KQED's Forum

We look at Donald Trump’s plans to nominate former Hawaii congress member Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence, and Kash Patel as FBI chief. Nearly one hundred former national security officials have raised alarms about Gabbard’s sympathy for dictators like Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad, while Patel has said he wants to dismantle the FBI. We talk about the domestic and national security implications of the picks. Guests: Josh Meyer, domestic security correspondent, USA Today Garrett Graff, journalist and historian

Inflation has driven up the cost of living for most Americans making them feel squeezed every time they go shopping. And while many voters cited inflation and the economy and top concerns during the recent presidential election, economists note that Donald Trump’s plans are perhaps more likely to bring higher prices than lower ones. We talk with The Atlantic writer Annie Lowrey about how we are experiencing inflation now and what could happen during the next presidential administration. Guests: Annie Lowrey, staff writer, The Atlantic

“Broken” is how the Legislative Analyst’s Office describes California’s unemployment insurance financing system in a new report. California is already $20 billion in debt to the federal government for unemployment claims paid during the pandemic, and losses continue to mount. But businesses and labor groups are at odds over whether companies should pay more in taxes to fix it. Meanwhile, the Employment Development Department continues to grapple with problems of fraud and delay in processing benefits. CalMatters investigative reporter Lauren Hepler joins us to break down the challenges the EDD is facing. Guests: Lauren Hepler, investigative reporter, CalMatters Kim Tanner, Carlsbad resident with firsthand experience with California EDD and Money Network

Remember that tsunami on Thursday…that didn’t happen? After a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck 45 miles southwest of Eureka, a tsunami warning went into effect along the Northern California and Southern Oregon coastline. But why did it take so long for us to find out we weren’t at risk? Why did some places, like Berkeley, order evacuations, and other cities were silent? We’ll look at the region’s emergency communication systems and what needs to be improved to better prepare for tsunamis and other natural disasters. Guests: Dan Brekke, editor and reporter, KQED News Lori Dengler, professor emeritus, Cal Poly Humboldt - department of geology Dave Snider, tsunami warning coordinator, National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska, run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Brian Garcia , Warning Coordination Meteorologist, National Weather Service SF Bay Area/Monterey

The past year, more than any other, “demonstrated how podcasts as a whole bleed into the real world and play a huge role in American culture, for better or worse,” Vulture podcast critic Nicholas Quah recently wrote. It used to be, if a presidential nominee wanted to make news, they would go on TV. In 2024, it was all about podcasts…shows like Joe Rogan and Call Her Daddy. The industry is still reeling from the widespread cutbacks and cancellations in recent years. But the art and innovation of podcasts is alive and well, making it hard sometimes to pick your next listen. We’ll talk with Quah and other critics about the best podcasts of the year and hear your picks. Guests: Wil Williams, CEO, Hughouse Productions Nicholas Quah, critic, Vulture - where he covers podcasts, television, and pop culture Ronald Young Jr., senior producer and owner, ohitsBigRon studios; host of the podcasts "Weight for It" (which was named one of the best podcasts of 2023 by the New York Times) and Pop Culture Debate Club from Lemonada and the BBC.

Growing up in an Indian family, Sahaj Kaur Kohli felt pressured to meet her parents’ high expectations for a “good Sikh girl”. Despite being a top student in high school, she battled depression, struggled to keep up in college and dropped out. She eventually went on to become a therapist, mental health advice columnist for the Washington Post, and founder of Brown Girl Therapy, an online community. Through her work, she saw how her experiences mirrored those of many other children of immigrants who feel obligated to succeed, maintain cultural norms, and repay their parents’ sacrifices. Kohli joins us to talk about her new book, “But What Will People Say?” that chronicles her journey and provides practical advice for navigating mental health. Guests: Sahaj Kohli, therapist; writer; speaker; and founder, Brown Girl Therapy; author of the book, "But What Will People Say? Navigating Mental Health, Identity, Love, and Family Between Cultures."

Cars, lumber and avocados are just a few items that could see their prices increase if president-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs take effect. Throughout Trump’s campaign, he promised to impose tariffs on “day one,” but his targets — China, Canada and Mexico — are California’s biggest trading partners. Forty percent of the state’s imports come from China and Mexico. We look at which industries would be hit hardest, how businesses are preparing and whether consumers would have to pick up the check. Guests: Ana Swanson, trade and economics reporter, The New York Times Don Lee, economics reporter, Los Angeles Times Edward Alden, senior fellow, Council on Foreign Relations

Avian flu has killed 1.5 million chickens and turkeys in California and 100 million birds nationwide since the outbreak began in 2022. And earlier this year, scientists discovered that the virus had jumped to mammals, specifically cattle, raising questions about the virus’ mutation. In California, the largest dairy producing state in the country, 475 dairies have reported incidences of avian flu in their herds, and the state recently recalled raw milk from shelves after the virus was detected in milk samples. The virus has also been detected in the wastewater of several Bay Area cities, and 29 dairy workers, and a child in Alameda County with no known contact with animals, have been diagnosed with the flu. We’ll talk to experts about whether avian flu has the makings of a new pandemic and what is being done to contain its spread. Guests: Susanne Rust, investigative reporter specializing in environmental issues, Los Angeles Times Dr. Peter Chin-Hong M.D., infectious disease specialist, UCSF Medical Center Dr. Michael Payne DVM, large animal vet researcher, Western Institute of Food Safety and Security, University of California School of Veterinary Medicine

Californians are the most confrontational drivers in the country according to a recent survey from Forbes Advisor. Nearly half of California drivers surveyed said another driver cut them off on purpose, more than half say they’ve been tailgated and almost a third have been threatened or yelled at. Across the country, the number of people injured or killed in road rage incidents involving a gun has more than doubled since 2018, according to data from the research group Gun Violence Archive. We’ll talk about what triggers road rage — and how tech and social divisions may be playing a role. And we’ll get tips on how to calm down and drive safely, even when you feel you’ve been wronged. Guests: Robert (Bob) Nemerovski, Clinical Psychologist practicing in the Bay Area as well as throughout California through teletherapy, (theangerdoc.com) Andrew Barclay, Sergeant, California Highway Patrol John Treanor, public relations specialist, AAA Northern California

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as DACA, has given more than half a million immigrants protection from deportation since 2012. The program has allowed people brought to the United States as children to work, buy property, start businesses and raise families. The program has weathered plenty of challenges in its 12-year history, and now many recipients are worried that president-elect Donald Trump will try to end the program like he did during his first term. We talk with DACA recipients about how they are preparing for the future and what could happen next. Guests: Dulce Garcia, director for U.S.-Mexico border programs, Kids in Need of Defense - An organization that advocates unaccompanied refugee and migrant children. She is a lawyer and DACA recipient. Sarah Souza, DACA recipient and immigrant rights activist, Serves on the San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission and works as a legislative aide for San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin. Krsna Avila , staff attorney, Path2Papers - a project of Cornell Law School that helps DACA recipients pursue work visas and other pathways to legal permanent residency. Leo Rodriguez, student, Univeristy of California, Berkeley - DACA recipient. Raha Wala, human rights lawyer, lobbyist, and advocacy strategist, National Immigration Law Center

The U.S. will send an additional $725 million in military aid to Ukraine, the State Department announced on Monday. That’s on top of more than $7 billion in weaponry the Biden Administration has already pledged to the country as it battles to stave off more territorial gains by Russia. The increase in aid comes amid fears among U.S. and NATO officials that president-elect Donald Trump will withhold support and force Ukraine to capitulate. We talk about the latest developments in a war that’s left hundreds of thousands dead and how a Trump Administration might handle it. Guests: Steven Pifer , affiliate, Center for International Security and Cooperation - Stanford University; former ambassador to Ukraine and a senior director at the National Security Council in the Clinton administration. Greg Myre, national security correspondent, NPR

For decades microfinance was touted as a novel solution to poverty. The idea is simple – give poor women tiny loans to jumpstart small businesses and create profit. But when journalist Mara Kardas-Nelson moved to West Africa she met women who were jailed when they couldn’t pay their mounting debt. In her book, “We Are Not Able to Live in the Sky: The Seductive Promise of Microfinance,” Kardas-Nelson explores the complex history that led to microfinance banking empires, the painful reality gripping women who have taken out loans and also the ways that microloans have been a successful tool in lifting people from poverty. Guests: Mara Kardas-Nelson, Independent Journalist and Author of We are Not Able To Live in the Sky: The Seductive Promise of Microfinance Laurie Styron, CEO / Executive Director, CharityWatch -www.charitywatch.org

