KQED's Forum - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

GOP Pushes for Rapid Barrett Confirmation Amid Widening White House COVID-19 Outbreak Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

Senate Republican leaders affirmed on Monday that hearings on the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett will go forward, beginning on October 12. That schedule is drawing sharp rebukes from Democrats who say it's unsafe to hold hearings amid a growing COVID-19 outbreak in the White House and just days after three GOP senators -- including two members of the Judiciary Committee -- tested positive for the virus. We'll talk about the latest developments in the battle over Coney Barrett’s confirmation.

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Election 2020: Prop. 18 Would Allow Some 17-year-olds to Vote in Primaries Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

Some young voters who recently turned 18 will be casting their ballot for the first time this November. But some of those voters were not able to vote in the primary election because they were not of age yet. Proposition 18 aims to change that. The initiative could open up the polls for more than 200,000 California voters who are 17 at the time of the primaries, but turn 18 by the general election. Supporters say the measure could spur more civic engagement among young people -- a group that traditionally posts low voter turnout. But opponents argue that 17 year-olds are not equipped to make decisions on complex issues like taxes, for example. In local measures, voters in Oakland will be asked to decide if 16 year-olds can vote in school board elections while in San Francisco, Prop. G would allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in city elections. We take a look at the debate on young voters.

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Firefighters Make Good Progress On Glass Fire Containment But Say Coming Heat Wave is a Concern Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

Wildfires across the state have burned more than 4 million acres this year, more than doubling the previous record. In Napa and Sonoma counties, firefighters have made good progress in containing the Glass Fire, which has burned more than 65,000 acres and destroyed over 1,000 buildings as of Monday. Still, Cal Fire says high temperatures in the coming days could change the fire's status. We'll get the latest update from KQED's Dan Brekke.

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Election 2020: Prop. 16 Seeks to Overturn California’s Ban on Affirmative Action Oct 05, 2020

Show notes

This November, California voters will weigh in on a controversial topic: affirmative action. Proposition 16 would overturn an existing law that prohibits the consideration of race and gender in public education, hiring and contracting. Both sides of the Prop. 16 debate center their arguments on the question of discrimination. Supporters say that unless state agencies look at race and gender, they cannot rectify long standing disparities while opponents say affirmative action enables discrimination. We dive into Prop. 16.

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Trump Under Fire for Risky Behavior After COVID-19 Diagnosis Oct 05, 2020

Show notes

We'll discuss the medical and political implications of President Trump's coronavirus diagnosis, and the White House's controversial handling of the crisis.

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Election 2020: Proposition 14 Would Authorize $5.5 Billion for Stem Cell Research Oct 05, 2020

Show notes

Back in 2004, California voters approved funds, and a new agency, to focus on stem cell research. Today, that pot of money is almost empty. Proposition 14 on the November ballot would authorize a $5.5 billion bond to continue to fund stem cell research in the state. We’ll get details on the proposition and hear from its proponents and detractors.

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Pulitzer Prize-winning Reporter Michael Schmidt on President Trump, COVID-19 and the Election Oct 05, 2020

Show notes

We’ll get the latest on President Trump's health and the White House's handling of his coronavirus diagnosis with New York Times Washington correspondent Michael Schmidt, author of the new book “Donald Trump v. The United States."

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Election 2020: Proposition 25 Seeks to End Cash Bail System Oct 02, 2020

Show notes

Proposition 25 on the November ballot seeks to end the cash bail system in California and replace it with one based on risk assessment. If passed, it would make California the first state in the nation to completely eliminate commercial bail. Prop 25 stems from Senate Bill 10, which was signed into law in 2018 by then-Gov. Jerry Brown and would have ended cash bail effective last October. Instead, a coalition against the legislation collected enough signatures to put the issue up for a vote. Proponents of Prop 25 say this would make the process more fair, where a defendant’s freedom isn’t dependent on their economic status. Those opposed say ending cash bail burdens police departments with ensuring defendants appear in court and takes away a person’s choice to secure release from jail through bail. Forum takes up the debate.

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President Trump’s Coronavirus and the Election Oct 02, 2020

Show notes

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19 after White House adviser Hope Hicks was confirmed to have the virus. The president’s physician said the couple are both “well at this time.” President Trump has been criticized for downplaying the severity of the virus in the early stages and belittling mask wearing and social distancing. We'll discuss how this might affect the election.

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President Trump Tests Positive for Coronavirus Oct 02, 2020

Show notes

President Donald Trump is experiencing “mild symptoms” after he and first lady Melania Trump both tested positive for the coronavirus. The president's results came just a few hours after the news last night that top aide Hope Hicks tested positive for COVID-19. In this hour of Forum we’re going to talk about the medical, political and and other implications of this bombshell news.

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