KQED's Forum

Everyone has an accent, even people who don’t think they do. That’s according to linguist Valerie Fridland, who studies the way American accents have been shaped by centuries of culture and class. In her new book, “Why We Talk Funny”, Fridland shares how different American accents developed, why some are dying off and the way they influence how we see each other and ourselves. Guests: Valerie Fridland, professor of linguistics, University of Nevada, Reno Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ll remember legendary conductor, composer, educator and San Francisco icon Michael Tilson Thomas who died on Wednesday. He served 25 years as music director of the San Francisco Symphony and was a towering figure in the classical music world in the Bay Area and globally. He is credited with revamping classical music with his risky musical choices, innovative collaborations, and talent for teaching young people. Thomas retired from the symphony in 2020 and was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer around that same time. We’ll talk about Thomas’ legacy and lasting imprint on San Francisco. Guests: Joshua Kosman, classical music critic, San Francisco Chronicle Mark Leno, former California state senator; longtime friend of Michael Tilson Thomas Donato Cabrera, music and artistic director, California Symphony John Adams, composer - his new opera "Girls of the Golden West" runs at San Francisco Opera through December 10th Julia Bullock, Grammy-winning opera singer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aziz Abu Sarah, who is Palestinian, and Maoz Inon, who is Israeli, have both lost family to the conflict in the Middle East. They are also both peacebuilders who say they “forged a bond of brotherhood when the world expected us to hate each other.” We talk to them about their relationship and their vision for a culture of dialogue and forgiveness. Their new book is “The Future Is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land.” Guests: Aziz Abu Sarah, co-author, "The Future Is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land” Maoz Inon, co-author, "The Future Is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some fans of the indie-rock band Geese have been feeling betrayed after learning that TikToks that looked like they were made by fans were actually created by a PR firm. But is this just what artists have to do to make it in our hyper-saturated music world? And when major record companies have long been accused of payola, is this even new? We talk about how TikTok and Spotify algorithms work, and whether we can ever discover music without marketing having its thumb on the scale. Guests: Glenn McDonald, former "data alchemist" at Spotify; founder, music microgenre catalog Every Noise at Once Darren Hemmings, author, industry insider newsletter Network Notes; founder and managing director, UK marketing agency Motive Unknown Bobby Davin, senior vice president of A&R and label partnerships, Stem Distribution Hiroki Tanaka, former lead guitarist, Canadian experimental prog group Yamantaka // Sonic Titan; just released the solo album ISAN (遺産) Olivia Jones, associate music analyst, MIDiA Research Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The Idiot,” a new podcast from Serial and New York Times opinion columnist M. Gessen, shares the story of Gessen’s own cousin, Allen, who went to prison for trying to have his ex-wife killed. The podcast asks how we reckon with personal beliefs about justice and punishment when applied to our own family: Gessen, a critic of the prison system, was shocked to find themself rooting for the prosecution during Allen’s trial. It also explores Gessen’s own complicated feelings about maintaining a relationship with Allen and their family’s range of responses to his crime. Gessen joins us, and we hear from you: Has a relative’s actions made you confront hard truths about yourself, your family and your strongest beliefs? Guests: M. Gessen, opinion columnist, New York Times; host, reporter and writer, “The Idiot,” from The New York Times and Serial Productions; they are the author of 11 books, including "The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia," which won the National Book Award in 2017 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration has many people feeling self-conscious about speaking Spanish in public or being recognized as Latino. Last year’s Supreme Court ruling allowing immigration enforcement agents to question anyone based on their appearance and speech gave more fuel to the administration crackdown that has disproportionately targeted Latino communities. Now, many U.S. citizens keep their passports on them and question whether they are presenting as “American” enough. We examine the cultural, psychological and societal impacts of Trump’s immigration policies and how Latinos in the Bay Area are responding. Guests: Dr. Belinda Hernandez Arriaga, executive director and founder, ALAS (Ayudando Latinos A Soñar); licensed clinical social worker Tomás Jiménez, Joan B. Ford sociology professor and director of the Institute for Advancing Just Societies, Stanford University; his books include "States of Belonging: Immigration Policies, Attitudes, and Inclusion" and "The Other Side of Assimilation: How Immigrants Are Changing American Life" Hector, student, John F. Kennedy High School in Richmond, CA Carmelita Reyes, principal, Rusdale Continuation High School in Oakland Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The San Francisco AI firm Anthropic has developed a new model that it says is too powerful to be released to the public. Called Mythos, Anthropic says it’s in a “different league” when it comes to identifying and exploiting cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and in the wrong hands could enable bad actors to unleash powerful cyberattacks. Anthropic is alerting governments and releasing a limited version called Claude Mythos Preview to about 40 tech companies (including some of its AI competitors) to find and fix their own security vulnerabilities. We look at how this next generation of AI could reshape digital security and policy. Guests: Alex Stamos, chief product officer, Corridor; computer science lecturer, Stanford University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Going to graduate school has never been cheap. But sweeping new changes to the federal loan system – which will now have caps on how much you can borrow – may make it even harder. What do these changes mean for aspiring nurses, teachers, doctors and lawyers — and could they reshape who gets to pursue advanced degrees in America? We’ll talk about student loans, and look at the broader landscape, from income-driven repayment overhauls to the future of public service forgiveness. Guests: Aissa Canchola Bañez, policy director, Protect Borrowers, an advocacy group focused on policy solutions for debt issues facing consumers Jordan Matsudaira, professor at the School of Public Affairs, American University; Matsudaira served as Deputy Undersecretary and Chief Economist at the Department of Education during the Biden Administration Eileen Fry-Bowers, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions, University of San Francisco Jessica Blake, policy reporter, Inside Higher Ed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Psychiatrist Suzan Song has for decades worked with people who have experienced extreme traumas, like being trafficked or recruited as child soldiers. She says she became drawn to those who were able not just to survive, but thrive and flourish – even without access to traditional Western talk therapy. We talk to Song about where she thinks true healing comes from, and how we can apply that to more ordinary suffering, like a breakup or an unexpected loss. Song’s new book is “Why We Suffer and How We Heal.” Guests: Suzan Song, psychiatrist and global mental health expert; author, "Why We Suffer and How We Heal" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s record-setting heatwave in March caused snow to melt and vegetation to dry out earlier than normal this year. Those conditions could provide lots of fuel for wildfires and hasten the start of fire season. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has gutted the U.S. Forest Service, which manages close to 60 percent of our state’s forest areas, and plans to close six research centers in California. We’ll dig into how those factors could influence wildfires this year and how you can prepare. Guests: Craig Clements, professor of meteorology, director of the Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center at San Jose State University Marianne Lavelle, Washington, D.C. bureau chief, Inside Climate News Adrienne Freeman, assistant director for communications for fire and aviation management, US. Forest Service Brent Pascua, battalion chief, Cal Fire Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2026 WNBA season tips off next month. It’s expected to see historic viewership and attendance, after last season’s record-breaking run as the most-watched regular season in the history of the league. But even though this is the WNBA’s historic 30th season, women have been playing basketball since long before 1996. Sports journalists Jordan Robinson and Emma Baccellieri set out to profile the female trailblazers who changed basketball history, like Denise Long Rife, the first woman drafted by an NBA team when she was recruited to the San Francisco Warriors in 1969, and Ora Washington, who in the 1930s became a star on her YMCA’s all-Black basketball team after already winning “almost every tennis trophy available to a Black woman in pre-war America.” We’ll celebrate the players and coaches who made women’s basketball into the phenomenon it is today, and get a preview for the upcoming season, with Robinson and Baccellieri. Their new book is “Court Queens: Celebrate the Players, Teams, and History of Women’s Basketball.” Guests: Jordan Robinson, sports journalist; co-author, "Court Queens: Celebrate the Players, Teams, and History of Women’s Basketball" Emma Baccellieri, staff writer, Sports Illustrated; co-author, "Court Queens: Celebrate the Players, Teams, and History of Women’s Basketball" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grammy-nominated bassist and composer Melvin Gibbs contends that all music genres popular in the U.S. — pop, country, rock, dance, hip-hop and Latin — “either are, or are based on, or created using, forms of Black music.” In his new book “How Black Music Took Over the World,” Gibbs set out to trace the “rhythmic genealogy” of music from Africa through the Americas. And he unpacks why traditional Western notations and interpretations of music — even when well-intended — misunderstand the sense of time and kinesthetics fundamental to truly understanding how Black music works. Gibbs joins us with his bass to demonstrate the long reach of the African diaspora, and to ask who gets the credit for the music the whole world loves. Guests: Melvin Gibbs, Grammy-nominated composer and musician; author, “How Black Music Took Over The World” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After almost two decades as Prime Minister, Hungarian autocrat Viktor Orbán was defeated by Péter Magyar, leader of the center-right Tisza party. In the final days of the campaign, President Trump sent Vice President JD Vance to Budapest to campaign for Orbán, but voters weren’t swayed. Could Orbán’s defeat be a sign that President Trump’s brand of right-wing populism is losing its appeal? Guests: Zack Beauchamp, senior correspondent, Vox; author, "The Reactionary Spirit" Lucan Way, distinguished professor of democracy, University of Toronto Frank Langfitt, national correspondent, NPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An American naval blockade of Iranian ports entered its third day as the U.S. tries to open up ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, President Trump contends that the war is “very close to being over” but also renewed threats to destroy civilian infrastructure. We talk about the latest in Iran and what might happen if no deal is reached before the ceasefire expires next week. Guests: Dalia Dassa Kaye, senior fellow, UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations; author, “Enduring Hostility: The Making of America’s Iran Policy” Robin Wright, contributing writer, New Yorker; her recent piece is "'The Peace President' Gets Belligerent with Iran and the Pope;" author, "Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East" David Sanger, White House and national security correspondent, New York Times; his most recent book is "New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion and America’s Struggle to Save the West" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facing sexual misconduct allegations from at least five women, including one former staffer, Bay Area Democrat Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress, where he had served since 2013. Swalwell, who denies the accusations, also suspended his campaign for California governor over the weekend. We look at how his departure reshapes the governor’s race and how allegations of sexual misconduct are being treated now, nearly a decade after the #MeToo movement began. Guests: Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown Alexei Koseff, Washington, D.C. correspondent, San Francisco Chronicle Allison Gordon, investigative reporter and producer, CNN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump promised that new tax provisions in his One Big Beautiful Bill would deliver a windfall to millions of Americans. No more taxes on overtime. No taxes on tips. No taxes on Social Security payments. While many taxpayers are seeing larger tax refunds this year, the fine print behind Trump’s promises means these tax breaks have been smaller than many expected. We look at the impact of changes in the tax code and who stands to benefit the most. And if you haven’t submitted your returns yet, we want to hear from you: What questions do you still have before the midnight filing deadline. Guests: Shannon Pettypiece, senior policy reporter, NBC News Digital Karen Brosi, tax preparer and certified financial planner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NPR’s “Planet Money” has spent years answering economic questions big and small on its flagship podcast and the daily show “The Indicator,” and now the team is out with a new book: “Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life.” The book tackles questions like whether you should rent or buy a home, why the stock market keeps climbing, and why products like TV and clothes get cheaper while the cost of childcare and concert tickets keep going up. We’ll talk to the authors — and answer your big questions about the economy. Guests: Alex Mayyasi, author, "Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life" Kenny Malone, co-host, Planet Money Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Books have long transported us to other worlds and lives. But in the American publishing market only a small fraction of books are works in translation –literature from around the world that has been translated for an English-language audience. Now, the non-profit Center for the Art of Translation is opening a bookstore and cultural center in downtown San Francisco dedicated to bringing translated works to the public. In this hour, we talk to publishers and literary translators to ask: What does it take to bring a book to an English reading audience? How do translations challenge our world view? Guests: Olivia Sears, board president and founder, Center for the Art of Translation Bruna Dantas Lobato, Brazilian literary translator; her translation of “The Words That Remain” by Stênio Gardel won the 2023 National Book Award for Translated Literature; writer, “Blue Light Hours;" assistant professor of English and Creative Writing, Grinnell College Adam Levy, publisher, Transit Books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thirty years ago, journalist Amy Goodman premiered the daily radio show Democracy Now. Launched on nine community radio stations in 1996, the program now broadcasts on over 1,400 television and radio stations worldwide. Along the way, Goodman and Democracy Now provided groundbreaking coverage of the Standing Rock protests, Chevron’s alleged corruption in Nigeria and illnesses linked to toxins after 9/11. The new documentary “Steal This Story, Please!” recounts Goodman’s career. We’ll talk with her about the documentary, three decades of Democracy Now and the role of independent journalism in today’s news landscape. Guests: Amy Goodman, host and executive producer, Democracy Now!; subject of "Steal This Story, Please!" about her 30 year career in independent media Tia Lessin, co-director, ‘Steal This Story, Please!’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades, the top political issue for many U.S. Catholics has been abortion. But, a recent article in “The Atlantic” argues that the focus has shifted to opposing the Trump administration’s harsh immigration policies and enforcement. Pope Leo, the first American to head the Catholic Church, has criticized and rebuffed Trump’s policies, statements and acts of war as contrary to church teaching and Christian values. We’ll talk about political tensions U.S. Catholics are grappling with and how that relates to our broader political system. Guests: Christopher Hale, a progressive Catholic and political operative who writes the Letters from Leo Substack Francis X. Rocca, contributing writer, The Atlantic, He is also the Vatican editor at EWTN News Amirah Orozco, theologian, research assistant and doctoral candidate, University of Notre Dame Dónal Godfrey, university chaplain, University of San Francisco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices