KQED's Forum

After decades of attempts to enact climate change legislation, the Senate passed a massive bill this weekend. The Inflation Reduction Act directs nearly $370 billion dollars in new spending to slash carbon emissions in the next eight years by giving Americans more access to clean energy. Robinson Meyer, staff writer at The Atlantic, will join us to break down what’s in the largest federal clean energy investment in U.S. history and what you need to know.Guests:Robinson Meyer, staff writer, The Atlantic; author, The Weekly Planet newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans of Asian descent are commonly lumped together under the broad identifier of “Asian American.” But such a general term can overlook powerful histories and distinctions among ethnicities. In her new book “Asian American Histories of the United States,” author Catherine Ceniza Choy reminds us that Asian Americans are not a monolith. “Like a galaxy of stars,” she writes, “the multiple origins of Asian American history are distinctive, but most meaningful when collectively visible as in a constellation, revealing intricate connections that present new ways of seeing, understanding, and moving forward.” We’ll talk with Choy about the evolution of the Asian American identity and the diversity it encompasses.Guests:Catherine Ceniza Choy, associate dean, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Justice, and Professor of Ethnic Studies, UC Berkeley; author, "Asian American Histories of the United States" and "Empire of Care: Nursing and Migration in Filipino American History." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new memoir, “The Man Who Could Move Clouds,” Ingrid Rojas Contreras tells the story of a journey she took with her mother to her native Colombia to exhume her grandfather’s remains. She intricately weaves family histories involving her curandero grandfather, her mother who could appear in two places at once and her own magical inheritance sparked by a bout of amnesia. Rojas Contreras, who now calls the Bay Area home, joins us to talk about infusing magic into story telling and how memory is both a burden and a treasure.Guests:Ingrid Rojas Contreras, author, "The Man Who Could Move Clouds" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Oakland Museum’s new exhibit, Hella Feminist, was scheduled to open two years ago to mark the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. The pandemic pushed the opening into a drastically changed climate for women after the Supreme Court overturned the federal right to an abortion. Through the works of contemporary artists responding to our current moment and an examination of historical items from the museum’s archive, the exhibit challenges visitors to interrogate the history and our concepts of feminism. Forum talks with the museum curators about the exhibit and what feminism means in this moment.Guests:Carin Adams, curator of art, OMCAErendina Delgadillo, consulting curator, Hella Feminist exhibit at OMCALisa Silberstein, co-curator, Hella Feminist exhibit at OMCA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adoption is frequently cited, particularly among those opposed to abortion, as a solution to an unwanted pregnancy. But in fact, fewer than one in ten people denied abortion care chooses to put their child up for adoption, according to UCSF studies. We’ll explore why, and we’ll hear from women who did choose adoption about their experiences.Guests:Angie Swanson-Kyriaco, birth mother; executive director, MPower AllianceGretchen Sisson, sociologist in the department of obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive sciences, UCSFAshley Morales, birth mother; program administrative assistant, La Selva, an outpatient behavioral health treatment programSusan Dusza Guerra Leksander, birth mother; agency and clinical director, Pact, an adoption alliance Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California reported more than 1,100 probable or confirmed cases of monkeypox on Tuesday, a day after Governor Newsom declared a public health state of emergency to address the rapid spread of the disease in the state. Monkeypox, which spreads through close physical contact, has disproportionately affected gay and bisexual men, and LGBTQ activists are protesting the long wait times and limited availability of vaccines in many California counties. We’ll take your questions about monkeypox, the state response and how best to stay protected.Guests:Dr. Peter Chin-Hong M.D., Infectious Disease specialist, UCSF Medical CenterScott Wiener, California state senator, representing San FranciscoTom Temprano, political director, Equality California, an LGBTQ+ rights advocacy organization Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inflation has driven prices skyward for all kinds of goods from gas to home goods. Even grocery store staples like cereal, milk and eggs have seen price hikes. While big chain brands might be able to weather these increases better, independent retailers are feeling these costs much more sharply. We’ll talk to local grocers from around the Bay Area to hear how they are dealing with the impact of inflation on their businesses and communities.Guests:Chi Dixon, marketing and communications manager, Berkeley BowlEric Liittschwager, independent operator of the Grocery Outlet in the Mission in San Francisco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Landscape irrigation accounts for about half of residential water use in California, according to state data. That’s leading some drought-conscious residents to consider tearing up their lawns in favor of less water-intensive gardens. We’ll talk about how to embark on removing your lawn and the plants, grasses and trees you might consider replacing it with.Guests:Flora Grubb, owner, Flora Grubb Gardens in San FranciscoShawn Maestretti, founder and principal, Studio Petrichor - a landscape architectural design firmCaitlin Hernández, LA explained reporter, KPCC-LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A violent civil war has raged in Ethiopia for nearly two years, claiming 500,000 lives and displacing millions. Despite the current ceasefire, humanitarian aid is struggling to reach those who need it, leaving millions more at risk of starvation. Watching from afar, the Bay Area community of Ethiopians are trying to raise awareness about the crisis abroad. But the divisions between ethnic groups in Ethiopia are also finding their way closer to home. We’ll discuss the situation abroad and here in the Bay Area with members of local Ethiopian activist groups.Guests:Esayas Hailemariam, legal scholar; member and leader, Global Society Tigrayan ScholarsHanna Tamrat, co-organizer, San Francisco Bay Area Amhara EthiopiansRobael Gizachew, leader, Bay Area Oromo Youth AssociationLaetitia Bader, Horn of Africa director, Human Rights WatchAdey Hagos, founder, Cafe Romanat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Popular cryptocurrencies have plunged in 2022: both Bitcoin and Ethereum have lost about half their value since the first of the year, and Dogecoin has fallen by more 90% since its peak in 2021. But while wealthy and early crypto investors have weathered the downturn, smaller players have fared less well, revealing what New York Times fintech reporter David Yaffe-Bellany calls "a yawning divide." We talk about the crypto collapse and hear from you, if you're a crypto investor: about how has the downturn affected you.Guests:David Yaffe-Bellany, reporter, New York Times - who covers cryptocurrencies and fintechEdwardo Jackson, founder, BlacksinBitcoin - He's also founder of the defi token CD3DMoorari Shah, partner, Sheppard Mullin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices