Kqeds Forum

Michael Krasny talks with author Louise Erdrich about her National Book Award-winning novel “The Round House.” Set on an Ojibwe reservation in North Dakota, the book deals with the aftermath of a brutal rape and a son’s quest for justice. It is part of a trilogy which includes “The Plague of Doves” and “LaRose.” (originally aired Oct. 18., 2012)

In his new book “Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America," sociologist and cultural critic Michael Eric Dyson looks at the history of systemic racism in the U.S. and how it led to this year’s unrest and protests for racial justice. Written as letters to Black victims of systemic racism and police brutality, including Eric Garner and Breonna Taylor, Dyson traces the genealogy of anti-blackness from slavery to the present. We’ll talk to Dyson about the book and why he remains hopeful in the fight for racial and social justice. (originally broadcast on 12/8/20.)

Against the backdrop of 6,000 licensed childcare facilities closing during the pandemic and a projected loss of up to 85,000 childcare spaces, Governor Newsom earlier this month unveiled a sweeping masterplan to improve early childhood care and learning. The 107-page document presents a 10-year blueprint for expanding access to child care and improving the quality of California’s early childhood programs for low income students under the age of 6. Advocates say Covid has made the need for childhood care and learning even more urgent. We'll hear about the plan and check in with a childcare provider about how it's going.

Kaiser Permanente announced this week that it will postpone elective procedures into January over concerns that COVID-19 hospitalizations may continue to grow over the holidays. The news comes as San Mateo County’s ICU beds fill and the county works to secure more beds for the sick. We get an update on Bay Area hospital capacity and hear why reported numbers can be confusing.

Whether it was streaming our favorite songs, tuning into a live DJ set online or picking up an instrument, music helped many of us navigate this difficult year. In August, we asked listeners to share the songs getting you through 2020 and we've been playing some of them on air each week. This hour, as the year comes to a close, we'll play more of the songs you said kept you going in 2020 and talk with NPR's music correspondent Ann Powers about the meaning of music in a year like this one.

The power of the president is typically kept in check by other branches of government and historical political norms, but the past four years have revealed alarming fissures in the system. In the book, "After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency," law professors Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith argue that the presidency of Donald Trump has revealed the executive branch's vulnerability to abuse by a president and a lack of accountability that necessitate further reform of presidential powers. In this hour, we'll hear from Bauer and Goldsmith about how Trump and previous presidents have overstepped their powers and what reforms could be viable during the next administration.

It’s been a tumultuous year for parents. Some of us wrestle with remote learning, others with how to spend all day, every day, with their kids. Some scramble to find childcare while away at work, others hustle to keep kids fed after losing jobs to the pandemic. Through it all are the everyday challenges, and joys, of raising kids. What has parenting during the pandemic looked like for you? We want to hear your parenting wins and flops and how you've coped through it all.

The one-term presidency of Donald Trump is less than two weeks away from wrapping up. In his last few weeks in office, he has vetoed a defense spending bill, delayed finalizing a contentious stimulus bill, and still won’t concede last November’s election. Meanwhile, the coronavirus pandemic continues spreading at alarming high rates and taking the lives of Americans. We talk with Washington, D.C. journalists Ron Elving of NPR and Kimberly Atkins of The Boston Globe on the latest national political news. 

Following the winter holidays, California could see a coronavirus surge on top of a surge. Projections vary wildly. It all depends on whether we heed the travel warnings and stay-at-home orders. The state passed 2 million cases on Wednesday. Now hospitals and their employees are bracing for the worst. Meanwhile, we place our hopes in the vaccines. We’ll start by hearing from a registered nurse and researcher who participated in one of the vaccine trials. 

In his most recent book, "The Splendid and the Vile," author Erik Larson portrays Winston Churchill — and the family members and advisors around him — during his first year as prime minister of the United Kingdom. Larson, a bestselling nonfiction writer and author of "Devil in the White City," joins us to talk about Churchill’s leadership, from his taking office on the day Germany invaded Holland and Belgium to the way he’s remembered today.

Following her critically-acclaimed debut novel "Homegoing," novelist Yaa Gyasi returns with “Transcendent Kingdom.” The story follows Gifty, a doctoral candidate in neuroscience at Stanford University. After losing her brother to a heroin overdose and while caring for her suicidal mother, she is determined to find a scientific reason for suffering. But even as Gifty embarks on her scientific quest, she finds herself longing for the faith of her childhood to help reckon with her family’s pain. Like Gyasi, the character Gifty comes from an immigrant family from Ghana and grew up in an evangelical household in Alabama. We'll talk to Gyasi, who spent time in California as an undergraduate at Stanford, about the book and the desire to understand human pain and suffering. (Originally broadcast 9/18/20)

Author Lysley Tenorio’s new novel “The Son of Good Fortune,” depicts the coming-of-age story of Excel, a young undocumented person living in the United States who was born during a flight between the Philippines and San Francisco. The novel explores Excel’s life “in hiding” and his struggle to avoid calling attention to himself even as he forms relationships, leaves home for the first time and attempts to survive on his own. The book is a follow up to Tenorio’s 2012 story collection, “Monstress.” Tenorio, who lives in San Francisco, was born in the Philippines and teaches at Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga. Tenorio joins us to discuss his writing and latest book. (Originally broadcast Sept. 1, 2020)

According to Dr. Larry Brilliant, CEO of Pandefense and an epidemiologist who helped eradicate smallpox, we are living through "the best of times and the worst of times." While the vaccine, which was discovered, developed and produced within a year’s time, gives hope that the pandemic will end, experts predict the U.S. death toll will continue to rise through the winter unless more steps are taken to put in public health policies on a nationwide basis. We listen back to Michael Krasny's recent interview with Larry Brilliant about the vaccine, its rollout and what we can expect in the months ahead.

The coronavirus-induced recession has exacerbated income inequality in California and will only worsen unless political leaders take action, according to a new report from the Public Policy Institute of California. The pandemic is essentially pushing millions of Californians who were already living in poverty or paycheck to paycheck to the brink of financial disaster. We’ll listen back to Mina Kim's Dec. 9 interview with PPIC's Sarah Bohn about the report and the economic consequences of the pandemic.

Have you ever wondered about those colorful squiggly lines you see painted on California's city sidewalks? They’re actually color-coded utility markings that represent an underground world of sewer pipes, electric cables and telecommunication lines. They're also an example of what Roman Mars calls the “boring stuff” of urban design -- the unnoticed elements that he says are just as essential as skyscrapers, bridges and parks. Mars is the host of the design and architecture podcast 99% Invisible and the author of the new book “The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design." He joins us to talk about why we should celebrate the overlooked and ordinary parts of our built urban environment.

Alex Padilla joins us to discuss his new appointment as the first Latino to serve as California U.S. Senator. California Gov. Gavin Newsom selected Padilla, who serves as Secretary of State, to take over the seat vacated by Kamala Harris, vice president-elect of the United States.

So far this month, two Bay Area tech heavyweights, Oracle Corp. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, said they would move their headquarters to Texas. The news set off fears that the Bay Area and California are losing their allure to big employers and could spell future economic distress. While companies have routinely moved out of the Bay Area, some experts say this time is different -- in a troubling way. Other experts say that while the moves are noteworthy, they won’t derail the Bay Area’s economy or tech industry in the long term. We discuss the state of the Bay Area exodus and the region’s economy.

It's been a year, and we want to know what's helped you through it. Whether you've gotten lost in the outdoors, discovered a new passion or re-ignited a friendship online, tell us how you've managed the chaos, stress and uncertainty of 2020.

The pandemic is complicating the already stressful lives of California’s foster children. Surveys show that most lack technical support or internet access, which has made transitioning to online classes challenging. On top of that, stay-at-home orders have made it harder to visit with biological parents and siblings. In this hour, we’ll hear how the pandemic is affecting foster youth and how state and local services are responding. In this hour, we’ll hear how the pandemic is affecting foster youth and how state and local services are responding.

A recall effort against Governor Gavin Newsom is gaining momentum. The campaign started long before photos surfaced of Newsom dining at an exclusive Napa restaurant with lobbyist friends. The Republicans behind the recall effort are also upset by Newsom's endorsement of a bill to compel companies to classify independent contractors as employees, and by his decisions to grant inmates early parole, and give undocumented immigrants Covid relief funds. We'll discuss the recall effort and if it stands a chance with voters.