Kqeds Forum

In Los Angeles County — famous for its sunshine — just 20% of urbanized areas are shaded at noon. That’s creating a serious health hazard for people who work outdoors, wait at bus stops or play outside. Environmental journalist Sam Bloch argues that shade should be considered a basic human right, akin to access to clean air and safe drinking water. We speak with Bloch about why modern cities have so little shade and how we can reintroduce it as a fundamental element of urban design. Bloch’s new book is “Shade: The Promise of a Forgotten Natural Resource.” Do you struggle to find shade in your community? Guests: Sam Bloch, environmental journalist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly eight years ago, journalist Shoshana Walter followed a lead on a drug and alcohol rehab program that put patients to work at a chicken plant. What she found was one of many programs that boasted treatment and recovery, but actually profited off the unpaid labor of people struggling with addiction. In her new book, “Rehab: An American Scandal”, Walter continues to interrogate America’s drug treatment system by following four people navigating an industry that not only kept patients stuck in a cycle of addiction and relapse, but that actually stymied their recovery. We’ll talk through the dark side of the rehab industry, what this book reveals about the ways patients are exploited for profit, and who actually has a chance at recovery in America. Guests: Shoshana Walter, investigative reporter, the Marshall Project; author of "Rehab: An American Scandal" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gen Z is having less sex, and journalist Carter Sherman has spent the last several years interviewing more than 100 teens and 20-somethings about why. Sherman found it’s not because they’re uninterested or don’t have progressive views about sex. Instead, anxieties about the overturning of Roe v. Wade among other attacks on reproductive freedom, coming of age during an isolating pandemic and poor sex education have led many to abstain. Sherman’s new book is “The Second Coming: Sex and the Next Generation’s Fight Over Its Future.” Guests: Carter Sherman, reproductive health and justice reporter, Guardian US; author, “The Second Coming: Sex and the Next Generation’s Fight Over Its Future" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dating is going old school. More than a decade after apps like Tinder, Hinge and Bumble transformed dating, many singles are signing off and asking their friends, families and colleagues to set them up. It’s the kind of news that will make grandmothers everywhere rejoice. Being set up might seem quaint, but for most of modern dating, people met their spouses through friends and family. And with the popularity of shows like Netflix’s “Indian Matchmaking,” there is a rising interest in relying on personal interventions to find your person. We talk about getting set up and how to play matchmaker, and we hear from you: Did you find true love on a blind date or set up? Guests: Allie Volpe, correspondent, Vox. Volpe's most recent piece on dating is titled "Most Couples Used to Meet This Way. What Happened?" Frankie Bashan, clinical psychologist; founder, Little Gay Book, a matchmaking and relationship service based in Oakland Lauren Magboo, founder, The Used Date Party Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

The latest reporting from Gaza describes a humanitarian crisis of catastrophic proportions. Children are starving; families face impossible choices between food and safety. Hospitals cannot function and medical staff are too weak to help patients. We talk to aid workers and journalists reporting from both sides of Israel’s near-total blockade of supplies going into Gaza about what they’re witnessing and what it will take to save lives. Guests: Bel Trew, chief international correspondent, The Independent Youmna ElSayed, Gaza correspondent reporting from Egypt, Al Jazeera Tjada D'Oyen McKenna, chief executive officer, Mercy Corps Maram Husaid, digital correspondent in Gaza, Al Jazeera Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California has long gone head-to-head with big oil, leading many of the efforts to curb climate damage caused at the hands of the fossil fuel industry – including spearheading lawsuits against oil companies and pushing fracking bans.  But faced with the closure of two state refineries, and rising gas prices, Governor Gavin Newsom has made some major concessions on oil to not only keep the refineries open, but to draft a bill for more drilling in Kern county. We’ll talk about California’s changing relationship with the oil industry, the state’s efforts to phase out fossil fuels, and what’s going to happen to gas prices in the meantime. Guests: Severin Borenstein, professor at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business; faculty director of The Energy Institute at Haas; member, Board of Governors of the California Independent System Operator Lori Wilson, California State Assemblywoman, District 11 Alex Nieves, California transportation reporter, POLITICO Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adch

