Kqeds Forum

With its term drawing to a close, the U.S. Supreme Court is getting ready to rule on major issues like abortion access, gun regulations, and whether former president Trump has immunity from civil litigation. Meanwhile, Justice Samuel Alito is still facing questions – and calls for recusal– over political flags flown at his houses. We’ll discuss the ethics controversies swirling around the court and look at what the upcoming rulings could mean for the presidential election… the country… and you. Guests: Vikram Amar, professor of law, UC Davis School of Law; He clerked for Justice Harry A. Blackmun of the United States Supreme Court. Mary Ziegler, professor of law, UC Davis School of Law; Her most recent book is "Roe: The History of a National Obsession."

“The year is 13777. There are dragons on the moon.” That’s how Robin Sloan, author of the best-seller “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Book Store” describes his new novel, “Moonbound.” It’s the first in an ambitious and adventurous trilogy that’s set far in the future, after AI and biotech have transformed life on Earth as we’ve known it. We’ll talk to Sloan about the power of science fiction and his far flung imaginings on sentience, collective history, humanity’s future and the remarkable potentials of yeast. Guests: Robin Sloan, author, "Moonbound"; Sloan's other books include "Sourdough" and "Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore"

Before there was a MAGA republicanism, there was the Tea Party. Founded in 2009, the movement organized around fiscal conservatism and opposition to the Affordable Care Act and government bailouts of the banking industry. But the Tea Party’s influence has waned. Only half of congressional Republicans voted for a limited government position on tax and fiscal issues in 2023, according to a study by the Institute for Legislative Analysis. And the movement has lost financial support following the recent closure of the conservative political group Freedom Works. We look at the history of the Tea Party movement and how it shaped today’s GOP. Guests: Vanessa Williamson, senior fellow, Brookings Institute - co-author of "The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism" Fred McGrath, president, Institute for Legislative Analysis - an organization that collects data for advocates of Limited Government Duncan Braid, coalition director, American Compass - a conservative economic policy advocacy organization

The highly-anticipated opera “Innocence” has made its American premiere in San Francisco. At the heart of the story is a mass shooting at an international school, and the grief and trauma of the event that lingers a decade later. We’ll talk about the San Francisco Opera production and discuss a new mapping project showing a dramatic increase in the number of Americans living in close proximity to fatal gun violence and what it means for our communities. Guests: Tinisch Hollins, executive director, Californians for Safety and Justice; co-founder, SF Black Wall Street; vice chair, SF African-Americans Reparations Advisory Committee Matthew Shilvock, general director, San Francisco Opera Shaila Dewan, National Criminal Justice Correspondent, New York Times Ryan Marchand, director, San Francisco Opera's Department of Diversity, Equity and Community Gabe Meline, senior editor, KQED Arts and Culture

Ruth Whippman is a feminist writer. She’s also the mother of three sons. Her new book, “Boymom,” reflects on the difficulties facing parents tasked with raising good men in an age where people on the right weaponize male concerns and people on the left dismiss them. She asks: What does it mean to raise men who feel validated in their gender identity but not entitled to more because of it? Whippman advocates for an empathetic version of feminism, one where men are held to a high standard but where the loneliness and suicide epidemics plaguing young American men are meaningfully addressed. We’ll hear about her reporting, cultural analysis and own experiences as a “boymom.” Guests: Ruth Whippman, essayist, cultural critic and author of "BoyMom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity"

It’s been almost a year since robotaxi companies Waymo and Cruise expanded their operations to offer fully driverless ride services in San Francisco. Testing human-free vehicles in urban environments has proven challenging, with incidents ranging from gaffs like a driverless car stumped by parade traffic to deep safety concerns that led GM to suspend Cruise’s autonomous operations last fall. After a wave of driverless hype, and criticism – where does the industry stand today? We’ll speak with a research engineer who has been studying the promise of autonomous vehicles for half a century, and an investigative reporter tracking the data and the blindspots of these robots on our roads. Guests: Bigad Shaban, senior investigative reporter, NBC Bay Area Steven Shladover, research engineer, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California-Berkeley Philip Reinckens, senior vice president of commercialization and operations, Gatik

In a speech written for the 1964 Berlin Jazz Festival, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “much of the power of our Freedom Movement in the United States has come from this music.” King considered jazz music “triumphant” — and this belief is rooted in the widespread popularity of three men: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Count Basie, according to author Larry Tye. Respectively known as Satchmo, Duke and the Count, the three men were, Tye writes, “symbols of American culture on par with Coca-Cola and Mickey Mouse.” He profiles the trio in his new book, “The Jazzmen.” In it, he pieces together over 250 interviews, including family members and former bandmates, to illustrate how their appeal among both Black and white audiences paved the way for the Civil Rights Movement. Tye joins us to share more. Guests: Larry Tye, journalist; author, "The Jazzmen: How Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie Transformed America" lower waypoint

To date, Miriam Adelson has donated over $200 million to various political campaigns. “She is effectively a queen,” reporter Elizabeth Weil writes in her New York Magazine article about the widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, the richest Israeli and eighth richest woman in the world. As Trump’s top patron in 2020, Adelson has recently announced her intention to channel more than $100 million to this year’s Trump reelection efforts. But what will she want in return? Some speculate Adelson will begin with insistence on complete support for Israel and a continuation of Trump’s Israel agenda from last term, including backing Israel annexing the West Bank. We’ll talk with Weil about Adelson’s 30 billion dollar worth, and what it could mean for this campaign season and our foreign policy. Guests: Elizabeth Weil, feature writer, New York Magazine; author of the New York Magazine article "Miriam Adelson’s Unfinished Business: What does the eighth richest woman in the world want?"

Republicans may lack political power in Sacramento, but in recent years, they’ve made inroads on local school boards. Now, some of those conservative officials are facing recall elections. Temecula voters are heading to the polls on Tuesday to decide whether or not to recall school board president Joseph Komrosky, who worked to ban critical race theory (which is not taught in the district) and require parental notification if students identify as transgender. A recall of conservative school trustees is also in the works in the Bay Area community of Sunol. We’ll look at what’s behind the recalls and what they say about the volatile politics of public education in the state. Guests: Madison Aument, reporter, KVCR Erin Allday, reporter, San Francisco Chronicle Jonathan Collins, assistant professor of political science and education, Teachers College, Columbia University

More than 40% of state legislators have been victims of threats or attacks since 2020, according to a recent survey. Death threats, stalking and relentless harassment of public officials working across local, state and federal government has becoming increasingly common. Experts say intimidation is feeding on political divisiveness and the abuse is pushing people out of government all together. We’ll talk with politicians who have been targeted, and with experts, about why violence against public officials is so pervasive and what can be done about it. Guests: Eric Swalwell, U.S. Representative representing the 14th District of California, including parts of the East Bay; Rep. Swalwell serves on the House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees Rachel Kleinfeld, senior fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace studying political violence Gowri Ramachandran, deputy director of elections and government, Brennan Center for Justice Scott Wiener, California state senator representing San Francisco

Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki says she learned some of her most effective communication strategies “the hard way.” These techniques were absorbed, refined and stress-tested on her rise to one of the most powerful communication roles in the nation. And as she writes in her new book, they’re “applicable to a wide range of life experiences, whether you’re a parent talking to a teacher about your preschooler, a friend trying to encourage a coworker to take a risk, or a young female staffer trying to convince the most powerful man in the world what he might want to include in his State of the Union address.” We talk to Psaki about how to achieve common understanding and about the importance of knowing your audience, especially in our politically divided nation. Her new book is called “Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World.” Guests: Jen Psaki, host, "Inside With Psaki" on MSNBC; former White House press secretary under President Biden; White House communications director under

As the newly named Brazil bureau chief for the New York Times, Ernesto Londoño had hit a journalistic zenith. Yet, he had never been more depressed. Contemplating suicide and eager for a way out of his sadness, Londoño signed up for an Amazonian ayahuasca retreat. He was initially skeptical of the drug’s ability to alter his mental health trajectory, but ultimately that experience ended up changing Londoño’s life. That story centers his new book, “Trippy,” which also looks at the promise and peril of medicinal psychedelics. Guests: Ernesto Londoño, author, "Trippy: The Peril and Promise of Medicinal Psychedelics"; national correspondent, the New York Times; Londoño has reported from Iraq and Afghanistan

A New York state jury on Thursday found former President Donald Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records. Those falsified records were to cover up a hush-money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. After being the first former U.S. president to stand trial for felony charges, Trump is now the first president to be found guilty in criminal court. His sentencing date is set for July 11 — days before the Republican National Convention. We’ll talk about the verdict, the sentencing and the expected appeals ahead. And we’ll break down the political repercussions within California and the nation. Guests: Shanlon Wu, criminal defense attorney; CNN legal analyst; former federal prosecutor who also served as counsel to Attorney General Janet Reno Melissa Murray, professor of law, NYU School of Law - co-host of the Strict Scrutiny podcast Andrea Bernstein, covered five Trump trials in New York for NPR, and the author of "American Oligarchs: the Kushners,

A New York jury found Donald Trump guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, making him the first current or former president in US history to become a convicted felon. It’s earth shaking news and still, the presidential race, with Trump in it, continues on. We’ll talk about what happens next, how the politics might shake out and we’ll hear from listeners and process all of our reactions. Guests: Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED - Co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown show Scott Shafer, senior editor, KQED’s California Politics and Government desk; co-host, Political Breakdown David Graham, staff writer, The Atlantic

A recent New York Times investigation reveals how violent radical elements in Israel’s settler movement in the West Bank have been allowed to operate with impunity for decades. The report, based in part on accounts by Israeli officials, examines a two-tier system of justice where the authorities systematically ignored or enabled settler violence against Palestinians. Today, leaders of this extremist fringe have gained powerful positions within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. We’ll talk with the report’s co-author, Mark Mazzetti, about the rise of Israeli extremism and what it means for the current war and U.S.-Israel relations. Guests: Mark Mazzetti, investigative reporter focusing on national security, New York Times; co-author, the May 16 cover story "The Unpunished: How Extremists Took Over Israel"

Australian standup comedian Hannah Gadsby took the world by storm with their 2018 show Nanette, which paired punchlines with personal revelations about sexuality, art and gender-based violence. Since then, Gadsby has married, been diagnosed as autistic, and grappled with fame – all subjects of their subsequent standup performances. In June, Gadsby brings their latest show, Woof!, to the Bay Area. We talk with them about their unique brand of feel-good comedy, the searing social commentary that made them famous, and why “woof!” is the only sane reaction to our present reality. Guests: Hannah Gadsby, comedian

When OpenAI released ChatGPT in 2022, schools and universities were quick to ban the use of the generative artificial intelligence chatbot. Teachers have reported students using the service to cheat and turn in plagiarized and inaccurate essays. But Sal Khan, the founder and CEO of Khan Academy, says generative AI can be a force for good in education. Khan Academy now has an educational AI chatbot, Khanmigo, which can guide students while still promoting critical thinking. Khan says developments like these could allow for every student to have a personal AI tutor and every teacher an AI teaching assistant. And Khan thinks incorporating AI in the classroom can allow for exciting new learning opportunities — with the right programming and guardrails. His new book is “Brave New Words.” Guests: Sal Khan, founder and CEO, Khan Academy - an education non-profit

Every other January, hundreds of volunteers hit the stress across the Bay Area and attempt to count the number of unhoused people and families. The point-in-time count offers a snapshot into the scope of homelessness in different communities, but most experts agree the methodology is often inaccurate and flawed. The preliminary data for this year’s count is finally out and reveals jumps and declines in different cities across the Bay Area. We’ll talk to experts to demystify the counting process, understand this year’s numbers and discuss how data collection could be improved. Guests: Sydney Johnson, reporter, KQED News Elester Hubbard, outreach supervisor, San Francisco Homeless Outreach Team (SFHOT) Paul Boden, executive director, Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP) Dr. Margot Kushel, professor of medicine, UCSF; director, UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative Christin Evans, vice chair, San Francisco's Homelessness Oversight Commission; owner, Booksmith; co-owner, the Alembic bar

California’s $55 billion wine industry is experiencing a downturn for the first time in decades. Wine consumption peaked in 2021 and has fallen each year, dropping 8.7% in 2023 according to one industry report. With bottles sitting on store shelves, cases piling up in winemakers’ warehouses and farmers unable to sell their crops, the ripple effects of the drop in wine-buying are felt throughout the industry. In California’s Central Valley, certain grape growers are diversifying, swapping grapes for other crops; others are demolishing their vineyards and transitioning to solar farms. Financially strained growers, unable to pursue either option, are left with having to allow their crops to wither on the vine. But is this just a short-term market correction or is California’s wine industry in serious trouble? We look at the potential factors underlying the downturn and explore the impact on Californians. Guests: Esther Mobley, senior wine critic, San Francisco Chronicle Amanda Mccrossin, wine content creator

In 2010 bioethicist Carl Elliott published an extensive article detailing the red flags in a drug study that resulted in the death of one of the human subjects. But instead of the outrage and oversight he expected, the university defended its researchers and Elliott was ostracized by his colleagues. In his new book “The Occasional Human Sacrifice” Elliot shares his experience and those of other whistleblowers in the medical research world. We’ll talk with Elliot about why medical institutions make such formidable enemies, and why the people who revealed some of the biggest medical research scandals refused to stay silent. Guests: Carl Elliott, professor of philosophy, University of Minnesota; author, "The Occasional Human Sacrifice"