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Mark Farrell Wants to be Mayor…Again Oct 02, 2024

Show notes

Mark Farrell was born and raised in San Francisco, and now he wants to be the city’s mayor…again. Farrell served as mayor for six months in 2018, completing the term of Mayor Ed Lee who died unexpectedly in office. Farrell contends that the city has been on a downward spiral since his short tenure: on the campaign trail, he paints a city in decline, plagued by homelessness, a lack of public safety, and a situation in the Tenderloin so dire it requires intervention by the National Guard. A two-term former supervisor for District 2, Farrell argues that his past experience and moderate politics are what San Francisco needs at this moment. We talk to Farrell as part of our series of interviews with the five major candidates in the San Francisco mayoral race.

Guests:

Mark Farrell, former mayor, San Francisco

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Election 2024: Proposition 32 Would Raise California’s Minimum Wage Oct 01, 2024

Show notes

Proposition 32 on the November ballot would increase California’s minimum wage to $18 an hour for all employees by 2026. Supporters say the measure would promote economic fairness and lead to job growth — especially outside major cities. Opponents argue that it will force businesses to increase prices and lay off workers. We hear from both sides of the campaign. Do you think California’s minimum wage should be higher?

Guests:

Farida Jhabvala Romero, labor correspondent, KQED

Joseph Sanberg, anti-povery advocate and entrepreneur

John Kabateck, California state director, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)

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Hurricane Helene and the Changing Wreckage of Climate Change & Notable Bills Gov. Newsom Signed and Vetoed this Legislative Session Oct 01, 2024

Show notes

AT 9:00 AM:

The states in the southeast hardest hit by Hurricane Helena are taking stock of the enormous amounts of damage wrecked by one of the worst storms in history. As the six states try to recover and grieve the lost lives, and as we cope with excessive heat warnings this week in the Bay Area, we get an update on how climate change is affecting us now.

Guests:

Abrahm Lustgarten, senior environmental reporter, ProPublica - author, "On the Move: The Overheating Earth and the Uprooting of America"

Erica Gies, Independent journalist, Author of "Water Always Wins," National Geographic Explorer;," Gies wrote the recent New York Times essay "California Could Capture Its Destructive Floodwaters to Fight Drought"

AT 9:30 AM:

Gov. Gavin Newsom put away his bill-signing pen Monday, the final day to ratify bills passed by California’s Legislature. This year, lawmakers passed more than 1,200 bills. Those the governor signed into law include one that prohibits legacy preferences in private school admissions, a plan for reparations for African Americans that some advocates say falls short, gas price regulations and a law banning public schools from providing food with harmful food dyes. Newsom vetoed nearly 200 bills that came across his desk including some that would have created unemployment benefits for undocumented workers, a bill regulating artificial intelligence and one that would have required cars to have speeding alert systems as a way to curb pedestrian deaths. We’ll talk about the notable bills that will become laws and which ones didn’t make the cut.

Guests:

Alexei Koseff, reporter, CalMatters

Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED's California Politics and Government Desk

Lindsey Holden, California politics reporter, Politico

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Pioneering Journalist Connie Chung on a Lifetime of Newsmaking Sep 30, 2024

Show notes

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 talk to 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 new memoir is “Connie.”

Guests:

Connie Chung, broadcast journalist; author, "Connie: A Memoir"

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Aaron Peskin on Why a Progressive Should be the Next San Francisco Mayor Sep 30, 2024

Show notes

Born in Berkeley and the son of academics, Aaron Peskin was in the same elementary school class as Vice President Kamala Harris. But while Harris might be viewed as a moderate, Peskin proudly points to his progressive politics as a reason he should be the next mayor of San Francisco. A 30-year resident of Telegraph Hill, Peskin has been elected as a supervisor five times and currently serves as president of the Board. On the campaign trail, he highlights his detailed knowledge of how city government runs which he says makes him the best candidate for the job of mayor. As part of our series of interviews with the major candidates in San Francisco’s mayor race, we talk to Peskin about his campaign and his hopes for the city’s future.

Guests:

Aaron Peskin, president, San Francisco Board of Supervisors

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What Are Your Favorite Solo Activities? Sep 27, 2024

Show notes

More Americans – especially Gen-Z and millennials – say they value dining alone at restaurants, according to new data from Open Table. And research shows that doing solo activities is good for us – it recharges us and improves our creativity. With concern about loneliness and isolation on the rise, we talk about healthy alone-ness. What are some of your favorite activities to do alone?

Guests:

Rebecca Ratner, dean's professor of marketing, University of Maryland

Luke Tsai, food editor, KQED Arts & Culture

Thuy-Vy Nguyen, associate professor in psychology, Durham University; founder of the Solitude Lab; co-author of “Solitude: The Science and Power of Being Alone”

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Caroline Crampton on the History of Hypochondria…and Her Own Struggles with Health Anxiety Sep 26, 2024

Show notes

Most of us have been there: Frantically Googling health information late at night, worried about a mysterious ache or rash. But when does health anxiety cross the line and become a problem on its own? Journalist Caroline Crampton tackles that question in her book, “A Body Made of Glass,” which looks at the cultural history of hypochondria, from ancient Egypt to TikTok. She joins Forum to talk about her research and her own experience with chronic health anxiety after recovering from a rare form of cancer.

Guests:

Caroline Crampton, writer and podcaster, Her new book is "A Body Made of Glass: A Cultural History of Hypochondria."

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Snacking Is Taking Over the Way We Eat Sep 26, 2024

Show notes

Americans are snacking more than ever before, a recent report found 95 percent of American adults eat at least a snack a day. It wasn’t always that way. Atlantic writer Ellen Cushing writes that until recently, “There were no elaborate treats after soccer practice, or snack trays on strollers, or tubes of yogurt. Energy bars were for athletes, not accountants. National parks did not have vending machines.” Snacks have become so ubiquitous and easy that some have abandoned main, sit-down meals all together. We’ll talk to experts about the dominance of snacking and how these in between meals impact our health. And we want to hear from you, how much do you snack?

Guests:

Ellen Cushing, staff writer, The Atlantic; author of recent article "Snacks Took Over American Life"

Maya Feller, registered dietitian nutritionist; author of "Eating from Our Roots: 80+ Healthy Home-Cooked Favorites from Cultures Around the World"; host of Slate's Well, Now Podcast

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'Watchdogs' Gives Insider's Look at Role of Inspector General Sep 25, 2024

Show notes

Inspectors general have been called the most powerful public officials you’ve never heard of. They work inside federal agencies, exposing corruption and ferreting out waste, fraud and abuse. But they’re also vulnerable to removal at the whim of the president. Glenn Fine was the inspector general of the Department of Justice in the Clinton, Bush and Obama Administrations. He was also the acting inspector general of the Department of Defense from 2016 until 2020, when he was replaced by former President Trump as part of a series of firings that the Washington Post called a “slow-motion Friday night massacre.” We talk to Fine about the role inspectors general play in holding the federal government to account and why he thinks they need more protection. Fine’s new book is “Watchdogs.”

Guests:

Glenn Fine, inspector general, Department of Justice (2000-2011); acting inspector general, Department of Defense (2016-2020) - author, "Inspectors General and the Battle for Honest and Accountable Government"

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Mayor London Breed on Why San Francisco Should Give Her Another Term Sep 25, 2024

Show notes

Mayor London Breed is a lifelong resident of San Francisco, and her tenure as mayor has tracked the boom/bust cycle of the city. When she came to office in 2018, the city was enjoying a robust economy. In 2020, the pandemic emptied out downtown and put San Francisco on shaky footing from which it is still recovering. In her run for re-election, Breed contends that with another term she can lead San Francisco back to firmer ground. In the first of our interviews with the five major candidates in the San Francisco mayor’s race, we talk to Breed about her record, her campaign, and her hopes for the city.

Guests:

London Breed, Mayor, City and County of San Francisco

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