KQED's Forum - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

UCSF’s Dr. Bob Wachter Takes Your Questions on Omicron Dec 09, 2021

Show notes

Pfizer and BioNTech said Wednesday that laboratory tests suggest that their coronavirus vaccine is effective against the Omicron variant after three doses, adding that just two doses “may not be sufficient to protect against infection”. We’ll get the latest on Covid research and treatment and take your coronavirus questions with Bob Wachter, chair of UCSF’s Department of Medicine.

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Venita Blackburn Explores California Girlhood in 'How to Wrestle a Girl' Dec 09, 2021

Show notes

“To all the wild, mad girls.” That’s to whom Venita Blackburn dedicates “How to Wrestle a Girl,” her new short story collection set amid the urban landscapes of Southern California. The stories explore in part what Blackburn describes as the “physicality of girlhood” -- girls' changing bodies and desires, their athleticism and their fierce protection of each other in the face of external threats. We talk to Blackburn about the book and her own California girlhood that inspired it.

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Writer Barton Gellman Warns ‘Trump’s Next Coup Has Already Begun’ Dec 09, 2021

Show notes

In his new article for The Atlantic, “Trump’s Next Coup Has Already Begun,” staff writer Barton Gellman looks at efforts to subvert democracy and upcoming elections, warning that government officials will be making "a grievous mistake" if they don’t take these threats more seriously. Gellman calls the January 6 insurrection a “practice” for future, more effective, efforts by Trump and the GOP to overturn an election. Last month a European think tank added the U.S. to its list of "backsliding" democracies for the first time. Their report highlighted that “a historic turning point came in 2020-21 when former president Donald Trump questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 election results in the United States.” We'll talk to Gellman about the state of U.S. democracy and what it could mean for the 2024 presidential election.

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Pandemic Strikes Hard at California's Nail Salon Workers and Owners Dec 08, 2021

Show notes

Eighty-eight percent of California’s nail salon owners do not have enough customers to meet business expenses and rehire workers, and most salon workers are now taking home less than $400 per week. That’s according to a new study from the UCLA Labor Center and the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, outlining the “tremendous emotional and financial strain” of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nail salon industry. California’s nail salons, which employ roughly 100,000 licensed manicurists, are primarily small businesses staffed principally by women and Vietnamese immigrants and refugees. We’ll talk about the challenges salon workers and owners face in the state and the practices and policy solutions that could help them.

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How California Regulators Failed to Protect Outdoor Workers From Wildfire Smoke Dec 08, 2021

Show notes

Farmworkers in California work outside even during wildfires that fill the air with toxic smoke. California law requires employers to provide mask and safety guidance during those periods of dangerous air. But, an investigation by KQED and The California Newsroom found that state officials rarely enforce those rules putting roughly 4 million outdoor workers at risk. Despite those failures, Douglas Parker, the former head of California Division of Occupational Health and Safety responsible for enforcing the regulations, was recently appointed by President Joe Biden to lead the nation’s worker health and safety efforts. We talk about the investigation’s findings and whether California regulators are falling short in protecting workers.

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Sickle Cell Disease in Focus as CRISPR Clinical Trial Launches Dec 08, 2021

Show notes

First uncovered almost a century ago, sickle cell disease is a painful and debilitating red blood cell disorder that can lead to other medical problems like infections and strokes. It hits Black people the hardest, has historically lacked research, and patients have struggled to access basic care. We’ll hear about a promising new UCSF clinical trial using CRISPR gene editing technology on patients’ stem cells. And we talk with a patient about how the disease has affected her life and her community.

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What Would the Sierra Nevada Look Like with No Snowpack? Dec 07, 2021

Show notes

Sierra Nevada snowpack, a vital water source for California, could vanish within the next 25 years, according to a new study from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. While scientists have tracked and warned about diminishing levels of snow covering the Sierra Nevada for years, the new research provided a more specific timeline about when California could reach a no-snow reality and what that means from a scientific perspective. The study’s authors, however, want their study to not just alarm people, but also push them to change behaviors and policies to slow down or reverse the loss of snow in the Sierras. We’ll talk about how climate change is reducing the Sierra snowpack and what that means for the state.

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First Person: Ajwang Rading Makes Homeless Past An Asset in Run for Congress Dec 07, 2021

Show notes

Ajwang Rading’s name will appear on the ballot for the first time next fall when he runs to represent California’s 18th Congressional district, which includes parts of San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. Having grown up in and out of homelessness, Rading has a different perspective when it comes to tackling housing and social service issues in Silicon Valley. We talk with Rading about his past and future as part of Forum's First Person series, which profiles local leaders and change-makers who make the Bay Area unique.

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Ongoing Klamath Basin Water Conflict Fueled by Climate Change and Racism Dec 07, 2021

Show notes

Fish have a sacred role for the Klamath Tribes in the Klamath Basin, which spans part of Southern Oregon and Northern California. An 1864 treaty gives tribes the "exclusive right of taking fish in the streams and lakes,” but drought and poor water quality are killing the fish and causing a fight over resources between indigenous tribes and white farmers who were promised certain water allocations of their own. A new Fault Lines documentary by Al Jazeera called "When the Water Stopped," delves into the different sides of the conflict that is fueled by climate change, decades of federal land mismanagement and racism. According to activist and Klamath tribal member Joey Gentry, “our water crisis still exists today because of racism against the tribe, and racism against the tribe exists, in part, today because of our water crisis." We'll talk with Gentry and environmental reporter Emma Marris about the ongoing conflict and what it will take to resolve it.

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Parents of Accused Michigan School Shooter Charged for Contributing to Crimes Dec 06, 2021

Show notes

The parents of a teenager accused of fatally shooting four classmates and wounding seven other people at a Michigan high school last week were charged with involuntary manslaughter Saturday. Charges against parents in school shootings are rare. But Michigan prosecutor Karen D. McDonald called the actions of the parents, Jennifer and James Crumbley, "egregious" based on evidence that they bought the gun for their son and kept it unsecured. We'll talk about parental criminal liability in school shootings, and its potential to prevent gun violence by minors.

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