Is legacy media self-censoring under the Trump Administration? The canceling of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and the multi-million dollar payouts from the parent companies of CBS and ABC to settle defamation lawsuits are all causes for concern, according to media analyst and Guardian US columnist Margaret Sullivan, who worries hard news reporting could become a thing of the past. We talk with Sullivan about how major media outlets are responding to Trump’s intensifying attacks and how it could hasten a march to autocracy. Guests: Margaret Sullivan, columnist writing about media, politics and culture, Guardian US Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Yorker staff writer Burkhard Bilger doesn’t have great teeth. According to Bilger, his “gaptoothed grin” makes him look like he came from a bar fight or a remake of “Deliverance.” Given his lousy dental insurance, a friend recommended that Bilger head to Mexico’s “Molar City,” Los Algodones, a place that has the highest per capita concentration of dentists in the world, to get his teeth fixed. Medical tourism is nothing new, but few think of going abroad for their teeth. Yet most Americans have inadequate dental insurance and the system is geared to abandon you just when you need it the most. We talk to Bilger and dental professionals about why dental care does not get the respect, or coverage, that it deserves. Guests: Burkhard Bilger, journalist and staff writer, New Yorker Magazine; Bilger is the author of "Fatherland" and "Noodling Flatheads" - his most recent piece for the New Yorker was titled "Word of Mouth: A Pilgrimage to Mexico's Molar City" Dr. Lisa Simon, physician, dentist and health res

California Democrats have long criticized gerrymandering, the practice of drawing district maps to influence election outcomes. But as Texas Republicans have unveiled district maps intended to favor conservatives in the 2026 midterms, California lawmakers are sketching new plans of their own. Governor Gavin Newsom has announced plans to seek a special election in November, asking California voters to approve new districts that might lend Democrats an edge in the national election – temporarily sidelining California’s independent districting commission. We’ll talk with political reporters about what’s at stake in this redistricting fight. Guests: Laurel Rosenhall, California Politics Editor, LA Times Alexei Koseff, Capitol reporter, CalMatters Erin Covey, U.S. House of Representatives editor, The Cook Political Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2008, the Obama administration compiled a massive report with the goal of answering one big question: Is climate change a danger to human health in America? Comprised of some of the most comprehensive scientific findings of all time, the Endangerment Finding concluded that it was, which allowed the  government to regulate climate change—including putting restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions. Now, the Trump administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have ruled to rescind the Endangerment Finding, in turn stripping climate regulations. It’s just the latest in Trump’s attack on climate science and regulations including the firing of hundreds of scientists, and the erasure of critical climate reports and data. We talk with climate reporters and scientists about what’s at stake. And what’s coming next.  Guests: Molly Taft, journalist and climate reporter, WIRED Kristen Sissner, executive director, Berkeley Earth Shaye Wolf, climate science director at the Center for Biological Diversity Le

Democrats long assumed they could count on voters of color to support their candidates and causes, and for many years they did. But last year’s presidential election was a wake up call for Democrats as Donald Trump gained significant support from Black, Latino and Asian American voters, especially men. In studying the racially and ethnically diverse voter coalition that brought Barack Obama to power, Yale professor Daniel Martinez HoSang, has found discontent and collapsing support for Democrats. This shift comes at a critical time for the left as they scramble to make headway before the 2026 midterms. We’ll talk to HoSang and Republican political strategist Mike Madrid about how the left lost these voters and whether it’s too late to regain their support. Guests: Daniel Martinez HoSang, professor of American Studies, Yale University Mike Madrid, political strategist; co-founder, The Lincoln Project; author, "The Latino Century: How America's Largest Minority is Transforming Democracy" Learn more about y

Dr. Elias Zerhouni’s journey began in Algeria, where he taught himself mathematics as bombs fell outside his window. With two suitcases and a few hundred dollars, his family eventually immigrated to the United States. Driven by an unshakable belief in science and service, Zerhouni rose through the ranks of medical research to become director of the National Institutes of Health under President George W. Bush. In his new memoir, “Disease Knows No Politics,” he reflects on his personal journey and the fierce political battles he faced while leading the NIH. He joins us to discuss the vital contributions of immigrants to American innovation and the urgent need to safeguard science from partisanship. Guests: Dr. Elias Zerhouni, former director, National Institute of Health; professor emeritus, Johns Hopkins University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined in studio for a live performance by the Jahari Stampley Family Trio. Stampley, an award-winning jazz pianist who is known for melding genres like funk, gospel and rock, calls his forthcoming album “What A Time” a sonic reflection of “the quiet stillness of late-night thoughts, the joy of a spontaneous jam, the fire of resistance, and the calm of resolution.” We talk to Stampley about his work, his influences and what it’s like to be in musical conversation with his mom. Guests: Ofri Nahemya, drums Jahari Stampley, piano D-Erania Stampley, bass, saxophone, synthesizer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Grateful Dead is showing a touch of grey as the band turns 60, and San Francisco is pulling out the stops to celebrate: tie-dye buses, banners across the city and the revival of Shakedown Street, the pop-up market that appears at Dead shows. The party culminates with three-nights of Dead & Company concerts from August 1-3 at Golden Gate Park’s Polo Field featuring band originals Bob Weir and Mickey Hart, along with other artists including John Mayer. We’ll talk about the long, strange history of the Dead, and hear about what the band has meant to you. Guests: David Gans, musician and author, "This Is All a Dream We Dreamed: An Oral History of the Grateful Dead" Hollie Rose, author, "When Push Comes to Shove: Real Life on Dead Tour" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Musician Greta Morgan began performing professionally when she was 16, singing for groups like The Hush Sound and Gold Motel before touring with Vampire Weekend and charting her own path as a singer-songwriter. But in 2020, a severe case of Covid led to a neurological disorder that reduced her voice to a hush. We talk to Morgan about what a drastic change to her singing voice taught her about her inner voice and how her listening became so powerful that when she watched a meteor shower, she thought she could hear the stars. Morgan’s new memoir is “The Lost Voice.” Guests: Greta Morgan, musician, songwriter and author, "The Lost Voice: A Memoir" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kaiser Permanente will stop providing gender-affirming surgeries for patients under the age of 19, as a result of President Trump’s executive order targeting health centers that provide care for transgender youth. Providers across the nation have been scaling back on gender-affirming care, including Stanford Medicine and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, but Kaiser’s decision has shocked many providers and patients in the Bay Area. We talk with nurses, advocates, patients and specialists about what it means for them and the future of healthcare for gender-nonconforming minors. Guests: Michelle Jurkiewicz, licensed clinical psychologist and gender specialist Sydney Simpson, nurse, Kaiser Permanente S. Baum, correspondent, "Erin in the Morning" newsletter by Erin Reed Rhaetia Hanscum, teacher and member of the Bay Area Rainbow Families Action Group Will Lohf, San Francisco public high school student and activist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The South Bay in San Diego County is the site of one of the nation’s worst environmental disasters. Fifty million gallons of untreated sewage and industrial chemicals flow daily into the Tijuana River and out of Imperial Beach. New research connects the waste to worsening air quality, which has been linked with headaches, skin infections and gastrointestinal problems in the local population. We’ll talk about why solutions could be years away. Guests: Soumya Karlamangla, national correspondent, based in the Bay Area, The New York Times Paula Stigler Granados, associate professor at the School of Public Health and head of the Environmental Health Division, San Diego State University Paloma Aguirre, mayor, Imperial Beach Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In almost every part of the country, the amount people pay for electricity has gone up faster than the rate of inflation and it will likely continue to rise, according to the Energy Information Administration. So what’s ballooning your utility bill? We’ll talk with energy and policy experts about the increasing demands posed by data centers, the aging electricity infrastructure, and the new barriers to expanding renewable power plants. But the picture isn’t all grim; we’ll explore the steps we can take to make California’s electrical grid more sustainable. Guests: Costa Samaras, director of the Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, trustee professor of civil and environmental engineering and an affiliated faculty member in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University Michael Wara, policy director for the Sustainability Accelerator at the Doerr School of Sustainability, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program and senior research scholar at the Woods Institute for

National Book Award-winning author Colum McCann says he chooses what to write about based on what he most wants to know. His latest novel “Twist” springs from his fascination with the underwater cables, no thicker than a garden hose, that carry some 95% of the world’s telecommunications. McCann’s protagonist is a journalist who goes asea to investigate a cable break off the coast of Africa after the Congo River floods. We talk to McCann about themes of sabotage and repair – both in the abyssal zone he writes about and in our lives. Guests: Colum McCann, author, “Twist” - his other novels include “Apeirogon,” “Transatlantic” and “Let the Great World Spin,” which won a National Book Award Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As ICE raids sweep across the country as a part of President Trump’s anti-immigrant policies, ethnic media outlets in California are playing an invaluable role keeping the communities they serve informed. We talk with media organizations that serve immigrant and diaspora audiences about how their communities are dealing with the impacts of the administration’s enforcement actions, how their approaches to news coverage has had to change, and what they think is coming next. Guests: Madeleine Bair, journalist and founder, El Tímpano Memo Torres, writer and director of engagement, L.A. Taco, a Southern California source of news and information covering food, culture and community Tanay Gokhale, community reporter, India Currents Julian Do, co-director, American Community Media Dzung Do, editor, Nguoi Viet Daily News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices