KQED's Forum

The coronavirus pandemic has jolted many industries and Hollywood is no exception. With only a few weeks of material left to shoot, the blockbuster “Jurassic World: Dominion” halted production after a few positive coronavirus tests. Movie theaters nationwide are hurting from restrictive measures on indoor viewings. Even media conglomerates such as Disney have suffered financial losses. But there is hope your favorite TV shows and much-anticipated movies may be out soon. We’ll look at how movies and shows are still getting made and what the movie industry might look like after the pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stanford University distanced itself from Trump administration task force member and Hoover Institution senior fellow Dr. Scott Atlas on Monday after Atlas tweeted that Michigan residents should "rise up" over new coronavirus restrictions. In a written statement, Stanford said his views were “inconsistent with the university’s approach” and emphasized the use of masks, social distancing and following public health guidelines. In September, a large group of Stanford colleagues signed a letter criticizing Atlas for undermining public health by misrepresenting the science on how to tackle the pandemic. We hear about the controversies and how they tie into long-standing tensions between university faculty and the free-market leaning Hoover Institution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Pentagon announced Tuesday that it will continue to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Iraq, leaving 2500 in each nation by January 15. The move drew bipartisan rebukes from lawmakers and some top military commanders, who say the troop reduction is premature and could further destabilize Afghanistan in particular. The announcement comes as President Trump continues to install loyalists at the Pentagon and a week after he fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper.  We'll talk about what's behind the drawdown in Iraq and Afghanistan and other foreign policy news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A recurring theme of post-election punditry was that President Trump gained ground among groups like Latino and Black men, a fact that surprised some observers. But what about the role of white voters? They delivered the White House to Trump in 2016 and despite four years that included an impeachment trial, a raging pandemic, and economic recession, white voters came out even more strongly for him again this year. We’ll look at what’s behind the steady support for Trump among white voters, why he may have increased backing among white women, and what it means for the future of U.S. politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biotechnology company Moderna announced Monday that its coronavirus vaccine candidate appears to be 94.5% effective against the disease. The news comes one week after Pfizer announced that its vaccine was more than 90% effective in a clinical trial. As California rolls back reopening plans amid a spike in cases, we’ll discuss next steps for the new vaccines and what we know about safety and long-term effectiveness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco has recorded more than 460 drug overdose deaths from January to August of this year, compared to 441 in all of 2019, according to the city's Medical Examiner's Office. The fatalities are chiefly attributable to fentanyl, a dangerous synthetic opioid that drug experts say only recently became widely available in San Francisco. We'll talk about what can be done to prevent more overdose deaths, and why the pandemic is complicating some efforts to provide people the treatment they need. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the weeks leading up to the presidential election, Twitter and Facebook drew praise from political misinformation watchdogs for attaching warning labels to misleading posts and banning accounts associated with QAnon and other extremist groups. But those moves may have breathed life into so-called "free speech" platforms like Parler, where some prominent Trump supporters have migrated. We'll talk about the rising popularity of conservative social networks and their implications for our already deeply fractured national political discourse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wildfire survivors eligible for compensation from PG&E for the 2017 wine country fires and the 2018 Camp Fire will begin getting emergency payments of up to $25,000 by November 23rd. That’s according to an announcement earlier this month by the PG&E Fire Victim Trust. The coronavirus pandemic has compounded the financial devastation for families suffering injury or property loss from the fires. We’ll get the latest on the long-running efforts of fire victims to receive compensation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forum reviews, analyzes and answers your questions about the latest in national political news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The majority of California voters may label themselves liberal or progressive, but some of the results of statewide propositions in last week’s election may suggest otherwise. The initiative to repeal a ban on affirmative action failed. California voted to restore voting rights to former felons, but against other criminal justice reforms, like doing away with cash bail. And the effort to hike taxes on commercial properties to fund schools failed. Meanwhile, Californians chose mostly Democratic candidates while voting overwhelmingly to send Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris to the White House. They also sent more Democrats to Sacramento, which will solidify their supermajority in the California Legislature. We’ll discuss the results of the California ballot measures and what they say about where the state stands politically in 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices