KQED's Forum

Parking is one of the biggest paradoxes of American life. There are between one and two billion parking spaces in the United States, several for each car, and in cities the ratio is even higher. At the same time, to harried drivers seeking a spot near an appointment or to residents of densely populated neighborhoods, it can feel like there are never enough places to park. We’ll talk to Slate’s Hen...

Is it possible to have a capitalist democracy that ensures that all people flourish? One that represents common values, yet respects differences? Professors at Stanford’s Moral Political Economy program are bringing together thinkers from across disciplines to reimagine our political, social and economic systems. We’ll talk about what it would mean to base our political economy on the idea that hu...

It’s been more than two months that California Senator Dianne Feinstein has been away from Capitol Hill, as she recovers from a case of shingles that left her hospitalized in March. Her absence has created a critical vacancy on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and her fellow Democrats say it’s hurting their ability to confirm judges nominated by President Joe Biden. Now the list of Democrats callin...

As the use of artificial intelligence explodes, government officials are trying to figure out how best to regulate the technology. Already, generative AI companies are producing software that can replicate voices, create stylized portraits, and produce thousands of fake online reviews. Experts fear that internet harassment, identity fraud and spread of misinformation could become exponentially wor...

The barista who makes your morning coffee, the person at the dog park or the fellow commuter who you exchange a smile with on the bus every day: You may not know their names, but these acquaintances are more important than you think. Scientists believe that the people with whom you might share a “hello” or a quick nod or a passing glance can help you live a happier life. With loneliness on the ris...

Oakland teachers went on strike Thursday morning for the third time in just over a year. The teachers, who earn some of the lowest salaries in the region, are asking for a 23% raise, more school psychologists and smaller special education classes among other demands. We’ll talk about what the strike means for Oakland teachers, parents and its 34 thousand public school students. And we’ll discuss t...

More than 10,000 television and screenwriters are on strike after months-long contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers broke down late Monday. The Writers Guild of America is seeking higher compensation and residuals for its members, as well as minimum staffing requirements for TV writers and rules restricting the use of artificial intelligence in script p...

Actor and singer Billy Porter has a shelf of awards, including a Tony, Grammy, and Emmy, earned for playing a variety of roles including “Pray Tell,” the imposing ballroom emcee in the FX series “Pose.” Porter also has plans to take on the role of writer and intellectual James Baldwin in a forthcoming biopic. But on his new tour Porter says he didn’t want to play a character, “I’m coming home as m...

Does your cat’s cry for food sound different from its meow for attention? How come Mr. Whiskers is “making biscuits” on your belly? Evolution may provide clues as to why, writes biologist Jonathan Losos. Losos made his career studying lizards, but he’d pet cats every chance he got. And his new book, “The Cat’s Meow,” applies an evolutionary lens to the domesticated pet, exploring why they — yes —...

Durian is a pungent, rank smelling fruit common in Singapore that is hard to harvest and cut open. And yet, it’s inspired scores of devotees, including food writer Jennifer Wong, who writes, “For those of us who hail durian as our king of fruits, the smell elicits an undeniable longing — for both the fruit itself and the cultural remembrance it represents.” Whether it’s stinky tofu, roasted grassh...

“Journalism is not a crime,” declared President Biden on Saturday at the White House Correspondents’ dinner. In his remarks, Biden demanded the immediate release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been wrongfully imprisoned in Russia since March 29. The Russian government arrested Gershkovich for espionage, a charge that both the Wall Street Journal and the U.S. government h...

Facing takeover by the federal government, First Republic Bank, the Bay Area’s largest regional bank, was sold off to JP Morgan Chase this weekend. Over the course of four decades, First Republic, with its aspirational marketing and reputation for customer service, became a key brand in the Bay Area business and philanthropy communities. First Republic was among the 20th largest banks in the count...

Writer Nicole Chung’s first memoir, “All You Can Ever Know,” chronicled her search for her birth family. Her second, “A Living Remedy,” documents her final years with her adopted parents and the health care costs that burdened them until their deaths. “Sickness and grief throw wealthy and poor families alike into upheaval,” she writes, “but they do not transcend the gulfs between us, as some claim...

