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PODCAST

KQED"s Forum

Forumtells 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 Alexis host conversations that inform, challenge and unify listeners with big ideas and different viewpoints. Want to call/submit your comments during our liveForumprogram Mon-Fri, 9am-11am? We"d love to hear

news politics

All Episodes

54:44

California Governor Candidate Steve Hilton Takes Your...

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/10/05

Republican candidate for governor Steve Hilton says California needs a dramatic break from years of Democratic party rule. He wants to slash income taxes, build new cities, overhaul homelessness policy, expand energy production and rethink California’s approach to immigration and regulation. Polls show him well behind Democrat Xavier Becerra, but is he shifting the boundaries of political debate in the state? We talk with Steve Hilton about his case for a California reset.Guests: Steve Hilton,

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54:47

KQED Investigates Abuse and Retaliation at CA’s...

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/10/05

When Aliksandria Prout was released from the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla in 2022, she set out to bring the correctional officer who abused her to justice. Her story — along with many other survivors of prison abuse — is detailed in a new series from KQED’s Snap Studios called “We Are Jane Doe.” The three-part series chronicles a two-year investigation by reporters Madi Bolaños and Anna Sussman into sexual abuse and retaliation at one of the largest women’s prisons on earth

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54:41

The Babies Left Behind: Caitlin Dickerson on the New...

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/10/02

In his second term, President Trump has aggressively targeted immigrant communities away from the border, and tens of thousands of immigrant parents are being detained and deported without their children. More than 200,000 children—most of them American citizens—have been separated from their parents, and many have been left behind with temporary caregivers. Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Caitlin Dickerson’s latest investigation for The Atlantic, “The Babies Left Behind in America,” documents the

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54:50

Oakland Police Department Released from Federal...

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/10/02

After 23 years, the Oakland Police Department has been released from federal oversight. The federal monitoring, the longest in U.S. history, traces back to the “Riders” scandal: In 2003, a group of Oakland police officers were accused of planting evidence, falsifying reports and beating suspects. Civil rights attorneys sued the city on behalf of 119 plaintiffs and Oakland settled that lawsuit by agreeing to a list of 51 reforms designed to prevent future police abuses of power. Over two decades,

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54:48

How Social Media is Shaping How We Experience Our...

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/10/01

What we choose to post (or not post) to social media — the moments we highlight, the wording of our captions — tells a story about who we are. Those stories, says author Kathryn Jezer-Morton, then shape key parts of our offline lives, like the milestones we value and who we maintain relationships with. Jezer-Morton joins us to talk about her new book: “The Story of Your Life: How Social Media Shapes the Way We Experience Everything.”Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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54:47

How Data Center Backlash is Reshaping Politics

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/10/01

Opposition to data centers could play a role in who gets elected in November, especially in local races. Hundreds of new data centers have been popping up across the country, sparking backlash from residents who are worried about everything from water usage to machines destroying the economy. We’ll talk about the intensifying opposition to data centers and AI and how the issue could play out in the upcoming election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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54:48

Golden State Valkyries Push into the Playoffs, Ready...

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/09/30

As the crowd in Ballhalla roared, the Golden State Valkyries crushed the Dallas Wings in game 1 of their playoff series Sunday night. Led by coach Natalie Nakase, the team features veteran stars like forwards Gabby Williams and Kayla Thornton but it might be the passionate fan base that sets the team apart. Though only in their second year in the WNBA, the Valkyries have drawn sellout crowds ready to “put their V’s up.” But as the playoffs unfold, the WNBA’s record growth collides with old problems:

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54:48

Xavier Becerra Keeps Low Profile – and Solid Lead –...

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/09/30

In the race to be California’s next governor, Democrat and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has maintained a sizable lead despite keeping a low public profile. Meanwhile, Republican Steve Hilton has been pressing his case as an outsider who will cut taxes and support the working class. Ahead of their debate on CNN on Wednesday evening, we’ll look at why enthusiasm for the Democratic front-runner is lagging.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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54:46

How High School Became an Academic Pressure Cooker

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/09/29

Extreme academic workloads and relentless achievement culture are driving a youth mental health crisis in classrooms nationwide — especially among students trying to get into top colleges. That’s according to Stuart Slavin, a pediatrician who researches how to improve student mental health and the author of “The Success Trap.” We’ll hear from Slavin, a former school administrator and a high school journalist about how to escape “The Success Trap” and how parents can help their kids navigate this

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54:48

Bay Area Legends: W. Kamau Bell Asks ‘Who’s With Me?

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/09/29

Oakland-based comedian, filmmaker, author and activist W. Kamau Bell is best known for his award-winning series “United Shades of America,” “1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed,” and “We Need To Talk About Cosby.” His touring stand-up set — coming to Stanford’s Memorial Auditorium on Oct. 1 — as well as his Substack and new podcast are all titled with the same question: “Who’s with Me?” Bell says the question “is an invitation to connect, a call to action, and a reassuring pat on the shoulder in these

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54:45

Whistleblower Frances Haugen on Facebook's 'Social...

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/09/28

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen leaked tens of thousands of pages of internal documents that were published in a 2021 Wall Street Journal exposé, now the basis of the forthcoming film “The Social Reckoning.” The documents revealed that the tech giant knew its engagement-driven algorithms accelerated political polarization, increased teenage mental health issues and incited ethnic violence abroad, and Haugen argued that Mark Zuckerberg routinely prioritized user growth and corporate profits

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54:46

Record-Setting Diesel Prices Put Pressure On Bay Area...

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/09/28

Diesel prices are now well above $8 a gallon in California – higher than they’ve ever been and 63 percent more than a year ago. While most consumers don’t purchase diesel, most of the goods we buy rely on it for transportation. Diesel powers tractors that work farms, trucks that transport the food to a manufacturing facility and trains that distribute products across the country. The steep rise in diesel prices is already putting pressure on businesses and the economy as a whole. Meanwhile, the

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54:44

How Biden's Gaza Policy Reverberates Today

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/09/25

Why did President Biden stay the course in Gaza even as some of his own advisers pushed for change? In his new book, “Crossing the Red Line,” journalist Akbar Shahid Ahmed reconstructs the decisions behind U.S. support for Israel’s war in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas. We talk to him about President Biden’s reluctance to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his abandoned “red line” over Israel’s invasion of Rafah and the legacy of those decisions today.Guest: Akbar Shahid

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54:49

Singer and Local Influencer Tasha Malan Performs Live...

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/09/25

Tasha Malan describes herself as a “chill bay area guy.” The musician and content creator posts hyper-niche San Francisco TikToks and Instagram reels: showing off her Mission district lifestyle, impersonating Mayor Lurie and reading poetry dedicated to Redwood City. Malan soundtracks many of these videos with her own songs, which recall early aughts pop and R&B. She joins us to perform acoustic versions of her forthcoming debut album and to talk about why she says the Bay Area not only has an

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54:45

Trump’s Monuments to Himself

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/09/24

From the White House ballroom to the Kennedy Center to a proposed triumphal arch along the Potomac, President Trump has taken a special interest in creating physical markers of his legacy. We’ll look at how he’s largely escaped oversight, including by designating these projects as central to national security. Why are monuments such a priority for Trump, and what does this tell us about the growing reach of executive power?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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54:48

Regional Ballot Measure is a $14 Billion Bet on Bay...

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/09/24

Years after the pandemic emptied trains and buses, Bay Area transit agencies still face anemic ridership and rising costs. A new regional transit measure that voters put on the November ballot aims to shift the tides. It would add a 0.5% sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties and 1% in San Francisco, to raise an estimated $14 billion over 14 years. Supporters hope it will fund BART, Muni, Caltrain, SamTrans, VTA and AC Transit and better connect the systems, while

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54:43

The Speaker: How Nancy Pelosi Changed the Face of Power

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/09/23

Rep. Nancy Pelosi will retire following the 2026 midterm elections, bringing to end her almost 40-year career in Congress. In a new five-part podcast series, “The Speaker,” KQED’s Scott Shafer embarked on an ambitious reporting project to capture the story of the first woman Speaker of the House. Shafer traces how Pelosi rose from unlikely Congressional candidate to one of the most powerful women in American politics. Shafer and Pelosi biographer Susan Page joins us to talk about Pelosi’s political

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54:47

Bay Area's Largest 200 Public Companies Reflect the...

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/09/23

When the San Francisco Chronicle last published its list of the Bay Area’s200 largest public companies 17 years ago, oil behemoth Chevron ranked no. 1. The company has since left for Houston and now Apple Inc. has seized the top spot. Tech companies now make up 21 of the top 25 companies, with AI and social media companies like Nvidia and Meta joining veterans like Intel and Hewlett Packard in the top 10. This concentration of heavy hitters helped make the Bay Area the largest regional economy in

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54:46

Ke Huy Quan’s Hollywood Comeback

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/09/22

Actor Ke Huy Quan’s family fled post-war Vietnam and lived in a Hong Kong refugee camp before his unlikely turn as an iconic 1980s child star. He stumbled into a casting call for “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” at 12 years old, then rolled right into “The Goonies.” But as he transitioned into adulthood, roles started drying up. After decades of rejection, Quan made an Oscar-winning comeback in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” In his new memoir, “Never Say Die,” Quan shares his forty-year

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54:47

Authors Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor on How to Resist...

KQED"s Forum ·

2026/09/22

Authors Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor say that not only is fascism here, but this 21st century version wants apocalyptic collapse.In their new book “End Times Fascism,” Klein and Taylor examine howpoliticians, religious prophets and Silicon Valley billionairesare trying to wipe out flora and fauna, undermine human solidarity and block our ability to imagine a future on Earth. But they also say that it’s not too late for us to fight this “end times fascism” — for the sake of our world. Naomi Klein and

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