KQED's Forum - TopPodcast.com

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USAID Died Slowly, Alongside America’s Role in Global Health Sep 22, 2025

Show notes

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has long been one of the world’s largest providers of contraceptives and disaster relief. But recent funding cuts and orders from the Trump administration have dismantled programs, stranded millions of dollars’ worth of contraceptives, and left partner nations scrambling. We look at the unraveling of USAID’s work, the human impact on the ground and what America’s retreat means for the future of global health and humanitarian aid.

Guests:

Elissa Miolene, global development reporter, Devex, an independent news organization covering international development

Hana Kiros, assistant editor, The Atlantic - Her recent article is “Inside the USAID Fire Sale.”

Carson Christiano, executive director, Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA)

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Bay Area Manufacturing: A Thing of the Past or the Future? Sep 22, 2025

Show notes

The mega-wealthy Silicon Valley group, California Forever, has announced a plan to build a manufacturing town in Solano County. Their intention to build the largest site for advanced manufacturing in North America comes at a moment where there is a lot of debate about whether we should reverse the decline of U.S. manufacturing and how to do it. We’ll talk about how the manufacturing industry has changed from the American factory of the past, the role the industry currently plays in the Bay Area Area economy, and the future of manufacturing in our region.

Guests:

Kate Gordon, CEO, California Forward

Adhiti Bandlamudi, housing reporter, KQED

Mathew Bogoshian, Executive Director, American Manufacturing Communities Collaborative (AMCC)

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Live on Forum: PRXZM Sep 19, 2025

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California synth-pop duo PRXZM joins us in studio for a live musical performance. Classically trained musicians Nick Ortega and Emma Maidenberg host a weekly livestream where fans can watch them compose in real-time and offer feedback. PRXZM’s latest project? Remixing our Forum theme song! We’ll talk to them about the process of remixing and what it’s like to collaborate so closely with their fans.

Guests:

Nick Ortega, synth, PRXZM

Emma Maidenberg, vocals, PRXZM

Daniel Reiter, guitar, PRXZM

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Trump’s Immigration Crackdowns: A Conversation with Florida Sep 19, 2025

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been as full-throated in his support for President Trump’s aggressive immigration policies as California Governor Gavin Newsom has been in his opposition. We team up with South Florida Public Radio station WLRN to talk about how our states’ different approaches on immigration enforcement are playing out on the ground, and the impact on our communities, economy and voters.

Guests:

Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED

Tom Hudson, president of news, WLRN; an anchor of "The Florida Roundup"

Jasmine Garsd, immigration correspondent, NPR; host of the podcast "The Last Cup," about soccer and the immigrant experience

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What’s Driving California’s Shrinking Prison Population? Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

California’s prisons were so packed fifteen years ago that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled they violated the Constitution. Today, the state’s prison population has decreased dramatically and California is closing prison facilities. Governor Newsom has closed five during his tenure, with the latest – the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco, California – slated to shut down next fall. We’ll take a closer look at what’s driving the turnaround, and the impact of prison closures on communities and the state’s criminal justice system.

Guests:

Heather Harris, research fellow specializing in criminal justice, Public Policy Institute of California

Caitlin O'Neil, principal fiscal and policy analyst, Legislative Analyst's Office - the California Legislature's nonpartisan fiscal and policy advisor

Nigel Duara, justice reporter, CalMatters

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How to Be a Tourist in Your Own Town Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

Locals don’t always like to go where the tourists flock in their own town, and as a result there is a lot that they might be missing. A new program, Doors Open California hopes to change that by welcoming Californians to historic sites, movie locations, museums and more all in their backyard. We’ll talk to plugged-in locals about the cool sites and situations that are just around the corner, and hear from you about the Bay Area spots that you think are worth a visit.

Guests:

Peter Hartlaub, culture critic, The San Francisco Chronicle

Pendarvis "Pen" Harshaw, columnist, KQED Arts

Kara Newport, president and CEO, Filoli

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LA Immigrant Communities on Edge After Supreme Court Ruling on ICE Arrests Sep 17, 2025

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Immigrant rights advocates are warning of increased racial profiling and more aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactics in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to temporarily lift a federal judge’s order that barred the agency from detaining people without probable cause. Concerns intensified after the Department of Homeland Security announced on social media that law enforcement would “flood the zone” in Los Angeles. We look at what’s happening on the ground and where the law stands.

Guests:

Ahilan Arulanantham, law professor and faculty co-director, Center for Immigration Law and Policy, UCLA School of Law - former Legal Director ACLU of Southern California

Andrea Castillo, staff writer covering immigration, LA Times

Marissa Montes, professor of law and director, Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic, Loyola Law School

Rob Bonta, California Attorney General

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How Bruce Lee Helped Shape Asian American Culture Sep 17, 2025

Show notes

Journalist Jeff Chang contends that Bruce Lee, the famed actor and martial arts specialist, is the “most famous person in the world about whom so little is known.” In his new biography of Lee, “Water Mirror Echo,” Chang charts Lee’s rise as an action star and his impact on the creation of Asian American culture. We’ll talk to Chang about his book and about Bruce Lee’s special history in the Bay Area.

Guests:

Jeff Chang, "Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America" - Chang is also the author of "We Gon' Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation," "Who We Be: The Colorization of America" and "Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation"

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Elie Honig on the Challenges and Perils of Prosecuting a President Sep 16, 2025

Show notes

What happens when prosecutors take on sitting U.S. presidents? That’s the subject of CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig’s new book, which traces the successes and failures of the Department of Justice’s efforts to hold presidents from Nixon to Trump to account. We’ll also get Honig’s take on the latest DOJ controversies, including the firings of veteran prosecutors and the department’s shrinking independence from the Oval Office. Honig’s new book is “When You Come at the King.”

Guests:

Elie Honig, senior legal analyst, CNN - author, "When You Come at the King: Inside DOJ’s Pursuit of the President, from Nixon to Trump"

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In Search of Home Part 1: How to Prevent Homelessness Sep 16, 2025

Show notes

We’re launching a new series, “In Search of Home: Solutions for the Homelessness Crisis” to explore how homelessness happens and what it takes to move people into permanent homes. Our first show takes a look into the many reasons that people end up becoming homeless and how it can be prevented. Research shows that keeping someone housed is far more cost-effective, not to mention less traumatic, than trying to help someone once they lose their home. We’ll hear the experiences of people who have, with help, narrowly avoided losing their housing and talk about proven ways to prevent homelessness.

Guests:

Jennifer Loving, CEO, Destination: Home - a public-private partnership focused on ending homelessness in Santa Clara County

Rob Collinson, assistant professor, Department of Economics at the University of Notre Dame and the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities

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