Kqeds Forum

In mid-March, California became the first state to enact widespread shelter-in-place orders -- seen as a bold action to prevent the kind of spike in coronavirus cases New York was reporting at the time. Today, California has the most cases of COVID-19 in the country, surpassing New York with over 485,000 confirmed cases. Public health experts say California's early shelter-in-place orders effectively slowed the spread, but a combination of impatience with those orders, unreliable federal leadership and Gov. Newsom’s decision to re-open the economy has created a more challenging battle against the virus. We'll discuss the latest news on how California is handling the pandemic, including what's happening in the Central Valley, a new hot spot for coronavirus.

After more than four months of limited activity and isolation, Californians have been itching to socialize. Even as cases rise in the state, many have become emboldened to gather in the safest place they can -- outdoors. But how safe is it? Public health officials across the state have been warning against the large gatherings that are increasingly popping up at public parks and beaches. We’ll get the latest on what we know about outdoor transmission of COVID-19 and the safest ways to see friends and family.

The end of July spells the end of an additional $600 per week benefit for many unemployed Americans in the midst of a pandemic-induced recession. As Congress debates if and how to extend the supplemental cash, California lawmakers are drafting a plan to make up those funds if the federal money dries up. We discuss what’s in the works to help the close to 7 million unemployed Californians, where the recession is headed, and how lawmakers are responding.

An investigative report by Open Vallejo, a recently launched independent news site, has found that a secret clique in the Vallejo Police Department bends back points of their badges to commemorate each time they kill in the line of duty. These revelations came as a shock at a time when the nation is focused on issues of police brutality and less than two weeks after the California Department of Justice announced an investigation into Vallejo Police for destroying evidence in the killing of Sean Monterrosa. We talk with Geoffrey King, founder and editor of Open Vallejo, about the report.

In her new book of essays, "Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning," poet Cathy Park Hong weaves memoir with cultural criticism to explore topics of racial identity, shame, politics and capitalism. Hong describes “minor feelings” as "emotions built from the sediments of everyday racial experience and the irritant of having one’s perception of reality constantly questioned or dismissed.” It’s a feeling that’s particularly acute during the pandemic, which she says has “unmasked” a vicious anti-Asian racism. We'll talk to Hong about the book, Asian American identity and anti-Asian racism.

Tech giant Google said Monday it would delay bringing workers back to the office until summer 2021. The company’s decision reflects a massive change that started in March when millions of white collar employees shifted to working from home. Some employers were pleasantly surprised at how productive their workers could be without the office setting. Freedom from commutes and strict working schedules has been a boon to many workers who now have more time to cook, exercise, and sleep. Still, some workers may find it harder to thrive from behind a computer screen. We talk to experts about the shift to working from home and whether it’s a sustainable model for the long term.

The chief executives of Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon are scheduled to testify on Wednesday before a House subcommittee investigating anti-trust violations. The hearings are part of a year-long probe into whether the nation’s biggest tech companies have used unfair practices to stifle competition and create monopolies. It is the first time that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos will testify before congress, joining Apple’s Tim Cook, Facebooks’s Mark Zuckerberg and Google’s Sundar Pichai. We’ll preview the hearing and discuss the growing, bi-partian concerns about the growth and practices of major tech companies.

More federal officers are reportedly headed to Portland as protests there continue to gain momentum. So far the Trump administration’s response has led to civil rights lawsuits and proposed legislation in Congress to limit the role of federal law enforcement in U.S. cities, as protestors have been injured by tear gas, rubber bullets and other acts of force. Activists remain resolute and say the protests, which now exceed 60 days, will continue until their demands, like defunding the police, are met. Reporters for Oregon Public Broadcasting join us to discuss the latest news.

In a recent interview, Fox News host Chris Wallace asked President Donald Trump if he'd accept the Nov. 3 election results. Refusing to say yes or no, Trump responded that he'd "have to see." That hedge is exactly what constitutional law expert Lawrence Douglas is worried about. In his new book, "Will He Go: President Trump and the Looming Election Meltdown in 2020," Douglas explains why he's concerned about a close or contested election and the potential consequences if President Trump rejects electoral defeat. We’ll talk to Douglas about his book.

Falling enrollment, anxiety about health risks, and confusing guidelines from public health officials have all contributed to a crisis in California’s child care facilities.  That’s according to a recent report out of UC Berkeley that surveyed preschools and in-home daycare services on how they’re navigating the pandemic.  We’ll discuss the report, why the child care industry is in financial trouble, and hear what needs to be done about it.

It was almost like a typical weekend of baseball in July: the Oakland A's and the San Francisco Giants both faced off against their L.A.-based rivals, the Angels and Dodgers. But things at the ballparks were anything but normal. The "fans" in the seats were really cardboard cutouts and the crowd noise on TV was piped-in. And with baseball underway, the NBA starts its own modified season on Thursday. Still, some lower-tier teams - like our own Golden State Warriors - will sit out the remainder of the season. We'll talk sports with San Francisco Chronicle columnist Ann Killion.

Last week on Forum, during a segment about the disproportionately high coronavirus infection rates among Latinos in California, we heard from 10-year- old Maggie. She called on behalf of her Spanish-speaking parents to ask whether her parents could get COVID-19 more than once. It was a moment that resonated with Adriana Morga, a digital producer for KQED en Español, who tweeted after the show "that was the epitome of what immigrant children have to do in order to get information to their parents." The tweet soon went viral, with people sharing their own experiences translating for family members. Morga featured some of those responses in a recent article and asked for others to submit their stories. We'll hear some of them and talk to Morga about the importance of equal access to information.

Twitter announced this week that it’s removing or restricting more than 150,000 accounts associated with QAnon -- an extremist, far right internet community that perpetuates conspiracy theories about pedophilic, Satan-worshipping elites seeking to take over the country. The FBI designated QAnon as a domestic terrorist threat last year, but President Trump has retweeted accounts associated with QAnon and has supported Republican candidates who openly espouse it.  We’ll explore what QAnon is and where it came from, and we’ll talk about the impact of Twitter’s ban.

During the past few months, many common rituals for dealing with grief and loss have been completely disrupted. Family members can no longer hold the hand of a dying loved one in the hospital. Funerals and memorials have migrated online depriving mourners the chance to give a hug or offer sympathy in person. On top of that, many people are also feeling a deep sense of loss over other aspects of our lives -- jobs, social outings, hobbies, vacations, routines -- that are now gone because of the pandemic. We talk with experts about how to take a new approach to grief and loss amid the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 80 percent of California children are in districts that Governor Gavin Newsom says must use remote-only learning when schools return. That's prompted some parents to search for tutors or teachers to come to their homes - sometimes in pandemic pods with several families - to oversee distance learning. But these are options only available to those who can afford them, and it's raising concerns about further exacerbating rampant inequalities in public education.  We'll talk about the rush for private teachers and the questions it raises about equity.

President Trump announced Wednesday that he's sending hundreds of federal law enforcement officers to Chicago and Albuquerque to drive down violent crime. The move comes amid ongoing tensions in Portland, Oregon, where unidentifiable federal agents have sprayed tear gas in crowds and beaten civilians protesting police violence. Attorney General William Barr said Wednesday that the new federal deployments, which are part of the administration's "Operation Legend," will focus on crime fighting, not protecting federal property. We'll discuss the latest.

The Marin County Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance on Tuesday allowing government employees and police officers to penalize businesses and individuals who do not comply with COVID-19 health orders. The penalties run from $25 to $10,000, and include violations like refusal to wear a mask. We'll talk with county officials and local businesses about the order.

It was reported on Monday that the University of Oxford developed a coronavirus vaccine that appears safe and triggers an immune response. Another study from King’s College London from the previous week, however, seems to show that immunity to COVID-19 may only last a few months. And the science of developing a vaccine is only one of many hurdles. Once a vaccine is deemed safe and effective, there are many unanswered questions about how to  manufacture and fairly distribute it. In this hour, we talk with a panel of experts about where we are in developing a coronavirus vaccine and how a vaccine should be distributed.

After a spate of bad luck led her to question the nature of chance, journalist Maria Konnikova began learning about poker. Konnikova -- who holds a doctorate in psychology--was curious about how the game hones players’ ability to distinguish between what is within and outside of our control.  Under the tutelage of an expert, she became a professional player and entered the World Series of Poker, a competition with a $10,000 entry fee. The experience shaped her new book, “The Biggest Bluff.”  Konnikova joins us to talk about the book, her year-long journey from novice to professional poker player, and what poker can teach us about the role of skill and chance in our lives.

The Republican party has increasingly relied on incendiary appeals from the social right to win over voters, while advancing policies that cater less to the average voter and more to wealthy donors. That’s according to political scientists Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson. In their fourth book together, "Let Them Eat Tweets: How the Right Rules in an Age of Extreme Inequality," they break down the GOP’s strategy of acquiring populist voters through fear-mongering and race-baiting. And now, during the Trump administration, the authors write that “the ‘dog whistle’ invoking racialized themes has given way to the bullhorn.” Hacker and Pierson join us to discuss their latest book and why the GOP continues to advance unpopular policies -- and stall popular ones in the Senate -- even in an election year.