Kqeds Forum

One year ago Tuesday, the sun rose, people were out and about, but because of the coronavirus --then still called the “novel coronavirus” ­--the Bay Area was on the cusp of the first stay-at-home order in the nation. Public health officers from 6 counties and the City of Berkeley held a press conference, telling millions of people they would need to stay mostly at home for three weeks to stop the spread of COVID-19, then with fewer than 300 known cases across the 7 jurisdictions. Most people probably had no idea that they were in for a year of lockdowns, restrictions, uncertainty and deaths. Alexis Madrigal reflects with Dr. Seema Yasmin and KQED’s Lesley McClurg back on the day it started a year ago, and the seismic changes that followed.

It's sometimes hard to know whether to laugh or cry when we think of our pre-pandemic selves, completely oblivious to the public health crisis that would claim more than 2.6 million lives globally and rain down chaos everywhere. We've asked listeners to share the advice they'd give to their blissfully ignorant past selves, and responses have ranged from the philosophical ("things are going to get stranger") to the practical ("get ready for some picnics! Lots and lots of picnics!"). Mina Kim talks to comedian and actor Adrienne Bankert and national correspondent Teresa Puente about what pandemic life has taught us about ourselves.

The coronavirus pandemic magnified many existing issues facing seniors in society, including loneliness and isolation. Social distancing meant our parents and grandparents could no longer go to places of worship, senior centers, restaurants, or visit with family. Many seniors faced lockdowns in assisted living facilities or nursing homes, or were isolated in their own homes. Looking back at this past year, Rachael Myrow talks about the difficulties seniors faced and lessons to be learned from them.

In the early aughts, when singer-songwriter Miko Marks was looking to launch her music career in Nashville, the mecca of country music, she was told by one of the major labels that she was too “innovative” and that she wouldn’t sell records as a Black woman artist. Today, following last year’s protests for racial justice, and after one of country’s biggest stars was captured on camera using a racial slur, the country music industry is having a reckoning. We’ll talk to the Bay Area-based Marks about how she’s forged her art and identity as a Black woman in the white- and male-dominated country music industry. We’ll also talk about and hear some songs from her new album “Our Country.”

President Biden formed a task force last month to speed the reunification of migrant children separated from their parents under the last administration’s “zero tolerance” policy. Advocates for the children have been pressing officials to act with urgency and offer the families a path to citizenship and other resources. Roughly 1,000 children are thought to remain separated, and the parents of about 500 have yet to be located. We’ll talk about the status of reunification efforts, and we’ll also talk about how the Biden Administration is responding to a dramatic increase in the number of unaccompanied minors crossing the southern border.

The just approved American Rescue Plan includes $1.7 billion for struggling public Bay Area transit agencies. The pandemic has forced agencies such as BART and Muni to cut service. The new funds help avoid further service cuts and massive layoffs. We’ll hear how the agencies are likely to use the funds, and whether they’ll be enough to reverse a massive ridership and budgetary crisis in the region's public transit.

Since the pandemic began a year ago, we've checked in with a number of public health officials throughout the region. Now we head to the North Bay to talk with Napa and Sonoma County officials about current coronavirus restrictions, reopening, the rate of infection and the pace of vaccinations. We'll hear what makes the North Bay's experience of the pandemic unique – from bedroom communities to farm workers – plus managing the pandemic amid the pressures of a tourism-oriented economy and the threat of wildfire.

The House of Representatives passed the $1.9 trillion COVID-relief bill Wednesday and now billions of dollars are set to flow to California in direct payments to individuals, and for things like housing aid and child care assistance. President Biden will sign the bill, called the American Rescue Plan Act, into law on Friday. The plan’s much awaited $1,400 stimulus checks, for a segment of the population, could start hitting bank accounts within one to two weeks. The package also extends the existing $300 weekly unemployment benefit until September. We’ll talk about how the plan will impact Californians and how it might boost the state’s own $7.6 billion stimulus package that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law last month.

New CDC guidelines allow fully vaccinated people to gather indoors without masks or social distancing. But what if not everyone in that group is vaccinated? As more Californians get vaccines, and as Covid rates decline, we’ll discuss how social distancing protocols and the necessity for wearing masks should change. And we’ll talk about the latest best practices for personal protective equipment and hear from you. Have you changed your mask-wearing habits lately?

Native Olympia oysters were once abundant in the San Francisco Bay. But overharvesting and increasing sediment from the Gold Rush mining era had all but wiped them out by the 1860’s when they were a popular and cheap food. We’ll talk about how hard working oysters help clean waterways and provide important habitat for other sea life, and what efforts are underway to bring them back. And we’ll hear about why Olympia oysters were prized by indigenous peoples and miners alike.

