Kqeds Forum

Meteorologists say firefighters may get a respite today and tomorrow from the strong Santa Ana winds fueling the massively destructive wildfires in Los Angeles. There have been 10 confirmed deaths so far and an estimated $135-$150 billion dollars in loss and damages.. We check in with reporters on the scene about how Angeleno’s are processing the swaths of destruction, evacuations, heartbreak and uncertainty. Guests: Rachael Myrow, senior editor, Silicon Valley News Desk, KQED Saul Gonzalez, co-host, The California Report, KQED Beans are rich in nutrients, easy to cultivate and transport, and are beloved in cuisines around the world. But on many plates, beans are a side dish, not the main attraction. That may be hard to believe if you’re someone who craves a simmering pot of frijoles negros or lives for the sweet and savory taste of Boston baked beans. We talk to Steve Sando, the founder of Rancho Gordo, a Napa company that revitalized the heirloom bean market, and Jessica Battlana, a chef, about how

Food and lifestyle megacelebrity Martha Stewart was the country’s first female self-made billionaire when her media empire Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia went public in 1999. Since then, her fortunes have fluctuated, reaching a low point in 2004 when she was sentenced to five months in prison for lying to prosecutors about a stock trade. R.J. Cutler got unprecedented access to Stewart for his documentary “Martha,” which is now streaming on Netflix. We’ll talk to Cutler about the making of the film and what Stewart taught him about the exercise of power. And we’ll hear from you: how has Martha Stewart influenced you? Guests: R.J. Cutler, Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning director-producer, "Martha"; His other films include "Elton John: Never Too Late," "The War Room", "Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry", "BELUSHI" and "A Perfect Candidate"

Multiple wildfires continue to sweep through LA county, causing massive evacuations and the most destructive fires Los Angeles has ever seen. We’ll provide an update on the fires, and the fierce winds and weather conditions intensifying their spread. Guests: Anthony Edwards, newsroom meteorologist, SF Chronicle On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to take up TikTok’s appeal challenging a federal law that could effectively ban the popular social media app beginning on January 19. President-elect Donald Trump has asked the court to delay implementation of the law, which requires TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the social media company to an American firm. We’ll preview the arguments and look at what a ban could mean for the company and creators. Guests: Emily Baker, an investigative reporter and senior writer, Forbes; She is currently writing a book on TikTok. Jessica Levinson, professor of law, Loyola Law School; host of the podcast “Passing Judgment; Website URL: PoLawTics.lls.edu

Three major wildfires fueled by winds up to 100 miles an hour are tearing through the Los Angeles region of Southern California this morning. The fires are destroying property and forcing evacuations in Pacific Palisades, Pasadena and Malibu. Many homes have been lost and officials are warning that the worst is yet to come. We’ll provide an update and hear from you. Guests: Saul Gonzalez, co-host, The California Report, KQED Nicholas Tuttle, South Pasadena resident; his home is now in the mandatory evacuation zone A national funeral service will be held Thursday for former President Jimmy Carter, who died late last month at the age of 100. The peanut farmer-turned-Georgia governor’s long-shot presidential campaign centered reform and the restoration of trust in government after Watergate and the Vietnam War. As president, Carter brokered the Camp David Accords and championed human rights and the environment, though his handling of the Iran hostage crisis and slumping U.S. economy tanked his chances of re-ele

San Francisco inaugurates its new mayor, Daniel Lurie, on Wednesday. Across the bay, councilmember Kevin Jenkins has been appointed as Oakland’s interim mayor while contenders, including longtime Congresswoman Barbara Lee, line up for the election to finish the term of former mayor Sheng Tao, who was ousted in a recall vote. Alameda County now has an interim district attorney taking the reins after the successful recall of DA Pamela Price. We learn more about these new officials and the key issues affecting your city. Guests: Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED's California Politics and Government Desk Scott Shafer, senior editor, KQED’s California Politics and Government; co-host, Political Breakdown Alex Hall, enterprise and accountability reporter, KQED

For some Gen-Z and millennials seeking “in real life” connection, nothing beats a heated game of Uno, Rummikub or mahjong. Board and card games are proliferating in their popularity as people – really of all ages– seek community, light-hearted entertainment and a chance to hang with friends. In the context of a game, you can learn a lot about a person: are they a savvy strategist, a sore loser, or quiet but insanely competitive? We’ll talk to some game lovers and experts and hear from you: What’s the game that gets you to gather round the table? Guests: Callie Holtermann, reporter, New York Times; Holtermann covers style, pop culture and Gen Z. Her recent piece is titled "The Extremely Offline Joy of the Board Game". Gwendolyn Reza, co-owner, Games of Berkeley Angela Lin, founder, East Never Loses, a company that hosts mahjong events and tutorials; With three friends, Lin also founded "Mahjong Mistress" a party for mahjong players in the LA-area.

Jeff Tumlin became director of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency in December 2019, just months before the pandemic sent ridership plummeting, creating huge financial challenges and forcing unprecedented change. Tumlin, who has just stepped down as director, was at times a lightning rod for controversies about pedestrian safety, bike lanes, closing streets to car traffic and transit service. But Muni ridership has recovered much better than BART and though the agency faces severe financial troubles, Tumlin managed Muni through a brutal period for public transportation in every city. He’ll join us to talk about his tenure and the future of transit in San Francisco. Guests: Jeff Tumlin, director of transportation, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA)

Pro-anorexia content is spreading on all social media platforms, but on X it is thriving. So-called “pro-ana” communities, which attract tens of thousands of users, circulate photos glorifying thinness and promote unhealthy dieting advice, which is then amplified through algorithmic recommendations. Although some tech companies have attempted to curb this issue, the rollback of content moderation efforts following Elon Musk’s acquisition of X has allowed this harmful content to grow “out of control” according to The Atlantic’s Kaitlyn Tiffany. We’ll talk about the impacts on adolescents and get advice for parents and caregivers. Guests: Dr. Jennie Wang-Hall, psychologist, specializes in eating disorders, anxiety, and relationship issues Kaitlyn Tiffany, staff writer covering internet culture and technology, The Atlantic Kristina Lerman, senior principal scientist at the Information Sciences Institute, University of Southern California

Monday will mark 4 years since the January 6 attack on the U.S. capitol, which the FBI classified as an act of domestic terrorism. President-elect Donald Trump is doubling down on revisionist history of the event, even calling it a “day of love” and vowing to pardon the rioters. We’ll look back at what really took place that day and the ongoing implications for the rule of law and the future of democracy. And we’ll talk with Atlantic journalist Hanna Rosin about her podcast “We Live Here Now,” which examines the “Justice for January 6” movement. Guests: Hanna Rosin, host of Radio Atlantic and co-host of The Atlantic's narrative podcast "We Live Here Now" Sarah Wire, senior national political correspondent, USA Today. She was reporting from the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

California officials could face jail time if they attempt to block the administration’s immigration agenda, according to a recent letter to state and local leaders from Trump ally Stephen Miller’s non-profit, America First Legal (AFL). At issue is California’s “Sanctuary State” law, which seeks to prevent state resources from being used to assist with federal immigration enforcement. And several local jurisdictions, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, have also passed their own sanctuary laws. In the letter, sent to 249 state and local officials across the U.S., AFL warned that sanctuary jurisdictions were violating federal law and that officials “could face criminal prosecution and civil liability.” We’ll look at how California and sanctuary cities are preparing to respond to the new federal policies, including a possible mass deportation program. Guests: Hamed Aleaziz, reporter covering the Department of Homeland Security and immigration policy, The New York Times Ahilan Arulanantham, faculty co-direct

The murals inside of San Francisco’s Coit Tower are a popular tourist destination, but have been a source of contention from their inception. In his new book, “The Coit Tower Murals: New Deal Art and Political Controversy in San Francisco,” San Francisco State professor Robert Cherny chronicles the history of the murals, which were painted in the style of Diego Rivera and depict life in the Bay Area during the 1930s. They were created as part of the New Deal programs that supporting artists following the Great Depression. But controversies sprang up over the murals’ perceived pro-Communist imagery and the value of public art. We’ll talk with Cherny about the murals and their legacy. Guests: Robert Cherny, professor emeritus of history, San Francisco State University; author of "The Coit Tower Murals: New Deal Art and Political Controversy in San Francisco"

Last year, visitors flocked to the path of the solar eclipse, packed up to visit national parks and headed abroad. While climate change and overtouristing are impacting travel, post-COVID wanderlust shows no sign of abating in 2025. Maybe it will be a trip to Belgrade, Benin or the Bold Coast of Maine. We talk to travel experts about places we’ve been and where we should go in the new year. What’s on your travel bucket list? Guests: Faith Adiele, Oakland-based travel writer; author of “Meeting Faith: The Forest Journals of a Black Buddhist Nun”; founder of the “Traveling While BIPOC” writing workshop, for writers who are Black, Indigenous and people of color. Her recent work is featured in "Go Girl 2: The Black Woman's Book of Travel and Adventure". Amy Virshup, travel editor, The New York Times Billie Cohen, editorial director, Afar magazine

“Aristotle taught that all human beings want to know,” writes Columbia professor of humanities Mark Lilla, adding that “our own experience teaches us that all human beings also want not to know, sometimes fiercely so.” We’ll talk to Lilla about our innate disposition toward ignorance – whether about a political reality or an uncomfortable family secret. Lilla’s new book is “Ignorance and Bliss: On Wanting Not to Know.” Guests: Mark Lilla, professor of the humanities, department of history, Columbia University; http://marklilla.com/

Neuroscientist and musician Daniel Levitin says we can trace beliefs about music’s power to heal mind, body and spirit back 20,000 years, to the Upper Paleolithic era. But only recently have we had good science to explain how music affects us and how we can use it therapeutically. Not only to relax, uplift and bring us together, but as part of treatment of trauma, depression, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and more. Alexis Madrigal talked onstage with Levitin in collaboration with LitQuake, San Francisco’s literary festival, running through October 26th. We listen back on their conversation and to Levitin’s live musical performance. Guests: Daniel Levitin, neuroscientist, musician and author, "I Heard There Was a Secret Chord," "The Organized Mind," "The World in Six Songs" and "This is Your Brain on Music. He is also Dean of Social Sciences at the Minerva Schools in San Francisco.

One problem with 2016 polling data indicating that Hillary Clinton would win the presidency was the oversampling of people with college and graduate degrees. Today’s Democrats tend to value credentials and degrees, while Republicans tend to champion skeptics who distrust institutions like universities. That’s according to political scientist David Hopkins, who says that the “diploma divide” is a main reason our country is so polarized. We’ll talk to Hopkins about our education divide and its political impacts. His new book, with co-author Matt Grossman, is “Polarized by Degrees.”

Looking back at the year in tech in 2024, generative artificial intelligence dominated headlines, became part of our daily lives and pumped up the Bay Area’s job market. On social media, Elon Musk steered the platform X to the right, and worked to elect Donald Trump. Meanwhile, users experimented with other social media platforms, which are increasingly marketing machines for online retailers. We talk about the biggest tech news and trends that shaped our region and the world.

Much has been written about Ronald Reagan, but historian Max Boot’s new biography, which draws on new archival sources and interviews with nearly a hundred people who knew Reagan best, is being hailed as definitive. Boot says Reagan was possessed of “myriad contradictions and inconsistencies:” a skeptic of government who presided over vast spending increases; a gun rights advocate who supported tough gun laws; a man of strong convictions but little intellectual depth. We talk to Boot about why he did not want to write either a “hagiography or a hit job” of the former president and California governor, and both the contrasts and connections he sees between Reagan and Donald Trump. Boot’s new book is “Reagan: His Life and Legend.” What policy, event or moment do you most associate with Ronald Reagan? Guest: Max Boot, senior fellow for national security studies, Council on Foreign Relations - columnist, Washington Post; author, "Reagan: His Life and Legend"

A new year holds promise for a new you. But writer Oliver Burkeman says you shouldn’t strive for perfection. Instead, in his latest book, “Meditations for Mortals,” Burkeman encourages readers to embrace imperfection, let some goals slide, and do less. His approach has been called “liberating and humane.” We talk to Burkeman about how to thrive and despite our mortal failings. Guests: Oliver Burkeman, author, "Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts".; Burkeman is the author of the best selling book "Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals"

Have you ever reread something you wrote years earlier and cringed? Or maybe you were surprised by the depth, heart and complexity of what your younger self put to the page. Ann Patchett had both experiences recently when she reread her award-winning 2001 book “Bel Canto.” She’s now reissued the novel with her own handwritten margin notes — both complimentary and critical. We’ll talk to Patchett about what she loves about the original and what she would change, and what it’s like to edit your own work decades later. Patchett’s new book is “Bel Canto: The Annotated Edition.” Guests: Ann Patchett, author, "Bel Canto: The Annotated Edition"

LaRussell is known for a lot of things. His prolific music drops. His backyard concerts from his hometown, the “itty bitty city near the Bay,” Vallejo. And, for making a name in the world of hip hop on his own – no record deal needed. LaRussell is one of the Bay Area’s hottest musicians not just because of his talent and artistry, but also his business savvy. He is the founder of Good Compenny, a collective of independent artists. LaRussell joins us in studio for a special musical performance and to talk about growing up in Vallejo, what it means to “leave empty” and how he’s forged a career on his own terms. Guests: LaRussell, artist and founder, Good Compenny - an organization that promotes rising Bay Area artists. Michael Prince, violin, Good Compenny Simon Ajero, piano, Good Compenny