A winter of unusually heavy rain and snow elevated California’s mountain snowpack to levels not seen in years. But now that temperatures are rising, the state is bracing for “The Big Melt” that could cause massive flooding. Close to a third of the state’s water supply comes from the snowpack that accumulates in the winter and melts in the summer. California’s water infrastructure was designed to c...

About a third of Californians live in areas where there is a shortage of primary care providers, according to the California Healthcare Foundation. The shortage is particularly acute in rural areas and in the rapidly growing Inland Empire, which has only about 40 primary care physicians per 100,000 people. For patients, a short supply of doctors can mean months-long waits for appointments and more...

The percentage of Black-owned farms in the U.S. has dropped from a peak of 14% in the 1920s to just 2% today. In California, less than 1% of land is owned by Indigenous people. As part of KQED’s Youth Takeover week Marin Academy junior Finn Does brings together a panel of local Indigenous, Black, and queer farmers who all purchased farmland during the pandemic to help their communities connect and...

The work she loved often kept NPR co-host Mary Louise Kelly from going to her kids’ soccer games or other events. Whether it was because she was anchoring “All Things Considered” or in the field reporting from North Korea, Iraq or Ukraine, sometimes Kelly could not be on the sidelines. She kept saying she’d do better next year. And then she realized her oldest son was headed to college, and there...

South Asian American representation in television and movies is on the rise. With the Marvel Cinematic Universe debuting its first South Asian superhero in 2021 and “Never Have I Ever” winning big at the People’s Choice Awards, Hollywood has begun to cast South Asians for big roles and tell authentic South Asian stories. But representation behind-the-scenes is just as important as it is in front o...

The new movie ‘How to Blow up a Pipeline’ is a heist thriller about a group of young, mainly Gen Z, climate activists who decide to detonate a Texas pipeline in protest against Big Oil. They strive to risk no lives besides their own and for minimal environmental impact. But the questions remain: is this a valid form of protest? Are they eco-terrorists or activists? As climate change becomes more u...

Seven months ago 22 year old Mahsa Amini died in custody after being arrested by Iran’s morality police for an “improper hijab.” Her death prompted uproar and sparked a movement that extended throughout Iran and over social media. As part of KQED’s annual Youth Takeover week, Saratoga High sophomore Ryan Heshmati brings together a panel of Iranian women to discuss the viability of the movement in...

“What ought we to do about great art made by bad men?” That’s the question that undergirds Claire Dederer’s new book “Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma,” which explores whether and how we can love the works of people who’ve committed morally reprehensible acts. Dededer calls her book “an autobiography of the audience” — an effort to make sense of the complicated emotions we feel when engaging with the art...

Cybersecurity underpins our digital lives, and is relevant for all ages – including teens. According to the CDC, teens spend between 7.5 to 9 hours a day on their screens and being mindful of cybersecurity best practices is critical. As part of KQED’s annual Youth Takeover week, Cupertino High senior Rajvi Khanjan Shroff, founder of Project Cyber, a youth-run cybersecurity organization, joins us w...

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that “the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.” But less than a year later, the Supreme Court found itself needing to weigh in on medication abortion access. It decided on Friday to preserve access to mifepristone, a gold standard abortion drug, while lower cou...

For decades, a dedicated, but shrinking, contingent of Oakland A’s fans piled into the Coliseum season after season, banging on drums and sporting their green and gold gear with pride. They did so despite the looming possibility that the team would depart. Now that team owners struck a deal to build a stadium in Las Vegas, scores of Oakland A’s fans are feeling stunned, dejected and hurt. The Vega...

Weddings have gone from celebrating the “Big Day” to the “Big Year,” says journalist Annie Atherton. There’s the proposal party, the engagement party, the bachelor and/or bachelorette parties and even, a will-you-be-my-bridesmaid party. It’s all turned into wedding sprawl observes Atherton. While multi-day weddings are common in many cultures, the numerosity of events stretched over a year or more...