KQED's Forum

Earlier this week, the Jan. 6 congressional committee concluded its tenth and final hearing by voting unanimously in favor of issuing criminal referrals for former President Donald Trump. “Ours is not a system of justice where foot soldiers go to jail and the masterminds and the ringleaders get a free pass,” declared Democrat Jamie Raskin as he outlined the committee’s conclusions that Trump had violated four separate federal statutes, including aiding and abetting an insurrection. A final report of the committee is due this week. We’ll look at the committee’s recommendations, which are now in the hands of the Department of Justice and discuss what might happen next.Guests:Ryan Goodman, professor of law, NYU; co-editor-in-chief, Just Security; former special counsel, the Department of DefenseSarah Wire, Justice Department and National Security reporter focusing on Jan. 6 and domestic extremism, the Los Angeles TimesShanlon Wu, criminal defense attorney; legal analyst, CNN; former federal prosecutor who also served as counsel to Attorney General Janet Reno Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The potent synthetic opioid fentanyl causes on average one death in the United States every seven minutes — more than die by car accidents, guns or suicide. Fentanyl is cheap and easy to mass produce and smuggle; when added to drugs like cocaine and heroin, it can cause people to overdose quickly, before they even realize they’ve ingested it at all. That’s all according to a new seven-part Washington Post investigation called “Cartel RX.” We’ll talk to the reporters behind the series about what’s driving fentanyl’s “catastrophic surge” in the U.S. and how experts think we can begin to turn the tide.Guests:Nick Miroff, reporter covering the Department of Homeland Security, Washington PostScott Higham, investigative reporter, The Washington PostSari Horwitz, investigative reporter, The Washington Post Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When people say publishing is a dying industry, Brad Johnson begs to differ. East Bay Booksellers, which Johnson owns, had its best sales in the store’s history during the past two years. So, it’s fair to say that in some pockets of the world, and particularly in Oakland, books are very much still a thing. And, as the world opened up, people are not only enjoying solitary reading time, but have returned to filling seats at literary readings and in-person book festivals. As the year comes to a close, we’ll talk to booksellers like Johnson, critics and writers about the books that we couldn’t put down.Guests:Brad Johnson, owner, East Bay Booksellers in OaklandAnita Felicelli, editor, Alta Journal‘s California Book Club; 2022-2023 fiction chair, the National Book Critics Circle board; author, "Chimerica: A Novel" and the short story collection "Love Songs for a Lost Continent"Vauhini Vara, author, "The Immortal King Rao;" former business editor, NewYorker.com; former reporter, the Wall Street Journal in San FranciscoCarlos Lozada, opinion columnist, New York Times; author, “What Were We Thinking: A Brief Intellectual History of the Trump Era;" former nonfiction book critic, The Washington Post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s tempting to discard a carton of milk or a loaf of bread once it’s passed its “best by” date. But that “expiration” date only means that food is no longer at its freshest – it’s still perfectly safe to eat. Every year, Americans toss millions of pounds of edible food into landfills, contributing to climate change and exacerbating food insecurity issues. We’ll talk with food waste experts about how to interpret expiration dates and make the most of the surplus in our food system.Guests:Dana Gunders, executive director, ReFED; author, "Waste Free Kitchen Handbook"Yasmin Tayag, staff writer, The AtlanticDiana Lara, executive director, Food Finders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For some committed couples, years of living in close quarters during the pandemic prompted a search for a different marital model: Living Apart Together. These couples want to stay together, just not in the same home. While the percentage of Americans who are married has declined from 2000 to 2019, the percentage of couples living apart has risen by 25%. Now, it’s estimated that nearly four million Americans are married but living in separate households. Sometimes it’s because of their jobs or other circumstances. But often, particularly for women and older couples, living apart together is a choice that allows for agency and autonomy. We’ll hear about how it works, and whether being apart is the solution for staying together.Guests:Kelly Coyne, freelance journalist, New York Times article "The Wife Left, but They're Still Together;" PhD candidate in the Department of Radio/TV/Film, Northwestern University; professor in the Department of English, Georgetown UniversityVicki Larson, journalist, Marin Independent Journal; author, "Not Too Old for That: How Women Are Changing the Story of Aging" and "The New 'I Do';" forthcoming book about Living Apart TogetherSherrie Sims Allen, psychologist and relationship expert Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A sunset over the Bay, pregnancy news, a stroll through a flea market, and a conversation about the meaning of love. Those are some of the memories writers and editors from KQED Arts &Culture wrote about for the 2022 series called “One Beautiful Thing”. This year certainly had its hardships, including three years of living with the coronavirus pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, mass shootings, and of course, the mundane demands of life. And yet, it also held moments of beauty, resilience, and gratitude. We’ll talk about the KQED series and we want to hear from you about One Beautiful Thing you experienced in the past year.Guests:Pendarvis "Pen" Harshaw, columnist, KQED Arts & Culture; host, KQED's "Rightnowish" podcastKristie Song, intern, KQED Arts & Culture - wrote the Fall Book GuideGabe Meline, senior editor, KQED Arts & CultureThea Matthews, poet, educator, and speaker of African and Indigenous Mexican descent born and raised on Ohlone land, San Francisco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Soccer can unite a country, but in Iran women cannot even enter the national stadium. For decades they’ve been banned from attending games, and by extension, says podcast host Shima Oliaee, they’ve been banned from standing side by side as equal Iranians. We talk to Oliaee about her new podcast “Pink Card,” all about the women who’ve fought to take their stadiums back and the profound connections between soccer, feminism and freedom.Guests:Shima Oliaee, host and creator, the podcasts "Pink Card," "Dolly Parton’s America," and "The Vanishing of Harry Pace." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back when there was no TikTok, Instagram or social media, there was a concept known as “polite conversation” that defined what you could or should say in public. Now, many people feel freer to share stories about their lives. But has it gone too far? Where is the line between bringing our authentic selves into a conversation and “trauma dumping?” We’ll talk about why and how norms surrounding what’s okay to share have shifted and how to manage them.Guests:Thea Monyee, licensed marriage and family therapist; founder, MarleyAyo, a creative wellness consulting company.Michael Waters, freelance journalist, recent Atlantic article "The Decline of Etiquette and the Rise of 'Boundaries.'"Lizzie Post, a great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post; co-author, "Emily Post's Etiquette: The Centennial Edition"; co-president, The Emily Post Institute (Vermont). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 117th Congress concludes on January 3, and for lawmakers the race is on to broker deals and send bills to President Biden’s desk. This year, eyes are on the spending and defense bills, including proposals to reform the Electoral Count Act and streamline permitting for green energy projects. We’ll get the latest and analyze Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s run for House Speaker and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s party change, and we’ll hear what you think Congress should prioritize in this lame duck session.Guests:Catie Edmondson, congressional correspondent, The New York Times.Claudia Grisales, congressional correspondent, NPR. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act this week in a flashy White House Ceremony that included performances by pop stars Sam Smith and Cyndi Lauper. The president called deciding who to marry “one of the most profound decisions a person can make.” But marriage equality has had a relatively short history in America. Gay marriage was legalized less than a decade ago and has come under attack this year with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas indicating that it could be ruled unconstitutional in the future. We talk about the state of marriage equality in America and other rights the LGBTQ+ community continues to strive for.Guests:Andreana Clay, professor and chair, Department of Sociology and Sexuality Studies, San Francisco State University.Katherine Franke, professor of law and director of the Center for Gender & Sexuality Law, Columbia University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices