KQED's Forum - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

Unveiling the Corporate Landlords Behind Home Rentals in California Dec 19, 2023

Show notes

Large corporations have quietly bought large collections of homes in California, mostly for use as rental properties, often hidden behind complex networks of shell companies. A Sacramento appraiser has begun to crack the code, revealing more than ten thousand properties in California owned by one company, Invitation Homes. He joins us, with other experts, to discuss the extent of corporate home ownership across the state and its impact on renters, homebuyers, and the real estate market.

Guests:

Alex Lee, assemblymember, California State Assembly - he represents California’s 24th Assembly District which includes the Alameda County communities of Fremont, Newark, and Sunol, and the Santa Clara County communities of Milpitas and San Jose

Ryan Lundquist, residential appraiser and housing analyst, Sacramento area

Alana Semuels, economic correspondent, TIME magazine

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Election 2024: Why California is Key to Control of Congress Dec 18, 2023

Show notes

With the Republicans’ majority in the House down to just three votes, control of Congress is very much up in the air next year. And once again the road to a majority for Democrats runs through California. Nonpartisan analysts say five House seats are up for grabs, all of them currently held by Republicans. We’ll check in on those races, plus the hotly contested race to replace Palo Alto Democrat Anna Eshoo who is retiring after 30 years in Washington.

Guests:

David Wasserman, senior editor & elections analyst, The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan publication that monitors congressional races.

Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown show

Ivy Cargile, associate professor in Political Science, California State University Bakersfield

Paul Mitchell, vice-president, Political Data, Inc.

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Climate Fix: Artists Imagine the Bay Area’s Future After Sea-Level Rise Dec 18, 2023

Show notes

Sea-level rise is already causing harm in the Bay Area, but it’s hard to picture what’s yet to come. Some Bay Area artists are using their crafts to imagine what our region might look like as waters continue to rise: drowned cities, hills turned into islands, and more commuting by boat. These visions of the future are manifested through graphic images, art installations and storytelling. For our latest installment of Climate Fix, Forum’s regular collaboration with KQED’s Science team, we’ll hear from the artists grappling with sea-level rise.

Guests:

Ezra David Romero, climate reporter, KQED

Kristina Hill, director, Institute for Urban and Regional Development, College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

Ana Teresa Fernández, artist, creator of the "On the Horizon" art installation that has been displayed on beaches in California, Mexico and at the San Francisco Cliff House.

Nicole Gluckstern, playwright and director of "The Forever Wave," an audio play set in San Francisco in 2070 after major sea-level rise.

Brian Stokle, urban planner and cartographer, co-created a series of poster maps that depict the Bay Area.

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Arthur C. Brooks on How to 'Build the Life You Want' in 2024 Dec 18, 2023

Show notes

The end of the year is a time of reflection, and for some, a chance to reassess our priorities. But if the goal is greater happiness, says author and Harvard professor Arthur C. Brooks, we may be going about New Year’s resolutions all wrong. It’s great to try and lose weight or save more money, but research shows that practicing things like forgiveness and gratitude are actually more likely to increase overall happiness, he writes. Brooks joins us to talk about his new book, Build the Life You Want, co-authored with Oprah Winfrey, which offers strategies to increase happiness and well being, even in the face of hardship.

Guests:

Arthur C. Brooks, professor, Harvard; columnist, The Atlantic; co-author (with Oprah Winfrey) of "Build the Life You Want." His other books include "From Strength to Strength."

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Craftspeople On What It Takes To Be an Artisan in the Bay Area Dec 18, 2023

Show notes

It’s the season of craft fairs, when artisans come out from their studios, or from a corner of an apartment stuffed with art supplies, and try to sell what they’ve made. We sit down with local craftspeople and creators to discuss the world of crafts, and what it means to be an artisan today in the Bay Area, where culture is rich but finances are always tight. We talk about hobbies, obsessions, side hustles, and why they’re such important parts of our lives and our community.

Guests:

Yina Kim, artist; storyteller; maker; founder, ODSY Workshop. She works and lives in the Sunset in San Francisco.

Sam Saavedra, chain stitch embroiderer; owner, Mira Flores in Oakland.

Jolie Karno, wood turner; instructor, The Crucible; founder, Lower 48

Viviana Matsuda, ceramicist; owner, MUD WITCH

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What COP28 Meant for California — and the Planet Dec 15, 2023

Show notes

The 28th United Nations climate conference, COP28, ended Wednesday in Dubai with an agreement among nearly 200 nations to transition away from fossil fuels and achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. California took the stage at the talks and joined subnational governments in task forces, including one committed to reducing methane emissions. We’ll talk about what the conference accomplished and where it fell short and analyze California’s role as a leader — and oil-producer — in fighting the climate crisis.

Guests:

Wade Crowfoot, secretary, California Natural Resources Agency

Vijay Vaitheeswaran, global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist

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Rintaro Cookbook Brings the Izakaya to Your Kitchen Dec 15, 2023

Show notes

When he opened his popular and award-winning restaurant Rintaro, Sylvan Mishima Brackett wanted to serve “the kind of food you’d expect if the Bay Area were a region of Japan.” At Rintaro, you’ll find dishes like yakitori brushed with tare sauce and seared on a binchotan grill, chicken and cheese katsu atop snowy piles of cabbage, and toothsome udon noodles piled in a clear, umami-packed broth. Now you can try to recreate these dishes that have brought raves from customers and critics at home with the “Rintaro” cookbook, which the New York Times just named one of the best cookbooks of the year. Brackett and his co-author Jessica Battilana join us to talk about all things Rintaro.

Guests:

Sylvan Mishima Brackett, owner and chef of Rintaro; former creative director of Chez Panisse

Jessica Battilana, co-author, "Rintaro: Japanese Food from an Izakaya in California. Battilana is also the author of "Repertoire: All The Recipes You Need"

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The Year in Movies Dec 13, 2023

Show notes

What was your movie of the year? Maybe you were one of many who donned hot pink at the theaters. Maybe your movie of the year is one that just came out, or one you felt never got its due. 2023 was a weird year for movies: the SAG strike prevented actors from promoting their work; Marvel and Disney flicks underperformed; few expected “Barbie” to be the massive box office hit it was. We hear from critics about their favorite films of the year and the throughlines that connected them. From multifaceted, new and unexpected storylines about women, to examinations of evil and the everyday way it manifests, the best and worst of 2023’s movies have a lot in common. Join us to share the film that stood out to you this year, and to get ideas for movies to watch over the holidays.

Guests:

Alissa Wilkinson, movie critic, New York Times

Dave Schilling, contributing writer, LA Times Image

Kristen Meinzer, co-host, the podcast "Movie Therapy with Rafer and Kristen"

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Hate Crimes Against Muslims and Jews on The Rise Dec 13, 2023

Show notes

Hate crimes against Jews and Muslims in the U.S. are reaching all time highs according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, three college students wearing Palestinian scarves were shot in Vermont, synagogues have been targets of gunshots and vandalism, and reports of physical assaults against Jews and Muslims are rapidly rising. Fears of physical violence have many wondering if they should remove headscarves and yarmulkes. We’ll talk to experts about the rise in hate and how Muslims and Jews around the region are coping.

Guests:

Dov Waxman, political science professor, UCLA; director, UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies; Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Chair, UCLA Israel Studies

Maha Elgenaidi, founder and executive director, Islamic Networks Group - a nonprofit focused on building understanding of Muslim and other marginalized groups

Ruth Ferguson, activist; co-writer, San Francisco Chronicle op-ed "As San Francisco Muslims and Jews, We've Always Felt Safe in Our City. Until Now."

Nadia Rahman, founder, Rahman Consulting. Rahman co-wrote the San Francisco Chronicle opinion essay, "As San Francisco Muslims and Jews, We've Always Felt Safe in Our City. Until Now."

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What Does International Law Say about the Israel-Hamas War? Dec 12, 2023

Show notes

Health officials in Gaza report that at least 18,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its bombardment of the region, in retaliation for Hamas’s October 7 attack that left 1200 Israelis dead and 240 more taken hostage. The war has created increasingly desperate conditions in Gaza as its health care system collapses, food and water shortages worsen and the vast majority of residents remain displaced. The humanitarian situation is leading to growing international calls for a ceasefire and demands from U.S. officials that Israel do more to protect civilians while the war continues. We’ll learn more about conditions on the ground in Gaza and whether and to what extent Israel and Hamas are violating international rules of armed conflict.

Guests:

David Scheffer, senior fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; former U.S. ambassador-at-large for war crimes, Clinton Administration; contributor, International Criminal Court; professor of practice, Arizona State University

Bel Trew, chief international correspondent, The Independent

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