KQED's Forum

“Any forthcoming federal pandemic relief bill must include funds to support teachers, so that under-served children don't fall behind”, argues Silicon Valley congressman Ro Khanna in a recent opinion piece.  We'll talk with Khanna  about what strategies he thinks K-12 schools should take this fall. We'll also get his thoughts, as a former national co-chair of Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns, on the direction the democratic party should take, as he heads up California's delegation at the Democratic National Convention next month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Monday that California is officially backtracking into more restrictive shelter-in-place orders as coronavirus infections continue to rise across the state. Many people and businesses are confused about the shifting policies and what activities are permitted. We open the phone lines to hear from listeners about how they are coping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As newsrooms across the country confront issues of race and diversity, award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien says it’s a welcome “MeToo” moment for journalists of color to speak out. O'Brien detailed her own experiences in a recent op-ed for the New York Times including being called the "affirmative-action hire" by colleagues at her first job. Today, after years working at major news outlets such as NBC and CNN, she's the chief executive of her own production company and regularly uses her Twitter feed to call out poor journalism in headlines and interviews. We’ll talk to O’Brien about how newsrooms should address racism in hiring and news coverage and  get her take on the state of journalism in the Trump era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new biography about Senator Joseph McCarthy taps into recently-released transcripts of closed-door congressional hearings to shed light on the senator’s life and his 1950’s anti-communist crusade.  Journalist and author Larry Tye joins us to talk about the book, “Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy”, and to describe the parallels he sees between McCarthy and President Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Across California, Latinos have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. They make up about 39 percent of the state’s population, but account for 55 percent of reported infections. Community leaders are calling for more resources to help reduce the spread and risks for Latinos, many of whom have to work outside the home. The pandemic has been especially burdensome for undocumented people and low-income workers -- a significant component of the Latino population. We look at what can be done to blunt the sharp rise in case counts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the United States grapples with civil unrest, many people are questioning how we arrived in this situation and how the nation can change for the better. In his new book, “American Poison: How Racial Hostility Destroyed Our Promise,” New York times economics reporter Eduardo Porter presents a comprehensive examination of how discrimination based on race has hurt not just members of marginalized groups, but the nation as a whole. While the U.S. has gutted education systems, healthcare programs, and assistance for the poor, he writes, the nation instead diverted resources to incarcerating people. Porter, who has previously served as economics columnist and editorial writer for the New York Times, joins us to discuss his new book and how it relates to current debate over dismantling systemic racism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and state public education leaders announced on Thursday that they’re suing the Trump administration over a new rule requiring foreign college students to leave the U.S. if their classes are online-only when they resume in the fall. California, which is home to the largest population of international students in the country, follows Harvard and M.I.T., who filed a joint suit and asked for an emergency order to stop the new policy. California’s public college systems are now reviewing their ability to offer some in-person classes to protect international students who could be deported or barred from re-entering the country under the new rule, which is raising health and safety concerns. We’ll hear from Attorney General Becerra, as well as from students who could be affected, and discuss the implications of the policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump on Friday commuted the sentence of his longtime friend and political advisor Roger Stone, who had been convicted of lying to Congress and witness tampering. The next day, former special counsel Robert Mueller defended his investigation into ties between Russia and the Trump campaign and wrote that Stone was "prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes." We'll discuss Trump's move and other national political news with KQED's Marisa Lagos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Newsom announced Friday that the state will release 8,000 people incarcerated in the state's prison system, including 700 in high-risk prisons like San Quentin and Folsom. The move came as Bay Area lawmakers and activists called on Governor Newsom to step in to reduce the prison population at San Quentin, where there have been more than 1300 cases of coronavirus and  at least seven COVID-related deaths.  We’ll get the latest on the situation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Close to 2 million unemployment claims filed since the shelter in place orders were issued have not yet been paid out, according to a San Jose Mercury News analysis. And while a new report from the U.S. Labor Department finds first-time jobless claims by Californians have dropped for two consecutive weeks, the continued economic shut-down could cause more workers to lose jobs. The state unemployment agency says it is updating technology and hiring thousands of staff to deal with the deluge of claims. Loree Levy of the California Employment Development Department joins us to answer your questions about the backlog and how to file claims. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices