the News and Political Coverage
Throughout the presidency of Donald Trump, many media outlets across the United States were reluctant to label him a liar or a racist, even when his actions merited those terms, or to cover White supremacy as more than a fringe movement. Now, in the wake of the deadly pro-Trump insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, news organizations are grappling with the consequences of their whitewashed political coverage and failure to call out the president’s lies more aggressively. We’ll talk about how journalists are reckoning with how they shape and deliver the news, and what should change moving forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Latest National News and the Inauguration Preparations
Preparations and security measures continue in Washington, D.C., for Wednesday’s inauguration, and the investigation into the insurrection at the Capitol continues. And as the nation looks to a transition in leadership, on Thursday, President elect Biden introduced an almost $2 trillion economic relief package. We'll discuss the latest political developments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Talk to Kids About Race In Uncertain Times
Our news this month is flooded with images of white supremacists storming the U.S. Capitol and of a confederate flag being hoisted through its halls. This after months of reporting on police killings of people of color, and the racial disparities in COVID deaths. And adults are not the only ones seeing these images and hearing these stories; they're seeping through to our kids too. Should we be shielding them from stories of racial violence? How much should we protect them? How much should we expose them? We know we should be having hard conversations with our kids. But how? On this Martin Luther King Day we'll discuss how to talk to kids about race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Would Dr. King Think about the Siege of the Capitol?
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." But what would he say about this particular bend – four years of President Trump culminating in a violent insurrection? Emory University professor Audra Gillespie, who has written about the legacy of the civil rights movement in American politics, joins us to reflect on how Dr. King might respond to the current political moment and the pandemic, which have exposed glaring inequities in our society. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Struggles with Vaccination Rollout as Eligibility Expanded to Seniors 65 and Up
Faced with one of the slowest vaccination rollouts in the nation, California Governor Newsom announced Wednesday that Covid-19 vaccines would be available to seniors 65 years and older. While many welcomed news of an expanded eligibility group, local governments and health officials struggled to keep up with demand, and across the state, Californians are asking why it is so hard to get information about how to get vaccinated. Meanwhile, as the Bay Area remains in lockdown, hopeful signs of a turnaround emerged on Wednesday as Sacramento and its surrounding counties entered the purple tier with outdoor dining, hair salons and hotels reopening. Will the next few months of the pandemic be as bumpy as the first few weeks of 2021 have been? When can people expect to be vaccinated? We’ll talk about what lies ahead as California pushes to accelerate immunizations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Racism Long a Plague Within Capitol Police Force
Several Capitol police officers have been suspended, and at least a dozen are under investigation for possible complicity in the deadly siege of the U.S. Capitol last week. The actions of the officers -- including one who posed for a selfie with insurrectionists and another who appeared to direct the mob around the building -- have exposed anew the force's troubled history of discrimination against Black officers, who've lodged hundreds civil rights lawsuits against the force in the last two decades. We'll talk about the role of racism in igniting, and sustaining, the insurrection. And we'll also get an update on how state and federal authorities are responding to threats of extremist violence ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump is Impeached a Second Time
Rancor and division were on full display Wednesday as the U.S. House of Representatives debated and then voted to impeach President Trump for inciting his supporters to storm the nation’s Capitol last week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has excluded the possibility of an impeachment trial before the inauguration. We get the latest on the historic impeachment and what happens next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid Calls for ‘Unity,’ What Will It Really Take to Unify the Country?
A majority in the House impeached President Trump on Wednesday for inciting the deadly insurrection at the Capitol last week, while many Republican lawmakers continued to say they oppose impeachment in the name of "unity." And on Monday, President-elect Joe Biden's team announced that the theme for Inauguration Day will be "America United," echoing his campaign and post-election messaging calling for unity and healing. What does the idea of “unity” mean, though, amid such long-standing, deep divisions and continued threats of more insurrections? We’ll take a critical look at these calls for unity and hear from listeners about what you think is necessary, at this point, to unify the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Capitol Insurrection Has Roots in Extremist Antigovernment Groups in California and West
The day before last week’s assault on the U.S. Capitol by violent insurrectionists, an angry, pro-Trump, anti-mask crowd threatened violence at a Shasta County Board of Supervisors meeting. West Coast states voted solidly for Joe Biden, but California, Oregon and Washington have plenty of extremist groups promoting anti government rhetoric and ideas. We'll examine the history and ideology of those groups and the role they played in last week’s deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Rep. Katie Porter on the Article of Impeachment Introduced Against President Trump
House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment Monday charging President Trump with "incitement of insurrection" for his role in last week's riot at the U.S. Capitol. The insurrection "was a direct attack on our democracy," wrote Congresswoman Katie Porter, who represents California's 45th district in Orange County and is a member of the House Financial Services Committee and the House Oversight and Reform Committee. She amassed a national profile over the past year by directing tough questions to Trump administration officials and corporate executives in congressional hearings. We'll talk with Rep. Porter about the impeachment effort as well as her fight for equity in COVID-19 testing and vaccines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

House Democrats Build Momentum To Impeach President Trump a Second Time
Support for the second impeachment of President Donald Trump grew among House Democrats Friday, following Wednesday's violent pro-Trump insurrection that left five people dead at the U.S. Capitol. We'll discuss the latest developments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Promises a Million Immunizations in Ten Days
California announced plans last week to administer the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine to a million people in the course of only ten days. The decision came as the state continues to see a surge in cases, and as it faces criticism over a slow vaccine rollout for health care workers and nursing home residents. We'll get the details on the vaccination push. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Capitol Insurrectionists Are Identified, Arrests And Charges Mount
QAnon conspiracists, white nationalists, business professionals and Proud Boys militants. Those are some of the perpetrators of the deadly pro-Trump insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week that law enforcement officials have identified and begun to charge with federal crimes. We’ll talk about what we know about the insurrectionists, what they were planning and why some investigators say the violence could have been far worse. And we’ll look at some of the raid’s historical antecedents, and its racist roots. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Siege, Americans Grapple With Questions of Accountability
The siege of the U.S Capitol by Pro-Trump extremists on Wednesday has many grappling with questions of accountability and justice. Democratic leaders Thursday demanded that President Trump be removed from office. Several White House officials have resigned, but what will be the punishment for members of Congress who supported Trump’s attempt to steal the election? Lawmakers are also calling for congressional hearings on the failure of law enforcement to protect what should have been one of America’s most secure buildings. We’ll discuss the aftermath of Wednesday's violence and who should be held accountable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 1 Million Unemployment Claims in Limbo as EDD Investigates Massive Fraud
More than one million California state unemployment claims--approximately 1 in 7-- were suspended this week in an attempt to avoid more fraudulent payouts. The California Employment Development Department has lost up to $4 billion on fraudulent claims since the pandemic started. We break down the latest problems besetting the state’s EDD, as a record number of Californians await much-needed financial relief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Democrats Are Doing to Force President Trump Out of Office
On Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called on Vice President Mike Pence and President Donald Trump’s Cabinet to use the 25th Amendment to remove the president from office. Pelosi said if not, the Democrats could seek to impeach the president a second time. This comes after the president tried to tamper with election results in Georgia and incited a riot at the U.S. Capitol that left five people dead. Experts say taking either path would be challenging for Democrats. We explain the various scenarios for forcing a president out of office and what it means for Trump’s limited time in the White House. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facebook Bans Trump While ‘Trump’s Internet’ Celebrates Insurrection
On Thursday, Facebook announced it banned President Donald Trump from posting on its platform and on Instagram for at least the next two weeks. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the risks of allowing Trump to post "are simply too great" after the president posted a video calling violent insurrectionists "very special" as they rioted on Capitol Hill. Many see the bans as too little, too late, after years of allowing Trump to spread lies, conspiracy theories and disinformation online that fueled a base of extremist supporters. In her piece “Trump’s Internet is Celebrating” for The Atlantic, Kaitlyn Tiffany writes that the insurrectionists, known as the #StopTheSteal movement online, did exactly what they’d promised to do for months and are gleeful over yesterday’s riots. We’ll talk to Tiffany about how Trump’s attempted coup was born online and where social media companies go from here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rioters Storm the U.S. Capitol
Violent extremists loyal to President Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol Wednesday in an attempt to prevent Congress from confirming electoral votes for president-elect Joe Biden. The mob smashed windows, clashed with police and four people are dead. In response, Trump called on the rioters to go home but at the same time reiterated false claims that the election was stolen. Many across the country are reeling in the aftermath of a stunning attack on this country's democratic process. We get the latest on the riots. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Statewide Call-in Special: California Responds to Pro-Trump Riots
After violent supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, many Americans are dismayed at the chaos and lawlessness that has unfolded. Some observers questioned the lax response from police, as well as galling discrepancies between the treatment of Black Lives Matter protesters and the pro-Trump mob. And the incident is sparking calls for a second impeachment of Trump, who invited the rioters to Washington D.C. In this statewide call-in special, we'll talk about the political and legal fallout from Wednesday's violence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Latest on Senate Runoff Elections in Georgia
All eyes are on two U.S. Senate runoff elections in Georgia, the outcomes of which will determine which political party gains control of the Senate. Pastor and democrat Raphael Warnock is projected to have won over Republican Kelly Loeffler. The race between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican David Perdue is still too close to call. Meanwhile, in a joint session of Congress overseen by vice president Mike Pence, US lawmakers gather this morning to confirm Joe Biden's victory. We get the latest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democrat Raphael Warnock Victorious in Georgia Senate Runoff
With Democrat Raphael Warnock’s victory in one of Georgia’s two Senate runoffs Tuesday, he becomes the first Black U.S . senator in his state’s history. If Democrat Jon Ossoff’s lead holds in the other runoff, President-elect Joe Biden begins his term on January 20th with Democrats in control of Congress. We'll get the latest and talk about what a shift in the senate's balance of power could mean for California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin's First Year in Office Ends in Controversy
San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin filed manslaughter charges on Monday against Troy McAlister, a parolee accused of killing two pedestrians on New Years Eve while driving drunk. The case sparked intense criticism of Boudin, including a recall effort, for failing to charge McAlister with a new crime despite repeated arrests in recent months. The controversy caps the progressive district attorney’s first year in office. We’ll talk with Boudin about the case and what his office achieved last year, including ending cash bail, filing the first ever homicide charges in San Francisco against a police officer and reducing the city’s jail population by 40% to prevent a COVID 19 outbreak. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More California Republican Leaders Pledge to Oppose Certifying Biden’s Election Win
Despite President Donald Trump’s resounding loss in California during his bid for re-election last November, many Republican leaders in the state are supporting his efforts to overturn the results of the national election. Rep. Mike Garcia, who represents California’s 25th district north of Los Angeles, said Monday he joined a group of House Republicans who oppose certifying the election for President-elect Joe Biden. Another is Rep. Devin Nunes of Fresno, to whom Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Monday. Political observers say Trump’s efforts are futile, improper and possibly illegal, but many in his party are sticking with him. We discuss the Californian leaders who support Trump and what it means for the Republican Party in California, a state where Democrats dominate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump Asks Georgia Secretary of State to 'Find Votes' During Phone Call
President Donald Trump on Saturday pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" enough votes to reverse his November election loss in Georgia, according to an audio recording obtained by the Washington Post. The recording is another example of the president’s "assault on American democracy," a senior adviser for President-elect Joe Biden said. We'll talk with USF political scientist James Taylor about Trump's latest scandal, which comes two days before the special election in Georgia that will decide control of the U.S. Senate. We'll also discuss Rep. Nancy Pelosi's re-election as House Speaker on Sunday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Study Shows Lockdowns Are Effective For Some, But Not All Populations
Lockdowns have been the blunt force instrument used to contain the coronavirus, and a recent study from UCSF proves that early on in the pandemic, shutdowns worked to curtail deaths in some, but not all populations. In particular, the study notes that Blacks, Latinos and those without a high school degree experienced a higher number of deaths per capita, even with a lockdown in place. While researchers are learning that shutdowns can work, what can be done to address the disparities experienced by high-risk communities? We'll talk about the study and what it means for crafting future policy responses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caregivers Shoulder Increased Burdens During Pandemic
About one fifth of adults in the U.S are taking care of a family member or friend who needs help. The unpaid work of caring for loved ones who are aging, sick or disabled is often rewarding but it can also be exhausting, stressful and it can take a toll on the caregiver’s mental health. These strains have only increased during the pandemic when many services, like adult daycares, that used to provide a respite for caregivers, are closed. We’ll talk about caregiving during the pandemic, and how to get support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

REBROADCAST: Bay Area Sports Writer Joan Ryan on the 'Intangibles' of Team Performance
After following the notoriously bad relationship between baseball icons Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent as well as the meteoric path of the Giants, Bay Area based sports writer Joan Ryan grew curious about team chemistry and how it affects performance. She spent ten years probing sociology, neuroscience and psychology to answer questions about whether team chemistry was real. And if so, what is it exactly? And how do you measure it? Ryan joins us to talk about the importance of sports during the pandemic, how our relationships with friends, colleagues, and family are affected by team dynamics, and her new book, “Intangibles: Unlocking the Science and Soul of Team Chemistry”. (originally aired Aug. 14, 2020) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

REBROADCAST: Share Your Post-Pandemic Fantasy
When the pandemic is in the rear window and we can go out safely and breathe within 6 feet of friends and strangers, what are the first things you’re going to do? We want to hear your post-pandemic fantasy. Is it a crowded dance floor? A trip around the globe? Or just simply dropping your kid off at school? And, what will you miss from this time? Is there anything from your pandemic lifestyle that you hope to hold on to, even after the world opens up again? We’ll open the phones to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

REBROADCAST: Maya Angelou on 'A Song Flung Up to Heaven'
We'll listen back to Michael Krasny's 2002 conversation with famed poet, author and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, who died in 2014. They talked about "A Song Flung Up to Heaven", the sixth book in her series of autobiographies which started with "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” (originally aired May 8, 2002) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

REBROADCAST: Louise Erdrich on her National Book Award-winning Novel ‘The Round House’
Michael Krasny talks with author Louise Erdrich about her National Book Award-winning novel “The Round House.” Set on an Ojibwe reservation in North Dakota, the book deals with the aftermath of a brutal rape and a son’s quest for justice. It is part of a trilogy which includes “The Plague of Doves” and “LaRose.” (originally aired Oct. 18., 2012) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

REBROADCAST: Michael Eric Dyson on the Racial Reckoning That Was 'Long Time Coming'
In his new book “Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America," sociologist and cultural critic Michael Eric Dyson looks at the history of systemic racism in the U.S. and how it led to this year’s unrest and protests for racial justice. Written as letters to Black victims of systemic racism and police brutality, including Eric Garner and Breonna Taylor, Dyson traces the genealogy of anti-blackness from slavery to the present. We’ll talk to Dyson about the book and why he remains hopeful in the fight for racial and social justice. (originally broadcast on 12/8/20.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Childcare Crisis Intensifies, Governor Announces Blueprint for Early Childhood Care and Education
Against the backdrop of 6,000 licensed childcare facilities closing during the pandemic and a projected loss of up to 85,000 childcare spaces, Governor Newsom earlier this month unveiled a sweeping masterplan to improve early childhood care and learning. The 107-page document presents a 10-year blueprint for expanding access to child care and improving the quality of California’s early childhood programs for low income students under the age of 6. Advocates say Covid has made the need for childhood care and learning even more urgent. We'll hear about the plan and check in with a childcare provider about how it's going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICU Capacity in the Bay Area
Kaiser Permanente announced this week that it will postpone elective procedures into January over concerns that COVID-19 hospitalizations may continue to grow over the holidays. The news comes as San Mateo County’s ICU beds fill and the county works to secure more beds for the sick. We get an update on Bay Area hospital capacity and hear why reported numbers can be confusing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Music That Got Us Through 2020
Whether it was streaming our favorite songs, tuning into a live DJ set online or picking up an instrument, music helped many of us navigate this difficult year. In August, we asked listeners to share the songs getting you through 2020 and we've been playing some of them on air each week. This hour, as the year comes to a close, we'll play more of the songs you said kept you going in 2020 and talk with NPR's music correspondent Ann Powers about the meaning of music in a year like this one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Reform the Presidency After Trump
The power of the president is typically kept in check by other branches of government and historical political norms, but the past four years have revealed alarming fissures in the system. In the book, "After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency," law professors Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith argue that the presidency of Donald Trump has revealed the executive branch's vulnerability to abuse by a president and a lack of accountability that necessitate further reform of presidential powers. In this hour, we'll hear from Bauer and Goldsmith about how Trump and previous presidents have overstepped their powers and what reforms could be viable during the next administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your Year in Pandemic Parenting
It’s been a tumultuous year for parents. Some of us wrestle with remote learning, others with how to spend all day, every day, with their kids. Some scramble to find childcare while away at work, others hustle to keep kids fed after losing jobs to the pandemic. Through it all are the everyday challenges, and joys, of raising kids. What has parenting during the pandemic looked like for you? We want to hear your parenting wins and flops and how you've coped through it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Look at National Politics as Trump Presidency Nears End
The one-term presidency of Donald Trump is less than two weeks away from wrapping up. In his last few weeks in office, he has vetoed a defense spending bill, delayed finalizing a contentious stimulus bill, and still won’t concede last November’s election. Meanwhile, the coronavirus pandemic continues spreading at alarming high rates and taking the lives of Americans. We talk with Washington, D.C. journalists Ron Elving of NPR and Kimberly Atkins of The Boston Globe on the latest national political news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Latest on California's Coronavirus Surge and Vaccine Rollout
Following the winter holidays, California could see a coronavirus surge on top of a surge. Projections vary wildly. It all depends on whether we heed the travel warnings and stay-at-home orders. The state passed 2 million cases on Wednesday. Now hospitals and their employees are bracing for the worst. Meanwhile, we place our hopes in the vaccines. We’ll start by hearing from a registered nurse and researcher who participated in one of the vaccine trials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices