Podcast
KQED's Forum
Hosted by KQED · EN
Forum tells remarkable and true stories about who we are and where we live. In the first hour, Alexis Madrigal convenes the diverse voices of the Bay Area, before turning to Mina Kim for the second hour to chronicle and center Californians’ experience. In an increasingly divided world, Mina and Alexis host conversations that inform, challenge and unify listeners with big ideas and different viewpoints.
Want to call/submit your comments during our live Forum program Mon-Fri, 9am-11am? We'd love to hear from you! Please dial 866.SF.FORUM or (866) 733-6786 or email forum@kqed.org, tweet, or post on Facebook.
186episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Forum from the Archives: Ben Rhodes on the Speeches That Shaped America
4d ago00:55:45Tap to summarizeWhat 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Forum from the Archives: La Doña Presents Her New Album, 'Corrientes'
4d ago00:54:44Tap to summarizeSinger, songwriter and San Francisco native Cecilia Peña-Govea – better known as La Doña – joins us in studio with her band for a special live performance on the heels of the release of her new album, Corrientes. It’s her most ambitious and comprehensive project yet. She traveled to five countries and worked with 40 musicians to compose the 16-track album which spans a variety of genres including cumbia, reggaeton, ranchera, electronic, merengue, and son jarocho, a folk music style that originated in the Mexican state of Veracruz. La Doña joins us to perform, talk about her new album and her Bay Area roots. Guests: Cecilia Peña-Govea, singer who performs as La Doña Amanda Magaña, vocals and congas Naomi Pasmanick, sax and vocals Miguel Govea, accordion, vocals and guitar Camilo Landau, guitar and vocals Ayla Davila, bass and vocals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Forum from the Archives: California ER Doctors Reflect on ‘The Pitt’ Effect
5d ago00:55:46Tap to summarizeThe popular HBO drama “The Pitt,” set in a Pittsburgh emergency trauma center, is having an impact on real-world healthcare. Doctors across California say the show has brought heightened public awareness of their daily work and sparked conversations about the challenges that emergency healthcare workers face. We’ll talk to California ER physicians about the effect the TV show has had on their lives and work, and we want to hear from you: Has “The Pitt” changed how you think about emergency care? Guests: Dr. Christopher Colwell, vice chair and chief of Emergency Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Dr. Patil Armenian, professor of clinical emergency medicine and medical toxicology, UCSF Fresno; host, Human School podcast Dr. Sarah Medeiros, professor of emergency medicine, UC Davis; host, EM Pulse podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Forum from the Archives: Stage Diving into Sonoma County’s Early Punk Scene
5d ago00:54:51Tap to summarizeWhen punk rock thrashed through the Bay Area in the 70s and 80s, there were some venues that became iconic hubs, like Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco and Berkeley’s Gilman street. But in rural Sonoma country, the scene was cobbled together in backyards, barns, and from fields with very long extension cords. Growing up in Santa Rosa, KQED’s arts and culture editor Gabe Meline was both a part of the punk scene and an obsessive collector of its flyers, zines, cassettes and ephemera. He’s now guest curated a new exhibit at the Museum of Sonoma County, Disturbing the Peace: Sonoma County’s Early Punk Underground. We talk to Meline — and check in those in punk scenes of other Bay Area towns — about the music and ethos of punk and why this young DIY movement against authority is so relevant now. Guests: Gabe Meline, senior editor, KQED Arts & Culture Mike Park, owner, Asian Man Records - an independent label based in San Jose; member of the ska-punk band Skankin' Pickle in the 1980s and 90s Matthew Kadi, photographer and drummer. His band Monster Squad started in Vacaville in 1997 and is still playing shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Forum from the Archives: Michael Pollan Explores Labyrinth of Consciousness in 'A World Appears'
6d ago00:55:47Tap to summarizeWhat is consciousness for, and why did it evolve? Can we change our “default” consciousness? These are some of the questions that Michael Pollan says began to preoccupy him after his first psychedelic experience, which altered his ordinary consciousness so profoundly that he wanted to learn everything he could about the mysteries of sentience, thought and selfhood. We talk to him about what he uncovered and challenges of studying a phenomenon that he says we’ll never understand completely. Pollan’s new book is “A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness.” Guests: Michael Pollan, author, "A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness"; professor emeritus, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism; his other books include "In Defense of Food," "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and "How to Change Your Mind" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Forum from the Archives: Meklit Hadero Reimagines Ethiopian Folk Songs
6d ago00:54:50Tap to summarizeSan Francisco-based, Ethiopian-born singer-songwriter Meklit Hadero and her band join us live in the studio to play from her new album, “A Piece of Infinity.” The album reimagines folk songs from across Ethiopia, blending her signature Ethio-jazz style with R&B, synth and other genres. We’ll talk about the stories the album tells and bask in her rich, expressive vocals. Guests: Meklit Hadero, Ethio-Jazz singer and composer Sam Bevan, upright bass Colin Douglas, drums Howard Wiley, tenor saxophone Kibrom Berhane, keyboard and krar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Forum from the Archives: Have We Learned How to Talk About GLP1s?
1w ago00:55:46Tap to summarizeAn estimated one in eight Americans has now tried a GLP-1 medication like Ozempic or Wegovy: to lose weight, manage diabetes or experiment with anecdotal, off-label benefits. Yet GLP-1s can be hard to talk about — whether you want to ask someone if they take one, respond if you do, or discuss weight without dredging up unhealthy diet discourse. We’ll hear how you’re navigating these conversations in the age of GLP-1s. Tell us: How are GLP-1s showing up in your world? Guests: Diana Thiara, medical director, UCSF Weight Loss Management Program Whitney Casares, pediatrician; author, “Raising Body-Confident Kids” and “My One-Of A-Kind Body: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for Me” Angela Corral, senior editor, KQED’s The California Report; she has been been taking a GLP-1 for almost 2 years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Forum from the Archives: Tune-Yards’ Merrill Garbus on How She Makes Her Signature Sounds
1w ago00:54:48Tap to summarizeOakland based art-pop band Tune-Yards is widely loved for their complex and funky rhythms, layers of sound, thrillingly dynamic vocals, and thought provoking lyrics. The duo, Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner, have just released a new album, “Better Dreaming,” praised by critics as highly danceable and jubilant while, as always, grappling with the state of the world. Merrill Garbus joins us in the studio for a new album listening party and to demonstrate how she creates her powerhouse sound. Guests: Merrill Garbus, singer, musician, Tune-Yards - newest album is "Better Dreaming" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Forum from the Archives: Ranchers vs. Wolves: Navigating a Controversial Comeback
1w ago00:55:45Tap to summarizeAfter a century-long absence, gray wolves are returning to California. Biologists estimate some 70 wolves are living in the state, and recently, a female wolf traveled into Los Angeles County, the first such sighting. But their comeback is not without controversy. Ranchers in rural counties say they’re losing livestock to predation, while conservationists say the wolves bring ecological benefits as they reclaim part of their historic range. How do you think the state should manage our wolves? Guests: Kaggie Orrick, director, California Wolf Project, UC Berkeley Paul Roen, Sierra County supervisor; manager, Sierra Valley Ranch Beth Pratt, executive director for the California region, National Wildlife Federation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Forum from the Archives: Mariachi San Jose Performs Live in Studio
1w ago00:54:50Tap to summarizeFor people of Mexican descent, mariachi music is synonymous with milestones such as weddings, birthday parties, funerals or maybe just Saturday-morning chores. The genre, which originated in the 18th century in the western state of Jalisco, has morphed into one of Mexico’s most beloved styles of music that is now popular worldwide. In California, more high schools and colleges such as San Jose State have added mariachi music programs. Mariachi San Jose, an ensemble of college students, joins us in studio for a special live performance ahead of the Fourth Annual Fiesta del Mariachi. We’ll talk about mariachi’s growing popularity and the local ensembles that keep the genre strumming in the Bay. Guests: José R. Torres-Ramos, assistant professor of ethnomusicology, San Jose State University; director, Mariachi San Jose Debra Barrera, violin, Mariachi San Jose Anthony Cera, trumpet, Mariachi San Jose Abril Dorado, violin, Mariachi San Jose Jorge Dovalina, vihuela, Mariachi San Jose Thomas Hernández, harp, Mariachi San Jose Cameron Samayoa, guitarrón, Mariachi San Jose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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