KQED's Forum
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KQED's Forum
Forum tells remarkable and true stories about who we are and where we live. In the first hour, Alexis Madrigal convenes the diverse voices of the Bay Area, before turning to Mina Kim for the second hour to chronicle and center Californians’ experience. In an increasingly divided world, Mina and Alex...
Recent Episodes
3249 episodes
The First-Ever Casting Director Oscar Goes To...And ‘Pope of Trash' John Waters on the Power of Weird Queer Cinema
The 98th Academy Awards will honor casting directors for the first time in the ceremony’s history. It’s the first new category in 25 years. We’ll spea...
Did Your Great Resignation Career Change Work Out?
There was a period of time about five years ago that came to be known as the Great Resignation, when workers quit their jobs en masse. The pandemic f...
The World Cup Heads to California
The World Cup may be three months away, but it’s already making news. Iran, which was scheduled to play its first match in Los Angeles, announced Wedn...
Local Businesses Were Hit Hard by Tariffs. Now They Want A Refund.
When the Supreme Court invalidated a tranche of Trump’s tariffs last month, businesses around the country and world began clamoring for a refund. To d...
How to Keep Track of all the Corruption Concerns of Trump 2.0
Since President Trump’s return to office, his net worth has nearly doubled to an estimated $7 billion. He’s used his office to promote his family’s cr...
Child Sex Trafficking is a Big Problem in the Bay Area. How Can We Stop It?
Last month’s Super Bowl in Santa Clara drew thousands of visitors to the Bay Area, including some looking to pay for sex. Police set up an operation t...
Anthropic-Pentagon Clash Spotlights Role of AI in War
Anthropic sued the U.S. Department of Defense on Monday over its decision to designate the San Francisco AI company a “supply-chain risk to America’s...
In Second Week, Iran War Expands Through Region
On Monday, President Trump declared the war in Iran “very complete” as missile and drone strikes continue. Trump’s comments belie the situation on the...
Why Is California's Cannabis Black Market Still So Strong?
Journalist Scott Eden’s new book, “A Killing in Cannabis,” tells the story of a tech industry veteran who set out to make his mark in the newly legal...
Bay Area Legends: Celebrating the Trailblazing Life of the Nation’s Oldest Park Ranger Betty Reid Soskin
Betty Reid Soskin was a civil rights pioneer, musician, and the nation’s oldest park ranger when, at the age of 100, she retired from Richmond’s Rosie...
Unpacking the Latest Developments in Iran
As we near one week since the start of Israeli and U.S. airstrikes on Iran, which killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, we take stock o...
Local YA Novels Tell San Francisco Stories
First-time YA novelists René Peña-Govea and Susie Nadler are both school librarians living in the Bay Area. Thus, it is no surprise that in their publ...
Ranchers vs. Wolves: Navigating a Controversial Comeback
After a century-long absence, gray wolves are returning to California. Biologists estimate some 70 wolves are living in the state, and recently, a fem...
Understanding the Sierra Avalanche Tragedy
People who ski in the Sierra Nevada backcountry say there’s no better way to experience the wonder of the mountains in winter. But the avalanche that...
ICE Looks to Expand Detention Centers – Including in California
As recent court decisions make more people vulnerable to ICE detention, the Trump administration is purchasing massive warehouses that could detain up...
How Do You Get By In the Pricey Bay Area?
“How We Get By,” a new series from KQED News, looks at how people in the Bay Area make due with the sky-high cost of living. Prices for necessities fr...
Why Are American Kids Such Picky Eaters?
Is your kid a fussy eater? A lot of us have come to accept that there’s a period where children can only stomach dino nuggets, buttered noodles and PB...
What Does It Take to Be a ‘Good Woman’?
“All my life I have tried to be a good woman,” writes Savala Nolan. Being “good” meant not rocking the boat. It meant following the rules and fitting...
The Vast Reach of Jeffrey Epstein's Network
Weeks after the Department of Justice released millions of pages of documents related to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, new questions are eme...
US and Israel Bomb Iran, Kill Khamenei. What Comes Next?
The United States and Israel’s strikes against Iran continued throughout the weekend, killing supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, top officials and civ...
Who Runs the World? Fanfiction Writers!
Fan fiction, where fans reimagine their favorite characters in new – often steamy – stories, is reshaping mainstream literature, television and film....
Real Life Couple Jimmy Smits and Wanda De Jesús, Play Husband and Wife in Berkeley Rep’s ‘All My Sons’
Arthur Miller’s classic play “All My Sons” tells the story of a father who attains the American Dream, but at a high cost to himself and everyone arou...
Ethical Questions Arise from CA’s Commercial Surrogacy Industry
Commercial surrogacy has long been life-changing for LGBTQ+ and infertile couples wishing to have children. Even though the practice is banned or high...
AI is Changing Fast. How Are You Using It Now?
Newer AI tools have begun to act less like “a souped up search engine and more of a junior staffer” observes one industry watcher. Software developer...
Michael Pollan Explores Labyrinth of Consciousness in 'A World Appears'
What is consciousness for, and why did it evolve? Can we change our “default” consciousness? These are some of the questions that Michael Pollan says...
Mexico Braces for More Violence After Killing of Cartel Leader
Violence erupted across Mexico after the killing of Mexico’s most notorious drug cartel leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, on Sunday. Cervantes, know...
California Businesses Thrown Into Uncertainty Again After Supreme Court Blocks Trump Tariffs
The Supreme Court ruled Friday that President Trump does not have the authority to impose his sweeping tariffs — a major setback for his trade agenda....
Pilot of Experimental Aircraft Asks ‘Why Fly?”
Writer Caroline Paul learned to fly a Cessna when she was 20, a paraglider in her 30s, a motorized hang glider in her 40s, and then at 58 years old, a...
Daisy Hernández Rethinks Citizenship and the Meaning of Belonging
Citizenship allows you to vote, get a passport and run for office – and it’s supposed to be a promise of protection, equality and belonging. But as im...
Are Democrats Well-Positioned for the Midterms?
With midterm elections a mere eight months away, are Democrats ready? Maybe not, according to journalist Mark Leibovich who traveled the country talki...
‘The Yips’ Are Real and They Can Happen to Anyone
Figure skater Ilia Malinin’s shocking 8th place finish at the Winter Olympics is reigniting conversation about “the yips” or “the twisties.” Whatever...
You Say You Don’t Have a Favorite Child. But Do You?
If you ask a parent, they are likely to deny they have a favorite child. But ask a kid, and they will tell you that is not true. And researchers agree...
Do You Love Nintendo?
Super Mario Bros. The Legend of Zelda. Pokémon. Animal Crossing. Video games from the Japanese company Nintendo have been surprising, delighting and c...
Documentary Filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir on Seeking Justice Through ‘The Perfect Neighbor’
Geeta Gandbhir’s documentary, “The Perfect Neighbor” was a massive hit on Netflix last year. Told mostly through police body camera and security foota...
Concerns Build for Election Interference in Midterms
California senator Adam Schiff says that President Donald Trump will try to “subvert” the midterm elections this year by attempting to overturn any re...
BART Proposes Station Closures and Fare Hikes to Deal with Massive Budget Shortfall
Facing a $376 million deficit, BART announced that without more funding, it will consider drastic cuts including closing one-third of its 50 stations...
Inside Animal Testing Labs With Larry Carbone
Breakthrough treatments for high blood pressure, HIV infection and obesity: they’re all available in part because of studies done on animals. And thou...
How ‘Tiny Gardens Everywhere’ Can Sustain Us
In her new book, “Tiny Gardens Everywhere,” MIT environmental historian Kate Brown uses the global history of gardening to help us imagine cities that...
Conservative Media's Expanding Influence
From The Washington Post to CBS, mass layoffs, shifts in editorial direction and even direct interference in coverage are raising questions about whet...
It's Elon Musk's World. We're Just Living In It.
Elon Musk’s merger of SpaceX with his AI start-up xAI has created what the New York Times calls “the most valuable private company on earth,” allowing...