KQED's Forum - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

Xavier Becerra Keeps Low Profile – and Solid Lead – in Race for Governor Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

In the race to be California’s next governor, Democrat and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has maintained a sizable lead despite keeping a low public profile. Meanwhile, Republican Steve Hilton has been pressing his case as an outsider who will cut taxes and support the working class. Ahead of their debate on CNN on Wednesday evening, we’ll look at why enthusiasm for the Democratic front-runner is lagging.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Golden State Valkyries Push into the Playoffs, Ready to ‘Put Their V’s Up’ Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

As the crowd in Ballhalla roared, the Golden State Valkyries crushed the Dallas Wings in game 1 of their playoff series Sunday night. Led by coach Natalie Nakase, the team features veteran stars like forwards Gabby Williams and Kayla Thornton but it might be the passionate fan base that sets the team apart. Though only in their second year in the WNBA, the Valkyries have drawn sellout crowds ready to “put their V’s up.” But as the playoffs unfold, the WNBA’s record growth collides with old problems: pay disputes, online harassment and the misogyny that still shadows women’s sports.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How High School Became an Academic Pressure Cooker Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

Extreme academic workloads and relentless achievement culture are driving a youth mental health crisis in classrooms nationwide — especially among students trying to get into top colleges. That’s according to Stuart Slavin, a pediatrician who researches how to improve student mental health and the author of “The Success Trap.” We’ll hear from Slavin, a former school administrator and a high school journalist about how to escape “The Success Trap” and how parents can help their kids navigate this pressure.

Guests:

Stuart Slavin, author, The Success Trap: How the Pressure to Stand Out Is Fueling Anxiety, Depression, and Burnout in Teens—And the Fundamental Fix They Deserve; pediatrician, medical educator, researcher
Ananya Kota, student journalist, Los Altos High School – published an article in May in student paper detailing the pressures students face
Chris Funk, former superintendent, Dublin Unified School District – initiated policy limiting the number of AP/honors courses students can take yearly

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bay Area Legends: W. Kamau Bell Asks ‘Who’s With Me? Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

Oakland-based comedian, filmmaker, author and activist W. Kamau Bell is best known for his award-winning series “United Shades of America,” “1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed,” and “We Need To Talk About Cosby.” His touring stand-up set — coming to Stanford’s Memorial Auditorium on Oct. 1 — as well as his Substack and new podcast are all titled with the same question: “Who’s with Me?” Bell says the question “is an invitation to connect, a call to action, and a reassuring pat on the shoulder in these increasingly hectic times.” As part of our Bay Area Legends series, we’ll talk with Bell about forming community and celebrating Oakland.

Guest:

W. Kamau Bell, comedian, filmmaker, author and activist

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whistleblower Frances Haugen on Facebook's 'Social Reckoning' Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen leaked tens of thousands of pages of internal documents that were published in a 2021 Wall Street Journal exposé, now the basis of the forthcoming film “The Social Reckoning.” The documents revealed that the tech giant knew its engagement-driven algorithms accelerated political polarization, increased teenage mental health issues and incited ethnic violence abroad, and Haugen argued that Mark Zuckerberg routinely prioritized user growth and corporate profits over public safety. In her memoir “The Power of One: How I Found the Strength to Tell the Truth and Why I Blew the Whistle on Facebook,” Haugen details the personal and professional cost of exposing Meta and going public.

Guest:

Frances Haugen, data scientist and author of “The Power of One: How I Found the Strength to Tell the Truth and Why I Blew the Whistle on Facebook”

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Record-Setting Diesel Prices Put Pressure On Bay Area Businesses and Consumers Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

Diesel prices are now well above $8 a gallon in California – higher than they’ve ever been and 63 percent more than a year ago. While most consumers don’t purchase diesel, most of the goods we buy rely on it for transportation. Diesel powers tractors that work farms, trucks that transport the food to a manufacturing facility and trains that distribute products across the country. The steep rise in diesel prices is already putting pressure on businesses and the economy as a whole. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is talking about banning diesel exports as a way to increase domestic supply and lower prices. We’ll talk about why diesel prices have skyrocketed, how that will affect consumers and what could happen next.

Guests:

Severin Borenstein, Professor at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and a faculty director of The Energy Institute at Haas; member, Board of Governors of the California Independent System Operator
Kyle Cameron, president, Cameron and Co. Trucking, Inc.
Shaun Crook, co-owner and vice president, Crook Logging Inc. – He also serves as first vice president for the California Farm Bureau Federation.
John Coletta, CEO, Clover Sonoma – a maker of dairy products.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Biden's Gaza Policy Reverberates Today Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Why did President Biden stay the course in Gaza even as some of his own advisers pushed for change? In his new book, “Crossing the Red Line,” journalist Akbar Shahid Ahmed reconstructs the decisions behind U.S. support for Israel’s war in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas. We talk to him about President Biden’s reluctance to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his abandoned “red line” over Israel’s invasion of Rafah and the legacy of those decisions today.

Guest:

Akbar Shahid Ahmed, diplomatic correspondent, The Washington Sun, author, “Crossing the Red Line: Biden, His Advisors, and Israel’s War in Gaza”

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Singer and Local Influencer Tasha Malan Performs Live in Studio Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Tasha Malan describes herself as a “chill bay area guy.” The musician and content creator posts hyper-niche San Francisco TikToks and Instagram reels: showing off her Mission district lifestyle, impersonating Mayor Lurie and reading poetry dedicated to Redwood City. Malan soundtracks many of these videos with her own songs, which recall early aughts pop and R&B. She joins us to perform acoustic versions of her forthcoming debut album and to talk about why she says the Bay Area not only has an unparalleled local music scene, it’s “leading the pop renaissance.”

Guests:

Tasha Malan, musician and content creator, their new single, “Sagitaria,” drops next month

Christian Tumalan, Pianist & Co-Founder & Co-Director, Pacific Mambo Orchestra

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump’s Monuments to Himself Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

From the White House ballroom to the Kennedy Center to a proposed triumphal arch along the Potomac, President Trump has taken a special interest in creating physical markers of his legacy. We’ll look at how he’s largely escaped oversight, including by designating these projects as central to national security. Why are monuments such a priority for Trump, and what does this tell us about the growing reach of executive power?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Regional Ballot Measure is a $14 Billion Bet on Bay Area Transit Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

Years after the pandemic emptied trains and buses, Bay Area transit agencies still face anemic ridership and rising costs. A new regional transit measure that voters put on the November ballot aims to shift the tides. It would add a 0.5% sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties and 1% in San Francisco, to raise an estimated $14 billion over 14 years. Supporters hope it will fund BART, Muni, Caltrain, SamTrans, VTA and AC Transit and better connect the systems, while critics call it a regressive tax that hits lower-income residents hardest. We’ll talk about how we got here and the future of public transit with – or without – these funds.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

KQED’s Forum

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected