Kqeds Forum

The majority of male Gen Z voters cast their ballots for Donald Trump, according to exit polling. Some cultural analysts say that’s partly because more young men are spending time in the online world called the “manosphere.” Most of the manosphere consists of videos and podcasts about things like exercise, grooming and dating. But the space is also home to people spreading racist, misogynistic and extreme right-wing views, which may be pushing more young men and boys to the extremist fringes. We’ll talk about the online politicization of young men and its real-world consequences. Guests: Joshua Citarella, artist and internet culture writer; host, "Doomscroll," a podcast that explores online culture and politics; graduate professor, Rhode Island School of Design; founder, Do Not Research, a non-profit arts organization based in New York City.

After the divisive 2016 presidential election, many families cut short Thanksgiving plans with their relatives of different political persuasions, according to a 2018 study. The result, writes law professor and civil rights advocate john a. powell, was that American families spent millions of fewer hours connecting and reflecting with each other. As director of UC Berkeley’s Othering & Belonging Institute, powell thinks a lot about divisions in our society and how to bridge them. We talk to powell, author of the new book “The Power of Bridging” about how he thinks we should approach a second Trump administration…and the upcoming holiday season. Guests: john a. powell, director, UC Berkeley's Othering and Belonging Institute; professor of law, African American and ethnic studies at UC Berkeley

U.S. surgeon general Dr. Vivek H. Murthy has said that parental burnout is a public health issue on the same level as cigarettes, obesity and gun violence. It’s the result of a decades-long trend towards intensive parenting, according to New York Times reporter Claire Cain Miller, who points out that working mothers today spend as much time with their kids as stay-at-home moms did in the 1970s. We talk with Miller about how we got to this point. Are you a parent who’s feeling burnt out? Guests: Claire Cain Miller, reporter, New York Times Dr. Keith Sutton, clinical psychologist; director of the Bay Area Center for Anxiety; former president of the Association of Family Therapists of Northern California

Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, withdrew as a nominee on Thursday amid growing controversy over sexual misconduct accusations. While Gaetz was a uniquely unpopular and fraught pick, the incident was a reminder that the president-elect might not always get everything he wants from the GOP- controlled Congress, at least not right away. Given the slim majorities and infighting among Republicans, how fast will Trump be able to move his agenda forward? We’ll preview his first 100 days with politics reporters Kadia Goba of Semafor and David Graham of the Atlantic. Guests: Kadia Goba, politics reporter, Semafor David Graham, staff writer, The Atlantic

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." Guest: 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 Kenivah Bockari, dj, Good Compenny Simon Ajero, piano, Good Compenny

Should you throw out your black plastic spatula — and any other cookware made of black plastic? Unfortunately, yes, probably. A new study finds that black plastic contains higher amounts of flame retardants and other toxic materials than other plastics. And health experts say that means we should try to keep it away from heat… and our food. We’ll talk about how concerned we should be about the plastics in our kitchen and how to evaluate the risks. Guests: Zoë Schlanger, staff writer at The Atlantic, wrote the piece “Throw Out Your Black Plastic Spatula” Desiree LaBeaud, associate dean of global health and professor of pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine; Pediatric infectious disease physician who leads the university’s plastic working group.

Running a small business in the Bay Area is not for the faint of heart. A complex regulatory environment, rising costs, crime, and a sluggish post-COVID economy are just some of the challenges. But for small business owners, the chance to be their own boss, create community, and turn a passion into a profitable enterprise keeps them going. Can small business be the engine that supercharges the local economy? We talk to small business owners about what sustains them and what they need to thrive. Guests: Katy Tang, executive director, San Francisco Office of Small Business - which offers advice and counseling for small businesses operating in San Francisco. Nicole Schwieterman, founder and owner, Fleetwood, a shop on Clement street in SF; Schwieterman is co-director of the Clement Street Merchants Association. Victor Diaz, owner of Renegade Running, a run-specialty store located in downtown Oakland, CA Angela Tsay, owner, Oaklandish, located in Oakland; Oaklandish, has three brick and mortar stores. It designs,

Are you one of the 20 million people on Bluesky? The social media platform has nearly doubled its user base since the election as more people migrate away from Elon Musk’s X. We talk about what’s drawing people to Bluesky and the pros and cons of the platform, and we’ll hear what you’re looking for in an online social network. We're on Bluesky now! Follow us @kqedforum.bsky.social! Guests: Zoe Schiffer, managing editor, Platformer - author of "Extremely Hardcore: Inside Elon Musk’s Twitter" Damon Beres, senior editor, The Atlantic

A conspiracy-theorist and vaccine denier to run the Department of Health and Human Services. A Russia-friendly intelligence chief. And an attorney general pick who has been accused of sexual misconduct. President-elect Donald Trump is appointing cabinet members at a breakneck pace, with one more norm-busting than the next. We’ll get the latest on Trump’s picks–and other recent political news– with journalists Molly Ball of the Wall Street Journal and Philip Bump of the Washington Post Guests: Molly Ball, senior political correspondent, Wall Street Journal Philip Bump, national columnist, Washington Post - Bump is the author of "The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America"

President-elect Trump and his team want to end DACA and the Temporary Protected Status program – which could make nearly a million people vulnerable to deportation. They’ve said they’d use the military to carry out mass detentions and deportations. If enacted, these proposals are all but guaranteed to face legal challenges — as they did during the last Trump administration. But some advocates worry that federal courts could prove friendlier to Trump policies than last time. We’ll talk with UCLA law professor Ahilan Arulanantham about the likelihood Trump’s latest proposals will become reality and the impact they’ll have on immigrant communities. Guests: Ahilan Arulanantham, Faculty Co-Director, Center for Immigration Law and Policy, UCLA Law - former Legal Director ACLU of Southern California

Bay Area transit agencies have struggled to recover ever since the pandemic decimated ridership and revenue. Several measures on the ballot aimed to shore up public transportation. In San Francisco, Prop. L, which would have provided more funding for Muni, failed. But in Napa, voters approved Measure U to bring $25 million a year to improve transit. With a Republican administration and Congress set to take power in January, local transit agencies, concerned there may be a lack of federal support, are thinking about long term solutions to their funding shortfalls and looking to the state to do more. We’ll talk about the future of Bay Area transit funding and what it means for you. Guests: Dan Brekke, editor and reporter, KQED News Rebecca Long, Director of Legislation and Public Affairs, Metropolitan Transportation Commission Sebastian Petty, Senior Advisor, Transportation Policy| SPUR

The push to harness renewable energy sources like wind and solar has sparked a massive demand for critical metals such as cobalt, nickel, and lithium, according to journalist Vince Beiser. To meet this demand, intensive mining operations are underway in regions like China, Chile, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), extracting rare metals needed for solar panels, electric vehicles, smartphones, and the infrastructure that supports them. In his new book, “Power Metal: The Race for Resources That Will Shape the Future,” Beiser explores the “terrifying” scale of metal extraction our electro-digital age requires and the global environmental and public health crises it may trigger. Beiser joins us. Guests: Vince Beiser, journalist; author of “Power Metal: The Race for Resources That Will Shape the Future”

Are we alone? Really, though, in a cosmic sense. 40 years ago the pioneering radio astronomer Jill Tarter co-founded a Bay Area non profit to support humanity searching for life beyond ourselves. We celebrate the SETI – as in, Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence – Institute’s anniversary and all their contributions to science which, sadly, do not yet include finding aliens. What do you hope SETI finds in its next 40 years? Guests: Bill Diamond, president and CEO, SETI Institute Wael Farah, radio astronomer and project scientist on The Allen Telescope Array, SETI Institute Nathalie Cabrol, astrobiologist and planetary geologist; director of Science, the Carl Sagan Center for Research at the SETI Institute Simon Steel, astronomer, director of Education and Public Outreach, SETI Institute

We’ll listen back to Mina Kim’s live, on-stage conversation last month at KQED Fest with actor, producer, rapper Daveed Diggs. Diggs won a Tony for his roles in the original “Hamilton” and is known for the TV show “Snowpiercer” and the Oakland-set movie and series “Blindspotting.” We talk about his career, about the “unspoken contract” a live performer makes with an audience and about executive producing a new documentary about Bay Area high schoolers during covid — “The Class.” Guests: Daveed Diggs, actor, rapper, writer. executive producer, Blindspotting, co-wrote, co-produced, and costarred in the 2018 film Blindspotting

Art is a mode of expression, a vehicle for processing thoughts and feelings, and a way to connect. Regardless of your political leanings, it’s fair to say we just went through a tumultuous election. These times of uncertainty often prompt us to look for art, create art, or reflect on how it can bring us beauty, reflection and meaning. So, we’ll talk to Bay Area artists about what is on their minds and how to access creativity. Guests: Tsutomu "Tom" Shimura, Lyrics Born, rapper, producer and song-writer; author of the e-book “Yes, Bay Area”, a collection of his tweets. Callan Porter-Romero, artist based in Oakland; One of her paintings is now on exhibit at The de Young Open. She was also included in the 2020 Exhibition. Matthew Zapruder, poet and author of "I Love Hearing Your Dreams: Poems"; He teaches in the MFA and English Department at Saint Mary’s College of California.

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he will nominate Matt Gaetz as U.S. Attorney General. The polarizing MAGA congressman from Florida engineered the ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and is the subject of an ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation for sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. We talk about the implications of Gaetz’s nomination and what the Department of Justice could look like under a second Trump term. Guests: Benjamin Wittes, editor-in-chief of Lawfare; senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institute Claudia Grisales, congressional correspondent, NPR

Across the Bay Area, voters signaled a move away from progressive politics. A progressive mayor and DA were recalled in Oakland. A Levi’s heir was elected as San Francisco’s new mayor. The Bay Area rejected efforts to expand rent control and supported increasing criminal penalties for theft and certain drug crimes. What kind of platform do left wing political leaders need to appeal to this Bay Area electorate? We talk to political leaders about where progressives go from here. Guests: Jesse Arreguin, mayor, City of Berkeley; president, Association of Bay Area Governments; candidate, California State Senate District 7 Betty Duong, supervisor-elect, Santa Clara County, Board of Supervisors, District 2 Connie Chan, supervisor, District 1, San Francisco Board of Supervisors Edward Wright, director-elect, BART Board representing district 9. Wright is a former president of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club

Many factors contributed to Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss in the 2024 election. But for those hoping that Americans would elect the country’s first woman president — especially when picking between a Black and Asian woman and an adjudicated rapist — her defeat stung deeply. At the same time, 45% of female voters – and a majority of white women voters – cast their ballots for president-elect Donald Trump. We’ll talk about the roles racism and sexism could have played in this election, and whether the U.S. could have a female president in our lifetimes. Guests: Caroline Heldman, political scientist and professor in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies, political scientist and professor in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies Anna Sampaio, Professor of Ethnic Studies and Political Science, Santa Clara University Chaya Crowder, Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations, Loyola Marymount University - author of the forthcoming book, “Intersectional Solidarity: Black Women and the Pol

More than 60% of Oakland voters chose to recall mayor Sheng Thao last week, making her the first mayor to be recalled in the city’s history. Soon after the election is certified in December, Oakland will have four months to throw a special election for a new mayor. We’ll talk about what’s next for the city in the meantime. And we’ll check in with Oaklanders invested in the people, culture and functioning of the city about their hopes for the future of Oakland and what they’ll most be looking for from a new mayor. We want to hear from our Oakland listeners. Now that the old order has been tossed out, what do you want from a new one? Guests: Alex Hall, enterprise and accountability reporter, KQED Liam O'Donoghue, host and producer, East Bay Yesterday Nigel Jones, restaurateur, Calabash - an Afro-Caribbean and Jamaican restaurant, market and bar. Owned Kingston 11, which has now closed. Noni Session, executive director and co-founder, East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative Dorothy Lazard, author, What You Do