KQED's Forum

Robert McNamara was president of the Ford Motor Company, head of the World Bank, U.S. Secretary of Defense and widely considered to be the architect of the Vietnam War. He was also a father. His son, Craig McNamara, depicts their strained, yet love-filled, relationship in his new book, “Because Our Fathers Lied,” which explores the wall that existed between them as a result of Craig’s deep opposition to the Vietnam War. We’ll talk with McNamara about what it means to carve out his own legacy and how he contends with his father’s actions today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When a classmate in junior high school told Julissa Arce, an immigrant from Mexico, that she sounded like a white girl, she took it as a compliment. “Sounding like a white girl gave me a false sense of security. Having an accent said I was from someplace else; sounding like a white girl fooled me into thinking I could belong in the United States,” she writes in her new book, “You Sound Like A White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation.” Writer, speaker, and immigration rights advocate, Arce became well known after publishing her first book, “My (Underground) American Dream,” about her experience working for Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs even though she was undocumented. In her latest release, she eviscerates the idea that through assimilation, anyone can be successful and accepted in America. In reality, she argues, assimilation functions as a tool of white supremacy. We talk with Arce about what it means to reject assimilation and how Latinos and other people of color are reclaiming their identities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The decision to terminate a pregnancy is rarely easy, and the reasons women choose abortions are varied. Some are already parents who don’t want another child. Some feel too young to become a parent. Some can’t bear to birth a child conceived in sexual violence. Some are afraid of the risks of pregnancy. And some, simply, don’t want to be pregnant. As Americans' nearly 50-year old constitutional right to an abortion approaches its probable end, we hear from women across the state who have chosen to terminate their pregnancies and what concerns them most about life in a post-Roe world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Various economic factors don’t seem to add up these days. Consumer spending is up year over year, but the country’s gross domestic product fell during the first quarter. Home values are higher than ever in many cities across, but 401k balances are taking a hit from stock market declines. Wages are finally inching up for some workers, but inflation is taking a bite out of purchasing power. Employers continue adding jobs, but worker participation in the workforce hasn’t bounced back. We dive into the contradictions in the economy and what it means for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Mommy, I don’t know what red looks like to you.” That’s the first philosophical puzzle that Scott Hershovitz says he remembers putting to his befuddled parents. And it’s children’s observations like those that Hershovitz, now a full-grown philosophy professor, says that parents need to nurture and take seriously. We’ll talk to Hershovitz about why young kids, unencumbered by received wisdom about the universe, make excellent philosophers and how childlike thinking can teach all of us to better grapple with the mysteries of human existence. Hershovitz’s new book is "Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with My Kids." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Italian food many Americans grew up with — often called “red sauce” cuisine — is influenced by Italian traditions, “but it is not Italian food,” writes Ian MacAllen, author of “Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American.” This distinction between Italian and Italian American food evolved from the story of Italian immigration to America — one where pizza and pasta ended up becoming synonymous with American food itself. The Bay Area’s own wine, tomato sauce and cioppino stems from the legacies of the Italian American immigrants who brought their old-world tastes to California’s vineyards and tomato fields. We’ll talk about the legacy and culture of Italian Americans in the Bay Area today, from North Beach to Temescal’s Colombo Club to San Jose’sChiaramonte's Deli. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The leaked draft Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade has sent shock waves across the country, particularly for those who assumed their 50-year old constitutional right to abortion was safe. But court watchers long have predicted this outcome, brought on by the decades-long efforts of Christian fundamentalists and other far-right actors to remake the Republican party. We'll talk about the political forces that brought us to this moment and the other core privacy rights -- from contraception to gay marriage -- that may be imperiled. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A year-long San Francisco Chronicle investigation found that a San Francisco program that leases residential hotels as a transitional solution for unhoused residents has failed drastically. According to the investigation, many residents reported living in squalid rooms infested with bugs, rats, and black mold. Reporters found that, of 515 people tracked by the government, 21% returned to the streets and a quarter died in the program. They also found that violence toward residents and staff, robbery, and drug overdose deaths were common occurrences in some decrepit buildings. We’ll talk about the investigation’s findings, who should be held accountable and what can be done to provide decent transitional housing for people getting off the streets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Danica Roem stunned the world of Virginia politics in 2017 when she became the first openly trans person to win a seat in a state legislature. She defeated a Republican who held the seat for more than a quarter century -- a lawmaker who called himself the state’s "chief homophobe." Roem, who's also a former journalist and thrash metal band front woman, joins us to talk about her new memoir "Burn the Page," all about her unlikely rise in politics and the importance of being your authentic self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congressman Adam Schiff returned recently from a surprise trip to Ukraine with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats where they observed the toll of the Russian invasion and met with President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the U.S.'s military and humanitarian commitment to the country. We’ll talk to Schiff about the trip and the status of President Biden's proposed $33 billion aid package for Ukraine, now awaiting congressional approval. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices