KQED's Forum

acquire the company on Monday it spawned a lot of questions in the Bay Area. Will Musk uproot Twitter from its San Francisco home, the way he moved Tesla's headquarters to Texas? If so, what would that mean for the mid-Market neighborhood where San Francisco once lured Twitter with big tax breaks in hopes of transforming the blighted area. And for employees of Twitter, many are wondering how the richest man in the world might transform their workplace, for better or worse. We’ll talk about what Twitter under Elon Musk might look like for the Bay Area and we want to hear from Twitter employees and those who live or work in mid-Market: How do you think this move will change your job or your neighborhood? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all are “a multitude of stories,” say the producers of The Moth Radio hour and podcast, the project that for 25 years has made storytellers of thousands of people around the world. Now, The Moth has published a new book, “How to Tell A Story,” all about how to turn our ephemeral experiences into memorable stories. We’ll talk about what makes for a good story and hear tips for telling your own, whether you’re in a job interview, introducing yourself to strangers or processing a complicated life experience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The average American produces 4.9 pounds of waste daily, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This is inspiring some to adopt a zero-waste lifestyle, which involves maximizing already-owned items to reduce individual plastic consumption and waste production. While the zero-waste lifestyle has appeared in more social media feeds and advertisements in recent years, it is far from new, with roots tracing back to many communities of color. The spike in popularity has made some activists feel the movement has obscured those roots, reflecting ongoing racism within the environmental activist community. In this student-produced segment as part of KQED’s annual Youth Takeover, we’ll take a critical look at the origins of zero-waste living and how it can be practiced today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twitter has reached a deal to sell the company to tech mogul Elon Musk for about $44 billion, valuing the company at $54.20 a share. If the sale goes through, Musk vows to make changes to the platform, most notably loosening speech guidelines and making Twitter’s algorithms open source. In a statement on Monday, Musk said that “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated.” Musk’s acquisition of the platform poses many questions around free speech, and some experts have predicted that Musk’s proposed changes could make it easier for spam, misinformation, and illicit content to spread. We’ll talk about what Twitter could look like under Musk’s ownership and what it means for its users and employees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following a visit with president Volodymir Zelensky in Ukraine, U.S. Defense Secretary Austin Lloyd declared that Russia’s military capability should be targeted so "it can’t do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine." The Biden Administration announced that it would bring back diplomats to Ukraine and also provide the embattled country with $322 million in military aid. Meanwhile, Russia renewed its ferocious attack, bombing two train depots in central Ukraine, and Ukrainian officials acknowledged that 42 villages had fallen into Russian control. As peace talks have stalled and the grim brutality of the Russian invasion wears on, thousands are dead and once-thriving cities like Mariupol have been completely destroyed. With no clear end in sight, we talk about what a protracted conflict in Ukraine means for the region and the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The San Francisco Night Ministry has listened to those who want to talk every night since 1964. Night Ministers walk the streets of the Tenderloin offering an ear to anyone who wants to talk, and trained volunteers operate their phone lines until 4 in the morning. It’s gone on for more than 20,800 nights in a row and counting. The interfaith organization provides spiritual care for all, holding services for many faiths outdoors to increase accessibility. In its own words, “We do not judge or convert. We meet people where they are and offer loving presence.” We’ll hear about the Night Ministry’s work, the support that they hear folks need and what it means to truly listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bay Area’s biggest city has a major political race on the horizon. Sam Liccardo has been San Jose’s mayor since 2015, and the race to succeed him is heating up. This mayoral race is shaping up to be the most expensive in San Jose’s history, with more than 1.5 million dollars already amassed in campaign contributions, including $300,000 from the San Francisco 49ers. We’ll talk about the candidates on the ballot for June’s mayoral election, their platforms and endorsements, and we’ll hear from you: which priorities do you want from San Jose’s next mayor? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new book “Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop,” music journalist Danyel Smith highlights the genius and cultural impact of artists like Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, Donna Summer, Aretha Franklin, Janet Jackson and more. Pulling not just from research but from her own experiences interviewing a number of the pop icons featured, the book presents a unique mix of memoir, criticism and music history that demands Black women artists get their due recognition. Smith joins us to talk about pop stars of “Shine Bright” and the influence they had on her own life as a Black girl growing up in Oakland and Los Angeles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reem Assil, owner of San Francisco and Oakland’s Reem’s Kitchen, began her career as a chef with a thirst for activism, often advocating for social justice and sustainability at work. As the opening chef of Dyafa, an Arab fine-dining restaurant in Oakland, Assil began to reimagine power dynamics in the kitchen which she boldly reflected on in her Eater article, “Don’t Call Me Chef.” Assil joins Forum to talk about her new book, “Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora,” in which she weaves personal essays on food, family, identity, hospitality, activism and political struggles amid recipes influenced by Arab flavors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“If we don’t want to live in a nepotistic society, we have to stop practicing nepotism,” Brookings Institution senior fellow Richard V. Reeves writes in a recent Atlantic piece titled, “Why the U.S. Needs to End Legacy Admissions.” Legacy admissions — when preference is given to college applicants who are related to an alum — is facing heightened scrutiny in the U.S. Some schools are abandoning the practice, and some state and federal lawmakers are seeking to curtail it. In California, a 2019 law requires four-year colleges that consider legacy status in admissions – such as Stanford and the University of Southern California – to disclose their practices. We’ll take a look at the nationwide pressures mounting against legacy admissions and hear your views. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices