KQED's Forum

All eyes are on two U.S. Senate runoff elections in Georgia, the outcomes of which will determine which political party gains control of the Senate. Pastor and democrat Raphael Warnock is projected to have won over Republican Kelly Loeffler.  The race between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican David Perdue is still too close to call.  Meanwhile, in a joint session of Congress overseen by vice president Mike Pence, US lawmakers gather this morning to confirm Joe Biden's victory.  We get the latest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Democrat Raphael Warnock’s victory in one of Georgia’s two Senate runoffs Tuesday, he becomes the first Black U.S . senator in his state’s history. If Democrat Jon Ossoff’s lead holds in the other runoff, President-elect Joe Biden begins his term on January 20th with Democrats in control of Congress. We'll get the latest and talk about what a shift in the senate's balance of power could mean for California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin filed manslaughter charges on Monday against Troy McAlister, a parolee accused of killing two pedestrians on New Years Eve while driving drunk. The case sparked intense criticism of Boudin, including a recall effort, for failing to charge McAlister with a new crime despite repeated arrests in recent months. The controversy caps the progressive district attorney’s first year in office. We’ll talk with Boudin about the case and what his office achieved last year, including ending cash bail, filing the first ever homicide charges in San Francisco against a police officer and reducing the city’s jail population by 40% to prevent a COVID 19 outbreak. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite President Donald Trump’s resounding loss in California during his bid for re-election last November, many Republican leaders in the state are supporting his efforts to overturn the results of the national election. Rep. Mike Garcia, who represents California’s 25th district north of Los Angeles, said Monday he joined a group of House Republicans who oppose certifying the election for President-elect Joe Biden. Another is Rep. Devin Nunes of Fresno, to whom Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Monday. Political observers say Trump’s efforts are futile, improper and possibly illegal, but many in his party are sticking with him. We discuss the Californian leaders who support Trump and what it means for the Republican Party in California, a state where Democrats dominate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump on Saturday pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" enough votes to reverse his November election loss in Georgia, according to an audio recording obtained by the Washington Post. The recording is another example of the president’s "assault on American democracy," a senior adviser for President-elect Joe Biden said. We'll talk with USF political scientist James Taylor about Trump's latest scandal, which comes two days before the special election in Georgia that will decide control of the U.S. Senate. We'll also discuss Rep. Nancy Pelosi's re-election as House Speaker on Sunday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lockdowns have been the blunt force instrument used to contain the coronavirus, and a recent study from UCSF proves that early on in the pandemic, shutdowns worked to curtail deaths in some, but not all populations. In particular, the study notes that Blacks, Latinos and those without a high school degree experienced a higher number of deaths per capita, even with a lockdown in place. While researchers are learning that shutdowns can work, what can be done to address the disparities experienced by high-risk communities? We'll talk about the study and what it means for crafting future policy responses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About one fifth of adults in the U.S are taking care of a family member or friend who needs help. The unpaid work of caring for loved ones who are aging, sick or disabled is often rewarding but it can also be exhausting, stressful and it can take a toll on the caregiver’s mental health. These strains have only increased during the pandemic when many services, like adult daycares, that used to provide a respite for caregivers, are closed. We’ll talk about caregiving during the pandemic, and how to get support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After following the notoriously bad relationship between baseball icons Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent as well as the meteoric path of the Giants, Bay Area based sports writer Joan Ryan grew curious about team chemistry and how it affects performance. She spent ten years probing sociology, neuroscience and psychology to answer questions about whether team chemistry was real. And if so, what is it exactly? And how do you measure it? Ryan joins us to talk about the importance of sports during the pandemic, how our relationships with friends, colleagues, and family are affected by team dynamics, and her new book, “Intangibles: Unlocking the Science and Soul of Team Chemistry”. (originally aired Aug. 14, 2020) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the pandemic is in the rear window and we can go out safely and breathe within 6 feet of friends and strangers, what are the first things you’re going to do? We want to hear your post-pandemic fantasy. Is it a crowded dance floor? A trip around the globe? Or just simply dropping your kid off at school? And, what will you miss from this time? Is there anything from your pandemic lifestyle that you hope to hold on to, even after the world opens up again? We’ll open the phones to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We'll listen back to Michael Krasny's 2002 conversation with famed poet, author and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, who died in 2014. They talked about "A Song Flung Up to Heaven", the sixth book in her series of autobiographies which started with "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” (originally aired May 8, 2002) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices