Kqeds Forum

Is prison necessary? That’s a central question in the work of longtime prison abolitionist and well-known prison scholar, Ruth Wilson Gilmore. A co-founder of activist organization Critical Resistance, Gilmore’s seminal book “Golden Gulag” analyzed California’s role in propelling both the prison building boom and tough-on-crime sentencing in the U.S. Today, criminal justice reform is under a brighter spotlight, as calls to defund the police have increased and as jails and prisons became hotspots for COVID-19 with effects rippling through surrounding communities. Gilmore joins us to share her thoughts on the movement to defund police and the case for abolishing prisons.

In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, San Francisco-based artist George McCalman says that just as he was processing his own grief and anger, he found himself deluged with calls and emails from white acquaintances. Some of the messages expressed concern, but too many were clueless and empty, reflecting what he calls "an echo chamber of fragility." For his latest project, McCalman collected the phases that triggered him the most -- such as "Here if you ever want to talk" or "For your selfcare" -- and created paintings to reveal the "garish truth" that underlay them. We’ll talk to McCalman about his show, called “Tell Me Three Things I Can Do/Return To Sender.”

Facing a massive backlog of 600,000 cases, California’s Employment Development Department says it will not accept new unemployment claims until October 5 as it works to restructure its website to process claims more efficiently. The temporary “pause” comes after a state government report called on EDD to address a number of problems with its claims processing, such as outdated technology and inefficient fraud detection. We’ll discuss the report and how EDD plans to tackle these issues. 

In a nation already sharply divided along partisan lines, the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Republican plans to quickly confirm her successor has ignited new political fires. In this hour of Forum, we'll look at how this epic confirmation battle could shape the outcome of an election already upended by the pandemic and concerns about the U.S. Postal Service’s integrity with a political appointee of President Trump in charge. We’ll discuss the political landmines for both Republicans and Democrats so close to a pivotal election.

Thousands of people gathered in San Francisco and at vigils across the country over the weekend in honor of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Friday at age 87. “I think a lot of us felt like, ‘Well, as long as RBG is there, we’re gonna be good, we’re gonna be good’,” San Francisco resident Shawn Rosenmoss told KQED News at the vigil. “Now I’m a little lost, which is why I’m here.” In this hour of Forum, we'll look back at the life and legal legacy of Ginsburg, a champion of gender equality and the second woman appointed to the Supreme Court.

Across California, county public health departments have issued guidelines banning parades, block parties and haunted houses. “A different type of Halloween” must happen this year, state health secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said Tuesday. Last week, Los Angeles County banned trick-or-treating, then revised its language to instead discourage the activity. This week, San Francisco County similarly discouraged going door-to-door for candy while encouraging alternatives such as virtual activities and home decorating. We'll discuss the latest news on COVID-19 safety as Halloween approaches.

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.

How would you describe the past six months in six words? SMITH Magazine founding editor Larry Smith posed that question to followers of his Six-Word Memoir project, receiving answers that included, "I want my senior year back," "Social distancing myself from the fridge" and "Dear first grandchild: see you soon." Smith will join us to talk some of the most memorable responses. We want to hear from you: what's your own six-word pandemic memoir?

The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed an agreement at the White House this week to normalize relations with Israel, signaling a diplomatic shift in the Middle East and a new alliance against Iran. President Donald Trump lauded the deal as historic. But the agreement -- between countries already at peace with each other -- could further isolate the Palestinians, who immediately condemned the pact. How significant is the deal? We’ll talk with policy experts about the deal and other recent news from the region. 

What will happen if both Donald Trump and Joe Biden claim victory in November? Unfortunately, according to scholars Larry Diamond and Ned Foley, American election laws "provide a shockingly inadequate guide" for resolving such a deadlock. We'll talk to Diamond and Foley about what could trigger a contested election, the limitations of the laws and constitutional provisions that govern electoral college disputes and the steps we can take to forestall what they call a "disaster scenario."

After President Trump claimed last month that mail-in ballots will lead to a "rigged" election, journalism professor and media critic Jay Rosen wrote that the president now posed "an active threat to American democracy". But the media, he says, is still failing to convey the urgency of that threat. Instead, reporters too often amplify the president's dubious claims and normalize his conduct. Rosen joins Forum to lay out the shortcomings of traditional campaign coverage in the Trump era, and how news outlets should respond.

Distance learning poses huge challenges for students of every age group, but it’s especially difficult for the youngest students. Children in preschool and early elementary grades rely on interacting with teachers and other kids to learn basic skills and lessons – something that is difficult to replicate over a computer screen. School districts are also struggling to meet the needs of low-income families, special needs students and English language learners, which make up a significant portion of California’s children. Thousands of parents are withholding their kids from kindergarten -- online or in person. We’ll talk with experts about the best approaches for families to support young kids with distance learning.

Get caught without a mask in Berkeley and you could be fined $100. That's after the city council passed an ordinance last night that allows code enforcement officers to hand out tickets to mask scofflaws. Many cities and counties have similar ordinances. But Berkeley has a close eye on parks, restaurants, parties, and especially college students. There's been an uptick in coronavirus cases as Cal students returned to campus.

Evidence is emerging that the nine-county Bay Area is making significant strides against the coronavirus pandemic. New cases have fallen by more than 60% since mid August, and hospitalizations are down by 35% from their peak, according to state health data compiled by the San Francisco Chronicle. We'll talk about what's contributed to the declines, how progress differs by county and whether we can expect the positive trends to continue.

In the introduction to a new anthology of the work of Black lesbian writer and activist Audre Lorde, Roxane Gay writes that Lorde "is an exemplar of public intellectualism who is as relevant in this century as she was in the last.” Gay, an author whose best-selling books include "Bad Feminist" and "Hunger," edited the new anthology titled, "The Selected Works of Audre Lorde." The book features a mix of Lorde's groundbreaking poetry and prose on topics of race, queer identity, feminism and justice. With her selections, Gay aims to highlight the "grace, power, and fierce intelligence" of Lorde's writing and the ways it helped make the experiences of Black women more visible. We'll talk to Gay about the work and legacy of Audre Lorde.

Wildfires seem to be getting bigger, more frequent and more dangerous. Experts say that won't change this season or next, unless the state and federal governments spend billions of dollars more on thinning forests and making California communities more resilient to fire. That would mean a big shift for foresters and firefighters who've spent the past century working to preserve timber and beating back the flames. But people who study fire say that shift in thinking is long overdue. We'll talk about what it would take to rework how California manages wildfires and forests.

Recent data from LinkedIn show a surge in companies recruiting and hiring for positions such as “chief of diversity." As employees feel more emboldened to speak out about their work environments amid ongoing calls to end racism, companies are intensifying efforts focused on diversity and inclusion. We'll learn more about the trend and hear from experts on what it means for inclusion and equity in the workplace. And we want to hear from you: how is your workplace approaching issues of diversity and inclusion? 

After months of sheltering in place -- and as health experts characterize air travel as relatively low-risk -- more Americans are contemplating taking to the skies again. We'll talk about how to stay safe on an airplane and how to evaluate and manage risks associated with renting a car, using a ride-hailing service or staying in a motel. And we want to hear from you: what are your thoughts on pandemic air travel this fall?

The Bay Area has been suffering some of the worst air quality in the world in recent days. We'll get the latest on the air, how to protect yourself, and when the region might get some relief.

In the new Frontline documentary “Policing the Police 2020,” historian and journalist Jelani Cobb returns as a correspondent, taking viewers inside a U.S. police department. The current wave of protests against police brutality and calls to defund the police prompted the update to Frontline’s 2016 documentary, “Policing the Police,” which focused on reform efforts at the Newark, N.J. police department. In the 2020 sequel, premiering Sept. 15 on PBS, Cobb revisits the Newark police department to illustrate the broader challenges the nation faces in eradicating police brutality, improving public safety and establishing a more just society. In this hour, we’ll talk to Cobb about the film and whether America can change for the better.