KQED's Forum

Nearly all of Apple’s products are assembled in China and 20% of its sales are generated there. That relationship has led Apple to compromise on its privacy protections for Chinese customers, allowing for government censorship and surveillance, according to a new New York Times investigation. Forum talks with New York Times technology reporter Jack Nicas about the investigation and the ways that Apple shifted its ideals and customer commitments to meet China’s escalating demands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal safety authorities announced another investigation into Tesla after a fatal crash, a tweet from CEO Elon Musk sent the crypto-currency market into a tailspin and the company’s stock took a dive. Just another month of news for the CEO and company that some love to love, and many love to hate. We’ll talk about the volatility and ingenuity of Elon Musk and Telsa and where it all might be headed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The social media app TikTok has grown exponentially since its release in 2016, with over 689 million active users worldwide. Famous for its short, looping videos that feature a range of content including lip syncs, dance routines, personal storytelling and documentary-style footage, it’s become a popular place to spend hours online, especially among Gen Z. Particularly in the past year, when in-person interaction was limited due to the pandemic, many people found community on TikTok and used it as a way to de-stress or express their creativity. We’ll talk about TikTok’s appeal and hear from popular creators Nick Cho and Taylor Cassidy about the communities they’ve found and built on the app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly half a million Americans died from opioid abuse between 1999 and 2019 and one family’s name has become synonymous with that crisis.  The Sacklers, who own Purdue Pharma, built their wealth promoting the blockbuster addictive painkiller OxyContin. The company continues to face civil litigation for their role in helping ignite the epidemic of opioid addiction.  Journalist Patrick Radden Keefe joins us to talk about his new book “Empire of Pain”, which chronicles the history of the Sackler family and critically examines corporate ethics in the pharmaceutical industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Israeli air strikes continued to devastate the Gaza Strip on Monday, as violence between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas entered its second week. The air attacks have killed roughly 200 Palestinians in Gaza — including more than 50 children — and left over 1,000 injured. Over the last week, at least ten Israelis have been killed by Hamas, which began launching rockets at Israel in retaliation for its decision to barricade a Muslim sacred site during Ramadan, and against mounting tensions over the threatened eviction of six Palestinian families from East Jerusalem. We'll talk about why the violence has erupted now and the prospects for a ceasefire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pacific Gas and Electric Company's power lines have sparked some of California's deadliest wildfires, including the 2018 Camp Fire where the utility pleaded guilty to killing 84 people. As summer approaches, concern is growing over high risk power lines starting fires around the state. We'll discuss where the Bay Area's riskiest power lines are, and where to go for help if a power line doesn't look right.If you have concerns about power lines in your neighborhood, email pictures to fires@kqed.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Fire Victim Trust in charge of compensating Camp fire survivors spent $51 million in overhead expenses in 2020. The Trust disbursed just $7 million to fire victims in that same period of time, amounting to less than 0.1% of the $13.5 billion promised. That's according to a KQED analysis of federal bankruptcy court filings, court transcripts and correspondence between staff of the Fire Victim Trust and the victims themselves. We'll hear about the investigation and get an update on why so many fire survivors have yet to receive their settlement.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new book, “Mom Genes: Inside the New Science of Our Ancient Maternal Instinct,” author Abigail Tucker explores what’s behind terms such as "mom brain," “maternal instinct” and other so-called parenting myths that have some truth to them. As it turns out, having children changes parents’ brains. Tucker researched the cellular-level revamping of parental brains that led her to some startling conclusions about how we perceive motherhood and raise children. We talk with Tucker about what parenting does to our brains and how that relates to the pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For more than 10 years, Bloomberg’s Senior Executive Editor Brad Stone has covered Amazon, the company and its founder Jeff Bezos. Stone’s new book "Amazon Unbound", examines how Bezos’ creation has become one of the largest corporations on the planet. But what is the cost to workers, the environment and to Bezos himself? We’ll talk about Amazon, Bezos and how the pandemic helped solidify the fortune of the richest man in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Centers for Disease Control announced Thursday that persons who are fully vaccinated that is, two weeks have passed since the final dose can eschew masks and social distancing in most settings both indoors and outdoors. Locations where masks are still required include health care, correctional and homeless facilities and public transportation, as well as places listed on local health ordinances. As of Wednesday, a third of the U.S. is fully vaccinated. More than 46% of Americans have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine and that number is expected to rise now that 12- to 15-year-olds can get vaccinated. Well talk about the CDCs announcement, the science behind it and what it means for reopening plans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices