KQED's Forum

Forum hears from both sides of the debate over California’s Proposition 20, which would roll back sentencing and parole changes approved by voters in 2014 and 2016. If approved, Proposition 20 would re-categorize some non-violent crimes as felonies, restrict some parole considerations and require DNA collection for certain misdemeanors. Backed by law enforcement, proponents say that the earlier reforms threaten public safety. Opponents say state prisons are overcrowded and argue that Proposition 20 would adversely affect communities of color. We’ll get the details and take your questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As daily new coronavirus cases continue to decline across the state, the Bay Area is slowly but surely getting back in business. Some public elementary schools in Alameda and Marin counties are re-opening for in-person learning, reduced-capacity indoor dining is now allowed in San Francisco, and indoor nail and hair salons are open throughout the region. We'll talk about the Bay Area's progress and the challenges that lie ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever wondered about those colorful squiggly lines you see painted on California's city sidewalks? They’re actually color-coded utility markings that represent an underground world of sewer pipes, electric cables and telecommunication lines. They're also an example of what Roman Mars calls the “boring stuff” of urban design -- the unnoticed elements that he says are just as essential as skyscrapers, bridges and parks. Mars is the host of the design and architecture podcast “99% Invisible” and the author of the new book “The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design." He joins us to talk about why we should celebrate the overlooked and ordinary parts of our built urban environment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senate Republican leaders affirmed on Monday that hearings on the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett will go forward, beginning on October 12. That schedule is drawing sharp rebukes from Democrats who say it's unsafe to hold hearings amid a growing COVID-19 outbreak in the White House and just days after three GOP senators -- including two members of the Judiciary Committee -- tested positive for the virus. We'll talk about the latest developments in the battle over Coney Barrett’s confirmation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some young voters who recently turned 18 will be casting their ballot for the first time this November. But some of those voters were not able to vote in the primary election because they were not of age yet. Proposition 18 aims to change that. The initiative could open up the polls for more than 200,000 California voters who are 17 at the time of the primaries, but turn 18 by the general election. Supporters say the measure could spur more civic engagement among young people -- a group that traditionally posts low voter turnout. But opponents argue that 17 year-olds are not equipped to make decisions on complex issues like taxes, for example. In local measures, voters in Oakland will be asked to decide if 16 year-olds can vote in school board elections while in San Francisco, Prop. G would allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in city elections. We take a look at the debate on young voters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wildfires across the state have burned more than 4 million acres this year, more than doubling the previous record. In Napa and Sonoma counties, firefighters have made good progress in containing the Glass Fire, which has burned more than 65,000 acres and destroyed over 1,000 buildings as of Monday. Still, Cal Fire says high temperatures in the coming days could change the fire's status. We'll get the latest update from KQED's Dan Brekke. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This November, California voters will weigh in on a controversial topic: affirmative action. Proposition 16 would overturn an existing law that prohibits the consideration of race and gender in public education, hiring and contracting. Both sides of the Prop. 16 debate center their arguments on the question of discrimination. Supporters say that unless state agencies look at race and gender, they cannot rectify long standing disparities while opponents say affirmative action enables discrimination. We dive into Prop. 16. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We'll discuss the medical and political implications of President Trump's coronavirus diagnosis, and the White House's controversial handling of the crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back in 2004, California voters approved funds, and a new agency, to focus on stem cell research. Today, that pot of money is almost empty. Proposition 14 on the November ballot would authorize a $5.5 billion bond to continue to fund stem cell research in the state. We’ll get details on the proposition and hear from its proponents and detractors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ll get the latest on President Trump's health and the White House's handling of his coronavirus diagnosis with New York Times Washington correspondent Michael Schmidt, author of the new book “Donald Trump v. The United States." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Proposition 25 on the November ballot seeks to end the cash bail system in California and replace it with one based on risk assessment. If passed, it would make California the first state in the nation to completely eliminate commercial bail. Prop 25 stems from Senate Bill 10, which was signed into law in 2018 by then-Gov. Jerry Brown and would have ended cash bail effective last October. Instead, a coalition against the legislation collected enough signatures to put the issue up for a vote. Proponents of Prop 25 say this would make the process more fair, where a defendant’s freedom isn’t dependent on their economic status. Those opposed say ending cash bail burdens police departments with ensuring defendants appear in court and takes away a person’s choice to secure release from jail through bail. Forum takes up the debate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19 after White House adviser Hope Hicks was confirmed to have the virus. The president’s physician said the couple are both “well at this time.” President Trump has been criticized for downplaying the severity of the virus in the early stages and belittling mask wearing and social distancing. We'll discuss how this might affect the election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump is experiencing “mild symptoms” after he and first lady Melania Trump both tested positive for the coronavirus. The president's results came just a few hours after the news last night that top aide Hope Hicks tested positive for COVID-19. In this hour of Forum we’re going to talk about the medical, political and and other implications of this bombshell news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the biggest challenges facing the election this year is simply the process. For the first time ever, all California voters will receive a ballot in the mail. Some voters are concerned their vote may not be counted. On top of that, voters are hungry for trustworthy information about candidates and issues. We take your questions about voting this year with Kim Alexander, president and founder of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Countless hurdles throughout the pandemic. A legal fight. Now an uncertain end date. If you’re as confused as we are about the status of the 2020 Census, NPR’s census expert Hansi Lo Wang is here to help make sense of what is going on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California State University system’s new chancellor, Joseph Castro, will take over an organization beset with challenges from the pandemic, including a nearly 300 million dollar budget cut and mostly no in person instruction for the entire school year. Despite that, Castro says “I think we’re going to be stronger after COVID than we were before.” Castro will be the first Californian and the first Mexican-American to head up the CSU system in which 43% of the nearly half a million students are Latino. When Castro starts on the job in January, for the first time in state history, all three of California’s public higher education systems will be led by people of color. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We'll get the latest on the Glass Fire in Napa and Sonoma counties which burned more than 48,000 acres on Wednesday. Firefighters have slowed the growth rate of the wildfire but they are expecting to face higher temperatures and windy conditions in the coming days. More than 80 homes have been destroyed and over 20,000 structures are threatened by the fire which is just 2 percent contained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Young voters have a track record of low turnout in elections, but according to a recent Harvard Youth Poll, 63% of Americans age 18-29 say they will “definitely be voting” this year. We'll talk to young voters and those voting for the first time this year about the election, the candidates and the state of U.S. politics. And you don’t have to be of voting age to care about the key issues facing this country -- we'll also hear from middle school and high school students who shared what issues matter most to them in KQED Education's "Let's Talk About Election 2020" youth media challenge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump take the stage Tuesday evening for the first of three presidential debates ahead of the November election. Moderated by Fox News's Chris Wallace, Tuesday's debate will focus on six topics: the candidates' records, the Supreme Court, COVID-19, the economy, race and violence in U.S. cities and the integrity of the election. We'll review the candidates’ performances and hear your reactions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After several months of protests across the country demanding racial justice and police reform, longtime civil rights leader Al Sharpton has released a new book, Rise Up: Confronting a Country at the Crossroads. The book is a call to action at a time when Sharpton says America is ready for true change. Sharpton calls on Americans to go beyond addressing racial justice and also make strides for the LGBTQ community, women, immigrants, poor people, and the environment. We talk with Sharpton about his decades fighting injustice and what work still needs to be done. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thousands of Northern California residents awoke to flames on Monday, as dry conditions and high winds caused multiple fires to explode in size overnight. The Glass Fire - after merging with the Boysen Fire in St. Helena and Shady Fire near Santa Rosa - scorched an estimated 11,000 acres in Napa and Sonoma wine country. Tens of thousands have been forced to evacuate as of Monday afternoon. We'll get an update on the wildfires and evacuations and we want to hear from you: if you live in the affected regions or you've been evacuated, share your experiences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of us take money for granted as a certainty, but what exactly is money? Jacob Goldstein, co-host of NPR’s Planet Money podcast, explores that question in his book, “Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing.” Goldstein argues that monetary systems depend on a collective belief that an object, such as a piece of metal or paper, is worth a given amount. The history of money stretches back centuries and continues to evolve in surprising ways. We’ll talk with Goldstein about the origin of money as a fictional concept that nonetheless shapes our lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump nominated federal appeals court judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court on Saturday. The conservative jurist is known for her skepticism of the Affordable Care Act, abortion rights and deference to pre-existing legal precedents. One day before the first presidential debate, we'll look at what her nomination could mean for the November election. We'll also discuss the political implications of Sunday's revelations by the New York Times that the president paid just $750 in federal taxes in 2016 and 2017 — and nothing in 10 of the past 15 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We'll get an update on the wildfires in Napa and Sonoma County and check in on Bay Area air quality with KQED's Dan Brekke and Alice Woelfle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump said he will name his nominee to succeed Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Saturday -- a little more than a week after the death of the trailblazing feminist jurist. One of the top contenders is Amy Coney Barrett, whose conservative jurisprudence calls into question the future of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that affirmed a woman's right to choose an abortion. We'll talk about the likelihood that a conservative majority would overturn Roe and what that would mean for women across the country, particularly those who live in states that already limit abortion access. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an effort to wean California off carbon emissions, Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order to ban sales of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. The state's Air Resources Board will work out the details. It's a big move, but environmentalists say it's not big enough to slow climate change. We'll hear from energy experts about what else will have to change to accommodate all those electric and battery powered cars on the road. And how the market might be different next time you head out to kick some tires. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist and author Maria Hinojosa was, as she put, “the first Latina in every newsroom I ever worked in." In her new memoir, “Once I Was You,” the longtime host of NPR’s Latino USA tells the story of her life as an immigrant, storyteller and advocate, as well as her challenging rise in broadcast journalism. Hinojosa details her struggles with anxiety, managing family and career, and becoming a media entrepreneur. She also provides a window into the historical events that shaped her life and stories she reported on such as the Salvadoran refugees she befriended in college who were displaced by U.S. interventions in Central America. For decades, she has covered immigrants, the immigration system and the policies behind how America treats its most vulnerable residents. We’ll talk to Hinojosa about the book and the latest news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the United States marked a grim milestone: more than 200,000 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic. Against this backdrop, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar moved to bar the national health agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, from signing off on any new rules without his consent. Azar's sweeping declaration, called by some as a "power grab," would affect regulation of the nation’s foods, medicines, medical devices and other products, including vaccines. That’s according to a September 15th memo, obtained by the New York Times. We'll talk about the federal response to the pandemic and how the nation is faring in its fight against COVID-19. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Protesters across the Bay Area and nationwide continue to hold rallies today after a Kentucky grand jury declined yesterday to charge Louisville police in the murder of Breonna Taylor, who was shot in her home six months ago during a botched drug raid on a neighboring apartment. The grand jury brought criminal charges against only one of the three police officers involved in the raid for recklessing firing into the other apartment. We’ll talk about why the police avoided homicide charges and what’s next as advocates continue to fight for justice for Breonna Taylor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The climate crisis isn’t just an environmental one — it is also a crisis of leadership. That's according to Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine Wilkinson, co-editors of the new anthology “All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis.” Johnson, a marine biologist and policy expert, and Wilkinson, author of "Drawdown," add that "we need feminine and feminist climate leadership, which is wide open to people of any gender." They feature examples of such leadership in their book, which presents the insights and expertise of diverse women leading on climate in the U.S. Johnson and Wilkinson join us to talk about the climate crisis, its multiplying threats and the women leaders addressing them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are 330 million people in the United States. Vox co-founder and economics journalist Matt Yglesias makes the case for adding 670 million more in his new book, "One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger." With an increased population size, the U.S. could maintain its status as a world superpower, increase its wealth and improve its population’s standards of living, Yglesias argues. We'll talk about how his argument relates to current domestic policies on climate change, immigration and family benefits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is prison necessary? That’s a central question in the work of longtime prison abolitionist and well-known prison scholar, Ruth Wilson Gilmore. A co-founder of activist organization Critical Resistance, Gilmore’s seminal book “Golden Gulag” analyzed California’s role in propelling both the prison building boom and tough-on-crime sentencing in the U.S. Today, criminal justice reform is under a brighter spotlight, as calls to defund the police have increased and as jails and prisons became hotspots for COVID-19 with effects rippling through surrounding communities. Gilmore joins us to share her thoughts on the movement to defund police and the case for abolishing prisons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, San Francisco-based artist George McCalman says that just as he was processing his own grief and anger, he found himself deluged with calls and emails from white acquaintances. Some of the messages expressed concern, but too many were clueless and empty, reflecting what he calls "an echo chamber of fragility." For his latest project, McCalman collected the phases that triggered him the most -- such as "Here if you ever want to talk" or "For your selfcare" -- and created paintings to reveal the "garish truth" that underlay them. We’ll talk to McCalman about his show, called “Tell Me Three Things I Can Do/Return To Sender.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facing a massive backlog of 600,000 cases, California’s Employment Development Department says it will not accept new unemployment claims until October 5 as it works to restructure its website to process claims more efficiently. The temporary “pause” comes after a state government report called on EDD to address a number of problems with its claims processing, such as outdated technology and inefficient fraud detection. We’ll discuss the report and how EDD plans to tackle these issues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a nation already sharply divided along partisan lines, the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Republican plans to quickly confirm her successor has ignited new political fires. In this hour of Forum, we'll look at how this epic confirmation battle could shape the outcome of an election already upended by the pandemic and concerns about the U.S. Postal Service’s integrity with a political appointee of President Trump in charge. We’ll discuss the political landmines for both Republicans and Democrats so close to a pivotal election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thousands of people gathered in San Francisco and at vigils across the country over the weekend in honor of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Friday at age 87. “I think a lot of us felt like, ‘Well, as long as RBG is there, we’re gonna be good, we’re gonna be good’,” San Francisco resident Shawn Rosenmoss told KQED News at the vigil. “Now I’m a little lost, which is why I’m here.” In this hour of Forum, we'll look back at the life and legal legacy of Ginsburg, a champion of gender equality and the second woman appointed to the Supreme Court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Across California, county public health departments have issued guidelines banning parades, block parties and haunted houses. “A different type of Halloween” must happen this year, state health secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said Tuesday. Last week, Los Angeles County banned trick-or-treating, then revised its language to instead discourage the activity. This week, San Francisco County similarly discouraged going door-to-door for candy while encouraging alternatives such as virtual activities and home decorating. We'll discuss the latest news on COVID-19 safety as Halloween approaches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following her critically-acclaimed debut novel "Homegoing," novelist Yaa Gyasi returns with “Transcendent Kingdom.” The story follows Gifty, a doctoral candidate in neuroscience at Stanford University. After losing her brother to a heroin overdose and while caring for her suicidal mother, she is determined to find a scientific reason for suffering. But even as Gifty embarks on her scientific quest, she finds herself longing for the faith of her childhood to help reckon with her family’s pain. Like Gyasi, the character Gifty comes from an immigrant family from Ghana and grew up in an evangelical household in Alabama. We'll talk to Gyasi, who spent time in California as an undergraduate at Stanford, about the book and the desire to understand human pain and suffering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How would you describe the past six months in six words? SMITH Magazine founding editor Larry Smith posed that question to followers of his Six-Word Memoir project, receiving answers that included, "I want my senior year back," "Social distancing myself from the fridge" and "Dear first grandchild: see you soon." Smith will join us to talk some of the most memorable responses. We want to hear from you: what's your own six-word pandemic memoir? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed an agreement at the White House this week to normalize relations with Israel, signaling a diplomatic shift in the Middle East and a new alliance against Iran. President Donald Trump lauded the deal as historic. But the agreement -- between countries already at peace with each other -- could further isolate the Palestinians, who immediately condemned the pact. How significant is the deal? We’ll talk with policy experts about the deal and other recent news from the region. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What will happen if both Donald Trump and Joe Biden claim victory in November? Unfortunately, according to scholars Larry Diamond and Ned Foley, American election laws "provide a shockingly inadequate guide" for resolving such a deadlock. We'll talk to Diamond and Foley about what could trigger a contested election, the limitations of the laws and constitutional provisions that govern electoral college disputes and the steps we can take to forestall what they call a "disaster scenario." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After President Trump claimed last month that mail-in ballots will lead to a "rigged" election, journalism professor and media critic Jay Rosen wrote that the president now posed "an active threat to American democracy". But the media, he says, is still failing to convey the urgency of that threat. Instead, reporters too often amplify the president's dubious claims and normalize his conduct. Rosen joins Forum to lay out the shortcomings of traditional campaign coverage in the Trump era, and how news outlets should respond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Distance learning poses huge challenges for students of every age group, but it’s especially difficult for the youngest students. Children in preschool and early elementary grades rely on interacting with teachers and other kids to learn basic skills and lessons – something that is difficult to replicate over a computer screen. School districts are also struggling to meet the needs of low-income families, special needs students and English language learners, which make up a significant portion of California’s children. Thousands of parents are withholding their kids from kindergarten -- online or in person. We’ll talk with experts about the best approaches for families to support young kids with distance learning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get caught without a mask in Berkeley and you could be fined $100. That's after the city council passed an ordinance last night that allows code enforcement officers to hand out tickets to mask scofflaws. Many cities and counties have similar ordinances. But Berkeley has a close eye on parks, restaurants, parties, and especially college students. There's been an uptick in coronavirus cases as Cal students returned to campus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Evidence is emerging that the nine-county Bay Area is making significant strides against the coronavirus pandemic. New cases have fallen by more than 60% since mid August, and hospitalizations are down by 35% from their peak, according to state health data compiled by the San Francisco Chronicle. We'll talk about what's contributed to the declines, how progress differs by county and whether we can expect the positive trends to continue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the introduction to a new anthology of the work of Black lesbian writer and activist Audre Lorde, Roxane Gay writes that Lorde "is an exemplar of public intellectualism who is as relevant in this century as she was in the last.” Gay, an author whose best-selling books include "Bad Feminist" and "Hunger," edited the new anthology titled, "The Selected Works of Audre Lorde." The book features a mix of Lorde's groundbreaking poetry and prose on topics of race, queer identity, feminism and justice. With her selections, Gay aims to highlight the "grace, power, and fierce intelligence" of Lorde's writing and the ways it helped make the experiences of Black women more visible. We'll talk to Gay about the work and legacy of Audre Lorde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wildfires seem to be getting bigger, more frequent and more dangerous. Experts say that won't change this season or next, unless the state and federal governments spend billions of dollars more on thinning forests and making California communities more resilient to fire. That would mean a big shift for foresters and firefighters who've spent the past century working to preserve timber and beating back the flames. But people who study fire say that shift in thinking is long overdue. We'll talk about what it would take to rework how California manages wildfires and forests. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recent data from LinkedIn show a surge in companies recruiting and hiring for positions such as “chief of diversity." As employees feel more emboldened to speak out about their work environments amid ongoing calls to end racism, companies are intensifying efforts focused on diversity and inclusion. We'll learn more about the trend and hear from experts on what it means for inclusion and equity in the workplace. And we want to hear from you: how is your workplace approaching issues of diversity and inclusion? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After months of sheltering in place -- and as health experts characterize air travel as relatively low-risk -- more Americans are contemplating taking to the skies again. We'll talk about how to stay safe on an airplane and how to evaluate and manage risks associated with renting a car, using a ride-hailing service or staying in a motel. And we want to hear from you: what are your thoughts on pandemic air travel this fall? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bay Area has been suffering some of the worst air quality in the world in recent days. We'll get the latest on the air, how to protect yourself, and when the region might get some relief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices