Kqeds Forum

In 1889, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the now infamous Chinese Exclusion Act, which prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the country. Writing for the majority, Justice Stephen J. Field characterized Chinese migrants as “strangers in the land.” New Yorker editor Michael Luo says that label persists today, even as more than 22 million people of Asian descent now reside in the U.S. In a new history book, Luo tells the stories of 19th and 20th century Chinese migrants and analyzes the long tail of contemporary anti-Asian racism and violence while championing those who fought against it. We listen back. Guests: Michael Luo, executive editor, The New Yorker; author, “Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his popular podcast “Dear Franklin Jones,” radio producer Jonathan Hirsch  tried to make sense of a childhood dominated by his parents’ spiritual guru.  In a new memoir he more deeply explores his relationship with his father and the complexity  of providing care for a parent who didn’t take care of him.  We talk to him about his audio memoir, “The Mind is Burning: Losing My Father to a Cult and Dementia.” Guests: Jonathan Hirsch, podcast producer; author of the audiobook memoir, "The Mind Is Burning: Losing my Father to a Cult and Dementia" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When New York Times critic Amanda Hess was told her baby had a rare genetic condition, her first instinct was to “Google [her] way out of it.” But instead of comfort, she found anxiety – a feeling that would come to define her journey into parenthood. We talk to Hess about how technology, including fertility apps and high-end gadgets, are reshaping parenthood. Her new book is “Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age.” Guests: Amanda Hess, culture critic covering the internet and pop culture, New York Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A jazz festival in June. A California quilt show in July. A languorous lighthouse lunch in August. The best music, museums and memorable meals are just a few of the recommendations our KQED culture team has compiled in their annual Summer Events guide. They have advice for myriad tastes and budgets because nothing beats the Bay in the summer. Listen in and share your plans— what’s on your summer bucket list? Guests: Gabe Meline, senior editor, KQED Arts and Culture Sarah Hotchkiss, senior associate editor, KQED Arts and Culture Luke Tsai, food editor, KQED Arts and Culture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The biggest owners of the Trump memecoin $Trump will dine with the president Thursday night at the Trump National Golf Club. The cryptocurrency directly enriches the Trump family and has alarmed public corruption experts on both sides of the aisle – as has the administration’s acceptance Wednesday of a luxury jet from Qatar. We take a closer look at Trump’s efforts to use his office for personal gain, the dangers it poses and how far voters are willing to let him go. Guests: David Yaffe-Bellany, reporter covering cryptocurrencies and fintech, New York Times Abdallah Fayyad, policy correspondent, Vox; His recent piece is "How corrupt is Trump’s plan to accept a Qatari plane?". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For several decades, Black residents of East Oakland have watched their once-thriving middle-class community wither in numbers as the rising cost of living pushed out their neighbors leaving the area blighted with empty storefronts, crime and poverty. Now, a plan called Rise East will inject $100 million of privately raised funds into a 40-square-block section of East Oakland over a 10-year period. The plan, led by local nonprofits aims to invest in education, community safety, health care, affordable housing and boost the local economy. For this special edition of Forum, we’ll broadcast live from East Oakland to talk to community leaders about the groundbreaking initiative and how it can serve as a model for community revitalization and reparations. Guests: Gregory Hodge, CEO, Brotherhood of Elders Network Carolyn "CJ" Johnson, CEO, Black Cultural Zone Selena Wilson, CEO, East Oakland Youth Development Center Dr. Noha Aboelata, CEO, Roots Community Clinic lower waypoint next waypoint Lear

Vladimir Putin has removed tens of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia since the start of his full scale invasion in February 2022. The deportations, often carried out under the pretense of “humanitarian evacuation,” have targeted vulnerable Ukrainian children including orphans, children with disabilities and children with parents in the military. Children who have escaped describe having been sent to re-education camps, prohibited from speaking Ukrainian and denied contact with their relatives at home. The International Criminal Court, which issued arrest warrants in 2023 for Putin and Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, defines the unlawful transfer of children to Russia as a war crime. We’ll talk to Kyiv-based child advocates about the status of efforts to bring the children back, and we’ll meet a U.S. congressman from California who wants to hold Russia accountable. The reporting for this episode was supported by the International Women’s Media Foundation’s

When a scrappy San Francisco literary journal launched in 1985 to champion West Coast writers, the dream was to make a lasting imprint. Now, 40 years later, we celebrate Zyzzyza’s anniversary with editor Oscar Villalón and writers Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) and Ingrid Rojas Contreras. We’ll talk about the literary journal’s vision, its stellar roster of writers and poets, and what makes the West Coast literary scene special. Guests: Oscar Villalon, editor, Zyzzyva Magazine - San Francisco based literary journal Daniel Handler, author of the children's book series "A Series of Unfortunate Events" under the pen name "Lemony Snicket" - contributor, "The End of the Golden Gate" Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Bay Area-based writer, author of the novel “Fruit of the Drunken Tree” and the memoir “The Man Who Could Move Clouds” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New research from UC San Francisco’s Memory and Aging Center suggests that a decline in one region of the brain can cause other regions to “step in to help” – unlocking surprising capacities like deeper empathy or creativity. We talk to two UCSF doctors about why this has implications for any neurodegenerative disorder, including dementia. They join us to share their dementia-related discoveries. Their new book is “Mysteries of the Social Brain.” Guests: Dr. Bruce Miller, A.W. and Mary Margaret Clausen Distinguished Professor in Neurology, UCSF; Director of the UCSF Memory and Aging Center; founding director of the Global Brain Health Institute Dr. Virginia Sturm, professor in the Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes a family tick? While parents spend lots of time and energy trying to shape their kids’ lives, studies show that siblings play as significant a role in who their brothers and sisters become. We talk to New York Times Magazine staff writer Susan Dominus about her new book, “Family Dynamic: A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success,” and we hear from you: how did a sibling shape who you are? Guests: Susan Dominus, author, "The Family Dynamic: A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success;" staff writer, New York Times Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do your seasonal allergies feel worse this spring? You might not be imagining it: climate change is hastening the end of winter, pushing up pollen production and intensifying winds that spread allergens around. We’ll talk to doctors about the science of seasonal allergies, learn why some of us are more vulnerable to them than others and hear how to get relief from all the sniffing, scratching and sneezing. Guests: Dr. Sayantani (Tina) Sindher, Clinical Associate Professor of Allergy and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration has announced plans to end temporary protected status for people from countries including Afghanistan, Cameroon, Venezuela, and Ukraine as part of a broader strategy to limit immigration. The administration also put a halt on refugee resettlement programs, but made an exception for white South Africans who officials said were facing persecution in their home country. Critics have denounced Trump’s decision to welcome South Africans while leaving close to 8,000 Afghans, many of whom assisted the United States during the war there, vulnerable to deportation and death if they return home. We talk about our nation’s immigration policies and what it means for the Bay Area’s Afghan community. Guests: Ximena Bustillo, politics reporter, NPR; formerly food and agriculture policy reporter at Politico covering immigration, labor and equity issues Pedro Noguera, dean and professor, University of Southern California Rossier School of Education; he was student body president of UC Berkeley in

Derek Guy – known online as “the menswear guy” – runs the popular social media account “Dieworkwear.” Guy’s recent piece for Bloomberg Businessweek looks at what he calls a new wave of hypercurated masculinity appropriated by MAGA influencers that’s “a backlash against a cultural landscape shaped by gender fluidity and body positivity.” We talk to Guy about how men’s fashion can tell a different story and why it’s so challenging for men to figure out how to dress. Guests: Derek Guy, menswear writer, creator of the blog "Dieworkwear" - editor for the website Put This On Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you think about Bay Area sports, the Ballers, the Unicorns, or the Fire and Iron are not names that might first come to mind. But these new Bay Area sports teams are bringing the game on the baseball diamond, cricket field, and soccer pitch this summer. What these teams have going for them is not only high level play, but passionate followers who are helping redefine the fan experience. We’ll talk to the people behind these teams, and hear about the city’s newest WNBA franchise, the Valkyries. What’s an under the radar Bay Area sports team you are rooting for? Guests: Bryan Carmel, co-founder, Oakland Ballers Marisa Ingemi, women's sports reporter, San Francisco Chronicle Jack Lowery, play-by-play commentator, San Francisco City Football Club Venky Harinarayan, co-founder and co-owner, San Francisco Unicorns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1889, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the now infamous Chinese Exclusion Act, which prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the country. Writing for the majority, Justice Stephen J. Field characterized Chinese migrants as “strangers in the land.” New Yorker editor Michael Luo says that label persists today, even as more than 22 million people of Asian descent now reside in the U.S. In a new book, Luo tells the stories of 19th and 20th century Chinese migrants and analyzes the long tail of contemporary anti-Asian racism and violence while championing those who fought against it. His new history is “Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America.” Guests: Michael Luo, executive editor, The New Yorker; author, “Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his popular podcast “Dear Franklin Jones,” radio producer Jonathan Hirsch tried to make sense of a Northern California childhood dominated by his parents’ spiritual guru. In a new memoir he more deeply explores his relationship with his father and the complexity of providing care for a parent who didn’t take care of him. We talk to him about his audio memoir, “The Mind is Burning: Losing My Father to a Cult and Dementia” Guests: Jonathan Hirsch, author of the audiobook memoir, "The Mind Is Burning: Losing my Father to a Cult and Dementia"; podcast producer, "Dear Franklin Jones"; founder, Neon Hum Media, a partner company with Sony Music Entertainment; creator, original series "Smoke Screen" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent years the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority has struck down the constitutional right to abortion, delivered a blow to the administrative state and ended affirmative action at universities. To Michigan law professor Leah Litman, it’s not just conservative legal theory that’s driving the Court’s decisions. “The Supreme Court is running on conservative grievance, fringe theories and bad vibes,” Litman writes in her new book “Lawless.” We talk to Litman about the political and personal dynamics dictating judicial outcomes and review key cases before the Court. Guests: Leah Litman, professor of law, University of Michigan Law School; co-host Strict Scrutiny podcast; author, "Lawless:How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his second term in office, Donald Trump has revived his fight against sanctuary jurisdictions. For decades, local government agencies across the country have restricted law enforcement officials from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. Trump’s efforts to withhold federal funding have so far been blocked in court, as they were during his first term. Still some cities are downplaying their sanctuary status as the Trump administration continues its crackdown on immigrants and pledges to deport millions of people. We’ll talk about what “sanctuary” means in 2025, what Trump is trying to do, and how communities across California are responding. Guests: Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host, KQED's Political Breakdown Sergio Olmos, investigative reporter, CalMatters Nick Miroff, staff writer covering immigration, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S.-Mexico border, The Atlantic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For historian Peniel Joseph, the year 1963 — the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation — is the defining year of the Civil Rights Movement. “America came undone and remade itself in 1963, a year of miracles and tragedies, progress and setbacks,” he writes in his new book, “Freedom Season.” It profiles how events of that year affected Americans like Rev. King, Malcolm X and James Baldwin — and inspired their parts in the Black freedom struggle. Joseph joins us. Tell us: What does 1963 symbolize to you? Guests: Peniel E. Joseph, author, "Freedom Season: How 1963 Transformed America's Civil Rights Revolution" - professor of history and founding director, Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, University of Texas at Austin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence dominates the Bay Area tech landscape, and we will catch you up on the latest headlines. From chatbots that promise to be your friend to artificial general intelligence, or AGI, which is designed to go beyond task-oriented AI to comprehend and process information in a close-to human form. We’ll talk to a panel of tech reporters about what’s on the horizon and just how much AI may — or may not —change the way we live. Guests: Nitasha Tiku, tech culture reporter, Washington Post Jeff Horwitz, tech reporter, The Wall Street Journal Kylie Robison, reporter, Wired; Robison covers the business of AI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices