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Best Bay Area Music of 2023 Dec 12, 2023

Show notes

During the past year, Bay Area artists including Chicana songstress La Doña, homegrown rapper and producer Afterthought and Oakland indie singer-songwriter Madeline Kenney dropped new albums proving that our region remains a hotbed of musical talent. The genres and styles of music coming out of the Bay also reflect the diversity of thoughts and backgrounds of our region’s people. For this hour of Forum, we’re teaming up with KQED music writers to showcase their favorite albums of 2023 from Bay Area artists you need to have on your playlist. And, we’ll bring you a special live performance from one of the featured artists.

Guests:

Nastia Voynovskaya, associate editor, KQED Arts

Pendarvis "Pen" Harshaw, columnist, KQED Arts; host, KQED's "Rightnowish" podcast

Alan Chazaro, food reporter, KQED; poet; educator

Afterthought, San Francisco rapper and producer, the 2023 album "Communal Healing"

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More Californians Struggling with Food Insecurity Dec 11, 2023

Show notes

Millions of Californians rely on CalFresh’s benefits to feed their families. But ever since emergency federal contributions to the program ended back in April, food banks across the state say they’re serving record numbers. One in five Californians is food insecure, according to a CalMatters report published in August, but getting accurate accounting presents its own challenges, as various ethnic and racial groups may be underreporting due to stigmas they associate with aid. We’ll find out what those challenges are and discuss what resources are available for all Californians.

Guests:

Jeanne Kuang, reporter, CalMatters

Amanda C McClain, assistant professor, San Diego State University

Betzabel Estudillo, director of engagement, Nourish CA

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Julian Castro Steps In to Lead SF-based Latino Community Foundation Dec 11, 2023

Show notes

Former U.S. housing secretary and presidential candidate Julian Castro joins us to talk about his new role as CEO of the San Francisco-based Latino Community Foundation. The foundation, which has raised more than $100 million in the last decade, is the largest statewide organization that supports Latino-centered programs. Castro has spent most of his career in Texas, including his tenure as mayor of San Antonio, but he and his twin brother, Joaquin, earned their undergraduate degrees at Stanford University. We’ll talk with Castro about what he will bring to his new job and his vision to expand the foundation outside of California.

Guests:

Julián Castro, newly appointed CEO, Latino Community Foundation; former U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary and former Democratic presidential candidate

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What Was Your Favorite Podcast in 2023? Dec 08, 2023

Show notes

“Tumultuous” is how the New Yorker described the podcast industry this year. “Pretty rough” is how Vulture put it. Amid mass layoffs that forced many beloved shows to end, some have described 2023 as the year big money left podcasting. And yet, critics and fans seem to agree that the best podcasts of this year exemplify the medium — showcasing intimate storytelling that has something new to say about our world. Personal reckonings with grief, conversion therapy and body image. True crime shows that focus less on exploitative murder mysteries and more on community impacts. Our panel of voracious podcast listeners and makers join us to share their top podcasts of the year — and we’ll hear yours. What podcast did you love this year? Why?

Guests:

Wil Williams, CEO, Hughouse Productions

Skye Pillsbury, author, The Squeeze newsletter, which reports on the podcast industry

Ronald Young Jr., senior producer and owner, ohitsBigRon studios; host of the podcasts "Leaving the Theater" and "Weight for It" (which was named one of the best podcasts of 2023 by the New York Times)

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‘Down Home Music’ Captures Arhoolie Records’ History in Photos Dec 08, 2023

Show notes

Legendary Arhoolie Records founder Chris Strachwitz transversed the United States and Mexico for decades recording traditional roots music and unknown artists. The El Cerrito-based producer, who died last year, was known for his ear for music, but he also had an eye for capturing images. More than 150 of those photos documenting his travels and recording sessions are collected in a new book, “Arhoolie Records Down Home Music: The Stories and Photographs of Chris Strachwitz.” Co-author and veteran music journalist Joel Selvin joins us to talk about Strachwitz’s art and legacy.

Guests:

Joel Selvin, San Francisco-based music journalist and author. His latest book is "Arhoolie Records: Down Home Music"

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Humanitarian Crisis Deepens as Fighting Intensifies in Southern Gaza Dec 07, 2023

Show notes

Humanitarian conditions in Gaza have become increasingly desperate as Israeli forces intensified bombardments in the southern part of the region this week, now leaving most of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents displaced, thousands dead and electricity, food and water in short supply. Two months after Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel, we take stock of the war that’s ensued, its devastating impact on civilians and what a path toward a peaceful settlement could look like.

Guests:

Steve Coll, staff writer, The New Yorker; former dean, Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University. His books include "Ghost Wars," which won a Pulitzer Prize.

Adam Goldman, reporter covering national security, New York Times

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Why Do We Elect State Court Judges? Dec 07, 2023

Show notes

When you get to the part of the ballot that asks you to vote for a local judge, have you ever thought, “am I qualified to make this decision?” While federal court trial and appellate judges are appointed and enjoy lifetime tenures, state court judges often have to run for election or re-election, and most voters have scant information on the candidates. In California, you can run to be a judge if you have been a lawyer for ten years, no trial experience necessary. And while we expect judges to be neutral, can they be when they have to run for office and take campaign donations? In our next installment of our “Doing Democracy” series, we look at what it means when judges have to stand for election.

Guests:

Michael S Kang, professor, Northwestern School of Law. Kang is the co-author of "Free to Judge: The Power of Campaign Money in Judicial Elections." He served on the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States

Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell, retired judge, Superior Court of California. She is the author of "Her Honor: My Life on the Bench...What Works, What's Broken and How to Change It"

Teresa Johnson, incoming president, Bar Association of San Francisco. Johnson is a partner at the law firm Arnold & Porter

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How To Navigate Misinformation Online Dec 06, 2023

Show notes

Distinguishing facts from unreliable or false information online is difficult for many of us. And the confusion affects all age groups, political parties and demographics, according to Stanford Professor Sam Wineburg, who writes that “if the internet is the information superhighway, then none of us were given driver’s ed manuals.” Wineburg’s new book, co-authored by Mike Caulfield, plans to fill that gap. It’s called “Verified: How To Think Straight, Get Duped Less, and Make Better Decisions About What To Believe Online.” We talk to Wineburg about how to spot misinformation, identify untrustworthy sources and become a more savvy internet user.

Guests:

Sam Wineburg, professor of education, Stanford University; author, "Verified: How To Think Straight, Get Duped Less, and Make Better Decisions About What To Believe Online"

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Media Grapples, Once Again, With How to Cover Trump Dec 06, 2023

Show notes

Former president Trump has been saying very inflammatory things in public speeches and posts lately. He’s advocated violence, praised autocratic leaders and called his political opponents “vermin” that need to be “rooted out”. We’ll analyze Trump’s recent campaign rhetoric and discuss how the press and social media platforms are handling it all. We talk with experts about what we have learned from past mistakes in covering Trump and rooting out fake news, and how we can do better.

Guests:

Lyna Bentahar, reporter, New York Times; co-author, article "Donald Trump’s 2024 Campaign, in His Own Menacing Words"

Ian Prasad Philbrick, reporter, New York Times; co-author, article "Donald Trump’s 2024 Campaign, in His Own Menacing Words"

Emily Dreyfuss, director, Shorenstein Center News Lab; co-author, "Meme Wars: the Untold Stories of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America."

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New Classical Music Stream Highlights the Art of Video Game Music Dec 05, 2023

Show notes

When was the last time you spent a weekend listening to a piece of music for hours on end? For gamers, that’s not an uncommon practice. Along with story, graphics, and gameplay, the music plays a vital role in the gaming experience, helping to immerse the player and provide clues on where the action is headed. But despite the sophistication of video game scores, their composers have not been appreciated within our traditional classical music institutions. Jennifer Miller Hammel, a classically trained vocalist and pianist, grew up playing video games and she’s set out to correct that by curating “Arcade,” a new streaming channel on Classical California devoted to video game music. We’ll play some of her favorite pieces and hear why there’s a new generation of classical music fans to be found among gamers.

Guests:

Jennifer Miller Hammel, program host, Classical California, KUSC Morning Show, The Opera Show, and Arcade

Inon Zur, composer. Zur's scores include Starfield, Fallout, Dragon Age, and Syberia video game series. Website URL: www.inonzur.com

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