KQED's Forum - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

CalFresh Pandemic Benefits End Next Month. What Does that Mean for Hunger in California? Mar 22, 2023

Show notes

More than 5 million Californians use the state program CalFresh to pay for their groceries. But come April, CalFresh users will see a drop of at least $95 each month with the end of CalFresh’s pandemic fund program. Recipients of these funds report that the extra money gave them the cushion to stop choosing from between going hungry and paying bills. Indeed, according to the Public Policy Institute of California, over 1.1 million Californians were kept out of poverty in 2021 because of these pandemic benefits. Now that they are coming to an end, participants in the program and advocates worry about how people will cope. We’ll talk about what the change in CalFresh funding means for hunger and poverty in the state and where to find additional food support and benefits.

Related link:

CalFresh resource guide

Guests:

Becky Silva, director of government relations, California Association of Food Banks

Carly Severn, senior engagement editor, KQED News

Caroline Danielson, senior research fellow, Public Policy Institute of CA - co-author of the yearly California Poverty Measure Report

Jeanne Kuang, reporter, CalMatters

Tom McSpedden, 69-year-old Citrus Heights resident with Type II diabetes who receives CalFresh benefits

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Early Treatment Is Crucial for Psychosis – Why Is It So Hard to Get? Mar 22, 2023

Show notes

Each year in the United States, roughly 100,000 young adults experience a psychotic episode including hearing voices or hallucinations. Treating those episodes early on can prevent some of the worst outcomes of mental illness such as homelessness or not being able to hold down a job. The National Institute of Mental Health has outlined what experts call a “gold standard” for early treatment of psychosis, but access to that care is often unavailable or not covered by insurance. We talk about why it’s so hard for psychosis patients to receive the care they need and what we can do about it.

Guests:

Adriana Furuzawa, early psychosis division director, Felton Institute

Tara Niendam, vice chair for research and executive director, UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs

Mike Krechevsky, family support specialist, Felton Institute Early Psychosis - Mike's son had psychosis and went through an early intervention program.

April Dembosky, health correspondent, KQED News

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Strong Winds, Rain Cause Major Damage Across the Bay Area Mar 22, 2023

Show notes

If you felt like your house might blow away yesterday, you aren't alone. The storm that battered the Bay Area Tuesday was stronger and more destructive than weather services forecasted. Blisteringly high winds toppled trees and tore down power lines. Rain, which was also heavier than anticipated, soaked waterlogged soil, causing floods that have closed down roads. Thousands remain without power. We'll talk with meteorologist Gerry Diaz about where this latest storm came from and why it was so ferocious.

Guests:

Gerry Díaz, newsroom meteorologist, San Francisco Chronicle

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Shadi Hamid on Political News: Sometimes It’s ‘Better Not to Know’ Mar 21, 2023

Show notes

Is there a case for ignoring the news sometimes—or even most of the time? That’s the question Shadi Hamid urges us to consider in his recent essay for The Atlantic "You’re Better Off Not Knowing." Hamid explores research suggesting a negative correlation between personal well-being and political awareness and argues that unless you need to follow politics for a living, "it’s unclear what the news—good or bad—actually does for you, beyond making you aware of things you have no real control over." We talk to Hamid about the downsides of information addiction and hear how you engage in current events and avoid overwhelm.

Guests:

Shadi Hamid, senior fellow, Brookings - His recent essay for the Atlantic is called "You’re Better Off Not Knowing." His latest book is "The Problem of Democracy: America, the Middle East, and the Rise and Fall of an Idea"

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'Age of Easy Money' Explores Federal Reserve’s Monetary Experiment and Its Impact on the Economy Mar 21, 2023

Show notes

The new PBS Frontline documentary, “Age of Easy Money” traces how the Federal Reserve’s unprecedented monetary experiment has both helped and hurt the American economy. Beginning in 2008, the Federal Reserve stepped in to prop up a banking system on the verge of collapse. In the decade that followed, with low interest rates and massive infusions of cash into the system, the Fed enabled a bull stock market and bubbles in the housing, financial and technology markets. But now, three years after its efforts to keep the economy afloat during the pandemic, it seems the party may be over. Inflation and rising interest rates have rattled the market, and experts believe a historic course correction may be imminent. We’ll talk about the documentary, the consequences of Federal Reserve policy, and take your questions.

Guests:

James Jacoby, director, producer, correspondent; Frontline - Jacoby's latest film is "Age of Easy Money." Jacoby has won an Emmy award for his previous film "Amazon Empire," and a Peabody award for his film "The Facebook Dilemma"

Anya Bourg, producer, Frontline - Bourg is a producer and writer on the new Frontline documentary "Age of Easy Money." She has previously worked on "The Facebook Dilemma" and prior to joining Frontline, spent a decade at "60 Minutes"

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Environmentalists Challenge Biden’s Approval of Massive Alaskan Oil Drilling Project Mar 20, 2023

Show notes

President Biden approved on Monday ConocoPhillips’ controversial Willow project in Alaska, one of the largest oil developments ever proposed on federal land. The White House says it lacked legal latitude to cancel the project and simultaneously proposed rules that would limit other oil and gas leases in the region. But indigenous groups and climate activists say the project’s environmental and public health toll will be immense and irreversible and have sued to stop it. We’ll talk about the controversy and where the Biden administration’s environmental and energy goals stand.

Guests:

Tim Puko, climate correspondent covering politics and policy, The Washington Post

Jennifer Layke, global director of energy, World Resources Institute

John Leshy, professor of law, UC College of the Law, San Francisco; Interior Department’s solicitor under President Bill Clinton

Yessenia Funes, climate director, Atmos - a climate and culture magazine

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Lessons from Pajaro: How to Better Support Vulnerable Communities as Climate Change Intensifies Mar 20, 2023

Show notes

During last week’s atmospheric river storm, a levee broke on the Pajaro River, turning the town of Pajaro - inhabited mostly by Latino farmworkers - into a lake. As the LA Times reported, officials knew for decades that the levee was unstable, but delayed fixing it because of “benefit-cost ratios.” We’ll talk with community representatives and water management experts about what Pajaro residents are facing now, and how decisions are made that determine which communities are protected. As climate change brings more extreme weather events and flooding, we discuss what changes need to be made to protect vulnerable communities through the coming decades.

Related link(s):

For more on how you can help those affected by flooding in Pajaro

Guests:

Luis Alejo, Monterey County Supervisor

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director, Restore the Delta

Mark Strudley, executive director, Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency

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Nita Farahany Advocates 'Cognitive Liberty' as Neurotechnology Evolves Mar 17, 2023

Show notes

Hackers who could install brain spyware into the apps and devices we’re using. Advertisers that could interface with our minds to know the products we crave, even before we do. It won’t all happen tomorrow, but Duke law professor Nita Farahany says we’re rapidly heading toward a world in which scientists, governments and corporations can peer into our brains and minds. We learn about the neurotechnology that calls to mind scenes from the “Minority Report” and hear why Farahany thinks we need to establish and protect our cognitive liberty. Her new book is “The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology.”

Guests:

Nita Farahany, professor of law and philosophy, Duke University; author, "The Battle For Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology"

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Exploring the Stories of Mixed-Race Californians Mar 17, 2023

Show notes

More than 2 million Californians identified as more than one race in the 2020 Census. KQED’s California Report Magazine has launched a series to capture the varied experiences of those straddling multiple races. KQED’s Sasha Khokha and Marisa Lagos join Forum to talk about their series, Mixed! Stories of Mixed Race Californians, and both of their experiences growing up in mixed-race families and now raising children in their own multi-racial marriages.

Guests:

Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host, KQED's Political Breakdown show

Sasha Khokha, host, The California Report Magazine on KQED

Dr. Jennifer Noble, psychologist, educator and coach for families with mixed-race kids

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Biden May Revive Family Detention Policies to Handle Migration, Asylum Issues Mar 16, 2023

Show notes

On the campaign trail, President Joe Biden promised a more compassionate approach to immigration that would roll back Trump administration policies. But the situation at the border, with swelling numbers of migrants fleeing authoritarian regimes and dire economic conditions, has forced the administration to consider more restrictive measures. Those include possibly reviving the policy of detaining migrant families who cross the border illegally. We’ll talk about Biden’s new policies and look at the situation at the border.

Guests:

Tyche Hendricks, senior editor covering immigration, KQED

Deep Gulasekaram, professor of law, Santa Clara University. He teaches constitutional and immigration law and is co-author of the leading immigration law textbook used in U.S. law schools.

Kate Morrissey, immigration reporter, The San Diego Union-Tribune

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