Kqeds Forum

As daily new coronavirus cases continue to decline across the state, the Bay Area is slowly but surely getting back in business. Some public elementary schools in Alameda and Marin counties are re-opening for in-person learning, reduced-capacity indoor dining is now allowed in San Francisco, and indoor nail and hair salons are open throughout the region. We'll talk about the Bay Area's progress and the challenges that lie ahead.

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.

Senate Republican leaders affirmed on Monday that hearings on the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett will go forward, beginning on October 12. That schedule is drawing sharp rebukes from Democrats who say it's unsafe to hold hearings amid a growing COVID-19 outbreak in the White House and just days after three GOP senators -- including two members of the Judiciary Committee -- tested positive for the virus. We'll talk about the latest developments in the battle over Coney Barrett’s confirmation.

Some young voters who recently turned 18 will be casting their ballot for the first time this November. But some of those voters were not able to vote in the primary election because they were not of age yet. Proposition 18 aims to change that. The initiative could open up the polls for more than 200,000 California voters who are 17 at the time of the primaries, but turn 18 by the general election. Supporters say the measure could spur more civic engagement among young people -- a group that traditionally posts low voter turnout. But opponents argue that 17 year-olds are not equipped to make decisions on complex issues like taxes, for example. In local measures, voters in Oakland will be asked to decide if 16 year-olds can vote in school board elections while in San Francisco, Prop. G would allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in city elections. We take a look at the debate on young voters. 

Wildfires across the state have burned more than 4 million acres this year, more than doubling the previous record. In Napa and Sonoma counties, firefighters have made good progress in containing the Glass Fire, which has burned more than 65,000 acres and destroyed over 1,000 buildings as of Monday. Still, Cal Fire says high temperatures in the coming days could change the fire's status. We'll get the latest update from KQED's Dan Brekke.

This November, California voters will weigh in on a controversial topic: affirmative action. Proposition 16 would overturn an existing law that prohibits the consideration of race and gender in public education, hiring and contracting. Both sides of the Prop. 16 debate center their arguments on the question of discrimination. Supporters say that unless state agencies look at race and gender, they cannot rectify long standing disparities while opponents say affirmative action enables discrimination. We dive into Prop. 16.

We'll discuss the medical and political implications of President Trump's coronavirus diagnosis, and the White House's controversial handling of the crisis.

Back in 2004, California voters approved funds, and a new agency, to focus on stem cell research. Today, that pot of money is almost empty. Proposition 14 on the November ballot would authorize a $5.5 billion bond to continue to fund stem cell research in the state. We’ll get details on the proposition and hear from its proponents and detractors.

We’ll get the latest on President Trump's health and the White House's handling of his coronavirus diagnosis with  New York Times Washington correspondent Michael Schmidt, author of the new book “Donald Trump v. The United States."

Proposition 25 on the November ballot seeks to end the cash bail system in California and replace it with one based on risk assessment. If passed, it would make California the first state in the nation to completely eliminate commercial bail. Prop 25 stems from Senate Bill 10, which was signed into law in 2018 by then-Gov. Jerry Brown and would have ended cash bail effective last October. Instead, a coalition against the legislation collected enough signatures to put the issue up for a vote. Proponents of Prop 25 say this would make the process more fair, where a defendant’s freedom isn’t dependent on their economic status. Those opposed say ending cash bail burdens police departments with ensuring defendants appear in court and takes away a person’s choice to secure release from jail through bail. Forum takes up the debate.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19 after White House adviser Hope Hicks was confirmed to have the virus.  The president’s physician said the couple are both “well at this time.”  President Trump has been criticized for downplaying the severity of the virus in the early stages and belittling mask wearing and social distancing.  We'll discuss how this might affect the election.

President Donald Trump is experiencing “mild symptoms” after he and first lady Melania Trump both tested positive for the coronavirus. The president's results came just a few hours after the news last night that top aide Hope Hicks tested positive for COVID-19. In this hour of Forum we’re going to talk about the medical, political and and other implications of this bombshell news.

One of the biggest challenges facing the election this year is simply the process. For the first time ever, all California voters will receive a ballot in the mail. Some voters are concerned their vote may not be counted. On top of that, voters are hungry for trustworthy information about candidates and issues. We take your questions about voting this year with Kim Alexander, president and founder of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation.

Countless hurdles throughout the pandemic. A legal fight. Now an uncertain end date. If you’re as confused as we are about the status of the 2020 Census, NPR’s census expert Hansi Lo Wang is here to help make sense of what is going on.

California State University system’s new chancellor, Joseph Castro, will take over an organization beset with challenges from the pandemic, including a nearly 300 million dollar budget cut and mostly no in person instruction for the entire school year.  Despite that, Castro says “I think we’re going to be stronger after COVID than we were before.”  Castro will be the first Californian and the first Mexican-American to head up the CSU system in which 43% of the nearly half a million students are Latino.  When Castro starts on the job  in January,  for the first time in state history, all three of California’s public higher education systems will be led by people of color. 

We'll get the latest on the Glass Fire in Napa and Sonoma counties which burned more than 48,000 acres on Wednesday. Firefighters have slowed the growth rate of the wildfire but they are expecting to face higher  temperatures and windy conditions in the coming days. More than 80 homes have been destroyed and over 20,000 structures are threatened by the fire which is just 2 percent contained. 

Young voters have a track record of low turnout in elections, but according to a recent Harvard Youth Poll, 63% of Americans age 18-29 say they will “definitely be voting” this year. We'll talk to young voters and those voting for the first time this year about the election, the candidates and the state of U.S. politics. And you don’t have to be of voting age to care about the key issues facing this country -- we'll also hear from middle school and high school students who shared what issues matter most to them in KQED Education's "Let's Talk About Election 2020" youth media challenge.

Former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump take the stage Tuesday evening for the first of three presidential debates ahead of the November election. Moderated by Fox News's Chris Wallace, Tuesday's debate will focus on six topics: the candidates' records, the Supreme Court, COVID-19, the economy, race and violence in U.S. cities and the integrity of the election. We'll review the candidates’ performances and hear your reactions.

After several months of protests across the country demanding racial justice and police reform, longtime civil rights leader Al Sharpton has released a new book, Rise Up: Confronting a Country at the Crossroads. The book is a call to action at a time when Sharpton says America is ready for true change. Sharpton  calls on Americans to go beyond addressing racial justice and also make strides for the LGBTQ community, women, immigrants, poor people, and the environment. We talk with Sharpton about his decades fighting injustice and what work still needs to be done.

Thousands of Northern California residents awoke to flames on Monday, as dry conditions and high winds caused multiple fires to explode in size overnight. The Glass Fire - after merging with the Boysen Fire in St. Helena and Shady Fire near Santa Rosa - scorched an estimated 11,000 acres in Napa and Sonoma wine country. Tens of thousands have been forced to evacuate as of Monday afternoon. We'll get an update on the wildfires and evacuations and we want to hear from you: if you live in the affected regions or you've been evacuated, share your experiences.