The quirky, rounded, nominally sans-serif font of Comic Sans became a cultural phenomenon when it first burst onto the scene as a free option in Windows 95. Used in memes, kindergarten classrooms and sometimes even official signage, it’s become “the font everyone loves to hate.” So says Simon Garfield, author of a new biography of Comic Sans. And over its 30 years, the font became recommended by dyslexia organizations and can be used to chart a micro-history of online irony, comedy and backlash cycles. Garfield joins us to share why “no other font gets people so worked up” and how Comic Sans says a lot about how we express ourselves, online and off. Guests: Simon Garfield, author, “Comic Sans: The Biography of a Typeface” and “Just My Type: A Book About Fonts”

On the campaign trail, president-elect Donald Trump said he “wouldn’t mind so much” if journalists were shot, threatened to revoke broadcast licenses of networks that aired coverage he didn’t like, and called reporters “the enemy of the people.” More recently Trump has demanded that Republican lawmakers kill a bill to protect journalists from revealing their sources. Trump’s first administration had a tense relationship with the media. We talk to experts about how journalists should best cover Trump this time around. Guests: Brooke Gladstone, Host and Managing Editor, "On the Media" - from WNYC Studios. Her latest book is 'The Trouble With Reality." Jon Allsop, journalist and media writer, Columbia Journalism Review's daily newsletter, "The Media Today"

In Miranda July’s new novel, “All Fours,” a 45-year-old artist embarks on a solo roadtrip to New York from her Los Angeles home. She makes it as far as Monrovia, a small town a half-hour from L.A., and waits out the rest of her trip in a motel room while pursuing an infatuation with a Hertz rental car employee. The novel, which shares similarities with July’s own life, explores themes of marital ennui, the fear of sexual irrelevance and the contours of the female midlife crisis. July grew up in Oakland and is known for her performance art, her films “Me and You and Everyone We Know” and “Kajillionaire,” and her fiction “No One Belongs Here More Than You” and “The First Bad Man.” We listen back to our May conversation with July about her new novel and why she describes it as “closer to the bone.” Guests: Miranda July, actor, screenwriter, director and author - She’s known for her films “Me and You and Everyone We Know” and “Kajillionaire,” and her fiction includes “No One Belongs Here More Than You” and “The First Bad Man”. Her new novel is "All Fours"

A truly landmark Supreme Court decision in 2020 resulted in the largest restoration of Native American tribal land in American history. More than half of the state of Oklahoma is now declared “Indian Country” after the court decision. In her book "By the Fire We Carry" journalist Rebecca Nagel, a member of the Cherokee Nation, traces the generations-long fight for sovereignty and the brutal history of tribal land removal that underpinned the decision. We listen back to our September conversation with Nagle about her own family’s complicated legacy in the struggle for justice and the implications of the Supreme Court decision. Guests: Rebecca Nagle, author, By the Fire We Carry, The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land, host of the podcast "This Land" - She's also an activist, writer and citizen of the Cherokee Nation - She's also an activist, writer and citizen of the Cherokee Nation

Connie Chung was the first Asian person to anchor a national network news program in the US and the first woman to co-anchor the CBS Evening News. For decades she covered major national stories from Watergate to the Oklahoma City bombing and interviewed presidents and foreign leaders. She also came up in newsrooms of the 1970s and 80s that were beset by rampant sexism. We listen back to our September conversation with Chung about what she calls her “glorious highs and deep lows in the news business” and why, until recently, she struggled to believe she’d found success. Chung’s memoir is “Connie.” Guests: Connie Chung, broadcast journalist; author, "Connie: A Memoir"

The son who traveled 2,500 miles to save his parents’ dog. The stranger who picked up the tab for a girl who was trying to buy a prom dress at Goodwill. The airport janitor who stopped to feed and comfort a stranded passenger. These are some of the small and big acts of kindness website Upworthy compiled into a new book, “Good People: Stories from the Best of Humanity.” We listen back to our August conversation with the editors and hear from you: What is a memorable act of kindness you have received or given? Guests: Lucia Knell, co-author, "Good People: Stories From the Best of Humanity "; Knell is the vice president of the media company Upworthy. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Glamour and Vogue, among other publications. Gabriel Reilich, co-author, "Good People: Stories from the Best of Humanity"; Reilich is the head of content and innovation at the media companies Good and Upworthy. He developed the Upworthy Instagram account which now has five million+ followers.

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