KQED's Forum

It’s no longer news that Hollywood studios are using artificial intelligence in editing, animation, visual effects and more. But last week “Dreams of Violets,” a new film about protests in Iran, became the first fully AI-generated live-action feature to screen at Tribeca and is a project that journalist Steven Zeitchik says the industry is watching nervously. We talk about the rapidly growing use of A.I. in filmmaking and the impacts that’s having on audiences, industry professionals and an artform built on human storytelling.

Guests:

Steven Zeitchik, senior editor for technology and politics, Hollywood...

Oakland filmmaker, rapper and activist Boots Riley’s new film ‘I Love Boosters’ is a surreal crime comedy that follows three women who shoplift clothes to make ends meet. Like all of his work, there’s radical pro-worker politics, indictments of industry, and funk-filled absurdism. We’ll talk to Riley about his distinctive storytelling and how it centers his hometown.

Guests:

Boots Riley, writer and director, "I Love Boosters;" his previous films include "Sorry to Bother You"

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After decades of decline, many church leaders believe that religious life is on the upswing as some younger Americans flock to Christianity — including Vice President JD Vance, whose new book on his Catholic conversion drops this week. But the fuller picture is more complicated. Coming up, we’ll talk to religion reporters and a church leader about what may be driving this shift, and what its lasting impacts could be.

Guests:

Michael O'Loughlin, executive editor, National Catholic Reporter; O'Loughlin has covered the Catholic church for both the Boston Globe and Crux; author, "Hidden Mercy: AIDS, Catho...

In writer and poet Ben Lerner’s latest novel, “Transcription,” an unnamed narrator travels to interview his elderly mentor. But shortly after checking into his hotel, the narrator knocks his phone into water, ruining the only recording device he brought. What unfolds is an exploration of all of the mundane and profound ways technology intersects with our lives. There’s the bad: the mental offloading and trust we place in our smartphones and the uncanny valley of glitchy Zoom calls. But there’s also the good: how it can sometimes be easier to express ourselves through phone calls rather than in-pe...

Former Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland won the New Mexico Democratic gubernatorial primary this month, and if she wins this November, she would become the first female Native American governor in U.S. history. Haaland was already the first Native American cabinet secretary, which she describes in her new memoir as a uniquely profound experience: “Unlike any previous interior secretary, I had inherited trauma caused by the very institution I led. But I had also inherited the courage, perseverance, and love of community that had been passed down to me since my Pueblo ancestors’ first footsteps on the dese...

Levi’s Stadium will be the site of a series of World Cup matches beginning June 13. Switzerland, Algeria, Qatar, Jordan and Australia are some of the teams that will be appearing in match ups. Though the FIFA extravaganza has had a bumpy rollout with complaints about high ticket prices and tourists opting not to come to the U.S. for matches, local expat communities are ready to cheer their home teams on. We’ll talk to hometown fans about their hopes and dreams for their teams and their lives in America.

Guests:

Erich Sonnberger, realtor, Inter...

What’s in a face? For the ancient Greeks, the shape and features of a person’s face revealed their character, virtue and intelligence. Though these attitudes are outdated, they linger today as our faces are scrutinized in selfies and social media. In her new book, “The Face,” historian Fay Bound-Alberti shares the history and science of how we see and make sense of one another’s faces—while she struggles to recognize the faces of others. She’ll share why the human face has influenced politics, culture and our obsession with beauty and perfection.

Guests:

Fay Bound-Al...

Two of the world’s leading artificial intelligence companies, Anthropic and OpenAI, are based in San Francisco — and both are preparing public stock offerings that will bestow a huge financial windfall on their employees. In a region where even many affluent residents are already priced out of the housing market,  the expected influx of wealth could make it even harder for many to find an affordable home. We look at the likely impact of the coming IPOs and how they’ll affect housing affordability and other aspects of life in the Bay Area.

Guests:

Enrico Moretti...

What does it mean to be American? That’s the question that animates Ben Rhodes’s new book “All We Say: The Battle for American Identity.” Drawing on 15 speeches spanning more than two centuries, the former Obama speechwriter and national security adviser looks at how they shaped and reflected competing visions over race, democracy, belonging and power. We talk to Rhodes about the speeches he chose and what they say about American identity today.

Guests:

Ben Rhodes, author, "All We Say: The Battle for American Identity;" deputy national security advisor and speechwriter under President Obama

The Trump administration said it will allocate $75 million dollars to fund a new coal terminal on the waterfront in West Oakland. Developer Phil Tagami has been working on building a shipping terminal on city-owned land for more than a decade. The coal export plan has faced major community opposition and a slew of lawsuits, which have since been resolved. With the legal challenges out of the way and federal funding, the developers now plan to start construction next year. We talk about the Trump administration’s larger strategy to boost the coal industry, community opposition to the project and wh...

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the American workplace, and virtually every week brings a new report that entry-level white-collar jobs could be replaced by chatbots. Facing an uncertain future, 1 in 4 college students no longer believe their degree is worth the time and money. The New Yorker’s Jay Caspian Kang has been reporting on how A.I. is reshaping higher education, and he joins us to talk about whether the four-year college can survive A.I.

Guests:

Jay Caspian Kang, staff writer, The New Yorker; author, "The Loneliest Americans"

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Before Andrew Sean Greer won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for his novel “Less,” he was the executive director for a writer’s foundation based in Italy and sponsored by a baronessa. It was a job he has compared to “running a bed-and-breakfast for maniacs.” That experience informs his latest comic novel “Villa Coco,” which centers a young man adrift and yes, a baronessa. We talk to Greer, who lives half the year in San Francisco and the other half in Italy.

Guests:

Andrew Sean Greer, author, "Villa Coco"; Greer won the Pulitzer Prize for his book, "Less"; author...

Former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann spent years inside some of the country’s most consequential investigations, from the Justice Department’s fraud unit to Robert Mueller’s election interference investigation. In his new book “Liar’s Kingdom,” Weissman argues the U.S. needs new laws to stem the corrosive effects of political deception. We talk with Weissmann about his case for reform and how we can make our democratic institutions more resilient. We’ll also talk to him about efforts to stop the Trump administration’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and recent upheavals at the Department of Justice.

Guests:

Andre...

In her new essay collection, “Freedom,” novelist and UC Davis creative writing director Zinzi Clemmons examines what freedom means in “a world buckling from the consequences of centuries of interlocking injustices.” She grapples with the complicated legacies of Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama and the #MeToo Movement — and explains why she’s no longer an Afropessimist. Clemmons joins us to talk about what it means to consider freedom today for Black Americans, women and oppressed people around the world.

Guests:

Zinzi Clemmons, director of creative writing, UC Davis; author of the novel “What We Lose” and the new essay col...

Self-driving car companies like Waymo say their autonomous vehicles are dramatically safer than human drivers. But a new CNN investigation found that when things do go wrong, they tend to go wrong in decidedly un-human ways: being incapable of responding to instructions from first responders, driving through crime scenes, and even attempting to traverse entirely flooded streets. As Waymo expands into new markets nationwide, we’ll examine these safety issues  — and hear why a lot of passengers love self-driving cars anyway.

Guests:

Yahya Abou-Ghazala, reporter and producer, CNN's investigative unit

Rya Je...

In his new book “Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music 1969-2000” music critic Barry Walters looks at how music produced and performed by gay and straight musicians has been embraced, celebrated, and defined by queer culture. As he notes, queer musicians “have made an art of saying what can’t be overtly said” and their LGBTQ listeners “have learned to hear what others can’t.” Walters traces the influence of rockers, pop stars, country crooners, R&B artists and disco queens from David Bowie to Sylvster, the Village People to the Petshop Boys, Grace Jones to k.d. lang. We talk to...

California’s End of Life Option Act, which allows people with certain terminal illnesses and a life expectancy of less than six months to receive medication that ends their life, turns 10 this month. Yet despite polling showing the policy is popular, access remains complicated and controversial, and few eligible patients actually pursue the option. We’ll discuss how the program has worked in California and examine the shifting national support for medical aid-in-dying policies.

Guests:

Paula Span, adjunct professor, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism; writes the New Old Age column, a co-production of The New Y...

Writer Dave Eggers, who’s been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, draws inspiration for the first time from his own art school experience and his classical training as a visual artist in his new novel, “Contrapposto.” The novel, which centers the working lives of artists, comes as Eggers opens a new center in San Francisco, Art + Water, that offers local artists free studio space and mentorship. Eggers joins us to talk about what it means to be an artist, in fiction and in practice, here in the Bay Area.

Guests:

Dave...

California voters cast their ballots in key races across the state on Tuesday, with the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom drawing a massive field of candidates. We break down that race, in which Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer led the pack of Democrats facing off against Republican frontrunner Steve Hilton, and look at results for the state’s Congressional primaries, including the race to succeed former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Join us for a recap of the results and what they mean going into November’s general election.

Guests:

Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-ho...

Oakland’s 911 system is perennially understaffed, frequently leading to long wait times for callers facing life and death emergencies or trying to report fires or crimes in progress. The problem has persisted for more than a decade, and we’ll talk to Oakland’s city auditor, an investigative reporter and a 911 dispatcher to explore why, despite a decade of audits and grand jury reports, Oakland’s emergency response system still lags behind national and state standards.

Guests:

Byard Duncan, investigative journalist, Type Investigations; his piece, "911... Please Hold" was done in partnership with Reveal/Center for Investiga...

Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical letter focuses on safeguarding humanity amid the rise of artificial intelligence. In the letter, which is essentially a policy document from the Vatican, the Pope urges tech companies and policymakers worldwide to place human and moral concerns over profit. Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah spoke at the Pope’s release of his letter in Vatican City, signaling an intention of collaboration and dialogue, but Silicon Valley leaders more broadly seem skeptical of the guidance. Will the pope’s recommendations impact the development and deployment of A.I.?

Guests:

Cade Metz, technol...

Graduating from high school marks a time when young people will, many for the first time, have to make their own decisions about their future. It’s a time filled with celebrations, optimism and anxiety about the future, and often sadness at leaving their younger selves behind. We’ll talk with high school seniors, their families and experts about this defining moment and how to navigate it in a rapidly changing world.

Guests:

Vincent Topete, graduating senior, Santa Clara High School

Elise Desai, graduating senior, Miramonte High School

Olga Chan, graduating senior...

Since his reelection, President Trump has been fixated on illegal immigration in the US, but now the President is taking on immigrants who are here legally. A new policy memo would require some people seeking green cards to leave the country while they wait abroad for their applications to be processed. The memo, which is vague on how this process would work, is already raising concerns for green card holders. We talk with immigration reporters and an immigration attorney about what this change means and who it impacts most.

Guests:

Hamed Aleaziz, reporter covering the D...

An estimated one in three Californians are insured by Medi-Cal, the state version of Medicaid. But as the federal government cuts billions in funding and imposes new work requirements and paperwork processes, many Californians could lose their coverage. Meantime, in anticipation of the cuts, hospitals and health clinics are already cutting services and closing locations; the state is scrambling to step in while maintaining a balanced budget. We take stock of what the new Medi-Cal landscape means for everyone’s access to health care in California and the Bay Area.

Guests:

Tyler Sadwith, California State Med...

Theo Baker arrived at Stanford as an eager freshman planning to study computer science and maybe write occasionally for the student paper. But his reporting uncovered something much bigger, ultimately leading to the resignation of Stanford’s president. In his new book, “How to Rule the World,” Baker argues the university functions less like a school and more like a pipeline to power, wealth and Silicon Valley influence. We’ll talk with Baker about what the next generation of elites are really learning at Stanford.

Guests:

Theo Baker, investigative journalist and author, "How to Ru...

“Gold is having a moment,” writes New Yorker staff writer Jennifer Wilson. Earlier this year, it traded as high as $5,500 an ounce as an unstable economic outlook has central banks and investors buying gold to hedge their bets. Gold has been embraced by the far right, reality TV, and hobbyists and full-time prospectors headed up to the foothills where the California Gold Rush began. Wilson explores all these angles in her latest piece “How Americans Caught Gold Fever Again.” We talk to Wilson and experts – and a gold prospector –  about the legacy and future of this precious metal.

The Colorado River basin and its two largest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, are facing record-low water levels, and the seven states that rely on the water system can’t agree on what to do about it. Now the federal government may need to step in, with the Trump Administration proposing a plan that would cut 40 percent of the Colorado River’s water supply to Arizona, California and Nevada over the next decade. We’ll talk with environment journalists about what this could mean here in California.

Guests:

Camille von Kaenel, California environment reporter, Politic...

Barbara Lee was elected mayor of Oakland last year with the city reeling from a political scandal, mired deep in fiscal crisis and scarred by years of violent crime. She promised a calm, no-nonsense approach to dealing with Oakland’s major problems.   A year later, the city’s financial outlook has stabilized some, its streets are safer than they have been in decades and Mayor Lee is talking about running for a full four-year term. We’ll talk with Lee about the successes of the past year and about the city’s many challenges including homelessness, the budget, illegal dumping and...

America used to value things — youth sports, local businesses and accessible healthcare, for example — simply because they were good for communities. That’s according to Sen. Chris Murphy, who says over the past 50 years the United States has seen a shift away from common goods in favor of profit, disconnection and unhappiness. We speak with the Connecticut Democrat about his new book, “Crisis of the Common Good,” and the values he believes could unite America — or at least the Democratic Party.

Guests:

Chris Murphy, senator from Connecticut (D), U.S. Senate

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You may be among the nearly two million voters who have already cast their votes for California’s primary election next week. But if you’re procrastinating like the rest of us, we’ll break down what’s on your ballot. We’ll go beyond the governor’s race to statewide races like attorney general and insurance commissioner, to the key congressional races that could determine the direction of the Democratic Party, and the ballot measures that are conflicting, confusing or causing controversy. KQED’s Politics Team will answer your questions and discuss what you need to know to fill out your...

The United States turns 250 this summer, but for many Americans feeling burned out by partisan politics it may feel hard to imagine wanting to celebrate. We talk to author Jeremy David Engels about his new book, “On Mindful Democracy: A Declaration of Interdependence to Mend a Fractured World,” which offers a path out of partisanship and a community-centered approach to democracy.

Guests:

Jeremy David Engels, author, "On Mindful Democracy: A Declaration of Interdependence to Mend a Fractured World;" professor of communication arts and sciences, Penn University; co-founder, Yoga Lab; mindfulness and yoga instr...

Great museums can drive tourism, and the Bay Area has no shortage of world class institutions. But museums everywhere are facing rising costs, declining fundraising support, and lower attendance. Last month, the Cal Academy of Sciences laid off more than fifty employees. Yet, public support for museums remains high, museums’ clientele has steadily diversified and many museums are managing to do well. With summer around the corner, we’ll check in on the state of Bay Area museums.

Guests:

Lori Fogarty, executive director, Oakland Museum of California

Dr. Soyoung Lee, The Barbara Bass Bakar...

“All my life I have tried to be a good woman,” writes Savala Nolan. Being “good” meant not rocking the boat. It meant following the rules and fitting herself into the mold of duty, excellence, sacrifice, and hard work. But as a Black woman and mother navigating a world built for men, Nolan learned that the lessons of being good no longer fit her life. In her new book of essays “Good Woman: A Reckoning,” Nolan, an attorney who heads UC Berkeley Law’s Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice, blends history and memoir as she examines the confining expe...

Aziz Abu Sarah, who is Palestinian, and Maoz Inon, who is Israeli, have both lost family to the conflict in the Middle East. They are also both peacebuilders who say they “forged a bond of brotherhood when the world expected us to hate each other.” We first talked to them earlier this year about their relationship and their vision for a culture of dialogue and forgiveness; today we're revisiting our conversation about their book, “The Future Is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land.”

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Presidents have traditionally waited until their final months in office to give clemency, but just over a year into his second term, President Trump has issued a wave of pardons—including almost 1,600 for January 6th rioters. The New Yorker’s Ruth Marcus says Trump has created a quid-pro-quo “pardon economy,” where pardons are sold for political and personal gain. We’ll talk with Marcus and a former pardon attorney about why they think Trump is setting a dangerous precedent.

Guests:

Ruth Marcus, contributing writer, The New Yorker

Larry Kupers, former pardon attorney, U.S. Departmen...

The college graduates in the Class of 2026 have not had an easy path. Part of their high school years were spent in Covid lockdown. And now, they are graduating into a difficult economy pockmarked by political strife, high cost of living and the rise of AI. Nationally, more than 40% of recent college graduates are considered underemployed, working in jobs that do not require their degree, and the unemployment rate for recent grads has risen to 5.6%.  Graduating into uncertain economic cycles is nothing new, but how are this year’s graduates coping? We’ll talk to students about their experiences and t...

As the June 2nd primary approaches, many California voters remain undecided about their pick for California’s next governor. This year’s race is especially crowded, with Xavier Becerra, Tom Steyer and Katie Porter leading the pack of Democrats facing off against Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco. We look at the issues that matter most to California voters and find out what polls say about the state of the race. Have you decided yet about who you’ll vote for?

Guests:

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

Guy Marzora...

The award-winning documentary by Bay Area director Yoav Potash, “Among Neighbors,” sheds light on the history of antisemitism in Poland, where both during and after the Holocaust, Jews were murdered not only by Nazis, but also by their Polish neighbors. Spanning seven decades of history, the film includes eyewitness testimony and asks what true reckoning and repair look like during today’s reemergence of nationalism and authoritarianism. Government officials in Poland have called for the film to be banned under a 2018 law in Poland forbidding speech that condemns the nation’s role in the Holocaust. We talk with Potash about hi...

Two teenage gunmen killed three people, and later themselves, in an attack Monday at the Islamic Center of San Diego, the city’s largest mosque. Authorities are investigating the shooting as a hate crime, and it comes as anti-Muslim sentiment is on the rise across the United States. We get the latest updates from the investigation, hear how San Diego’s Muslim community is responding and talk to experts about growing threats posed by rising Islamophobia.

Guests:

Tazheen Nizam, executive director, Council on American-Islamic Relations-San Diego

Andrew Dyer, reporter covering extremism, the military and ve...

Since it was created back in 2012, DACA has allowed unauthorized immigrants who arrived in the US during childhood to go to school and work without fear of deportation. Now, many recipients are reporting extra long delays for renewing their status, which is required every two years, leading some to lose their jobs, health insurance, and stability and causing many to worry that they will be deported. President Trump tried to shut the program down during his first term and is expected to try again during his second. We talk with DACA recipients, advocates and legal experts about the Trump...