KQED's Forum - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

How We Can Change Our Roads to Help Our Wildlife Sep 14, 2023

Show notes

“Name your environmental ill—dams, poaching, megafires—and consider that roads kill more creatures with less fanfare, than any of them.” That’s according to conservation journalist Ben Goldfarb, who says that the problem’s only getting worse as traffic increases. Roads have also forced animals to evolve, adapt and change their migration habits. Goldfarb’s new book “Crossings” examines the impact of our planet’s 40 million miles of roads on the natural world and how, through the study of road ecology, we can find ways to minimize noise and habitat destruction and engineer a system with bridges for bears, tunnels for turtles and other accommodations for our fellow creatures.

Guests:

Ben Goldfarb, conservation journalist; author, "Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet." He also wrote the book "Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter."

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Point Reyes Residents Push for Darker Skies Sep 14, 2023

Show notes

Point Reyes may be known for its cows and lighthouse, but locals also want it to become a destination for darkness. Residents have petitioned to certify part of Marin County as a Dark Sky Reserve. But, persuading some people to dim their lights has turned out to be a challenge. Those efforts are just one part of an international movement to reduce light pollution and preserve dark skies. While the invention of the lightbulb – less than 150 years ago – changed the course of human history, excessive use of artificial light has become a nuisance that disrupts the wellbeing of humans, wildlife, and the planet. We’ll talk about light pollution, stargazing and the benefits of darker skies.

Guests:

Josh Riedel, author of the novel "Please Report Your Bug Here" and the recent article "Saving the Night Sky," which was published in Esquire magazine

John Barentine, astronomer and founder, Dark Sky Consulting, LLC; former director of public policy, International Dark Sky Association

Peggy Day, Point Reyes Station resident and dark-sky advocate; cofounder, DarkSky West Marin

Don Jolley, astronomy teacher and storyteller, DarkSky West Marin

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What DOJ’s Landmark Antitrust Case Against Google Could Mean for Consumers…and Big Tech Sep 13, 2023

Show notes

Google spends more than $10 billion per year to maintain its monopoly control over internet search, a U.S. government lawyer alleged in a Washington, D.C. courtroom on Tuesday. In what is being called the most important antitrust trial in nearly 25 years, the U.S. Department of Justice is accusing Google of harming consumers and stifling competition by cutting deals with smartphone makers to be their default search engine. Google, which controls about 90 percent of the U.S. search engine market, said in court on Tuesday that dissatisfied users can simply switch web browsers “with a few easy clicks.” We’ll preview the rest of the trial and examine what is at stake for tech companies and consumers.

Guests:

Sheelah Kolhatkar, staff writer, The New Yorker - where she writes about Wall Street, Silicon Valley, economics, and politics

Bill Baer, visiting fellow governance studies, Brookings Institution; former director, the Bureau of Competition, Federal Trade Commission; former assistant attorney general, the Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice

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All You Can Eat: Unique Ice Cream Flavors Flourishing in the Bay Sep 13, 2023

Show notes

Summer may be over, but the Bay Area’s hottest days may still be ahead. To manage the heat (and let’s be honest, the fog), two scoops of your favorite local ice cream could come in handy. For our latest installment of “All You Can Eat,” KQED’s Alan Chazaro and Luke Tsai join Forum to talk about the Bay Area’s best cold desserts. We’ll discuss decades-old mainstays like Its-It and Mitchell’s, talk to business owners making cold confections infused with strong cultural influences, and hear from you: What’s a unique and tasty ice cream or cold dessert that you’ve encountered in the Bay Area?

Guests:

Stephanie De La Cruz, owner, De La Creamery

Priti Narayanan, co-owner, Koolfi Creamery and Cafe

Luke Tsai, food editor, KQED Arts & Culture

Alan Chazaro, food reporter, KQED; poet; educator

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What Do You Collect? Sep 12, 2023

Show notes

Why do we collect things like Pokémon cards, old tea sets and comic books? According to Daniel Krawczyk, a behavioral and brain scientist — and pinball machine collector — collecting can help to connect us to our childhood selves, relive prior memories or recall happy moments. And coming together with fellow collectors in conventions or online forums can provide the mental health benefits of community, a chance to revel in shared expertise and share tips. Collecting may even have an evolutionary basis. We’ll hear more from Krawczyk and from you: What do you collect, and why?

Guests:

Daniel Krawczyk, professor of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas

Vicky Chung, social media associate in audience development, KQED - who collects postcards

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Why Pharmacists Say Working Conditions Threaten Patient Safety Sep 12, 2023

Show notes

Pharmacies in California make about 5 million errors every year, according to state regulators. That’s just an estimate, since pharmacies aren’t required to report mistakes, and the big chains are fighting to keep them secret. Meanwhile, pharmacists say they are overworked and underpaid, with many leaving the profession. We’ll hear about a new Los Angeles Times report on pharmacy errors, talk with pharmacists about burnout, and find out what patients can do to protect themselves.

Guests:

Christopher Atkins, pharmacist, an independent pharmacy in LA; former pharmacist, CVS and Vons

Richard Dang, assistant professor of Clinical Pharmacy, USC; immediate past president, California Pharmacists Association

Melody Petersen, investigative reporter covering healthcare and business, Los Angeles Times - Petersen's latest piece is titled "California Pharmacies Are Making Millions of Mistakes. They’re Fighting to Keep that Secret"

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Some School Boards Argue that Parents Should Know if Their Children are Trans. California Says That’s Wrong. Sep 11, 2023

Show notes

Several California school districts, mostly in more conservative pockets of the state, have recently passed policies requiring that schools notify parents if their children identify as transgender. California is suing the first district to pass the policy, Chino Valley Unified School District, by arguing that the rule violates state privacy laws. But that hasn’t stopped other districts from adopting similar rules, even after a judge barred Chino Valley from implementing its own policy until after the legal case plays out. We’ll look into the fight between California and local districts and how it fits into the conservative parents’ rights movement changing how schools are run nationwide.

Guests:

Carolyn Jones, education reporter, CalMatters

Nicole Carr, Atlanta-based investigative reporter, Propublica

Jordan Darling, city reporter, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Robert Marx, assistant professor of child and adolescent development, San Jose State University

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How to Say Goodbye to the Dying Sep 11, 2023

Show notes

In 2017, illustrator Wendy McNaughton completed an artist-in-residency at the Zen Hospice Guest House in San Francisco. She got to know families, caregivers, staff, and the dying. What emerged is her new book, “How To Say Goodbye.” Drawn-from-life illustrations are paired with gentle advice on how to let someone go. “The person dying is in charge,” reflects MacNaughton, and her book offers simple ways to be witness to a loved one’s last moments. And when mutual peace and understanding matters the most, she writes, simple declarations like,“I forgive you. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you. Goodbye” can offer closure. We’ll talk to MacNaughton and a hospice caregiver.

Guests:

Wendy MacNaughton, illustrator; artist; graphic journalist - McNaughton's latest book is "How to Say Goodbye." She has illustrated or authored eleven books, including "Salt Fat Acid Heat," and "Meanwhile in San Francisco," and is the creator of DrawTogether, the educational drawing program for kids and adults

Ladybird Morgan, co founder Humane Prison Hospice Project - Morgan is a registered nurse and clinical social worker and has worked in end of life care for over 20 years. She is currently a palliative care consultant with Mettle Health.

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How Would You Change California’s Referendum Process? Sep 08, 2023

Show notes

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is considering whether to sign a bill that would change some of the language you see on the referendum portion of your 2024 ballot. AB 421 would ask voters whether they want to “keep the law” or “overturn the law” and eliminate “Yes” or “No” choices. It would also require the top three sponsors of a referendum to appear on the Secretary of State’s voter information guide. But the final legislation is far more modest than its original version, which would have strengthened government oversight of signature collection, mandated more robust disclosures about the funders of referendum campaigns and required unpaid volunteers to obtain at least 10% of petition signatures. Those failed proposals, backed by labor groups, were favored by a majority of likely California voters, according to a June poll by the Public Policy Institute of California. We’ll talk about what you’d like to change about our state’s referendum process and check in on the measures that have already qualified for the 2024 ballot.

Guests:

Kim Alexander, president and founder, California Voter Foundation

Guy Marzorati, reporter and producer, KQED's California Politics and Government Desk

Mia Bonta, state assemblymember representing the 18th assembly district in the East Bay

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What This Year’s Muddy Mess Means for Burning Man’s Future Sep 08, 2023

Show notes

For decades, it seems, people have been complaining that Burning Man has sold out, lost touch with its original values, or simply jumped the shark. The annual images of hedonism and drugs and glamping tech billionaires has made the week-long celebration in the Nevada desert an easy target. And social media mockery of the festival came to a head this week when attendees got stuck in the mud after a rainstorm. Yet for many, the Burning Man experience continues to be life-changing and transformative, and the event’s influence on arts and culture in the Bay Area and beyond is undeniable. Still, even some longtime Burners are saying the festival needs to change –to become more inclusive, more sensitive to the environment, and more prepared for an extreme weather future. As attendees finally make their way home from the muddy Playa, we’ll get a report back from this year’s event and assess the future of Burning Man.

Guests:

Steven T. Jones, journalist and author of the 2011 book "The Tribes of Burning Man: How an Experimental City in the Desert is Shaping the New American Counterculture"

Favianna Rodriguez, artist and activist; co-lead of a Burning Man camp for people of color, Que Viva camp; co-founder and president, The Center for Cultural Power

David Boyer, director of programming, KALW; producer and host of the podcast "The Intersection," which devoted its third season to Burning Man.

Anna Vignet, social video producer, KQED

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