Governor Gavin Newsom delivers his third State of the State address Tuesday night, not from Sacramento, but from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. This comes as Newsom has been on the road, touring vaccination sites, businesses and public schools, in what feels very much like a campaign. The Governor is facing pressure from people who want coronavirus vaccinations, from parents who want their kids back in school and from businesses that want to reopen. And there's a recall effort led by disgruntled Republicans in this very blue state. We discuss the state of the state speech.

Google’s HR department advised employees who filed complaints about racial discrimination to get counseling or take medical leave -- suggestions irrelevant to their complaints, according to a news report from NBC News. Google drew backlash for what some workers consider a toxic and racist company culture because of events such as the firing of Timnit Gebru, April Curley and others who pushed for greater social equity within Google. We talk about how Google has responded to internal complaints of discrimination and what’s happening within its company culture.

As the House of Representatives prepares to pass President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion covid relief package, we talk with Oakland Congresswoman Barbara Lee about the stimulus bill and what it could mean for the Bay Area. We’ll also check in with Lee about legislation addressing voting rights, justice in policing and her call for the country to take a deep look at systemic racism by establishing a U.S. Commission on Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation.

In California, vaccine eligibility now extends to those 65 and over, health care providers, long term care residents and workers in sectors like agriculture and childcare. And officials plan to expand eligibility to more Californians in the coming weeks. But for children under 16, for whom no vaccine has yet been authorized, the wait for a shot will likely extend until at least the end of the year. We’ll talk about the status of national pediatric vaccine trials and what health officials need to greenlight a vaccine for kids. We’ll also talk about new CDC guidance for those who are fully vaccinated

Springtime planting season is here. To new gardeners, the abundance of plant choices can seem overwhelming. Do you plant a flower garden or try your hand at vegetables… and in a drought, how do you identify water-wise or drought-tolerant plants? In this hour, we talk with a panel of green-thumbed experts to hear how a novice gardener can start growing, and what are some sure-fire veggies or varieties for beginners. And we want to hear your gardening questions, especially if you’re planning your first planter box or garden or troubleshooting last season’s mistakes.

In 2020, the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center documented 2,808 hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, with 700 of those reports in the Bay Area. In Los Angeles, the police commission reported a 114% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes in 2020. The troubling rise in anti-Asian violence has taken many by surprise. But for those inside the Asian American community, the crimes feel both familiar and horribly inevitable following the rhetoric of the previous White House administration. Political and media underrepresentation — and misconceptions of Asian Americans as a monolithic group — obscure a history of violence against Asian American communities. We’ll discuss that history and the current community activism metabolizing this moment as well as what lies ahead.

Renowned poet June Jordan viewed poetry as a way of “taking control of the language of your life” and as “a foundation for true community.” Jordan, who started the Poetry for the People program at the University of California Berkeley, thoughtof poetry as a way to speak truth. We check in with four poets -- Jasmine Mans, Marcelo Hernandez Castillo, Aja Monet and Solmaz Sharif -- about making art during a challenging time, and what poems are sustaining their spirits. And, we want to hear from you, what are the first few lines of your favorite poem and what poets are you reading these days?

It’s been a year of loungewear, little make-up, and comfortable shoes, at least for those of us fortunate enough to work from home. And for some people, those style choices might become permanent, reflecting new positions on consumerism and fast fashion. But for others, the chance to return to society in trendy outfits can’t come soon enough. We’ll talk about how the pandemic has shaped our attitudes toward fashion, and we want to hear from you: tell us about the clothing that’s gotten you through, the styles you’ll stick with (or not) and whether you’re rethinking the importance of outward appearances.

In her new book “ Liner Notes for the Revolution” cultural critic Daphne Brooks explores the Black women artists that were major influences on American music. Brooks uncovers the racial politics at play in the recording studio, on stage, and in the reviews of everything from blues to rock and roll. Yale University African American studies professor Daphne Brooks joins us to share her take on the legacy and enduring appeal of the Black female musician.

The coronavirus pandemic is taking a major toll on the mental health of children and teenagers, who experts say are reporting increased levels of anxiety and major depression. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that mental health-related visits to emergency rooms jumped by 24 percent for children ages 5 to 11 and 31 percent for youth ages 12 to 17 years old from April to October in 2020 compared with the same period in 2019. Experts say increased isolation, families facing financial hardships, as well as fears about the pandemic itself are fueling the trends. We talk about how the pandemic has exacerbated existing mental health problems and created new ones for young people. For more mental health resources, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Valley Children's Healthcare list of resources. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (en español: 1-888-628-9454; deaf and hard of hearing: