KQED's Forum - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

Rethinking our Way Out of the Affordable Housing Crisis Nov 20, 2023

Show notes

The astronomical price of housing is the root source of so many of the Bay Area’s most pressing problems and bitter battles. A problem so big begs for big ideas. In this show we explore a couple of novel approaches to spur the creation of affordable housing by fundamentally changing the way we think of land and property ownership. We’ll talk about the new popularity of an old idea – taxing the value of land instead of the property on it – and about the growing community land trust movement.

Guests:

Noni Session, co-founder and executive director, East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative

Lars Doucet, author, "Land Is a Big Deal: Why Rent Is Too High, Wages Too Low, and What We Can Do about It"

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FORUM IN FOCUS: Lol Tolhurst & Pendarvis Harshaw Nov 18, 2023

Show notes

Explore your inner Goth with Mina's interview with co-founder of The Cure Lol Tolhurst and dive into the Hyphy movement with Pendarvis Harshaw, host of KQED's podcast series Rightnowish Presents: Hyphy Kids Got Trauma.

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How Abortion is Reshaping American Elections After Dobbs Nov 17, 2023

Show notes

Last week, Ohio voters approved Issue 1, a ballot measure to amend the state constitution to protect abortion access. The vote was the latest in a string of state-level victories for abortion rights supporters since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. But in many states, women are now living with bans and restrictions that make abortions much harder to get since the Dobbs decision. We’ll look at what the Ohio outcome could mean for the future of abortion rights around the country, and how the issue is playing out in the 2024 presidential election.

Guests:

Michele Goodwin, professor of constitutional law and global health policy, Georgetown Law. Her books include "Policing the Womb: Invisible Women and the Criminalization of Motherhood"

Rebecca Traister, writer-at-large for New York magazine and The Cut. Her cover story “Abortion Wins Elections” appeared in the March 2023 edition of New York magazine. Her books include, Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger

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Why Are There So Few Lesbian Bars? Nov 17, 2023

Show notes

By the late 1980s, there were more than 200 lesbian bars in the U.S. Today, only a few dozen are still operating. In San Francisco, lesbians, queer women and nonbinary people are still mourning the Lexington Club — and some can remember a time when nearly every neighborhood in the city had a lesbian bar of its own. But can the decline of these places simply be chalked up to rising rents, dating apps and the LGBTQ+ community’s embrace of queer — rather than specifically lesbian — spaces? We’ll hear from three lesbian bar aficionados about what the Bay Area’s lesbian spaces, from the historic Wild Side West to the newest bar, Mother, mean to them. And we’ll hear how the history of lesbian bars and the challenges they’ve faced in trying to keep their doors open can inform their future.

Guests:

Alex U. Inn, Bay Area drag king; creator of the dance party Unleash! for women over 40; co-founder of the Pride Parade counterpoint known as the People’s March

Carol Hill, executive director, San Francisco Beacon Initiative; “stewards” El Rio’s queer party Mango once a month

Krista Burton, author, "MOBY DYKE: An Obsessive Quest to Track Down the Last Remaining Lesbian Bars in America”; creator of the popular blog Effing Dykes

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What Was it Like to Be a Roman Emperor? Nov 16, 2023

Show notes

Roman emperors have long provided a template for autocrats and a warning for politicians, according to acclaimed historian Mary Beard. But not all emperors were cruel, bloodthirsty and decadent. Beard’s new book “Emperor of Rome” looks at the daily practicalities of their lives, as they managed budgets and troop deployments, headed public banquets and responded to petitions from their subjects. It also examines the ordinary Romans who made the imperial system function, including soldiers, aristocrats and the enslaved. We talk to Beard about what life was like in the corridors of power of ancient Rome and take your questions.

Guests:

Mary Beard, classicist; scholar of Ancient Rome; author, "Emperor of Rome"

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Climate Fix: How Climate Change Is Disrupting Our Concept of Home Nov 16, 2023

Show notes

The latest season of KQED’s podcast Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America examines how Californians are grappling with the concept of home as climate change disrupts where and how people live. Extreme weather causing wildfires and flooding has already forced thousands of people from their homes. Obtaining insurance for a home has become a herculean feat for some owners. Even seemingly simple decisions about what appliances to buy for your home can drastically alter your carbon footprint, but options are not always easy or affordable. For our next episode of Climate Fix, Forum’s regular collaboration with KQED’s Science team, we’ll explore the intersection of climate and housing along with our colleagues from KQED’s housing team.

Guests:

Ezra David Romero, climate reporter, KQED

Erin Baldassari, housing affordability reporter, KQED

Danielle Venton, science reporter, KQED

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How Collectives Are Changing College Sports Nov 15, 2023

Show notes

Since the NCAA’s decision to allow student athletes to participate in name, image and likeness deals, wealthy alumni across the country have been starting donor collectives to attract players. Many of these collectives were founded as non-profit organizations, allowing donors to claim tax write-offs, while the money gets passed on to the players. But recently, the IRS has called into question the collectives’ legality. We speak with NY Times reporter David Fahrenthold, who looked into how various collectives operate across the country and what the NCAA and IRS are doing to crack down on them.

Guests:

David Fahrenthold, investigative reporter, New York Times. Fahrenthold is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter that focuses on non-profits. His most recent New York Times piece with Billy Witz is titled "How Rich Donors and Loose Rules Are Transforming College Sports"

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Why Brian Merchant, a Tech Columnist, Says He’s a Luddite Nov 15, 2023

Show notes

Brian Merchant is the technology columnist for the L.A. Times. He’s also a self-professed Luddite. In his new book “Blood in the Machine” Merchant explains that Luddites, most known for destroying machinery in the 19th century, didn’t hate technology. Rather, they railed against the Big Tech elites of the day whose automated machines threatened to erase livelihoods and the government that was deaf to the workers’ concerns. Merchant says there are lessons to be learned from the Luddites, who asked to be part of the technological revolution, instead of being replaced by it. We talk to him about his book.

Guests:

Brian Merchant, author, "Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion against Big Tech"; technology columnist, the Los Angeles Times. He is also the author of "The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone"

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Hollywood Actors and Studios Reach Deal to End Historic Strike Nov 14, 2023

Show notes

The longest strike by TV and film actors against studios in history concluded Thursday when SAG-AFTRA leadership agreed to a new contract with major studios. The deal, which will go into effect once union members approve it, includes higher wages, better streaming residuals and safeguards for AI. As actors go back to work and studios scramble to finish the season’s productions, we’ll talk about what actors won – and failed to attain. And we’ll hear how the strike impacted the people in the film industry, from studio executives to craft services vendors to actors themselves.

Guests:

Eric Haywood, writer, producer and director. His TV shows include "Empire" and "Law & Order: Organized Crime"

Eric Goins, negotiating committee member and Atlanta local president, SAG-AFTRA

Chris Candy, actor; member, SAG-AFTRA based in LA

Marsalis Burton, actor and musician based in LA

Wendy Lee, entertainment business reporter, LA Times. Lee covers streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+

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‘Hyphy Kids Got Trauma’ Podcast Series Explores the Pain Behind the Music Nov 14, 2023

Show notes

Two of the biggest songs to come out of the Bay Area’s hip hop scene – Too Short’s “Blow The Whistle” and E-40’s “Tell Me When To Go” – dropped in 2006. That year turned out to be a pivotal one as hyphy captured audiences nationwide with its uptempo beats, flashy fashion and distinctive dance styles. But in its place of origin, the Bay Area, people were dealing with the turmoil of displacement, economic uncertainty and friends dying in the streets. KQED’s Pendarvis Harshaw joins us to talk about the context, complexities and contradictions of the music and the era that he explored through a new Rightnowish podcast series called Hyphy Kids Got Trauma.

Guests:

Rich Iyala, Bay Area musician who coined the phrase, "Hyphy Kids Got Trauma"

D-Ray, Oakland-based hip hop photographer

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

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