KQED's Forum - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

How Dementia Can Threaten Financial Health Jul 19, 2023

Show notes

Keeping on top of bills and finances can be a challenge for anyone. But for older adults suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and other cognitive issues, things can get out of control fast. They may pay the same bills repeatedly, make impulsive purchases, or fall for online scams. And according to recent studies, financial mistakes can actually be an early sign of dementia. In this hour, we’ll talk about the latest research on memory problems and money, and how to protect your finances from cognitive decline.

Guests:

Duke Han, professor of family medicine, neurology, psychology and gerontology, Keck School of Medicine, USC

Marti DeLiema, assistant professor, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Sarah Boden, health and science reporter, WESA public radio in Pittsburgh

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US Women’s Soccer Team Looks to Defend Title in World Cup Jul 19, 2023

Show notes

The Women’s World Cup kicks off on July 20 in New Zealand and Australia, and the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team is fighting to maintain its title. The team includes experienced vets like Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan and newcomers like 18-year old Alyssa Thompson and Trinity Rodman. The competition itself is fiercer than ever with new countries entering the field – just one indicator that women’s soccer is finding its footing among fans around the world. Despite broadcast bungles and time zone differences, the league and its players are finally getting their time in the spotlight, globally and here in the States. We’ll talk about the growth of women’s soccer, who to watch in the World Cup and the Bay Area’s new women’s soccer club, the Bay FC.

Guests:

Marisa Ingemi, sports writer, San Francisco Chronicle

Danielle Slaton, co-founder, Bay FC

Theo Lloyd-Hughes, freelance journalist reporting on NWSL

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What’s Next for Student Loan Borrowers in California? Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

It has been a whirlwind few weeks for the tens of millions of Americans struggling with student loan debt. First, on June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Biden’s debt cancellation plan. Since then, the administration has announced other plans to help borrowers, and more are in the works. But will they survive legal challenges? And what do the new programs mean for those buried in debt, with payments set to resume as soon as October? We’ll talk about the latest developments and what’s at stake for borrowers in California.

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Why Is Rossmoor, A Senior Living Community, Such A Popular Place to Live? Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

The Rossmoor community in Walnut Creek has a population of nearly 10,000 people aged 55 and older, its own newspaper, bus service and over 200 local clubs, making it feel like its own small town. Opened in 1964, Rossmoor is among the longest running, age-restricted communities in the country. It’s also the cornerstone of the 94595 zip code, which according to the San Francisco Chronicle, is the only zip code in the Bay Area with home prices near their all-time high, in contrast to the rest of the region where home prices are trending lower. We’ll take a look at the history of Rossmoor, why people want to live there and the current state of other developments like it.

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How Can California Become Safer for Cyclists? Jul 17, 2023

Show notes

Riding a bike instead of taking a car is good for your health and for the planet. But in car-centric California, most people still rely on vehicles for daily trips like commuting to work. For cyclists in the state, that means getting around can be risky, especially when they’re asked to share a road with two-ton metal boxes that are often moving very fast. So what would it take to make cycling safer in California, and how can we improve the state’s biking infrastructure to encourage more riders? We explore those questions as part of Forum’s ongoing series “In Transit.”

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A Famous Tiger Automaton Animates the Novel “Loot” Jul 17, 2023

Show notes

One of the most prized objects in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum is a life-size wooden tiger automaton that bellows and roars as it chomps into the neck of a very unfortunate British soldier. Crafted in the late 18th century in Mysore, India, this fascinating creation is at the center of Tania James’ new novel of historical fiction “Loot.” The story follows Abbas, a 17-year old, the tiger’s creator, as he travels from India to Europe and encounters a Dickensian cast of characters from noblemen to foes and friends that are all part of this epic quest. As reviewers note, the novel offers a “wry awareness of the distorting function of racism and colonialism.” We talk to James about her book.

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How Blind Photographers Visualize the World Jul 14, 2023

Show notes

A new exhibit at the Bedford gallery in Walnut Creek challenges our assumptions about what it means to see. “Sight Unseen” features the work of 13 blind photographers from around the world who use photography in very different ways. In describing his process Pete Eckert of Sacramento writes, “vision is so strong that it masks other senses, other abilities… I feel light so strongly that it allows me to see the bones of my skeleton as pulsating energy.” Scottish artist Rosita McKenzie said, “I sense the light on my face. I hear the rustle of the wind in the trees or smell the fragrance of the flowers in the air, and I think: I’ve really got to take this.” We’ll talk with the curator and featured artists from “Sight Unseen” about how sight-impaired people reveal the world as they see it.

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Emily Hanford on 'How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong' Jul 14, 2023

Show notes

Decades of cognitive science research has shown that children need to be taught to sound out words in order to read. But school districts across the country often ignore or sideline that research in early grades, according to education reporter Emily Hanford, who says that’s one reason that more than 60% of U.S. fourth graders aren’t proficient readers. Hanford’s six-part podcast “Sold a Story,” released late last year by American Public Media, is being cited in newly proposed legislation across the U.S. aimed to address the problem. We talk to Hanford about what’s wrong with the way we teach kids to read and what can be done to improve literacy in California and nationwide.

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How California Became a 'Slave State' Jul 13, 2023

Show notes

More than a decade ago, historian Jean Pfaelzer was shown a photograph of a young Chinese woman, displayed for sale in a caged brothel in San Francisco in the 1870s. The image made Pfaelzer question her own assumptions about California’s claim to have entered the union as a free state and about the force and effect of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery at the end of the Civil War. Pfaelzer traveled the state for seven years excavating accounts of Black, Indigenous, Asian and immigrant enslavement, concluding that “the story of California is a history of 250 years of uninterrupted human bondage.” We’ll talk to Pfaelzer about her new book “California, A Slate State” and how we might reckon with a history that’s far darker than many Californians realize.

Guests:

Jean Pfaelzer, historian; author, "California, a Slave State"

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The Pandemic Took a Number of Bay Area Movie Theaters. What’s Working for the Theaters That Survived? Jul 13, 2023

Show notes

The pandemic took a big toll on movie theaters nationwide, and the Bay Area continues to see closures of beloved theaters, like the Embarcadero Center Cinema in San Francisco and the Regal UA Berkeley 7. But there have also been success stories, with many local cinemas fighting to keep their doors open and the movies rolling. We’ll check in with some of the people running those theaters about how their audiences have changed since the pandemic, the new things theaters are doing to bring people in and the role local theaters play in our communities.

Guests:

Adam Bergeron, co-owner, Cinema SF, which operates The Balboa, The Vogue, and the 4 Star theaters in San Francisco

Lex Sloan, executive director, Roxie Theater in San Francisco

J. Moses Ceaser, general manager, The New Parkway Theater in Oakland

Ellie Mednick, executive director, the Lark Theater in Larkspur

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