Kqeds Forum

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that almost all businesses in the state may reopen on June 15 at or near full capacity, provided vaccine supplies are stable, hospitalization rates remain low and certain large-scale indoor events implement vaccine or testing requirements. The statewide mask mandate will also stay in place. We'll discuss the public health implications of the reopening plan, and we'll also talk about the status of vaccine rollout efforts globally as new coronavirus variants raise alarms among public health officials worldwide.

A century ago, nearly one million Black farmers worked the land across the United States. Today, there are around 45,000 Black farmers. Investigations into the United States Department of Agriculture found that starting in the 1950s, illegal and discriminatory loan programs resulted in enormous wealth transfers from Black to white farmers, and are at the root of this decline. In her new book "We Are Each Other's Harvest," Natalie Baszile, author of novel "Queen Sugar," looks at what happened. Through essays, poems, photographs and personal stories, she documents the rich agricultural history of African Americans. We'll talk with Bay Area based Baszile about the book, some of the farmers she's met and what's in the American Rescue Plan to help reverse the trend.

During the pandemic, California home buyers gobbled up single-family homes in exurbs and suburbs while low-income earners struggled to make rent. The median home price in California rose roughly 20 percent during the past year to about $700,000, according to the California Association of Realtors. At the same time, rents plummeted in many of the state’s biggest cities — especially in high-end luxury towers. But those drops do little to help millions of renters in California barely managing to keep roofs over their heads. Part of the problem is that, based on some estimates, California faces a shortage of roughly 3 million homes. We examine how these trends could make California’s long-time housing shortage worse and what policies are on the horizon to address the problem. 

Therapists have been in high demand during the pandemic, after shifting services online. But with no licensed psychologists in 33 percent of counties nationwide, the demand can be bigger than the supply.   That has set the stage for growing interest in services offering mental-health care on a smartphone. Startups offering digital behavioral health were able to raise $1.8 billion in funding in 2020, compared to $609 million the year before.  We’ll hear about therapy apps, and whether they can live up to their promises.

Can self-deception be beneficial? That’s one of the questions animating Shankar Vedantam’s new book “Useful Delusions,” which argues that holding false beliefs is not necessarily a sign of pathology or ignorance. We’ll talk to the Hidden Brain podcast host about the lies we tell ourselves — and each other — and the role some forms of deception play in sustaining relationships and advancing mental well-being.

Recording artists protested outside Spotify offices around the world last month as part of an ongoing movement to demand better pay. The streaming site’s payout rates have been decreasing over time, with artists today making approximately .0038 cents per stream. The Union of Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) wants the Swedish streaming company to pay one cent per stream. We break down how artists can make money today using online platforms and hear from some artists about why they say it’s not a living wage.

Under pressure from lawmakers and public health officials, Facebook has recently ramped up efforts to combat Covid-19 vaccine misinformation on its site by banning anti-vaxxers and marking misleading posts as false. But according to Bloomberg tech reporter Sarah Frier, those measures are doomed to fall short because the company's platform by design favors sensationalism over scientific nuance. We'll talk about the impact of covid vaccine misinformation on social media sites and what more can be done to control it.

At least 5,796 people presently detained in California county jails have waited more than one year for a conviction or sentence. At least 1,300 of these inmates have been incarcerated for three or more years, with more than 300 waiting for more than five years. And the backlog has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 44,241 people in total mostly people of color currently awaiting convictions or sentences in California county jails. That's all according to a new report from CalMatters, which spoke with incarcerated persons, crime victims and impacted family members. We'll speak with CalMatters' Robert Lewis about his report.

As the pandemic creeps into its second year and as fires, droughts and floods continually remind us that the climate is changing, writer Anne Lamott notes that existential exhaustion is everywhere we look these days. In her new book, Dusk, Night, Dawn Lamott asks, where on earth do we start to get our world and joy and hope and our faith in life itself back? Lamott's approach is both spiritual and funny, embracing darkness and light and our worst flaws to move toward human connection, kindness. And we'll want to hear from you: What has been bringing you hope and joy?

President Joe Biden unveiled his $2 trillion infrastructure plan on Wednesday. Called the “American Jobs Plan,” the massive measure would rebuild aging roads, bridges and airports, while addressing climate change and racial inequities. It also includes funds to expand high-speed broadband internet across the country. California is poised to receive the biggest portion of federal funds if passed. Scott Shafer discusses what’s in the plan, how California would benefit and its prospects for passage in Congress with Vox reporter Ella Nilsen and Ethan Elkind, director of the climate program at UC Berkeley.  

Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Assemblymember Rob Bonta last week to be the next state attorney general. If confirmed, Bonta will finish the term of newly confirmed U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. Bonta would be the first attorney general of Filipino descent in California. He currently represents California’s 18th district, which includes Oakland, Alameda and San Leandro. Scott Shafer talks with him about his nomination and what his priorities would be as attorney general.  

A bill working its way through the state legislature would require companies with 500 or more employees to have gender neutral sections for children’s clothing and toys or face a fine. According to bill co-author Assemblymember Evan Low, the idea behind AB 1084 is to get away from children having to go to the boys’ section to buy a superhero t-shirt or the girls’ section to buy a doll. KQED’s Katie Orr will discuss the bill and hear from people who say this is long overdue, like low. She will also talk to critics who think this is government overreach. And we want to hear from you: what do you think about retail moving beyond labeling sections as boys or girls?

As more and more people get vaccinated, attention is turning to how to protect the vulnerable, while letting the vaccinated get back to things like the movie theater or travel. One emerging idea — that has already been adopted by some countries — is a vaccine passport. It would allow more freedom of movement to those vaccinated or with immunity from previous infection. Critics say passports are unreliable without long-term data on the duration of immunity. Some fear they will unfairly leave vulnerable and low income communities behind. KQED's Katie Orr breaks down the pros and cons of vaccine passports.

After two mass shootings in less than a week left 18 people dead in Colorado and Georgia, and amid a dramatic rise in community and domestic gun violence, Americans are again debating how to prevent future attacks. While history suggests that federal legislation has little chance of moving forward, some new laws are being adopted at the state level along with community-based approaches to prevent shootings. KQED's Scott Shafer talks about realistic solutions to reduce gun violence and the politics of this complex issue.

Senator Tammy Duckworth lost both legs when the Blackhawk helicopter she was co-piloting was shot down in Iraq 16 years ago. In her new memoir, "Every Day Is A Gift," Duckworth recounts how her challenging childhood prepared her to deal with these devastating injuries as well as a life in politics. She's the first senator to give birth while in office and the first Asian-American senator from Illinois. We'll talk to her about her life, her work and what her political future holds. And we'll also hear about what's next on the Democrats' legislative agenda.

In the past quarter century, the gap between what men and women are paid, has narrowed by only 8 cents. Women nationally now earn about 82 cents for every dollar a man earns and wage discrimination is even worse for women of color. We'll talk with Francesca Donner, gender director for the New York Times, about why the wage gap continues to exist and what can be done to change it.

Following increased backlash regarding the conservatorship of pop star Britney Spears, three bills aiming to reform conservatorship are now proposed in the California Legislature. Spears’ conservatorship, which began in 2008, has been strongly criticized by the #FreeBritney movement and participants in the recent New York Times documentary “Framing Britney Spears.” Conservatorships occur when an adult is deemed unable to care for themself or manage their finances and a judge appoints a person or organization to make decisions on their behalf. Under the proposed laws, there would be more requirements for conservators and protections for conservatees. We’ll talk about conservatorship under California law and take your questions.

The California State Board of Education approved an ethnic studies curriculum for K-12 after years of tumultuous debate. Some critics say the curriculum falls short of the true intent of ethnic studies as an academic discipline. Meanwhile, other opponents of the early drafts of the curriculum were concerned about presenting students with too critical a view of capitalism and white supremacy. In the end, the board of education adopted the curriculum in a way that provides teachers and districts flexibility in how they will teach ethnic studies. We examine the guidelines and the pushback, and hear about a proposal to make ethnic studies a high school graduation requirement in California.

Once known as the “land of orphans,” South Korea has placed nearly 200,000 children in foreign adoptions since the 1950’s. Until 1995, it was the world leader in sending children for adoption in the United States. Frustrated by incomplete and sometimes falsified records, many of those adoptees are now turning to DNA technology to find their birth families -- a process that is sometimes seamless, but more often fraught with challenges. We talk about the legacy of Korea’s adoption policies and speak with some adoptees about their efforts to connect with their families.

The new animated Netflix series “City of Ghosts” follows a group of kid detectives who solve problems and learn about the history of Los Angeles by communicating with its ghosts. Calling themselves the “Ghost Club,” the children visit different neighborhoods, uncovering the multicultural stories that shaped them. The show was created and executive produced by Elizabeth Ito, an Emmy Award-winning animator and native of Los Angeles, and has struck a chord with kids and adults alike with its charming, documentary-like style. Ito joins us to talk about the series.