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Latest Episodes:

What Does ‘Utopia’ Mean to You? Sep 07, 2023

Show notes

Amid the climate crisis, growing isolation and increasing economic disparities, many of us feel trapped in a doom loop — one where it feels more natural to imagine a dystopian future than a utopian one. But envisioning ways the world could be better can be an antidote to despair, say proponents of utopian thinking. “Depending on what is going on in the world, humanity has always looked to utopias for inspiration,” writes Kristen Ghodsee, author of “Everyday Utopia.” We’ll talk about how past utopian experiments can inspire future social change and hear about the benefits of using utopian thinking in our daily lives and communities.

Guests:

Kristen R. Ghodsee, professor of Russian and East European Studies, University of Pennsylvania; author, "Everyday Utopia: What 2,000 Years of Wild Experiments Can Teach Us About the Good Life"

William Paris, assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy, University of Toronto; author, the forthcoming book “Racial Justice and Forms of Life: Towards a Critical Theory of Utopia”

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Doing Democracy: Pride, Reckoning and Reimagining Our Nearly 250 Year Old System of Democracy Sep 07, 2023

Show notes

As we march toward another long frenzied election season, we at Forum have launched a new series, Doing Democracy, to step away from the fray and consider what democracy means, how it’s practiced, and other ways it could be done. For our first show, we’ll dive into the Us@250 project, which is urging us to approach the coming semiquincentennial – that’s the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, starting in 2026 – by reimagining the American narrative with pride, reckoning and aspiration. What parts of our democracy should we protect, what should we change, and what do we hope to become in the next 250 years?

Guests:

Ted R. Johnson, senior adviser, New America, leads the US@250 initiative; contributing columnist, The Washington Post. He's also a retired U.S. Navy commander and the author of "When the Stars Begin to Fall: Overcoming Racism and Renewing the Promise of America."

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Trump Faces Four Concurrent Lawsuits. Will They Impact His Presidential Aspirations? Sep 06, 2023

Show notes

For a conventional candidate, facing a criminal indictment might preclude a run for public office. But for Donald Trump, at least up until now, litigation, both criminal and civil, has done little to change his political aspirations or his base’s support. But are the cases filed in D.C. and Georgia, which allege interference with the 2020 election and an attempt to subvert the election’s outcome, different and do they place Trump in legal peril? How do the facts in these cases diverge from those brought up in Trump’s second impeachment for conduct related to the January 2020 insurrection? We’ll talk to experts and hear from you.

Guests:

Dahlia Lithwick, senior editor, Slate - covering the courts and the law. She also hosts the podcast Amicus. Her New York Times Bestseller "Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America" is available in paperback on September 19th.

Andrew Prokop, senior politics reporter, Vox

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Feature Film ‘Fremont’ Captures an Afghan Refugee’s Efforts to Make a New Life in the Bay Sep 06, 2023

Show notes

Fremont is home to the largest Afghan population in the United States, with over 66,000 people of Afghan descent in the city according to 2019 census figures. That number has likely grown since the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country as tens of thousands fled Taliban rule. In his new feature film ‘Fremont,’ director Babak Jalali tells the story of a refugee and former translator for the U.S. military who recently settled in the Bay Area after fleeing her home. Donya struggles with guilt, insomnia and questions of what to do with her new life. We’ll talk about the film, the limits of a community’s ability to heal and how to move on from a traumatic past.

Guests:

Joseph Azam, board chair, Afghan-American Foundation - a non-partisan non-profit focused on advocating on behalf of Afghan American community

Babak Jalali, director and co-writer, "Fremont"

Anaita Wali Zada, actor, "Fremont"

Eddie Tang, actor, "Fremont"

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How California’s Cities are Addressing Homeless Encampments Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

An estimated 172,000 people are homeless in California, according to a study this year by UCSF, and the most visible symbols of the state’s homelessness crisis are its tent encampments. Citing public health and safety issues, cities across the state are increasingly “sweeping” encampments on city sidewalks, forcing campers to move their tents and belongings to other areas if they refuse offers of shelter. But homeless advocates say those shelter options are often inadequate and that sweeps are unconstitutional. Those issues are at play as the Ninth Circuit considers whether San Francisco needs to offer more housing before it can carry out sweeps. San Diego, meanwhile, is starting to enforce a no-camping ordinance on public property. And Los Angeles has approved increased funding for its Inside Safe program, which gives tent dwellers temporary housing. We’ll talk about how California cities are addressing homeless encampments, the controversies at hand and who’s most affected.

Guests:

Marisa Kendall, reporter covering California's homelessness crisis, CalMatters

Aldo Toledo, city hall reporter, The San Francisco Chronicle

Blake Nelson, reporter covering homelessness, The San Diego Union-Tribune

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California Expands Program That Pays People to Stop Using Drugs Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

California is the first state in the country to use federal funding for a controversial approach to reducing drug addiction: paying people to stop using. The state has been testing the strategy, known as the recovery incentives program, in San Francisco and a few other counties, for two years and is now rolling it out more broadly.The program specifically targets people who abuse meth and cocaine at a time when stimulant addictions and fatalities have skyrocketed. We’ll talk about how the program is working and discuss the ethical considerations for policymakers, taxpayers and drug users.

Guests:

Héctor Hernández-Delgado, staff attorney, National Health Law Program

Nicholas King, associate professor in the Biomedical Ethics Unit, McGill University

Brad Shapiro, professor of Psychiatry, UCSF School of Medicine

Jaramiah Fitts, participant in the recovery incentives program, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center

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‘Never Enough’ Examines the Toxic Achievement Culture Overtaking Kids’ Lives and What to Do About It Sep 01, 2023

Show notes

In a national survey conducted by journalist Jennifer Wallace, a vast majority of parents responded that getting their child into a selective college was the “most important ingredient for later-life happiness.” In fact, more than 80% of parents believe that their parenting is judged by the metric of their children’s academic success. This mindset is at the core of the toxic achievement culture which Wallace says we must combat. As one student she interviewed noted, “It’s ironic that adults wonder why there’s so much anxiety and depression in my generation, when they’re the ones who have created this crazy environment for us.” We talk to Wallace about her new book “Never Enough” and how to offer families a different definition of what success can look like.

Guests:

Jennifer Breheny Wallace, author, "Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic -- and What We Can Do About It"

Mahi Jariwala, senior, Monte Vista High School; member, KQED's Youth Advisory Board

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How Journaling Can Help Us Make Sense of Our Lives Sep 01, 2023

Show notes

Keeping a written account of your thoughts, feelings and observations can be a powerful habit – a source of healing, growth, and even creativity. We explore the art and practice of journaling, from stream-of-consciousness writing to gratitude lists to revisiting your most cringe-worthy teenage poetry. We’ll talk with an author, a comedian, and a therapist about the many ways we can document our lives and stories, and we’ll get started during the show. Grab a pen and notebook – we’re journaling.

Guests:

Thaisa Frank, author, "Finding Your Writer's Voice" and five books of fiction; writing instructor, the San Francisco Writers' Grotto; winner, the 2023 Pushcart Literary Prize

Scott Lifton, host and producer, "Mortified"

Jenna Robinson, professor of Psychology, CIIS and the Wright Institute; licensed marriage and family therapist; expressive arts therapist

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‘Black Folk’ Centers History and Activist Legacy of Black Working Class Aug 31, 2023

Show notes

“Our national mythos,” writes historian Blair LM Kelley, “leaves little room for Black workers, or to glean any lessons from their history.” Kelley’s latest book “Black Folk” offers a corrective, focusing on the lives of Black working people after the Southern Emancipation, the challenges they faced bringing their skills to bear and the networks of resistance they formed. Kelley’s book is also personal, grounded in the stories of her own ancestors, including her great, great grandfather, a highly skilled blacksmith who was enslaved. We’ll talk to Kelley about the origins of the Black working class and about the people who animate it, then and now.

Guests:

Blair LM Kelley, Blair LM Kelley, author, "Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working Class." She is the Joel R. Williamson Distinguished Professor of Southern Studies, director of the Center for the Study of the American South, and co-director of Southern Futures at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

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Bernie Krause’s 'The Great Animal Orchestra' Showcases the Sound – and Growing Silence – of Ecosystems Aug 31, 2023

Show notes

Bernie Krause has spent more than 50 years capturing the sounds of nature and examining how animals make harmonious ecosystem soundscapes. His art installation, The Great Animal Orchestra, combining Krause’s audio recordings with stunning visuals representing the frequencies of animal sounds is on display at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. The exhibition features rich soundscapes of dozens of animal species from across the globe, including the Amazon Rainforest and the depths of the Pacific Ocean, but Krause says the silences in the recordings also tell a story– of populations in decline, nearing extinction, or being drowned out by encroaching human-made noise. We’ll talk to Krause about the sounds and silences in the natural world.

Guests:

Bernie Krause, soundscape ecologist; author, "The Great Animal Orchestra: Finding the Origins of Music in the World's Wild Places"

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